Ikotane ta supel

Much dialogue. Not much description. Fun!

Chapter 4 - Do you not hear it?

"So this is the little Greenleaf you were telling me about?"

Estelwen turned her gaze onto that of an Ellon cladded in pure white armour, his hair golden and swaying with the slight wind. Bright ice blue eyes landed on her sea blue one's and a gentle smile was on his face.

The Queen of Mirkwood nodded "Aye, this is Legolas."

"His name truly suits him." The Elf's smile brightened, walking a few steps and then kneeling down so that he was now in front of the Queen and Prince. He saw Estelwen keep her eyes on him as he extended a hand towards her child, placing it apon Legolas' cheek "Ah, he looks exactly as Thranduil did when he was an Elfling. No doubt that he is stubborn like the King?" The Elf chuckled as Estelwen nodded with her own laugh "It doesn't seem like he has any of your features, save for your soft skin and caring smile."

Estelwen blushed and looked into the Elf's bright eyes. "He has the same eyes as me, the same colour as the far sea but, yes, everything else is truly like Thranduil."

The Ellon sighed "To think if I was still alive I would have to put up with another child like my own."

All went quite once more in the garden, the wind refusing to blow and stilling. The trees fell silent, their song no longer reaching Elven ears. The Queen looked sadly into the Ellon's eyes, raising her hand to cup his cheek. "Thranduil misses you very much, as does the whole of your Kingdom."

The Ellon snorted "My, I am sure they do but you know that my time had passed when I felt the grip of Mandos calling for me, the time when Sauron ended my life that day. It seems as though I have been apon this earth for too long."

"But Oropher-"

"Nay, Estelwen, please, I chose to leave for my son that day in order for him to become King of the land. Yes, I know I dealt a harsh blow to his heart and he has long been broken from it. I am just glad that he met you and was able to fix the break that should have been fixed so long ago. I heard what you said to your sweet child."

"You have been watching us from afar?" The Elf nodded.

"I have. I am always around, just never when you are in no need of me."

"And what of your son? Does he not need you?"

Oropher was taken back ever so slightly, his hand on Legolas' cheek recoiling slightly. He breathed out deeply and looked to the skies "I will speak to him when it is time to."

"Time for you to depart?"

"My dear, you are being very blunt this fine evening. I have never seen this side of you" The once-King of Mirkwood looked back at the Queen, furrowing his brows.

Estelwen blushed again and removed the harsh gaze she had on the once-King of Mirkwood. "Forgive me, I forgot my place."

The Elf smiled sadly "There is nothing to forgive, Estelwen but please, do tell me, what is troubling you?"

The Queen took in a deep breath before shaking her head and running a hand through her fine hair "There has been talk of a shadow that wonders through the land, searching for Valar knows what. A dark, cold aura surrounds it and many of our people have felt the touch of it's ice form. It lingers near spider dens and Orc packs. We have received so many guard reports of it's sightings." A shiver ran down Estelwen's spine as she finished.

She received no answer from the Ellon before her, his eyes downcast and on that of Legolas' sleeping form. "You worry it is coming for him."

It wasn't a question by any means.

"I know and so does Thranduil. We think it may be Sauron, him being in his weakened form for not having his Ring and the other half of his soul. Thranduil, as you may have sensed, has strengthened the barrier and has told Legolas never to go outside the gates only if he has permission from only me and his Ada. Tauriel has stopped him on many occasion's. He is too nosy for one so small."

"But yet is nearly old enough to begin practising with sword and bow." Oropher stood as he dusted of a few leaves that had fallen during their talking. "Or has my dear son changed that too about my kingdom?"

"War is not among us as it was back then, Oropher. Times have changed and he has done what is best for his land in this day and age. Legolas is the last born on this land so there is no need to train him at such a young age." Estelwen's eyes then suddenly brightened as a thought came into mind "Aye. My sweet boy may find a beautiful Elleth and maybe one day marry her and have their own little one's, singing and laughing through this forest without a threat of their being any dangers to hunt them! It would be magical."

"There will not be."

Estelwen blinked at the words coming from Oropher. They sounded cold, nothing she had heard the once-King ever say before.

"Mani?" *What?*

"Legolas is the last born. I have not forgotten what the Valar ruled." Estelwen furrowed her brow as she looked towards the Ellon. He had a distant look in his eyes, almost glazed as if in memory, sorrow and...Pain?

