Title: Little Runaways
Series: The Elf Children
Author: Mayetra
Rating: G
Disclaimer: All things Tolkien belong to his estate; I only borrow them on occasion and always return them in good working order. I write fan fiction solely for my own enjoyment and do not claim any copyright or ownership of his works nor do I have intent to make financial gain. All original concepts and characters are from my own twisted plot bunnies and remain my property. Hwest is all mine!
Timeline: Early Third Age - AU - There's An Orc Under My Bed
Summary: Rúmil and Legolas run away.
*~*
35 Coirë* 170 T.A. - Caras Galadon, Lórien
Rúmil sat dejectedly on a log in a little traveled area of the city gardens. He hated his life. Haldir got to do everything because he was the oldest and everyone doted on Orophin because he was the youngest. Nobody cared about him, because he was the middle child. He sighed and considered the bleak prospect of growing more and more invisible. A shadow fell over him briefly and he looked over as Legolas sat next to him, also wearing a dejected look.
"Hello," Rúmil sighed.
"Hello." Legolas tone was just as monotone.
"What is wrong?" Rúmil asked, though he was too lost in his own misery to care.
"My parents do not love me," Legolas replied sadly.
"Neither do mine," Rúmil replied.
"I wish I had new parents."
"Me too. Preferably ones with no other children."
Rúmil and Legolas suddenly looked at each other. "May be we should go look for new parents," they both said at the same time.
*~*
Rúmil stood upon a footbridge near the great gates of the city waiting for Legolas. He took the time to mentally review the items in the pack on his back. He had been careful to pack only necessities. He had a bottle of Orc repellent he had traded Elladan two snake skins for, three berry tarts he had swiped from the kitchens, his collection of bird feathers, his old stuffed rabbit - Heleth'nîf*, a old kitchen knife - in case they ran into Orc that weren't repelled, and his lucky rock.
Legolas soon came skipping down the footpath, whistling a merry tune. "Are you ready?" His eyes were sparkling with excitement.
"Yes," Rúmil replied.
They turned and started down the footpath. Only to stop again at the sound of Orophin's voice.
"Where are you going?"
They turned to see Orophin hand-in-hand with Ohtarie. Their respective stuffed kitties clutched in their free hands.
"None of your business," Rúmil snarled.
Orophin fell back on the old stand-by: "I am going to tell, Momma."
"Wait!" Legolas said quickly. He turned and whispered to Rúmil. "If we do not tell them something, they will tell and we will be caught."
Rúmil snorted. "Who would care?"
Legolas pondered this for a moment. "True."
The two older boys turned and left the younger Elves standing in the middle of the path.
"That was rude," Ohtarie said.
"Let us go tell on them!"
Ohtarie thought that was a wonderful idea. The two little Elflings turned and ran to find the one adult who always had time for them - Lord Celeborn.
*~*
"And then they just walked away," Orophin said from his perch on Celeborn's right knee.
"They were very rude," Ohtarie added from her perch on Celeborn's left knee.
They had found him in his library thumbing through a large book.
Celeborn smiled affectionately at the two young Elflings. "Well, sometimes boys Legolas and Rúmil's age like to have adventures without little kids."
"So it is okay that they left?" Ohtarie asked.
"Yes," Celeborn reassured her. He lifted the two young ones down off his lap. "Now, run along and play a game."
Orophin and Ohtarie nodded in unison before turning to leave the room.
"Do you want to play running away from home too?" Orophin asked Ohtarie.
"Okay! Let us go to your talan and pack first." Ohtarie suggested.
"Hold!" Celeborn said. "What do you mean play running away?"
Orophin looked back at Celeborn. "We were playing Elf Wardens in the garden and overheard Legolas and Rúmil say they were going to run away to find new parents.
Celeborn groaned. "You run along and I forbid either of you to play running away from home."
Both of the Elflings looked disappointed, but didn't argue with him.
*~*
After speaking with Rúmil's mother and Legolas' guardian, Celebrían, and changing into suitable clothes, Celeborn went out in search of the two wayward Elves. He found their trail outside the city wall and began to follow it. It wasn't long before he found them sitting by the little creek they often went fishing at. Celeborn easily scaled a nearby tree and eavesdropped on the two Elflings in an attempt to discern what had caused them to run away in the first place.
"So where do you think we should look for new parents?" Rúmil asked as he munched on one of the tarts he had snagged.
