Disclaimer: The plot...a few random characters...a fuzzy pencil. The rest...not mine.
Authors Note: I'm in Finland in a week! *happy dance* The next two chaps. will be up before I go! Er...don't expect any Saturday, though....I've been waiting 3 years for that book to come out!
King Thranduil sat on his throne in a large hall. It was very uncomfortable. The throne was a solid crystal carving created by one of Legolas's friends; the direct descendant of a dwarf he had imprisoned some 75 years before Legolas went off on the quest to destroy The Ring. It was the most impractical thing he had ever sat on, but kept it to keep peace with the dwarves.
King Thranduil sighed, shifted his weight 6 times, thought longingly about his old wooden throne, and sighed again before Legolas came into the hall.
"Ah! Legolas! Nice to see you, son. Weren't you off doing something with bombs?" Thranduil began casually.
"Yes. Hiding from them until Haldir bit a servant."
"Ah. Yes. That was too bad. Where is the servant?"
"The psychologist's."
"Ah. And Haldir?"
Legolas's eyes glinted. "Recovering."
"From what, pray tell?"
"From a microchip that had been implanted on his head."
"Oh?"
"It was planted by Frodo. Or so Haldir told us."
"And?"
Legolas paused. "Frodo did plant it."
"That's nice."
"...under the influence of another microchip."
"Really?" Thranduil was only faintly interesting in the doings of the hobbit. As long as...No. Everything will be fine, He assured himself.
"We took the microchip off of him...He said that it was put there by some elves as a gift."
"Oh?"
"Mirkwood elves."
"Okay..."
"Mirkwood elves with a gift from...you. A microchip gift."
"Well," Thranduil shifted his weight, "that's very interesting, Legolas, but how do you know you can trust this hobbit?"
Legolas felt his stomach drop. He didn't know he could trust Frodo. He only saw him for the beginning of the quest, and he had had the ring then.
Thranduil sensed the weakness and continued, "How do you know that the hobbit wasn't framing me to get revenge for that older hobbit, Bilbo? That Frodo probably knew how the old one had to live alone in my palace for a couple of weeks before freeing my 12 dwarven prisoners! I wouldn't so willingly trust the word of that young hobbit!"
Legolas bit his lip. His father had a point. Frodo could have been faking the whole 'microchip' thing and just had a fake chip his neck.
"See, son, that is why you must analyze, analyze and over analyze before confronting a situation! Never rush into a battle of swords or wits without fully knowing your enemy! Study, study, study! Know every move they'll make before they make it! Know everything from their tunic size to their preferred mode of travel! You must-"
"Okay, Dad, I understand," Legolas said resignedly.
"The youth these days must be able to fill the shoes we elders leave behind!"
Legolas sighed he hadn't thought out this idea well enough, and he had inspired a lecture. "I get it, Dad," he sighed.
"Well, in that case, I'm going to the dining room. I'm hungry!" King Thranduil said, happy to end the lecture and even happier to stand up.
The King strode by Legolas and tossed his hair behind his shoulder.
Blink. Blink.
Legolas groaned. How complicated did a day have to get?
