The story continues….
"How in Arda did he find us?" Legolas wondered out loud as they raced back inside, blazing pass the astonished Aislinn.
"You ask me this?" Keldarion glanced askance at his brother, leaping over the bodies of Aislinn's attackers as they ran towards the bedroom. "He taught us how to track, remember?"
"HALT!" Someone in the cabin yelled.
The two brothers froze and turned around. Aislinn was glaring back at them, her arms akimbo.
"Excuse me, my lords. Are you forgetting something?" she sweetly asked, her expression looked anything but sweet.
Like a pair of startled does, the two brothers blinked back at her. Outside, the sound of thundering hoof beats was getting louder and closer.
Then Legolas groaned, slapping his forehead. "Oh, right! We left our boots and shirts by the stream!"
Aislinn rolled her eyes and stomped her left foot.
"Not that!" she cried out. "Me! You forgot about me!"
Keldarion had the grace to look chagrin. He smiled sheepishly at the woman. "Forgive us, Aislinn. We simply panicked. But you don't need to worry. Those elves won't harm you."
"Elves?" Aislinn's eyes widened, glancing out the window at the approaching troop.
Legolas nodded as he led the way into the bedroom. "You see that golden-haired, unsmiling warrior-lord riding at the front? That's our father. And I have a feeling that he is not very happy with two of us right now."
"Your father?!" The woman was clearly very excited now, skipping from one foot to the other. "What is he doing here?"
"To kill us both, most probably," Keldarion said as he grabbed the windowsill to climb over, his younger brother right behind him.
"Nah, he won't kill us," Legolas reassured the woman when he saw her face paled. "But he will definitely bash our heads together for 'running away' from home."
Aislinn's eyes bulged, a moment before she understood and burst out laughing.
"Do you think he saw us?" Legolas asked as he landed outside next to his brother.
"I definitely did," someone else answered. Too late for Legolas to realize that Keldarion had come to a stand still, right in front of a tall war-horse. Their father's horse.
And the person in question was glaring down at them.
"O-oh. Busted," Legolas mumbled with a gulp. He should have known their father could read their mind, and had correctly deciphered what they intended to do, which was escaping through the back exit.
Keldarion tried unsuccessfully to conjure a smile. Thranduil frowned even more from atop his mount. Aislinn, meanwhile, observed the entire scene with full interest from the window.
"Uh…hello, father," Keldarion managed to say, cringing at the slight squeaking sound in his voice.
"Hello?" Thranduil growled in displeasure as he dismounted. "That's all you have to say after I've chased after you over hundreds of leagues?"
The two brothers winced and glanced stupidly at each other. Knowing that his father would 'attack' him first, Legolas took a couple steps back until he was hidden behind his brother's tall form, trying to find shelter from their father's imminent explosion.
"LEGOLAS!"
The younger prince jumped. He peered over his brother's shoulder at the king. "Yes, sire?"
"Nara is worried sick about you!"
"Oh. You've seen her," Legolas said, his face brightening. "Is she well?"
"Yes, she is well. So are my grandsons. And don't change the subject!" Thranduil all but shouted. "You should know better than to take off like that without telling anyone where you're going. Your sorry note is not an excuse! You should have told her directly, face to face. Or were you afraid that your wife would lock you up in the cell to prevent you from getting into trouble yet again?"
Keldarion bit his lips and grinned at his younger brother who flushed to the roots of his hair.
"KELDARION!"
Now it was Keldarion's turn to be at the receiving end. He snapped back to full attention, anxiously waiting for the coming reprimanding words even though he knew that their father was more bark than bite. "My lord?"
"You told me you were going to see your nephews." Thranduil stepped right in front of his eldest son, staring at him directly in the eye.
"Yes. And that's what I did." Keldarion nodded.
"Then why the blazes did you drag your brother along to this very corner of Arda?" Thranduil fumed.
Turning to scowl at Legolas, Keldarion replied, "I didn't drag him along. He literally sneaked up behind me!"
"I did not." Legolas' eyes grew wide. "I was just…uh…following your tracks."
"Right." Keldarion scoffed. "You must be looking at the sky instead of the ground while doing that because you happily stepped into a snare. You were lucky I was there to free your blasted leg!"
"Hey! I was about to free myself when you suddenly came to my rescue like a pompous hero or something."
"Oh, really?" Keldarion cocked one eyebrow. "Then why were you screaming like a banshee and trashing like a stuck pig when I found you?"
Legolas' face grew redder, and his eyes drew to a slit.
"Why, you…" he muttered as he made a move to pounce on his brother.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Thranduil shouted once again. This time, even Aislinn jumped in fright.
The elven king closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Incredible! His sons could make him lose his temper more effectively than the much annoying orcs!
"All right." Thranduil reopened his eyes and leveled a steady gaze at his two offspring. "We leave it at that. For now. But all I really want to know is what the blazes just happened here?"
Keldarion sighed as he exchanged glances with Legolas and Aislinn. "It's a long story, father."