"I do not know. Mirkwood is out of the question and we better not go to Imladris, cause Elrond will just send us back." Legolas began to ponder their situation.
Rúmil sighed. "Where else is there?"
"We may have to find Human parents," Legolas finally remarked then took a bite to his own tart.
Rúmil looked at Legolas with a shocked expression. "You want to live with Humans!"
"It is perfect," Legolas said warming to his suggestion. "Think about it. We will be special because we are Elves."
Rúmil got a dreamy look on his face. "Yeah, I bet if I had Human parents, they would not forget my name."
Legolas snorted. "At least your mother acknowledges your presence, even if she cannot remember you name. My parents hate me so much that they shipped me off to a different city."
Rúmil patted his friend's back in a comforting gesture. He had to admit that Legolas' problems were greater than his own. At least his parents had not given him away. "We will find you some good parents, Legolas. So where do the Humans live?"
"Well, my father buys wine from the Dale, which is a Human town and I have heard of the Land of Rohan, which is farther to the east, past Dale. They raise horses!"
Rúmil got excited. "Yes, we should go there! I like horses."
"Then it is decided, we shall go to Rohan!" Legolas said with a large smile.
Celeborn had heard enough. He now understood what had caused the boys to run away. It was time to bring them back home, but in such a way they thought it was their idea. He dropped silently to the ground just as Legolas announced they would go to Rohan. "Long walk to Rohan, young ones."
Both Legolas and Rúmil jumped at the sound of the Elf-lord's voice. They turned owl-eyed expressions toward him.
"M-my Lord," Rúmil managed to stutter.
"I suppose you have come to drag us back," Legolas' said in a dejected voice.
Celeborn walked over and sat next to them. "What good would that do? If you are intent on leaving, you will only try again."
Both boys eyed him suspiciously.
"You mean you will not stop us?" Rúmil asked cautiously.
"No." Celeborn said. "Though your parents will be very upset."
The boys snorted.
Celeborn shrugged. "And it may mean war between Mirkwood and Lórien. I did, after all, swear to defend and protect you, young Legolas, with my life. I am sure your mother and father will be very cross that I let you run away."
"War?" Legolas felt sick.
"Nothing to worry about, Legolas. I am sure that Elrond will be able to prevent the war. He is very good at diplomatic solutions. I am more worried about you and Rúmil. I fear that you may find Orcs before you find new parents."
Rúmil dug into his pack with a big smile. "Do not worry about Orcs getting us. We have Orc repellant!" He presented Celeborn the bottle with a great flourish.
Celeborn removed the stopper and sniffed the contents lightly. He would bet Nenya that this was nothing more than water. "Where did you get this, Rúmil?"
"From Elladan. I traded him two snake skins for it."
Celeborn reminded himself to have a little talk with his grandson. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Elladan has tricked you. This is nothing more than water in a pretty bottle." He handed it back to Rúmil.
Legolas laughed.
"It is not funny, Legolas." Rúmil said huffily. He put the bottle back into his back. "I still have a knife."
Celeborn nodded. "I must admit that you are a braver Elf than I. I would be too afraid to face a group of Orcs with only one small knife for protection."
Rúmil and Legolas blanched.
"Yes. I do not think I would like to walk all the way to Rohan, living out in the open, exposed to the elements and Orcs, having to scrounge for food and water."
Rúmil was starting to have second thoughts about leaving the city.
"But I have to find new parents," Legolas said stubbornly. "Mine do not want me any more."
Celeborn sighed. "Things are very dangerous in Mirkwood, Legolas. Your parents left you here because they were afraid you would be hurt badly or killed if you were to return home with them. Do you not remember your mother's tears the day they left?"
The memory of his mother holding him and sobbing flashed in his mind. He had forgotten about that. He felt ashamed that he had thought they did not want him. "I had forgotten that."
"Imagine what she will do when she finds out that you have run away from here." Celeborn could see that he had just about won them over. He would see to it that he recalled Rúmil's father back from the Fences to spend some time with his middle son. It would do Rúmil some good. As for Legolas, he would take a little more active interest in the young prince.
Legolas looked at Rúmil. "Maybe we should go back."
Rúmil nodded. "Yes, I think that would be wise."
Celeborn smiled to himself as he gained his feet. "Well then, will you two brave Elflings do me the honor of acting as my escort back to the city?"
Both boys smiled, shouldered their packs and scrambled to their feet, all thoughts of running away banished.
