Head Strong Teens
/* A.N: I know about the romance between Aragorn and Arwen, please don't hunt me down and kill me for neglecting it. I just don't find it as plausible as a Aragorn x Legolas pairing because Arwen is the Evenstar and Aragorn is human. At lease with Legolas we have a beautiful boy that is a comrade! Anywho, please R&R. ^^; Feedback is always welcome. Be nice though, I like flames but this IS my first ficcy-poo! Oh yeah! I call Aragorn by his Elvin name in this, he's Estel! Just thought some people wouldn't know who that was. ^^ ON WITH THE STORY! */
// Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! It's sad… but true. ** cries **
A pair of eyes meet from across a large banquet hall filled to the hilt with elves and one man. Color flushes and stains the cheeks of the one man to the ears, "Father," He asks the sovereign of Imladris, "who is that elf across the way? The one I would never have seen before." He smiles shamefully.
Elrond smiles, "Why Estel! Has you heart finally betrayed you to passion?" Estel lowers his eyes, his smile not diminishing, but the blush deepening. "His name is Legolas Greenleaf. He has traveled here with his father Thranduil, the king of Mirkwood. Elladin and Elrohir are good friends of his, if you wish to speak with him, I suggest seeking out your brothers."
Estel smiles and bows his head in thanks to his adoptive father. "Thank you." He steps back and disappears into the crush of warm bodies to find the twins. After a few minutes her hears the high mischievous laughter of the twins and approaches finding them in the company of the beautiful blonde one. "Good evening my brothers, what have you two been getting yourselves into?" He smiles and lets his eyes wander to their company, "Hello, welcome to Imladris. I am Estel, foster son of Elrond." he smiles fully and bows his head."
Elladan and Elrohir stare dumfounded at their brother's sudden outgoing demenor. "May name is Legolas Greenleaf, I travel here from Mirkwood. It is a pleasure to be here among such wondrous… people." Legolas' smile falters not wanting to insult the man.
"Ah, well. I'm sure that you'll enjoy your stay." Estel bows, taking his leave, waiting for one, or both, of the two twins to fallow out of interest. Barely having time to lean on the balcony railing, Elrohir's voice rings out from behind him, "Estel! Come over here Estel!" Estel turns smiling, knowing his brother will come to him out of the crowd if he waits for a few moments.
"Ah, Elrohir! What's kept you? Enjoying the company of that beautiful elf are we?" He lets his eyes drift suggestively towards Legolas.
"Estel! What's gotten into you? You've never been one to approach elves that openly! Especially one's you'd have never met before!" Elrohir stares still astonished.
"As our father has said, my heart just may have betrayed me to passion."
"Well…" Elrohir smiles mischievously and waves to some passing elf maiden, "If you wish to get his attention, I suggest you grab some wine, and find a place to practice with your bow. I hear that he is enchanted with anyone who is even slightly talented, and you are even more then that." Elrohir smiles knowingly and disappears into the crowd leaving love-struck Estel to figure the flaws and merits of his brother's suggestion.
After a few minutes deliberation, Estel moved to one of the tables displaying the food and drinks of Rivendell and grabs a large bottle of fairly strong Elvin red wine. He smiles to himself as he moves away from the crowd and back towards his quarters to get his bow and quiver.
Finding a gentle waterfall, which are plentiful in Imladris, quite and still in view of a balcony of the banquet hall, Estel sets his bottle of wine onto a smoothed rock while he draws his bow and arrow, set to practice and good impression. It wasn't very long before he heard soft foot steps in the grass between the twang of his bow and the thunk of his arrows hitting their mark.
"What could I do for you, friend?" Estel said without turning, traveling to his target tree to retrieve his arrows.
"I came simply to watch, talk and perhaps impart a little skill." Legolas smiles and sits comfortably next to the bottle of red wine. "But, I can see there is already enough skill here that my tutelage would do very little."
Estel turns and slowly takes in the sight be fore him; Legolas sitting on a smoothed rock, a bottle of wine next to him, mist floating in the air causing the elf's hair to ripple about his face and reflect the moonlight in a delicate sheen. "Thank you. I like to think that I am good with my bow. Though, I would much rather my sword since I am even better with it." He smiles and gestures to the wine. "Would you like some?"
Legolas smiles gently, not taking his eyes away from the human, "Why, yes thank you." He slowly, gracefully picks the bottle up and removes the cork sipping from the bottle. He swishes the liquid about his mouth slowly and, according to Estel, quite erotically.
"Does it suffice, or shall I fetch another?" Estel smiles and walks towards the seated elf.
Legolas smiles gleefully, his eyes sliding shut slowly, "It's perfect. It tastes of summer; green grass, berries and golden yellow sunsets."
Estel reaches for the bottle and takes a mouthful himself before setting it aside and reaching out to the elf. "Yes… Sunsets like your hair?" A light blush runs across the elf's features as he pulls gently away before Estel can tuck a stray hair behind a delicately pointed ear. "What's the matter? You are amazingly beautiful, not like any I've ever seen before." Estel lowers his eyes to cover the lust in his features.
"Tell me this once you haven't been drinking and I'll believe you." Legolas gets up to leave and Estel fallows to stop him.
"Please. Don't go. I did not mean any offence by this. I'm fairly new to this… feeling." Estel struggled for words to make the elf stay for but a few more minutes.
"I should get back to the gathering anyway, my father should be looking for me soon." Legolas bolted off into the tress, towards the main compound just as Estel cursed himself and his mortal foolishness. Instead of returning to the gathering Estel returns to his quarters; after this he would not be able to meet the eyes of any elf save for his family.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Waking at dawn of the next day, Estel searches in vain for Legolas. After most of the mourning has been wasted away double and triple searching all of Imladris, Estel finally walks to his father's quarters to seek his advice. He knocks gently at the door.
"Come in." Elrond's voice comes muffled from the other side of the door.
Estel opens the door and slowly closes it behind him, not saying anything. "Estel," Elrond turns from his desk, "What could I do for you?"
"Where have the Mirkwood elves gone to, father?" Estel frowns and lowers his eyes. "I fear I may have horribly insulted their prince…" He trails off waiting for Elrond's response.
Elrond walks to his son and hugs him gently, "No worries my son. They did leave in the night, but had anyone been insulted, Thranduil would have made it known. They will be back in a few years I'm sure. You've waited longer to see elves before, surly this won't pain you?"
Estel let out a sigh of both relieve and frustration, "Of course father, but I should be leaving Imladris in a fortnight.
"Aah… Yes, this is true. I promise you though, I will have Glorfindel find you should they be returning. Fair enough?" Elrond brought his son's face up to meet his kind smile.
"Yes, of course father, but I should like to leave sooner, there is nothing more here for me but lazy days of practicing my bow with Elladan and Elrohir, both of which I'm better then."
Elrond chuckles happily, "This is true. If you wish to leave, so be it. You must visit though." He claps his strong son on the back and leads him out of his quarters, "Let us gather your things."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
And so it was that Estel became known to the northern world as Strider and Aragorn in the south. For many years he traveled Middle Earth learning many thing, but never hearing from Glorfindel. Not until those fateful years of the War of the Ring. Not until Glorfindel took Frodo to Imladris for healing from the accursed knife. Estel found out at this time that the Mirkwood Elves would be traveling to the council of Elrond. This worried Estel in more ways then he let be known.