�Please, Elrohir, act anxious about Legolas� arrival. Your lack of enthusiasm has me worried.� Elrohir rolled his eyes at his father. �Sarcasm is not befitting of you, Ada. You cannot deny me my excitement. It has been many ages since I last saw Legolas, and we both know what that was like.� Elrond smiled, walking to the balcony where his son stood watching. �This will be better. It will be relaxing, and enjoyable. Unlike most of your past meetings.� �It will be so different for him. Arwen is living within the woods of Lady Galadriel, and�� He paused. �Elrohir?� �Oh Father, Estel! Why hadn�t we thought of this before, and warned Legolas?� Elrond nodded slowly. �Galadriel has foretold their friendship.� �He won�t trust him enough to be friends with him. How is he going to react to Aragorn when he first meets him?� �We will have to wait and see, Elrohir. Just be patient.� Legolas looked up at the city of Rivendell. Nightfall had long since passed, but Legolas� was too anxious to arrive that he would not stop for rest. He smiled to himself. It had been a long time since he had last seen Rivendell, Lord Elrond, Elrohir, or even Arwen. He was looking forward to reuniting with them. He entered the familiar stable where he had spent many of his days when visiting Rivendell. Just like there always was, the third stall on the left was empty, reserved for his horse. It was one of the little things that Legolas had learned to depend on. Legolas became aware of another presence in the stable. It was making far too much noise to be elven, and it was too deliberate to be a horse. Faster than the presence could comprehend, Legolas had readied his bow and aimed it at his adversary. �Who are you?!� He demanded. It was a man, a mere 19 by the looks of him. He wore elvish clothing. �I am called Estel,� the man raised his hands in a gesture of peace. �I may ask the same of you.� �Why are you here?� �That was rather impudent.� �What are you doing here?� Legolas repeated his question. �I live here, thank you. Now will you allow me to know the name of the elf that attacks me in my own home?� The man was growing angry, but Legolas did not care. �This is a city of elven refuge. Men do not live in such places.� Estel bit his lip. He noticed the elf�s hands were shaking ever so slightly, and there was more than distrust in his eyes. �Elrond is my adoptive father, in a way. My parents were both killed.� �And was it Elrond or your parents that named you thus?� �Estel in a nickname the Elrond bestowed upon me.� �And did he name you aptly?� �I know that my name means hope, if that is what you were trying to see. I am fluent in elvish, and I would be willing to prove it to you.� �There will be no need for that, Estel.� Both the man and the elf turned to see Elrohir in the doorway. �Believe him, Legolas, for he tells the truth.� He pulled Legolas into a hug. His friend stiffened, but did not pull away. �It is good too see you again, mellon nin.� �You did not tell me about him, Elrohir.� �It slipped my mind, to tell you the truth.� He lowered his voice so that only Legolas could hear him. �You can trust him. He has proven himself many times over in his 22 years.� Legolas looked back at the man. He stood, looking curious and angry, but innocent all the same. He looked younger than he was. He noticed Legolas looking him over, and put his hands on his hips. �Do I meet your approval, master elf?� �Estel!� Elrohir chided his adoptive brother�s sarcasm. Legolas only narrowed his eyes. �Come, Legolas. Father and Elladan are waiting for you.� Elrohir showed Legolas to the guest room that had been prepared for him. He left the prince with one instruction: �Come find us in the great hall when you are done settling in.� He closed the door behind him, turning to Aragorn. �Estel, can you try to be nice to him?� �Does he always show up so late in the night?� Elrohir noticed the tone in his voice. �What reason do you have to distrust him?� �What reason has he to distrust me?� �More reasons than you can think of. He handled your meeting better than I would have expected.� �Oh,� Aragorn said, his disliking of the elf growing. �So you expected him to kill me then?� �No, he would not have killed you. You would have only wished he had. He has been through many things, Aragorn. Just give him a chance.� �That doesn�t mean I have to like him.� Elrohir smiled. �No, but at least be civil. He is a guest here and will be treated as such.� A banquet was held the following night for Legolas� arrival. He was seated on Elrond�s left, as a guest of honor. Next to him was Elrohir, and across the table, of Elrond�s right, was Elladan, the elf lord�s oldest son. Next to him was Aragorn. �Tell me, Legolas, how is your father? It has been a long time since he and I last spoke.� Legolas did not meet Elrond�s eyes as he answered. The elf lord knew the reason for this, but did not say anything. �My father is doing fine. Mirkwood is thriving in days of late, even with the ever encroaching evil.� �I am surprised he let you come here alone.