Chapter 11: Thranduil's Talk
A little later on, Thranduil walked passed Legolas' bedroom. Peaking his head inside, he saw the room as a complete disaster. Toys where all over the floors, messy paint splotches on walls and floors (and barely any on the actual paper), the bed unmade and the blankets on the floor or even under the bed, pillows with their feathers all over the place, nothing left in the right spot, a few toys broken, wasted paper, an open window, drawers of clothing opened and played with, candles burned until there was only a little stub left, and not the slightest view of the marble floor, or even Legolas' soft brown carpet that lay in the middle of the room.
But lying atop of the deerskin carpet was what looked like a very messy, snoozing little elfling. Thranduil approached the adorable, sleeping child of his and knelt down. He wasn't going to disturb his son, so took one of the sheets that where on the floor from the bed, and gently tucked the blanket under Legolas' chin and covered the tiny elfling body with the warm blanket.
Thranduil smiled as he watched the child sleep tiredly before he snapped out of gazing at Legolas to realize Haldir was not there, and yet he had just been playing with Legolas. He didn't think something would have happened to Haldir without something happening to Legolas, but he knew elflings often wandered off when they are bored. So, standing up and looking at Legolas' peaceful state for one last time, Thranduil headed to the door to start a little palace - courtyard search for the lost little elfling Haldir.
Thranduil didn't worry much, Haldir had already had a childhood, and he should be smart enough to not do anything completely brainless. But in the case that Haldir had ended up… Dying… Thranduil knew it would upset many, but maybe it would be for the best, it would end Haldir's suffering of loosing his life and being an elfling once again… But, Thranduil still firmly believed that Haldir hadn't gotten himself into too much trouble.
As Thranduil slowly opened the door to leave Legolas' bedroom, he was certain that he heard a muffled, tiny cry for help. Thranduil turned around quickly and set his gaze on Legolas. Legolas was sound asleep, not even a quiet snore coming from the little elfling. Focusing all his hearing for the little help, he heard it again, but he was certain now that it was coming from the side of him.
Thranduil turned towards where he heard the sound… A pile of many toys, clothing, blankets and toys. Listening, he still heard that tiny cry of help coming from the very pile. Thranduil was sure at once that that was Haldir, or, chances where quite high that it was.
"Haldir, is that you?" Thranduil asked the large pile, which responded in words that where unintelligible, muffled by the many toys.
"It must be him…" Thranduil quickly presumed. As he spoke that to himself, something popped out of the top of the pile: A tiny little elfling's hand, moving frantically to try and free the rest of himself. Knowing this hand as Haldir's, since it was wearing the golden band on his finger that he had gotten from Thranduil for wedding Illiendal, Thranduil immediately began throwing toys aside and recklessly trying to free the little, trapped elfling. Of all the things Thranduil could stand through, watching an elfling suffer was one of his weakest, especially a very dear elfling to him or an elfling dear to one of his relatives or friends - in this case, both ways applied.
Soon, little Haldir's head appeared and the elfling gasped for breath. Slowly the rest of Haldir appeared… He was apparently dressed in some of Legolas' clothes, most probably since the two had been playing a very exciting game of dress-up.
Haldir quickly scampered away from where he had been stuck and quickly thanked Thranduil. Thranduil smiled and ruffled the tiny boy's hair.
"Haldir, how on earth did you get stuck under such a huge pile? Someone would have had to pile the things on top of you!" Thranduil asked the elfling, who giggled happily and remained silent for a moment.
"I don't know!" Haldir giggled, much pleased with his answer. Thranduil chose to not pester the boy further; he found it best to leave it for now… Thranduil then looked over to where Legolas had been sleeping, and sighed, realising that he had just caused far too much of a commotion.
When Thranduil had been so frantic to free Haldir, he had thrown some of the toys and other objects very far. One of them, a boot, flew right to where Legolas had slept and hit the little elfling. While Thranduil had been rescuing Haldir, Legolas had stirred and awoken, now tiredly rubbing his eyes, giving his ada a confused and very fatigue look.
"Ada? Why are you here? Is it bedtime?" The tired elfling confusedly opened his arms so that Thranduil could scoop him up and embrace him, which is what Thranduil did.
"Not bedtime, naptime. You look very tired little one, I am sorry to have disturbed your rest. I'll put you in bed and you can sleep for a while." Thranduil spoke softly to his son as he placed the child in his little snug bed as he said he would. Thranduil gathered blankets off the floor of the messy room and tucked in Legolas, Haldir watching this from the doorway all the while.
"Goodnight, my sweet little leaf. I'll wake you later. You can play after your nap, unless you sleep too late." Thranduil gave the elfling a kiss on his brow before blowing out the candle beside Legolas' bed.
"Goodnight ada." Legolas whispered as Thranduil walked away from the bed.
"Sleep well, Green Leaf." Thranduil whispered back to his little prince. Thranduil took Haldir's hand and left the room, softly shutting the bedroom door behind him with his foot as he took his leave.
