VALAR MORGHULIS ° thranduil

｛CHAPTER 14｝

"The dwarves will be slaughtered!" She tried to persuade him.

Unfortunately for her, Thranduil didn't care much for them. Those dwarves had caused him so much grief and anguish, refusing to give him the gems meant for his first wife, then being the root cause for the orcs attacking the mountain which in turn took the lives of many elves. The quest itself also endangered the life of the one person Thranduil thought could mend his broken heart and make him feel warm again. The Elven King had no sympathy for them, not after everything they had caused. 

"They have brought this on themselves, I will not spill any more elvish blood in this land."

Thranduil had slowly stepped forward when he spoke, adding more pressure behind his chosen words and made use of his larger stature as intimidation.

It clearly didn't work as intended for when Thranduil was just a single step away from her, Tauriel spun her bow around, knocked an arrow and aimed it straight at him. 

"You think your life is worth more than theirs? When there is no love in it." Tauriel hissed out, tears threatening to fall, "There's no love in you."

There is no love in him? For a fleeting second Thranduil almost believed her, only then firmly settled for a resounding no, there is still love in this heart, no matter how cold some might think it has become. He has a lot of love for his people, whom he always tries to keep safe and well away from any danger, love for his son who reminds him so much of his first wife and most recently Thranduil has learned that there is enough love in him for a second chance to fall in love with someone. Pictures of the Silver Queen swam before his eyes, and he remembered the day he first saw her outside the gates to Mirkwood standing next to her dragon and the night they spent together during the Feast of Starlight. He desperately tried to hold on to those memories because Tauriel's words did strike a nerve, he wanted to believe he was not only still capable of feeling love, but also be deserving of it.

"Don't speak on matters on which you know nothing!" Thranduil tried to keep his words low and calm, so only Tauriel could hear them, but the nervousness he felt after her harsh words and having an arrow pointed straight at his face made it a difficult task to manage. "You know nothing of my heart."

"Ada! Tauriel!"

Thranduil's head whirled away from Tauriel, relief filling him as he saw Legolas running in their direction, a dishevelled looking Bard and Gandalf following close behind. The Hobbit Bilbo tried to keep up with their long strides.

Legolas, concern written all over him, looked from his father to his close friend lowering the arrow she had aimed at Thranduil.

"What's happening-" Legolas began to speak but was cut of by the Grey Wizard.

"There's no time to stay here and discuss trifle matters when the last Black Arrow has been stolen!"

"The Black Arrow?" Thranduil's heart swiftly sank. No... Oh, please Eru let this be part of some twisted nightmare...

"The guards that had been assigned to it were just found with their throats cut," Bard told them, "We believe it has been taken to Ravenhill where a second Orc army from Gundabad is soon expected to launch a second assault."

"Where is she now, then? Can't we warn her about this somehow?" Little Bilbo had a hard time being noticed in all the surrounding commotion, but these two short sentences got through. Despite their spat a few days ago Thranduil cared deeply for Rhaenyra, he cared so deeply for her that the mere thought of Rhaenyra being hurt made his head violently spin and his heart clench. This can't be happening...