Silvan Soldier
randomwriter96
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own LOTR. And I am broke. Yes.
Note: This is my attempt at recreating Thranduil's childhood and life thereon using the info I have from the Silmarillion, the Unfinished Tales, LOTR, etc. And websites such as the Encyclopedia of Arda. Do not hesitate to tell me if I have a mistake or not. ^^;
Enjoy. :o) And thank you for reviewing.
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Thranduil bit his lip while watching the first archery contestant nervously walk to the center of the small archery field. He wanted to watch Galion compete but he was told to stay at the front of group, considering the fact that he was fourth to go. He ran a hand over his bow, fingers lightly touching the small cracks and scratches. His favourite bow would always be his favourite bow no matter what. The first contestant was being slow and precise...too slow, in fact. He hadn't touched a single arrow and was eyeing the target intensely for more than five minutes. The friendly elf that had been checking off names earlier was urging him to notch an arrow. There were 29 other young competitors. As the elves in the large group were sighing impatiently and whispering tips to each other, Thranduil shifted away from the group, a little off to the side. He spotted his father standing directly in the front with other noble Noldors. He was crossing his arms and patiently observing the first contestant. His gaze shifted to his son and his lips spread into a broad grin. Oropher waved and put a hand over his heart: a symbol for "I love you". Thranduil grinned and put two hands over his heart: "I love you more". As he did that, the bow he held in his left hand collided with his forehead. He let out a small "ow..." And vigorously rubbed it. Oropher put his fingers over his mouth to hide a sympathetic smile and attempted a look of severe concern. After several seconds, Thranduil looked over to Oropher and waved. He was all right again.
"Lord Oropher, greetings. How was your day?" Galadriel suddenly materialized beside him, speaking in her quiet, stern voice.
"Lady Galadriel, greetings. It is well," Oropher's smile faltered as he turned to the tall Noldor. The woman was like a parasite, moving from realm to realm, seeking a place of her own to dominate. And she had been haunting Lorien of late. Malgalad was more or less indifferent, despite Oropher's warnings.
"That is good. You do not seem so pleased to see me," She kept her ghost of a smile on her face.
That was another thing that baffled and annoyed Oropher: her bluntness. Some things are not meant to be said.
"I am sorry. I do not mean to be. It must be the air, I am not used to being outside of the forest for so long," Oropher hated lying, but when it came to politeness, especially to Galadriel, lying seemed to be the only way to converse.
"I see. You would do well to go inside, then," She raised a thin golden eyebrow.
"My son is competing," Oropher focused his gaze back onto the archery field.
"Ah yes, Thranduil. We have met," She grabbed his attention again.
"You have? When?" He masked his anger with an air of curiosity. He didn't want his son to see Galadriel. The less he knew about her, the better.
"When he was spending time with Ereinion. He is your only son then?"
"Yes, he is," Oropher again turned back to observe the archery field. If she would just leave... Galadriel's eyes flitted from Oropher to Thranduil and back.
"I will leave now. I bid you a good night," Galadriel said, giving a long look at Oropher before silently floating away. Oropher let out a deep sigh and his eyes fluttered in confusion. Why did she talk to him if she truly knew the way he felt? His thoughts were interrupted by the role-calling elf who shouted out Thranduil's name.
"Prince Thranduil of Greenwood!" Oropher smiled as all the older elves' attention snapped to the little royal figure. Inwardly, Thranduil cringed. He had specifically told the elf that his name was Thranduil, NOT Prince Thranduil! Now that all eyes were on him, he began to feel the effects of nervousness. His bow was slippery in his sweaty hand and the young elves behind him were pointing and whispering. What were they saying? He swallowed hard and stood in the middle of the archery field. Now the field was put into a different perspective. It appeared to be a sea of grass, stretching in a wide circle, never-ending...And he was alone in the center. All alone. Short, fast gasps came from his throat and he cast his eyes wildly around him. The elf! He saw the older elf who had helped him with his archery earlier leaning casually on a tree off to the side of the field. The elf had smiled and pointed as his own head. Of course! The advice. What to do? What to do? Thranduil reached back and grabbed an arrow, while stumbling through his memory. Forget everyone else....focus on his target....wait until the wind dies down......what else? There was something he forgot! What was it? He turned his head to look at his father, receiving an encouraging smile. That relaxed him. He wanted to please his father. To show him that he had learned his lessons well at home. He then looked at the older elf and managed a small smile. He wouldn't disappoint him! He mustn't. Thranduil focused on the target. The world around him melted into a pale green mist with distant voices. The red target. That was all he saw. He slowly drew back his arrow.
