Author's Note: My dearest fellow LOTR and fantasy fans, this past year has been so very difficult for many of us, as well as scary, terrifying, and plain unstable. For those of you who have suffered, I hope you have been able to find some comfort on this wonderful site, immersed in the stories of these wonderful fellow writers. I know that I have found enjoyment in the updates of so many wonderful writers, and though I have not been able to review for each chapter as I would have liked, please know that you have brought me comfort and joy and a chance to lose myself in a very beloved world. Thank you for still writing and updating. I know I have been most remiss about my own stories, and it is my goal, now that we at last come to the end of our Christmas journey, to return to Punishment and finish it, along with other accompanying stories. I also plan to respond to several of you who have been kind enough to reach out to me this past year as my next step.

This year has been a most difficult one for me and my son, as we traverse these crazy times alone through many obstacles and hardships. However, there have been some bright spots as well, as I hope there have been for all of you. One bright spot is that my book, Dangerous Doorways are for Elfling Princes, placed in four book awards this year. As my first official book sent out into the world, it was a great encouragement. I want to encourage all of you to keep writing as well. There is so much talent on this site, and I, for one, would rather read stories by many of you than by many famously successful authors. Keep up all your great work!

I wanted to make sure I completed this story by the New Year, so that poor Legolas and the twins could get a little more settled. I felt they especially needed it this year! I hope you enjoy it, and I hope it distracts you from all the worries and craziness. Thank you for reading, and thank you for the kind and encouraging reviews. I hope to respond to those soon.

Merry, Happy Christmas week, and a very Happy New Year!

#

Second Yule

The howling of the wind outside the tent walls awakened Elladan sometime later, but he was tucked cozily in beside his twin—who he could hear was sleeping rather peacefully—and he was loathe to move. The small fire that had been placed near the tent's opening crackled cozily, and when Elladan managed to pry his eyes open, he could see the grotesque shadows from the flames dancing along the tent walls. He heard whispering voices then, and closed his eyes again so as not to distract the conversers.

"I am sorry, Ada," came a very small, familiar voice—one that was heartbreakingly filled with tears. "I should have been much braver. I should have tried to be more cheerful in Imladris, and not be as sad about missing you. It was just so hard to think about having Yule celebrations without you. Especially now that Naneth . . ." The voice choked up and stopped.

"Ai, my little one! I am the one that should be sorry. Yes, the men needed to be dealt with, but even more important to me is the well-being of my little ion. I thought that my actions would somehow help you feel better after the missed Yule, that knowing the men were all taken care of once and for all would appease your grief somehow—make the missed Yule worthwhile. I should have known better. This was not just the first Yule without Naneth, but the first one we were not together at all. It was selfish of me, and I am sorry. Besides, Legolas, I know how brave you were about going to Imladris in the first place, knowing you would not see me for Yule. You tried so very hard, much harder than you should have needed to, and Ada is very proud of you."

There were a few quiet sniffles, of the type that nearly made Elladan blow his ruse of pretended sleep and jump up to comfort the elfling. Then, a slightly less teary voice drifted over the groaning of the relentless storm. "Are the men all gone, Ada?"

"Yes, Legolas. I and my patrol were finally able to track down all the mercenaries, and this is one time we did not show any mercy—for they had killed brutally and without compassion. They will not be a problem any longer."

"That is good," Legolas said, sounding rather wistful. "Does that mean you will not have to go out again for a while, or will there be other evil creatures you must battle?"

"It seems there will always be evil creatures around, little one. But for now, at least, I believe my capable warriors will be able to handle what comes our way. I have no plans to go again for a long while."

There was the sound of cloth brushing against cloth, and Elladan could imagine the elfling throwing himself into his father's arms. "Oh, Ada! That is good, for I did not like being parted from you! Though I do not like being parted from the twins either. I wish we could all spend Yule together—every year!"

"That is perhaps something I should have thought of," Thranduil sighed regretfully. "I should have just accompanied you to Imladris and spent the holidays there with you, trusting to my warriors to overcome the mercenaries. Then all of this could have been avoided."

Elladan cracked one eye slightly open and peeked around the top of the heavy blanket tucked up beside his cheek to see Thranduil sitting back against the headrail of the other cot, his arms tightly wrapped around a small elfling bundled up against his chest.

