This, And My Heart Beside *added ch. 20/part 1*
folder
-Multi-Age › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
23
Views:
4,488
Reviews:
98
Recommended:
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Currently Reading:
0
Category:
-Multi-Age › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
23
Views:
4,488
Reviews:
98
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Discoveries
I would like to apologize for taking so long on this chapter. I'm embarassed to say, I fell in the parking lot at work the other day, and my left wrist might be fractured. Typing is a teensy bit painful right now, but it's not going to keep me from finishing this story. *g* If I kept anyone waiting, I'm really sorry.
CHAPTER 2
The following day was spent on meetings between the Kings and Councils of Mirkwood and Ilandros, making trade agreements and sharing whatever knowledge might be useful to the other kingdom.
Thranduil discovered that the eastern King had a rather bawdy sense of humor that belied his elegant, exotic appearance, and he liked him even more for it.
Legolas and Isalith roamed the palace and its grounds freely that day, and they became even more inseparable. Although Isalith was slightly older than the Mirkwood Prince, it was Legolas who was the more gregarious of the two. At the ages of fifty seven and sixty three years respectively, Legolas and Isalith were approximately the size of a human boy at the age of eight. The sight of the two small Elves as they walked, each with an arm around the other’s shoulder, brought a smile to the face of everyone who witnessed it.
As the two Princes neared the archery field and training grounds, Belorfilad and Uriong, the two Captains of Thranduil’s and Tyrion’s Royal Guards, were engaged in a sparring match using a fighting style never before seen in Mirkwood, as their warriors sat in a large circle around them, watching. Moving slowly, black-haired Uriong advanced on Belorfilad, bringing his fists up in a series of blows as the blonde Captain blocked or fended off one after the other.
“Again,” Uriong said, and the two Captains took their stances and began the routine anew, a little faster this time. They did this repeatedly, increasing the pace each time, until Uriong’s hands became a blur that couldn’t be followed even by keen Elven eyesight, and Belorfilad would’ve been struck squarely in the jaw if Uriong hadn’t possessed the control to stop his fist at the last second.
The Mirkwood Captain froze, his eyes wide as he stared at the fist suspended just a breath away from his face.
“I did not even see that coming!” he exclaimed.
Uriong chuckled as he lowered his arms. “The speed comes with practice, my friend, but now you have the foundation of our fighting style. Action and reaction. There is no thinking, there is no planning. When your enemy attacks, react. Do not watch his hands or his body to see what he will do. Watch his eyes; it is all there. Ah! Good morning, young Masters!” he added, on seeing Legolas and Isalith where they stood just beyond the circle of seated warriors. They all leapt lightly to their feet when they learned that they were in the presence of their Princes, and bowed their heads in veneration.
“Good morning,” Legolas called out, waving happily and running toward the group of warriors. Isalith remained behind, standing uncertainl the the edge of the field. When the Mirkwood Prince realized his friend wasn’t following, he stopped and turned to him.
“Come on, Isalith,” he said encouragingly and stretched out his hand toward him. The black-haired Prince beamed happily, and ran to his new friend, placing his hand in Legolas’. In spite of being slightly older, Isalith was smaller than the Prince of Mirkwood, and much more reserved.
“Belorfilad, what is it you were doing just now? I have never seen that before!” Legolas asked, excitement making him breathless.
“I think Captain Uriong is better suited to explain it to you, my Prince,” the blonde warrior smiled.
Uriong lowered himself to one knee before the Elven boys. He explained patiently, “It is called Tie` Sere`, the Path of Peace, and it is very old.”
Legolas shook his head in wonder. “No one in Mirkwood knows how to do *that*,” he said emphatically.
Uriong leaned in close to the blonde Prince, and said conspiratorially, “It may surprise you to learn, your Highness, that no one in Ilandros knows how to do *archery*.”
Legolas’ mouth fell open. “No,” he said in disbelief.
“‘Tis true. We have no knowledge of long distance weaponry. So you see, there is much we can learn from each other,” Uriong added.
