Adult-FanFiction.org : Lord of the Rings

In a land of shadows	By : Nuredhel Category: -Fourth Age to Modern times and beyond > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 1448 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, it belongs to Tolkien, and i do not earn any money from this work of fiction, it is solely written for entertainment and not for profit at all.I do not own Lord of the Rings, it belongs to Tolkien,

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Things are starting to happen, a unimaginable enemy is rearing its nasty head and the worlds will forever be changed. Who will live and who will die?
The verse here in the beginning is from the old norse poem Håvamål, the words of the high one which is of course Odin. To a Viking this poem was a list of good rules on how to behave, not like the ten commandments of the Christian belief but just good advice. They are still useable to this day, I like them a lot J
I chose it for this chapter just for the heck of it, thought it fitted somehow, it is better to have problems than to be dead. One should never rush headlong into danger without thinking first.

Chapter Two: When worlds collide

Haltr ríðr hrossi,
hjörð rekr handar vanr,
daufr vegr ok dugir,
blindr er betri
en brenndr séi,
nýtr manngi nás.
A limp can ride
Handless can herd
deaf fights well in battle
blind is better
Than being burned
dead man is good for nothing
Havamål
(Thranduil’s Pov)
The evening sun was warm and the pools and slow flowing areas of the river were almost cramped with elflings trying to cool down. The laughter and squeals made the forest rather noisy but nobody cared, there were no dangers there and no guards were needed. Some ellith sat by the river banks with works of craft in their hands. These woodlands were independent and they hardly ever bought anything from the coastal areas except some items they could not produce there and those were just luxuries they just bought every now and then. This new Greenwood was thriving and most of the population lived as the first wood elves had, they built their huts from the materials of the forest, they hunted and foraged and wore home spun cloth which made them almost invisible among the branches. It was as if time had reversed itself and if the elves of in their eyes more noble background thought about this realm at all nobody knew and nobody cared. Thranduil was their leader as he had been for ages and they trusted him as they ever had. He could be stubborn and sometimes a bit temperamental but he was their king, his heart was that of a wood elf and with his wife being of their kin he was one of them.
The palace was cool now in the heat and many stayed indoors, the ellith would gather in small groups chatting merrily while spinning or weaving and the children would play as children do. Thranduil was sitting by one of the fountains reading when they heard the distant sound of hoofbeats. Someone was riding hard towards the gates and Thranduil put down the book with a strange sensation within his chest, it felt as if someone had poured icewater into him. He got onto his feet, checked that he had his sword strapped to his side out of old habit and swallowed hard. He heard the guards shouting and he felt a surge of panic, where was everybody, were they safe? Was his wife close by? His children?
A servant came running like his pants were on fire. “My liege, a courier has arrived, from the leaders and councils back east. It is important.”
Thranduil clenched his teeth together, he mustered up all his strength and calm and then he nodded and went to meet the courier, he had a sensation of impending doom. The ellon sat in a chair just beyond the entrance, he was drinking water and some stable hands were seeing to his horse, the animal had almost collapsed from fatigue. Thranduil knew that this was serious the moment he saw this, nobody would ride a good horse to death if it wasn’t something of uttermost importance. The courier saw him approaching and managed to get to his feet even though Poicano who still were their main healer tried to make him remain sitting. “Aran Thranduil, I bring thee news from the council of the wise.”
Thranduil sighed. “Speak, I can already see that whatever news you are carrying are of the grim kind.”
The courier bent his head, he was swallowing hard. “Yes my lord, it is. Something terrible has happened!”
He took a scroll out of his couriers bag and handed it over to Thranduil who stared at it as if it was a poisonous spider. He grasped it and tried not to wince when his skin touched the scroll. And thus ends the time of peace, his own inner voice was almost indifferent and he saw the seal of the council upon the scroll. So, they had assembled them all, all those wise of old, the Istari and the leaders, this had to be grave indeed. He took a deep breath and opened the scroll almost hesitantly. He immediately recognized the neat handwriting of Elrond and he made a grimace and sighed to himself. Still those who had carried the three elven rings were regarded as something special. He had managed to keep his realm safe without the help of that kind of magic and he had a glimpse of bitterness within his glance. Who had owned the real strength back then? It was hard to tell but he felt that history perhaps had been a little unjust on his behalf. The scroll was filled with words and he turned around and found a place to sit down, he felt as though he would need it. The letter started with the normal polite introductions and wishes but soon it became something far darker than he had imagined.
