Author's Note: Same disclaimer. Also – this chapter has not been beta'ed. Actually most of this fic has not been beta'ed. If you find any glaring mistakes, please let me know so I can edit.
Out of the stables went the three elves, for the second time directly within the villagers' midst for more than a moment or two. And of course, many stared. Most continued on with their chores after a moment or two, though the children of the village seemed to trail behind about ten feet, beyond the state of curious. The adults seemed more easily accustomed to seeing the two new elves, and it kept the gaping down to a minimum. The archery ground was a long one, the targets ranging from 10 yards to 100, obviously set for both beginner and more advanced archers. They weren't, however, geared for elves.
Regardless, practice was practice. It was always nice to be able to exert one's skills. Upon arriving at the field, Elrohir re-strung his bow - not nearly as ornate as Legolas or Haldir's, but certainly well carved for it -was- the bow he'd disappeared with, just re-strung countless times. The Mirkwood and Lothlórien elves were better known for their archers, though, and therefore would typically have the better bows.
Regardless, Elrohir was still quite a good shot, and once he was certain his bow was ready, he picked a target, knocked an arrow and let it fly, landing within the small bull's-eye ring of a reasonable distance back. A warm up shot, really, for any of the elves there. He stood back slightly for Haldir and Legolas to find places they found gave them better access to the most targets, and then joined them once the arrows began being loosed.
Once they found spots they were happy with, which didn't take very long, the both of them released an arrow simultaneously at the same midrange target just to compete to see who could get theirs there first. Legolas' made it first, but before he could gloat, Haldir's thick Lórien arrow had split it right in half. This brought a chuckle from the Marchwarden's lips as Legolas turned to send a mock glare his way, watching as he pulled another arrow from his quiver, and knocked it to the elf hair string of his glittering bow.
"Don't glare at me," Haldir chuckled to Legolas as he pulled the arrow back to his cheek, and aimed with no trouble at one of the further targets. He moved his eyes to look at Legolas as he held his aim, smiling softly to see that he was still, in fact, glaring.
"You look like your mother," he informed him, looking back to the target and releasing his arrow. It sang through the wind and landed in the center of the target. Legolas laughed.
"Do I? I thought you found her beautiful." he teased gently. Haldir smiled then.
"I do." He confirmed, "Any dolt with a brain and even the worst of eye sight could discern that for themselves." Legolas chuckled, knocked his own arrow, aimed, and split the arrow that had split his own.
"There," he smiled with a wink to Haldir. "We're even."
After watching as his poor arrow was mauled, Haldir tsked and looked over to Legolas, arching an eyebrow. "Even, yes, and now one arrow short. I suggest we stop the splitting of each others' arrows." Haldir chuckled, shaking his head.
Elrohir's gaze drifted from the targets and to the blonde archers, eyes sparkling as Haldir complimented Legolas again. If this continued, they'd have to use a ladder to spatula-off the fair prince's ego from the ceiling that night. As it was, the sunshine was already beaming from head to foot. And nailing each arrow into the bull's-eye of whatever target he picked. Finally, Elrohir brought another shaft to his bow, aiming for the same target the pair had shot at first, imbedding his own green-fletched arrow only a millimeter from Haldir's own, as if resting cheek-to-cheek. Both brows lifted then, once more listening to the two talk. If he were asked, he'd have to admit that though archery was entertaining, what managed to slip from either of their lips was entirely more so.
"Shall we return to splitting each others ego's then?" Legolas jested, releasing an arrow to land it on the other side of Elrohir's. Haldir aimed as he laughed and shook his head again. "May as well," he agreed, releasing the arrow into a closer target. He lowered his bow for the time being, leaning on it just slightly as he watched Legolas and Elrohir shoot a few more times. Legolas seemed to be thinking hard, a small smile playing on his face.
