Impulsive and young, Thranduil brings back Aerneth to Doriath as his wife, making his abusive father furious. Through the Ages their hasty marriage is shadowed by war and death, dragons and dark lords, betrayal and kinslayings. How can they ever fin...
~Oropher must seek refuge and the roles are reversed; neither he, nor Fëanor's sons are met with friendliness. Thranduil is in dire need of a healer but hesitates to see her.~
oOo
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Healing
"This way," Maedhros called, leading the way through the abandoned houses and stopping in front of the steep cliff wall sheltering the area. "They have delved tunnels." He must have spied on the colony with his seeing stones, the palantíri.
His words filled Thranduil with relief; if Aerneth was hiding in the mountain she could still be safe and unharmed. He longed to go inside as well and finally allow himself to breathe. And eat. And get his face seen too by a more competent healer than Amroth.
"I see no entrance," said Oropher. "Are you sure this is the place?"
"It is probably hidden. We must look for uneven parts, tool marks, unnaturally straight cracks... anything indicating a door." He walked along the wall with slow steps, stopping now and then to touch it with his single hand.
Thranduil was not too worried about the delay. The dragon they had heard down at the crossing must have turned somewhere else, for it had not followed the fleeing elves and ents up here.
From this altitude he could see it – and its fellows. Like he had suspected, there were many, and they had spread out, patrolling all the inhabited parts of Beleriand in lazy circles, spreading their huge wings and now and then sending a ray of fire to torch whatever was below: forests, settlements, meadows – even innocent flocks of animals. The continent had become a black and smoking wasteland.
He turned his gaze away, both furious and heartbroken at the sight.
While Maedhros searched for the entrance, the ents unloaded their burdens, setting each elf down carefully.
Galion thanked Fimbrethil profusely. "You have saved us a second time, dear Madam."
"It was but a small thing. Farewell now, little one; we are traveling to our kin in the great forest of Eriador. Perhaps we may meet again when times are safer and wars and fires no longer mar the soil of Arda."
"I hope so."
An oaken ent with rough bark and a long, green lichen-beard joined her. "Entwife."
"Husband."
"Hoom... we must continue. The fire-dragon is turning hither."
"Bark and crevice! I suppose we must, then." She turned back to Galion with an apologetic smile on her smooth birch face. "Fangorn here is always so hasty."
"Huumpf. Am not!"
Still bickering, the pair walked away with steps that made the rocky ground tremble, and disappeared down the eastern slopes.
