Before the Ring

Part One

The soft, pearly skin resting against his mother's arms. Chubby fingers squeezing the long, pointed, delicate ones of the baby's kin. A watery eye opened, and then closed; trying to force itself into existence.

Legolas smiled and opened both eyes wide, tipping his head from side to side - trying to figure out the figure in front of him. Thranduil stood tall, watching his sons smiling face stare into his, wiping a tear of happiness from his cheek.

"May I?" Thranduil asked and lent down to lift his little boy, up, into his arms.

Legolas squirmed, then settled. Great gleaming grey pupils sparkling in the sun, he grabbed hold of the shirt in front of him and stared twining it round his finger.

Belegorneth smiled to see her spouse enfold their baby son in his arms. How happy they would be.

Legolas started to cry.

"Pass him back here." Belegorneth spoke gently and calmly, leaning up to receive the squealing infant; he rolled onto her lap and clung to her like dew clings to the sodden grass on an early spring morning. 

It was an early spring morning and the dew was just starting to get trampled by the early morning elves out on their walks.

The Woodland Realm was beautiful in the sunrise, the pink, the yellows, the oranges, mingling in with the beautiful sapphire sky.

***

"You could just tell him?"

"No, the truth would tear him apart. He would be so angry. At me, at dwarfs. He's a young boy for God's sake, he wouldn't be able to handle it."

"But if you just talked to him rationally."

"It's not as simple as that"

There was silence as Thranduil paced up and down the room, from the great picture of Belegorneth mounted on the wall to the wood plated door, brown, creams all singing in harmony to create a beautiful picture of peace.

"Maybe . . . Maybe, I'll just tell him that she's died, make it seem over. Then he won't worry, or be angry, or prejudice. It will just be a tragic accident"

"Yes, my lord. . . Would you like me to, like me to bring him through to you."

"Err . . . No thank-you. I think it better if I fetch him myself"

Thranduil paced towards the door again, but this time opened it and strode out.

***

Legolas was playing, skipping up and down on the banks of the moat.

"Sylva, pass me the bow, I'll shoot the baddies for you!"

"No I want to this time! You always get to finish them off."

"That's because I'm the best at it! Tauriel pass me your bow, mine fell in the water"

Tauriel smiled impishly and shoved her bow over the water to Legolas, who caught it nimbly and proceeded to load it and shoot it up at the stuffed sack of potatoes they were using as a very poorly made model orc.

It went straight through the middle of the fabric and left a large, arrow shape hole. The potatoes came rolling out, one by one, falling plop into the moat and being washed away by the silvery water.

"Good shot Legolas!" Sylva called as the three of them sprung off into the heart of The Woodland Realm.

The towering buildings like arcs of gold, as neat and precise as make belief.

"Legolas." Called a voice from up high, on the balcony, "Legolas, my boy. Come here, I have something you must be told."

Legolas looked up, face falling.

"See you later," He said to his friends and scurried up towards his father.