After a few more shots, however, Elrohir paused, then glanced about behind them. "Don't look now, but we've an audience." The whisper came a few seconds later, watching out of the corner of his eye as a small crowd of children, ranging from 3 years old all the way to 13 and 14 gathered a short distance away to watch the elves shoot. Only a few ever attempted the further of the targets, and they'd only ever seen Elrohir hit the bull's-eye. Now there were -TWO- aiming for it… and yes, bulls-eyes were hit by both Legolas and Elrohir.
At the mention of an audience, Haldir glanced back through the wind lifted strands of his platinum hair to give the curious children a glance over. Ah, so it seemed they did have an audience. "OH, by Valar!" Legolas exclaimed suddenly, attracting Haldir's attention back to him. The blonde Prince was looking at him, seeming amused, his bow slack at his side, an arrow between the fingers of the hand that held it.
"What?" Haldir inquired, furrowing his brow. Legolas shot his gaze at Elrohir, pointing at him, before looking back to the Marchwarden. "I can't think of an insult!" He insisted. "I think Elrohir brought about our insults' doom." Haldir laughed fully, and looks to Elrohir as well. "I think we've complimented Legolas too much today." He chided in mirth, his light silvery blue eyes sparkling. "He's lost his touch."
The dark-haired prince only chuckled lightly, offering a light bow to both blondes. "Glad to be of service!" He lowered his bow as Haldir mentioned complimenting Legolas too much, shaking his head softly. "If you feel we must cease complimenting, I suppose I can go along with it. But I must admit, the dazed expressions upon his face when we do are priceless." Once more, the bow was lifted, and an arrow loosed, heading for the closer target, sticking firmly into the center of the bull's-eye. "And one would think you'd enjoy Legolas's inability to insult you..." The last part came shortly after lowering that bow, raising both brows in the direction of the darker blonde prince, lips never ceasing their pleased expression.
He would bet that even Haldir would have trouble mustering the potent insults now that compliments were being exchanged more freely. The children that had gathered behind the elves were still watching, for every so often an arrow would be shot almost off-handedly, smacking solidly into one center ring or another before conversation began once more. He had enjoyed the insult-free morning more than he'd ever admit to them, and was dreading the return of their verbal sparring ... at least to the intense degree they'd been at the past day or so. "Do either of you have any ideas on what to do this afternoon? A ride? Or perhaps our Hobbit-imitations once again?" He was teasing, yes, but the latter - despite the laziness it involved - was sounding very good, especially after being pulled reluctantly from his bed that morning.
Legolas chuckled about the faces he was apparently making each time he'd been complimented, knocked two arrows, and shot them together. One hit the midrange target, and the other the closest. Both were bull's-eyes. He glanced over to the kids, an eyebrow raised, smiling slightly to see what they thought about that.
"Show off," Haldir hissed in jest, with a wink, before he - of course - had to do it as well, just to prove he could. And prove it he did.
"Me? Look at you!" Legolas laughed, pointing at his bull's-eyes. Haldir grinned. "I never said I wasn't a show off," he teased before looking to Elrohir, lowering his bow as he thought about what they should do that day. Legolas seemed to be thinking of it, too.
"Do we have the rest of the day to ourselves?" he asked, eyebrows raised slightly in hopefulness. That would be great if they did. He was in quite a lazy mood after laying in bed for so long this morning. Lounging around sounded like just what he wanted to do.
"Well, if we do end up laying around like Hobbits, I would ask that we do so in the grass somewhere," Haldir added almost pleadingly. "As it stands I've been resisting the urge of running off into the woods, and finding a nap in the trees."
Legolas chuckled, while Elrohir appeared rather thoughtful.
"Then we shall ride again, if you'd like. We simply have to wait for Daine and Aram to return so the tack is put away properly." He seemed to lose interest in archery now that the prospect of spending another day in his secluded spot within the forest with both elves he was growing ever more fond of as time passed. "Or perhaps we can walk? You say you miss the trees, so a stroll within their branches I would think would be more than welcome." He offered the alternative way of getting to their hidden place, content to daydream of their time there. To relax. To enjoy the warmth and comfort of being snuggled beside two beings he felt completely at ease with, even when they argued, seemed more than perfect. "I can pack us another lunch, as well…."
