All characters belong to JRR Tolkien
(Warning: Very innocent slash… This never happened, its an AU, and my version of a little incident that could have happened when Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas were young and met for the first time.
This story is not completely sticking to the original facts that we all know so well. And Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas are around the same age. It's just easier that way...)
Thank you for reading!!! :D !! And please mind that English is not my first language. The writing is far from perfect...
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The Games
The First Meetinng
"Aragorn!" Elrond shouted. He was pushing his way through the crowd trying to locate the young prince. People flickered around him, making it almost impossible to move forward. Elrond was tired and impatient from the burning sun and people constantly trying to converse with him. Every inch of Rivendell was filled with Middle-earthlings anxious for the games that would start in just a couple of days. Elrond stopped for a moment of breath and wiped his wet forehead. Being out of sight when he was needed for something formal was one of the specialties of Aragorn. But Elrond knew he was with his dwarf friend Gimli, which on the other hand was not so hard to search out. Elrond looked in despair at the hordes of people and his last call for the boys might have come out sounding a little too desperately than he had intended, as everyone within the range of 15 meters turned their heads.
"What is it!" Aragorn hissed from behind a short and plump youngster with bulky features. Elrond recognized the good-hearted face and sat down to his knees, "Gimli, son of Gloin! Is it really you!" Gimli was panting loudly and blinking his eyes at the graceful elf in front of him.His somewhat befuddled grin went over to a broad smile before he threw himself in the arms of Elrond.
"Have you met your third companion yet?" Elrond asked the two restless boys. "Who? Little elf boy of the woods?" Aragorn frowned and glanced over at his friend. Gimli chuckled and shoved Aragorn with his elbow; "He's got little braids in his hair… Like my sister! Only his are white and smooth like all he ever did was combing it!" Aragorn furrowed his eyebrows, teasing, " which it seems you haven't been too concerned with…" and shoving him back. Elrond stood up and fetched some hair from the back of his head and sorted out a black braid. Profound, yet playful he looked down at Gimli, "One of these you mean?" Gimli blushed and set his eyes at the ground. "elves!" he mumbled, before clearing his voice "Uh, yeah, one of those…" Elrond brushed Gimli's wild red hair with his hand and said firmly to Aragorn, " His name is Legolas Greenleaf and it is what you will refer to him as!" Aragorn nodded uninterested and shoved Gimli again, causing a punching contest between the two. Elrond shook his head, "was King Thranduil with him?" Aragorn wrinkled his nose, "His father? Yes, yes… What a bunch of dulls!" Before Aragorn and Gimli knew it, Elrond had gripped them by their wrists and was dragging them harshly through the crowd. "Come with me! I will introduce you to your new friend!"
It turned out Legolas was no were to be found. Not even his father, Thranduil, had seen him the last couple of hours. Hesitantly, Elrond let the two lads run off. He could hear Aragorn`s cheer of triumph in the distant and looked discreet over at the elf king. But Tranduil had not heard. At least he pretended not to. Elrond cleared his voice,
"How is young Legolas?" he asked the Mirkwood king, slightly concerned. Thranduil furrowed his brows, " Well, he's being trained by the best warriors I have, but his progress is rather slow they tell me. I worry he will never quite get the skill" Elrond smiled weakly, "We will see about that," before excusing himself. He longed for shadow and a moment of peace. He had great respect for King Thranduil, however he could not quite picture him as a warm loving father.
Elrond managed to sneak away from the festivities and strolled over to a tree and let himself vanish between its meandering branches. But even there, he learned he was not alone.
" Legolas? Is that you?" Abidingly, the elf crawled down from the tree he'd been sitting in, "Yes lord Elrond" The older elf responded with a warm smile," There you are, I have been searching for you this whole afternoon. I wanted you to meet Aragorn and Gimli! The two whom you will practice with under The Games!" "Oh…" Legolas answer was indifferently in its tone contrasting Elronds enthusiasm, "I am sorry" he continued and avoided Elrond`s concerned eyes. "No, no! You need not apologize. Come, I will lead you to them" Hesitantly Legolas put his hand in Elronds, and followed him out off shadow.
Legolas bit his lip nervously. He had met the dwarf and the human boy earlier and new he hadn't made the best impression. He felt it as a disgrace that he had to make friends with a dwarf, and Legolas had not believed the human when he had told him that he was Prince Aragorn Il Elessar. But how could he! None of them seemed to have had a good sense of noble behaviour. However, this was Legolas` first time outside Mirkwood, and his first time interacting with the other kinds of Middle-earth. If he was going to become a prince one day he'd better learn how to communicate with them. He would have to deal with them one day or another, his father had told him that. But how was he going to befriend them? He had tried his best at making a good impression with the two earlier, but everything he'd been wanting to say had got stuck in his mouth. His father had ended up doing his whole conversation for him, which had not been a very interesting one.
