Never fear, your chapter is here! But seriously though, I apology for not posting last Saturday. In truth, I had everything done and ready, but then I doubted if I wanted to post such a short chapter. This is the shortest one yet, but no matter how I added to it the meter was disrupted and the scenes felt choppy. Oh well.

Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter making another milestone possible(I'm throwing a big elven party for you all when we reach 100!: mystarlight, ElvenMaia(Love the name btw), and last but certainly not least, Mustard Lady.

Chapter 19: The Spar

~LOTRLOTRLOTR~

Elrond rode to the edge of the forest and tugged on the reins.

Asavaith came to a smooth stop, her rider not so much as rolling forward on the saddle. This wasn't so much as Elrond's ability, but the ability of the horse. Asavaith was not a normal elven horse, but a messenger horse. Messenger horses needed to be able to reach top speed but stop in nearly instant without disrupting their riders.

Elrond closed his eyes, concentrating on the steady current of energy coursing through his veins, and willed it to diminish in power. Keeping carful attention to the glow of his skin, the healer waited for it to dim and then turned his focus to the woods. Normally, dimming his inner glow did not require so much effort, but Elrond wanted to be more thorough and dim his glow to the fullest extent of his ability. This not only ensured his safety, but also that of his children. Since light was proven to attract the fell creatures that dwelled where he would be traveling.

Certain that he would be nearly unseen, Elrond pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth and clicked and Asavaith took off at a gallop into the woods.

Legolas felt nervous-excited as he picked up a sword. It was made of wood and the tip was blunted, made for the purpose of sparing and not real combat. The prince was surprised when Thranduil grabbed only one sword, expecting him to wield two like he usually did for the reason only a select few others knew of besides himself. The Elvenking's blindspot.

"Won't you be sparing with two?" Legolas asked.

Thranduil knew the reason why Legolas asked the question, and responded. "You are sparing with one, so I shall do the same. To fight with two would be unfair and show a lack of honor."

"Why do you fight orcs with both blades even though they have one?"

"Because orcs are honor-less and deserve none in return, only mercy if they are deserving of it "

"How do you know if an orc deserves mercy?"

"No one is fit to decide this, only the Valar, for they can see the true intent in others. However, if an orc follows orders and tells me what I want to know I will show it mercy."

Legolas nodded, finding that he agreed with his father. He hated the creatures, but they were still living and somewhat sentient creatures. Legolas promised himself that he would think deeper on this at a later time, and walked into the sparing circle.

It was an area of the field where grass had been taken away to form a circle large enough for two fully grown elves to move freely within it. The circle itself had been created on a flat area of the field, the rocks and pebbles removed to keep the sparing area smooth. There were three rules for any spar. Winning could be accomplished by either a tap to the chest, causing your opponents blade to fall from their hands, or knocking your opponent out of the circle.

Thranduil stepped into the sparing circle with practiced grace, his sword hanging freely from his side. Legolas noted that his posture was perfectly straight and his stance challenged even the most gale of winds to move him. It was these moments in which Legolas caught a glimpse of the Elvenking that had won battles and wars.

I'm way out of my league, Legolas thought, but hid his uncertainty. He faced his father, grip tight on his weapon, and waited.

Thranduil struck with a fury of blows, each one stronger than the last.

Legolas parried the first, sweeping his sword to the side a half second later and bringing his own sword forward to block the blow aimed for his chest. He arched back as Thranduil thrust his blade toward his head, straightening in time to parry another blow to his abdomen and stepped out of the way. Time away from conflict had not dulled his father's skills. Rather, he seemed to have only gotten better. Though, Legolas was unsure if there was a level above perfect.

Legolas parried another blow meant for his shoulder, and then one to his arm, but didn't see the blow aimed at his stomach until he felt a light pressure.

Thranduil returned his sword to his side, and spoke. "Good. Now try offense."

Legolas lunged forward and thrust his blade toward Thranduil's chest, but the blow was easily deflected. Not hesitating, the prince swung his blade upward under his father's, hitting it with as much force as he could in an attempt to knock it out of his hand. However, Thranduil's grip was too tight and his strength too great to be affected by his attempt in any way. Knowing that he would not be able to beat him by strength, Legolas slashed the air a few times and then redirected a blow in order to catch his father off guard.

Thranduil smirked and offered a counter blow, making Legolas sway on his feet. He would have fallen if it weren't for the Elvenking striking his sword at a downward angle to balance him again.

Legolas nodded his thanks. But before he could continue, Thranduil held up a hand.

Legolas paused, waiting to be told what he was doing wrong.

