This story was inspired by the most recent cosmic events that took place. Legolas is about the equivalent of an eight-year-old. I hope you enjoy!
It was blissfully quiet, calm and still; a rarity found in the presence of the king and Thranduil sat within a private nook, lounging in the complete silence around him. A chalice of garnet wine rested effortlessly in his graceful ring-clad fingers and his sights were glued a thick book that was splayed over his lap. He let out a relaxing sigh as he finished reading the page before him and with a lazy roll of the wrist, a new leaf was turned over, presenting fresh text for his eyes to devour.
He paused, however, and took a sip from his prized vintage, admiring the draught with an air of pride and wonder. The fine stem of the glassware moved in a hypnotic spin between the king's forefinger and thumb as he savored the aromatic flavors that rolled over his tongue and filled his senses with delight.
His eyes closed softly for a brief moment and the king inhaled deeply. His lungs filled with a clean breath that smelled of the summer forest that lay just beyond sight of the arid windows before him. The bright noon sun was warm and inviting, yet the shaded alcove where he sat was pleasant and cool.
Oh, how he loved this.
Personal time was a luxury that the king seldomly partook in, for his schedules were tightly run and always packed. But today, a lull seemed to have taken over his workload and for once there was nothing to hold council over, no planning sessions to take up his time and his reporting was unusually light.
The king could feel a smile of content sweep across his features and he brought his wine glass to lips once more, indulging in another sip of cerise nectar. The crowned head tilted forward as Thranduil resumed his reading, diving off into fiction and letting the scrolling texts consume his mind.
Hours passed.
Or so it seemed. Time was not marked in any fashion as the day progressed, but the king was snapped out of his rapture by the sudden drum of knuckles on the wooden door.
"My Lord Thranduil!" Came an urgent voice and the king scowled towards the closed door where more knocking ensued.
The king passed a hand slowly over his features, wishing the motion would shed him of whatever duty that was required of him at this very moment, but the one knocking was not letting up.
Thranduil sighed heavily. Perhaps he could just ignore it-
"Your Grace,... it is happening! Please!..." The voice started to reflect panic and the king's thick brows knit in confused worry. A thousand possibilities started to manifest within Thranduil's mind, only taking a fraction of a second for them to turn dark and dangerous.
"Enter." Thranduil demanded and not a moment was wasted. The heavy wooden door was pulled open quickly and an elven army captain spilled into the small room. His ageless face was creased in concern but vanished from sight when he knelt before his king. His long rust-colored hair spilled over his armor-clad shoulders and the long sword that was strapped to his hip scraped on the stone floor as he stooped.
The king's eyes went wide.
"Valdin?" Thranduil questioned, further taking in the rattled appearance of the battle ready warrior and sitting up on the edge of his chair. "What is the meaning of this this - what is going on?"
"Your Grace..." the soldier lifted his head and allowed his shale grey eyes to meet Thranduil's ice blue orbs. "A dragon... It is taking the sun." he finished the unbelievable statement quickly and gulped as Thranduil went still with shock.
"...What..." Thranduil could barely finish the simple word and he tore his eyes from his subject to look out the window, gauging the sunlight that drenched the stone sills. All seemed well from what he could tell, but the news his captain just relayed presented a different reality. "Are you... are you certain?" Thranduil did not want to believe what was being told to him, but knew a matter such as this would not be taken lightly, nor falsely relayed to higher authority.
"Take a look for yourself my lord. The chase only just begun, but he is starting to swallow the sun to take it as his own!"
Thranduil rose in a swift fluid motion, snapping the thick book shut and tossing it in the chair he just stood from. The stem of the wine glass slipped between his fingers, allowing his palm to securely cradle the glass as his dominating strides marched to the open windows. His crowned head tilted back, trying to catch a glimpse of the heavenly battle above...
...But it was just too bright to see anything.
"Are you sure about this?" Thranduil asked again and glanced to Valdin who was walking towards him.
"I would not relay any news I did not believe to be true, My Lord. Experts have been watching this transpire for a while to be sure. I have even seen it myself." Valdin said and without a word, he reached for the wine glass in Thranduil's hands. He held the stemware up to the sun, using the merlot to cast a shadow across their eyes. The army captain pointed to the glowing sun through the red wine, allowing the dark drink to drown the hash rays so that the sun could be seen easily.
