Legolas or Estel, Legolas or Estel?? Who should win the duel… hmm… hmm…hmm… Let's see, Legolas has all those elven reflexes, but Aragorn's not exactly a blind git himself...Well, my little elf and ranger, it will all depend on my mood when I get up to that part…hehehe
Crushed Grapes
*WHOOSH*
"By the sword of Glorfindel, I believe I am improving Prince Legolas! Why, if it hadn't been for that wind, I do believe my arrow would have flown directly into the target!"
Aragorn's keen ears picked up the musical voices of Alasse and Legolas as he strolled towards the archery grounds. He stopped momentarily and glanced about him after hearing Alasse's comment. Not even the faintest hint of a breeze stirred the trees. Though it was still early morning, the sun glared through the thick canopy above him, warming the earth considerably. No clouds offered any protection from the searing rays, and certainly no wind to provide any relief from its heat.
"Wind Alasse? Are you referring to my own gasp as your arrow flitted opposite its intended direction, or perhaps you blew on your arrow?" an exasperated voice answered.
"Well… perhaps it was not wind exactly… But you know it is awfully hard to aim when the sun so mockingly blinds my eyes with her brilliance!"
"Alasse, you are an elf. The sun shines for you not against you. She only blinds mortal eyes."
Aragorn came to the clearing and quietly observed the two elves. Legolas had his arms crossed, and Aragorn could practically see the elf mentally struggle between throwing up his arms in defeat and banging his head against the nearest tree. As Alasse once again misfired, Legolas looked imploringly up to the sky, as if hoping someone would materialize the way he had yesterday to correct the young elf's unruly shooting.
The prince curiously eyed the numerous trees to the left of the target, dotted with Alasse's arrows, when an idea occurred to him.
"All right Alasse, we are going to try something new… Since all of your arrows appear to be flying west of the target, try shooting the arrow five meters to the east of where you think the target is… Perhaps your elven eyes are fooling your mind into thinking the target is five meters west of where it actually is."
Aragorn frowned at this suggestion. He was no elf, but he found it hard to believe it was possible for the keen eyes of any being, let alone an elf, to always see objects to be west of where they actually were. Furthermore, purposely shooting five meters away from where your eyes are focused did not seem very wise. Alasse certainly did look rather foolish focusing her aim and then pointing her arrow at a small angle away from her line of sight.
But to the ranger's surprise, the arrow hit the target. True, it was not the center of the target or even the outermost ring– rather it dangled loosely out of the very edge of it, clinging by a hair to the previously untouched board. But nonetheless, it was the target, not a tree five meters to the west of it, and for Alasse that was a great accomplishment.
Like a hobbit tripping upon a grove of mushrooms, Alasse's glee was irrepressible.
"Prince Legolas! Did you see that!? Did you see?! Ai! Soon I will be as good as you are my prince!" Legolas cocked an eyebrow, but made no response. "All will sing of me!" she continued,
"Lólendea's fair and winsome daughter, Alasse,
Glory of the land and water,
Sat upon the bow of Arda,
On its highest arch resplendent,
In a gown of richest fabric,
In a gold and silver air-gown,
Drawing from her splendid quiver,
Her quiver granted by Lórien,
Merrily flies the golden arrow,
From Alasse's nimble fingers,
She strikes the laughing sun,
Swiftly flies the comb of silver,
From the sky-born maiden's fingers,
She grazes the hale moon
The stars are jealous
Her arrows are weaving webs of wondrous beauty"*
As Alasse danced and sang, Legolas rubbed his forehead tensely. Well… Ada did say until she hit the target… He didn't say which part of the target… So perhaps we could stop….
Legolas's hopes were swiftly dashed when a jubilant Alasse decided to replay her triumphant archery accomplishment.
It all happened too quickly, even for Legolas. Alasse grabbed and raised her elven bow. She focused her eyes on the target and rapidly swerved her arms to the right, at a much larger angle than before, reasoning that this time perhaps she could hit the center of the target. Without any pause, she drew back the bowstring and her arrow tore furiously through the air, much farther to the east than she anticipated.
Unfortunately for Aragorn, he was approaching from the east. But fortunately for the ranger, his reflexes were elf-like, for otherwise he would have found himself short one eye. With a loud grunt Aragorn dove out of the arrow's path and hit the ground, knocking the breath out of his lungs. In a stunned state, he lay there, partly because he first had to regain the air violently forced out of his lungs, partly because he was not sure it was yet safe to rise. Imagine! Being killed by an archer who shoots five meters to the right of where her eyes are focused! Ai! I may as well die by falling face first into a bowl of soup and drowning!
Alasse's eyes widened and both her jaw and bow dropped, the latter with a soft thud on the mossy ground. Legolas looked as if he had just been slapped in the face. A split second passed and the elf prince dashed to the prone ranger.
"Aragorn!" he cried as he raced across the clearing. He had not seen whether the ranger was shot or not- he only looked up in time to see him fall face first to the ground. "By the Valar! Are you all right? Ai! Alasse you shot him! You shot the heir to Gondor's throne, Lord Elrond's foster son, Lord of the Dunadain, the hope of all mankind!" Legolas's eyes widened at this and he gasped. "Ai! You shot the hope of man Alasse! Dear Elbereth! Of all the ill luck! You finally hit something and it turns out to be the only hope for Middle Earth!"
