"Legolas, thank the valar your safe! Are you hurt at all?" Haldir immediately began to check the little elfling all over for any scratches.
"No. Fine." Legolas grumbled. The elfling was not that eager to leave, as much as he wanted his father Legolas would miss his babysitter dearly.
"Thank you, my lady, for finding Thranduilion. If it where not for you and your wonderful powers the poor elfling might never have been found." Haldir said, bowing to the lady of light.
"You are most welcome, Haldir of Lorien. You where very much like this troublesome elfling yourself." Haldir nodded, and turned to leave when Galadriel called his name.
"And Haldir, you do recall that one month ago you broke my mirror, and you used my hairspray?"
"Yes, I know my lady, and I've told you already, the magical mirror shop is sold out, but I promise I will get you a new mirror when they get another stock!"
"And the hair spray?"
"I will give you the remains of the hairspray I have at home, if a certain elf has not already used it all." Haldir shot a glare at Rumil, whose hair was rather shiny this day.
"Good." Galadriel said. Celeborn seemed to pop out of nowhere, and added:
"Oh, and did you write lines like I told you to?" Celeborn asked. Haldir sighed and nodded.
"Yes sir. I wrote one thousand times 'I will not make out with she-elves named Mary-Sue in public, especially not when over one hundred guards and the lady and lord are watching.'" Haldir said, pulling out many sheets of parchment from his haversack. Haldir really did not like it that Celeborn was punishing him like an elfling.
"Good. You are dismissed, March Warden." Celeborn said. Haldir found it quite odd that Celeborn had actually sounded smart!
"Elfling, why did you do that? Do you know how worried I was for you? I thought for sure you would die!" Haldir said. Rumil carried Legolas whilst Haldir reprimanded the elfling.
"Now, we will go home, eat some breakfast and pack for the journey ahead of us." Haldir said. Haldir opened the door to his home and Rumil let the elfling run in.
"Thank you Rumil." Haldir said to his brother before following the elfling inside.
"What would you like for breakfast?" Haldir asked. Legolas pointed to a bowl.
"Whatever's in that!" The elfling giggled.
"Legolas, that is my medicine." Haldir said. Legolas looked at him with a puzzled expression. Legolas had taken medicine before, but why would Haldir need medicine?
"Why?"
"Oh, I do not need it too often, I take it a couple times a week, if I get hurt. My job is dangerous elfling, and I am lucky to only have a few scars and to have all my fingers, ears and toes in tack. The medicine gets rid of the pain and helps me sleep, so I use the medicine whenever I have a bad wound that I have to visit the healer to fix." Haldir said. The elfling shrugged.
"I don't want your medicine than. I want fruits! Lots of fruits!" Legolas giggled. Haldir prepared the elfling a breakfast of fruits, which Legolas gobbled instantly. Haldir was eating some pieces of buttered toast. Legolas looked at him rather impatiently. Legolas would rather be home in Mirkwood then watch Haldir slowly eat toast.
"BINK! Hurry up Bink!" Legolas jabbed one of his bony little fingers into Haldir's side. Haldir frowned at the elfling and tried to eat quicker to please the elfling.
Legolas watched as Haldir stood up, washed the dishes and began to pack a bag for them both, with all the supplies they could possibly need on their trip back to Mirkwood.
"Don't worry elfling, you are traveling with the best." Orophin said, Rumil behind him, nodding in agreement.
"Our brother is the finest march warden around, you could only be more safer with your father!" Rumil said.
"Why do you say that? I know his father was a great warrior but it has been long since he last fought off anything more than a leech on Tonus' leg." Haldir grinned.
"Yes, but Thranduil is his father. Thranduil would kill himself to keep Legolas out of harm's way. Thranduil's done it with I'm quite sure all his children…"
"Done what?" Haldir asked.
"Protect them with his own body. He's done it with Legolas, correct elfling?" Orophin asked Legolas. Legolas looked up at him with confused eyes.
"Alright Legolas, let me put it this way. Pretend I am your father, Rumil is you and Haldir is a big scary spider. Haldir look scary, Rumil get on the floor and look like a terrified elfling who thinks he is going to be killed." Orophin said.
