And here we finally have the second chapter and it is a continuation of the first chapter.
Thank you to the wonderful Bronwethiel for being my Beta.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN LORD OF THE RINGS, IT IS THE WORK OF TOLKIEN.
Chapter Two
That night Legolas camped out on the floor. The twins did not have a spare bed for Legolas, although Estel said that they should give up one of their own beds as Legolas was a prince. But then the twins had complained that one of them would have to sleep on the floor or they would have to share a bed - neither option pleased them. Then Estel had very politely offered Legolas his bed, and even the whole room; Legolas had declined saying that he was used to sleeping out, he'd been doing that for the last few nights.
"I still don't think it's right." Estel muttered as Legolas unpacked a rough sleeping bag and placed it on the stone floor.
"Don't worry, Estel. Really, it's fine." Legolas assured him.
"Please just look at my room first and check that you don't want to sleep in my bed." Estel said.
"Estel, he said that it's fine." Elrohir chipped in, already settled down.
"He's a prince, no need to keep pestering him." Elladan added, sitting down on his bed.
"I'll stay here until you offer Prince Legolas a better bed. Or I'll tell Ada." Estel said, crossing his arms and looking annoyed.
"Estel, I will go with you, but I am sure that I will be staying here when I settle down to sleep." Legolas said, before either of the twins could make a comment. Legolas found the child interesting. It was not often that he got to meet a young person and he found the boy very intriguing.
"Well, be careful. No one else is allowed to see you." Elrohir reminded the Mirkwood elf.
"Estel, do you have a large enough window for me to go through?" Legolas asked, turning to the child.
"Yes, I have a big balcony!" He declared happily.
"Well, I will be there." He said, moving over to the door that lead to the twin's own balcony.
"Race you!" cried Estel, rushing through the door to the corridor and running down it as quickly as he could.
"Don't wait up for me. Which way is Estel's room?" Legolas asked. Just then, Estel returned with the directions, before scampering off again. Legolas pulled on his damp cloak and lifted the hood over his head.
"Got to keep your hair dry!" Elladan said, laughing.
"Because a prince must always have perfect hair." Elrohir added, chuckling.
"Yes, and don't forget that your hair is perfectly dry and organised because you haven't had to travel through storms." Legolas retorted.
"We'd make better princes." Elladan joked. After meeting humans, the twins and Legolas often tried to slip in some jokes about their own hair, as human hair seemed so strange and dis-organised.
"Well, I'll see you later." Legolas said, slipping outside and clinging onto the trees and buildings as the strong winds blew and tried to knock him off his feet. Hopping along the building, and pulling himself onto Estel's balcony, where he then had to wait for the little human to arrive.
"Sorry!" Came Estel's voice through the glass door as he hurried to open it. As it opened, Legolas slipped through, letting go of the balcony rail that he had been holding on to.
"Don't worry." Legolas said as he slipped through. He paused, listening. He could not hear the twins so they could not hear him.
"What are you listening for?" Estel asked.
"The twins." Legolas replied calmly. "I was thinking that we could play a trick on them." Scanning the room, Legolas noticed how tidy it was compared to the twins' room and even his own.
"That wouldn't be good." Estel said, shaking his head. "They'd get us back for it."
"Only as a joke." Legolas said, hoping to convince Estel.
"But they might tell Ada that you are here and you are not meant to be." Estel said.
"But I was invited by them." Legolas grinned.
"But what happens if they do a joke prank on us?" the boy sounded worried.
"They haven't pranked you before?" the prince asked in shock.
"Yes, but Ada says that I shouldn't stoop down to their level." He informed Legolas.
"Parents always say that." Legolas rolled his eyes. "Besides, it's rather fun. Do you have many spiders in Imladris?"
"Not something obvious or to make them scared, then I will get the blame." Estel protested.
"Boring." Legolas sighed, but he settled down to think. "I could leave the door open..." the prince mused.
"But then you would get cold." Estel again protested.
"Not if I sleep in here." The prince winked, then he disappeared outside, and in a minute reappeared with everything that he had carried to Imladris.
"You don't happen to have any harmless but slightly large and unknown spiders in Imladris?" Legolas asked as he started to create a bed on the floor.
"Not that I'm aware of." Estel said, watching Legolas. "Really, I should be the one on the floor."
"I'm used to sleeping rough." Legolas replied, almost finished creating a makeshift bed.
