8

Elrond came out of the recovery room, holding a bowl of slightly steaming water with a mound of cloth in it. Setting it on his desk, he noticed Arwen's downcast looks. "What is it, my love? You may talk to Legolas now if you want."

"Ada," she whispered fiercely, "Legolas does not have a Yule gift. What will I do? He is already sad because his family is not here."

"We will think of something, or rather you will, undoubtedly. Go on in, but remember, no bouncing."

"All right Ada."

Arwen slipped off the couch and walked slowly into Legolas' room. She stood at the end of the bed, her eyes on the deep green carpet beneath her slippers.

"You can talk to me if you wish."

Arwen's eyes flashed up at him. "I-well, maybe I do not wish to, if you are going to be that way."

Legolas eyes lit up at that and he pulled himself up, clutching the edge of the quilt that lay over him. "Well, I am just trying to be friendly."

"No, you are just trying to be a bossy prince. I am bossy with my dolly Cimbelin when I am playing Queen of the North."

"There is no such thing."

"I know that silly. I am just pretending." She crawled carefully up on his bed and sat near his left side. "Do you never pretend? To be a dragon or a giant eagle or a princess…oh wait, you are already a prince. All right, how about being a King?"

Legolas looked down at the quilt again, rubbing his hand over the silky covering. "Sometimes I pretend to be the greatest and bravest archer that ever was. Better even than Father."

"Hm. I am doing better at my archery, but I think I like horseback riding the best." Arwen tipped her head at the elfling. "Well, when I am told to stay in bed or in my room, which does not happened very often, I found I like making wooden puzzles, or practicing my letters." She leaned forward, "And once, when I had to take some of Ada's very nasty flavored medicine, Nana brought me a wonderful egg custard with fruit to help take the bad taste away."

Legolas looked up at that, with a slight smile. "I rather like fruit custard myself. Do you think if you asked, your Nana would give me some?"

Arwen nodded. "I am sure she will. Maybe even for the midday meal." She hopped off the bed and said, "I am going to get my puzzles and some parchment and ink."

"All right."

Just as she was about to leave the room, she heard a soft "thank you" from the bed. Smiling, she raced out of her father's study and down the halls to her room. Quickly entering her room, she rushed to her wardrobe and then stopped. There was the little bird, fluffed up comfortably, still on the hawthorn branch. He looked at her with a bright eye and chirped. Arwen smiling chirped back and then dove into her wardrobe.

Boots and shawls came flying out from behind her, startling the little red and blue bird who flew to the top of her curtain rod. "Aha!" Arwen pulled out a stack of three wooden puzzles. Putting them on her bed, she went to her table by the window and got two goose quills and a small stoppered bottle of ink. Balancing them all, she took the stack back to Legolas.

She brushed past her father, who was once again in his medical cabinet. "Arwen, what have you there?"

"Legolas and me are going to make puzzles and then I think we are going to practice our letters."

He father arched an elegant eyebrow at this. Closing his cabinet he came over to the small elfling and bent to look her in the eye. "I do not want the prince over-excited Arwen. He has hurt his head and needs quiet today. Do you understand? You must play quietly."

"All right Ada. I promise no noise."

"Either I or your mother will return in an hour or so with the midday meal and then young Legolas must sleep."

"Ada," Arwen dropped to a whisper again. "I told him Nana would make an egg custard with fruit for him. He is fond of custard like I am."

"I shall ask Resaldil about that. Remember, play quietly."

"I shall." Balancing her stack she went carefully into the recovery room. Legolas turned to look at her and Arwen saw his cheeks were wet. Putting her stack on the end of the bed, she came closer to the prince and reached out and touched his cheek softly. "Does it hurt Legolas? Did my Ada not make the pain go away? He is usually very good at that. Specially if I have an upset stomach."

Legolas just shook his head and wiped his cheeks quickly. "It is nothing. Just nothing. I am a little bit tired is all."

Arwen stared at him a moment and thought carefully about what would make him sad.

"You miss your Naneth and Adar." She said softly.

"My Naneth is dead. And Adar, Adar is always very busy. He is a king you know."

Arwen was shocked into stillness. His Naneth was dead? Shivering, she realized she had never known anyone whose Naneth was dead. Why elves did not die, they just went to the Grey Havens and rested and were happy all the time about being in the West. Putting her hand on his shoulder. "I am sorry Legolas. Do you still want to make puzzles?"

Nodding slowly, he wiped his face again and adjusted himself in his bedclothes so he could take one of the wooden trays of cleverly cut wooden pieces. His choice was a rearing warhorse of the Second Age. Arwen took a flying dragon puzzle, her favorite.