Elrond had never been too fond of using many words to describe things and this letter spoke volumes between the lines. Thranduil could almost see it all and he cringed and felt his hands shiver. Something had attacked several of the cities up north, it had appeared out of the blue and disappeared again without a trace but the death toll was great. Elrond described a destruction which normally would have been the result of orcs but there were no orcs in Valinor. The blessed realm was blessedly free from such creatures. There had been nothing left alive, buildings torn down, burned and bodies ripped apart and mutilated so badly it had been hard to tell who or what they had been.
Thranduil felt cold sweat running down his back, the attacks had come without warning and they had been over within just a few hours. Since nobody had survived nobody could tell what or who it was that had been behind the mayhem. It was a mystery and one which spelled trouble, not even the Istari had been able to tell what it was that had caused this destruction but they could sense the use of strong magic. And the source of this strange power seemed to be the world in between. Elrond had been asked to gather every leader within the realm, if this was something which would continue they needed to defend themselves, and Valinor was not prepared for a war.
Thranduil leaned his forehead in his hands, he felt sick at heart. Only those who had been living in middle earth knew how to fight, the others were perhaps trained but it was just for fun, for sports. They had never had to kill to defend themselves and they were useless in a real battle. Thranduil sighed and got up again, one week from now, he would have to leave the day after tomorrow if he was to make it in time. His face got grim, determined. He would not travel alone, they had always regarded him as almost insignificant for his kingdom of what many saw as elves of lesser heritage. But with his father by his side he would have one important supporting voice to add to his own and he also wanted Legolas to come along. He had seen war and destruction, and he knew deep within that his oldest son wanted to feel that he was useful once more.
He got up and walked back in, he knew that Nireariel would become very nervous and he wished that he could have spared her for this, but there was no way around it. He had to go, and he had to prepare them all for a possible attack. Nobody knew whether or not this would happen again, or when it would happen. He found her in the healing ward, there was little to do here in Aman, but people still got injured every now and then. She had just helped a tiny elfling with a broken finger and she smiled as she turned around and saw him. Her smile disappeared as she saw the expression within his eyes, there was no point in lying to her, it was impossible. She knew him better than he knew himself and he could see how she got pale and her eyes wide and scared. He tried to smile and her lips got narrow and tight pressed together. “Thranduil, what is it?!”
He grimaced. “Bad news meleth, very bad news, How many healers do we have?”
Nireariel swallowed hard, she had not seen that expression on her husband’s face for an age and she grasped his hand, as if only to have something to hold on to. “About twenty when I do count those in training as healers, why?”
He sighed. “There has been attacks, cities along the coast. I have been called to a meeting, they fear that it might happen again”
Nireariel let out a strange sound, it sounded as a thing between a sigh and a squeal, she squeezed his hands hard. “Any deaths?”
He nodded. “Many, no survivors!”
She sat down, her face filled with horror. “This land is not equipped for a war, there are no defenses.”
He had a strange sensation there and then, he had built this new home as a copy of the old fortress of Greenwood, just bigger and better. He had wanted to remember when he built it, now he saw that he had been preparing. Maybe the gods had given him a sort of silent warning. He nodded. “The cities are defenseless yes, even with every ellon available being called to arms. There are few fortresses here, there has not been need for something like that for ages. Nobody remembers the horrors of war.”
Nireariel sighed and touched his cheek lovingly. “And so they gather everybody who knows how to fight, I know you have to go but promise me this, do not let them think even for a second that they can order you around. Your experience and knowledge is valuable my love, let your voice be heard!”
He nodded. “I will, I will ask father to follow me, and Legolas too, he is rather respected here and I know of others too who will see things from our point of view.”
Nireariel looked down, when she raised her eyes again he could see a glimpse of sheer determination within her purple gaze. “So, what am I to do?”
He kissed her forehead lovingly. “Be a queen my love, lead the people. This fortress can give shelter to at least a thousand of us, maybe twice as many if people are willing to live close to each other. We need supplies and plans, everybody has to know what to do and when.”
She looked very proud there and then, as a true queen should. “I will do my best meleth, I will not let you down.”
