Chapter Seven :: Waking Up
The small family was gathered together in the room Legolas was placed in. For almost an hour now, Elrond had been trying to help the battered elf. To anyone else, the outlook would have been bleak, but not to Elrond and his sons. Legolas had pulled himself out of the water after falling down a waterfall. Then, he trekked all the way to Imladris. They were almost certain that Legolas would pull through this.
Elladan was half-asleep in his chair when Elrond finally stood up and sighed heavily.
"I've done all I can," explained the elf-lord, a bit of sorrow in his voice. "There is only one thing left to do, and that is wait."
"Go to bed, Ada. I can look after Legolas," said his eldest son. "You have taught me enough."
His father nodded and left the room. Elladan replaced his father in the chair next to Legolas's bed. It was strange, watching him sleep with his eyes closed. The prince looked so peaceful.
"You have to wake up," said Elladan with a slight laugh. "We still have to tag team Celondir. I thought he was gone, too, but he's not. I saw him the other day. I've been seeing a lot of him for the past two years, and he hasn't changed. I think two of his friends went to Lothlorien. I'm not sure."
Estel looked over at Elladan. "Why are you talking to Legolas? Can he hear you?" asked the curious child.
"I do not know. I have never really thought about it. 'Tis a very rare occasion that someone is brought to Rivendell in a state such as this. So far, actually, it has never been a close friend of mine."
"What if they don't wake up?"
"Then they have died."
"I don't think Legolas is going to die," stated Estel plainly.
"And why do you think that?" questioned Elladan.
"Because he said everything was going to be fine. If he dies, everything can not be fine. Therefore, he will not die."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Several slow days went by. Elrond was successful in getting back to his daily routine. He did, however, come and sit with his sons. The three boys were constantly in the room in which Legolas was recovering.
After about five days, their waiting proved worthwhile. They weren't awake, however, to notice.
Estel sat in the room alone. It was very late, and his brothers were already asleep. His little mind was wondering off when he heard a strange rustling. A bright smile came to his face when he looked over and saw Legolas finally waking up!
Legolas slowly opened his eyes. Sometimes, he wished he could stay unconscious. The headaches that followed were hell. Not moving too much, he managed to look around the room. It was dark, meaning he woke up at night. The twins were asleep.
The little child crawled across the bed and sat near Legolas. He smiled brightly at the elf, which startled him a little. He was expecting Estel to be afraid of him, not waiting for him to wake up.
"Estel? Why are you not asleep? It is very late," said the prince.
"Because I was waiting for you to wake up! Now everything is fine!" responded the human child happily.
The elf laughed and sat up. He met Estel's questioning gaze. "What bothers you?" he asked.
"How did you make it all the way back to Imladris without dying? You fell down pretty far," responded the boy.
"It's a special thing that I can do," said Legolas. He was really just trying to find a quick explanation that would not lead to more questions.
Sadly, his attempt failed. "A special thing that you do? Almost dying is a special thing?"
He laughed and ruffled Estel's dark hair. "No, being able to survive on only hope is a special thing," he said with a smile. "I knew that everyone would be sad if I died, so I came back."
"Do you know if I can do a special thing?" asked Estel.
"Yes you can," responded Legolas. "You can bring out the good in anyone and brighten an awful day."
"Really?"
"You brought the good out in me."
Estel smiled brightly. For the third time, Legolas smiled.
"You need to get to bed, Estel. It is very late," said the prince, basically rewording his phrase from before.
"Can I spend the day with you tomorrow?" asked the boy with a smile.
"Of course. What do you want to do?" asked Legolas.
"Can you teach me how to shoot a bow? I heard Elladan talking to you when you were asleep and he said that you were really good. I only have a toy bow, but that does not mean that I can not learn," explained Estel.
"We will have to see what Lord Elrond says, but I promise, if not tomorrow, then someday," said the prince. "Now, off to bed with you or you will be tired to learn anything."
Estel smiled and curled up next to the elf. Before Legolas could protest, the boy was asleep. He pulled the blanket over him and smiled.
"Thank you, Estel."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Elladan and Elrohir woke up a few hours after sunrise. Their little brother was still lying asleep next to Legolas. Elrond walked in to suggest that the boys get some breakfast as Elladan picked up Elrohir.
Everyone suddenly froze.
All eyes on the room, save for Estel's, were on Legolas as he woke up and looked at them.
"Good morning?" he said, slightly uncertain why he was being stared at like that.
"You're awake?" asked Elrohir, astounded.
"Actually, I woke up last night, but I was still tired. After convincing Estel to sleep, I fell asleep as well," explained the prince.
Elladan smiled and laughed, "Legolas! You are more trouble than you're worth!"
Elrond laughed, "Well, as long as he is awake, he might as well join us for breakfast. That is, if he is feeling up to it."
The prince laughed, then stood up unsteadily. "Don't worry about me."
"I think we've done enough of that during the last few days," responded Elrohir, standing near Legolas in case he fell.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Estel awoke to the smell of bread. He opened his eyes and saw Legolas kneeling next to his bed.
"You missed breakfast, not that it was much more than fruit," said the prince. "I saved you some bread."
The boy sat up and took the bread thankfully. "Did Ada say I could learn to shoot a bow today?" he asked after finishing the food.
