Chapter Three – A PINE, A SLICE OF WATERMELON AND ADVICE

Nadrwynna hastily slid off Aire. There was a foul stench in the air. Gently she patted the stallion, and ordered it to hide. Then she hastily shinned up a tree and watched.

*

"Wynna! Legolas was joking! Pray come down!"

The only sound was a faint snort and a stiff retort from somewhere on the topmost branches of the pine tree outside Elrond's chamber.

"If anyone were to make a joke, it would be Green Ear's aforementioned spider!"

Legolas blushed. That had been his nickname when he was young.

"Is there anyway we can get her down, Glorfindel?" asked Legolas sighing. This wasn't going according to plan. He hadn't been laughing at her. To be truthful, she had looked stunning. The only reason she had seemed strange was because the train had somehow managed to get stuck in the quiver of arrows she had been wearing on her back Besides, her hunting tunic had been under the gown.

"Apart from getting Elladan or Elrohir to throw her down or shooting her down, no," said Glorfindel.

"Thank you, Glorfy, but knowing Wynna, it will be us who would fall out of the tree if we were to attempt such a stunt," said Elladan grinning.

"Maybe if her secret admirer would go up, he might persuade her to come down," said his twin slyly. Legolas nearly swallowed the watermelon slice he had been eating completely.

"And who may this dashing admirer be?" he asked nonchalantly, knowing very well it was he.

Elrohir coughed. "Modest, aren't we?" All his companions snickered shamelessly.

"Why do you insist upon calling me Glorfy?" asked Glorfindel quickly, seeing the Prince's face turn a brilliant magenta.

"Do not change the subject, Glorfy," chided Elladan. "We were merely telling Legolas what a good choice he has made." Legolas gripped his dagger. Noticing this, Elladan hastily looked up into the branches and tried another tact.

"Wynna, would you come down if Elrohir or myself were to assist you?"

Silence.

"If Arwen were to come?"

Still silence.

"If Glorfy were to come?"

Only the sound of crickets could be heard.

"If Legolas were to come?"

An answer was gotten from both the annoyed Elves in vicinity– an arrow, flew down to greet the speaker, barely missing him, and a watermelon slice somehow found its way onto Elladan's head.

"Wynna! Come down!" called Arwen, ignoring the scuffle going on between her brother and Legolas. "You can avenge your dignity much better from the floor."

"I do not climb down from trees when an ugly spider eating watermelon is in my sight," came the waspish answer from above.

"You are behaving like a child," said Legolas sternly, attempting to free himself from

Elladan's clutches.

"Tosh! Go and wash your hair Green Ears! What I said earlier stays."

"Wynna, please," pleaded Arwen. "The night air is cold."

"So is the spider."

"Let go of me, you pests," snapped Legolas, as Elladan and Elrohir (who had joined the scuffle, feeling it was much more interesting than retrieving a princess from a tree) desperately clutched at his waste and legs.

"Why," demanded a commanding voice ,punctuating the word very proficiently, "does this always happen when I'm having a council with the elders?" All occupants of Elrond's balcony turned to the Lord guiltily.

"We decided to see the view, my Lord," said Glorfindel quickly.

"I believe looking through Legolas' feet is an extremely strange way to admire the mountains, Elrohir," said Lord Elrond sarcastically. "And, Elladan, is it the custom for one to fight with red and sticky hair? Perhaps you are hoping your opponent's hands would get stuck in the mess?"

Arwen couldn't help shaking with laughter at the sight of her brother's horrified expressions. Noticing this, Elrond turned on her. " And Arwen, it is not proper for one to converse with themselves!"

The latter subsided. "Glorfindel, I wish to see you in my study immediately. Thanks to the heroics of my children, all the Lords have departed to their respectful rooms."

The Elves' comrade disappeared with Elrond.

Both twins stood up and Legolas stiffly adjusted his tunic. "It is alright, Legolas. Wynna cannot see you," Elrohir couldn't help saying as he and his brother left the balcony.

