towerofanimus | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Characters: Legolas (

keeps_count) and Haldir (

marchwarden)
Setting: Floor 32
Format: Prose most likely
Summary: Elves hunting! And bonding! And seeing who is better with a bow~
Warnings: None

Walking through the dormitory floors, Legolas had his bow slung over his shoulder and a quiver of arrows. He took a glance into each room until he spotted the elf he was seeking. The prince is quite relaxed at this point, dressed in travel gear so he could move more quickly. He knocked at the door and grinned casually to Haldir, hoping the older elf wasn't planning anything just yet.

"My friend, would you care to join me in hunting some game? There is a floor here with animals like those we know in Middle Earth." There weren't many people here that Legolas knew so well as to decide to go hunting with them. And he had spent dreadfully little time with Haldir since he had arrived and Legolas was actually very pleased to have another Elf here. Among Men and Hylians and every other race represented here, he had kind of felt alone.

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After finally catching up with his much needed rest, the sleep he neglected for the last week or so, Haldir appeared somewhat refreshed face since they've last met. He still wore a look of permanent gloom on his handsome face, but Haldir didn't look quite as haggard as he did before. Instead, he seemed somewhat at ease with himself more so than his first week here. Dressed in his usual gray and green hunting garbs and leather, the older Elf turned to give Legolas a faint look of surprise. He could tell just by the mischief lurking within the Prince's eyes that Legolas had something in mind. "A hunting game?" Haldir repeated as he arched his brow. While he certainly heard that traveling through this tower freely is a dangerous one, Haldir cared very little for sitting indoors. He's a marchwarden, after all. The older Elf was much suited for adventure and danger rather than idleness.

Offering his young companion a faint smile, Haldir nodded in agreement. "Very well," He replied with a smile. "I did make a vow to the dwarf to keep you out of trouble, therefore I shall attend." His conversation with the noisy dwarf was a brief one, but Gimli honestly confessed concern for his Elven friend when Haldir last met him. It seemed that young Legolas has a penchant for trouble and has met his fate several times due to foolhardy mistakes. Boldly promising Gimli that he would watch over the Prince of Mirkwood, Haldir wasn't about to have Legolas running off on his own on some silly hunt.

He was glad to see how well Haldir looked, he knew how exhausting this tower could be, physically and mentally. And he had barely been here more than a couple months so far, proving how harsh the lessons this tower could offer, really were.

"A vow to Gimli? He worries far to much. At least he is not upset with me." Two mistakes, and he could hardly be blamed for the second. Really, his second death could be blamed on him being so compassionate. It was nice that his friend cared enough though.

A chuckle followed Legolas' reply. "Perhaps he does but not without some merit." Playfully teasing and admonishing the young prince with those words, Haldir slips into his quarters briefly to fetch his arms. While he's certain that Legolas is the better of the two when it comes down to archery, the marchwarden knew he had the younger elf beaten when it comes down to swordsmanship.

Opting to take both his blade and bow with him, Haldir emerged from his room with a grin on his lips. "I'm ready now. Let us hope there's enough game to be had between the two of us." Some friendly competition never hurts anyone, right? Gimli has nothing to fear for Legolas will be returned safely after today's friendly bout.

Legolas was almost insulted, neither death was entirely his fault. And he'd made a point of avoiding Ganondorf since he was murdered. Keyword being 'almost' though. He very well knew that he had been reckless, which had been the only reason Ganon had been able to kill him rather than seriously injure the elf.

"I'm sure that there is. I doubt the administrators would allow us to hunt all the game to extinction." Alas, Legolas hadn't thought to bring his swords, his arrows more than effective enough for him. And he rarely let an arrow go to waste, always careful to retrieve them.

A strange gleam appeared within those deep blue eyes once Legolas mentioned their captors briefly. "The Administrators?" In that next moment a frown settled on his pale lips. "So that's what they call themselves? Hmph..." Not at all fond of their hosts, just the mere utterance of their name sparked a fire within Haldir that was none other than hate. He hated these people, these faceless barbarians with a passion. If he could possibly get his hands on them, Haldir would make them pay for the crimes done here. Until that day, the marchwarden had to restrain his rage.

