The Valar Child: The Desolation of Smaug

Chapter 1 - A Ward of a King

I would have been no one. I would be dead, like the rest of my people, like my family. Burned to ashes and left to blow away in the wind. But, I am here. I am alive. Thrandiul, King of the Greenwood, is like my father. Legolas Greenleaf has been an older brother to me. Tauriel, Captain of the Kingsguard, is my sweet sister. I am not an elf or a man you've ever seen. I am Beren, and I share this story with another.

I sat up in bed. I twitched as I looked around, but the nightmare that had been plaguing me, was not brought into the physical world. I ran my fingers through my brown hair and breathed out heavily. I pushed the velvet sheets aside and climbed out of bed. Tiptoeing across the room, I reached the door and quietly opened it. Sticking my head out, I peered down the long, cold, dimly lit hallways of the palace of the Woodland Realm. No guards could be seen, and that meant I could make my visit without being stopped. Running in my bare feet down the stone hall, I quickly rounded a corner and went down some stairs. At the bottom, was a pool with a spreading carving of a tree hanging over it. I knelt at the edge and looked at my reflection in the dim water. Then, I raised my head and looked up. The stars were shining brightly above me, and I admired their beauty, letting it calm my soul. I stood up and looked towards a large door that was on the other side of the room. Approaching it, I very carefully pulled the handle and it opened. A huge bed was against the wall, and there was an enormous carving of antlers spreading over it like a canopy. I made my way over and pulled himself up. Laying there, was the man who was my father.

Thranduil lay there, his eyes closed and a peaceful expression on his face. His long blonde hair was braided up, and he was wearing a silk night shirt and trousers. His robe was neatly resting over the back of a chair. I carefully crawled over to him and looked at him. Finally, I reached out and poked Thranduil's cheek. The elven king rolled over, opened his eyes, and saw me sitting there, my legs crossed. "Another nightmare?" he asked. I nodded and swallowed. Thranduil nodded his head, sat up, and opened his arms to me. I scuttled in close and rested my head on my father's shoulder. "Want to describe it to me?" Thranduil queried.

"It was dark. I was walking alone in a tunnel. I knew it was underground. Suddenly, I felt a heat on my face. A great heat!" I said.

"Dragon fire?" Thranduil asked.

"No. Something else. Something that was just as old and evil. It had horns and a whip. It lashed out at me, but I could not escape. I cried for you and for Legolas and for Tauriel, but nobody came!" I exclaimed as I began to cry. Thranduil shushed me and rocked me gently, stroking my hair.

"You know we would never abandon you, Beren. You are a member of this family," Thranduil told me. I raised my head and Thranduil looked down into my grey eyes.

"But I'm not. The elven lords and their sons tell me I am nothing. I'm a lowborn. They've started calling me that in training," I admitted and Thranduil's jaw tightened.

"I will put a stop to it at once. You might not be an elven born, but, you are my ward. That counts for something," Thranduil told me. I nodded before I closed my eyes and rested my head on his chest. "Shall I tell you a story and soothe your young, troubled, and active mind?" Thranduil asked me. I raised my head and I'm sure my eyes were wide. Thranduil smiled at me before he propped himself up more and began his tale. "A long time ago, when the world was younger and the races of elves, dwarves, and men were peacefully coexisting, there was a king. With his son and his Captain of the Guard, he patrolled the forests and maintained the balance between elves and nature. But, there was a darkness spreading over the land. Who was responsible for the darkness, Beren?"

"The dwarves. They were too greedy," I responded, knowing this story well.

"Yes Beren, the dwarves. They delved too greedily and too deep. That brought upon them and upon the men of Dale, a great evil. What is the name of that evil?" Thranduil asked.

"Smaug the Golden. Smaug the Terrible. Smaug the Fire Drake of the North," I answered. I shivered and Thranduil pulled the covers closer to us.

"Yes. Smaug took the mountain and drove the people of Erebor away. Dale was in ashes, and my son and captain searched the ruins for survivors. I went with them once we were sure the dragon was content inside the mountain. We searched and found only a handful of people still living in the city. Finally, we were about to return home, when a woman who was half burned, appeared from a wealthy man's house. She crawled to us and told us a child was inside. She died and myself, Legolas, and Tauriel entered the crumbling dwelling. As the roof sparked over our heads, I found you, hidden in a cradle in the cellar. The woman had been trying to dig you out. We brought you back to the Woodland Realm, and I christened you Beren, ward of King Thranduil," Thranduil said and I felt a warm and comforting feeling crawl over me.

"And I have been running around the palace, screaming, tripping people up, and driving all three of you mad for the last eight years!" I told him with a bright smile and boisterous laugh. Thranduil smiled back and began to tickle me. "No! Don't Father! I can't stand that!" I cried, but Thranduil continued. He laughed as well, and we played until we were both exhausted. I fell asleep in my father's arms with a happy expression on my face.