A Mighty Gift
First off, just want to mention that I'm new to FanFiction and have only ever written for myself. Figured I would try one story and see how it goes...so please be easy on me! I only do this for fun and nothing more.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my OC elf, Cílon, who I imagine as more or less Legolas' personal body guard, appointed by Thranduil. I have a small backstory for him and if you're interested you can ask me, but otherwise that's perhaps for another time. I envision him to be early 20's in human years and Legolas to be around 6 in human years in this story (my made-up calculation for this is to take human years and multiply by 130 to arrive at elf years...no basis for this, just my own decision). I'm not an expert on LOTR...just a general fan so I won't get everything right (sorry in advance).
Essentially this was just a one-shot I couldn't get out of my head and wanted to write down.
Elvish
Hir-nin = My Lord
Ion-nin = My son
Ada = Father
"What are they like?"
Cílon managed to suppress a sigh but couldn't help rolling his eyes at the all too familiar question put to him by his prince. "For the fifth time, your highness, I have personally never seen the Icicle Falls, but I have heard they are beautiful."
"And for the fifth time: please, Cílon, enough of this 'your highness' stuff. It's just me—Legolas," the blonde prince sighed with a huff and tilted his head upwards to look at the young man beside him with a smile. "We are friends!"
"That is true, but we are not equals. I am Silvan, and you are Sindar. I am a commoner, and you are of the royal family. I am a warrior, and you are still in training," Cílon smirked and glanced down at the young, spritely prince. He managed to get the rise he wanted out of Legolas who bounded in front of the older boy and caused him to stumble to a halt so as to avoid running into him.
"While that is true, you know I can best you any day on the archery grounds…and I'm only 712 years old!" Legolas threatened teasingly and crossed his arms. Cílon mirrored his young friend's smirk and crossed his own arms.
"Aha, I see. And how is your sword training coming?" A heavy pause hung in the air as the prince tried to come up with a good reply and chewed at his bottom lip. Cílon's smirk deepened, knowing he had cornered his young charge since he knew sword training was not one of the prince's strongest suits…yet, at least. The silence only lasted for a few seconds more before the prince tried a new tactic—diversion.
"Are you sure you've never seen the falls?" was all the young elf could come up with, and Cílon laughed, spinning his charge around and pushing him forwards.
"At this rate, you're never going to see the falls either! It's not good to keep your father waiting," urged Cílon and chased after the laughing prince as he skipped down the hall.
"You're sure you packed enough for the trip," questioned Thranduil as he briefly reviewed the piece of parchment he held in his hand, skimming through the list of food, drink, and supplies.
"Yes, hir-nin. You should have enough for you and Legolas for an entire month if you wish," nodded Galion, clasping his hands in front of him.
"You spoil us, Galion," chuckled Thranduil and smiled before handing the list back to his butler. "I appreciate your attentiveness."
"It is my pleasure, my king," bowed Galion as Captain Feren slowly brought around the king's horse, already saddled and laden down heavy with supplies. "Although, if I may say, hir-nin, if you and Prince Legolas decide on taking more of these extended vacations I would suggest bringing a second horse. With Legolas growing as quickly as his appetite, you may need more room to bundle more food and drink." Thranduil laughed heartily and couldn't help but agree.
"I see your point, Galion. Indeed, I can hardly keep him supplied with a bow fit for him as I swear he grows overnight! Perhaps I shall look into ordering a second horse to carry provisions until Legolas is old enough to manage his own mount."
"Ada!" At the youthful cry, Thranduil turned around to look to the front of the stables and beamed as he saw his young son running at full force towards him.
"My little green leaf, there you are!" greeted the elven king as his son attached himself to his father's thick cloak and legs. He bent to scoop up his son in his arms and settled him against his hip. "I was beginning to wonder what kept you."
"Cílon and I were talking, ada," explained Legolas as he wrapped his arms around his father's neck and began to fuss and play with his hair. "It appears he has never seen the falls either."
"Mmm, well perhaps sometime we will have to rectify that," the king assured his son and gave a quick wink to his son's guardian. Cílon smiled shyly.
"Couldn't Cílon come with us, ada?" Legolas asked and peered into the king's attentive blue eyes, his request pleading. But the elven king gently shook his head.
"Not this time, ion-nin." Before the inevitable question of "why" could be voiced by the elfling, Cílon came to the king's rescue.
