I didn't have much to pack, I had spent most of my life on the road, there was never any need for possessions. All I needed to collect from my room was my weapons.
Silent tears streamed down my cheek but I didn't have the will to wipe them away, they would only be replaced by more.
I grabbed a piece of parchment from my bedside table and dipped my quill in the ink pot next to it.
'Keep the necklace.' was all I wrote as I threw the parchment on the bed.
I wasn't sure where I would go. Minas Tirith was nearly a month's ride away but I knew that Aragorn and Arwen would gladly let me stay.
I didn't want to go to Aragorn's kingdom though. It seemed like such a selfish and pitiful thing but I didn't want to be hosted by them because they had each other. No one was stopping them from being in love.
Gimli was at Erebor. The Lonely Mountain was definitely closer than Minas Tirith. I had been there a few times in my life and as far as I was aware, the King did not hate me as Thranduil did.
King Dáin Ironfoot was rash, reckless and ill tempered but if rubbed the right way, he was a powerful ally. He wasn't the most regal of Kings but I didn't mind that, it just meant he was more down for a drink and a good jest. My last encounter with him was nearly thirty years ago when I had accompanied some dwarves from the Iron Hills to Erebor.
I didn't know what I would do after I got there but for now, all I was focused on was leaving. The sooner I left, the further I could get away.
I pulled on my cloak and fixed my scarf around my neck as I hurried to the stables. I quickly packed some supplies on the nearest horse and addled up.
Before I knew it, I was thrashing at the reigns, galloping out of the stables and into the forest of Mirkwood.
If I stayed roughly by the river, I would reach the edge of the lake which stood at the base of the Lonely Mountain. From there, I would travel along the banks for near of a week and find myself in the City of Dale. With any luck, King Dáin Ironfoot would allow me entrance to Erebor, where I could meet up with Gimli.
***
Four days had passed and still I felt uneasy. Mirkwood itself was a terrifying place if you didn't know all its secrets. I no longer had the elven road to guide me so I was blind in terms of vantage points or spider nests. The whole of the forest seemed to be covered in cobwebs so I did not know if I was being watched by the spiders or not.
I hadn't slept at all, no one could rest while being in a cursed forest such as Mirkwood. Like some elves I had come across, both me and Legolas could rest while on the move. It was a special elven trick wherein one could be awake and open-eyed but be sleeping inside. It could come in handy a few times but I tended not to use that trick because it wasn't as good as real sleep and after a while, it could lead to headaches.
My mind was too occupied to rest anyways. I thought of Legolas over and over again. I loved him, that much was plain to me now, but I had fled anyways out of fear his father would actually kill me.
I didn't want to leave, in fact, I was tempted more than once to turn back and run back into Legolas' arms. But my rational mind told me it was best to leave now.
In folklore and fairy tales, it is said there are only two ways to kill an elf.
They can be slain in battle.
Or they can die of a broken heart.
For the first time in my life, I feared the latter.
***
Relief washed over me as I finally broke free of the treeline of Mirkwood. The river besides me flowed gently into the vast Lake. I looked up and saw the beautiful Lonely Mountain, standing tall and proud above me.
I let my horse rest that night as we had been traveling nonstop since we left the city of Mirkwood. I finally decided to sleep as well but I found I could only sleep for maybe an hour or two. Usually, even a small sleep like that would leave me refreshed, but for some reason, I felt just as weak as I did when I closed my eyes.
My journey was fairly uneventful. When I traveled with Legolas, we occupied ourselves with talking and sparring matches. Now it was just me, it felt like I was just back to being a ranger. That wouldn't have bothered me usually, I loved being a ranger, but for the first time in my long elven life, I felt completely alone.
I spent half a month on the road, following the bank of the Lake towards the City of Dale. Every week or so, I would rest the horde and try to rest but I found I slept less and less with every passing attempt.
As much as I did usually love the markets of Dale, I found myself completely ignoring them as I rode through its bustling streets towards the Gates of Erebor.
