Disclaimer: Whew! Sorry it took me so long to update! And many thanks to
my few kind reviewers!
I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 3: Mended Hearts
Celebrian, Elrond, and Thranduil talked late into the night. It was just about four hours after sunset that Thranduil and the other two adults noticed that they hadn't seen or heard from their children for hours. "I wonder where those children of ours are?" Thranduil pondered. " I'm sure they're fine, Thranduil." Elrond assured his friend. "Oh, no doubt, but I would like to retire for the night and that isn't possible without my son." he replied. "I'll go and look for them, dear." said Celebrian standing up. "You two can put the fire out and make the nightly rounds." Celebrian left the two males before they could respond. She walked, thinking about where the children might be, when she came across Elladan and Elrohir. "Hello boys." she greeted them. "Oh, hello mother." replied Elladan. Elrohir smiled a greeting. "Have either of you seen Legolas and Arwen?" Celebrian inquired of her sons. Elladan said yes and Elrohir, no. Celebrian looked expectantly at her sons. "Yes, we saw them." started Elladan, "We were playing Hide and Seek and we- " "He." interjected Elrohir. "I," continued Elladan shooting his brother a look," asked Legolas if he wanted to play. He did, and then Arwen wanted to play, too, but Elrohir wouldn't let her because she's a girl. She got mad at us and Legolas, and ran off. Legolas di the same." Celebrian looked scoldingly at the twins. " You two know that boys are no better than girls! Girls can do anything just as well as you! I thought I'd raised you better. Now go to bed. I'll be up in a while." She left the two guilty-faced young Elves behind her. Celebrian didn't have to think for long about where her daughter would be. She knew where Arwen went whenever she was upset. Celebrian made her way down a dinly lit hallway and heard tiny heart- wrenching sobs. Her brows knitted in concern and she quickly made her way towards the source of the cries. Soon she came to where she thought the noise was loudest, but looking all about, she saw nothing. Until she looked down. There huddled in a ball on the floor against the wall, was Legolas. His fair face was blotchy from crying and his sobs seemed to come from a hopeless soul. Celebrian knelt down, concern written all across her face. She wrapped her arms around him and it was only then that he noticed her presence. Legolas sat in a ball on Celebrian's lap and buried his face into her dress, holding tightly to her in a desperate need for comfort. "I...want..my...mother." the poor little Elf sobbed. "Oh, Legolas..."Celebrian murmmered, her bright eyes growing dark and sad. She stroked his blonde head as the sobs wracked his body. Legolas's mother had died when he was a baby. He hadn't been old enough to remember , and yet he was calling for her. Legolas's sobs had slowed and Celebrian hugged him tightly, then lifted his head so she could see his face. The little Elf looked woefully into her eyes. "Now," Celebrian said softly, " Tell me what's wrong." When Legolas spoke his voice was wavery, but the tears had ceased although his eyes were still a bit red. "I just wanted to play with the twins. I thought maybe then I'd fit in. When they said Arwen couldn't play she got mad at me, too, and ran away. She- she said she hated me!" Tears welled up in Legolas's eyes as he remembered Arwen's rage. Celebrian smiled knowingly and hugged the child in her lap. "Arwen doesn't hate you, dear. She's just sad that you stopped playing with her." "But I wanted to play with her too!" Legolas exclaimed. Celebrian stood him up in front of her and brushed off his tunic before standing up herself. "What do you say we go and talk to her?" she asked, taking Legolas's hand. "I don't think she'd want to." Legolas hung his head. "Nonsense. You two have been inseperable since you were born." Celebrian led Legolas down the dimly lit hallway and out into the crisp night air. She led him to a bench and told him to sit and wait for a moment until she returned. "After all," Celebrian thought to herself, " A young girl's secret place should be kept just that. With the exception of her mother of course!" Celebrian smiled as she made her way to a monsterous weeeping willow. From within its drooping branches she could here crying and angry words. Her nimble hand parted the branches and Celebrian made her way to her daughter. Arwen was sitting against the vast trunk, knees drawn up and her chin upon them. Tears streamed down her face and she was muttering to herself. Celebrian reached her daughter and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm arond her shoulders. Arwen just shrugged it away and stood up. "Why did he stop playing with me? He wants to be friends with the twins instead of me? Fine!" Celebrian remained silent but enveloped her daughter in a hug, not letting her slip away this time. Eventually, Arwen's five- year old frame relaxed and Celebrian felt silent tears soaking through her silver dress. She stroked Arwen's hair. " Shhh, Undomiel. It's alright. Come outside for a moment." She led the distressed Arwen out from beneath the drooping willow branches and over to Legolas. Legolas looked down at his feet and swirled the grass around with his toe sheepishly. "Hi Arwen." he mummbled. Arwen looked at her mother ( who nodded ) before responding. " Hello Legolas." Legolas looked up, his eyes sad. " I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to be mean! I'm just tired of being teased." he sighed. Arwen's face relaxed and grew more understanding. " So you still want to play with em?" "Of course!" Legolas responded heartily. " you're my best friend!" Arwen smiled. " You're my best friend, too....'Golas." Legolas grinned. " Race you back to the house!" He ran off with Arwen on his heels. Celebrian smiled to herself and followed them back up to the house wondering how she'd ever manage to get them into bed.
