Author's Note: Thank you to everyone for the 100 reviews this story has been blessed with. I'm so glad it had been well received. I shall work my hardest to keep it rolling with plenty of plot twists and turns to keep you reading!
Again, I am very honored and can only hope for more reviews for this new chapter. Happy tidings!
Chapter 16: When the Stars Came Out
The target almost seemed to be mocking him from its position on the other side of the field. It was severely marked by multiple arrow punctures in its center, all fired by Ranger, of course. There were some marks towards the corners, those were made by Legolas. When he was lucky enough to hit the damn thing at all.
The Elf tried to keep all his lessons fresh in his mind.
'Hold your left arm straight. Visualize down the arrow, see your target at the end of its point.' Ranger's words made sense, yet Legolas was standing here still. For this was his new 'challenge' as Ranger put it. 'Torture' is the word the Prince would use to describe it.
The challenge was to stand here and fire at the target until he hit an area around the center. Until then, he would have to keep firing. Cheating was out of the option, Legolas had tried that once and his mentor had seen right through it. The punishment he was put through was nothing he wanted to relive, so here he stood as the sun went down. He was not sure exactly when Ranger had left him alone, but the sun was high in the sky.
Another shot. Another miss.
Legolas sighed, he was going to have to go gather the arrows again for he fired them all. As he walked around the target picking them up, anger began to well up in the Elf.
Not one arrow had pierced any part of the target, and he was getting quite annoyed. Annoyed at the arrows, the target, the wind (that must be the reason his arrows miss) and Ranger. Perfect Ranger who never misses the target, never gets out of breath on a run and never says 'I don't know'.
After gathering all of his arms, he returned to his spot, the grass showing no signs that he had been standing there for hours.
The Elf thought about everything he had learned, and the skills that were still beyond his reach. But why? He was an Elf, he should learn all of these skills faster than any mortal could.
Furious, he gaze once again forced on the sneering target in front of him. On instinct, on impulse, he rose the arrow and fired without actively thinking or aiming.
The arrow struck dead center in the target.
Legolas stood there agape, unable to move, unable to even register what had just happened.
Clapping came from the trees behind him. Ranger finally made his presence known.
"How long have you been there watching me?"
"For a while, I was waiting to see when emotion would finally takeover that overactive mind of yours and show you the true path."
"I do not understand."
Ranger came forward and put a hand on Legolas' shoulder. "Knowledge and skills are powerful, Legolas. However, one cannot succeed with knowledge alone as his tool. Skill will take you far, but not far enough. Only when emotion clears the mind can one find the way."
Ranger focused on the darkening sky above with the stars making their entrance.
"Legolas, that must be realized for oneself. Emotion cannot be taught, but too much can cloud the mind. Come, you have earned your rest for the night."
"Ranger?"
"Yes?"
Legolas sighed with another frustration recently brought to light. "I should not have been unaware of your presence behind me that whole time. I am an Elf, you should not have been able to sneak up on me."
"Being an Elf does not make one superior, not matter what the history books might say about your race. Do not use what you are to define who you are, Legolas. That goes for being an Elf and being a Prince. Each race has its own power and abilities, some able better at some things, even more so than the Elves. You need to learn to find what each people have to offer and take hold of that. Do not hold yourself up to some ungodly standard because you heard stories of great Elvish warriors when you were young, for you are young. Those legends were thousands of years old and you have not even hit twenty yet. Come, I do not wish to preach tonight. There will be plenty of times for me to speak to you endlessly about the world."
The pair walked off towards the camp, looking forward to a peaceful night with the crickets keeping silence at bay.
Indeed, there were many more nights for the master and the apprentice. Many places to visit, many races and peoples to meet and many adventures to be experienced.
But that's another story.
For now, we must mark the passage of many years, and the growing of one small Elf into a beautiful, skillful warrior.
It is at this point that we meet again, on the roads of Gondor.