Post by Admin on Nov 1, 2021 23:15:58 GMT
The admins would like to offer their most sincere apologies for the lateness of this story being posted! It was purely an oversight on our part, and we feel horribly about it. As there was only one entry for this challenge, this story is automatically the winner!
Congratulations to LegolasLover2003!
"Three. Four. Five."
The sharp clack of wood upon wood on each count rang out in the small glade. But then the boy suddenly felt another long stick tap his left ankle on the outside.
"Make certain you move your feet."
Estel frowned, throwing a sidelong annoyed look at Elladan, who sat on a rock nearby. He had stick in hand and was using it to point out different... openings or problems in the young human's training.
Elrohir smirked, letting the wooden training sword rest on his shoulder. "El is correct. If your feet remain stationary, you can not react as swiftly as need be."
"It is hard to think about my feet when I am hoping to keep your stick from my head..." the young human responded, running ringers through an unruly mop of brown hair.
Suddenly, another long stick hit him on the top of the head and Estel looked up, "NOT HELPING!" he shouted.
Musicial laughter greeted him as Legolas watched from above, twirling the stick in his hand like a long knife before speaking. "Be aware of your surroundings."
"This it too many things at once!" the boy protested, waving his mock sword at the Mirkwood Elf. "I hardly doubt..."
Sighing, Legolas dropped down to the grass, straightening up tall and motioning for Elrohir to strike him. "Just watch." the archer winked at Estel, who promptly ran over to sit on a boulder with Elladan.
"You sure?" Elrohir asked, the twin arching an eyebrow at his new opponent.
Nodding, the blond smirked. "Of course. Look, he shall learn by watching just as much as by participating. Training is about the memory of the body... but the mind needs to remember it as well." he offered, twirling the fake sword once more. "Come."
Neither Elf moved for what seemed like at least ten minutes. In fact, Estel was starting to get bored... and antsy... the youth letting his booted feet press on the grass beneath him and make patterns. His fingers reached out, plucking up a green blade and folding it this way and that in his fingers.
Suddenly, the sound of wood hitting wood rent the air. The strikes were hard, likely hard enough to knock an opponent unconscious. Legolas' feet were a blur of movement as he spun, mirroring the younger twin's actions perfectly. Of course, those boots also never even bent a blade of grass beneath them in the process... a feat that certainly did not go unnoticed by the human.
WACK! Three times in rapid succession, two high strikes and one low. The Mirkwood Elf leapt, missing another low strike and swinging his arm out towards his opponent's head. Elrohir sidestepped, turning halfway around and switching the wooden sword into his other hand to strike at Legolas' seemingly unprotected side. However, the blond was quicker still and leaned forward in his leap right toward the end, flipping his legs and twisting his body so that he spun in the air and landed on his feet, away from the weapon wielding twin. Another hard strike echoed through the glade, both Elves pausing as their wooden swords locked, neither giving even an inch. Both sprang back, and the second Legolas' booted toe hit the ground, he struck fast, dashing forward, and leaning his lithe form low, striking at Elrohir with an upward slash. A quick downward movement from the dark-haired Elf's weaon had that strike blocked, causing Legolas to spin and pivot on the ball of his foot before disengaging and leaping away. Both Elves stared at one another for a moment, looking for some sort of opening... a tiny weakness...
The grin was the only warning Elrohir had as suddenly Legolas was launching himself forward again, his strike an obvious intent to go high...
But the blond fainted, dropping his weight down and quite literally sliding on the dew covered grass right between Elrohir's legs. Legolas was on his own feet in a flash, arms grabbing the Imladris Elf from behind and holding tight, pinning the younger twin's arms against his sides.
"Do you give?" Legolas asked, tightening his grip.
Elrohir winced, "I yield..." he said, obviously feeling a bit dejected with the defeat.
Releasing him, Legolas tapped the back of Elrohir's head with his sword before smirking to Estel and tossing the weapon over to Elladan.
"Dirty trick." the older twin spoke, catching the wooden sword.
But the prince merely shrugged his shoulders, "Orcs rarely fight fair anyway. Learning how such filth does battle can be of great benefit you know."
