The River Sings

Summary: Young Legolas wants to learn about the enchanted river that flows through Greenwood...but will he stop at simply learning about it?

Rating: K

Chapter 2

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The River Sings

by Caelhir

Chapter Two: Sleepy

"I know, Oronial, I know, but it's not as if it was one of the most precious books in the library!"

"But, my lord, it was! It was full of scholarly works, carefully collected and copied into that volume, The Rivers of Greenwood: A Comprehensive Listing of the Canals from the North End to the Southern Regions and a Collection of Maps and with a Revised Analysis of the Waterways of the Forest and Their Critical Importance to Greenwood! It's probably one of the most valuable-"

Thranduil sank his head into his hand, letting Oronial's words about the book about rivers wash over him, not sinking in at all. The over-protective librarian had been sitting in his study, presumably doing something bookish and librarian-like, when he had heard a crash form the library. When Oronial had arrived, the shelves had been in "horribly messy disarray, my lord!"

Oronial had stopped speaking now, and was looking expectantly at Thranduil. thranduil straightened and brought his mind back.

"I'm sorry, Oronial, but...what?"

"I said-" Oronial said, sounding patiently irritated, "-that this is the second time I have found the library messy, and I think I know why."

"Why, Oronial, why?" Thranduil intoned dully.

"Because that demon-child of yours has a boundless determination to learn about the rivers here, in particular, Caimaduin !"

Thranduil practically flew out of his chair at that.

"What? That river? Why? How long? When-?"

"My lord," Oronial said carefully, "Legolas has had a fascination with the sleeping river since he was quite young and able to listen to warriors, especially your eldest, Thoronsul, recount their own experiences to him."

Thranduil sighed again and sat back down wearily. He would speak to Thoronsul, his older son, in the morning about watching out for young ears when he told his tales.

For now, Thranduil would go the speak with Legolas about taking books from the library.

Sighing heavily, he stood form his desk and walked slowly down the hall to the family's quarters.

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Legolas knelt at the edge of the river, gazing into the starry black depths, mesmerized by its power...and danger. Tilting his head, he reached towards it, then drew his hand back. If he was going to drink (and he was thirsty by now), he would have to do it properly.

Retreating to where he had ditched his pack in haste, he pulled out the cup he had tossed into it.

Returning to the river side, he took a deep breath and plunged to cup into the dark water.

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Thranduil tapped softly on his young son's bedroom door.

"Legolas? Ion-nin, I would like to speak with you."

Sighing at the silent response, Thranduil assumed Legolas was sulking. Pushing open the door, he spoke again.

"Ion-nin, Legolas, I don't mind it when you read the books the library can- can offer- Legolas?"

Legolas was nowhere to be seen.

Thranduil knelt and looked under the bed, stood, and looked in the cupboard, behind the dresser, in the hallway, in the closet, but Legolas was nowhere.

Forcefully staying calm,* Thranduil walked to his older son's room and entered without knocking.

"Thoronsul!" he barked.

The elf in question jerked wildly out of sleep and scrambled to his feet. The feet, however, were still very much asleep, and became entangled in the bed sheets, sending Thoronsul into a face-plant on the floor at his father's feet.

Standing, the elf rubbed his nose and winced, then looked at his father with barely restrained impatience.

"What was that for, Ada?"

"Ion-nin," Thranduil said without preamble, "Is Legolas hiding in here? Have you seen his this evening?"

"No, Ada, I haven't seen him tonight. Why?"

Thranduil sighed, passing a hand over his eyes. He was much to tired for this right now.

"Oronial found one of his books in pieces earlier, I don't know if you heard him-"

"That's what that was?" Thoronsul interjected. "I thought Legolas had brought home another spider for a 'pet!'"

"No, but he did drop a very old, and according to Oronial, very valuable book on the floor. It broke, and Legolas has hidden somewhere. Will you help me find him and tell him that Oronial isn't going to flay him alive?"

Thoronsul snorted. "Are you sure, Ada? Because last time I spilled jam on his book about identifying trees, he nearly took out my eye over it when he threw a paper weight at me..."

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Legolas held the cup before him, balancing it on the palm of his hand. He hoped the water wasn't poisonous. The pages from the book certainly didn't say it was.

As he raised it to his lips, he paused, considering that the pages hadn't said it wasn't, either.

Legolas took another deep breath, and tipped the contents of the cup back.

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"He's not here, Ada!" Thoronsul rounded the corner into Thranduil's office at a run, only to see it empty. Thranduil wasn't there.

Thoronsul half-turned, wondering where his father had gone when something slammed into him from behind, causing his to stagger into the desk, upsetting papers stacked carefully into columns.

Thoronsul ignored this and looked at his fluster father.

"Ada! There you are. I couldn't find little Leaf, and none of the service-staff has seen him either, but I wondered if- Ada? What's wrong?"

For he had just noticed that his father had tears in his eyes, and was shaking as he pulled his cloak over his broad shoulders.

"Halmirdel the guard saw him leave about three hours ago, but wasn't sure. I am sure he has left, and I can only hope he hasn't fallen, or been injured, or captured, or-"

"Ada, we'll go find him! Come on, if we ride quickly- I mean, he's still quite young, he won't have gotten past the Caimaduin-"

Thranduil's eyes widened. "Thoronsul, the river! Hes gone the the enchanted river! He kept asking everyone about it, and now he's gone, because no one would tell him about it!" Thranduil sank his head into his hands. "Oh, oh no, no, no! He'll fall in and drown, I know it!"

Thoronsul straightened. "Ada, I am going to find little Leaf. If you would care to join me, by all means-" Thoronsul swept to the door, " -feel free!"

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The cool water in his mouth slid smoothly over his tongue and down his throat as Legolas swallowed the water. He closed his eyes, braced for the effects.

Nothing.

Legolas cracked one eyes open. Perhaps it made you blind? Or able to see new things?

Nothing.

Legolas frowned and dipped the cup back in and rank again. He couldn't go back to the palace with nothing to show for it!

As nothing continued to happen, he made a frustrated sound and swept the cup back to the river. Why didn't it work? Were all the stories he had heard fiction, made up to scare elflings? Was there nothing magical about this river at all?

The cup never touched the water.

Legolas' world went hazy, blue, green and black in very quick succession.

The young elf toppled to the forest floor as two cups of enchanted water coursed though him, sending him far away in to the realms of dreams.

Across the forest, stable doors burst open and a handsome elf flew through them, astride a tall grey horse. Moments later, an equally handsome, though obviously older elf followed his son into the forest.

Thoronsul closed his eyes and prayed to the Valar to protect his dear young brother, then turned his thoughts to that very little brother. Hold on, Leaf, hold on, he prayed. Don't get yourself into too much trouble before I find you!

And under the starry canopy of Greenwood, next to the merrily twinkling enchanted river, a small elf lay obliviously sunken into a dreamless slumber.

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One more chapter left. Please read and review! Thanks very mooch!