"Never mind, Ada," Legolas said sweetly, reaching a hand out of his blankets and patting Thranduil's cheek. "We can all spend time together now. For surely the twins cannot go back to Imladris with such bad weather—can they?"

Elladan had to restrain a laugh as Legolas pulled his head back and looked up at his father with huge, pleading eyes.

Thranduil did not even bother to restrain his own laughter, instead allowing it to trickle soothingly around the inside of the tent. "Ai! You rascal! Nay, of course they cannot go back! We shall keep them even if we have to tie them up! Though," he mused as his gaze softened at the vision of his pale, shivering, sickly-looking elfling. "I somehow do not think it will be a problem to get them to stay."

"You should have seen them, Ada," Legolas said quietly, after smiling in relief and cuddling back against his father's chest. "They were so very brave, and they tried so hard to cheer me up—even in Imladris. And in the cave, when the storm hit and we couldn't make it back to Mirkwood in time, they tried to make Yule as special as they could. They even managed to decorate my little tree!"

"Ah yes, the tree," said Thranduil wryly. "Well, it is a fine little tree, Legolas, and the twins are the best big brothers an elfling could have, I do believe!"

There was silence for a while, and Elladan felt his cheeks heating up from the praise that had just been heaped upon his head. He closed his eyes again and had nearly drifted back to sleep, pondering the words of father and son, when a sudden gust of cold wind blew into the tent and a figure stepped inside, swiftly closing the flap behind him. He heard the figure stoop down and the sound of sticks crackling into the fire as it was fed.

"My Lord," came the familiar sound of Gaerlin's voice. "The storm is finally showing slight signs of abating, and the forest breathes easier. The trees think the storm shall die down quite a bit on the morrow. Shall I make preparations to leave as soon as we can travel?"

"Yes, Gaerlin," Thranduil's deep, musical voice rang out. "That is our best option, I believe, and thank you. We shall have to ensure we are ready to stop amongst shelter at a moment's notice, both in case the storm worsens again or the children worsen. I do not think it shall abate for long, for I can sense the disturbance in the air. But we will travel as swiftly as possible. With all luck, we can make the Keep before it hits again. Now stay and warm yourself. There is time enough to alert the warriors later."

"Thank you, my Lord," Gaerlin said gratefully, and Elladan heard a tiny rustle of clothing as the young Captain apparently settled on a chair near the small stand of jugs and cups and poured himself a drink.

At the same time, Elladan felt a stiffening beside him, and instantly turned his head to see Elrohir's eyes cracking open. "Children!" he hissed indignantly in a very soft whisper. "He called us children!"

"Why not join us, you two? It is nearly time to eat, and we have much to discuss," Thranduil said wryly, and Elladan grinned sheepishly at his twin.

"Well, Legolas is certainly a child, and you are younger than I," he told Elrohir loftily, waving a hand in the air. He should have known the wise elven King would sense that he was awake! He wondered if Thranduil had praised the twins with the knowledge that they could hear what he said. It sounded like something he might do, somehow.

Elrohir wrinkled his nose at him as he gingerly pushed himself into a sitting position. Elladan was instantly awake all the way and sitting up himself, lending a hand to his brother. "In all seriousness, how are you?" Elladan asked his twin worriedly.

Elrohir smiled weakly. "I am better. Just a little sore still. And how is the little one?"

"He is better too," Thranduil answered, watching the twins keenly from the other cot, where he seemed loathe to move away from cuddling Legolas. "His fever has finally broken all the way, though his cough lingers yet."

"And my little tree is better also," Legolas said brightly, poking his head completely out of the covers and smiling happily at the twins. "He likes the warmth!"

"Who doesn't?" Gaerlin laughed, standing up and going over to a small table to start preparing a hasty soup in a pot of water that had been laid aside earlier for that purpose, setting the pot over the fire to heat and coming back to kneel beside the King. He reached up and ruffled Legolas' hair. "I might have known you would find a new member for our family! Where shall you plant him, do you think?"