"What do you-"

"Legolas is the last born. There will be no other Elfling to be born on Middle-Earth."

"But-"

"The Valar will stop it from happening. Nothing can change what they have ruled Estelwen."

"Melanin?" *My Love* Thranduil reached across Legolas' sleeping form and brushed his hand down his wife's cheek as he gently woke her from her slumber. He smiled lovingly as the sparkle returned to Estelwen's eyes as she blinked away the tiredness. "Quel Amrun, sweet one." *Good Morning* He said, placing a soft kiss onto Legolas' temple as his Elfling continued to sleep peacefully between the two.

The Queen smiled as she looked into her husband's eyes "Quel Amrun, Thranduil." She said before her eyes glazed over again and fell into slumber once more. Thranduil snorted as he drew back the cover's and stood from his bed, going into his wash room as he left mother and son to sleep some more.

After reliving himself, he walked back into his bedroom and leaned against the door frame, watching the two sleep soundly. He gaze went towards his balcony and saw the sun slowly rising over the mountains in the distance. A slight moan caught his attention as he furrowed his brow and look to Legolas, his Elfling's own brow furrowing and then disappearing within an instant. He thought nothing of it as he walked back over to the bed and kissed his wife's temple, bringing her back from her dream once more. "You must wake up now, dear. It is late in the morning already."

She groaned but nonetheless got up, sitting back against the head of the bed while she fixed her hair. "Aye, I wish that my hair would not knot in my sleep like yours."

Thranduil shook his head as he picked up a small wooden toy from the floor "Jealousy is not a good look on you, love."

Estelwen shot him a playful glare but said no more as her hand went down to brush through her Elfling's but froze when she heard him moan and saw his brow furrow. She looked at Thranduil, slightly worried as she had never ever seen Legolas do this while he slept.

The King sighed "I have seen him do that already this morning. He is probably dreaming like all Elfling's do. Come now, it is time to wake him any ways as Tauriel will be coming to fetch him any time soon."

The Queen smiled as her husband walked from their bedroom, already knowing that he was going to sort out some scrolls ready for a meeting that he already knew he was going to have. She sat in silence for some time, her mind going back to what Oropher had said as she looked down at her sleeping chid. Legolas would never ever get the privilege of raising his own child. The thought alone sent tears to her eyes which she quickly dried before they could escaped.

Estelwen closed her eyes and then opened them after willing the sad thoughts away to wake her child "Tinith-Las, time to wake up." She whispered, watching him slowly returning back from his dreams. She smiled softly as the spark from his eyes returned.

Legolas covered his mouth as he yawned, looking up at his mother with tired eyes "Naneth, what time is it?"

"Very late in the morning, near brunch I would say" She said, bending down slightly to kiss her child on his head "You exhausted yourself yesterday Las and have been sleeping for a very long time. You had me worried as it seems you had a troubling sleep."

"I am sorry Nana." Legolas sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Estelwen watched him closely as his tiny fingers then linger on his temple, a small flinch coming from her child. "My dream was...It doesn't matter Nana, I am sorry again." The hand fell but the painful look in his eyes stayed.

"Las-"

"Laegolas, Tauriel is here." Thranduil cut her off as he re-entered the bedroom, three scrolls in his arms "She will help you get bathed and choose your clothes for today."

Legolas smiled brightly and quickly hopped out of bed but not before placing a kiss to his mother's cheek and waving goodbye.

The Queen glared, not a playful one like before, at Thranduil who stood there with an eyebrow raised at her. "What?" He said after a few minutes of silence, the only sounds coming from Legolas and Tauriel speaking in the other room. She ignored him as she got out from bed, quickly making her way to the washroom and then locking the door.

Thranduil blinked, confused as to what he had done. He walked over towards the locked door and knocked "Estelwen?" He questioned "What is wrong, my love?" He asked when he received no answer. When he didn't get a further response, he sighed and turned away but as he did, his wife came out from the bathroom, her gaze still not meeting his. "Tell me what I have done."

"You have done nothing." She said simply, opening her wardrobe and searching for a gown to wear.

Thranduil knew he was going to get nothing more from her so he turned and left. He swore most of the time that Estelwen was more stubborn than he was! He smiled as he saw his Captain smile and say a good morning to him as he shut the bedroom door "How are you this fine day, Tauriel?"

