Chapter 49: Life Lessons

Third Age 1247
(five years later)

"Ada. Ada, wake up!"

Tiny hands pressed against Thranduil's shoulder, shaking him with surprising force. But there was no need for his son to wake him. The sound of Legolas' footfalls roused Thranduil when he first entered the room. It was early, perhaps an hour before dawn, an unusual time for his son to waken. Caladhel stirred in his arms, waking only at the sound of their son's voice. Thranduil rolled away from her and onto his back. Legolas' face appeared in the darkness, lit only by the light of the stars. The boy knelt on the edge of the bed, staring down at him.

"Legolas. What is wrong?"

"Nothing," said Legolas.

Thranduil could see that. Even in the dim light, his son's eyes shone with excitement. "Then why are you here?"

"You said you would take me swimming in the river today."

The fog of sleep lifted slowly from Thranduil's mind, but even as it cleared, he could not recall making such a promise. "When did I promise that?"

"Last summer. You said I wasn't old enough to swim in the river, but I would be next year. This year is next year now."

Thranduil recalled that conversation well and followed his son's reasoning up to that point, but he was yet unclear on one final detail. "But when did I say today?"

"You said it last year, the day before midsummer. Midsummer is tomorrow, so we must go today."

"He has you there, my love," Caladhel whispered, having listened with great amusement to their conversation.

"I went to wake you," Legolas continued, "but you weren't in your bed." He turned to his mother, looking much aggrieved. "How come Ada is allowed to sleep in your bed? You said I was too old and Ada is much older than I. He should sleep in his own bed, too."

Caladhel did her best to maintain a serious mien in the face of her son's questioning. She glanced briefly at Thranduil and instantly regretted it. The smirk on his face nearly caused her to burst out laughing. "Your adar is very busy most days. He sleeps in his bed sometimes, when he must, but he prefers to stay with me at night since we can not always be together during the day."

"But he is too old!" Legolas declared. "If he can stay with you, why can't I?"

Caladhel's gaze shifted to her husband, to his eyes brimming with laughter. Her own eyes pleaded for rescue, and he obliged, sweeping Legolas into his arms as he rose from bed.

"Swimming, it is!"


The sky was clear and blue, like the waters of the Ereduin. Many families gathered to enjoy the day by the bend in the river. The voices of elves echoed off the cliffs carved out long ago by the rushing water. Thranduil stood in the shallow end of the pool, its cool waters lapping at his waist. He held out his arms so Legolas could jump safely into the water from a low rock ledge. His son wore a determined scowl, but Thranduil could sense the boy's hesitation by the tension in his slim frame.

"You have done this before. It is the same as with the bathing pools in Limrond."

"Don't be afraid," Aurel added. The older boy stood at his prince's side. He took a step forward and glanced over his shoulder at Legolas. "Watch me!"

Aurel leapt into the pool at Thranduil's side. He hit with a splash and disappeared beneath the water's surface. A moment later he reemerged, russet locks clinging to the sides of his face.

"Your turn!" Aurel said.

Not to be outdone by his elder, Legolas took one final breath and leapt from the stone into his father's arms. Thranduil caught him easily, but allowed his son to dip beneath the water before lifting him up again.

Legolas blinked rapidly and blew out his bubbles as his father had previously instructed. He wiped away the loose strands of his hair and beamed at his father. Thranduil did likewise.

"That was fun!" Legolas exclaimed. "Can we do it again?"

"You must swim back to shore, first," said Thranduil.

"But that will take too long!"

"You want to learn to swim, don't you?" Aurel chided. "How will you learn if your father carries you?"

With a sigh and a nod, Legolas agreed to the terms. Thranduil aided his son by allowing him to push off against his stomach. He paced Legolas as he swam, keeping one hand in the water beneath him and reminding him to breathe when he turned his head.

The game went on for a few hours before Legolas grew bored. After his final jump, Thranduil insisted Legolas float on his back to the count of 1,000 before allowing him to return to shore. Aurel floated easily alongside him, chatting away about children's matters while Legolas focused all his energies to stay afloat.

Upon completion of their challenge, both boys headed to shore. Legolas ran ahead of his father, trailing Aurel two paces behind. Thranduil followed after at a stroll, stopping to greet other families who were enjoying the day.

Both boys flopped down on the picnic blanket where Caladhel and Roewen sat watching them. Legolas climbed into his mother's arms, soaking the fabric of her summer dress. Aurel was too old to do likewise, having turned twenty not two weeks past.

"Did you see me jump, Nana?"

"I did. I trust you did some swimming, too."

"Ada helped me a little. But soon I will not need his help."

"Too soon," Caladhel added.

"Not soon enough," said Aurel. The older boy stuffed a handful of berries into his mouth before turning to his mother. "Naneth, can I go play in the deep water while Legolas rests?"

