If I Had You

Chapter VIII

Tauriel POV

I take a deep breath, as the realization of my insanity hits me.

What was I thinking? I couldn't just waltz into Mirkwood with two halflings, then strut my way into Thranduil's and strike up a nice little conversation with him. Oh no, that would definitely earn me a one way trip to the dungeons.

It was completely and utterly ridiculous to even think of this plan, let alone actually attempt it.

The air huffs out of me as I sigh quietly. We were currently slipping through a well-known breach in the walls with the guardsmen. Thankfully, the only two guards on duty didn't see us, and I expect they were a tad tipsy.

The two hobbits move, one in front and one behind me. They're so silent I sometimes forget that Merry was even behind me. I can hardly even hear them breathing. For people with such big feet, I'm taken aback how they maintained such tranquility.

We continue to creep quietly throughout the corridors. I half smile at the familiar smell of Lembas and the familiar sound of footsteps above us, traveling up a staircase. I couldn't pretend that invading my home and facing the king wouldn't be hard. Ignoring the fact that it would be virtually impossible to physically even make it to the King's chamber without being seen, this was going to tug on my heart and create a brokenness, a deep hole, inside of me. How could I be expected to attack my very home? The place I'd lived in my entire life?

To be fair, I had suggested the idea. Maybe I should've thought this out more. Assuming we succeeded and survived, I wouldn't have anyone to turn to. Legolas was still-

Arg, why was I even thinking of him?!

Just don't think about him, I tell myself. You can deal with your petty emotional trauma later, right now we have real issues to deal with. Middle Earth is at stake, Mirkwood is at stake, lives are in danger. The lives of your friends. Merry, Pippin, the dwarf, Legolas-

I wouldn't be riding my thoughts of him just yet, would I?

I sigh angrily, which warrants a sudden shush from Merry. My face turns a light shade of reed, and I can feel my ears heat up with embarrassment. Why I felt humiliated, I didn't know. It was probably tied to Leggy, though.

We're still walking when we come across the second pair of guards.

Two young blonde haired guards come swaggering into the hallway, grins on their faces and bottles on their belt where their weapons should be. We duck behind a bend in the wall, cloaked by the shadows. The two guardsmen throw slurred speeches back at each other as they move sluggishly. They were obviously drunk, and given the guards at the walls, Thranduil had to be throwing some kind of party.

A 'I-Finally-Got-Rid-Of-My-Son-And-Annoying-Captian' kind of party? Most likely so. Once the pair swings around the next bend, we bolt, quiet as always. I knew we were close to Thranduil, or at least where he should be. My heart starts to beat sporadically as we get closer and closer.

This was easier than I'd thought it would be.

"Take a left here, then head up the stairs. He'll be at the top." I whisper to inform the hobbits. They nod but don't say anything, keeping towards the walls. As we approach the stairs, we hear more tipsy laughter, but don't spot any other elves. The anxiety in my heart transfers to my stomach as butterflies seem to anxiously pound on the sides of my ribcage.

' If only Legolas was here. I say to myself without thinking. I'm too nervous and focused on the task at hand to get angry at myself for giving thought to that certain elf prince.