"Your father has graciously allowed me to return to my family for the winter celebration, Legolas," Cílon gently explained and took the nod from his king as permission to continue. "You recall I mentioned to you that my sister will soon give birth to her first? I wish to be there if possible, and your father was most kind to permit me to take leave." Thranduil nodded again to the soldier's heartfelt thanks.
"Ooooooh yes," Legolas remembered and slowly nodded his head once. "I do remember that. Well, don't come back with too many details for I'm not sure I am old enough to hear them." Thranduil, Cílon, Galion, and Feren all laughed aloud at the young prince's comment before the king set his son back on the ground and moved to mount his horse.
"We shall return after the second week and in time for the winter festival celebration. I have given Galion all instructions for the party. I shall alert you, Feren, when we begin to make our way back so you may return as well," Thranduil instructed and settled himself into the saddle.
"Should you need anything, hir-nin, you know but to call," nodded the captain as he verified the elf horn was strapped securely to the king's horse's side. Feren and his men would be on constant patrol nearby in case the king and his son ran into trouble but far enough away to give both father and son privacy.
"Thank you, Feren, though I hope we won't have need to call you," said Thranduil as he lifted his fur cloak's deep hood over his head. "Are you ready, ion-nin?" Feren stepped forward to begin to lift Legolas onto the horse but the prince side-stepped away.
"Just a second, ada. I want to show you something I've been practicing," Legolas beamed and bounced lightly on his toes. "I can mount myself!" Cílon hid an amused grin behind his hand.
"Oh, can you?" inquired Thranduil, a worried smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes flickered over to Cílon as if to ask "Can he?". The energetic prince was known throughout the palace for getting himself into trouble or injured. Never due to willful rebelliousness as the prince was the most obedient young elf all had witnessed, but he had an uncanny knack for pushing boundaries and trying new things. His tendency to leap before looking sometimes landed him into the healer's ward, and Thranduil often had to keep a close eye on his son's newest stunts.
"Your father's horse might be too big for you, Legolas," cautioned Cílon but already knew the prince would try his new trick anyway. The young elven warrior stepped forward to spot the prince, just in case. Legolas giggled with glee, eager to show his father what he had been practicing, and stepped up beside the large black stallion, gripping onto the leather girth strap right above his head. The horse, sensing the uncertainty of what was about to unfold, nervously side-stepped to the right three steps until Thranduil calmed him. Legolas tightened his grip and bounced again on his toes, prepping himself.
"Watch, ada!" he reminded in case his father had already forgotten.
"I'm watching," Thranduil smiled patiently, though he was glad Cílon was nearby to catch his son in case something should go wrong. Legolas gathered his strength, took a deep breath, and then swung himself with all of his might upward towards the saddle, hinging on the girth strap. Had it been a smaller horse, his stunt would have worked, but such as it was, the king's stallion was much taller and broader than the prince had anticipated and he only managed to hook his foot and ankle up around the horn of the saddle, instead of managing to land with his rear in the seat itself. Feeling himself slipping, the prince quickly grasped a full handful of the horse's mane and began to pull himself up the rest of the way. The stallion gave a short cry at the sudden jerk, and Thranduil quickly reached down to wrap a strong hand around his son's slender waist.
"I've got it, ada, I've got it. I caaaaaan do it," groaned Legolas as he pulled with all his might to get up onto the saddle. Thranduil bit his lip to stifle a laugh and glanced over his momentarily awkward son to see his captain, his butler, and his son's guardian all fighting to contain their own laughter. The king smiled in good humor as he helped hoist Legolas the rest of the way up. The prince fell back against his father's broad chest and heaved with exhaustion. "Whew! Belroch needs to quit eating so many oats," the prince declared innocently. The offended horse tilted his head to the side to snort with derision at being mistreated. Galion and Cílon could no longer contain their mirth and burst into laughter, leaning against each other to remain upright. Captain Feren merely shook his head and hid his face behind his hand, his shaking shoulders betraying him. Thranduil managed to maintain his calm façade but his grin was wide.
"Belroch is one of the largest of his breed, Legolas. But he is rather old and has grown less patient with youthful elflings over the years. Perhaps we should keep you practicing on the younger mares," placated Thranduil who patted his faithful ride's sleek neck. "But that was a very good try." The king warmly wrapped his large fur cloak around his son and gathered the reins. Goodbyes were said and well wishes exchanged as the king and his son rode out on the path into the gently falling snow.
"Why are the falls called Icicle Falls, ada?" questioned Legolas. Thranduil looked down into his cloak and saw his young son playing with the thick fur edge between his fingers.
