'Thoughts and flashbacks'
"Elvish"
~Flashback(continue from ch.1)~
Legolas stared at his friend in shock as he revealed his love for Alice. Ever since he had met Alice, Legolas had felt something towards her, which slowly developed into a harmless crush, then love the more time he spent with her. Always wanting to protect her, see her smile, never see her cry or be in pain, and just be with her. "Ir?" Legolas asked, trying to hide his nervousness and purely curious "Since her first visit to Mirkwood. When you came back with your adar from a meeting in Lothlorien and Lance, Alice, and their father came back with you to visit." Arbellason explained with a sigh.
"There might be a... slight problem." Legolas stated nervously, causing his friend to round on him with narrowed eyes. "Why would there be a problem?" Arbellason growled. "Because I think I'm love with Alice as well." Legolas answered quietly, glancing at the ground before meeting Arbellason's eyes. Just before Arbellason could lunge at the Mirkwood prince, Lance jumped down from the branch he had been perched on after secretly following his sister and landed with all the grace of an elf without a sound in between them. Arbellason stopped his approach and he and Legolas stepped back in shock to see their friend, realizing that he must have heard the entire conversation about his sister. "Ui-medlin le mîl muinthel nín?" Lance asked with a raised eyebrow, his arms crossed, and leaning on the tree he had previously occupied.
"Yes." Legolas and Arbellason replied simultaneously, the latter glaring daggers at the former. "Of course, you also know that only one of you can be with 'Del. If either of you hurt my sister, you'll wish you hadn't. This has now become a competition for you two, I saw the rose, by the way. Let's go back." Lance smiled as he led his two friends back to Elrond's palace and personally kept count of how many times they had made fools of themselves trying to get Alice's attention, not that they didn't already have it. When they returned, Alice, Stella, and Arwen were laughing in the gardens and playing with Ace, a white wolf cub Lance and his sister had found on their way to Rivendell.
Seeing Lance, Arbellason, and Legolas excited the wolf further and prompted him to run towards the former, running around Lance in circles a few times before he picked Ace up and continued walking towards the laughing ellyth. "So 'Del, what did ada want to talk to you about?" Lance asked "He just wanted to know where I was when I didn't walk back with you. Where did yo go?" Alice asked curiously. "I went to find Legolas and Arbellason, they just finished explaining their prank." Lance replied, making sure that his sister didn't know about the real reason they were late and handed Ace to her. The group of friends then walked into the palace to find Elladan and Elrohir before they got ready for dinner. Elladan and Elrohir were running towards them with triumphant smiles on their faces "Run now-" "-Questions later!" The dark haired twins called as they ran past their friends, finishing each others sentence as a yell of anger came from the direction they had just come from "ELLADAN! ELROHIR! COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" 'Glorfindel!' The six elves thought and immediately ran after the twin sons of Elrond.
They continued running until they were in the dining hall, where Elrond, Thranduil, Bregolion, Erestor, and Heríon werthat ready sitting at the table, looking at the elflings with confusion when Glorfindel ran in looking angrily the twins before sighing in defeat and walked over to sit down beside Erestor. "What did you do?" Stella asked as they too walked over to the table and sat down "We'll tell you over dinner." Elrohir answered and the two explained their story, everyone laughing at how they had pranked the Balrog slayer before going outside to play after dinner before they went to bed. "Alright, lets play hide and seek." Lance announced cheerily and turned to face his friends. "NOT IT!" They all yelled, everyone except Lance ran off to hide after they set important rules: 1) They were not allowed to go beyond a one mile radius. 2) If they were to hide in pairs, they could not push each other out. 3) They were not allowed to fight(Lance looked discreetly at Legolas and Arbellason). And 4) They were to return to the palace gardens in two hours before the game ended, no exceptions.
"If you don't return within the time limit, we'll be forced to alert the guards. Now then, one." Lance started and everyone turned and began running when he counted-Alice, Stella, and Arwen ran in one direction then split up, careful to avoid the one mile border. Elladan and Elrohir took to the trees and hid in the branches while Legolas ran in one direction and Arbellason ran opposite that Legolas had gone. "... Two... Three. Ready or not here I come." Lance announced and immediately climbed into the trees, Elladan and Elohir waiting patiently for him as they then went after Arbellason, who the twins had been told doubled back and ran after Legolas. Stella and Arwen ended up hiding together in another tree and worried about the tree's message about their friends and carefully walked through the branches looking for Alice.
