Family Reunion
Alana's fingers were slipped between her mother's and father's. They were swinging her gently up and down the wooded path as they walked to another family reunion.
This time the reunion was on a big, open hill, where the children could easily occupy themselves. The women would sit around and gossip, while the men just talked, about women, orc attacks, women, jobs, women, kids and family life, oh, and did I mention women? Yeah, that was a reunion. Just a big family that would never see each other otherwise, stuck together, talking and playing.
Alana used this to her advantage, because even being a young toddler, she knew that if you looked cute enough, everyone dotes on you. Her father would most likely carry her around and show her off to everyone, because mother would be taking a nap. They had had a long, noisy night. It always happened before a reunion, even though in Alana's lifetime, there had only been one other.
They soon arrived in the clearing. It was a lush hill, with around a hundred Elves running and laying about. They saw the whole family, uncles, aunts, cousins, and all, spread out among the grass.
Novthô l leaned over and kissed Legolas' cheek, "I'm going to go take my nap." She then kissed Alana on her forehead, "Don't spoil her, dear." With that, she turned and walked off with a blanket.
Legolas smiled after his wife, and began to daydream about what had happened that night, when Alana suddenly pulled his arm. Kneeling down so he could look into his daughter's eyes, Legolas asked, "Yes, my little one?"
Alana opened her arms in a motion meaning, "Pick me up!" Legolas laughed and swept his daughter up.
Legolas walked over where his father and brothers, (Not to mention the male in-laws) stood talking. Maltaethir, second youngest of Thranduil's sons, youngest being Legolas, turned to their approach quickly.
"Well, lookie here, a brat and an adorable, kidnapped little girl!" Maltaethir teased. He tickled Alana for a moment, until the golden haired child slapped at his hand with a giggle. He watched as Alana sunk back and wrapped her fingers around her father's warrior braid, happily playing with it.
"Still plays with your hair, I see." Maltaethir commented, while running his fingers through Alana's hair.
"Well, that's just because my hair is considerably prettier than yours." Legolas said, quite seriously, making the others laugh. Maltaethir mock glared at him, while fingering his raven hair.
"Nah," Maltaethir said, "I think she wants to rip it out so that there is a chance of your hair being nearly as soft and nice as my own." These jests were normal, and so no one was very worried about it, they could make a spectacle of themselves if they wanted.
Alana gave her uncle a questioning gaze, she only was playing with her father's hair! How dare she laugh at her! Wiggling in her father's arms, she launched herself at her uncle, only to be caught by her grandfather, who had foreseen this.
"I think, perhaps, little one, you should go take a nap." Thranduil smiled, and walked her to where her mother was blissfully napping. Lying next to Novthô l was Nilcoire and Minyasereg, a runt from the newest litter of cubs born to the wolf pack. Thranduil laid her between her mother and wolf, and let them be.
Legolas, meanwhile, had gone to speak to his mother. Aleaega looked pleasantly surprised with her own youngest when he came and laid on the grass before her as she stitched.
"You are troubled." She said, touching the problem with her usual motherly fashion.
"Just a little. Novthô l and I have been worrying on how to get Alana to speak to us. She never will, she can, she did so before, but she has just stopped." Legolas sighed, and rolled over on his back.
"Hmm. Well, I wouldn't know. You and your brothers were all talkers. Bubbling on in your language that no one could understand, and then when you learned Elvish, you still made no sense what so ever." Aleaega smiled sadly. That been so long ago, it felt, that she had held all of her children as babies, and now they were all so much older, and three married happily with children of their own.
She pulled another stitch into the cloak she was making. It would be for Alana when she was older.
Legolas crawled up next to his mother, and leaned his head on her shoulder, kissing her cheek and watching her stitch as he had done when he was very young. Yes, these were the things memories were made of.
***
The party had lasted all day, and now everyone lay under the stars, sharing stories and songs. Alana lay against her father as he sung, and listened to her mother's beautiful voice next door. They lulled her to sleep, and soon she was listening to her father's beating heart again, and was lulled into darkness. Before she was completely asleep, she said, "Night Ada, night Atara." Then she gave in.
Legolas and Novthô l stopped singing for a moment, to kiss their daughter to sleep, and say goodnight to her. They then leaned over and gave each other a sound kiss.
They stood up, and wished all goodnight, hugging the people that they most likely not see until another reunion.
