Chapter 115: One small bite...
Once Haldir had his gold and red tunic on, he entered the elfling's room where Orophin sat on the floor, legs crossed, with Legolas in his lap, and Rumil walked around the room.
"Haldir, did we have this many toys when we where Legolas' age?" Rumil asked.
"No, but you must realize that not only does Legolas share this room with his sister, he is rich and the last born so gets all toys his elder brothers and sister no longer play with. But he is far from spoiled."
"Ya, far from spoiled, because Ada never plays with me because he's always 'doing work' and then he scolds me because I bug him to play with me." Legolas stuck out his tongue. Orophin smiled and gently ruffled Legolas' hair.
"Hal!"
"Yes, Legolas?"
"How come Oatmeal smells funny?" Legolas asked. "That would be because Orophin has been traveling for days and has not bathed. I, on the other hand, bathed before entering the palace." Haldir smiled.
"I'm hungry." Legolas whined. "I want food. I want oatmeal!"
Haldir smiled and let Legolas jump into his arms and cuddle against him. "Come on, if you wish for oatmeal then you can have some for breakfast." Haldir smiled.
Legolas took one of Haldir's braids and began to chew on it, but Haldir removed his braid from Legolas' mouth. "Don't chew on my hair, Legolas." Haldir said. Legolas sighed and turned onto his stomach in Haldir's arms, then found an intrest with the floor. Legolas soon was hanging by his feet from Haldir's arm as he tried to touch the marble floor while Haldir walked. If Legolas fell he would land head first on a marble floor, and that would not turn out for the best on Haldir's behalf. And Legolas' feet began to slip from Haldir's arm, so Haldir quickly grabbed Legolas by his waist and pulled him back in his arms.
"Don't do that, you could get hurt." Haldir said. Legolas was now bored so decided to ride in Haldir's tunic. Legolas enjoyed this way of traveling. The elfling slid down the front of Haldir's tunic, and peeked his head out through the top of Haldir's tunic, just below Haldir's head. This way, Legolas stayed warm and was safer in Haldir's tunic.
When in the kitchen, Legolas sat on Rumil's lap while Haldir prepared oatmeal, and then Tonus entered the kitchen, looking as royal as possible, wearing his father's crown and his father's robes.
"Tonus, is that you?"
"Yes Legolas, it is." Tonus smiled, patting Legolas on his head as he got a bottle of wine and two glasses out.
"And what, may I ask, is this wine for?"
"I desire wine, and so does my father." Tonus answered. Haldir nodded, and continued preparing Legolas' meal.
"When I get older, I can drink wine like my ada and Tonus can." Legolas told Rumil. "Can you drink wine, Rill?"
"Aye, as can Haldir and Orophin."
Haldir brought over Legolas' oatmeal, and Orophin took a spoonful and held it to Legolas' mouth, where the eager elfling ate the spoonful straight away. "Yummy!" Legolas giggled, opening his mouth for another spoonful, when Rumil snatched the spoon from Orophin and ate a spoonful of Legolas' oatmeal, causing Legolas to cry.
"Rumil!" Haldir hissed as he cradled Legolas in his arms, getting him a new spoon and continuing to feed him. When all the food was finished, Legolas said he was still hungry.
"I do have some Lembas in my pocket... it would fill up Legolas!" Rumil suggested, removing a piece of Lembas from his pocket.
"No! Legolas is too young for Lembas, it would fill him up too much and upset his stomach!" Haldir snapped. "I shall just prepare him more food." Haldir said.
When Haldir turned his back, Legolas looked up with pleading eyes at Rumil, and Rumil could not resist. Rumil quickly handed Legolas a piece of Lembas and the elfling stuffed it in his mouth before Haldir saw. "Hal, I'm not hungry anymore." Legolas said. Haldir approached Legolas and wiped away crumbs from the elfling's mouth.
"Did you eat Lembas, Legolas?"
Legolas hated lying.
"Yef!"
"Legolas, one small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man! You will have a stomach ache." Haldir scolded very gently.
"One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man! One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man! One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man! One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man!" Legolas continued to repeat this sentence.
Haldir grasped Rumil's braid of hair and held it tightly in his hand as he glared at him.
"And what do you have to say, Rumil?"
"Um... Legolas, want to go play?"
"Yes!"
Haldir released Rumil's braid suddenly as Rumil ran after the little elfling. Haldir sighed and sat down beside his brother, who simply laughed at him, then put a hand on Haldir's shoulder. "Rumil has always been a little elfling... don't worry, he has matured enough to keep out of trouble, for the elfling's sake." Orophin smiled. Haldir nodded. The two brothers spoke of manners concerning Lorien, guarding and she-elves, until Rumil followed by a groaning Legolas entered the room.
"Legolas has a stomach ache." Orophin muttered as he sat down. Legolas whined quietly as he sat on the rug below Haldir's feet.
"Legolas, what is the matter?" Haldir asked. "Tummy hurts badly. Really, really badly." Legolas rubbed his stomach sadly. Haldir sighed and took Legolas off the floor.
"Well... lets see... it probably would be the Lembas that has filled your small stomach up."
"Some fresh air might do him some good." Orophin suggested. Before Haldir could protest, his brothers had taken Legolas outside, so Haldir reluctantly followed. Legolas ran up to Haldir and began to tug at his tunic.
"I need to go!" Legolas whined.
"Erm... where do you need to go?" Haldir had not been around elflings in a long time, and had forgotten what this meant.
"GO!" Legolas whined, pointing to a nearby tree. Haldir smiled, nodding his head, and let Legolas to go do his business.
To be continued...