Glowing from their little bout of friendly competition, the two blonds made their way over to stand with their brunette companion both equally quiet for a number of minutes. "You two decide. I'll go collect our arrows," Legolas told them, before hopping off to do so.
Haldir turned his head slightly to watch him retreat from them, before looking to Elrohir thoughtfully with a nod of his head. "I think a walk sounds good," he said with a slight grin. "It will be nice to be able to take our time...I long to feel the forest floor under my feet, and hear the whispers of the trees as we pass." He was staring off at the forest, taking in a deep breath as if he could smell it. "I miss the Golden Wood, and the mellyrn of Caras Galadhon rising in their glory, so high up that when standing on the ground the lowest limb towers above you, out of your reach. And the songs… the songs that pass through the trees from the talans above, ethereal and light and all that is good. How the lanterns would cast their dim, bluish glow, dotting the city above like stars come down to Arda, from the heavens above."
He closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again to look at Elrohir, smiling softly. "I spent the majority of my time at the Northern Fences, guarding the borders of Lothlórien with my brothers. It was some days' walk to Caras Galadhon from that point. I spent little time in the city. When we return, I hope to live out my remaining days in Middle Earth there."
And as Haldir finished his admission, Legolas was hopping back over about that time with an arm full of arrows.
As Elrohir listened to Haldir, he could almost picture what he spoke of. The glittering of gilded trees, the sweet tones of elves as they wandered through the branches... He was about to ask the Marchwarden to attempt that mental link he'd done before, sending him memories, even if it weren't of himself. A light hand reached up, brushing fingers over a strand or two of the pale blonde hair of his companion before Legolas came, reverting his thoughts to the here and now instead of what might become.
"I rarely hear you so poetic, Haldir, than when you describe your home... or Legolas." He added the other elf's name in comment of that morning when the Galadhrim had uttered such sweet words in regards to his friend. "It must be a sight to see; indeed... perhaps you could share a memory with me? I fear how long it might take me to remember such beauty, and I would like to be able to see what you describe... that I might know why you feel the way you do." But they were leaving the archery field then, the children that had gathered parting quickly to allow passage for the elves that had done so well to entertain them. "Anything that can draw such emotion from you must be grand, indeed...for I know you do not give such esteem idly."
As soon as he'd asked, the memory began, though it wasn't from Haldir, it was from Legolas. The city towered above them, tall and majestic, three little elves stood together in a small glade, each brandishing a stick at each other, as they sparred, each trying to disarm the other. Two little faces mirrored one another while the other stood out beside them, framed with blonde hair.
'What's that?' The blonde asked, stopping his sword play to point at a carved basin only a few yards away.
'That,' said a very wise, and eased voice from behind them, 'is my mirror, Legolas Thranduilion.'
As the three boys turned, they were greeted by the spectacular sight of the Lady Galadriel. It seemed a light shone from within her, sparkling in the spun gold of her hair, reflected in the warm blue of her eyes. She seemed as though she were carved of ice, so cold, and fair, and entirely ethereal she was. So like the moon that rose above them, smiling down at them from between the branches of the trees. The twins seemed to lurch with a start at the sight of her, each one dropping their stick and rushing into her arms as she knelt to greet them.
'Naneth-daer!' They cried in unison, their little arms wrapping around her form, each little face burrowing in her hair until Elrohir lifted his out to press a kiss to her cheek. Legolas could only stare in awe, mouth agape, stick dropping from his slacking fingers. He'd never seen an elf such as this...
'Can we look in the mirror?' Elladan was asking, his excitement apparent. But the Lady only laughed, the sound like the soft twinkling of bells.
'No no, dear child... The mirror shows things that will be, and can be. I would not have you know at such a young age these secrets already scripted. Enjoy this time you have in your youth, fair ones...the future will come. Sometimes before you are ready for it to. There can only be one time for innocence.'