"I need practice. When I'm bigger I'm going to go hunting orcs with Elladan and Elrohir!" Estel said proudly.
"But now is not that time." Legolas pointed out, laying down on the 'bed'. There was a pause, and then Estel hopped down from sitting on his bed and went to sit next to Legolas.
"Do you sleep with your eyes open as well?" The boy asked curiously.
"All elves do. Why do you ask?" Legolas asked, looking up at Estel, who shrugged.
"I sleep with my eyes closed."
"Nothing wrong with that." Legolas commented.
"I am also not good at getting woken up." Estel admitted, looking down at his lap. This just perked Legolas' curiosity and the elf sat up, resting his arms on his knees.
"Why's that?" Asked the elven prince.
"I have bad dreams. When I am woken, I pick up the nearest object and almost hurt people with it." The young human paused. "According to Elrohir, after the first year Elrond gave up trying to wake me, hoping the habit would stop. But Elladan and Elrohir still wake me if I sleep too long."
"Well, I'll keep my knives out of your reach, shall I?" Legolas asked, amusement in his eyes. Maybe if he found a blunt blade and made it look sharp... ooh! That could work for another prank.
"Do you want to sleep now?" Estel asked.
"Yes, and you probably should: it is quite late and you are young." Legolas replied. Despite knowing this child for less than half a night he was becoming quite fond of the boy. Young beings seemed to be quite marvellous.
"Okay." Estel clambered into his bed. The storm continued to rage. Legolas had nearly drifted off when he felt a little body tip-toe over to him and snuggle against him.
The two awoke to a tremendous sneeze and shouting. Legolas chuckled as Estel jumped up and grabbed a book on elvish history and held it like a weapon.
"I believe the deep sleeping Elladan and Elrohir have noticed the cold, the rain and anything else that might have been blown into their room." The prince chuckled. "And I don't think that you need that book as a weapon or shield." He added kindly. Estel hurriedly put the book down, and then blushed realising that Legolas had caught him snuggled up to him.
"Sorry I went to sleep next to you. Storms scare me. I just wante-" Legolas decided to cut the boy off before he continued to ramble on about something that hadn't bothered the son of Thranduil.
"It's fine. I have enjoyed your company. Thank you for agreeing to let me stay in your room." Legolas said, getting up and giving a bow. "Now I shall quickly go and see how the twins fare and try to keep out of the gaze of Lord Elrond." With that, Legolas disappeared and after a few minutes he swung back in.
"Leaves managed to get in and their room is considerably messier and damp. Three families of birds have found a home in there along with a lost squirrel. I also noticed some tiny spiders scuttling about. Then Elrond came, I luckily avoided his gaze-"
"What did Ada say?" asked Estel.
"He asked them what had happened." Legolas paused, before thinking. Mimicking the other elves voices, Legolas recounted the conversation for the benefit of the small boy listening intently at his side.
"'Elladan, Elrohir, why does it appear that you have played host to a variety of the local wildlife as well as invited part of the tree population and river into your quarters?' And with that, he closed the door, but I could still hear them talking.
'Father, we didn't leave the door open, it must have blown open in the wind!' Elrohir exclaimed, knowing that he could not reveal what he must suspect by now, my part to play in this game.
'The door is perfectly fine, it will not have blown open.' Elrond replied.
'Estel is scared of storms, so we went to check up on him, and we wanted to impress Legolas with our climbing skills when he next vists, so we practiced going along the side of the building. I guess when we came back we didn't close the door properly.' Elladan replied, he sounded a lot more relaxed. He had evidently planned out his excuse.
'Was Estel alright?' Suddenly Lord Elrond sounded a lot more serious. I think he really cares for you-" Legolas, who had been doing a good job of impersonating the others, was cut off by Estel speaking again.
"Of course he does, he's my Ada!" The boy sounded really proud, and then he noticed that Legolas had packed.
"Why are you packing?" Estel asked, confused.
"Lord Elrond is coming to check up on you." Legolas replied, shouldering his things. "And I had better go apologise to the twins and help them tidy up." The prince replied, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "I'll be arriving in Rivendell tomorrow and I look forward to meeting the young boy called Estel who I have not met before, nor heard of him." He reminded Estel, before leaping out of the window and swinging over to the twins' room.
"Legolas." They growled as one and the prince beamed at them innocently.
"Thought you might need help tidying up."
And so there we have it. Chapter Two. I hope you enjoyed it.
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