The History of Legolas - The Last Green Leaf

Author’s Note: First off, The Lord of the Rings and all associated characters belong to Tolkien and his estate. I am not making any profit off of this story, save the enjoyment I had making it.



“No, Legolas,” Arthion said as he knelt down next to his little brother, who had a bow and arrow in his unsteady little fingers, aiming at a target on a tree. “Relax your arm,” the elder said, holding his brother’s twitching arm in his hands.

“If I relax, I’ll let go.” Legolas protested, looking at his brother.

“Eyes on the target.” Arthion commanded. Legolas swiftly turned his head back and stared at the tree.

“I did not mean to ease your grip. I meant to calm yourself, little brother.” Arthion said, chuckling a little. Legolas’ arm was tense and his knuckles were white from gripping the bow and arrow so tightly. Arthion placed his hands on his little brother’s shoulders and breathed deeply.

“Breathe, Legolas.” He said.

Legolas took a deep breath, but did not take his eyes off the target. He was nervous. It was his first day of learning how to shoot and he did not want to disappoint his brother. Already, several of his arrows had gone astray. Arthion had said that all beginners are terrible on their first day, but Legolas did not want to tarry in his learning. He was already behind all the other elflings. He was in a hurry to be taught.

“Legolas, you must relax if you’re ever going to hit that target. You cannot properly concentrate if you are this tense.” Arthion finally said.

“It’s no use, brother! I haven’t even hit the target once! I’m a horrible archer!” Legolas said, dropping the bow and arrow as he turned to face Arthion. He was frustrated; it was glowing in his eyes.

“No one is expected to hit the target on their first day, Legolas.” Arthion comforted.

“No one starts learning this late, either.” Legolas pointed out. His brother sighed. Legolas was too impatient, and Arthion knew that if his little brother did not learn the fortitude to try and try again, he’d never master the bow and arrow. Arthion decided to switch tactics.

The elder of the two elves stood and went to the tree that had the target nailed to it. Arthion reached up to the circular piece of wood and tore it from the tree, making a loud cracking sound that startled Legolas. Arthion discarded the wood.

“There is no target, anymore.” Arthion said. Legolas looked confused. His oldest brother came back to the spot where he stood and put his hands behind his back.

“Ready your arrow.” He instructed. Legolas looked at Arthion with a bewildered look on his face as he loaded his bow.

“What am I aiming for?” He asked.

“Nothing.” Arthion said simply.

“Nothing?” Legolas questioned.

“Do as I say, Legolas.”

Still perplexed, Legolas readied his arrow in his bow and stood as though he were going to fire. Though, he did not know what he was aiming for, so he focused on the tree where the target had been.

“Only fire when I tell you to.” Arthion said coolly. Legolas nodded, awaiting his brother’s signal.

He waited. And waited, and waited, and waited, but Arthion did not even make a sound. After a few moments, Legolas began to wonder.

“Arthion?”

“I will tell you to shoot when you are ready.”

So then, Legolas decided that there was something wrong with his stance. He contemplated where his feet were, how he was holding the arrow and the bow, where he was looking, but he could find no fault. Now, the young prince was completely puzzled. His eyes darted around, as if looking for something that was keeping Arthion from telling him to fire.

“What am I doing wrong?” Legolas asked finally.

“Nothing.”

“Then why - ”

“Patience.” Arthion said.

Legolas was still confused. He wanted to look at his brother, but he was afraid of what Arthion would say, so he continued to look forward as his brother began to walk in a circle around him.

“The first lesson in archery you must learn is not how to shoot the arrow, Legolas. Your first lesson is to learn patience; the patience to learn, the patience to think, the patience to aim.” Arthion said, looking intently at his little brother. Legolas saw his brother walk around him, but did not take his eyes off the tree.

“I will not allow you to shoot until I believe that you have learned this lesson.” Arthion said.

Legolas did not learn the lesson for nearly an hour.

For the first ten minutes, Legolas’ body was constantly twitching. His feet would shift, his grip would lax and then tense again, and his breathing would quicken and slow. After that, his body became tired in the position he was holding. His arms grew heavy and he longed to release the arrow and put down his bow. At that point, he didn’t even care if the arrow soared into the air and miles past his target.

Shortly after he had been standing there for a half-hour, Legolas grew angry. He was uncomfortable, but could not show Arthion his discomfort for he knew that if he did, he would have to restart this lesson. Legolas remained quiet, but the anger still burned in his eyes.

Finally, he decided that the only way to get out of this mess was to swallow his frustration and relax. Legolas realized that Arthion could see his irritation and that he would not let him shoot the arrow until he was completely calm. The youngest child of Thranduil sighed and began to breathe deeply until he was totally relaxed.

Arthion would occasionally pace around his little brother, observing him. Gradually, he watched Legolas’ body become more accustomed to being in the archer’s position and his muscles became complacent with their settings. He watched his brother go from anxious to angry to calm, and only after Legolas had been calm for more than a quarter of an hour, he decided that Legolas was ready.

