Post by Móreadhiel on Jun 13, 2006 14:40:52 GMT -5
Soft laughter drifted from the little group of elves across from the storyteller, Elrond smiled and shifted his gaze to his sleeping son.
The boy had been sleeping for about an hour now and Elrond was much grateful, Aragorn had not slept well at all. His headaches had been growing steadily worse and he had not been able to sleep, save if the elven lord drugged him, and he hated to do that. He knew that it was not good for the growing child.
“Tell us another, Elrond.” Thranduil chided, for even though the storyteller across the room was telling of an exciting battle between and elf and a balrog, Thranduil felt he and Legolas needed a happier tale.
“Well, there was once- when Estel had just come to live with us. Elladan and Elrohir had not taken care of a toddler in years.” Elrond started to laugh. “So, they thought that maybe if they gave him chocolate the whole night, maybe he would behave.”
Thranduil started to chuckle and Legolas smiled.
“Well, I returned home to the most sickly child I had ever met, and it was all because of a little too much chocolate. I swore never to let Elladan and Elrohir take care of him again.” the elf lord shook his head and looked lovingly at the young man who slept peacefully in the chair.
“You can put him in bed if you like, we will wait here.” He looked up to see the elven king smiling at him, fatherly recognition in his eyes.
“Thank you.” The half-elf said sincerely. “But, no. I fear f I put him in his bed, he will waken. I could not stand to wake him up, it would break my heart.”
“I say, he must be quite a busy lad to need so much sleep.” Elrond, not knowing what to say, just nodded, but then decided to correct himself.
“Well, his headaches have grown worse and that has kept him from sleeping as he should.”
The elf king nodded in understanding as Legolas cuddled next to him, happy to be in his father’s warmth.
Within moments, the younger elf was asleep, next to his father and smiling as pleasant dreams enveloped his mind.
“You have quite an extraordinary son, Thranduil.” Elrond motioned towards the young archer.
Thranduil smiled and brought a gentle hand through his son’s locks. “Yes, he is.” the king nodded towards the young man. “You do as well. Your boy, there, has single handedly watched out for our well-being.”
Elrond smiled and placed a hand on the boy’s cheek. “Yes, he does seem to enjoy the responsibility.” Estel whimpered as another nightmare came, Elrond sighed, deeply weary of the boy’s troubles.
How he wished that all this could be washed away, he wished he could cure the young man of every ailment. But he could not, he knew because he had tried.
“Well-” Thranduil smiled and gathered his son up in his strong arms, holding him close. “ I think I will take Legolas to bed, he will have a busy day tomorrow, no doubt.”
“Yes, he will. Rest well.” Elrond said grinning as the elven king exited the hall, his son in his strong embrace.
Careful not to disrupt Aragorn anymore, Elrond stood to his feet and looked about the busy hall.
Many elflings were crowded in a corner and listening as the storyteller told and Glorfindel, who had now awoken, acted it out.
All the children had always wanted to be like the strong and mighty elf lord. And so they listened to him with great respect and wonder.
Chuckling at the pride in the balrog-slayers eyes, Elrond walked out of the hall and went to his room, pondering on how hard the next few weeks would turn.
~_~
The next morning dawned bright and joyful, though normal life continued, everyone was a happy as they had been.
Legolas sighed as he jumped upon the table as Elrond grabbed a cup and some herbs.
Aragorn stood in the corner, the circles under his eyes had lessened some; but he yawned frequently and slumped a bit.
Thranduil, once again, did not seem to notice. He was too busy making sure his son was comfortable.
“Lord Thranduil,” the king turned to Lord Elrond and nodded.
“Yes, milord.”
“I am going to speak to Legolas, I want HIM to answer. Understood?”
The prince paled slightly and Thranduil turned to argue, but saw the authorities fire in the elf lord’s eyes.
“No, Legolas will answer me himself. If you want this to be successful, then you will listen to me, if you AT ALL answer for him, I will have Estel escort you out. Am I clear?”
Estel smiled, as the elven king stammered.
“Well?” Elrond asked again, leveling his gaze upon the king. “Am-I-clear?” the elf lord asked slowly, pronouncing each word elegantly.
“As a wine glass.” Thranduil bowed his head, thoughts of what might happen leaving and coming faster than he could control.
“Wonderful. Now, Prince Legolas, or is it Legolas? What do you prefer lad?”
Breathing deeply, the prince looked at his father for an answer, but found Thranduil was not looking at him, his head was still bowed.
The younger elf straightened his back and pretended to pull a crown from his head, then throw it away.
Elrond smiled, pleased with such quick progress. “Legolas it is then.” he said as he poured a bit of water into a cup and pulled bits of herbs, dropping them into the cup. “Estel?”
The young man was at his side in an instant head bowed in respect. “Yes, Ada?”
The elf lord smiled and turned his head to look at the boy. “Would you please get Prince Legolas’s bow and quiver along with his knife?”
“Yes, father.” Thranduil watched as the man left running for their room.
~_~
“Bow and quiver.” he repeated again, quickly opening the door and stepped in, he ran forward.
Not even realizing that someone else had been occupying the room and might have moved things around, he still acted as though he could see the room.
Therefore, he was not ready when his middle collided with something hard, he flipped forward and the thing he had collided rocked over, sending him sprawling.
Suddenly a smack and a crack and all his senses faded. The last thing he felt was a sickening pain as the object he had ran into fell hard on his middle back and legs.
