7

Legolas awkwardly sat up from his nest of pillows. Taking a deep breath, he swung the quilt aside and only wincing slightly, he hopped/hobbled to the door where the disconsolate Arwen huddled. His balance a bit off, he stumbled and plopped next to the little she elf. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he said quietly. "Surely we can think of something between the two of us. Have you no gifts at all?"

Arwen then told him of her series of disasters with each of her gifts. Legolas put his head on his thing knees to think. Arwen turned and frowned at the swaddling of bandages around his injured leg. "Oh Legolas perhaps Ada would not like you to be out of bed. That's a lot of bandages."

Legolas shrugged his dark eyes smiling at her. "Oh, it is worse than it looks. It does not hurt too much."

"Of course not. I told you my Ada was the best healer in all of Middle Earth."

There was silence from both of them for a moment and then Arwen said wonderingly. "I wonder what the Earth is in the Middle of?"

"Arda. My nurse says we are between the stars and the West."

"Ah." Arwen got up and helped the prince off the floor. "Can you sit over here at the table by the window?"

Limping, Legolas nodded and they made their slow way over to the window. Arwen, making sure Legolas was comfortable asked, "Let me bring the quilt over to wrap around you, just so you stay warm."

"I am not too cold."

"Well, I just want to be sure." Arwen dragged the quilt over to him and between the two of them, they got him wrapped in the warm soft folds, with plenty extra to lay in a limp trail of silk on the floor.

"Okay you stay there. I am going to get some parchment and ink. We have to think."

"All right."

Arwen dashed off to her room and got the required items and rushed back. Her little red and blue bird was sitting on a fresh branch of berries that undoubtedly Celebrian had brought to her room. Arwen bit the inside of her mouth. Her mother had also cleaned up the little messes the bird made along with leaving a small ceramic bowl for water. Arwen chirped at her little guest who rose up on his branch and shook himself suddenly, fluffing himself up to twice his size.

Grinning, Arwen laughed as she left her room.

Just about to enter the prince's room, she saw her father coming down the hall with a small tray upon which was a steaming bowl, cloths and a small goblet. He still wore his formal robe of old gold colored velvet with red vines curling up from the hem. The mithril of his circlet winked in the nearby torcheres. Arwen was aware of the choral singing filling the corridor behind him as the other diners went to the Hall of Fire.

Sighing deeply, she opened Legolas' door for her father. "Thank you Arwen, I have just come in to tend to Legolas before I go to the Hall of Fire."

"All right Ada. But do not make him sleep all right? We have work to do." She held up her small handful of parchment, quills and ink.

"I see. Work?" The healer put his tray down at Legolas' bedside and then stood to observe his previously bed-bound patient now sitting up at the window table amidst a tangle of silken quilt. Shaking his head, he lifted the small form from the blanket and holding him carefully, he laid him back on his bed. Arwen put her materials on the table and jumped on the bed opposite from her father, who raised an eyebrow at her bounce. She settled immediately. "Legolas says his leg does not hurt much. And his wrist does not either. And I think his head is all right."

"Indeed?" The elf lord laid a hand on either of side of Legolas' head for a long moment and then moved his hands to the prince's other injuries. He sat back and looked at both their anxious faces. "I think one more day of quiet your highness, and you can get up for some limited activity. You will need to be careful with your wrist for a few days more."

"Yes my lord." Legolas let his head droop a bit.

"But Ada, tomorrow is the Eve of Yule and Legolas needs to go on a sleigh ride. He has never been in deep snow. Please?" She turned anxious eyes to her father, her whole body pleading for the prince's release from his gentle strictures.

"Arwen, if your father says I cannot, I cannot. A prince must always learn to wait."

Arwen folded her arms against her chest and muttered. "Well, I do not want to wait and I am a princess."

Elrond smiling, wisely said nothing further, but went about unwinding the bandage from Legolas' injured leg.

Arwen standing now peered around her father's hip and then hissed inadvertently. "Ada. You must make that go away. That is not nice."

The healer's hand lay again gently on the scraped and abraded flesh that sported a few stitches as well. "No it is not nice." He turned and opened a jar of unguent and gently rubbed the ointment into the healing cuts. A wonderful spicy fragrance filled the room. "Oh Legolas, those cuts will go away very fast. I recognize the smell of that medicine."

"It does smell very nice Lord Elrond."