“Fire.”

No sooner had he said the word, the arrow shot from Legolas’ bow and quickly embedded itself in the tree that Legolas had been focusing on earlier. Legolas was so surprised that, at first, he thought he had imagined it.

“Excellent!” Arthion commended, patting Legolas on the shoulder.

“I…I hit the target?” Legolas asked in disbelief.

“There was no target, Legolas. I was not planning on you hitting the tree, but it was surely an added bonus.” Arthion said, winking as he kneeled down to meet his brother’s gaze.

“The point of this exercise is that you learned that through patience, a goal can be achieved. Only through being patient will you catch up to the other elflings your age.” Arthion said. Legolas nodded, looking as if he was slowly beginning to understand.

“I think that’s enough for today.” Arthion sighed, picking up his own bow and quiver that were leaning against a rock a few paces behind them.

“But I want to keep going!” Legolas said. Arthion chuckled and shook his head.

“We have already been out here for two hours, Legolas. The sun will be setting soon and we cannot be outside when the forest gets dark.” Arthion said, his voice growing darker as he mentioned sunset.

“What happens after the sun sets?” Legolas asked as he went to go retrieve the arrow from the tree. He had hardly been outside without anyone’s company, let alone been out after dark.

“Fell things live in this forest, Legolas. It is not safe after the sun is gone.” Arthion said. Legolas saw the pain that reflected in his brother’s face, as if he were remembering something that happened long ago.

“Like Orcs?” Legolas asked, pulling the arrow from the tree.

“Orcs, and other things. Evil creatures that care for nothing but spilling the blood of others.” His brother said darkly.

“What other things?” The curious elfling interrogated, putting his arrow back into his quiver and going to join his brother.

“Have you not heard the stories of the giant spiders, little brother?” Arthion asked sounding a little annoyed.

“I have heard of them, but I never really thought they were real. I’ve never seen a spider that could swallow an elf.” Legolas replied. Arthion shot an angry look at Legolas.

“They are real, Legolas. Take heed, they are not something to be thought of lightly. They are quick and deadly, and care for nothing but to fill their stomachs. You would do well to believe in foul things, little brother.”

Legolas fell silent as he and Arthion began to walk back to the entrance to their home. He wasn’t sure what to think about his brother’s sudden anger, and if he should really believe what he had to say about the spiders. Surely there weren’t insects that grew to be that big.

“Have you fought one?” Legolas asked timidly, looking up to the back of Arthion’s head.

“Yes.” Arthion said flatly.

“Did you defeat it?”

Arthion sighed, his heart heavy with the memories of that terrible day. “No, Legolas. If it were not for our father, I would be dead.”

“Ada killed a spider?” Legolas asked, sounding absolutely awestruck. Arthion chuckled.

“Yes. Ada was a great warrior in his day. Remember, he fought in the War of the Last Alliance and helped bring about the downfall of Sauron.” The elder said, looking back at his little brother. Legolas looked as if he were daydreaming.

“I cannot wait to become a great archer so that I may stand beside Ada and Hérion and you in battle someday,” the elfling said dreamily. Arthion stopped and turned to face his little brother. He knelt to come to Legolas’ eye level and looked straight into his bright blue eyes with an extremely serious look on his face.

“Battle is nothing to look forward to, Legolas.” He said gravely. “You must never go looking for it, or never lust for it. War is a terrible thing. It brings destruction and death to everything you hold dear.” Arthion looked terribly sincere as he spoke. Legolas wondered if perhaps his older brother had wanted to fight when he was young, before his mother died.

“I do not think we will need to go looking for battle,” Arthion said, looking distant. “I believe battle will come to us soon enough.”

Legolas looked confused. Arthion shortly realized that he had been speaking what he had meant to keep to himself and he shook his head.

“Aah, I’ve let my head run away with my mouth. Do not pay my worries any mind, little brother.” He said, patting his brother’s shoulder.

“Arthion, how will I ever become a great warrior like Ada if I never fight?” Legolas asked, a confused look on his face. Arthion smiled and suddenly appeared very wise. The look that came over his brother’s face startled Legolas slightly.

“Great deeds are not done by the sword or the bow, Legolas. Great deeds are done by great hearts.”

Legolas felt his brother’s words penetrate his ears and go straight to his soul. He looked into Arthion’s eyes and knew what he said to be true. And suddenly, the little elfling felt the ideas in his head change. No longer did he wish to be a great warrior.

Arthion patted his brother’s shoulder and stood and continued to walk towards their home. Legolas tarried for a moment where he had been standing, contemplating something.

“Arthion?” He suddenly asked. Arthion turned and looked at his brother, who was still a few paces behind him.

“Do I have a good heart?” Legolas asked. Arthion smiled kindly and walked back to take Legolas’ hand.

“Legolas, you have a great heart.”