"You have seen icicles before on the eaves of the palace so I know you know what those look like, but imagine those much larger and hanging from the edge of a cliff," described Thranduil as he carefully guided Belroch along the elf path.
"Like as big as you?" asked Legolas as he rubbed the fur against his cheek to experiment with its softness.
"Much bigger than me. Some of the formations of the frozen waterfall are even larger than some of these trees," explained the king and pointed to a large birch nearby. Legolas's jaw dropped and he sat up a little straighter.
"How much further to the falls, ada?" he eagerly inquired, peering out beyond the cloak as if the falls were just around the corner.
"Not yet, ion-nin. We should reach them by mid-morning tomorrow," stated Thranduil, very patient with his son's endless questions.
"Will we ride through the night?" continued Legolas and peered up and around to his father sitting directly behind him.
"No. We will make camp for the night and then continue in the morning. Belroch will need to rest as well." Legolas nodded in understanding before falling silent and leaning back against his father to remain warm and let a tired yawn escape. The yawn did not escape Thranduil's notice, and he snaked a protective arm around his son within the confines of the cloak, afraid his son would slip off if he were to fall asleep. The two traveled along in peaceful silence, simply enjoying the majestic beauty of the forest, heavily laden with sparkling white snow. It was almost magical.
The scenery became even more enchanting when lilting notes of a playful melody came to Legolas' ears. It was far away but carried an unmistakable tune—various elf voices all rippling in stair-stepped rhythms to a complicated pattern that resounded in the woods. The curiousness of the song caused the elfling to peer outside again to determine its source.
"It is Feren and his patrol," explained Thranduil with a smile, anticipating his son's next question. "They are moving along with us but much farther out." The king motioned with his hand that the patrol had surrounded them and indeed, that was what made pinpointing the source of the song so hard.
"But why do they sing?" asked Legolas, trying to make out the story of the song.
"It is just before the winter festival celebration, when we celebrate the close of the warmer seasons and the blessings we reaped from them to last us through the colder months," explained Thranduil as Belroch carefully picked his way down an incline. "Their hearts are light and full of gladness in anticipation of the celebration and they indulge by singing. Some even say elven voices carry an enchanting power that stills evil. I believe sometimes they sing in order to ensure a safer passage." Legolas looked upward once more.
"Do you believe in that, ada? That elven voices are enchanting?" Thranduil smirked and readjusted himself in the saddle as the incline grew even steeper.
"Depends upon the elf. I have heard my fair share of bewitching melodies and berating descants. Luckily, our accompaniment today is more of the enchanting sort." Legolas smiled broadly at his father and settled back to listen as they continued farther into the woods.
The king and prince eventually reached the falls the next day, and its grandeur was not lost on young Legolas. In the springtime the waterfall was a gushing beauty, but in the winter its magnificence manifested itself in both smooth curvatures and harsh angles, portraying the dangerous loveliness of the season. Both father and son marveled at the sparkling spectacle in front of them, refracting the sunlight in brilliance during the day and reflecting the gentle moonbeams at night. Together the two bonded closer as they explored the many crevices in the mountain of ice. Thranduil relished seeing his son so joyful and enjoyed showing him many new facets of the natural world around them.
On the morning of the twelfth day, Legolas yawned and stretched to stir life back into his limbs. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes, he looked over at his father beside him who was still asleep under the blanket. The prince judged it was still pretty early in the morning based on the position of the sun and figured his father would sleep longer still. A thought popped into his head which suddenly gave him new energy and he bounded outside of their small tent to grab his bow and a few arrows. It never hurt to get in some practice!
Legolas meandered a little ways into the woods to see if he could find a worthy target, aware that wherever he shot the arrow he would have to be able to retrieve it. It was by random happenstance that he suddenly came across a stray doe a little ways into the forest. Quickly, Legolas ducked under a low hanging pine, weighed down even further by the heavy snow. The doe had not seen him and continued to sniff its little black muzzle about on the ground, looking for a patch of grass or perhaps some fallen limbs with accessible tree bark. Licking his lips, Legolas carefully notched his arrow and squinted his eyes as he pulled back the bowstring. He could not wait to surprise his father with a whole deer!
"Legolas."
The arrow flew, terribly misguided by the surprise of the low voice behind him, but landed silently somewhere farther out in the woods, not startling the doe who continued to hunt around for food. Legolas whirled around and saw his father standing there with a frown of disapproval.
