Summary : Legolas is one reckless young prince. And this time, he has gone too far.
Hello, hello! I'm back with another short story. This one is quite serious, a little angst and no humor. It's something I came up with when I was lying in bed recovering from the virus infection. (Trust me; being ill is no fun!) Anyway, in this story, Legolas' age is equivalent to a human's 13 year old while Keldarion is around 23.
Oh, and I would like to say THANK YOU to all of you who reviewed my last fic 'Trying To Fly'. I'm glad you found it fun to read!
Now, here's another one, guys. Enjoy.
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He had been admiring the magnificent stallion since it had been brought into the grand stable two days ago.
It was the most powerful horse that Legolas, the younger prince of Mirkwood, had ever seen. The tall steed was high spirited and feisty like thunderstorm. Its coat was pure glistening ebony, as black as coal and as sleek as raven's wing. Muscles rippled as the beast repeatedly reared on its hind legs in pure agitation for being kept in the pen. Its eyes were sharp and wild as it stared back at the observing young prince, as if both begging and demanding to be released.
Legolas had no intention whatsoever to free the animal. Instead, he intended to do the exact opposite; to ride it. But a fierce and powerful creature like the stallion will not be easy to conquer. After the warriors had dragged it back home from Dol Guldur following a successful mission there, no one in the realm had been able to tame it. Several enthusiastic riders had already been thrown clear off its back after many unsuccessful attempts including Prince Keldarion, Legolas' older brother.
"You are beautiful, you know that?" Legolas crooned to the beast, tentatively reaching out through the wooden bars of the pen to pat the stallion's sweat-glistening coat. "Even though you once belonged to the evil miscreants of Dol Guldur, you have no trace of their ugliness."
The stallion chose that moment to lunge to bite the prince's fingers. Legolas quickly snatched his hand out of harm's way and laughed, "Well, except for that vile temper of yours!"
Looking left and right, the prince realized then that the area was completely deserted. It was already evening and most of the stable hands were having dinner in their quarters. Meanwhile, in the royal garden, his father the king was entertaining his guests, a visiting troop of elves from a nearby realm. Keldarion was also there for he was the realm's crown prince and the king's immediate heir. Besides, one lovely maiden from the visiting troop had already caught Keldarion's interest.
Legolas was unable to ride the stallion before this not because he didn't want to, but because he had been told not to. King Thranduil was adamant not to let his youngest son try something so dangerous. "Leave the breaking to the stable hands," he had told Legolas the first day the horse had arrived, knowing how eager the prince was to get onto the stallion's back. "No use for you to break your silly neck."
"But I can charm him with my touch, father," Legolas had obstinately protested. "I'm a manyan, remember?"
Thranduil had gazed thoughtfully at his son. Everyone knew who Legolas was—the manyan healer with the most powerful healing ability in his simple touch. He had inherited the ability from his mother. Thranduil was sure that Legolas will be able to calm the stallion and coerce it to follow his every word, but the king was not taking any chances where his child's safety was concern.
"The answer is still no, Legolas," Thranduil had said finally, bringing end to the discussion. But not to Legolas, who was famously known as a very stubborn person. 'No' was a word of another meaning to him.
Assuring himself that the coast was clear, Legolas grabbed the top railing and heaved himself up. He sat there for a moment to look around him once more before jumping over to land beside the stallion. The animal stepped skittishly away, warily eyeing Legolas' every move.
"It's all right, beautiful," Legolas whispered, reaching up to gingerly touch the horse's snout. "I'm not going to harm you. I just want to be your friend."
The stallion shied away several steps back, but Legolas did not give up. He kept his pace, never stopped rubbing the animal's neck as he crooned words of silly nonsense. It was a while later when the stallion finally grew calm and quiet, waiting docilely under Legolas' gentle hands.
Smiling in triumph, Legolas clutched a fistful of the stallion's mane before he nimbly vaulted over. The instant it felt the rider on its back, the horse bucked and reared, trying to dislodge its unwanted passenger. Legolas held on, saying calming words to pacify the agitated animal.
But the stallion started to lose all reason. No matter what Legolas said, it got more nervous and its movements grew wilder. The only thing it wanted was to get the rider off its back.
