Faramir Fiction Archive

Elves, Orcs and the Road to Recovery

Written by KC

06 November 2004 | 58662 words

Part 20

Haldamir, who had kept to the wall during the entire event, saw Legolas' fright then flight, and smirked. Turning to leave he caught sight of Glorfindel who pinned him with a look that made the blood drain from the young elf's face. The Rivendell Seneschal walked over to the youth and grabbed him by the point of his elven ear.

"We, pen-neth, are going to have a long… discussion," Glorfindel growled as he pulled the pointed ear, the terrified and yelping elf attached, through a doorway at the end of the feasting hall into a small room.

Maglor watched Glorfindel march the young one away, confident that the Rivendell Seneschal would find out what the youth had done to so incite his Thranduilion's temper.

"Well!" Gandalf exclaimed as he and Elrond walked over to Maglor. "I think there is more to this night's events than we are privy to at present."

Maglor nodded slowly and then looked at Gandalf. The Seneschal's eyes moved from the wizard's drooping hat laden down with liquid, to the wizard's robes and downwards to the floor, lingering on the growing puddle of punch forming around Gandalf's feet.

"One smirk out of you, mellon-nin, either of you" Gandalf corrected as he glared at the Mirkwood Seneschal and then Elrond, "and you will both find out how much strength there is left in this old wizard yet!"

Both Elrond and Maglor kept impressively passive faces giving the angry wizard no ammunition that could be used against them. Glaring again at one then the other, Gandalf huffed finally and marched out of the feasting hall and off to his room to divest himself of the uncomfortably wet clothing and bathe.

Upon the wizard's departure, Lord and Seneschal broke out into sheepish grins.

"Go find your elfling, mellon-nin," Elrond chuckled as he looked up to where Legolas had made his escape onto the roof. "I would offer assistance but I know from past experience that the trees will not give up the location of their distressed wood elfling. But they may to another wood elf…" Both elves turned abruptly to the doors at the end of the hall as the familiar sound of hand spanking bare flesh, and the cries of a young elf, were heard. "It seems Glorfindel has got to the *bottom* of the issue," Elrond said with a certain amount of satisfaction.

---

The Rivendell Lord had been correct in his belief that the trees would not give up the location of their wood elfling Maglor thought as he continued to search for his wayward young charge. It had taken all his powers of persuasion and patience to pry the information from the trees. After many hours searching the Seneschal finally found his young charge high up in an ancient oak, sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest cradled in a hollow.

"Well, tithen-pen," Maglor said softly as he sat down on the branch just under the hollow in which the still distressed elfling was sulking, "your temper has led to some rather spectacular consequences this evening," he added with a glint of humour in his eyes.

"How does he do it?" Legolas asked with both annoyance and bewilderment evident in his voice.

"Who, tithen-pen?" Maglor asked in return.

"Every time I lose my temper he is there to bear witness," Legolas said sullenly.

Maglor nodded slowly in understanding.

"He did more than bear witness tonight, tithen-pen," the Seneschal replied with an even more prominent glint in his eye, "he was fair dripping in it!"

Legolas groaned burying his face in his knees.

"So, Thranduilion. What do you have to say for yourself?" Maglor asked the groaning elfling.

"I lost my temper," Legolas mumbled into his knees.

"You have your father's talent for understatement, pen-neth," the Seneschal chuckled. "Why did you lose your temper?" Legolas explained about the taunting at the archery lesson and the deliberate push at the feast. "Come here, elfling," Maglor coaxed, opening his arms inviting his elfling into a much-needed hug. Legolas moved out of the hollow, sat beside Maglor and was enveloped in the Seneschal's arms. "I am proud of you for not losing your temper earlier this day but wish you could have controlled it at the feast."

"I am sorry, Maglor," Legolas said contritely.

"I know, tithen-pen. You must needs return and face the consequences, whatever they may be," Maglor replied. Legolas nodded in understanding.

The two Mirkwood elves made their way back to the feasting hall. They were met at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the hall by Glorfindel and Haldamir. The Rivendell Seneschal looked ever the warrior as he stood at the foot of the stairs although he still wore the tunic that bore the stains sustained from the flying dessert. Haldamir looked both subdued and as if he had been crying.

"You found him then… finally, mellon-nin," Glorfindel said, humour evident in his eyes.

"The trees were less than co-operative in divulging his whereabouts," Maglor explained.

"And you a wood elf!" the Rivendell Seneschal chuckled. Maglor's eyes went skyward at Glorfindel's teasing. "On the subject of wood elves, this young one," Glorfindel said turning serious as he guided the young elf to stand before the Mirkwood elves "needs to make an apology to the Prince of Mirkwood. It seems that he has made some very impolitic comments about wood elves, knowingly within the Prince's hearing, borne out of jealousy of Legolas' prowess with bow and arrow. The same jealousy that led him to push Legolas at the feast and thus biting off more than he could chew by inciting the famous Thranduil temper, with all the resultant mayhem that normally entails," Glorfindel added as he looked at Legolas intently causing the young prince to blush to the very tips of his elven ears and lower his head in embarrassment.

"I am sorry for my actions, Prince Legolas," Haldamir apologised as he continued to find the ground fascinating.

"I am sorry too," Legolas replied, although the young prince's wording fooled neither Maglor nor Glorfindel for he was more likely to be sorry for the other's actions than his own, only the rather startling consequences of his own actions.

