Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the Lord of the Rings.
Note: Thank you so much for all the reviews. Let's begin.
Aragorn exhaled slowly, his eyes caught by the sunlight just outside his window. He had been moved to his own set of rooms but as of yet, he hadn't been allowed out of bed, making him moody and annoyed at staring out of his window at the beautiful winter days.
Legolas visiting him daily, telling him about the kingdom, the people and the woodland elves. Aragorn drank it all up greedily, it was the only distraction that he had since the woodland dialect was hard for him to master and many of the helpful scrolls Legolas brought him were in an older dialect then the one the woodland elves spoke.
Aragorn sighed and stared out at the window again. He couldn't wait until he was allowed out of bed and out of the room. He was already allowed to take small trips to the bathroom and back on his own and even one glorious evening, he had sat on the balcony with a blanket to prevent himself from getting chilled.
The knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts and the next moment Legolas stepped into the room. The elf had a quiver strapped to his back and a bow in his hand and Aragorn swallowed thickly. Legolas would not be keeping him company today.
"Good morning, how are you feeling today?"
"I am extremely bored and the clock hasn't even chimed three hours past sunrise yet so you can imagine what kind of day I will have to look forward to."
"Well you must be nearly recovered if you feel grumpy." Legolas smiled at him and Aragorn felt annoyed. He managed to bite back a growl just in time and he nearly missed the elf's words.
"Excuse me?" He said and Legolas smirked smugly.
"I asked if you wished to accompany to the archery fields…."
"I can finally leave the bed?" Aragorn shot up and Legolas raised an eyebrow before he said.
"I spoke to the healers and they said you could, just as long as we take it slow and you do not attempt to do anything strenuous within the next two weeks such as archery."
"Then what do you wish for me to do once we get to the archery fields? Sit there and do nothing?"
"Exactly. I can also dispose you in my father's council meetings if you would rather do that but I assumed that you'll find archery much more interesting." Legolas sat the bow down carefully against the footend of the bed.
The rooms they had given Aragorn were large with a balcony that overlooked the garden and a sitting room which he rarely used. Aragorn had always hated being cooped up inside, even when he was a child. He had always missed having other children to play with and whenever he was ill, it was even harder to remain in bed without getting bored and becoming annoyed.
"No, I am fine with sitting at the archery field, watching you. I am just glad that I can go outside."
"I can give you a tour of the palace if you wish. The archery fields are quite a walk from here." Legolas sounded concerned and Aragorn carefully lifted himself up from the bed.
He carefully walked to the wardrobe and opened the door. His wardrobe was small since Aragorn did not have that many clothes. He picked up a clean tunic and unfolded it, it was a little too big for him but he would rather have that then it to be too small since his stomach was still very tender.
The leggings and boots were easily put on but Aragorn struggled with the shirt. He couldn't lift his arms up high enough without pulling at the stitches on his stomach. In the end Legolas helped him getting dressed.
The first time Legolas had helped him, Aragorn had felt ashamed, sure that Legolas would say something and mock him but Legolas has been patient and Aragorn had found himself starting to count the elf as his friend, grateful for all the aid Legolas gave him.
"Are you ready? We will walk slowly since I do not think that the healers will care for the fact that I am the crown prince should my plan bring about a relapse." Aragorn glanced at his companion as they walked slowly through the halls.
Legolas was a puzzle to him, a mystery. The elf was very friendly but he was a private elf and Aragorn, even after growing up around elves, could not read Legolas if his life depended on it. He knew that the elf was the mirkwood's crown prince and the only son and child of King Thranduil but even then, he had never hears anything about who Legolas was.
"Did your father not send you back to patrolling?" He asked, trying to keep the conversation between them going. While the silence between them was enjoyable and easy, he wished to learn more of his elven friend.
"He does plan to but there has been news from the south that is less then favorable. There is talk of preparing for war and my lord had decided that I should remain here for the moment or at least until you have recovered."
"Ah so you are my official guide to the woodland elves then?" Aragorn smiled, seeking to tease Legolas like he often did with his brothers.
"No, I think that my father wishes for you to join on the patrol when you have recovered unless you have other plans to travel when you have recovered."