As they walked through the dark forest, Legolas wore his weapons openly. He was challenging any beast that may come upon him. Nilcoire had given Minyasereg over to Novthô l just like Legolas had done with Alana, and had his teeth bared and ready for a fight.
A deep howl pierced the woods. They had been seen by wargs. Around a hundred of them stepped out of the shadows. It was a large pack, and they were venomous. Wargs were pretty easy to take down, but Novthô l couldn't stay with Alana, lest they be killed. Seeing an escape, he quickly said to his wife.
"Leave! I'll hold them off long enough!" He pulled out his knives as Novthô l ran quickly from there, and towards the palace. It was easy to see that the wargs wouldn't get her, but they had the other elf.
One leapt at Legolas, and Legolas through his dagger into the creature's belly, with a mournful howl the creature died. Swinging his knives he began to cut down one beast after another, and Nilcoire bit the throats of the ones who'd attack him. One large warg attacked Nilcoire suddenly, and threw the lithe wolf against the tree, knocking him unconscious. All the attention was the elf know.
Legolas fought for almost an hour, and more wargs had been drawn to the fight. He suddenly heard a twang of a bowstring, and one of the wargs of the side of the battle fell. He turned to see his brothers and father that had just arrived on sight leaping into the fray. In the moment he looked away, he didn't see the warg leap from behind, and didn't know that he was bitten until he fell to the ground bleeding heavily as the venom from the warg's fangs sank into his system. The battle faded into blackness.
***
Novthô l lay on her bed, waiting for her husband to arrive home. It had been several hours she had left her husband in the attack. It never took his so long. What if he was injured? What if no one found him? What if he was dead? Novthô l began to cry.
***
Thranduil entered the palace carrying his son in his arms. Gently he carried his youngest to the healing rooms, sending a messenger to Novthô l about her husband.
Just as they had laid Legolas on the bed Novthô l arrived the room, her face pale and wet from tears.
"What happened? Is Legolas okay? Why is he unconscious?" Novthô l began to let out a long list of questions.
"Shh, shh." Thranduil took his daughter-in-law into his arms, and tried to comfort her. "Legolas shall be fine." he tried to make her understand.
Novthô l reached out her hand and touched Legolas' face. She was frightened with the discovery that her husband had a growing fever.
"Was he poisoned?" She asked, remembering the wargs venomous fangs.
Thranduil bowed his head, he hadn't wanted to be the one to break it to her that her husband may not last the night. "Yes." He answered.
Novthô l began to wail again. She reached out and began to stroke her husband's face. A servant came in with a healer, and they began to work on the bite wounds, pouring as much of a poison killing potion as they were allowed to onto each bandage and in each wound.
Legolas moaned every once and in a while, twisting and writhing from the pain. Novthô l held his hand and rubbed it gently. As the healers began on the main wound, Novthô l could see her husband would most likely scream when the foul potion was poured into the wound, and she knew she wouldn't be able to stand it. So as the began to pour it into the would, before Legolas could scream she pressed her mouth against his, stifling any sound that would come. When she ended the kiss she saw that her husband still slept, only know he seemed much calmer, though his eyes were closed with pain.
Alana looked through the door. She had awoken without her Nilcoire next to her, and neither of her parents were there.
"Atara?" Novthô l turned at the voice and opened her arms up to the toddler. As Alana climbed into her embrace, she saw her 'Ada'.
"Ada?" She asked, nudging him wither hand. "Ada!" She began to shake and tug his hand.
"Shh, honey. Your father very tired. Let him sleep." Novthô l didn't know how she was supposed to tell her daughter that her father may never wake up.
She didn't have to. A second later Nilcoire walked into the room, sopping wet from being bathed to clean his wound, and running from Maltaethir who had a towel in his hands. Legolas at this time also moaned and turned over, blinking his eyes open.
Alana threw herself into her father's chest happily, and Nilcoire took refuge from the evil towel shaking his wet fur out all over his master. Legolas laughed with the rest of the family as Maltaethir held the towel up protect himself from the water, and everyone else was promptly soaked. Nilcoire gave a happy yip before licking his master and sending Maltaethir a smug look. Then Nilcoire picked Alana up by the collar of her gown and carried her up to bed, purposely rubbing his wet body against Maltaethir.
"I don't think that your wolf likes baths." Everyone in the room laughed.
"You just figured that out?"
R/R REVIEW OR I'LL COME AFTER YOU WITH MY WOLF PACK!!!!!! Okay, now that that is out of my system, I beg you to review.