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Chapter 25

Elali looked at Elrond. "I have to spend the whole morning with him?"

"Yes, Elali, the whole morning. He is your uncle and he wants to spend some time with you alone."

"But, ada, I wanted to go to the forest with Lego and learn more about the trees," Elali pouted. "Not sit with a grumpy old man."

Elrond chuckled a little. "You do know that Thranduil and I are about the same age, do you not? There will be time for lessons later, perhaps this afternoon, after you morning indoors with your uncle. For now, your uncle is waiting for you. I have arranged for you to share breakfast and from there Thranduil will take over."

Elali climbed on his bed and crossed his arms. "I want to go to the forest."

"You are going to spend the morning with Thranduil."

"I want to spend time with Lego."

"Legolas will be there too. He is waiting for you outside."

Elali blinked and looked at Elrond. "Why didn't you say so!?"

Elrond watched amused as Elali hurried to finish dressing and ran to the door to pull it open. "Elali, wait for a moment."

Elali turned back to his ada and looked at him with curiosity. "You just said Lego was waiting for me."

"Come back here for a moment."

"What is it ada?"

"Elali, I want you to really get to know your uncle. Do not cut him off and listen to what he has to say," Elrond said, feeling like he needed to explain a few things to the child. "He was once a very kind and a very good elf, and when we were young, he was as carefree and friendly as any other elf. He has had a tough life and he takes his responsibility as King very seriously. He has denied himself many pleasures in order to make sure his kingdom is safe and prospers. He places the welfare of his people and kingdom above his own and it is hard for him to get out of his king mood, even with his own son. He has lost his wife, his father, a brother, and he almost lost his son. It has not been easy for him and it has changed him. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ada," Elali said after thinking for a moment. He did understand, for he had lost much as well and in his old world, everyone looked to him for salvation. The two really were not that different. But he still didn't like the older elf much, but Lego was different. "Can I go now?"

Elrond nodded and watched Elali run to the door. Elali smiled when he saw Legolas. "Lego, when are we going to go to my tree again?"

"Good morning, cousin," Legolas said with a smile and decided he would have a little fun with the child. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did. When are we going to the tree for more lessons?"

Legolas raised an eyebrow. "I slept well also. Father and I are looking forward to spending the morning with you. We look forward to spending the day getting to know you better."

"That's good. Can we go this afternoon after lunch," Elali said, getting a little annoyed that Legolas was not answering his question.

Legolas laughed at the determination of the elfling. "We can have another lesson this afternoon, if Ada does not need me. But for now my father is waiting for us and so is breakfast."

Elali beamed at his cousin and took a hold of his hand. It took a few minutes to get to the door the rooms that Legolas and Thranduil were staying in. Legolas stop for a moment and knelt down in front of Elali and much like Elrond, felt the need to speak to the elfling about his father. "Elali, please do not mind my father if he comes off as distant and cold. He really does care and he does love us but he does not know how to show it well. It is hard to be a king and a father, and now an uncle, at the same time. Being royal, means that we have a duty to our people and it is up to us to protect them and care for them. The situation at home is troubling him as well and it weighs heavily on his mind."

"He's worried about the darkness in the trees," Elali said. "

Legolas brows frowned. "How do you know about that?"

"Namo told me," Elali told him in a whisper.

Legolas studied Elali's face and eyes for a moment, and came to the realization that Elali really did believe that he had seen Namo or at the very least someone who claimed to be the Doomsman. "He is real to you. Father thought is may have been a story that Elrond had made up and told you."

"Why would ada do that?"

Legolas knew that it would be best not to hide anything from Elali so he told him."My father, your uncle, desires that you come and live with us. You are our family and we are your closest kin. You are a woodelf, there are things that you will need to learn that only we can teach you. Father also wants to make you a prince of Mirkwood, third in Line to the throne, as is your right. Elrond wishes that you stay here, with him and his family and has told father that he would not give up his claim to you. Both are in disagreement over where you should live and who should be your guardian."

"Why would I be a prince?"

"I am my father's only child and heir. Elves usally only marry once and children are few and far between. My father will have no other heir. I will take rule over the people, should something happen to my father. I have no children nor am I married or likely to anytime soon. Thus, you, as my closest blood kin, my cousin, are my rightful heir. Though you are not related by blood to father, you are to me. So naturally as my heir, you are also my father's. Should both my father and I die, you would lead the Woodelves."

Elali's eye widened at that. "I don't know how. I can't."