He smiled at her and thought that she rarely had been more beautiful to him. “I am proud of you, our people have never had a queen quite like you.”
She gave him a crooked grin. “Damn right they haven’t. When are you to leave?”
He sighed. “The day after tomorrow, we will have to ride hard.”
Nireariel nodded and he saw the sadness within her eyes. “I never thought that I would have to say goodbye to you, for any reason. Go do your duty my light, but come back to me, that is an order!”
He kissed her hand. “Of course my lady, not even a dragon could keep me from you.”
She giggled and let her hand slide across his cheek. “I know, find your father and prepare for the journey, I will start to prepare our home for an eventual siege.”
He kissed her passionately and grinned to himself, if he was to leave and be gone for weeks then he would use these last two nights to the full.
He hurried to his chambers and put on some clothes more suitable for riding, his father had built a smaller home for himself to the west of this place and it was an hour ride away. Then he went to the stable and got a horse, they had brought some of their best horses with them when they sailed and he had been very careful when selecting the best animals to breed from. The result was that his realm could brag about having the best horses in Aman. He got in the saddle and let the bay mare run as she wanted, it was a fiery animal and very fast and he enjoyed the speed as they raced down the paths towards his father’s house. There were few elves to be seen at this time of the day, most preferred to stay in the shadows to avoid the heat and he felt how the sun made his shirt stick to his back, he was sweating already.
When the huge wooden buildings got into sight he slowed the mare down, let her walk the last mile and cool down. He admired the beautiful color of the buildings, they had been covered with tar to protect them and he felt a sickening feeling within his heart when the idea of how well this would burn hit him. They had to bring everybody with them to the fortress, in this place nobody was safe. He stopped by the stable, it was empty since all the horses were put out to graze and he saw no one there, he would have to tend to his mare and he sighed and got off the horse and started to unfasten the saddle. He stopped, he thought he had heard something? A sort of moaning? He froze, raised his head and put his hand over the muzzle of the mare so that she would not whinny and reveal that he was there. He heard the sound again, definitely some sort of moan. Was somebody hurt? Was something wrong?
He threw the reins over a fence pole and unfastened his sword, walked slowly towards the source of the sound, it was a small building used to store tack and grooming equipment placed behind the stable. He stopped and listened and now he felt how his ears started to feel hot, somebody was indeed moaning but that person was not alone and it was not exactly pain that made whoever it was make these noises. So, some of his father’s stable workers had some fun in their spare time? He put his sword back in its sheath and shook his head, laughing to himself. Perhaps he should knock on the door and see what kind of reaction it would create?
He was about to turn around and see to his horse when he heard one of the voices from the inside call out a name, he gasped and turned his head around. What? Had he heard what he thought he had heard? He swallowed and hesitantly he walked towards the building, peeped in through a crack in the dried old wooden planks. He was right, it was no doubt of the identity of one of the two inside of the small room. He backed away from the wall and shook his head, how the heck could they have missed this? Now that he had seen the evidence with his own eyes it became rather evident but why hadn’t they noticed before?
He sighed and returned to the horse, removed the last of the tack and let her out into a paddock. Then he sat on the fence and waited. He did not have to wait for too long, the door to the storage opened and two elves emerged from the room, both had that glow to them which indicated that this was more than just a quick affair just for the thrill and pleasure of it. These two loved each other and Thranduil felt a sudden bang of guilt for having exposed something which really was none of his business whatsoever. The two spotted him and froze, he could see that the young blonde one looked embarrassed but little more than that. The other on the other hand went pale as a sheet and for a second Thranduil feared that he would collapse. He got on his feet, walked towards them. The dark haired closed his eyes, breathing as if he had been running hard. “You know!”
Thranduil sighed. “Hard to miss with the noise you two were making, so, yes, now I know!”
Cunarin sat down on a wooden box, his hands were shaking. The other elf looked nervous, he reached out and touched Cunarin’s shoulder very lovingly. “Melethron? Are you alright?”
Cunarin managed to smile to his lover, petted the hand gently. “I am fine Caladem, just go back inside and continue with whatever you were doing, I’ll be ok.”
Caladem looked a bit as if he was in doubt but he nodded and left and Cunarin leaned forward, hid his face in his hands. “Thran, please don’t tell anyone!”