Aragorn let out a muffled laugh. He was tempted to continue laying there, just for the amusement of listening to the tormented elf lament the accidental shooting (though he was not actually shot) of the 'hope of man' and the resulting doom of Middle Earth, due to some poorly thought out advice on his part (though Aragorn hardly thought Middle Earth would be doomed because of his death – rather all the races would be united in laughter at the unlikely fate for an accomplished ranger).
But he could not pretend for too long as Legolas's elven ears heard the muffled laugh, though he was not sure whether it was a laugh or a pained groan, and was instantaneously at the side of the clearly unscathed ranger. Still, the elf's voice quavered with worry.
"Aragorn! Aragorn, are you all right?"
Legolas placed his hand gingerly on the ranger's upper back, when to his surprise Aragorn's body began to tremble.
"Aragorn? Aragorn… it's ok, I do not believe you were hit…"
The trembling intensified and the elf's face fell in concern. Perhaps he is shocked? I would think in all his years of wandering in the wild, he would have faced worse than an elf girl's wayward arrow…
Legolas now placed both his hands on the ranger's back and shook him gently. As Aragorn continued to quiver, Legolas grabbed his shoulders.
"Aragorn! Aragorn, say something! Forgive me Aragorn, I did not mean… Alasse did not mean…Ai, Alasse, what on Middle Earth were you thinking shooting your arrow like that?"
Alasse, who looked as if she were frozen in ice, stood gaping at the ranger and the elf prince. Her hands trembled and her lower jaw hung open so that Legolas wondered if she had lost all control of her facial muscles. With dumbfounded eyes as wide as the targets she missed, she stared unblinkingly at Legolas.
"I…I… was only doing as you said Prince Legolas!" she cried in distress.
"Alasse, I said shoot five meters to the right, not to shoot straight out to your right! Did you even look where you were shooting?" Legolas never looked up from the ranger, but continued to shake him, desperately trying to get his attention.
"Aye! I did look where I was shooting, and I assumed it to be wrong just as you said – my eyes perceive things to be five meters to the west of where they actually are! Only I thought perhaps it may be more than that since I only hit the very edge of the target and that is why I shot further to the east! Only I suppose I overdid it a bit… This will take some getting used to, this illusion in my sight…" Alasse trailed off. Her eyes darted back and forth between Legolas and Aragorn, and finally rested on Legolas, with a sudden look of wonder. "Why, perhaps if I reached out to touch you, you wouldn't really be where I perceive you to be! Ai! What a malady!" As she breathed this, Alasse reached out to Legolas and to her surprise she felt the soft fabric of his tunic exactly where her eyes saw it to be. At this, the color drained from her face and she whispered, "Ai, Elbereth…Perhaps my sense of touch fools me as well?"
Legolas's hands froze on the ranger's back – now it was his turn to be dumbfounded as he stared back at Alasse. This is my fault…I truly am a fool….
"Alasse… Umm… I think I may have been mistaken about your sight… And I am sure your elven sense of touch is intact as well," he muttered softly, sounding slightly ashamed of himself.
Aragorn could not control it anymore and his entire body twitched in spasms. Legolas's attention snapped back to the ranger and he pulled back his hands in shock. Aragorn struggled to push himself up, but the spasms overtook him.
"Aragorn?" Legolas whispered nervously. He then jumped back as the ranger finally succeeded to raise himself to his knees. And then he realized – it was not shock that caused Aragorn's body to shake uncontrollably. He thinks this is hilarious!
Indeed, Aragorn could not control his laughter. Tears poured down his cheeks, and he grasped his sides as he tried, but failed to control himself. He marveled at how just minutes ago, the news he heard from Gandalf and Thranduil left him in a grim mood, and now here he was, collapsed in a fit of riotous laughter after almost losing an eye to Alasse's pathetic shooting.
Neither Legolas nor Alasse really knew how to respond to the curious response the ranger had to just barely dodging an arrow. Legolas's mouth did however begin to twitch as the absurdity of what had just occurred sank in.
Finally, Aragorn's laughing subsided enough so that he could talk.
"Five meters to the east?? 'You should shoot five meters to the east of where you are looking'???" he spurted out between giggles. "And you are supposed to be teaching her??" His gray eyes, glistening with tears, mocked the elf in front of him.
Legolas frowned slightly, though amusement flickered in his eyes. "Well, it seemed logical at the time…"
"Then forgive me, for I fear I will never understand elvish logic! It is truly a sorry state the rest of the world is in if the first born are supposed to be the wisest of races…" Aragorn finally gained some self control and wiped the tears from his face. He grinned at Legolas.
Legolas indignantly rose from his knees and, after some hesitation, gave Aragorn his hand to help him up.
"She did strike the target," he said defensively as Aragorn stood and brushed himself off.
"Aye, and if I were an orc, she truly would have been an exceptional archer! To hit a creature square in the eye without even looking at it! Amazing!" The amusement waned in Legolas's eyes as his irritation at the ranger's ridicule of him grew.
"I would hold my tongue if I was you Master Human until after our duel…" Legolas icily replied as he turned towards the archery grounds and motioned for Alasse to follow.
"Oh I am not worried about our duel now Master Elf! For by your logic, you will always strike the air five meters to the right of me!"