"I am glad you like it." He took clean linen and efficiently bound the small leg again. Standing when his task was done, he went into the nearby bathing room to wash his hands.

When he returned he looked at the two small elflings and then smiled. "We shall see about a sleigh ride tomorrow morning."

"Thank you father!" Arwen rushed to him and hugged him about his knees. Laying a fond hand on her head, the elf lord looked at Legolas. "But you must stay in bed this evening, all right? I have left you a cordial to help with pain. Do you need it now?" He eyed Legolas clinically.

"No my lord. And yes, my lord, I shall stay put this evening." Legolas brushed a stand of blond hair out of his face. "My lord, how is Sana doing? And Fehlast and the others?"

"Sana is healing nicely as you are, your highness. Fehlast and the rest of your traveling companions have been hunting for the Eve of Yule feast. Fehlast himself brought down a large buck. Fehlast has also sent a snow owl to your father to let him know what has occurred."

"Oh I am glad to hear that, my lord." Legolas sighed. "I wish my father could be here for Yule."

With a sympathetic nod, the elf lord gathered his things and left the room.

The moment the door shut, Arwen grabbed the parchment and ink and brought it over to Legolas. "I will get us a big book that you can have in your lap instead of a table." She then opened the door carefully, but seeing her father had already turned the corner, she ran out of the room once more and in moments, returned with a large book she had taken from her father's shelves in her parent's suite. Laying it carefully in Legolas lap, she then got a sheet of parchment, a quill and the ink. She laid the quill on the parchment and held the bottle of ink. "Well, do you have any ideas?"

Legolas picked up the grey goose quill and twirled it idly in his fingers. "How many people do you need to give Yule gifts to?"

Arwen closed her eyes and moved her lips silently and then opened her eyes with a sigh. "I would like to give a gift to every one of my favorite elves, but I think that would be every one in Rivendell. Let me see: Ada, Naneth, Elladan, Elrohir, Daer---"

"Not so fast if you please."

"Oh sorry." She silent and watched Legolas make extremely nice Tengwar letters and slumped. Her handwriting was not so nice. Perhaps it was because he was a prince and had to write rules and such things.

"All right. I have your parents, your brothers and grandparents." He looked up. "Anyone else?"

"Well there is Glorfindel and Erestor and Cerwal and Resaldil and---"

"I think because there is not much time, we better just settle for your family."

"But---all right." Arwen put her chin in her hand and stared out into the room. "What can we do in such a small amount of time?" She looked down at the prince's elegant handwriting and then idea began to form.

"We could make journals for all of them to write their thoughts and poems in and get them bound in soft leather with gold initials on them and---"

"Arwen, there isn't time for all that."

Legolas was staring out at the night sky, which could be seen beyond the candlelight burning at his beside. The oak tree outside his window, festooned with icicles and clumps of dead leaves was so beautiful framed by the pane of glass. With the moon rising, the light made every branch look as if it was polished silver.

"Arwen, what if we did a big drawing for all of them? Your Adar could put it in a frame and everyone could see it."

"But Daeradar and Daernaneth would not be able to see it when they return to Caras Galadon."

"Perhaps, you could do one separate for them before they leave."

"Yes. That might indeed work," Arwen said sounding unconsciously like her father. "And Daernaneth said at dinner tonight they will not be returning to Lothlorien until the snows melt."

"Well, that would give you time to do something special just for them."

Arwen then shook her head. "I do not know if there are any really large pieces of parchment that we could have Legolas. They are only used for maps you know. I do not think there are any pieces that are not maps already. And I do not think Ada will let us draw on the back of a map. He is very fond of maps."

Arwen nibbled a finger, her mood sinking lower. "If I could only fix the things I broke---well my heart would not have to hurt as much as it does now. I worked so hard on them!" Tears gathered in the corner of her eyes.

"Arwen, did you throw them away? Maybe there IS a way to fix them?"

Arwen shook her head miserably. She brought to mind the pathetic heap of broken items in a small chest in the back of her closet. A chest she had used to keep special things for Cimbelin. Who was also lost. Suddenly all the excitement, all the intense emotions she had felt the last few days caught up with the little elf and she began to cry in earnest. Even with Legolas being here, and her daeradar and daernaneth---Yule was going to be a flat affair when she had no gifts to give.

Getting up, Arwen made no attempt to wipe her face. "Oh Legolas. What am I going to do?" She pulled out a sprig of holly from hair and twirled it.

