To Live Again: The Road to War {Lord of the Rings Fanfiction}|

Lullaby: Part I

Borders of Mordor.  SA 3434

Rocks! More damn rocks!

Thranduil scowled petulantly at the dusty ground, scraping the sole of his boot across the parched earth only to reveal yet more dried cracks. This place was dead, there was no life in it, nothing green grew here and no water nourished it - it was a repulsive place for an elf so fond of his forest home. In fact, if Thranduil was being brutally honest with himself his very skin crawled with the darkness that ran rampant through this land. He didn't like it, it was unnatural and unholy, and it was only out of necessity that he was even loitering about this baron land.

An involuntary shiver ran up the length of his spine, and out of instinct the prince flattened himself against the closest boulder. Peeping through the sharp cracks of the rocks, he shrewdly examined the ravine below. There was an echo of movement, something stirred close by, and in expectation Thranduil calmly notched an arrow and patiently awaited his prey. However, a rustle of movement from behind had him debating leaving his back so unprotected. He momentarily warred with the decision to abandon his task in favour of finding safer ground, after all he was alone and if this was an ambush he'd be at a disadvantage. But Thranduil was never one to back down from a fight, and something told him his pursuer was alone and probably unsure of what he was actually stalking. With a wicked glint to his silvery blue eyes, the prince unsheathed a long knife from his hip, and in a flash of eye uncatchable movement he sprung from the rocks and pinned his pursuer to the ground with the deadly end of the blade pushed at his throat and his knee implanted squarely in their chest.

"Argh! Wait! I am friend!"

It took all of Thranduil's patience to not dislocate the jaw of the helpless ellon below him. With a growl he clamped his hand over the elf's mouth and held the knife in place threateningly. With an angry hiss the Prince trailed the other elf off the ground and slung them hard against the rocks;

"Amroth! What are you doing...do you have a death wish?" Thranduil hissed menacingly into the face of the son of his father's closest ally. The other elf shook his head vigorously and held his hands up in a gesture of innocence. "Good Eru, I could have killed you! Have you no sense?"

"I could ask you the same thing?" Amroth choked out when Thranduil removed his hand. He absently rubbed his chest where the Prince's knee had been and frowned unhappily before continuing; "You were unaccounted for at sundown, your Adar is furious, this is the fourth time you have abandoned station Thranduil!"

"So what are you now...my nursemaid?" Thranduil sniped. Of course he realized this was highly immature, but his father could be terribly suffocating at times. And yes, maybe he had a tendency of ignoring orders, but only when there was justification to do so. Surely Oropher did not need to send half the guard out looking for him?

"Well if you are going to run off like an excitable elfling, then maybe you need one?" Amroth replied haughtily, the comment only receiving him a smirk.

"Oh, ouch, did you come up with that insult all by yourself?" Thranduil parried with the hint of a visible sneer, the sarcastic statement making the other elf bristle. "If you are here to plead with me then you are wasting my time, and quite frankly you are slowing me down."

"Slowing you down? Thranduil what are you looking for? We are a half days ride from the main battle encampment, the road has been scouted, our path is clear! You are putting yourself at unnecessary risk; you would be wise to remain within the safety of numbers."

Thranduil let the overly safety conscious Amroth prattle on. Yes all he said was fact, the road was clear and the journey should be uneventful however that was not the vibe he had felt.