Adult-FanFiction.org : Lord of the Rings

Underneath alien skies	By : Nuredhel Category: +Third Age > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 1617 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: II 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. do not own Lord of the Rings, it belongs to Tolkien,

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Hmm, ants, mud and leeches? Sounds like quite a combo wouldn’t you think, I just want to torture the characters a little, to serve my wicked muse. I got the idea reading another fan fiction story, someone mentioned that getting undressed in the woods could bring the risk of ants invading your clothes and bingo, an idea was born.

I am a little on the humorous side too here, but its also a lot of serious stuff. Thranduil gets a small lesson about racism and yes, he is in love with her but are his feelings returned? Will she surrender to the inevitable? Where in this picture does the ants, the mud and the leeches fit in?
Definitely adult, you are warned. No, they won’t go all the way, yet!

Chapter Eight Ants, mud and leeches

You may see the path you once wandered
The path ahead is yet unseen
Forget the things you thought you knew
And a brand new world you will know

It was difficult, he really had no idea as to what he should do. He could not insist on staying with her the whole time but with every breath of air he felt how he longed for her. Shanrae had kept Thilian company, and then Ghuad and Thranduil had not really managed to ask if he could stay with her again. After all, why should he? Then he remembered what she had told Shanrae, that he had promised her to be her teacher and he felt a glimpse of hope. But still he had to wait for a while so he wouldn’t seem too eager and so he trained and did his everyday routines as before. It did not really work, he felt distracted and could not quite put his heart into it. There was no point in it if he didn’t push himself and so he offered to help Dheg with the horses instead. Good hard work ought to help him clear his mind and he discovered that he actually liked it. He liked to feel useful, to do something with his own hands and Dheg was impressed by his attitude and willingness to help.
He was dead tired when he went to bed that night and fell asleep like a log the second his head hit the pillow. The next day he tried to muster up the courage to visit Thilian but Raigh caught him first. He had been busy training some apprentices and now he needed someone who could test them and discover their weaknesses and flaws. They needed someone used to fight in a different style than the one they were used to and Raigh believed that Thranduil was a good choice. And besides from that, he could need the practice too. He could not disagree, Raigh was right, he could need some practical challenges and he also needed to feel useful. He was given charge of a small group of ten young men and he soon discovered that he liked it. He really enjoyed testing them out and he was surprised by how fast they learned and saw through his entirely different strategies and moves. They showed him such respect and were so polite and neither of them knew of his royal status. They respected him because of his skills, not because of his name or background and that feeling was in fact very good.
He also helped Dheg and so a couple of days went by before he had a chance to speak with Thilian again. He felt horrible for having waited for that long, he had a huge empty void within his soul when he was away from her and it made him a bit cranky. She was getting better, the wounds had luckily not gotten infected and were healing just fine but Shanrae was furious because the girl tried to scratch them. It itched like crazy and even though that was a good sign and showed that the wounds in fact were healing fast it made the girl go almost insane. Shanrae was very grateful when Thranduil offered to keep her busy for some hours each day.
He knew how awful it had to feel to be confined to that one room for several days, and he wished to lighten up her mood. He brought some paper and a pencil and tried to draw things he had seen back home. Thilian was fascinated, she made him draw portraits of important people, maps and even images of the dress styles of different races. He had not been drawing for years but his skills seemed to return and he found it both entertaining and in a strange way rewarding. Slowly he also started to teach her the elvish words for different objects, he drew them and wrote the name underneath and she kept the drawings and studied them when he was busy elsewhere.
She was still a very introverted person, she rarely opened up but when she did she revealed a girl filled with curiosity and wonder. It appeared that these few moments of freedom appeared when something caught her attention to a degree where she forgot about herself and existed within the moment. She was so wonderful when she did, so alive, so vibrant and in every way stunning. She embraced life with such joy and he could see that she could be just as mischievous as Enez and as firm and adamant as Akisha or Frostbird. She had a small naughty streak to her too, and he wondered if she had been a rather difficult one to raise.
Somehow she reminded him of a wild animal that’s been trapped and kept within a cage for too long. She had almost given up her hope of regaining her freedom. That mother of hers had a lot of things to answer for, too bad she was dead. Thranduil felt he would have liked to teach her a lesson or two. Thilian still had her fits, she could shout at him, try to act as if he wasn’t there or use insults so bad he was shocked by the very fact that she knew those words. But she was making progress, he stood his ground and never even once did he allow her to get him out of balance emotionally. Slowly she started to relax when he was around and the frustration and anger she sometimes caused within him he vented when he was working.
The apprentices were making progress too and he was a little ashamed of himself when he realized that he had expected them to fail. He really had been more than a little prejudiced when it came to the skills of such young humans. He had started helping out whenever he could and he soon discovered that it was appreciated and welcome. He learned a lot he never had fought about before, at home he had expected everything to be in order and ready whenever he demanded it, he had never really realized how much work that had to be done in order to just organize say a small party.
He still could not touch her, she would back off and throw a tantrum if he did anything more than touch her hand by chance, but she was getting better. It was a slow process but she had started to trust him and he knew that he would have to get her to trust him completely before he even thought about taking it to the next level. Then one evening when he was pushing the apprentices through their routines a couple of strangers rode into the arena. They were welcomed by shouts and cheers and dismounted outside of the stables. Both wore thick cloaks and the tallest of them let go of the reins and pulled his cowl down. It was a young man, a human with a handsome face and a friendly appearance. He did have weird eyes though, they seemed to almost glow in a strange blue nuance and Thranduil felt a strange chill run down his spine. He knew he was facing something unnatural, something only very ancient and wicked magic could create. His instincts had never let him down and his mouth went dry while his heart was speeding up. It was crazy, just one man could not possibly be a threat and still his body went into defense mode right away. The others seemed to welcome him so he was no enemy, Thranduil didn’t really know what to do.
