Interlude Thirteen submitted 11-6-08.

Okay, so I didn't get Samhain up on time. It's proving more difficult to finish than I had originally thought. I'll post it when I finish it.

This chapter is rated a strong T for substance use, and for Legolas' darker side.

Summary: Follow Legolas as he watches his brother grow, and learns many other lessons along the way. Rated G.

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, the Silmarillion, or any related characters or works. They belong to Mister J.R.R. Tolkien.

PEACETIME ADVENTURES: AN INTERLUDE COLLECTION.
Book Three in the Iaur Min Series.
By GundamWingFanatic90.

INTERLUDE 13: DRINKING.

"Legolas, are you drinking?"

The question broke through the haze in the Crown Prince's mind, and he turned toward the source with a question in his eyes.

"Yes," he intoned quietly. Ecthelion's twelve-year-old brow furrowed, and he reached for Legolas' chalice. Legolas skillfully held the cup out of his younger brother's reach, and did the same for the bottle when Ecthelion went after it.

"You should not drink, muindor-nin!" Ecthelion protested, concerned. Legolas simply set the bottle of Dorwinion back down on his table and took another sip from his chalice. "You will end up like Amrûndil's ada, the one who makes a fool of himself!"

"No, he will not," Abriel said, coming up behind the pair. She gently laid a hand on Ecthelion's shoulder, steering him away from his elder brother. "Ecthelion, could you please go get me a bucket and cold water?"

Ecthelion looked at her, confused, but scampered off nonetheless. When he was gone, Abriel closed the sitting room door and took a seat at the other chair, across from Legolas.

"What is it that is troubling you, mellon-nin?" she inquired, pilfering Legolas' chalice out of his hand and taking a deep drink from it. He gave her a slight scowl at the intrusion, but turned away from her to look out the window again when he saw that she was refilling it.

He did not answer.

"Come, now, Legolas," Abriel scoffed, drawing another, smaller, sip from the cup. Legolas took it back and swirled the burgundy liquid around in it before taking a sip of his own.

"Sometimes," he whispered at long last. His words were slightly slurred. "I wonder what I've become."

Abriel blinked. "What you've become?"

"What I've become," Legolas parroted. "I've become a warrior, a killer, someone who doesn't even bat an eye when one of his subordinates dies under his orders."

Abriel sighed, turning her own stare out the window. "So that's what this is about."

Legolas did not answer.

"Well, then," she chirped, grabbing his cup again with a wink. "I say that we toast the victorious dead and get rip-roarin' drunk. What say you?"

Legolas cast her an odd glance, thinking this phrase strange even in his inebriated state.

"That really isn't such a good idea," he mumbled, and made a grab for the chalice. He missed horribly. "One of us needs to be sober in the morning, and I would prefer to be the one with the hangover. You're an outright bear when you're recovering from bein' drunk."

"And you aren't?" she retorted. "Let's see. Last time you were hung over, I do believe that you told me to 'shut the curtains, you blasted son of an orc' and promptly threw up all over the floor of my talan."

Legolas blinked his silver eyes in genuine astonishment. "I was the one who made that horrid mess? I thought that Nimellon had done it…"

"Nope," Abriel chirped. Legolas grunted, and made another grab for the chalice. He managed to get it, and drained it in one breath. He did not even cough when the alcohol burned his throat.

"Why are you here, then?" he inquired as he poured another round. "Why not just leave me to my alcohol and misery?"

"Because it's always better to drink with a friend than it is to drink alone," Abriel countered. Legolas stared at her for a second, and then smiled. He gestured vaguely to his desk.

"There's another chalice on my desk, if you wish to use it," he offered. Abriel grinned, and retrieved the aforementioned cup. She wiped it out with the hem of her tunic, and then waited whilst Legolas filled it for her.

"Why, thank you," she quipped. There was a pause for a second, and then she barked a laugh. "Do you remember that one time that you, I, Elrohir, and Elladan got drunk during the yuletide?"

Legolas snorted ungracefully into his chalice, and came up gasping for air around a face full of wine.

"I remember that!" he said. He giggled- yes, giggled- into his sleeve as he used it to mop up his face. "We ended up running down the halls in our undergarments!"

"And singing drinking songs, no less!" Abriel continued, clutching her side in mirth.

Their laughter lasted long into the night, even after Ecthelion returned with the bucket and water. He had simply been confused, and, tired, had gone off to bed.

And Legolas learned that night that it is always better to drink with a friend.

Hope you liked it.

Muindor-nin - 'My (blood) brother'.
Mellon-nin - 'My friend'.
Talan - A large, platform-type home that the elves build in trees.

And yes, Legolas did just make wine come out his nose. Does he care? Not at all. (grins)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. These wonderful people include Calenlass Greenleaf1, The-Worlds-Naneth, AWanderersHaven, sazza-da-vampire, and LegolasLover101. You're all so awesome, and I'm glad you all liked it. Thank you, AWanderersHaven, for your good-luck wish; I didn't do well at all, but thank you for the support nonetheless! And to Cal, I'm really glad you liked Protective!Legolas so much. I occasionally like to read him as youngest, but it's just so much fun to write him as the "protective older brother" type! He always seemed like a Crown Prince to me, anyways. Thank you all for your support and feedback!

Hopefully, I will finish 'Samhain' within the week. (looks rather sheepish)

Next chapter will be posted 11-13-08.

-Fanatic