Little Ones (VulcanSpock)

[SpicyPepper]

Lord Elrond of Rivendell was working quietly at his desk, going over plans and papers of a new training ground set to be designed. With the threat of evils still lurking in Middle Earth, it would be best if they were readily prepared. He had been working for a few hours straight since the early morning and even though his muscles slowly began to throb in protest about two hours ago, he continued with his writing and reading.

After finishing reading a ten page letter on weapon storage, he sat back in his chair, rubbing his eyes with one hand and reaching for a cup of tea with the other. The tea the lord had brought to him had its steam waft over his face as he took a sip, his body already beginning to relax. Elrond turned his head to a tall window and could see his foster son playing outside. He sniffed a laugh when Aragorn appeared to be fighting an imaginary foe, slashing at the air with a wooden sword.

His eyes drew up to the height of the sun in the sky, showing it was nearly lunchtime by now. Elrond stood; stretching his arms and cracking his neck and back before exiting his study. The beautifully crafted hall he walked down echoed his steps as the elf made his way to a small side entrance of the palace.

“Estel,” Elrond called from the door. “It is time for lunch, little one.”

Legolas was an elfling with blue eyes, bright blond hair, and a energetic spirit. Right now he was playing in his father’s study as the King of Mirkwood read over a few papers and letters. He had set up two armies to fight against one another, one of orcs and one of elves. Little legs kicked in the air as Legolas lay on his stomach, making the two armies fight and battles against one another.

Not only was he playing with his soldiers, but a piece of paper and pencil was near by his side. Whenever his Ada wasn’t looking he would bring his paper back in front of him and draw. This drawing was especially for Thranduil and Legolas wanted to keep it a surprise, hiding the paper once more if the older elf made any kind of movement. Once it was safe, Legolas would look at his Ada, then back to his paper and then to his father once more. The elfling was drawing the king as he sat at his desk and worked, working specially hard on it and adding thick eyebrows as one of his Ada's most prominent features.

[KingCrowley]

Estel usually played by himself out in the courtyard, his little wooden sword grasped firmly in his hand. And of course, like any other happy child, he was yelling at the top of his lungs, as if it was all real to him, "Bowman! Shoot down the Orc! Show that Oaf what Rivendell can do!" he said, as though speaking to an army behind him. Then suddenly his play was interrupted as Lord Elrond walked to the entrance and called him inside.

"Aw.." he answered but made no move to disobey. He tucked his sword under his arm and bounced over, "You shoulda seen it Ada! I got an entire Army to gang up on just one Orc! The oaf didn't have a chance!" he beamed, showing signs of dirt and grass over his clothes and his olive skin.

"What's for lunch Ada?" he asked curiously, wiping his dirty hands on his shirt.

****

Thranduil smiled softly to himself as he heard his little one playing with his soldiers, the imagination of a child truly was a wondrous thing. Of course, he noticed that Legolas was happily drawing away, but he couldn't be sure what he was drawing. Luckily he wasn't in any rush to go anywhere, so he stayed sat at his study desk, reading an old book on the History of Rivendell. A bit of light reading to pass the time, and not a task at all.

"Legolas, ion nin," he spoke softly, looking over to his adorable, fair child. "It is nearing the middle of the day, perhaps you would like something to eat now? I think we should have lunch." he decided and slowly stood, unaware that would sort of ruin Legolas' plans to complete his portrait.

[SpicyPepper]

Elrond smiled as his son obediently came over to him, beaming and describing his accomplishments to him. "Did you now? My, my, he most certainly had no chance at all." He said as his son got closer.

"Hmm," Elrond hummed, examining the dirt and grime on his son. Estel could find a way to get dirty in the cleanest of areas, so Elrond wasn't surprised when his son came in dirty "There is trout, potatoes and sweet bread for lunch; but perhaps we shall bathe you before we eat." The lord said, wrapping an arm around Estel's smaller shoulders despite the dirt and began to lead to his chambers.