"I am very well, my Lord. Yourself?" She asked as she picked up the little Prince, trying her best not to roll her eyes as Legolas began to play with her red hair.

"Well." He answered simply, walking towards the Captain and his child, placing a kiss on top of Legolas' head. "Now I want you to be on your best behaviour today, Las. We do not need a repeat of last time."

Legolas giggled but ceased them when he saw how serious his Ada was. "I will behave." He said, lowering his head to stare at the ground.

"Alright, you may go." He dismissed the two and waved a farewell to his child.

"What do you wish to do today, young one?" Tauriel questioned her Prince as she slipped the tunic on over his head. She sat back on her heals and waited for the Prince to answer when she noticed he had his brow furrowed. "Cunn-nin?" *My Prince?* She began to worry for the King's child as he shook his head and shut his eyes tightly. "Lle tyava quell?" *Do you feel well?*

"Head h-hurts." Legolas stuttered as his hand made his way to his temple.

Tauriel nodded and led Legolas over to his bed where she lifted him up onto. "Just your head?" She asked and received a nod "Have you had this before?"

"No." The Prince sniffed "W-what's hap-pening to me?" Tears were threatening to fall from Legolas' eyes as he looked into that of his dear friends.

Tauriel hushed her Prince while she gently lied him down on the bed, pulling the covers back only to cover the Elfling with them. She walked over to the small bathroom to retrieve a glass of water, putting it on the bedside table when she returned "I will go fetch Sadron to see if he can help you with the pain. Drink slowly and rest till I come back." She kissed his forehead before making haste to the halls of healing, shouting at one of the guards to stand by the Prince's chamber doors just in case the Prince needed someone if the pain became to much.

It wasn't long till she got to the healing halls, opening up the doors and then striding over towards where Sadron was at his desk. She ignored his greeting, getting right to the point for she had never seen Legolas in such a state before. It worried her greatly "Do you have any herbs for headaches?"

"And why must you need them so urgently to ignore my greeting, Captain?" Sadron raised an eyebrow, not moving from where he was, parchment and quill frozen in his hands. "Whoever may be in pain from something like a headache can make their way to me instead of yourself."

"The Prince is the one who has the headache."

That was just enough to get the healer out his chair and hurry to a cabinet hanging on the far wall. "This is his first, yes? You have given him a glass of water?" He grabbed the herbs as Tauriel nodded to both questions behind him. Once he put them in a small bag, the captain and healer made their way back to the Prince's room.

Tauriel opened the chamber doors to see Legolas sat up in his bed, his eyes shut and hands grasping the sheets tightly, the water from the table all but shattered on the floor and the guard kneeling at his side. She ran forward, Sadron behind her and sat close to the Prince "You are dismissed." She told the guard, the Ellon nodding and then leaving without any questions given for the Prince's well being. "Tinith-las, what is-"

She was cut off as Legolas hushed her, eyes now open and wide. "Do you not hear it?"

Sadron's brows furrowed "Hear what, my Prince?"

Legolas blinked and looked into the worried one's of the healer and Captian "You can not hear it?" He watched the two shake their heads. Silence then spilled into the bedroom, Legolas looking around to try and find where the voices where coming from...But...There was nothing, just the sound of the wind now blowing through his open window "Oh. It was probably my imagination then."

"Nay, tell us what ails you." Tauriel placed her hands on top of Legolas' that were still gripping the sheets. She needed to know, she needed to get this information to the King.

The Prince shook his head "It is nothing. I am well now. My head does not hurt anymore, Tauriel." He smiled but the Captain saw how forced it was.

Tauriel closed her eyes and looked towards the head healer "Sadron, thank you for coming down despite it being nothing."

Sadron was taken back at how cold the Captain's voice was "Tauriel, you can't-"

"Thank you, Sadron. You may go."

The healer excused himself, slamming the door in frustration.

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So very~~~ sorry for leaving this so late! The same with my other story :( Sorry also if the last part seemed a tad rushed! I will be focusing on this one till it is complete and then move back onto Ea na qwiil, Mellon-nin. Hopefully the next update isn't 2/3 months late D;

I LOVE YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY BROKEN HEART! xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Namarië!