Then the other rider pulled of the heavy cloak and he yelped, he could not help it, he let out a rather startled and shocked little noise filled with confusion. A black elf?! He had never even imagined a creature like this. It was a female, and she was indeed black. Black skin, black hair and black eyes which seemed to have a strange red glow to them, and still she was a beauty to behold. She was very elegant and moved with undeniable grace, she was rather tall and reminded him a bit of Akisha, she had the same relaxed and smooth moves which could turn into lightning quick and lethal action within the blink of an eye. She reminded him of a black panther, of a mamba or even a bit of Ghuad. Steel wrapped in silk, death disguised as beauty.
The man noticed the sound he made and frowned, Raigh apparently explained who he was and signaled Thranduil to come closer. He reluctantly did, sensed that this couple was something so out of this world he really had no way of making any sense of what he felt. Raigh grinned. “Thranduil, this is Janrem and Carmariel, they live her but they have been visiting his home city for some months. He was homesick.”
Janrem looked at the elf with a friendly and very open expression within his eyes, he saw that the stranger was shocked by Carmariel but they had gotten used to that by now. People either found her very fascinating or they ran away. This elf looked as if he couldn’t decide which option to choose. “Pleased to meet you.”
The man reached out and Thranduil did shake his hand but got a major shock, the hand was rather cold and he could not feel any pulse, any life. The elf gasped and Janrem smiled, a melancholic smile. “Yeah, you are right, I am not alive but I am not dead either, Long story, but don’t worry, I mean no harm. I only hurt those who deserve it. Believe me. “
Thranduil just nodded but could not help but feel a bit of antagonism, this was downright wrong, unnatural. Janrem appeared to be a truly likeable person but Thranduil did not quite manage to overcome his initial response. The black elf looked at him, smiled. She cocked her head and he realized that she was very young, even by human standards. He was startled by her appearance but he sensed that she had been through a lot of hurt in her life, that they had something in common. Her story had to be a very violent and ugly one indeed for her to develop such an aura of darkness and fear. Thranduil tried to be polite, he bowed to her and took her hand, kissed it even and she giggled and her eyes seemed to sparkle. “How chivalrous of you.”
Her voice was smooth and gentle and his initial fear subsided, she was just another type of elf. Raigh grinned. “Come friends, I bet Jalisa is going to explode with rage if you don’t visit her right away.”
Thranduil remained standing there, looking at the two who disappeared through the doors to the dining hall, why had he reacted in such a way? He had the answer after a round of introspection, he always expected trouble, dangers even. He never met someone thinking of them as a new friend until he was proven that they weren’t an enemy. He had gotten so used to being negative towards changes he really expected the worst the whole time.
He finished the training session and then he helped Dheg train some young colts before he had a bath and a short swim. It felt good to get rid of the dust and grime and he was getting rather hungry so he went to the dining room. It was full, because of the show they had hired more people to help prepare everything and Jalisa and her girls were running around with a bit of desperation in their glances and their arms filled with jugs, plates and cutlery. He sat down but he could see Ghuad waving at him and so he got up again and sat down by Ghuads table with a feeling of being under scrutiny. Ghuad smiled and emptied a jug of ale in a most impressive time and Jalisa dropped a plate in front of the elf. It was filled with a piece of steak so huge he shivered just looking at it. Back home he did not really eat meat a lot, it wasn’t their habit. Here on the other hand it was part of the everyday diet and he had gotten used to it but it still made him cringe when he was presented with such huge portions. Ghuad smiled and looked at the cook through the corner of his eye, he was smirking. “She is trying to fatten us all up, I swear she is.”
Thranduil just grinned, he felt sorry for the poor bull this steak came from. Carmariel came and sat down by the table to and he could not stop staring at her. She was so very different. Ghuad cleaned his teeth with a toothpick. “So, how is the training going?”
The elf had to smile, he felt a bit proud of himself and of the apprentices not the least. “Well, I am really impressed by how fast they are learning.”
Ghuad leaned forward and grinned. “You know, it is rather common to think that way, to underestimate humans. They live such short lives and they do so many weird things, but I am telling you, they are really a lucky bunch. It is like they squeeze everything we spend centuries or even millennia exploring into just a few decades, they really enjoy a distilled version of life. I envy them that sometimes. “
Thranduil looked a bit shocked by the things Ghuad told him. “Really?”
Ghuad nodded. “Compared with us they are like shooting stars but just watch what they accomplish within the short time they have. It’s like that in every world my friend.”
Thranduil had a feeling that Ghuad knew about middle earth as well as this world, after all, Elywen had told him there were an almost infinite amount of worlds. “I have not really liked humans, there was a time when I really hated them.”
Ghuad nodded. “I know the feeling. I was once a rather bad one, then I was captured and had to spend some millennia within a mountain as a sort of guardian, damn, being left alone for that long does something to you. So when the people here set me free I decided to serve the goddess and learn more about humans, I was really curious about them.”
He shrugged. “I used to see them as inferior creatures, little more than insects. But I have learned to respect them.”
Thranduil sighed, he felt a little ashamed of himself. He had been so damn arrogant, he had never even considered any other race than his own worthy of attention. “I have too, but I guess I have more to learn. I have been rather stupid in some ways.”
Ghuad grinned, his teeth were rather scary but the grin was pretty none the less. “Listen up, believing in what you have been told is no sin, but being too damn lazy to check things out for yourself is. I mean, I was told that dwarves were stubborn, arrogant and stupid. I have learned that yes, they are stubborn but they are also amazingly robust, far less interested in wealth than I expected and very family oriented. The more you learn the more you realize how wrong all the old tales are.”
