Disclaimer: Most of these characters belong to J.R.R.Tolkien or some relative of his. However all five brothers are mine as well as Laurelin. I am letting MCross claim some ownership as I like her.
Legolas lay crying in his brother's arms. He had barely pulled through from his wounds. The injuries inflicted by the Orcs had been severe. His small leg was set in a splint and his shoulder was heavily bandaged. The herbs the healers were giving the Elfling to numb the pain made him very sleepy.
Nolvo was trying desperately to console his younger brother. Between the he and Alcarnor had tried everything they could think of to console Legolas. Nothing worked. They even tried all the things they had learnt from their Naneth over the years, but the Youngest Mirkwood Prince would not allow himself to be consoled.
"Oh, please, Legolas, please stop crying. I promise you, little Leafie, it will get better. Why are you crying? Is it because of Naneth?" Nolvo gently, carefully hugged the Elfling.
Legolas shook his head, careful not to move his head too much and whispered. "I hurt… I hurt bad…"
Alcarnor felt a burning in his throat at the words, realising that his Baby Brother still did not know what had happened to their Mother. After the 'incident' the healers had been worried that the Elfling was too weak to be able to take the news. As a consequence Thranduil had forbidden anyone form telling Legolas that Laurelin was dead. Reluctantly the family had agreed, the fear that Legolas could fade and they would lose him too, a very real fear. It had been two days since the tragic event and Legolas showed very little signs of healing. Even such a young Elfling should have begun to start healing.
The entire community of Mirkwood had entered into mourning, laments sounding long into the night, all of which Legolas could hear. What the others did not understand because they could not fully hear; was the moans of the trees as they cried in fear for their Prince, their moans of distress for the Queen…
The Elfling only sobbed harder into his helpless brother's shoulder. Finally, the sobbing subsided. The badly injured Elfling slipped his thumb once more into his mouth and absently scratched his nose. It was a trait he had developed when he was only a few weeks old.
"'Vo, 'No I want Nana and Ada. Where are they?" Legolas' bottom lip quivered once again. "Nana always read me a story and she not here…"
The twins felt their hearts break once more. They were mourning their beloved Mother and to have Legolas talk as if she had just forgotten to come to them was hard. It was almost enough to reduce them to tears.
"Please, where is Nana?" The innocent question broke the invisible barrier and Nolvo suddenly found tears streaming down his face. Seeing the tears and his twin's distress Alcarnor answered.
"I thought Ada had spoken to you, little Leaf. Nana had to go away for a while. She got hurt, remember? And she had to go away…." The last was a whisper.
"Will Nana come home? She was reading me a special book!" Excited showed on the pale face.
Alcarnor hated lying, especially to his brother. "Yes, Leafie, she will come back to you." He closed his eyes against the tears.
Legolas gave a loud yawn and snuggled into his brother's warm arms. "I hope she come soon. Miss her." His voice was slurred and he gave another loud yawn before finally giving into the medication and sleeping.
The twins tightened their arms around their baby brother and rocked him gently until he fell into a deep sleep.
Once absolutely sure that their little Greenleaf was comfortably sleeping they settled him down on the bed and left to go to their own room. They fell asleep themselves, holding onto each other for comfort.
Back in his chamber Legolas jerked upwards, ripped from sleep by a nightmare. Visions of Orcs that was too realistic to cope with. Screaming in a combination of both utter fear and pain from his shoulder, Legolas clung to his pillow. Whimpering weakly, he bit his lip, he wanted to call out again, but he was trying to be brave, just like his Adar always told him to be.
Lomion had been walking past the door when he heard the scream and rushed into the room.
"Little Leaf, what is wrong?" He asked the Elfling. When Legolas did not answer, but continued to stare in wide eyed fear, blood dribbling down his lip from where he had bitten it; he made up his mind.
Standing once more he left the room.
Going next door to his own room, Lomion headed for his wardrobe. Up on the highest shelf, well out of the reach of certain Elfling's, he found what he was looking for. Pulling it to him he carried it back to his brother's room. He sat back down beside Legolas on the large bed. Looking up he noticed once more the small candles that lit the ceiling, mapping out the night sky.
For the first time since his Mother's death Lomion found himself wanting to sit down and weep. One of the last things she had done was to decorate little Leafs room for him. The candles were to scare away the bad dreams. Or at least they used to.
Pulling Legolas into his arms, he presented the small Elfling with a box wrapped in brightly coloured paper. "This was for your next begetting day. I thought you might like it now." He removed the packaging the parcel with Lomion's help. Legolas found a medium size Teddy Bear snuggled up in the box.
Legolas gave a cry of joy and pulled the bear into his arms, tightly hugging it to him.
Legolas smiled up at Lomion and Lomion smiled back at the innocent happiness on the oval face. "What are you going to call him, little Leaf?"
A deep frown marred the fair face as Legolas considered this question before coming to a decision and replying. "Growly. 'Cause then if the monsters come back then he can scare them away."
