The Ties That Bind

Chapter Six

The next morning dawned clear and cool, and Eirlys savored the tranquility of the woods. Orcs had been moving closer to the northern part of Mirkwood, but unlike her father, she didn't think they would ever breach the forest's boundaries simply because of the spiders. They'd claimed the northernmost corner of the forest, not far from where she'd found Thorin, and she had the feeling that if she hadn't found Thorin, the spiders would have. Again.

Even so, she still knew better than to venture anywhere in the forest without a weapon of some sort, so she brought both her bow and arrow and her dagger. Just to be safe.

Not that she ventured far. There was a stream that flowed through the center of the kingdom, enchanted in places, with the perfect fallen log nearby, where she preferred to sit and think when she had something serious to sit and think about.

Her upcoming wedding was definitely something serious.

So that was where she headed, her thoughts spinning with what awaited her in the weeks to come, and what would follow once she left Mirkwood, left the only home she'd ever known, to travel north to the kingdom of Erebor.

The arrangements were underway and she was supposed to be meeting with the seamstress to begin work on her wedding gown. Invitations had already gone out. The kitchens were working on the menus and someone—she had no inkling who—was in charge of the wine and liquor to be served.

But there she was, sitting in her tranquil space, pretending nothing was about to change.

Sunlight spilled through the canopy, melted most of the snow from the narrow, winding path. Birds sang overhead, their songs clear and crisp, and the occasional chipmunk darted across in front of her. She smiled at the sight of them, remembering when she was a child and spent much of her time alone, wandering the woods, just watching as the animals of that world went about their business. Little by little, they grew used to her, didn't dart off into the underbrush in fear.

She sank onto the fallen tree and leaned against the one that still stood behind it. As she watched the sunlight sparkle across the stream, she wondered if she would be able to find a stream somewhere near Erebor, somewhere she could just sit and think and not be bothered by anyone.

A tiny knot formed in the pit of her stomach when she thought about what life would be like in Erebor. And with each successive thought, that knot grew larger. Feeling apprehensive about this change had to be normal, didn't it? Would she be expected to not feel this way? After all, she'd never lived anywhere other than Mirkwood. To others, it was an enchanted—sometimes darkly so—wood, but to her? It was home. Here, she was just another elf. But in Erebor, she would be the outsider, the one to always be looked upon with suspicion, to be stared at. Especially given the history between the elves of Mirkwood and the dwarves of Erebor.

"Do you venture out here alone often?"

Eirlys jumped at the unexpected interruption and as she did, her hand went instinctively to the blade on her hip. She relaxed, her hand just resting on the sword's grips. "You shouldn't sneak up on a body that way. You might find yourself regretting it quickly."

To her surprise, Thorin smiled. "I'll take my chances." He gestured to the fallen log. "May I?"

"Of course."

He settled beside her. "It's peaceful here. A far cry from the first time I ventured through these woods."

"They can be tricky for a body not accustomed to the atmosphere."

"That they are," he bobbed his head, the silver ornaments woven into the long curls clinking against one another, flashing in the pale sunlight as he did. "The first time I was here, it took almost no time before I felt as if I was drunk. Drunk and disoriented and it wasn't at all pleasant. We wandered about, lost and growing angrier by the moment. It was... an adventure."