Title: Butterfly Wings

Author: White Wolf

Genre: General

Rating: G

Summary: While on a picnic in the forest with his parents, a very small Legolas gives his mother a gift.

Disclaimer: Since Tolkien never mentioned Legolas’s mother, I claim this one. Thranduil and Legolas still belong to the master.

A/N: Those of you, who read my story, “The Wrong Path” will recognize this little story. It was a dream sequence in TWP. I have revised and greatly expanded it, though the heart of the story remains intact. I hope you won’t mind reading it again. Those of you, who have not read TWP, enjoy.  Legolas is four in human years.

~*~*~

The day dawned bright and clear, much to Thranduil’s relief. He had promised that he and his wife, Lúnneld, would take their youngest son, Legolas, on a picnic in the forest today, and the thought of disappointing the elfling should the weather not have cooperated was not a pleasant one.

There had been several times in the past, when Legolas’s parents had spread a blanket on the ground in the garden near the palace for them to share a mid-day meal, but never before had they taken their little one out into the forest for a picnic.

A very excited Legolas had sought out each of his parents and asked, “Is it time to go?” He became frustrated when they each had told him that the time to leave had not yet arrived. This had gone on all morning long.

Finally, after Thranduil had been interrupted in his office once too often, the king set aside his papers and motioned for Legolas to come to him. He reached down, picked the child up and set the elfling on his knee. Gently he said, “Legolas, I promise that you, your naneth and I will leave shortly. But you must be patient until I finish my work. Will you do that?”

The young prince knew his father had what he called ‘king business’ to take care of, and Legolas would have to wait until it was completed before Thranduil could do the fun things. Legolas nodded, though it wasn’t easy to agree to anything that would delay the planned outing.

“Good. Now go and find your naneth. If I know her, she is overseeing the food we will take with us. Go to the kitchen and see if she is there.”

When Legolas jumped down and began to run to the door, Thranduil called out, “Legolas, do not run.” It was a common command that members of his family often gave to the little prince, who always seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere.

Legolas slowed abruptly and walked toward the office door in a princely manner. He closed it softly behind him.

Thranduil laughed and shook his head, when he heard the tiny footsteps start up in rapid motion down the hall. He had four older children and, despite the fact that it had been a long time since the youngest of those had been Legolas’s age, Thranduil couldn’t remember any of them possessing the seemingly inexhaustible energy this one did.

~*~*~

Legolas ran all the way to the kitchen on the far side of the palace from his father’s office. Prudently, he slowed down before he got too close. If his mother was in there, she would tell him the same thing his father had about running in the palace.

The young prince reached the doorway, peeped in and saw his mother talking to the head cook, who was nodding in agreement with whatever the queen was saying. The cook pointed to the large wooden basket that was sitting on the table in the center of the large room.

Legolas’s eyes widened in delight, as he watched several cloth-wrapped packages being put into the basket by one of the many assistant cooks. Also going in was a bottle Legolas recognized as the dark red wine his parents preferred. There was also a smaller bottle containing an amber liquid that Legolas was sure was his favorite drink: apple juice!

He hurried, trying not to run, over to his mother. “Nana, is that what we are taking with us to eat in the forest?”

Lúnneld smiled down at her son. “It is, my sweet.” She leaned down and picked him up, so he could look down into the basket.

“Ada says we can leave as soon as he finishes his work. I hope he hurries.”

“Your ada knows how much you are looking forward to this picnic, Legolas. He will not be long.” She hugged her son and kissed his cheek.

When all the food was packed, one of the cooks picked up the basket and followed the queen, still holding Legolas, out of the kitchen. They walked down the hallway toward the large front doors where Lúnneld had agreed to wait for Thranduil. The cook set the basket down, and after a nod of thanks from the queen, returned to the kitchen.

Thranduil was walking toward them from the opposite direction. “Good timing,” the queen said, as she leaned over to kiss her husband lightly on the mouth. It was easy to reach him, since she was almost as tall as he was.

“You look beautiful today,” the king commented to his wife, as he took the basket, and the three of them descended the steps toward the bridge over the Forest River.

“Nana is always beautiful, Ada,” said Legolas, making it clear he thought his father should have already realized that .