Legolas was watching the ground as he walked just behind Elrohir, and Haldir, seeming caught up in the memory himself. It had been the first time he'd seen Galadriel, and even now, he could vividly remember the awe...and how truly small he felt in that moment.
Elrohir was having trouble keeping his gaze upon where he was going, eyes misty as they focused upon the darker blonde, the memory playing in his mind as if it were his own. And in truth, he did get brief glimpses of the same image, only from his own point of view. Nothing too tangible, just millisecond flashes as perspective tried to change in his own mind as if to say .. "no, no... this is how we saw it..."
When the memory was over, just shy of the stables, he halted, turning to face his dear friend, his eyes shining with tears that threatened to fall. Legolas had just given him the memory of his grandmother. Tiny prickles of emotion, of sensations he felt in Galadriel's presence. Again, it was as it had been with Legolas and Haldir. A remembrance of the person, though not of any interactions with them save the quick flashes that had been given to him. "Galadriel... The Lady of Light... " He shook his head slightly, fingers gripping the soft silver cloth upon the archer's upper arm, his eyes darting between the two friends as if not wishing to say this to just one of them, but as Legolas had given him the memory, and the youthful elf was simply there, the words tumbled out in his direction.
"I remember her... like I remember the two of you. She smelled faintly of wildflowers no matter where she was... and though she appeared like ice, she was always more warm than the sun itself... and the love... she loved Elladan and I so much... always so proud of us, even when we got ourselves in trouble..." He began to nearly babble. By the Valar, would he become some weeping child every time he remembered something? He hoped not!
Haldir could feel the memory, see the memory, just as they could, for Legolas had fed it to them both, and he was pleased that he'd chosen that one. Just as Haldir had given Elrohir his mother, Legolas had given him his grand-mother, and with them both, moments with his brother. He only wished he could offer him the feeling of his twin, but not even every bit of concentration could duplicate that. It was a twin bond after all, kin in likeness only to them.
Legolas steadied an arm around the lordling when his friend had drawn near, pleased that he was happy with the memory. He knew it wasn't quite what he'd asked for, but it held the presence of the city, the very awe he, himself, felt to be there, along with the promise of family.
"Yes...She was wise, and good, and more oft than not mildly unsettling if you didn't know her as you did," Legolas admitted with a chuckle, squeezing him to his side and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Gimli, my dwarf friend, fell into awe with her."
Haldir nodded to this. "She was fair in every way, and all that looked upon her fell silent under her gaze," he told Elrohir. He wanted to show him more...wanted to show him his sister, his father, more of his mother, and his grandfather. But there would be time for that. Let him live in this memory for a time, before they introduced others.
Elrohir had almost completely forgotten their destination, just surrounded by a haze of his two friends and a sweet memory of one who loved him quite dearly. He could envision from his own memory every strand upon her head, the comfort she provided when they were younger and the wisdom she guided their life with when they visited. And yet he could not bring back any specific memory concerning her. Nothing full and tangible, at least. But he was content, for now, to simply know she existed in his life, and know about her from his friends. "I can feel that... somehow. I can feel her wisdom. Everything." But after he was tucked against the blonde prince for those blissful moments and released, he offered both a light smile and continued to walk toward the stables.
He aimed for the stairwell and his room to wait for the return of the two children, knowing they'd be back very soon - within the next quarter-hour or so – and Legolas and Haldir followed Elrohir up to his room with light steps, each setting their things down for the time being.
"Maybe I will remember everything? Not with someone else clearing the fog in my mind... Maybe all I needed was someone like the both of you... to help the memories come out?" Elrohir mused, glancing between his guests as he sat upon his bed...err... their bed now. He removed his bow and quiver, laying them against his dresser, and flopped onto his back in a single, somehow elegant swoop. A few moments passed with him staring at the ceiling before he lifted his head slightly to peer to his friends. "What were our lives like? I mean... when we were able to see each other? Which, at least in Legolas' case, seems frequently enough."
