Memories…

Thranduil slightly shivered as the wind howled and tugged on his strands of hair. He slowly walked over the snow-cleared paths of the small garden. He had a need of fresh air, and his balcony had not satisfied him. He had been locked up in his room far too long. He stopped in front of the large tree in the middle of the garden and placed his hand on the dark bark. A gentle tingling ran up his fingers as he made contact.

"Suilad, mellon-nin." Thranduil whispered as he gently ran his fingers over the rough surface. Thranduil remembered his father when he was just a little elfling himself. This was the first tree he had climbed with help of Oropher.

"Ada! Ada, look!" He had cheered when he managed to haul himself onto the branch.

"Be careful, ion-nin." Oropher had gently called as he sat down on the stone bench just below the branch.

"I will!" Little Thranduil said back as he shuffled over the branch to settle against the trunk with his back, letting his little legs dangle on either side of the branch. The leaves of the tree had gently rustled in a congratulation. "Ada! Ada, look at me!" He had called again, a little while later. He stood on the branch, and held onto a smaller branch to keep his balance.

"Be careful." Oropher warned again as he stood from the bench to properly see what Thranduil was doing.

"Ohh." Thranduil softly cheered as a beautiful orange butterfly fluttered by and decided to settle for Thranduil's nose. As if faith decided to, Thranduil sneezed. The butterfly slowly fluttered away as on the same moment Thranduil's little feet slipped and his grip on the smaller branch was not strong enough to keep him from falling. Not a moment later, he lay in the awaiting arms of his father, while a half tree worth of leaves showered down upon them.

"What did I just told you?" Oropher all but snapped before he put Thranduil on his feet and brushed the leaves from his robe.

"Goheno nin, ada." Thranduil ducked his head.

"We shall see that tonight. Freshen yourself up before you come and join me for luncheon." Oropher said before he gently picked a leaf from his ruffled hair. "You look like a sapling." The elf let out a small chuckle before he walked back inside...

Thranduil gently stroked the rough bark again. His father had continued to call him sapling for quite some time. It was because of the tree that nothing serious had happened to him. The tree had slowed his fall with his leaves just enough for Oropher to catch him just in time. Thranduil broke the contact with the tree before he slowly continued to walk. A little smile played on his lips as he watched the snow covered landscape. He had always loved the winter with its views, especially when it neared spring. As elfling he had watched the snow for countless hours being determent to see the first little plant poke through the fluffy white blanket. All though his childhood he had made little trips either to the garden or even clearings in the forest at moonlight winters to enjoy the serene calmness that always would settle over him. Usually it would be so quiet that the soft movement from the snow underneath his boots could be unbelievably loud.

He would watch the stars and moon for hours, enjoying the combination with the white surroundings. Oropher had never been pleased when he made such little trips. Usually he would get a punishment or something but usually he would be waved off or something similar. Except for that time when he had decided to visit lake town, to see what the edain were doing to pass the time in the winter...

An adolescent Thranduil sat on the back of his faithful steed as he rode over the narrow path that led from the elven stronghold to the edge of the lake. He had always wondered what the edain did when there was snow. Today he had finally managed to sneak away and even managed to take his horse along. When he finally reached Lake Town, there was a lot of rather exited shouting going along. He dismounted and let his horse go free before he entered Lake Town by foot. All the boats were frozen into the ice while the boards themselves were slippery from the snow and ice. It was not as quiet as what Thranduil had expected. Children still played among the water edge as well as on top of the ice or in the snow.

"How you do that?" Thranduil managed to speak in Westron tongue. His scholar was not too keen in teaching him how to speak in other languages than the Sindarin and Silvan.

"Do what?" A small boy asked as he neared the elf.

"Going on the ice?" Thranduil frowned. He once had tried to walk on the ice, but somehow, he had woken a day later with quite a nasty bump on his head.

"Just like this!" The boy showed him how he moved around over the ice. Thranduil carefully put his foot on the ice while he sat onto the side of the dock. Maybe this ice was different from the ice he had encountered? "No, silly!" The boy laughed as he quickly returned to Thranduil.

"Why not?"

"You need these." The boy said and lifted one of his feet from the ice to show him a small wooden shape that he had strapped underneath his boot.

"May I try?"

"Yes." The boy sat down next to Thranduil and undid the straps before he helped Thranduil strap them underneath his boots. "Now stand and push yourself off." The boy instructed and watched as Thranduil stumbled along, trying to find his footing on the ice. "Wait a moment!" The boy called and returned a moment later with another pair of wood things and strapped underneath his own shoes again. "Watch me." The boy helped Thranduil get along over the ice. It was quite a nce feeling, having the wind in his face and his hair flying behind. First it had been really strange with the wooden shapes under his boot, but after a while he managed quite well.

"I think I should return home." Thranduil quietly said as he suddenly noticed that it started to get dark.

"I need to get home as well." The boy said as he undid the straps and stepped back on the dock. Thranduil undid his as well and handed them back to the boy.

"Hannon-le." Thranduil smiled.

"Sorry?" The boy frowned. He had never heard such word.

