A/N I split this chapter into two-so the next one was originally going to be a part of this one. It made sense, and it wouldn't breach the chapter word count I am settling around (3k-4k words, the two chapters combined here would have nearly made 6k). Ellon means male-elf.
Inspiration from Swan Lake probably influenced a lot of this...
The sun began to set; the cicadas and crickets started droning their music on the bark of the trees, and fireflies lit the air with their luminescence. An owl hooted once in a while and a black squirrel chittered as it dug for its nut. The animals watched as elves brought out of trays and platters of food of all kinds, their arrangement enough to catch anyone's eye. The leafy ornaments and flowery vines hung across the branches of the trees. If one paid attention enough the trees seemed to be dancing to unheard sounds and humming along with it. Excitement radiated from the tall plants.
'Oooo! The elfs look pretty tonight!'
'Stupid squirrel, get off me!'
'Looky! They brought food!'
'Whats will childrens looks like? Theys always so nice!'
'Oh dadddyyy!'
Thranduil heard all of these things from the trees as he and the queen were dressing for the feast. He was used to these sorts of thoughts race through his mind, especially when he sat at the Great Tree in the garden for extended periods of time or when it was a festival of a sort. It often gave him a headache and he had yelled at the trees to shut up just so he could think in the past. But he had to thank Eru that this did not happen every hour and day of his life. He would have lost it years ago.
Thranduil opened his eyes after some of the crystal dust had been blown onto his face. He turned his head to glance at his fair queen. One of her maids fastened the heavy veil to her crown, and he had to smile at her beauty. The queen returned it.
"Shall I send for the ranger?" Galion asked as he fastened the silver and diamond chain to the front of Thranduil's robe.
Legolas would have been the one to retrieve their guest, though he too was busy being dressed…for a little more than just looking nice. The king hummed the affirmative.
Galion did the last touches before bowing his head and excusing himself from the presence of the royals. The ladies did the final additions to their queen before they stood aside.
Thranduil and Eregnis turned to face each other, admiring each other before Thranduil held a hand out. Eregnis placed her's in his gratefully, and they left their chambers and headed for the field, where they could hear laughter and songs being sung.
Aragorn read from the journal that entire night, figuring that if he did so he could sleep all day to be rested enough to participate in the feast from start to end. It worked, and the man passed out on his bed and slept for the whole day. In addition to this, he knew he would be hungry enough to sample everything.
Aragorn stretched and groaned as he woke. He let out a sigh and rolled over, feeling sluggish. Someone would come and wake him up when it was time…
Aragorn saw orange beyond his eyelids and he groaned again. "That time already?"
"My lord Thranduil sent me to wake and ready you."
Aragorn woke up for real at the unfamiliar voice and he sat up in his mess of sheets. In the darkness of the room a lone elf with a flower-bell lantern stood ominously. He set the lantern down on the desk and went to the wardrobe.
The man regarded the strange person warily. "Who are you?"
"Galion," the elf said courtly, mechanically pulling out clothes without a thought from the wardrobe. "You have an hour to ready yourself before the greetings are given out, and then you have ten minutes to find your seat for the dance."
Aragorn received the information slowly to his sleepy brain. He blinked owlishly and stupidly asked, "What?"
Galion turned to face the man, wearing no expression on his features. "Bath, clothes: all must be done within the hour."
Aragorn shook the cobwebs from his mind. "What hour is it?"
"Three in the morning, Estel."
Aragorn blinked again. "…My plan worked then." He finally hauled himself from the bed. "I have heard about you, Galion."
In the dim light, the man thought Galion became red and irked slightly from shame. "I am sure many have. And I swear to you it will not happen again."
Aragorn had to smirk, imagining the scene Bilbo shared in his head as he approached the door. "I know my way to the springs. Will you be here when I come back?"
"If you need my assistance in anything…" the butler said slowly.
"Showing me where the field is I need help with, but I think I can manage the rest."
Galion nodded, but he did not leave.
Aragorn kept his face straight as he left his rooms after he grabbed the clothes that were brought out, going down the stairwell towards the hot spring. While he was in the water, he had to quench his slight uneasiness with Thranduil's butler coming to get him. It was not life-threatening, but as always, it was another odd thing that made no sense. He wondered what Legolas was up to, and he also wondered what to expect from this.
And then there was that draught so he could withstand what he was about to see.
Aragorn shook his fear away and got out of the water. If it was anything like what he saw at the lakeside and experience with events in Imladris, it would be worth it. He quickly donned the shinier clothes and went back to his rooms. Galion had been waiting and this time the elf was holding a crystal chain in his hands.
Aragorn eyes slowly went from the jewelry to the butler with the strangest expression on his face.