"Bring me the gifts Arwen. Maybe I can see something you cannot."

Suddenly exhausted mentally and physically, Arwen turned and went to her bedroom. She brought out the small chest from her wardrobe. Going slowly, she re-entered Legolas' room and sat back down with him. Silently handing him, she kept her eyes on the floor and did not move, even when she heard him undo the latch.

In the ensuing silence, Arwen was aware the wind had risen again. The branches of oak next to the window scraped lonely fingers against the glass. The little elf shivered and wrapped her arms tighter around her knees.

"Why don't you leave this with me Arwen and I will see what I can do. The Candle Ceremony is not until mid night correct?"

"Yes. After the lighting of the candles, why presents will be everywhere, save mine." Lip trembling Arwen left Legolas' room running, without even saying good night. Sighing and shaking his head, Legolas pulled out the first broken gift.

Arwen flung herself on her bed and let all her tears flow. She could not help herself and the tears turned into sobbing. Legolas was just trying to be nice. He was nice for a prince. But nothing could save her broken presents, nor save her Yule from disaster.

The next morning Arwen awoke annoyed because her head hurt and her throat was dry and sore. She got into her oldest gown and haphazardly braided her hair back while pacing and kicking aside toys she had left on the floor. Her little blue and red bird flew to the top of the curtain rod and chirped loudly at her a few times. She waved an angry hand at it and then making her bed in untidy haste, she left for breakfast. Half way to the dining hall she realized the hall would be getting readied for the evening's festivities and that breakfast would be in her parents' suite. Turning slowly, she was half way back to the family quarters and realized she did not want to go there. Facing her parents and brother's happy talk of the Candle Ceremony would sour her breakfast. She made a turn and went out to the main entryway. Taking an apple from a bowl nearby, she grabbed her cloak and rushed down the stairs barely acknowledging the House Guard. She rushed into the stables and saddled Celebloth, her white pony.

Thankful her path had not crossed anyone's that morning she dashed across the bridge of the Bruinen and took the frozen road down to the Ford.

Celebloth, frisky from several days in her stall, pulled at the reins and Arwen, in the same kind of mood, let the pony have her head.

Arwen rode most of the morning and afternoon until Celebloth snorted and stopped. Whuffling deeply the pony lowered her head, her breath a cloud about her muzzle.

Arwen tired too, slid off the pony and led her through the thick drifts. She realized she had not paid much attention to where she and Celebloth had gone. Looking about her, she saw she was quite close to the sharp stones midway up the lower flanks of the Misty Mountains. But exactly where in the Misty Mountains she was, she was not sure. Turning around, almost making a circle of her cold breath, Arwen tried hard to pinpoint her position. Both her Ada and her brothers had worked to instill in the little one a sense of direction. But the grey winter sky, which blended nearly seamlessly into the grey spires of granite about her, told her nothing.

She clenched the reins in her gloved hands, staring at Celebloth's feathery hocks.

She was lost.

Brushing aside the snow next to Celebloth's front hooves, Arwen sat on the spur of granite her pony stood on. Putting her chin in her gloved hands she stared out at the wintery landscape before her. Snow drifted past her nose as she followed the line of Celebloth's hoof prints. Scrambling back on her tired mount, she turned the pony and followed her hoof prints backward in the lowering winter twilight. Colors of grey and lavender were beginning to blur together and the snow, still falling, was beginning to fill in the hoof prints.

As she rode slowly along, her spirits sank once more. She had promised Legolas a sleigh ride today. She had hoped to find a way to repair or redo her Yule gifts. She had left the House without telling anyone. She had not even said good morning to Naneth or Daeradar and Daernaneth. Or Ada, or the twins. Tears stung her cheeks. Or Legolas.

This had to be the worst Yule ever.

Even though she had got to meet her grandparents and made a new friend in Prince Legolas. And she had even saved the little red and blue bird, which she realized with a sigh, did not even have a name yet.

Twilight faded into early winter darkness and because this was the shortest day of the year, it was dark quickly. Arwen's tummy rumbled loudly and she realized all she had had was the one apple at breakfast.

Bent over the pony's back, Arwen, now cold and very sleepy, slowly let her head rest on the pony's bobbing neck. And in minutes, with the soft snow falling thickly, the little elf fell asleep, leaving the exhausted pony to find its way back to the stables of Rivendell.