" Well… you know how Legolas is so shy?" Thranduil asked as he closed the double glass balcony doors behind him.
"Yes." beraid said. He walked over to the railing and looked out upon the trees.
" I'm trying to figure out why. He wasn't always like this. But it has been so long that none can even remember him talking and laughing." Thranduil said with a deep sigh. He walked over to join beraid next to the railing. " I think something happened to him or he saw something that upset him. I have realized that he is scared. Not just shy around people."
" Why do you think that, if something had happened to him it would be very unlikely that you didn't know about It." beraid said.
" That's what is confusing me. If something happened it would have to be pretty big to make Legolas so shy and scared and how could it happen without me noticing?" Thranduil asked. His head turned to look though the glass doors and at the sleeping elfling on his bed. Thranduil wished that he could say that Legolas had just been sleeping in and in any moment he would wake up and smile and play like all the other children do. That he would play with his father and then go and play with his friends, that he would walk into Thranduil's study just to sit with him.
/ Wishes are only that Thranduil, wishes. You know that. How many times have you wished that your father would to sleep right away instead of beating the stuffing out of you? How many times have you wished that someone would come take you away from your horrible life? How many times have you wished that you had gotten to the nursery in time to save Atariel? How many times have you wouldn't have to raise Legolas on your own. How many times…/
" Thranduil, what are you thinking about?" beraid asked concerned. It wasn't often that Thranduil just spaced out in the middle of a conversation.
" Wha? Oh um nothing… I was just thinking about some things." Thranduil said quickly.
" What things? I know that look Thranduil, don't try to fool Me." beraid said as he turned to look Thranduil straight in the eye. " You forget that I know you well enough to tell when you are lying. It may fool your councilors but it won't fool me.
" They are wishes and nothing more." Thranduil said softly. He tried to turn away from beraid but the older elf held him in place.
" I think that wishes matter greatly. Kwentra amin." {Tell me} beraid said as he searched Thranduil's face for any thing that might give him away.
" There is nothing to tell. I was thinking about what I could not change. Now leave me be!" Thranduil said angry and annoyed. He pushed Beraid's hand off his shoulder and turned once again to look out among the trees. Beraid was not put off even slightly by Thranduil's show of temper. He knew from experience that it only meant that you had it a rough spot for him and the only way he knew how to hide it was though his anger. Unfortunately, he got that from his father. Thank the valar he hadn't picked up any of his father's other characteristics.
" I'm not playing that game. Just tell me. Do I have to I have to pull you into my lap and rock you back and forth like Legolas?" beraid joked. Thranduil gave a tiny smile at the joke but otherwise he stayed silent.
" Oh, come on now. You're going to have to tell me sooner or later and I rather It be sooner than later." beraid said as he put his arm around Thranduil's shoulders.
" Is it what you told me earlier?" beraid asked.
Thranduil nodded his head.
Beraid sighed, " You have to stop beating your self up for all that. You know that you can't change it. So why are you brooding about it?"
" I'm not brooding over it I'm… just thinking about it." Thranduil said angrily.
" There is no need no get angry Thranduil. Since your just thinking about it I hope you don't mind me changing the subject back to that little elfling in your bed." beraid said. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Thranduil's temper at the moment. He also knew that Thranduil had to work out some things by himself before he could really talk about what bothering him.
" No, not at all." Thranduil said as he turned for a second time to look at his sleeping son.
" What was Legolas so upset over this morning?" beraid asked, " I couldn't see exactly what was in the package. All I know was that it was a doll of some sort and that there was a note. But that is all."
Thranduil looked at his friend and said, " it wasn't the doll that upset him so much, it was rather what was on the doll that made him cry and I think the note had something to do with it too. Come on I'll show you." he walked back into his bedroom. " How could you not see?"
" I thought I had heard a councilor coming down the hall and I stood by the door so that I could tell them off. I couldn't see around Elrond and Arwen. And the next thing I knew was you were trying to calm down Legolas." beraid said as he followed Thranduil into the room. Thranduil reached under the bed and pulled out a box. Glancing at Legolas he opened it and took the note. Beraid read it out loud-
Dear Legolas,
This is for you. Sorry I don't have time to write a longer letter. But I'll see you soon. I promise.
---Amras.
Ps.- remember what you did?
" Okay I see no reason Legolas would get so upset over a little note. I can understand why he would be upset because of missing his friend but…" beraid trailed off.
Thranduil didn't say anything. He just reached in the box and pulled out the blood-covered doll. Beraid's eyes got wide as he took the doll from Thranduil's fingers. He turned it over in his hands and looked over every little bit. He suddenly handed it back to Thranduil and picked up his bag.
" I have got to go." he said quickly as he turned around and headed for the door. Before he could reach the door however Thranduil put his hand on his shoulder and forced him to turn around and look at him.
" Why? You know something don't you? Please tell me." Thranduil said as he held his friend in front of him.
Beraid didn't answer the question Thranduil asked he just said, " Thranduil let me go. I have to leave."
" Tell me why! You said you had all day and then all of a sudden after you saw the doll you have to leave? You know something! I can see it in your eyes!" Thranduil said angrily.
" I don't know anything, I'm going to try and get some answers. I cant tell you because I don't even fully know it is just something someone said and I want to go check it out." beraid calmly. He removed Thranduil's hand from his shoulder. " I'll tell you as soon as I find out. I swear."
Thranduil nodded and watched dumbfounded as beraid quickly left the room and hurried down the hall.
