Legolas and his father dismounted, Legolas first, his appointed servant, Erthor, guiding the elfling to the ground beneath him.
Thranduil, ever dignified, smoothly touched the ground, adjusting his robes before looking up to study the gates to Imladris. Legolas, copying his father, smoothed his tunic and, scrunching his button nose, looked at the horse next to him.
After a moment, he quickly became bored, and started to skip up to the gates, before being yanked back by his father's hand. Thranduil's icy glare scared Legolas. In a furious, but still regal fashion, he gripped Legolas's shoulder, hard, and effectively stopped the elfling's squirming.
"You are a prince of Mirkwood. You are Thranduilion. You will act like it, or you will be stripped of your titles."
Legolas froze, staring with wide, sapphire eyes, into his fathers greyish-blue ones.
A moment passed, and his father straightened, set his shoulders up, and regained his steely posture. He strode forward, at a crisp pace, towards the armed guards.
Legolas turned, and saw the Lady watching him, her eyes void of any expression. Lord Celeborn narrowed his eyes at the child, deep in thought.
Uncomfortable, Legolas quickly faced forward, speed waking to catch up with his father, who was being greeted by a council advisor. Legolas looked around, ever awed by the beauty of Imladris, or Rivendell, as some called it. The Lord and Lady were now conversing with the ellon, while Thranduil stepped back, turning to walk slowly towards a little garden.
Legolas watched his father, following him onto the grass. His father looked at a vibrant plant, with blooms of every extravagant and rare flower that could be seen in these parts reaching off its stem.
Legolas squinted. Surely, his keen eyes weren't failing him. The plant, slowly but surely, was growing, sprouting new flowers, all of different aromas and colors.
In fact, as he looked on, it seemed to grow a finger length.
He glanced at his father questioningly.
"Is this your doing, Adar?"
Thranduil looked down at his curious son.
"No elf is thought to be able to grow such like this. Mirkwood elves can understand the emotions of the trees, but they cannot make them age. And, if I am correct, Rivendell elves have not this talent as well."
Legolas asked, as he was wont to do, "then how is it growing, Adar?"
Thranduil, still gazing at the petals and leaves, which now reached over his head, creased his brow.
"I know not."
Legolas looked at his feet, unsure of what to say.
Thats when he saw the hand.
It was tiny, its nails perfectly even and it's skin creamy. Legolas knee instantly that it belonged to a child, due to its size.
Yet when he saw the roots growing out of the palm of it, he bent down, more curious than confused.
The hand was opened up, and the roots grew thicker and longer, making the plant grow and blossom.
"Adar, look," he whispered.
Thranduil slowly angled his head down, but once he saw the hand protruding from the base of the now gigantic pillar of flora, he swooped down, intrigued.
He gently pushed through the roots of the plant, and gasped when, after a struggle of reaching through the elongating vines, he saw the face of a sleeping elfling. A tiny, angelic little girl.
The Lady has taken notice of the plant, and came towards the pair of elves.
What is it, she questioned Thranduil, using her mind to communicate, one of her many gifts.
"An elleth. She appears to be quite young. She is asleep," he replied out loud.
Legolas' curiosity peaked, and he wanted to lean forward, ask to see, say something, due anything. A girl that could grow plants, even in her sleep? That was inpossible!
Who is she, the Lady questioned.
"I know not," Thranduil replied, for the second time that day, perplexed by this mysterious girl and her apparent gift.
Lord Elrond appeared in the courtyard then, trailed by the young twins. He at first only saw a distracted Lord Celeborn, looking into the gardens off to the side.
Turning his head, he realized that the Lady of White, King Thranduil, and the young prince were all kneeling by a nearly 20 hand tall stalk of flowers, leaves, vines and stems. With a start, and a sigh of relief, he quickly rushed towards them, his robes behind him.
"My apologies," he said, distracting the three from their pondering curiosity.
