Slowly and stealthily, he inched a little closer to the left to have a better view of his target. His steps were light and he followed through with lithe movements. The bow in his hand was steady as he drew back an arrow. The animal was oblivious; nose raising at the new smell that filled its nostrils. Too late it had begun to sense a threat. Fingers began to loosen on the string.

"Ion nin," came the ghost of a whisper from behind him. It startled the young elf and the arrow slipped from his grasp; loosing into the distant trees. It stretched far enough that the rustle of it finding a target did not spook the deer.

"Ada," he hissed indignantly before turning to his father and realising his disrespectful tone. He lowered his eyes when he discovered his father looking at him with disapproval. With the same silent grace, the elven King moved towards his son, placing a hand on his shoulder to turn him back towards the clearing. Together they watched the deer.

"We must think of the consequences of our actions, before we take them."

The young elf could feel his heart beat a little faster when he spotted the fawn picking its way through the undergrowth towards its mother. Raising its nose, it looked straight at them; unaware that they posed any threat.

Legolas looked at his father then, expecting to see anger towards him but was even more shamed when he saw hurt there.

"What would a fawn be without its mother," Thranduil spoke to himself. He turned to leave then, beckoning for his son to follow him. The young elf moved swiftly to catch up but stayed a little behind in fear that his ada was angry with him; an action that was not unnoticed.

"You linger, ion nin."

They had reached the edge of the close of trees then, the bright sunlight casting a peaceful tone on the grassy embankments. The King crouched and motioned for his son to come forth and there was a slight smile when he saw the hesitation of the boy. He reached out to cup his child's cheek.

"I'm sorry," Legolas said with a poorly hidden tremble to his lips.

"What for?"

"I did not mean to make you angry."

The King sighed and stood.

"You should be sorry for your actions; not just the results of them."

He held out a hand for the little elf to take and he felt the reluctance and confusion in him when he did.

"The things around us; the trees, the rivers, the animals, they give us life. We in turn give them our respect and our kindness. We take from them only when we must. That is something you must know Legolas. Every living thing and creature has a life of its own. Today you might have robbed a young fawn of its mother for the sake of target practice."

He could see that his son was beginning to understand the gravity of his actions.

"It would not have understood. It would have cried for her and lay down with the lifeless body; no-one would have come for it, cared for it. And you might have left with a sense of victory. There is no victory in senseless killing."

The words were harsh to the boys ears and he felt a deep shame settle within him when he recalled the young fawns of Mirkwood drinking water from his cupped hand under his fathers watchful and approving eyes. He was King of these lands and felt genuine love for everything in it; most of all, his son.

"I'm sorry," Legolas repeated but this time with real comprehension. "I did not think of it."

Thranduil nodded his approval.

"It is time to eat," he said as they journeyed back.

ion nin-my son
ada-father/papa

Link to chinese translation-
h t t p
: / / tieba. baidu

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