Chapter 2
Growing Pains
As Irene steadily grew, she became more and more mischevious. She loved to sneak in during Thranduil's councils, stand in the center of the ring of elves and pull down her diaper squealing "Daddy, bath!" Legolas would just chuckle and, bright red, pick up Irene and carry her away, ignoring the laughter from the others. She liked to sneak food as well. By the time she was 400 everyone in Mirkwood nicknamed her "Miss Michief". Irene, as no one would guess, would blossom into one of the most beautiful elven women in the kingdom.
"We should teach her how to aim," Legolas told his father one morning as he watched the 600 year old Elfess, romping around in the forest.
"Aim what?" asked Celon, who had come up to them, carrying the freshly carved arrows he had been working on for the prince. He handed them to him and accepted "Thank you."
"Aim what?" Legolas snickered. "You call yourself an elf? Arrows! She must learn how to shoot arrows eventually, or she will not be able to survive out in the wild when we go on our journeys."
Celon chuckled. "Sure, Legolas. But when has a women needed the skill?"
Legolas glared at the young squire. "Since I told you so." He left Celon as he approached the little girl who sat now on the grass panting from running around. "Irene, come with me. I have something to teach you that will come in handy."
"What, Daddy?" asked Irene, letting him take her by the hand.
"You, my dear, are going to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow."
"Ooh! Like you do?"
"That is right. I do not believe in the idea that a female elf does not need this type of skill." he glared back over his shoulder at Celon, who had retreated back to the Great Hall of Mirkwood. "Now. Take Daddy's bow...gently now, it's very delicate..." Irene held it and was amazed...the bow was taller than she!
"How does it work?"
Legolas rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmm...that is a bit too large for you. I may have to make you one to fit your size at the moment."
"Why?"
"Because you will not be able to even lift this one...it is much too heavy."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why is it too heavy?"
"Because it is made of wood, Irene. Wood can be very heavy at times."
"Why?"
"Stop that!" Legolas snapped, but his expression softened when Irene's lower lip started to tremble and she dropped the bow, sitting down in the grass again, lowering her head. The prince took a deep breath before kneeling down on one knee in front of her. "I did not mean to yell at you. You are very curious for a young elfess." he brushed her dark brown hair out of her eyes. "I will make you a bow of your very own."
"Really?"
"Of course."
"When?"
"Um...perhaps tonight I will. Right now, I will personally teach you how to shoot. You will have to watch closely."
"Will you shoot a real animal, Daddy?"
"No. We will use a tree for the target."
"But trees are living! I do not wish to shoot anything that lives..."
Legolas sighed. "Irene, enough questions!"
The girl frowned, as she stood and watched, her arms folded tightly across her flat chest. "Now. You take the arrow and notch it as such." he placed it between the strings of the bow and pulled back. "And you let it fly once it's pulled back far enough..." *ZIP* the arrow shot from the bow and hit the nearest tree, dead center. Legolas, feeling rather proud of himself, stood straight and turned to look at the girl beside him. She had her mouth hanging open as though seeing her father shoot an arrow had been the most exciting thing she had ever seen in her life. "It is not that difficult, but does take a lot of practice to get good aim."
"Will I be good?"
"I could not say at this point in time, Irene. I do not know who your real parents were, and what their skills were either."
"My real parents?"
Legolas closed his eyes...he had made a big mistake. "Aren't you my Daddy?"
"Um...Irene, I never told you this..." he knelt down in front of her again. "I am not your father. Your real father, that is. I found you as a baby on the river bank wrapped in white cloth laying on a leaf. Your real parents were nowhere to be found. I am very sorry I did not tell you sooner."
Irene stepped back, fear in her eyes as though he were a stranger. "Irene..."
"Do not touch me," Irene told him angrily. "You never told me that you were not my real father!"
"I was not sure how to put it."
Irene burst into tears suddenly and turned, ran off, crashing through the woods, leaving the bewildered form of Legolas miles behind.
