OWO? What is this? An UPDATE? I can't begin to apologize enough for how late this is, but school is a bitch. And exams and writer's block and- You get the point. I am planning on finishing this story, but updates from now on will be very infrequent bc my real life is a mess. Sorry.
Also, my drabble about Estë won a contest! The story is called "The Valar" if anyone is interested in reading it.
Summary: There's a archery contest in Lothlorien and Legolas and his friends take part in it. I don't remember if book!Legolas had ever visited Lothlorien, but let's pretend he did.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs.
9. The archery contest
Autumn meant leaves falling and crumbling beneath his feet, but Legolas liked the colors all the same.
"I love autumn." Tauriel commented off-handily from his right.
"The colors are beautiful." Ruthien agreed.
The party of friends were heading towards Lothlorien for an archery contest that was taking place there; Lady Galadriel had invited them herself. Legolas, Tauriel and the twins would all take part, as well as Saeldur, but Findôl was coming only for company. It was a surprise when he had been given permission by Lady Linurial to join them, seeing as he had not finished his training yet.
Legolas's father insisted that the only reason they had been invited was in the hopes of proving the archers of Mirkwood less capable than Lothlorien's, but he had nonetheless agreed to let them go easily. Legolas was excited about the whole affair, and so were his friends. They were new in the army, and it was their first time being chosen as participants to an event such as this. Legolas was determined to make the best of it.
"We're almost there!" Rowan cried in excitement.
"Yes," a voice from within the trees said, "indeed you are almost there." Legolas instinctively reached for his knives, but then the figure stepped into out of the shadows. He was elf, tall, with blonde hair falling down his shoulders and an amused smile on his lips. He was wearing the cloak of the archers of Lothlorien. "Mae g'ovannem. I am Haldir."
"Mae g'ovannem, Haldir o' Lorien." Legolas said. "I am Legolas."
Haldir bowed his head in acknowledgement. "I look forward to beat you at the contest." Haldir said, a smirk playing on his face. His grey eyes twinkled with amusement. Legolas answered with a smirk of his own.
"We shall see who will beat who." He replied.
"Is that a butterfly?" Ruthien asked, drawing all attention on her. "Oh great, you noticed me!" Rowan and Saeldur rolled their eyes in union, and Ruthien rewarded them both with a playful slap at the back of their heads. "Don't you roll your eyes at me!"
"Ouch!" They both in unison, although Legolas was certain it had not hurt.
Haldir smirked. "Shall we go, or..."
"By all means." Ruthien replied. "I just have been trying to gain my brother's attention for a while now."
"Ah, sibling bickering!" Haldir laughed. "I know how that feels. My little brothers can be trying."
"Yes, younger siblings are a nuisance, are they not?" Rowan smirked. Ruthien glared at him.
"Let us arrive at Lothlorien in one piece, what do you say?" Legolas proposed.
"Oh definitely." Haldir agreed. "It would not be fair to win if you were in anything but your best form!"
Legolas smiled. "Yes, that would be embarrassing for you."
Haldir laughed and urged them on. Soon, the palace of Lothlorien, bathed in the silver and blue light that was reflected from the night sky that rose above them.
"I will direct all of you to your rooms and spare you the formal meetings; those can happen tomorrow at the competition." Haldir said. A quorus of agreements followed the suggestion, and so he climbed up the stairs to the chambers and showed everyone where they would be sleeping. Legolas took it upon himself to thank him on behalf of everyone, and retired to sleep after the long journey.
The next morning Legolas had to take a moment and remember where he was. The bed was too soft, and the sunlight more than he was used to. When his eyes adjusted, the memories of last night returned, along with a banging on his door.
"WAKE UP!" Tauriel yelled through the wooden surface. "The competition is today!"
"Yes, thank you Tauriel, I remember." Legolas groaned as he pushed himself up.
"Well, get ready then!" Tauriel's way too cheerful voice instructed. With another groan, he regretfully felt the warmness of his bed to get ready for the day.
Ten minutes later, he was being dragged by Tauriel to the breakfast hall.
"Why do you take so long to get ready?"
"It was literally ten minutes." Legolas protested.
"I was waiting." Tauriel insisted.
"You didn't have to." Legolas pointed out.
"How would you know where to find the breakfast hall then?" Tauriel countered. Legolas just rolled his eyes as they entered.
