"Ah, the two most radiant elves in all middle earth." Elrond's smile spread
as his wife
and daughter stepped into the room. Arwen smiled and ran up to her father as he knelt
and opened his arms to her. "This ball will be my chance to finally show off my beautiful
Evenstar." He exclaimed with an even broader grin. The Festival of Stars was an annual
event held once every 100 years in Rivendell. It was a chance for Elves of all kinds to
gain favor with Elrond, and get a free meal while they were at it. From all over Middle
Earth elves traveled unfathomable distances to reach the great city, and all were invited,
even those.less favorable with Elrond. Still, no matter who you were, friend or foe, you
didn't just turn down Elrond's invitation to this particular event. Arwen's anxiety peaked
as she glanced past the curtain out into the main ballroom. "Are you ready little one?"
asked her mother soothingly. Gulping, Arwen, with a nod surer than she felt ran up in
between her brothers. Their parents were behind them. "Don't worry." Elohir whispered
"If you mess up remember: There's only 99% of the elven race watching you for any sign
of weakness or imperfection." Looking up at him, Arwen's eyes resembled those of a
small animal caught in headlights.er lanterns. However she had no time to question him
further since at that moment her father's voice echoed through the chamber. "Announce
us!" he called to an unseen servant. Instantly the music coming from the ballroom
stopped, and they heard resounding trumpets. The curtains parted, and bright light
banished the shadows of Arwen's sanctuary. She felt her mothers reassuring hand
squeeze her shoulder. There was no going back now. Taking a deep breath, she stepped
into the twinkling room.
They reined the horses to a stop, as a guard from Rivendell approached. "State you name
and place of dwelling brother." the guard requested firmly. "I am Thranduil, lord of
Greenwood." The tall elf on the largest horse replied with authority. "Welcome to
Rivendell my brothers of the trees, His Excellency Lord Elrond expects you." And
without another word the sentry took Thranduil's lead and pulled his horse over a path of
dark stone. Then, when the canopy of trees gave way they beheld a jewel. Pushed into the
corner among the rushing river, the lush, towering trees, and the sheer rock was
Rivendell. The palatial building loomed with both majestic power and beauty. A thousand
lanterns burned from the windows, which were numerous and arched. Also in between
every couple of windows was a balcony. Thranduil shook the boy sitting before him.
Legolas stirred, and opened his eyes. They were sleepy at first, but as soon as they locked
on the magnificence before them they shot open. "This is Rivendell?" he asked in a
perplexed tone. "You seem surprised." Thranduil replied "Forgive me sire, but after
what you told me of Elrond I expected it to be darker, not so beautiful or." Thranduil
narrowed his eyes and grabbed his son by the hair, pulling his head back so that
Thranduil whispered right into his son's ear. "Fool! Do you not realize Elrond's guard
can hear you? I'll have no more talk of that! Not a word about home, my opinions, or the
necromancer, Understand?" the last word was a hiss. Legolas barely nodded, as his
father still had a grip on his tresses. "Good." Thranduil sneered, releasing his son and
turning back to the shimmering building, which now towered right above them. "Shall I
show you to your rooms sire?" the guard inquired. "Greenwood's sovereign stays in the
same quarters every time he visits Rivendell, I shall require no further assistance."
Thranduil replied. "Thank you sir." And with a bow, the guard disappeared back into the
woods. Thranduil started through massive arched gate before them, with Legolas
rushing to keep up. The rest of their party parted with them at the palace walls and
headed in the direction of "Tent City", the makeshift town of guards and servants from
every elven lord, minor and major who attended the ball. Rivendell was huge, but it was
not made to sustain the currently peaking Elven population. Every year Elrond ordered
that only the lord and his immediate family could live in the castle, and every year the
elves continued to bring all their court. This year, just like the last, Thranduil was parted
from his party, and Legolas found himself alone with his father. Legolas tried very hard
to keep pace with the man, but he was weary from the long ride, and he did not know the
way, not to mention that Thranduil's stride was thrice that of Legolas. Soon he fought to
catch even a fleeting glimpse of his father as the elf turned a corner. Shifting his bag to a
new shoulder, Legolas began to wonder which would anger his father more, asking for a
rest, or getting lost. Finally, his father spared him the decision by stopping. He opened a
large set of double doors and they stepped into the luxurious suite that would be their
home for the next week. " I need to get ready as I am already late, Are you coming?"