"Fly like the wind and as straight as a falcon....." He whispered. And he released it. He heard a faint thud as the arrow buried itself into the wooden circle. He blinked furiously and the world returned to normal. He sighed, relieved. It was over. He looked at the target. His arrow had been close! So close to the center....about half an inch away from it. Oropher let out a bated breath and tuned out the surrounding murmurs and praises. He strode to the field and plucked Thranduil off the ground. Normally, parents were not allowed to enter the field until the contest was over, but of course, the king of Greenwood was an exception.
"You did so well, Thranduil! So well!" He kissed his son's forehead.
"I did? You really think so?" Thranduil was overjoyed. So long as his father was happy, he was happy.
"Of course!" Oropher put him back down. "Now behave and watch everyone else compete. You wouldn't want them to leave while you were competing, hm?"
"Can I sit on your lap?" Thranduil flashed another one of his charming smiles.
"How I spoil you...." Thranduil took that for a yes and scrambled into Oropher's lap once he sat down on the thick, soft grass. Cheerful and feeling at peace, Thranduil did not notice the older elf look at him in quiet pride and admiration. The little one could learn. And learn fast. Thranduil also did not notice the older elf's younger brother glare daggers at him and silently seething.
'That Silvan, stuck-up prince thinks he can win everything! I'll show him who's better. Noldors always get first place. I'm going to hit dead center,' the young, spiteful elf thought to himself. It was almost his turn. 'Thranduil had better be watching so he can cry his eyes out over losing to ME'. A Noldor's pride is his downfall, it has been said. And it would soon prove true again.
Galion sighed. That was the bad thing about being first, having to wait until everyone else was finished. The judges were passive and taciturn, revealing no clue as to who was the winner. He looked over to the archery field and stood on his tip-toes to try and see Thranduil. Where was he? He frowned and fiddled with his sword. Then the blessed words came.
"And we're done!" The elf who was monitoring the sword ground announced. There were more contestants in the archery contest than the sword fighting, so the sword-wielding children quietly merged with the last of the archery contestants and watched. Those who did not do so well in the archery contest, mainly due to nerves, were sobbing in their parents' arms. Soothing whispers floated about the crowd like steam and the remaining adults were waiting impatiently. Patience may have been a great virtue among elves, but there were limits and the excitement of the tournaments pushed them a little faster than expected. Gil-galad was peering down at the judges' papers from the sword fighting contest, checking over the comments and approving the winners with his signature. A young lad discreetly walked towards the high king and tapped him on the shoulder, indicating that his task was carried out. Gil-galad smiled and thanked the boy, taking the wooden box from him and opening it. He would be presenting the winners with their ribbons. Soon, the archery contest was over and the adults let pent-up words fall quickly from their lips. After Gil-galad had checked over the judges' papers from the archery contest, he nodded and let the role-calling elf announce the winners presentation.
"My lords and ladies, we thank you for attending this most exciting display of talent and-" At this, those who had not done so well in the contests started to cry again. After a moment of hushing, the elf resumed his speech, "- skill. We thank the parents for their support and the children, most of all, for being brave contenders. And-" One child who did exceptionally poor burst into tears and released a high-pitched wail. The mother apologized repeatedly and embarrassingly led her son away. The role- calling elf waited for a few moments before resuming again. Lucky that he has infinite patience, Gil-galad sighed. "- now we would like to announce the winners, starting from third place in each category." A different elf was assigned this task and took a piece of paper from one of the judges. One by one the winners came up to shake the elf's hand and to bend head forward to let Gil-galad loop the respective ribbons around their necks.
"Ada, the third-place winners do not seem so happy. Third place is good, isn't it?" Thranduil looked up at his father. He was still seated in his lap.
