Cry
Chapter Two - Little Lessons
"How many stars do you think are in the sky?" asked Estel as he and Legolas lay on top of a grassy hill. The sun had not yet set yet, but the human was known for his curious questions.
The elf shrugged, "A lot of stars."
"How many is a lot?" asked his friend, turning on his side and looking at Legolas. He was forever amazed at his eternal beauty. He had known Legolas for well over twenty years, and he had not changed in appearances. He, however, had grown taller and was forming a beard on his chin.
"I don't know, Estel. You'd have to ask the stars themselves," responded Legolas with a laugh. Estel frowned and gave his companion's shoulder a nudge.
"Why are their stars in the sky?"
The prince shrugged again, "I do not know why they were created right off hand, but I believe they are to guide lost souls home."
"Is that true?" asked Estel, curiosity one of his oldest personality traits.
"In my heart, it is."
"Why do you believe that?"
"I was once lost, but the stars guided me to you."
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Every muscle in his body tightened as all his senses went on alert. Imladris should have been empty. Who would dare enter here?
The door creaked slowly open and Rymir stepped in. "Peace, brother," he said with a smile as he saw Legolas reach for his dagger. "I apologize for sneaking up on you."
"No apologies needed. I sort of ran off on you didn't I? Is my father worried?" asked the prince.
"Is the sky blue?"
Legolas laughed and started to leave the room. "I was planning on spending the night here in Rivendell. It is all I can do to ease the pain of Aragorn's death," he said to the larger elf as he followed him out of the room.
"I know you two were close," was all Rymir said. He understood that Legolas needed to be alone. There were some things people didn't need their friends for. After giving Legolas a smile, he turned and left.
"I am sorry to drive you away," whispered the prince, but he knew that Rymir would take no offense. After the past few years, the two had come to know and understand each other's ways.
Rymir faced Rivendell one last time before mounting his horse. "I am worried about you, Legolas. I feel the grief eating away inside of you, and I am afraid to let you go." After seeing his friend pass by the window, he urged his horse forward, and sped from sight.
As Legolas moved into the dining room, he recounted where everyone used to sit. Of course, Elrond would take the seat at the end of the table, a perpetually empty seat next to him where his wife once sat. Going clockwise, Legolas remembered Elladan sat nearest to his father, Elrohir taking the seat next to him. When Glorfindel would visit, he would sit beside the youngest twin. Rymir would sit in the chair across from Glorfindel on the rare occasions when he would visit. Legolas smiled as he stood behind the chair he normally sat in. Next to him would sit Estel, always smiling at everyone.
He ran his hand across the table, leaving a trail where he had cleaned away the dust. After brushing off his hand, Legolas stepped out of the room.
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Estel frowned as he saw his friend sitting in the highest branches of one of the trees. "Legolas Greenleaf! What are you doing up there? You said that you wouldn't climb any trees until your leg had healed!" he said firmly.
The soft laughter of the elf floated to his ears. "I am fine, mellon nin. Do not worry over me," he said with a smile on his face. It was this laid- back attitude that always brought a smile to the boy's face.
Well, maybe not always. "What am I going to do with you? Three days is not enough time to heal your leg!" he said with a frown.
"All right, I consent. I'll come down and you can fuss over me all you want? Sound fair?" asked the prince as he lowered himself gently from the tree. It was obvious that his injured leg was not healed, for he was leaning more on the other one.
"I'm only worried about you, Legolas. I don't want you to die. Remember?"
Legolas nodded and ruffled Estel's hair. "Do not worry, Estel. A mere stab wound isn't going to kill me."
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'I think that was the last time I climbed that tree,' thought Legolas as he stared up into its withered leaves? Since the elves left, the garden seemed to have lost a great deal of its former beauty. The leaves were not as green as Legolas once remembered. To him, they looked withered and weak.
The elf and human had shared so many moments in this tree. He remembered the first time he found Estel here, sitting under the tree and crying silently. It was another day of rejection for the boy, the elflings of the area not as quick to take the young boy into their hearts as Elrond was.
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"What is wrong, Estel?" asked Legolas, kneeling down in front of the child and placing a warm and gentle hand on his shoulder.
"All the other children won't play with me. They say I am too slow and will only slow them down," responded the child between sobs. "They said that I was just a filthy human and they didn't want to play with slow, filthy humans."
The prince chuckled and picked up the small child. Holding him tight with one arm, he climbed into the highest branches of the tree that would hold their combined weight and placed Estel in his lap.
"Listen to me, Estel," he said in a soft voice. "You know this tree you are sitting in? It once started out as a seed. As years progressed, it turned into a sprout, such as you grew from a babe to a child. With each passing year, it grew bigger and stronger until it was the tree you are sitting in now. With time, Estel, you will become stronger, faster, and bigger. Do not, and I repeat, do NOT doubt who you are. If you lose yourself, you lose almost everything."
Estel nodded and smiled, "You know everything, don't you, Legolas?"
"Not even close, Estel. Not even close."
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With a sigh, he nestled himself in the branches of the tree.
"Why do I feel this way, Estel? Why do I feel so lost?"