"Ada! I would have had it if you had not startled me so!" Legolas frowned in disappointment.
"To what end?" Thranduil asked calmly but the frown was still apparent on his face as he slowly sat down beside his son at the base of the pine.
"What?" blinked Legolas confused.
"What was your purpose in attempting to shoot that doe?" clarified Thranduil and kept his gaze on his son.
"Oh, well, I…we could have used it for food," offered Legolas but was growing uncertain as to where his father was leading this conversation. Thranduil nodded but spoke again.
"It is true we do consume them for food and also use the pelts for clothing," affirmed the king as he motioned to his own fur cloak. "But you and I both are properly clothed and have no need of extra food. Nay, we have not brought along the proper tools even to skin a deer."
"We could have strapped it to Belroch and taken it back home," proposed Legolas but somehow knew he was not going to win this debate.
"Belroch could not have carried both our weights, the weight of our remaining supplies, and that of a deer as well," countered Thranduil. "It would have been a reckless shot and its purpose only that for target practice. And see now what you would have robbed had you taken its life." At this, the king pointed back out into the clearing where the doe was now fondly nuzzling its fawn, barely even two weeks old. Legolas felt the shame of what he almost had done overcome him and tears welled up in the corner of his eyes.
"I'm sorry, ada. I did not think," he whimpered as he watched the mother deer with its young.
"No, you did not. But neither do many elflings your age. There is much to learn in this world, but the sooner you learn an appreciation for life of all kinds and only take it when you must, the better place the world will be," taught Thranduil. The father then smiled and brushed away his son's tears before gathering him to his feet so they could return to their camp.
The two made quick work of tearing down their site in order to return back home. Belroch snorted at having to be strapped back up with supplies but obediently stood still as his master worked. Thranduil was just tightening the last of the belt buckles when a strange sound—something like a primal groan of frustration—came from deeper in the forest. Legolas paused his playing in the snow to stand and look towards his father with wide eyes.
"What was that, ada? It sounded big," gulped Legolas. Thranduil himself could not recognize the source of the noise and armed himself with one of his knives.
"Stay right behind me and keep quiet. I would prefer it if we saw it first before it sees us," instructed Thranduil in a whisper and carefully picked his way through the snow in the direction of the sound. Legolas obeyed and lightly jumped along in his father's much larger tracks left in the snow.
The desperate sound, which almost sounded like a cry for help, came from a small clearing that had a thick patch of thin sturdy trees. And caught within those trees was a creature Legolas had never seen before. It was huge, much larger than a horse, and with fur much longer and thicker. It almost looked like a deer but its antlers were much broader, thicker, and longer in a more unique pattern. Legolas' jaw dropped. He had seen antlers like this before!
"Ada!" whispered Legolas franticly and tugged on his father's cloak. "It's like your throne!"
"Yes, it is an elk," explained Thranduil, his eyes never leaving the distraught creature. "And it appears his antlers are what are causing his distress." Indeed, the poor creature's magnificent crown had gotten tangled and lodged in the thicket of trees and it was unable to extract itself. How it had gotten into this mess, Legolas had no clue.
"I've never seen an elk before," awed Legolas, enamored by the elegant creature. Thranduil broke his gaze for a moment to look down at his son, clinging to the end of his robe.
"You have, just not a live one. This cloak is made from an elk's pelt, the same one as the antlers on my throne," explained Thranduil and rested his hand on his son's blonde head. Legolas's face whirled upward to look at his father.
"Did you kill it, ada?" he asked.
"No, my father did. He and I had come upon it in the woods in the North unexpectedly and the frightened creature turned in aggression towards me. I would not be here if my father's aim had not been true that day." Legolas's face fell at the story and stroked the fur cloak as if to mollify the long dead creature. "Elk can be incredibly dangerous and are very powerful, even for a young one like this," Thranduil continued in a whisper, his eyes alert. "They are usually not this far south."
"What should we do?" asked Legolas as he sadly watched the exhausted animal resort to its knees to take a rest from its struggling.
"We should put it out of its misery, as it will not be able to free those antlers from those trees. It may even have been stranded here for a while as elk often travel in packs and the rest have apparently moved on and abandoned it," reasoned Thranduil with a calculating frown.
"Kill it?" cried Legolas and tugged more desperately at his father's cloak. "When it doesn't have a chance to run?"
"Legolas, it will starve to death if we leave it here and we cannot go near it to free it. It is too dangerous," Thranduil told him firmly and shook his head.
