Practice! With Wellard

[findsthesun]

A young Elf*, dressed in sturdy green and brown cloth and soft leather shoes, walks into the bar.

It can, perhaps, be forgive if his first reaction is wariness and his hand flicks towards the white handled knife at his belt.

Then he laughs.

"A tavern of Men, in the middle of the forest? I have not heard tell of this."

*see (here) for description of Elves, and Legolas in particular.

Comments

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

The man's caution can be appreciated. And by the looks of him- and his comment-

Wellard somewhat doubts that the man is human. But here at Milliways, that hardly matters much-

(And Elda wouldn't be pleased with Wellard if he let such a thing be an issue, so.)

He stands from his chair, hands empty and easily seen, and offers Legolas a faint smile and polite nod of his head.

"It is more than likely because we're not in the middle of any such forest that you may know, sir. The doorway to this place tends to show up anywhere you can imagine, and then it leads here."

[findsthesun]

The show of empty hands get a quick, amused look, and Legolas lets his right hand fall so as to not worry the boy unduly.

"You dress and speak strangely compared to the men of Lake Town," he agrees. "Where is it, then, that we are?"

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"I don't believe I've ever heard of a place called Lake Town." He shakes his head. "So... odds are you are further than you would imagine."

Wellard bites his lip, thinking for a moment.

"This is a bar, located at the end of time and space. There's... some sort of protective force that separates it from things, either magic or technology, I've no idea quite which. As I said, the door to this place can show up in any sort of world and time, and bring people here. Many of them travel back and forth from their world to this place.

"And if it sounds fantastic... it is. But it is true, sir." He steps to one side, and motions at the Observation Windows.

"The very end of time and space, and... And very far from any of our worlds, thank God."

[findsthesun]

"Ai, Elbereth," he breathes, shakily, stepping forward into the bar, and stopping.

"Then this is what it comes to, when the last notes play and Eä is unmade."

There is a quiet, deep, grief in his tone.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"... though not yet. Not yet in your world." Or so Wellard would sincerely hope.

"The door travels through time, as well- and the few people here, who've studied such things? Say its far from my time, and far from everyone else's. So...."

He bites his lip again, glancing at the Windows.

"It is not a pleasant sight, specially if you know the stars... but it's not to happen for you any time soon."

[findsthesun]

"It will come," says Legolas, and turns away to smile at the young man. "But we always knew it would. Thank you."

"I am Legolas, of the Great Forest—what Men call Mirkwood."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

He isn't sure exactly what he's being thanked for, but Wellard inclines his head in acknowledgement of it.

"You're welcome. And I am Wellard, Henry Wellard, from England, which-

"Ah, well. Also called Britian, but if there are other peoples aside from humans in my world, we don't know of them, to know what they'd call it."

[findsthesun]

Legolas laughs, merrily.

"England it is, then, unless 'Eng-' has a meaning, that I might translate it properly for you."

His tone is clearly teasing, though he would be willing to do so!

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

Wellard chuckles, shaking his head.

"Eng- or Ang, is the names of one of the many groups of invaders who settled the island and made it their home." He smiles a bit wryly. "Of which there is a long history of, one group invading, then settling, and a few generations later trying to defend against the next group who would do the same. But that's mostly early history, and we've not been invaded for several hundred years, now."

The most recent attempt the mun can remember was the Spanish Armada in Elizabeth the First's time, who ran against Sir Francis Drake-

The latter being one of Wellard's childhood heros.

[gondolin-noble.livejournal.com]

"I have found a young princeling," A bright, cheerful, and utterly inhuman voice calls in an almost sing-song fashion.

It appears to be coming from the couch.

Glorfindel still doesn't understand why he cannot convince the woodcarvers at Imladris to make him something like a couch.

"Whatever shall I do with him?"

[findsthesun]

"A tavern of Men-but-one," Legolas amends with a startled laugh, relaxing and walking over.

"I do not know if I should be insulted, to find you have rejected the hospitality of the forest for this place," he tells Glorfindel, eyeing the couch curiously.

[gondolin-noble.livejournal.com]

He might be as fair as any wood-elf and have eyes as blue as the mountain sky, but his clothing pronounces that he at least has Noldorian sensibilities, if nothing else.

Someone here adores things that glitter.

Someone here also can sweet-talk the elf-maids who add fancy embroidery to clothes at fifty paces.

Glorfindel waves a hand lazily, in a somewhat-encompassing gesture.
"It was more of a forced decision - besides, there are couches here, which is much more comfortable than knobbly bark." Silly elf princeling.