"I saw you mainly when my father would make trips to Imladris," Legolas replied. "It really wasn't too often in my childhood, but once we were adults and able to defend ourselves, I saw you all much more. We hunted often together, and when you all would go to Lothlórien I would meet you and go off together. That's how we saw Haldir most, though none of us were too fond of him then." He laughed and looked at Haldir, who grinned with a nod, sitting on the bed up by Elrohir's head.
"No, you didn't seem to like me one bit," the Warden chuckled, reaching out to graze his fingers over the lordling's jaw line. "I think it was mainly because I would always stop you at the Northern Fences and ask you what your business was there," he admitted. "Of course I knew what it was, but it seemed to irritate you to a fine degree, and so I did it each time."
Legolas shook his head with a sigh and lay down, depositing his head into Haldir's lap. "Yes, that and you would be as snide as possible while doing it... Oh, and do not forget the 'My Lady' incidents." He made a slight scowl and Haldir reached down, pressing his forefingers to the corners of Legolas' mouth and pulling upwards slightly to force a smile.
"Come now, I know you can see the humor in it," he encouraged. Legolas forced the smile off his face, and looked at Elrohir.
"It wasn't funny," he insisted matter-of-factly.
"Oh, it was so," Haldir laughed, tilting his head down some to tickle his hair in the fair one's face.
Elrohir's amusement sounded lightly then, fingers gently prodding the prone form in Haldir's lap. "He must be right, Legolas, for you to pout as you are." And with that he twisted himself just enough to press a light kiss upon the sulking prince's cheek. "But you look adorable when you pout, so I suppose it's all right." He smirked then, returning to lying fully upon his back, eyes closing for a few pleased moments.
"I didn't think it was funny, I should say," Legolas reworded, still pouting until he was complimented again. That made him smile.
"Another compliment," Haldir chuckled, "Any more of this and you'll fly away,"
Legolas looked up at Haldir, to find him smiling down at him. "Hopefully you would catch me before I could get too far," the blonde prince said, reaching up to slowly comb his fingers through Haldir's silvery strands.
"Of course. I couldn't let you go too far, now could I?" Haldir responded, both eyebrows rising slightly as he brushed the golden hair from his brow with gentle fingertips.
Legolas closed his eyes slightly, before opening them again and raising a hand to press a finger to Haldir's bottom lip. "I would hope you wouldn't," he murmured, smiling softly as Haldir half-took his hand and pressed a kiss to the fingertip.
The kiss upon Legolas' fingertips did not go unnoticed, nor did the soft expressions on both of their faces. Even Elrohir's own heart had skipped a beat as he saw the tenderness Haldir displayed. There was definitely more behind the Marchwarden than what he would like others to believe. Amused slightly by the pair's antics, he turned the conversation back to the topics at hand, far too curious about his past to let it go just yet.
"You said we would hunt orcs together...? What else? Surely there were other things to do besides hunting..." While he waited for the response, fingers reached to lift a few locks of the other prince's hair, twirling and un-twirling the golden strands about his fingers, marveling how greatly the banding strands appeared as pure, real gold about his fingers till they were unwound and loosed to their separate strands once again. Over and over he did this, as if mesmerized as he listened to his friends' words.
Legolas then looked to Elrohir, seeming a little fluttery from the attention both elves paid him, smiling toward Elrond's son. "We usually left off together with the intention to hunt, though sometimes we would explore, and play together," Legolas told him. "Or we might lounge around and be lazy. That was before the incident with your mother...after that, it was usually hunting orcs."
Elrohir's eyes widened at the information, slim reeds still toying with the delicate-appearing strands of the blonde prince. "My mother…?" he trailed and then shook his head, as though clearing the traces of a foul memory from him. "Remind me to make up for that... though I'm sure hunting Orc is fun, to not spend time simply talking or 'being lazy' with the two of you sounds utterly foolish."
