Meeting hope

By: Eressie

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Chapter three

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Estel was up before anyone else for a change. He was usually the one that liked to sleep late; the elves in his home were always up at sunrise or before that time. Some probably did not sleep at all sometimes, Estel believed. He himself woke many hours after anyone else, if no one woke him up before that. But today he as exited to get up. It was not every day he got the chance to be out camping with his best friends who happened to be his brothers. And something that excited him the most was that his new found friend, who perhaps happened to be the best archer in Arda, was going to help him with his archery. He was a lousy bowman, he wanted to be better and so this was a great opportunity for him to improve.
He smiled and squinted his eyes as he saw the sun rise in the distance.

"Up already, I see." a voice said behind him. Estel turned around but saw no one. "Up here, Estel."

The boy looked up into the tree and saw Legolas standing there on a branch, leaning against the trunk of the tree.

"I thought you were asleep, mellon-nin." Estel said. "Good morning."

Legolas laughed. "I've been up for a while, waiting for you to wake."

"I thought I was to first to get up."

"I am not as lazy as your brothers." Legolas grinned. "I am used to get up very early."

"Are we going to start training now?" Estel asked eagerly.

"Not just yet." Legolas said and jumped limberly down the tree with ease. "We can travel a while and then begin your training this afternoon."

Estel tried to not look disappointed, but Legolas still noticed. "First though, you need a bow." he said and took out something that he had hid behind his back. "A real bow." he added."

Estel looked amazed at the bow Legolas held in his hand. The elf held it out for him to take and Estel grasped it with a smile.

"Where did you get this from?" he asked. "I only noticed you bringing one bow with you, your own, and no more."

"I made it." Legolas said. "I told you I've been up for hours."

"You made it?" Estel asked surprised. "How? I mean how did you have the time? It even has carved decorations on it."

Legolas shrugged. "I have made countless of bows in my life." he said as it was nothing. "After so many bows, I could probably make one blindfolded!" he chuckled. "I did the carvings just to have something to do while I waited for you to wake. You like it then?"

"I love it." Estel nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome! Consider it a late birthday present… about four months late?"

Estel laughed. "Yes."

"The bow could need some processing, but it will do for now."

A groan interrupted their conversation. "What's with the noise?" Elrohir mumbled. "It's early."

Legolas walked over to the twins who still lay half asleep. "Get up, sleepy heads!" he laughed. "We've been up quite some time now! Time to go!"

Elladan stretched and sat up. "What? Even Estel?"

"Even me!" Estel said proudly and held his new bow to his chest.

"Well, there's a first!" Elrohir yawned. "Nice bow."

Estel smiled. "Legolas made it for me."

"I figured." Elrohir said with a wink and stood up. He walked over to Estel and held out his hand to look at the bow but Estel did not move. Elrohir rolled his eyes. "I am not going to break it, silly. I just want to look."

With some hesitation Estel gave him the bow and Elrohir took it and balanced it in his hand before grasping it and tested the string. He nodded. "It's Legolas' making alright." he said and inspected the design on it before giving it back to his little brother. He went over and grasped Legolas shoulder. "It's beautiful, elfling."

Legolas smiled. "Thank you." he said. "I could make it better probably, but it will do for now."

"Don't be modest, tithen las." Elladan said where he was, packing up the camp. "It's perfect, as always. Do you have one for me?"

Legolas smirked. "I make you one sometime if you're kind enough."

"I am always kind!" Elladan said with a laugh. "When am I not?"

"Hm, how about that time when you colored my whole hair blue with ink?" Legolas said with a scowl on his face.

Estel laughed. "You did that?"

"Oh, right." Elladan laughed. "I might have done that, but Elrohir helped!"

"You're not sulking about that still, are you?" Elrohir asked and nudged Legolas shoulder with his own. "And besides, it washed out."

"Yes," Legolas said, "after seven baths!"

Estel laughed. "Tell me you got your revenge, Legolas!"

