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Fight for First
All too soon, the second half of the Trials were beginning. First the results were announced from the first Trial.
Elrond stood to make the announcement before the crowd. "In first we have Legolas, with a perfect score. Congratulations." Legolas grinned incredulously as his friends slapped his back. He'd never dreamed that he'd actually hit all the targets. "I also congratulate the rest of you, for not a single point was lost due to a missed target. Everyone who missed once, had a spare arrow with which they succeeded." More cheers met this remark.
"Legolas: one hundred," Elrond continued to announce the cumulative scores before beginning the next Trial. "Aldanna: ninety-one. Brethilríl: seventy-six. Tathar: sixty-six. Brethildíl: sixty. Rumil: fifty-four. Ithilran: fifty-one. Orophin: forty-four. Alassë: forty-one. Lindir: thirty-three."
When the applause died down, Elrond called attention once more, to open the second part of the Trials. "Ellyth and ellyn," he pronounced, arms before him, "now we come to the second part of the Trials. There will be a number of contests of strength, skill and speed. As ever, we deem that testing the endurance of our young on this day is too harsh, but let it be known that prior to these Trials, each competitor has run a full marathon. I can vouch for Ithilran and Lindir, for I ran with them."
Celeborn stepped forward. "I can vouch for Rumil, Orophin and Alassë, for I ran with them."
Thranduil stepped forward. "I cannot vouch for my novices, for I was unavailable to run with them on the appointed day. I present for consideration the word of my dear friend, Malthon."
Malthon joined the Lords and Ladies on the dais. Aldanna's father bowed to the gathered people and then spoke. "I can vouch for Aldanna, Tathar and Legolas, for I ran with them."
Thranduil continued speaking when the peopled quieted once more. "I present for consideration the word of my bodyguard, Lothellon."
Lothellon took Malthon's vacated space on the dais to speak on behalf of his children. "I can vouch for Brethildíl and Brethilríl, for I ran with them," he said solemnly.
Long ago, when the population of each realm was larger, no more than three youths had been allowed to run the marathon at a single time. Traditionally, their Lord would run with one group, and a parent of one runner would run with each other group. This was a precaution, for it was rare that Elves would be required to run such a distance, and most Elves only ever did so shortly before their Trials. In recent long years, though, fewer children were being born to the Elves, and it was all but unheard of for more than two groups to be required, with even two groups being unusual.
Legolas remembered the marathon vaguely. The first ten kilometres had been repetitive and mind-numbing, but the last thirty were an absolute mess of exhaustion and plodding along through the cool wood. He did not remember anything else that day, and had been told later that he, Tathar and Aldanna had fallen to the ground in boneless heaps upon returning to the bridge – their finish line – and had not woken or responded to stimulus for the rest of the day.
Legolas had no intention of running such a distance again, save at great need.
Elrond continued speaking, drawing Legolas from his memories.
"This sequence of Trials comes in parts. First, in a contest of power, you must run towards the beatboard," he indicated a straight track with a wooden board, nailed at an angle to another wooden board flush on the floor, creating a surface to bounce off, "and leap into the air to grasp the bar," he indicated a smooth rod, suspended above and slightly beyond the beatboard, "at the highest point of your jump. You get two attempts at heights of your choosing. The better score counts, with one point for each foot beyond your head height.
Legolas watched with trepidation as Ithilran seamlessly accomplished the task, grasping and swinging from the bar a good ten feet above the ground, and scoring himself four points. The ellon's second run, at eleven feet, he narrowly missed.
After half the trainees had attempted the vault, it was Legolas' turn. His bar was set at eleven feet, well out of reach of a standing jump. Taking his place twenty metres down the track, Legolas waited for the signal, and then took off running. He reached a full sprint in seconds, and jumped off the beatboard with a loud bang. Fixing his eyes on the bar, Legolas reached, and mercifully came into contact with the wooden staff, swinging in the air as he caught his breath with relief.
He dropped to the ground, and accepted the offer of a second run, with the bar set at twelve feet.
