Crossed Bows

By: Tasha

Disclaimers: Same as previous chapter.

Authors note: I'm not sure how the age thing works with elves so I just took a guess on how old they would be in relation with our years. So just to get an idea, Legolas is about 13 years old in normal human years and Lynxionia is 12. If someone knows how the elf years work e-mail me at weibkreuz13@wowway.com. THANKS!

Chapter 2: The Elf

~1,000s of years later~

In the quiet meadow of the elfin city a boy stood among the thousands of flowing flowers playing with his bow and arrow. Skillfully he placed an arrow on his bow with his finger cradling the shaft and slowly pulled back the string till it was past the back of his head. Then, aiming at a nearby log, he let go of the string and the arrow left the end of his bow and made a thud as it sank into the soft wood. He smiled at his work and pulled out another arrow and prepared to fire it.

As he pulled back the arrow he heard a rustle in the bushes and he instinctively pointed his arrow at what he thought was the source of the noise.

Cautiously, he slowly walked towards the shrub without even one snap of a twig. He peered down over the bush, only to see a rabbit scamper away. He let the tension in the bow go and relaxed his tense muscles. Then with his pointy ears still closely listening for any other sounds, turned around and walked back to the open field to continue his practice.

He practiced with his bow through the greater part of the day. Making sure that he was deadly accurate and that the bow was just right. He did this by shooting at small targets that were almost impossible to see if he were not an elf. Then he would pull back his bow as far has he could then let the arrow fly to its target and it landed with a thud. He never missed, never. The arrow always hit it's mark to matter what. He was proud of that and would become even better someday so that he could protect those around him.

As the sky became darker and the wind blew at his bare arms and the trees rustled around him. Despite the sudden chill he stood there as if nothing had changed. Being the elf he was he didn't feel the change in temperature as a normal human would. He looked up at the sky and sighed deeply as he felt the wind hit his perfectly peach face. His blue eyes seemed to glow in the darkness around him and his golden hair blew silently in the wind.

He smiled at the sky above and closed his eyes, then held out his arms as if he were going to catch it if it suddenly flew. He felt calm and at home among the flowers and rolling hills. He was happy here with just nature as his company and the wind as his friend. He listened to the sounds and wished he could stand there forever.

Suddenly heard a sweet sound drift from the woods around him. It was a beautiful sound that seemed to echo through the ancient trees.

Quietly he listened as words drifted to his ears, but he could not understand what they said, "Heem ba weimpo hado pepo, wokote onashon a waka na. Heem ba weimpo hado pepo, wokote onashon a waka na. Oon wempo, wemta, hee daaya. Heem po henday, weimpo on tota."

The words repeated over and over till finally they died down and faded with the wind.

*What could that have been, and what does it mean? I've never heard that language before.* he pondered this for a second before he was jerked from his train of thought by a voice calling his name.

>Master Legolas! Master! Come inside now! Before it gets too dark! Master Legolas, do you hear me?< the older elf called out from the edge of the field.

Legolas looked out one last time before he answered the servant, >I hear you Fronsis! I'm coming!<

Legolas took off running toward the city and when he reached the gate he was met by a frenzy of yelling and scolding from his servant for not coming in on time. He simply shrugged him off and walked back to his home among the ancient trees that had been home for thousands of years. Thirteen thousand to be exact and he hoped it would be for many more.

He entered the house and was greeted by his father, then rushed up stairs to prepare for dinner to be served.

Silently he lay on his soft bed made from soft feathers and sweet moss. He loved this bed, for it had been extremely hard to make. He stared at the glowing sealing above and let the words of the song float through his head. He remembered them perfectly as he had heard them. *Heem ba weimpo hado pepo, wokote onashon a waka na. Heem ba weimpo hado pepo, wokote onashon a waka na. Oon wempo, wemta, hee daaya. Heem po a henday, weimpa on tota.*

The words replay over and over again in his mind. They captivated him and made him want to know what they meant and who was singing them. They weren't elfish and it wasn't human. What could it be? After he pondered some more, he came to the decision to ask his father about the strange song. With his new resolve, he headed downstairs for dinner.

Legolas took his place at the big wooden table in the grand dinning room awaiting his meal. His father took his place at the other end opposite to Legolas. As the meal began Legolas took slow bits and waited a while to ask his question.

Unfortunately, his father started speaking first, >Legolas, why didn't you come inside when you were suppose to? Fronsis said he had to call to you multiple times to get you to respond. Why is this?<

Legolas concentrated on his food but still answered without changing the pitch of his voice, >I'm am sorry father, but I was…delayed.< Legolas was careful and chose his words wisely.

His father looked up at his son when he paused and frowned, >What kind of "delay"?< His father stared hard on him, not happy with his sons answer.

Legolas decided this was the perfect time to bring up the strange voice that he heard, >I heard a voice father, a strange voice coming from the woods. It was sung in a tongue I didn't understand.<

His father's eyes showed a hint of suspicion, but it paced almost instantly. And in a calm voice he answered his son, >I know what you speak of son. And it is none of your concern, so just forget about it.<

His father was hiding something and Legolas didn't like it. He wanted to know and he wanted to know now, >Please father, you can't hide it from me forever.<

Legolas's father could hear the pleading in his son's voice and he also knew that if he didn't tell him he would never hear the end of it, >Alright then Legolas, I will tell you.< Legolas's face lit up slightly with approval, >The voice you speak of has been heard by many who have ventured near the forest of the Seshoni at night. They say the song is sung by a creature who protects the woods from intruders.< Legolas's father's voice grew quieter as he continued his tale, >Yet, in fact, the one who sings the song is an elf, who was run from a village long ago and left there to die, but the wolf pack that roams those woods took the child and raised it. That elf has been there for twelve thousand years and no one has actually seen him. He is said to be a master archer and kills the travelers foolish enough to enter. But this elf also mourns having lost it's kind and so every night the he uses the tongue of the forest and sings the Seshoni hymn.<

Legolas repeated his father's words in his head and finished his meal quickly, *The Seshoni hymn.* The words sounded good together and he liked how they played on his tongue. *The Seshoni hymn.*

After finishing dinner, Legolas rushed up stairs to his room and fell back onto his bed with thought rushing around his mind, *I wonder who this "master archer" is? Why does he stay in the woods? Away from us, his people?* He laid his head down on his feathery pillow with a song dancing through his head.

*Heem ba weimpo hado pepo, wokote onashon a waka na. Heem ba weimpo hado pepo, wokote onashon a waka na. Oon wempo, wemta, hee daaya. Heem po henday, weimpo on tota.*