Thranduil asked as he pulled out a clean, fancy tunic to replace his soiled riding one.
"No, I think I'll just stay here." Legolas answered quietly "Suit yourself." Thranduil
yelled from the bathroom. Then a moment later upon his return he added. "Don't get into
any trouble, and be here when I return. I don't want to search this whole bloody palace
for you." he glanced at the mirror, before stepping out the door and shutting it. For the
first time tonight, Legolas was alone. He breathed a sigh of relief, and fell backwards
onto the bed.
Arwen yawned. She was beyond bored. All around her Elven couples danced, but she
was too young to do this, and had seen no other children her age. As she watched the
twirling couples she caught sight of one she knew. Her father was an excellent dancer,
and her mother was not lacking skill either. They had such grace. Both looked immensely
happy, and satisfied with the other. She watched them until the song ended, and then she
caught her mother's eye. CelebrÃan smiled sympathetically at her uninterested daughter.
She led Elrond off the dance floor and approached Arwen. "My dear, have you nothing
better to do than sit by your self and mope?" she asked, kneeling down. "Now that I've
been introduced to everyone I don't have anything to do, and there aren't any other
children here." Arwen sighed. Elrond had arrived to hear Arwen's complaint and smiled.
"I think I have just the answer Arwen. My dear friend Jahil arrived late with his son
Jamill. I believe the boy is only a year older than you, would you like me to introduce
you?" Arwen's face brightened immediately. "Oh daddy would you?" she was now
standing. "Anything my lovely little Evenstar." Elrond replied, happy to please her. "I
think I'll go check on the twins." Celebrian said, and with that, Arwen took her father's
hand. "Why haven't I ever met Jahil before?" asked Arwen "Jahil is my Dwarven
Ambassador. Keeps track of our affairs with the dwarves. For that reason, he actually
lives with them most of the time, unless he's reporting back to me." Elrond explained,
"He lives with dwarves???" Arwen asked in a shocked voice. "Hush, here he is, we'll talk
more about it later." Elrond whispered. "Elrond my old friend, blessed is the day of our
meeting!" a tall dark elf called in a thick, strong voice. He was the burliest elf Arwen had
ever seen, and his eyes twinkled with good spirit. "Jahil, I am gladdened by your
presence." Elrond replied as the two embraced. "Listen friend, this is my daughter,
Arwen." "Hello little miss." Jahil held out his hand to her. "An honor to meet you Mr.
Ambassador." Arwen replied, taking his hand. "My daughter would like to meet your
son. Perhaps they might play together." Elrond suggested. "A splendid idea if I do say so.
JAMILL!" Jahil called, causing every other elf in the room to wince thanks to their
sensitive ears. A boy walked towards them. He was about a foot taller than Arwen, and
his hair was cropped short. "He's my age?" Arwen asked, almost frightened. "I thought
he was." Elrond gulped. "Yes pappy?" the boy said in a man's voice. "This here's Elrond
m'boy. He's lord o' Rivendell, and his daughters here too. You guys wanna play?" Jahil
asked. Jamill grunted in reply. "Good Good! Elrond, let's leave these two be." Jahil said
putting his arm around Elrond's shoulder and leading him away. Arwen found herself
alone with Jamill. "C'mon." he said and he walked back towards the place he had come
from. He led her to the giant dining hall where he sat down and called for two pints. "Uhh
I can't actually drink yet." Arwen said "I won't have anything." The server bowed and
left. Jamill meanwhile, wasted no time in grabbing a platter of meat and stuffing his face.
Arwen watched, disgusted, and a little amazed. He obviously ate with Dwarves a lot.
"Wah Sum?" he asked, spewing meat out onto his chin. She shook her head. After he had
consumed an ungodly amount of food and drunken a whole keg of drink he began to talk.
He told her all about dwarves, their habits, their soft spots, even what they liked to eat.
Then after he was done talking about that he began telling her stories of things he had
done. Arwen was stuck. She didn't want to offend the boy.er man, but she had to get
away from him. Luckily desperation kicked her mind into high gear and soon she had a
plan. "Hey Jamill, how about we play a game of Hide and Seek?" she suggested. He
downed the last of his drink and let out a soggy burp. "Alright." "I'll be it first." She said.