"What am I?" Legolas asked. If Rumil was he, then who could he be now?
"Um, you're a tree."
"Okay. Hello, I am a tree! Hello!"
"Legolas, trees don't talk." Orophin said.
"Yes they do."
"No they don't."
"Yes!"
"No."
"Ye-es!"
"Not this tree! Just stand there and whoosh like a tree if you must, but no talking." Orophin said before continuing with his little skit. Haldir looking like he was going to kill Rumil, Orophin jumped on Rumil's body, 'pretending' to be protecting him like Thranduil had done on some occasions.
When the skit had ending only Orophin had any idea what it was all about.
"I still do not see the point in that." Haldir said.
"The point is, Thranduil has protected his elflings by almost sacrificing his own life many times, where as since this elfling is not yours the chances of you throwing yourself over the elfling, giving up your life for the elfling to live, is rather unlikely." Orophin stated.
"Oh yes my ada did that before, he got hurt though. He did it with Tonus and Cield too." Legolas said.
"Alright, alright. But now I think we could both use a bath before we do any traveling. I know for a fact that I must smell awful."
"Oh, I thought it was your house that smelt like this!" Orophin pinched his nose in jest.
"Oh shut up." Haldir snorted, lifting the elfling onto his shoulders playfully.
"So, who will bathe first?" Haldir asked.
"Can we bathe at the same time?" Legolas asked curiously.
"Haldir, wouldn't that be child molest?" Rumil asked.
"That's a funny word!" Legolas giggled. Rumil rolled his eyes.
"He likes it when I bathe with him. It's not like I am doing anything to him!" Haldir said, entering the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.
"So you really want to bathe with me?"
"Yes. It's fun, you splash me a lot!" Legolas giggled. Haldir sighed and gave the elfling a little hug.
"Alright, fair enough. If it makes you happy then I am." Haldir said. Haldir had no family, yes he had his brothers and his parents, but he had no wife or children, so Legolas was all he had that was anything close to that. Not that when Haldir bathed with Legolas he had been pretending that Legolas where his wife, he was pretending that Legolas was his elfling, for Haldir wanted to treat Legolas well.
Haldir prepared a bath for them both, Legolas humming quietly to himself.
"What are you singing, elfling?" Haldir asked quietly.
"Not singing, humming."
"Alright, what where you humming?"
"A song my ada used to sing to me," Legolas said softly before continuing to hum. "I like it a lot when he sings me the song, so when I hum it, it makes me happier. But not as happy as when my ada sings it to me." Legolas added.
"If you told me the words perhaps I could sing it to you."
"I… I…" Legolas looked like he was thinking as hard as he could. "I can't remember the words." Legolas whispered.
"Oh, well that's alright, I cannot sing too well any how." Haldir smiled. Haldir was finished making the bath, so Legolas began to strip out of his clothes.
"Turn around elfling, so I can undress." Haldir said. Legolas did as he was told, so Haldir could undress and enter the bath where his body was hidden by bubbles. Legolas jumped in at the other end of the tub, splashing Haldir, Haldir's clothing and his own clothing.
"Legolas, you've sprayed everything!" Haldir splashed the elfling gently, Legolas shrieking.
"Haldir, what are you doing to him?" Rumil's curious voice was heard.
"He's splashing me!" Legolas yelled to Rumil.
"Alright elfling, wash up. I wanted to leave sooner than this."
"Oh… Okay…" Legolas sighed. "Where's the soap?"
Haldir searched around the tub, in truth he was not the most organized March Warden Lorien had ever seen, his weapons often lay scattered around his home, food was not cleaned away and bugs would come and make his home their home. Finally Haldir discovered soap behind the tub. He gave Legolas the soap and the elfling tried his best to wash himself. Haldir smiled.
"Your doing a good job at bathing yourself, elfling."
"I cant do it!" Legolas cried, slamming his fist into the bathwater. Legolas just could not wash his back.
"Turn around and let me wash your back." Haldir offered, Legolas obeying.
In an hour the two elves were both washed and out of the bath. Haldir had dressed himself and now it was up to him to dress Legolas, who felt like giving his dear old friend Haldir a tough time.
To be continued…
I'm sorry it's been a bit long since my last update.