The three talked for a while before returning to the fields for a bit more archery. This time, Haldir did do a bit of target shooting and he was quite good. Both Cield and Haldir where very skilled and when they competed in silly contests the winner was frequently changing from Haldir to Cield.
Legolas did try and compete with the March Warden and his elder brother, but it was hopeless: Legolas was not too well-trained, having only some beginner lessons as an elfling, and Cield had the most advanced of classes and winner of many official Mirkwood archery contests, as well as some contests in Rivendell. As for Haldir, he was needed to be so great with his bow, having his March-Warden job and needed to protect the many Lorien elves.
Even though Legolas lost every competition they had that day, Legolas kept his head high, he remained proud and he stayed joyful… Thranduil could not often play with Legolas or do these little competitions, so having two elves older than him to do this with and hope to beat was very much fun compared to playing with Nenmir with tiny plastic rubber-end arrows.
Legolas was in the end very reluctant to return to the palace for dinner. Even though he had lost all his tasty honey cookies to Cield in competitions (Haldir refusing to take them), Legolas enjoyed himself and was determined that he could win at least one competition, even though the odds where so low that he would win any until Cield or Haldir grew very tired, which was obvious that it would not happen within the next few hours (unless Cield went without food in the next hour, for Cield had been complaining that they had not eaten much at all that day. Even elves, though they do not need to eat much, can feel the pains of starvation, and Cield feels them often and hates them!)
Cield headed towards the palace first, leaving Haldir to clean the mess that the three had made. Haldir had to go around collecting all the arrows that had been shot at trees, as well as the arrows that had missed their mark. Legolas did some helping, but only a little bit. Haldir and Legolas divided the good arrows that they could use again, and Haldir disposed of the very much broken arrows, unless they looked like they could be repaired or be somehow useful to him one day.
Haldir and Legolas entered the palace shortly after the cleaning. Most of the royal family had already sat down and where waiting for the others. Cield was seated and then helped Nenmir and Malfinniel onto their chairs. With Nenmir and Malfinniel seated, Haldir and Legolas where the only two who had not arrived yet and where the last to sit down.
Cield was so hungry that he would have started without his little brother and his brother's babysitter, but in a couple minutes Legolas and Haldir arrived. Haldir made it clear that they only took so long because Legolas had put up quite a fight in washing his hands for supper.
The fairly large royal family members where served with some salad, to start with. They all ate quietly and slowly, but the silence between them did not last a while before everyone saw Legolas open his mouth, about to tell everyone some story of his.
But before Legolas had the chance to say the first word in his story, Nenmir beat him to it. Nenmir loved telling stories about what he did in the day, even if they had no story to go with them, even if nothing special happened. Nenmir loved knowing that someone listened to him and Nenmir also liked hearing his own voice.
"Today me and nana played outside in the courtyard! Malfinniel was there, too! When we went outside though, a butterfly chased me. It was evil. I tried to catch it but I squished it so I had squishy, mushy butterfly on me! I wanted to eat it, but Nana said that eating butterfly would make my tummy sad and then I'd have some tummy aches so I buried the butterfly's mushy dead body in a hole near the palace. Then me and Malfinniel had a ceremony as nana said it was, for the butterfly." Nenmir announced. Cield couldn't stop himself from grinning at his son's story, wishing he had gotten a chance to play with Nenmir that day, but still, he did enjoy the archery fields with his brother and Haldir.
Once Nenmir's story was done, and a few comments and laughs passed through the table by Nenmir's parents and relatives, Legolas was ready to tell his story again, his story of his day at the archery fields and how he overcame his fear.
"Well, today I-
Legolas begun his sentence, but before even getting a chance to get anywhere further than the first three words, Nenmir was continuing with his day, apparently unfinished with his telling, or just extending it because he felt like it. Legolas shut his mouth and shot a glare at Nenmir as Nenmir began to tell more.
"After the ceremony we went inside because the other butterflies might have gotten mad at me and I was afraid that the butterflies would kill me. So we did some arts. Nana got us some paper and some feathers-
"Quills." Cield corrected softly, interrupting his son.