Legolas's face darkened. "Well then I will strike you as you convulse uncontrollably in a fit of foolish laughter!"
"That would be cruel indeed Legolas – to hit a man while he is down. Though perhaps that is the only hope for you," Aragorn returned.
"You are not one to speak Aragorn, as I am sure you would not hesitate to fool your opponent into thinking you were gravely injured only to attack him when he put down his guard to help you! Really, you could have let me know a little sooner you were not injured, Estel, instead of just lying there laughing foolishly."
"Forgive me, I did not realize you were so concerned about me. I wonder though, had I been hit and survived such a shot, would you attempt to heal my eye or my ear five inches to the right of my eye?"
Legolas sighed and turned to Alasse, choosing to ignore Aragorn's continuing flow of insults. "All right, Alasse, forget everything I told you… it is not your sense of sight that is distorting your aim." She nodded somberly though she held out her hand in front of her face and moved it about as she tried to touch it with her other hand. Legolas could not control his smirk at this and turned to the ranger leaning with his arms crossed against a tree, a grin plastered on his unshaven face.
"Well, you may stay though it would be at your own risk…"
"I'll remain alert," Aragorn lightly assured.
"Very well then…" Legolas conceded. "Now Alasse…." The elf paused when his gaze fell on the girl, standing dolefully in the dappling of sunlight. Her eyes were wet and her shoulders sagged dejectedly.
"I'm sorry Prince Legolas… You have been trying so hard, and it seems nothing can help me. It was only a fluke I hit the target earlier."
Legolas looked regretfully at the distressed elf. He was about to reassure her that it was not a fluke that she hit the target, but given she was following his absurd advice it was hard for him to believe that it was not accidental.
"Nay Alasse, you only need more practice. One cannot expect to pick up any skill immediately," he said as he bent down to pick up Alasse's bow.
"You did!" Alasse pointed out, angrily snatching the bow from Legolas.
Legolas smiled and lowered himself to his knees so that he was level with the young elf. He then placed his hands on Alasse's shoulders.
"That is not true Alasse. It took me many centuries of practice to hone my archery skills.'
Alasse interrupted, "But I bet you at least hit the targets when you first started!"
Legolas hesitated. Actually he had hit the targets dead center on his very first attempts, but he doubted that bit of information would help the current situation very much. So he decided to lie instead.
"Actually Alasse, I believe I hit the tree directly above, below, to the right, and to the left of the target – that is if the arrow even reached that far! Did you know I was rather small as a child, and the bows were often too big for me? Why, I could barely pull back the string!" This last bit was at least partially true, though Thranduil immediately had smaller bows specially made for his youngest son, seeing how even with the oversized ones Legolas possessed some hints of a remarkable talent.
The story worked, and a slightly comforted Alasse reluctantly agreed to return to her lesson. This time, Legolas remained kneeled and held the bow with Alasse, his slender hand over her tiny one clutching the bowstring. In slow motion, he guided her as she pulled back the string and released the arrow. With Legolas's help, it flew directly into the center of the target.
Alasse gasped and grinned at the prince.
"Now don't get too excited Alasse – remember I helped you," he cautioned, though he found it hard to control his own grin at the sight of the elated young girl.
"I know Prince Legolas, but I think I could do it! I really do," Alasse's tears had dried up and now confidence caused her eyes to sparkle merrily.
"All right then," Legolas agreed and backed away.
Alasse did not strike the target, but the lesson continued relatively smoothly with Legolas periodically kneeling and holding the bow with Alasse, gently giving her tips. Aragorn sat down contentedly against a tree and drew out his pipe. He felt safe now with Legolas in full control over at least the general realm in which Alasse was aiming. It was actually a charming sight – the tall, noble elf archer on his knees next to the small girl, patiently guiding her aim. As Aragorn lazily blew smoke from his pipe, his lids drooped slightly and every muscle in his body relaxed as if he were floating upon a warm, calm lake. It truly was a beautiful day. An opalescent sky provided the perfect backdrop for the lush green leaves of the forest. Though the sun was hot, the magnificent beech trees offered some respite and a menagerie of sweet, floral scents pervaded the air. With the exception of the arrows' whoosh, some birds twittering, and soft conversation between Legolas and Alasse, the forest was quiet and peaceful. A serene, soothing sense of nostalgia washed over the ranger as he suddenly felt as if he were back in Imladris, before he left for the wild, before Elrond had told him his true name, before he had even met Arwen, when he and his brothers would relax and play among the enchanted trees and lakes of the forest.
Those days seemed so long ago now, like they were another age entirely, and he was another man.
Since leaving those enchanted woods, Aragorn had seen and experienced much as he traveled to the troubled states of Gondor and Rohan, the harsh deserts of the Haradrim, the forbidding mines of Moria, and perilous Caradhras. The greed and treachery he encountered in his travels among all races, though mostly humans, forced him to become rather grim and suspicious. He was more of a ranger than a king in exile, but the knowledge of his lineage also bestowed a colossal sense of responsibility upon his shoulders. Not a day passed when Aragorn did not feel its weight bearing down on him. The hope of man… Thranduil knew the meaning of his name immediately, as did Legolas. Was he truly their hope? Ai, why did they all place so much trust in him? How he wished sometimes he could go back to the days when he was not a king in exile, not even a ranger, just a kid enjoying life and savoring the mystical elven realm around him. But then again, he could never just stand aside and watch as others strove and suffered to save Middle Earth either. 'No,' he thought. 'No matter what, I would be where I am today – a ranger fighting on behalf of this world, whether or not it is my explicit duty.'