"You are too quick to act. Sparing is as much about skill as it is knowing your opponent and anticipating their movements. You have skill, but you are failing to anticipate what I will do. That is why you have not been able to win, though I am not using the breadth of my ability and strength. And also why you are not able to land a blow. Instead, I want you to think before you strike. Try to anticipate how I will react and you will find that you can win."

"Alright, I will do as you say," Legolas replied respectfully, dropping his sword arm to his side, waiting and watching.

The Elvenking did not give him any indication what he would do, even as Legolas raised his blade. The prince experimentally swung his sword to the left but didn't commit to it, swinging it to the right a second later.

Legolas resisted the urge to smile when Thranduil barely blocked his blow. Spurred on by this new trick, Legolas decided to use it to his own advantage and tried to plant multiple blows, paying close attention to how Thranduil deflected them. Certain he found a useable pattern, Legolas changed his tactic and thrust his blade straight toward the center, touching his father's chest.

Legolas was elated, but showed only humility when he faced his father.

"Your skills have improved," Thranduil said levelly. "But let's see how you fair when I don't hold back. You may take a brief rest if you need it, for you will need your strength."

Legolas was beyond tired, but his arms still had some strength left. Also, he knew that if he rested now he was not going to be able to continue. That is why he stayed in the circle, not allowing himself the rest his body craved. Though, with the trepidation his father's announcement brought, he doubted anything could bring him rest even if he accepted it.

Thranduil had anticipated Legolas's refusal, knowing that the boy was too headstrong for his own good. Sensing that his son was tiring, the Elvenking decided to ease up on the frequency of his next blows, but he would still use full strength. His son knew the dangers of this type of spar and would be careful not to injure himself. Thranduil would also be vigilant not to hurt his son, but at the same time Legolas needed to feel what it was like to fight a real enemy in case he ever had to.

"I am ready now," Legolas said calmly, walking the few paces to his father.

With careful attention Legolas made sure his sword hand was gripped tight on the hilt of his weapon. He had to always be ready, for unlike the previous spar, Thranduil would not give any indication when he would strike. When he did, Legolas was sure that he was going to last all of five seconds before being defeated, if even that. Admittedly, Legolas was nervous. The prince did not let it show outwardly though.

Without warning, Thranduil lunged toward him.

Legolas just barely parried the thrust, taking all his strength to direct the blade away from him. Legolas stepped out of another stab, but was caught off guard when he felt a strong pressure to his arm. Unlike the other spars, the session would not end if one of them was touched by the tip of a blade unless it was aimed at the chest, and so Legolas kept fighting. Though at this point he supposed it was more like surviving. Each swing was so precise and quick that Legolas could almost hear his father's blade whistle as it cut through the air, hitting its mark every time. Legolas was reminded once again that he was not just fighting his father, but an Elvenking battle-hardened from centuries of war. Legolas was perplexed why the orcs did not just flee at the sight of him.

"I will not hold back anymore. Stop using defensive techniques and try to strike me down!"

Not allowing any further distraction, Legolas spun to deflect another blow aimed for his chest, but found that the vibrations from the collision rattled his entire arm. Ignoring the pain, Legolas struck out at the closest thing to him but he ended up stabbing the air.

This miscalculation cost him, and less than a second later Legolas was knocked off balance by a carefully placed swing to the tip of his sword and he fell to the ground.

Five seconds, Legolas thought. He took the offered hand, but wasn't happy with the results.

Thranduil stared at him seriously.

Despite himself, Legolas felt like he wanted to crawl under the earth just to avoid his fathers gaze, which he knew would soon turn to disappointment after he finished sizing up his worth. Legolas just couldn't take seeing his disappointment right now, and was about to open his mouth to apologize for his pitiful sparing ability when Thranduil, oddly enough, smiled. It took Legolas a few seconds to figure out that the smile was directed towards him.

"You have improved a great deal since we last spared. I am very proud of you Legolas."

Legolas wasn't expecting those words or the bright smile, having been dueling with an emotionally detached instructor. His failure forgotten, the prince smiled back proudly and happily at the praise.

Thranduil appraised him with a scrutinizing gaze, noticing the pebble that his son pushed absently with his foot. "I didn't hurt you, did I? How's your arm?"

"It hurt at first but it's fine now," Legolas replied, not wanting Thranduil to examine it. All he had in mind was resting, but he would not do so until he was alone.

Thranduil, sensing his need, spoke. "I must go check on my replacement and see how he is doing with the paperwork. When I get back I want to see how much your training has improved."

Legolas nodded. He watched his father until he disappeared from view, and then collapsed to the ground.

Wasn't the spar scene fun? I had a lot of fun writing it, that's for sure. Though, a little difficulty. They each have their own fighting style, and it was hard to keep true to them when planning out their movements. But I think it turned out all right in the end.

Next chapter will hopefully be Saturday unless I can't work out the layout of the chapter.