Chapter 1:
"Come on father, faster, we are almost there!"
King Thranduil laughed as he took in the sight of his youngest son. Legolas was almost bouncing with excitement, his cheeks were flushed red and his brilliant blue eyes were wide and bright with excitement.
"Calm down my greenleaf, Rivendell will not disappear in the next few hours, we will get there soon."
Legolas' two older brothers Finolfian and Tysolne smirked at their younger brother, he was so innocent and young looking sometimes they would it hard to believe he was 2384 years old, he certainly didn't look it at the moment!
"Hey elfling, why are you rushing anyway you know Estel, Elladan and Elrohir would have set some sort of trap for you, like last time" said Tysolne
"Perhaps he enjoyed walking around all day smelling like horse dung, I know Lyndwinal loved the smell!" replied Finolfian and the sour look Legolas gave them sent them both into hysterical laughter and put tears of mirth into their eyes.
Thinking of the elf maiden he had had a crush on last time he was in Rivendell bought a blush to his cheeks.
"Haha you guys are just soooo funny and don't call me elfling!" retorted Legolas and slowed his horse down so he could ride along side his father instead of his ever annoying brothers. Legolas was about to complain about his brothers when he heard his father say
"Forget about them my greenleaf they are just teasing", so he kept quiet.
The party of the Mirkwood Royal family and their many guards rode on silently through the forests of Rivendell. The scouts should see them soon and escort them to the Last Homely House. Legolas was so excited. His three best friends in the world lived here and he had not seen them for quite some time. When his father suggested they all take a visit since he needed to meet with Lord Elrond anyway, Legolas was shocked, his father never really left Mirkwood unless it was extremely important. But he wasn't complaining, he gets to see his friends again and that made him happy.
"Halt"
Legolas jumped as he heard the command and he saw ahead of them on the path three armed Rivendell elves.
"King Thranduil, your highness. Lord Elrond has sent us to escort you safely to Rivendell. If you would follow us."
The three elves leapt onto their horses and led the party towards the ever welcoming home of Lord Elrond and his three sons.
They trotted into the courtyard in time to see Lord Elrond come down the steps to greet them. Trailing behind him were two tall elves and a slightly shorter human, all had long dark hair and mischievous grins on their faces.
The Mirkwood party dismounted as Elrond arrived.
"Welcome Thranduil, Finolfian and Tysolne. It has been too long, I hope your journey was trouble free" welcomed Elrond as he embraced his friend.
"It was Elrond, it is good to see you again my old friend"
"Old…?" he arched his eyebrows at Thranduil and Legolas couldn't hold in his giggle.
"Ah Legolas my dear boy, how are you, it has been a while since we have seen you here, I thought perhaps my sons had scared you away for good last time?"
"No milord, I have been busy, though I am very excited to be here again"
"Yes well, I know of some others who seem to be thinking the same thing" Elrond looked over at his sons and motioned them forward.
"Welcome King Thranduil" they chimed in unison and then Legolas could hear a whispered 1, 2, 3! And before he even knew what was happening he was knocked off his feet attacked by a charge of dark hair, long limbs and laughter from all round.
"Ow, get your foot off of my back Elladan" yelled Estel
"It's not my foot it's Elrohir's"
"How about you all get off me!" yelled Legolas as he started to feel his bones slowly grinding into the ground painfully
"What! are you saying we are heavy Legolas" replied Elrohir cheekily
"ATTACK, AHHHHHHH"
"No, help"
"Ouch my eye"
"Stop kicking me"
"You kicked me first"
"I didn't kick anyone"
"I'm not talking to you"
"Ow who bit me!"
"Not me"
"Get off"
"I can't, your on me"
"Help"
"Alright that's enough of that, anyone would think you are all elflings" laughed Elrond as he managed to extract the three elves and the human from each other with the help of Thranduil
"Poor Legolas arrives and gets tackled in a second" tutted Elrond
"Well at least now he will leave us alone! No more nagging for us to hurry up, honestly you should have heard him on the journey here, he made it sound like Rivendell was going to disappear" joked Tysolne who stopped as he saw his father shake his head warningly at him.
Legolas inwardly cursed his brothers big mouth as he felt the familiar redness rise up into his cheeks. Sometimes having older brothers was just annoying.
"Perhaps you should all go and clean up in time for dinner, show Legolas to his room will you" instructed Elrond to Estel, he left with Thranduil and the others leaving the friends on their own.
"I am glad we have this sorted Elrond, it is a great worry off my mind""Yes well you are more than welcome to borrow some of Rivendell's warriors to help fight the evil in the forests of Mirkwood. I hadn't realised the danger had grown or I would have offered before this"
"It is quite ok, you have done enough for our family already Elrond"
"Yes… how is Legolas these days?"
"Still quiet, he does not seem to have many friends in Mirkwood and his brothers do allow him to join them with their friends but he can't be with them all the time, I am afraid he is quite a loner still, it is good for him to be here"
"Does he still get nightmares about it?"
"Not so much anymore, though they haven't stopped completely"
"You say he does not have many male friends, what about elliths, any interest there yet? I heard about Lyndwinal last time he was here "
"Yes, he was quite smitten though I think he is over her now, a crush was all it was"
"Perhaps Legolas needs to consider a wife soon, I know he is not the type to settle down but…"
"I have discussed this topic with him numerous times my friend, it is always the same answer…
"Finolfian is already bonded, they will have children soon, you will have you're your heirs and Tysolne is older than me so why don't you talk to him first. I am not ready Ada, I do not think the ellith that I would love even exists. I have met many elliths and they are all the same, boring, stuck up and they only want to marry me to become a princess. So just leave me alone"
"He will not be happy with just anyone Thranduil, Legolas has a special heart he needs to fall in love, but do not worry I think he will"
"I hope you are right"
"I am always right Thranduil" replied Elrond cheekily "You should know that by now!"
"Really well I seem to remember many years ago a young elfling who thought it a good idea to…"
"Ada, Ada, Ada, we have a really important question for you" interrupted Elladan as the troubled foursome burst through the doors to Elronds study in such a hurry you would think a balrog was chasing them.
"What, what is it, are you ok?" worried Elrond
"Yes, of course, but we need to know…Who is taller, Elrohir or me?" exclaimed Elladan as he and Elrohir stood back to back both stretching themselves up tall with expectant faces turned towards their father.
"What" replied Elrond
"Who is taller Ada? Legolas thinks Elrohir is taller but Estel says I am, so who is it?"
"This is the really important question that warranted you bursting through my doors interrupting my meeting with King Thranduil?"
Thranduil sat behind them trying very hard not to laugh.
"Well…"
Elrond sighed "You are both the same, now go, get out, go on, no more interruptions please, or else you will have to face an angry King Thranduil"
The twins and Estels eyes widened and Legolas tried to desperately hold in his laughter as he saw his father try to put on an angry face.
"I would rather face a million orcs alone" joked Legolas quickly as he followed his friends as they ran out of the room.
Elrond smiled as he turned to Thranduil
"A million orcs…I didn't think I was that bad, and you Elrond, using me as a threat against your sons!"
"Sorry I had to think fast, and, you can be scary you know!"
The four who were listening outside the heavy oak doors looked very surprised as they heard the deep laughter of Lord Elrond and King Thranduil echo throughout the halls.