"Orcs do that?" Estel asked, his face screwed up in confusion. "I mean, they grab you like that?"
Nodding, Legolas tapped the boy on the nose with one finger. "I was caught like that once. I even bashed my head into his nose and his strength only gave just enough for me to grasp my dagger and slice at him. He let go, but the fight resulted ultimately in an injury."
Elladan laughed, "What did he do? Give you a headache?"
"Nosebleed actually... imagine my shock. An Orc getting the best of me..." The archer said with a mock pout.
"You are lucky he did not just sink his teeth into your neck instead." Elrohir pointed out, coming to sit because his brothers now.
The blond shrugged. "It could have been worse, granted... but that encounter at least taught me the trick... and it seems it works on other Elves aside from myself. Good to know." he grinned.
Estel sighed, putting his chin in his hands and elbows on his knees. "I will never be that good... you are too fast. Even Ro could not keep up. How am I ever to be as swift as you?"
With a soft smile, Legolas knelt, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Then find your strength. Mine is my swift feet and keen eye. Your brothers play off one another's own strengths and shore up each other's weaknesses. You, Estel, will find your own strength one day. But..." and at this, he took his wooden sword from Elladan once more and tapped the young human's fake blade. "You will have to train very hard to find it. Come. Fight me now. I think Ro needs a moment to... compose himself." the archer winked, just before Elrohir attempted to cuff the Mirkwood's Elf on the back of the head.
Legolas, however, was simply too quick and, with an amused laugh, easily dodged.
It was, of course, one of many training sessions between the twin sons of Elrond and the human who would one day grow into a king. One of a few lessons that had involved the son of Thranduil as well. Over time, Estel grew and learned his own strengths... his own weaknesses... but he never forgot those lessons.
Thus, on the road to Mordor, he and Boromir had taken it upon themselves to impart such martial knowledge on the young Hobbits who knew not how to wield a blade nor fight a battle. They were certainly lessons to be learned well, even if Men and Halflings could certainly never match the speed of Elves. Thus, as Aragorn watched Merry and Pippin wage their mock battle against the Gondorian, Estel smiled to himself as he remebered those days long ago fondly.
END
Congratulations to LegolasLover2003!
"Three. Four. Five."
The sharp clack of wood upon wood on each count rang out in the small glade. But then the boy suddenly felt another long stick tap his left ankle on the outside.
"Make certain you move your feet."
Estel frowned, throwing a sidelong annoyed look at Elladan, who sat on a rock nearby. He had stick in hand and was using it to point out different... openings or problems in the young human's training.
Elrohir smirked, letting the wooden training sword rest on his shoulder. "El is correct. If your feet remain stationary, you can not react as swiftly as need be."
"It is hard to think about my feet when I am hoping to keep your stick from my head..." the young human responded, running ringers through an unruly mop of brown hair.
Suddenly, another long stick hit him on the top of the head and Estel looked up, "NOT HELPING!" he shouted.
Musicial laughter greeted him as Legolas watched from above, twirling the stick in his hand like a long knife before speaking. "Be aware of your surroundings."
"This it too many things at once!" the boy protested, waving his mock sword at the Mirkwood Elf. "I hardly doubt..."
Sighing, Legolas dropped down to the grass, straightening up tall and motioning for Elrohir to strike him. "Just watch." the archer winked at Estel, who promptly ran over to sit on a boulder with Elladan.
"You sure?" Elrohir asked, the twin arching an eyebrow at his new opponent.
Nodding, the blond smirked. "Of course. Look, he shall learn by watching just as much as by participating. Training is about the memory of the body... but the mind needs to remember it as well." he offered, twirling the fake sword once more. "Come."
Neither Elf moved for what seemed like at least ten minutes. In fact, Estel was starting to get bored... and antsy... the youth letting his booted feet press on the grass beneath him and make patterns. His fingers reached out, plucking up a green blade and folding it this way and that in his fingers.
