Chapter 4 Aragorn, Legolas, and Yesel Play a Trick
The next day Aragorn, Legolas, and Yesel were out in the courtyard. Legolas was watching Aragon and Yesel spar with each other. They seemed perfectly matched for each other, both of them handling their swords gracefully and as an extension of their bodies. He didn't know which one to root for. It went on for quite a while until suddenly Aragorn stepped away from her, dropped his sword to his side, and bowed to her. "I have more than met my match. I can truly see no way to best you. Legolas did not do you much justice last night," he said as he shot Legolas an annoyed look. Legolas just laughed at him. "I told you that she was a match for you. It's not my fault if you didn't believe me." "I thought you were just being nice, trying to impress her." "Now boys, play nice," Yesel chided them gently. They smiled and her. Aragorn flopped onto a bench. "It sure is warm," he remarked while wiping his face. "I know how we can change that," Yesel told him. "How? Winter is still several months away." "I know my father has weather spells with him. We could use the one for snow." Legolas and Aragorn both smiled at once. "It would be a great trick," Legolas said. "How would you get it," Aragorn asked her. 'I know my father's in the library doing research. I could just go to his room and look for it." "Where would we make it snow?" The three of them mulled it over for a while then Legolas grinned and said, "The great hall." Yesel clapped her hands together in delight. Aragorn laughed out loud, causing several elves to look over at him. One of the elves was Eolod. He watched Yesel say something to the other two then get up and leave. He took a close look at the two left then went into the palace to find Thranduil.
Thranduil and Largolas were in the library looking over some old scrolls. When Eolod walked in they looked up. "Excuse the interruption Your Highness," he began, "But I feel it necessary to inform you that I think Legolas and Aragorn are up to something." "Is my daughter with them," Largolas asked. "Umm, she's out there with them but I don't thinks she's involved," he said, not wanting to offend a visitor. "If she's with them then she'll be involved. Knowing my daughter she's the one who probably suggested it." He gave Thranduil a rueful look. Thranduil just shook his head and said to Eolod, "We'll try to find out what's going on. Thank you Eolod." He bowed and left. Thranduil and Largolas walked out onto the balcony. Below them they saw Aragorn, Legolas and Yesel huddled by the fountain. They were reading a scroll and laughing. Every so often one of them would look around to make sure no one else was near. Thranduil and Largolas exchanged looks.
Unaware of their audience, Aragorn, Legolas, and Yesel were reading over the weather scroll that she had gotten from her father's room. "Here it is," Legolas said as he pointed to a spell. It was simply marked "Snow" "We'd better copy it so I can get this back to my father's room before he returns," Yesel said. Aragorn wrote down the spell, then she took the original back to Largolas' room. She had just exited when she heard a voice behind her, "Are you looking for something Yesel?" "She whirled around and said, "Yes father. I was looking for you. I haven't seen you all day." "I was in the library with Thranduil. Are you up to something my daughter?" "No, father. I just thought you might want to take a walk with me. Legolas showed me some pretty things yesterday, and I'd like to show them to you." "Very well. Let me put these scrolls in with my other ones." He went into his room and Yesel let out the breath she had been holding. That had been close. He came out and they left the palace. In the courtyard she said, "Hold for a moment, I forgot something that I wanted to tell Legolas." Her father watched as she ran over to them and whispered something to them. They nodded and she came back. "Shall we Father?" They entered the forest.
Later that evening, Yesel found them in the appointed place just outside the great hall. They looked at her questioningly. All she had told them earlier was to meet her by the great hall entrance. "My father suspects we're up to something. He caught me coming out of his room, that's why I went into the forest with him," she explained to them. "Do you still want to do this," Legolas asked her. "Of course I do. This is going to be good." They went into the hall. Aragorn pulled out the scroll. They three of them looked down at it and read the spell in unison. As soon as they read the last word the temperature in the room dropped and it started snowing. They laughed until Legolas noticed that it was also snowing out in the hallway. "We forgot to close the door. The spell isn't contained," he yelled at them. They raced to the door and saw that it indeed was snowing in the hallway too. "It's probably snowing in the whole palace," Yesel said through her laughter. "We're going to get into so much trouble for this," she managed to get out before collapsing to the floor with laughter. Aragorn and Legolas were also laughing. They laughed hysterically for several minutes, and then started to calm down. "My father is going to kill me for this," Legolas said. "Maybe no one will notice," Aragorn said. This statement caused them all to crack up again. Yesel scooped up some of the snow and threw it at Legolas, and soon the three of tem were involved in a snowball fight.
