Chapter 10: Muddy Friends
"Haldir, stop it! Haldir, what's the matter with you?" Thranduil attempted to get a firm grip on the boy, and once he did he tried to soothe the elfling.
"I don't like this room." Haldir pouted. Thranduil sighed and brought the elfling to another empty guest room.
"How is this for you?" Thranduil asked. The elfling shook his head no.
"I want to sleep with Illie." Haldir ordered.
"Haldir you are just an elfling now and Illiendal is very pregnant. You'll disturb her sleep and she needs all she can get for when it's time." Thranduil said. Haldir began to wail.
"Illiendal let me sleep with her before!" Haldir sobbed. "I don't like you, you big meanie!"
Haldir would not stop crying, but as Thranduil walked towards Illiendal's bedroom door the child hushed down. Thranduil put the elfling on the floor and Haldir waddled inside, Thranduil following.
"Illiendal, this little one asks to sleep with you. I've told him no-
Haldir cried out in joy when he saw Illiendal cut off Thranduil. The elfling ran to the bed and began attempting to get up, but failed, falling back onto his rear.
"Haldir, no." Thranduil pulled the elfling to his feet and kept him in one place.
"Ada, its fine with me if Haldir sleeps here." Illiendal smiled at the elfling who no longer had memories of his marriage life, but he still felt safe around Illiendal.
"Well… Alright Illiendal, but Haldir, do not disturb your lady too much." Thranduil advised Haldir as he gave the elfling a boost onto the bed.
"Yay." Haldir giggled, putting his head down on the pillow and snuggling close to Illiendal.
Haldir fell asleep beside Illiendal, who was sleeping because the journey tired her very much.
When Haldir awoke, he jumped off the bed, being to little to be able to put his feet on the ground from the top of the bed. It was strange not to be able to get off of bed like he used to be able, now he was only three feet tall instead of six. Haldir did not recall this, but Haldir had been a very small elfling.
Haldir fell, again, on his rear. Haldir was now sore, but being a hyper, re-energized elfling, he jumped to his feet and ran out of the door, wanting to play now.
Illiendal was asleep and he knew better than to awake her, since she did have a big pregnant belly with another little elfling inside. Haldir wanted to play with that elfling.
"Thrandy…" Haldir tugged at the ends of Thranduil's robes. Thranduil looked down, surprised of the name Haldir had called him.
"What is it little one?" Thranduil asked.
"I want to play with the elfling."
"Which elfling?"
"The one inside Illiendal."
"You can't play with that elfling, Haldir." Thranduil smiled at the fact that Haldir wanted to play with the unborn baby.
"But I want to."
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait until the child is born and even then you must wait as bit longer." Thranduil explained, though he knew Haldir would become too small by the time the baby was old enough to play with Haldir.
"But then who will I play with?" Haldir asked. Thranduil thought and then Legolas entered the dining room, tired and rubbing his eyes.
"Why not with Legolas?" Thranduil suggested, pointing to the elfling who had just entered. Haldir noticed Legolas at once and in a few minutes Legolas realized there was an elfling in his house. Legolas jumped to his feet and ran towards the elfling, as did Haldir.
The two ended up hitting each other's forehead.
"Owy." Legolas said, rubbing his brow. Haldir had fallen back but got up, rubbing his sore spot before greeting Legolas.
"I'm Haldir."
"I'm Legolas."
"Will you be my friend Legolas?"
"Okay."
"Want to play with me?"
"Yea!" Legolas was very pleased with this new friend and the two ran off together, giggling as they ran out into the courtyard in their sleeping outfits.
They both returned a bit later, muddy but very happy.
"Legolas, Haldir, what have you done?" Thranduil looked at all the mud on their feet and at the ends of their leggings.
"We played tag and we ran through a mud puddle… It was an accident ada!" Legolas giggled. Thranduil scooped on elfling beneath each arm.
"I'm going to bathe you both and Haldir, those where your only leggings! You are smaller than Legolas and his leggings will be too big on you, you will have to wait for your leggings to be cleaned." Thranduil sighed. The two were taken into the bathroom and stripped of their muddy outfits, then told to sit in the bath. Haldir obeyed, though Legolas did attempt to run out when Thranduil had opened the door to give a maid the clothes that needed to be cleaned.
The door was shut again once the maid had the clothes, and Legolas was not able to escape. Thranduil placed his boy into the bath near Haldir and poured in some water that had been heated for Thranduil's own bath that now would go to the two muddy children.
Thranduil washed them each and once he was done he sat near them and watched as they splashed each other and fooled around for a little while.
Thranduil scooped each out with a towel and carried them into Legolas' room. Thranduil dressed Legolas, but since Haldir had no more clothes he had to sit with a towel around him until the clothes he had gotten all muddy was cleaned.
Illiendal came in later and saw her little husband sitting there, wiggling his toes and talking with Legolas. Thranduil was behind them and slowly brushing Legolas' hair.
"What happened here, and why is Haldir undressed?" Illiendal asked, sitting beside the tiny elfling, who kissed her cheek.
"Haldir got his only outfit completely muddy… But better news would be that Haldir has made friends with Legolas." Thranduil smiled.
Illiendal was happy to hear that and she kissed her husband back. The maid brought in Haldir's outfit and Thranduil dressed him before the elfling ran off with Legolas to go play.
"Ada… I'm so worried." Illiendal looked at Thranduil when Haldir was far away and would not be able to hear.
"Why is that?" Thranduil asked.
"Haldir… Soon he'll just, well, not be alive, he'll go back to when he was never even born!" Illiendal scooted close to Thranduil in misery. The elven-king put his arms around his only daughter.
"I'm really sorry of this… I cannot believe that my daughter is loosing her husband in this way. I will help you though, Illiendal, I always will." Thranduil whispered.
To be continued…Haldir's Heart and Soul: Nap made Haldir scream.
Tanja: I cannot speak German…
Aranna Undomiel: Do you have any suggestions to make it funnier that I could use in my next chapter?
Mistopurr: It's not fair!
Mesozoic Flower: Well, I never plan to make Orophin a father in my stories, at least not for a while, as for Rumil…
NuEvil: You guessed it!
CapriceAnn: I love your idea!
OpalKitty: Oops… Typos…
Bberry06: Well, I've never seen an elfling pay much attention.
