The lady in the lake

The mermaid

'The lady in the lake' that's what those silly elflings from the city called me. A myth, they said. Bah! I was more than that, I was the most powerful creature in the waters of Mirkwood. A mermaid. A daughter of the lake.

Sitting upon the rock that lay in my shallow cove, I slowly let my tail swish about the water as my body dried off from the water. It was a beautiful evening, what the elves called 'the evening of Stars' it was when all those who lived in The Mirkwood gathered in the elvenkings' large palace to watch the stars and party late into the night. Which seemed to be the elves two most favourite pastimes. The beautiful music that could only be made by intricate Elven instruments was carried upon the wind to my delicate ears and I sighed, I had almost missed the sound of lutes and harps alike. Although the palace was on the opposite side of the woods the music still reached my ears. "I wonder what it would be like to see?" I questioned as I slid from the rock back into the water. My parents had always warned me against going into any cities or towns, no matter the race after all many would see me and know they could be rich if they caught a mermaid. I couldn't help myself though, the Elven music was mesmerising and Before I knew what I was doing I was quickly swimming upstream towards the palace. I passed under the river gates that were wide open, inviting in all manner of creatures, after all everyone was invited. I swum under fallen branches and over sunken rocks, only to end up in the courtyard that had been on my mind for over 700 years now. Since I was simply a child fresh from the arms of my mother, the palace of the great elf Kings had interested me to no end. I am still unsure if it is the sounds or smells, or even the elves themselves that interest me, but something always brings me back to the lakes of Mirkwood, no matter how far I traveled and what I saw. I let my head rise from the water just enough that none could see me, but If they did they would see an elf. My sharp features and pointy ears were enough for anyone to mistake me for an elf, I guess I had my father to thank for my features. A sharp flash out the corner of my eye was enough for me to fall back under the water and out of sight of whatever I had seen, but it was too late as the Elven scouts had mistaken me for a drowning guest. What was I to do? Unluckily for me that question died on my tongue as the guards had already dragged me from the water and to the land, leaving me to struggle for air as I was crowded around after some guests saw the large Aqua coloured tail that was all to obvious to the eye of any race. My mind went into overdrive and I started to panic as they dragged me further and further away from my home, I cursed my curiosity, I should never have followed the music.