"LEGOLAS, ARAGORN, YESEL" They looked up and saw a stern looking Largolas and an angry looking Thranduil standing in the door. The composed themselves and went to stand contritely in front of them. "How did you cause this to happen," Thranduil thundered at them. "I used one of my father's spells, "Yesel told him. "I thought as much," Largolas muttered. He spoke several words and it stopped snowing, and the temperature rose. Soon all of the snow was gone. There were just a few puddles of water lying around. "Thank you Largolas," Thranduil said, then faced his son again. "How could you do this Legolas?" "Excuse me sir," Yesel spoke up. "Legolas and Aragorn had nothing to do with it. I'm the one who used the spell. I just told them to meet me here." "Is this true Legolas?" "No Father. We all had a part in this." "That's what I figured." Largolas looked at his daughter. 'I'm very disappointed in you Yesel. You promised me you would be good, and it only took you one day to break that promise. I expected better from you." She looked stricken. "I'm sorry Father." She lowered her head but not before he saw the sparkle of tears in her eyes. Thranduil spoke again. "As part of your punishment you will clean up every puddle of water in the palace. Aragorn, I think it's time for you to return home to Rivendell. Legolas I will speak to you later." He turned and left. Largolas looked at Yesel for a moment the said; "Come to my room when you are finished." She nodded. He left. The three of them looked at one another. "We'd better get started on the cleanup," Yesel said as she wiped her eyes. "Are you ok," Legolas asked her concernedly. "Yes, I'm fine. I've just never seen my father so disappointed in me before. Are you going to be ok? Your father was pretty angry." "He always gets angry at me. I'll apologize, he'll give some form of punishment, and it will all blow over. It always does." He grinned. "And what about you Aragorn," she queried. "He practically threw you out of Mirkwood." Aragorn shrugged. "This won't be the first time. Thranduil's probably writing a note to Elrond right now. I can't wait to tell Elrohir and Elladan about this. They'll be sorry they missed it." "It was a good trick wasn't it," Yesel said. "One of the best we've ever pulled," Legolas replied. They laughed as they started to clean up the great hall.
Largolas and Thranduil were in the common room. "I really must apologize for my daughter's actions Thranduil." "Don't apologize. If she hadn't been here Aragorn and Legolas would have done something on their own. Although, this was particularly creative." His lips curved into a smile. "My daughter is nothing if not creative," Largolas replied. "She was quick to accept full responsibility for it. That was impressive." "She always has been one to protect her friends, and she has always claimed responsibility for her actions." He laughed. "I can't believe they used a snow spell inside." "This will definitely be one of the more popular and renowned tricks played in this palace," Thranduil admitted. He sat down at a table and started writing a letter. "I'm letting Elrond know what's happened. Aragorn might still have a copy of that spell," he told Largolas. "Are you really going to send him to Rivendell?" "Yes. I always do after one of their tricks." He started laughing. After a moment Largolas joined in.
It took several hours for them to clean up the palace. After they were done they went to Thranduil's sitting room. Thranduil handed Aragorn a note. "When you reach Rivendell will you give this to Elrond please?" He surveyed the three young people in front of him. "Now then, why made you decide that snow indoors was a good thing." They looked at each other then Yesel volunteered, "Well, Aragorn said he was hot and I was just trying to help out a friend." Largolas stared at her pointedly, while Thranduil smothered a chuckle. "At least it started out that way," she admitted under her father's stare. "From there it just skyrocketed into a prank. I snuck into your room and took the weather scroll. We copied it and I returned the original" "And whose idea was it to do it in the great hall," Thranduil queried. Legolas stepped forward. "That was my idea father." "And how did it come to be snowing in the whole palace?" "We forgot to close the door so it wasn't contained to just one space. Instead it filled the whole space." "I see. And what do you have to say for yourselves?" "We're sorry," they said in unison. "We'll know better next time," Yesel added. "Yesel Valmare, there will be no next time," Largolas said sternly. "Do I make myself clear?" "Yes father," she said contritely. "Who has the copied spell?" Aragorn pulled it out of his pocket. Thranduil took it and ripped it up. "This way you won't be able to do the same thing in Rivendell. That note lets Elrond know what happened this time." He disposed of the pieces. "Now to your punishment. Aragorn, you are not welcome in Mirkwood for a month. Legolas, you will do nighttime guard duty for a month. Yesel, with your father's permission, you will help in the kitchens for a month." They all nodded. "You may go." They bowed and left. "That's now settled. Shall we have a game Largolas?" Largolas nodded and set up the game pieces