Legolas was the youngest elf travelling from his land, and was placed as the only Mirkwood elf at the part of the table with the younger crowd. In his head he'd gone through various things he could say and went to his seat early to prepare, but as Aragorn and Gimli entered the room laughing, pushing each other and talking loudly, Legolas froze in his chair. Their ways were so differently from his. Hastily he searched a place to set his eyes, and decided on his plate in front of him. But he could still feel their eyes upon him and hear they whispering.
Food was put on his plate and by impulse he put the napkin on his lap and started to cut the meat. It took him some moments to summon he was being starred at. When he looked up he saw his 'friends' in frozen positions glaring with wide eyes. The dwarf was holding the meat in his hand and his mouth was broad open. If it was because he was about to take a mouthful or if he was shocked to silence, Legolas could not tell. He feared the last option would be the truth, because none of the other youths seemed to have followed his habits. Gently he put down his knife and fork and gripped the meat by its bones. By the way Gimli attacked his plate the next instant, it seemed like Legolas gesture had been approved.
Legolas had barely touched his dinner. In the almost non-existing fraction of time Aragorn and Gimli had not starred their eyes out at him, legolas had sneaked most of his plate under the table. He had not been spoken too, neither had he said a word. But at least he'd almost stopped shaking. Gimli on his side of the table was puzzled to find that he liked to look at the elf. Although he did not know why, he had always been taught to despise the elves. There seemed to be peace between the two races at the sake of The Games, but there was a constant turbulence in the air. The dwarfs kept to them self and had as little of interaction with the pointy-eared race as possible. The young, white-haired elf in front of him however, had awakened curiosity with in him.
Aragorn on the other hand seemed restless and gave Elrond pleading looks. 'Can we leave' he mouthed. Elrond looked severely at him nodding his head towards Legolas, who looked up just in time to see the miserable look on the human prince's face. Neither did he overlook the growing smirk, and the sudden mood change in Aragorn. Did he want to befriend him after all? Legolas hoped, ignoring the other optional truth. What was he up t.o
" So Legless" Aragorn said loudly, "You want to play outside?"
Even strolling out the door, Gimli did not take his eyes of the elf, which the elf was gradually finding as an annoying habit. "What do you want to do" Aragorn asked and caught up with Gimli. Nobody answered, and Aragorn sighed. It was Legolas that finally broke the silence. He suddenly surprised everyone by stopping suddenly and screamed at Gimli, "what seems to be the problem!"
-Interesting, Aragorn thought to himself and lifted his eyebrows.
Huh?" Gimli uttered confused.
Dwarfs have no manners!" Legolas could hear himself say. He regretted his word immediately, even tough he did mean it, but the change in colour in the little persons face made him take a step back.
"Oh yeah?" Gimli yelled while drops of spit flew in the elf's face.
"Uch!" Legolas frowned and wiped his face.
"Well, elves are boring!" Legolas narrowed his fierce eyes, but remained calm for now.
Aragorn wanted some actions, and decided to push the matter a little more and said playfully, "Well, I sort of agree"
From the corner of his mouth he whispered to Gimli "Are you going to take an insult from an elf?"
"NO!" Gimli screamed and ran enthusiastically right into the unprepared elf.
"UNH!" Legolas moaned when his back and head hit the floor. The act had been so sudden to Legolas that Gimli easily pinned his arms over his head and got in control. "Take it back!" he screamed in the elf's face.
"Get…nnhhh…off!" Legolas moaned from the heavy weight on top of him, stopping his breathing.
"Say that you wish you were a dwarf!" Gimli continued.
From that last statement Legolas could not help but smiling, "NEVER!" He managed to say before he was greeted with a hard knock to his mouth. Warm blood slid through his lips, and Legolas looked with horror at the dwarf, which himself was a little shocked over his brutal do. Quietly Gimli stepped away from the elf. Aragorn was having so much enjoyment over the two, he did not want it to end. Why did the elf have to act so precious? Could he not take a punch? At that moment Aragorn decided to see it as his task to change the worth of the elf and rough him up a little. But most of all he was utterly disappointed with Elrond. Was this fragile, skinny elf considered as his rightful challenger through The Games?
But to Aragorn`s surprise and joyful delight, the elf did react. With an astonishing speed the pale elf attacked Gimli, this time to be in control and on top. With a fast grip around Gimli`s fuzzy mane, Legolas knitted his fist and drew it back ready to hit. Gimli closed an eye, but the hit never came. Impatiently Aragorn jumped next to the elf and yelled sooner than he could think, "Go on! Hit him you gutless coward!" Gimli opened his eye and Legolas creased one eyebrow and looked upon the human,
"Should I be angry because you called me a gutless coward, or should your friend be, because you want me to hit him" There was a moment of confusion and Legolas regretted his seemingly arrogant tone.
"Huh?" Gimli uttered and looked from Legolas to Aragorn.
"I…" Aragorn started before he pushed the elf off the dwarf, "Watch your mouth elf!" Legolas landed again on the floor, and hit his head hard on the cold rocks. When he put his slender fingers to his forehead he felt it bleeding. Slowly he crawled back wards, until his back hit the wall. The human prince was clearly upset and was standing firmly above the two on the floor with stormy eyes and a perilous expression.
~To be continued~