Chapter Five
AN bold italic script is sindrian, the language of the elves
When Ris awoke it was still dark out and a cow mooing startled her awake. She left the hay and continued walking to the forest. She passed the old Laketown, around midday and continued on. She reached Mirkwood forest finally and walked several paths, being careful to stay on them, but not sure which ones she should stay on.
She heard elfish singing and cried out waving her hands, a young elven warrior stared at her and she smiled at him. "Can you take me to your king, I seek asylum."
"Why would someone as young as you seek asylum, for that matter how is it that a young dwarf even know the tongue?"
"Papa taught me." Ris replied. "Papa likes Sindrian and other things that are boring."
"I see and you are running away because you do not like what your Papa does?"
"How you know that?"
"Because child, you just told me, now lets get you to the elven halls and you can have a warm meal, then we will discuss what will happen next." The elf said and Ris smiled. "I am Legolas and the heir to Mirkwood, all you see will one day be mine."
"Its a nice forest." Ris said and Legolas laughed.
"Apparently your Papa has taught you diplomacy, I know that it's not a nice forest, but it is my home. Do you wish for me to carry you little one?" He asked and Ris nodded, she sat on his shoulders as Legolas, took several winding paths before coming to a castle. He set Ris down and Ris walked beside him, to what appeared to be a throne room.
"Legolas, why are you bringing me a child, when I sent you out for herbs?" Thrainduil demanded and Ris frowned.
"Father, if the girl was a little less dirty, does she not remind you of someone we know? In any event Mirkwood is no place for a child."
"I don't care who the girl is, she doesn't belong here."
"But Papa will force me to go back to the Shire, if I can't stay." Ris said. "Please don't make me go back!"
"Who's your Papa little one?" Legolas asked. "And who's your mama?"
"I don't have a Mama, but I have a Daddy, he's the bestest daddy ever and he's a dwarf."
"I see and your Papa wouldn't be Bilbo Baggins, would he?" Thrainduil asked and Ris nodded. "I see, very well I will grant you asylum, until we reunite you with your parents, is that fair?"
"No then you will give me back to them and I'll still have to go back to the shire."
"The matter of where you will be living is a family affair child, I can't get involved or else I'll make two kingdoms angry at me, one of which is my immediate neighbor, can't you understand what you are asking. If I refuse to let your Daddy see you, then your Daddy will insist that his king attack us, we will retaliate and on it goes, until someone is badly hurt and you don't want people to be hurt do you?"
"My Daddy is the king, I don't want to go to the Shire." Ris whined.
"Sometimes we give into what we want, for the greater good. I doubt in any event that your Papa will force you to go now, as you braved a very scary forest to escape such a plan." Thrainduil said and Ris frowned.
"Are you conda-conda, being mean cause I'm little?" Ris asked she knew that people said condasending, sometimes but it was a very big word and it was hard for her to say.
"Of course not, even grown elven warriors find the forest to be scary, don't they Legolas?" Thrainduil asked and Legolas nodded. "Now you will be housed in my quarters and Legolas will keep you company, until your parents arrive." Thrainduil said and Ris nodded, she walked with Legolas to a nicely appointed table and was given some sort of warm porridge to eat. It tasted of honey and raisins and was delicious.
"Elven food may be a bit different than what you are used to Lady Ris, now do you need help washing, or can you do it yourself?"
"Myself, but help with hair?"
"I'm not going to touch your hair, that's only something close family can do."
"But its knotted and it pulls bad when I try to brush it."
"Then don't pull it."
"Please Legolas?" Ris asked and Legolas stared at the round-eyed child and cursed in quenya.
"Girl you are entirely too cute for your own good." Legolas said and Ris laughed, before running into the bathing quarters and getting into the bath. She washed herself and then put on the shirt Legolas handed her, his eyes adverted. She changed into it and it made quite a good dress. She took the belt from her clothing and looked to Legolas.
"Tie please?" She asked and Legolas tied the tunic around her chest, before letting the rope slide down to her waist. "Thank you Agoas." She said and gave the elf a hug, he stiffened, before patting her back gently.
"No trouble at all lass, all I know are elfish braids will one of those do?"
"As long as you don't pull." Ris said and sat down beside a chair, Legolas gently brushed her hair, and gently plaited it into a series of complicated braids. Ris grinned when she saw her hair in the mirror and hugged Legolas again. "Are you as good at the bow as the books say, do you really only eat green food? Do you sleep here or in trees?"