Thranduil stared at his brother, he had something now which he could use to his own benefit but what kind of a brother would he be if he did? He had never liked Cunarin, not before they met here in Aman and absolutely not after they met but he was his brother after all. He kneeled down. “Cunarin, why are you trying to keep this a secret? Nobody would blame you for…for preferring males?”
Cunarin looked up, his dark blue eyes were filled with tears. “I know, oh I know but naneth, she would be so disappointed! She wants more grandchildren and I always was her little one.”
Thranduil felt sorry for his brother, he never thought that he would but now he did. He knew that attitudes had been different back in the time when Cunarin had first been alive, and he also knew that his brother had stayed in the halls of Mandos for a very long time, suspiciously long in fact. He got a creeping sensation and he placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, to comfort him. He saw now how Cunarin’s haughty behavior and insufferable arrogance was a masquerade to hide a very vulnerable and very insecure fea. “Does ada know?”
Cunarin nodded. “Yes, he knows now, he didn’t know back then, before I…before I died. He has promised to say nothing”
Thranduil sighed. “I am sure that naneth would accept this, she is not one of those terrible old golodhrim ellith who thinks that the world revolves around them and their wishes. “
Cunarin swallowed, he looked as if he was about to start sobbing. “But she will never forgive me what I did back then! Never! I know how I hurt her, but I was…oh Valar!”
He did break into sobbing and Thranduil felt helpless. “Cunarin, please, I am here now, tell me what it was that was so terrible. Get it off your chest.”
Cunarin looked so much like himself there and then, his colors were their mothers but he had the same tall slender wide shouldered body and the same handsome features, it was just that Cunarin looked a bit feminine for some reason and now Thranduil knew why. “I told ada when we met in the halls, he forgave me but only after some centuries. He was re-embodied before I was, I had to wait as a punishment.”
Thranduil sighed, he thought he already knew what Cunarin had done. His brother hung his head low, his voice cracking up. “I was in love back then, I thought he was my one, and I was so happy when he returned my feelings. But things were not as they appeared to be, he had another lover and he got jealous and angry and threatened to expose us. I feared that such a scandal would cause great harm to our family, to adar’s plans and future not the least so I…”
Thranduil saw the despair in his brothers eyes, Cunarin had been hardly more than a youngster back then, not at all mature enough to know what decisions to make. “You murdered that other ellon?”
Cunarin sighed and nodded. “Yes, I did, I hid his body in a cave and everybody thought that orcs had gotten him. And things were fine for a while and then Caladem was killed by orcs and my world collapsed. It turned to utter darkness and I could not face it anymore. I could not live without Caladem so…I made sure that I didn’t”
Thranduil took a deep breath. “You started that fight in order to get yourself killed?”
Cunarin nodded. “Stupid right? But I wanted to die like a man, not as a coward by my own blade, I did not want ada to think that his son was weak. So I insulted those humans after having dropped some mushroom essence into their ale, they went berserk and well, that was that. I was killed and went to Mandos and ada turned my memory into something I never was. He told me how he treated you and I felt guilty for that too.”
Thranduil shook his head, how many tragedies did this family really hide? “It was stupid yes, but I guess you didn’t see any other options?”
Cunarin shook his head. “No, all I wanted was to see my Caladem again. And I did, but it took a long time before he even recognized me. I guess the Valar can be cruel at times.”
Thranduil nodded. The things some people would do for love! He petted Cunarin on his shoulder again, trying to show some brotherly affection. He still had problems liking Cunarin but he did at least understand him a bit better. ”I am not the one to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, but I am sure that naneth would forgive you, after all, you are back right? And she has grandchildren now. Besides, I think Caladem looked like a very…nice young ellon”
Cunarin sighed. “He is, the best ever, my light and life.”
Thranduil smiled, the smile almost a bit sad. “Then don’t you at least owe him the right to call himself your mate? You are hiding this as if it was something shameful and dangerous, you should show the world that you love each other. Don’t you think that he deserves that?”