Legolas turned when he heard the sound of footsteps and gasped when he was suddenly tackled to the ground. Arbellason continued to fight Legolas-his prince-and pinned him to a tree with a dagger he had hidden in his boot, pointing it at the blonde's throat. "What are doing Arbellason?! We're not allowed to fight!" Legolas yelled angrily. "It matters not. There's no one here to help you, and I could easily tell the others that you were attacked by orcs and I was able to save you from them. Alice won't even know." "Are you insane? You forget that the trees will inform them of what happened, you're going to hurt Alice! She'll be heartbroken if you do this!" Legolas tried to reason before Elladan, Elrohir, and Lance fell from the branches and pulled Arbellason away from Legolas, taking the dagger from his hand in the process. "I said no fighting! The rules are broken now, so we must return before something else happens." Lance stated, his friends looking at him in shock. "It's only been twenty minutes!" Elrohir complained as Elladan immediately told the trees to call their sister and friends to them.
At that moment Stella and Arwen ran towards them with panicked expressions on their faces and fear in their eyes. "We can't find Alice!" The two exclaimed at the same time they all heard a bone chilling scream from their right. For a moment, the elves stood and stared at each other in shock and fear before splitting up into two groups, running as fast as they could. Elladan dragged Arbellason with him, Arwen, and Stellato the alert the guards while Lance, Elrohir, and Legolas ran to where they heard Alice scream, the trees guiding them as they ran. "Ada!" Arwen and Elladan both yelled as they caught sight of the elf lord talking to Thranduil and Bregolion. Erestor and Glorfindel also ran over to them to check them for injuries with how fast they were running and yelling. "What is wrong? Where are the others?" Elorond asked and tried to remain calm as Elladan explained what happened, leaving out the daft that Arbellason had held a dagger to their friend's throat.
Glorfindel left immediately witof the guards while Erestor helped the elf lords calm the children. Legolas, Elrohir, and Lance managed to find Alice running towards them away from a band of orcs and were now forced to hide in the trees as the evil creatures cuaght up to them and were trying to find ways to drag the elves out of the tree. Glorfindel and the elven guard then appeared and fought the orcs that seemed intent on getting to the elflings, but were defeated quickly. As Glorfindel moved to help the children from the tree, the sound of a whistle was heard and an arrow lodged itself where Alice had been previously sitting and into the tree, scratching her in the process. When they returned to the palace the children were immediately looked over for any injuries, Legolas and Alice being the only ones with cuts on them.
~End Flashback~
Elladan and Elrohir were scowling at Arbellason with slumped shoulders while his back was turned. Glorfindel, Erestor, Elrond, and Gandalf were frowning in disappointment and guilt as they were eavesdropping on the private conversation between Legolas and Alice. Arwen looked annoyed from the interruption and guilty as well. Aragon sighed from frustration and also guilt, Boromir frowned in disappointment, the dwarves from Erebor sighed and grumbled in exasperation, and the hobbits looked annoyed as they could tell when a perfect moment like this was ruined. Suddenly, a certain elf that Alice hasn't seen in awhile since traveling appeared from around the corner as Arbellason finally set her back down on her feet.
"Thenidel?" "Talathion!" Alice exclaimed happily and ran to her older twin, hugging him tightly and laughing as he ruffled her hair a bit. "Your travels take too long. Leave a note next time saying how long you'll be gone. How are you muinthel nin?" "I've been well. How about you muindor?" Alice asked with a bright smile "I've been well." Lance replied, now taking note of Arbellason glaring at him the same way he glared at Legolas as he hugged his sister. "Man? She is my sister." Lance mouthed to him, letting everyone see the message besides his sister, who he had hugged once more before saying anything and smiling. "So, Legolas, what exactly were you going to say just now?" Lance playfully asked in a fake curious tone of voice, prompting Alice to turn around and catch Legolas' cheeks turning a light red as he turned towards a rose bush, eliciting a small laugh from her and making him blush even more.
"Alright, that's enough. Let's all go and have something to eat, it's becoming quite late." Elrond stated with a smile as the dwarves chased after the hobbits who had bolted for the dining hall, leaving Frodo and Bilbo to walk with Gandalf, Sam walking with them and the elves with a smile. As Legolas walked next to Alice, Lance walking on her left, their hands brushed against each other lightly, making them both blush and mutter a quick apology, taking note of how close they were walking. Lance sent Elladan and Elrohir a triumphant smile before noticing Arbellason get a dangerous glint in his eye, causing him and the two Elrondions to be wary of what he'd do.
Ir?- When?
Ui-medlin le mîl muinthel nin?- Both of you love my sister?
Muindor- Brother
Man?- What?
Ada- Dad