"So, Legolas, can you behave whilst I leave for some short time? I must see your sister, your father has asked me to meet her in the archery field." Haldir said, looking down at the child. Legolas has surly grown. He no longer could not reach his waist, now he was almost five feet. Almost.
"I don't think he can, but I will keep an eye on him." Cield said, cradling his son in one arm and his daughter in the other. Haldir smiled and looked at the children.
"So these are the children that you and lady Firelien had on your first date?" Haldir asked, blissful when Cield allowed him to hold the little girl.
"Yes, I told you in a letter that we had twins. That is Malfinniel, she was born first, and whom I hold is Nenmir. He was not breathing when he was born, I was scared he would not survive, but here he is and the fact that he was born... well... Blue... Has not changed anything about him, at least nothing I have noticed... But, he does stumble, that I worry of, since he is already four years." Cield explained to Haldir. Legolas rolled his eyes and sat on the floor in boredom.
"My sister is waiting, Haldir." Legolas snapped. Haldir sighed and carefully handed the child back to her father.
"I will talk to you later, you and Tonus, I wish to meet his son." Haldir said before turning to leave. "Your sister is Illiendal, correct?" Haldir asked. Legolas groaned. "Yes, she is!" He snapped. "Get moving, she will have sailed west by the time you get there!" Legolas mocked.
"Legolas, I will tell your father if you act like that." Haldir said. Legolas gave Haldir his best attempt at looking sorrow filled and even managed to have a few tears fall. Haldir sighed and wiped away one of the prince's fake tears.
"Haldir, can I at least go and play with my friends, Tavel and Suiadan? They live in the town and we will not go far." Legolas said, begging really. Haldir looked into Legolas' pleading eyes and sighed.
"Yes you may. I do recall Tavel, but is Suiadan a new friend?" Haldir asked. Legolas nodded his head.
"He is my tutor, Athradien's son, that's how I met him... Well, Athradien is not my tutor yet, but he will be when I turn thirteen, that's the youngest age he agrees to teach. He promised my father many years ago that he would teach me when I was old enough, my ada says he is the best tutor I can have." Legolas said before running out the palace doors to go and find his friends to bring on some adventure.
Haldir left the palace, not as quickly as the excited prince. As he passed servants and guards he was surprised that some of them recalled him from his last visit. Galion and many of the guards who recalled him trying to catch the little troublesome Legolas greeted him.
"It's nice to see you again, Haldir of Lorien! Alas is only the prince was still so young and fun loving as he used to be, I never thought I would be wishing that!" Some said. Some added to that, saying that he could still cause as much trouble, and some said that the prince was changing greatly and not necessarily for the best but nor was it awful how he was changing.
Haldir saw the archery field up ahead. He could see the figure of a she-elf, attempting to use a bow. She seemed all right, but as he approached he noticed she missed the target quite often.
Haldir put his hand out and touched the she-elf's shoulder. She gasped, turned around and with the arrow she had been about to fire, she stabbed Haldir in his shoulder, and gasped a second time when she realised she had just stuck her arrow into an elf's shoulder, and more importantly, a very handsome, strong elf.
"I'm so sorry! I did not know you where an elf! Here, let me help you, do you want me to get you a healer?" The she-elf asked, not realising how calm Haldir remained. Haldir stuck out his hand once more, this time not the one with the arrow sticking out of his shoulder.
"Haldir." He introduced himself. The panic on the she-elf's face faded slightly, and she managed a small smile.
"Suilad (Welcome), Haldir. I am Illiendal." Illiendal said, taking Haldir's hand. Haldir gave her hand a kiss and noticed the princess was blushing.
"Am I correct to say that you are princess Illiendal?" Haldir asked. Illiendal nodded her head, keeping her gaze fixed on the arrow she had put in his arm.
"And you are the Haldir who will be trying to help me with my bow?" Illiendal asked. Haldir smiled.
"Yes I am, and from what I have seen you will need a lot of help. Our first lesson shall be why we don't attack innocent elves with our arrows, and afterwards we will learn why the arrow in not used with your hand." Haldir said before laughing with Illiendal.
"Enough jokes march-warden, you need someone to treat the arrow sticking out of your arm, it is not as attractive as you may think it is, and it mustn't be comfortable." Illiendal said, taking Haldir by his hand and leading him to a healer who sat outside near the archery field. He was hired to overlook the archers and heal anyone who was wounded at the archery fields, and there were usually a couple injuries, most of the time very minor, happening at the fields every day.
"Did you get hurt, hiril (Princess) Illiendal?" The healer asked before noticing Haldir and the arrow in his shoulder.
"No, I am not hurt. I hurt Haldir though, please remove the arrow and clean him up." Illiendal ordered. The healer nodded his head.
