Winter in Rivendel
This story is a little gift for my friend Ohtar Vicky. Merry Christmas and happy New Year Vicky!
…………………….
Aragorn was sleeping. He was rumbling in his sleep and suddenly awoke, he sat in his bed. His instinct hadn't misled him. His best friend, Legolas, sat next to his bed, and was seeing him with a huge smile on his face. With a wailing, Aragorn let himself fall down and put his pillow on his head. He was almost sure of the reason of this smile. And to confirm his idea, Legolas just removed the sheets and proclaimed:
"Stand up, lazy human! It's snowing, and we have to make the most of that!
It didn't seem to affect the later, who grumbled again.
"Come on, Estel! You're definitely a whistler! If you could, you would sleep all winter!
Aragorn finally decided to stand up, and with a defeated look, answered the elf:
"Legolas, you know I hate snow! It's cold, wet, and you always want to fight with! And you always win. This is the same script year after year after year…
'So, we can put it on to a tradition?" The elf was about to burst into laughter. His eyes were glistenning. How could Aragorn resist this look? With a sigh, he dressed up, taking all his time, only to feel a wicked delight to see Legolas get impatient. The elf was almost jumping from one foot to the other.
To make the pleasure last, he answered:
"I can't call 'a tradition' something that consist in abasing me in a fight in which you always win!
Eventually Aragorn was ready to get out. Legolas was prancing, and Aragorn couldn't stop smiling in front of the childish attitude of his friend. He was really enjoying seeing him like that. He often thought that Legolas was too serious, and at least once a year, he would become a child again. It was *xactly that: a child in front of the first snow of the year.
The two friends got out, and headed toward the gardens. Although Aragorn felt happy, he feared about what was going to happen.
And it didn't miss: a snowball caught him in mid-face. Surprised and confused, a second short of landing in his neck. It woke him up completely and he grabbed some snow to throw at his friend's face. But the elf was very swift and he easily avoided this try.
They struggled with each other during a short moment (which seemed very long to Aragorn). The human suddenly got a brilliant idea. He collected some snow and launched it at his friend. To his delight he saw the snowball reach the face of the elf, right above his eyebrow. But this feeling vanished when he saw Legolas put his hand at his face and slowly collapse into the snow. He ran to his friend and saw with dread that Legolas was extended on the snowy ground, motionless with his eyes closed. He rushed to him and took him in his arms. A thin bloody stream was flowing on the pale skin of the elf.
Stricken with panic, Aragorn slapped the cheek of his friend, calling wildly his name.
After few seconds, Legolas opened his eyes and saw Aragorn, all disoriented. He sat up and ask for his friend :
"Damn! What did you do?"
And a little ashamed, Aragorn answered:
"I've put a pebble in the snowball…"
Legolas didn't say nothing and finally said:
"Right, well I think you win this year!"