"Actually," Thranduil began, looking around at each elf in the tent and meeting their eyes before moving on to the next. "I have an idea about that." He turned back to Legolas. "I was thinking, ion nin, that since we were forced to miss Yule together, and, in fact, we all missed the Yule celebrations entirely, that perhaps we should have another, smaller celebration when we return to the Keep. Perhaps we can have a ceremony where we plant your little tree beside the great oak in the gardens that we decorate at Yule, and we can decorate the little one with the same decorations the twins used in the cave—in memory of how blessed we are to be together after what could have been a horrible disaster." He looked almost nervously at the young elf in his arms, whose eyes had grown huge. "What do you think? Or did you perhaps have another place in mind for him to stay?"

"Oh! Ada!" Legolas exclaimed, throwing his arms around Thranduil's neck—the little tree firmly ensconced at his side still, as though it was clinging to the elfling with its arms. "That is a wonderful idea! And it can grow up big and strong beside the great oak, and Great Oak can be its parent! Nana's gardens are so beautiful, and Tiny Oak will be so happy there!"

The twins looked at each other in amusement, Elrohir mouthing "tiny oak" to his brother, as Legolas' excitement mounted. "And we can have all the nice songs and stories that we usually have, and everyone can add a few more decorations to both trees, and, and . . . perhaps we can even have a few of the delicious Yule treats . . ." Legolas stopped for a moment, then continued in a slightly more wistful tone. "Of course, I am sure the gifts for the elflings are all gone now, but that is all right, and we cannot do everything for the celebration when they have already had it once without us!"

Thranduil exchanged a glance of amusement with Gaerlin and the twins over Legolas' head before looking back down at his son. "Oh, I do not know," he said gently. "There may still be a few toys left over for the elflings hanging upon Great Oak. I do not think he would allow Yule to pass without saving aside a few toys for his favorite elfling, after all . . ."

Legolas opened his eyes even wider, looking up at his father. "Oh, do you think so?" he breathed. "But it will be fine if he could not," he said swiftly, making an obvious effort not to show any disappointment. "After all, just having Tiny Oak is gift enough for me! That, and getting to have more Yule celebrations with you and the twins!"

Elladan drew in a hissing breath and pressed against Elrohir's side for comfort as a fist seemed to squeeze around his heart. Elrohir placed a trembling hand on his brother's chest, and Elladan could tell this was affecting his brother just as deeply.

"We are blessed indeed, brother," Elrohir whispered in Elladan's ear, too low for the words to carry across the room. "For though we have had our—difficulties—this trip, we have gotten to spend more time with this beautiful child."

"Aye," Elladan said, trying to push away the swollen lump in the back of his throat. "Perhaps it was worth the journey, after all."

"Oh, I know it was, brother," Elrohir said, looking over at the smiling elfling with gleaming eyes. "I know it was!"

#

The storm did indeed abate the next morning, enough that they could travel safely upon the paths atop the elven steeds belonging to the Mirkwood patrol. There were extra pack horses, as was normal for elven patrols, and Elrohir started out the journey in his twin's arms upon a gentle, grey steed, and Legolas was carried by Thranduil—along with Tiny Oak.

The elven horses stepped lightly through the snow, making good time now that the madly-swirling flurries had trickled nearly to a stop. The cold air lent them a spring to their step that had them all nearly prancing, and on a few of the clearer trails through Mirkwood the elves were able to guide them into a slow run to gain distance.

It was many hours later that Legolas had a bout of harsh coughing that left him gasping for breath once more, and they were forced to stop for a small break under the boughs of some of the larger trees, heating more teas and medicines over the fire for Legolas and all the injured elves. Some of the younger warriors, though their injuries were luckily not too grave, were also suffering the effects of the bitter cold, combined with the harsh journey and not enough time to properly rest. The uninjured warriors helped the injured ones, ensuring their wounds were treated and medicinal teas were all drunk. Gaerlin oversaw the duties for the break, walking back and forth between all the warriors in the patrol and ensuring they would be well enough to continue on.

The twins sat before the fire with Thranduil and Legolas, trying to aid the elfling in calming down enough to properly breathe in the vapours from the healing tea. Yet, Legolas continued to struggle, gasping weakly against Thranduil's neck as he clutched a strand of his father's long, silver-blond hair. "I am—sorry—Ada," he gasped after several long, fearful moments. "I am sorry we had to—stop. I know you wish to hurry."

Thranduil sighed, clutching his elfling to his chest like a lifeline. "Silly elfling," he said gently as Legolas began to cough again. "You cannot help being ill. Never apologize for that which cannot be helped, for it is not your fault."

