Hello all! Welcome to my fist LOTR fic. I hope you like it, and review it to tell me so (cheesy grin) Anyways, just to let you know, there will be some elvish in this story, if not much. If you spot a word you think is elvish and don't know what it means, just look to the bottom for a translation.
Although I think it's rather obvious, I guess I have to slap one of these on here, hmm?
Disclaimer: For everything Middle Earth related in this story, the credit goes to Tolkien, not me. Except for Aridel and Adeyla and Melpomaen the horse, hehe (another cheesy grin) now go R&R!
"Nana nana nana nana nana na-"
The little elfling stopped in his tracks. He had been running down the halls of his home, calling for his mother, when he suddenly realized she was gone. She had left yesterday for Rivendell, suffering from a poison her husband and the rest of the kingdom hoped could be cured by Elrond; their own healers had tried all they could, and failed.
The Elvenqueen of Mirkwood was away, and the little prince Legolas had something very important to tell his mother. Just then, King Thranduil passed down a near hall, and the elfling scurried after him.
"Ada ada ada ada ada ada ada!"
Little Legolas came to a rough stop as he collided with his daddy's leg. The king was rather surprised at the thump he felt as his young son collided into him, but once he looked down, immediately picked up the elfling and held him.
"Ada, I have to tell you something!" said the young prince.
"What is it, ion-nin?" replied an amused Thranduil.
"I... I..."
"Yes, Greenleaf?"
"I... Ada, I can't remember!" Legolas pouted furiously, as he scrunched up his face in concentration, trying to remember what was so important just a few seconds ago. Thranduil, meanwhile, tickled his son's stomach, laughing joyfully at the elfling.
"I'm sure it will come to you, penneth, just give it time."
"Alright, Ada..." Thranduil set Legolas down, and they started walking in the direction Thranduil had been headed.
"Ada, where are we going?"
"Well, penneth, I am going to a hearing."
"What's that?" The elfling asked.
"When two or more elves have a problem, and they can't settle it themselves, they ask for a hearing to help them." Thranduil replied to his son.
"Ohh. Is that what you do all the time?" Thranduil laughed, amused by his son's question.
"Nay, Legolas! There are others who handle such things; but if they also cannot decide, the matter is brought to me, and I tell them what to do."
"Ohh. It sounds boring." The elfling started to consider ways of getting away from his father. Thranduil, meanwhile smiled, a glint in his eye.
"It is, Greenleaf. We sit there for hours, while the elves take turns talking." Thranduil knew that unless he somehow convinced Legolas to stay out of the hearing room, he would barge in and disrupt the proceedings. Telling the elfling just how boring it was would surely do the trick.
"You can't even play while you're in hearing?" The elfling asked, shocked.
"Nay, penneth. Just listen. Quiet, and still." Thranduil smiled to himself, knowing his plan had worked.
"Oh. Ada, I think I'm going to go play now." The elfling began to edge away from his father.
"Alright, Greenleaf, but you must go straight to your sister and stay with her, unless Galion comes, understood?" Thranduil knew his son had the tendency to get into trouble when left to his own devices, but trusted him enough to find his sister without trouble. The two didn't bicker much, surely not as much as he had with his own siblings, and he trusted his daughter with her little brother.
"Yes, Ada!"
As Legolas took off back in the opposite direction, Thranduil sighed as his thoughts turned to Adeyla, his wife. Ever since his father died and his mother sailed to Valinor, Thranduil's worst fear had been to loose another of his family; particularly his wife or one of his children. Though Adeyla's chances looked hopeful, Thranduil was not beyond worry. However, he knew she was in capable hands.
The pattering of small feet could be heard as Legolas ran through the halls of the large palace. No matter how many times his parents, his parent's assistants, the healers, the cooks, and basically every other grown elf Legolas had ever come in contact with (particularly that scary Elrond) told him not to run inside, he did anyways. What can be said of a child and his freedom? As he ran, the elfling's thoughts turned to his mother. He wasn't old enough to really know what was happening (being only 4 or so by human reckoning) but he could tell enough to worry about her. He hoped she wouldn't be too scared by Elrond; he still didn't believe the grumpy old elf would be able to help his mother.
Legolas slowed as he reached his sister's room. He always liked it best when she left the door cracked open, seeing as heavy wooden doors aren't the easiest things for little elflings to open. Instead of trying, he decided on a different approach.
"Aaaariiii!" Legolas yelled for his sister Aridel as he pounded on the door with his small fists.
"Aaariiii! ARI!" Legolas sighed and stopped pounding. He figured that Aridel wasn't going to open the door, and decided to go find Galion, the barrel hauler and part-time babysitter when the door burst open suddenly, nearly missing the elfling's nose.
"What is it, Legolas?!" Aridel didn't mind Legolas. In fact, she rather liked him; but your little brother pounding on your door while you're trying to change would annoy anyone.
"What is it, gwador?" Aridel smiled at the semi-scared look on her little brother's face.
"Ada is in hearing and told me to stay with you unless you want me to play with Galion instead, but you are more fun, so I want to stay with you an-"Aridel wasn't surprised at Legolas's sudden halt. He often stopped mid-sentence, and sometimes it was hard for others to follow him.
"Yes, Legolas?"
"I just remembered what I was gunna tell Ada!" Aridel smiled at her brother.
"And what is that, gwador?"
"Nana said that we would ride horses today before she left." The elfling began to pout, unaware he was doing so. Aridel also looked worried at mention of their mother. Her, being older (around 14 by human reckoning) knew more of what was happening, and could only hope Elrond and the other healers in Rivendell could care for their mother. But she knew she couldn't worry Legolas, so she smiled.
"How about we ride Melpomaen together, hmm?" Aridel knew Legolas was too young to ride a horse on his own, so he always rode with either one of his parents or his sister. Melpomaen was her horse, and happened to be Legolas's favorite. The elfling's eyes lit up at mention of the silky brown horse.
"Yah! Yah! Let's ride Mel!" The elfling had a hard time pronouncing the horses name correctly, so he simply called him 'Mel'. Aridel smiled at her brother's enthusiasm.
"Alright, gwador, let me just change out of this dress into some riding clothes and we'll be off, hmm?"
"Okay, Ari!" The elfling sat himself down outside of his sister's door, and tapped his little feet as he waited.
ion-nin: my son
penneth: little one
gwador: brother
ada: dad/daddy
nana: mom/mommy
Thanks for reading! Cookies go to all who review, by the way. Yes. Yummy, chocolately cookies... mwahahaha!
To be continued...