"I'm not tired," Legolas pouted.

"No, but you need to eat," said his mother who was already sorting through the picnic basket.

"You may go," said Roewen, "but be careful. The current is stronger than usual after the rains we had."

Aurel acknowledged his mother's warning with a nod. He turned his attention to Legolas before departing. "We can search for snails along the banks when I return."

"I love snails," Legolas declared.

"I know," Aurel replied before bounding off to join the older children at the far end of the pool.

Thranduil arrived in time to observe this final interaction between Legolas and Aurel. He noted his son's unhappiness when the older boy abandoned him. Legolas' gaze lingered long on the older children jumping from the high ledge at the far end of the pool.

Thranduil seated himself beside his wife and son. "He will return," Thranduil assured him.

Legolas' gaze shifted to his father, a thoughtful expression upon his face. Thranduil held the boy's gaze for a moment before Legolas gave voice to his thoughts. "I'll be able to play with them, too, after I learn how to swim. Then Aurel won't have to choose."

Thranduil had surmised there was something behind his son's eagerness for swimming lessons, other than simply to master the skill. Legolas disliked being left behind by his elders, but it was not jealousy that drove his desire to match them in skill. Rather, it was his concern for Aurel's happiness that compelled Legolas to try so hard.

This was not the first time Thranduil had marked his son's considerate nature. He swore he came by it through Caladhel, for Thranduil could not recall being so thoughtful as a child. Caladhel, for her part, insisted he was his father's son.

Caladhel interrupted Thranduil's musings by setting a plate in his hands. It bore an assortment of fresh berries, cheese and nuts. She passed a smaller portion to Legolas as well.

Thranduil locked eyes with his son and grinned before turning his attention to Caladhel.

Caladhel knew that look, the one that told her she was behaving motherly towards him again. He liked to tease her about it. Ever since the day she absentmindedly cut his meal into tiny pieces along with their son's.

"You must eat, too," she said, good-naturedly.

Legolas followed his mother's lead, echoing her tone when addressing his father. "Finish all your berries, Ada, or Nana won't let you swim with me later."

"He is right," Roewen added, "eat up!"

Thranduil answered Roewen's goad with a glare, but his reprimand, as usual, had no effect. Indeed, she smiled in answer. Thranduil noted that a plate was laid out before her as well. She had not touched a morsel, again.

Had Legolas been elsewhere, Thranduil might have followed Roewen's remark with a snide comment of his own regarding the nature of her lack of appetite. She and Faentôr had not yet announced that they were expecting another child, but it was not too difficult to guess. Thranduil had seen Roewen become ill more than once these last two weeks, and the only time he ever observed her refuse food was during her earliest days carrying Aurel.

Surrounded on three fronts by those compelling him to eat, Thranduil was left with no other choice. He tossed a nut into the air and caught it in his mouth, drawing a giggle from Legolas. His son attempted the same, but with less success.

"Stop that," Caladhel scolded.

"But it's fun!" Legolas replied when at last he succeeded in catching a berry.

"It is unbecoming of a prince… or a king." The last she directed at her husband.

Thranduil nodded, and catching his son's gaze, he placed the next nut directly into his mouth with a dramatic flourish. Legolas followed suit and the pair ate their meal with an overly exaggerated level of decorum.

Faentôr joined their party as their meal was nearly done, having been relieved of his duty to monitor the swimmers in the water. He stretched out beside his wife and laid his head on her lap, soaking her tunic with his hair. Roewen sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes to the sky.

"You are worse than our son!" Roewen declared.

Faentôr turned to the catch Legolas's eye and threw him a wink. "At least I clean my room without complaining."

"Nimmiriel cleans your room," Legolas said. He knew, for he once visited their talan while the elleth was tidying.

"And have you ever heard me complain about it?"

The look Roewen shot her mate caused all gathered to laugh but afterward she kissed his forehead. Faentôr took his wife's hand in his and returned the gesture with a gentle kiss to her palm. He laid her hand on his heart and stroked her wrist with the tips of his fingers. Their gazes were fixed on the far end of the pool where their son was playing. Aurel waved to them when he reached the high ledge before jumping off.

Legolas, having finished his meal, tugged on his father's arm. "Can we go swimming again?"

"Not for a little while. We must wait for our food to settle."

"Can we go on an adventure while we wait?"

"An adventure? Let's see." His question drew an idea from Thranduil. "I do not know if I would describe it as such, but there is a spot nearby I wish to show you."

"Is it a secret?" Legolas asked.

"Most secret," Thranduil replied.

Legolas jumped to his feet. "Let's go!"

Thranduil farewelled Caladhel with a kiss and whispered his plans in her ear before joining his son on their adventure.