Elohir and Elladan, who had followed their father, bent down, reaching into the jumble of green as Thranduil had done moments before.
It seemed like they knew what they were doing, the Lady and Thranduil noticed.
Pulling her out from under the plant, the group was able to see her.
She was beautiful. The tiny thing was only about four in human years, yet her features, which would be described as adorable, would be seen as gorgeous in her future.
Her black hair, no, it was just a very, very dark brown, was in waves around her face and sides, and although she was lying down, it was obvious it went past the small of her back.
Her lips were closed together, yet still glossy.
Her skin, while others of the elvish race were almost white, was a shade lighter, colored more similarly to a human, sun kissed tan. She seemed to glow, but unlike the Lady's white aura, hers was of sunshine. A golden, light shine.
Her eyelashes were long, and her eyelids were gently closed.
She wore a small, light yellow dress. It reached to just below her ankles, with short sleeves.
Her hands were flat on the ground, and he could see the greenery continue to expand out of her opened palms, slowly, as if nature was oozing out of her.
Legolas stared, transfixed. She was of nothing he had ever seen. He felt something in him move, and he blinked, unsure of this what this meant.
The entire company found themselves staring at this little elleth and her external beauty. Thranduil and the Lady were in awe.
Elohir noticed, and shook the child's shoulder. When she did not respond, he repeated the action, this time a bit harder. She stirred, and slowly opened her eyes, looking straight up.
She then turned to the side, moving a little onto her side, to peer at her audience.
The royal party shifted back in surprise.
Her eyes- her irises were mostly emerald, with bits of brown, splashes of red, orange, and yellow. They were bright too, which made the strange mix stand out even more.
She caught sight of Lord Elrond, and kneeled up to get closer to him, trying to reach up to him but failing to realize the huge stems of plant, now about to reach the height of the giant courtyard statue, that came from her hands.
She looked up then, following the roots to see the beautiful roses, lillies, and other magical herbs.
"Oh!" Was all she softly exclaimed.
She instantly flicked her wrists off the ground sending the vines towards her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she scrunched up her face in focus.
The company marveled, in shock how the vines receded, the petals collecting into their blooms, into her hands.
In a few seconds, they were completed gone, and the girl reached opened her eyes, which, to their surprise, were hazel, dark green and brown, with flecks of gold in them.
She reached her arms up to Thranduil, who was closest, besides Elohir, outstretched, waiting for him to hold her.
He blinked, unsure of how to respond to this.
Legolas nudged him descreetly, his eyes never leaving the girl.
Thranduil snapped out of his momentary hesitation, leaning forward and scooting the girl into his arms. After settling into his lap, she put her tiny, pudgy hand on the side of his jaw, staring into his eyes, unwaveringly.
Thranduil, not used to being touched, flashed his eyes for a second, accidentally. The girl was intriguing him, yet he still didn't know what she was.
She noticed his anger and nervousness, though, and her eyes changed color, shifting from her soft hazel and gold to a bright, soft grey. However, just as fast as they had changed, they returned to their normal color.
Thranduil narrowed his eyes, amazed, but still confused. The girl wriggled out of his lap, and reached for Lord Elrond, who picked her up, resting her on his hip.
"What did you dream of, Arina?" He asked softly into her ear. Elohir and Elladan stood to hear her answer.
"I thought of the future, Adar. I was thinking of my birthday celebration. I am excited."
The company, with Thranduil and Legolas the loudest, laughed at this marvel of an elleth.
However, what Elrond said next left them perplexed.
"I was wondering why you created so many flowers."
She smiled, while everyone else, with the exception of the twins, looked confused again.
Elrond spoke again, to his sons.
"Take her to her chambers, and stay with her. She is obviously tired."
The twins nodded, and, with Elladan taking the child from his father, they walked away.
Legolas stared after them, bewildered and amazed.
He was utterly upset that she was leaving.
Thranduil stood, and pulled the boy to his feet.
"Come, Legolas. You will see her again, do not fear."