The two elflings remained in companionable silence as they figured out the intricacies of the designs. Arwen finished first and then looked at Legolas who was trying to figure out a piece of the horse's equipage, awkwardly holding the piece as he tried to keep the tray balanced evenly in his lap without the use of his other hand. "Do you want me to tell you where that goes?"

"No, I will figure out." He looked up quickly, "But thank you."

Arwen beamed at him. "You are welcome!" She picked up the third puzzle of a pair of swans in flight and set to work on it.

In a few minutes, Legolas had finished his puzzle and took the dragon puzzle and dumped it out on the coverlet. Arwen happily working on her puzzle told him, "My daernaneth and daeradar are coming for Yule! Ada says by tonight! I cannot wait, I have not seen them since I was so little I could not even remember them."

Legolas smiled thinly at her words but said nothing more as he worked.

Arwen worried that Legolas had no grandparents either offered, "I guess your daeradar and daernaneth are really busy too." Legolas just nodded.

The she elf sat up straight and looked at the prince with a slight frown. "Your family is too busy for Yule, I see. Well, we are not too busy for Yule here. We will have the Candle Ceremony and then there will be sliding on the ice and feasting and…presents…."

Legolas looked up at that. "You get a present because of the Candle Ceremony?"

"No silly, because it is Yule and we love each other and we have "flung our souls against the dark and won," as my Ada says." Shaking her head, she put in the last puzzle piece. "Do you not have presents at Yule?"

Defensively the prince replied, "Oh of course, well, not every Yule. Most Yules. I think."

Arwen shook her head. "Mirkwood must be an entirely strange place."

"No it is not!" The little prince answered hotly. "Why my father's halls are full of beautiful warm lights: red, gold and yellow and the wonderful smell of scented candles. There are jewels everywhere always sparkling with different colors. We go out on the roof of the Hall and watch the stars dance through the great oaks surrounding us. We dance too. And then come in and sit by the fire. And sing long into the night. Of course, that is only if you are big enough and do not need to have your nurse take you to bed early."

"That does sound nice Legolas. I like dancing too."

Her mother came into the room then, the warm smell of baking surrounding her. She carefully moved the puzzle Legolas had been working on and set a tray before him. Two wooden bowls of last night's soup sat steaming in the center. Accompanying them were two small dishes of custard with crushed hothouse berries on top and a handful of hothouse grapes. Arwen clapped her hands and then hopped up to hug her mother. "Careful Arwen, you do not want to spill the soup!" The bowls sloshed and a few of the grapes rolled about the tray.

"Oops. Sorry Nana."

"Legolas, do you need help with your soup?"

"I do not think so." Legolas stared fixedly at his bowl, licking his lips.

" I can help him Nana."

"You need to eat your food Arwen. Come Legolas let me make sure you are able to eat the soup."

Pushing his light blond hair away from his face, he dipped his spoon into the rich broth. But as he raised the spoon, it wavered slightly and some of the soup dribbled onto his nightshirt. Embarrassed, he dropped the spoon back into the bowl. "I just shivered my lady. I can do it."

Celebrian smiled. "Arwen lift the tray please."

Arwen immediately did as she asked. When it had been lifted from the bed, Celebrian gently slipped behind the little prince so that he lay partially against her. Indicating she needed the tray again, Arwen carefully set it in Celebrian's lap and then lifted her own bowl of soup, watching her mother. Celebrian took the napkin next to Legolas' bowl and dabbed at the soup spots. Then adjusting herself once more, she pulled the prince back into her embrace and lifted his spoon to his mouth. Arwen seeing a tinge of pink beginning to stain his cheeks, dropped her eyes to her own bowl. Her mother's soft voice said, "Taste the soup love. It should not be too hot."

Arwen smiled around her spoon when she heard the faint sound of slurping. And then, "It is good, my lady."

"I am glad." There was the sound of another small sip and Arwen sighed as she picked up a grape. At least Legolas was not too embarrassed to be hungry.

As she could eat her soup easily, Arwen was finished with her meal before he was. Carefully setting her bowl on the tray, she got up from the bed and said, "Naneth may I be excused."

"Of course love. Do clean up the puzzles before you leave."

"Arwen? You will come back won't you?" Legolas said around the napkin Celebrian was patting his face with.

About to answer, Celebrian said, "After your meal young Legolas, you must rest. Elrond's orders."

"I will be back later then Legolas, I promise." She grasped his good hand firmly and gathering her puzzles and parchment, she left them on a chest at the end of the bed and left the room.

Once in the halls, she noticed all the activity as elves decorated pillars and staircases, window embrasures and walls with cunningly woven pine boughs and ivy and holly berries. In the swags of greenery candles were placed along with gilded pinecones and shiny apples. Arwen stopped as two elves carried a large swag of pine boughs past her. She dipped her face into the prickly greenery and inhaled the wonderful smell of fresh pine. As she stepped back, her heart plunged to her slippers. She still had no gifts for her family! Maybe if she showed them the…pieces of her efforts they would not be so disappointed?

