Disclamer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. All characters belong to J.R.R Tolkien.
A/N: This story was written for the April 2005 wood-elves challenge: Curiosity.
Thank you so much to Karri for coming up with the challenge and looking the fic over and to Gwenneth for beta reading! I had a lot of fun writing! You guys are awesome!
"I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity." -- Eleanor Roosevelt
Wandering Minds
By: Amanda
A morning glimmer streaked through the trees, welcoming a new day. Legolas Greenleaf ran for his window. Every morning he would get up with the sun to watch a group of elves leave for the day. He watched with interest as the elves below him talked softly and gathered up their weapons before they left.
Legolas had asked his father once why the elves left in the morning and didn't come back until late afternoon.
"They are going out to protect the borders of our home," his father had responded.
Legolas' next inquiry had shot out as quickly as a pop-gun. "But why?"
His father had just chuckled at Legolas' response and changed the subject. Legolas always latched onto something else and forgot about the previous topic, so it had not come up again that day.
Legolas waited and watched until he could no longer see the last elf's golden hair in the morning sun. As soon as he was sure everyone was gone and that no one else was awake, he picked up his knives. Today he was going to be brave and follow the elves. He wanted to know where they went and what exactly they did.
He had heard many stories from his ada about things that he used to do and places he used to go. Legolas would always get an image in his mind as his father wove tails of adventure in the wilds. He it always reminded Legolas how much he wished to see the world; the beautiful places that were described to him by the older and wiser elves.
The youngster sheathed his knives and cracked open his bedroom door, looking for any signs of approaching elves. Seeing and hearing nothing, the young prince hurried out the door. Just when he was sure that he would get out of the palace safely without being caught, one of the stable elves caught him by surprise.
"Where do you think you are off to, young one and so early in the morning too?"
Legolas looked down, finding the ground more interesting. "Uh..no where, just out." Was the only excuse he could come up with.
Legolas' response wasn't truthful and the elder elf caught onto where he was going when he saw Legolas' small knives. He glanced over to the trees and watched a group of beings leave the palace grounds, disappearing into the forest.
He just then remembered a small conversation he had with the king about Legolas, less than a few days ago; Thranduil wanted to distract Legolas a bit from watching the border patrol before he got himself into trouble, being so nosy.
He looked back at Legolas and motioned for the elf prince to follow. "Come, I would like to show you something."
Legolas' nodded and followed the elder elf out to the stables. The day was bright and the morning's cloudless sky welcomed them out on into the glorious daylight.
They reached the stables and Legolas' eyebrows furrowed. "What are you going to show me?" he wondered outloud and caught up to the elder elf.
"You will see," came the response. He led Legolas to the last stall in the very back of the stables. Other horses eyed them as the two walked by.
The elder elf opened the stall door and Legolas cautiously entered. On a heap of straw lay a baby horse, not but a few days old, with small eyes that curiously stared at the newcomers.
"But where is his mom?" Legolas asked the older elf, seeing no mare in this stall. All the other young horses were always with their mothers.
"His mother passed after she had the baby," he responded. "The colt came later than the others; he was really small and weak. He didn't stand right after he was born and the animal healers weren't sure if he was going to make it. After a few days, the young creature finally stood and drank his milk, quickly growing and gaining strength."
The young prince watched as the small creature struggled up onto all fours. His wobbly legs were white to the knee and then dropped off into the same golden-brown that covered his body. He had white spots on his back that looked like snow had fallen there and never melted.
The colt took one step forward and huffed at Legolas' hair. The creature was about the same height as the young elf prince when standing. He whinnied and nibbled on Legolas' shirt.
Legolas chuckled with joy and amusement. "Why does he do that?" the prince asked inquisitively.
The stable manager smiled at Legolas. "I think he likes you. Would you like to feed him?"
Legolas nodded excitedly and was handed a long, thin bottle filled with warm milk. The colt obviously knowing what the strange object was immediately went for bottle, suckling happily, while swishing its short tail.
Legolas laughed as the colt went eagerly for the bottle, and he smiled when the bottle was empty and the small horse was sniffing at his hands for more.
Legolas came out everyday to see the young horse. He always fed and played with him. Finally, one day, the colt was allowed outside the barn and intp the outdoors. The small horse was frightened at first.
'Just like I was when I first wanted to visit the wilds,' Legolas pondered.
Thranduil watched his son and the colt wander around curiously from the inside of the palace. It brought joy to his heart seeing someone grow up so fast. Since the colt had met Legolas, he had bonded with the young prince.
The colt seemed as curious as Legolas was a few days ago when he kept questioning about the border patrol that left every morning, and now Legolas had forgotten completely about it.
The small horse pranced about the ground, sniffed everything, and even nibbled on things a bit to find out about the universe. The horse was a lot like Legolas -- wanting to know everything right there and then, like he could consume the whole world up in one day, with one word or one answered question.