A/N This story is a take on Legolas's life. I am trying to keep as many events canon as possible, and will mainly focus around the events of the Fellowship, Two Towers, and Return of the King. I have obviously changed some things for a slightly different take, but I hope to keep the main story similar. I want to be clear, this is not a 10th walker story, OCs will only appear in times that it makes sense. Last note, is that I actually ascribe to the young Legolas theory, though for some of the events of this story I need him alive, so he is a tad bit older than I think he actually should be from his attitude in the books.
Edit: A character design for Hurin and her initial meeting of Legolas is up on my profile! Also, this is turning into more about events surrounding the Necromancer, though I still plan to end it with the events of the Return of the King.
Sindarin - in italics
Le nathlam hí - Welcome
meleth nín - beloved
imbas - a bread that I imagined, using the root im from flower, and bas meaning bread
Man i eneth lín - What is your name?
i eneth nín - _ is my name.
Im - I am
Adar nín - My father
Ada - dad/father
mallorn - golden trees of Lothlorien
nanneth - mother
mellon - friend
A little whos
(he and she)
Under are this
Wonderful tree
Smiling stand
(all realms of where
And when beyond)
Now and here
(far from a grown
-up i&you-
Ful world of known
Who and who
(little ams
And over them this
Aflame with dreams
Incredible is)
-E.E. Cummings (2 little whos)
00
oo
00
1015 of the Third Age
King Thranduil looked over at his wife Rían with all the joy and great love that becomes new fathers. He squeezed her hand, looking tenderly at their newborn son.
"Le nathlam hí." He whispered to the child, his lips caressing the newborn's brow.
Rían smiled warmly at Thranduil, perfectly content.
"What shall we name him meleth nín?" she breathed, looking back down at their son.
He peered out at the green forests and woods that surrounded their home thoughtfully. The palace, though thoroughly enclosed, had many windows in the Healing Rooms, where his wife lay now.
"He shall always have a home here, here he will always be loved." He turned back from looking out the window, meeting his wife's eyes, "Let us name him Legolas, after the beauty of his birthplace and love he will always receive in this place."
"Mmm, green leaf?" she gazed down at their child, contemplating for a moment, "This is a good name. I know he will bear it well." she finished as she again focused on her husband's face but a breath away from her own.
The little elfling gurgled, blinking his grey eyes, as though he also approved of the name.
Thranduil and Rían laughed. And for a little while, all was well in the heart of the kingdom of Greenwood.
oo00oo
1024 of the Third Age
"Legolas! You will bring yourself before me this instant!" came a voice from below.
Legolas, from his perch in the trees, held his hand over his mouth to keep himself from giggling, giving away his position. He waited until the elf below him, the baker Galanbast, had left to continue his search elsewhere in the forest. As soon as he was past, Legolas pulled out the bread that he had braved the wrath of the baker for. He hadn't really stolen it, Galanbast had made his favorite bread for the celebration of his day of begetting, he just had happened to take some before the celebration. It just looked too tempting sitting on those cooling racks, waiting to be eaten.
He raised the bread up to his nose, inhaling deeply. It smelled as good as he remembered. He was about to take a bite when a voice interrupted him.
"Is that imbas?" a small voice coming from above asked.
Legolas' head snapped up as he scanned for the owner of the voice. A few branches higher in the next tree, a she-elfling was hanging upside down. Her silvery gray hair hung from her head as straight as the string on a bow. It was hard to tell much else about her as she was upside down, except that she had uncharacteristically green eyes. They were locked on the bread, her eyes filled with what looked like hungry longing.
"Is it?" she asked almost reverently, as she pulled herself right side up and crawled lithely on her branch closer to him.
Legolas put the bread back in his pocket protectively. "Man i eneth lín?"
He felt a bit like he was being circled by a predatory wolf, though that emotion was not as strong as his confusion. Elflings are relatively rare, especially ones who looked as young as he. This time of life lasted approximately 50-100 years, and with the great spans of time in between births, there were rarely more than 2-3 elflings in Greenwood at a time. He knew that he did not know this face. Now that she was right side up, he noted that she wore much brighter clothing than the most elves of Greenwood. Other than that, she looked like a typical elfling, lithe body, with just a hint of baby fat still in her cheeks.
The young elf plopped down on the branch next to him and put her hand over her heart seriously. "Húrin i eneth nín. Man i eneth lín?"