"Your humour does more than amuse me," the Elf Prince said coldly. Being the only one on the balcony besides Arwen he turned and walked to Nadrwynna's arrow. Picking it up gingerly, he tossed it up to the princess calling, "Quel du, arwenaminea!"

Then he was gone.

Sighing Arwen looked up at the quiet shadow in the tree. "Would it help if I came up?"

"No."

"Then, I bid you good night."

Arwen met Legolas in the corridor. "Did she come down?" he questioned.

"No, I believe she is even more stubborn than Elladan at times," she replied quietly.

"Judging your expression, I see she has done this before."

Legolas nodded. "The only difference is in Mirkwood all trees can converse with the Wood Elves. Thus, by telling the tree to bend a little, she normally falls out. But otherwise, we leave her there. She eventually comes down when she's hungry, don't worry."

"When was the last time she got annoyed?" asked Arwen, seeing a slight smile in

Legolas' eyes.

The Prince flushed slightly. "When I told her she looked beautiful in men's clothing. She felt I was mocking her."

"Were you?"

"No, I was complimenting her. Even I must say, she does look quite interesting in an archer's uniform."

They had reached Legolas' room by then. "Quel du, Legolas. And do not hide your feelings for her. If Elladan has noticed it, it will not be long before she does."

Before Legolas could retort, she silenced him. "She wants your approval, nothing else, and when you constantly tease her, your true words of admiration and appreciation are lost. Remember Thranduillon, when an Elf gives away her heart, she binds herself to the one to receive it, and nothing, not even death itself can tear that bond apart. The heart of an Elf is very difficult to whether Legolas. Wynna longs for you to compliment her sincerely, and not because you have to. If she were to give herself to another, I know you would grieve deeply, for I, like my brothers, sense that your feelings for her run deep. Be kinder to her, offer her more compliments, but do not be too obvious about it. And once again I say, do not fear your emotions. Even the bravest of warriors need the love of another. And that is what you are."

Saying this, the Evenstar silently, yet lithely, made her way to her own chamber, leaving Legolas gaping after her.

*

"Mani marte, Glorfindel," Elrond asked as soon as the two were out of earshot of the younger Elves.

"I believe Wynna is angry with Legolas again."

"Hmm," grunted Elrond. "Then you will do me a favour of packing Arwen, Elladan,

Elrohir, Legolas and Wynna away for an inspection of the forests surrounding Rivendell after retrieving her from my favourite pine. At least it will get those brats out of my hair. And while we're speaking of hair, please request Elladan to clean his. It simply isn't done to have an Elven Prince wrestling another with watermelon oozing from his locks."

Glorfindel looked at Elrond, a twinkle in his eye. "Why, my Lord, I believe I see a laugh threatening to escape your lips."

Elrond tried valiantly to glare at the offender, but his sense of humour got the better of him, and soon the two comrades were laughing hysterically.

*

Orcs! Nadrwynna stared at the multitude of Orcs marching past her. Aire had already melted into the shadows, but she was vulnerable. As fast as she could, she leapt into the next tree, but made quite a bit of a noise. Being an Elf, the slight crack was pounding in her ears, but the Orcs rushed past, until she slipped, and the branch broke.

Stupid Elf! Legolas would laugh himself hoarse at your disgraceful antics! She cursed herself.

That move proved fatal. Seconds later arrows rained upon her. Frantically, she whistled for Aire. The stallion raced out, ploughing down maybe twenty to thirty Orcs as it hurried towards its mistress. Then she was fleeing, the arrows still pursuing her.

*

"Follow the Elf," growled Orul, the Orc in charge. Twenty filthy creatures grunted and dashed into the forest, bows raised. The rest turned in the opposite direction and raced towards Imladris.

*

"Nuro lim, Aire," gasped Nadrwynna, urging her horse forward. She could hear them coming. She raced down through the forest, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

*

*Translations:

Quel du, arwenaminea – Good night, my ladies

Mani marte – What happened?