𝐆𝐈𝐅𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗 | 𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘳 -DISCONTINUED-

{2} 𝒫𝒶𝓉𝒽 𝓉𝑜 𝒫𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓎

...The image above is what the ring Allyria is given looks like...

Allyria found Mirkwood forest to be a stark contrast to her peaceful home of Rivendell; where Rivendell stood rigid like the proud mountains that surrounded it, Mirkwood seemed satisfied to stay hidden in the shadows, waiting for its prey to fall into its grasp. Deep pits of shadow swallowed any light that fell through the thick canopy of leaves, forcing the convoy of Elves to light lanterns for guidance. Thick trunks of ancient trees stood like sentinels, and the creatures of the forest seemed to whisper rather than shout.

Nonetheless, these factors did nothing to dampen Allyria's excitement for the momentous occasion- the Elves of Mirkwood had invited their Rivendell counterparts to celebrate the Feast of Starlight with them for the first time ever, and perhaps the last.
A small smile of peace and awe seemed to permanently grace her rosy lips.

"Allyria, come with me. I have called for the riders to stop as the horses are tiring and need rest. I have something to show you." Lord Elrond calmly called out as he stepped down from his horse.

Allyria smiled in greeting to her godfather before replying, "Of course, Ada."
Seeing that his daughter was moving to follow him, Elrond began to make his way to a more secluded area of the forest.

Allyria's heavy riding cloak fell to the trodden dirt as she dismounted from her horse, Aeno. His silver coat shimmered as he shook out his mane. He was an old horse, it was true, but Allyria knew that he was the horse her mother had rode on when she came to Rivendell. Hence, Allyria felt a dutiful loyalty to the creature, and chose him with pride.
The only reason for his long survival was that he was from a very rare breed, known as the Renayro; a race of horse known for their unusually long life spans, making them suitable companions for the immortal Elves.

Ruggedly tugging her weapons to a more comfortable position on her back, Allyria followed in her father's footsteps after lightly patting Aeno's neck. Her azure riding tunic dragged across the forest floor, collecting dirt and dust before coming to a quiet stop.

Facing her father, Allyria rested her hands at her sides as she respectfully waited for him to speak first.

Elrond cast his gaze upon her and spoke, "For many years now you have lived as my daughter, yet you are aware that you were not always so. You collect any connection to your blood you can; from your mother's stallion to the name she placed upon you as her last act- it is plain to see you long for answers and a connection, do you not?"

His question was said without malice or accusation, and so Allyria felt no guilt in answering the truth: "Yes Ada, I do. The mystery surrounding her identity confounds me still. Why do you ask?"

"Come closer, I have a gift for you." Elrond said with a coy smile on his face.

Obeying his word, Allyria approached her father with honeyed adolescent eyes. As he outstretched his hand to place something in her palm, he spoke to her: "This was the only other significant piece of property on your mother when she came to us. It is a gift for your hard work at your training sessions."

The cool kiss of metal touched Allyria's skin, as a silver weight was placed in it- a ring that evidently belonged to her mother.

A grin of childish joy stretched across Allyria's face before she jumped into her Ada's arms, mumbling an unintelligible rush of thanks and praises.
A pleased Elrond wrapped his arms tightly around his gleeful daughter, the sight of her smile bringing one to his face.
"You are most welcome, daughter of mine. Now let me see it on you!" Elrond chortled.

A cheeky smirk crossed Allyria's face as she posed with the ring on her finger, like so many of the vain maidens of man she had seen on their travels, the young years of her life giving her reasons for such immaturity.
The glinting band of polished silver stretched across her pale skin, the deep emerald stone set in the middle paralleling the hues of the forest surrounding them. Allyria admired the simple yet exquisite craftsmanship of the ring.

After a shared laugh between father and daughter, both began their walk back to camp, basking in the purity of the moment...

Many hours later and night fell like a swooping hawk, causing more lanterns to be lit. The halls of the Elvenking Thranduil weren't far now.

Allyria couldn't stop admiring her gift, twisting the halo of silver around her finger whilst pondering many questions: Where had her mother gotten this ring? Was it a gift from a lover- Allyria's father by blood perhaps? A family jewel? Or perhaps, simply a prized possession?

These unanswered questions floated through Allyria's mind, clouding her senses as she rode atop Aeno's back, which is why she didn't notice the ominous thrum of clicking until it was too late...

Giant spiders leapt out from the obscure thicket, barging through the convoy of horses and bringing a flush of panic to all gathered.
Guards and simple servants alike drew their weapons, beginning to battle the creatures with swords, daggers and arrows. After all, any Elf born of Rivendell was trained to fight and defend themselves to an extent.
Shocked yells and the singing of sweet steel rang through the air, creating a chorus of chaos.

Allyria felt blood rush to her ears, and her heartbeat seemed to increase tenfold. She knew she wasn't good enough with both of her blades yet- her clumsy coordination still proved her downfall- and so she settled on drawing out a single sword from its sheath atop her back.
Her weapon of choice was slightly shorter than a great sword, yet too long to be considered a dagger.
The perfectly balanced blade felt familiar in Allyria's hand, the graceful curve of the metal like the comforting grasp of a friend's hand in her own.

Sweeping her eyes across the fight, Allyria tried to locate her Gwathel, Arwen. Finally noticing her mane of inky black hair through the din of battle, Allyria urged Aeno to rush toward her, and he complied immediately.

It seemed Arwen had spotted Allyria's approach, for she greeted her with relief before wielding Allyria's other sword for her own use.

Both Elleths knew that they were the least experienced Elves present to deal with this threat, and so watched cautiously, obeying the advice of their father from weeks ago; If they were to come under threat, they were to protect each other before anyone else.

As their horses nervously stood by each other, both sisters held their swords tightly in hand. Their fellow Elves seemed to be winning this battle, but it was still hard to tell. Both could see that their companions were struggling to keep the violent spiders away from the two girls- until, after a tense moment, one spider burst through the ranks to attack them.

With thinly veiled fear, they turned to face their opponent before the gargantuan beast leapt through air, throwing Arwen off her horse and backwards into a tree. Her head whipped back at full force and slammed against the tree, knocking her out cold.
Seeing the vulnerable state this left Arwen in, Allyria rushed to her body to protect her.
Knowing the disadvantage Arwen's horse gave her against the spider, Allyria leapt off of Aeno mid-gallop, gracefully rolling out of the momentum, and sending him away with a quick command.

Pivoting around to place her sister behind her and face the enemy, Allyria held her sword in the taught manner as she adjusted her stance in preparation.
Gathering all of her speed, agility and strength, the inexperienced Allyria fought to survive against the beast.

A/N:
• The horse breed of Renayro is not LOTR canon, or any fandom that I know of; I created them to fulfil my plot ideas.
• Ada = father
• Gwathel = sister-in-all-but-blood
From now on, any terms that I feel may need a little definition or explanation will be put in italics the first time they are used, and explained in the A/Ns at the bottom of each chapter! Hopefully you guys find this helpful!
Hope you enjoyed 🥰
Xx