Legolas realized that he was quickly losing all control when the beast began to kick viciously at the wooden railings. It only took a short while later before the railing splintered and broke completely under the horse's powerful hoofs.
Seeing its path to freedom, the stallion shot through the gap and sped away…with the young prince riding low over its neck, hanging on for dear life.
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King Thranduil of Mirkwood was about to initiate the grand dinner of the evening in the royal garden. He had just finished his short speech and was lifting his wine glass to make a toast when a sudden commotion from around the corner caught everyone's attention.
Almost instantly, Legolas and his ride appeared at breakneck speed, heading straight for the guests.
It was pandemonium when the stallion crashed into the party, trampling all over the tables laden with delicacies, sending dishes and cutleries flying in every direction. The elves screamed in terror and shock as they scattered in panic, running hastily away to avoid being stamped under the stallion's strong hoofs.
The horse neighed loudly as it stumbled upon a heavy stone bench in its path. Its front legs twisted under its body, sending it flying head over heels before it went tumbling to the ground onto its neck. Legolas managed to jump clear and landed safely on his feet. Then everything was eerily quiet.
With a growing dread, Legolas slowly turned…and immediately wished he hadn't. Everyone in the garden was staring back at him with a mixture of great astonishment and anger clearly visible on their faces.
The black stallion was lying still on the ground, no longer alive. Its neck lay twisted in an odd angle, its body still shuddering after the wild flight. White foam was also forming at the corner of its mouth.
The elves were slowly picking themselves off the ground and from behind hiding places. Some were brushing the dirt off their clothes, while some of them were groaning and staggering. Clearly, there were several injuries among the guests caused by the crash. At least five of them were favoring their arms or their legs, while the rest of them were wincing or grimacing in pain.
Legolas saw his brother assisting a maiden to stench the blood off a cut on her forehead. Prince Keldarion looked up and stared in disbelief at his younger brother. "What did you think you were doing?" the elder prince demanded to know as he wrapped a comforting arm around the maiden's trembling shoulders.
Legolas' mouth opened and closed but no words came out. His face drained off all color when his father steadily approached him. The king's face looked thunderous and the veins throbbed visibly in his neck. His eyes were sharp and piercing as he glowered down at his youngest child. Never had Legolas seen his father so furious before.
"You had fun?" Thranduil asked through gritted teeth, his voice even and firm, sending a terrible chill down Legolas' spine. His father was more dangerous this way without his usual shouting and ranting.
"Father, I…"
"Look what you've done." The king was not finished. He was fighting hard at the urge to slap his son's face that his arm was shaking from the effort. "How could you be so reckless?"
"I…I'm sorry," Legolas said uncertainly, lowering his gaze, feeling deeply ashamed of himself. He didn't dare look straight at his father, knowing how incredibly mad Thranduil was right then.
"You are sorry?" The king shook his head, his voice still cold. "I told you not to ride the cursed beast but you still did. Now the poor animal is dead because of you, as nearly did everyone else here. Legolas, you have gone too far this time. You have caused such a ruckus, almost killing all of us and giving me a bad name in the process. In my whole life, never had I feel so disappointed in you like I am right now."
Legolas flinched. He slowly looked up then. "Father, truly. I'm sorry."
Thranduil's face was still impassive as he said next, "You must be responsible for the consequences of your misbehavior. Now I order you to heal all those people that have gotten injured by your foolish stampede and seek apology from them. And I want you to clean all this mess or by Elbereth I'll trash you until you do so."
Legolas fidgeted uncertainly under Thranduil's glare while the other elves looked on in silence.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" the king asked, raising his eyebrows. "GET TO IT!" Thranduil added with a snarl.
Legolas jumped in fright and instantly knelt down near the maiden that Keldarion was tending to. Ignoring the look of daggers that his brother was sending him, Legolas touched the maiden's forehead and forced out his healing energy onto the injury. The cut closed up in mere seconds, fully healed.
"I'm sorry, my lady," Legolas said in a low voice, quickly averting his gaze in shame and embarrassment.
The maiden just nodded without a word and let herself to be led away by Keldarion back into the palace. Legolas moved on to the rest of the injured guests, healing their cuts and bruises, apologizing all the way. The worst injury was a broken leg and a twisted collarbone, but Legolas' healing energy was able to remedy them in no time at all.
