Burn Again

Chapter Nine

Silence.

Elu gasped, realising that she was in fact still alive, not dead as she'd expected. She opened her eyes, looking up into the ice blue ones that stared intently into hers. Several long, agonising seconds passed, and Thranduil slowly shifted his gaze from her to the ellon behind her.

She followed his arm with her eyes, slowly shifting over the strong set of his shoulder and along his outstretched limb. Tilting and turning her head, she gazed along his forearm, past his wrist to his fingers wrapped tightly around the handle of his sword which still hung suspended in the air over her.

The ellon behind her stood stock-still, his eyes on his King. His hand released the grip in her hair as he fell to one side. The weapon in his hand dragged along her shoulder with his momentum, slicing her flesh. She was so shocked, she didn't notice. It was only once he hit the forest floor that she saw the results of Thranduil's handiwork; the guard's head rolled away several feet as he fell.

Her head whipped back round to him as her mouth gaped open.

His attention moved to the other guard, who scrabbled to unsheathe his own weapon. He didn't succeed, as the blood-soaked blade swept in his direction at speed. A deep red gash appeared diagonally across his torso, and he too sank to his knees before falling face-first onto the grass and dirt below him. His body twitched a few times as it fought to live, then came to a silent still.

Those blue eyes shifted back to her.

Thranduil stood still for several moments, assessing the shocked and distressed female on her knees before him. Dirt and blood was streaked over her cheeks. Pale tracks cut through the dirt as her tears had carved paths down her cheeks as she cried. Her dress had been torn from her right shoulder, revealing her exposed shoulder and upper arm. Blood flowed steadily from the wound inflicted as the guard had descended to the ground. Petrified eyes held his, but she remained silent.

He stepped around her and squatted down as he gripped her bound wrists. The sword sliced cleanly through the rope, and he gently massaged the red skin to bring her circulation back. The coarse rope had burned into her soft flesh, and his heart cracked a little more.

But he said nothing, just helped her to her feet.

She stood with her head slightly lowered. Unsure what she was supposed to say, do, or expect, words failed her. Her head lifted slightly in surprise as the soft warmth of his cloak was placed gently around her shoulders. Her numb fingers clutched the edges and she tugged them over her front. Silent tears continued to fall as the hood was settled on her head. Gentle hands lingered briefly on her shoulders, sliding down to her upper arms before falling away.

From the corner of her eye, she watched as he leapt up onto his horse and the huge animal walked around her, coming to a halt behind her. Her entire body trembled with adrenalin, fear, and a thousand other things that she couldn't even begin to name or examine.

Thranduil leaned down and his strong arm slid tightly around her waist as he lifted her up onto the horse and placed her in front of him. Without a word, he turned the magnificent animal and slowly proceeded back in the direction he'd come.

*****

Melderion stood silently at the main gates as he waited patiently for his King's return. He hoped beyond anything else that his master had reached Elu in time, as he'd been more than certain that Aileron's brother and cousin had been up to no good. Having heard the confrontation between Thranduil, the captain and the elleth in question, he was aware that emotions were running high on Aileron's side. Why his King had said what he had was beyond his comprehension; he knew every significant event in his King's life, and knew that he hadn't bedded Elu. But knowing him as he had for thousands of years, he knew there must have been a good reason for him to have claimed that he had.