Legolas smirked. "You could say that."

"What did you do?"

"I put itching powder in all their clothes." the prince said with a laugh. "And it was a special kind that would not start to itch right way, it took an hour or so to start. By then they sat in an important meeting, and I was there as well of course. It was something I could not miss to see!" he chuckled. "They tried so hard to sit still and be proper Lords but they could not! It was hilarious."

"Ugh," Elrohir groaned, "don't remind me." he said. "Elladan, wasn't that girl you fancied there in the meeting as well?"

"Yes… sitting there with her father. Valar, I was so embarrassed."

Legolas laughed. "Serves you right!"

Elrohir glared at him and then looked at Estel. "A word of advice, Estel. Never start a pranking war with the prince of Mirkwood. He will get you back ten times worse."

Estel laughed and nodded once. "I'll remember that." he said. "Maybe next time though, if you two decides to prank him again; I'll be on his side."

Legolas winked. "And I'll be on Estel's side."

Elladan groaned. "So if we prank Estel, we'll have you as his partner in crime?"

"Well, that is not fair." Elrohir said and crossed his arms over his chest.

Estel chuckled. "It's very fair! Two against two now, instead of two against one!"

"In a prank war, Legolas counts as two! So it's really three against two, I see no justice in this."

"Then don't prank us." Legolas said with a mischievous smile.

"Hm, maybe we should try to dye Glorfindel's hair next time, he has golden hair as well." Elladan wondered out loud.

"Do you have a death wish?" Legolas asked and raised one eyebrow.

Elladan cringed. "Maybe that was not such a good idea?"

"The worst you had in some time, brother of mine." Elrohir said. "If you decide to do that; you are on your own."

"Hey, you are supposed to be on my side through anything!" Elladan exclaimed.

"I'll give it some thought." Elrohir said with a smirk. "I am not to say no to a good prank!"

"That's the spirit!" Elladan said and went over to pat his twin on the back. "Also, we could always put the blame on Legolas and say that it was his idea."

"I'll shoot you." Legolas said.

"Worth it."

Legolas shock his head. "You two are insane."

"It's the company we keep, dear prince!"

"Rude." Legolas laughed as he went over to gather his pack. "Come now, we should leave. I have a man to rescue from his ill-educated archery later today and we should have put some land behind us by then!"

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It was about three hours before sunset when they finally stopped for that day. Legolas and Estel had talked about archery almost the whole day. Estel was all ears to hear anything Legolas had to say about the subject and Legolas was just as delighted to talk about it.
After they set up camp, Legolas prepared some targets for Estel to hit.

"You children play nice with each other now, you hear?" Elladan said as he and Elrohir prepared to leave for some hunting.

"I hope you can manage to find some food! I would not be surprised if you came back empty handed because of your poor aim!" Legolas said as the twins walked away. "Maybe you should stay and have some lessons as well, you both could need it!"

Elrohir laughed. "If I stayed; you would be the first target I would try to shoot!"

"That is no threat, Roh. You would not be able to hit me!"

Silver laughter could be heard after the twins disappeared in the woods. Legolas smiled at Estel. "Maybe we should do the hunting."

Estel laughed. "Do you really think that they are that bad?"

Legolas shook his head with a smile. "No. I am only teasing, Estel. They're not that useless with a bow and arrow, they are quite good, but you won't be hearing me say that in their presence." he said with a laugh. "Now let me see your stance."

Estel fastened a borrowed arrow and lifted his bow; he drew back the string and looked at the target. He stood still as Legolas inspected how he held himself.

"Lower your right elbow a bit." Legolas said and waited for the boy to do so. "Don't be so tense. You have to be a bit more relaxed, no that's too relaxed." he said to Estel and the boy corrected himself. "Yes, that's good. Now, concentrate on the center of target." he saw Estel take a deep breath and letting it go. "Aim. Fire."

Estel did so and held his breath as the arrow flew. It hit a foot or so away from the center and Estel sighed.