"But ada, what did you just tell me about taking life only when you need to? Is there not any chance we can help save its life? You even said it is a young one. Should it not have the chance to live?" Legolas pleaded. Thranduil looked back toward the tired elk, hunkered down in the snow with its head bent at an awkward angle due to his trapped antlers. The king sighed.
"All right, I will try. But you must promise me that no matter what happens you will not run out there, understood?" the king commanded, a brief spark of his temper flaring in his tone. Legolas nodded fervently.
"Yes, ada." Thranduil made sure Legolas had stationed himself beside a nice sturdy pine before carefully and slowly picking his way through the snow to the patch of thick trees. It was inevitable that the animal would see him coming. He had not gotten within 50 feet when the creature suddenly stumbled to its feet in an attempt to bolt and struggled furiously against the tree trunks.
"Shhh, calm down, young one. I will not hurt you," Thranduil soothed and held out his hands. The king's low and calm voice seemed to settle the animal who stopped struggling but kept a defensive stance and watched the elf warily. Thranduil slowed his pace even further as he finally reached the treeline where the elk was caught. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves and carefully reached out for the tree trunk.
"Let us see if we can work together to free you," Thranduil continued, noting his voice was keeping the elk subdued. Legolas swallowed hard and watched silently from the sidelines, clinging to his assigned pine tree. The elk spooked a bit when Thranduil attempted to tug on one of the tree trunks but it wouldn't budge. "You've certainly gotten yourself wedged in here, poor fellow," soothed Thranduil, trying to determine how best to free the creature. The elk seemed to wait patiently but its eyes never left the king. Perhaps it had begun to understand that help was being offered.
Eventually the king determined that if the animal would twist and bend its head a specific direction, it would get free. But this required himself to aid the animal directly. Thranduil positioned himself in amongst the trees so as to gain a better position before gently laying his hands on the elks' antlers. The creature did not notice at first until Thranduil started to twist and push, forcing the animal's head to turn. Upset and confused, the young elk snorted and stomped on the ground and tried to shake its antlers free from the elf. Thranduil gave a short cry and quickly removed his hands from danger before being injured.
"Calm down, young one. I am only trying to help you." The firmness of the smooth voice calmed the creature again and it refrained from struggling a second time. The elven king tried again and this time the frightened animal obeyed. It took some effort, but soon the beast was free.
Thranduil remained in the protected cluster of trees as he watched the animal shake its head to assure itself it was no longer trapped. He half expected the creature to bolt away in a hurry, but instead it seemed content to inspect its rescuer. Legolas obediently kept silent but his eyes were wide as the great elk approached his father. Thranduil remained calm but was wishing these particular trees were climbable. He was luckily in the trees deeper than where the elk could reach, and the elk now knew better than to try to enter that clump of trees again. It settled for extending its nose as far as it could go and sniffing the king. Then, without further announcement, the elk wandered off into the woods.
After he was sure the creature had gone, Thranduil quickly untangled himself from the trees and hurried back to his son.
"You freed him, ada! Did you see how happy he looked?" beamed Legolas as he leapt up into his father's arms and hugged him.
"He looked more perplexed than anything," muttered Thranduil and looked around to ensure the beast was gone. "Come, we must return to Belroch and be on our way." Within the hour, the king and prince were heading home after alerting Feren and his men to return.
"Do you know what I'm looking forward to most about the winter feast?" quizzed Legolas who sat backwards atop Belroch, facing his father.
"And what is that, ion-nin?" inquired Thranduil with a smile.
"All of the lights!" declared Legolas, throwing his arms wide to demonstrate the magnitude and quickly pulling them back into the saddle to steady his balance. "It's almost like the night sky comes down to feast with us!" Thranduil chuckled at his son's enthusiasm.
"Indeed it does. Galion does an excellent job each year in orchestrating the decorations." But the king was suddenly interrupted by a gasp from his son. Legolas swiftly vaulted himself onto his father's shoulder and hung there so he could see behind them. "Oaf, Legolas! What are you…?"
"Look, ada! The elk is back!" Thranduil quickly spun around in his seat to look and sure enough, there was the elk he had rescued, plodding along the path about twenty feet behind them. The king cocked his head and his jaw slackened in surprise. "He still looks happy, ada," giggled Legolas and tilted his head in awe of the beautiful animal. Thranduil personally saw none of the expression that his son saw, but at least any trace of aggression was long gone. If anything, the animal seemed…content.