"Sit down Haldir. Ai, I recall you! You came some years ago to watch the little prince; he gets into some trouble a lot just like he used to." The healer said as he touched the arrow gently.
"Alright, here's what I can do. Illiendal, you seem to know Haldir, talk to him while I deal with the arrow." The healer suggested as he prepared to remove the arrow. Despite the fact that Illiendal had only known Haldir for a short while and she had been the one who stabbed him, she talked to him. Haldir listened and talked as well, but stopped talking and listening immediately when the arrow was pulled out of his flesh. He groaned and shut his eyes, but reopened them when the healer began to talk.
"Keep talking Haldir, I still have not treated the would so that it does not get infected. Tell Illiendal about what you wish to do whilst you stay in Mirkwood." The healer suggested as he prepared some herbs. Haldir talked but again stopped when the herbs where placed on the arrow wound. Haldir winced and did not continue to talk.
"You can easily handle being stabbed, but you just cannot take your medicine, can you?" Illiendal smiled. Haldir forced a smile as he groaned and moaned.
"I am hurt often, being march-warden, but I am not usually treated so properly, usually I treat myself and not in this manner. I just bandage my wounds up and wait patiently for it to heal, unless it is so grave that I am commanded to see a healer. Oh!" Haldir grimaced as the healer rolled his sleeve up and began to bandage Haldir's wound tightly.
"But wouldn't the wounds get infected if that is all you do to treat them?" Illiendal asked, trying to take the elf's mind off the bandaging.
"Well, sometimes yes, that is what happens, and I am forced to see a healer and have an injection to clear up the wound, but I do keep clean and avoid getting infections often." Haldir said. Illiendal nodded her head and was glad to see that the healer was finished cleaning the wound.
"If it would be possible, my princess, I ask that we postpone archery lessons until tomorrow, perhaps. My arm is aching." Haldir said.
"Of course! I do not blame you for wanting rest, though I bet you will find more rest in archery practise with me than with my little brother." Illiendal stated. The healer agreed to that.
Illiendal escorted Haldir to his private chambers, where he would be sleeping during the ten day visit he was going to be spending in Mirkwood. Illiendal helped Haldir unpack, since she felt she owed him for hurting him.
During the time she spent with Haldir, she got to know the march-warden. By the time all his belongings where unpacked and settled, Haldir had stopped calling Illiendal by any formal names. Illiendal could not help but enjoy very much the time she spent with Haldir, she was comfortable in his presence and she felt almost like she was falling for the march-warden... After all, he was strong, handsome, kind, a bit arrogant and quite seductive.
Legolas was trotting down the dirt path through the forest. In front was Suiadan and behind him was Tavel. The three where armed and excited to see what journey lied ahead for them in the forest.
"I think," Legolas, said to his friends, "We should investigate a cave I discovered not so long ago. I'm wondering what lives in there. I heard something, perhaps... perhaps a troll!" Legolas grinned. Tavel rolled his eyes.
"A cave troll in Mirkwood. I cannot wait until you start studying about creatures. Cave trolls! You have lost your mind, Legolas." Tavel said, and even though he was doubtful about going with his friends and had a bad feeling inside, he continued to follow.
"Yes... a cave troll! I heard chains rattling, I am sure of it." Legolas said, moving in front of Suiadan, now leading his friends off the dirt road and through the trees.
"Honestly Tavel, ever since your parents sailed west you have been such a bore... Now follow me, the cave is this way!" Legolas exclaimed.
"I am not a bore. Since I am underage and living alone without my parents, I have become more mature and I have more responsibilities than you both." Tavel said, still feeling worried as he followed his two friends through trees.
"Well I am certain Legolas will manage to get the excitement back in you, Tav." Suiadan said. "But even I don't know about this… Legolas has been getting too curious." Suiadan said. "I'm worried for him. My father teaches only the best and my father already knows of the trouble Legolas, you and myself get into and he has already threatened more than once to forbid me from seeing him… If that happened I do not doubt Legolas would be forbidden from entering my father's classes and then King Thranduil would surly be mad with Legolas…" Suiadan said. Tavel laughed, though he did not fully mean it.
"If your greatest concern is not seeing Legolas again, then do not worry about it, in one year you will be old enough to make your own decisions so unless King Thranduil forbids you, you will be able to remain friends with Legolas and I, you are eldest of us after all, eldest by quite a lot! But if you are concerns with Legolas' education, then the most you can do is help him with his work… he does very poorly in his studies, I am sad to report." Tavel explained.
"I know he does not do well and helping him is a grand idea!" Suiadan said, both Tavel and himself talking in a soft tone so Legolas would not notice.