Cunarin closed his eyes. “I know, and he does. There are many same gender couples here, I have met several but I am a coward still brother. I haven’t got the courage to tell her that I murdered someone, and that I got myself killed on purpose. My death almost broke her spirit Thran, I would never do that to her again”
Thranduil felt deeply sorry for his brother, he thought it was such an irony that Cunarin was the first born of them but still a heck of a lot younger than himself. He was the little brother but the one with experience and wisdom. “I am sure it will sort itself out in the end, you just have to turn around and face your fears, then they will disappear. It will be like pulling a tooth, painful yes but better than being in agony for a long time. Believe me, she will get angry and hurt and perhaps even shocked but in the end she will forgive you. I know she will.”
Cunarin just nodded, his eyes clouded with emotion. “I hope so brother, but why are you here? We didn’t expect you?”
Thranduil felt a lump in his throat, he looked down. “Something has happened brother, and I need to speak to ada right now. It is important!”
Cunarin looked at his brother and saw the expression within his eyes, he had thought that Thranduil was such an ice cold and controlled creature and he had been afraid of him ever since they met for the first time. His arrogant and patronizing behavior had been an attempt to show the world that he wasn’t afraid, although he was. When he had tried to act as if he was the older and more powerful one Thranduil had given him the shock of his life and he had been scared shitless by his brothers rage. But now that strength felt reassuring in a way, as something safe. “Ada is in his study I think, he has come upon some very ancient books. What is this about?”
Thranduil got onto his feet again, looking like a true king should. “There has been attacks, we may have to evacuate everybody.”
Cunarin went pale and Thranduil tried to give him a calm smile. “Do not worry brother, you will be safe within the fortress.”
Cunarin swallowed hard and knew there and then that he never would be as brave or as wise as his brother. He had not seen anything at all but his brother had watched their father die a most horrible death in front of the very gates of Mordor, he had lead a people through several ages and fought an enemy Cunarin had problems even imagining. Cunarin knew there and then that he was a child compared with Thranduil and he would never be anything like him even if he tried. Thranduil had been hardened by life like a sword is getting tempered by a smith, he only got stronger and stronger and he never bent or broke. Cunarin bent his neck, showed his submission. “Yes my king, we will be safe”
Thranduil rushed through the entrance to Oropher’s palace, the servants looked quite shocked by his sudden appearance but he did not stop to explain why he had just showed up without sending someone ahead to warn them. He ran towards his father’s study and knocked on the door, he heard Oropher answer and opened the door. His father was sitting by the window and he had a book in his lap, he raised his eyebrows and looked very puzzled by his son’s sudden arrival. Thranduil swallowed hard, he had problems finding the right words to start with. Oropher sighed and placed the book onto a small table, Thranduil could already see that his father had guessed that something was going on and that it was bad. “What’s going on son?”
Thranduil made a grimace, Oropher looked so much like Legolas it was almost spooky but he lacked his grandsons cheerful personality and never ending optimism. He was a more serious type of person who always tried to see things from as many sides as possible before he made any decisions. Thranduil took a deep breath. “There has been attacks, several cities up north. Everything alive killed and nothing left. Nobody knows who or what’s behind it.”
Oropher stared at his son with huge eyes, he blinked twice and it would have looked rather comical if it had not been so serious. “Are you serious? Oh Gods!”
Thranduil felt a wave of frenetic energy rush through him. “We may have to evacuate everybody, to get them into the fortress. Nobody knows if it will happen again, or where. I am called to a meeting, I wish that you follow me.”
Oropher was on his feet and his eyes were blazing. “So, not even the blessed realms are safe? Do they know anything at all?”
Thranduil nodded. “It is strong magic involved, and it appears to have come from Lithui.”
Oropher frowned. “There is still little we know about that world, I guess that will have to change now. When is that meeting going to be held?”
Thranduil felt how his entire face felt stiff and unnatural, he wanted to sneer for some reason. “In a week from today.”
Oropher sent him a rather devilish grin. “I’ll join you, you can bet on it. I want to see that those morons don’t cause yet another Dagorlad.”
Thranduil felt a chill run down his spine. “Do you think they are stupid enough to disregard the wisdom so painfully achieved?”
Oropher laughed but the laugh was not a pleasant one. “Oh yes son, I am rather sure of that. Those once in power will strive to be leaders once more and it will end in chaos. I know them all. They see honor and glory and they never saw the suffering the common soldier had to endure. To them it is all grand and the stuff of ballads and songs but the truth is that few of them ever fought for real. They have had others fighting for them.”
Thranduil knew that his father was right, he looked down. “Then who may we trust? Who will take the right kind of action?”
