The scent of sweat was not something that Legolas was unaccustomed to in the recent years of his living arrangements. He had in fact come to expect to smell it for at least a small portion of the day. Often this period pertaining to the moments he spent with the young lord Estel. The youngest son of Elrond having often come to his bow lessons on the end of his other training.

From the mentally challenging trails that his teachers put him through with tracking and hunting to the physically taxing endevours he often witnessed the young human partaking in during his swordsmanship instructions. Legolas was honestly amazed that a child of his age could manage the things that were pushed upon him, at least he was surprised a human child could handle it. After all Legolas had set upon himself a very similar regime.

The only difference between the two of them being that the blonde was proud to say that he did not in fact sweat as heavily as the human. Although if Legolas was being entirely honest he did not find the dark smell of the young male's natural odor all that displeasing. It was something so very unlike what the youngest son of Thranduil was accustomed to at the beginning.

After all he had had a twenty man escort to simply cross over the mountain to the kingdom of Rivendel. He had not had many opportunities as a protected prince of the golden woods to meet and interact with humans. A fact that Legolas was so certain of that if his father had previously been privy to the knowledge that it would be Estel and not the twins that Legolas would be teaching, Legolas knew that the king of Mirkwood would have found a previous requirement for his son's talents.

Sighing at the thought Legolas smiled as he stepped out of the doorway to the court as he saw Estel running up the path to their training courtyard. Legolas enjoyed the time he had spent here. The peaceful times filled with peoples who treated him as equals and where he could walk out into the woods and enjoy himself without the fear of death at every turn. It was deffinetly a nice change from the centuries he had lived hunted in his own home, surrounded by the stifling evil that loomed over the once green woods.

The fact that the blonde had been there to bare witness to the youngest son of Elrond's blossoming years was nothing but a side thought for the youngest son of Thranduil. The blonde not allowing himself to think much of the other as anything but a student, and on the rare occasion a combatant in the lively debates that filled the halls of Rivendel. Legolas nodded his head towards the human as Estel arrived exactly on time, as was the usual for the young man.

"Legolas"

Estel grinned as he nodded to the blonde as he took a moment to wipe his forehead on the back of his arm. His black hair wet with his exertion previously and hanging in strings within his face. Legolas noted with a faint smirk as the raven locks refused to be brushed aside from his face despite the youth's insistence.

"Young Estel!" Legolas had taken to calling the young man this early on in his time in Rivendel. It had been an endearing sentiment he had picked up somewhere that had stuck over the almost five years he had been here now.

The faint furrowing of the young male's brow did not go unnoticed and Legolas watched with a rapt fascination as the expression crossed the human's face. There was the briefest of moments in which the blonde could have sworn that Estel was about to say something but it passed by quickly. The younger male instead gathering his bow and quiver and stepping into the place directing in place in front of the target they used as a warm up.

Legolas watched the male's position and stance and did not hesitate to call corrections to the young male. Though as usual Legolas found that though an adjustment was in fact made the human often still did not have the right posture. Not for the first time during their training sessions Legolas stepped up to the side of the young male and took his shoulders into his hand to pull them back into place as he pressed against Estel to further correct his posture and position.

Legolas caught the slightest of moments in which the other's eyes met his and the look was a rather startling look of self satisfaction. The blonde promptly pulled himself back and circled Estel to ensure he was as he should be. Pleased that the expression was gone and that the young male was holding himself properly he nodded to let the youngest son of Elrond know that he was allowed to release the arrow that he had been holding drawn back until that moment.

Legolas noted the other's improved aim from even the day previously and began to wonder if his aim was not in fact being purposely worsened for some unknown reason. The thought sound preposterous to the blonde and without being able to really understand why the other would do so and what he could gain from pretending to be a worse shot than he really was Legolas brushed the thought away. So to did he ignore the previous uncertaninty about the other's expression and posture.

"You're clearly pretty sore. Would you like to accompany me to the hot springs for a time?"

Legolas called when at last their session was up. The son of Elrond having hit his mark every time, with only a few corrections on Legolas' part being required, although as Legolas had noted previously. Estel was in fact a far more physical learner than he was as a child. The other needed physical correction to get the mistakes he was making, while as a child he had picked it up immediately and corrected without more prompting.

This was in fact a worrisome development that Legolas felt he would need to bring to the attention of Lord Elrond. If the other was not getting the best instruction in him any longer than perhaps it was time for Lord Elrond to find another who the young human could learn from and receive the best education.

The smile the other sent his way was as brilliant as ever and Legolas let his disheartening thoughts trail off as he let himself be caught up in that smile. Following with the young male Legolas could not help but to listen to the other's rambles about the things he had done with his elder brothers. Most of them being pranks they had pulled upon members of the court. Often them being upon their sister.