"No ada, they where not QUILLS, they where birdie feathers! Anyways, nana got us feathers, paper and ink and then we drew some pictures and Uncle Tonus came and he showed me how to fold the paper so that it looks like a Birdie and then I brought the birdie to the lake and it sunk and then we had another ceremony and I buried the dead paper birdie near the dead butterfly and so then I was afraid that if I went inside the other paper birdies that Uncle Tonus made me would attack me…"
Before Nenmir could say another word, Legolas knew he had to get his chance now. Sometimes Nenmir could talk for the entire meal, no one else getting a chance to speak a single word but Nenmir. Legolas could not let that happen!
"As for me, I finally concurred my fear of going to the archery fields! I can go there now and I wont have to be scared again, I swear, I've overcome all the stupid fears I had and now I love arching! It was so much fun and I nearly won a competition with Haldir and Cield, but Haldir beat me by fifty points in the end…"
Legolas said his story quickly before Nenmir had a chance to continue his very long story about a day in a silly elfling's life. Not many where to shocked with Legolas' story, all of them knowing it was possible for him to be brave and arch again.
"I was NOT finished!" Nenmir protested, almost about to cry, Nenmir was a very sensitive little toddler after all and this type of thing really got to him and made the child greatly upset.
"You have to give others a chance to speak, Nenmir, it's only fair. But now that Legolas has told about his day, you can continue with your tale, ion-nin." Cield explained to the child, who barely paid attention to any of that, but the one part that Nenmir got clearly was 'you can continue with your tale, ion-nin'. So Nenmir did continue.
By the time the main meal was over and dessert was just about ready to be served, everyone who sat at the royal dining table, as well as a few servants who had passed the family at their dining table often, knew exactly what Nenmir did in full detail, along with each location Nenmir visited with his sister, every animal -both real and paper- that Nenmir squished and a very descriptive, detailed note on the food Nenmir had eaten and how different it looked when Nenmir got sick and vomited it up.
By the time their dessert, which was little chocolate cakes with gooey chocolate sauce inside of them, was served, Nenmir's tales had ended and Legolas even got a chance to tell his story with much more detail.
Haldir did not speak much, for Haldir found his stories dull compared to what the princes and princess of Mirkwood did in a day. Haldir had the same routine every day and had had his life like that for many years, sometimes the routine interrupted to visit family or very few friends, but Haldir did spend most of his days doing the same thing as the previous day, unlike with the Royal family who had all kinds of adventures exploring the huge palace that was their home, as well as touring their kingdom and doing as they please.
With all of the Royal family now speaking during dessert of their little exciting adventures, Tonus looked over at Haldir. Tonus knew very well that since Haldir was not from a rich, royal family that Haldir had to work, and working took up much of Haldir's time so Haldir did not do these fun little things aside from whatever he would do with fellow guardians of Lorien.
Tonus felt it was his duty to inform Haldir of the other side of being royal, of what they, well at least, what Tonus and Thranduil do when not having these little fun expeditions of Mirkwood or playing with their children or arching for the fun of it.
"You know Haldir, when I am not doing these fun things my family speak of, I am either at a meeting, following my father and listening to his commands, taking notes in the classes I take, fighting in an attack upon the palace or really anywhere in Mirkwood, or I am fulfilling my duties as crowned prince by aiding some inhabitants of Mirkwood, for example, find out what has destroyed their garden. Since Legolas and my and my brother's children are too young to do these things, they and their mother or their friends or relatives will go off to play while myself, my father, Cield and Illiendal do our duties. My father obviously has most duties, and then I have the second most duties as the crowned heir to my father's throne. Cield has duties as well, not as many as me, of course. Finally, Illiendal has the least duties but still has many, she and Malfinniel are the only females born Royal, not counting our wives that married into this family."
Tonus' explanation was long but Haldir listened to it thoroughly. Haldir knew that the men of the family, the sons of Thranduil, obviously had many important duties as prince, but he had not heard much of Illiendal's duty as a princess.
"What must Illiendal do?" Haldir asked.
