Last chapter I asked you all to vote for a moment or a chapter you wish I would show or expand on. The highest voted on was for chapter 11: Nemesis

Also, this chapter is double the length it supposed to be and that's still after cutting some of it down.

Happy 60th chapter!

Enjoy!

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The only one they recognized immediately from an (unfavorable) meeting in Imladris was Narhel, who, apparently, spoke for the collective assembled that day. "Allow me to begin to ensure there is no confusion. We told our Lord that there was nothing any if you could teach us, at least nothing we wanted to learn. Even if Lord Ferdan was once an amazing warrior, after years in these woods with you people, he will have deteriorated to your level. Our being here is pointless, but we have been ordered to come and so we have. So stay out of our way, and we'll stay out of yours."

The two lines of young warriors eyed one another up and down across the training field, it was hard to tell who seemed less thrilled about this arrangement.

The Greenwood Elves or the Lothlorien elves.

Legolas and his friends had been wary of their arrival since the moment they had been informed they were coming at all. They could ignore the scorn when they were in Imladris. They could ignore the 'jokes' and the looks. They could pretend that some other elves did not talk down their noses to them.

However, none were particularly confident they would have the same restraint in their own home. But they had promised his father that they would try their best. And so they would.

"Welcome to Greenwood." Legolas said, and then turned and promptly left the field.

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"Fire!"

A chorus of singing bowstrings and then a thud of impact littered the air.

Lord Ferdan had placed the targets on the absolute other end of their field and placed the young warriors on the farthest place from that he possibly could. At first, the Elves from Lothlorien hadn't seemed to quite grasp that he wasn't joking at first.

Legolas looked to his left where Narhel stood looking on the verge of eruption. Out of the last eight arrows, none of his had hit the bullseye. And two of them were straying dangerously close to the end of the 'acceptable' zone.

Five of Legolas' own had hit the center mark and none of the others strayed far from it. Usually, should he felt any sense of smugness he took careful notice to not display it on his face.

He didn't do that this time. "I'd help you with your aim, but, it would be pointless."

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He had distinctly heard the words 'worthless' and 'savages' as he walked past, and against his better judgment he stopped.

Like a shark smelling blood, Nahel was attracted to the possibility of there being more of it. "Can I help you with something, Prince?"

Legolas knew he should walk away. He really did.

Instead, he turned around.

Narhel stood up straighter, "Do you have a problem with something happening here?"

Legolas knew he should keep his mouth shut. He really did.

Instead, he said: "I have many problems, and you are the most plentiful but unimportant of them all."

"I suppose that doesn't matter because you'll never do anything about it. Run along and tell your father the other children were mean to you and leave us in peace."

Legolas knew he was being taunted and should stop talking and walk away. He really did.

Instead, he took a step closer.

"Firstly, I've met newborn chipmunks meaner than you. Secondly, in order for something to have been hurtful or by any means emotionally impacting, it usually has to come from a creature with an intelligence higher than your average garden stick."

Like dry grass thrown into coals Narhel's expression roared to life, "What did you say?"

"Would saying it slower help?"

And then Galion appeared out of nowhere, as he was quite known to do, and came to stand between them. He glared at everyone assembled to gawk, "Disperse. Now."

They fled in all directions

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Lord Ferdan stood before him with his arms crossed looking displeased. Legolas struggled not to move a muscle, or break eye contact.

They had been standing like this for several minutes now, and Legolas was begging to wish Ferdan had ordered him hours, of course, running instead of whatever was about to happen to him.

Finally, finally, he spoke: "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"About something in specific or in general?" Ferdan somehow managed to look both more strict and alarming without changing a single feature, "I wasn't going to do anything to him, Galion panicked for nothing. Everything was fine"

The weapons master narrowed his eyes a fraction, "I find that implausible. Galion is many things, but easily panicked has never been one of them."

He hadn't been asked a question, and so Legolas kept his mouth wired shut. It was usually easier that way.

"I don't know what started it, I don't particularly care who said what to who, but I do care that you are supposed to be setting an example for your warriors. A good example. You are their Prince and you will be their captain if you cannot control yourself how do you plan to control them?"

He tried to keep his expression neutral, "I can control myself."

"You have not displayed that to me since summer began. Get yourself together, or step down and let somebody else be trained to lead your archers. You do not have time for this foolishness."

"I will not be stepping down." Of that, Legolas was certain. Even if Ferdan tried to force him too, he was stubborn. He would claw is way back to his spot if need be.

He took a few steps forward and Legolas struggled not to step back, "Then start setting a better example. Dismissed."