"You count to fifty, and when you're done come and find me. The game isn't over unless
you tag me ok?" he grunted his agreement and closed his eyes. Arwen ran like the nine
were on her heels. She flew from the room and headed towards the steps leading to the
rest of the palace. Meanwhile, Jamill was having trouble. Looking at his fingers he
growled in frustration and finally stood yelling "Fifty!" Arwen heard his yell and kept on
running. He saw her on the stairs and was in pursuit immediately. Arwen dashed through
the crowd of Elves on the stairs leaving a trail of 'Excuse me' and 'Pardons' in her wake.
As she reached the top of the stairs the crowds thinned and she ran towards the guest
wing. Jamill unceremoniously pushed and shoved his way through the crowd, so he was
gaining on her. As she rushed through the silent catacombs of the palace, Arwen was
distressed to find that Jamill was still on her trail. Suddenly, her Elven ears caught a
sound. In the air hung the lonely song of a single flute. Arwen followed the noise until
she reached a set of double doors. The melancholy music came from beyond them.
Looking back, she could hear Jamill's thunderous gait getting closer. She knocked on the
door frantically, and immediately the music ceased. She heard soft footsteps behind the
door and the pounding ones of Jamill in the hallway. A soft voice from within the room
spoke. "Speak caller." "Please I am Arwen, daughter of Elrond, I need to get in, you must
open the door." She was frantic, and turned to see Jamill's shadow as he rounded the
corner. Just then the door squeaked open and she jumped inside, closing it softly. His
steps passed. Sighing in relief, she leaned against the door and looked up, face to face
with the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen.
Woah, who could this blue-eyed savior be??? I was thinking of Legolas and Arwen as being the human equivalent of age 11 in this story. I know I'm messing with the timeline, but I'll try not to mess it up too much. I also know that Thranduil seems really mean, but I will explain this hopefully in future chapters, if there are future chapters. Wanna know why Thranduil is mean? R/R and you'll find you. I am not very knowledgeable about LOTR at all. I have read the books, and I tried to research the story, but if you wish to enlighten me in the ways of Tolkien please feel free in a review or email me, my email is on my profile. If you're still reading this I want to extend a personal Thank You to you since your still hanging on. On a final note I do not like flames. I would love any well-rounded criticism, but if you say something is wrong give suggestions for change. Flames only singe Legolas' beautiful hair. -J.P.
and daughter stepped into the room. Arwen smiled and ran up to her father as he knelt
and opened his arms to her. "This ball will be my chance to finally show off my beautiful
Evenstar." He exclaimed with an even broader grin. The Festival of Stars was an annual
event held once every 100 years in Rivendell. It was a chance for Elves of all kinds to
gain favor with Elrond, and get a free meal while they were at it. From all over Middle
Earth elves traveled unfathomable distances to reach the great city, and all were invited,
even those.less favorable with Elrond. Still, no matter who you were, friend or foe, you
didn't just turn down Elrond's invitation to this particular event. Arwen's anxiety peaked
as she glanced past the curtain out into the main ballroom. "Are you ready little one?"
asked her mother soothingly. Gulping, Arwen, with a nod surer than she felt ran up in
between her brothers. Their parents were behind them. "Don't worry." Elohir whispered
"If you mess up remember: There's only 99% of the elven race watching you for any sign
of weakness or imperfection." Looking up at him, Arwen's eyes resembled those of a
small animal caught in headlights.er lanterns. However she had no time to question him
further since at that moment her father's voice echoed through the chamber. "Announce
us!" he called to an unseen servant. Instantly the music coming from the ballroom
stopped, and they heard resounding trumpets. The curtains parted, and bright light
banished the shadows of Arwen's sanctuary. She felt her mothers reassuring hand
squeeze her shoulder. There was no going back now. Taking a deep breath, she stepped
into the twinkling room.
They reined the horses to a stop, as a guard from Rivendell approached. "State you name
and place of dwelling brother." the guard requested firmly. "I am Thranduil, lord of
Greenwood." The tall elf on the largest horse replied with authority. "Welcome to
Rivendell my brothers of the trees, His Excellency Lord Elrond expects you." And
without another word the sentry took Thranduil's lead and pulled his horse over a path of
dark stone. Then, when the canopy of trees gave way they beheld a jewel. Pushed into the
corner among the rushing river, the lush, towering trees, and the sheer rock was
Rivendell. The palatial building loomed with both majestic power and beauty. A thousand
lanterns burned from the windows, which were numerous and arched. Also in between
every couple of windows was a balcony. Thranduil shook the boy sitting before him.
