Second Verse
~
Legolas was talking quietly to Nuquer about how happy he was they were together, Nuquer was smiling and blushing and trying to convey her feelings which were much the same to him as well.
"Nuquer, you're so-" Legolas was cut short when the doors of the hall were opened suddenly and the bright lights from the corridor illuminated the dimly lit dining hall.
It was Bragolfin and her two accompaniments. Bragolfin had outdone herself this time, her robes were a magnificent golden shimmer and her hair was pulled into an elaborate style usually reserved for only the most formal of event, overdressed for the occasion at hand surely.
"What in the world?" Legolas asked at the same time as many others.
"Is that Bragolfin?" Nilhisie asked in disbelief, not that he ever thought her ugly but she had never been attractive to him before, before this. She had called upon the help of the most prestigious serving women to help her prepare, hence the 'fashionably' late arrival. Everyone in the hall had their eyes on Bragolfin and, she knew it.
Bragolfin strolled nonchalantly to where her father and King Thranduil were seated and gave her greetings.
"Father, His Majesty." Bragolfin smiled at both and headed towards Legolas, much to Nuquer's disliking.
Nuquer had never hated anyone before in her life and this elf was very much testing that boundary. Nuquer was angry because of the interruption of Legolas and his lovely compliments to her, which any girl loves, and because she knew that Bragolfin would come try to torment her.
"Good evening, Legolas, Nilhisie." Bragolfin smiled radiantly, a lit shimmer that was in her hair catching the candlelight on her lips. Poor Laithol and Tarfirith's robes were ridiculously dull compared to Bragolfin's. Both were dressed in the same pale yellow robes that did nothing for their features and made both of them look quite washed out against their stark blond hair. Their hairstyles were that of everyday wear to match the dullness they portrayed.
"Bragolfin." Both Legolas and Nilhisie replied in a sort of stupor.
"You both look handsome tonight." Bragolfin complimented the two.
"You look very nice as well." Legolas replied back kindly. Nilhisie nodded but didn't say anything.
"Thank you." Bragolfin smiled and glanced at Nuquer to make sure she was hearing all this.
Nuquer crossed her arms and stared back at Bragolfin, she knew what game she was trying to play and two could play at that, "Legolas, I'd love to dance." Nuquer ran her hand down Legolas's arm to fully recall his divided attention. Legolas soon forgot about Bragolfin completely and lead Nuquer by the hand out to dance.
Bragolfin's smiled faded quickly as she watched Legolas lead Nuquer away, that little wench was going to get what she deserved some day.
"Nilhisie, would you care to have a dance with me?" Bragolfin asked sweetly.
"Actually I was going to dance with Flora now." Nilhisie replied quickly and dragged Flora away from the table with him and to where Nuquer and Legolas were wrapped in each other's arms.
"Legolas, your stalker is starting to stalk me as well." Nilhisie said as he wrapped Flora into his arms.
"I'm sorry but, then again it's not really my fault now is it?" Legolas smiled and snuck a glance to see if Bragolfin was anywhere around.
"Do you think she looks pretty tonight?" Nuquer asked of Legolas.
"Why does it matter?" Legolas smiled at her.
"I just want to know, you told her she looked nice." Nuquer pouted a little for effect.
"Nuquer, there's a difference between looking nice and pretty and beautiful." Legolas smiled some more and pulled her closer to him.
"And what is that?" Nuquer tickled the back of Legolas's neck with her finger.
"Nice, is just you know, average and pretty is a little better and beautiful is just someone who must have been sent right from the Valor themselves." Legolas explained.
"Oh." Nuquer looked at Legolas, not quite sure what to say.
"Like you, you look beautiful tonight, beyond beautiful, gorgeous in every way." Legolas smiled.
"Aw, Legolas, I don't know what to say. Thank you." Nuquer smiled and blushed a little at the very generous comment.
"Hey lovebirds, ready to ditch this party?" Nilhisie and Flora were dancing next to Legolas and Nuquer.
