This is a one-shot, and to all of you Tolkien purists out there...I KNOW
that Thranduil did NOT have a human wife, but I thought that it would make
a good story.
*******************************
Alino stood up from her rocking chair, trying to find something to do.
How strange, she thought, that only humans seem to always want to be busy. Even if it is an unconscious wish. Dwarves take their time off their incessant digging to eat, drink, and make merry; Hobbits are always looking for new ways to relax; and the elves take their own sweet time doing just about everything, as they did have all the time in the world.
Not me. She would have been feeling melancholy, usually, at this realization, but today she wasn't. Today, she just didn't feel much.
Maybe, She reflected again, it's because we know we have less time than all the others. Even the half-lings have a good more thirty years than us...and that is a long time.
Alino was now standing at her son's bedroom door, and smiled. How sweet and peaceful he looked, just like his father, where ever that madman had now gone. He was probably off somewhere, talking about something 'of great importance'. He could be so serious sometimes; it must be why he chose her...to cheer him up once in a while.
I'm so young. Too young to marry when, and whom, I did.
She was becoming increasingly annoyed with herself for being grouchy. There was always her son. Yes, that sweet, little, innocent boy with golden hair, deep blue eyes and skin like the pink in the sky at dawn.
No, he certainly doesn't take after me. Alino fingered her short red hair, felt her square face, and looked at the freckles all over her arms. Thank heavens.
Alino watched her sweet little boy yawn and open his eyes slowly, blinking in the afternoon light. He smiled sleepily.
"Mummy." He held out his chubby hands and waited for her to pick up his small, three-year-old, frame. "I had a nice nap." He stated, running his little hands over her cheeks, lips, eyes, and then ears. Alino gently removed his hands from her ears. Not now. I don't want to explain to my baby yet.
"Did you now?" She kissed him on the forehead and set him at the green, ornately carved table. "And would my little sleepy-head like something to drink?"
"Yes, pwease." The little boy added please as an afterthought, but Alino hardly noticed. They all were so polite, always. "Wemember when daddy said dat he'd be home soon?" Alino grinned and kissed him on the cheek as she handed him a small glass of milk. He still couldn't pronounce his 'R's.
"Yes, my dear, I do."
"Did HE wemember?"
He can be quite as serious as his father sometimes. "Yes, pookie, he did."
"Mummy?"
"Yes, Beautiful?"
"Why do you always change my name?"
"I don't. Drink your milk, Sweetie."
"But you always call me udder tings den my real name. Da one dat you first named me."
Alino sat down next to him. "That's because I love you. All those names I call you are because I love you and I want you to know that I love you."
"But I know dat you love me mummy."
But I only have a short time with you, and I want to try and show you how much I love you in the time I have. "So, what do you want me to call you, then?"
"My reg'lar name. I'm big now." The little boy sat up straighter, trying to look bigger.
"Alright then, Prince Legolas, I do believe that your father has just entered the door. Would you like me to call him for an audience, your majesty?"
Legolas laughed. "Stop it, mummy. You're so silly." He jumped off of his chair to greet his father. "Daddy! You're home!"
The much older elf swept little Legolas into a hug. "Hello, my son. What have you been doing today?"
"Playing with mummy. She's very good at playing, isn't she daddy?"
Thranduil looked into the eyes of the young human girl, who was smiling at him with all the love she could muster. How someone with so little time, had so much love to give, he would never understand. "Yes." He answered slowly. "She is very good at playing." He let his son down and patted him on the back. "Now, go into your room to play."
"Yes, Daddy." He skipped off and Alino stepped closer to the tall elf beside her.
"Hey, old man, how is the life of the immortals going?" She asked quietly, trying to tease, as he put his arms around her.
He kissed her temple. "The same as it's been, and going to be, for a long time, my dear."
**********************************
Legolas reached down to brush the dust and leaves from a small statue, set between two poplar trees. She had always liked trees, especially the ones here, in Rivendell. He and daddy loved bringing her here. It made her so happy.
"Legolas!" Aragorn called to him across a small bridge. Legolas tried to ignore him.
"It is time to leave." Aragorn said, as he reached Legolas.
There were tears in Legolas's eyes.
"You miss Alino." He stated quietly in elvish. "I wish I could've known her." Aragorn took a flower from a nearby vine laid it next to the statue. "Rest in peace, dear lady of Mirkwood."
"I will follow soon, Aragorn."
Legolas kissed his index finger and then laid it on the head of the statue. "Goodbye, mummy. I don't know when I'll be back, but I must help someone with something of great importance. I love you." The tall elf, that looked so much like his father, did not move until he heard the whisper.