� Elladan said this through a bite of meat. �Watch your manners, Dan,� his father chided quietly. To Legolas, he said, �I for one am not surprised that you came here alone, though I am surprised that you have not sent a messenger back to Aldarion.� Legolas smiled. �I was going to ask if I could send one of your messengers.� �You�ve no need to ask, it has been done already.� �It�s good to be here again. I had forgotten how much I missed everything.� Elrond looked at the human, who was far too interested in his meal rather than the conversation. Indeed, he had expected Legolas to avoid the man, but not the other way around. He wondered what reaction his statement would bring from both of them. �You have not mentioned Arwen in your time here.� Aragorn�s eyes shot up as he looked to his father incredulously. Elrond noticed this, but said nothing. Legolas, for his part, was rather detached when he answered. �I figured, in time, you would tell me where she was. And you all seem too happy for any wrong to have befallen her.� In truth, he had wanted to ask where she was the second he realized she wasn�t there. It was killing him inside to miss her this much. �She lives now with Lady Galadriel.� Legolas nodded slowly. �I suppose I finally have an excuse to visit the Golden Wood.� He paused thoughtfully. �My father was none to happy when I told him�� he trailed off, not wishing for the human to hear the emotions in his words. Elladan laughed. �I should imagine not!� He paused, then changed topics. �Father, Elrohir and I were wondering if you would let us go on a hunting trip tomorrow.� Elrond raised a thin eyebrow. �Hunting what, may I ask?� �Deer, of course. What else would we hunt? Lizards?� Elrohir asked innocently. �Lizards, of sorts, if I know you two half as well as I think I do.� Elladan sighed. �Honestly, after everything we�ve been through, you think we would go hunting orcs?� The other eyebrow was now raised. Elrohir stepped in. �We wouldn�t, honesty, Father. We�ll take Legolas and Estel with us. They�ll keep us out of trouble.� Elrond had to bite back a laugh. Legolas was serious. Very serious. Except, of course, when he was around Elladan and Elrohir. There was no telling how much trouble the three of them could find, and Aragorn seemed to be a walking disaster. �That puts my worries to rest.� Aragorn entered the conversation suddenly. �If you are taking him, I wish to stay home.� Legolas looked up quietly, eyeing the human. His distrust kept growing. �Estel!� Elrohir was shocked, but Elrond chimed in before he could say anything more. �Estel, you will go on the hunting trip tomorrow. It�s been a long time since you�ve been on one anyway.� Legolas looked horrified. How could Elrond be doing this to him? Elrond knew what an imp Legolas could be. For once, he was going to give Legolas a chance to be like that again. He had a feeling it had been quite a while since Legolas had had any fun, and who was he to further hinder that? �However, it is Legolas� decision whether or not he will go.� Legolas looked at Aragorn. A long minute of silence passed. �I will go.� The man narrowed his eyes. He had the urge to stick out his tongue, but he knew just how childish that would seem. He instead concentrated on his food again. �The Midwinter Festival is coming soon, Legolas. Do you suppose you will stay for that?� �Soon?� Aragorn shot daggers at his oldest brother with his eyes. �Two months is hardly soon.� �I may, if Father does not send for me before then.� Elrond smiled. �You will of course compete in the archery contest.� It was not a request. �Would I be allowed? I am not native to Rivendell.� �You are family, Legolas. That�s all that we care about.� Elrohir added to his father�s words. �You forget that we do things very differently from your own people.� Legolas smiled. �Very differently.� �So you will compete then?� Elladan asked excitedly. �I do believe I will.� The prince smiled in response. �That means you will have to admit defeat when I am declared the winner.� �You think too highly of yourself, Elrohir. Noldor elves are notorious for their poor aim, and their wavering arm.� Elrohir smiled at the jest. �Yes, but we are also known to unseat certain Mirkwood princes when a river happens to be nearby.� Elladan laughed as Legolas narrowed his eyes. �Perhaps this competition will be my revenge.� �It would be about time.� Elrond stopped the friendly bantering, and steered the conversation down a previously taken road. �This hunting trip of yours, pray tell, will be when?� �Tomorrow morning, of course. It�s planned now, it might as well take place now.� �It has been planned for quite some time, hasn�t it?� Any planned hunting trip of the twins� was a recipe for disaster. Legolas had to bite back a laugh at the elf lord�s retort. He had forgotten just how nice it was to relax- to laugh. He could never do that at home; his father would not have it. He would not have it. He was scared at home. He was frightened that if he let his guard down, some terrible evil would befall his household. He didn�t have those worries here- the laughter of Elrond�s family seemed to make them vanish. |
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