AN: Enjoy! I own and make nothing of course!
The forest was damp following a shower of rain early that morning.
The hooves of the horses landed softly on the forest floor and despite their number they made very little sound. Soon, Legolas knew, they would hear a slight rumble which would grow and grow to a large roar as they neared the falls. They were the only larger falls relatively near the city and so it was the largest one Legolas had ever seen. Of course the place had an actual name but to Legolas they were just 'the falls' as he had seen none of the others and so that had become the official name for it between him and his father.
Legolas was seated very comfortably on Degil, an old pony which his father let him take his lessons on. Legolas had pitched a fit when he got Degil. Degil was slow and rather lazy - having long ago figured out how to outsmart impatient elflings and do exactly as it pleased. Legolas had wanted a big horse. A warhorse! But no, he was not allowed. And to make matters worse, Degil was tied to Aeruil with a robe which prevented Legolas from going any faster than the pace his father dictated - if he would have been able to get Degil to go faster than a slug in a jam jar in the first place.
Still, it was nice out and Legolas enjoyed having this time with his father. They were not alone which they never were outside of their chambers at the palace. There were 15 soldiers there with them. Legolas had not missed them laughing as Legolas had objected to the rope. His father would not let him ride completely alone outside of the city. As if Legolas could not be trusted to remain where he was supposed to be. Pfft.
"Almost there," Thranduil remarked cheerfully thus snapping Legolas out of his thoughts and the planning of a very elaborate mutiny which would have somehow ended up with Legolas getting lots and lots of horses and more cakes. "Once we return you can join me and we can gallop. Aeruil needs it. He's restless," the king promised. If Thranduil saw the looks on his son's face of surprise and giddiness, he did not comment upon it.
Legolas perked his ears. Yes, he could hear the falls. They had to be pretty close now! He had always wanted to get up to the top of them and look down but so far he had had no luck with that as they always stopped below them and Legolas could not stray long enough to find a path up there. Still, it had to be pretty awesome. The men were silent. Always listening for things Legolas could not hear. Maybe trolls. Probably a dragon. But the prince was too excited and too restless not giggle with joy as the roaring of the falls increased. The air got noticeably more moist as a familiar clearing opened in front of them. The guards who had been at the front had already gotten off their horses. The river was wide and foaming. Two waterfalls cascaded over the cliff, joining two river branches into one below. As the horses were lead to the water to drink one by one, Legolas jumped off of Degil and hurried to the warm, sunbathed cliffs and rocks that surrounded the river.
"Legolas! Not any further out!" called the king, as he was tending to his son's pony.
The little prince had a hard time not grimacing at his father but he did not go any further and instead settled on a nicely warm rock and closed his eyes. There was sunlight coming through to the city but not like this. There was sunlight in the forest but not like this. Here he was too far from the noises of the palace and the uneasiness that came with sneaking out with Braigelen to feel trapped. Sure, he could have done without the guards but when his father was there it did not matter as much - Legolas could pretend they were only there for the king.
"Enjoying yourself, ion-nin?" a voice said near him and Legolas slowly opened his eyes, seeing his father there as soon as his eyes adjusted to the light.
"How long can we stay, Ada?" Thranduil was wearing armor and his hair was braided back from his face. He looked like a proper warrior, Legolas thought. He wanted to look like that. Thranduil's sword was almost as long as Legolas was tall - or maybe he was just exaggerating to himself. His father sat down next to him which was a bit awkward due to the armor and him taking two thirds of the good sitting surface.
"Until the horses are ready. We need to be back in a proper time for dinner," Thranduil said and placed a hand on Legolas' shoulder, gently squeezing it. "What are you thinking?"
"Nothing, Ada. I'm just... Listening... To the water and all," Legolas replied.
"Can you hear the wind, Legolas?" The prince nodded. "Listen to the way it moves between the trees. If you listen closely enough you can hear the trees singing to each other," the king instructed.
Legolas smiled and leaned closer to his father even though his arm was covered in chain mail. He liked it when his father talked about the forest, though he treated it more like a fairytale than instructions - even if he knew his father was right. When he was smaller still, he had been scared by the noises of the forests and the depths of the caves because he did not understand that what he felt was normal for any elf. But you had to learn how to listen properly, so Thranduil always said. Hunters had to learn this - warriors too.
Then he felt his father's fingers running through his hair and realized that somewhere along the line he had stopped talking, probably noticing Legolas was lost in thoughts. Legolas sighed with contentment. "I wish... I wish we could stay here always," he said. The king did not reply but kissed the top of the elflings head.
His heart was beating so fast as they shot through the forest. Once they did not have far to go, they abandoned Degil with half of the guards so they could gallop home. The old pony would not be able to keep up. Legolas had been hoisted up to sit on Aeruil just in front of his father. It felt like flying. Aeruil knew how to maneuver the woods and the paths that trailed through it like pale ribbons. One moment they were on the path, the next Thranduil detoured through the shrubberies and roots. Legolas would have loved to jump but his father didn't think it sensible with the both of them on the horse.
