Burn Again

Chapter Five

Snorting softly to herself, she urged her horse a little faster as the group before her were travelling slightly quicker. Thranduil glanced over his shoulder as she caught up with them and fixed her with a cold stare, which she promptly returned with one of her own.

"If I may, my Lord," Melderion said quietly.

"You may," he replied, turning back to face forwards again.

"There appears to be considerable tension between yourself and Lady Elu," the aide said. "Is there anything which you require assistance with?"

"No." The simple word hung in the air between them for several seconds. "She is leaving us, so the problem will continue to exist no more."

Melderion nodded. "I understand, my Lord."

One eyebrow twitched, but the King said nothing further. His aide didn't know the first thing about the torment that haunted him, or how much it had grown from a slight breeze to a full-force tornado in recent times. He knew nothing about the instinctive awareness of her presence, or the burn that was slowly but steadily smouldering away in the pit of his soul.

And he would not tell him either.

His personal business concerned none around him, save Legolas, who he confided in from time to time. He frowned as he rode, thinking to himself that he really had to have a talk with his son as soon as the opportunity presented itself. The Prince was aware of his unsettled state, but not of the reasoning behind it. He owed it to him to tell him.

The group arrived at the village shortly before midday.

Thranduil cast a critical eye around as he dismounted, his ice blue gaze absorbing every minute detail. Most of the buildings were still derelict and in ruins, but a couple were well on their way to being habitable.

Good.

"Aileron. What is the present situation?" he questioned as his captain hurried towards him.

"My Lord," the ellon greeted him as he bowed. "Three buildings are almost ready to use, and we have halved our team to allow us to begin the next three. They should be ready within the week."

"How close are these ones to completion?" he asked, indicating the almost finished ones.

"Two or three days, my Lord," Aileron replied. "We currently await further supplies from Dale, and upon their arrival it will be all hands on deck to finish them."

"Very good," Thranduil commented. He nodded towards a much larger building. "And the mill?"

"Alas, we have not begun with the mill as yet, my Lord," the captain said apologetically.

A deep frown presented the vertical line between the King's eyebrows. "None can inhabit this village without the use of the mill," he said. "It is a basic need that must be accommodated. Make sure work begins on it as soon as possible. I will be leaving half of those who accompanied me this day to assist."

"Thankyou, my Lord. We will need all the help we can muster if we are to hurry things along," Aileron replied.

"And as luck would have it, the Lady Elu has decided to remain behind to assist," he drawled as he turned away.

The guard's eyes widened briefly in surprise as his gaze settled on the female. "My Lord-"

"It is her wish, and therefore her right," Thranduil snapped over his shoulder. "See to it that she has somewhere secure to sleep, and set her to work straight away. Melderion, choose which of your company you intend to leave behind."