Legolas peered at her quizzically, before cautiously answering "Im Legolas."
Her face looked confused for a moment, then a look of recognition flicked past her eyes, before she broke into a wide smile.
"Oh! Son of King Thranduil?"
He nodded, still thoroughly confused.
"Happy day of begetting Legolas! Adar nín and I have traveled from Lothlórien to partake in the feast of celebration tonight." She peered thoughtfully upwards before continuing, "I also believe that they thought we might meet. You are about to be 10 years of age, yes?"
Still cautious, Legolas nodded quickly, still peering with slightly narrowed eyes and defensive posture towards Húrin.
She continued to smile warmly, "I am on my 7th year, with the beginning of the 8th coming presently in the next month. I am excited to meet you, Legolas. I am the only elfling under 100 years in Lothlórien at present. I often feel as though the elder elves cannot decide whether they want to coddle me in my youth or hurry me into maturity."
Legolas relaxed a little and gave her a lopsided smile. "I have oft felt the same, though I have a few companions of my age, I see them rarely."
He pulled the imbas out of his pocket before breaking off a small piece and handing it to her. "I am also glad to meet you Húrin."
She looked in awe down at the bread and slowly reached her hand out towards it. She brought it slowly back to her, before sniffing it and letting out a sigh of contentment.
"Do like imbas that much?" Legolas asked with a chuckle. He thought that she looked kind of cute, truly like a child as she gleefully tore into the imbas.
She turned to look at him, "Truthfully Legolas, I have never had it. The flowers that are baked into this bread do not grow in or around our woods. I have only heard ada speak of it. He said it was much softer than our bread and tasted of all the sweetest flowers in nature."
Popping it into her mouth, she closed her eyes, looking like she was slowly savoring the small piece.
She opened her eyes wide. "This is all ada said it to be."
Legolas looked uncomfortably guilty down at the rest of his bread, fiddled with it a moment, and then put the rest of it on her lap. "Here, you can have the rest."
She looked up at him in astonishment, "No, I couldn't possibly! You worked quite hard to conceal yourself from the baker elf to obtain this bread. You should enjoy it. It is also your day of celebration. I am content with being able to taste it."
She held out the imbas for him to take.
He shook his head, "I merely took some prematurely to the feast. It will be overflowing with imbas, so I shall have my fill later. Indeed, it is my favorite bread and it can be made here in Greenwood quite often."
She hesitated, but just for a moment. Almost quicker than he could track, the bread was gone. He looked up at her face to see her cheeks were already full and she looked at him with a slightly sheepish face before her closing her eyes again in delight.
He burst out laughing, and though she eyed him sorely, she was too caught up in her happiness to really give him a scathing glance.
It is good to have one as young as me for once. Legolas thought to himself.
After she had swallowed, she turned to him and asked brightly, "Since we have already met one another, Legolas, what is it that you do here in Greenwood?"
He looked up thoughtfully. "I often explore the woods, and have been exposed to many of the arts we practice, archery, horse riding, sculpture, music, and the reading of legends. What do you do in Lothlórien?"
She responded by thoughtfully cocking her head, as if considering something. Then, slowly, she took his hand and placed it against the tree trunk. Her hand rested on his, keeping it there. She closed her eyes.
"Do you hear that?" she murmured softly.
Legolas closed his eyes, and listened. Something began creeping on the edge of his mind and seemed to be trying to make its way in, like the soft thudding of rain on a roof. He couldn't interpret it, he just knew that it was there. He opened his eyes and jerked back his hand. Wide-eyed, he looked at her.
"What is that?" He asked, slightly alarmed.
She looked at him with much more intensity than a 7 year old should be able to muster, "That is the tree, she is speaking to you. She is wondering if that other elf on the ground was looking for you."
She closed her eyes and placed her own palm against the tree concentrating, "She thinks he was rather angry and is worried for you."
Húrin looked at his bewildered face and chuckled, "I was just getting to know these trees when you showed up with your bread. It seems as though not many have spoken with them in a long time. They are edgier and more protective than the mallorn that live in Lothlórien."
"You...talk to trees in Lothlórien?" Legolas asked with an eyebrow raised.