The gates themselves were a wonder to behold. Giant statues of ancient dwarf kings stood either side of the ramparts, brandishing the most mighty of axes. If I were in my right mind, I would have been studying the beautiful architecture but as it were, I wasn't in my right mind.
"Who goes there?" One of the guards demanded from atop the barracks.
"I am Lady Sapphire, I have come to see King Dáin Ironfoot and a visitor to your city, Gimli son of Glóin." I announced loudly though I knew my voice was raspy.
I waited a few minutes before the portcullis was slowly pulled up and the gates opened. I slipped off my horse and pulled down my cloak as some of the dwarven guards tried to lead my horse towards the stables.
One of the captains of the guards, escorted me through the vast halls of Erebor. It never ceased to amaze me how beautiful this dwarven city was but at that moment, I was just looking straight ahead at the dwarf escorting me.
It wasn't long before I found myself walking down the platform of polished stone towards the throne.
For the first time in near of a month, a smile made its way onto my lips as I saw Gimli standing by the side of the King. He beamed up at me, this having been nearly three months since last we saw each other.
"My Lady," Gimli chuckled as he walked over to me.
"Gimli!" I exclaimed happily as I dropped to my knees and flung my arms around him.
I may have caught him off guard with the hug but after what I had just been through, I truly needed it. When I finally got back to my feet, I turned to see King Dáin, slumped back in his throne.
"Lady Sapphire," He laughed heartily, his thick red and white beard bouncing with every laugh, "You do not appear to have grown a single day since last you visited."
"Being an elf will do that to you," I chuckled, though my voice sounded hollow, "Besides, you haven't grown much either, unless your counting waistband."
Dáin threw his head back and laughed again. This was probably what I liked about him, he wasn't as uptight as most of the King's were in Middle-Earth. If I had gone up to any other leader and insulted their weight, they wouldn't be amused, but Dáin wasn't like that, he could take a joke and didn't really take things so literal.
"You've the body of a bloody elf but yer a dwarf at heart," He chuckled, "To what do I owe this sudden appearance of yours?"
"Let's just say, I had a disagreement with King Thranduil of Mirkwood..." I trailed off, choosing my words carefully, "I was hoping the hospitality of the dwarves would do me better than the woodland elves."
"I'd be happy to let you stay a while, if only to stick it to the elves," He chuckled, "Especially such a stuck up elf lass like Thranduil."
"Where is Legolas?" Gimli asked as he realised he wasn't there with me as he was expecting.
"I'll tell you later," I said quietly, my voice suddenly grim.
"I'll have a bedchamber made up for you but I can't guarantee it'll be suited to your size." Dáin continued, not paying attention to Gimli.
"My thanks. And don't worry, I grew up in the Mines of Moria, I am quite accustomed to dwarven sized rooms." I smiled lightly.
"Finally, an elf of true culture!" Dáin roared happily.
***
On the first night I was there, the King invited me to share a meal with him in his hall, as was the custom in most of the Kingdoms. As much as I was greatfull for the food and unlimited mead, I didn't have my usual appetite.
For the next three days, I mostly kept to my room. As much as I found Erebor beautiful, I didn't feel like exploring. I barely ate and though I stayed cuddled up in my bed, I barely slept.
On the forth day, there was a knock at my door. I assumed it was one of the servants trying to offer me food.
"Come in." I croaked, sitting up do I wasn't so sluggish.
"Right, what's wrong with you, elf?" Gimli asked gruffly as he pushed his way into my guest room.
"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.
"You know perfectly well what I mean, Sapphire," He said, crossing his arms stubbornly, "Yer not yourself."
"Just a little shaken up from the journey, is all." I lied, hoping he would buy it.
"I'm not a fool, nor am I blind." Gimli huffed as he took the mirror from my bedside table and shoved it into my hands, "I've been told elves don't suffer pestilence or disease, so why is it you look like death?"
I looked down at the mirror and saw my face. I was pale, almost so you couldn't tell where my forehead ended and my white hair started.