Thranduil stared down into the table, he sighed again and looked at Carmariel, she had finished her food and was licking the plate clean, it was such a weird thing to do but it told him she was used to living close to starvation. “My father was very friendly towards the humans who visited home, but I hardly ever met any. I was under the impression that humans were almost like us, at least for a while. “
Carmariel looked a bit curious. “Really, what happened?”
He took a deep breath. ”Some friends of mine got killed by a group of humans, they were bandits, villains only out to seek death and destruction. Three of my friends got killed right away, but they kidnapped the only female and the youngest male.”
He looked down, the memory was an old one, he had barely come of age when it happened but he still remembered it. And he remembered the shock he had felt when he realized that there were people out there who were able to do such terrible things.
Carmariel was leaning back. “I guess one’s experiences have a great impact on the way you view the world. What happened to the two they captured?”
Thranduil swallowed hard, his voice was shivering and he was glad they all did speak common or at least something so close to it the differences were minor, he did not want to repeat this. “When we found them the young ellon was already dead, he had simply let go. What they had done to them…”
He grasped on to his jug, just to hold something. “She was still alive, but she died just a few minutes later, she told us what had happened and then she too let go. She did not want to live anymore, not with the memories of what they had done to her. Those sadistic maniacs had raped them both, abused them in ways so terrible I couldn’t believe it. I had never seen real evil before, but now I did and it scared me so bad I never completely trusted human beings again.”
Ghuad nodded, his eyes were calm. “I can understand that, but remember, there is good and evil in everyone, race is irrelevant to such matters. “
Carmariel grinned and caught his glance. “Listen to him my friend, for he is wise. Back where I am from dark elves are the bad guys, at least most of them. Yes my skin is dark and so are the rest of my kin but their hearts are even darker still. It is how you are raised and what you have experienced that shapes someone into becoming a thing of evil, not your birth. I am a good example, if I was like my kin you would all be in danger, believe me. But you are not, because I was raised to embrace the light, and taught to seek what’s good.”
He had a little problem being able to imagine elves as evil but the look within her eyes convinced him, perhaps he really should reconsider his racist attitudes.
Thranduil grimaced and tried to eat but he had lost his appetite and just grabbed some fruit from a bowl. He wondered how Thilian felt about such philosophical questions, she seemed like a rather intelligent person and she was such a fast learner too. He was looking forward to their next lessons. He had not answered her question yet, he had taught her a lot of elvish already but not the meaning of those two words, he felt the time wasn’t right.
Thilian on the other hand was bored, she had not been allowed to leave the room yet and Naragh checked in on her every day. The wounds were healing but she still felt a little weak and light headed. It was probably just natural since she had lost a lot of blood and Jalisa made sure she had plenty of nutritious food. She tried to walk a little and she did manage to stay on her legs but it did hurt and she was glad the injury hadn’t been worse. Shanrae had the others there visiting her as often as possible just to keep her company and it did make things a little bit easier. She did try to make the time pass by in different ways, she tried to sew a little but it was boring. Enez came and told her a lot of rather funny stories and even Akisha dropped by and entertained her with some tales of her youth. She also tried to draw, it was not as easy as she had though it was, it fact it was rather difficult but she tried and since she was stubborn she did not want to stop until she got things the way she wanted them.
She was working on a drawing when Elywen dropped in, she had brought a couple of books and the tall elven female sat down and smiled. Thilian always felt a bit in awe of Elywen, they were of the same race almost but Elywen was so wise and so very sure of herself. She seemed to be almost perfect and Thilian was so envious of her in many ways. She thanked the flame haired woman for the books and sat down with the drawing again. Elywen cocked her head and her eyes got a bit narrow. “Why are you drawing him?”
Thilian gasped and felt herself blush, she was really trying to make a portrait of Thranduil and although it wasn’t all that good it did show his personality rather well, both his rather haughty exterior and his far more likeable inner qualities. Thilian looked down, she tried to smile. “Ah, I just like to draw him, he has got such a special face wouldn’t you say?”
Elywen nodded. “Yes, he makes quite an impact no doubt, you are rather good, that is a nice portrait.”
Thilian grinned, she was not used to being praised in such a way. She suddenly remembered the words he had said and without really thinking she asked Elywen. “You are an elf, do you know what Meleth nin means?”
Elywen frowned. “Yes, it means my dear or my love. Where have you heard those words?”
Thilian swallowed, tried to act like nothing. “I guess I read them somewhere. “
Elywen could sense that the girl was lying and she sighed and closed her eyes for a second. Of course it could be true but her instincts told her that this was something else than just something Thilian had read. Only one person would have used those words and Elywen also knew that no elf would say something like that to anyone without meaning it. So that was the truth behind it all, this was the reason why he had been brought there.
Elywen looked at Thilian out of the corner of her eye, did the girl feel the same way about him? Thilian had great problems but would they stand in the way or had he already managed to break through her ice wall and reach her heart? Elywen just hoped he had, Thilian deserved all the love in the world and she knew that this stranger from a different world perhaps had just the right amount of sheer stubbornness and will to slowly turn Thilian around and onto a different path altogether.
Thilian waited for Elywen to leave, then she held the portrait up and felt her face burn red. What was she really thinking about? He was a friend, a very good friend but he could not possibly think about her as anything more than that, or could he? She felt so very insecure, so frightened. She had no idea of what it was that she felt whenever he was there, and she could not really dare to believe that he cared for her. Her mother had time and time over again told her that nobody else than herself ever would care, that everybody just wanted to exploit her and that she never should trust anyone. She had believed her mother’s words for years but now she started to doubt them. Her mother had told her that nobody ever would want her, that she was a freak and that men only wanted to quench their desire with her body before they would leave her behind like trash.