~*~

Legolas was working on his drawing, sticking his tongue out in concentration when his Ada spoke to him. He nearly jumped and quickly pushed the paper off to the side and hopefully out of Thranduil's view, though the elfling didn't know his father already knew of his drawing.

"Um," Legolas began hesitantly, not wanting his father to move from that spot. "Maybe we could wait for lunch a bit? I am not that hungry right now..." The little elfling's eyes widened when his father began to move. "No, wait! Ada, sit back down!" Legolas begged with large blue eyes.

[KingCrowley]

Estel grinned and nodded his head, "No, not even a single chance!" he answered back and then jumped up and down on the balls of his feet when he explained what they were having for lunch, "Yay! I love trout and potatoes and sweet bread, Ada!" he told him, which he seemed to tell him a lot. But then Elrond decided that Estel was to bathe first and the child was not happy about that.

"What? Nooo! Not a bath, Ada! I'm so hungry! I might starve and die!" he told him with a whimper, resisting walking along.

***

Thranduil was surprised when Legolas said he wasn't that hungry right then, that was a bit odd. He then stood and rose a brow when the small elf begged him to sit back down. Without questioning why, Thranduil nodded and seated himself once more, "Is that to your liking ion nin?" he asked with an amused smile. Legolas was a funny little thing, but then again most kids were. "Whatever are you doing Legolas? And why can I not stand?" he asked curiously, wondering what the little prince was up to.

"Now I know that you would much rather rush to the dining hall and eat salmon, potatoes, carrots and peas." he said with a smirk.

[SpicyPepper]

Elrond nearly rolled his eyes at his son's protests of taking a bath. As much as Estel loved getting dirty, he hated taking a bath with equal measure, especially if it meant he had to postpone eating in favor of being cleaned. He had been so since he was a small child.

"Estel," Elrond began, unwrapping his arm from the boy's shoulder and reaching down to grab the child's hand. "You need to look presentable for lunch. You cannot eat while dirty with such unruly hair." Elrond commented, brushing some of the tangled pieces of hair out of his son's face. They continued to walk down the hallway, making it the base of the winding stairs that lead to where the chambers would be.

~*~

Legolas let out a sigh of relief when his father sat back down; it looked like the picture wouldn't be off by much or any at all. "Yes, Ada...much better." He looked at his drawing at his side and back to his father. "Uhh..read that book again." He said, lining Thranduil's position once more before trying to continue.

"I am doing nothing, Ada." Legolas said, biting back a smile. "I just like it when you sit and read...you look so relaxed."

Legolas slowly brought his head up when his father spoke of the menu of lunch. "Salmon?" He asked, as it was his favorite fish to eat. "I do, Ada! I want lunch! Umm..." He looked from his drawing and back to Thranduil, adding a few more details before finishing his masterpiece.

[KingCrowley]

Estel continued to whine and moan, he did hate taking a bath, nearly all little boys did. Elves were just weird beings who liked to be clean all the time. "Nothing wrong with my hair!" he snapped back and moved away as Elrond reached out to brush his hair out of his face, "I'm a warrior Ada! I'm supposed to be filthy!" he told him with a tremendous pout, not happy at all that he had to get all clean and soapy.

"I wanna eat nooooooow!" he whined, he could even smell the waft of the food coming from the hall, it was calling to him, "Adaaaaa!"

***

Thranduil rose a brow but nodded, picking up the book and he continued reading from where he'd last stopped reading, wondering what his young son was up to, but he had a feeling that Legolas wasn't going to tell him, and he would respect his son's wishes for it to be a surprise of some sort. "You like it when I sit and read? Is that so, little one?" he asked with a small chuckle and just continued to read.

After a while, Thranduil began to get hungry, "Legolas, I hope you are finished because we really must get lunch." he told him, standing and this time having no intentions of sitting back down if he was told to do so. "Come ion nin, you must wash before we eat." he told the elfling and walked over.

"Now, what have you been doing all this time?"