"It is good...but some children think that first place is better. They cannot see the larger picture. It is not the award that matters but what you have learned from your experience. Only then can you be wiser," Oropher patted Thranduil's head. He nodded and after a moment, turned his face up again.
"They seem frightened when they see Gil-galad. Why is that?" Oropher opened his mouth and began to speak when Thranduil jumped up, startled, when his name was called for the second place in the archery contest. Thranduil sported a broad grin and gave Oropher a bear hug before leaping forward to receive his ribbon.
"Here you go, Thranduil. Second place. That's very good," Gil-galad placed the red ribbon around Thranduil and patted his shoulder. He nearly fell over backwards when Thranduil flung himself on Gil-galad and hugged him around the waist.
"Thank you, Gil-galad!" The Noldor children looked on in a mixture of shock and awe. What would Gil-galad do now?
"Oh! Well, you're very welcome, little one," Gil-galad smiled and patted Thranduil's head. Thranduil grinned and skipped back to his father, who had stood up already.
"Ada, look! It's pretty, isn't it?" Thranduil eagerly waved his ribbon, much to the envy of many other children.
"Very, my son. Now do not flaunt it and keep it down. You do not want to make other children angry now, do you?" Oropher had noticed the looks of envy and fury flung Thranduil's way.
"No, ada. Never. Would- Oh! Ada! Galion won first place for sword fighting! Hooray!" Thranduil shot over the field of grass and hugged Galion after he received his blue ribbon.
"He seems to be so happy with second place. And happy for others as well. He will grow up to be a good elf. And he seems to love hugging everyone today," Oropher chuckled to himself. He watched the two small elves rejoice and wondered if Thranduil ever got tired of his old father and needed a friend at home. Gil-galad had come up behind Oropher and overhearing the self-observation, responded,
"Indeed he does,"
To be continued...
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How was it? ^^ *points to review button*
Oy, I'm sorry I am not doing the reviewer responses today. ^^; I have much homework to do and I must hurry off! Thank you to those who have reviewed though. Your feedback is much appreciated!!
randomwriter96
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own LOTR. And I am broke. Yes.
Note: This is my attempt at recreating Thranduil's childhood and life thereon using the info I have from the Silmarillion, the Unfinished Tales, LOTR, etc. And websites such as the Encyclopedia of Arda. Do not hesitate to tell me if I have a mistake or not. ^^;
Enjoy. :o) And thank you for reviewing.
********************************************************
Thranduil bit his lip while watching the first archery contestant nervously walk to the center of the small archery field. He wanted to watch Galion compete but he was told to stay at the front of group, considering the fact that he was fourth to go. He ran a hand over his bow, fingers lightly touching the small cracks and scratches. His favourite bow would always be his favourite bow no matter what. The first contestant was being slow and precise...too slow, in fact. He hadn't touched a single arrow and was eyeing the target intensely for more than five minutes. The friendly elf that had been checking off names earlier was urging him to notch an arrow. There were 29 other young competitors. As the elves in the large group were sighing impatiently and whispering tips to each other, Thranduil shifted away from the group, a little off to the side. He spotted his father standing directly in the front with other noble Noldors. He was crossing his arms and patiently observing the first contestant. His gaze shifted to his son and his lips spread into a broad grin. Oropher waved and put a hand over his heart: a symbol for "I love you". Thranduil grinned and put two hands over his heart: "I love you more". As he did that, the bow he held in his left hand collided with his forehead. He let out a small "ow..." And vigorously rubbed it. Oropher put his fingers over his mouth to hide a sympathetic smile and attempted a look of severe concern. After several seconds, Thranduil looked over to Oropher and waved. He was all right again.
"Lord Oropher, greetings. How was your day?" Galadriel suddenly materialized beside him, speaking in her quiet, stern voice.
"Lady Galadriel, greetings. It is well," Oropher's smile faltered as he turned to the tall Noldor. The woman was like a parasite, moving from realm to realm, seeking a place of her own to dominate. And she had been haunting Lorien of late. Malgalad was more or less indifferent, despite Oropher's warnings.
"That is good. You do not seem so pleased to see me," She kept her ghost of a smile on her face.