"You need not worry about this for now, Elali," Legolas said gently. "My father is a brave warrior and he has taught me well and in turn we will both teach you everything you need. You are also a child and there is plenty of time for you to play. Learning how to be a prince, a warrior, and a leader can wait for another fifty years, if not longer. Even then you will not have any responsibilities to guard and protect for a least another fifty years after that. For now, your only job is to be an elfling and a child. I will protect you till you are ready to do so yourself and will always look out for your best interests."

Elali smiled at the prince. He really like Legolas and he wouldn't mind spending time with him and learning from him. But he was attached to Elrond, Elrohir, and Elladan as well. Even to Arwen. He didn't know what to do anymore. Just a few days ago, all he wanted was to stay here in Rivendell, but he also wanted to learn how to use his new powers. He was confused. "Do you promise, Lego?"

"I promise and elves do not take promises lightly. Come, ada is waiting for us."

Legolas took Elali's hand and lead him through the doorway into the room. Thranduil was sitting at the table and he gave a small smile when the two other elves come in. "Legolas, Elali, welcome."

"Ada," Legolas said with a small bow, still holding the elfling hand. Elali was watching Legolas and he thought that maybe he should bow as well and did the same. After all Legolas knew the proper way to greet a king and he didn't. Thranduil was amused when he saw Elali copy his son.

"Come join me," Thranduil said, waving his hand towards two seats. "Elali, I would like you to sit beside me."

Legolas helped Elali into the chair and took his seat afterwards. Thranduil had noticed how long it seemed to take to bring the elfling here and was not happy about being kept waiting. However, he also noticed that Legolas and Elali were getting closer and Elali even permitted his son to hold his hand. From what Elrond had said, it took days before Elali trusted them. Legolas had it in less than a day. It was a good sign that trust was building between the two and it would make it easier for the child when he came to Mirkwood. He motioned to one of the elves to begin serving the food. He knew that he had to be very careful in his approach to the child. Elrond had gotten his claws into him and he need to take them out, without the child noticing. He could play nice, if need be. He was a king after all and knew how the game worked. "I hope the two of you were not overly delayed this morning?"

"My apologizes, ada, if we kept you waiting," Legolas said, realizing that his father was unhappy about being kept waiting. "Elali was asking questions about some more lessons and I was answering them."

"It is of no concern," Thranduil told his son. He had been watching the elfling and he seemed worried when Legolas spoke. He realized that the elfling was still afraid to a certain point and this was what he needed to avoid. Elali, was at first worried that the king was unhappy with the two and worried he got Legolas in trouble, but worry turned to wonder and he mentally asked if it was of no concern, why would the king bring it up. "Are you enjoying your lessons, Elali?"

"Yes, sir," Elali answered in a small voice. "Lego is a brilliant teacher."

"When are you having your next lesson?"

"This afternoon."

Legolas started to fill Elali plate and gave him an encouraging smile. "I told ada that you were a fast learner, a good student, and that you enjoyed your lesson yesterday. Perhaps you would like to tell him what we learned yesterday?"

Elali beamed back at his cousin. "You really said that?"

"He did," Thranduil answered for his son. "He also said that it was a joy to teach you. You are surprised by this?"

"No one has ever said I was a good student before," Elali said, looking down at his plate.

Legolas looked at his father. "Then you shall hear it often. Whoever told you otherwise was being false with you."

"I agree with, Legolas," Thranduil said, glad more than ever that the humans were dead. "What was it that my son taught you yesterday?"

Elali smiled at both of them. Thranduil was a lot nicer than he thought he would be, but he still wasn't ada or Legolas. "He showed me how to listen to the trees but I am not very good at it. I can hear my tree, but she is too far away for me to know what she is saying."

"You will get there," Thranduil told the elfling. "You are not yet twenty years old and to be able to hear the tree, especially on your first lesson, is an accomplishment. The words will come in time. I could not understand my first tree till my twenty-fourth winter of life and Legolas was twenty-six before he could. Legolas is right, you are gifted. Once you master the skill with one tree you, the others will become easier."

"And, you will soon be able to see and hear other things in nature, not just from the trees, but with the animals, the winds, the waters, everything around you will speak with you," Legolas added. "It is what makes us wood-elves special. We have a connection to the earth."

"Wow," Elali said in amazement. "I can do all of that?"

"With time," Legolas told him. "It is the gift we have been given by the Valar."

"And it is something only we can teach you," Thranduil said. "Elrond and the elves here do not have this gift, they understand it to a point, but they cannot guild you in it."

