An Old Story
Andixa
[Minor edits and update to new author name.]
Disclaimer: Belongs to the Tolkien estate, or to whomever they've given the rights.
This is yet another story I had hanging around on my laptop. This is probably the hokiest and cheesiest thing in existence, but well, whatever. It's hokey. It's cheesy. It's cutesy. And it's awfully melodramatic. Take it as it is.
o
"Gandalf, there's something I have been meaning to ask you."
Legolas, seated with the rest of the fellowship around the campfire, seemed rather off as he asked the question. His eyes were stormy, brows furrowed.
"Yes, Legolas?"
"Well, being under Elrond's roof has reminded me. Do you know why my father and Master Elrond dislike each other? It has been so my entire life, and never once have I gotten a clear explanation."
"You may find it to be a rather private story. Do you want it told 'round a campfire?"
"I do not mind. We will pass more hardships together than an uncomfortable story. Please, Gandalf, I really do wish to know."
"Very well, Legolas." The gray-bearded man paused, settling his robes and collecting his thoughts. "It happened when you were a mere fifteen years old, barely able to walk without stumbling - cutely I must say, and with much grace - over your own feet."
The fellowship, even Borimir, Gimli and Legolas himself, had to laugh at that. Gandalf's eyes twinkled. "A beautiful young elfling you were, then, Legolas, and Elrond had taken quite a shine to you. You see, you were the first, hmm... royal birth in Mirkwood in the millennia after the great war. And you were so young and full of life - a great comfort to elven kind after all that death."
"Only a few centuries after!" Pippen broke in, "How old are you? You couldn't be older than Aragorn here!"
Legolas, Aragorn and Gandalf - wiser in the ways of elves than the others - laughed at Pippin's surprise.
"I am many centuries old, little hobbit. And I am yet young to my fellow elves."
"Do you remember the paintings along the walls of Elrond's story hall? You should - the hobbits must have spent days looking at them." Everyone nodded their assent, for these images were too beautiful to forget. "The one not four feet from the throne is of a young elf, looking only four human years old. His hair shines like honeyed gold, eyes alight, hands outstretched to the painted sun. That-" Gandalf paused for dramatic effect "-is Legolas."
The hobbits gasped in surprise (their usual reaction to Gandalf's wild tales). The images on Elrond's wall were all beautiful - that one especially - and so lifelike that one thought the room was filled with elves. Legolas, however, was most surprised.
"Master Elrond has a painting of me? Surely you must be mistaken..."
"Indeed not, I watched him put it there himself. He is quite the artist, when he has time. But back to the story. You'd come visiting with your father - even then, Elrond and Thranduil were not the best of friends, but your father had come to Rivendell to receive a large shipment of diamonds from the dwarf mines nearby. Somehow you managed to wander off from the care of Elrond's sons, Elladan and Elrohir, and got yourself lost. There was still some danger for a young elf in Rivendell then, for as I said the war had not been over for more than a few centuries. We were all frantic, trying to find you - Elrond and his sons most of all.
"Arwen had been off visiting in Lothlorien, thankfully, or she would have incredibly distressed. Hmm... though, had she been there, I suppose she would have watched a young prince with more care than a pair of teenage..."
The hobbit couldn't quite help themselves at that. "You're a prince?" Merry cried. "Why doesn't anyone tell us these things? First Aragorn, now Legolas. Are you something else as well, Gandalf?"
Gandalf simply smiled, and went on with the story.
"Elrond was frantic. He rushed down to Thranduil to tell the King about his missing son. Your father... well, Thranduil has a mind for precious stones and the like, and he informed Elrond, in front of fifty or so other elves, that he would search for young Legolas when he'd finished his inspections."
Legolas tilted his head and nodded, agreeing ruefully with this assessment of his father's character.
"Master Elrond was so angry that he pulled his fist back- " Gandalf mimed the action, nearly elbowing the ranger behind him in the head. Aragorn dodged in time, but came close to dropping his pipe in the process. " -and punched the king right in the nose. Then he turned in an indignant swirl of robes and went to look for you."
The entire company could not help but laugh at the image of the great elven lord of Rivendell actually, really, truely punching another elf. Merry fell off his perch atop a log.
"He found the little prince later that day in hysterics because he'd gotten lost in the Hall of Records."
Gandalf tugged on his beard, smiling in remembrance. "Legolas wouldn't let go of him for two entire days - clung to his hair for the first five hours after."
There were a few more questions, and quite a bit of giggling, before Aragorn took pity on his poor elven friend. "Alright," he groaned, "we've best get some sleep. We have a long ways to travel, my friends..."
End
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