That was another thing that baffled and annoyed Oropher: her bluntness. Some things are not meant to be said.
"I am sorry. I do not mean to be. It must be the air, I am not used to being outside of the forest for so long," Oropher hated lying, but when it came to politeness, especially to Galadriel, lying seemed to be the only way to converse.
"I see. You would do well to go inside, then," She raised a thin golden eyebrow.
"My son is competing," Oropher focused his gaze back onto the archery field.
"Ah yes, Thranduil. We have met," She grabbed his attention again.
"You have? When?" He masked his anger with an air of curiosity. He didn't want his son to see Galadriel. The less he knew about her, the better.
"When he was spending time with Ereinion. He is your only son then?"
"Yes, he is," Oropher again turned back to observe the archery field. If she would just leave... Galadriel's eyes flitted from Oropher to Thranduil and back.
"I will leave now. I bid you a good night," Galadriel said, giving a long look at Oropher before silently floating away. Oropher let out a deep sigh and his eyes fluttered in confusion. Why did she talk to him if she truly knew the way he felt? His thoughts were interrupted by the role-calling elf who shouted out Thranduil's name.
"Prince Thranduil of Greenwood!" Oropher smiled as all the older elves' attention snapped to the little royal figure. Inwardly, Thranduil cringed. He had specifically told the elf that his name was Thranduil, NOT Prince Thranduil! Now that all eyes were on him, he began to feel the effects of nervousness. His bow was slippery in his sweaty hand and the young elves behind him were pointing and whispering. What were they saying? He swallowed hard and stood in the middle of the archery field. Now the field was put into a different perspective. It appeared to be a sea of grass, stretching in a wide circle, never-ending...And he was alone in the center. All alone. Short, fast gasps came from his throat and he cast his eyes wildly around him. The elf! He saw the older elf who had helped him with his archery earlier leaning casually on a tree off to the side of the field. The elf had smiled and pointed as his own head. Of course! The advice. What to do? What to do? Thranduil reached back and grabbed an arrow, while stumbling through his memory. Forget everyone else....focus on his target....wait until the wind dies down......what else? There was something he forgot! What was it? He turned his head to look at his father, receiving an encouraging smile. That relaxed him. He wanted to please his father. To show him that he had learned his lessons well at home. He then looked at the older elf and managed a small smile. He wouldn't disappoint him! He mustn't. Thranduil focused on the target. The world around him melted into a pale green mist with distant voices. The red target. That was all he saw. He slowly drew back his arrow.
"Fly like the wind and as straight as a falcon....." He whispered. And he released it. He heard a faint thud as the arrow buried itself into the wooden circle. He blinked furiously and the world returned to normal. He sighed, relieved. It was over. He looked at the target. His arrow had been close! So close to the center....about half an inch away from it. Oropher let out a bated breath and tuned out the surrounding murmurs and praises. He strode to the field and plucked Thranduil off the ground. Normally, parents were not allowed to enter the field until the contest was over, but of course, the king of Greenwood was an exception.
"You did so well, Thranduil! So well!" He kissed his son's forehead.
"I did? You really think so?" Thranduil was overjoyed. So long as his father was happy, he was happy.
"Of course!" Oropher put him back down. "Now behave and watch everyone else compete. You wouldn't want them to leave while you were competing, hm?"
"Can I sit on your lap?" Thranduil flashed another one of his charming smiles.
"How I spoil you...." Thranduil took that for a yes and scrambled into Oropher's lap once he sat down on the thick, soft grass. Cheerful and feeling at peace, Thranduil did not notice the older elf look at him in quiet pride and admiration. The little one could learn. And learn fast. Thranduil also did not notice the older elf's younger brother glare daggers at him and silently seething.
'That Silvan, stuck-up prince thinks he can win everything! I'll show him who's better. Noldors always get first place. I'm going to hit dead center,' the young, spiteful elf thought to himself. It was almost his turn. 'Thranduil had better be watching so he can cry his eyes out over losing to ME'. A Noldor's pride is his downfall, it has been said. And it would soon prove true again.