It had been a truth she was rather familiar with, she had seen it in the eyes of many, and she had been thankful that her mother had warned her of the dangers. But now she started to doubt that all men were that bad. Ghuad wasn’t that kind of a person for sure, he was treating her as if he was some very kind and protective big brother, the others at the circus were nice too. None of them looked at her in that specific way that made her skin just crawl.
She had looked at herself in a mirror several times, and she knew that she looked good, better than good actually. But she could not really believe that anybody would find her beautiful, her mother’s words had grasped a hold of her and ruined much of her self-esteem. Thranduil had treated her like she was someone special, as if he really cared about her. And those words, did she really dare to believe that he felt anything for her, more than friendship^? She did not really know how she felt about that idea, a part of her felt almost furious and the other half shivered with joy. She had seen through his façade just as he had with her, he was haughty, proud and sometimes just plain arrogant but it wasn’t who he really was. She was sure that he was a completely different man when he was with his son, that he had hidden sides to him he never allowed anyone to see.
But could she dare to trust him? Her fears were still there, she shivered whenever anyone touched her even if it was by accident and she still felt like she had to strike first to prevent herself from getting hurt. But she knew the people at this place, she trusted them. They would never hurt her, never betray her or disappoint her in any way. Whenever she reacted in her usual rash ways it was simply because she was so used to that type of behavior she just didn’t think about it and then she started to hate herself for being such a fool and grew even more angry. It was a vicious circle indeed and she feared where it would lead her, but she had been unable to break free from its spell. Now on the other hand she started to feel some hope, perhaps she could become someone else, the person she wanted to be. She was so close when she was with him, when he made her forget all about the past and caught her attention with his drawings and his tales. She loved to see how his eyes shone when he spoke about his son and the wonders of his own world and he too appeared more relaxed and more likeable in those moments.
She did look forward to their meetings and she tried to impress him by studying as hard as she could. She really wanted to see him smile at her, praise her for her skills and intelligence and sometimes his calm friendly voice brought her close to tears. She never allowed him to know this but it felt so damn good to be told that she actually could do something well. She wasn’t used to it at all. He acted as if she was just Thilian, a normal person and not some weirdo born out of a rather unethical and secret experiment. He did not care, or at least it didn’t seem that way.
She remembered when he rescued her and she started to think of him in a whole different way. She had never had anyone special in her life, she had closed her heart to everybody and tried to be strong by standing alone. But she too had longings and dreams, she too had dreamt of having someone special by her side, someone who was more than a friend. It made her ashamed of herself to think like that but she knew it was natural. She was a grown woman now, and although her experiences so far in life had been bad it did not mean that all such longings were bad? She remembered the few times he had touched her, it would have infuriated her just a week or two ago, now she allowed herself to dwell within those memories, cherish them and make them precious.
It was not until one evening in special that she finally started to realize what she really was heading into. She had been allowed to leave the room for the first time after her accident and she had walked along the stands with the help of Enez and Frostbird. Thranduil and Raigh had been training some men in the arena and the elf was demonstrating how a spear could be used with different fighting techniques. His movements were so fluid, so quick and yet so powerful and she had not been able to look at anything else. He wore only a loose white shirt and some rather dirty pants but he could have been wearing silk and satin, he did look like a king no matter what he wore. Enez and Frostbird did notice her eyes and her expression and they shared some rather mischievous glances, she was as easy to read as an open book. They had stood there watching for quite a while, Raigh was obviously someone the men admired, they knew him and they knew of his title, one they all wished to achieve. Thranduil on the other hand was a stranger but they sensed his authority and bowed to it without ever questioning him. He had discovered that he had a talent for this and he enjoyed the sessions a lot. He could even smile and share a joke with the men and it filled him with a new sensation of camaraderie and acceptance. It felt very good.
Thilian felt her cheeks burn when they started walking again, she had to get a real grip of herself so she didn’t turn around and stare, it would reveal way too much.
That evening when she went to bed she had problems sleeping, she could not get him out of her head. She was tossing and turning around for a long time until she finally fell asleep due to pure fatigue. She woke up in the middle of the night with her sheets in a complete tangle, herself almost out of the bed and soaking with sweat. She gasped and managed to pull herself into the middle of the bed again, she had been dreaming, and what a dream! She blushed and covered her own face with her hands, how could she be so shameless? She had never had that kind of a dream before and didn’t know whether to feel glad or scared. Her body ached, it was a pleasant ache but a nuisance none the less. She was no idiot, she knew what it was that she felt, knew what this insane longing was all about. Her nipples were hard and sensitive and she knew she was wet, and the images were still glued to her mind. She untangled the sheets, felt how her heart slowly found a more normal rhythm. She was shivering a bit and felt like giggling, no doubt she did have a very vivid imagination.
But it opened up a whole new set of questions, she had to be honest with herself. She could not deny what her heart was telling her and what her body had started to demand. She wanted him, and she wanted him bad too judging by the things she had dreamt. But could she dare to allow something like that to happen? Could she really trust him that much? Her mother’s words still haunted her, if she let him have her, would he then turn his back on her and just forget her? Or did he really feel something for her, something stronger than just common lust? She sighed, he had never tried to make any advances towards her that indicated that he saw her as anything but a very dear friend. He had never tried to kiss her or touch her in any way that wasn’t completely innocent and maybe he just thought of her as a friend and not as a female at all? Then she was in trouble, she could not lie about her feelings. Only the thought of him being with her in such an intimate way made her blood boil.
Did she dare to invite him? Could she even flirt? She had never tried to catch a man’s attention in that way before and what if she could not control herself and went into a panic attack again? By the goddess, things had become very complicated, so much so that she felt like the thoughts would make her go nuts.
