The ElvenKing [A thranduil fanfiction]

Chapter 8

Greenwood T.A 2048

          Even if the weeks melted into each other, winter didn't seem to want to release its hold on the lands. Another layer of snow had fallen during the night, the white powdery snow covered everything, while also making it hard to move around the forest unhindered. Rüdhon had seldom left my side since the night he found me in the forest, his smothering had become suffocating, no matter how much I loved his company.

Whenever he was needed elsewhere, or when Charanthir called favoritism, he and Voronwë became my companions. They were always keeping me on my toes, hauling me around the forest without mercy. It forced my mind to concentrate, not to wander too much. It had become so quiet, unbearably so these days. As so many other days, I found myself lingering in the forest either preforming my duties or just enjoying the solitude I got from exploring.

We had just arrived at the desired destination where we would meet up with Rüdhon's group. He, Adlanna and Nendir was on the other side of the large clearing, resting comfortably in a tree while waiting for us. "There you are slowpokes!" Adlanna taunted. Charanthir halted, causing me to collide with him. I hit him in annoyance before rubbing my sore nose.

Adlanna's smile widened into a grin, Nendir chuckled, but Rüdhon didn't seem impressed at all. He arced an eyebrow at Charanthir, who had been ready with some smart remark, reminding us we were dangerously close to the spiders' territory. The spiders had all but disappeared from the forest, retracting beyond our borders where we couldn't reach them. Their cold-blooded nature made them able to adapt to their surroundings, but they had seemed to enter a small diapause phase during the winter.

Charanthir released something between a sigh and a groan as we quickly closed the distance between us, settling in the same tree as Rüdhon and the others. Rüdhon shook his head when Charanthir went for Adlanna, their soft shuffling the only thing disturbing the silence that had fallen between us. I sent Rüdhon a soft smile before turning to the two immature children. But Rüdhon's gaze seemed to linger on me once again, as it had done since we had been on the other side of the clearing.

Charanthir, finally done with his fight with Adlanna, seemed to notice as well. He had done so more often now, and smirked uncomfortably, making me want to wipe it off his lips. "Wipe that smirk off your face or I will." I pointed at him before standing up. We were to move out again, Rüdhon had just given the signal. Charanthir laughed and mimicked me mockingly. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head but still with a faint smile before I returned my bow to the quiver on my back and headed out without waiting for them.

Charanthir and Voronwë caught up within seconds, annoyingly so they moved better than I did. It had already been a fortnight since Elrond visited the Woodland Realm and I had discovered Thranduil were still haunted by nightmares. More than once, I had woken up in the middle of the night because of his screams and had been forced to stand idly by because I was not allowed near him.