"Illiendal has many and I am not certain of them all. I know for a fact that at the Mirkwood balls, she must dance with any man that asks her, so she is usually tired after any ball and sometimes wishes not to attend them, but must. Dancing does not seem like much of a duty, but she must dance with so many men and she is so tired by the end that she falls asleep and will often miss breakfast the next day. She also helps the villagers a lot and ada has her organize things such as balls, feasts, celebrations and when Royal visitors from Rivendell or Lorien come, such as Lord Elrond or Lord Celeborn. She does much greeting, as well. She'd have less roles, but with our Naneth gone she is the most royal woman in Mirkwood (less lady Galadriel comes for a visit)." Tonus continued to explain in detail to Haldir.
"That makes sense, Tonus. But what if Illiendal where to marry one day? Would she still dance with the other men?" Haldir asked curiously. Smiling and near laughing from the idea of his own wife going off dances with fifty other men, Tonus shook his head.
"No, she would not, that would most probably insult her husband greatly!" Tonus smiled, sipping at his wine after he spoke. Haldir and Tonus continued talking for a while, when a gentle poke on Tonus' arm pulled Tonus out of the conversation.
The poke was of Florien, who gave his father a tiny smile after the poke. Tonus frowned at his and gestured to Haldir to let Florien know he was busy in a conversation with Haldir, but Florien had something to say.
"May I be excused, ada?" Florien asked. Some of Florien's cake was still left and the cake being very small, Tonus wondered why Florien had not finished. But Tonus was not going to force his son to eat a dessert, so nodded his head.
"Yes, you may be excused Florien… But first, please bring your plate and glass into the kitchens for the servants to clean." Tonus ordered. Florien nodded his head and picked up his plate and glass and entered the kitchen. Florien came out a few moments later and then headed out of the dining room, towards his bedroom.
The rest of the royal family finished their own desserts and the servants cleaned up after them, once they had all left. Many of them such as Yáviel, Tonus and Firelien, headed to their bedrooms, but Legolas, Malfinniel, Nenmir, Cield and Haldir all headed into the family room, which had a fireplace, puffy, soft, comfy chairs and a long bench that was soft, just like a bed with a back and arm rests.
Cield took his usual spot lying on his abdomen on the bench, taking up all the room. The twins, Cield's two children, where quick to climb up, Nenmir sitting himself on his father's back right next to his sister who was also on her father's back, cuddling close to her brother.
Haldir sat down in one of the soft seats and Legolas sat on the floor in front of the bench on a very soft, pale green rug, his usual seating spot. The bunch stayed quiet, some soft giggling coming from the twins every now and then when Cield would poke one of them in their ribs.
As they sat watching the twins playfully laugh and kick, Tonus entered swiftly, a note in his hands. Tonus looked worried, and the note he held tightly and he held it shut so that no one there could read it.
"What's the matter, Tonus?" Legolas looked up at his eldest brother curiously. Tonus sighed and passed Cield the letter to read first.
"It is a letter from Lord Elrond… He says he needs very badly to come talk to ada… It is an old letter he sent out from Rivendell a couple weeks ago saying that instead of ada needing to go to Rivendell, he would come here… Which means that ada is heading to Rivendell right now to see Elrond, and Elrond is somewhere in Mirkwood as we speak, coming to see ada!" Tonus announced with the same worried expression.
To be continued…
Aranna Undomiel: Everyone loves the doggie!
Manwathiel: Who cares about Legolas, it's a doggie! Lets all run to it and pet it!
ElenweMorewen: I don't know if I'm a freshman since I use Canadian years, but I am in grade 7 at the moment…
Bberry06: I'm not sure; I think Galil is part wolf. The other part is up to your imagination… And as evil as white evil balls of poof dogs are, they are so cute!
Haldir's Heart and Soul: Cield can be very understanding… Just give him time!
Mistopurr: Cield is one of those animal lovers, I suppose…
Mesozoic Flower: …I have no comment on that…
Legolas' Girl 9: So what happens in those situations? Galil would be put to sleep, I presume…
Cute Little Legolas: I do a lot more now than I did at the start of Haldir's Here, that's why I don't update as much… I get very busy!
NuEvil: Of course Cield has good points! He just has to warm up to being in a new story!