Third Age 2984
Everybody turned their heads as the horse and the rider galloped towards the palace. Soon the news of the Orc attack spread like wildfire.
"You can't come and that is final," Thranduil held his hand up. Erenien huffed and crossed her arms, which reminded him of a young girl who was impossibly stubborn, demanding that her father stop his kingly duties for awhile and play with her. How she had dragged me out to play under the trees in the summer sun...
"Why Ada (father)? You have let Legolas and Tauriel go with you. All my friends are going. Why can't I? You have seen me fight before. I can handle those filths."
"This is not the time to discuss your abilities with a blade. Besides, that was during your training, not on the battlefield. All your friends were out on the training ground long before you were even born."
"Oh, it is because I am not like them, isn't it? It's because I am human, right? "
"Do not misunderstand my words, Ery. You have never known war or what it does to people. Ever since I can remember, I had been running away from it, from the dangers in the form of both my own kind and these orc filths. You have a peaceful life here, iell nin (my daughter). You don't have to know war."
"But Ada..."
Thranduil raised his hand, which silenced whatever argument Erenien was starting. "I know it is hard for you to stay back. But do it for my sake, so that I can go knowing that you are safe. And also fight to return so that I can receive your welcoming smile at my gates. Promise me this."
His words were final. There is no point in arguing when one cannot win. Defeated, she sighed, frowning at his mithril armour and the twin blades that hung from his waist. Her father knew which words to use to sway her.
"But you have to promise me that you will come back safe," she said meeting his eyes once more.
"Nothing is certain in war, dear. But I promise you that I will try my best to return in one piece."
This earned him a pout and a disapproving look from his daughter. Thranduil laughed- a short, humourless one.
"Fine. I promise you that I will return to you, Ery. Wait for me at the gate, will you?"
She nodded. Thranduil smiled and placed a kiss on her temple and walked away. Erenien watched as her father, brother and friends marched away to war until the glimmer of their armour faded away, into the forest.
Days passed by and the palace fell silent. She missed how her father's voice reverberated in the walls, Legolas' endless good-natured teasing about how sloppy her footwork is, Tauriel's reassuring words and the many veiled threats she gave Legolas in one look, Feren's pranks, the tired look Eiliandil gives him whenever he sees that his young brother is up to no good, Laerdil's songs... A small smile tugged on her lips. But the memory brought to the surface the very reason that made her stay back. She mentally cursed whatever power that caused her to be born human despite having half-elf parents. Frustration flared a little. So after hastily putting on a leather overcoat and arm guards, she took her bow and blades and went to the training fields. Hours passed by with the whoosh and thud of arrows, and the sound of blades cutting air. Finally, when the emotions subsided, she headed off to the nearby stream.
It took a few minutes' walk to get there, along the winding path just outside the palace gate. It was one of her favourite spots, one of the few places where there was birdsong and a myriad of flowers; a place where the sunlight turned the darkest of leaves into a vibrant shade of green. There the trees swayed despite the stillness that haunted the rest of her homeland, revealing glimpses of the sky. Truly, a place where she can get lost in, watching the floating clouds, her hands skimming the gentle waters.
He was standing there, by the waterfall, tall and strong, with an ethereal silvery aura, and the great antlers forming a crown. Their last meeting had been two years ago, on her 19th begetting day. They had stared into each other's eyes, then, until Laerdil's song had distracted her. When she had turned back to look at the stag, he had been gone. The elves had told her about the ancient woodland spirit in the form of a stag, which had left her surprised.
Erenien moved forward, her hand extended, and closed her eyes. He inched closer, just enough for her fingers to brush his fur. As their foreheads touched she heard a call, deep in her spirit.
"Follow me, Erenien..."
Her fae (spirit) blazed as a sudden warmth encircled her. Without much thought she flung herself onto his back and soon the chill of the late autumn wind fluttered through her golden hair.
Note
Erenien- 'Daughter of the Woods'
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The Eternal Starlight
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