Thranduil tried to keep himself busy at all times, he managed to keep her out of her mind but not all the time. Raigh had noticed how absent minded the elf sometimes were and he soon understood why. The rumors were already flying thanks to Enez and Frostbird and it appeared that everybody there knew of the problem the elven king had. There was a lot of sniggering and whispering but he did not notice. He was so preoccupied with his own attempts at keeping his feelings hidden and under control he failed to see that he actually was doing the exact opposite of what he intended to do. He only felt well when he was with her, and his temper could flare and cause sudden outbursts when they had been apart for too long. Elywen told Hawk he acted like some love sick youth and the dark elf laughed and agreed. Thranduil would have been stunned if he had been able to see his own behavior, he was really showing off both his good and bad sides.
Shanrae was going to visit Thilian when she suddenly stopped in front of the door, she could hear Thilian laugh and it was a sound she rarely ever heard. It made her so stunned she just stood there and listened to the voices coming from the inside of the room. Thranduil was there and his voice was relaxed and warm, very friendly. Shanrae felt a bit ashamed of herself, she had no business eavesdropping like that but she felt like she had to. He had apparently told Thilian a joke because the girl was laughing so hard she had problems breathing. “And then they discovered that the woman he had brought with him for the night was in fact a half dwarf!”
Thilian was laughing again and Shanrae stared at the wall with a rather dumbfounded expression on her face. By the Goddess, he had managed to do what she and Ghuad had not, not in spite of years of effort. He had reached her! Shanrae felt like sitting down, it was a shock but a good one, a good one indeed. She and Ghuad would be grateful beyond words if he managed to patch her wounded soul back together again. Perhaps it was the sheer fact that Thranduil wasn’t really trying to push her into anything that made it possible for him to reach her in such a way. Shanrae and Ghuad were almost like parents to Thilian and like some young people she was instinctively trying to free herself from their influence.
Shanrae had heard the rumors, so had Ghuad and even though they really didn’t know whether or not to believe in them Shanrae now knew there was truth to them. Thranduil was in deed infatuated with Thilian and not just a little. They had noticed his wildly shifting mood and strange behavior and Shanrae sniggered to herself. He was trying to hide his emotions but it was like trying to hide a black dragon within a herd of sheep.
Shanrae had a strange grin on her face, she did regard Thilian as a friend, not as a step daughter. That would have been just weird since Thilian was just a few years younger than herself. Maybe it was time to have a small conversation just the two of them, she was really curious about Thilians emotions. If she felt the same way as him it was good, in fact it was wonderful. But if she did not then it would be a whole different matter. Shanrae knew that Thilian was very inexperienced when it came to men but she was an adult and far from ignorant. There had to be a way to make her reveal her true feelings. Shanrae would not let her friends suffer because of anything she could help them solve.
Thilian had told Thranduil a joke about a farmer and a goat, it was a very filthy one and the elf had looked deeply shocked at first, then he started to laugh a little and before long he was letting go of his dignity and laughed out loud. He had repaid with a story of his own and soon they had a small contest going on. The one telling the worst story won and they both tried to remember jokes and stories they normally never would even admit to having heard. Elven jokes are usually very long and complicated but she did manage to catch the point and giggled and laughed at the right places. Hers were more straight to the point but still funny and he enjoyed them. She did indeed have a small naughty side to her and he started to wonder how that could affect other aspects of her. He was very careful as to not reveal how he felt but that lively and somewhat wicked glimpse within her eyes was really attractive.
Thilian grinned again and closed the book she had placed within her lap, it was an illustrated guide to the different kingdoms of this realm and she had been showing him some interesting pages when they had drifted into telling jokes instead. She felt a bit tired and knew that he soon would have to return to his duties but she did not want to let him get away. “Naragh has told me I am as good as new, and I remember you promised me to show me more of the forest? The weather is nice so what about a small trip tomorrow?”
Thranduil swallowed, the two of them alone in the woods? He tried to smile and look relaxed and scolded himself for having such thoughts right away. “Of course, if you feel like you are well enough. Can you ride?”
Thilian put up her most innocent expression. “I thought I could sit up with you? I felt so safe the last time?”
Thranduil managed to keep his voice steady. “That’s fine with me, I will tell Dheg to hold a horse ready. After breakfast?”
She nodded. “After breakfast!”
Thranduil nodded and said his goodbyes, he felt a small shivering sensation of anticipation and he had a feeling that this could be quite a challenge. How in the name of Eru was he going to keep his self-control with her in front of him in the saddle? He turned on his heel and headed for the baths, a cold bath was what he needed. Why had he agreed on her plan? There had been something strange within her eyes, something he had not seen there before and he wondered what it had been. It was almost as if she had some hidden intentions? He shook his head to clear his mind before he entered the baths.
Shanrae did not dare to talk with Thilian that evening, she feared that she would reveal how she had spied on the two of them and she knew that such actions always caused Thilian to go ballistic with anger. She was a bit like some overgrown teenager and Shanrae grinned and wondered if Thilian knew how cute she was when she was angry. But she had overheard the plan and she had a small sense of worry. Thilian should not really need a chaperon, she was a grown woman and could do whatever she pleased but Shanrae was if not unable to trust her not sure if her friend was aware of what she’d might be getting herself into. Shanrae trusted Thranduil but there is a limit to everybody’s patience and if Thilian went too far she probably didn’t know how hot blooded elves were and how hard it was for them to rein in their emotions and needs once they were awakened. Shanrae wondered if she should give Thilian a few words of advice but decided not to. Fate sometimes weaves an intricate pattern and it is not for those entangled within it to see the whole picture. She just hoped that Thilian didn’t do anything stupid or rash that could leave her or the both of them hurt or in trouble.