It was a two mile walk upriver but there was no path through the wood and Legolas' short legs made the journey take much longer. Thranduil kept them a safe distance from the banks as they walked, for the waters were treacherous closer to their source. At last they emerged from the wood at the cliffs overlooking the falls. Thranduil had not visited this spot for many years. He was content with Caladhel and his people. More recently he had been too busy balancing the work of a king and a father to find time to wander the forest alone.

Legolas stood wide-eyed, mouth agape at the sight of the rushing waters. He took a step closer to the edge but was stayed by his father's hand.

"Careful, now," said Thranduil. "It is a long way down."

Legolas took hold of his father's hand before inching to the edge of the cliff to peer over. "Not even Aurel could jump from here."

Thranduil followed his son's gaze to the waters below, a roiling foam rushing between peaks of stone. "No, he could not. No elf could survive that fall."

Legolas' eyes lingered long on the roaring falls. Thranduil could see a question forming in his mind and waited patiently for his son to voice it.

At last, Legolas' eyes abandoned the falls, seeking his father's. "Why is the water so angry here?"

"The water is not angry. It merely is - like the rocks and the trees. They wish you no harm, but if you do not respect their power, they can hurt you."

Legolas returned his gaze to the water. He stood silent for a time, ruminating on his father's explanation. Thranduil's answer sparked another question, as his answers so often did.

"Are these the biggest waterfalls in our kingdom?" Legolas asked.

"They are the highest and the most treacherous."

"Is it a secret?"

Thranduil shook his head. "The falls are no secret," he said, "but this place is."

Legolas looked around the cliff where they stood. He could see nothing secret about it. "Why?"

Thranduil took a seat on a low ridge of stone a few feet from the cliff's edge. He patted the spot to his right, intent for his son to join him. Legolas did so, but the boy required a bit of aid to climb up beside him. Legolas sat, legs dangling off the side, awaiting the secret his father had promised him.

"This is a special place. A place where kings can come and sit quietly."

"And do what?"

"Think, mostly."

"What do kings think about?" Legolas asked.

"About our kingdoms," Thranduil said. "About our people and our enemies, our family and friends."

"Do you come here often?" Legolas asked.

"I did when I first became king. There was a lot to think about then. But I have not visited this place since you were born. I have been too busy."

"What about Nana? Does she come here with you?"

Thranduil shook his head. "Your naneth knows of this place, but she does not come here with me. It is a place to be alone."

"Then why did you bring me?"

"Because you are my son. You should always know where to find me."

Legolas' gaze returned to the falls where they rested for a minute before passing over each and every tree and stone in sight. Thranduil was certain his son was setting their current location to memory. When he was done, Legolas' eyes returned to Thranduil.

"Did your ada come here, too?"

"He did," Thranduil replied, "and a part of him lingers still." He pointed to the edge of the forest before the cliff where a great oak tree grew. "I scattered his ashes over there."

Legolas took in the form of the mighty oak, his eyes lifting skyward to the top of the canopy. "Is your ada in the tree now?" Legolas asked.

Thranduil resisted the urge to laugh. It was, after all, a rather insightful question. "What remained of his body has become one with the trees and the grass and all that lives in this forest, but his spirit, that part of us which dwells within, is long departed."

Legolas' eyes abandoned to the tree in favor of his father. "Where did his spirit go?" Legolas asked.

Thranduil shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his son's gaze. It had not been his intention to speak of death with Legolas today. And what's more, Thranduil was unsure he was the proper person to handle such a lesson. Thranduil thought of what Caladhel would say in his place and offered his son her answer.

"His spirit went to the Halls of Waiting, in Valinor."

"What is he waiting for?"

"Some believe he waits to be healed and made whole again in a new body."

"Is that what you believe?" Legolas asked.

Was it?

Thranduil had avoided asking himself that question for as long as he could remember. So it surprised him little that his son came to ask it so quickly. Thranduil did not know what answer to give, for he did not wish to lie to his son. But was it right to tell a five year old boy that his father was uncertain?

The answer came to Thranduil while staring into his son's eyes. They were the same shade of blue as Oropher's. His father's eyes, his son's face, gazing up at him.

"It is what I want to believe," Thranduil said.

Legolas stared at his father for a minute before reaching out his hand. He took hold of his father's and squeezed it tight as if he knew their talk had upset him.

"Me, too," Legolas said.

Thranduil put an arm around his son and Legolas, in turn, wrapped his tiny arms around him as best he could. Thranduil held Legolas close and sent up a silent prayer that his son would never know the pain of loved ones lost. It was a prayer unlikely to be answered, but Thranduil could not bring himself to concede that truth just yet, not where his son was concerned.

Thranduil kissed the top of his son's head before moving to stand. They had been gone for over an hour. Caladhel was likely to worry if they did not return soon. He helped Legolas climb down beside him. "Let us be off. Your naneth will wonder where we wandered off to and Aurel will be impatient to find those snails."