"Legolas!" A voice exclaimed, which the elf in question identified as Lady Galadriel's once he looked up. "A replica of Thranduil that smiles! I hope you are better with a bow than he is."
Legolas smiled. "Mae g'ovannem, Lady Galadriel. I assure you that my ability with a bow exceeds my father's by far."
"I am glad to hear that." Galadriel smiled. "Please, come and sit with us; your friends as well."
"Lord Celeborn." Legolas bowed, and Celeborn bowed his head in greeting as well.
"Are you excited about the competition?" Galadriel asked.
"Oh yes, lots my Lady!" Saeldur said. "Tis our first event of the sort, you see."
"In that case," Galadriel said, "I hope you enjoy it."
"We certainly will." Legolas said, remembering the manners his father taught him. "We are honored to have been invited."
Galadriel smiled. "The honor is all ours, penneth." Lord Celeborn agreed with his wife.
Later that same day, Legolas found himself surrounded by all kinds of elven archers that would participate in the competition.
"Ready to lose, my prince?" Haldir teased him.
"We'll see who will be the one losing." Saeldur said in the same teasing manner. Haldir smiled.
"Let the best among us win then." He said and walked off to throw first at the aim.
The competition moved on fairly slow. Legolas did not miss a single shot, but so did most of the participants, at the point where Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn along with two more elves who were starring as judges, had to start noticing the technical details in order to start eliminating people. It took four hours, but finally they had been narrowed to a handful of five people. Saeldur, Ruthien and Rowan had lost out of pure detail in their hold, and so did Haldir's brother. Which now only left Legolas, Haldir, Tauriel and a two more Lothlorien archers still participating.
Tauriel was good, but the Lothlorien archers were better, and she was the first one to leave. Soon, it was just Haldir and Legolas competing against each other.
"I guess that it is a personal competition now." Legolas grinned at him.
Haldir chuckled. "I suppose it is."
The next three rows passed with them having the exact same score. Legolas could swear he heard one of the judges curse his talent with a bow under his breath. He caught Lady Galadriel's eyes that sparkled with mirth and she smiled at him, an indication she was aware of what was said. Legolas received it as a good luck wish as much as a challenge. He had already pierced through Haldir's arrow at least twice in previous shots, and did not doubt he could do it again.
The judge next to the one who swore stood up.
"For this last round," he started, "seeing as our participants have both proved to be worthy of their place in the finals, they will have to throw two arrows, with a break of three seconds." There was a pause as his brown eyes looked at Legolas' blue ones. "Or less, if they can manage it."
Now that was a challenge, and Legolas grinned at it.
Haldir shot first. His first arrow hit dead center, and his second one hit at the next circle, using all three seconds. It was a good shot, a very good one. So Legolas would have to do better. He placed his feet down at the ground and looked at the target in front of him. He took a deep breath and drew his first arrow. It hit dead center and cut through Haldir's like butter without too much effort. With movements faster than lighting and no thinking on his part, Legolas drew the second one and let it fly. He held his breath for what seemed like eons as it tore through the air that separated it with the target. It landed right exactly where his first one did, tearing it in half.
The crowd's shocked silence was broken when Ruthien started cheering for him. Tauriel catapulted herself towards him and caught him in a tackle-hug, followed suit by the rest of his friends.
"You did it!" Ruthien yelled in his ear. "You really did it!"
"YOU WON!" Rowan practically screamed, still cheering in enthusiasm. Findôl was jumping up and down around them. Saeldur clapped him in the shoulder with a huge smile, and Legolas smiled back.
They all broke away when Haldir walked towards them. Legolas opened his mouth, but snapped it shut in surprise as Haldir bowed.
"It was a pleasure," he said with a smile as he straightened, "to be beaten by a worthy opponent."
"It was a pleasure to compete with an archer of the same talent." Legolas said sincerely.
"Congratulations Legolas!" Lady Galadriel graced him a wide smile that the blond prince returned. "Please, be sure to mention to your father that our archers were very good as well." Legolas laughed at her words.
"Congratulations, penneth." Lord Celeborn nodded at him.
"Hanon le, Lord Celeborn." Legolas said sincerely.
"Well now!" The judge that had challenged Legolas exclaimed. "This calls for a feast! Valaran, fetch the good wine!"
Sindarin Translations
Mae g'ovannem= Well met
Mae g'ovannem, Haldir o' Lorien.= Well met, Haldir of Lothlorien (I couldn't resist XD)
penneth= little one
hannon le= thank you
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