The most recent being the frogs they had left in the female's bed for her to find just before bed time. Legolas could not help but to chuckle along to the younger male's hooting laughter as he retold the way Arwen had screamed and thrown the frogs right back at them when she had discovered them laughing outside her door.

The tales the other told him were always something similar to these. The carefree and happy way in which Estel had lived was a heart warming tale that made Legolas feel at times envious but for the most part greatful. The circumstances in which Estel had come to be in Elrond's care was tradgic and yet the child had never suffered any of the darkness that surrounded him.

"Did you hear what I said Legolas?"

The question drew Legolas' out of his thoughts to the horrifying realization, that he had not in fact heard anything that Estel had just said. Legolas could feel his cheeks heating with embarrassment as he tilted his head to look at the youngest son of Elrond.

Meeting the other's steel grey eyes Legolas could see the amusement that was beginning in the other's gaze. A look of mischevious enjoyment at the fact he had caught Legolas daydreaming was already growing on the young male's face as his lips curled up into a mix of a grin and smirk that was entirely Estel.

"Ha you didn't…"

Estel cheered as he stepped forward stopping in his walk and forcing Legolas to do the same as he was now right in front of the blonde prince.

The action brought Legolas's eyes to the others and also registered something that Legolas had not taken note of in the recent months…At the age of Sixteen years Estel was at eye level with the blonde prince of Mirkwood. This was a fact that he should not entirely be surprised over. After all Human's matured at a much faster rate than elves did due to the fact that they did not live forever as the elven kin were lucky enough to do.

The realization was like splashing cold water in the prince's face however. He had been thinking of Estel as an elfling. Still a child until he had come of age at fifty many years from now…as he had and the many friends he had come to know in his home land had. However as it was Legolas could not deny that Estel was looking very much like an male of age…though if Legola's knowledge of the realm of men was still accurate he could still get away with calling him " little one" until the other turned seventeen…

Again the other quirked a brow as he tilted his head ever so slightly as if to ask if he had heard what he had said this time…a fact proven by the fact the male had been speaking while Legolas had been observing the aspects of Estel's appearance he had never taken the time to notice previously. The smirk that twisted the other's lips further upwards when Legolas could do nothing but stare blankly at him was almost devious in nature.

Legolas could not help but to wonder what it was about this young male. The youngest son of Elrond could bring out the strangest of traits in Legolas…after all he had never been one to loose track of his thoughts in such a way. Nor had he been one who was want to miss out on the words of a companion as he had done…twice.

Pulling his attention from his internal pondering Legolas made a physical effort to pay attention as Estel repeated himself, yet again. The other's tone soft and taunting as he leaned forward.

"I was saying I will be turning seventeen next week. You will be available won't you? I mean you don't have something else you're doing right?"

Estel's tone softened at the end of this question. Seeming to become a little less sure of himself. Perhaps the other truly didn't know the answer and worried that Legolas was in fact busy?

The blonde felt an easiness slip back into his previously tense muscles as he felt a smirk spreading over his lips. He felt more at ease as he was able to tilt his head back as if pondering. Folding his arms across his chest and bring the forefinger of his right hand to his chin as he sometimes did when he had a great problem to sort through.

The look upon Estel's face as he saw this action was almost worth the effort holding in his laughter as Legolas stayed as he was for a moment longer before straightening up and side stepping the other. Clasping the wrist of his right hand in his left hand behind his back, another tick he was aware of as he began off towards the hot springs in silence.

Legolas could feel the grin spread over his lips as he heard the human rushing after him as he rounded the corner that separated them from the hot springs. The male's face marred with a furrowed brow and his lips were pursed as he trailed after him, almost dogging his step.

"I don't know Estel. I think I might be busy that evening…you see I have a student of mine who is turning seventeen that night and I have to be there for his festivities."

Legolas could barely get through the statement before his straight faced expression broke and he grinned at the other seeing the exasperation that spread over Estel's face as he blinked at him several times.

Legolas continued along towards the hot springs, letting his head fall back with laughter as he heard the youngest son of Elrond spluttering in a combination of annoyed relief and irritation at his games. Glancing back at the other as he moved along Legolas could not miss the look of relief that was inside the other's face as he met his gaze in that brief moment.

The smile that spread over his face was instant and Legolas could not quite articulate the emotions that were fueling it but Legolas could only feel happiness at seeing how happy the other was that he would be there. In fact it was for that very reason there was nothing in this world that could pull him away from the other's side on that night, Legolas truly wanted to see that happy smile upon the other's face always.

A/N: Hey all yeah so another short chap. Sorry for the long delay but the ideas I have for this story was mostly for the second story in this story line so I got a little lost on where I wanted to go with this one. Plus I was working more on my Forgotten choices story. With that done now I'll be balancing this, Forsaken tears and Someone to protect so there updates may be slow.

Cheers

Stary

Thanks to readers:

Gaminggirl052: Thank you ! XD

Lilly Bri: I'm glad to hear that I hope you liked the second chapter too