On the mark, Legolas sprinted down the track once again. He hit the beatboard with another loud bang, and soared through the air towards the bar, but his reaching fingers did not come close enough for him to grasp the wood. He fell, landing hard on the soft padded ground, and rolled to break the fall.
Five points, he thought, isn't bad, really.
His friends all managed eleven feet, but ended up in the dirt when they attempted twelve. Rumil and Orophin managed twelve feet, scoring themselves six points each.
"The next test is for strength," Elrond announced. "You will pull a rope, against a fellow trainee. The winner claims one point."
Legolas was pitched against Orophin, who mercilessly pitched him in the dirt. Legolas had the advantage of archer's shoulders, but Orophin did too, and the trees in Lothlorien allowed the use of larger bows than in the Greenwood, so Orophin had a stronger draw. Tathar and Aldanna won their own bouts, while both Brethils got a face full of dirt.
Speed was Elrond's definition of the next test. A hundred metre sprint, easy enough, Legolas thought. He placed second, after the surprisingly fast Aldanna.
Agility was tested by throwing them all in a melee and allowing them to all fight, with wooden blades coated in ink. After two minutes, the end would be called, and they would be placed based on the amount of ink on their skin and clothing.
Legolas noted with amusement that the design of the wooden knives allowed them to hold a lot of ink, and he readied himself for the challenge ahead, clearing his mind to focus on one thing: escaping unscathed.
Elrond whistled the signal to begin, and Legolas immediately lashed out with his blades, ducking low. Lines of blue-black appeared on two trainees' calves, and Legolas rolled out of the way of retaliation. He stayed low, swiping at everyone's knees and ankles, but soon they noticed him and targeted low.
Leaping and jumping, Legolas waved his wooden knives around, marking arms, shoulders, chests and faces as he tried to avoid his peers' blades.
Finally, Elrond signalled an end. Legolas idly noted that he had ink on his arms and the outsides of his knees, but not as much as some others.
Elrond deemed Legolas to be third, after Aldanna and Alassë.
At this point a break was declared, and the trainees were palmed off to a clearing not far away, where a table was filled with fruit and light sandwiches. They were sent off to bathe in a nearby stream, first the ellyth and then the ellyn, with soap specifically designed to remove ink.
All rivalry between the trainees was forgotten as they dug in, and Brethildíl eagerly sung the praises of a fruit rarely found in the Greenwood, but abundant in Imladris, her voice loud enough to be heard by the ellyn in the stream. Legolas and Tathar, having fared the best in the melee, helped to soap up their dirtier comrades, singing a teasing song as they worked.
Half an hour later, the games resumed, with a series of swordfights, using wooden practice blades.
Legolas was paired with Tathar, and the Silvan mercilessly showed him exactly why he had used a sword on the road to Imladris by thoroughly trouncing Legolas.
After a break, spent watching others spar, Legolas faced off once more, this time against Rumil. He won easily, the smaller ellon being used to fighting with a short sword, not the long, unwieldy training sword.
The third round, later on, Legolas faced off against Aldanna. She had already won two bouts, but she had been against Alassë, who was unused to a sword and smaller than Aldanna, and against Lindir, who had no intention of being a warrior, for he had trained as a healer.
Aldanna pounced on Legolas like a feral animal, teeth bared as she tried to hack at him with the wooden sword. Legolas easily blocked, and in return delivered a series of lightning-fast manoeuvres, forcing his friend backwards. She refused to back down, and soon was bent backwards as she tried to hold Legolas off. Legolas noticed when she winced, and kicked her shin, forcing her knee to bend more, while pressing all the weight he could down on their locked blades, and reached forward to pull her head forward and down, stretching the neural tissue through her whole body.
With a cry, Aldanna fell backward, pushing her leg straight and looking back up, and she lay panting on the ground, glaring up at her friend, her wooden sword a metre away and Legolas' at her throat.
Aldanna loudly cursed the day Legolas had discovered that she had mechanosensitive nerves, or whatever it was that Caranfinríl had called it.
