This is a bit late and I apologize. I had a bit of a writer's block again, so it's kinda short. Sorry guys. Also, I wanted to say that now that school started again my updates will not be very frequent, but I AM planning on finishing this story. I have snippets still, and even if I don't update often I will update when I can.

Disclaimer: Not one small, adorable Elfling.


6. Legolas makes friends

"What are you doing up there?"

Legolas looked below him for the source of the voice. An Elfling was standing at the ground in front of the tree Legolas was on, looking up at him. Legolas turned his head to the side and examined the newcomer. He had never seen another Elfling before, save Arwen, since there were not many children in the palace.

The boy had hair the shade of tree trucks that were barely past his shoulders, and Legolas guessed that they had to be around the same height; most probably the same age as well.

"I'm sitting on the tree." Legolas answered the Elfling's question.

"You're going to fall." The boy stated and crossed his hands over his chest. "My Nana says that you don't climb trees because then you fall and get hurt." Legolas looked the Elfling over, his eyebrows were scrunched together and his grey eyes were narrowed in something that was almost a scowl.

"My Nana taught me how to climb trees." Legolas said. He slowly lowered himself onto a branch closer to the ground and jumped, landing on his feet with a thud in front of the other Elfling. "I'm Legolas." He offered with a smile.

The boy shyly offered a small one in return. "My name is Saeldur."

"Do you want me to show you how to climb?" Legolas suggested, excitement picking up in his voice again. Saeldur's eyes widened and he shook his head. Legolas rolled his eyes. "Tis not that hard you know. I am sure you will not fall." Saeldur looked torn. "The tree will not let you fall." Legolas reassured him with confidence. "Will you?" He asked the tree.

"No. I will not let your friend fall, ernilneth." The tree chuckled.

"See?" Legolas said. "Climp up. Here," he started to climb himself to give Saeldur an example "like this. Try it."

Slowly and not completely steadily, Saeldur started to mimick him, drawing himself upwards. True to his word the three brought the branches closer so it would be easier for him to grab them to climb and they hovered near him to catch one if he lost his balance. Legolas too, hovered close to him, not wanting his first friend to fall off the tree. Finally, they reached a thick branch that was relatively high and Legolas stopped them there.

"See?" He said as he made himself comfortable. "That was not so hard."

"I can still fall down." Saeldur argued, but he looked proud of himself as he glanced around at the dark green leaves surrounding them. Legolas shrugged.

"Practice makes perfect, Daeradar used to say." Then he put a hand on one of the branches and thanked the tree. "Hannon le, mellon nín."

"I am always glad to help our little prince." The tree answered, and Legolas grimaced at the title. He did not want to tell people that he was the son of the king, because then their attitude towards him changed. They started on 'your Highness' and 'your Majesty' and they treated him with much more respect than the Elfling wanted.

Predictably enough, Saeldur's eyes widened at the tree's words. "Little prince, I-"

"If you apologize and call me 'your Majesty' I am going to push you down from this tree." Legolas narrowed his eyes in a glare to make his threat effective. It worked, and Saeldur's mouth snapped shut. "If we are going to be friends then I want you to treat me no different than you would treat your other friends."

The brunet nodded. "Alright." He agreed to the princeling's terms. Then his grey eyes sparkled as an idea dawned on him. "You should meet Rowan and Ruthien, and Findôl!" He flashed a smile.

Legolas returned it. "That would be great. I have never met any Ellings my age, except from Arwen, Lord Elrond's daughter; but she lives in Imladris and she is younger than I am."

Saeldur looked surprised. "You have never met another Elfling your age?"

"There are not many children in the palace." Legolas shook his head. "All the elves they consider 'little' are much older than me."

"Nana said that Findôl and his parents are going to move to the palace." Saeldur said, remembering a conversation between his parents during dinner time. "She said that Lord Calon -that is Findôl's father- accepted a position in the palace's library and that's why they had to move." His eyes came alight suddenly as he reached to grab Legolas' hand. "Come on, I will introduce you to them!"