"I don't mind listening to it, so we had better head to the front before you two can start explaining," said Thranduil. "But, first, I want to know, are you well?"
The two brothers smiled and nodded. Now that Thranduil had calmed down a bit, Keldarion and Legolas took turns hugging their father.
"We are fine, father," Keldarion assured him.
"But your arm is injured!" Thranduil exclaimed as he gingerly touched the still bleeding cut on Keldarion left bicep. Then he turned to look at his youngest son, all over. "You, Legolas, are limping! And how did you two get those cuts and bruises on your faces?"
Looking sheepish, the two brothers pointed at each other. "He started it!"
Thranduil threw his hands up in the air. "Ai Elbereth! Why did I even bother to ask?"
Turning back to his sons, he frowned darkly. Torn between boxing and twisting their ears, he said instead, "You have lots of explaining to do, my sons."
He pointed at the direction of the front door. "So start walking. Now."
Like a pair of rebuked naughty little boys, the two princes complied. They walked ahead with their gaze down, shoulders slightly slumped. But Keldarion was grinning, while Legolas was actually shaking with silent laughter. By the time they joined their father's entourage in Aislinn's front yard, both of them were roaring with mirth, joyfully slapping each other on the back!
Thranduil followed behind them, his head shaking.
"I can't believe I'm still doing this even though these two elflings are all grown up," he muttered to himself.
Keldarion and Legolas found the elven warriors in their father's troop already dismounted, waiting patiently for the royal family to appear. Some of them were keeping watch over the human's horses, cornering the beasts against the small barn next to the cabin. The bodies of the dead men were dragged outside from Aislinn's house, while two of the men who were still alive were sitting on the ground, arms bound behind them and looking so scared of their captors that one actually wetted his pants.
Beregund, Legolas' second-in-command at his Ithilien keep, bowed at the two princes.
"Good day, my lords," he said with a grin. "Having a grand time here, I see."
"It's grand indeed," Legolas responded with a laugh. "I've craved this kind of adventure for years!"
"Wait until you get home, your highness." Beregund's eyes were twinkling. "I'm sure your lady wife can't wait to supply you with more 'adventure' of her own."
Legolas' smile froze, and he groaned. "How mad is she?"
"Oh, very." Beregund's smile grew wider. "Quite terrifying, actually."
As Legolas paled, Keldarion chortled and draped one arm across his brother's shoulder. "Don't worry, brat. I'll save you. Like usual."
"Buzz off!" Legolas pushed his brother away with a laugh.
Thranduil cleared his throat then. "Excuse me, boys. But will you be so kind to introduce me to this lovely young lady here?"
Aislinn, who was now standing in the doorway, blushed.
A tender smile instantly broke on Keldarion's face. He stepped forward to stand near the young woman who began to tug at her old dress self-consciously, suddenly shy to be at the center of attention of such lovely and ethereal looking group of elves.
"Father, this is Aislinn," Keldarion said, gazing warmly at the woman. Turning back to the king, Keldarion added in a low voice, "She freed me from the Corsairs' captivity five years ago. She was only a little girl then."
Thranduil's face softened a great deal. His blue eyes widened in wonder and gratitude as he stared at the woman. "Oh, my dear lady," the king said as he reached for Aislinn's hands. "A simple thank you is not enough."
As the woman blushed even redder, Thranduil bent to kiss her fingertips.
"You don't know how grateful I am with what you've done for my son. I'm forever indebted to you," Thranduil gushed charmingly as his gaze raked her face.
Pretty. Very pretty, he thought appreciatively. Glancing at Keldarion, he couldn't miss the tender look his eldest son was giving the young woman.
Is love already in the air between these two? Hmmm. Very interesting.
"Um…" Aislinn was tongue tied. "It was nothing, really. I…I was just doing what I thought was right."
Thranduil beamed. "Then I guess I have your parents to thank also. They raised you well."
The moment the words escaped his mouth, Thranduil knew he had made a terrible faux pass. Legolas visibly winced, while Keldarion flinched slightly. And Aislinn, her eyes brimming, bit her lips as if holding herself from crying.
"Err…" Thranduil had to clear his throat repeatedly before continuing. "Is something wrong?"
Regaining his composure, Keldarion placed a comforting arm around Aislinn as he spoke to his father. "Let us get inside. The three of us will tell you everything, father. Everything, from the very beginning."
Thranduil looked across the table at Keldarion after the elder prince finished telling the whole story.
Keldarion's wound had been cleaned and was now wrapped in a bandage. His face was impassive, no emotions there whatsoever, yet there was a glimmer of pain in his cobalt blue eyes. It was obvious that the simple act of disclosing the events of his past to an avid audience was something very hard for him to do. Yet, he had done it with pure dignity and resilience. He really wanted his terrible past to be left buried and forgotten, now that all his enemies were dead and his vengeance completed.
