To Live Again: The Road to War {Lord of the Rings Fanfiction}|

20. Blood on the Blade

"A little higher ion nin...that's it now," Thranduil praises a delighted Legolas as he hits a nearby target fixed to a young oak sapling. "Excellent, very well done, I shall be putting you to use in the guard soon if you continue like this."

"Thranduil would you stop encouraging him," I sigh from my lounged position on the soft grass. Thranduil tilts his head towards me lazily and tries to supress a smirk; he knows how much I loathe the idea of Legolas being involved in the guard.

"He is very talented meleth, you should be proud," He reminds me causally before turning his attention back to his son, and the poor guardsman that has been assigned to security duty with the royal family this weekend, as we gallivant around our private forest home. Rui is his name, and he is one of those silent and professional types, doing exactly as he is ordered to do, even if that order is to entertain a young princeling all afternoon with target practice.

With a slight frown I return to my task of teaching Celairiel the art of daisy chain making. My nine month old elfling grows so fast that it is hard for me to wrap my head around her development. She can walk, run and play easily now, and she speaks quite plainly too, still in a childish manner of course but her vocabulary broadens every day. I suppose to a mortal she would appear, physically, like a toddler, but intellectually she would be far more superior. Sometimes I fancy she is very bright even in comparison to her own kin, but I am terribly biased and one sided of course.

"I have brought some more daisies," Elbes crows as she lops across the small clearing - not far from my wonderful tree house - carting an apron full of flowers.

"Wonderful Ellie, we shall all wear daisy crowns this evening and dance with fairies," I proclaim then chuckle when Elbes gives me a befuddled look as she sinks down on the ground beside us.

"What are fairies my lady?" She asks innocently with wide eyed wonderment. I go to open my mouth to explain but my daughter interjects.

"Magic," Celairiel chimes brightly and looks up at me with those hypnotic eyes, which I could quite easily describe as magic. Her smile broadens, creating two perfect little dimples in her cheeks as she waves her hands above head. This is how she explains magic, she tells me that magic is in the air and that she can feel it...ah I love the imagination of children.

"Yes that is right, Fairies are magic creatures Ellie you must know this?" I giggle and Celairiel grins excitedly at the hand maiden that she has become quite close to. Of all my maids Elbes is who my daughter favours, I believe this is because the elleth loves telling stories and playing along in her vivid imaginings.

"No I do not, please tell me more, and how can I find one?" Ellie chuckles and sets about appearing all enthralled in the tale of the make believe fairies that live in the wood.

"Oh you cannot find a fairy, they find you, and they will only come dance with you if you believe in them," I tell both my maid and my daughter, who listen with rapt attention. "But you mustn't trust them, they are mischievous little sprites, you must always be careful not to let them put a fairy blessing on you; for that can bring both good fortune and ill tidings. Be pleasant and respectful to the little winged people, for a fairy can hold a grudge for a very long time and will not let the culprit forget in a hurry. I knew a lovely red headed boy once, who cursed a fairy, and the next day he awoke to find all his hair and fallen out and he had wart on his nose...they say the fairies did that."

"Oh, that is complete nonsense!"

Conien, my more practical hand maiden, stands with her arms folded tightly across her chest and her nose in the air. She has been scuttling around us all morning; fetching this and that, the elleth never takes a break, so I am surprised to find her pausing with intrigue over my story. I suppress a smirk when Celairiel narrows her eyes begrudgingly at the elleth who has upset her Nana's story.