Next was wrestling. In pairs, the trainees either won or lost, for five points. There were three rounds, so fifteen points were up for grabs if all three bouts were won.
Legolas was paired with Alassë first, and pinned her in under ten seconds. The slight Lorien elleth was no match for his strength, and her lack of bodyweight made Legolas' job far easier.
His next partner was Brethildíl, and the match lasted almost five minutes. Legolas tried every dirty trick in the book, and Brethildíl planted elbows, knees and feet in all sorts of uncomfortable places, and finally Legolas managed to tip her off her feet entirely. Unfortunately for him, she managed to turn the tables on him, and finally pinned him, counting out loud to three with tangible glee.
Legolas' final match was against Ithilran, and he managed to pin the bigger ellon using his dirty tricks. Ithilran limped away afterwards, and Legolas felt a touch of remorse, but reminded himself that orcs don't fight fair, and indeed, if he were to fight an orc unarmed, the orc would probably be wielding a knife anyway.
Then the healing section began. It was a relatively short test, and required the trainees to demonstrate competency in wrapping limbs to stop bleeding, as well as identify common orc poisons and mix the antidotes. Legolas passed the section with no sweat, as did all the others.
.
After dinner, the crowd burst into chatter when Thranduil took the dais. It was a long-held tradition that the King or Lord of each Realm would present the young adults as Warriors, and that the winner of the Trials be presented first. Hasty wagers were placed throughout the crowd, most of them involving Aldanna, who had surprised everyone endlessly during the Trials, and Legolas, who had so casually outperformed his competition, especially in the archery that morning.
"I have a conundrum," Thranduil said, rather than announcing the winner. "On a score of One hundred and forty-four, greatly outperforming the winners of past Trials, we have not one but two Trainees. Aldanna and Legolas, you can choose to accept a draw, or we can add a final challenge."
Legolas gaped, and exchanged a disbelieving glance with Aldanna. One hundred and forty-four was a full twenty points better than any winner during Legolas' lifetime, and even better than the greatest Elves through history. He was about to opt for a draw, as by now he was bone tired, when Aldanna declared that she would accept one more challenge.
Legolas nodded tersely in agreement.
A space was quickly cleared, and Legolas noticed with dread that it was the weapons arena. Barzûl, Legolas inwardly swore. He was exhausted, and wasn't sure he could even pick up a sword at this point.
Legolas and Aldanna grasped each other's wrist before collecting their weapons, and Legolas noticed that the elleth buzzed with nervous energy. Her eyes betrayed her exhaustion, but her smile was bright and energetic.
"Ready?" she asked, mischievously. Legolas smirked, and did not answer.
To Legolas' surprise, a pair of blunted knives were handed to him, and he turned around to see Aldanna with similar blades. Suddenly, his energy returned to him, feeling the comforting weight of his favourite hand-to-hand weapon type.
Elrond signalled to begin, and Aldanna immediately leaped through the air, landing in an indignant heap when Legolas jumped out of the way.
Legolas and Aldanna had sparred like this any number of times during the last hundred years. Both favoured paired knives when fighting, and Legolas felt like his blades were part of his body when he had knives in hand. The pair attacked and defended, almost too fast to follow, until finally Legolas ducked, spinning past Aldanna in an attempt to hamstring her. Aldanna, however, leaped up, landing square on Legolas' shoulders, knife to his throat.
"Barzûl," Legolas muttered aloud, dropping the knife which had, a second previously, been headed for his friend's knees.
.
"My congratulations," Thranduil started his speech, "to the four Trainees who have scored more than one hundred in the Trials. It is rare for any elf to perform so well across all areas of discipline, and I am very proud to say that all four are from Greenwood." The Elvenking then raised one arm as the applause died down, and announced the winner of the Trials.