"I could travel back to my people…."
"You are their chieftain; they may have need of you."
"I am young compared to my people and while they may follow me, I cannot in good conscious rule them when I have not yet seen the world. I will travel first and learn what I can before I will even make an attempt to rule them." Aragorn turned to look at Legolas as they exited the palace.
"The Dunedin have always suffered greatly at the hands of the orcs, even more so then the elves but it has been a long time since they had hope. Their children rarely grow to adulthood and when they do their young people are easily killed, leaving their children orphaned and left for the elder to raise. They are not the people of old they once were."
"They are still a proud race and they have suffered long under the shadow, as have the elves."
"You are wiser than your years suggest, Aragorn."
"It is the bane of living with the elves."
"Then more people should do for the race of men will benefit greatly from it."
They both fell silence as Legolas led them away from the main path towards a concealed path into the woods. The path was so narrow they could no longer walk next to each other so Legolas took the lead, Aragorn content to follow.
Not all leaves in the forest had fallen and it was too early yet for the first snow. Aragorn looked around, this forest looked older than he ever recalled seeing but he could tell how the trees responded to the presence of the first born. The trees were straight but Aragorn had heard many stories about Mirkwood that extended beyond the borders of Thranduil's realm.
Those woods were dangerous and dark and not even the wood elves went into those forests unarmed. Aragorn had grown up with the stories on how the shadow had fallen over Mirkwood and how Thranduil kept trying to protect his home from the forces of darkness.
For years Aragorn had thought that Thranduil was a strict ruler but now he understood why the king needed to be. Thranduil was the only one who stood between his people and the dark forces and they had no rings to protect them from the darkness.
"You do trade with the men from Laketown, do you not?" He asked instead, shifting the subject.
Legolas glanced back, his blue eyes narrowed for a moment before he answered. "Yes, we cannot grow everything and neither can they. It is for the benefit of us all."
'Do you also trade with the dwarves of the Lonely Mountain?" This time Legolas stopped in his tracks and Aragorn bumped into him. The fast reflexes of the elf helped him to steady himself as Legolas said.
"Surely you know that it has been years since any dwarves lived at the Lonely Mountain?"
Mutedly Aragorn shook his head.
Legolas took a deep breath and then said. "A dragon lives in that mountain and chased all of the dwarves away, the nearest dwarves settlement is in the Iron Hills." His eyes narrowed as he said. "Are you planning to visit them?"
"I am curious, that is all."
"Good, because dwarves don't trust strangers easily." And with those words Legolas turned back on the way to the archery fields.
Elves don't trust strangers easily as well. Perhaps it is something you have in common. Aragorn mused but he didn't say it out loud as he followed Legolas.
Xx
The sunlight was warm on his head as Aragorn pulled his cloak firmly around his body. The weather was nice but cold and Aragorn watched slightly jealous as Legolas had shed his cloak, throwing it carelessly over a boulder so it wouldn't get into the way of his archery.
The ease of the elves body as it flowed through the exercises and then the prince shot arrows after arrows into the target. Aragorn held his breath, he was a decent archer but that is where all the similarities ended.
He watches as Legolas emptied his quiver before the elf turned back to look at Aragorn and asked. "And?"
"Do you really need me to tell you that you are one of the best archers that I have ever seen?" Aragorn replied.
"No, but it is nice to be told by one who has seen legendary warriors fight."
"I have never seen any legendary warriors fight or train." Aragorn answered a little bit cross.
Legolas glanced at him and released a bark of laughter before the elf came closer and said. "And what about Glorfindel or Elrond? They are legendary warriors. You cannot honestly tell me that the son of Elrond was not trained by his best warrior."
Legolas walked back to the target with his quiver to fill it up again with arrows before he approached Aragorn. The man glanced up when Legolas sat down beside him and finally said. "I was trained by Glorfindel and Elrond both but when I was a child I never knew just how legendary they were. To me they are my friends and my family."
"You are blessed with them, Aragorn." The elf merely said and as silence fell between them once more, Aragorn knew that he was blessed with them, even if he didn't always agree with them.
That is it for now. Review of course and send some ideas for when Aragorn learns politics the hard way.