[SpicyPepper]

Elrond moved his hand away from his son when he protested that nothing was wrong with his hair. "Your hair is all over, little one. We shall brush it out once your bath is done." The lord actually had to bite back a smile at the pout his son gave, but kept his face neutral and rose a brow. "Is that so? Well I am a warrior and I most certainly am not filthy."

"Estel," Elrond began with his warning tone. "You will listen and obey your Ada, understand? I am sure you don't want to be squirming in your seat at the table." The lord said seriously to his son.

~*~

"Uh-huh." The elfling said, not looking up from his drawing once Thranduil got back into position. "I like it when you sit and read."

As the minutes passed, Legolas began to grow hungry as well, his stomach making growling noises in protest of being empty. But he continued to draw, making it perfect for his father to view.

The elfing nodded. "Almost finiiiiiished..." He drew out as Thranduil came over to him. After adding a few more strokes of his pencil to thicken Thranduil's eyebrows, he happily sat up, admiring his hard work. He beamed when his father came over, a few pencil smudges on his face and hands. "For you." Legolas said, holding the picture up towards his Ada.

[KingCrowley]

Estel frowned, "I do not want my hair combed, I want to eat!" he whined unhappily and stomped along beside Elrond, shaking his head, "You're an elf, it's different." he told him when Elrond said he was a warrior and not filthy. "I mean like a super tough warrior that fights in mud and stuff!" he grinned but his grin was soon wiped when told that he was to listen and obey.

The boy just scowled in response and went silent when he mentioned him squirming, deciding he wasn't going to speak to his Ada ever again, he was a meanie head!

***

Thranduil stood after a while, his hunger becoming too much to handle and he told Legolas that it was time for lunch, not willing to hear any protests from the little elfling this time. He waited around a bit when the boy said he was almost finished, Thranduil thinking he could spare the lad a few minutes more. Then finally he was done, and Thranduil was presented with a drawing.

He frowned and took it, his frown being replaced with a proud smile when he gazed upon the artwork of his son, "Oh Legolas, this is so wonderful, and so well done." he told him, leaning down and kissing his cheek, "I shall keep it with me always, I shall have it framed and put in my chambers." he told the lad and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Now, I believe we should wash, Legolas."

[SpicyPepper]

Elrond shook his head when Estel began to stomp like some small elfling. "Estel, stop behaving like a whiny toddler." He said, leading his son up the stairs. The lord had to bite back yet another smile when Estel explained exactly what type of warrior he was. "A super tough one? Hmm well even the toughest have to been clean some of the time; the enemies would run away from the smell and the poor little warrior would have no one to fight at all." Elrond smirked, trying to get a bath to sound appealing.

"You are going to take a bath, little one. Then we will have lunch." Elrond said.

~*~

Legolas stood, watching his Ada look over his artwork. His heart skipped a beat when his father frowned at first, but his chest then grew with warmth once Thranduil smiled at it. "You really like it, Ada?" Legolas beamed, his smile only growing more when the older elf said he would have it framed and placed in his chambers.

"But, Ada." Legolas began to protest at being told he should wash. "I don't need to...oh..." The elfling looked at his hands and arms, seeing they were covered with pencil smudges. He smiled sheepishly at his father. "I guess I was messier than I thought.."

[KingCrowley]

Estel was set on never speaking to his Ada again, but then he mentioned about the warriors having no one to fight because of the bad smell and he had to think about that one. He was little and of course he thought everything his Ada said was true. "Really? Well....I guess that makes sense, Ada...I don't wanna have no one to fight." he told him and stripped out of his messy clothes then got his naked self into the warm bath water.

"Ada...please don't get the soap in my eyes...I hate it when that happens..." he whined.

***

Thranduil nodded his head, "I love it ion nin." he answered sincerely and kept a hold of the well made drawing before then raising a brow when his little one began to protest the wash. But he soon realized he was covered in pencil smudges and he had to chuckle, "Indeed you are, but it is no matter, for it can be simply rectified." he told him and walked him to the bathroom, helping him up to reach the sink.

"Okay, now wash your hands and your face, and then we will go and get lunch, my son." he told him gently.