Húrin looked back at the tree, ignoring his skepticism, "I do not have many friends Legolas. I often find myself drawn to the streams and trees that our within our borders. I happen to find trees easier to understand than the running of the streams is all."
She stopped abruptly, seemingly concentrated on the tree trunk again and looked directly at him, "People are looking for us, we should return."
He looked back at her quizzically, but decided he should probably leave anyways. It was about time that he head back to his home in order to get ready for the celebration. He began to climb down the tree, before he felt her hand grabbed his forearm.
"Where are you going?" Húrin asked.
"You are right, it is time that I left. I'm going to get down from this tree and return home."
"You do not need to get down from this tree in order to return home. I believe it is even faster if you stay aloft."
He looked at her strangely. This is a very odd elfling. I wonder if it is because she is from Lothlórien, or if all other elflings are this strange.
As if to assuage his doubts, she stood up on the branch and began to deftly move through the branches, sometimes stepping, sometimes a mix of jumping and climbing. She stopped, turned around, and smiled at him.
"Come! It is more fun this way!" She smiled.
Legolas clambered back up onto the branch. She had moved through the trees with more natural ease than a runner looked on land. Enticed by her demonstration, he stood up on the branch. It did look pretty fun, and he believed himself deft enough to follow her steps. He looked at the branches and followed her steps exactly, step for step, handhold for handhold.
She smiled at him, "You are a fast learner. Follow me."
He eagerly scrambled after her as she continued to make her way from branch to branch, tree to tree. He could feel the movements coming easier and easier to him, and he began to even be able to guess where she was going to place her foot next. His pace quickened, and soon he was striding next to her instead of following her steps. She noticed the change and gave him a playful grin.
"Shall we race?" She challenged playfully.
He grinned back, and without a word, began to move through the branches with more ferocity. She gleefully looked after him and began to move through the trees in earnest.
It only took a few moments for Legolas to realize that he had made a mistake. She had been only going slowly so that he could catch her movements and follow. His newfound confidence had been as one who had just learned how to walk, while she had long mastered that. She was a runner. There was definitely a little clumsiness in her movements that comes from being so young, but then Legolas still had a bit of that too. The movements weren't as fluid as they could be, and realizing this, Legolas moved as quickly as he could, trying to at least keep her in sight. He followed the flowing, leaping tresses of gray through the canopy, in awe that one of her braids didn't get stuck on an outcropping branch. Despite his best efforts, the gap was growing larger and larger as he fell farther and farther behind. And then, suddenly she disappeared from view and he heard a yell followed by a soft thump.
A shot of fear ran through him and he dashed as quickly as he could through the treetops to where she had disappeared. He looked down slightly panicked, searching for her. She was laying on the ground, rubbing her head and coming up to a sitting position. He quickly descended the tree.
"Húrin! Are you well?" He clambered down next to her.
She looked at him sheepishly as she stood up, wincing a bit.
"I am well Legolas. I thank you for your concern, but it was my own overconfidence. I have taken much worse tumbles out of trees before."
Standing next to her, he still felt a bit concerned and took her hand as he lead her at a walking pace in the direction they had been traveling in the trees. They walked in silence for a few minutes before he heard her sigh to herself.
"I'm afraid that I've become too comfortable in the forests of home. I know the trees well, and when I traverse their branches, they often move and sway to accommodate my movements." She looked around at the forest, "I'm afraid these trees do not give me the same handicap and I have become lazy in my steps."
Legolas looked at her, thinking hard. He still wasn't sure how much he believed about this tree business, but he was beginning to warm to her, even in her oddities. The way she had moved through the trees was not only quite useful, but a wonderful skill to watch.
Perhaps, today, I have made a friend. He smiled to himself as he let the thought ruminate in his mind.
"So, how do you do it?" Legolas asked, curious, and somewhat skeptical.
"Do what?" Húrin cocked her head.
"Talk to the trees."
"Oh, I suppose I just listen." she stated matter of factly. " If you look outside your own mind, you can sense them, they are much like sentries, slow and solid. Their thoughts are not long in coming. I can hear others too, but not as clearly as the trees. I think that they are the least afraid to open their minds."
Legolas thought that this answer was not much of an answer at all and wasn't really sure if he believed her still.
"How did you know to open your mind?"