Oropher had a dark expression within his eyes. “Those who did fight and die! Those who stood up to the enemy because they had no other choice, who knew what would become of us all if they failed. Not one of those lords and kings who saw it all as politics and strategies. They will shout out and pretend as if they still are the ones with most power and wisdom but it is a masquerade. This realm is not ready for battle son, it never was and it will hardly ever be. We have to prepare us for the worse.”
Thranduil clenched his teeth together. “And by that you mean?”
Oropher sighed, his shoulders slumped. “The end of days, Ardon meth, the final battle between good and evil. It will come you know, one day will be the last one!”
Thranduil felt how his breath hitched and his heart skipped several beats. He knew of this, but not now, not yet. Dear Valar, not yet!
Oropher sighed, he patted his son on the back. “But whatever it is that is happening, we will face it fighting son, and we will not go down without kicking some ass before we die, right?!”
Thranduil nodded. “Damn right ada, I just pray that it never will come to that.”
Oropher nodded, his eyes sad. “I too son, but I feel it in my bones. We have reached a time of darkness, and only our wisdom and strength may save us.”
Thranduil bit his lower lip, he felt how his own fear was threatening to ruin his calm and ability to think straight. He shook his head and clenched his fists. “I have to go ada, but be ready to leave and bring some weapons. I want Legolas to join us too.”
Oropher sighed deeply and his face was a bit sad. “He is a fine lad Thran, a better man than I ever was. You did a good job raising him, I know they respect him. If they don’t want to listen to us two old badgers they’d better listen to him. He has seen what evil can do.”
Thranduil tried to smile. “Yes, I just pray that he won’t have to face it again.”
Thranduil rode towards the area where Legolas lived with a feeling of great unease, this group of elves had chosen to build talans in the trees and the area had been named new Lothlorien since it was a bit like the old realm back on Arda. Legolas and his wife stayed in his palace most of the time but every now and then they would return to this place since Morilinde preferred the forest. She felt trapped being underground and he had to smile when he thought of his daughter in law and her strange ways. He grinned, his son had affectionately named her Squirrel when they first met, not knowing that her people used that name on women of less than decent reputation. But she matched his son perfectly and he was surprised by the fact that they hadn’t been blessed with children yet. Thranduil stopped his horse and stared up at his sons talan, it appeared to be deserted and he sighed. Now where could Legolas be? He needed to talk to him right away. He heard someone shout his name and turned his head. He saw that Rumil came walking carrying a deer across his shoulders, the hunter grinned but the grin disappeared when he saw the king’s expression. Thranduil tried to smile but his mouth just would not obey him. It felt stiff and reluctant. Haldir’s brother dropped the deer and cocked his head. “Aran nin, why are you here now?”
Thranduil sighed. “Have you seen my son? I have to speak with him, it is important!”
Rumil nodded. “I saw him and his wife just a few minutes ago, they are bathing in the river, at the bend to the east of here.”
Thranduil gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
Rumil looked nervous. “Is anything wrong?”
Thranduil took a look around, there were talans in almost every tree there, some weren’t that high above the ground and they were made to look nice and be comfortable homes, not to be defended. “Maybe my friend, ask everybody to prepare themselves for a possible evacuation.”
Rumil got pale and then he turned around and ran, possibly to find his brother. Thranduil rode towards the river and he had a strange sensation of haste. The river was wide and slow flowing and he could hear the sound of laughter and splashing from afar, most of the population of this area had gone down to the riverbed to bathe and cool off and he stopped the horse and went the last few hundred meters on foot not to startle anyone. There were elves everywhere and he saw children flinging themselves from the tree branches that reached far out over the water. It was such an idyllic scene and he felt like a madman to come there with his intentions. Some did notice him but most of the elves were too relaxed to care much about a stranger, they did not even look up. He saw his son and daughter in law sitting on a log resting on the shore, it was probably used as a raft by the children because he could see that several elflings were standing there looking impatient. They probably wanted the adults gone so they could push it into the river once more.
Legolas lifted his head and saw him, he looked bewildered right away and Thranduil smiled and went to them, sat down on the log next to his son. The children looked even more disappointed now, he grinned at them. “Do not worry little ones, you will have your log back soon.”
Legolas cocked his head. “Something tells me that you haven’t come down there to cool off ada!”