The End
35 Coirë - March 7th
Heleth'nîf - Sindarin for Fur Face
Series: The Elf Children
Author: Mayetra
Rating: G
Disclaimer: All things Tolkien belong to his estate; I only borrow them on occasion and always return them in good working order. I write fan fiction solely for my own enjoyment and do not claim any copyright or ownership of his works nor do I have intent to make financial gain. All original concepts and characters are from my own twisted plot bunnies and remain my property. Hwest is all mine!
Timeline: Early Third Age - AU - There's An Orc Under My Bed
Summary: Rúmil and Legolas run away.
*~*
35 Coirë* 170 T.A. - Caras Galadon, Lórien
Rúmil sat dejectedly on a log in a little traveled area of the city gardens. He hated his life. Haldir got to do everything because he was the oldest and everyone doted on Orophin because he was the youngest. Nobody cared about him, because he was the middle child. He sighed and considered the bleak prospect of growing more and more invisible. A shadow fell over him briefly and he looked over as Legolas sat next to him, also wearing a dejected look.
"Hello," Rúmil sighed.
"Hello." Legolas tone was just as monotone.
"What is wrong?" Rúmil asked, though he was too lost in his own misery to care.
"My parents do not love me," Legolas replied sadly.
"Neither do mine," Rúmil replied.
"I wish I had new parents."
"Me too. Preferably ones with no other children."
Rúmil and Legolas suddenly looked at each other. "May be we should go look for new parents," they both said at the same time.
*~*
Rúmil stood upon a footbridge near the great gates of the city waiting for Legolas. He took the time to mentally review the items in the pack on his back. He had been careful to pack only necessities. He had a bottle of Orc repellent he had traded Elladan two snake skins for, three berry tarts he had swiped from the kitchens, his collection of bird feathers, his old stuffed rabbit - Heleth'nîf*, a old kitchen knife - in case they ran into Orc that weren't repelled, and his lucky rock.
Legolas soon came skipping down the footpath, whistling a merry tune. "Are you ready?" His eyes were sparkling with excitement.
"Yes," Rúmil replied.
They turned and started down the footpath. Only to stop again at the sound of Orophin's voice.
"Where are you going?"
They turned to see Orophin hand-in-hand with Ohtarie. Their respective stuffed kitties clutched in their free hands.
"None of your business," Rúmil snarled.
Orophin fell back on the old stand-by: "I am going to tell, Momma."
"Wait!" Legolas said quickly. He turned and whispered to Rúmil. "If we do not tell them something, they will tell and we will be caught."
Rúmil snorted. "Who would care?"
Legolas pondered this for a moment. "True."
The two older boys turned and left the younger Elves standing in the middle of the path.
"That was rude," Ohtarie said.
"Let us go tell on them!"
Ohtarie thought that was a wonderful idea. The two little Elflings turned and ran to find the one adult who always had time for them - Lord Celeborn.
*~*
"And then they just walked away," Orophin said from his perch on Celeborn's right knee.
"They were very rude," Ohtarie added from her perch on Celeborn's left knee.
They had found him in his library thumbing through a large book.
Celeborn smiled affectionately at the two young Elflings. "Well, sometimes boys Legolas and Rúmil's age like to have adventures without little kids."
"So it is okay that they left?" Ohtarie asked.
"Yes," Celeborn reassured her. He lifted the two young ones down off his lap. "Now, run along and play a game."
Orophin and Ohtarie nodded in unison before turning to leave the room.
"Do you want to play running away from home too?" Orophin asked Ohtarie.
"Okay! Let us go to your talan and pack first." Ohtarie suggested.
"Hold!" Celeborn said. "What do you mean play running away?"
Orophin looked back at Celeborn. "We were playing Elf Wardens in the garden and overheard Legolas and Rúmil say they were going to run away to find new parents.
Celeborn groaned. "You run along and I forbid either of you to play running away from home."
Both of the Elflings looked disappointed, but didn't argue with him.
*~*
After speaking with Rúmil's mother and Legolas' guardian, Celebrían, and changing into suitable clothes, Celeborn went out in search of the two wayward Elves. He found their trail outside the city wall and began to follow it. It wasn't long before he found them sitting by the little creek they often went fishing at. Celeborn easily scaled a nearby tree and eavesdropped on the two Elflings in an attempt to discern what had caused them to run away in the first place.
"So where do you think we should look for new parents?" Rúmil asked as he munched on one of the tarts he had snagged.
"I do not know. Mirkwood is out of the question and we better not go to Imladris, cause Elrond will just send us back." Legolas began to ponder their situation.
