Chapter two

After a while Aragorn became serious again. 'You still haven't answered my question.'

'What question?' asked Legolas puzzled.

'Why you aren't bored.'

'But I did answer it.'

'You only answered why Elves in general are never bored by saying you experience time differently. I asked you why you aren't bored right now, as in what were you thinking of?'

'I see, it is not easy to explain,' Legolas warned.

'Why do people, to be more specific Elves and a certain Istar, and to be absolutely accurate good friends and family, always insist on telling me that?'

'Maybe because past experiences have proved such a statement to be necessary?'

'Legolas…,' growled the young man threateningly.

The Elf assumed an air of innocence. 'Don't tell me I didn't warn you.'

'I can handle much more than you or my family think. You give me no credit at all.'

'You're exaggerating, Estel. All I'm saying is that you should not be disappointed when you do not understand everything that I say.'

'Try me.'

'I was thinking of all that surrounds us,' Legolas began. 'No, it's more like I was feeling it, being part of it. At that moment I was a blade of grass but at the same time I was the slight breeze that made it move. I was a passing hawk and the mouse that ran away for the predatory bird. I was an Elf yet a Man.'

One look at Aragorn's serious face stopped him. 'You have no idea what I'm talking about, have you?'

'Of course I understand it!'

Legolas merely raised an eyebrow.

Silently vowing to tell his father not to practice the art of 'raising-the-eyebrow-of-doom' in the presence of strangers, he added, 'Most of it!'

Legolas continued to look at the Human doubtfully.

'Some of it!'

A slight curling of the corner of his mouth almost betrayed the Prince but somehow he managed to maintain his composure.

'I understood the 'thinking of all that surrounds us' part!'

Legolas grinned but did not dare to let his full mirth show at Aragorn's dark look.

'Don't say it, mellonamin,' the Man warned.

'I'm not saying anything.'

'But you want to say it.'

'What do I want to say?'

'That you told me I would not understand it.'

'Your words, not mine.'

'Legolas, you may be the Prince of Mirkwood and my friend and I know I would not kill you, but that does not mean I will not torture you or, worse, hand you over to my brothers telling them it was you who let that goat into their rooms.'

Legolas' eyes widened. 'You wouldn't do that!'

'Watch me.'

'But I did not let the goat into the room, I was merely distracting them. You did the actual job of letting the animal ruin their clothes.'

'It would be my word against yours, and trust me, I have had years of experience to make them believe me over anyone. I even managed to convince them once that it had been ada who had ordered Mithtellumaion to 'redecorate' their rooms.'

'Mithtellumaion? It is that I know he is an Elf and have examined his family tree personally, but Mithtellumaion is the only Elf I know who has absolutely no sense of beauty!'

'I'm afraid my dear brothers found out the hard way; their rooms had turned into an interesting composition of the colours red, pink and bright yellow.'

'Remind me to never get on your bad side,' Legolas said feigning mortal fear but there was a teasing twinkle in his eyes.

'Likewise!' replied Aragorn laughing.

ada – father (daddy)

mellonamin – my friend