Gimli could tell his companion Legolas Greenleaf was not happy in the depths of Fangorn Forest. He knew this by the way Legolas told him comtinous stories about the past and places he'd been. He never truly let his voice fall completely still to let the silence of the forest rush in on them. Not that Gimli really minded, he'd made the bargain to walk the paths of Fangorn with Legolas after the war but to him this place was too wild, too chaotic and just to green to ever be comfortable. But this place should be heaven to Legolas, instead he seemed to barely look around him. Sometimes he stopped, gazing on some beauty that did not penetrate Gimli's rocky senses and when Gimli asked what he saw, a flitting grin would shadow Legolas' face and he would reply, "The Forest." At other times he would cock his head and listen, enrapt in what he heard. When he was asked what he heard he would confuse Gimli by saying "The gulls." Legolas' voice started up again, catching Gimli's attention.
"Once nearly a century ago great evil came to rest in my homeland. The forest grew shadowed and the children of Shelob came to dwell in it's depths. There was death in our homeland for the first time since the defeat of Sauron. We were aware that whatever evil had come to our home was growing and we could find nothing to stop it. Then came a band of travellers who trespassed through our borders, and my father King Thranduil commanded me to bring them to him for questioning"
When Legolas broke off the story to swiftly climb a tree and look into the nest of a falcon Gimli snorted in frustration. Damn elves were flightier than cats.
"Then what happened?" Gimli demanded when Legolas finally returned to the ground.
"Patience Gimli, a story is like a tree, it must grow at it's own pace"
"If it keeps growing at this pace I shall be in my dottage before you finish it"
"As you wish my oh-so patient friend." The elf laughed at him, crinkling the corners of his eyes. "We found them wandering through the forest, a sadder lot you've never seen, half starved and filthy from being lost in Mirkwood and a battle with the spiders. And still one of them had the nerve to insult my parantage and I nearly feathered him with arrows to leave him as an example to the others. Instead we brought them to my father and they spent some time in our keeping until they made a miraculous escape down the river"
Gimli looked at him a little sourly. "That's it? That's the story? Where's the battles, the treasure...the point"
"Truly there was a point. You know some of the participants. Who do you think was the one I nearly left for dead on the floor of Mirkwood?" There was a suspicious hint of smile hovering around Legolas' lips.
"How should I know, you elves live a long time, I'm sure there's hundred's of people you've pointed you arrows at in the time you've lived. Damn elven stories are as confusing as you are." Gimli muttered. "Fine, who was this person you almost killed in your pointless story"
The smile that had been threatening, blossomed into fullness.
"He was known as Gloin, Gimli's father."