[findsthesun]

"A tavern kidnapped you," Legolas replies, smirking and looking sideways as he leans on the back of the couch. This way he can see all of the people who he doesn't know, and who are dressed very strangely better.

"I do not know all of the creatures here; how do they come to be within Mirkwood?"

A direct answer is not something he's too hopeful for, but a tavern with creatures that he has never seen--not of the shadow, else Glorfindel would not be relaxing, but not first- or secondborn, and not Dwarves...well, it doesn't sit very easily with him.

[gondolin-noble.livejournal.com]

"A tavern has kidnapped you as well, elfling, so if you mock one, you mock us both." Glorfindel points out wryly. "Unless you have so little faith in your father's ability to keep an eye on his own lands."

He leaves the unfortunate presence of a certain dark lord alone.

For now.

[findsthesun]

Legolas pulls a face. "I should hardly think he would be the one found lacking, if I came back from the south with news of a previously unknown tavern full of strangers in his borders.

"I do not know how I could not be in his borders," he continues, truthfully, before laughing, "but this does explain why I find you here; I could not think what would bring you to the king’s land, unless you were suffering from a lack of good wine."

[gondolin-noble.livejournal.com]

"You would insult my Lord's cellars? Impudent, very impudent, to so slander your elders." Glorfindel notes, the crystal beads woven into his braids glittering in the firelight as he shakes his head. "Though I cannot in good faith do likewise to your liege's own stock."

[findsthesun]

"Lord Elrond," Legolas intones, "is very wise, and his house is the store of many treasures. His wine cellar, I am afraid to say--while decent, of course--is not one of them."

You might think he was being serious, except his eyes are shining with mischief instead of just starlight.

[student_of_impossibility]

"It was almost as bizarre as finding it in my family's storeroom when I was eleven," a resonant baritone voice says sardonically from behind Legolas.

There's a tall, powerfully built young man, in armor and scarlet cape distinctly Roman in style, with nearly buzz-cut short hair and vibrant green eyes. (Tall by human standards--he's several inches over six feet, though still slightly shorter than Aragorn is, or will be.)

[findsthesun]

Legolas turns gracefully to face him, and eyes him--curious, very curious, and perhaps a touch wary.

"It is good to find I am not the only one who stumbles on taverns when they expected something else," he admits, walking over to the man. "How comes it to be here, do you know?"

Gaius Octavian might look somewhat akin to a Dunedain--though Legolas would not place him as one, full-blooded--but his style of dress is not something Legolas is familiar with.

[student_of_impossibility]

Octavian smiles wryly and gestures at the empty seat next to him. As relaxed and smiling as he is, only the faint flicker of his eyes over Legolas and what might be a faint probing at him gives any indication that he's given the elf more than a cursory glance.

He probably can't pass for Dunedain, either--his facial structure is Roman, distinctly Mediterranean, however strong and handsome they may be.

"Truthfully, most of the answers I've heard are only partially satisfactory. Most of the ones which make sense, too, will take a great deal of time to explain." And possibly several drinks.

"The short version, however, is this: welcome to Milliways, the Tavern at the End of the Universe. That's End in time, although--" He breaks off there, and shakes his head. He speaks to Belgarion too much.

[findsthesun]

Legolas smiles, swiftly, removing his quiver with what is an unusual amount of grace (most people find take the straps off to be awkward), and is about to take a seat and say something witty about the name 'Milliways' when--

He catches sight of the observation window, and is caught. The exploding starlight is reflected in his eyes, as he whispers "Ai, ai," with quiet grief, "then this is the end of the song."

[student_of_impossibility]

Octavian notes the grace, but says nothing about it. He rarely comments on something like that unless it suits him. His smile remains easy as he absently taps the hilt of the sword at his sie

He watches Legolas closely, the grief in Legolas' voice earning a raised eyebrow. "It's not so bad," he comments. "It's rather beautiful, in its own way--and as long as you can see the door, you can always go back, without time passing for you in your world and time. It may be at the end, but it has a kind of permanence."

[findsthesun]

"It is beautiful," he agrees, softly, looking away from the window and sitting down.

He glances again at Octavian, curious--naturally, and to distract himself. "I am Legolas, of the Great Forest--that which Men call Mirkwood. Where is it that you are from?"

[student_of_impossibility]

Octavian tilts his head a little, considering the best answer.

"A country called Alera," he says finally. "On a world known as Carna. You wouldn't know the more... twisted details of my origins."

After a moment of deep thought, he holds out a hand. "I'm Tavi. You should order a drink--the first one's free."

[findsthesun]

Legolas leans forward and clasps his forearm. "We are well-met."

He laughs. "That is needed, perhaps, in such an unexpected place. What is it that this tavern stocks, Tavi?"