Everlong

70

Thranduil sighed and placed his hands in his lap, he just watched as her face relaxed and she seemed to relinquish some hold on being awake. "I see you have no comment about your adoptive mother's opinion."

Liruliniel laughed quietly again, a hand peeked out of her cover and she rubbed at her nose. In her tired actions her hand remained curled against the pillow. "Caladhiel knows me best of all, I think. She is the one who was the first to tell me that I could do whatever, as long I worked and believed I could."

"She's an enabler." Thranduil's lips quirked slightly in a smirk, Liruliniel chuckled and yawned yet she nodded. Joking aside, Thranduil was forever thankful to the older elf; when Liruliniel felt she had no one, she had Caladhiel. He wished he could say he was there, always, but he wasn't, was he? There was guilt in part, but he wasn't letting it eat him up inside. His actions were and would always be done on what he believed was right at the time.

The sounds of chatter outside in the camp could be heard distantly, Thranduil could hear the chattering amongst the men; the sound of weapons against the turning wheel to sharpen them went hand in hand with the crackling of fire, the clattering of pots and bowls. Alongside the usual sounds of a camp came the worried voices of women, the scared voices of children, a tension in the air which ventured even into this tent and he couldn't help but glance downwards.

Liruliniel didn't look all too peaceful, a frown on her face, her lips pressed tight, the hand near her face flexed and she twitched; yet no sound came from her, so he was uncertain whether she was dreaming something horrific or just uncomfortable. But he understood why she would force herself to stay awake and help where she could, there was an odd peace in the camp, and Liruliniel had always strived for that to last forever more. She didn't actually like fighting, even though she was good at it.

Thranduil foresaw the oncoming fight as a necessary evil; it had to happen, a path was ahead and Thorin had the option to redeem, he did not which led to them all being here. The fight was going to happen, and the stubborn dwarf-King would curb to the wills of those around him, because he'd be made to. Thranduil looked up interestedly though when the tent flaps opened. He had shut them, just for temporary peace for Liruliniel to fall asleep. But no, in came Gandalf, he looked rather determined, a little irked perhaps yet his expression softened a little when he saw where Thranduil was currently seated.

Of course the older male hadn't missed the concerned look which was on Thranduil's face as he looked down at Liruliniel. Thranduil just did what he usually did whenever a moment slipped, his face turned neutral, blank even as he stood and slowly made his way forwards. The wizard had come back, charging in almost, for some reason. Thranduil just hoped whatever the reason, he'd be quiet. Honestly, he didn't wish for Liruliniel to wake unless she desperately needed to.

"I was not expecting you to return, I believed you had said all you needed to earlier on." Thranduil's tone was as hard as the look on his face as he looked at Gandalf. Gandalf stood with his hands on his hips, a stray look sent in the sleeping elf's direction before his blue eyes turned hard too. Both sets of clear blue eyes stared long and unblinkingly at each other, waiting for the other to blink or look away. Neither did.

"Since when did my counsel count for so little? What do you think I'm trying to do?!" Here Gandalf paced a little as Thranduil seated himself, he looked rather uncaring about Gandalf raising his voice a little, at least he kept it to a low whisper and nothing more. If it went any louder, then he'd look a bit more displeased.

With a rather lazy shrug, Thranduil leaned to one side, his arm on the rest and the other hand clasping the end of the rest it came to rest upon. He looked to the wizard, still Gandalf looked rather unhappily back. He knew Gandalf's patience was wearing ever thinner, evidently he had hoped to speak sense into Thranduil, to get to some reason or another and deter a fight from happening. Thranduil however, well, he did honestly think it was a bit too late for words. Thorin had the chance, and he threw it back. "I think you're trying to save your dwarfish friends. And I admire your loyalty to them, but it does not dissuade me from my cause. You started this, Mithrandir, you will forgive me if I finish it." Thranduil's tone, if possible, grew even more of an edge to it as he stared at the wizard, Gandalf turned away blowing out a plume of smoke. Thranduil hadn't even noticed him light the pipe up, perhaps it already was when he came walking in here and he just didn't notice. Regardless, he was pleased the smoke did not stretch far to the sleeping form still unaware to this conversation happening. Thranduil could only imagine Liruliniel's little snippets and interventions. It annoyed him, just a little. Yes, he admired both of their loyalties, but at the end of the day those that they were talking about had shown how they treated those which were loyal to them. No, there was no kindness in Thranduil's tone as he spoke to Gandalf, standing and bearing down on the wizard even as he put emphasis behind his words. There was no leeway here, no budging, Thranduil was on a course he did not intend to veer away from. So, he walked past, moving silently as elves do towards the other exit of the tent and looked out at an elf on duty. "Are the archers in position?" His tone was simple as he looked outwards, not ignorant to the wizard watching him, just opting to not look his way as he spoke to a soldier.