"I heard all you said. Thanks a lot." Legolas said, suddenly turning around. Legolas' eyes where tearful. Suiadan bit his lip at the sarcasm in Legolas' voice. Tavel let out a quiet gasp as Legolas sprang into a tree.
"Follow him." Tavel said, chasing after his friend. Nervously, Suiadan followed.
Tavel and Suiadan came to an immediate halt as Legolas jumped from the tree he was in and ran into a cave nearby.
"Do we…?" Suiadan asked. Tavel looked nervously at the dark cave entrance before turning to look at Suiadan.
"Chances are he will get hurt without us there to save him if anything happens. If he gets hurt, killed, or never found, most likely Haldir will be blamed and punished for whatever happened to Legolas, and Legolas being prince punishment would not be light." Tavel said. Suiadan looked at Tavel briefly with fear in his eyes before washing away the fear and running into the cave entrance right after Legolas.
Tavel watched his friend enter and followed right after.
"Suiadan? Legolas?" Tavel called out before bumping into Suiadan who had stopped.
"Why did you stop walking?" Tavel asked quietly. Suiadan pointed ahead of him. Near them, Legolas sat on the cave floor, leaning against a large stone. He was crying, and when Suiadan came closer, he immediately noticed his presence and glared at him.
"Leave me alone. I might be stupid but I can take care of myself." Legolas said. Suiadan continued to walk forwards.
"Legolas, I, nor Tavel, think you are stupid. You might not be getting the greatest in your studies but I know you are smart." Suiadan said. Legolas still did not move from his spot.
"Then why where you talking of my intelligence to Tavel like you where? If you think I'm not smart enough to be in your father's class, I don't care. I don't need to be in his class-
"Yes you do! You are a prince and you need good education! My father is the best you can get, in fact, he taught your father when your father arrived in Mirkwood!" Suiadan said. Legolas stood up and stormed off further. This time Tavel was worried about following, but Suiadan had already taken off, for he had not finished this argument.
"Come on Tavel. Just like you said before, he could get hurt or lost." Suiadan called out to Tavel. Tavel quickly followed, but not before taking out his bow and ready with an arrow, just to be prepared in case of danger. Tavel caught up with Suiadan, who gave him a strange look.
"Legolas said he thought he heard a cave troll. I am just being prepared, you know." Tavel explained. Suiadan raised his hand, ordering Tavel to be silent.
"I heard something. Legolas must be far away; I think it was his voice. Follow me, I saw him go this way." Suiadan ran down one hall of the cave and Tavel followed. As they ran down the narrow halls, the noise Suiadan had heard earlier grew clearer.
"I'm stuck!" The voice said. Suiadan and Tavel knew this voice to be Legolas'.
"Legolas, we can hear you! What are you stuck on? How are you stuck?" Tavel asked.
"My… leggings is caught on a branch of some sort of cave plant and I cannot reach behind me to fix it! I don't want to cut the plant! What… What's that? Oh… Oh…" Legolas' voice trailed off. Tavel and Suiadan ran faster.
"Legolas? What happened?" Suiadan asked. Instead of an answer, their friend let out a shrill scream.
"Legolas!" Tavel yelled, running ahead of Suiadan and following Legolas' voice.
"Legolas, what is it? Are you alright?" Suiadan asked. Legolas was no longer screaming, but his voice was filled with panic when he spoke.
"Ca… Cave… Cave troll! Help, please!" Legolas said before screaming once again.
To be continued…
The title of this chapter is named after a lyric in the song 'The ballad of Bilbo Baggins'… But one day Bilbo was asked to go
On a big adventure to the caves below,
To help some dwarves get back their gold
That was stolen by a dragon in the days of old.
Aranna Undomiel: Yup, that's Legolas for you.
Some Guy: Well, I don't know where you live Mr.Guy, but in CANADA it's 13 the teenage year and 18 the adult age/drinking age, and also I don't recall mentioning that Legolas was a teen. But if I did, I should rephrase that to ACTED like he had the hormones of a teenager.
Here comes the hockey puck: Happy Birthday!
NuEvil: You are a very nice reviewer. I like you!
Legolas' Girl 9: Well, he's being troublesome and rude now, but he's quite friendly once you get to know him.
CapriceAnn: You know, once you get married, what if they have a mind reading machine and your husband finds those images? Although, we all know we'll all be marrying Haldir. I doubt that it's illegal to have thousands of wives for elves in Lorien.
Bberry06: Glad your happy.
OpalKitty: Goodie, anticipation is a good word, and it's very big!
Here comes the hockey puck: First reviewer of this story, I think you where also the first reviewer of Haldir's here… Hm… A pattern… Yup, mischief time!