The twins reached out and rubbed light circles on Legolas' back, trying to aid his breathing and send what energy they could into the thin body. His coughing slowed slightly, and Thranduil took advantage of the lull to begin singing a soft elven lullaby to the child. It was the same one he had sung in the tent before, and Legolas' eyes soon drifted closed and his coughing slowed to a complete stop as he seemed to breathe easier.

Elladan, watching with wide eyes, realized the King had yet again used his abilities to send the elfling into a healing sleep. He caught Thranduil's eyes and smiled in relief. It would make the trip much easier for the sickened child, and he was glad Legolas would not have to suffer as much.

Thranduil smiled back, still gently rocking Legolas against his chest—as though he were only a small toddler to be rocked to sleep. He glanced at Elrohir then, frowning at the younger twin's pale complexion. "Are you certain you can continue on, young one?" he asked in a serious tone, piercing Elrohir's watering eyes with his intense gaze.

Elrohir promptly blushed. "Of course I am!" he said adamantly. "Besides, I will not be the one to keep the little one from proper shelter any longer than we must! We still have much riding to do."

"Aye," Thranduil said grimly. "We will have to stop the night at least, for the injured cannot ride all day and night as well. It will be pushing it as it is. I fear we may not miss the resurgence of the storm. I feel it may hit us sometime on the morrow."

Elladan grimaced, glancing at his pale twin worriedly, then looking over at the sleeping Legolas. "Would that we could travel faster, for the little one does not need to linger in this cold. Perhaps we can ride through the night with minimal stops?"

"Nay," Thranduil said. "It is dangerous enough to be in an encampment surrounded by fires, and there are too many wounded amongst us. We will just have to chance it, young one."

Elladan nodded, none too happy about their lack of choices. Gaerlin walked up to them then, holding out an arm to help Elrohir stand and ready to mount. They soon rode out in the same manner as before, Elrohir before Elladan on one horse, and Legolas held by Thranduil.

It was several hours later that Thranduil pushed his great black steed close to Elladan's grey horse, reaching out a hand to brush it against Elrohir's forehead. Elladan jumped, startled at the suddenness of the elder elf's movement. Suddenly worried, he peered down into his twin's face, frowning to see his twin's features flushed darkly and his eyes bright and watery. Elrohir was fevered again!

"Come, young one. Ride with me," Thranduil offered gently, handing the still sleeping Legolas over to Elladan very carefully behind Elrohir's back. Elrohir managed to lean forward, though he wavered dangerously, and with Thranduil's help and guidance was able to carefully move over to sit in front of Thranduil, though Elladan could not help but think that the dark redness in his brother's face was now from more than just the fever, for he was assuredly embarrassed at sitting before the great King like an elfling! And when Thranduil gathered him carefully in his arms and wrapped his own cloak around him, pulling his head back to rest against his strong shoulder, Elrohir cast a panicked look at Elladan. Elladan tried desperately to cover a smirk, not wishing to make light of his poor brother's plight. Elrohir was very ill, and perhaps Thranduil could help him where Elladan had not.

And indeed, as they continued forward with their journey—the rest of the warriors having stopped and waited when they saw what was happening—Elladan shook his head with a smile as Thranduil somehow soothed Elrohir into a deep sleep that would help him travel without as much pain. Once again, the elder twin found himself being impressed with the powerful royal figure. As he cuddled the small, thin body of the elfling to his own chest, wrapping an arm tightly around the young figure, he fell into a deep contemplation the rest of the journey back, pondering on how a hasty decision might have ended up bringing all of this odd, little extended family closer together, despite having missed the original celebration of the holiday.

#

Elrohir awoke from his sleep after only a couple of hours, and ended up talking quietly with Thranduil and Elladan and the nearby Gaerlin for most of the ride. Elladan thought his twin seemed to be growing less fevered, though his eyes still gleamed with an unnatural brightness.

With Legolas still sleeping cozily in Elladan's arms, the elder elves had taken advantage of the elfling's sleep to further discuss the ill-timed journey. And the twins finally shared with Thranduil their concerns about the elfling's potential fading. Gaerlin and Thranduil exchanged grim looks with each other at this point.