If only Thranduil had stopped him.
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"Yes." beraid said. He walked over to the railing and looked out upon the trees.
" I'm trying to figure out why. He wasn't always like this. But it has been so long that none can even remember him talking and laughing." Thranduil said with a deep sigh. He walked over to join beraid next to the railing. " I think something happened to him or he saw something that upset him. I have realized that he is scared. Not just shy around people."
" Why do you think that, if something had happened to him it would be very unlikely that you didn't know about It." beraid said.
" That's what is confusing me. If something happened it would have to be pretty big to make Legolas so shy and scared and how could it happen without me noticing?" Thranduil asked. His head turned to look though the glass doors and at the sleeping elfling on his bed. Thranduil wished that he could say that Legolas had just been sleeping in and in any moment he would wake up and smile and play like all the other children do. That he would play with his father and then go and play with his friends, that he would walk into Thranduil's study just to sit with him.
/ Wishes are only that Thranduil, wishes. You know that. How many times have you wished that your father would to sleep right away instead of beating the stuffing out of you? How many times have you wished that someone would come take you away from your horrible life? How many times have you wished that you had gotten to the nursery in time to save Atariel? How many times have you wouldn't have to raise Legolas on your own. How many times…/
" Thranduil, what are you thinking about?" beraid asked concerned. It wasn't often that Thranduil just spaced out in the middle of a conversation.
" Wha? Oh um nothing… I was just thinking about some things." Thranduil said quickly.
" What things? I know that look Thranduil, don't try to fool Me." beraid said as he turned to look Thranduil straight in the eye. " You forget that I know you well enough to tell when you are lying. It may fool your councilors but it won't fool me.
" They are wishes and nothing more." Thranduil said softly. He tried to turn away from beraid but the older elf held him in place.
" I think that wishes matter greatly. Kwentra amin." {Tell me} beraid said as he searched Thranduil's face for any thing that might give him away.
" There is nothing to tell. I was thinking about what I could not change. Now leave me be!" Thranduil said angry and annoyed. He pushed Beraid's hand off his shoulder and turned once again to look out among the trees. Beraid was not put off even slightly by Thranduil's show of temper. He knew from experience that it only meant that you had it a rough spot for him and the only way he knew how to hide it was though his anger. Unfortunately, he got that from his father. Thank the valar he hadn't picked up any of his father's other characteristics.
" I'm not playing that game. Just tell me. Do I have to I have to pull you into my lap and rock you back and forth like Legolas?" beraid joked. Thranduil gave a tiny smile at the joke but otherwise he stayed silent.
" Oh, come on now. You're going to have to tell me sooner or later and I rather It be sooner than later." beraid said as he put his arm around Thranduil's shoulders.
" Is it what you told me earlier?" beraid asked.
Thranduil nodded his head.
Beraid sighed, " You have to stop beating your self up for all that. You know that you can't change it. So why are you brooding about it?"
" I'm not brooding over it I'm… just thinking about it." Thranduil said angrily.
" There is no need no get angry Thranduil. Since your just thinking about it I hope you don't mind me changing the subject back to that little elfling in your bed." beraid said. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Thranduil's temper at the moment. He also knew that Thranduil had to work out some things by himself before he could really talk about what bothering him.
" No, not at all." Thranduil said as he turned for a second time to look at his sleeping son.
" What was Legolas so upset over this morning?" beraid asked, " I couldn't see exactly what was in the package. All I know was that it was a doll of some sort and that there was a note. But that is all."
Thranduil looked at his friend and said, " it wasn't the doll that upset him so much, it was rather what was on the doll that made him cry and I think the note had something to do with it too. Come on I'll show you." he walked back into his bedroom. " How could you not see?"
" I thought I had heard a councilor coming down the hall and I stood by the door so that I could tell them off. I couldn't see around Elrond and Arwen. And the next thing I knew was you were trying to calm down Legolas." beraid said as he followed Thranduil into the room. Thranduil reached under the bed and pulled out a box. Glancing at Legolas he opened it and took the note. Beraid read it out loud-
Dear Legolas,
This is for you. Sorry I don't have time to write a longer letter. But I'll see you soon. I promise.
---Amras.
Ps.- remember what you did?
" Okay I see no reason Legolas would get so upset over a little note. I can understand why he would be upset because of missing his friend but…" beraid trailed off.
Thranduil didn't say anything. He just reached in the box and pulled out the blood-covered doll. Beraid's eyes got wide as he took the doll from Thranduil's fingers. He turned it over in his hands and looked over every little bit. He suddenly handed it back to Thranduil and picked up his bag.
" I have got to go." he said quickly as he turned around and headed for the door. Before he could reach the door however Thranduil put his hand on his shoulder and forced him to turn around and look at him.
" Why? You know something don't you? Please tell me." Thranduil said as he held his friend in front of him.
Beraid didn't answer the question Thranduil asked he just said, " Thranduil let me go. I have to leave."
" Tell me why! You said you had all day and then all of a sudden after you saw the doll you have to leave? You know something! I can see it in your eyes!" Thranduil said angrily.
" I don't know anything, I'm going to try and get some answers. I cant tell you because I don't even fully know it is just something someone said and I want to go check it out." beraid calmly. He removed Thranduil's hand from his shoulder. " I'll tell you as soon as I find out. I swear."
Thranduil nodded and watched dumbfounded as beraid quickly left the room and hurried down the hall.
If only Thranduil had stopped him.
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