"I present to the people, the winner of the Trials of the Eldar in the year 2904 of the Third Age: Lady Aldanna Ladlauriel, Warrior of Eryn Galen, one hundred and forty-four points." The gathered Elves burst into cheers, and Ladlaurë was cheering the loudest. Aldanna walked up to the dais, and knelt to accept a crown of summer flowers from Thranduil. "May your knives be ever sharp, and your bow be always strong," Thranduil blessed her as he lowered the Crown of Triumph onto her blonde head.
Aldanna stood, and the crowd cheered again. She grinned, and curtseyed, which looked far out of place as she wore breeches and a tunic for the Trials. Turning back to face her King, she knelt once more, and began the oath of allegiance, solemnly vowing to serve her King until the end of their time in Arda. Aldariel blessed her with a kiss on the forehead, and Aldanna skipped away to join her comrades on the grass.
Lord Elrond went on to present the young Elves of Imladris as adults, and as Warriors. "I present Ithilran Erestorion, Warrior of Imladris." Ithilran proudly stated his own oath of fealty.
Master Lindir was instated as a Healer, and jovially stated that he'd much rather be a healer than a warrior, having scored lowest in the Warrior's Trials, to laughter from the crowd and kind smiles from the Lords and Ladies. His own oath of allegiance was a variation on the Warrior's oath, for his duty was not to be on the field, defending his realm, but behind the lines, keeping his realm healthy. Elrond kissed his forehead, and blessed his healing hands.
Lord Celeborn took the dais to introduce his Realm's newest Warriors to the ranks. Lady Alassë was introduced as a Healer, and a moment later, so was Master Orophin. Rumil was the only new true warrior in Lorien's ranks this ennon. Each swore their oaths to the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien, and Galadriel kissed them each on the brow.
Thranduil had no healers to introduce, and next Trials he would only be introducing one - who was today being instated as a Warrior. Before beginning he wryly remarked that perhaps the Warrior training in the Greenwood was too good, for all the young ones were being swept up into the path of a warrior rather than a healer.
"I present to the people, Lady Brethildíl Ladlauriel, Warrior of Eryn Galen, ninety-one points." Brethildíl gracefully curtseyed before her liege, and swore the oath of allegiance. Aldariel kissed her on the forehead, blessing her with sharp eyes and a steady hand.
Thranduil invited Brethilríl to the dais, "I present Brethilriíl Lothellonion, Warrior of Eryn Galen, one hundred and thirteen points." Brethilríl spoke his oath, and Aldariel kissed him and blessed his future.
Then it was Legolas' turn, for Thranduil was presenting in alphabetical order. "I present Legolas Thranduilion," Thranduil announced, "Warrior of Eryn Galen, one hundred and forty-four points." Legolas bowed to his father as the people cheered, then knelt to swear his oath. To his surprise, his father placed a delicately wrought mithril circlet on his brow. "The Prince of Eryn Galen!" Thranduil announced, and Legolas flushed red as the people cheered. Legolas took a moment to remember when he had been officially crowned within the Greenwood, then began his oath of fealty.
"I, Legolas Thranduilion," he started, formally accepting his father's name as his own, as had all young elves before him, "hereby swear fealty and undying allegiance to King Thranduil and Queen Aldariel of Eryn Galen. My bow is yours to aim, my knives are yours to command. Today, I accept my responsibility as a member of the Warriors of Eryn Galen, and I enter the ranks of the army without reservation. To this I will hold true, til the world breaks, or I am taken from Arda forever."
Legolas rose, and the people applauded as his father formally accepted the oath of fealty. Aldariel kissed him on the brow, and blessed his aim to never fail, his spirit to never falter and his heart to never quail.
"I present to the people, Tathar Neldorornion, Warrior of Eryn Galen and Bodyguard to the Prince one hundred and ten points." Tathar proudly accepted his new title of Warrior, knowing that he was now eligible to achieve rank in the army of Eryn Galen. He was pleasantly surprised to have the official title of Bodyguard to Legolas, but as he had intended to be always by his best friend's side, this was only a welcome surprise. He said his oath of fealty, and Queen Aldariel kissed his forehead, murmuring a blessing upon his sword arm and the strength of his fëa.