"What gifts did the Valar give them?"

"All elves have been given the gift of immortality," Legolas told him, after receiving a nod from his father. "We cannot die from disease, but we can die in battle from a mortal wound or we can die of grief. We will always look young and shall not age. The woodelves, were given the gifts we told you about. The elves of the Goldenwood are woodelves as well, however they do not have the same connection to the forest as we do as they have not embraced it. They rely on the power of the ring they posses, which is a story for another time. Lady Galadriel has many powers outside of the gifts of the woods. She can read a person's thoughts, talk to other's in their minds and she is very wise. She has a mirror that tells her what has been, what is, and what could be. She also has some powers of magic. The elves here in Rivendell are Noldorin Elves. They have been given the gift of knowledge and have wisdom. Lord Elrond and Galadriel have been given the gift of foresight. They can look into the future and see things that may happen. All elves are wonderful singers, musicians, and crafters."

"Gala can look into other's mind," Elali asked, and Thranduil could hear the uneasiness in his voice, and knew that this would be a way to persuade him against her. The child was afraid to let anyone into his mind.

"She can," Thranduil said. "She rarely asks for permission and sometimes you don't even realize she has done so. It took me a few centuries to figure out how to keep her out of my mind. I have taught Legolas to do the same and it is something we can teach you."

"Do you think she has been in my mind? I accidently pranked her when she first got her. Do you think she is angry with me? She said she was not. "

"Then she is not angry about the prank, if she said so. As for your mind, it is possible, but you would have to ask her," Thranduil said. "She did know a lot about your background and was not surprised when I told her what I had learned. Elrond is very close to her and he even married her daughter."

Legolas could see that this was disturbing to the little elfling and was struggling to find a subject to change it too. "We have a lot of feasts back home as well. To celebrate the life in the forests and in nature. This makes us different from the other elves as well."

Elali instantly drew back to Legolas, as he was not enjoying what Thranduil was telling him. He was happy about the distraction from what he learned about and began asking about the feasts and celebrations. Legolas began to tell him about them and Elali thought that they sounded like fun. Thranduil was watching the elfling carefully as Legolas was teaching him about the feasts. The child was hanging on Legolas' every word, soaking in the knowledge given to him, something he didn't do with the himself. Elali was even happy when he could turn his attention back to Legolas. Elali was uncomfortable with him, but not with his son. This would give Elrond an advantaged, one that the Thranduil realized could be a deciding factor. No elf would make an elfling go with another if the child was not comfortable with it. But Legolas and the child, they had a special bond and this gave the king an idea and he smiled. He sat back and listened as his heirs spoke to each other and he began to work this new idea out. It would certainly throw Elrond through a loop.

After nearly an hour of talking on the feasts and traditions that the elves of Mirkwood held dear, Legolas realized that his father had not said a word and he glanced at him. This caused Elali to look at the king as well and Legolas could tell the child thought that they might be in trouble for not including the older elf. "Ada, I am sorry if we excluded—"

"There is nothing to be sorry about. I enjoyed watching and listening to the two of you," Thranduil said. "It has been a while since I could just sit back and enjoy my family. Tell me Elali, is Legolas a wonderful teacher? He is very knowledgeable about our homeland."

Elali looked over to his uncle and gave him a small nod. "I like Lego."

"And I know he cares for you, as well," Thranduil said. "As do I."

"You do?"

"Of course, I do. You are family, my nephew, and family is important to elves."

Elali gave the king a half smile but didn't say anything else. This response gave the Thranduil the answer that he needed. The elfling would not open up to him instantly, like he had done with Legolas and Elrond. "However, I am also a king and the welfare of my people must come before my own. That is why, Elali, I will not be able to care for you as I ought to do. I will be able to spend some time with you and love you and teach you some things, but I cannot be the sole provider for you. Just as the welfare of the people of Rivendell are Elrond's responsibility and he holds the same duties here that I do back in Mirkwood."

Elali's heart was sinking a little while the king spoke. The king, after spending time with him didn't want him, after all and he was worried that he wouldn't allow Legolas to spend time with him or teach him. The king's last statement seemed to make Elali think. He was right, Elrond was responsible for the people of Rivendell, like Thranduil was responsible for his people. Maybe he was getting in the way here too and Elrond was just too nice to say anything. But could Elali really let other suffer because he was selfish and wanted a family? He knew he couldn't. He was brought out of his thoughts when Thranduil spoke again. "It is also a shame that your lessons would only continue here if you were to stay. Legolas is needed in Mirkwood and he will not be able to spare much time to come here."