Aragorn sat up as he remembered his duties to Gandalf and Thranduil. 'Well, I will not be leaving for another couple of days, so it is not so bad if I take some time to relax…' one part of his brain reasoned.
'But there is much that needs to be prepared. You should be in the library now researching Dol Guldur and studying maps. And you were also supposed to be searching for a warrior to accompany you,' another part of his mind scolded.
He truly did not want to leave though, so long had it been since he felt so peaceful. On a day as beautiful as this, it was hard to believe any evil existed in the world. Besides, he had that duel with Legolas…
Through a thick puff of smoke, Aragorn watched as Legolas slowly pulled back the bowstring and made a perfect shot, explaining each of his movements to Alasse. Aragorn had grown to like the elf prince quite a bit this last day and a half and he was rather impressed with his archery skills. If it were not for the small fact that Legolas was a prince, Aragorn would have asked the elf to join him on the scouting trip in an instant. But the ranger feared it may be a little audacious of him to ask for a member of the royal family to drop all his duties and venture out on what was sure to be a risky journey. Plus would Legolas even want to put himself in such grave danger being what he was? Even if he was not the crown prince, his people surely admired him and looked to him for hope. He no doubt felt some bit of responsibility to them. Just look at how Alasse loves him! The young elf's eyes, shining with awe, followed Legolas's fluid movements as he gracefully pulled back the silvery bowstring. Her blue orbs bolted from Legolas's bow to the target as quickly as the arrow had reached it and then they refocused on Legolas. When he easily hit another target ten meters behind the one Alasse was practicing on she clapped and grinned, begging him to shoot again. The prince smiled warily at her, shook his head and handed the bow back to the young elf so that she could continue practicing. When she struck the second to last ring on the target a moment later, she hopped about gleefully, singing and giggling. Aragorn smiled as Alasse then forcefully grabbed Legolas's hand and pulled him down to his knees so that she could hug his neck and plant a kiss on the prince's cheek.
"Well, what a glorious day this is indeed! A kiss from the loveliest lady archer in Mirkwood, 'Lólendea's fair and winsome daughter, glory of the land and water.' My lady, I am truly honored," Legolas cooed as he lifted the girl's hand to his lips. Alasse's rosy cheeks blushed a deeper shade of pink, and she giggled some more.
Aragorn sighed and let out another cloud of smoke. Who was he to take Legolas away from them?
"Alasse, why don't you go and play now that you have struck the target properly, without any outside help?" Legolas suggested as he began to rise. Alasse's grin widened joyfully and she gave Legolas another quick hug before skittering off to find her playmates, eager to let them know she had finally struck the target (and received a kiss on the hand from the elf prince).
Brushing himself off, Legolas strolled over to where the ranger was reclining against the thick trunk of a beech tree, dreamily puffing his pipe.
"Enjoying yourself Master Ranger? I see you have indeed remained quite alert. Stealthy you are, for I believe if I were to sneak up on you, I would not think you were aware of my presence, so good are you at pretending to be completely oblivious to your surroundings. Tell me Aragorn, is it the cloud of smoke you exhale around you that creates the illusion that your head is in the clouds? Or perhaps it is the smoke you inhale that puts your head in the clouds…"
Aragorn grinned. "I would suspect one whose head is so light he makes his home in the clouds and is rarely brought back down, should know the answer to that riddle and needn't have to ask. You surprise me again Master Elf."
Legolas chuckled and dropped down next to Aragorn. "But if my head is in the clouds, it is not due to that rancid smoke you're so fond of, so you are wrong – I would not know the answer to that riddle." Aragorn gave no response other than a subtle smirk. Together they gazed at the scattered patches of sunlight, which looked like a splattering of champagne on the shadowy ground. Puffy, cotton ball clouds slowly began to appear and parade steadily against the sky, their shadows darkening the world below.
"But the clouds are a fine home to live in Aragorn. They sail peacefully above the earth for ages and see more of her than any mere earth dweller could ever hope to see, from the great seas of the West to the deserts of the East, all in one mortal day." Legolas leaned his head back against the tree and wrapped his arms around his bent knees.
Aragorn nodded thoughtfully, but then added, "Aye, but for them Middle Earth is nothing more but a series of remote images for they can only watch, not participate in the joys and sorrows of Arda. Thus, I imagine, they must get rather bored since they cannot taste the sweet wine from the vineyards, swim in the cool lakes, smell the scent of lavenders and feel the soft grass of the earth beneath them, though they see them all. I would rather observe Middle Earth from down here, where I can hear, see, taste smell, and feel all of the gifts she offers us."
"And the curses she casts upon us," Legolas uttered softly.
The ranger turned his head towards the elf, who still stared up at the clouds. "Do you believe the curses outweigh the gifts?"
"Nay Aragorn, I do not. That is why I stay." Legolas paused and eyed the ranger intensely. "And what of you, Aragorn, heir of Isildur? Do you believe her curses outweigh her gifts?"
Aragorn cocked an eyebrow, and without hesitation answered, "Nay Legolas, surely her gifts outweigh the curses for now."
