[Lord of the Rings] Green Leaf's Blessing

Legolas did not stay with his father for too long. As the chief of the southern border, his more responsibilities were reflected in his subordinates who were loyal to him.He only had time to call the servants for his father to send, so he followed those busy figures to the medical room without taking a break.

"How are they?" Legolas asked the chief physician again after the wounded were settled and their medicines changed.

"They should wake up after cleaning up the toxins left in the wound——I think..." The head doctor looked serious, as if he was not so confident in his speculation, "However, there is always a shadow lingering over me. My heart, Captain, everything is not as simple as it seems on the surface..."

Shadows linger in the hearts of each of them, Legolas thought of this, but he didn't say anything, he just smiled politely at the chief doctor to calm his uneasy emotions.

Turning around, he saw his father appearing at the door of the medical room.

"Legolas," Thranduil called softly to his son, "Go and rest, you look very tired, probably because you haven't slept all night?"

Legolas walked up to his father and looked up into those loving eyes: "Ada, you haven't slept yourself, have you?"

That gentle voice was accompanied by a hint of mischievous provocation and unwillingness. Thranduil snorted disdainfully, and put his hands on his son's shoulders: "I can't handle this kind of little boy with the ability to live thousands of years longer than you." Question? Go to rest, son, and be good."

When the soft lips opened, they unconsciously resumed the slight pout they had been a long time ago: "I'm not a child anymore, Ada."

"But you will always be my son." There was tenderness and pampering in the depths of his eyes, but the strength on his son's shoulders increased.

The young elf was silent for a moment, and then made a concession: "Then you also promise me, Ada, to have a good rest and sleep."

"Well, yes." Thranduil nodded naturally.

"You won't lie to me, Ada?" Legolas still looked at his father suspiciously.

"What do you say, Legolas? When have I lied to you?"

The corner of his mouth raised into a smile, but his smooth face was soon covered by dark clouds again: "Ada, I'm so worried... I can't see the threatening power clearly, but I can sense its power and terror..."

In nearly a thousand years of life, His Highness the heroic Green Leaf Prince has been used to showing all his doubts and anxieties unreservedly to the elf before him, his most trusted father.

Thranduil took his son's arm and personally sent him back to the bedroom. He watched him lie on the bed and closed his eyes, imprinting the kiss of blessing on his forehead, hoping to dispel the shadows and threats in his dream.That young face, which was hesitant even in his sleep, gave Thranduil mixed feelings: for so many years, he has devoted himself to protecting the green trees in the forest from evil, just as he guarded the clean and beautiful face in front of him. , those evil forces lurking in the dark are finally ready to move, can't help but challenge his power again, threaten and hurt his most precious treasure?

Thranduil sighed, he was never naive enough to expect that Middle-earth would remain so peaceful forever, but he didn't know if he had enough power to protect his child for a lifetime.

"I'm also... very scared." He gently sighed as he stroked the sleeping face with his fingertips.

Legolas woke up from a nightmare. In the dream, the thick shadows eroded the beautiful big green forest. The terrible force bound him in place and could not move. Except to witness and wait for his end with the forest. Can't do anything... He struggled to wake up from his dream, only to find that it was late at night, and his father had left him at some point.

Driven by the uneasiness in his heart, he hurriedly put on his coat and walked out of the room, and hurried to the medical room.After pushing the door and entering, the first thing he saw was a lot of forest warriors gathered in a circle, silently watching everything that was happening in the room—then he found his father among those busy figures, walking around to pass The doctors of various medicines are different. My father quietly closed his eyes and squatted next to a wounded elf, with a dignified and noble expression.Legolas suddenly understood what he was doing: His Majesty the Great King was doing everything in his power to save the lives of his subjects.

"Don't go, Legolas." Fino pressed the shoulder of the young elf who was in a daze, and stopped him from moving forward.

Time passed by every minute and every second, and it was an unbearable torture.Finally Thranduil finally opened his eyes, but the look in his eyes said everything in an instant - the young elf couldn't stand it anymore, broke free from Fino's grip, and hurried forward.

"I'm sorry, son," Thranduil's forehead was dripping with sweat, but he still stood firmly on the spot, "Even I can't save them—it's too late."

