Chapter 8: A punch

"Elladan, I don't want to do this anymore." Legolas said. The two hid behind barrels from Galion. Legolas was mad now, all they had done was pranks, and he did not like being in trouble very much. And he knew very well that Thranduil would be angry when he found out about how the three had sabotaged the barrels.

"Your just scared, elfling. If you do it, you'll get over the fear." Elladan said.

"But I don't want to do this, it's stupid, we'll get caught for sure and we'll be punished more. I'm leaving." Legolas stood up to leave and Elrohir grabbed him by his wrist.

"If you leave we will get caught!" Elrohir said.

"Let go of me!" Legolas swung his fist at Elrohir, who ducked. But Elladan did not duck and was hit. Elladan let out a whimper and put a hand to his face. Legolas' eyes grew wide when Elladan's cheek began to swell.

Legolas could not speak, he was too angry with himself. He had just punched his best friend. Elladan's eyes where watery and Elrohir was looking at his sore cheek. Legolas could not tell him he was sorry, so Legolas ran away in shame.

Legolas snuck out of the palace and into the forest, being careful not to go too far. He found a tall apple tree, his friend the apple tree, and he climbed up into it. He sat on the branch and buried his face into his hands and sobbed.

"Elladan is hurt because of me. I was bad. I should have stayed with them and did the prank, now he's hurt. Elladan wont want to be my friend anymore and neither will Elrohir so then I will have no friends."

"I will still be your friend." The tree said. Legolas rubbed the tree's branch.

"I know you will, Apples," That was Legolas' nickname for the elderly apple tree, "But I need elf friends too."

"I understand, elfling." The tree replied.

Legolas wiped his nose on his sleeve and sighed, getting more comfortable on the branch.

"I can't go back, Elladan will be mad." Legolas whispered. "I can never go back."

-------------------------------------------

"Sir, the barrels, they just… They do not float, sir! They all sunk and I cannot get the back." Galion exclaimed. Thranduil sighed.

"Elflings, obviously." Elrond muttered, standing up. The two elven lords and the shocked butler all went to the barrel room, but what they saw shocked them. Elladan was being held by Elrohir, and was whimpering sadly.

"Elladan, what's wrong?" Elrond dropped to Elladan's side and began to inspect his son.

"He got hurt." Elrohir said.

"Yes, I can see he was hurt badly. Ion-nin, do not speak or move your head. I believe you have a broken bone." Elrond said.

"What happened?" Thranduil asked.

"I… I umped n to arrel." Elladan tried to say. Elrohir understood what his twin wanted to say.

"He bumped into a barrel." Elrohir said.

"No, he did not. Someone punched him." Elrond said.

"How can you tell?" Elrohir asked.

"From the mark on his face." Elrond explained. "So, who punched you?"

Elrohir looked at his brother. They did not want to tattle on their friend.

"It was…" Elrohir tried to think of someone who may have punched his brother.

"Did Legolas do this?" Thranduil asked, not seeing his elfling around anywhere. Hesitant, Elrohir nodded his head.

"Do you know why?" Galion asked.

"I think he was mad. He was trying to hit me. He said he did not like playing pranks, and he wanted to stop, so he got up to leave. But I knew that if he left we would be found. So I grabbed him by his wrist, and he threw a fist to punch me, but I ducked and he hit Elladan." Elrohir sighed.

"Do you know where he is?" Thranduil asked.

"No."

"I have to find him. Elrond, tend to Elladan whilst I am gone. I have to have a talk with him." Thranduil said. "If I knew where to look, it would help." Thranduil added. Just in the nick of time, Thranduil littlest assistant of them all (who called himself a 'hobbit', silly short elf!) came running in.

"Sir, I saw your elfling running into the forest. I did not follow him because I'm allergic to certain trees." The little 'hobbit' servant said.

"Aye, Billy Bob, you should have followed! Well Billy Bob, I will take over from here, go return to your guarding duty, thank you." Thranduil told the little servant who's name was Billy Bob.

"Yes sir."

Thranduil left the palace and called out Legolas' name as he walked through the forest. He felt something tap him on his shoulder. It could not be Legolas; Legolas could barely hug him around his waist.

Turning around, a tree branch was rested on his shoulder.

"Oh, just a tree. Old age is getting to me it seems." Thranduil smiled to himself, turning around again.

"If you are looking for your son, you are heading in the wrong direction." A tree said. Thranduil turned around again, but it was not the tree who's branch had been on his shoulder that was talking. It was another tree that spoke now.

"Dear, this elfling was hiding from the king! Why did you tell the king where he was?" An apple tree asked the tree who had spoken to Thranduil.

"Honestly Herman, he is the king. Just because your having fun with your little friend playing hide and seek does not mean that you can ignore the act that the king just walked by you. Now give him the elfling like he wants." The tree (who seemed to be the apple tree's wife) ordered. The apple tree sighed and took the elfling off his branch. Legolas squirmed.

"Apples! No! Let me stay with you!"

"I am sorry elfling, but I must do what my lady says. You will understand one day." The apple tree said, handing Legolas to Thranduil.

"Thank you." Thranduil smiled, carrying Legolas home, thinking all the way how trees resembled much like humans (and much like his servant Billy Bob).

"Now Legolas, we need to have a talk." Thranduil said. Legolas sighed. He knew this was not going to be fun, not at all. His ada probably found out about what happened to Elladan.

"I know ada." Legolas mumbled. Thranduil took Legolas up to his study and sat down in a chair, placing Legolas on his lap.

To be continued…

Well, maybe I will continue this! I don't know how long it will take for the next update, but hey, Merry Christmas this is my present to you all! Maybe you will get another update soon! I hope you like it, even though it's quite short. SUGGESTIONS STILL WANTED... WHAT SHOULD THRANDUIL DO WITH LEGOLAS FOR PUNCHING ELLADAN AND RUNNING AWAY?

--And I hope you guys liked the trees and yes, the Billy Bob mentioned in this is THE Billy Bob Brian Baggins. He's one of many of my muses. I have... Too Many!