"Then tell me Aragorn, do you believe the curses of humans outweigh their benevolence? Do you have hope in your people, that they can save what is good in this world?"
Startled, Aragorn met the elf's concentrated stare. Considering they had only just met a short time ago, Legolas's questions seemed rather impudent, but he would expect no less from an elf. Then again, what would make Legolas ask such a question? Was he asking because he himself doubted the capacity of humans to do good? Or did he suspect Aragorn doubted the benevolence of humans? No, Aragorn thought. He wants to know if I truly am the hope of man, if I have enough faith in humans to one day lead them when they ensured the lasting presence of evil in this world in the first place.
"I do not yet know the answer to that," Aragorn replied heavily. He held the elf's stare a moment longer then turned to inhale from his pipe.
Just as Legolas was about to press Aragorn further, the ranger took matters into his own hands. "Is there a reason you are stalling our duel Master Elf? Perhaps you are weary from this morning's lesson?"
"Nay! But you looked so comfortable I did not wish to rouse you – I thought perhaps you forgot."
Aragorn smirked. "Or perhaps you were hoping I forgot."
"Well, for your own sake perhaps. I do not necessarily take pleasure in swift triumphs against my foes."
"Good. Then you will enjoy your quick defeat," Aragorn stated matter-of-factly as he stood up, stretching his long legs and arms.
Legolas shook his head pityingly as if Aragorn were a naïve child, "Human, I am afraid you have grown used to Elladan's and Elrohir's inferior skills, for you greatly underestimate my abilities as an elf."
As the ranger and elf strode to the foundry, where Legolas could pick up a sword, they continued to pass jibes back and forth, enjoying a duel of wits before the duel of swords. But Legolas knew the only reason Aragorn had reminded him of their challenge was to ward off more questions about himself. He marveled at this and Aragorn's reaction in the library to the book Legolas had wanted to show him about his ancestors. Does he lack hope in his people or hope in himself?
The foundry was a short distance away from the clearing. Aragorn noted grimly how Legolas fingered his bow as they walked further away from the palace though they were still within elven territory. When they reached the foundry, where metalworkers sang merrily about the mythological origins of iron casting and weapon making, Legolas quickly swiped a sword.
"Here, here Prince Legolas, you come and steal our swords without explanations? Have you grown tired of your bow?" the master craftsman queried, as he melted a sheet of metal over a small flame.
"Nay, Mendril, I am merely borrowing it. You will have it back shortly." Legolas warmly slapped the elf worker on the back.
Mendril laughed cheerfully. "Keep it Thranduillion! Consider it a gift to our most humble prince." The metalworker turned back to his work and continued with his song as Legolas and Aragorn turned to leave the building. Legolas gave a small nod of thanks as he left.
Legolas then led Aragorn away to another clearing in the forest across which the wine making facilities were located. There, they spied a purple-stained Ciédron grumpily stomping grapes in a low wooden pool. Legolas smirked faintly at this, but to Aragorn's surprise, he chose not to tease his brother and even made sure they remained a good distance away from him, so that they would not be easily spotted.
"There will be other training sessions on the archery grounds today, so it will not be a suitable area for us. This is the only other safe clearing, but we should stay away from the stomping pools. I'd rather not have Ciédron see I am finished with the lesson already."
Aragorn nodded and wondered whether this was because Legolas feared starting another fight, or out of concern for his brother's pride since he was still carrying out his punishment (and had much less success with Alasse than Legolas had). Something about Legolas's tone of voice made him believe it was the latter.
The elf drew his sword and faced Aragorn haughtily. To many he may have looked rather formidable with his confident poise and the sun reflecting off of his hair in an almost eerie glow. But having grown up with these glowing, self-assured creatures, Aragorn would have been more unnerved by an enraged butterfly. He gave a small smile, drew his sword, and fixed his own unyielding gray eyes on Legolas. Cocking his head to one side, the ranger raised his eyebrows superciliously at the elf.
"Shall we begin Thranduillion, Prince of the Woodland Realm?"
"As you wish, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Lord of the Dunadain," Legolas coolly returned with a slight bow.
The two marched towards each other, raised their swords, and the duel commenced. Metal clinked against metal as Aragorn and Legolas, with outstanding reflexes, blocked each other's swords. Though they shifted back and forth, overall they moved little from where they started since neither one's skills overpowered the other's.
Clink
"Ah! That was a fine block ranger! You are better than I thought!" Legolas said, not without condescension, as he spun and blocked Aragorn's swing in return.
Clink
"You are not so bad yourself, Master Elf, though I would have expected you to have dislodged my sword by now what, with those phenomenal elven reflexes of yours," Aragorn mocked, blocking a low swing by the elf.
Clink
"Well it would not be much fun for either of us if I ended this silly duel too quickly would it?" he grinned, stopping Aragorn's sword above him.
Silvery glints were all that any outsider could possibly make of the swords as they rapidly clanked, clinked, and clattered. At one point Aragorn seemed to be gaining on the elf as he pushed him back towards a tree, but with a resurgence of energy (though whether Legolas had been holding back all this time or not, Aragorn had no way of telling), the elf overtook Aragorn and forced him back towards the center of the clearing where they began. He crouched and spun gracefully as he blocked another swing by Aragorn, and somehow glided to his other side so that Aragorn was forced to turn around to face the elf.