The next morning was very beautiful with a clear blue sky and Thilian had a feeling of determination within. She wanted the truth, and she did not want to wait for it. If he regarded her as just a friend then be it, she would long and suffer in silence. If he on the other hand was interested in her also as a possible lover it was nice but it also made her a bit nervous. She would be dancing on a razors edge between revealing too much of her feelings and not enough and how was she going to make him express his true intentions? She would have to deal with it when the moment came and so she tried to look at it just as another entertaining and useful lesson.
He stood ready by the stable when she came walking, unbeknown to her he had been swimming for a whole hour in rather frigid water and his hair was still wet and his skin a strange nuance of blue. She looked at him with a puzzled expression and he just sent her a somewhat sheepish grin. Dheg had prepared a huge gelding for them, the animal was strong enough to carry two people and so steady and calm you could land a dragon right in front of him and he would not even wince. Thranduil could see that the saddle was a rather huge one with enough room and he breathed a sigh of relief. Dheg patted the horse on the neck. “He can handle just about anything, but he is no racer. Just remember that and old Blaze here will take good care of you.”
Thranduil gave Dheg a polite smile before he turned to Thilian. She had a small bag tied over her shoulders and she was wearing a pair of loose pants, a long tunic and a robe dyed deep green. She had braided her hair into a long braid and she looked just stunning. She could have been wearing nothing but old burlap sacks and ash and still looked like a queen, he bowed and she grasped his hand with a very sweet smile. “Ready for a day in the woods?”
He nodded and lifted her into the saddle, he jumped up behind her and grabbed the reins. This horse was somewhat sluggish compared with the ones he was used to but perfect for a quiet ride. Thilian appeared to be remarkably relaxed and he was enjoying her joyous descriptions of what she was seeing and how she felt. Before they even reached the city gates she had told him how the smells of the city made her feel sick and she had joked about the street vendors and their never ending shouts. She claimed that they sounded like a murder of crows and he had laughed and agreed.
The forest felt like a sanctuary, a place of sacred rest and calm and he was so happy he once more was surrounded by its life and vitality. He started to tell her the elvish names of plants and animals and she repeated them eagerly. He corrected her every now and then but she was rather good with languages and learned with an incredible speed. He let her decide where they were going and she entertained him with stories of things she had learned about the history of these realms. It was fascinating and he gave it his full attention, Thilian was glad he was in such a good mood, he had put his royal self on the shelf and was making jokes and just enjoying himself. She had to make him open up to her and tell her whether or not he had meant those words. She turned a bit, looked at him. “Could we please take a break, my rear is getting a bit…tender!”
He laughed and pulled at the reins, they had stopped by a small pond and it was a very inviting small meadow surrounding it. Blaze just dropped his head and started to chomp away at the tempting grass and Thranduil jumped off the horse and raised his hands to lift her off the animal. Thilian was leaning forward and she was getting ready to slide down into his arms but her robe snagged on the saddlehorn and she made an unplanned movement forward to release herself. The robe loosened but she had too much momentum forward and instead of sliding gracefully down she almost flew forward and caught him completely off guard.
Thranduil suddenly had her entire weight coming down on him from a rather steep angle and he took one step backwards to regain his balance. Unfortunately for him he placed his foot right on that one loose rock that slid underneath his weight and before he knew it he fell onto his back with Thilian on top of him. His first reaction was one of slight embarrassment, he had not been that clumsy in a very long time. Then he noticed how she had landed right on top of him and tried to determine whether or not he had hurt himself. There was no pain so he turned his attention to her. She had a rather weird expression on her face and he did not really know whether or not she was in shock because of the physical contact or the fact that she had managed to knock him over. Then he did notice her in a whole different way, she lay on top of him, her firm warm body pressed against his and since she was where she was he got a rather interesting view of her chest. The tunic was rather loose and low cut and he jerked his head back and stared straight up at the skies. Her scent was invading his nose, her hair was tickling him and he could feel her breathe. Thilian looked down upon his face, it had an almost pained expression and she reached out and got some loose locks of her hair out of the way. The touch made him shiver, he could feel heat gather up within him and it was heading for his crotch area, this was going downhill at express speed. “Did I hurt you? You did not reopen any fractures?”
Her voice was so sweet, so innocent and he had no idea of how she was grinning to herself, oh she knew how he was feeling. “No, nothings broken, get off!”
She cocked her head and reached forward, placed her face close to him so they lay there cheek to cheek. “Why? Am I too heavy?”
He moaned, his blood was boiling and not lifting his arms grasping her hips and pressing her against him was a monumental effort. She was obvious oblivious to what she did to him and he did not want to startle her, he was supposed to take care of her, not take advantage of her. “No, you are not heavy, it’s just that…”
His voice was so hoarse she barely could understand him and she lifted herself a bit. By doing that she did slide a bit further down and she suddenly felt something pressing against her hip, something rather hard and she could not pretend like she didn’t notice it. He gasped and his eyes were shut, she could feel him shiver. There was no doubt, he wanted her but was it just because she turned him on or would he want her to stay with him for more than just a few quick rolls between the sheets? Any man could become aroused in such a situation, she was not so naïve that she thought otherwise. He whispered. “Please, get off me, or else…”
She caught his glance, stared straight into his eyes and there was a glimpse of mirth within her eyes. “Or else what? I know you you know, you won’t rape me or something like that. Admit that you want me, I can feel it, it is rather…protruding!”
He was horrified and also in a strange way relieved, the cat was out of the bag, now what? ”I want you Thilian, more than you can ever imagine.”
She sighed and rested against him once more, she laid her ear upon his chest and heard his heartbeat, it was fast and heavy and she smiled to herself. She stared into his face once more. “Know what? My mother once told me that nobody ever would want me, because I was a freak, a monster. You have no idea how precious it is to me to know that I am wanted, by someone who knows the truth about me and still doesn’t care.”
