Chapter 1: A Picnic for Six
It was not as if Elrohir did not enjoy his visits to the White City to see his sister. It was just that he was not feeling entirely comfortable in the surrounded by all of the Marble and city. He was and Elf, he liked Nature and openness. There was no openness in Minas Tirith. It was just to confining for his taste. So whenever he had a chance he would take his horse and go out to the fields and enjoy the day.
Today was some kind of city holiday in Minas Tirith because everyone in the city had taken a day off and was picnicking all over the Pelennor Fields. It didn't bother Elrohir as he and his horse walked lazily through the fields, enjoying the sunshine. It gave him people to chat with and little children to watch as they ran around having fun.
He road through the hundreds of picnickers, and pretty soon he was riding on the edge, where there weren't that many people. Except for one group of people that is. He found his eyes resting on a pair of people. It was a young looking woman and who Elrohir assumed was her son, eating on a picnic blanket. The boy looked to be about two or so years old. The woman had blonde hair, quite uncommon for a Gondorion and her son had dark hair, which didn't make all that much sense. She was helping him eat his food, because he was twisting around, trying to look at everything at once, and it was clear that she wanted him to finish eating before he joined in the fun.
He was so caught up in watching this woman and her son that he forgot to keep one eye on where he was steering his horse and didn't notice when a line of three boys came running at him and his horse. So it was no surprise when the horse (as well trained as he was) reared up in fright when the little boys began running around his legs.
And threw Elrohir to the ground.
His horse neighed and ran (though not too far) away from him, stopping when he found some suitable grass to graze on.
"Some friend you are." Elrohir muttered, sitting up slowly.
"Are you alright?" He found himself looking into the eyes of the very woman he had been observing.
"I-I think so." He stood up slowly.
"No, don't stand up yet!" She cried. "I have to make sure you're not hurt anywhere!" He stared at her. "Don't worry, I'm a healer. I know what I'm doing." It made Elrohir smile at the motherly way she fussed over him.
"Mommy?" A little boy with the looks of a five-year-old came up behind the woman. "Is that man going to be alright?"
She gave him one more once over with her eyes. "Yes, sweetie, he's going to be fine." She stood up and picked the little boy up and offered her hand to Elrohir, who shook his head and stood up himself. "And he's not a man, he's an Elf."
So she did notice. Elrohir thought. I was wondering if she would.
The little boy gasped dramatically in a way that only a small child could. "Are you really an Elf?"
The woman turned red. She shushed her son. "Do not speak so rudely, Lee. You must address people with more respect."
Elrohir smiled warmly. "Think nothing of it, young one. And yes, I am an Elf." He turned to the side. "See my pointy ears?"
The boy called Lee giggled as three more boys walked up behind them, one of which was the little boy he had seen earlier.
"Oh there you are!" The woman said, frowning. "Would you be so kind as to apologizing to, ah, um-?"
"Elrohir." Elrohir supplied.
The woman's eyes flickered over to his, and he knew that she knew exactly who he was. "Yes, apologize to Lord Elrohir for giving his horse a scare and in turn throwing him to the ground."
"We're sorry." All four boys said in unison, even though the two year old had nothing to do with the whole incident.
"Apology accepted." Elrohir smiled. "Now you know who I am, but I have not had the pleasure of learning your names."
The woman blushed and gave him a smile. "Of course. That was horribly rude of me." She placed a hand on the tallest boy, who seemed to be trying to act older than he was. "This is my oldest son, Dean, who is almost eleven."
"Good to meet you Sir." He said politely.
"The same to you." Elrohir replied.
"And my second oldest. She put a hand on the second tallest boy, who looked much too solemn and quiet for a boy his age. "This is my second oldest, Lucas, we all call him Louie for short, who is seven."
"And a half!" Lucas added what seemed to be bravely for him. "It's good to meet you." He added quickly after a look from his mother." She nodded approvingly.
"And this is my third oldest, Leo-"
"Lee!" He interrupted. "I hate my full name." He said to Elrohir as seriously as one his age could from his mother's arms. "So everybody calls me Lee."
"And this is Lee," the woman (whose name Elrohir still didn't know) said with a smile. "Who is turning five in just a few days."
"Only a week and a half left!" He said cheerfully. "And I'm very pleased to meet you."
"Likewise, Lee." Elrohir said and grinned widely when Lee smiled about as wide as he had ever seen someone smile.
"And my youngest," the woman (this whole not knowing her name thing was getting a little annoying) stepped aside to reveal a boy hiding behind her legs, who moved behind them again. "Somewhere behind me, is Gabriel, who we all call Gabe, is two."
Elrohir crouched down so he was (somewhat) at eye level with the young boy. The little one smiled shyly and tried to hide behind his mother's legs once more.