"Show off," the ranger muttered under his breath.
But not once was Aragorn caught off guard by Legolas's smooth, quick sidling and spins.
Beads of sweat formed on Aragorn's brow. He again overtook Legolas in a rapid succession of swings and clinks. Though the elf's speed was quicker than any human Aragorn had ever dueled with, perhaps even any elf, even Legolas had trouble holding back Aragorn's onslaught and the elf found himself backing dangerously close into a tree…
Knowing he would be doomed should he find a beech against his back, Legolas continued to ward off Aragorn's blows and attempted to turn so that at least he would be pushed away from the beeches. The elf finally succeeded in directing himself and Aragorn away from the clearing's edge.
Though Aragorn was performing impressively against the elf, he knew Legolas had one significant advantage over him – stamina. Human stamina could never come close to that of an elf and if he did not end this duel soon, Legolas would surely win if only by default because Aragorn would eventually collapse from exhaustion while the elf still hopped about with his infinite energy. But this was far from easy. Legolas would not allow Aragorn to come close to displacing his sword. It was as if the elf could foresee each and every one of Aragorn's swings.
Soon Aragorn found himself backing up. But it was in the opposite direction of the trees… Wait, what was there, if not the trees? Aragorn wondered, momentarily forgetting his surroundings as he focused on deflecting Legolas's sword.
'The pools of crushed grapes you fool!' his mind realized in a panic.
The glint in Legolas's eyes confirmed Aragorn's guess – that in a few moments he would find himself falling backwards into a pool of sticky grape juice. He could even begin to pick up the squishing sound of grapes being crushed, though the sound ceased suddenly causing Aragorn to wonder if Ciédron finally noticed the two of them.
In a sudden move that took Aragorn by surprise, Legolas spun and slid behind him. Legolas then squatted, fully expecting Aragorn to turn standing straight up. When the ranger did turn, the momentary surprise of spinning around to find no sword at his level to deflect his own swing caused Aragorn to hop back as Legolas swung from below. As Aragorn quickly, but clumsily deflected this blow and moved to strike Legolas's sword, the elf quickly rose and spun, again surprising Aragorn, and a moment later the ranger found a pointy tip an inch from his neck. With a grim smile, Aragorn dropped his sword and raised his hands in defeat.
This last set of movements by the elf was so quick it would be nearly impossible for any human to keep up. But Aragorn was not just any human and though he knew it would be futile to try to tell Legolas, it was not just the rapidity of the elf's motions that had caused Aragorn to become distracted enough to finally let down his guard. True, Legolas's move which had switched the positions of himself and Aragorn so that it was Legolas's back that faced the stomping pools, not Aragorn's, was impressive and caught Aragorn off guard. But it was what Aragorn saw when he finally faced the grape pools that caused his mind to lose its focus.
As Legolas spun and ducked, clinked and clattered, Ciédron had stopped and closely watched both of them, at first surprised, but then amused, as his younger brother and the ranger put on an impressive show. But then a new look, none that Aragorn had yet seen, began to flicker in those blue eyes. Was that mischief he saw brewing between the formerly high-strung elf's pointy ears? It was only for a split second that Aragorn caught this look and it distracted him just enough to fall victim to Legolas's acrobatic stunts. As he stood there, with his hands in the air, Aragorn's eyes furtively darted to Ciédron. Legolas caught this, though for him, this would prove to be his downfall. For when he turned to see what it was that had caught Aragorn's attention, he was greeted with a loud, wet, unpleasant splat.
Time stood still. Aragorn stood gaping at the elf, a laugh slowly building up from the pit of his stomach. Legolas turned around, eyes practically bulging out of his head, mouth ajar. Slowly, he lifted his tunic to wipe the sticky remnants of crushed grapes off his forehead and right cheek. This was his second mistake. Aragorn took advantage of the elf's momentary hindering of his eyesight by his tunic to swiftly kick out, wrap his long leg around Legolas's ankle and trip him so that a moment later the elf was flat on his back, this time with Aragorn's sword at his neck.
"Touche, my friend?" Aragorn smugly asked with a wide grin.
Legolas decided to answer this by grabbing the crushed grapes that had hit him a moment ago and flinging them at Aragorn's ridiculous grin. The ranger fell back a bit, chuckling, and wiped his face with the back of his sleeve.
"Touche, Aragorn," Legolas replied good-humoredly as he hoisted himself up. Aragorn grabbed the elf's hand and pulled him up just as another handful of crushed grapes struck the back of the elf's head. Scowling, Legolas turned towards Ciédron who was stomping his grapes a little too innocently. With a mischievous smile, Ciédron slowly gazed up at Legolas.
"Is something the matter, my brother? Couldn't wait to taste my magnificent wine, could you?" Ciédron teased, for which he was rewarded with a splat of crushed grapes that had dripped out of Legolas's hair. But rather than growing irritated at this, Ciédron merely chuckled, though a bitter flavor tinged his voice. "Thank you Legolas, now my face will match my feet and hands. Truly, I do believe Ada's punishments are getting a little out of hand now… I do fully blame you for this you know."
Legolas smirked grimly. "Well you had your revenge then…"
Ciédron snorted and said ominously, "Hardly, my brother, hardly…" Before turning his back on the two, he gestured towards Aragorn, and congratulated him sincerely. "Never before have I seen anyone offer such a challenge to my brother, and he has dueled with many of our finest warriors. Well done Aragorn. You are a truly talented swordsman indeed."