"That was one great reason I sent him to Imladris," Thranduil admitted sadly. "He has reacted much the same at home. There are times when he seems to grow more cheerful—and then . . ." He sighed heavily, and Gaerlin dared to reach over and pat Thranduil on the shoulder from his place riding beside him on his own brown steed.

"You have tried everything you know, my Lord," he assured his liege. "We have all done so, and we have followed the healers' instructions most carefully at all times."

Thranduil sighed again, looking wistfully at the twins. "I knew he would not fare well celebrating Yule without some of his family, so I thought being with you two would be the next best thing. I should not have gone out to battle."

"Nay," Elladan said hastily, finding himself unwilling to allow this wonderful elven King to blame himself for this fiasco. "For the mercenaries could have harmed other innocent families. And though it might have affected Legolas for this one Yule season, the knowledge that justice has been served will stay with him forever. Nay, my Lord. For we are just as much to blame in this. Or I am," he amended hastily, looking over at his silent twin sitting in front of Thranduil. "It was my idea to take the journey, for we knew not what else to do."

"Father agreed to it," Elrohir protested. "You cannot blame yourself, Dan!"

"Listen to your brother, Elladan!" Thranduil said firmly, smirking when Elladan's eyes opened in shock and his mouth nearly dropped open at Thranduil's words. "For he is wise. I think perhaps we should just count this as one of those most unfortunate set of circumstances that led up to us meeting in the forest as we did."

"Perhaps," Gaerlin said thoughtfully, "it was not mere unfortunate circumstances, my Lord. Perhaps it truly has worked out the way it was meant to do. Perhaps there are reasons we do not yet see. The consequences of the journey were regretful, at least on the part of the young Prince and Elrohir, but we were already out in the forest fighting battles. And now that you are with him, Legolas is no longer in danger of his life—for now."

Thranduil looked assessingly at his bright young Captain, and Elladan hid a grin as he exchanged a knowing glance with his twin. Based on what they knew of Thranduil, Elladan did not doubt the young Gaerlin would soon be receiving a hefty raise and most likely a promotion.

"Perhaps that is so," Thranduil agreed after a moment, smiling at a flushing Gaerlin. "At any rate, it was a rare moment of fate that brought us together before you three children ran into any evil creatures—at least any more than you did," he quickly amended as he looked at Elladan. "And now we get to travel the rest of the way together, and we can spend a longer time all together. It is rare that you are able to spend any long length of time here in Mirkwood."

Elrohir bit down on his lip, and Elladan looked sheepishly at the King, ignoring his twin. Elrohir could not bear to be called a child! "It is not for lack of desire, my Lord," he said quietly. "We are oft needed at home for duties and battles of our own."

"I know, young one," Thranduil replied with a gentle smile. "I do not mean to insinuate you are to blame. Just that I am glad you will be stuck here for a while thanks to the winter weather. Legolas will enjoy having you at the Keep—and so will I."

Both twins blushed this time, and Elladan had to duck his head as his cheeks burned. He knew that his father, Elrond, shared an ancient friendship with the Mirkwood King, but the twins themselves had not spent a great deal of time around him beyond what time they spent in the company of Legolas. And most of that time was spent attempting to fulfill the elfling's every whim, for he was simply too sweet not to spoil!

"And as I sense my son drifting into the land of awareness," Thranduil added. "I wish to again thank the both of you for endeavoring to cheer up my little ion, and for trying to keep him safe on the journey. It could not have been an easy decision to make, for you will surely have missed attending your own celebrations for Yule. Yet, you both selflessly made that decision for the sake of my son. You are courageous and selfless young ellons. Elrond will be proud of you. I certainly am proud of you!"

Elladan's cheeks burned even more, and he wondered vaguely if he were growing fevered at this point. Elrohir surely had increased his own fever, for his cheeks nearly matched the red of the berries they had used to decorate Legolas' Tiny Oak.

Thranduil grinned then, apparently having mercy on the poor twins as he turned to Gaerlin. "Perhaps we can have a few contests with swords and archery whilst they are here, my young Captain. What say you? Will this be possible in the storms?"

"Of course, my Lord!" Gaerlin said enthusiastically. "We shall hold them in the Keep, or in the Gardens inside where the weather does not hit. The warriors will enjoy such a show!"

