Secrets Within [Thranduil fanfic]

Back to Mirkwood

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months and Lanneth wandered in the shadows like a forgotten memory. She had long since let her mount turn round and head back towards Rivendell where she knew he would be well cared for. Lanneth kept an eye on Thorin and Company and when Orcs would get too close she would move let her sword slice through the darkness. The orcs began to fear following the company for rumors were begin to surface that a darkness would surround them they would be slain. Lanneth poured darkness down into her sword and the blade turned black as the night sky. Though in using this magic to aid the company it also allowed the darkness inside her to take a stronger hold on her. If one were to look at her eyes the black on the edges were slowly creeping closer to her iris and slowly devouring the blue. Then there was the agonizing pain as she battled to get the light shining inside of herself. Somedays it would bring her to her knees and she would beg to Valar to end her before collapsing from exhaustion. It was one of those days that Beorn found her lying hidden against a tree shivering from pain and exhaustion. Her forehead was slick with sweat and her dark locks were plastered to her forehead. He picked her up gently and walked with her back to his home. When Lanneth awake she sat upright and looked around quickly trying to figure out where she was. She felt her muscles coil waiting to see whom it was took her. Then a deep voice rumbled from the corner, "You are safe here elf, no harm will come to you so long as you dwell within my home." It was then that Lanneth spotted a man, if that is what you would call him. He was large, much larger than man or elf. His face was mostly covered in hair, she had been found by Beorn the shape changer. She didn't even know any of them still existed for she thought they had all been slayin yet there was one before her. "Thank you kindly for taking care of me but I should be on my way." He held up a hand and shook his head, "No stay for a while you are weak. You are toying with a beast that one day will overthrow you if you are not carful little elf. I could feel it radiating off of you when I brought you to my home. Normally I do not bring such darkness across my threshold and yet here you are. The light inside of you still shines enough to keep that darkness at bay but it will not be able to keep it away forever." Lanneth felt like she was hearing the same thing over and over again. It was as if they already knew she was going to fail. "Everyone speaks as if I am already doomed. That I cannot control this darkness or turn it towards my favor." She watched as he shook his head gently, "This darkness cannot be controlled except by one who is equally as dark. It is why it is trying so hard to slowly eat away at you. Eventually you shall be among the light no more." For a week Lanneth stayed with Beorn but for the most part she slept and stayed in her room. When Beorn would sit with her he would talk of his kin and Lanneth learned much of his kind which she found to all be very fascinating. It saddened her that he was the only one left in this world but she could also relate for she too was the last of her kind. Finally she told him it was time for her to go and Beorn nodded. "Indeed it is. The dwarves have ventured into Mirkwood and I fear for them little elf. You yourself know how dangerous that place has become. I know you have been banished but perhaps with your stealthy ability you can go in there unknown to your former kin. To keep an eye upon Thorin and his company." Lanneth felt herself shivered slightly at the thought of Mirkwood and its King. With a sigh she finally nodded. "You have been good to me Beorn and because of this I shall go into Mirkwood once more."

The sun was just rising as Lanneth departed for Mirkwood, she had been so consumed in thought she had not even realized the dwarves had been under the same roof as her. Or perhaps she thought it was how Beorn had wanted it. She was back to full strength and Lanneth felt the swiftness that Beorn's pony carried her. It took her two days to reach Mirkwood and as she stopped the pony she gazed at the dark forest. She dismounted and turned the pony loose not bothering to look behind her for she already knew that Beorn had followed her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and dashed into the thick sick trees. Lanneth felt at home amongst the sick trees as if they both had something in common. A darkness was thrust upon them that neither one of them had wished for and it was slowly sucking the beauty and light from within. She could hear them ahead and they sounded confused, ah they were lost...this was not a surprise to Lanneth. She came upon them quietly, "quiet your voices or you shall call upon all evil that lurks in these woods." Lanneth turned around sharply as a spider sprang at her. She jumped swiftly to the side before unleashing her sword, it's dark blade glinted even with the lack of sunlight through the trees. She swung and connected with the spider slicing it in half. She moved around on instinct now and got a higher advantage point and sheathed her sword and took up her bow and arrows. She turned and jumped letting arrows fly in every direction but she knew it would not be long before they would be overrun. She kept letting her arrows fly until her quiver was empty and she paused looking for the dwarves but they were gone. She looked up as bodies began to fall, it was the dwarves captured by the spiders. Lanneth leapt to the side to avoid begin taken down to the ground by any of them. A spider hissed to her right and she kicked it back giving her enough time to take her sword back out. She hacked and cut through spiders and webs driving them back. As her hood fell back the spiders hissed and she understood, for once, their dark language, "flee...flee...the witch-elf is back....flee..." She watched them depart and then heard arrows whistling around her as the spiders fell dead. She quickly threw her hood back up and crouched down. She knew the elves of Mirkwood were now there. She tried to steady her pounding heart as she peered down and caught a glimpse of Prince Legolas. He looked at if he had grown so much since she departed, he looked wiser and stronger. As they gathered the dwarves to take them to the King she noticed Legolas stop by a spider and look down at the arrow. His eyes quickly looked up and around as if searching for her. "Not those." She heard him say as an elf was reaching for one of her bows. "Leave a quiver full." The elves gave each other a quizzical look but they knew better than to questions the Kings son. Lanneth did not know any of the elves that Legolas had with him save one and that was the female elf by his side. Legolas ran his fingers up the arrow as if lost in a distant memory and Lanneth knew he was thinking of her. Legolas looked around one last time before motioning forward and they departed.