Soon, much too soon for Legolas' liking, the path widened to a proper forest road and they were back at the main entrance to the city. The gates opened for them and they all rode though it. Legolas beamed at the thought that he should be seen arriving with his father. He wanted to be more like an adult. He wanted Thranduil to take him along when he went out and let him do stuff and even if this whole thing had just been to please Legolas he liked the idea that he was brought because his father really needed his help.
Thranduil grabbed him and lifted him off Aeruil as they reached the Royal stables. The prince landed easily on his feet and watched his father dismount. "You had better hurry up and wash," Thranduil said gently, brushing a lock of the elfling's now quite messy hair away from his face.
"But I can help with the horse!" Legolas objected.
"I am sure you can but I would much rather dine with my son than this feral little creature before me," said Thrainduil as he pulled a twig out of Legolas' hair. "Off you go now." The king gently pushed his son in the intended direction. Legolas obeyed... Sort of. At least not before pulling a face at his father but then he did bolt as quickly as his wild legs could carry him.
It had been a wonderful day. Sadly, it was not to last because Legolas had not gotten far into palace before he came across someone sitting on the railing of one of the viewing balconies overlooking the caves. Braigelen had never cared whether things like that were dangerous and he swung his legs as he looked out over the city.
"Braigelen?" Legolas called.
"So you're back!" his friend replied as he looked up to see him. Then he climbed down from the railing. Legolas was immediately uneasy - his friend looked cross.
"How was the trip?" Braigelen demanded. "Bet you had fun." He sounded like he wanted the opposite to be true.
"Umm, it was fine. Are you all right?" Legolas said. Had he done something to upset Braigelen?
"You don't even remember do you?!" snapped the older elfling, his cheeks flushing with anger to match his hair. Legolas did not know what to say.
"Remember what?"
Braigelen took a few steps forward and shoved Legolas. "You forgot! We were supposed to meet today! We were supposed to go over the creek! But nooooo! You're just going to go to class and then go with your Adar! You could have said!"
Legolas gulped. Come to think of it, Braigelen had not been to class today. He probably had thought they would skip it together again. But Legolas had not dared after yesterday and Master Feladir's warning. He had probably been too occupied with the prospect of going riding with his father to even really notice his friend was missing.
"Sorry," he said, still rather shocked. "I didn't know you were serious. But what should I do? I can't say no to my Adar - he'd know something was up!" Legolas argued defensively.
"You could still have told! Or you could have asked if I could come too!" Braigelen countered.
That was probably right. But Legolas had forgotten to tell Braigelen and if he was completely honest, he did not want his friend to come riding. He did not have a lot of time to do stuff with his father and he wanted it to himself.
"You know what I think? I think you're scared! You're scared of getting caught!" Braigelen spat.
"No, I'm not! I just forgot, okay? I said I'm sorry!"
"Look at perfect Prince Legolas," Braigelen mocked. "Too scared of what his Adar might say to find a troll!"
"Stop it, Braigelen! That's not true!" Legolas might well have felt bad before but now he was angry. "I'm not scared! And I bet I could beat a troll and you can't even jump out of a tree properly! So what if I get to go riding! Princes have to do important stuff sometimes!"
There... Legolas had never ever used the 'I'm a prince'-card before and he felt bad about it the moment the words left his mouth. The look on Braigelen's face told Legolas he had hit a nerve. The older elfling most definitely didn't like to be reminded that he was lower in the hierarchy than his friend. Legolas immediately began to fear that he had broken something between them. Some unspoken agreement.
"Well, your highness," Braigelen said in a voice full of hurt.
"Braigelen, wait," Legolas tried to interject.
"I guess I'm just not important then. Fine, whatever," said Braigelen as he pushed past Legolas with suspiciously shiny eyes.
"I said, wait!" Legolas grabbed the sleeve of Braigelen's tunic. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! We'll go! I just forgot today and Master Feladir said... You know what never mind! I promise we'll go! And you can lead the expedition too!"
Braigelen turned around, a light in his red eyes. "You promise?"
"I promise! Whenever you want to!" Legolas assured him.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah, sure!"
Braigelen turned away briefly to wipe his eyes and nose in his sleeve. "Fine," he said as if answering a plea far beneath him. "But I get to be the leader and you have to do what I say or it's... It's... You know."
"Okay," Legolas promised, thinking the word his friend was looking for might be mutiny or treason. "What do we need then?" he continued. Legolas hoped to get Braigelen's mind engaged with planning instead of their argument.
"Not here," said Braigelen with a secretive smile. "We got to hide somewhere safe then I'll tell you," he whispered as he pulled Legolas along with him.
TBC