"See my lord... see how the sun is not a complete sphere? A small sliver is missing from the right side and it is only getting worse with time!"
Thranduil wanted to deny the sight they beheld, but the truth was radiating from the ruby cup and Thranduil's jaw fell slack. He took a sweep of the blue expanse above, trying to find another logical explanation, but there were no clouds in the sky this day and the sun was far too high to be distorted by any land obstacle on the horizon.
The king looked to the raised cup once more, his lips pressed into a thin line as he accepted the actuality of the situation. His pulse quickened as the beginnings of a battle rush began to take hold of his mind, calculating the possibilities that were in the forefront of his scrambling thoughts. They needed to prepare for the worst, and do so quickly.
"My lord..." Valdin disrupted the rampantly running ideas that were sealed off in the king's mind and Thranduil leveled his gaze, cutting off his army captain with a surprisingly clear, yet determined visage that pierced Valdin to the core.
"The sun *will not* lose... Not today." the Woodland King's voice was stern, almost offering his thoughts as a demand that his own will could carry out. However, Valdin's circumference of uncertainty tangled with concern. The wine glass was lowered and passed back to Thranduil, but he was not as confident as his king.
"Do you not remember the last time a dragon dared to swallow the sun?" Thranduil asked, but did not give the captain any time to answer as he turned back to the sky, taking one last gaze of the golden orb through the wine glass in his possession. Dim memories of the past came to mind but they were clear enough to remember what happened.
The king and captain were relatively close in age, so Thranduil pressed on, leaving his inquest as a rhetorical remark. "My father just established his rule over Greenwood in our southern forests. An unseen dragon attempted to swallowed the sun... but in the end, the sun prevailed, defeating the dragon and rose again, unbroken, just as it has done for hundreds of millennia."
The army captain shifted uncomfortably as he too thought back to the last time he witnessed a sun battle, but did not dare to comment. Boldness and confidence was mandatory in the life of a warrior, but the events they were facing were far more powerful than any elven army could hope to be - or king that commanded them. The last time the sun went to battle, it was unknown how the dragon was defeated, or if the sun could do it again.
"And it happened far before that too." Thranduil continued as he sensed the unease from his captain even after reminding him of one victory in the sun's favor. "I was a small child the first time I saw a dragon take the sun, but again, the sun conquered the beast..."
"My lord..." Valdin started. He wanted to believe that victory was certain and all would be well, but as the days in Middle Earth progressively grew dangerous from the evil forces at work, he knew too well that nothing was certain. King Oropher was confident of a victory in the last battle he lead... but it did not turn out well for him, nor most of Mirkwood who lost many brave men in the battle, including the life of King Oropher. "We should plan for action... regardless."
But Thranduil was already ahead of Valdin and the regal king turned on his heel, stepping away from the window. Valdin followed.
"I want every archer in our forces to be stationed around our perimeters of the palace grounds and ready with the strongest arrows we possess." Thranduil's rich voice left no room for debate and Valdin took mental notes of his orders as the two left the private room and ventured out into the palace's main hallway. "Should the dragon come for us, their only weak spot will be the eye and that will be a hard shot to take.
"Send messenger falcons to all nearby cities and establishments. Tell them what is transpiring and instruct them to seek refuge. If they are close to the palace, open the gates so they may take cover in the palace's stone halls. Those who are not in our fighting forces, but can still draw a bow are to be recruited and placed in the perimeters among the ranks..."
"My Lord, if they are not true soldiers their green skill might not aid us... hinder us even."
"It only takes one shot and if a stray arrow is aided in luck, it might be the only chance we have and we will take it!"
Valdin did not totally agree, but knew the order had been given. "As you command, My Lord."
"Have word sent to our rations pantry. Make sure all food and provisions are locked up so they do not get destroyed. All livestock and horses need to be housed in stone walls too. Any hall will do but make sure it is a stone structure, for dragon's fire will consume nearly everything in its path."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"I want the fastest bird sent to Laketown. If old rumors are true, they might possess the only true weapon designed for killing dragons - arrows strong enough to pierce the hide... If that is the case, they should be at the ready. Our hopes may lie with them to take out the beast... that is, if the dragon does not take Mirkwood first... Regardless, *we* will be ready to fight and will do so with whatever means we have."