"Child, go more slowly please, I have no hope of answering all your questions about me and my kindred if you talk that quickly." He said and smiled at Ris. "I sleep in the castle, but when I'm away patrolling father's lands, I sleep in the trees. I'm good at the bow personally, but not all my kindred are. We eat more than green food, though some elves are vegetarian, which means they take only of the earth and neither from bird nor beast. I enjoy mutton as much as any of the other races, but before we eat of the flesh of an animal, we first thank the Valar and then the animal for giving its life. Some elves believe wood elves to be more barbaric, do to our fondness for meat. Now how did such a curious creature as yourself come to be?"
"When a male hobbit loves another male very much, Yavannah allows for the seed to take root, Papa said that I had to wait until I was older to know more though. I hate having to wait until I'm older." Ris said and Legolas laughed. "Everyone grows faster than I do at the Shire and it's not fair."
"I know how that can feel little one, elven children are not considered adults, until they are eighty.
"I'd be old by then."
"I am uncertain of that, as you do not look your years. Still you will only live three hundred more years, the other races seem to live such quick lives and sometimes I envy them for it. Save my being killed in combat, I cannot die"
"How old are you Legolas?"
"I am one hundred and twenty, but I'm considered young for an elf." Legolas said and winked at Ris who giggled.
"Are there any elf children I can play with, while I wait?"
"I'm the youngest of my kindred, its very rare for an elf to be born, that's why we value the children of any of the races highly."
"Then can you play with me, if your not busy with somethin' else?"
"Well diplomacy has never been one of my Father's strong suits."
"Diplomacy is boring, Papa tries to teach me, but I don't pay attention."
"That's not nice." Legolas said and chuckled. "Though I do wonder what a Hobbit would teach the heir to Erebor about diplomacy?"
"Not to insult the other party, to know what you're talking about and to be nice." Ris said and Legolas laughed.
"Well child, I suppose your Papa has been teaching you well, much better than most rulers." Legoloas said and Ris nodded.
"Papa is the best, but he makes me do silly stuff and stay in the Shire, I hate the Shire, everyone is mean to me there."
"Oh little one I know people can be cruel sometimes, but you just try to be nice in return okay?"
"Okay, can you teach me how to fire a bow?" Ris asked and Legolas laughed.
"Of course I can child, you can even use the one I did, as an elfling." Legolas said and pulled out a beautiful bow, which seemed about the right size for Ris. He grabbed some arrows and they went out to the forest together," Archery is one of the simplest forms of combat, all it requires is a good eye, a steady aim and patients. Remember that your arrows might not fly true the first time, or the first dozen times you shoot them. Its important to maintain a good posture while shooting, now draw the bow back with your right hand and aim with your left, never aim at someone, unless you wish them harm. Now you cock your arrow like this, pull it back and release it like so, now you try." Ris frowned when her arrow went strait up and came strait back down. "Close, lets try something different, here I'll guide your arms, and so you can see how to do it." Legolas said and stood behind Ris, gently guiding her in how to use the bow. After a few times Legolas stepped back and smiled as Ris hit near the tree. "That was very good, just a few thousand more times and you could become a archer like your cousin Kili."
"But it hurts."
"That's natural, it's the good sort of hurt, and it's teaching your muscles how to shoot." Legolas said and Ris nodded, she continued to shoot at the target, getting close to hitting it at times and widely missing the mark at others. Finally perhaps by mere chance she struck the target and grinned at Legolas.
"Did you see? Did you?"
"I saw, it was great shot Ris, you will be a archer in no time." Legolas said and Ris grinned, before returning to shooting. Soon she heard a horse coming and hid behind Legolas. "Lass it's alright, no one will harm you, with me here." Legolas said and raised an eyebrow at the dwarf who came around the bend, riding a pony.
"I've come for the child."
"That is unfortunate, we refuse to give this child to anyone but her kin, or someone she knows." Legolas said. "I suggest that you return from where you came, unless you wish to be harmed in the defense of the Princess."
The dwarf cursed at Legolas you bloody pointy eared bastard."
"You can't say that about my friend and Legolas is my friend. You're a meany pants and I'm not going with you." Ris said defiantly and glared at the dwarf, putting one hand on her hip, she didn't knoww hat the dwarf said but she was famillar with the tone his voice had taken having heard it often enough herself.
"Princess surely you would rather be with your own kind, then these elves."
