c. 2949 TA
Thranduil watched amused as Legolas led Estel into the sparring arena for the first time. Estel seemed to have hardly touched a blade before, which was ironic considering what Elrond expected him to be able to do. He was strong enough, he could hold the swords Legolas put in his hand well enough. Perhaps that had been the point. Elrond had made sure he was strong enough without actually showing him why.
Legolas finally went over to the sword rack and pulled out the sword he decided on. He glanced at his father and Thranduil nodded. Legolas turned back to Estel whose brow creased. "That's not an Elven blade." Estel said.
"Yes and no." Legolas answered. "It is Elvish. It was made by our people. No, it is not the traditional Elvish blade."
"Why do you want me to use that one?" Estel asked.
Little did he know the blade was about as close to the shards of Narsil as they could find. Thranduil and Legolas had figured they might as well do their job right. "Well…" Legolas said, "Because it suits you more. I should know. I have trained others before. Nor do I generally use traditional swords either, neither does my father. So you can deal with the blade I put in your hand or…"
"I get it, I get it." Estel said putting his hands in the air.
"Fine, then take it." Legolas said holding the sword out to him.
Estel took it hesitantly. Thranduil's eyes narrowed as he watched him. Estel slowly grabbed the sword by the hilt and then surprise flickered across his face. He held this sword more comfortably than he had any of the others, almost as if the style had been made for him. A slow smile worked its away across the young Estel's face and he twirled the sword once experimentally.
A more knowing smile crossed Thranduil's face, and catching it Legolas knew they were on the right track.
"Being who I am, I'll still have to make sure you can make something of yourself as an archer, but I suppose you'll make a better swordsman." Legolas said sighing over dramatically before he began the more rigorous training Legolas had set for him.
*
Estel had been in Mirkwood for four months when Legolas finally deemed him worthy to go on a patrol with them. So, the two of them mounted their horses and joined the patrol setting out for the border. "Now remember, if I say to turn and run, you turn and run." Legolas told him.
"Will anyone else turn and run?" Estel asked.
"No, but everyone here has at least three hundred years of experience on you… and more." Estel sighed.
"And your point is?"
"My point is if you get hurt your Ada will come and murder me." Legolas said. "Trust me on that." Estel was about to retort, but suddenly his father's words came to him and he quieted.
"Fine, but don't you dare tell me such a thing unless you're all going to die." Estel said begrudgingly. Legolas grinned.
"Don't worry, little nut," Legolas said using his new nickname for young Estel, "I will do my best to get you into some sort of dangerous circumstance."
"You needn't worry." Taenron said, the Captain having only newly been reinstated after the previous fiasco, "Legolas manages to get into life or death situations simply by walking."
Legolas crossed his arms. "Not true."
"Really?" Taenron joked, "Name one time you came back without running into any danger, and since you can't do that, name all the times you have come back uninjured."
"Excuse me," Legolas said, "I come back uninjured all the time, you are remembering my first hundred years or so as a warrior when I did not know what I was doing."
"Perhaps," Taenron said, "We shall see."
With that, they rode off into the forest.
*
"I told you!" Taenron yelled as they shot arrows at the Spiders that now hissed down at them.
"Just kill them!" Legolas retorted. "I'll deal with you later!"
"Of course My Prince." Taenron teased and jumped up to tree, taking better aim and shooting one Spider through the eye.
Legolas himself was standing in front of the young Estel who seemed angry that the Prince was not allowing him to take shots. "This is too close to the Palace." Legolas said through gritted teeth as he brought down a Spider with his own bow. Estel leaned around him and got off a shot into the belly of an oncoming Spider. "If you're going to shoot, aim for the eyes." Legolas told him. The Prince still facing the other way, Estel stuck out his tongue at the Prince. "No sticking your tongue out at me." Legolas said.
"I didn't—"
"You did, I heard you."
"How is that possible?!" Estel yelled.
"I'm an Elf." Legolas answered.
Estel then proceeded to think about all the things he would mutter under his breath if he had not been worried Legolas would hear him. It was to no avail, for Legolas guessed what he was thinking anyway. "Watch your thoughts, Estel." Legolas warned. Estel scowled and let off an arrow that hit a Spider's eye dead center. The Spider fell back and Taenron finished it off. The remaining Spiders all retreated and Legolas sighed. "Taenron, note the direction they are going. Estel get our horses. Adarlae get a head count, see if anyone's injured."
A short chorus of "Yes, my Lords" ran out from the three who Legolas addressed, Estel rather grudgingly because he was still stuck on the Elf's seeming ability to know what he was doing and thinking. Legolas walked up to one of the dead Spiders and inspected it. The Necromancer is gone… I wonder why they have come so close to the border again.He looked over the scene. I hope my father can make something of it.
*
After the patrol was over and Legolas and Estel had reported to Thranduil, they took a short walk by themselves to re-cooperate from the patrol. "Is it always like that?" Estel asked.
"No, we have encountered Spiders before, yes, but it is not something that happens on every patrol. I suppose you attract danger." Legolas said his eyes sparkling with mischief for a moment. "We were also on the border. That's always been a questionable place though it had been quiet since the Dragon's fall."
"Why is such a thing happening now?"
"I do not know, that is a thing to ask your father. Perhaps it was simply a lasting remnant of those driven south that year." Legolas said thoughtfully.
Estel paused, wondering if he should proceed with this line of questioning. "My father… do you think he really would have killed you even if I just got hurt?"
Legolas was silent for a minute as they walked, and Estel knew him well enough by now to know he was trying to decide what to say. "Yes and no, if it was serious enough and if it had been in any way my fault then he probably would have, and though I would fight it, it would only be fair."
"Because of your sister?" The words slipped out before he could stop them.
"What do you know of it?"
"My father only said something about a misunderstanding."
"Indeed," Legolas said. "But it was a misunderstanding that almost cost my sister her life. If had not been for Haldir, it would have been her life. She was on death's doorstep before he called her back. Even your father recognizes that it was your… brother's fault, but why it is his fault, your brother does not know. The fact of the matter is, is that until he apologizes, he is banished from my father's realm and from being near my sister." Here he paused. "You need not worry. We hold no grudge against you, and it makes me wish things had ended differently, but it just did not. I cannot fix it either. Not now, at least, maybe later."
"You are still angry at him though."
"I suppose I am." Legolas agreed. "If you had a sister, you might understand."
"I do… I've just never met her."
"Well, I can hardly see anyone harming Arwen without someone throwing a fit. Maybe if you ever meet her you'll understand."
"What is it about her?"
"You'll just have to see for yourself," Legolas answered. And so, Estel was still left wondering about this woman Elrohir and Elladan called sister, and whom his father called daughter, but to whom he had no knowledge of personally. He wished he did. "In either case, what's done is done and it won't be changing for a while. In the meantime, I suggest you avoid speaking of it to my father. He is still rather touchy on the subject, and will not take kindly to any such mention."
Estel supposed that ended the conversation.