As Irene steadily grew, she became more and more mischevious. She loved to sneak in during Thranduil's councils, stand in the center of the ring of elves and pull down her diaper squealing "Daddy, bath!" Legolas would just chuckle and, bright red, pick up Irene and carry her away, ignoring the laughter from the others. She liked to sneak food as well. By the time she was 400 everyone in Mirkwood nicknamed her "Miss Michief". Irene, as no one would guess, would blossom into one of the most beautiful elven women in the kingdom.
"We should teach her how to aim," Legolas told his father one morning as he watched the 600 year old Elfess, romping around in the forest.
"Aim what?" asked Celon, who had come up to them, carrying the freshly carved arrows he had been working on for the prince. He handed them to him and accepted "Thank you."
"Aim what?" Legolas snickered. "You call yourself an elf? Arrows! She must learn how to shoot arrows eventually, or she will not be able to survive out in the wild when we go on our journeys."
Celon chuckled. "Sure, Legolas. But when has a women needed the skill?"
Legolas glared at the young squire. "Since I told you so." He left Celon as he approached the little girl who sat now on the grass panting from running around. "Irene, come with me. I have something to teach you that will come in handy."
"What, Daddy?" asked Irene, letting him take her by the hand.
"You, my dear, are going to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow."
"Ooh! Like you do?"
"That is right. I do not believe in the idea that a female elf does not need this type of skill." he glared back over his shoulder at Celon, who had retreated back to the Great Hall of Mirkwood. "Now. Take Daddy's bow...gently now, it's very delicate..." Irene held it and was amazed...the bow was taller than she!
"How does it work?"
Legolas rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmm...that is a bit too large for you. I may have to make you one to fit your size at the moment."
"Why?"
"Because you will not be able to even lift this one...it is much too heavy."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why is it too heavy?"
"Because it is made of wood, Irene. Wood can be very heavy at times."
"Why?"
"Stop that!" Legolas snapped, but his expression softened when Irene's lower lip started to tremble and she dropped the bow, sitting down in the grass again, lowering her head. The prince took a deep breath before kneeling down on one knee in front of her. "I did not mean to yell at you. You are very curious for a young elfess." he brushed her dark brown hair out of her eyes. "I will make you a bow of your very own."
"Really?"
"Of course."
"When?"
"Um...perhaps tonight I will. Right now, I will personally teach you how to shoot. You will have to watch closely."
"Will you shoot a real animal, Daddy?"
"No. We will use a tree for the target."
"But trees are living! I do not wish to shoot anything that lives..."
Legolas sighed. "Irene, enough questions!"
The girl frowned, as she stood and watched, her arms folded tightly across her flat chest. "Now. You take the arrow and notch it as such." he placed it between the strings of the bow and pulled back. "And you let it fly once it's pulled back far enough..." *ZIP* the arrow shot from the bow and hit the nearest tree, dead center. Legolas, feeling rather proud of himself, stood straight and turned to look at the girl beside him. She had her mouth hanging open as though seeing her father shoot an arrow had been the most exciting thing she had ever seen in her life. "It is not that difficult, but does take a lot of practice to get good aim."
"Will I be good?"
"I could not say at this point in time, Irene. I do not know who your real parents were, and what their skills were either."
"My real parents?"
Legolas closed his eyes...he had made a big mistake. "Aren't you my Daddy?"
"Um...Irene, I never told you this..." he knelt down in front of her again. "I am not your father. Your real father, that is. I found you as a baby on the river bank wrapped in white cloth laying on a leaf. Your real parents were nowhere to be found. I am very sorry I did not tell you sooner."
Irene stepped back, fear in her eyes as though he were a stranger. "Irene..."
"Do not touch me," Irene told him angrily. "You never told me that you were not my real father!"
"I was not sure how to put it."
Irene burst into tears suddenly and turned, ran off, crashing through the woods, leaving the bewildered form of Legolas miles behind.