Forcing a smile to his lips, Haldir regarded Legolas with much needed cheer. "But we can most certainly 'try', can't we?" He asked with a hint of mischief in his tone. "Come, let us go before anyone attempts to hinder our fun."

"As I have heard. I know of them only through the competition I was forced into last month. Many of us were taken and separated into groups for each one of them: Jason, Dax and Riki. There was also Ruana, but I do not know where she fits into the hierarchy here." What the prince wouldn't pay to hurt any of them. Dax had been fairly civil to the group Legolas was in, no surgical alterations and the most peaceful of deaths for those who were voted out.

And he was wise enough not to mention the cruelties to Haldir. This was a day for fun now, and he was not going to allow last month to ruin this. The prince would give anything to lose the memories of the ends of each week.

"We can indeed. I'm sure they will lose quite a bit when we are done." They'd have enough by the end to ensure that they're fed for awhile, in case anything happened to the food supplies in the tower again, anyway.

All those names sounded so foreign to Haldir but he did his best to commit them to memory. Falling in stride with Legolas as they walked towards the staircase, the older elf couldn't help but wonder what these Administrators wanted in them. They obviously weren't here to help them, especially since news of their previous competitions had reached Haldir's ears by now. He knows that the Administrators take great pleasure in their demise, using cruel and inhumane acts to ensure that blood spills. Yet no one knows what's the purpose of these terrible games.

Wondering if he should even attempt to make sense of this, Haldir chose to block out these morbid thoughts and focus on the chance to having venison for dinner. "Tell me, mellonamin, what kinds of creatures lurk here? I've heard some claim that 'dragons' stalk these halls." Of course he doesn't believe such claims, but some people here actually do.

It was always good to know something of your enemy, even if they were names alone. And Legolas had learned a bit more since arriving, though it still counted for very little. If anything, he knew that whoever was in charge would always be creative and Dax seemed to be the most desirable, when they chose who was in charge.

"I have seen Orcs and Uruk-hai as well as creatures that have never existed in Middle-earth. I know that one monster is called a 'ruppee' and looks like a gem." Legolas himself hadn't heard about dragons being anywhere, although he didn't doubt the possibility. He was actually a bit wary about the possibility.

He knew plenty about Smaug and the damage he caused.

A cold chill ran up Haldir's spine once Legolas mentioned the fearsome Uruk-hai. He was about to ascend up the stairs when the prince mentioned them, nearly tripping hadn't he always been so sure footed. Sparing a glance to Legolas that spoke of both shock and even dismay, a thought passed through his lips in the form of words. "Why in the name of the Valar would they ever spare those fiends from destruction?" The harshness in his tone was covered uniquely with frigidness but Legolas could probably easily detect his disdain.

A huff escaped Haldir once the both of them reached the next floor. "I, for one, am not eager to see those beasts again. Although, I'm quite curious about these other beasts that hail from realms beyond our Arda." His thoughts strayed as he wondered how could a monster take up the form of a crystal.

"I wish that I knew but they are not as great in number as during the Battle of Helm's Deep." Not even close and they didn't seem to travel in large groups when Legolas saw them. So there wasn't much concern from the young elf regarding them. "They aren't very common, I've seen them but once or perhaps twice since I arrived here."

Nobody would be eager to encounter them again, but they were difficult to get rid of completely. Even a century after the end of the war, there were still some out there that had escaped and hid from being killed.

"I am certain you'll encounter other creatures quite often before you meet with them. For now, our quarry is much less threatening. And edible." Bringing them back to a cheerful topic, mischief back in his eyes.

Haldir spared an ear to Legolas' words but nothing else. He merely listened to the young elf talk as they wandered up the stairs in aimless search for prey. News of the Uruk-hai certainly threatened to dampen the marchwarden's spirits but not by much. Fear has never been a word to stick with Haldir for long and while he certainly feared the horde for their strength, the Elf wouldn't hesitate to cut them down as he did before. It merely surprised him that the beasts from their realm seemed to have lost the intelligence that Saruman graced them with.

This, of course, is a blessing for them all. The last thing anyone needed was another war to brew and this time on foreign soil.

