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“He’s here! You’re here!” Legolas exclaimed excitedly as he raced across the courtyard and into Haldir’s arms. The marchwarden picked up the young elfling effortlessly and lifted him to the sky. “Yes ion nîn, I have returned.” The younger elf grinned widely and glimmered in the sunlight, utterly ecstatic at Haldir’s presence. “Did Ada tell you that I made my own bow and arrow? Did he? I want to learn how to use it. Do you think you could teach me? Do you?” Haldir set the elfling back on the ground, and Legolas was now bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet. “I missed you!” Legolas pounced on the elder elf a second time, taking Haldir off guard and knocking him to the ground in a bone-crushing hug.
Thranduil’s heart swelled with joy at the sight of the two elves. There was nothing that made the king more elated than the bonding of his husband and son. The two were like pure starlight to Thranduil, more precious and more cherished than any gem in Middle Earth. They were the light that guided him through his darkest hours, and the life that pumped through his veins. As he watched his family bask in the gentle heat of the summer afternoon, he could not help but grin. For the first time in over a hundred years he felt eternally grateful for the life that he lived, and the world seemed just a bit brighter.