"It appears he means to follow us back home," sighed Thranduil, not sure what they would do with the animal once they returned to the palace. His son suddenly fizzled into another fit of giggles and melted into his father's lap, shaking from his mirth. Thranduil raised an eyebrow. "What is so amusing, ion-nin?" Legolas managed to get his laughter under control before pointing up at his father and speaking.
"Maybe he thinks you're an elk, ada, and he wants to join your herd!" Legolas draped himself over Belroch in another round of giggles as Thranduil looked down at himself, draped in the elk cloak that covered a significant portion of himself and the horse. A smirk appeared on the elven king's face as he glanced back at the stray elk who was simply happy to follow another of its "kind". The remainder of the trip was uneventful, aside from the fact that the loyal elk followed its savior all the way home.
Thranduil bid the last of his advisors good evening as the winter celebration came to a close. Though he was utterly exhausted from the long week of festivities, the buzz of Dorwinion wine kept him in a pleasant mood, and he was looking forward to returning to his chambers with Legolas to spend the rest of the festival's night together. He luckily did not have to look very long for his son as the bundle of energy found him.
"Ada! Come quickly! I have a present to give you for winter's festival!" begged Legolas without any other introduction and pulled on his father's hand. "Come and see!"
"Calm yourself, Legolas. I will come and see but please try and practice some of that calmness we talked about," scolded Thranduil playfully but knew it fell on deaf ears today. He followed his son down to the stables and the king frowned in puzzlement. "My gift is down here?" he asked as he surveyed the rows upon rows of stalls.
"Yes! Wait here, and I'll bring it to you!" instructed Legolas bounding away from his father. He suddenly stopped in the aisle to spin around and call out, "And close your eyes!" Thranduil obediently closed and covered his eyes, knowing Legolas would not be satisfied until they were physically covered and not just simply closed. He soon heard the clop of hooves though much heavier than a horse and was about to ask a question when his son called out for him to open.
What Thranduil saw before him shocked him to no end. There in front of him stood Legolas, grinning from one little pointed ear to the other, holding the reins to a saddled, massive elk—THE elk. It was calmly munching on some hay and seemed completely unaware that it was being presented as a gift to its realm's king by the miniature elfling prince beside it. It even wore a red bow around its neck. Thranduil's jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Do you like him, ada?" asked Legolas brightly, looking quickly between the elk and his father.
"I…I thought Captain Feren had taken him out into the woods to let him go after we returned to the palace…" stammered Thranduil, trying to make sense of what was going on.
"I got to the Captain first and asked him to keep him here and a secret," explained Legolas, with a smirk much like his father's. "It took some convincing but he finally agreed. He helped me get a saddle on him and everything." Thranduil did notice the elk didn't seem to mind the bridle and saddle which surprised him.
"Is he…docile?" he asked and stepped forward to rub the animal's nose. The animal recognized the scent of his rescuer and stood up straighter as if to present himself for inspection.
"For the most part," stated Legolas. "He didn't quite like the first stable we put him in as I think he didn't like his neighbor, but he hasn't put up a fuss since then. I thought maybe he could be your new mount as Belroch is getting old!" Thranduil looked down at his young son who apparently thought he had just hit on the best idea. The elk nuzzled against Thranduil's hand and the elven king pondered the idea.
"I don't know, Legolas. Can he be trained? No one has ever tried riding and training an elk before."
"Yes! He's a very smart elk, ada. Watch! Watch!" Legolas gently pushed his father to the side before returning to the colossal elk. He distinctly clapped his hands twice before the elk in response tilted its head to lower one side of its massive antlers to the ground. Legolas gracefully jumped and clung onto the antlers as the elk then swung its head to the side where Legolas let go and alighted onto the creature's broad back. "See! I taught him that! He's much easier to mount than Belroch!"
"I'm impressed," nodded the king and returned again to the side of the creature who held its head high. "I'm not sure how one would do in battle, but I suppose he could be a worthy mount. I make no long-term promises, Legolas, but I do accept your most gracious gift." Legolas gasped in pleasure and slid to the ground where he could properly bounce around his father in excitement.
"I'm sure he will serve you well, ada. Just look at him, so noble. Don't you think he'll be so mighty when he grows up?" asked Legolas, already the self-proclaimed eager expert on elk. Thranduil had to chuckle and nod as he brushed his hand through the woodland creature's thick fur coat.
"Indeed, Legolas. A mighty gift indeed," the king decided as he took the reins of his new steed and the hand of his young son.