More than grateful to leave the violence of Middle-earth aside, Haldir grinned once he felt the cheer in Legolas' tone. "Edible?" He smirked vaguely at the young Elf. "If our quarry shall be an edible one, then perhaps the loser of our competition should cook it." This will be a friendly wager.

Legolas raised a brow at the suggestion, a smirk crossing his lips. This almost sounded like something Gimli might suggest though he wouldn't dare voice that. He knew quite well how... tense the relationship was between Haldir and the dwarf. Although, if Gimli had made Haldir agree to keep Legolas out of trouble, it couldn't be too tense.

"That sounds fair enough though I fear your cooking skills." Only teasing but Legolas was a bit confident in his skill. Although, in the hopes that they wouldn't get carried away and end up with too much game both to carry and cook, he added this after a moment.

"Shall we set ourselves a goal to decide the victor?"

It's quite common knowledge that elves and dwarves seldom get along, but such a truth isn't written in stone. Even Legolas himself wasn't very fond of Gimli, son of Glóin, until match later in their adventures together. The same goes in tow here between the dwarf and Haldir. The two both possess their typical prejudices against each other but the two of them share a common bond. That bond residing within Legolas' welfare. The Prince of Mirkwood is worth more alive than dead, and the both of them will see to it that Legolas is never harmed again.

A playful smile stretched across his lips as he regarded the younger Elf. Surely Legolas isn't afraid of a little bit of friendly competition, right? Doesn't seem like he is since he willingly accepted the rules of this game with a grin. "Oh? Well, won't it be nothing but a crying shame that you'll never get a chance to admire my cooking skills." He replied as arrogantly as ever before deciding the goal.

"Twelve kills, my friend. The first to kill twelve quarries, wins." And with that said, Haldir dashed away towards the next floor.

It took their visit to Lothlorien for Legolas and Gimli to even consider being civil to each other indefinitely, the elf exploring with Gimli during their time there. They had more than enough time to talk and find common ground among each other.

"I won't? Do they not exist then?" Oh, friendly competition? Legolas could handle friendly competition very well, too easily in fact. And it was nice now to have it with a fellow elf, someone who stood a better chance against his skills.

"Twelve it is then-" Welp. Legolas rushed after him, shrugging his bow from his shoulder and drawing an arrow from his quiver.

The blood within Haldir's veins began to pump wildly as he sped off ahead, quickly drawing his bow and aiming it towards the first creature he laid his eyes upon. With a speed unknown to any mere human, the marchwarden's first prey was that of a spotted bird that flew high above. He shot it down with one arrow, a precise strike that pierce through its fragile chest and heart. The bird was of meager size, large enough for a small snack if anything. Yet the death of this little bird spoke silently of the challenges Legolas faces today. Haldir isn't Gimli, he's too damn fast to be likened to a dimwitted dwarf.

Not losing the least bit of momentum, Haldir drew his bow again and aimed it at another hapless pigeon of a bird that was idly flying by. The crisp green grass will surely be stained with blood today as the two archers played their game. Haldir was so far in the lead with two kills, and a third coming right up. "Asca, mellonamin!" Haldir chuckled as he glanced back towards the younger Elf. "Hurry or else I might leave you in the dust." Offering Legolas a rather arrogant smirk, the marchwarden continued with their game with much prideful glee.

Legolas ran after him, quickly firing an arrow towards a squirrel that was crossing his path, feeling only slightly guilty at killing the innocent creature. There were more than enough of them around though, one among them dying wouldn't hurt. And nothing would go to waste anyway.

"Do not think you will win easily, if at all!" He raced after the older elf, determined not to let him win and memorizing which ways he went so he could gather each of his kills later on.

A small rabbit darted through a bush towards a small rabbit hole and he fired another arrow towards it, determined not to fall too far behind Haldir both in kills and in distance.

Collecting the kills later might be a rather tedious affair or Haldir thinks. Perhaps setting the limit to twelve was quite cruel in regards to the woodland creatures roaming these parts. However, by the time Haldir thought of that he was already on his fourth kill. A pheasant darted out from the nearby shrubbery, its auburn feathers instantly stained with blood his arrow struck it dead. Another pheasant soon dashed out of the shrubs but Haldir spared its life out of momentary regret. He decided then and there that he would only kill one of every creature. This would surely severely handicap his efforts but the marchwarden plans to stick with his ethics for now. Now on the hunt of a rabbit of his own, Haldir managed to find a clergy of gray feathered geese instead to aid to his bounty.

