The preparations went in a flurry. A group of skilled warriors were selected to escort their prince safely to Rivendell and back. All of them were packed and ready to go within a few days. As the hours of night grew late, and the faint light on the horizon heralded the arrival of day, Legolas watched the forest from high up on the balcony and sighed. He had already bid farewell to Thranduil an hour ago. Then Erenien was there, in a state of disarray and her eyes weary. All of his attempts at lightening the mood hadn't turned out to be effective. "Please don't die...I can't..." she mumbled into his chest.
"I won't. I will come back, for you too." He kissed the top of her head. "Take good care of Ada and Tauriel."
"I will..." she sniffed. They stood there for a while with only the sound of night birds accompanying them. Then with a soft sigh, she let go of him and vanished into the shadows as quick as she had come, leaving him to deal with his own mind.
When the cold wind kissed his pale hair, there came a familiar nudge to his mind. Mere moments later, auburn swayed in the corner of his vision and her hand was there, beside his on the railing. There was only silence between them, thick as the darkness beneath them. As the captain of an army preparing for imminent war, Tauriel was naturally expected to stay back and oversee the training.
"Do not worry for me. I will be having an armed escort." Legolas whispered, as if the silence was too fragile to disturb.
"I cannot stop worrying unless I am a part of that group," her reply was quick, much like the swing of her blade.
"You are our captain. You are needed here."
Tauriel's fingers tightened on the railing and her eyes remained drilling through the darkness below. With a sigh he turned back to fix his eyes on the shadows.
"Come back to me," she said suddenly, fully turning towards him.
Legolas let out a breath which even he didn't know he was holding. "I will, always..."
He took her hand and brushed his fingers against the simple silver band on her forefinger, the one similar to his own. Deep in his spirit, he had this feeling that this journey wouldn't end at Rivendell. But no matter how many leagues were between them, he would come back home. This he resolved for himself.
As the sun rose the next morning, the party was gathered at the main gate. "Go with my blessings," Thranduil said to the assembled warriors. Everyone saluted the king and mounted their steeds.
Legolas' eyes met Tauriel's at last and lingered there for a moment while their minds spoke without the luxury of sound. At last the prince and his company rode away against the rising sun to the last homely house east of the sea.
***
She carefully treaded the night, cold and piercing, eerie moonlight illuminating her grim surroundings where stone over stone remained as if tied together by strands of hair. The floor beneath her was wet and more and more water dripped from the cracks on the stone walls. Her steps were carefully made. At the far corner of the room, someone lay chained to the ground. Before she could take a look, the door opened, letting in a group of orcs. They half dragged the prisoner who was too weak to walk. Silently, she followed them to an open terrace, surrounded by crumpling spires. There, hiding behind the ruins of a pillar, she watched as the orc chief gripped the captive by the head and shattered her mind- ripped apart the soul.
Erenien cowered behind the pillar, with palms squeezing her ears, unable to hear the raw throated scream of the creature. Blades were then brought out, their tips leaving trailing streams of blood in their wake on pale skin. The agonised eyes pleaded with Erenien for help while her sword remained sheathed at her side. At last the swing of a mighty sword brought the painful sobs to an end. Warmth dripped onto her face. She wiped it off her brow and shuddered at the blood coating her hand. Suddenly she was standing in a pool of red, watching her friend from close. All eyes were on her and the orcs sneered. Their chief's eyes bored into hers as he offered a wicked grin and said in an all too soft voice.
BẠN ĐANG ĐỌC
The Eternal Starlight
Fanfiction"I cannot raise a child!" Thranduil said aghast. "What she needs is a mother and a father- a proper family," he sighed. "Maybe she has found them in you..." It was said that after the death of his Queen, the Elven king became bitter and cold. Everyo...