The young elf froze in place, his outstretched hand stopped in midair in vain, but he couldn't hold back anything.The doctors stepped forward to lift the body away from under his feet, his eyes moved feebly with their movements, and then saw more lifeless bodies at the foot of the wall.

Legolas' slender body seemed extraordinarily fragile at this moment. He staggered slightly, and leaned back feebly, but immediately touched the powerful chest—his father's arms caught him just in time. His shoulders, but Thranduil could stop his son from falling, but he couldn't stop the tears welling up in those clear blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, Captain," the chief physician couldn't help sobbing in a low voice, "We thought we had cleaned up all the toxins, but we didn't expect this poison to sneak deep under the skin like a cunning enemy. We were so negligent..."

"You can't blame anyone for this," Thranduil said calmly while supporting his son, "You don't even know what attacked these poor warriors, how can you expect yourself to be experienced enough to deal with everything? "

And I will not stop your tears, little green leaf, the father gently held the child's shoulders with his hands, and said silently in his heart, because you can't escape these things in your long life, although I don't want you to go through all of them.

That night, the forest elves sang a dirge all night, in memory of the departed brave comrades who fought side by side.Prince Green Leaf personally washed away the filthy wounds of these loyal subordinates, and put on clean and tidy clothes... But he couldn't even sing a single word. His Royal Highness left the crowd and came to the quiet lake alone.

He just stood by the lake like that, silently watching his own reflection reflected on the calm lake, until another taller figure came to him.

"Ada..." He turned his head slowly and raised his eyes to look at his father.

"I won't stop your grief," Thranduil said with a calm and serious face, "but how long do you want to grieve for them? Have you set a deadline for yourself, Legolas? Our lives are so long, and there are many more Things are waiting for us to do."

The young elf looked puzzled.

"You are their chief, His Royal Highness, and as a chief in command, you control their destiny. You must not only accept their success and fame in your hands, but also accept that they may Another fate created—you have to learn to live with both.”

Legolas looked at his father, the tall elf in front of him, everything he had experienced made him so small.He lowered his head in shame, but at the same time, he was full of deep respect and respect for his king and his father.

"Legolas, do you know?" Thranduil raised his pale cheek gently with his hand, "Compared with physical injuries, I am more afraid of your expression at this moment-physical injuries It's easy to heal, but once the scars in the bottom of your heart fall, it's hard to heal, don't let those shadows cover your clear eyes."

For a long time, Legolas looked at his father in silence, until his father helped him and sat down on the boulder by the lake, he finally couldn't help asking: "Ada, what about you? Did those pains also leave indelible scars in your heart? The destruction of Doriath, the heaviness of the Battle of the Last Alliance, and Nana..."

He stopped suddenly, holding the hand resting on his cheek in a panic: "I'm sorry, Ada, I shouldn't ask these..."

"Those scars still exist even now," Thranduil covered his other hand, stabilizing his son's emotions, "but their meaning has changed, and their existence reminds me all the time: just because The darkness and shadows are so desperate and painful, and I can't let my only son get any of it."

As he said that, he held his slender shoulders and let his son lie on his knees. Just like countless times in the past, the elf was tired, scared, confused and confused, and he could rest in this familiar warmth. find comfort inLegolas rested his head on his father's lap, staring up at the stars with deeper eyes than ever before.Thranduil stroked his son's blond hair, and followed his son's gaze. He knew that the sadness and doubt in his son's eyes could not be eliminated in a short time. The only thing he was grateful for was that at least he could still be by his side , Get through this difficult time with him.

"Ada..." The soft voice sounded again, "After so many years, will the wound in your heart still hurt so much?"

Thranduil shook his head slightly: "Vala generously gave me the most precious gift when I was in the most pain."

"Gift? What gift?"

Time seemed to turn back, and Thranduil returned to the golden sunlight with all the shadows faded, and the innocent smile like a new green leaf that was close at hand.

"It's you, my little green leaf."

After speaking, he held his son's hand and sang those familiar songs again.In the quiet night, the singing voice belonging to the father hovered alone outside the sad elegy, building a safe and quiet space for the child he loves the most, and guarding him to sleep peacefully.