Sitting next to Keldarion on an overturned chest, Aislinn held his hand and stared at the tabletop the entire time. Once in a while she would wipe the tears out of her eyes when Keldarion's story got to the very poignant part. She also broke into silent sobs when Keldarion told his father of Morat's attempted murder of his own daughter, and how Aislinn had to kill the man in her own defense. But she then looked up with a smile, misty eyed, when Keldarion praised her on her bravery in confronting the men who had invaded her house, armed only with a wooden ladle.
On Thranduil's right, Legolas sat on a wooden crate, a cunning smile plastered on his face as he glanced at Keldarion and Aislinn, back and forth. Thranduil didn't need a clever brain to deduce that his youngest son had taken the slight role of a matchmaker in this entire affair.
Occupying the only intact chair in the cabin, Thranduil let the silence grow for a minute more as he surveyed the faces of the three youngsters. Then he glared at his youngest child. "You punched your older brother."
Startled, Legolas snapped his gaze to his father. "Huh?"
"I detest having my sons fighting among themselves," Thranduil firmly said, staring hard at Legolas.
"But…but I…"
As Legolas sputtered in reply, Keldarion quickly came to his rescue.
"You are right, father," he softly said, rubbing his still aching jaw. "It was foolish of us, behaving like children. But I believe I deserved to be punched."
"You do?" Legolas was even more amazed. Then he grinned. "Of course, you do! In fact, you need to be taken down a peg or two more frequently! I'll be happy to kick your butt any time, any day—"
"You will do no such thing!" Thranduil sternly said, wagging his finger at his youngest son. "No more fighting, you understand me?"
Legolas lowered his head to hide his grin. "Yes, father, I understand."
Running a critical eye over the younger prince, Thranduil stated, "Kel said you were near death the night before. How are you really feeling now?"
With a shrug, Legolas smiled reassuringly at the king. "I'll live, father. A little bit tired, though."
"No wonder. You are still recovering," Aislinn chimed in and placed the back of her hand against his forehead. "And you've warmed up a little. Remember that night? When I had to bath your fever down and—"
Oh, no. Here she goes again!
Legolas groaned as Aislinn went on and on into such details about that terrible night, when he terrifyingly hovered between life and death. Keldarion's face was almost purple as he tried hard to contain his laughter. Thranduil, meanwhile, didn't actually know how to react. He never encountered such a talkative person before, and a beautiful one at that.
When Aislinn paused to take a breath, Legolas quickly intervened. "That's enough, Aislinn. I'm sure my father doesn't want to know the color of my vomit."
"But I do want to know, Legolas," Thranduil said, grinning himself. "What color was it, my lady?"
Legolas' groan grew louder as the woman happily supplied the answer, much to the other two elves amusement. Finally taking pity on his youngest son, Thranduil then cut her in by grasping her hand. "I thank you so much for taking care of Legolas, Aislinn. Looks like I'm indebted to you more than I thought."
Lowering her head, Aislinn's smile slowly faded. "I believe you owe me nothing, my lord. It is my father who is still indebted a great deal to your family, after those terrible things he had done to Keldarion."
"Ah." Thranduil smiled. "But he is dead. Everything works out just fine now, isn't it?"
Keldarion frowned at the king's words, knowing his father was hinting at something. Legolas noticed it too, and he broke into a wide grin, glancing meaningfully at his brother.
Aislinn looked up and stared, mesmerized by Thranduil's handsome countenance. With hair as golden as Legolas', the king had a pair of sharp and intelligent blue eyes—just like his eldest son's. His skin looked so smooth and healthy, with no sign of wrinkles or blemishes. An aura of intense power and charm radiated from his person, which told Aislinn that the elven king could be both very gentle and terribly formidable at the same time.
She gulped, albeit uncertainly, as she started to get overwhelm by the entire situation. Only now she realized that she was in the company of the most legendary creatures of Arda. Only now she became totally aware of the charismatic glow and compelling beauty of the three elves. Only now she fully comprehended how lesser she was compared to them, a mere mortal among the powerful immortals.
Noticing her hesitation, Thranduil asked, "What is it, my dear?"
Numb, Aislinn said the only thing that came to her mind, "Forgive me for being so bold, my lord, but it's hard to believe that you are the father to these two exceptional warriors."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"You don't look old enough. I mean, my own father looked much older than you."
Keldarion and Legolas stared at each other for a full second before they burst out laughing.
Aislinn was perplexed. "What? What did I say?"
"Trust me, Aislinn, our father is old. Very old," Legolas said.
"Yes. Absolutely ancient," Keldarion added. "Over five thousands years old, to be exact."
Glaring mockingly at his laughing sons, Thranduil squeezed her hand. "Don't mind them, Aislinn. They are just jealous I look not much older than they are."
That only made his two sons laughed all the harder.
But Aislinn, although she forced a smile on her lips, was not feeling like laughing. She had just understood something else.
She and Keldarion were worlds apart.
Even though she deeply loved him and would gladly follow him wherever he went, she knew it would not be fair to Keldarion. He was bound to live for eternity, while she would die eventually, leaving him to mourn and grieve.
It would kill her inside to live without him, to never see him again. Yet, for Keldarion's sake, Aislinn knew she had no other choice but to let him go.
TBC…