“That she is, ion nin. That she is.” There was a large measure of pride and unmistakable love in the elder elf’s voice.

~*~*~

It had taken no more than ten moments to reach the spot Thranduil and Lúnneld had decided upon for their picnic. They were not really all that far from the palace, but as long as they were out of sight of it and surrounded by trees, they were sure Legolas would be happy.

Legolas was indeed happy. He watched as his parents spread the blanket out across the green grass of the clearing they had chosen. Before long they began to set the food out, unwrapping each package as they took it from the basket.

The elfling’s attention soon turned to his surroundings. The trees sang happily to the youngest child of their king and queen. Legolas laughed merrily at the sound of these ‘new‘ trees, who were different from the ones by the palace on the other side of the river that he was used to hearing.

It didn’t take the little prince long to start running around the small clearing, feeling grown up for being allowed to ‘explore‘ without being told not to run.

It was also fun to have his parents all to himself. It was not always an easy thing to accomplish, since he had four older siblings, and his parents were the king and queen of the realm with a wide variety of responsibilities that generally kept them very busy.

The three of them were enjoying the wonderful, sunny spring day. Legolas, being the curious child that he was, soon became fascinated with a luminescent blue butterfly. He tried to catch the colorful creature, but found that each time he attempted to grab it, it flew just out of his reach and fluttered nearby, as if teasing him. He giggled happily, as he chased it around and around, never quite able to get his hands on the illusive being.

The young elfling never cried or got angry or frustrated. He just kept trying and trying to catch the brightly iridescent blue butterfly. His parents laughed heartily at his antics. Lúnneld’s musical laughter floated all around the clearing, as she watched her young son.

Legolas's golden hair, just reaching his shoulders, flew about his face, as he ran this way and that. He had both of his hands extended, sure he would be able to catch the butterfly with the very next grab at it.

Finally, in a move that surprised the elfling, as much as it did his parents, Legolas caught the butterfly in one small hand. He quickly cupped it in both hands, being very careful not to mash it.

He ran over to his mother. “Hold out your hand, Nana.”

She held her right hand out.

With both love and the innocence of a young child, Legolas opened his hands and gently lowered it into her palm. “For you, Nana.”

The butterfly did not try to escape but sat on the queen’s hand, slowly opening and closing its wings, seemingly secure in the knowledge that it would not be harmed. Lúnneld held her other hand out to her son and pulled him close to her.

With a smile, she said, “Legolas, this butterfly is a wonderful gift, and I know you gave it to me out of love. But you know it is a living thing. It belongs in the forest with its own kind the same way that you belong with us. You would not want to take it away from its family, would you?”

The elfling looked at his mother and then at the butterfly. Lúnneld knew he understood, when he said, “If we take it away, it will not be able to see its nana and ada any more, will it?”

“No, Legolas. It will not. So you know we have to set it free.”

When Legolas hesitated, his father said, “We can bring you back here, so you can see the butterfly again.”

“I can?” the child said in wonder. He had believed that to set it free meant it would be gone, and he would never see it again. Despite understanding that he would have to release it, he still considered it a gift and did not want to lose it forever.

Lúnneld smiled and nodded, and Thranduil said, “Aye, Little One, you can.” He was not worried that it might disappear, disappointing Legolas, because this part of the forest contained many of these blue butterflies. Legolas was bound to see at least one or two whenever he came back here this time of year.

With delight rather than sadness, the elfling carefully took the butterfly from his mother’s hand and carried it over to a small bush. He set the delicate-looking creature down and stood back. Its wings waved several times, and then, it flew away.

Legolas returned to his mother, who hugged him very tight. “I will always treasure your gift, Legolas. Thank you.” She kissed his golden head.

When she let him go, he looked up into her sparkling blue-gray eyes. She was so beautiful, and he loved her with all his heart, just as he knew she loved him.

Twice more Legolas spotted the butterfly while they ate their picnic meal. The last the elfling saw of the little creature this day was when it flew ahead of them for several moments while on their way back, as if helping to guide them home.

Legolas waved at it, as it flew off into the trees, hopefully to wait for the little prince’s next visit to the forest.

~End~