The guests were both amazed and thankful at the prince's special ability, but they didn't dare comment as the Mirkwood king was still standing there not far away, looking extremely formidable with his arms crossed over his chest as he stared long and hard at his son, watching the young prince's every move.
Commander Linden, the highest rank officer in Thranduil's army, had quickly instructed the servants to prepare the dining hall inside the palace to replace the ruined dinner in the garden. He helped guide the guests inside, assuring them that the party will continue indoor. The servants had also come out to straighten the overturned tables and chairs outside, picking up at the clutter of broken dishes and spilled food.
After he had healed the last of the injured guests, Legolas turned to face his father once more. The prince raised his eyes uncertainly, still quivering with fear and guilt all the while. "Father, it's done."
Thranduil's eyes were narrowed to a slit as he looked straight into his son's silver eyes. "Who says it's done? You still need to clean up all this mess until no signs remain, understand me? And that include that carcass over there!" the king said, pointing at the dead stallion lying untouched among the whole confusion.
Legolas bit his lips as he weakly nodded. "Yes, father."
At that, Thranduil whirled around and stormed inside without a backward glance, his strides long and fast, telling those who were looking of how furious he still was. The king also expected his son to obey his bidding immediately without haste. That boy needs some discipline, Thranduil was fuming inwardly. And by the Valar he shall have it!
Legolas sighed heavily. He looked around him and couldn't help but cringe in dismay when he took stock of the destruction that he had caused. The garden was a complete chaos with pieces from the broken tables and chairs lying strewn around all over the lawn. A carrot cake had been squashed beyond redemption, while a puddle was quickly forming on the ground from a spilled bowl of punch drink.
With heavy steps, Legolas approached the working servants and started to lend his aid in the cleaning task. The servants hastily averted their interest gaze off the prince as they efficiently resumed their job, picking through the debris and rubble. They all worked in uncomfortable silence, with Legolas still feeling highly censured while the servants were too wary of the noble born prince to even strike a conversation among themselves.
To Legolas, it was the most undignified position he had ever gotten into, to be on his hands and knees doing the work of a commoner. He knew he deserved the punishment after what he had done, but it was hard for him to accept it, even more so when the time came to get rid of the dead body of the stallion.
Laying his hand on the stallion's velvety neck, Legolas could feel nothing there except for the feeling of emptiness that signaled the animal's death. He flinched when the cold emanating from the carcass seemed to burn through his palm, searing him with the knowledge that he had helped killed the magnificent steed.
"I'm sorry…" Legolas whispered brokenly as tears of regret pooled in his eyes.
The servants instantly took pity on him. "Your highness, let us tend to it," they told him, gently steering him away from the dead horse.
Legolas did not protest for he was numb with guilt and sorrow. He could only watch as the servants worked together to drag the carcass out of the garden by using a cart and two other horses. He followed them as they pulled the cart toward the back of the grand stable to set out the body. The servants even asked the prince's opinion on how he favored the dead horse to be disposed.
"Bury him," Legolas replied, hoping that it was the best he could do for the black stallion that had been completely healthy not more than an hour earlier.
The stable hands had already come out to help dig a deep hole under a big tree behind the stable. Without a word, Legolas also grabbed a spade and joined the digging despite the servants' protest.
"I started this, so I'll finish this," the prince said as he repeatedly shoveled dirt out of the widening hole. The servant and stable hands had no other choice but to let the prince have his way.
It was already dark when the task was completed. Legolas was leaning tiredly over his spade, staring mournfully at the fresh mound of earth now covering the hole, wishing that he had never attempted to ride the black stallion in the first place.
Suddenly, came the sound of thundering hoof beats from the direction of the stable main entrance. Curious, Legolas handed over the spade to a servant and went to investigate. He soon found out that a troop of Mirkwood warriors had just returned from their patrol into the woods, and more than half of them were gravely injured.
"The orcs! A big band of them," explained Béregund, one of the returning warriors, as he carefully passed down a wounded comrade into the waiting hands of a servant. "We had stumbled upon a small number of them on our way back before a larger group descended on us. By that time, we were already surrounded."
Legolas helped pulled a wounded warrior of a horse's back. He blanched when he realized who it was despite the amount of blood that covered half of the warrior's face. "Jaden!"