As he departed the office, Legolas had meant to ignore Narhel and his snickering friend. But as he walked past couldn't resist the urge to mutter; "Don't pick fights, little chipmunk, if all you plan to do is run to those above you crying the other children were mean to you."

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The all heard the crack, even over the commotion of either side cheering for their team.

Ferdan held his hands up for an immediate stop.

Legolas spun to find where it had come from, finding Avaleina sitting in the grass where she had been knocked with her left shoulder at the wrong angle. Narhel stood above her, not looking particularly remorseful.

It was a rough game. But never, in their two centuries of playing it, had they ever broken a single bone before. And the certainly had never dislocated anything.

He ran over to them, demanding "What happened?"

"It was an accident!" Narhel said loud enough for everyone to hear but then added much more softly so that none other than Legolas or Ava would hear, "Just her brittle Silvan bones, I think."

And then Lord Ferdan appeared on the scene and Legolas was forced to swallow his anger and his biting response. Instead, he knelt down next to Ava in the grass.

Judging by her expression, more anger than pain, she certainly did not believe it was an accident. At least not entirely. But such a claim would be useless without any form of proof and so before his tongue got the best of him, Legolas carefully lifted her into his arms, trying best he could to not move her injured shoulder. "I'm taking her to the healing ward."

He left without being dismissed, storming across the field and trying to not look as thunderous as he felt.

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Legolas stared down at his plate with fixed attention, jaw clenched like it might keep him from overhearing the conversation happening two tables over from theirs. Eloassia looked about ready to toss her butter knife into Narhel's eye.

Legolas took the knife out of her hand, muttering, "Leave it and ignore them."

"He was a dumb, proud fool to charge before Gil-Galad called for it, his army got what was coming for them by choosing to listen to an Elf like that."

Farlen got up and left the table without a word, underneath it, Ava's functional hand came to rest on his knee.

"But then, we knew he could not have been so bright since he left civilization for dirt and sticks."

It had been three weeks since his conversation with Lord Ferdan and he had tried his best to set a good example. But he was tired of this 'game' Narhel seemed determined to play. He was tired of being the bear poked with a sharp stick. So, so tired of it.

"I wonder how long until the rest of them get led in mass to Mandos by the hand of the one who's supposed to protect them." Legolas looked up from his hardly touched meal and focused on keeping his breathing even. Narhel answered his own ponderings, "I give it a century, at most. He's already allowed them to be run out of their own home and into a mountain like dwarves. Could not even manage to keep his wife alive."

He was only saying these things because he knew Legolas could hear him. But that did nothing to help cool the burning coals in his chest, or unclench his hands. Avaleina and Tern shared a concerned look.

"At least she does not have to know what an utterly pathetic excuse of a prince her son was raised to be."

Legolas felt something snap inside of him as quickly as a small, brittle twig trying to hold up an entire mountain on its own would. Slowly and calmly he got to his feet, stepping over the long bench that served as seating and turned to face Narhel who was looking infuriatingly smug and unbothered. He would never understand the joy some seemed to get by hurting or infuriating others, to Legolas, the practice seemed nothing short of disgusting.

Just as calmly, he walked past the table between them and came to stand to Narhel's right side. "I may be a pathetic excuse for a prince. But at least I didn't get my face broken in several places by one."

The elves at the table frowned in confusion for a moment, and then as the realization of what he said dawned on them it was too late. Legolas grabbed the back of Narhel's head and slammed it very solidly into the sturdy oak table. Blood poured from a nose that was certainly broken, and a bruise was already starting to form on his cheek.

After that, it was mostly a blur.

He was told later though that it took six elves, including Lord Ferdan, to pull him off of Narhel's chest. He was also told he landed one more kick before they got him out of reach and that they broke three different tables and several chairs. And, of course, each other.

But perhaps the best thing he heard was that when Narhel attempted to be upset about what happened, Ferdan hardly glanced at him before saying: "Stop talking. You've been begging for this to happen for weeks, and your voice is irritating me."

Later, when his father appeared in the healing ward after hearing that his son had started an all-out brawl in the dining hall and consequently had a broken nose and a few ribs, Legolas was quick to assure him it was entirely worth the pain and whatever Ferdn was going to do to him for punishment.

Entirly and then some.

I cannot thank you every single one of you who reads and comments on this story (or any of them) enough for the amazing feedback, love, encouragment, and for just generally sticking around!

This is offically double the lenght it was supposed to be when I started it, and it means an immserable amount that so many of you have been here with me for so long.

I dont plan on ending this anytime soon, and I hope you all continue to stick around and enjoy!

(Lets see if i can get it to 100 chapters)

Can't wait to hear your thoughts!