"Yes, My Lord, I shall send advisors to your office to draft messages so they can be sent out at once."
"Go quickly, Valdin!" Thranduil ordered. "I fear we were caught by surprise and time is not on our side. I am taking up residency in my office. Send any concerns there. Report to me when all orders have been seen to."
Valdin gave a bow after being dismissed, but the king did not even see it for he never broke stride.
That changed quickly as a sudden thought came to Thranduil and he stopped dead in his tracks and turned to the retreating form of the captain.
"Valdin!" He called out and the elf turned to face his king. "Where is my son?" A speck of fear found its way into the king's voice at the mention of his most precious child and his role of king blew out like a candle in the wind, only to ignite his fatherly instincts.
"I know not, Your grace. Last I saw him, he was playing with my son, Valiandier in the gardens."
"I want him brought to me - at once."
Even with the distance between the two, Valdin could easily see the worry Thranduil had as a father and it reflected how he himself felt. Battles this close to home never occurred and it was scary to think that a dragon could swoop in and shatter that record, harming countless men, women and children.
Valdin only nodded and that was all the confirmation Thranduil needed.
They parted and the king set his marching gait once more. His steps did not cease until he reached his royal office. The expansive wooden doors were thrown open and Thranduil went straight to a large table to the left of the room. The surface was covered in a detailed map of Mirkwood, painted on the actual wooden surface so it would never get creased or lost.
The king planted his palms on the edge of the table, leaning over the picture to gaze at the scene in its entirety. This map brought perspective to Thranduil and he fell silent as he looked over the layers of paint that created the image of Mirkwood's layout.
"I hope word will reach everyone in time." Thranduil nearly whispered, giving his fears a private voice that should not be uttered in front of others. There was a lot of ground to cover if the alerts were to make it to people in time and despite the near impossible task of killing a dragon, Thranduil knew miracles could happen. "Valar, please-"
The king cut the quiet prayer short as the sound of rushing feet echoed down the hall and within no time, lords, advisors, guards, captains and other palace personnel flooded the royal office.
The room fell into an organized chaos that never went silent as plans were discussed, possibilities were pondered over and orders were carried out, but all matters seemed to be handled with strict diligence. One by one, the people in the office took their leave as their cases finally had a plan and it was within the dwindling company that Thranduil's meetings were interrupted.
A procession of servants entered the room without order, their arms were loaded with various segments of polished armor and the King's favored weapons. The remaining staff dismissed themselves, leaving their king to prepare for a battle that they hoped would not take place.
The commotion that once took over the room was replaced by an eerie reticence as the king's servants meticulously dressed Thranduil piece by piece. Protective layers of thick and heavy leather jerkins added padding and extra shielding to the shimmering chainmail that was worn, but more armor was piled on. An iron plackart was synched to Thranduil's torso, pauldrons fashioned from metal scales were attached to each shoulder, ensuring that no place was left open and vulnerable. Metal greaves covered each leg and vembraces of mirthril protruded over Thranduil's gloved knuckles.
Lastly, the forest growth crown that was an iconic image of the Woodland king was removed from his flaxen head, only to be replaced by a simple jeweled circlet of silver.
The servants stepped back with a bow, waiting to take any other command from their King, but all they heard was a heavy sigh as Thranduil began to transform his mindset.
"Thank you." was the simple statement he sent his servants away with and they left their monarch alone in the office.
There was a building tension in the air as the moments passed and without any thought the king took to pacing in the office's quarters. Each step clinked softly as the metal carapaces grated with Thranduil's every move, but the sound did not register with the Woodland king. The wild ride of Thranduil's emotions did not rest for his doubt collided with hope, causing a nervous energy to take hold of Thranduil's nerves. But he took a pause with a sigh to rid himself of the trembling that wanted to rob him of his calm façade.
It had started out as such a perfect day, but now he found himself in the heaviest armor he possessed; it was strange going from one polar opposite to the next.
