Silhouettes

Chapter 13

Thranduil woke the next morning with a phenomenal head ache and a horrible feeling in his stomach. He was planning on staying in bed all day and was slowly falling back to sleep when he suddenly heard crying from the room next door.

"Oh! Legolas! It's ok I'm coming my son!"

He sat bolt upright and started to head towards the door, tripping over some things as he adjusted to the throbbing in his head.

Thranduil walked into Legolas' room, to find him trying to climb out of his cot to reach the little doll that Sophia had made for her child before she passed. Thranduil rushed towards Legolas and picked him up just as he was about to fall. He picked up the doll and looked at it. It had been perfectly made, with blonde hair made from yarn and two little blue buttons for eyes. Momentarily forgetting the pounding in his head, he held the doll to his chest and remembered the feeling of Sophia laying there, as he read out loud to her, and Legolas saw a drop of water run down his Ada's cheek.

"Here you are Leggy."

Thranduil placed the doll in Legolas' hand and picked him up and carried down to the dining hall to get some breakfast.

He and the little baby made their way down the stairs; slightly swaying and tripping over, with Legolas chewing on the doll in Thranduil's ear.

"Don't do that, Leggy. I thought you grew out of chewing?"

As he entered the dining hall, he was greeted by Lord Elrond packing some food for the journey home.

"Thranduil, you look a mess."

Elrond greeted him.

"Oh, and good morning to you too, Lord Elrond."

Thranduil replied jokingly.

"Here let me help you with that."

Thranduil put Legolas down in his high chair and walked over to where Elrond was packing some parcels of lembas and some jugs of water into a bag.

"I must admit, Thranduil, I haven't seen a party like that in a hundred years! You must come to Rivendell some day with me and I can show how we like to party."

"What, with pretty music and a couple of leaves on a plate accompanied by some quiet jokes! That's not partying my old friend. You need to get a sense of fun."

Thranduil joked but noticed a solemn look on Elrond's face.

"What's wrong my friend?"

"Oh, it's nothing. If anything I'm actually happy."

"Then why the glum look?"

"Because you're right, calling me 'old friend'. To tell you the truth that's why I came here last night."

"What are you on about?"

Thranduil said this with a smile but that was merely him trying to hide the doubt in his voice.

"I'm old Thranduil. My strength is failing me. I can feel myself drifting away from this life. I thought that I should pay you a visit before it's too late, seeing as we only see each other once every few years."

Thranduil was taken aback.

"Let us not dwell on this. Rather shall we keep preparing for my journey home?"

"Better yet, shall we prepare for our journey home?"

Elrond looked at Thranduil inquisitively.

"You're right, I should come to Rivendell. Leggy can come too, it would be good for him to see another kingdom.

"Well that sounds wonderful!"

Elrond replied excitedly.

"Perhaps we should wait until tomorrow before we set off so that I can prepare our things. Would you mind feeding Leggy whilst I make some arrangements for this trip?"

Thranduil left Elrond in the kitchen and went up to find Karminder, the chief guard.

"My lord. It is a surprise to see you at this hour after last night."

"Legolas woke me early this morning. Which is lucky in a way because I ran into Lord Elrond down in the kitchens, which is why I have come to speak to you. I am planning to take Legolas and myself back to Rivendell with Lord Elrond for a couple of days, which means I will need your best guards on watch night and day at all entrances. I will also leave you in charge of the kingdom whilst I am gone. Is that ok?"

"Absolutely my lord."

"Send word as quickly as possible, were leaving at first light tomorrow."

"Yes my lord."

Karminder quickly scribbled down some notes and then left to gather the guards and tell them what was happening.

Thranduil went back down to the kitchens to see Elrond rocking Legolas who was fast asleep in his arms.

"I've never been able to do that!"

Thranduil said quietly as he took Legolas from Elrond immediately waking him.

"I had years of practice when Arwen was young."

Legolas was now crying and Thranduil felt like he might break down too because of his headache so he decided to go up to bed again.

"Fell free to wander about the kingdom if you wish, Elrond."

"I shall, and you get some rest before our journey tomorrow."