"Goodbye, Beautiful."
*******************************
Alino stood up from her rocking chair, trying to find something to do.
How strange, she thought, that only humans seem to always want to be busy. Even if it is an unconscious wish. Dwarves take their time off their incessant digging to eat, drink, and make merry; Hobbits are always looking for new ways to relax; and the elves take their own sweet time doing just about everything, as they did have all the time in the world.
Not me. She would have been feeling melancholy, usually, at this realization, but today she wasn't. Today, she just didn't feel much.
Maybe, She reflected again, it's because we know we have less time than all the others. Even the half-lings have a good more thirty years than us...and that is a long time.
Alino was now standing at her son's bedroom door, and smiled. How sweet and peaceful he looked, just like his father, where ever that madman had now gone. He was probably off somewhere, talking about something 'of great importance'. He could be so serious sometimes; it must be why he chose her...to cheer him up once in a while.
I'm so young. Too young to marry when, and whom, I did.
She was becoming increasingly annoyed with herself for being grouchy. There was always her son. Yes, that sweet, little, innocent boy with golden hair, deep blue eyes and skin like the pink in the sky at dawn.
No, he certainly doesn't take after me. Alino fingered her short red hair, felt her square face, and looked at the freckles all over her arms. Thank heavens.
Alino watched her sweet little boy yawn and open his eyes slowly, blinking in the afternoon light. He smiled sleepily.
"Mummy." He held out his chubby hands and waited for her to pick up his small, three-year-old, frame. "I had a nice nap." He stated, running his little hands over her cheeks, lips, eyes, and then ears. Alino gently removed his hands from her ears. Not now. I don't want to explain to my baby yet.
"Did you now?" She kissed him on the forehead and set him at the green, ornately carved table. "And would my little sleepy-head like something to drink?"
"Yes, pwease." The little boy added please as an afterthought, but Alino hardly noticed. They all were so polite, always. "Wemember when daddy said dat he'd be home soon?" Alino grinned and kissed him on the cheek as she handed him a small glass of milk. He still couldn't pronounce his 'R's.
"Yes, my dear, I do."
"Did HE wemember?"
He can be quite as serious as his father sometimes. "Yes, pookie, he did."
"Mummy?"
"Yes, Beautiful?"
"Why do you always change my name?"
"I don't. Drink your milk, Sweetie."
"But you always call me udder tings den my real name. Da one dat you first named me."
Alino sat down next to him. "That's because I love you. All those names I call you are because I love you and I want you to know that I love you."
"But I know dat you love me mummy."
But I only have a short time with you, and I want to try and show you how much I love you in the time I have. "So, what do you want me to call you, then?"
"My reg'lar name. I'm big now." The little boy sat up straighter, trying to look bigger.
"Alright then, Prince Legolas, I do believe that your father has just entered the door. Would you like me to call him for an audience, your majesty?"
Legolas laughed. "Stop it, mummy. You're so silly." He jumped off of his chair to greet his father. "Daddy! You're home!"
The much older elf swept little Legolas into a hug. "Hello, my son. What have you been doing today?"
"Playing with mummy. She's very good at playing, isn't she daddy?"
Thranduil looked into the eyes of the young human girl, who was smiling at him with all the love she could muster. How someone with so little time, had so much love to give, he would never understand. "Yes." He answered slowly. "She is very good at playing." He let his son down and patted him on the back. "Now, go into your room to play."
"Yes, Daddy." He skipped off and Alino stepped closer to the tall elf beside her.
"Hey, old man, how is the life of the immortals going?" She asked quietly, trying to tease, as he put his arms around her.
He kissed her temple. "The same as it's been, and going to be, for a long time, my dear."
**********************************
Legolas reached down to brush the dust and leaves from a small statue, set between two poplar trees. She had always liked trees, especially the ones here, in Rivendell. He and daddy loved bringing her here. It made her so happy.
"Legolas!" Aragorn called to him across a small bridge. Legolas tried to ignore him.
"It is time to leave." Aragorn said, as he reached Legolas.
There were tears in Legolas's eyes.
"You miss Alino." He stated quietly in elvish. "I wish I could've known her." Aragorn took a flower from a nearby vine laid it next to the statue. "Rest in peace, dear lady of Mirkwood."
"I will follow soon, Aragorn."
Legolas kissed his index finger and then laid it on the head of the statue. "Goodbye, mummy. I don't know when I'll be back, but I must help someone with something of great importance. I love you." The tall elf, that looked so much like his father, did not move until he heard the whisper.
"Goodbye, Beautiful."