"You are going to like them, I promise." Saeldur said as he guided them both towards a clearing where the Elflings usually gathered. "And they are going to like you as well!" He smiled reassuringly over his shoulder at his newfound friend. "Rowan and Ruthien are twins, but they do not look much alike. I think tis because Rowan is an ellon and Ruthien is an elleth. All three of us are going to be warriors when we grow up."

"I want to be a warrior as well." Legolas said thoughtfully. "Everyon says I am very talented with a bow, and Lord Thorontur says that I would make a great acher."

"My Ada says I would make a good warrior too, but he says that warriors go into battle and they get hurt and then they have to do stiches." Saeldur frowned. "I do not like stitches."

Legolas laughed at the brunet's expression. "Yes, but if you become very good then you will not get hurt and you will not have to do stiches."

Saeldur smiled and went back to talking about his friends. "Findôl says he wants to be a healer so he can make sure none of us gets ourselves killed."

They reached a small clearing between the trees, just a small open space where three Elflings were playing under the dark leaves. An dark haired ellon was reading a book under a tree in which an elleth with caramel brown hair hand upside down from a branch and another Elfling with the same shade of brown hair was seemingly running around in circles. Saeldur waved at them, and together with Legolas they ran over to them.

The girl on the tree was Ruthien and the boy with the same hair was Rowan, and the one with the book was Findôl, and they all looked as excited as Legolas felt.

"So how did you meet Saeldur?" Ruthien asked when she had resumed her position in the tree, this time with Legolas next to her.

"I showed him how to climb a tree." Legolas shrugged. Four heads whipped around to look at him in the eye.

"Seriously? He actually climbed one?" Findôl asked with more than slight disbelief.

"What kind of persuassion skills do you possess?" Rowan demanded.

"We have been trying to make him climb one with us for ages!" His twin sister complained. Legolas laughed.

"I guess I'm just stubborn."

"Very." Saeldur agreed with a scowl, but the smile he was trying to hide ruined the effect.


The next hours passed with the five children laughing and playing, forging a bond of friendship Legolas already felt strongly. Finally, when the sun was close to setting, their little party was broken.

"I have to go." Legolas stood up. "I promised Nienna that I would be back home before dinner."

"Will you come back tomorrow?" Saeldur asked and the blond nodded.

"We can go to the lake tomorrow!" Ruthien smiled and next to her her brother nodded excitedly.

"We cannot go to the lake." Legolas shook his head and the Elflings frowned.

"Nay?" Rowan asked with disappointment.

"Of course not! I know the difference between my father being angry, and wanting to kill me." Legolas said, feeling a little guilty for ruining their excitement. He was telling the truth though, Thranduil would never allow him to wander very far, and the lake was in a clearing that his father had very emphathetically told him was out of limits. He was going to very angry and disappointed at Legolas if he found out the Elfling had gone there when he had told him not. Legolas hated it when his Ada was disappointed, it was even worse than when he was angry; and that was saying something because not even Lord Elrond wanted to see Thranduil in a foul mood.

Ruthien laughed, her happy mood never wavering. "Is he very strict?" She asked. "Saeldur's mother is like that, she never lets him do anything fun."

"Your definition of fun means almost never safe." Saeldur complained.

"That is what makes it fun!" Rowan piped in and Findôl rolled his eyes as the three of them began to bicker.

"It's okay if your father does not allow you to go to the lake, there are many things we can do." Findôl said with an understanding smile that Legolas returned.

"I will see you all tomorrow!" The prince waved at his new friends as he sprinted back to the castle to make it there on time.


Sindarin Translations

Nana= Mom/mommy

ernilneth=princeling

Daeradar= grandfather

Hannon le, mellon nín= thank you, my friend

ellon= male elf

elleth= female elf

Ada= Dad/Daddy


Weeeell? What do you think? I also noticed that my titles are very lame but you will have to bear with me.