Through Wind and Fire (LOTR)

VII

kindred spirit: a person whose interests or attitudes are similar to one's own

(Merriam-Webster's Dictionary)

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Thranduil had the tendency to be an overprotective father that little children whine and whine about. Only, he was a million times worse. And Legolas hated it with a fiery passion that burnt inside his soul.

Legolas had just celebrated his three hundredth name day celebration, and Thranduil still refused to let him join the guard. For the love of Elbereth, does he not realise that I am no longer a child?  ran through his mind quite often.

He did recall that he tumbled out of a tree yesterday, a rather childish feat, but that was not his fault. It was the blasted baby elk his father insisted on raising within the palace walls. The little animal had begun to climb up the tree Legolas was in, and it had made a terrible sound that scared the ellon half to death. The elk was rather charming, he had to admit, with its little eyes and nuzzling mouth, but it made a most unearthly noise when in distress. There was another problem, for the elk seemed to think Legolas' green tunic was food, constantly trying to nibble on it. Truth be told, Legolas was more frightened of the elk that he was of ellith.  In spite of his sometimes elfling-like actions, he knew he was more than readily equipped to join the guard, and grew impatient for the day his father would approve his application.

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Thranduil knew the horrors of fighting, the horrors of war. When his wife was once imprisoned in some orcs that gathered at Gundabad, he was the victim of a fire-drake. Not one as great and mighty as Smaug, the last of his mighty kind, but still a horrifying thing. He had seen the wounds his beloved bore after her tenure in the dank dungeons of Gundabad, and he sported his own horrifying scar that covered the side of his face, given to him by the fire-drake himself. He saw the death and gore of the Battle of Dagorlad, seen the families grieving for the fallen, grieved for his own father. Such things he wished not on anyone, not even on his aggravating councillors. To suffer those terrors again, or have them be suffered by his son, was to be avoided at all costs. Legolas need not know why he was forbidden to join the guard. He was three hundred years old now, but Thranduil still feared to let him go. The day would soon come would Thranduil could shield him no longer, but today was not that day. He did not know when that day would come, but he did know he would have faced all those wars again, gone through the fire again, if only too see his wife again. If only they could have been one united family... 

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Fifty years later, Legolas sat sulking at his desk, staring aimlessly into space, a favourite pastime of his. He was so blessed by the Valar that he had to keep his father's ledgers whilst all his friends ran off to join the Forest Guard. Oh, how Felegon would brag. That ellon hated Legolas for reasons the prince knew not, and the two had a sort of unspoken rivalry. Except it was not exactly a rivalry, for Legolas could easily best Felegon in every area of combat and academics. Not the oral part, however.

Of all his faults, his inability to speak eloquently when put on the spot was the worst. No matter how hard Thranduil and his teachers tried to teach him the art of orating, the prince simply could not learn. Felegon was wonderful with that area, and that bothered Legolas so much, he wanted to scrape his eyes out.

As Legolas contemplated why his father did not let him do anything, Thranduil decided whether or not to allow a elleth to join the Forest Guard. Not many ellith had ever applied to join the guard, and most that did join were ridiculed and demolished by the ellyn. They simply were too kind and motherly for combat, it seemed. Thranduil had never rejected an elleth the chance to join the guard, and he figured he would keep it that way. Since he was going to allow this elleth in the guard, who was surely younger than Legolas, he decided it was time. Time to let his son see more of the world. He had always told his wife that it would do the child no good to keep him cooped up his whole life, and it was time to let him have more freedom. The King of Eryn Galen would rather keep his son a little elfling forever, but such things are impossible, and he was forced to let his son grow up. This Thranduil knew, however: if anything ever happened to Legolas, Thranduil would never forgive himself.