He was suffering, he wanted to grind himself against her, flip them over and just let go of all control but he could not. “I don’t give a damn what you are Thilian, all I know is that I want you, that I love you. But please get off me before I do something we’ll both regret”
Thilian had a strange fire flickering within her golden glance, he could smell her body and the scent was changing, she was getting just as aroused as him and the very thought almost frightened him. One of them had to remain cool and under control, he was sure as hell no longer able to think straight. If she was as affected as him anything could happen and by the Valar how he wanted just that. But he should not touch her, it would not be right. She was an innocent young woman and had no experience with desire or lust, if she was to give herself to him she should do so knowingly, not with a mind caught by her primal instincts.
Thilian leaned forward once more and suddenly he felt her lips against his own, they were so soft and warm and she tasted of spices and berries, he wanted more of it, he wanted all of her. He had his arms wrapped around her before he knew it, kissing her back with desperation. Thilian was enjoying it but her own reactions scared her a little, she was burning again, her body craved something yet unknown to her but she did not seem to be able to control it at all. She thought that she could but no! She was pressing herself against him and before she knew it she was rocking her hips back and forth against his very obvious erection. There were several layers of cloth between them but they could might as well have been naked, it felt like nothing he had ever experienced before.
It was madness, pure and exhilarating and he could not help it, he was unable to push her away from him. It just felt too good, her kisses did lack expertise but by the Valar did she have zeal, enough for several people her size. Thilian was playing with his hair while she kissed him and then she found his ear and played with the pointy tip of it while she let her tongue slide along his lips. The reaction was one she had not been prepared for, she could feel him tense up underneath her, and then he shivered violently against her and made a weird noise. Thilian stared at his face, contorting with pleasure and she felt a sudden need to giggle like crazy but she did not. Instead she stared into his eyes in utter disbelief once he opened them again. His glance was dull and distant and he blushed, he actually blushed! She lifted herself up and bit her lower lip, unable to determine whether or not she should laugh. “Ah, did you just…?”
She held her hand in front of her mouth to hide her grin. “I mean, was that…?”
He closed his eyes in utter shame, gods, was there no end to his humiliation today? First he tripped over a small rock and now this. But the feeling of her hand on his extremely sensitive ear combined with the kiss and her hips grinding against his had been just too much. It had exploded within him before he had time to brace himself, it had felt so damn good he had wanted to scream like some maniac but he did not, he did not want to frighten her. And now he lay there and knew he would have to wash his pants, he had to laugh. He was really hopeless, one could almost believe that he was a young and innocent ellon and not an adult. But it had been far too long since he had allowed a female to touch him, no wonder his body was so out of control.
He smiled at her, a somewhat embarrassed smile and he stroked her hair gently. “You are going to be the death of me my dear, if you continue like this I am gonna be completely exhausted before we even manage to get undressed.”
She giggled and bit her lower lip, to watch him had made her feel rather weird, she almost wanted him to roll them over and just go for it. “I am that attractive?”
He let his hand caress her chin. “A natural born temptress I think would be the right definition of it. Gods, I am so embarrassed. But at least your virtue is safe for the time being, it was in real danger there for a while.”
She smiled at him once more. “You know, it is in fact quite a compliment to me, that I make you so desperate you spill yourself like that.”
He had to laugh. “Yeah, and please by the Valar, don’t tell anyone. They would tease me to death if they knew”
She nodded. “I will keep my lips sealed, I swear. Nobody will know!”
He sighed with relief and relaxed, he still had that good floating feeling within his body, he felt heavy and relaxed and didn’t want to let go of her just yet. His most desperate need had been sated and so he could enjoy laying there without any risk. She was so soft and warm and he started feeling a strange tingling he had not encountered before. What was this, he had never felt like that after having sex? Now it was an itch more than everything else and it was everywhere or so it seemed. He twitched when he suddenly felt a sudden sting of burning pain on his left leg, then another further up his right one. Thilian frowned and looked confused, she stared down and then she got on her feet with a small shriek. “Ants!”
Thranduil felt his face burn once more, they had landed on top of an underground anthill. And now those pesky little insects had made their way into their pants through their pants legs. He got on his feet with a shout too and tried to shake the bugs away but there was a lot of them, and they were moving up on the inside of his clothes. Thilian was squealing, she had a lot of ants in her clothes too and she ripped her robe off and ran towards the pond. That was a good idea, he thought about the same thing and started ripping his clothes off. Thilian had almost reached the pond, she stopped and got rid of the last pieces of fabric before she jumped into the water without looking back. He did the same, desperate to get rid of the ants crawling everywhere. She was covered with water to her neck and she was scrubbing off ants with zeal, he could see that these were the damn red type with a nasty bite and a very aggressive behavior. He cringed whenever he felt a new bite and tore off his shorts before he too jumped into the water. He went under and rubbed himself with his hands, the bites he had received did burn in the water and the pain made him hiss slightly. The water felt sticky and uncomfortable and he looked down. It was a mud pond and their movements had stirred the mud. Perfect!
He sighed and helped Thilian get rid of the ants that were crawling in her hair. Then she helped him the same way and finally they were freed from the biting menace. Thilian had a strange expression on her face, her eyebrows seemed to twitch and then she bent her head back and started to laugh. It was a very hearty laughter and so blessedly free from worries and sorrow. He felt the corners of his mouth beginning to move and before long he laughed too. Thilian got a devilish expression on her face and suddenly she threw a handful of greasy fat mud at him. It hit him right in his face and he just stared at her in shock for a few seconds before he returned the favor with a wicked grin. Suddenly they were flinging mud at each other while they laughed and squealed like kids. Thilian was laughing so hard she could barely breathe, they both looked like some kind of mud monsters. They were completely covered with the thick grey substance and only the whites in their eyes and their teeth stood out against it. “I bet this is good for the skin, back in the city I know ladies who pays a lot for a pound of good mud!”