"Where are we going." Legolas asked.
"Losenov and Celebfaug have 'borrowed' some wine from the cellar and there's a few others that are all meeting out in the woods, you know, the usual." Nilhisie winked.
"The 'usual'?" Nuquer looked at Legolas.
"Just something we used to do when we were younger all the time." Legolas explained and the four started to head nonchalantly towards the doors.
Soon the four had disappeared out the door and were on their way to the sacred place where these meetings had been happening for quite some time.
When they arrived eight other elves were already waiting.
"Losenov, Celebfaug!" Legolas called to his two friends as he entered the clearing.
"Hey, Legolas, haven't had one of these parties in a while have we?" Losenov laughed and handed Legolas a glass, "I got the best there is down there!"
"Is this the wine from down in the cellar?" Nuquer asked as she looked at the five rather large barrels set up.
"Of course it is, and the best kind there is too, it was made by the men down the river. At first it tastes strange but once you get used to it, it's fun." Celebfaug smiled and handed Nuquer a glass.
"This is ale!" Flora exclaimed after she took a drink.
"What?" Celebfaug looked at her.
"It's ale, what men call it." Flora explained after she recognized the taste of it though this was much stronger than she had ever tasted.
"Well, no wonder it always makes us feel so good!" One of the girls they didn't recognize giggled, "I'm Lorindo, by the way. And this is Gilraen." The maiden pointed to the elf standing next to her. "Hello." The elf smiled at Flora and Nuquer. The two were obviously together by the way they had their arms wrapped around each other.
"Shh, I hear someone coming!" Losenov suddenly whispered to the group and everyone grew silent.
"I don't hear anything." Flora said after a few moments of what she deemed was silence.
"Elven hearing darling." Nilhisie reminded her quietly.
Soon enough the very faint sound of rustling leaves could be heard drawing near the clearing.
"Do we run or what?" Celebfaug looked to the other's for an answer.
"RUN!" Nilhisie shouted as two guards came within eyesight of the clearing.
"Wait!" Flora grabbed Nilhisie's hand and tried to keep up with his quick pace.
The group of elves went flying into the forest in all different directions, the two guards weren't quite sure whom they should go after and compromised by confiscating the alcohol.
"Darn kids, can't do anything with them these days." One guard commented to the other as they did their best to roll the barrels back towards the palace.
"I think we can make an assumption of who those kids were though." The other guard smiled.
"Prince Legolas, Nilhisie, Celebfaug, and Losenov were most definitely here, I can assure you of that." The first guard laughed.
"And you forget the two maidens with them now, lady Nuquer and lady Flora."
"Then there's Losenov and Celebfaug's maiden friends, Carnil and Eregoin."
"And the rest of the group Lorindo, Neldoroth, Lomelinde, Lindar, Gilraen, and of course Rauros." The guard effectively named off every elf who had been in the clearing with precision. This wasn't the first time this sort of thing had happened.
~
"You think they know it was us?" Nilhisie asked Legolas when the four had stopped running.
"I don't think so." Legolas replied looking behind him just to make sure they weren't being followed.
"Oh, you know they know." Nilhisie sighed.
"And even if it wasn't us, who would get blamed?"
"Us." Nilhisie laughed knowing full-well Thranduil would blame them for anything gone wrong.
"We are the youngest in Mirkwood, therefor the mischief makers." Legolas laughed.
"Yea well, just wait until Elladan and Elrohir come for a visit, then we'll show Mirkwood real mischief!"
"Don't forget Haldir, Orophin, and Rumil!" Legolas added.
"Can we go back to the palace now, it's really cold out." Flora hated to interrupt their conversation but she was beginning to shiver and her toes her going numb.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I forget that you are affected by the cold. I'm sorry, come on let's hurry back." Nilhisie wrapped his arms around Flora and started to lead her back to the palace.
"That's so cute!" Nuquer whispered to Legolas as they followed behind the two.
