"Greetings, Prince Legolas of Mirkwood. I have been sent by Lord Elrond to take you to your room. I trust that your journey went well."

"Well enough," Legolas smiled, as Celemar screeched "IT'S NOT A SECRET, IT'S JUST AN UNUSUALLY DARK MOLE!" while waving his hands spontaneously in the air. The poor elder really needed to learn to relax. The tall Elf appeared not to notice Celemar's outburst and nodded to Legolas, turning around to signal for the prince to follow.  

As the two made there way through various buildings and courtyards, the tall Elf briefly pointed out various places in an effort to help familiarize the new surroundings. Legolas half-listened, preferring to form his own impressions of the city. He only became interested in what the Elf-guide said when he mentioned that Legolas' chambers would be beside another Academy border, who happened to be heir to the kingdom of Men. Legolas had not had much contact with humans, and the thought that he would be in such close proximity to one stirred some excitement.

"This will be your room while you are with us," the tall Elf mentioned as he opened a set of heavy oak doors. Legolas stepped through and looked around quickly – the room was sparsely decorated but still comfortable, retaining a simple element of beauty in its décor.

His optimism dropped suddenly however when Legolas spotted a strange outfit placed neatly over the bed.

"What's this?" Legolas asked warily, poking the material with a stray finger. The fabric felt itchy.

"That shall be your Academy uniform while you attend. All borders must wear them during scheduled hours."

Legolas' eyebrows knitted together as he hesitantly picked up the bland garment. There was no possible way any Elf maidens would find this remotely attractive. "And this.. thing.. is mandatory?"

"Oh yes. If the borders do not adhere to rules and wear it, strict punishments shall follow. It is all in the rule book.." The Elf motioned towards the desk, where a small bound book lay patiently.

Legolas wrinkled his nose and unceremoniously dropped the "uniform" on the bed, walking towards the desk. He picked up the book and quickly leafed through it. A few "rules" immediately caught his eye.

"There shall be no wondering off school premises after dark?"

"Yes that's an important one."

"No elves of the opposite sex are permitted in one's room?"

"Mmm hmm.'

"Clothing must be folded neatly and put away upon the conclusion of ever day?"

"Yes."

Legolas's eyes bulged at the rule that followed. "NO TREE-CLIMBING IS ALLOWED ON ANY OCCASION?"

"Indeed."

"…..My father has sent me to hell."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

"Ah. Well, I shall leave you now to get settled in. Your things will be brought to your room shortly. I believe your attendants will be leaving tomorrow?"

Legolas nodded dumbly, still stunned by the contents of the little bundle of paper in his hands.

"Good. I will return in a few hours to collect you for dinner, and then it's off to bed. Your fist day at the Academy will begin very early tomorrow, and you need your rest."

"Yeah… that's what I need…" Legolas mumbled sarcastically, scratching his leggings again.

The tall Elf bowed and closed the door quietly, leaving the prince alone in his room. At first Legolas didn't know what to do, but the annoying feel of his leggings jogged his memory and he searched the closet for more suitable clothing. To his luck, he found a rather nice grey-blue outfit made of more agreeable material and immediately changed out of the pumpkin-vomit nightmare. Slightly more relaxed, Legolas walked over to the balcony to look over what had now become some sort of prison.

However, as he wallowed in self-pity, a soft muffled sound caught his ear. Listening more closely, Legolas discerned that the sound was of someone crying, originating in the neighboring chambers. Legolas began to wander closer to the wall, in an effort to hear the sound better. The crying was male, but beyond that Legolas could not guess. He decided to investigate, opening his door and walking to the nearby room.

He stopped in front of the chambers' entrance, unsure if he should interfere. Slowly, he brought a hand up to knock upon the door, then stepped back a bit. The crying suddenly stopped, and a muffle of noises followed before the door was pulled open. There stood a tall individual – human – most likely 17 or 18 years old, with eyes so burned with tears he looked as if he never slept in his life. His dark hair was ruffled around his head, and he appeared to be holding a scrunched piece of fabric of some kind. The human sniffed.

"Yes?"

Legolas was not sure how to begin. He stammered slightly trying to find the words. "H, hello. I am sorry to disturb you, it's just that I heard your crying from my room and wondered if I could be of assistance."

The young man sniffed again, and then raised his chin. "I was NOT crying!"

Legolas raised an eyebrow, and wondered what the human was indeed doing then since his eyes were awash with tears. He decided to introduce himself.

"My name is Legolas. I just arrived from Mirkwood and it appears my room is just beside yours." He pondered on that last piece of information, and hoped that this young human wouldn't be crying all the time. Perhaps shedding tears was a favorite pastime of Men.