Béregund sadly nodded. "He got hit while trying to save my life."
Legolas grimly assessed the situation. At least nine of the warriors were suffering from serious injuries. One of them even looked as if he was already dead. The prince knew he had no time to delay. "Quick! Get all the wounded into the infirmary! I will see to them."
The warriors rushed to do the prince's bidding. They quickly carried their injured comrades into a dwelling near the warriors' living quarters and placed them onto the beds and sleeping pallets lined up against the walls.
"Here. Careful," Legolas cautioned as he assisted another warrior putting Sir Jaden on the bed. The prince winced at the amount of blood that was still oozing out of a big gash on Jaden's head. There was also a deep hole in the warrior's shoulder, still bleeding heavily under the crude bandage.
Legolas turned to the servants and ordered, "Get more towels and warm water. Help me clean all the blood. And do everything you can to stop their bleeding until I come to tend to them." Even as he said that, Legolas was already busy dabbing at Jaden's head wound with a damp cloth. Then he placed his palm against the warrior's skin and started the healing process.
Tired as he was after his misadventure that evening, Legolas took quite a while to heal Jaden's injuries completely. He had used his healing energy several times earlier and was still exhausted after the cleaning and digging. Yet, he kept at his healing task until Jaden's eyes fluttered open.
"Your highness?" Jaden was a little confused when he saw the young prince hovering over him.
Legolas smiled wanly as he used the back of his hand to brush the sweat off his forehead, causing some of Jaden's blood to smear onto his own face. "Nice to see you join us once more, Jaden. Just don't get up yet. Rest some more. I'll go tend to the others."
The manyan prince got to his feet and knelt down beside the next warrior who had been struck down by several arrows. The injury was so severe that Legolas began to grow lightheaded after he finished. Still, he moved on to the rest of the wounded warriors without comment, afraid that they will die if he paused to rest even for a minute.
Jaden beckoned for Béregund to come closer. "How many has he healed tonight?" the patrol leader asked, indicating the prince who was visibly swaying on his haunch beside a bed.
Béregund frowned. "Including you, that will be about nine in all," he replied, also noticing the sudden pallor on Legolas' face.
"But, sir, he had already healed about ten persons earlier this evening," one of the servants quietly told them as he picked up the soiled towels and bucket of water.
Jaden and Béregund's eyes widened. "What?!"
The servant went on to tell the two warriors about the incident with the black stallion, causing them both to glance worriedly at the prince.
"Do you think he has given out too much?" Béregund wondered out loud.
Jaden swung his feet over the bed and stood up. "I believe so. We better tell him to stop before he harms himself more. Has the king or Prince Keldarion been informed of this?"
"No, sir. They were busy entertaining the guests in the dining hall," answered the servant.
Jaden shook his head and quickly strode towards Legolas who was shakily getting to his feet after kneeling for quite a long moment beside a comatose warrior. The patrol officer reached just in time to catch the prince who suddenly went limp and slumped over. "Your highness!"
Béregund rushed over to stare anxiously at the young prince lying so still in Jaden's arms. "Oh no! We are already too late!"
"By Elbereth I hope we're not!" Jaden replied as he ran out the door with his precious burden. "Let's get him to his chamber. And, Béregund, the king better be informed about this!"
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Thranduil and Keldarion immediately came rushing the moment they were told of Legolas' collapse. When they got to the prince's chamber, Jaden had already taken off Legolas' boots and was pulling a coverlet over him.
"What exactly happened?" Thranduil demanded to know as he flew through the door and headed straight for the bed.
Jaden glanced briefly at Béregund before he told the king the whole story. "We didn't know that he had already used his skill, my lord, or we wouldn't have let him do it. By the time we found out that he's severely exhausted, it was already too late."
Keldarion sat on Legolas' other side, gripping his brother's hand. "His hands are cold," Keldarion said, now clutching Legolas' other hand. He frowned to see them trembling uncontrollably. "And they are shaking!"
Thranduil also reached over to grab one of Legolas' hands. Worry lines deepened on his forehead as soon as he realized how cold his son's skin was. "He is too far drained," the king muttered, tucking a strand of his Legolas' hair behind his ear, noticing the smudges of blood on his son's pale face. His previous anger toward his son had completely vanished the moment he caught sight of Legolas laying totally unresponsive like this.