~
~
Legolas was talking quietly to Nuquer about how happy he was they were together, Nuquer was smiling and blushing and trying to convey her feelings which were much the same to him as well.
"Nuquer, you're so-" Legolas was cut short when the doors of the hall were opened suddenly and the bright lights from the corridor illuminated the dimly lit dining hall.
It was Bragolfin and her two accompaniments. Bragolfin had outdone herself this time, her robes were a magnificent golden shimmer and her hair was pulled into an elaborate style usually reserved for only the most formal of event, overdressed for the occasion at hand surely.
"What in the world?" Legolas asked at the same time as many others.
"Is that Bragolfin?" Nilhisie asked in disbelief, not that he ever thought her ugly but she had never been attractive to him before, before this. She had called upon the help of the most prestigious serving women to help her prepare, hence the 'fashionably' late arrival. Everyone in the hall had their eyes on Bragolfin and, she knew it.
Bragolfin strolled nonchalantly to where her father and King Thranduil were seated and gave her greetings.
"Father, His Majesty." Bragolfin smiled at both and headed towards Legolas, much to Nuquer's disliking.
Nuquer had never hated anyone before in her life and this elf was very much testing that boundary. Nuquer was angry because of the interruption of Legolas and his lovely compliments to her, which any girl loves, and because she knew that Bragolfin would come try to torment her.
"Good evening, Legolas, Nilhisie." Bragolfin smiled radiantly, a lit shimmer that was in her hair catching the candlelight on her lips. Poor Laithol and Tarfirith's robes were ridiculously dull compared to Bragolfin's. Both were dressed in the same pale yellow robes that did nothing for their features and made both of them look quite washed out against their stark blond hair. Their hairstyles were that of everyday wear to match the dullness they portrayed.
"Bragolfin." Both Legolas and Nilhisie replied in a sort of stupor.
"You both look handsome tonight." Bragolfin complimented the two.
"You look very nice as well." Legolas replied back kindly. Nilhisie nodded but didn't say anything.
"Thank you." Bragolfin smiled and glanced at Nuquer to make sure she was hearing all this.
Nuquer crossed her arms and stared back at Bragolfin, she knew what game she was trying to play and two could play at that, "Legolas, I'd love to dance." Nuquer ran her hand down Legolas's arm to fully recall his divided attention. Legolas soon forgot about Bragolfin completely and lead Nuquer by the hand out to dance.
Bragolfin's smiled faded quickly as she watched Legolas lead Nuquer away, that little wench was going to get what she deserved some day.
"Nilhisie, would you care to have a dance with me?" Bragolfin asked sweetly.
"Actually I was going to dance with Flora now." Nilhisie replied quickly and dragged Flora away from the table with him and to where Nuquer and Legolas were wrapped in each other's arms.
"Legolas, your stalker is starting to stalk me as well." Nilhisie said as he wrapped Flora into his arms.
"I'm sorry but, then again it's not really my fault now is it?" Legolas smiled and snuck a glance to see if Bragolfin was anywhere around.
"Do you think she looks pretty tonight?" Nuquer asked of Legolas.
"Why does it matter?" Legolas smiled at her.
"I just want to know, you told her she looked nice." Nuquer pouted a little for effect.
"Nuquer, there's a difference between looking nice and pretty and beautiful." Legolas smiled some more and pulled her closer to him.
"And what is that?" Nuquer tickled the back of Legolas's neck with her finger.
"Nice, is just you know, average and pretty is a little better and beautiful is just someone who must have been sent right from the Valor themselves." Legolas explained.
"Oh." Nuquer looked at Legolas, not quite sure what to say.
"Like you, you look beautiful tonight, beyond beautiful, gorgeous in every way." Legolas smiled.
"Aw, Legolas, I don't know what to say. Thank you." Nuquer smiled and blushed a little at the very generous comment.
"Hey lovebirds, ready to ditch this party?" Nilhisie and Flora were dancing next to Legolas and Nuquer.