Thranduil nodded, turning to Legolas just as the elfling began to cough again, blinking his eyes heavily against his sleepy state. He drew his horse closer to Elladan's and reached out to lightly brush Legolas' cheek, letting him know his Ada was there. Legolas gripped Elladan's arm about his waist tightly as he finished his bout of coughing, then turned to Thranduil and Elrohir with a bright smile. "Are we there yet?" he asked, a teasing glint in his blue eyes.

Thranduil laughed, pushing lightly against the tip of the elfling's nose. "Not quite, little rascal. A fact which you know quite well. But it is nearly time to stop for the night. Are you not sleepy?" This last sentence was said with a carefully innocent air as Thranduil looked teasingly at his son.

Legolas sighed, leaning snuggly back against Elladan's chest. He managed a glare at his father. "I cannot be sleepy, for you have made me sleep nearly all day! Perhaps we can share stories around the fire . . . or sing songs . . . or play games . . ."

"Or sleep!" groaned Elrohir, who still appeared quite pale. "Ai, child! How can you wish for all of this after the few days we have had? Are you not ready for some peaceful quiet time?"

Legolas grinned impishly at him, peeking out from under the layers of cloaks and covers. He pulled his little tree, that he still managed to keep close beside him, carefully underneath the covers as well. "I can always tell you some stories, Ro . . ."

Elrohir laughed then, immediately afterwards clutching an arm around his side as his face paled even more. "You win, elfling," he gasped, still smiling despite the obvious pain he was feeling. "You win!

#

They did indeed stop for the night not long after that, and the uninjured warriors guarded the camp in turns with a meticulousness that highly impressed the warrior twins. As even Elrohir seemed to regain some energy after a warm meal and some time away from the strain of riding with injuries, the twins plied Gaerlin with many questions about how the Mirkwood elves conducted their watches, their trainings, their patrols . . . The three elves, Elrohir resting on a cot and Elladan and Gaerlin sitting in chairs beside him, became faster friends with each other over their combined knowledge and interest in being warriors, and Thranduil and Legolas curled up on their cot inside the tent and just watched them talk for a long while—Legolas shaking his head every once in a while in consternation. He finally turned to Thranduil from where he was pressed against his father's side. "I do not know how they can talk so long about being a warrior!"

Thranduil laughed then, long and hard. It drew the attention of the distracted friends and they stopped talking, turning sheepishly to King and Prince.

"I am sorry, my Lords," Gaerlin said abashedly. "I forget sometimes how dull this can seem to others, especially little ones. Perhaps we shall tell some tales now?"

Legolas' face brightened at that, and the twins and Gaerlin, anxious to keep the happy look on the elfling's beautiful features, launched immediately into a long procession of stories that even managed to put Thranduil to sleep after some time!

#

The next day progressed a little more smoothly, as both Legolas and Elrohir seemed to be more improved after another night of sleep inside the warm tent. And the air was a little warmer as they rode without the harsh, bitter winds that had accompanied the storm. They kept up a good speed on the horses, and by the time more dark storm clouds began to roll into the sky above them, they had passed through the great gates of Mirkwood's Keep, managing to reach the large courtyard just as heavy flurries started blowing over their hair and cloaks.

All the elves in the realm were overjoyed, for they had dearly missed their King and Prince for the festivities. The twins and Legolas and even Thranduil were surprised to find that many of the special treats, decorations, and toys had been saved aside so that the realm might celebrate later with their beloved royal family.

And not a one of the elves minded waiting a few more days while Legolas recovered more fully from his illness and Elrohir regained his strength from his injuries. In fact, they seemed so enthusiastic about waiting even longer, that even Thranduil looked suspicious.

And when the day of Second Yule came, it was a celebration the likes of which Elladan and Elrohir had never before seen—for when the wood elves celebrated, they did it in style! Judging by the increasing hugeness of Legolas' eyes, it was beyond even a normal celebration, for, as they had all forgotten, it was the realm's first year without their beloved Queen as well, and they all apparently wished to make it as nice as possible for their remaining royal family.