"Lomion frowned at the mention of monsters, but did not want to scare Legolas any further. Lying down next to Legolas he began to sing a soft lullaby.
Hush little Greenleaf
Rest your head
Gonna keep you safe
Warm in bed
Sleep now, baby
Get lots of rest
Trust your brother
He knows best.
Legolas had drifted off into sleep again, just as Lomion had hoped, Growly the Bear tucked tightly under his arm. Lomion smiled, nothing would get the bear out from Legolas' arms without one heck of a fight. He stayed like that all night, watching the little treasure as he slept.
Morning broke with Legolas still fast asleep in his brother's arms. Lomion to slept, he was woken by a shout of "'Dion!" Yawning Lomion watched as Elardion walked into the room. "Lomion, Ada wishes to see you in his study." Once Lomion had left, Eldarion picked Legolas up gently and careful not to cause further hurt placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.
After checking all of Legolas' wounds he sat the Elfling back on the bed. Legolas had kept Growly tucked firmly under his good arm the entire time. "Little Leaf, I have a present for you. Would you like it?" Elardion asked.
Legolas looked up from stroking Growly's ears and nodded eagerly. "Yes, please."
Elardion smiled and handed Legolas a book. "It has all the fairy tales that you love in it. I brought it home form Rivendell with me."
Legolas gazed open mouthed in amazement. "Rivendell? 'Dion can we go to Rivendell one day? I wanna see 'Dan and 'Ro again." Legolas pulled a sad face, causing Elardion to smile. 'Just how can you resist this one?' he thought, nodding. "Yay!! 'Dion, where is Nana? I want her to read me a story."
Elardion did not know what to say, well yes, actually he did know what he wanted to say but his Ada had forbidden it. "Nana can not right know, little one, but if you give me a little while I will come and read you one. Would you like that?" At Legolas' eager nod he continued. "Why do you not sit and look at all the lovely pictures until I get back?"
That was how Elardion left the Elfling, smiling happily and marvelling at all the intricate pictures.
Legolas hummed a little tune as he was looking through the pictures. He came across one of a beautiful Princess with long golden hair that fell all the way to the ground. Legolas traced the lines with his little finger and smiled. The picture looked exactly like their Naneth.
The smile widened as he went to turn the page. He tried to read the story about his Nana but he could only understand a few words. Scowling Legolas moved on. He looked up when he heard his door open, hoping that Elardion had returned and would read him this story.
But it was not Elardion. Instead standing there was possibly the worst person it could possibly have been. Drowlin. It would take little to realise that Drowlin did not really like his baby brother, he was in fact a consummate actor, and even the others in his family did not truly know the depth of his feelings. Legolas at five years of age had absolutely no midea how his brother felt about him and in fact thought that all his brother's were perfect.
"Dwowlin!" Legolas screeched happily.
"If you wish to talk to me at least have the curtsey to pronounce my name properly, Little Leaf." Was all Drowlin said, voicing with sarcasm.
The beam on Legolas' face faltered, but he peered up at his brother and made a huge effort to get the name right. " Dwo… Drowlin, will you read me a story?" He was proud to have managed to get the name right.
Drowlin was about to snap no when a sadistic smile suddenly spread across his features. Picking up the book he flipped it to a random page and pretended to read. "Okay, Legolas. Once upon a time there was an Elfling called Legolas…"
Getting excited Legolas cried. "That is my name!"
"I know. Now this Elfling was unloved by every single Elf in the forest they lived in. He and only he, was the reason that their Queen had died. This most wonderful, beautiful person had died all because of Legolas. Every thing was all his fault."
Tears started to trickle down Legolas' face, he buried his face in Growly's fur mumbling. "I do not think I like this story."
Drowlin knew he had Legolas exactly where he wanted him. "Do you know, Legolas that it is true? It is your entire fault that Naneth died. She will never come back. No more stories, no more hugs and no more NANETH! And it is your entire fault!"
Legolas shook his head his eyes wide and frightened. "No. No I want Naneth!"
"Well, Brat, get used to it, because of you she is gone!"Legolas screamed. It stopped all the Elves in the vicinity, the anguish clear as the young voice cried for his Naneth who could not go to be with him…..
Thanks to all you who reviewed. Please do so again and I love you all.
ak-stinger: Glad that you like it. Also I want to say that I love your stories and I am so amazed that you reviewed this. It is going to an interesting place.
Pointy-eared-elfs: It great to see a familiar reviewer. Yep Drowlin will always be Drowlin.
Gemini969: Glad that you like it. We are planning to try and update every other day if not more.
Angelbird12241: The story only gets better trust me.
Rogue641: Thanks is really the only thing to say.
We have loved writing this chapter and I hope that you all like it. Please read and review and Cya in the next chapter. Which comes from the wonderful MCross and shows Thranduil in more depth. This story will probably also focus on other characters as well as Legolas so if you want to know about Legolas' other brothers in more depth then go read Happily Ever After and Not perfect but Nearly by Meisalliam.
Love
Meisalliam and MCross