Legolas considered this for a moment, and then nodded seriously. Belorfilad smiled at the grave expression on the Prince’s face. Tilting his head he asked, “And where do your travels take you today, Majesties?”
“Legolas is showing me where the ollo berries grow!” Isalith piped up, and every member of the Ilandros Guard turned his face to him in surprise. Their Prince *never* spoke up in this way, and never with such confidence.
A pleased smile spread across Uriong’s handsome face, radiant against the warm bronze of his skin. It did his heart good to see little Isalith behaving as a child should, light-hearted and without a care. He’d always been far too somber and withdrawn for one of his age, and Uriong vowed that this night, before retiring, he would include a special prayer for Prince Legolas, in gratitude for his obviously nurturing friendship.
“Indeed?” he asked. “That must be a truly magnificent sight.”
“Your Majesty,” Belorfilad spoke in a voice tinged with concern, “you *will* be careful, will you not?”
“Of course,” Legolas replied good-naturedly. “We will remain on the ground below, I give you my word. Come, Isalith, or we shall not be back in time for the midday meal,” and clasping hands again, they bid the warriors goodbye and ran laughing into the forest at the edge of the palace grounds.
Belorfilad waited until they were out of sight before turning to two of his soldiers, and gave them a silent signal. They nodded, and ran swiftly in the same direction as the two Princes. They understood that they were to remain unseen, yet keep their young charges in their sight at all times.
Uriong stood and turned to the Mirkwood Captain. “We will remain on the ground below?” he echoed Legolas’ words questioningly.
“’Ollo’ means ‘cliff’,” Belorfilad explained. “The berry of that bush is much loved by our Prince, and used to be readily available, but it now grows only from the side of a very steep cliff. All attempts to transplant the bush have failed, and King Thranduil has issued a ban on the gathering of its fruit, for safety’s sake. But Prince Legolas has given his word that they will not go near it, and his word can always be trusted. Besides,” he added smiling, “Deleng and Tadrien will guard them closely.” He laid an affectionate hand on Uriong’s shoulder. “And now, my friend, are you and your soldiers ready for your first archery lesson?”
The raven-haired Elf glanced around at his Guards before replying with another dazzling smile, “My good Captain Belorfilad, we thought you would never ask.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CHAPTER 2
The following day was spent on meetings between the Kings and Councils of Mirkwood and Ilandros, making trade agreements and sharing whatever knowledge might be useful to the other kingdom.
Thranduil discovered that the eastern King had a rather bawdy sense of humor that belied his elegant, exotic appearance, and he liked him even more for it.
Legolas and Isalith roamed the palace and its grounds freely that day, and they became even more inseparable. Although Isalith was slightly older than the Mirkwood Prince, it was Legolas who was the more gregarious of the two. At the ages of fifty seven and sixty three years respectively, Legolas and Isalith were approximately the size of a human boy at the age of eight. The sight of the two small Elves as they walked, each with an arm around the other’s shoulder, brought a smile to the face of everyone who witnessed it.
As the two Princes neared the archery field and training grounds, Belorfilad and Uriong, the two Captains of Thranduil’s and Tyrion’s Royal Guards, were engaged in a sparring match using a fighting style never before seen in Mirkwood, as their warriors sat in a large circle around them, watching. Moving slowly, black-haired Uriong advanced on Belorfilad, bringing his fists up in a series of blows as the blonde Captain blocked or fended off one after the other.
“Again,” Uriong said, and the two Captains took their stances and began the routine anew, a little faster this time. They did this repeatedly, increasing the pace each time, until Uriong’s hands became a blur that couldn’t be followed even by keen Elven eyesight, and Belorfilad would’ve been struck squarely in the jaw if Uriong hadn’t possessed the control to stop his fist at the last second.
The Mirkwood Captain froze, his eyes wide as he stared at the fist suspended just a breath away from his face.
“I did not even see that coming!” he exclaimed.