Legolas smiled, "Get your bow."
The small family was gathered together in the room Legolas was placed in. For almost an hour now, Elrond had been trying to help the battered elf. To anyone else, the outlook would have been bleak, but not to Elrond and his sons. Legolas had pulled himself out of the water after falling down a waterfall. Then, he trekked all the way to Imladris. They were almost certain that Legolas would pull through this.
Elladan was half-asleep in his chair when Elrond finally stood up and sighed heavily.
"I've done all I can," explained the elf-lord, a bit of sorrow in his voice. "There is only one thing left to do, and that is wait."
"Go to bed, Ada. I can look after Legolas," said his eldest son. "You have taught me enough."
His father nodded and left the room. Elladan replaced his father in the chair next to Legolas's bed. It was strange, watching him sleep with his eyes closed. The prince looked so peaceful.
"You have to wake up," said Elladan with a slight laugh. "We still have to tag team Celondir. I thought he was gone, too, but he's not. I saw him the other day. I've been seeing a lot of him for the past two years, and he hasn't changed. I think two of his friends went to Lothlorien. I'm not sure."
Estel looked over at Elladan. "Why are you talking to Legolas? Can he hear you?" asked the curious child.
"I do not know. I have never really thought about it. 'Tis a very rare occasion that someone is brought to Rivendell in a state such as this. So far, actually, it has never been a close friend of mine."
"What if they don't wake up?"
"Then they have died."
"I don't think Legolas is going to die," stated Estel plainly.
"And why do you think that?" questioned Elladan.
"Because he said everything was going to be fine. If he dies, everything can not be fine. Therefore, he will not die."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Several slow days went by. Elrond was successful in getting back to his daily routine. He did, however, come and sit with his sons. The three boys were constantly in the room in which Legolas was recovering.
After about five days, their waiting proved worthwhile. They weren't awake, however, to notice.
Estel sat in the room alone. It was very late, and his brothers were already asleep. His little mind was wondering off when he heard a strange rustling. A bright smile came to his face when he looked over and saw Legolas finally waking up!
Legolas slowly opened his eyes. Sometimes, he wished he could stay unconscious. The headaches that followed were hell. Not moving too much, he managed to look around the room. It was dark, meaning he woke up at night. The twins were asleep.
The little child crawled across the bed and sat near Legolas. He smiled brightly at the elf, which startled him a little. He was expecting Estel to be afraid of him, not waiting for him to wake up.
"Estel? Why are you not asleep? It is very late," said the prince.
"Because I was waiting for you to wake up! Now everything is fine!" responded the human child happily.
The elf laughed and sat up. He met Estel's questioning gaze. "What bothers you?" he asked.
"How did you make it all the way back to Imladris without dying? You fell down pretty far," responded the boy.
"It's a special thing that I can do," said Legolas. He was really just trying to find a quick explanation that would not lead to more questions.
Sadly, his attempt failed. "A special thing that you do? Almost dying is a special thing?"
He laughed and ruffled Estel's dark hair. "No, being able to survive on only hope is a special thing," he said with a smile. "I knew that everyone would be sad if I died, so I came back."
"Do you know if I can do a special thing?" asked Estel.
"Yes you can," responded Legolas. "You can bring out the good in anyone and brighten an awful day."
"Really?"
"You brought the good out in me."
Estel smiled brightly. For the third time, Legolas smiled.
"You need to get to bed, Estel. It is very late," said the prince, basically rewording his phrase from before.
"Can I spend the day with you tomorrow?" asked the boy with a smile.
"Of course. What do you want to do?" asked Legolas.
"Can you teach me how to shoot a bow? I heard Elladan talking to you when you were asleep and he said that you were really good. I only have a toy bow, but that does not mean that I can not learn," explained Estel.
"We will have to see what Lord Elrond says, but I promise, if not tomorrow, then someday," said the prince. "Now, off to bed with you or you will be tired to learn anything."
Estel smiled and curled up next to the elf. Before Legolas could protest, the boy was asleep. He pulled the blanket over him and smiled.
"Thank you, Estel."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Elladan and Elrohir woke up a few hours after sunrise. Their little brother was still lying asleep next to Legolas. Elrond walked in to suggest that the boys get some breakfast as Elladan picked up Elrohir.
Everyone suddenly froze.
All eyes on the room, save for Estel's, were on Legolas as he woke up and looked at them.
"Good morning?" he said, slightly uncertain why he was being stared at like that.
"You're awake?" asked Elrohir, astounded.
"Actually, I woke up last night, but I was still tired. After convincing Estel to sleep, I fell asleep as well," explained the prince.
Elladan smiled and laughed, "Legolas! You are more trouble than you're worth!"
Elrond laughed, "Well, as long as he is awake, he might as well join us for breakfast. That is, if he is feeling up to it."
The prince laughed, then stood up unsteadily. "Don't worry about me."
"I think we've done enough of that during the last few days," responded Elrohir, standing near Legolas in case he fell.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Estel awoke to the smell of bread. He opened his eyes and saw Legolas kneeling next to his bed.
"You missed breakfast, not that it was much more than fruit," said the prince. "I saved you some bread."
The boy sat up and took the bread thankfully. "Did Ada say I could learn to shoot a bow today?" he asked after finishing the food.
Legolas smiled, "Get your bow."