~Thanks so much for reviewing! Errr..I mean reading! You'll get the other thanks when you review!~ ~*~WaNdA~*~
Chapter 3: Mended Hearts
Celebrian, Elrond, and Thranduil talked late into the night. It was just about four hours after sunset that Thranduil and the other two adults noticed that they hadn't seen or heard from their children for hours. "I wonder where those children of ours are?" Thranduil pondered. " I'm sure they're fine, Thranduil." Elrond assured his friend. "Oh, no doubt, but I would like to retire for the night and that isn't possible without my son." he replied. "I'll go and look for them, dear." said Celebrian standing up. "You two can put the fire out and make the nightly rounds." Celebrian left the two males before they could respond. She walked, thinking about where the children might be, when she came across Elladan and Elrohir. "Hello boys." she greeted them. "Oh, hello mother." replied Elladan. Elrohir smiled a greeting. "Have either of you seen Legolas and Arwen?" Celebrian inquired of her sons. Elladan said yes and Elrohir, no. Celebrian looked expectantly at her sons. "Yes, we saw them." started Elladan, "We were playing Hide and Seek and we- " "He." interjected Elrohir. "I," continued Elladan shooting his brother a look," asked Legolas if he wanted to play. He did, and then Arwen wanted to play, too, but Elrohir wouldn't let her because she's a girl. She got mad at us and Legolas, and ran off. Legolas di the same." Celebrian looked scoldingly at the twins. " You two know that boys are no better than girls! Girls can do anything just as well as you! I thought I'd raised you better. Now go to bed. I'll be up in a while." She left the two guilty-faced young Elves behind her. Celebrian didn't have to think for long about where her daughter would be. She knew where Arwen went whenever she was upset. Celebrian made her way down a dinly lit hallway and heard tiny heart- wrenching sobs. Her brows knitted in concern and she quickly made her way towards the source of the cries. Soon she came to where she thought the noise was loudest, but looking all about, she saw nothing. Until she looked down. There huddled in a ball on the floor against the wall, was Legolas. His fair face was blotchy from crying and his sobs seemed to come from a hopeless soul. Celebrian knelt down, concern written all across her face. She wrapped her arms around him and it was only then that he noticed her presence. Legolas sat in a ball on Celebrian's lap and buried his face into her dress, holding tightly to her in a desperate need for comfort. "I...want..my...mother." the poor little Elf sobbed. "Oh, Legolas..."Celebrian murmmered, her bright eyes growing dark and sad. She stroked his blonde head as the sobs wracked his body. Legolas's mother had died when he was a baby. He hadn't been old enough to remember , and yet he was calling for her. Legolas's sobs had slowed and Celebrian hugged him tightly, then lifted his head so she could see his face. The little Elf looked woefully into her eyes. "Now," Celebrian said softly, " Tell me what's wrong." When Legolas spoke his voice was wavery, but the tears had ceased although his eyes were still a bit red. "I just wanted to play with the twins. I thought maybe then I'd fit in. When they said Arwen couldn't play she got mad at me, too, and ran away. She- she said she hated me!" Tears welled up in Legolas's eyes as he remembered Arwen's rage. Celebrian smiled knowingly and hugged the child in her lap. "Arwen doesn't hate you, dear. She's just sad that you stopped playing with her." "But I wanted to play with her too!" Legolas exclaimed. Celebrian stood him up in front of her and brushed off his tunic before standing up herself. "What do you say we go and talk to her?" she asked, taking Legolas's hand. "I don't think she'd want to." Legolas hung his head. "Nonsense. You two have been inseperable since you were born." Celebrian led Legolas down the dimly lit hallway and out into the crisp night air. She led him to a bench and told him to sit and wait for a moment until she returned. "After all," Celebrian thought to herself, " A young girl's secret place should be kept just that. With the exception of her mother of course!" Celebrian smiled as she made her way to a monsterous weeeping willow. From within its drooping branches she could here crying and angry words. Her nimble hand parted the branches and Celebrian made her way to her daughter. Arwen was sitting against the vast trunk, knees drawn up and her chin upon them. Tears streamed down her face and she was muttering to herself. Celebrian reached her daughter and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm arond her shoulders. Arwen just shrugged it away and stood up. "Why did he stop playing with me? He wants to be friends with the twins instead of me? Fine!" Celebrian remained silent but enveloped her daughter in a hug, not letting her slip away this time. Eventually, Arwen's five- year old frame relaxed and Celebrian felt silent tears soaking through her silver dress. She stroked Arwen's hair. " Shhh, Undomiel. It's alright. Come outside for a moment." She led the distressed Arwen out from beneath the drooping willow branches and over to Legolas. Legolas looked down at his feet and swirled the grass around with his toe sheepishly. "Hi Arwen." he mummbled. Arwen looked at her mother ( who nodded ) before responding. " Hello Legolas." Legolas looked up, his eyes sad. " I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to be mean! I'm just tired of being teased." he sighed. Arwen's face relaxed and grew more understanding. " So you still want to play with em?" "Of course!" Legolas responded heartily. " you're my best friend!" Arwen smiled. " You're my best friend, too....'Golas." Legolas grinned. " Race you back to the house!" He ran off with Arwen on his heels. Celebrian smiled to herself and followed them back up to the house wondering how she'd ever manage to get them into bed.
~Thanks so much for reviewing! Errr..I mean reading! You'll get the other thanks when you review!~ ~*~WaNdA~*~