Arwen ran towards her room biting her lip to see what she could salvage. But before she got there, she was lifted from behind and swung up into Elladan's arms. "Where are you running to fair maiden?"

"My room. It's secret."

"Your room is secret? Hardly."

"No, why I am going there is secret."

"Well put your secrets aside. It is time to go fetch the Yule log and Ada says you may sit in the sleigh with us, if you promise not to wander off."

Arwen gave an unladylike "whoop" and struggled out of her brother's arms. Released, she ran pell mell for her room, Elladan laughing behind her. She dashed to her wardrobe and pulled out her boots, which she swiftly got on. Her winter cape (along with the rest of her family's) resided in the cloakroom just to the right of the entryway doors.

The little red and blue bird trilled a song of welcome from atop the brass rod that held up the tapestry opposite Arwen's bed. Arwen stopped and tried to imitate the sound and then broke into laughter when she could not quite hit the high notes.
Finished, Arwen rushed out of her room and right into Elladan who laughing picked her up again, tickling her.

By the time they reached the cloakroom, Arwen was laughing helplessly. Elladan pulled her fur cape down and making sure it was on her securely, took his small sister's now gloved hand and led her down to the waiting sleigh. Glorfindel and Elrond sat, with the blond elf lord handling the reins in the front and Elrohir and Elladan sat in the back. Arwen climbed in and sat quickly on Elrohir's lap. His arms automatically snaked around her waist as Elladan settled next him. Seeing all were ready, Elrond let out a shout of encouragement, and the two silver geldings sprung away.

Snow sprayed up along the sides of the sleigh like a shimmering silver curtain. Arwen laughed for sheer joy. "Faster Glorfindel! Faster! It looks like swan's wings! Like we are flying!"

Glorfindel laughed and then, Elrond began a roundelay whose rhythm reflected the speed at which they were going. The rest of the elves knowing the song added their voices, filling the air with gladness.

Arwen was good as her word and did not wander off from the older elves, even when she spied deer tracks and the small prints of a fox.

The four adults took the large gnarled log they had decided on and taking several lengths of rope, tied it to the back of the sleigh. To lighten the load for the horses, the twins ran along side the sleigh as they dashed back homeward. Arwen, wrapped in her father's arms laughed to see her brothers covered with the snow the sleigh threw up. By the time they reached the House, the twins looked marble statues come to life.

Glorfindel, Elrond and Arwen all helped to brush the snow off her brothers. At the very last, Elrond lifted her so she could brush the ice crystals carefully off Elladan and Elrohir's eyebrows, receiving kisses for her efforts.

Once in the House, Arwen quickly got out of her cape and then stood back as the piece of wood was dragged in on a huge piece of canvas. A cheer went up and the elves that could, followed the log into the Hall of Fire where it would be lit once the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood arrived.

Arwen rushed from the Hall and went down to the recovery room.

Legolas was not there!

She dashed back out into the corridor looking for one of her parents. She physically ran right into her father as she turned a corner. "Ooof!" She plopped down to floor. Elrond only slightly taken aback, lifted his daughter and asked with a smile "Yes Arwen? Are you all right?"

"Ada! Ada! Legolas! He has not died has he?" Her eyes began to fill with tears. "He is not in the recovery room!"

"Arwen, shhh, sweet." The elf lord bent and gathered her close. "Of course he is not dead. I have given him a room between yours and ours. He is healing nicely. And I think it would be better if he were closer to all of us."

Arwen smiled at her father, kissed him and ran back towards her room, her father's chuckle following her down the corridor.

Once she got to the door of her room, she glanced along the hallway and decided that door just to the right of her parent's suite must be where Prince Legolas was.

She went and pushed the slightly ajar door further open and saw that the young elf was asleep. She went into the room. It was a nice room as rooms here in Rivendell went. Beautifully carved furniture with trees and leaves all about, soft rugs beneath her feet, a tapestry of a ship on moonlit seas. But there were no toys, nothing personal. She came up to the sleeping prince and laid a hand softly on his forehead wishing she could help elves heal like her father. She saw with a smile that the prince's hair, which had been loose and a bit tangled, was now neatly braided back from his thin patrician features. Her Naneth no doubt.

Turning slowly, she went back to her room. Spying the parchment and puzzles her mother had returned to her room, she climbed onto a chair, pulled a piece of parchment towards her and unstoppered the ink. She would draw the sleeping prince a picture of the sleigh ride she had just taken with her family.

Biting her lip in concentration, she got to work.

To be continued