"What happened at Mirkwood?" Gimli asked.
"Let's just say, King Thranduil and me aren't exactly on the same page..." I trailed off sadly, "He has never approved of me, I don't know what I was thinking when I went back to Mirkwood."
Gimli patted me gently on the shoulder as I held back more tears. I didn't know what to do. I had never cared for something as useless as love in my entire life, that was always other people's problems. Now I finally knew what heartbreak felt like...
"I wish I had never met Legolas," I huffed, combing back my hair with my fingers, "If only we had never met with the Fellowship, then I could have just gone back to the Westfold of Rohan and continue being a ranger, without the disease of love."
"Don't talk like that, Sapphire," Gimli replied sternly, "I'll hear no more of your foolish nonsense. You are many things but you have never been wrong. You're a cunning warrior, lassie, nothing you do is merely by chance. Me and the elf may not have always gotten along but I'll say this for Legolas, love has never been clearer."
"Thanks Gimli," I smiled warmly, hugging him tightly, "But I simply can't go back to Mirkwood, Thranduil is likely to kill me is I take a single step towards his son again."
"Is there nothing I can do?" He asked sadly.
"I'm afraid not. Thranduil has nothing but contempt for Dwarves ever since the King of Erebor stole the only thing he had left of his late wife, her beautiful white jewelry. With every visit, he hates me more and more because of my constant praise of the dwarves..." I trailed off, a sudden thought springing to mind.
The White Gems! They were here in Erebor! The very reason for Thranduil's long mistrust of dwarves sat in these very halls!
"The White Gems!" I exclaimed, springing from my bed, making Gimli jump.
***
I had just rushed all the way to Dáin's throne, Gimli following me still confused as to my outburst. When I finally neared the throne, Dáin looked up at me curiously as he saw my haste.
"What's the rush?" He asked as he then spotted how pale I was, "Lady Sapphire, are you well?"
"I have a favour to ask of you," I said quickly as Gimli finally caught up and was standing beside me.
"That rather demands on what you ask of me," he said curiously.
"This may sound like an odd request, but do you still have the Mirkwood Gems? The ones stolen from King Thranduil years ago?" It was a bit blunt but I didn't care, all I cared about in that moment was the glimmer of hope I was suddenly given.
"Stolen? I'd call it liberated but anyways, what need have you for them? Not that they don't go with your white hair but I didn't take you one for jewelry?" He chuckled, amused by my request.
"May I have them?" I asked, I could have been more subtle but I wasn't in my right mind.
"Now why would I give up my most beloved trophies?" He burst out laughing, "Why would I just give the gems over when I could be dangling it and waving it in the King's face? Serves him right, the pointy eared fairy!"
"Please..." I said quietly as I waited for him to stop laughing.
"I'm all for sticking it to the elves but I implore you to listen," Gimli spoke up, silencing the King's laughter, "Lady Sapphire is in love with the Prince of Mirkwood, the son of Thranduil and a dear friend to me. She fled the city because the King did not approve of her because of her dwarven way of life. His prejudice stems from the robbery of his most precious objects."
Not so subtle either but it got the point across. I looked down at my shoes as I waited for Dáin to reply. When he didn't, I looked up and saw him studying me curiously.
"I thought elves could not die of illness, why then do you look like you have a deadly fever?" He asked, completely out of the blue.
"Two things may slay and elf. They can die in battle... Or they can die of a broken heart..." I said quietly.
"The gems mean nothing to us dwarves, but they are priceless in the eyes of the Elven King. Let her return to Mirkwood with them," Gimli explained as calmly as he could, "You do not know Sapphire nor Legolas as well as I do, but I owe them my life, so does the rest of Middle-Earth."
I waited in agony for some time as King Dáin mulled this logic over in his head. Dáin had always been the stubborn type and wasn't the kind to just give up his trophies.
"Take them..." He sighed, "But so help me, don't make me regret this decision."
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