Chapter 1

"I can name one for myself Ada?" Legolas asked, as he and king Thranduilsat out on a balcony in one of the rare moments where father and son could be alone together; both looking up at the clear shining lights in the endless black sky.

"Yes, my Pînlas. You may pick anyone you like, and name it whatever you wish," Thranduil smiled, as his son turned his awe filled eyes back up to the shining lights once more.

"Do you have one Ada?" Legolas asked, as he turned on his father's lap to look up at him. The king smiled down at his boy and wrapped his arms around him a bit more securely.

"Yes, Pînlas, I do have a star that I have named. It is the dim one, there by the moon, between the two bright ones. See it Pînlas?" the king asked, as he pointed out the star to his boy.

"I see it Ada, but why did you chose such a dim one?" the elfling asked, cocking his head in confusion.

"It was not so dim when I chose it, but over time, things tend to fade, Pînlas," he explained.

"What did you name it?" Legolas asked, as he turned his attention back up to the star.

"I named it Galad-gell. Do you see one that you like?" the king asked, and had to suppress a chuckle as his son nodded enthusiastically.

"That one, right next to yours. I am going to call it Ruin," the elfling beamed, and then clapped a hand over his mouth to suppress a yawn. The elf-king did chuckle at this, as the boy rubbed a fist over his tired eyes.

"Close your eyes and listen closely Pînlas, and you just might be able to hear the stars singing," the king said, as he carefully adjusted his son in his arms; getting ready to carry the elfling to bed. There was a moment of silence, before a large smile spread across the elfling's face.

"I can hear them, Ada. It is kind of like talking to the trees, except they are much quieter, and they do not speak like the trees do. There is only music, no words," the elfling said, before suppressing another yawn.

"They are very beautiful, but it is now time for you to go to sleep," he said, as he carefully stood with the elfling gently nestled in his strong arms. Unconsciously, Legolas wrapped his small arms around his father's neck and rested his cheek against his father's shoulder.

They went back inside through the balcony doors to the young prince's bedchamber, where Thranduil carefully laid Legolas down in his bed. Legolas released his father and turned onto his side, grabbing a stuffed fox from beside him and hugged it to his chest. Smiling at his son's cute behavior, Thranduil pulled the large comforter over the elfling and his toy. Leaning down, the king tenderly brushed a hand across the prince's forehead, brushing back the golden strands of hair that were similar to his own.

"Good night, my Pînlas," he said, placing a kiss on the child's cheek. Legolas didn't say anything. Instead letting a bright smile do all his talking for him.

Legolas let a faint smile ghost across his lips as he pulled himself from the sweet memory.

"I wish I could hear the stars singing now, Ada," he whispered, as he turned his eyes up to the cloudy soot filled skies.

There was nothing for him to see except for inky blackness. With a light sigh, the prince pulled his travel worn cloak tighter around himself, and double checked to make sure that the cloth over his nose and mouth remained secure. The air around him was bad enough to breath with the thick cloth in place, he couldn't afford to breath the polluted air without it.

With that done, he looked back down at the tracks he had been following. The steps were large and heavy, completely trampling the dead, dry, grass that barely covered the parched earth. They were obviously the tracks of orcs, but that wasn't what the elf was interested in. Intermingled with the tracks of the orcs were a smaller number lighter and smaller tracks, the tracks of men.

This was what caught the elf's attention. He had been following this particular party for four days now, and it appeared as though none of the humans had died, which could only mean one thing. They had food and water with them, two things the elf desperately needed. Clean, untainted water was such a rare thing these days, that at any opportunity that it might become available, it must be taken.

With experienced eyes, Legolas looked back down at the tracks. They were fresh. He was getting very close. A few hours away at most, and dawn was nearly there. The orcs would stop to rest with their human prisoners.

The elf leaped up to his feet in excitement. He had finished the last of his water yesterday morning. He hoisted his light pack up onto his shoulder and padded soundlessly off in the direction of the tracks on his bare feet.

TBC

Translations:

Ada- Dad

Pînlas- Little leaf

Galad-gell- Light-joy

Ruin- Blazing fire

Source of translations:

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