The elf caught the look. "This displeases you?" He asked with that bland voice.
"I am not one for such gaudy finery. I hope this will not offend your lord." Aragorn deadpanned.
Galion appeared faintly amused at the response. "No, it will not. Are you ready?"
Aragorn nodded and stepped aside. Galion quickly filled in the role as a guide and they began walking.
The caves were dark and empty: dead. Aragorn found it hard to follow the elf as he moved like one at home in the darkness. As they approached the exit and ascended the hill, Aragorn's spine shivered in the coolness of the night and he inhaled the crisp air, admiring the stars. The crickets chirped, and if he strained his ears, he thought he could hear elven voices. The ranger and butler silently crossed the grassy field and towards the northern border. The voices got louder as they walked through a path with a row of trees on either side of the path.
Aragorn's heart pounded in his chest….
A loud flap sounded from above and light laughter followed. "Oh good, Galion! You have brought the honored guest just in time!"
Aragorn let out an undignified yelp as he suddenly saw a giant half bird man standing on a low branch in the tree. He covered his eyes with his hands and skidded to a halt.
The ranger did not see Galion's scowl and whatever it was he did to make the other individual make a sound in fear. "Ai, Galion! You will ruin my looks if you pull me down; not to say what it will do to my headdress!"
"Act your age," the butler ordered sternly like an old nanny. "And since you are here, perhaps you can put your friend's mind at ease. I must tend to the king."
Aragorn moved a finger aside to see what was going on, and his heart felt like it sunk to the bottom of his body as he stared with shock and bewilderment. "What on earth is that, Legolas? And why did you have to come out of nowhere looking the way you are?!"
Legolas had tones of dark and light grey across his being. There were large flaps of fabric that hung from the span of his arms and seemed to connect to his upper back. Something akin to a swallow's tail hung from behind, and Aragorn was briefly reminded of Galadhion's bird robe he saw the elf wear. The reddish tunic reached down to Legolas' knees and his boots were black. What made him stand out was the feathers resting against his shoulders and against his hair; not to say anything about the face paint that made his eyes appear sharper.
Aragorn could not stop staring. "What are you supposed to be? A bird?"
"Indeed," Legolas folded his arms before him and it made him look like a bat. "See, everyone else gets to be leaves. My brothers and I, and our fair ladies get to be swallows and doves." Legolas made an interesting expression. "Why am I here anyway? I am just going to spoil it all for you."
"I have no idea," Aragorn said unsteadily, still recovering from his shock.
Legolas pointed with one of his "wings". "Go in that direction and you will find the field. Galion will be there, and when we are done with this whole thing I think I am going to be bald when he gets his hands on me. Oh, and then there is the welcoming you to the whole thing, so you will get that draught in you before everything starts..."
Aragorn tuned him out and started walking. He barely heard the farewell the elf gave. Aragorn saw the clearing and he stopped in his tracks again as his brain went numb. Galion watched him, but Aragorn paid no mind, too absorbed in what he was beholding.
The field was circular and there was a small island surrounded by water at the center like the crossroads inside the cave. At the edges of the glade, tables laden with food and seats made from logs surrounded the perimeter. A large pile of cushions sat between two trees at the eastern border, and seats probably meant for people of higher rank were placed left and right of the pile. Elves of various colors dotted the area, some laughing, some singing, and already some of the musicians were playing their instruments in the branches. The moon alone illuminated the place, aside from the fireflies and some of the pale lights that hung in the leaves.
"Ah, there he is," said a fair baritone voice.
Aragorn felt like fainting when he saw Thranduil and Eregnis standing at the outer edge of the water circle, adorned to their full splendor. They did not look odd like Legolas was, they at the very least looked somewhat normal: with long robes, dresses, and cloaks. The number of crystals flashing was a bit much, but Aragorn could not complain when his own brothers sometimes looked like stars for their own memory ceremonies. The king and queen wore green, and the white from the crystals complimented it beautifully.
Aragorn broke out of his stupor as Galion cleared his throat to get his attention. The elf looked at the man expectantly and Aragorn scrammed to find an answer to give to the king. "Y-yes, I am here." He said in a high-pitched voice.
One thing the man did notice was that Thranduil seemed to be in a much better mood than at their meeting in the garden. The humor in the elf-king's eyes was more prominent this time around. "We have been waiting for you to come. Now that it is so, we can finally begin."
Aragorn detected no impatience in Thranduil's voice. In fact, there was no unkindness in it all, rather it sounded like he was greeting an old friend or brother. The ranger found it difficult to handle even this unpredictability with the elf-king. Aragorn almost wished Thranduil was a semi-grumpy elf at this moment, simply because Aragorn would have expected it. It went against all the rumors and ideas he has heard about the ancient monarch and seeing them be thrown out the window threw him off too.