Thranduil nodded and sighed. He leaned towards his son and saw that Morilinde listened to them with keen ears, she heard everything but then again, there was no way you could hide anything from a female like her. Legolas went deathly pale and his eyes were enormous, he stared at his father with utter disbelief. “No, it cannot be! “
Thranduil wanted to embrace him and tell him that everything would be alright but he could not, not there in public. He just petted his sons shoulder. “I fear that it is, will you follow me to the meeting? We need as many as possible who are able to actually think instead of just talk.”
Legolas took a deep breath, turned towards his wife. She looked very scared but she nodded silently, there was no doubt she understood the seriousness of this. Legolas sighed, closed his eyes, they were filled with fierce determination when he opened them. “I will follow you ada, trust me!”
Thranduil smiled but the smile was filled with melancholy. “Thank you Ion nin, I just pray that my fears never become reality.”
Legolas nodded silently, his eyes were distant. “So do I!”
Thranduil rode back home slowly, his horse was getting tired and he saw no point in pushing the mare in this heat. He reached back home just after it got dark and he saw that Nireariel was waiting for him by the entrance. She looked tired and he felt a bang of intense guilt for having given her such responsibilities. She was strong and very smart but he feared that this would be too much for her. He missed Ravenne, she always managed to keep Nireariel calm and collected but his silver haired daughter was on earth right now and would not return for months. He just prayed that she was safe.
Nireariel smiled and embraced him lovingly, she had obviously been working hard because her braids had come undone and her long white hair was flowing around her like some frozen waterfall. She had specks of dirt on her dress and skin and he could not help but smile and wipe some stains off her cheeks. “I have been down in the basement counting through the supplies with Eleril and Ceriel, phew, it was quite a job but now we know exactly how much we have of everything.”
He smiled at her. “Well done Meleth, is there anything we need more off?”
Nireariel followed him towards their private chambers, she was gesticulation towards several servants who were running around like rabbits. “Yes, but it depends on the situation, we can feed about nine hundred elves for a year with what we have now. I have ordered for the storages kept in the smaller settlements to be brought here too and then we can feed a little more than twice that many for the same amount of time.”
Thranduil tried to think fast and calculate the volume of food and such that was needed but he was too tired and his head was spinning. “Anything we will run out off?”
Nireariel nodded. “Wine, blankets and bread I fear. There is little grain left and Astar knows that the price of wheat is sky high right now, due to the heat. The fields are drying up.”
Thranduil took a deep breath, a strange vision rushed through his head, burning wheat fields, covered with clouds of dark smoke. Nireariel noticed the far-away look that was in his eyes and her eyes went dark with worry. “What did you see Thran?”
He swallowed hard. “Burning fields, flames raging wild.”
She gasped and her white skin took a tone of grey. “We will be safe here right?”
He took her by her arm, tried to smile. “Of course, we live in a mountain, there will be no fires here”
Nireariel saw how fear and doubt had caught his mind and she pushed him in through the doors, made him sit down on the bed while she helped him with his jacket and boots. “You need a bath, you reek of horse and you have enough dust in your hair to start a dust storm.”
He just nodded and allowed her to help him getting undressed, the pool of their private bath was warm and he was looking forward to getting the stiffness of his long ride out of his legs. He got into the water and grinned when he saw that she was pulling her own dress off rather slowly. “And exactly what is it the lady of the house is planning on doing?”
She smiled innocently and the sight of her naked body made his heart speed up as always. She knew exactly how to make him forget his worries. “I am planning on joining you my lord, I guess that you could need a hand?”
He sent her a crooked grin, a hand? “That would be nice my lady, but I fear that your hand just won’t be enough, not this time!”
She giggled and slipped into the water, she looked like a goddess there and then. “No? What more could you possibly need my lord?”
He plunged forth, grasped her and grinned at her delighted squeal. “All of you for starters!”