Aragorn nodded graciously, though Ciédron did not see it before he turned around and returned to his stomping. Legolas smiled at the ranger as they headed back to the palace.
"The troll is right you know. I have never dueled with such an adept swordsman. Though you did get me while I was down…" he said as he tried to comb his fingers through his matted hair.
"I believe I got you when you let your guard down, Legolas, and that fault is not my own," Aragorn pointed out.
"True… little did I expect to be pelted with crushed grapes, though I probably should have known better venturing so close to Ciédron!" Legolas frowned, remembering something. "I hope Ciédron does not decide to speak to Mithrandie about his desire for revenge. I would hate to see what those two came up with for me."
Aragorn laughed at this and laid a purple hand on the elf's shoulder. "I am sure if they decide to take their revenge on you mellonin, you will figure out some way to divert their schemes."
Legolas looked doubtful, but he did not argue with Aragorn. As they left the clearing, and reentered the small stretch of woods dividing it and the archery grounds, hazy shadows drifted around the trees and Aragorn suddenly had the tingling sensation that eyes were upon him. The elf seemed to have the same foreboding as he suddenly tensed and grabbed an arrow from his quiver.
"Aragorn, did you hear that?" he hissed tersely as his eyes scanned their surroundings.
"Nay Legolas, but I felt it," Aragorn replied softly as he unsheathed his sword and put his back against Legolas's.
The two stood deathly still, their ears straining to hear every rustle and crackle, their eyes searching every shadow. The warm sunlight that scattered through the trees earlier was now blocked by vast clouds and the air felt significantly cooler. A couple of minutes passed with nothing more than a muffled silence, but neither the elf nor the ranger felt any desire to move. The absence of any creatures or noises disconcerted them since when they had walked through the first time, squirrels, birds, and bugs scurried about erratically. Something now kept them in hiding.
Suddenly, Legolas's elven eyes caught something. They flashed brightly and with lightning speed the elf raised his bow and released an arrow.
"What is it Legolas?" Aragorn asked anxiously raising his sword in preparation.
Legolas did not answer, but gazed intently at the area in the branches where he shot his arrow. He then let loose another one, and waited a bit longer.
"Wait here, Aragorn and be prepared to strike at any foul creature that may fall out of the tree," he said briskly, when nothing came of his shots. He then pulled himself up onto a branch and climbed high into the tree his arrows flew into.
Aragorn looked up and carefully studied the branches where the elf was climbing. Finally he saw what Legolas's arrows had struck, but did not kill. An enormous, stealthy, and now injured spider slinked about the labyrinth of branches, two arrows protruding from its side. When Legolas reached the same branch the black spider occupied, he pulled out a long elven dagger. The spider sidled back on the branch and hissed at the elf.
"Aragorn, remember, its stomach is its most vulnerable part," the elf called down. Aragorn nodded, hoping the elf knew what he was doing as the spider boldly lunged towards him.
Legolas did not flinch however and with a swift thrust, he dug his dagger into the thick exoskeleton. The spider let out a screech and a dark, thick liquid oozed from its wound, but otherwise it was undeterred. Legolas ducked out of the way of a hooked claw and stabbed at the spider's long leg, but the spider merely screeched again and seemed to get even angrier.
Aragorn did not like the way this was going. The elf's stabs seemed to be of no avail as the spider continued to slink away, screech, and spring forward. Though Legolas, with moves that would have been difficult even on the ground, slid away from each attack, Aragorn worried that inevitably the elf would eventually be struck. Desperate to do something, and without a bow and arrow, Aragorn drew a knife from his boot and flung it like a dart at the spider. Taking advantage of the momentary shock of the spider at yet another wound, Legolas dived at it and plunged his knife into one of its eight eyes so forcefully both he and the spider lost their balance and fell to the ground.
Aragorn's eyes widened when he saw the elf fall on top of the spider and then roll off, grabbing and pulling out his knife as he tumbled to the ground. Just as the spider was about to leap onto Legolas, Aragorn pierced its side with his sword. As the spider fell to its other side, Legolas, still on his knees, forced his knife into its underbelly. When it twitched one more time, still stubbornly clinging to its life, Aragorn drove his sword deep into the stomach, and the spider finally went limp.
With a frustrated "Argh!" Legolas pulled his knife out of the spider's stomach, and Aragorn pulled out his own sword with a dark scowl. They remained still for a few moments, hardly believing they had just had this battle in this thin stretch of woods so close to the palace walls. Legolas angrily rose to his feet and sheathed his knife. He then glared at the dead spider.
"Legolas! Aragorn! What has happened here?!?!?"
Aragorn turned to see a purple stained elf racing towards them, and knew immediately it was Ciédron. The prince halted and paled when he saw the lifeless spider, bleeding profusely on the forest floor. His eyes darted fretfully from Legolas to Aragorn and back to Legolas.
"A spider Ciédron! Can you believe it! So close to the palace!" Legolas spat out as he violently kicked the already dead creature.
Ciédron uttered not a word nor did a single muscle twitch. He just gaped at the spider, as if he did not even hear Legolas speak.
"Did you not hear me, Ciédron?!" Legolas shouted irritably as he broke off the shaft of one of his arrows lodged in the spider and threw it to the ground.
