The Hobbit one-shots

•Thranduil #1•

(Thranduil picture credit goes to lindamarieanson on Deviantart)

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The wind was gentle as it caressed my hair, which fell in waves down my back and across my shoulders.
My eyes were closed as I relished in the quiet of the night.

I inhaled deeply, tilting my head up to gaze at the silver lights that dappled the midnight sky; even the stars were not the same, here in this world that I hardly knew.

My grip on the balcony railing tightened as I sighed, and then relaxed.
Being homesick would not do a thing, especially when there was no known way of getting back to the human world.
Although..there was in fact no denying that this 'Middle-earth' was irreplaceably beautiful.

After waking up here multiple months ago with no knowledge whatsoever of how it happened, I had been found lost in the forest by a group of Elves--yes, actual Elves--and taken to their huge palace thing, questioned intensely by the Prince, was accused of being a spy, spent a pleasant (not) couple of days in their surprisingly tidy dungeons, until finally upon being proved an innocent girl from another world who had no idea what was going on--well, that was when their King took pity on me and allowed me to stay.
Thranduil was his name.

I have heard the guards speak of it;
of their shock that he would allow a mortal--a mortal who was a complete stranger to their world, no less--remain in his Kingdom, and as a guest.
I have heard the whispers that he must find me intriguing in some ways. If only it were true; in actuality, the King had taken quite a noticeable disliking of me.

Yet my life here in Mirkwood began growing easier as time passed.
I was given daily lessons on the cultures and Kingdoms of Middle-earth, of life as an Elf, their languages, their history; I was being taught to use a sword and bow, and was now allowed to venture to the other side of the bridge leading out of the palace, as long as I had guards at my side.

The forest itself was quite dark and frightening, and often was I kept awake at night by memories of stumbling dazedly through it in the days before they found me. I still shivered at the thought of the giant spiders that could have eaten me alive had I been caught.

However, I was told that it was not always this way; Prince Legolas himself would often indulge me on stories of Greenwood the Great and the beauty that it had once been, of the birds that used to sing and the warm light that had shone through from golden-green branches.

He had assured me that not all of Middle-earth matched the dreariness of Mirkwood, and that perhaps one day I would see it for myself.

I had been given a fine room to call my own--probably more that I deserved, but ever was I grateful--and that was where I stood now, out on my balcony, another night of missing home.

Even though such nights were becoming slightly scarcer as the months passed, there were times when I allowed myself to mourn the loss of the life I once knew.
This was one of those times.

I breathed in the world around me and studied the stars above.
They were brighter here, I noticed, a light warmer than that which I was used to..
perhaps this was why the Elves cherished them so dearly.
I, too, had always housed a special kind of love for the night skies.

As I looked at them now, they seemed to bring me home, though where that was I wasn't certain;
so beautiful they were, and they were all I could see.
A peaceful silence settled over me.

"You should not be out alone at this hour."
Turning abruptly at the quiet voice to my right, I stared wide-eyed up at the King.

He obtained such grace that I had not even heard him approach as he stood at the entrance of the balcony.