Suddenly, the sound of wood hitting wood rent the air. The strikes were hard, likely hard enough to knock an opponent unconscious. Legolas' feet were a blur of movement as he spun, mirroring the younger twin's actions perfectly. Of course, those boots also never even bent a blade of grass beneath them in the process... a feat that certainly did not go unnoticed by the human.
WACK! Three times in rapid succession, two high strikes and one low. The Mirkwood Elf leapt, missing another low strike and swinging his arm out towards his opponent's head. Elrohir sidestepped, turning halfway around and switching the wooden sword into his other hand to strike at Legolas' seemingly unprotected side. However, the blond was quicker still and leaned forward in his leap right toward the end, flipping his legs and twisting his body so that he spun in the air and landed on his feet, away from the weapon wielding twin. Another hard strike echoed through the glade, both Elves pausing as their wooden swords locked, neither giving even an inch. Both sprang back, and the second Legolas' booted toe hit the ground, he struck fast, dashing forward, and leaning his lithe form low, striking at Elrohir with an upward slash. A quick downward movement from the dark-haired Elf's weaon had that strike blocked, causing Legolas to spin and pivot on the ball of his foot before disengaging and leaping away. Both Elves stared at one another for a moment, looking for some sort of opening... a tiny weakness...
The grin was the only warning Elrohir had as suddenly Legolas was launching himself forward again, his strike an obvious intent to go high...
But the blond fainted, dropping his weight down and quite literally sliding on the dew covered grass right between Elrohir's legs. Legolas was on his own feet in a flash, arms grabbing the Imladris Elf from behind and holding tight, pinning the younger twin's arms against his sides.
"Do you give?" Legolas asked, tightening his grip.
Elrohir winced, "I yield..." he said, obviously feeling a bit dejected with the defeat.
Releasing him, Legolas tapped the back of Elrohir's head with his sword before smirking to Estel and tossing the weapon over to Elladan.
"Dirty trick." the older twin spoke, catching the wooden sword.
But the prince merely shrugged his shoulders, "Orcs rarely fight fair anyway. Learning how such filth does battle can be of great benefit you know."
"Orcs do that?" Estel asked, his face screwed up in confusion. "I mean, they grab you like that?"
Nodding, Legolas tapped the boy on the nose with one finger. "I was caught like that once. I even bashed my head into his nose and his strength only gave just enough for me to grasp my dagger and slice at him. He let go, but the fight resulted ultimately in an injury."
Elladan laughed, "What did he do? Give you a headache?"
"Nosebleed actually... imagine my shock. An Orc getting the best of me..." The archer said with a mock pout.
"You are lucky he did not just sink his teeth into your neck instead." Elrohir pointed out, coming to sit because his brothers now.
The blond shrugged. "It could have been worse, granted... but that encounter at least taught me the trick... and it seems it works on other Elves aside from myself. Good to know." he grinned.
Estel sighed, putting his chin in his hands and elbows on his knees. "I will never be that good... you are too fast. Even Ro could not keep up. How am I ever to be as swift as you?"
With a soft smile, Legolas knelt, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Then find your strength. Mine is my swift feet and keen eye. Your brothers play off one another's own strengths and shore up each other's weaknesses. You, Estel, will find your own strength one day. But..." and at this, he took his wooden sword from Elladan once more and tapped the young human's fake blade. "You will have to train very hard to find it. Come. Fight me now. I think Ro needs a moment to... compose himself." the archer winked, just before Elrohir attempted to cuff the Mirkwood's Elf on the back of the head.
Legolas, however, was simply too quick and, with an amused laugh, easily dodged.
It was, of course, one of many training sessions between the twin sons of Elrond and the human who would one day grow into a king. One of a few lessons that had involved the son of Thranduil as well. Over time, Estel grew and learned his own strengths... his own weaknesses... but he never forgot those lessons.
Thus, on the road to Mordor, he and Boromir had taken it upon themselves to impart such martial knowledge on the young Hobbits who knew not how to wield a blade nor fight a battle. They were certainly lessons to be learned well, even if Men and Halflings could certainly never match the speed of Elves. Thus, as Aragorn watched Merry and Pippin wage their mock battle against the Gondorian, Estel smiled to himself as he remebered those days long ago fondly.
END