"Father, what are we going to do?" Keldarion asked anxiously. Legolas was being unnaturally still and stiff, except for the odd trembling in his hands.
"Keep massaging his hands, Kel. Keep them warm," the king replied before turning to Jaden. "Tell the servants to bring in some tea with honey. Hurry!"
Thranduil focused his attention on his younger son once more, pulling him onto his lap and rocking him gently. "You are going to be all right, Legolas. You are going to be fine," the king whispered against his son's hair, his voice catching around the big lump in his throat.
"Will he, father?" Keldarion asked again, near tears himself as he kept chafing at his brother's fingers. Never had he seen Legolas in that condition before.
"Let's hope he will," Thranduil softly replied. "Your mother had succumbed too far like this once. She took many days to recover afterwards. But Legolas is still too young for a manyan. His ability might be great but his strength is not powerful enough for a quick convalesce."
"He is fading much too fast, father. Isn't there anything else we can do?"
Thranduil sighed. "A manyan is full of mystery, Kel. Even I do not have the entire knowledge on how to bring them back. All we can do right now is keep feeding him the honeyed tea for his strength…and pray that he will pull through it."
And that was exactly what they did for the next hours.
But Legolas never even stirred.
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Three days later, Legolas opened his eyes. He tiredly closed them again, moaning softly under his breath.
"Legolas?"
The prince reopened his eyes at his father's voice. Thranduil was smiling down at his son. "Good to see you awake, young one."
Legolas tried to speak, but found he had no strength at all. He was feeling so numb he couldn't move. In fact, he couldn't even feel his fingers or the rest of his body. Panicked, he whimpered, staring beseechingly back at his father.
Aware of his son's plight, Thranduil reached down and stroked Legolas' eyebrows. "Easy, son. You are still too weak, that's all. You need several more days to recover."
Tears of frustration were pooling in Legolas' eyes. Seeing it, Thranduil gripped his son's hand comfortingly. "You'll be fine, Legolas. This just takes time. You have given out too much of your energy, but you'll get it back after a long rest and sufficient food. I'll see to it."
Thranduil then turned towards the bedside table and poured a cup of tea. Gently picking up Legolas' head, the king coaxed, "Here. Drink this. It has been laced with honey. It will help you gather your strength."
Even the simple act of opening his mouth left the prince exhausted. Still, the tea managed to trickle down his throat, quickly spreading into his system and giving him warmth.
He fell back into sleep a moment later.
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Thranduil was never far from Legolas' side during the prince's slow recovery. He never tired sitting by Legolas' bed, feeding him the tea laced with honey, and stroking his son's brows now and then. Legolas had made him extremely angry that evening in the garden, but now…
Now he could only wish that the incident had never happened.
Legolas was getting a bit stronger even if he was a little too weak. His voice still came in a feeble whisper, but he was finally able to speak without feeling as if he had a rock for a tongue.
It was during that time when his father was spoon feeding him some porridge that Legolas suddenly voiced out, "Father?"
Thranduil paused. "Yes, son?"
"I'm sorry."
Thranduil went still for a long moment after hearing that. He put the bowl of porridge onto the table before turning back to his son. "Why would you be sorry? You had healed all those warriors back to health without any thought for yourself."
"No...I mean, I'm sorry…I…I've disappointed you…that day…with the horse."
Thranduil digested his son's words in silence. Then, smiling warmly, he cupped Legolas' cheek and said, "But you've made me so proud. You did what a true prince would, by caring for your people."
"But I've given you a bad name," Legolas said. "I've embarrassed you in front of your guests."
The king chuckled. "Oh, yes. It's going to be in everybody's memory for many years to come, definitely! But Legolas, that incident paled in comparison to the sacrifice you've made in healing those warriors. They looked highly upon you on that, and they respect you for your generosity and selflessness. In return, you have given me pride in tenfold."
Legolas was blinking back tears. "Really?"
Thranduil seriously nodded. "Yes, really."
"I…I won't embarrass you again, I promise."
"And I'll hold to your words, Legolas."
Father and son then gazed warmly at each other, gripping hands. Legolas was glad that his father was not angry with him anymore, while Thranduil was relief that his son was finally showing signs of recovery.