"Th-thank you?" Thranduil managed to say after a moment of hard thinking on what the translation was.

"You're welcome. I had fun today!" The boy said before it ran off, and waved at him before he disappeared behind one of the houses. When He stood outside of Lake Town, Thranduil whistled, calling his horse. When he was mounted, he rode back to the stronghold as swift as his horse was capable of.

"Do you want to explain yourself?" Oropher's voice sounded through the courtyard as he neared the stables...

Thranduil had not even noticed that he had stopped walking before he realized in what part of the garden he had ended up in.

He felt his heart ache for his late wife as he saw a single rose bloom. She had her own little flowerbed she used to tend daily. She loved her roses almost as much as she had loved her family.

It was on such a cold day what she had burst into his study with the biggest smile adorning her fair face. Her eyes shone like a thousand stars.

"I believe we are going to be parents." She had all but shouted before she sat down in front of the fire. Thranduil had almost spilled his inkwell when she had suddenly burst into the room, but now his parchment was ruined when he dropped his quill.

"I am sorry?" Thranduil asked as he got up from behind his desk and knelled in front of her. She brightly smiled at him and cupped his cheek.

"I am sure of it." She softly said. "I am with child."

"Have you seen a healer?" Thranduil asked as he sandwiched her hands.

"Nay, I have not. I do not need a healer to know so. I will see a healer if that settles your nerve."

"It would, meleth-nin."

"Then I will go there soon. Are you busy?"

"Nothing that cannot wait." Thranduil smiled as he quickly moved aside when his wife stood.

"I wish to show you something." She grabbed his hand and gently pulled him with her all outside until she halted in front of the flowerbed she tends. "Is it not pretty?" She softly asked as they both watched a pale pink rose.

"It is." Thranduil reached out and brushed the snow from it leaves.

"A green leaf." She said and Thranduil could not help but smile at his wife. He would become a father...

Thranduil reached out to the rose and gently brushed the snow away.

"Ai meleth-nin." Thranduil whispered. He quickly drew his hand away and saw a single drop of blood well up. "What have I done wrong?" He asked the flower. The drop of blood stained the snow red. Thranduil closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh before he slowly continued his way.

On the other side of the garden, Thranduil sat down on a stone bench after he cleared it from snow. Thranduil let his head rest in his hands while he stared at the snow covered plants on the other side of the path.

Thranduil almost jumped a foot when something suddenly touched him.

"Easy there." Feren softly said as he sat down next to the king. "I had no means of startling you, aran-nin"

"Feren." Thranduil breathed as he eyed the faithful servant.

"May I ask you what you are doing outside?"

"I needed some fresh air." Thranduil told him as he felt the warmth of Feren's hand seep through his robe between his shoulders. It made a shiver run down his spine.

"I think you had your fair share of fresh air for today." Feren said with a soft smile. "We have been searching for you for over an hour."

"We? Over an hour?" Thranduil copied. He had not been so long outside, had he?

"Hîr Elrond, Cervus. and several others." Feren nodded as he looked at the pale features of his king. His lips started to take a blue hue and Thranduil's eyes were a bit misty. If he had not seen it now, he would have never believed if anyone told them that there was a single tear track running over his king's cheek. "Aye, and I think it is time for you to get back inside." Feren stood and offered Thranduil a hand. Thranduil looked at the hand for a moment before he took the offered hand and hauled himself on his feet again. Feren walked a step behind Thranduil, much closer than he usually would. Lord Elrond had warned him to stay close as he had found him, so he could quickly come to aid of the king as he was still not well.

The moment they stepped inside, Feren blessed Elrond's warning. As the warm air hit Thranduil, he swayed on his feet. Feren gently but quickly lowered Thranduil to sit on the floor, not wishing to take the risk of falling.

"Easy there. Everything is well." Feren gently whispered as he supported the tall frame of Thranduil. A couple of moments later Thranduil straitened himself, when the bout of dizziness had passed.

"Feren?" Thranduil softly asked.

"Aye, aran-nin?"

"Will you stop cuddling me?"

"Goheno nin." Feren said as he let go of his king while a rosy colour spread over his cheeks.

"Hannon-le." Thranduil said as he climbed on his feet, aided by Feren and the nearby wall. Feren had to watch his step so that he kept walking behind Thranduil.

"Aran-nin? Would it not better for you to return to your bedroom?"

"I do not wish to go and sleep." Thranduil said before he opened the door to his study. There burned no fire in the fireplace, but that did not appear to bother Thranduil as he sat down behind his desk.

"Would you mind fetching me a goblet of tea?" Thranduil softly asked. "Saes."

"Right away, aran-nin." Feren replied.

-Hi there! I hope you liked the chapter! I am asking you again to come up with some ideas that you would like to read about. I just need one more chapter to bridge it to the last chapters I have already written. Thank you for your review!-

Dictionary:

Suilad - Informal greeting

Meleth-nin - My love

Ada/Adar - Father

ion-nin - My Son

Goheno nin - Forgive me

Aran-nin - My king

Hannon-le - Thank you

Hîr - Lord

Saes - Please