"I don't know you and the elves have been nice, not like you." Ris said and Legolas frowned. "I don't know you and you could be playing pretend and want to hurt me. If you want me to go back to Erebor, tell Daddy to come and Papa to promise not to make me go back to the Shire, those are my terms, do you have terms Legolas?" She asked the elf as the dwarf sputtered.
"No lass, not with him, but perhaps we could determine something at a later date."
"Just like an elf to use an innocent child to his advantage."
"Just like a dwarf to think the worst of another race." Legolas returned. "If the King wishes to have his daughter brought to Laketown, I could take her there and save him the trip."
"Or she could just come with me."
"I'm not going with you, you're mean." Ris said.
"And your no higher then my knee and should be turned over it to teach you manners and not to run away , still I'll leave your punishment to your kin." The guard said. "Mind though elf, if one hair on that child's head is harmed, there will be consequences." The guard then left and Ris blew a loud wet raspberry at his back. Legolas laughed and clapped the child gently on the back. "I'm hungry why don't we get something to eat and I can tell you a story."
"Okay." Ris said and smiled at Legolas, before taking his hand and walking back to the castle frowning at the guards. "Are they here cause of me?"
"No princess, we just didn't go through the front gate before." Legolas said and Ris nodded, following Legolas and walking with him trustingly. They went to the library and settled on a comfortable couch. "Now what do you want to read?"
"Tell about the first elves!" Ris said and Legolas smiled.
"Why don't you tell me?" Legolas said and Ris folded her hands
"They woke up in a lake called the water of awakening and the sun and moon hadn't been created yet. The first elves were Imin, Iminye, Tata and Tatie and Enel and Enelye. They found more elves until they found a hundred and forty four, which is more than I can count and then they separated for one another and some became works and others became wood elves and river elves and mountain elves and well I don't know any others."
"That was very good." Legolas said and smiled. "Would you like me to tell a story now, a story about how your Papa freed your Daddy, when my father held them prisoner?" Legolas asked and Ris clapped her hands excitedly.
"Yes! Tell me that story!" She said and listened as he told the tale, and two more after that. She fell asleep part way through the forth and Legolas looked relieved at the sleeping child. He gently lowered her onto the couch and started to read one of the books. He was half way through when a messenger came running down the hall. Legolas stuck his head out and put a finger to his lips and the messenger nodded.
"My lord, Bilbo Baggins of the Shire and Thorin Oakenshield first of his name, both are here and they wish to claim their daughter."
"She's a child not a possession." Legolas said. "She's a child, she's asleep at the moment, I suppose they didn't come alone."
"No they have a battalion with them." The messenger said and Legolas sighed, before gently picking up Ris who sighed and snuggled into him.
Legolas smiled down at her and gently stroked back a lock of her hair. "You haven't gotten attached to the princess have you my lord?"
"Of course not, but despite only being fourteen years old, she's a very bright child and easy to like." Legolas replied and strode beside the guard, until he got to the gate. Ris muttered at the noise and woke up, looking around her sleepily.
"Why's it so loud?"
"Because my father is yelling at your Daddy and your Daddy has some men with him and so does my father, lets see if we can't fix this before they are at each other's throats."
"Oh okay." Ris said and smiled.
"I DIDN'T STEAL YOUR CHILD, SHE CAME TO US!"
"THEN YOU REFUSED TO GIVE HER BACK!"
"BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE WAS GOING TO HURT HER, YOU'D FIND SOME WAY OF BLAIMING ME IF THAT HAPPENED.
"STOP YELLING! BE NICE TO EACH OTHER." Ris shouted and heard the familiar sound of her Papa's laughter. "I'm not going back with you until you promise not to punish me and don't take me back to the Shire." Ris said.
"I don't think you have much of a choice Ris." Bilbo said and Ris crossed her arms.
"Oh really I'm a Baggins and part Took and a Durin, don't think I won't run away again, if you try to take me back there." She said her hands on her hips as she sat in Legolas' arms. Legolas laughed at the saucy little girl.
"But I'm your Papa and I know what's best for you."
"Really is it best for me to be called bad names? Or to have people hurt me, is it best for me to try to pretend to be something I'm not and will never be? Or is it best for you Papa?" Bilbo looked hurt but Ris was determined. "I'm happy in Erebor, the only reason I left was because you kept saying that we were going back to the Shire. I hate the Shire! Everyone is horrible to me there and everyone has been nice to me in Erebor so far and I have Daddy and my cousins and Uncles. I'm close to my elf friend Legolas too."
