Lost and Found [Thranduil love story]

Chapter 13: Blood, Deaths And Broken Hearts

Scared I opened my eyes, and felt like crying. I was nowhere. The darkness surrounded me from all sides and I couldn't even tell if I was up or down. It lasted what felt like forever, and I was starting to suspect I was actually dead, and bound to exist in this state forever, when something changed. It was just a feeling, but I knew I wasn't alone anymore.

Come to me. I heard a familiar croak, and the darkness cleared, showing me same ancient ruins I've never seen before. Oh no, I thought, the plan of staying away from that Sauron person has just failed. Terribly.

A shadow appeared before me. It was surrounded by flame, and looked similar to the eye I've seen in my vision. It was speaking in a language I did not know. After a moment I realised, that some black cloud was surrounding me slowly. I didn't like it. I moved back, trying to run away, but it blocked my escape route and started closing in. I felt terrified, but before I could think what to do it rushed straight at me. I screamed, and raised my hands to protect myself instinctively, however useless gesture it was. For a moment I thought it was over. That the warlock won, and I was going to be dead, but then a light surrounded me, and I recognised the shield, that protected Bilbo before. The black thing stormed it with strength, which sent me to the ground. I hit the back of my head with the stone floor, and for a moment had trouble seeing. The shield held, and that gave me hope. I didn't know how it worked, however, or how long would it last. Why the hell was I transported here? What was going on? What did Sauron want from me?

The black cloud backed away and hit me with the new strength, this time only from one side. Covered by shining dome I was thrown at one of the still standing walls and saw my protection waver, and then disappear. And then I was hit again. His power was crushing me, suffocating me, burning me. I screamed. I knew I was dying, and nothing could change it. I had no powers, and there was no one to save me. I felt a pull, and understood that my ring was being taken off from my finger. With my finger, since It became almost one with it. Tears started coming. Was it the reason for all this hell? That damned piece of jewelery? Was it what Sauron wanted? And then I felt myself being ripped apart. I knew the feeling. I experienced it once before, when the witch that took me in tried to teach me how to do an astral projection. My soul was being pulled out from by body. I couldn't breathe anymore. I saw light before my eyes. Was it how death looked like? I tried to reach for it, but couldn't move my hands. And then there was only blackness again.

After charging into the city Thranduil looked feverishly for any sight of the human girl, but found none. The guards he assigned to her were dead, but her body was nowhere to be found. And he could still sense her, which meant she was still alive. Where could she have gone, he wondered. She disappeared form before his eyes. Was it not her doing again? Was she transported by some unknown force?

And then he felt it. An excruciating pain, which almost brought him to his knees, then nothing. Just emptiness, like something inside him was missing. He knew what it meant. She was gone. Dead. Lying somewhere like a broken doll. Cold and alone. Like his wife many years ago. He couldn't save her either. Just like he couldn't protect one annoying human witch, who sneaked her way past his defences without him noticing. The awareness of that fact crushed him. The pain in his chest, that has long been forgotten reappeared, bringing tears which he withheld with effort. He looked at his dead soldiers lying before him, and  decided this was the end. He did not care anymore. Neither about the treasure, nor about the fight.

"Recall your company." He ordered Feren, his guard, and the elf blew his horn.

"My Lord." He heard the wizard's voice. "Dispatch this force to Ravenhill. The dwarves are about to be overrun. Thorin must be warned."

"By all means warn him. I've spent enough elvish blood in defence of this accursed land. No more!"

"Thranduil!" He heard Gandalf shout after him, while ho walked away, but didn't turn back.