Before the flock could escape from him, one of their kind fallen to the ground with an arrow stuck through its breast. It seems that Haldir leads now with five kills under his belt, most of them various kinds of birds for now. "We'll see about that, Legolas." he shouted towards the Prince with a hint of jest in his tone. "It would take more than just nimble fingers to outmatch my archery." On the hunt once more for that said rabbit, Haldir spotted a deer nearby. It was more of a young fawn than a deer, one that still possessed the delicate fuzzy fur of its infantile days. Hesitant to kill this creature in cold blood, Haldir lowers his bow briefly as he stares at it.

Should he kill it? It would be his sixth kill if he does so. Yet it's so young and precious. Killing the poor fawn would cause him great regret. Mentally cursing himself for his tender heart, Haldir called out to Legolas again but with a commanding tone. "Let the children and their mothers flee!"

Legolas heard him, caught the command in his voice and nodded as he caught up, watching the fawn for a moment. He wouldn't have killed it, he was sure, even if Haldir hadn't voiced it.

"They will be spared, of course." Even back home, Legolas wouldn't have even thought of killing them. Especially considering how little of the forest they had inhabited since Sauron had moved in next door. Although, things had gotten much better after Sauron's permanent defeat.

"I cannot say the same for your dignity." Legolas knocked back a pair of arrows and raised them upward before firing and bringing down a pair of grouse.

The playful quip followed by a display of skillful precision, certainly made Haldir feel a tad humble at first. That is until he sniped a hare that dashed out of its hole. The two of them were almost even now in kills, both of them sporting six kills. Offering Legolas a faint smirk once he drew his bow again, Haldir couldn't help but chuckle once his arrow made its mark again within the side of a fleeing duck. So far the marchwarden had successfully slain seven creatures, all of them being different in size and breed. It seemed that despite the self-imposed handicap of killing only one of every creature, Haldir was still gaining on Legolas.

"My dignity seems to be just fine, mellonamin." Legolas could almost hear the mirth in the marchwarden's tone now. He's having far too much fun now.

"For now!" This was steadily becoming more for fun than competition, not that Legolas would mind. He certainly wasn't going to let Haldir win easily, if at all, though and rushed ahead to find a high spot to look around. That proved useful, the younger spotting a fox darting away because of his approach.

He let his arrow fly, pleased to see it land accurately. And a fisher a moment later before moving again to find something else to ensure he and Haldir stayed tied for as long as possible. He couldn't bring himself to kill the beaver he eventually crossed, mostly because it was building its home and he couldn't stand the thought of killing it while doing so.

Something likened to a gleeful chuckle escaped Haldir as he raced to keep up with the younger Elf. Legolas happened to be quite quick on his feet, a truth that the marchwarden was glad to see true. Had the other been a mere human or dwarf, this friendly competition wouldn't have hardly been as fun. Most Men couldn't match the same pace of an Elf, especially while hunting. While Aragon might've had something to say about that if he was still within Animus, Haldir couldn't help but muse over the universal truth that Elves make the best and most skilled hunters.

Quite pleased with Legolas' show of skill when hunting that fox, Haldir decided to up the ante just a little and snipe down a passing quail-like bird that dashed out of the bushes. "That makes 'seven', my young friend." Haldir announced mockingly.

"You're barely ahead, don't allow your ego to inflate just yet." Small game was hard to spot and kill quick enough, which said quite a bit about the skills of both elves. Of course, Legolas was still determined not to let Haldir beat him.

Darting off, he found a tree and grabbed a low branch, pulling himself up onto it a moment later and watches silently. He didn't even breathe loud enough to disturb even the creatures that lived in the tree. And once he saw a deer, a fully grown one with a broken antler, he knocked back an arrow and fired for its heart.

"And we are tied once again, Haldir!" Hopefully there were no predators nearby or he might lose that one.

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Blergh, DW didn't switch my account

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