A knock sounded at the door before Keldarion walked in. He beamed when he saw Legolas smiling. "Hey, brother! You look a little better today."
Legolas gave a wan grin. "What other choice do I have? Father kept feeding me the blasted tea."
Amid his sons' chuckles, Thranduil frowned in a mock annoyance. "You should thank me for that. And now you are going to make it your daily drink from now on."
Legolas groaned. "I grew tired of it already. It tastes so…'unexciting'."
"You have had loads of excitements for a whole life time!" Keldarion exclaimed, and then remembered something. "Oh, I nearly forgot. Jaden and some of the guards in his patrol are here. They want to see you, Legolas."
Keldarion went to the door and let the warriors in. They approached the bed and gazed down at the young prince. Jaden acted as the spoke person for the group. "Your highness, we are here to express our gratitude for your kindness in healing us all several days ago. It was a huge sacrifice on your part, and we will never forget it. For that, we thank you. And in return, we vow to do our best to protect you and keep you away from harm."
Keldarion snorted. "Keep him from harm? I wish you all good luck, then. He is already a big harm to his own self!"
"Kel," Thranduil gently admonished, also grinning. The warriors were left smiling in amusement as they found some truth in Keldarion's teasing words.
Legolas glared at his brother. "I am not that bad."
"Well," said Jaden, clearing his throat to stop himself from chuckling. "We would also like to present our gift to you."
Legolas blinked. "A gift? What kind of gift?"
Keldarion was already walking towards the balcony, glancing down. "It's here," he announced with a smile.
"What? What are you talking about?" Legolas asked excitedly.
Thranduil looked on as Jaden picked Legolas off the bed and carried him to the balcony. He then placed the prince onto a sofa that the other warriors had quickly carried out.
"Look down," Keldarion told his brother.
Legolas did, craning his neck over the marble railing. His eyes widened in surprise when he caught sight of a mare standing proud in the garden below. Its coat was so white that the light from the sun above produced an aura all around its powerful body, while its soft mane flew gracefully in the breeze.
Béregund who was holding the horse's bridle glanced up and grinned at the young prince. "She is now yours, your highness!" the warrior shouted.
"She is mine?" Legolas mouth had dropped open. He whipped his head towards his brother. "That magnificent horse is really mine? How can this be?"
"We decided to give you a horse of your own so that you won't ride the one that doesn't belong to you," Keldarion quipped amid the others' chuckles.
"So we rode to Rivendell to buy you one, knowing that they breed the best horses there, and found this lady that suits you perfectly," Jaden added.
"What is she called?"
"We didn't ask, your highness. But you can always give her a new name."
"Then I'll call her White."
Keldarion rolled his eyes while the warriors around him groaned good-naturedly. "That's it? You will call her just that?"
"Why? What's wrong with that name?"
"What your brother was trying to say, Legolas, is please be more creative," Thranduil said, grinning in amusement.
"Oh." Legolas was thoughtful for a moment before he blurted, "I'll call her Snow White then! That will be her name. Snow White."
Keldarion sighed in relief. "That's better."
Even when Jaden and the warriors had left a long while later, Legolas was still sitting there, gazing with proud and admiration at the white mare that was left there nibbling on the grass in the garden. Thranduil and Keldarion remained at his sides, glad to see the happiness back on Legolas' face.
"So, you like our gift, brat?" Keldarion asked, warmly gripping Legolas' shoulder.
The younger prince slowly nodded. "Absolutely," he softly replied. "Thank you again. It's a great gift."
Smiling himself, Thranduil reached down and placed his hand on top of Legolas' head. "Yes, indeed it is. But the greatest gift is you, Legolas. You."
But Legolas was beyond hearing. He had silently drifted off to sleep, with his cheek resting against the marble railing. Seeing this, Thranduil and Keldarion exchanged smiles. Without a word, the king picked up his sleeping son and carried him back indoor.
The manyan prince and the white mare were going to share many adventures in the nearest future. But for now, Legolas needed his healing sleep.
THE END
See? No humor. But I hope you find it sweet enough to read this to the finish.
Thank you for reading. I will return in two more weeks with a longer story called 'Time After Time'. Hint: Hawkeye will play a vital part in this one.
See you soon!