Some hours later the candles had burned down save from one and the bedchamber was thrown into darkness. Nireariel was not asleep yet, she stared at the ceiling and her mind was wandering. Thranduil had fallen asleep and she had to grin, he was sleeping on top of her with his cheek pressed towards her and although he was rather heavy she did not have the heart to wake him up. She appreciated the closeness, she had no idea of when they could repeat this and she feared that they would be separated for a long time. She ran her fingers through his long silky hair and sighed, she could only pray that this wasn’t as bad as he feared, that it would prove to be a problem easily fixed but she knew deep within that he was right. This was the start of something that could spell disaster and she clenched her teeth together and closed her eyes, inhaled his scent deeply. She would not lose him, if she did she would walk right up to the very Valar themselves and demand him back. She wasn’t without powers and she had slowly learned that her song of creation also could be used to destroy. No, she would not let anything happen to those she loved, she would die before that happened.
The next day was spent making preparations for the journey and Nireariel tried to organize living quarters for as many as possible. She knew that the place would be crammed and she just hoped that they wouldn’t have to bring everybody into the palace. It wasn’t made for that many inhabitants and she knew how fear and worry could make people more temperamental than they normally would be. Oropher and Legolas arrived that evening and the three ellyn spent the last hours of the day discussing the situation, Nireariel did not disturb them, she knew that they had to make plans and prepare for the meeting. Nireariel was not a lady born within some high ranking noble family, what she knew of the past was what she had read after she married Thranduil. She knew of the great lords of the past and their achievements and she had often thought that history probably had been sugar coated, and in some cases a lot too. Would these once so powerful ellyn be able to see the reality behind this or would it turn into a veritable cock fight? Thranduil feared that it would and she knew that his father shared his doubt. They had to keep their own home safe first and foremost but she knew that many already had died, and many more would die if there were another attack.
He was a bit drunk when he came to their chamber that night and he was extremely amorous in spite of their very intensive love making the night before. She knew him, he was trying to forget his fear within her embrace and she felt the same way. She did not know when she would see him again and so she spent the night caught between sleep and awake, not able to find neither rest nor peace.
The morning came just too fast and they got up and dressed, Thranduil had no appetite but he ate nonetheless, he needed his strength. Oropher had advised him to dress in a simple and yet elegant style with dark colors. They would not be able to outshine the others assembled, but they could stand out in the crowd. If the others were to act and look like peacocks they would be hawks. Thranduil had liked the idea and he grinned when he thought of how the council would react to them. He and his father and son would probably look like harbingers of doom but someone had to convince the others of the seriousness of this.
He had his horse ready and kissed Nireariel goodbye, he did not want to leave her behind but he had to. He had told Astarion to keep the family safe and Astar had already moved into the palace. The old warrior had gotten a lot better when he came to Aman, he was stronger and his scars had almost vanished but alas, not even the blessed realm allowed his missing leg to regrow. But Thranduil trusted his father in law and knew that Astar would fight to the very death for his loved ones. And he had just as much experience as himself, it was valuable now. Oropher was already mounted on his huge grey gelding and Legolas had a smaller black stallion which was pawing the ground eager to go. Thranduil hugged his wife and Astarion, Raina was not there, she had refused to leave her chambers for the last days and he was worried about her but there was little he could do. Nireariel smiled at him, there were tears in her eyes. “Return to me, that is an order!”
He tried to smile. “Of course my love, I will return. Fear not!”
She touched his foot lovingly. “I will keep this place safe, do whatever you must do and then come back to us all. If anything happens to you I will never be able to forgive you!”
He nodded, bent down from saddle and kissed her gently. “I know, and I fear your wrath too much to be doing something stupid.”
She smiled but there was sadness in the smile. “I do think I have heard that before, you ellyn are all the same. But have a safe journey and put those so called wise in their place. Show them that one warrior of new Greenwood is worth twenty of theirs.”
Thranduil just nodded and kicked his huge bay stallion into a gallop. He did not look back as he rode through the gates but that was just so that she wouldn’t see that his eyes were threatening to overflow with tears. He felt as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest but there was no turning back now. He knew that he had to do something, or else history would repeat itself and everything they had fought to achieve would crumble and be lost. His son and father rode right behind him and some soldiers followed them. He had no idea of what they would encounter but he feared that the next days would be challenging indeed. He would rather face an army of orcs but the council would soon enough learn that he hadn’t gotten soft as so many others had, nor had he lost his flaring temper or wrath. No, he was still a king and he would demand that they respected him. If they didn’t then to hell with them all, new Greenwood would survive if the rest of Valinor were to burn! That was a sacred oath he would be willing to swear and his face was grim as he put his horse onto the right path.
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In a land of shadows