Legolas stirred, and opened his eyes. They were sleepy at first, but as soon as they locked
on the magnificence before them they shot open. "This is Rivendell?" he asked in a
perplexed tone. "You seem surprised." Thranduil replied "Forgive me sire, but after
what you told me of Elrond I expected it to be darker, not so beautiful or." Thranduil
narrowed his eyes and grabbed his son by the hair, pulling his head back so that
Thranduil whispered right into his son's ear. "Fool! Do you not realize Elrond's guard
can hear you? I'll have no more talk of that! Not a word about home, my opinions, or the
necromancer, Understand?" the last word was a hiss. Legolas barely nodded, as his
father still had a grip on his tresses. "Good." Thranduil sneered, releasing his son and
turning back to the shimmering building, which now towered right above them. "Shall I
show you to your rooms sire?" the guard inquired. "Greenwood's sovereign stays in the
same quarters every time he visits Rivendell, I shall require no further assistance."
Thranduil replied. "Thank you sir." And with a bow, the guard disappeared back into the
woods. Thranduil started through massive arched gate before them, with Legolas
rushing to keep up. The rest of their party parted with them at the palace walls and
headed in the direction of "Tent City", the makeshift town of guards and servants from
every elven lord, minor and major who attended the ball. Rivendell was huge, but it was
not made to sustain the currently peaking Elven population. Every year Elrond ordered
that only the lord and his immediate family could live in the castle, and every year the
elves continued to bring all their court. This year, just like the last, Thranduil was parted
from his party, and Legolas found himself alone with his father. Legolas tried very hard
to keep pace with the man, but he was weary from the long ride, and he did not know the
way, not to mention that Thranduil's stride was thrice that of Legolas. Soon he fought to
catch even a fleeting glimpse of his father as the elf turned a corner. Shifting his bag to a
new shoulder, Legolas began to wonder which would anger his father more, asking for a
rest, or getting lost. Finally, his father spared him the decision by stopping. He opened a
large set of double doors and they stepped into the luxurious suite that would be their
home for the next week. " I need to get ready as I am already late, Are you coming?"
Thranduil asked as he pulled out a clean, fancy tunic to replace his soiled riding one.
"No, I think I'll just stay here." Legolas answered quietly "Suit yourself." Thranduil
yelled from the bathroom. Then a moment later upon his return he added. "Don't get into
any trouble, and be here when I return. I don't want to search this whole bloody palace
for you." he glanced at the mirror, before stepping out the door and shutting it. For the
first time tonight, Legolas was alone. He breathed a sigh of relief, and fell backwards
onto the bed.
Arwen yawned. She was beyond bored. All around her Elven couples danced, but she
was too young to do this, and had seen no other children her age. As she watched the
twirling couples she caught sight of one she knew. Her father was an excellent dancer,
and her mother was not lacking skill either. They had such grace. Both looked immensely
happy, and satisfied with the other. She watched them until the song ended, and then she
caught her mother's eye. CelebrÃan smiled sympathetically at her uninterested daughter.
She led Elrond off the dance floor and approached Arwen. "My dear, have you nothing
better to do than sit by your self and mope?" she asked, kneeling down. "Now that I've
been introduced to everyone I don't have anything to do, and there aren't any other
children here." Arwen sighed. Elrond had arrived to hear Arwen's complaint and smiled.
"I think I have just the answer Arwen. My dear friend Jahil arrived late with his son
Jamill. I believe the boy is only a year older than you, would you like me to introduce
you?" Arwen's face brightened immediately. "Oh daddy would you?" she was now
standing. "Anything my lovely little Evenstar." Elrond replied, happy to please her. "I
think I'll go check on the twins." Celebrian said, and with that, Arwen took her father's
hand. "Why haven't I ever met Jahil before?" asked Arwen "Jahil is my Dwarven
Ambassador. Keeps track of our affairs with the dwarves. For that reason, he actually
lives with them most of the time, unless he's reporting back to me." Elrond explained,
"He lives with dwarves???" Arwen asked in a shocked voice. "Hush, here he is, we'll talk
more about it later." Elrond whispered. "Elrond my old friend, blessed is the day of our
meeting!" a tall dark elf called in a thick, strong voice. He was the burliest elf Arwen had
ever seen, and his eyes twinkled with good spirit. "Jahil, I am gladdened by your
presence." Elrond replied as the two embraced. "Listen friend, this is my daughter,
Arwen." "Hello little miss." Jahil held out his hand to her. "An honor to meet you Mr.