Elali fear was confirmed and he could feel tears start to form, which both Thranduil and Legolas noticed. Legolas gave his father a questioning look and then glare when he saw the tears forming. Why was his father changing his attitude concerning the elfling? The whole trip here his father had drilled into that they had to bring Elali home with them. It sounded like he was giving up. Thranduil watched as sadness entered the elfling eyes and it validated his discussion. "Legolas and I have agreed on this. If you are to live with us in Mirkwood, it would be he, not I, who would be your guardian. You would live with him, be taught by him, and he would see to your lessons, and to all of your needs. I will still be there to help when needed and you will still answer to me as your king and uncle. But Legolas will be your guardian. And you would continue your lessons with very little interruption in Mirkwood."

Elali's eyes lit up and he couldn't believe what he just heard. The king wasn't telling him he didn't want him in Mirkwood, but was telling him if he went, Legolas would care for him, not the king. He turned to Legolas, who was stunned by what his father had just said. "Really? Lego, why didn't you tell me?"

"Father wanted to tell you himself," Legolas said, seeing the stare his father was giving him. It was his obey or else look. Legolas was relieved at his father's decision. "If you decide to come home with us, I would be honored to have you live with me and to be your guardian. I will teach you all you need to know and whatever you want to know."

Thranduil smiled. This plan would work out fine and he would have the elfling, not Elrond. He sat back as Legolas explained to Elali some of the things that he would teach him and do with him in Mirkwood.

***This would be the end but since it's been a few weeks since my last update, it's not!***

Elrond was pacing in his study. What where they talking about? How was Elali feeling? Was Thranduil being his normal selfish self or was a miracle taking place and he was being nice? He wished he had those answer, but he wouldn't know until the trio joined him for lunch and even then he wouldn't be able to speak to Elali until his lesson with Legolas was over. He didn't like this, he didn't like knowing. He knew there was business he should be taking care of and that he had been putting off, but his worry was preventing him from doing so.

"Elrond," Celeborn said, hoping to calm the other elf down. "You must calm yourself. This worrying will do you no good. Perhaps you should think of ways to present a solution to Thranduil. Elali must spend some time in Mirkwood, learning the ways of a woodelf and his kin. Galadriel and I talked of this last evening together."

"Not till he is ninety or even till he reaches adulthood at a hundred. Till then he is a child and should be treated as such."

"He still needs to learn things, as all children do," Celeborn countered. "You were teaching your sons the bow and arrow when they were only seventy."

"He should spend a few months a year there," Galadriel added. "They are his family. While you will be his primary caregiver, they should get to see him. There are things woodelves must learn in childhood and they must be the ones to teach him those things. You can't."

"Then they can travel here," Elrond said. "I fear that if Thranduil gets Elali to Mirkwood, we will have a hard time getting him back. He wouldn't allow him to leave. No one outside of his elves can get through the forest. The few times I have been there, I gotten lost. There is no way that an elfling could find his way out and Thranduil wouldn't allow his people to help him."

"You know that no elf would force him to stay."

"Unless that elf's name is Thranduil."

"Then we make an agreement with him about this issue. Make it so either Elrohir or Elladan, or even Arwen must stay with him while he is visiting," Celeborn said.

"There will not be a need, because he is not going," Elrond said.

"You are being just as stubborn as Thranduil," Celeborn told the younger elf. "Place yourself in his place for a moment, as we did last night. Imagine that it was your nephew or your kin, only a small elfling, that had been placed with Thranduil. Even if it was the will of the Valar, what would you do?"

Elrond stopped pacing and looked at the other two elves. He realized they were right. "I would do everything in my power to get the elfling home and in my care. Just as Thranduil is doing with Elali."

Elrond sat heavily down in a chair. "You are right and I am being stubborn. Two months in Mirkwood a year and one of my children must be with him. The other ten months he stays here in my care. Thranduil and Legolas can visit and stay as often as they wish. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes, I would think so. We just need to adjust the proposal to him and offer him less, and let him gain more when we talk," Galadriel said and after a moment's pause she asked. "What will you do if Elali decides to leave with his uncle and cousin?"

"I don't know," Elrond said before he realized something. "You have seen something?"

Galadriel gave him a small sad smile. "I have seen a possibility, nothing more."

"What was it?"

"Celeborn and I will leave you. You have neglected Rivendell long enough. You need to get caught up," Galadriel said.

"What did you see?"

"It is better if you don't know."

***End of Chapter***