Chapter 122: Father and son
"Are you certain Ada? I do not wish for you to get injured by spending time with me, for if that is the cause I'd rather wait for you to heal than make you go through pain." Tonus told Thranduil as father and son left the palace carrying quivers of arrows and their bows.
"I am certain. I'd rather let dwarves invade Mirkwood than let you be neglected."
Thranduil turned around to see Legolas and Haldir, who where in the stables, Legolas feeding his pony an apple.
"Legolas, behave whilst you are with Haldir."
"Yes Daddy."
Thranduil turned around again and continued walking along side his eldest son.
"I promise you this will be fun, Tonus... I feel dreadful that you never get attention."
"All I've wanted is to spend time with you. I love you Adar."
"I love you too Tonus."
"Ada...?"
"Yes?"
"How did you choose my name?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"No reason... I'm just curious."
"Well... if I can remember, your mother wanted me to name you. But I had never had a child before - neither had your mother, but I still was uneasy about naming you for I feared that I would give you a horrid name that you would hate. I talked your mother into naming you, so she chose a name that we both agreed on: Tonus. Your mother also said that I had to name the next child, and so I did. I named Cield, she named Illiendal and I named Legolas. But If I had named you, you may just have been named Legolas."
"I see. It would not be the same if my name where to be Legolas. Legolas is more of the name you'd give the youngest son, I find..."
"And why do you think that?"
"Well... it's just the way you say it. You're always referring to Legolas as 'little Greenleaf'... You would surly not call me 'little Tonus'! But it is still well, for I'd rather not be called little Tonus."
"I used to call you little Tonus. Until you where near you're coming of age and yelled at me to stop calling you that."
"I said that?"
"Yes, and awfully brusquely."
"I apologize, though I am quite late for apologize..."
"Tis alright Tonus, I forgave you in my mind the moment you yelled at me."
Thranduil and Tonus arrived at the archery field, where Tonus shot an arrow and hit directly on the target. Of course, the target he had shot was one that little elflings a couple years elder than Legolas used to practice with fake arrows.
"That is all very nice Tonus, but try this target. It suits you and I better." Thranduil said, aiming and shooting at the target. Thranduil had been shooting carelessly and the arrow landed a good few feet away from the target. Tonus shot with more care and missed the target by an inch.
"That is much better." Thranduil smiled. Tonus and Thranduil shot at this target until they got tired and they went to have a picnic near the lake Thranduil had nearly drowned in.
During the time Thranduil and his son where having, Haldir and Legolas where debating matters.
"Legolas I don't think you should try and get on my horse. It's not even mine! It belongs to Tonus." Haldir said. Rumil and Orophin could not pry Legolas off the fence he was using to climb on to the horse, and when Haldir tried to pry Legolas off the elfling pretended to cry, pretending well enough that Haldir thought Legolas shed real tears and made Haldir stop pulling. But as soon as Haldir stopped pulling, Legolas jumped onto the horse, but then was sent flying off as he slid.
To be continued...