"...then the generations that follow will know the stories of our past, and give hope and reassurance to those in the future." Haldir stretched his back and rubbed his neck, glancing up over the wall. From the clouds in the sky, it appeared there would be rain, but he did not dare lower the morale of the troops. Looking around at the small crowd that had assembled around him, he could not believe the vast differences in ages. Some had faces fair as elves, but were no higher than his shoulder, while others stooped with the many years they had spent in fields or bent over their anvils. He took in each of their faces, some with bold looks, some with bold looks covering fear, some with bold looks covering panic and despair. The little elfling inside of him wanted to stop this story before it even began, to go home to the tree where his Nana and Ada and brothers lived and to be rid of this horrible nightmare.
The proud and noble elf, however, merely sipped from the water skin that was passed to him and sent it to the next person in the circle. Something tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned his head ever so slightly to see one end of a Lorien bow resting over his armor. Pushing it away with the back of his hand he excused himself, much to the annoyance of the younger members of the army.
"You've got to tell us another! Please, m'lord!" begged one of the boys as he tugged on the crimson cape, a stable hand by the looks of him.
One of the older soldiers laughed and said, "Sit down, Garren, he'll not return if you act like that!" This brought on laughter as the boy stuck out his lip and plopped down on the ground, his straw-colored hair flopping back into place.
"I shall return, fear not," Haldir assured him. "Good sir, why do you not tell them a tale in my stead?" he asked of the soldier who had spoken.
"I should be the storyteller, then?" The soldier turned to another and asked, "Does he insinuate I have lived so long as to know so many tales?"
"Nay, Gamling, he's insinuating you can't stop talking, and might as well put your mouth to good use!" chuckled the second.
Haldir laughed with them, but then the impatient tapping began on his shoulder again, and he followed the insistent elf away from the crowd to a secluded part of the wall. "I have not seen your brothers. Did they not come with you?"
"Yes, good to see you, too, Legolas," Haldir smirked. "Faring well, I see," he continued as Legolas stepped away and rolled his eyes. "What, me? Well, the march was tiring, but we all arrived on time-"
"Alright, quit it." Legolas stomped back over. "How are you?"
"I am well, and yourself?"
"Peachy."
Haldir snorted. "Peachy? Where did that come from?"
Legolas shrugged. "I do not quite- Oh! It was something Ereinion used to say."
"Ereinion?"
"You know, Gil-Galad," said Legolas.
"You know Gil-Galad!"
"Knew, yes. Or, well..." Legolas trailed off and looked up toward the sky. "Lovely night for a battle, isn't it?"
Haldir shook his head. "Someday, I will find out how old you are."
"Not today," promised Legolas. "Ask me tomorrow."
"What if tomorrow does not come?" Haldir frowned upon saying the words, and Legolas put a hand upon his shoulder.
"You are afraid," whispered Legolas. Haldir bowed his head. "I am, too," he added, quickly averting his gaze as Haldir lifted his head. "Glad I am not the only one."
"There is nothing to worry about," Haldir said confidently, "now that you have a real bow instead of that toy your father gave you."
"Toy?!" Legolas motioned toward Haldir's sheathed sword. "And I suppose you have got a sharp one in their for once?"
"Well, I do not know... give me your hand, we will find out," he grinned, making to draw the blade. Legolas jumped back and laughed, sighing himself back into a state of apparent calm. "The lady said we need to make it to morning. If we can hold them off that long, all will be well," said Haldir. Legolas nodded, and the two elves walked back to the crowd that had been gathered to listen to stories.
"I have kept your place for you, Captain, though others wanted to sit here," said the youth who had begged him to return as Haldir and Legolas approached.
Haldir bowed his head. "I thank you. I wonder, you seem as if you might be the eldest in your family."
"My father is the eldest," he said solemnly. This gave way to more laughter, and Haldir was glad for it and joined in.
"No, the eldest of your siblings. Do you have brothers? Sisters?"
"Many!" replied the boy. "Why, I have four, and maybe another come the harvest months!"
"A family of six, that is quite a few," nodded Haldir. "What would you say to a family of seven?"
"Seven? Seven would be fine," said the boy. "There are a few families here with eight, one of nine! They have twice been blessed with twins," he added.
"Well, nine I could not begin to imagine," said Haldir, "for the largest family there ever was among the elves was seven- and all of them boys. They were the seven sons of Feanor." He waited to see if there was a flicker of recognition from anyone in the group. Opening his mouth to speak again, he silenced himself as the boy he had been speaking with recited:
"Maedhros, Maglor, Celegorm, Caranthir, Curufin, Amrod, and Amras." When no one said anything, the boy said, "I always thought them rather interesting, but I don't know much more than what was in a book my grandmother once read me, and it wasn't much."
"Let me tell you their stories," offered Haldir, wishing the sun would rise before the enemy came.
~End~
