Disclaimer: All characters belong to Tolkien with the exception of original characters needed to fill out Legolas' family tree or move the story along. Translations of Elvish words (Sindarin, unless otherwise stated) and additional notes are found at the end of the chapter.
Innolas
Legolas absently twisted a flaxen braid around his finger as his eyes wandered from his books. Across the river, where the beeches thinned to a natural clearing, he saw the stable hands open the paddock gates. Enviously, he watched as the horses frolicked in the open fields. His brother's voice brought him back to the hated Quenya case endings, the bane of his short life.
"Come, muindor dithen, if you would but keep your mind on your studies, you would spend less time at letters," Innolas chided. [1]
It did not occur to the younger elf to question the value of a dead language; he was an elf, one of the Eldar, and he must learn the High Elvish. Yet, language did not come easily to Legolas - by nature he was quiet and reserved, and rarely spoke unless he had something of importance to say. He was much happier with a bow in his hand than a book.
The two brothers could not have been more different, yet they were close. Innolas loved language; the joy of finding the perfect word he likened to the satisfaction of making the perfect shot at the archery range. To him, Thranduil had given the task of representing Northern Mirkwood before the outside world. Fluent in many tongues, he understood the weight of a single word in the art of diplomacy. Such attributes proved invaluable in relations between Thranduil's realm and the merchants and fiefdoms with whom they had contact.
Nominally his father's heir, Innolas privately thanked the Valar that the King had no wish to pass his duties on to his son. In this, Innolas and Legolas were much alike. The younger elf had little inclination to lead others, and sought solitude rather than join in the merriment at feasts and celebrations. Often, Innolas wondered what niche his brother would find in life; unlike their cousin, he would not be Captain of the Guard; unlike Innolas, he would find little joy in the study of lore.
Then again, Innolas had never intended to become a historian and linguist for his people and for the Silvan Elves. As a young elf, he had studied with Elrond Peredhel, surpassed in his knowledge of lore only by Pengolodh. Yet though the libraries of Imladris enchanted him, he soon saw that they lacked breadth. The Noldor had written the stories of Arda, and so such stories mostly concerned the Noldor. The achievements of his own family were but footnotes, and the history and language of their Silvan subjects nearly ignored.
Innolas sighed, running agitated fingers through his hair. Quenya simply lacked meaning for his brother. Legolas had learned the tongue of his mother's people readily - a language that lacked a word for the Great Sea but possessed hundreds of words for the living things of the forest. What use had Wood Elves for a word describing a Sea they did not intend to cross? Even less had they use for lore written by elves whose hearts had been left on the far shores of that Sea.
"Legolas, there are forty words for tree bark in Silvan and you know all of them, so it cannot be impossible for you to learn the cases of the word 'alda'." [2]
"Aye, but there are not so many endings for each of those forty words," the young elf replied glumly. The youngster had exasperated half a dozen tutors before Thranduil gave the task to Innolas. The older elf soon found that his greatest challenge lay in keeping his brother's attention fixed on his books, for his natural curiosity often led his mind to wander to subjects of greater interest. Legolas could sit completely still in a tree for hours and watch a bird make her nest. Innolas would have been pleased to capture a fraction of that attention during lessons.
At last, Anor reached her highest point, and neither brother regretted the end of the lesson. "I think we shall go to Dale tomorrow, if Galion has the order ready," Innolas announced as they stood up. The errand would give Legolas some practice in the Westron tongue, though he was shy of speaking to the merchants. The younger elf was delighted, as rarely did his father allow him to journey outside their realm. Better still, the journey meant several nights away from the palace and its gloomy rooms of stone, for which the young elf had no love. He could not have been in better spirits as he ran off to find Brónalm for his archery lesson. [3]
"Come, muindor dithen, if you would but keep your mind on your studies, you would spend less time at letters," Innolas chided. [1]
It did not occur to the younger elf to question the value of a dead language; he was an elf, one of the Eldar, and he must learn the High Elvish. Yet, language did not come easily to Legolas - by nature he was quiet and reserved, and rarely spoke unless he had something of importance to say. He was much happier with a bow in his hand than a book.
The two brothers could not have been more different, yet they were close. Innolas loved language; the joy of finding the perfect word he likened to the satisfaction of making the perfect shot at the archery range. To him, Thranduil had given the task of representing Northern Mirkwood before the outside world. Fluent in many tongues, he understood the weight of a single word in the art of diplomacy. Such attributes proved invaluable in relations between Thranduil's realm and the merchants and fiefdoms with whom they had contact.
Nominally his father's heir, Innolas privately thanked the Valar that the King had no wish to pass his duties on to his son. In this, Innolas and Legolas were much alike. The younger elf had little inclination to lead others, and sought solitude rather than join in the merriment at feasts and celebrations. Often, Innolas wondered what niche his brother would find in life; unlike their cousin, he would not be Captain of the Guard; unlike Innolas, he would find little joy in the study of lore.
Then again, Innolas had never intended to become a historian and linguist for his people and for the Silvan Elves. As a young elf, he had studied with Elrond Peredhel, surpassed in his knowledge of lore only by Pengolodh. Yet though the libraries of Imladris enchanted him, he soon saw that they lacked breadth. The Noldor had written the stories of Arda, and so such stories mostly concerned the Noldor. The achievements of his own family were but footnotes, and the history and language of their Silvan subjects nearly ignored.
Innolas sighed, running agitated fingers through his hair. Quenya simply lacked meaning for his brother. Legolas had learned the tongue of his mother's people readily - a language that lacked a word for the Great Sea but possessed hundreds of words for the living things of the forest. What use had Wood Elves for a word describing a Sea they did not intend to cross? Even less had they use for lore written by elves whose hearts had been left on the far shores of that Sea.
"Legolas, there are forty words for tree bark in Silvan and you know all of them, so it cannot be impossible for you to learn the cases of the word 'alda'." [2]
"Aye, but there are not so many endings for each of those forty words," the young elf replied glumly. The youngster had exasperated half a dozen tutors before Thranduil gave the task to Innolas. The older elf soon found that his greatest challenge lay in keeping his brother's attention fixed on his books, for his natural curiosity often led his mind to wander to subjects of greater interest. Legolas could sit completely still in a tree for hours and watch a bird make her nest. Innolas would have been pleased to capture a fraction of that attention during lessons.
At last, Anor reached her highest point, and neither brother regretted the end of the lesson. "I think we shall go to Dale tomorrow, if Galion has the order ready," Innolas announced as they stood up. The errand would give Legolas some practice in the Westron tongue, though he was shy of speaking to the merchants. The younger elf was delighted, as rarely did his father allow him to journey outside their realm. Better still, the journey meant several nights away from the palace and its gloomy rooms of stone, for which the young elf had no love. He could not have been in better spirits as he ran off to find Brónalm for his archery lesson. [3]
- [1] muindor dithen
- little brother
- [2] alda
- tree (Q)
- [3] Anor
- the Sun