Thranduil was gasping for air, he had not laughed like that for centuries and it made his stomach ache. “Wonderful, we’re covered in wealth!”
Thilian giggled and she dug mud out of her eyes and face, she was just so wonderful, so free and relaxed. He grinned and threw yet another handful of mud at her, she let out a joyous little squeal and ducked, the mud just hit the top of the pond and splashed everywhere. Thilian shook her head in disbelief. “How the hell are we going to get rid of this?”
The elf nodded towards the forest. “I can hear a stream not far from here, I bet there are some ponds deep enough for us to bathe. “
Thilian sighed and tried to get more mud out of her hair, it was no point in even trying without running water. Thranduil grinned. “You may go first, I won’t look I swear. And even if I did all I would see would be mud!”
She giggled and waded towards the edge of the pond, she had to struggle a bit because the mud was rather thick and Thranduil stared at their clothes and wondered how they were going to get all the ants out of them. Just shaking them would probably be enough if they were shook vigorously. He was making a plan on how they would get redressed when he heard Thilian make a strange sound, it sounded like a choked sob. He turned around to see her standing at the bank and she was staring at her legs. At first he did not understand why she looked as if she had frozen completely but then he noticed something within the mud. Elongated shapes which appeared to be pulsing?! He felt a wave of pure disgust rush through him, suddenly he was setting a new personal record in sprinting through mud and he could not believe how fate seemed to curse this day. First the fall, then his very embarrassing release and the ants and now leeches! This proved to be one hell of a day for sure.
Thilian tried to grab the leeches and pull them off but they were too slick and he knew that it was impossible to get rid of them that way. He looked down, he too had gotten his fair share of the disgusting creatures, in fact he had a lot more than her. Maybe they favored elven blood? Thilian stared at him and her eyes were filled with tears, she was so repelled by the sigh and feel of these invertebrates clinging on to her she was close to throwing up. She shivered uncontrollably and looked so utterly helpless. “We have to get a fire going, you can make them let go by burning them with a stick”
Thilian hissed, her eyes were black and the horror within her soul made her just act without thinking. "“So it is fire they want? Fine!”
She just shook herself and then flames were dancing around her everywhere, clinging to her like a second skin. Thranduil had to swallow a startled cry, the leeches exploded and blood and bits of leech flew everywhere. He looked down and yelped, the same flames were dancing around his body and he froze and started to shiver out of sheer terror. Fire, the one thing he really truly feared. His leeches exploded too and left blood seeping down his body from several small wounds. Thilian cried out and shook all over in a violent mixture of emotions. She had a feeling that something was crawling under her skin, everywhere. Then she noticed his face and his eyes and her own feelings were forgotten. He was utterly terrified, so scared he could not move and she remembered the terrible injury he had shown her and realized what she had done.
She whimpered and let the flames disappear is if they never had been there in the first place, she ran over and embraced him and he let go of his breath and appeared to be almost swooning. “Oh I am so sorry, I did not think! Are you alright?”
He managed to calm himself down. “Yes, yes I am, now! That’s quite an ability”
His voice was trembling and she looked up into his eyes. She feared to see his emotions towards her change into fear but he just looked impressed. She sighed with relief and steadied him towards the stream, they were both covered with blood and mud and looked like some sort of swamp monsters, if someone had seen them they would have been running for their lives. The stream was not very wide but deep and slow flowing and the water was clear and clean. Thilian jumped in with a yell, the water was cold and although it felt amazing to be rid of the mud it made the ant stings and leech bites burn a bit. Thranduil followed right behind her and he did dive and swam underwater to get the mud out of his long hair. He was shaking himself and the sight of him like that with the sun making the droplets on his skin glitter was just breathtaking. Thilian managed to get rid of the mud and the water was so cold it made her shiver. She jumped out of the stream and ran towards the meadow again. She shook her clothes and stomped on them too just to be safe. Then she hung them on a branch and sat down to let the sun dry her. She did not care if he saw her naked anymore, she had nothing to hide.
Thranduil also shook his clothes and he was quite a sight to behold, she had never seen a more beautiful physique before. She allowed her eyes to slide across his wide shoulders and back, over his very nice muscular ass and narrow hips and she giggled a bit and had to look away when he turned around. She felt a little uncertain once more, even now when he wasn’t aroused the sight of him was a bit unnerving. She blushed and looked down, she had no doubt there could be some discomfort the first time they did it, to say the least. He sat down and then he lay down in the grass, just relaxed and he closed his eyes and he had a small smile on his face. “I think I’ll just lay here like this, I won’t be a danger to your virtue if I can’t see you.”
She sighed but felt rather at ease. She knew how he felt and she had to decide what to do next but there was no need to make any decisions yet. She too closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax and enjoy the suns warmth and before long she was deep asleep. Thranduil heard her breathing change and he turned his head and looked at her with an affectionate look upon his face. He had said it out loud, there was no point in playing games any more. The only question was how fast she allowed them to move forward? He closed his eyes once more, he could be patient, she was the one who would set the pace and it was almost a sort of relief to be the one to follow and not the one to take the lead. He too soon dozed off and the old horse looked at the two with an indifferent gaze before it swatted a few flies with its tail and continued its attack on the lush green grass.

So, what do you think? Is it gonna be smooth sailings from now on? Naaah, I don’t think so muahahaha!!!
I am thinking about writing down the story of the friends he lost, but it will have to wait until this one is done, or else I will be stuck with half a dozen half-finished projects I fear. My creativity is kind of running off with me at the moment. I never suffer from a writers block, I suffer from a writers over load.
Reviews are always welcome and thank you very much to every reader J
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Underneath alien skies