"Of course we had time for that," Legolas assured Elrohir quickly. "All times in Lothlórien were spent talking and walking and being lazy together. And for the longest time, it was just the three of us, You, Elladan, and I. Haldir spent most of his time at the Northern Fences, and we didn't really care to see him at all. Though, apparently, you ran into him in the city one day..." With that, Haldir firmly pressed a finger over his lips, and gave a slight shake of his head to say 'no.' Legolas arched an eye brow, but obeyed and spoke nothing else of it.
The dark-haired prince's mind wandered for a moment or two after Legolas did his assuring, before a sudden look of shock took his features, his eyes flickering in concern up to the two. "I know this sounds a bit strange, but did I have... or do I have a wife? Or did I love someone? Was I promised to any?" His brows wrinkled slightly in a younger version of a particularly potent "Elrond is troubled" expression, not nearly so bitter looking but certainly as perplexed as he father often looked.
Still, could any blame him for being worried? There was something behind the questions that even he couldn't pinpoint, but it brought some strange sense of dread to even consider such a thing as being married. For whatever reason, his nerves were jumbled and his muscles slightly tense as he turned his head to gaze upon both Haldir and Legolas, pleading them to say "no" with fretting eyes, especially to that first question.
Both blonds were quiet for a long moment, and something heavy seemed to have settled over them all, the weight only increasing when Elrohir asks his next question. The two blondes immediately looked at one another, and Haldir gave just the slightest shake of his head. Legolas watched him, his eyes on him even as his head was turning to face Elrohir. And then his gaze was on the brunette.
"No..." He cleared his throat slightly, "No, there was no one you were betrothed to," the prince's voice answered softly, a slight half-hearted smile touching pale lips. Haldir was looking off at the floor, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Nor did you have a wife. Do not worry," Legolas added reassuringly, reaching over to brush back a lock of Elrohir's hair gently.
The choice of words had not gone unnoticed – or perhaps an omission of words, but the dark haired elf let them both slide for the time being, edging a bit closer to the two, uncertain of what else he could do and wishing to be nearer to them both, nuzzling into the hand that brushed past his features slightly. What weren't they telling him? And why was it so important they felt they could not say anything? He mused over the story given to him, and summed up that whatever it was, it has something to do with the pale-tressed Marchwarden – Legolas had deferred to the lighter-haired elf rather than the other way around.
He let them keep their secrets for the time being. After all, he trusted them more than anyone he'd met since his accident, and at least for a little while, he'd put faith into the fact they felt telling him now would not be a good idea. Instead, he simply lay beside the two, listening to the sounds of the stable and the triple heartbeat of the friends littering their improvised, extended bed. "Alright..." His response was only slightly more than a whisper, lips forming a more relaxed smile as he settled once more. The mattress was soft beneath them, warm by their forms and easy to drift into dreams upon. He would have to be careful not to drift asleep. "What of my father? What was he like? And my mother? ... Before they sailed for the Undying Lands, of course..."
Legolas was still staring at Elrohir, and it was apparent that he wanted to tell him something, but as a glance was shifted to Haldir, he seemed a little more ready to leave it alone. It wasn't his place, after all, to tell any sort of business that didn't involve him. And he wasn't one to meddle in another's business.
"Your father was an extraordinary-looking elf." Haldir spoke, looking to Elrohir finally. "He was extremely tall, and regal, and very brave. Very intelligent. He had a library, an enormous library." He sent him images of his father sitting at what appeared to be a desk, and there was a tiny, amazing looking girl on his lap. The both of them were looking at the Twins, who were full-grown, and going on about this spectacular hunt they'd been on. Elladan was using Elrohir to display the way he'd broken an Orc's neck, acting as though he were snapping it, and then Elrohir fell to the floor in mock death. The little girl's eyes went huge, and she let out a little gasp, raising her tiny hands to cover her eyes, before she starts to snivel and whimper, only a breath away from wailing. Elrond cut Elladan an EXTREMELY stern look, unable to do the same to Elrohir, because he couldn't see him over the desk. But there was humor behind the look, at the way she'd reacted. "They were only playing, my little Evenstar..." He told the child gently, turning her to look at him. "Only pretending." Elrohir came crawling around the corner of the desk, as Arwen was reaching for someone over her father's shoulder. It was apparently Haldir, because that was the angle that the memory was seen from. It was also apparent that he'd taken a step back from her. Elrohir was looking at him with amusement, before he'd plucked the girl from their father and held her up so that she could see him. "See? I'm not dead," he told her with a smile. She was quick to smile back, and then hugged his neck fiercely...