Galion sighed. That was the bad thing about being first, having to wait until everyone else was finished. The judges were passive and taciturn, revealing no clue as to who was the winner. He looked over to the archery field and stood on his tip-toes to try and see Thranduil. Where was he? He frowned and fiddled with his sword. Then the blessed words came.
"And we're done!" The elf who was monitoring the sword ground announced. There were more contestants in the archery contest than the sword fighting, so the sword-wielding children quietly merged with the last of the archery contestants and watched. Those who did not do so well in the archery contest, mainly due to nerves, were sobbing in their parents' arms. Soothing whispers floated about the crowd like steam and the remaining adults were waiting impatiently. Patience may have been a great virtue among elves, but there were limits and the excitement of the tournaments pushed them a little faster than expected. Gil-galad was peering down at the judges' papers from the sword fighting contest, checking over the comments and approving the winners with his signature. A young lad discreetly walked towards the high king and tapped him on the shoulder, indicating that his task was carried out. Gil-galad smiled and thanked the boy, taking the wooden box from him and opening it. He would be presenting the winners with their ribbons. Soon, the archery contest was over and the adults let pent-up words fall quickly from their lips. After Gil-galad had checked over the judges' papers from the archery contest, he nodded and let the role-calling elf announce the winners presentation.
"My lords and ladies, we thank you for attending this most exciting display of talent and-" At this, those who had not done so well in the contests started to cry again. After a moment of hushing, the elf resumed his speech, "- skill. We thank the parents for their support and the children, most of all, for being brave contenders. And-" One child who did exceptionally poor burst into tears and released a high-pitched wail. The mother apologized repeatedly and embarrassingly led her son away. The role- calling elf waited for a few moments before resuming again. Lucky that he has infinite patience, Gil-galad sighed. "- now we would like to announce the winners, starting from third place in each category." A different elf was assigned this task and took a piece of paper from one of the judges. One by one the winners came up to shake the elf's hand and to bend head forward to let Gil-galad loop the respective ribbons around their necks.
"Ada, the third-place winners do not seem so happy. Third place is good, isn't it?" Thranduil looked up at his father. He was still seated in his lap.
"It is good...but some children think that first place is better. They cannot see the larger picture. It is not the award that matters but what you have learned from your experience. Only then can you be wiser," Oropher patted Thranduil's head. He nodded and after a moment, turned his face up again.
"They seem frightened when they see Gil-galad. Why is that?" Oropher opened his mouth and began to speak when Thranduil jumped up, startled, when his name was called for the second place in the archery contest. Thranduil sported a broad grin and gave Oropher a bear hug before leaping forward to receive his ribbon.
"Here you go, Thranduil. Second place. That's very good," Gil-galad placed the red ribbon around Thranduil and patted his shoulder. He nearly fell over backwards when Thranduil flung himself on Gil-galad and hugged him around the waist.
"Thank you, Gil-galad!" The Noldor children looked on in a mixture of shock and awe. What would Gil-galad do now?
"Oh! Well, you're very welcome, little one," Gil-galad smiled and patted Thranduil's head. Thranduil grinned and skipped back to his father, who had stood up already.
"Ada, look! It's pretty, isn't it?" Thranduil eagerly waved his ribbon, much to the envy of many other children.
"Very, my son. Now do not flaunt it and keep it down. You do not want to make other children angry now, do you?" Oropher had noticed the looks of envy and fury flung Thranduil's way.
"No, ada. Never. Would- Oh! Ada! Galion won first place for sword fighting! Hooray!" Thranduil shot over the field of grass and hugged Galion after he received his blue ribbon.
"He seems to be so happy with second place. And happy for others as well. He will grow up to be a good elf. And he seems to love hugging everyone today," Oropher chuckled to himself. He watched the two small elves rejoice and wondered if Thranduil ever got tired of his old father and needed a friend at home. Gil-galad had come up behind Oropher and overhearing the self-observation, responded,
"Indeed he does,"
To be continued...
********************************************************
How was it? ^^ *points to review button*
Oy, I'm sorry I am not doing the reviewer responses today. ^^; I have much homework to do and I must hurry off! Thank you to those who have reviewed though. Your feedback is much appreciated!!