Encounters with the Elven King

Second Encounter

Second Encounter

It was another normal day in the elven king's home. He found himself making rounds through the courtyard one fateful morning. It was customary and good for his soldier's morale to view their strong patriarch amongst them. But today, the Elf-King noticed that there was something missing. Usually when he came this far out into the training fields a voice would be singing, like a Shield Maiden singing songs of valor and peace. In fact, the voice was reminiscent of the one the king heard the previous month near the kitchen.

The Captain of the Guard and her ranked knights quickly saw him and greeted him accordingly. "There is a hole in your ranks today... Tauriel," questioned King Thranduil. His voice was low and soft spoken, a trait the elleth knew could change rapidly like a flip of a coin.

The elleth placed her hand over her heart and bowed. "Yes, my lord. It is Isilmë. Her sister's condition may be worse than what was anticipated. We may just lose another elf to these poisonous beasts." Tauriel did not bother to hide the sadness from her eyes. Isilmë had no family here in Mirkwood but her sister, and Isilmë would curse the Valar if it meant bringing her sister back from death's window. "I fear the healers can do no more."

He turned to leave then; he would hear no more on the subject. Though he appeared as a cold and rigid king, he loved his people dearly. Time had made him the way he was. Yet, why was this matter not brought to his attention? Him? The king?

Isilmë sighed with frustration as she ran her fingers through her frazzled raven locks trying to push them back down into place. Without much success, she glared at the book before her as she was bent over a table reading and re-reading the damned thing. It told her answers, answers she could use! And yet, how could she? She had not the slightest idea on how to pursue this. But the pained and muffled squirms of her sister made her resolute in choice as she walked over to her sister's bed.

The two sisters were allowed home once it was deemed that Aurë, Isilmë's sister, would not make a good recovery -if any.

Isilmë silently prayed as she knelt over her sister's body.

By the time she was almost done, Isilmë's mind was no longer sharp to register what was happening around her; to her. Thranduil had felt a change and pull in magic, one too old to be commonly used. And when he arrived at Isilmë's house, he suspected the worse.

Old texts littered the tables and floors as he found the raven haired elleth kneeling next to her sister. Isilmë's skin seemed much too pale and her lips had a ghastly violet hue to them. His eyes fell to Aurë, learning the cause of what happened quickly with how much fresher the younger sister appeared. He called to his personal guard inside the small home. He was to take Aurë as he handled Isilmë. Doing as told, they all headed to one of the king's private healing wards.

He frowned at Isilmë. Her lack of knowledge could have easily killed her. Yes, an elf could help remove the stench through the means of old magic, but in doing so they had to poison themselves and release it... Or it could surely mean the end to them too.

Once both elleth were secured, his guard left to collect another healer but was stopped by the king's command. "I shall remedy this. Our healers have already proved the err of their knowledge once."

Isilmë's head lolled to the side as she dreamily looked around the room. She felt cold, yet oddly warm as she looked into the eyes of her king. Oh, she must have been losing it. Ever since their one meeting she had been seeing him everywhere, or at least imagining it.

Warm hands that seemed to glow hovered over her form before she fell into a deep sleep. If she only knew her second encounter with the Elf-King wasn't as pleasant as the first.