The Silvan (Lord of the Rings-Legolas)[Wattys2016]

Chapter 11: First Contact

"What are you smiling at!" he hissed, taking the young novice completely by surprise.

The other warriors, including Turion, had gone silent as they watched their lieutenant face their young novice.

"I do not understand..." said Legolas, his worry and incomprehension written clearly on his young face. He thought he had done well; he had not missed a single shot...

"If a warrior bids you aim for the chest, you comply!" he shouted mercilessly.

Legolas made to open his mouth and defend himself, but could not quite manage to get his thoughts together, for the lieutenant's face was a dreadful sight.

"You are a novice, boy. You are not yet qualified to make tactical decisions. This will not happen again," he finally said, a little more calmly, before he spun on his heels and went to oversee the cleanup.

A friendly hand squeezed his shoulder, making him jump. It was Angion who simply walked past him.

Legolas smiled timidly before another hand landed in the same place, silent and strong and it was not long before all six warriors had offered their silent support. Legolas had erred because he had disobeyed Faunion, yet he still failed to understand why it was so important to aim for the chest, where the damage may well not be fatal - why not go for a sure kill? It was beyond his ken and he resolved to ask Lainion about it - later of course, for the Avari had been fierce in his wrath and Legolas had no intention whatsoever, of crossing him again until he had calmed down.

Blowing out noisily, he slung his bow over his shoulder and followed the warriors, for there was dirty work to be done.

TSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTST

The early evening breeze was crisp, and it was just what Aradan needed to clear his mind of the dreams that had plagued him, from which he had awoken with a start, his heart thumping and his soul heavy with pity and shared grief.

Unwittingly, Prince Handir had opened a door long shut, one he had bolted and chained lest his demons escape. It was useless though, for they had slipped through to his consciousness and would not be vanquished, at least not today.

There was no mystery though, for he knew why that was. There had been something in Handir's eyes, something he had admittedly withheld and that would only be revealed with Aradan's promise to not share whatever it was. In good conscience he could not, for the boy offered no guarantees as to the nature of the information and yet - and yet he had to know. His considerable intuition told him it was important, hence the dreams...

Thranduil had been his friend for many centuries, still was, in spite of the dramatic change that had taken place in him after the queen had left him. The people had attributed it to grief at the loss of his wife, but Aradan knew better. It was not the loss of his wife, it was the loss of his love... he felt the desperate urge to make Handir understand, force him to see his father as he had once been, show him that what had happened to Thranduil could have happened to anyone.

It had always felt so wrong that Thranduil's own children should treat him with such frigid disregard. He did not deserve it and yet, when Aradan forced himself to see it from the perspective of the royal children, he could do naught but to understand their resentment.

As far as they were concerned, their father had gone with some Silvan woman of no import and had earned the wrath of his queen, who promptly and silently leaves for Aman, her children left behind without the slightest of explanations other than that she could not stay. Their father, when repeatedly asked why she had done such a thing, had simply remained silent, disregarding their need to understand. And so it had festered until the king was left with two princes and one princess who were little more than strangers to him.