Ciédron looked up at Legolas, fear filling his bright eyes, "We must tell Ada, Legolas."
Legolas's temper cooled down only slightly and he hesitated before answering, as he ripped out the other arrow from the spider's body.
"I don't know Ciédron," he said in a low voice, "perhaps it is just this one spider… perhaps it was just this one idiotic spider that dared to wander so near our home…"
Ciédron, still stunned, shook his head. His voice barely a whisper, he replied, "Nay, Legolas. That is what I said yesterday."
Legolas and Aragorn snapped up at this. Aragorn spoke first.
"What do you mean you said that yesterday?" he asked warily, though he feared he already knew the answer.
Legolas's eyes flashed and Ciédron met and held his brother's stare. "I killed one yesterday. Just before Alasse's lesson. It was just outside the archery grounds."
The three stood silently for a moment, stunned at this news. Legolas then broke the silence with another "argh!" and another violent kick against the spider. Ciédron hurried over to his brother and grabbed his shoulder.
"Legolas, we must tell Ada…" Ciédron gasped and grabbed his brother's forearm. "Legolas! You are injured!" he cried as he turned Legolas's arm over in his hands.
"It is nothing Ciédron. I would not be able to move it if it were gravely hurt," Legolas said curtly as he paced away from the other elf.
"Legolas, let me see, I am a healer," Aragorn practically demanded, starting towards the elf.
"Nay! It is nothing!" he shot back, turning away from the ranger.
Aragorn frowned. The wound did not look so bad – it bled, but not dangerously, and he thought it should heal in a day or two. But it was not the wound itself that worried him…
"Legolas, what if venom got into it!?" Ciédron exclaimed, his voice full of concern. "Let him look at it!"
"If it turns green, both of you may goggle at it to your heart's desire, but now we must get back to the palace and tell Ada of this," Legolas gritted as he began to walk briskly towards the palace.
Ciédron let out a frustrated sigh, but held back Aragorn, who was ready to forcibly grab the Legolas elf so that he could study his wound. Ciédron knew all too well it was useless to argue with his brother and they would most likely only make it worse by starting another huge battle, possibly drawing attention to more spiders, if in fact there were anymore. They would be better off waiting until they reached the safety of the palace. Aragorn caught Ciédron's eye and the two made a mental agreement not to let the other elf out of their sight in case suspicious symptoms began to appear.
As they neared the palace, Ciédron let out a grim laugh.
"Here we are, about to upset Ada yet again. Two nights in a row this week – he will no doubt be in an awful mood for a long time over all this."
Half of Legolas's mouth lifted in a small smile. "Well, at least we will not be in trouble this time. Though he will not be pleased with our appearance, especially considering the feast tonight in honor of Mithrandir and Aragorn…. However, we may feel comforted at the fact that the guest of honor does not look much better than us." Legolas eyed the ranger with some amusement.
Aragorn chuckled. "I am used to showing up at these things in not exactly the most pristine state…"
"So is Legolas," Ciédron remarked, receiving a whack in the head in response.
The three fell back into a heavy silence. Anger still gleamed in Legolas's eyes and Ciédron continued to glance worriedly at his brother's arm, as did Aragorn whose healer instincts were itching to get a closer look at the elf's injury.
As they entered the palace, cheerful songs and delicious smelling food and drink greeted their senses as if they had opened the door of a burning house and were hit by a blast of smoke and hot air – only this of course was much more pleasant. The three allowed themselves to relax slightly as the heavy door closed behind them, shutting out whatever evil dwelled in the woods, but tensed up again when they realized that the food, drink, and song could only mean one thing – the feast had already started. The elves and ranger looked at each other, but they could not care less anymore about their purple stained faces, hair and hands, ripped clothing, and, in Legolas's case, a bleeding gash on his left arm. In a wordless agreement, they headed determinedly to the throne room, ignoring the gapes and comments uttered by numerous shocked elves as they passed.
TBC
*Yep, I stole and mutilated another Kalevala poem.
Well, as you can see, I did not really do much this Fourth of July weekend, leaving me much time to write ;) Ah well, that's ok, because this is rather fun…
Ahhh… so I have to unclick that little "do not accept anonymous reviews box"… that's why so many people were emailing me, telling me fanfic won't let them review…. Thanks Nilbrethiliel! Well, after erasing my own story and now this, I think maybe finally I'm getting the hang of how this fanfic site works…
Thanks for the reviews again guys!
Nilbrethiliel, Aragorn's inability to understand Legolas was due to his speaking a little too quickly and a little too incoherently, not due to any inability to understand Sindarin. I don't think anyone could really understand Ciédron either for the same reasons…
Maranwe: hehe…You never know… I might decide to bring in "Bob the Fighting Elf…" or introduce "Jasmine, Thranduil's other daughter and also the most beautiful elf maiden in all of Mirkwood" and perhaps Aragorn will choose one of them….
Dot: I found this website called "elvish name generator" where you punch in names & they give you the elvish version of it. I was very amused by this I must say, but anyway that's where I've been getting the names from… I was a little afraid that all the names listed were just famous elvish names since a few came up that I recognized… I didn't realize the ones I did choose were famous ones (whoops!) though I'll try to be a little more careful about that from now on… (sigh- famous elf lords have been turned into mere servants…)