That last flare of pain sent his aching body into unconsciousness, no one noticed he was missing.
The boy had been sleeping for about an hour now and Elrond was much grateful, Aragorn had not slept well at all. His headaches had been growing steadily worse and he had not been able to sleep, save if the elven lord drugged him, and he hated to do that. He knew that it was not good for the growing child.
“Tell us another, Elrond.” Thranduil chided, for even though the storyteller across the room was telling of an exciting battle between and elf and a balrog, Thranduil felt he and Legolas needed a happier tale.
“Well, there was once- when Estel had just come to live with us. Elladan and Elrohir had not taken care of a toddler in years.” Elrond started to laugh. “So, they thought that maybe if they gave him chocolate the whole night, maybe he would behave.”
Thranduil started to chuckle and Legolas smiled.
“Well, I returned home to the most sickly child I had ever met, and it was all because of a little too much chocolate. I swore never to let Elladan and Elrohir take care of him again.” the elf lord shook his head and looked lovingly at the young man who slept peacefully in the chair.
“You can put him in bed if you like, we will wait here.” He looked up to see the elven king smiling at him, fatherly recognition in his eyes.
“Thank you.” The half-elf said sincerely. “But, no. I fear f I put him in his bed, he will waken. I could not stand to wake him up, it would break my heart.”
“I say, he must be quite a busy lad to need so much sleep.” Elrond, not knowing what to say, just nodded, but then decided to correct himself.
“Well, his headaches have grown worse and that has kept him from sleeping as he should.”
The elf king nodded in understanding as Legolas cuddled next to him, happy to be in his father’s warmth.
Within moments, the younger elf was asleep, next to his father and smiling as pleasant dreams enveloped his mind.
“You have quite an extraordinary son, Thranduil.” Elrond motioned towards the young archer.
Thranduil smiled and brought a gentle hand through his son’s locks. “Yes, he is.” the king nodded towards the young man. “You do as well. Your boy, there, has single handedly watched out for our well-being.”
Elrond smiled and placed a hand on the boy’s cheek. “Yes, he does seem to enjoy the responsibility.” Estel whimpered as another nightmare came, Elrond sighed, deeply weary of the boy’s troubles.
How he wished that all this could be washed away, he wished he could cure the young man of every ailment. But he could not, he knew because he had tried.
“Well-” Thranduil smiled and gathered his son up in his strong arms, holding him close. “ I think I will take Legolas to bed, he will have a busy day tomorrow, no doubt.”
“Yes, he will. Rest well.” Elrond said grinning as the elven king exited the hall, his son in his strong embrace.
Careful not to disrupt Aragorn anymore, Elrond stood to his feet and looked about the busy hall.
Many elflings were crowded in a corner and listening as the storyteller told and Glorfindel, who had now awoken, acted it out.
All the children had always wanted to be like the strong and mighty elf lord. And so they listened to him with great respect and wonder.
Chuckling at the pride in the balrog-slayers eyes, Elrond walked out of the hall and went to his room, pondering on how hard the next few weeks would turn.
~_~
The next morning dawned bright and joyful, though normal life continued, everyone was a happy as they had been.
Legolas sighed as he jumped upon the table as Elrond grabbed a cup and some herbs.
Aragorn stood in the corner, the circles under his eyes had lessened some; but he yawned frequently and slumped a bit.
Thranduil, once again, did not seem to notice. He was too busy making sure his son was comfortable.
“Lord Thranduil,” the king turned to Lord Elrond and nodded.
“Yes, milord.”
“I am going to speak to Legolas, I want HIM to answer. Understood?”
The prince paled slightly and Thranduil turned to argue, but saw the authorities fire in the elf lord’s eyes.
“No, Legolas will answer me himself. If you want this to be successful, then you will listen to me, if you AT ALL answer for him, I will have Estel escort you out. Am I clear?”
Estel smiled, as the elven king stammered.
“Well?” Elrond asked again, leveling his gaze upon the king. “Am-I-clear?” the elf lord asked slowly, pronouncing each word elegantly.
“As a wine glass.” Thranduil bowed his head, thoughts of what might happen leaving and coming faster than he could control.
“Wonderful. Now, Prince Legolas, or is it Legolas? What do you prefer lad?”
Breathing deeply, the prince looked at his father for an answer, but found Thranduil was not looking at him, his head was still bowed.
The younger elf straightened his back and pretended to pull a crown from his head, then throw it away.
Elrond smiled, pleased with such quick progress. “Legolas it is then.” he said as he poured a bit of water into a cup and pulled bits of herbs, dropping them into the cup. “Estel?”
The young man was at his side in an instant head bowed in respect. “Yes, Ada?”
The elf lord smiled and turned his head to look at the boy. “Would you please get Prince Legolas’s bow and quiver along with his knife?”
“Yes, father.” Thranduil watched as the man left running for their room.
~_~
“Bow and quiver.” he repeated again, quickly opening the door and stepped in, he ran forward.
Not even realizing that someone else had been occupying the room and might have moved things around, he still acted as though he could see the room.
Therefore, he was not ready when his middle collided with something hard, he flipped forward and the thing he had collided rocked over, sending him sprawling.
Suddenly a smack and a crack and all his senses faded. The last thing he felt was a sickening pain as the object he had ran into fell hard on his middle back and legs.
That last flare of pain sent his aching body into unconsciousness, no one noticed he was missing.
