Young Thranduil brings back Aerneth to Doriath as his wife, making his abusive father furious. Through the Ages their hasty marriage is shadowed by war and death, dragons and dark lords, betrayal and kinslayings. How can they ever find healing and l...
~The refugees from Haven try to flee Oropher's iron rule, but leaving is not as effortless as Aerneth thought, and they must also pass the realm of Fëanor's sons unnoticed.~
oOo
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Thieves in the Night
The River Gelion, First Age 538
Aerneth shivered with a mix of cold and anxiety. The river was still and dark; her father would probably not contact her for another two hours at least, but it had been impossible to sleep. She might as well come early than toss and turn in her bed.
A silent ellon stood motionless a few yards ahead, a dark shape outlined against the lanterns of the sleeping city. Amroth had his back turned, making sure he would not see anything of what would happen this night. That way he would not need to lie to his king.
Thank the Valar for him! Without him on their side the plan would have no chance to succeed.
More waiting followed. Aerneth tried to clear her mind, to not think about what lay ahead. To just be. She opened her senses, feeling the breeze on her cold cheeks, and the sounds of night creatures. Inhaling the earthy smell of autumn leaves on the river bank.
A shadow loosened itself from the direction of the city. Galadriel, coming to help guard the path to the pier. Silent as a lynx she squatted by the river.
New shivers ran down Aerneth's spine. She desperately hoped the precaution would be needless; that there would be no one to guard against. Memories of the elves she killed in Haven was still plaguing her. She often woke up at night with vivid images of them drowning, with their panicked faces etched on her retinas.
Dreams she had to tackle alone, now, with no comforting arms wrapped around her. Much as she loved Galadriel, she was not the type of friend whom others went to to be soothed.
Though surrounded by people, Aerneth had never felt lonelier than the past summer. Living with Thranduil in Haven for so many years had glued them together more than she had realised, and losing him had left a vast, aching emptiness in her.
Her anger had subsided as soon as she had time to calm down. Thranduil had sworn the oath to his father out of necessity. She did not blame him, could not blame him. Oropher was the guilty party.
She wondered if Thranduil felt the same grief as she did. The same loss. Or if he resented her for abandoning him.
She resented it, at least in part. Her own oath had been rash, spoken in a heated spur of the moment. Yet, she could not have stayed, either. She could not survive living under Oropher's roof without an ally, and with her husband sworn to obey his every whim he was no longer a such.
There had simply been no good option.
She had not seen Thranduil much after she left; he kept close to his father and Aerneth kept as far away from that ellon as possible.