Uriong chuckled as he lowered his arms. “The speed comes with practice, my friend, but now you have the foundation of our fighting style. Action and reaction. There is no thinking, there is no planning. When your enemy attacks, react. Do not watch his hands or his body to see what he will do. Watch his eyes; it is all there. Ah! Good morning, young Masters!” he added, on seeing Legolas and Isalith where they stood just beyond the circle of seated warriors. They all leapt lightly to their feet when they learned that they were in the presence of their Princes, and bowed their heads in veneration.
“Good morning,” Legolas called out, waving happily and running toward the group of warriors. Isalith remained behind, standing uncertainl the the edge of the field. When the Mirkwood Prince realized his friend wasn’t following, he stopped and turned to him.
“Come on, Isalith,” he said encouragingly and stretched out his hand toward him. The black-haired Prince beamed happily, and ran to his new friend, placing his hand in Legolas’. In spite of being slightly older, Isalith was smaller than the Prince of Mirkwood, and much more reserved.
“Belorfilad, what is it you were doing just now? I have never seen that before!” Legolas asked, excitement making him breathless.
“I think Captain Uriong is better suited to explain it to you, my Prince,” the blonde warrior smiled.
Uriong lowered himself to one knee before the Elven boys. He explained patiently, “It is called Tie` Sere`, the Path of Peace, and it is very old.”
Legolas shook his head in wonder. “No one in Mirkwood knows how to do *that*,” he said emphatically.
Uriong leaned in close to the blonde Prince, and said conspiratorially, “It may surprise you to learn, your Highness, that no one in Ilandros knows how to do *archery*.”
Legolas’ mouth fell open. “No,” he said in disbelief.
“‘Tis true. We have no knowledge of long distance weaponry. So you see, there is much we can learn from each other,” Uriong added.
Legolas considered this for a moment, and then nodded seriously. Belorfilad smiled at the grave expression on the Prince’s face. Tilting his head he asked, “And where do your travels take you today, Majesties?”
“Legolas is showing me where the ollo berries grow!” Isalith piped up, and every member of the Ilandros Guard turned his face to him in surprise. Their Prince *never* spoke up in this way, and never with such confidence.
A pleased smile spread across Uriong’s handsome face, radiant against the warm bronze of his skin. It did his heart good to see little Isalith behaving as a child should, light-hearted and without a care. He’d always been far too somber and withdrawn for one of his age, and Uriong vowed that this night, before retiring, he would include a special prayer for Prince Legolas, in gratitude for his obviously nurturing friendship.
“Indeed?” he asked. “That must be a truly magnificent sight.”
“Your Majesty,” Belorfilad spoke in a voice tinged with concern, “you *will* be careful, will you not?”
“Of course,” Legolas replied good-naturedly. “We will remain on the ground below, I give you my word. Come, Isalith, or we shall not be back in time for the midday meal,” and clasping hands again, they bid the warriors goodbye and ran laughing into the forest at the edge of the palace grounds.
Belorfilad waited until they were out of sight before turning to two of his soldiers, and gave them a silent signal. They nodded, and ran swiftly in the same direction as the two Princes. They understood that they were to remain unseen, yet keep their young charges in their sight at all times.
Uriong stood and turned to the Mirkwood Captain. “We will remain on the ground below?” he echoed Legolas’ words questioningly.
“’Ollo’ means ‘cliff’,” Belorfilad explained. “The berry of that bush is much loved by our Prince, and used to be readily available, but it now grows only from the side of a very steep cliff. All attempts to transplant the bush have failed, and King Thranduil has issued a ban on the gathering of its fruit, for safety’s sake. But Prince Legolas has given his word that they will not go near it, and his word can always be trusted. Besides,” he added smiling, “Deleng and Tadrien will guard them closely.” He laid an affectionate hand on Uriong’s shoulder. “And now, my friend, are you and your soldiers ready for your first archery lesson?”
The raven-haired Elf glanced around at his Guards before replying with another dazzling smile, “My good Captain Belorfilad, we thought you would never ask.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++