The king resumed his private march, but this time he had a destination in mind. The head of the office was adorned with a stone landing, offering the king a balcony in which he could oversee most of Mirkwood's palace grounds.
He stepped outside.
A glaring radiance bore down upon the suspended porch and Thranduil brought a hand to shield his squinting eyes from the bright rays. It was odd; nothing seemed out of place within the sky and the sun's presence was just as calm and energetic as it had ever been. The king glanced towards the blinding flair, but his quick take of the sun could not see the battle taking place. It was just far too bright.
He made his way to the railing of the balcony and fought against the restricting armor to stretch out for a tree growing a few measures away. His gloved hand snagged an oak leaf, snapping it off the twig-like branches from which it grew before he pulled away and straightened up.
He held the leaf at arm's length, hoisting it above his head and placing it over the sun. And as the gleaming light filtered through the frond's papery flesh, a dull view of the sun was produced.
The picture was far from pleasant and Thranduil's stomach dropped at the sight before his eyes. Throughout the duration of his planning and meetings, the slight sliver missing from the sun only increased. The sun now looked like a plump crescent, becoming more reminiscent of a moon phase than the solid ball of light it should be.
The office doors clicked as they opened and Thranduil turned to a familiar name that only one person called him by.
"Ada?!" (Dad) a small voice resonated through the office, but it was far from the light musical notes his ears loved to hear. His son was scared.
"Legolas!" Thranduil dropped the oak leaf on the balcony and rushed indoors. Despite the stiffness in his limbs from the heavy armor he wore, he crouched to the floor, fiercely embracing his son, who clutched his father's neck.
Thranduil buried his face in the soft golden crown of his son's head but caught sight of a familiar figure standing nearby. He smiled sadly to Galion, his faithful butler who watched the private father-son moment between his lords. The servant only dipped his head in a grim, formal greeting.
"I... I will be close by, Your Grace, should you need me." He shrugged his nose towards Legolas, still wrapped in his father's arms knowing that he would be charged with the care of the young prince should the king be called to battle.
Reluctantly, Thranduil nodded as Galion turned to leave.
"Ada?" Legolas' plaintive voice was soft as he gulped, pulling Thranduil's attention away from the closing door. "Is it true?... Is a dragon... taking the sun?"
Thranduil did not want to instill anymore fear within his young son, but to deny the question would be a lie. The king let off another sigh as he collected his thoughts well enough to try and put his statement as plainly and lightly as it could be told.
"Aye, Ion-nin. (my son) A dragon has come for the sun."
The tense hold around Thranduil's neck only tightened.
"What will happen?" Legolas was nearly trembling and tears could be heard in his quaking voice.
The Woodland king pried Legolas away from his neck and pushed him back slightly so that he could see his son. Salty droplets sparkled on the brims of the prince's blue eyes and the king swiped them away gently with his thumb.
"Honestly?..." Thranduil asked, but it was not begging for an answer. "I know not. This is a rare occurrence... but the sun is strong."
Thranduil's reassurance seemed to pass over his son and the king shifted so that he sat on the floor before his small child to be placed at eye level.
"I understand the fear you have, Ion-nin, for I can feel the pull of fear trying to drag me down too. But it is important to remain hopeful, for a dragon preys upon fear and prides himself on the terror he brings. By being scared, we are already letting the dragon win. Do not doubt the sun."
Legolas took a small breath and held it as he worked hard to suppress the trepidation coursing through him, but the words of wisdom did little good in easing his mind.
"Ion-nin... I have seen this before in my life and the sun prevailed. If it did it before, the sun can do it again."
Legolas only gave a tentative nod but his worry was keen.
"Legolas?" Thranduil ducked his head within Legolas' line of sight. He knew that something deeper was going on in his son's mind and he wanted to uncover it.
The mention of his name was used as a prompt to get him to speak and the young prince forced himself to talk around the ice that was starting to form in his throat.
"... If it does not?'
It took Thranduil a moment to piece together how he would reply, but he made his response believable.
"Then we will fight to take out the dragon ourselves!"
But still, the child could not cast off the fear that had already set in.
"I... I do not want you to... go to battle." Legolas looked off as a new flood of moisture blurred his vision, but he was trying so hard to remain strong as his father advised.