"As I said, I spend much of my time exploring the woods and streams of Lothlórien. I sometimes wondered if they're as lonely as I was...so I would sing to them or tell them stories. We kind of...keep each other company you could say. I grew to know them better than I knew any elf. I know every new budding branch, and bird nesting amongst them. One day while I was climbing in the trees, I wasn't paying attention and stepped on a branch that couldn't support my weight. I grabbed another branch in time, but I had snapped the other one under my foot. I suddenly just had this sense that something on the edges of my mind was angered. I was startled at first, but realized quickly that it was coming from the tree. I apologized to it, but I wasn't sure it could hear me, so I thought I would try to spread the feelings in my mind to it, just like it had sent anger towards me. As soon as I tried to open my mind to it, I could sense hundreds of thousands of pinpricks of lights in my head. Oh, I wish you could see it Legolas, it's beautiful, the colorful and varied tapestry of sapience and life, all dancing amongst one another!" She looked at him wide-eyed with joy.
He glanced over at Húrin, noticing the happiness that pooled behind her green eyes. They were so different than that of the older elves. Older elves always held equal parts sadness and joy in their eyes. When Legolas had asked about it, they said that it came from living so long and seeing many things that both warmed and scorned the heart. He had never really looked into the eyes of another elfling before. They held such wonder, though he also thought he saw grief hidden deep within them. He found himself wishing the journey home was a bit longer, if only to stay longer in her company.
He mulled over what she had said and suddenly had a thought.
"Can you see my mind?" He asked.
Húrin paled. Looking at him warily.
"Why-why do you want to know?"
He didn't notice her sudden change.
"I just thought it would be cool! Like we have a secret between mellon." He said smiling.
Her eyes lit up as she heard the word.
Friend? She thought with hope. Her mind mulled over the word, wrapping around it. She did not want to lose it. Friend.
She cocked her head and closed her eyes, allowing him to lead her for a bit.
Legolas began to feel something tickling at the edges of his mind, like a bundle of thoughts that seemed strangely foreign to him. The tickle became a soft touch, and then a warm firm hold. He began to be able to discern images, one of him upside down on a branch about to eat his bread. There were good feelings associated with the image.
He looked at her with wonder. "Are you doing that?"
She opened her eyes blearily, and nodded. He noticed she was sweating slightly, and her footsteps seemed a bit more shaky.
"It is much harder to concentrate on an elf-mind. It is much more complex and difficult to enter." she said hoarsely. "I might not have been able to do it at all had we not been touching."
Legolas just nodded, both intrigued and slightly exhilarated. He secretly kind of wanted to try again, though he feared tiring out Húrin. It did not seem as though he could enter his mind easily, and it also seemed as though he could only see what she wanted him to. It did not seem to him like an invasion, but rather like attaining a secret language.
They soon reached the heart of the elven living spaces in Greenwood and Legolas let go of her hand. She flexed her fingers. She had never done that before, held hands for such a length of time. She found herself feeling more uneasy now that the spaces between her own fingers were vacant.
Legolas turned to her, "Where are you staying? I can walk you there before I return home."
"I am staying at your residence, assuming you are staying with your ada and nanneth. We can walk together." she smiled back, happy that she would not have to leave her new friend.
Legolas was surprised, but not shocked. Many visitors came and stayed in the palace, though this made him wonder if she was more prominent in Lothlórien than she was letting on.
Maeglin, one of the king's guard, rushed upon them as soon as they entered the grounds of the palace.
"Legolas!" called out Maeglin as he strode forward briskly. "Your father has been searching for you for the past hour! There are many in the woods looking for you at this moment. Where have you been?"
Legolas looked sheepishly at Maeglin, "I have been exploring the woods with my new mellon. We may have lost track of time."
Húrin had not missed that Legolas had referred to her as friend again, and though she looked ready to be chastised by Maeglin, she inwardly smiled.
Maeglin looked with piercing at eyes at Legolas, assessing his answer, before turning the same gaze towards Húrin, who was also working hard to avert his gaze.
"Very well. We will speak of this later. Though you, elfling," he gestured at Húrin, "have also been called for. We must make with haste to the conference chambers. Both of your parents are waiting for you along with Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrian."
Legolas and Húrin exchanged an uneasy glance before slowly following Maeglin into the palace.
Let me know what you think! Things are still fluid in the coming chapters. I'm also finished with the rough sketch for the character cover, it features Legolas and Hurin grown. Check my profile!