Rúmil sighed. "Where else is there?"
"We may have to find Human parents," Legolas finally remarked then took a bite to his own tart.
Rúmil looked at Legolas with a shocked expression. "You want to live with Humans!"
"It is perfect," Legolas said warming to his suggestion. "Think about it. We will be special because we are Elves."
Rúmil got a dreamy look on his face. "Yeah, I bet if I had Human parents, they would not forget my name."
Legolas snorted. "At least your mother acknowledges your presence, even if she cannot remember you name. My parents hate me so much that they shipped me off to a different city."
Rúmil patted his friend's back in a comforting gesture. He had to admit that Legolas' problems were greater than his own. At least his parents had not given him away. "We will find you some good parents, Legolas. So where do the Humans live?"
"Well, my father buys wine from the Dale, which is a Human town and I have heard of the Land of Rohan, which is farther to the east, past Dale. They raise horses!"
Rúmil got excited. "Yes, we should go there! I like horses."
"Then it is decided, we shall go to Rohan!" Legolas said with a large smile.
Celeborn had heard enough. He now understood what had caused the boys to run away. It was time to bring them back home, but in such a way they thought it was their idea. He dropped silently to the ground just as Legolas announced they would go to Rohan. "Long walk to Rohan, young ones."
Both Legolas and Rúmil jumped at the sound of the Elf-lord's voice. They turned owl-eyed expressions toward him.
"M-my Lord," Rúmil managed to stutter.
"I suppose you have come to drag us back," Legolas' said in a dejected voice.
Celeborn walked over and sat next to them. "What good would that do? If you are intent on leaving, you will only try again."
Both boys eyed him suspiciously.
"You mean you will not stop us?" Rúmil asked cautiously.
"No." Celeborn said. "Though your parents will be very upset."
The boys snorted.
Celeborn shrugged. "And it may mean war between Mirkwood and Lórien. I did, after all, swear to defend and protect you, young Legolas, with my life. I am sure your mother and father will be very cross that I let you run away."
"War?" Legolas felt sick.
"Nothing to worry about, Legolas. I am sure that Elrond will be able to prevent the war. He is very good at diplomatic solutions. I am more worried about you and Rúmil. I fear that you may find Orcs before you find new parents."
Rúmil dug into his pack with a big smile. "Do not worry about Orcs getting us. We have Orc repellant!" He presented Celeborn the bottle with a great flourish.
Celeborn removed the stopper and sniffed the contents lightly. He would bet Nenya that this was nothing more than water. "Where did you get this, Rúmil?"
"From Elladan. I traded him two snake skins for it."
Celeborn reminded himself to have a little talk with his grandson. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Elladan has tricked you. This is nothing more than water in a pretty bottle." He handed it back to Rúmil.
Legolas laughed.
"It is not funny, Legolas." Rúmil said huffily. He put the bottle back into his back. "I still have a knife."
Celeborn nodded. "I must admit that you are a braver Elf than I. I would be too afraid to face a group of Orcs with only one small knife for protection."
Rúmil and Legolas blanched.
"Yes. I do not think I would like to walk all the way to Rohan, living out in the open, exposed to the elements and Orcs, having to scrounge for food and water."
Rúmil was starting to have second thoughts about leaving the city.
"But I have to find new parents," Legolas said stubbornly. "Mine do not want me any more."
Celeborn sighed. "Things are very dangerous in Mirkwood, Legolas. Your parents left you here because they were afraid you would be hurt badly or killed if you were to return home with them. Do you not remember your mother's tears the day they left?"
The memory of his mother holding him and sobbing flashed in his mind. He had forgotten about that. He felt ashamed that he had thought they did not want him. "I had forgotten that."
"Imagine what she will do when she finds out that you have run away from here." Celeborn could see that he had just about won them over. He would see to it that he recalled Rúmil's father back from the Fences to spend some time with his middle son. It would do Rúmil some good. As for Legolas, he would take a little more active interest in the young prince.
Legolas looked at Rúmil. "Maybe we should go back."
Rúmil nodded. "Yes, I think that would be wise."
Celeborn smiled to himself as he gained his feet. "Well then, will you two brave Elflings do me the honor of acting as my escort back to the city?"
Both boys smiled, shouldered their packs and scrambled to their feet, all thoughts of running away banished.
The End
35 Coirë - March 7th
Heleth'nîf - Sindarin for Fur Face