"Not bad, Estel." Legolas said and smiled.

"But I didn't hit the center." Estel said disappointed.

Legolas smiled. "I think all you need is some practice really, and you also need to try to think about how you let go of the string. You are too tense in the fingers when you release the arrow. Try again."

Estel went to fetch the arrow and then went back to where Legolas stood. He fastened the arrow again and lifted the bow. This time he tried to think more how he released the string. He aimed and shot. The arrow hit the target but still not in the center.

Legolas smiled at him. "Good. That one was better."

"But the arrow hit almost as far off as the other one did." Estel sighed.

"Yes, because you did not aim as well this time. Although your stance was better and the string did not wobble as much when you let go of it. The way you remove your fingers from the string will always determine the way the arrow fly. If you don't release the string properly with your fingers, then it can and will alter the arrow's course."

Estel nodded and went to fetch the arrow again. "I will make some arrows for your own as well, Estel. But for now you'll have to borrow one of mine." Legolas said. "Only one though. I need the arrows I have in case of danger. And when you practice it may ruin the arrows somewhat and I can't risk having faulty arrows in my quiver. Lives may depend on it."

Estel nodded. "I understand."

Legolas smiled. "Again." he said and watched as Estel lifted his bow once more.

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It was soon after sunset when the twins arrived. They carried three dead hares between them. The twins set to work and prepared the hares to be grilled over the fire that Legolas had made just before the sun set.

"Learnt something new then, Estel?" Elladan asked as he skinned one of the hares.

Estel stretched his sore arms. "Yes, I did! And I did not shoot him in the foot." he said jokingly.

Elrohir laughed. "Well, that is quite something, I must say! Improvement!"

"Hope you did not push him too hard, Legolas. Will he be able to use his arms tomorrow?" Elladan chuckled and watched as Estel rolled one of his shoulders.

"Don't worry I did not, if anything he was the one that pushed himself." Legolas said. "I had to force him to stop and I made sure he stretched his muscles afterwards so he won't feel pain tomorrow, or at least not as much…-" Legolas fell silent and frowned. Something was wrong. The forest had gone silent and noting stirred. The twins frowned as well and observed the darkness around them. "Do you hear that?"

Estel sat up more straight and looked around. "Hear what?" his ears were not as keen as the elves'. He heard nothing out of the ordinary.

"Shh… listen." Legolas whispered.

The twins made eye contact with the elven prince. "Trolls." they said at the same time.

"What!" Estel hissed. "You said there wasn't any more around these parts anymore."

"There wasn't." Elladan mumbled and peered out into the darkness where the light of their fire could not reach. "But there are now..."

Estel widened his eyes. "What do we do?"

Elrohir bit his lip. "They are still quite far away." he said. The elves could hear them well now because of how loud the trolls were getting. "I want to go and take a look; just to see how many of them there are. It sounds like there are at least three..."

"Three trolls?" Estel hissed. "You're not going to take them on by yourself are you?"

"Don't worry, Estel." Elrohir said. "I am not that foolish, I'm not Legolas."

"Hey!"

"Shh, stay here," the younger twin said and hushed Legolas' protest. "I will be right back."

"No, I am not letting you go by yourself, Roh." Elladan said and stood up.

"I'll be fine."

Elladan hit him on the shoulder. "Stop being stupid. I am coming with you!" he whispered and took up his sword.

"Maybe I should go instead?" Legolas asked. "You stay here with Estel."

"You're staying put, 'Las. We can handle this; we know these parts better than you." Elladan said.

"Just observe them," Legolas said, "don't do anything stupid."

"Same to you, 'Las." the twins said and went towards the sounds the trolls was making.

"Dan… Roh!" Estel hissed as they began to leave.

The twins turned around. "We'll be fine, little brother. Don't be scared." Elrohir said with a reassuring smile.

"Take care of the elfling for us." Elladan said with a wink and then they disappeared into the darkness of the night.

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Ugh... You like it? Hate it? Review please!

/Eressie