But the most special moment of all for Legolas and the twins, and even Thranduil and Gaerlin, who had grown even closer to the twins during the journey home, was when they planted Tiny Oak beside an excited Great Oak. And when the frightened-seeming little tree tried to cling desperately to Legolas, and Great Oak reached out its lowest branches and wrapped them around the trembling little tree to comfort it, the entire realm wept for joy. Their beloved Prince was home, their King had returned, and even the Prince's big brothers were in attendance. It could never be the same again, but it was joyous nevertheless, with new memories and a new tiny tree to add to their blessings.

After the ceremony of planting Tiny Oak and adorning him with the decorations Elladan and Elrohir had made—which Elrohir had swiftly taken off and stored within his pack when fetching the little tree from the cave—the elven musicians gathered in a small clearing near the two festive trees and began to play the yearly Yule songs of old. Thranduil started singing in his musical, clear voice, and the entire realm slowly joined in, their voices lifted in gentle waves of thanksgiving and joy. It was then that the elflings gathered around Great Oak and climbed eagerly into his branches, searching for more special gifts and surprises. Each elfling had at least one new toy with his or her name etched upon it, in celebration of the Second Yule Celebration, and Legolas found several, to his great excitement—for the other elflings had already received several in the First Yule. Just as the young elfling was climbing down from the large branches, he let out a shout of surprise, and the singing stilled for a moment as all the elves waited to see what the young prince had discovered, smiles upon their fair faces.

"A tree!" Legolas cried. "It is a tree! And oh . . . look!" And he swung swiftly down, jumping from the last branch with a leap that had the twins draw in sharp breaths of fear. Landing gracefully on his feet, he ran over to where Thranduil and the twins were sitting on a large, cushioned bench. "Look! Look, Ada! It is a tree! And it has my name on it!" He thrust a stuffed green and brown item into Thranduil's hands, and the King assessed it carefully, his eyes shining with joy at Legolas' excitement.

"What a fine tree it is, ion nin," he exclaimed, turning it carefully over in his hands. And indeed, it was. It was almost an exact replica of Tiny Oak, and it even had a few ornaments of acorns, berries, a very small pinecone, and two identical ribbons pinned upon it. "Ah . . ." Thranduil said when he spied the ribbons. "And here is a clue, I think, to who this gift is from, Legolas!"

"You are right, Ada!" Legolas cried, and he turned immediately to the twins. "We were not home very long! However did you manage this?"

Elladan grinned, winking at him. "Oh, you would be surprised how much we can accomplish when a certain brother of ours has to stay in bed," he teased.

Legolas raised an eyebrow, not completely sure whether Elladan was referring to him or to Elrohir, since they had both been forced to stay abed for a few days. Then, he shrugged, for it did not matter to him. He took the stuffed tree back carefully from his father's proffered hands, hugging it to his chest before throwing himself into the twins' arms.

"Thank you!" he whispered. "Thank you for everything. Now I shall always have Tiny Oak with me, and the real one shall be happy growing here next to Great Oak.

"That was the general idea," Elrohir said gently, his eyes shining brightly as he looked down at the elfling's pale face. "For despite everything, little one, I think this has been one of our best Yules yet, and it certainly needs something special to remember it."

"Indeed," Elladan added quietly. "There is nowhere we would rather be, than enjoying First and Second Yule with you, wherever that may be. For you our dear little brother, elfling, and we love you dearly. Never forget that."

"I will never forget," Legolas whispered, blinking the rising moisture out of his eyes as he hugged them once again. "I am glad we went on our journey." He looked up at them both then, a teasing glint entering his eyes. "And I am also glad you must stay here for months!"

The twins laughed, exchanging a glance of amusement with Thranduil. Gaerlin stepped up to examine and exclaim over Legolas' little tree with a smile. "We are all glad they can stay here for a while, Legolas. For Yule, after all, is about family and friends—even new ones!" Legolas grinned, climbing more securely into the laps of both of the twins and laying back halfway against both of their chests, snuggling his little tree tightly in his arms.

And it was a happy and beaming elfling that drifted off to sleep during the stories that night still sitting on the twins' laps, with their arms wrapped tightly around him, and the stuffed oak tree tucked just as tightly into his arms.

The End

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Merry, Happy Christmas. May your holidays be blessed, and may the coming year bring you much joy, successes, and festivities! Thank you for reading.

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Elven Translations:

Ion nin – my son

Ada – father

Ellon – male elf

Nana/naneth – mother