Gwaedh [Legolas Love Story] - COMPLETED

XVIII.

Elarinya reaches the library and the door is closed. It faces no problem as Aragorn had given her a copy of the keys. She opens the doors as she remembers how she got the keys, Legolas had told the king she liked to read and study, and Aragorn had immediately granted her full access to the entire library. The keys were her birthday present, offered by the elf. Elarinya smiles, as she started recently doing whenever she thought about the prince. She shakes her head and tries to get control of herself.

The library was empty, not that it usually had many people, but today everyone was busy preparing for the great banquet for King Thranduil. The peace and quiet make Elarinya feel even more excited to be among books. She picks the most recent she had been reading, a study on the creation of orcs, then all other scrolls and books she could cross references with. She had been trying to gather information since she was given the keys in her birthday, the third day of spring. She places them all over the study table and sits, revising everything she has.

Her search had began with a thought - where could the orcs be hiding? The mountains had always been their predilect place, she was sure of it after reading some scrolls. And during the War of the Ring, the orcs were mainly located in Isengard, along the Misty Mountains or Mordor. Isengard had been taken down by the Ents, was now under a river. And most orcs had fallen to the pits of Earth when the Ring was destroyed, the remaining had returned to Mordor and some were slain by the volcano, others were killed by Faramir and Legolas and most Ithilien. 

It didn't make any sense. Yes, the orcs could have been hiding and alive since the War, but not so many. And they seemed organized, and most of all, they seemed to have a leader. That was the thought that lead Elarinya to think they had to be being created. It was what began her search on the origin of orcs.

Books written by men were not as old as the orcs himself. She wondered if the elves of Rivendell and Lórien had left books. Perhaps if she asked Arwen gently, she would let her go and take all the books back with her. She wonders how big Mirkwood's library must be and her heart rushes, how much she wants to visit it someday. She returns to her books. Orcs were created by the Dark Lord, but then they could be created from the depths and contents of Earth - it was what Saruman did in Isengard. 

No matter the place of origin, one thing was linked to it. Magic. Some form of magic, spell or sorcery was necessary to create them, though nothing she read was specific about it. She redirects her search for magic - wizards, sorcerers, witches, elven magic, objects of magic. 

Her reading is interrupted by many steps, some heavier and some lighter, and voices outside the library. The door opens and Elarinya raises, walks towards it. Legolas is the first she sees, she smiles and he smiles back "I was sure I would find you here."

Her smile ceases as she notices who enters after him. King Thranduil. Aragorn, Arwen and Gimli follow, but the woman and the king are looking at each other, the same way they had been years ago, on the battlefield, tears on her eyes, both kneeling by the body of her father. 

Thranduil speaks "I know you."

Elarinya immediately bows "Your highness."

"Father, this is Elarinya," Legolas speaks kindly "She has been fighting and helping us with the new arise of orcs."

Thranduil keeps looking at her with his cold judgemental eyes. Elarinya feels too young and small under his stare. She remembers placing flowers on his wife's statue and then he appearing and offering them to him, she was just around ten. She feels as little as a child again. Gladly, Arwen indicates them to a bigger study table, with enough chairs around it for everyone to sit. 

Elarinya whispers to Aragorn who stands by her side "What is going on?"

"The King wishes to tell us news about the orcs."