"Where are we going?" Haldir looked up at the tall elven king, who smiled down at him and continued to lead Haldir away from Legolas' bedroom and towards another room that Haldir was unaware of.
"We are going to my study… I wish to speak with you, Haldir." Thranduil said softly to the little confused child that he led. Again, Haldir did a confused face.
"Was I a bad elf? Is that why?" Haldir asked the elven king yet another question, looking up sadly.
"No no, little child, you where a very good boy today. I need to speak with you of your… Situation." Thranduil said, using the best word he could to describe what horrid event was going on about them.
"Oh. Okay! As long as I wasn't bad and I'm not in a lot of big trouble!" Haldir really did not know what that big fancy word, situation, was all about or what it meant, so Haldir timidly followed along as if he did.
As they headed towards the king's vast study, servants where passing by. Some carried the night's appetizers, some bore over their shoulders drinks, some held on large platters the main food for the night, and following behind where servants with the indulgent desserts, the finest dessert in Mirkwood, the tastiest and the best.
Haldir watched the food pass in amazement and tugged at Thranduil's robes, pointing upwards after.
"What's all the food doing?" Haldir asked happily, eyeing the sweet trays that passed before him, the chocolate cakes and all that whipped cream, the yummy ice cream and all those other grand desserts.
"That little elfling is the food that will be served tonight. Since Illiendal is here, pregnant, we will be having a little feast in honour of the baby and her pregnancy. You will be attending, as will most of the elves you know here in Mirkwood." Thranduil explained as more food passed by.
"Where's it all going?" Haldir asked as the food passed.
"It is going to the dinning room, Haldir. It is coming from the kitchens all freshly baked and ready to be eaten. Guests have already started arriving, prince Tonus is looking after them and showing them to the table and welcoming them to sit and talk amongst each other outside in the back of the palace's gardens." Thranduil told the elfling. Haldir tried to follow the food, though Thranduil's grip was too firm for the elfling to break free of.
"Elfling, come now, you cannot follow them, we are going to my study to speak." Thranduil gently tugged on Haldir's arm, not too hard, but just enough so Haldir understood in which direction to walk.
"But if the food is coming now, we have to go eat it! It will get all cold if we don't eat it right now!" Haldir whined, watching the food and the servants that carried it disappear around a corner leading to the dinning room.
"Do not worry, the guests will wait before they eat for their king and for Illiendal's husband, and the food will not get cold, I do not ask to speak with you long about this, just to tell you basic things, little one." Thranduil explained, continuing to walk to the study.
Thranduil pushed open the door to the study and held it open so that the little elfling could waddle through. Haldir did, and then jumped onto the puffy chair at the desk in the room very happily.
"Haldir that is where I sit. Please get down, you will sit here." Thranduil pulled a chair up to the other side of the desk. It was not as puffy, but very reluctantly, Haldir obeyed commands.
"Now, Haldir, you have to understand that eventually, you will become… A… A nothing! You will die, because, you will, basically revert make to before you wherever born. That's what we've gathered; Haldir, and so far you've only been proving that in the end this is what will happen to you…" Thranduil began on a rough note, he did want to get this all over with and clear to the elfling.
As basic and as clear as Thranduil spoke, none of it went through to little Haldir…
'That cake looked so yummy! I bet I could eat half of it! No, all of it! But, that wouldn't be nice. I guess I'll give some of it to Illiendal, but only a little slice… THEN I'll eat the rest! Oh, that sounds good! I'm sure everyone will agree that that is fair…" Haldir's thoughts played in his head, and where all that the boy paid attention to.
"Now… After the feast, tomorrow, in the afternoon, we all find it best if you return to Lorien, to be with your parents when the time comes to… Leave… I mean, when the curse reverts you to nothing… So… Tomorrow afternoon Rumil to will escort you home. Orophin, after speaking with me, says he would do anything for his elder- now little - brother, and said he wishes to remain in Mirkwood or wherever Illiendal chooses to reside and help bring up his brother's child in your absence, so Orophin will remain in Mirkwood for the time being, and possibly for most of his life in Middle Earth." Thranduil finished his short speech. Still, Haldir had not paid heed to what was spoken, too lost in his own thoughts.
'That steak looked so juicy and good! I bet they have great steak sauce here in the palace… Oh? What's this guy babbling about? Was Thrandy talking to ME? Oopsie! Oh well, couldn't have been important, or at least, it was not as important as steak and cake!' Haldir dreamed of the food still, even after Thranduil's talk.
"Now, elfling, come. The feast is waiting!" Thranduil smiled happily, taking Haldir's hand and leading the child to the dinning room, which was filled with many, many elves all-waiting for their king to begin the feast with a speech.
To be continued…
Sorry this took so long! I lost track of time!
SORRY… NO TIME TO ANSWER REVIEWS. I WILL DO SO IN NEXT CHAPTER.