Chapter Two - Little Lessons
"How many stars do you think are in the sky?" asked Estel as he and Legolas lay on top of a grassy hill. The sun had not yet set yet, but the human was known for his curious questions.
The elf shrugged, "A lot of stars."
"How many is a lot?" asked his friend, turning on his side and looking at Legolas. He was forever amazed at his eternal beauty. He had known Legolas for well over twenty years, and he had not changed in appearances. He, however, had grown taller and was forming a beard on his chin.
"I don't know, Estel. You'd have to ask the stars themselves," responded Legolas with a laugh. Estel frowned and gave his companion's shoulder a nudge.
"Why are their stars in the sky?"
The prince shrugged again, "I do not know why they were created right off hand, but I believe they are to guide lost souls home."
"Is that true?" asked Estel, curiosity one of his oldest personality traits.
"In my heart, it is."
"Why do you believe that?"
"I was once lost, but the stars guided me to you."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Every muscle in his body tightened as all his senses went on alert. Imladris should have been empty. Who would dare enter here?
The door creaked slowly open and Rymir stepped in. "Peace, brother," he said with a smile as he saw Legolas reach for his dagger. "I apologize for sneaking up on you."
"No apologies needed. I sort of ran off on you didn't I? Is my father worried?" asked the prince.
"Is the sky blue?"
Legolas laughed and started to leave the room. "I was planning on spending the night here in Rivendell. It is all I can do to ease the pain of Aragorn's death," he said to the larger elf as he followed him out of the room.
"I know you two were close," was all Rymir said. He understood that Legolas needed to be alone. There were some things people didn't need their friends for. After giving Legolas a smile, he turned and left.
"I am sorry to drive you away," whispered the prince, but he knew that Rymir would take no offense. After the past few years, the two had come to know and understand each other's ways.
Rymir faced Rivendell one last time before mounting his horse. "I am worried about you, Legolas. I feel the grief eating away inside of you, and I am afraid to let you go." After seeing his friend pass by the window, he urged his horse forward, and sped from sight.
As Legolas moved into the dining room, he recounted where everyone used to sit. Of course, Elrond would take the seat at the end of the table, a perpetually empty seat next to him where his wife once sat. Going clockwise, Legolas remembered Elladan sat nearest to his father, Elrohir taking the seat next to him. When Glorfindel would visit, he would sit beside the youngest twin. Rymir would sit in the chair across from Glorfindel on the rare occasions when he would visit. Legolas smiled as he stood behind the chair he normally sat in. Next to him would sit Estel, always smiling at everyone.
He ran his hand across the table, leaving a trail where he had cleaned away the dust. After brushing off his hand, Legolas stepped out of the room.
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Estel frowned as he saw his friend sitting in the highest branches of one of the trees. "Legolas Greenleaf! What are you doing up there? You said that you wouldn't climb any trees until your leg had healed!" he said firmly.
The soft laughter of the elf floated to his ears. "I am fine, mellon nin. Do not worry over me," he said with a smile on his face. It was this laid- back attitude that always brought a smile to the boy's face.
Well, maybe not always. "What am I going to do with you? Three days is not enough time to heal your leg!" he said with a frown.
"All right, I consent. I'll come down and you can fuss over me all you want? Sound fair?" asked the prince as he lowered himself gently from the tree. It was obvious that his injured leg was not healed, for he was leaning more on the other one.
"I'm only worried about you, Legolas. I don't want you to die. Remember?"
Legolas nodded and ruffled Estel's hair. "Do not worry, Estel. A mere stab wound isn't going to kill me."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
'I think that was the last time I climbed that tree,' thought Legolas as he stared up into its withered leaves? Since the elves left, the garden seemed to have lost a great deal of its former beauty. The leaves were not as green as Legolas once remembered. To him, they looked withered and weak.
The elf and human had shared so many moments in this tree. He remembered the first time he found Estel here, sitting under the tree and crying silently. It was another day of rejection for the boy, the elflings of the area not as quick to take the young boy into their hearts as Elrond was.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"What is wrong, Estel?" asked Legolas, kneeling down in front of the child and placing a warm and gentle hand on his shoulder.
"All the other children won't play with me. They say I am too slow and will only slow them down," responded the child between sobs. "They said that I was just a filthy human and they didn't want to play with slow, filthy humans."
The prince chuckled and picked up the small child. Holding him tight with one arm, he climbed into the highest branches of the tree that would hold their combined weight and placed Estel in his lap.
"Listen to me, Estel," he said in a soft voice. "You know this tree you are sitting in? It once started out as a seed. As years progressed, it turned into a sprout, such as you grew from a babe to a child. With each passing year, it grew bigger and stronger until it was the tree you are sitting in now. With time, Estel, you will become stronger, faster, and bigger. Do not, and I repeat, do NOT doubt who you are. If you lose yourself, you lose almost everything."
Estel nodded and smiled, "You know everything, don't you, Legolas?"
"Not even close, Estel. Not even close."
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With a sigh, he nestled himself in the branches of the tree.
"Why do I feel this way, Estel? Why do I feel so lost?"