The Odyssey of the daughter of the forest

Chapter 9 : Adventures In Middle Earth

She stopped her mare at the top of the hill, with a little pressure of the reins. The animal, happy to make a break, immediately obeyed to her. The elf looked at the beautiful landscape, with, at the southwest, the town of Bree, and at the east, the misty mountains. The sun that was rising was lightning softly the fields in front of her, illuminating the rabbits that were jumping happily.

She stroked the neck of the sorrel horse. She was the descendant of her first mare Gildin, and so, they were sharing the same brown color with red reflections. But Isil had a longer mark on her chamfer than her ancestor.

When she had chosen to leave Mirkwood, months ago now, Tauriel could not have let the horse alone in her box. So she left with her mare. Ithil, still a little young for an elvish horse, was curious of everything she was seeing, like this rabbit that was coming closer, jumping happily in the high weeds, covered with the morning dew.

Leaving Mirkwood was not easy. But she was feeling this need, in her soul, since too much years now. Her heart was lightweight, free, in those beautiful green hills.

Bethril had become captain of the guard, when she had left. The brown-hair elf was perfectly capable to carry this charge, she knew it. After Merilin's death, he had found again his capacities of once, and, maybe, something else... Tauriel had seen him some times, with Meneldil, before her departure. But maybe it was just an illusion of her mind. She did not care about it. Merilin had gone, now, Bethril deserved to be happy too.

To her great surprise, Thranduil had let her go, without resistance or banishment threats. Indeed, she had prepared for weeks the discussion by few innuendoes, but the King had been kind like he had never been before. He just told her '' come back when you will be ready''. She had been glad to leave, in peace with him, without remorses.

Without remorses, not exactly. Because she left the prince behind her. Before asking to her mare to galop to the west, he had wanted to give her back her daggers, but she had refused. And she had seen a glimmer of relief in his beautiful blue eyes. He wished her good luck, playing again the scene that took place at the lonely mountain, sixty years ago. Then, she had turned, ready to go to the adventure, feeling his stare on her back. Ithil had quickly galloped faster, her hooves hitting the path, creating the only noise that break the silence of the forest. Then, they had arrived at the woods entrance, where Tauriel had chosen to go to the west. The mare had begun to walk in this direction, dynamically.

After months out of Mirkwood, she was now standing on this hill, not so far from the Shire. Crossing Etten's lands had been quite dangerous, in particular when she had seen trolls camping under the trees. She had made a large detour to avoid them. Except that, it had been alright. She had stopped in Rivendell, where lord Elrond and Arwen had been glad to see her.

She was happy that she finally made this decision to leave Mirkwood. That void in her chest was not empty anymore. And, although, she will never regret this choice.

**********

After the rain, sun comes. So, after weeks under unstopping rains, the sun had finally pierced the clouds.

But the ground was still muddy. Tauriel had got down of Ithil, to lead her through the forest, which, despite the trees, had a ground wet and marshy.

All of a sudden, she saw a black shadow, a hundred meters in front of her. She thought that was an orc, so she took out her bow. She waited to be closer enough to check, and then, she saw that it was not an orc. The foreigner was walking too, as quietly as possible, his hand on his sword.

He was wearing dark clothes, and his hood on his head, like the rangers, but Tauriel stayed careful. So, pointing her bow on him, she ordered him :