"wait for me!" A young voice cried out behind the small blonde Elfling. "Wait! I can't run that fast!"
Legolas turned as he paused in the path he'd run many times before. His face was slightly chubby in a child's way, just beginning to thin as he was growing older into the years that would be perhaps the equal of a mortals 10th or 11th year. His shining blonde hair was barely past shoulder length and pulled back in the braids of childhood. His eyes were wise beyond his years but not yet as cold, much more innocent and wide than many had ever seen him. "Come on, you're too slow. Look, the tree's is just ahead."
A smaller blonde, younger and much more fragile Elfling stumbled up to him. He was shorter than the older prince, much more innocent and naive. His hair was just slightly longer than his chin level, also drawn back in braids of a child but in a different pattern than that of Legolas. there were many more braids, much more elaborate and befitting an Elf of his status, his clothes similar in that, though of same basic design of tunic and leggings, the material was rich, soft and silky, with elaborate designs of gold and silver, tribal in stitching but rich with gold clasps and thread none-the-less.
"Legolas we should turn back, we don't have permission to be here." The younger Elfling half whined, afraid and looking about nervously for anybody that would catch them.
"Stop being such an Elfling, Undine." Legolas began to walk forward again not stopping to mind the younger Elflings complaints, warnings and "bad feelings" until he reached the foot of the Large tree.. The tree tower far above into the top canopy of the forest, too thick around for either Elfling to wrap their arms around, too thick for both to wrap about that the same time and reach each-other's hands even. When the whining and complaining Elfling prince had caught up to him be grab the lowest branch, beginning to pull himself up. "look, you can stay here with the threat of orcs, giant spiders and other nasty things and wait for them to eat you, but I'm gunna climb."
With that the older prince began climbing, disappearing quickly into the high branches of the tree. The younger prince, left down on the ground, look about nervously. His breathing quickened slightly and his body became more jittery with each noise he heard. The snap of a twig, the flutter of wings from a bird flying out of a tree, even the wind blowing past his pointed little ears. Finally, scared, he took hold of a branch quickly as he could, pulling himself up as he cried out trying to conceal his fright. "Legolas! wait for me!"
Legolas move gracefully from one branch to the next. He knew the tree well and knew ever curve of every branch, the splinters, the stubs and sharp edged of every part. He worked his way up to the thinning branches of the top, counting down to the younger Elf princes cry perfectly and laughing as he scurried up the tree after him. Stopping at his favorite branch he pulled back several bushy branches to reveal a beautiful sky above the canopy of trees.
"Legolas..."
"What now..?" Legolas turn with a bit of impatience towards the younger Elfling. He was belly to branch with one of the trees many limbs, apparently not much used to being outside the castle or whatever it was his tribe used for the housing of the royal family. However, his eye also caught the breakage of the branch near the trunk of the tree. The branch creaked and jerked under the little Elflings weight. "Don't move..." he whispered.
The younger prince stiffened against the branch. Legolas outstretched his hand leaning out and down towards the lower branch. "Take my hand..." Undine outstretched his hand, reaching with as little movement as possible towards Legolas. Just as their hands were about to touch, the branch snapped off the trunk with a loud crack and Undine began to fall with it. In an instinctual act Legolas leaned further out, taking Undines hand in his but in turn slipping from his own branch to fall down through the large branches of the tree.
His thought being on keeping Undines hand in his and stopping their plummet down to the ground Legolas did not realize the branches that dug into his arm as he reach out for anything to hold onto. After securely gripping a sturdy branch, there for stopping their fall, still a dangerous height from the ground to fall he looked down to Undine. The younger Elf was dangling from Legolas hand, a long bloody cut ripped through his tunic and skin along the left side of his body.
After the shock of the fall and the abrupt, jerking of the stop, a glance down, Undine looked up to Legolas with pleading eyes. His second hand move up to clasp Legolas hand to his holding tightly for dear life. "Don't let go.. please don't let go.."
"I won't.. I'll never let go Undine.. I'll never let go..."
AN: In case you haven't realized, this entire chapter is in flashback mode.. you'll see in the next chapter why it's here and how it exactly works. there will be a few of these so, if you like it like this, with little flashbacks, let me know in a review and perhaps I'll add more.