Haldamir looked to Glorfindel for permission to leave. Glorfindel nodded but then put a hand on the young elf's shoulder, turned him around and gave the young one a brief hug before sending him on his way. Haldamir smiled tentatively at the Seneschal before turning and escaping up the stairs to the hall.

"I apologise Lord Glorfindel," Legolas said, genuinely contrite. "You came close to being hurt and your… " Legolas finished the sentence by waving at the dessert stains on the Seneschal's tunic.

"Apology accepted, pen-neth," Glorfindel said as he gathered the contrite prince into a hug. "As punishment I will expect you to spend tomorrow mucking out the stables."

"Yes sir," Legolas sighed as he returned the hug. One down, two to go he thought.

The two Mirkwood elves went in search of Lord Elrond; finding him eventually in his study. Legolas knocked on the door tentatively.

"Come," Lord Elrond's voice, bid him enter. Legolas looked at Maglor who made a shooing motion for Legolas to deal with the Lord of Rivendell by himself. The young Mirkwood prince gave the Seneschal his best helpless baby rabbit look. Maglor replied with a look that indicated that he was not buying. Legolas sighed and entered.

"Ah, there you are pen-neth," Elrond said he beckoned the young prince forward to where he was sitting in a chair by the fireside, reaching out for both of Legolas' hands. "You have had a busy evening, hmmmm?"

Legolas blushed again, bowing his head in embarrassment; seeing again the image of the Lord of Rivendell seemingly unhampered by his long flowing robes, jump adroitly out of the way of the falling candelabra.

"I apologise for my behaviour tonight, Lord Elrond… " the Mirkwood prince began.

"Apology accepted, tithen-pen," Elrond said, forestalling any further apologies. "Glorfindel explained all that occurred and although I am disappointed that you lost your temper, I can understand why you did and I will not add to the punishment I think you can expect from Mithrandir."

"Thank you, sir," Legolas winced and gulped at the thought of what Gandalf was likely to do to him. Still holding both of Legolas' hands, Elrond pulled the young elf into a comforting hug.

When Legolas finally left the study, Maglor put a supporting arm around the young elf's shoulders as they proceeded to Gandalf's room. Legolas knocked on the door quietly, hoping that the wizard was asleep.

"It is about time you rapscallion, get in here!" came the wizard's booming voice from the other side of the door. Legolas rested his head on the door, steeling himself to enter. Maglor again waited outside whilst Legolas went in to face Gandalf alone.

Legolas walked over to the wizard who, like Lord Elrond had been, was sitting on a chair by the fireside, and stopped just outside the wizard's reach.

"I apologise for my actions this evening, Gandalf," Legolas said, not able to look the wizard in the eye.

"Come here, Legolas," Mithrandir said gently as he held out his arms. Legolas accepted the invitation and was soon enveloped in the wizard's arms and sitting upon his lap.

"You are your father's son, young one. And you more than anyone, Thranduilion, must needs learn to control your temper, for unlike your father when you lose your temper, havoc and mayhem *always* follow."

Legolas would like to have argued that that assertion was not necessarily true, as havoc and mayhem only seemed to follow when the wizard was also present but wisely kept quiet, thinking that Gandalf would not appreciate the theory.

"All right, young one. Let us see to your chastisement," Gandalf said gently.

Legolas sighed, stood, loosened the ties of his leggings, pushed them down to his knees and lowered himself back over Gandalf's lap. The wizard wasted no time in beginning the punishment by landing the first swats to the elf's exposed buttocks. Legolas gasped at the strength of the swats but was relieved, if only temporarily, that they were not as hard as those of Maglor. It was not long though before it no longer mattered who hit harder and the elf was whimpering and squirming. The whimpers turned to sobs when Gandalf moved to the elfling's thighs. After a few more swats to Legolas' 'sit spot', the wizard ended the punishment. Pulling up the elf's leggings, Gandalf turned him over and gathered the still sobbing elf into his arms, all the while crooning soothing words of forgiveness.

After the truly horrendous day the poor young elf had experienced, exhausted, Legolas' eyes glazed over as he fell into reverie in the arms of the wizard. After a short while, Maglor entered and smiled at the sight of his young one being cradled by the crusty old wizard.

---

"It seems my brother has not changed," Faramir laughed merrily remembering the tale Legolas had recounted so reluctantly to him and Elessar about the mayhem caused when, in anger, he shot an arrow into a wasp's nest. "He can still create the greatest amount mayhem with amazingly little effort and absolutely no premeditation on his part."

It was at that moment the hunting party returned. Faramir was surprised to see Elessar, very wet and seething as he dismounted from his horse and foist the reins into the hands of a soldier who looked as if he was attempting, very hard, to subdue a smile that was threatening to break out across his face. Legolas on the other hand was looking subdued and decidedly guilty as he dismounted and Thranduil had a definite twinkle in his eyes as he jumped lightly from his horse. Maglor, who had been busying himself around the camp, took one look at Estel, Legolas and Thranduil, and produced 'Faramir's Bane' from what appeared to be thin air and handed it to Estel. Aragorn accepted the paddle from Maglor with a nod, turned and stormed off into the forest in a direction very familiar to Faramir. Legolas whimpered on seeing the paddle, glared at Maglor for a moment, before reluctantly following Estel when his friend growled.

"Legolas!!"

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