Ambassador." Arwen replied, taking his hand. "My daughter would like to meet your
son. Perhaps they might play together." Elrond suggested. "A splendid idea if I do say so.
JAMILL!" Jahil called, causing every other elf in the room to wince thanks to their
sensitive ears. A boy walked towards them. He was about a foot taller than Arwen, and
his hair was cropped short. "He's my age?" Arwen asked, almost frightened. "I thought
he was." Elrond gulped. "Yes pappy?" the boy said in a man's voice. "This here's Elrond
m'boy. He's lord o' Rivendell, and his daughters here too. You guys wanna play?" Jahil
asked. Jamill grunted in reply. "Good Good! Elrond, let's leave these two be." Jahil said
putting his arm around Elrond's shoulder and leading him away. Arwen found herself
alone with Jamill. "C'mon." he said and he walked back towards the place he had come
from. He led her to the giant dining hall where he sat down and called for two pints. "Uhh
I can't actually drink yet." Arwen said "I won't have anything." The server bowed and
left. Jamill meanwhile, wasted no time in grabbing a platter of meat and stuffing his face.
Arwen watched, disgusted, and a little amazed. He obviously ate with Dwarves a lot.
"Wah Sum?" he asked, spewing meat out onto his chin. She shook her head. After he had
consumed an ungodly amount of food and drunken a whole keg of drink he began to talk.
He told her all about dwarves, their habits, their soft spots, even what they liked to eat.
Then after he was done talking about that he began telling her stories of things he had
done. Arwen was stuck. She didn't want to offend the boy.er man, but she had to get
away from him. Luckily desperation kicked her mind into high gear and soon she had a
plan. "Hey Jamill, how about we play a game of Hide and Seek?" she suggested. He
downed the last of his drink and let out a soggy burp. "Alright." "I'll be it first." She said.
"You count to fifty, and when you're done come and find me. The game isn't over unless
you tag me ok?" he grunted his agreement and closed his eyes. Arwen ran like the nine
were on her heels. She flew from the room and headed towards the steps leading to the
rest of the palace. Meanwhile, Jamill was having trouble. Looking at his fingers he
growled in frustration and finally stood yelling "Fifty!" Arwen heard his yell and kept on
running. He saw her on the stairs and was in pursuit immediately. Arwen dashed through
the crowd of Elves on the stairs leaving a trail of 'Excuse me' and 'Pardons' in her wake.
As she reached the top of the stairs the crowds thinned and she ran towards the guest
wing. Jamill unceremoniously pushed and shoved his way through the crowd, so he was
gaining on her. As she rushed through the silent catacombs of the palace, Arwen was
distressed to find that Jamill was still on her trail. Suddenly, her Elven ears caught a
sound. In the air hung the lonely song of a single flute. Arwen followed the noise until
she reached a set of double doors. The melancholy music came from beyond them.
Looking back, she could hear Jamill's thunderous gait getting closer. She knocked on the
door frantically, and immediately the music ceased. She heard soft footsteps behind the
door and the pounding ones of Jamill in the hallway. A soft voice from within the room
spoke. "Speak caller." "Please I am Arwen, daughter of Elrond, I need to get in, you must
open the door." She was frantic, and turned to see Jamill's shadow as he rounded the
corner. Just then the door squeaked open and she jumped inside, closing it softly. His
steps passed. Sighing in relief, she leaned against the door and looked up, face to face
with the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen.
Woah, who could this blue-eyed savior be??? I was thinking of Legolas and Arwen as being the human equivalent of age 11 in this story. I know I'm messing with the timeline, but I'll try not to mess it up too much. I also know that Thranduil seems really mean, but I will explain this hopefully in future chapters, if there are future chapters. Wanna know why Thranduil is mean? R/R and you'll find you. I am not very knowledgeable about LOTR at all. I have read the books, and I tried to research the story, but if you wish to enlighten me in the ways of Tolkien please feel free in a review or email me, my email is on my profile. If you're still reading this I want to extend a personal Thank You to you since your still hanging on. On a final note I do not like flames. I would love any well-rounded criticism, but if you say something is wrong give suggestions for change. Flames only singe Legolas' beautiful hair. -J.P.