"No one wants to go to battle, Legolas, but it is something we must do when the time calls for it to protect our home, people and way of life."
"I just do not want to lose you." The small voice was quickly becoming rough and a sob caught in his throat. "I do not want you to go like..."
But words failed Legolas when the tears he was trying to hold back broke loose and rolled down his face. His father tenderly redirected his sights forward so he could look at his son, and once again was at work catching tears with his leather clad fingers.
"Nana." (mom) It was hard for Legolas to utter.
It then dawned on Thranduil that Legolas was not only scared of from the emotional weight of the generic idea of war, but his fear came from the past, after a battle sole his mother away so long ago. Thranduil pulled his child close, but was surprised by the stinging that started to well up in his own eyes.
"I will not leave you." Thranduil said, but cringed as he realized he just made a very breakable promise.
No - he had to believe in the power of the sun. The sun would not lose.
Quickly, Thranduil changed the path of conversation. It would serve no one any good to have a breakdown at a moment like this.
"Legolas..." once again, the prince was pulled back and the king gripped his son's slim shoulders, giving them slight shakes of desperate punctuation, doing his best to fill the young elf with hope. "The sun needs our help. We *must* remain hopeful and give the sun encouragement so that she can defeat the dragon, just like she did so long ago. Do not fear the future when it is so uncertain. Dark evil is a constant in our world, but if we remain strong - if the world around us remains strong - the good forces will triumph over evil... We will not lose!"
The words of encouragement did not work their magic as fast as the king hoped it would and he resumed the tight embrace to offer his son comfort. War would always be a touchy subject with the young prince since his last dealings with it were so tarnished, but only time could close those wounds over his scarred heart - if the wounds could ever heal.
And Thranduil gave his son as much time as he could afford at the moment. They remained on the floor until the prince pulled back under his own power and Legolas gulped again while pushing away the stray tears that dotted his cheeks.
"No matter the outcome today, I love you Legolas." Thranduil said and his son's small head nodded, trying to return the words that would not come to him.
Thranduil stood from the floor quickly and scooped his child up in his arms as he rose, placing Legolas' weight on his hip as he walked about his office.
"Come..." Thranduil said. "Let us cheer on the sun - let her know she is not alone."
Together they stepped on the balcony and the king bent low to retrieve the castoff oak leaf he had earlier. He held it out once more, taking note of the vanishing sun as the crescent shape had grown much thinner than the last time he viewed it.
"What are you d-doing, Ada?" Legolas asked, his breath hitched as a residual sob from earlier tried to will itself back, but the prince pushed past it, now intrigued by what his father was doing.
"I am watching the events transpire. Have you seen the bite taken out of the sun?" he asked and the small golden head shook tightly. "Here, look into the leaf; It blocks out the glare and you can see the shape of the sun. Normally it is a perfect circle, but only a fragment of the sun remains."
Legolas looked into the green fleshy leaf and his jaw fell open when he saw the thin sickle-shape emanating through the foliage. Fear was on the rise again, but his father's warm voice whispered the same powerful words in his ear.
"The sun will not lose."
The king continued to hold the leaf up, but he found his sights straying away to look over his lands, surprised to find that silent crowds of people had gathered on the grounds far below. They gazed through any obstacle that could cut the sunlight, allowing them to view the progress in the events unfolding.
No one uttered a word.
The arid space around the palace felt dismal and heavy as everyone waited for the outcome. Each passing minute mounted the soundless dread. Thranduil turned back to his hand, and he too fell short of words as the sliver in the sky kept getting smaller and smaller.
"Ada..." Legolas did not dare to speak above a whisper. "The sun... It is losing."
The king wanted to deny the statement, but even his uplifting sermons were starting to sound more like failing hope.
How could this be happening?
The land started to take on a tinted appearance as more of the sun disappeared but oddly, the brilliance was not lost. Instead, the degree in which the light kissed the earth dimmed and the light began to fade.
"Ada..." Legolas needed confirmation that this was normal - that the sun had some sort of process in which it adhered to, but Thranduil could only watch on in horror as the sun was slowly swallowed. The afternoon light vanished far faster than any sunset witnessed and the lands were cloaked in an unsettling twilight.
