The Third age draws to a close and the Fourth begins. The world is once again at peace for a time, and the time of men begins.
Thranduil's people, being elves, began to gradually filter from the mortal land of Aman, and he was determined to be there...
The days since the elves began to depart the lands of Middle-Earth had been exhaustive and arduous on the mind of the Elven-King. He struggled long with the mental battle to sail or remain on this earth, and though many of his people and his friends left, he eventually decided to settle and keep his life in the forest until the last of his people departed. He would be there to see them through every hardship they may face, as their leader, down to the very last Elf. He would battle his desires and his grief in order to be the final one, to ensure that not one of them had to endure the ending ages of the Elves alone. So he vowed to do, and so he had done.
Many years passed, and they began to grow lesser in numbers. It started with those from Lórien, all bar the Lady and Lord taking the long journey North to the Grey Havens to board boats and sail from the mortal shores to the land of the Eldar. Then followed many from Rivendell under instruction of the Lord Elrond, and finally came a small company of woodland Elves of Mirkwood, waiting even until the great Eye had been destroyed and the other Lords and Ladies long gone west.
The wood-elves were far less enthusiastic about leaving. They had lived away from the light of the other Eldar for many years now, preferring the solitude and the dark that the thick forest brought to them. As such, they were sceptical of the great and long-living plan to leave. After all, why should they depart the land their King had now re-named and made pure again? it would seem a waste of resources to allow the forest to fall back into shadow until men may claim it and do as they saw fit, tainting the delicate balance which the Elves had maintained for so long. Still, they trickled from the gates in small groups until only five remained. The Elven-King himself, one of his advisors, his two most loyal guards, and Thranduil's son, though he was away adventuring more often than he was anywhere near the other elves. They were no great host, and certainly no kingdom to rule over, but they treated their king with respect and lived peacefully for several more years.
Their tranquillity started to draw to a close when the men of the West began to spread East up the map. Both parties knew that even with such a small number, an agreement must be made in order to keep the peace and prosperity of the lands. It was that concern which prompted the King of Gondor to visit the halls of Thranduil, and it was that trip which -in turn- prompted the Elven-King of Mirkwood to leave his Kingdom for the better interests of his people.
He could not deny that supporting just five Elves in such a large place was hard, and though he loved his forest and his home, it was becoming increasingly challenging maintaining them to a high enough standard. He could not justify staying any longer and subjecting the elves to isolation and deteriorating conditions. They did not plan to remain on the mortal earth for much longer, either willing to die honourable deaths in battle or surrender, their fëa finally spent completely. With that in mind, and knowing that they would not find any skirmish with which to honour themselves in an isolated forest cave, they accepted the mortal King's offer. They agreed to leave their home and join with his, taking up residence in the white city. Minas Tirith.
The journey from Mirkwood to their new home was a long one, taking several days atop horses with many short breaks and some diversions around remaining problem spots. Still, they managed to arrive completely untouched and though tired, they were eager to settle and find ways to enjoy their new lives in this new environment. The mortals living in the White City had different perceptions of the Elves' staying. As the great gates ground open to admit their King home, many had gathered to watch and gawk at the sight before them. They had heard that he may be bringing Elves back with him, but to see even such a small group was close to a miracle for many of them. The careful and respectful way they sat atop their horses was unlike any mortal would ride, their outfits simple yet beautiful in an otherworldly way, their hair seeming to be spun of fine silk and the way they moved to nod their heads in simple yet refined greetings was worthy of the most noble of royal courts, yet these elves were almost entirely commoners.
Thranduil rode at the head of the group next to Aragorn, keeping himself sat straight and proud as they took the path through the crowded streets and up the steps to arrive at the citadel, when they were finally left in peace by the people of the city. They dismounted, spoke briefly and gave instruction to the guards regarding their mounts, then were lead inside to be shown to their new homes. There in the City they stayed for many more years, helping it to prosper without damaging the land around it, enabling it to remain green and healthy. Offering advice became a common pass time as well. After all, they were wise beyond reckoning in the minds of the mortals, their advanced years and further experience incredibly useful to the court, something which was taken advantage of on several occasions, though never with malicious intent.
Another ten years passed with Thranduil and his people residing in the White City before anything worth noting occurred. They lived ordinary lives amongst the humans, gradually learning to blend in more and allowing themselves to relax when they would meet together in the gardens and sing or celebrate under the stars away from prying eyes. However, on the eleventh year, as the season began to change from summer to autumn, a meeting was called. And the Elven-King was invited.
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And with that, chapter one is complete!
This is more of a brief backstory and history lesson before the main fic begins, but hopefully it is still enjoyable enough to read.
Formatting this to be read nicely was a nightmare as I wrote it in different software, so I apologise for the strange paragraphing
Any comments are welcome, and thank you for reading!