"Where are we going." Legolas asked.
"Losenov and Celebfaug have 'borrowed' some wine from the cellar and there's a few others that are all meeting out in the woods, you know, the usual." Nilhisie winked.
"The 'usual'?" Nuquer looked at Legolas.
"Just something we used to do when we were younger all the time." Legolas explained and the four started to head nonchalantly towards the doors.
Soon the four had disappeared out the door and were on their way to the sacred place where these meetings had been happening for quite some time.
When they arrived eight other elves were already waiting.
"Losenov, Celebfaug!" Legolas called to his two friends as he entered the clearing.
"Hey, Legolas, haven't had one of these parties in a while have we?" Losenov laughed and handed Legolas a glass, "I got the best there is down there!"
"Is this the wine from down in the cellar?" Nuquer asked as she looked at the five rather large barrels set up.
"Of course it is, and the best kind there is too, it was made by the men down the river. At first it tastes strange but once you get used to it, it's fun." Celebfaug smiled and handed Nuquer a glass.
"This is ale!" Flora exclaimed after she took a drink.
"What?" Celebfaug looked at her.
"It's ale, what men call it." Flora explained after she recognized the taste of it though this was much stronger than she had ever tasted.
"Well, no wonder it always makes us feel so good!" One of the girls they didn't recognize giggled, "I'm Lorindo, by the way. And this is Gilraen." The maiden pointed to the elf standing next to her. "Hello." The elf smiled at Flora and Nuquer. The two were obviously together by the way they had their arms wrapped around each other.
"Shh, I hear someone coming!" Losenov suddenly whispered to the group and everyone grew silent.
"I don't hear anything." Flora said after a few moments of what she deemed was silence.
"Elven hearing darling." Nilhisie reminded her quietly.
Soon enough the very faint sound of rustling leaves could be heard drawing near the clearing.
"Do we run or what?" Celebfaug looked to the other's for an answer.
"RUN!" Nilhisie shouted as two guards came within eyesight of the clearing.
"Wait!" Flora grabbed Nilhisie's hand and tried to keep up with his quick pace.
The group of elves went flying into the forest in all different directions, the two guards weren't quite sure whom they should go after and compromised by confiscating the alcohol.
"Darn kids, can't do anything with them these days." One guard commented to the other as they did their best to roll the barrels back towards the palace.
"I think we can make an assumption of who those kids were though." The other guard smiled.
"Prince Legolas, Nilhisie, Celebfaug, and Losenov were most definitely here, I can assure you of that." The first guard laughed.
"And you forget the two maidens with them now, lady Nuquer and lady Flora."
"Then there's Losenov and Celebfaug's maiden friends, Carnil and Eregoin."
"And the rest of the group Lorindo, Neldoroth, Lomelinde, Lindar, Gilraen, and of course Rauros." The guard effectively named off every elf who had been in the clearing with precision. This wasn't the first time this sort of thing had happened.
~
"You think they know it was us?" Nilhisie asked Legolas when the four had stopped running.
"I don't think so." Legolas replied looking behind him just to make sure they weren't being followed.
"Oh, you know they know." Nilhisie sighed.
"And even if it wasn't us, who would get blamed?"
"Us." Nilhisie laughed knowing full-well Thranduil would blame them for anything gone wrong.
"We are the youngest in Mirkwood, therefor the mischief makers." Legolas laughed.
"Yea well, just wait until Elladan and Elrohir come for a visit, then we'll show Mirkwood real mischief!"
"Don't forget Haldir, Orophin, and Rumil!" Legolas added.
"Can we go back to the palace now, it's really cold out." Flora hated to interrupt their conversation but she was beginning to shiver and her toes her going numb.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I forget that you are affected by the cold. I'm sorry, come on let's hurry back." Nilhisie wrapped his arms around Flora and started to lead her back to the palace.
"That's so cute!" Nuquer whispered to Legolas as they followed behind the two.
~