Things began to quiet down, and when the ranger looked, Galion was motioning his head subtly towards the royals. Aragorn wore beffudlement all over his demeanor as he did not know what he was supposed to do. The butler remained appearing neutral and he simply disappeared.
"People of Greenwood," Thranduil began. "Here we have come to celebrate the good summer we have been blessed with. The shadow is retreating from our warrior's efforts, and the trees sing their joy for the light returning to this forest. Reward yourselves for this victory as we welcome the new dawn." He turned his eyes to Aragorn and held a hand out, "Approach, Estel."
Aragorn thought his heart died when he heard the command. Not wanting to displease the king for a real reason, he slowly approached the patriarch, feeling every curious and wary gaze everyone present shot in his direction. He got down on one knee, not out of protocol, but out of real respect and some amount of fear being in this position. He did not know what to do!
Galion appeared out of nowhere again holding a familiar goblet. The butler presented it to Eregnis and she took it.
"We are fortunate to have a friend to the elves among us, and we welcome thee to our home, Estel of the Dúnedain." Thranduil finished, taking the goblet and holding it out to the man.
Aragorn hesitated for a moment before he folded his fingers around it and drank. The taste of the Dorwinion from the last time he remembered, and so experiencing it again woke him up and made him feel focused and in control. Although reinvigorated, he held the cup uncertainly when he was finished. The ranger noticed Eregnis making subtle gestures with her head: moving it upward, and she wore a kind smile. Aragorn hoped it meant to stand up, and he did. He held the goblet out a little in the direction between the queen and king. Thranduil was the one to take it back. After a subtle gesture of dismissal from the elf, Aragorn took a step back and Galion was there to lead him to a seat. He was brought to one of the stumps near the cushion pile.
"Let the dance begin," Thranduil declared, and the elves cheered. Thranduil led his queen by the hand to the cushion pile, and they sat down.
Aragorn could not sit still as he was in an honor-seat among the other lords and ladies of the realm. Servers brought out the non-alcoholic wine and some food. Aragorn found it hard to fully appreciate the tastes as he watched the dance ring intensely, hoping by doing so he would feel less anxious about whom he was sitting among.
The moon had descended low enough that it did not cast as much light anymore. The glade was close to pitch black as no one bothered to light any of the lanterns. Aragorn found himself going crazy with the silence as everyone and everything became still.
And then it started, with a fair voice and the low sound of a harp.
"Falling leaves, falling leaves
Summer passing and fall arising
Tell your tale of coming journey.
Share your witness as you say goodbye.
Awake and hearken, great trees of the forest!
Hear the birds as they flutter by!
Hear your guardians sing to the sky!"
Aragorn thought the air got heavier as the trees unleashed some sort of perfume into the atmosphere. When he next blinked the lamps were lit and elves in pairs moved towards the outer circle, making two outlines as they dance along with their partners. The women wore long silk skirts that reached to their ankles, and if Aragorn stared long enough he thought at times they stood on their toes. The men were what he expected; they helped the ladies have the spotlight. At the center circle, he saw the swallow princes dance with their doves. From time to time the elf-maids were lifted off their feet and they were spun in a circle before returning to the ground, continuing with their graceful movements. At the inner circle surrounded by water, the doves twirled and spun while the sons of the elf-king held one arm pointed to the sky before they spun backwards and outstretched their "wings". The music wove mystery, joy, melancholy, and beauty into the air, telling a story of its own. The fair voices of the elves, although they now sang in the Silvan tongue, were enchanting.
Aragorn became transfixed, and he did not even look away once to drink some of the Dorwinion he was given. He found himself unable to think even with the draught he drank before the dance started, but he would be able to remember the whole thing.
There was a pause in the music and the elf-men stepped aside, and the next act consisted mainly of the women dancing and singing. Aragorn turned his attention to the princes again to see if they would leave, but they periodically flapped their wings while the doves continued dancing. An irregular pattern went on for the next two hours: solos and duets being done with the dancing and singing, and soon Aragorn could see the sun starting to rise. When the first beams of light broke through the trees, a solemn air filled the region as the elves sung a hymn. When the song was done, the instruments stopped and the clearing erupted into cheers and claps once more from those who did not participate. Turning his head, Aragorn thought to glance at the royals. Thranduil looked drunk on something that was obviously not the wine, though the man did not know what, and Eregnis was smiling broadly as she clapped her hands.
Aragorn gave his own applause as well, truly inspired and awed by the performance he just saw, and he would have to commend the amount of skill and effort that must be put into this. The ranger could have sworn he heard the trees laughing with glee.