"WHAT?" Thorin demanded.
"Even though you and Legolas's Daddy are silly, doesn't mean we have to be right Legolas."
"Right little one, but if you don't go to your Daddy and your Papa, they will be sad."
"If I do, I'll be sad and then Papa will take me away and I won't see Daddy or my kin, I don't want to be alone again." Ris said and started to cry.
"There now little one, its alright, no one is doing anything are they."
"Not now." Bilbo agreed and stepped forward, before two spears held by elfish warriors crossed.
"You can't get through, not until she chooses to go to you." Thranduil said. "She might be a child, but she's capable of making her own choices. Little one if you don't go to your Papa and Daddy soon, we'll have to fight and that will make everyone very sad."
"But Papa hasn't promised yet, I'm not going until he promises."
"Yavannah save me from the stubbornness of Durins." Thranduil said and Ris giggled
"There now that's better lass, here have my handkerchief." Legolas said and handed Ris a handkerchief. She smiled at him and blew her nose before wiping her face off.
"Very well I promise not to go back the Shire for a while."
"How long is a while?" Ris asked and Bilbo raised an eyebrow.
"Two months."
"Two years." Ris returned.
"Two years, you're not taking me for a fool Rose Ris Baggins, nine weeks."
"Two years." Ris returned.
"That's not how bartending works, you have to come down."
"I hold the advantage though, you might take me back to the Shire, but that doesn't mean I'll stay there." Ris said and Legolas laughed.
"Fine two years saving something bad happening." Bilbo said. "And you can't run off where we can't find you, or else the pact is gone between us."
"Okay and you can't punish me for running away."
"Nice try little one, but what you did was very dangerous. You went to the middle of Mirkwood, without knowing where you were going." Thorin said.
"I did so know where I was going, I followed the paths." Ris said. "I was fine."
"Little girls shouldn't go across middle earth all by themselves."
"Then grown ups should be less silly." Ris said. "No punishment and you have to kiss each other, a real kiss too. The sort that Papa made me turns the other way for." Ris said and everyone stared at her. "Well those are my terms, take them or leave em."
"People don't kiss because you want them to, or love one another because you may wish it Ris." Legolas said.
"They made me so they love each other, they just forgot that they do. Babies are made only when two people love each other very much." Ris said and Legolas almost dropped her, he laughed so hard. He set her down gently and continued to laugh heartily.
" That's true baby, but that doesn't mean we love each other any more."
"When people do bad things, you forgive em right Papa? So why can't you forgive Daddy?"
"It's not that simple baby, but we won't punish you and I'll give your Daddy a kiss, then your going to come over here, alright."
"Alright." Ris said and smiled as she saw her parents kissing. She ran over to them and hugged them both. "I missed you!" She said and Thorin stared down at his daughter.
"You are entirely too adventurous by half."
"I come by it honestly." Ris said and Thorin laughed.
"Aye that you do, your cousins gave me grey hair and made my hands sore."
"You're not going to lay a hand to our daughter Thorin."
"And what can you do about it, its not like I'm hitting full force, just a smack or two on the bottom never hurt no one."
"You'd hit me?"
"Only if you did something really bad Lass, otherwise you'd be punished with chores."
"I hate chores."
"So does everyone, that's why it's called a punishment." Thorin said and Ris nodded. "Thanks for taking care of my daughter, if you're ever passing through Legolas, you're free to stay in Erebor."
"Thank you King Thorin, but I rarely go past Dale in my travels." Legolas said and bowed.
"Can I give Legolas a hug before we go Daddy, please?" Ris asked and Thorin nodded. Legolas strode forward and Ris dashed forward hugging his knees. "Come visit and tell me stories and play archery with me please?"
"I'm fairly busy lass, but I'll come when I can , I promise." Legolas said and Ris grinned.
"Bye Legolas, fair thee well, wherever you fair."
"Fair thee well Ris Baggins, wherever you fair." Legolas returned as Ris let go and went to her Daddy.
"Carry me Daddy?"
"Alright Lass." Thorin said and smiled at Ris. "However we're going to have a horsy carry us both."
"A horsey really?" Ris said and Thorin laughed.
"Yes really." Thorin said and helped Ris to get on his horse, before getting into the saddle himself. Together they rode away from the elven lands.