"It's very nice to meet you." Elrohir said, offering his hand out.
Gabe looked at it questionably, and then after a moment of silent contemplation, he slapped it and then giggled, highly amused by the whole concept.
"I'm afraid he hasn't started talking quite yet." She said, smiling at him. "I think it is because he is frightfully shy."
"Well, I'm sure he will start talking soon." Elrohir stood up to his full height. "Well I now know all the names of your sons, but I have yet to learn the name of the lovely lady in front of me."
She blushed red, and said, "Of course, my name is Aurora."
Aurora. A beautiful name. Elrohir thought. And it seems to fit her personality and looks perfectly.
"Well, my Lady Aurora." Elrohir said charmingly, taking her hand that wasn't holding Lee and kissing it gently. "It is a pleasure to meet you…and your family." He said after a pause. Where is your husband I wonder? Elrohir thought. Is he at work, or has he already passed on? It was then when Elrohir began to wonder why he was even thinking about such a thing.
"Momma, momma." Lee began tugging on his mothers arm. "Can Lord El-ro-hir stay and play with us?"
Aurora glanced up at Elrohir. "Well, you'll have to ask him yourself."
Lee turned to Elrohir and asked, in a perfect gentlemen's voice asked, "Would you care to stay and play with us this afternoon?"
Elrohir's smile faded slightly and he looked at Aurora. "I would, but your husband must worry where you are this afternoon, especially since you've been out all morning." This was Elrohir's attempt at finding out if she was married. (Not that he cared of course.)
"Our father has passed on." Elrohir identified as Louie, said. "He died a few years ago."
Elrohir's smile faded. "I'm sorry to hear that."
Aurora put Lee down. "Why don't you all go back to the blanket and the games ready? Dean, help Gabriel please."
"Yes mother." Dean took Gabe's hand and helped him toddle back to the blanket.
"I'm sorry if I brought up a sore subject." Elrohir apologized. "I didn't mean to."
"Nonsense, my Lord. They are getting used to having to tell people their father has died. And besides," she grinned at him. "Meeting a real live Elf has been the most exciting thing to ever happen in their short little lives."
Elrohir laughed. "All the same, I am sorry. And it's just Elrohir out here. I like to escape all the titles and formalities every now and then."
"Elrohir it is then."
They began walking towards the boys, talking as they went.
"How did he die?" Elrohir asked quietly.
"In the War. How else?" She replied bitterly. "So many men died that day, and he was just one of the many that did."
Elrohir put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
She smiled in return. "Thank you."
"For what?" He asked, puzzled.
"You've been very kind to me, to us, even agreed to stay the afternoon, and you don't even know us. Not in the slightest."
"You seem like nice people, and besides." He gestured to Gabe's face. "Who wouldn't want to be around that face?"
Aurora laughed, and Elrohir smiled. She had a lovely laugh. He decided that he wanted to make her laugh again.
Lee suddenly ran up to Elrohir and poked him. "Tag! You're it!" He shouted gleefully.
"Not for long!" Elrohir called, running so that he was just behind him. He picked Lee up and tossed him effortless in the air. Behind him, he could hear Aurora laughing happily.
He smiled.
The afternoon continued with many laughs, giggles and the tossing of little boys into the air. And by the time they were all ready to go home, the sun was slowly sinking into the sky.
"I must thank you for the fun-filled day you have let us have." Aurora said as Elrohir helped her fold the blanket and the boys put the things they had brought with them in the basket. "But we must start walking back."
"Walking!" Elrohir cried indignantly. "I don't think so!"
"What do you mean?"
"You all will ride my horse."
"That is very kind of you Elrohir, but you only have one horse and there are five of us. Six counting you."
"I can walk mother." Dean spoke up. "And you can ride on the horse with Louie and Lee, their small enough, and then if Lord Elrohir would be so kind, he could carry Gabe, as he's half asleep already."
"That's a great idea, Dean." Elrohir said appraisingly. "Here you take the reins while I help your mother."
Dean gulped. "Me?"
"Yes, you. Don't worry. You'll be fine."
Within minutes they were on their way to the city, Dean confidently leading the horse, while Elrohir stood next to the horse, carrying a Gabe, who had his head, nestled underneath Elrohir's neck, while Aurora, Lee, and Louie, rode on the horse.
By now they had gotten to the fifth level of the city, which was where Aurora and her family lived, so Elrohir helped them off of the horse, handed Gabe to Aurora and then Lee to Dean, and after a tired good bye, and thank you from Aurora, they parted ways.
So that's it. If any of you can tell. I'm kind a getting all of this from the Movie Finding Neverland. I liked it a lot and thought it would be good to tie it into a whole Lord of The Rings scenario. But I don't own any of it. Unless you count the names of the boys, and some of their personalities. So please leave a review. Thanks.
Private Liz