"No..." Thranduil's denial came an astonished breath of air. His hold around his son tightened, but he was at a total loss with what to do.
The sliver slipped from sight before a blinding streak burst from the orb in the sky, causing the spectators to turn their heads and shield their eyes.
But when they looked back, even the flash of light was gone. A ring of fire illuminated the inky black sky, marking the location where the sun continued its struggle.
"Come on..." Thranduil girt out, softly calling out to the sun to do the impossible. All seemed hopeless, but he prayed with all his might that there was still a chance. "Valar, please! Come on!..."
The crowds below began to chatter in a hushed whisper, trying to make sense of this devastating loss. The dragon consumed their sun and life as they knew it would be changed forever. Dark days were ahead, both figuratively and literally and as the ring of fire in the sky pulsated in an angry rhythm, the people began to mourn over their loss in the heavens.
Legolas could not help the tears that rolled down his face once more. He felt numb inside and turned to bury his face within his father's embrace. He could not stand to see the beloved sun struggle as it was swallowed whole. Doom was impending, and Mirkwood would be next.
"Ada... no..."
Even the king could not express any emotion for his disbelief was strong. He held his son tightly to him, unable to offer comfort for he could find none himself.
But the flaming ring above their heads burst with another blinding flash, catching the audience unaware and they all gasped and groaned by the sudden turn of events.
Thranduil held his hand up, barricading the harsh rays of light, but he forced himself to look through the intense ignition to see what was happening.
The flash dispersed within a blink of the eye and the twilight that consumed the fair woods began to lift, slowly, but surely.
"The sun is coming back!" An excited cry from the crowd below pierced through the tension of everyone around and as people took to looking back at the sun, they were stunned to see the sliver of light return to the sky.
And it kept growing in size.
The lone call sent an arrow of hope through the young prince and he turned back quickly to find the day light returning and the sun was advancing.
"A-Ada?" He asked. He wanted his father to confirm the news before he gave in to hope, but his question went unanswered as the king bellowed a single word at the top of his lungs.
"VICTORY!" His closed fist raised in triumph which sparked a roaring cheer from the patrons below. Hands flew into the air, each one adding validation to the conquest they witnessed. Chants began to form as the worry and fear broke away from Mirkwood while others erupted in song to express their joy.
"Ada?! Is the sun-... Is it really coming back?" the young prince stammered. It was hard to accept the good news so fast since just moments before they were faced with certain doomsday, then the next minute the sun broke through the evil forces that wanted to snuff it out.
Thranduil looked back to the sky, smiling briefly to the expanding crescent and he jostled his son excitedly within his arms.
"Legolas! Do you not see?! The sun! The sun defeated the dragon! It did not lose!"
The prince laughed even through his tears that never ceased but they transformed and flowed from a source of immense relief rather than utter horror.
"Ai, Legolas! Dry your eyes!" The king's merry voice was loud. "Come now! There is much we need to do now!" Thranduil kissed his son's temple before setting down on the balcony, chancing one more look to the sun that was continuing to push through to the end.
"What must be done?" the young elf inquired as he used the sleeve of his tunic to dry his eyes once more. A delighted grin pulled across Thranduil's lips before he happily replied.
"We must feast!"
"Feast?" That was not at all what the prince expected to hear, but he was glad the day would be spent celebrating rather than locking his father away in more work.
"Aye! We must feast in the sun's honor! Celebrate this victorious day that proved, once again, that good defeated evil! Songs will be written tonight, and we will commemorate this landmark day by endless toasting! We will dance and drink until the sun rises again tomorrow, unbroken as it *always will*!"
Thranduil's excitement was contagious. Legolas too looked back to the sky, this time beaming with a smile and the king placed a comforting arm around the youth's shoulders.
"Fear no more, my little Greenleaf… Come, let us celebrate!"
The child nodded and reached for his father's hand as they strode away to the throne room, happy to plan for a party rather than war.
Thank you for reading!
This story is marked as complete, but I may add a chapter later to showcase another view point, perhaps from Elrond's perspective... We'll see if I have time though.
Comments/reviews/suggestions are always welcome!