The Valar Child: The Desolation of Smaug

Chapter 2 - The Kingsguard

I brushed my brown hair from my sweaty forehead and smirked. Twirling the elvish blade in my hand, I faced off against a nobleman's son, Ri-el. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he hated me. But then, they all hated me. He leapt forward, trying to skewer me on his sword. Instead, I blocked his blade and punched him in his pretty face. He fell, blood spouting from his nose. "Beren!" shouted a voice and I turned around to see Legolas standing on a platform, looking down into the training arena. I gave him a mock bow and he shook his head, smirking the whole time. Ri-el stood up and he wiped the blood from his face. I knew what he was about to do, so I waited, and when he sprung forward, I side stepped him, and let him fall on the floor again. Legolas laughed and came down the stairs. Ri-el jumped to his feet but was stopped by two of his friends.

"You lowborn cheat! You fight like a man!" he hissed.

"Thanks for the compliment," I told him, giving him a mock bow. I walked away and went to Legolas. The elven prince who was my best friend, extended his hand, and I took it.

"I want to congratulate you," Legolas told me.

"For what? Doing something I always knew I could do? Ri-el talks, but he has no actions to back his loud voice," I responded and we both chuckled.

"Not for defeating him for the thousandth time. For being accepted into my father's Kingsguard!" Legolas told me. My mouth fell open and I almost dropped my blade. For years, I had been training to get into the Kingsguard, and be under the command of another old friend of mine, Tauriel, but Thranduil had denied me. Said he did not want it to appear as though he was playing favorites.

"Don't raise my hopes Legolas! You speak the truth?" I queried, getting in close. Legolas created space between us before he nodded his head.

"Yes. I told Father how your information helped us against the last spider attack. It saved at least a regiment," Legolas told me. My face clouded as I walked away from him. Legolas followed me.

"You said 'information'. I presume you neglected to tell him that it was another vision of mine you trusted instead of hard evidence?" I queried. Past a certain age, Thranduil stopped believing in my visions and just called them dreams. Said I was still behaving like a child, even though I was an adult.

"Yes. It saves lives, Beren! You should be proud of yourself!" Legolas told me.

"I would have been. But, people don't see me the way you and Tauriel do, Legolas. I'm a stranger to them. More man than anything else. I am different, Legolas. Remember when I first dreamt about the spiders coming?" I asked. Legolas nodded. We both remembered that day. I had gone into the woods to get Tauriel because I knew she would be killed if I didn't save her. I almost died that day. Thranduil told me I was not the same little boy and he was not the same elven king who had taken me in. I had to start obeying the rules. My hand traveled behind my neck and slowly down my spine. If anybody lifted my shirt up, they would have seen a scar from a spider's poison dart. Legolas saw where my hand went and he shook his head.

"You've earned it. That's why Father is giving it to you. You'll officially help Tauriel and myself patrol the forest and keep it safe. Our first mission when you're inducted, is to destroy a nest of spiders near the Enchanted Stream," Legolas told me. He held his hand out to me, and I looked at him. I knew he would never lie to me about this. He knew how important this was to me. After a pause, I did take his hand. We shook and that was when we heard a slight laugh. When we turned and saw Tauriel spying on us from around a wall. I rolled my eyes and sheathed my sword, while Legolas grinned.

"You know how I feel about spies, Tauriel," I told her as I waggled my finger. She smirked as she appeared and placed her bow across her back.

"I just wanted to see your reaction when Legolas told you of your good fortune. I see you weren't as grateful as we anticipated," Tauriel said. She gently placed a hand on my arm and I glanced at her. She smiled at me with that sweet grace she used to when I was a boy, and getting into trouble. Like Thranduil, I had sobered. I had changed.

"Beren, ward of Thranduil, King of the Greenwood, and Protector of the North, I make you a member of my Kingsguard. You will defend my life, and the lives of the elves of this wood. Do you swear to uphold the laws of your king and to place all thoughts of personal gain aside?" Thranduil asked me. I looked up at him. He never smiled anymore, at least not at me. Everyone thought I was the pet he still doted on. That had ceased a long time ago. I was simply Beren, ward of Thranduil. I brought my sword up and saluted him before I went down on one knee.

"I swear, my liege!" I said. Legolas and Tauriel were the first to clap. The common soldiers went next, and lastly, the nobles and their sons. The regular elves like me very much. The nobles, well, not so much. Thranduil came down from his throne and walked up to me. I looked into his cold blue eyes and my face remained passive. He placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle shake.

"I'm proud of you," he told me, still maintaining an indifferent tone of voice. I nodded my head and that was when he pressed his forehead against mine. We both closed our eyes and that was when I saw something I had never seen before. A face. The face of a beautiful girl, grey eyes, brown hair, and a bright smile. She was laughing. I gasped and separated from Thranduil, waving my hand before my eyes. Legolas and Tauriel were by my side in an instant.

"What is it?" Legolas asked as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I glanced up at him, Tauriel, and finally Thranduil.

"A girl! I saw a girl. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She smiled at me and said, 'Soon,' " I told them.

"Soon? What does that mean?" Tauriel queried.

"I don't know. But she stood before the Lonely Mountain," I responded. All their eyes widened and they glanced at each other. "The mountain was bleeding!"