Elrohir chuckled lightly at the images, recognizing himself and his brother immediately, and assuming the smaller child held by the man he was certain was his father was Arwen, his sister, which was confirmed when the sent memory of Elrond spoke her name. Then the memory was over, leaving Elrohir still trembling slightly from laughing. Arwen was utterly adorable, and the entire scene seemed quite humorous, especially when Haldir backed himself up when the princess reached for him.
Legolas smiled from his place on the bed, having had the chance to see the memory as well. "I cannot believe you backed away from her," he laughed suddenly when he was sure the memory was over.
Haldir smiled sheepishly, with a shrug of his shoulders. "I've never been much for children...though, they all want to come to me for reasons I am unclear of."
Elrohir cast his grin remarkably similar to that in the memory toward the Warden, shaking his head softly. "It is because they know you love them, even if you are uncomfortable in dealing with them. Regardless of how uncertain they make you, I saw how your eyes warmed when you taught Daine elvish yesterday." Elrohir gave his comment teasingly, though abandoned Legolas' hair momentarily to reach upward, brushing a more comforting touch along Haldir's upper arm, as if to give the elf some sort of reassurance that Elrohir wasn't going to go and dump the children on him at every chance now.
"You act as though you're afraid of them." Legolas, poking Haldir slightly in the chest from his position in his lap.
Haldir's eyes widened, as he started to laugh a little. "I am. "They are tiny, and emotional and needy. I don't like being responsible for them," he admitted, before looking at Elrohir with a chuckle. "My eyes did not warm," he denied, waving the fact off as if it'd been misunderstood, with a shake of his head.
Legolas was laughing fully then, moving to his knees to face Haldir. "You fib," he informed him.
Haldir made a convincing sneer. "I do not," he said in his infamous, haughty tone.
Legolas laughed outright, before he hugged Haldir to him, standing on his knees. "I love you, Haldir. You're so ridiculous..."
Whoa!
Hold the fort!
And the fort they did hold as both blonde elves went very quiet and very still. Legolas' eyes were wide as the full reality of his words hit him hard. He was VERY aware of Haldir's body stiffening. Sweet Valar...please don't let that be what he'd said.
He let go slowly, swallowing hard, as he looked down, and backed away slightly. Haldir was looking at him oddly, and then...
THANK the Valar! The children were back! The tell-tale tot-a-lot of hooves reached their ears easily.
The children had managed to pass the break in the woods, and as they neared, the triple-beat slowed to a clip-clop of a slower gait, and relinquished even more speed as they approached the building. And so Elrohir rose very reluctantly, kissing each elf upon the forehead before disappearing down the stairs to greet the two youngsters, who had already begun brushing down their chosen mounts, taking the tack off as they went.
Legolas backed off the bed quickly to follow Elrohir, completely missing the fact that Haldir had been raising his hand to touch his face.
"Aram! How was your ride?" Legolas asked as he reached the bottom of the steps, and hopped over to the child to help him along. Pity for missed opportunities.
Author's Note: Wow. Okay, I know this isn't quite as long as previous chapters, but I hope it was long enough to satisfy everyone! So… why do you think Legolas and Haldir were so quiet when Elrohir asked about his love life? And what, exactly, is going on between those two blonds, anyway? And what, exactly, does Haldir want hidden?