Untold Stories (the Sequel to Forbidden Love)

"I think I have seen you before"

Thalia's POV
40 Years After the Battle of the Five Armies

"Thalia, did you hear?" It was Artemis, racing towards me. I was standing by the river, watching the water bubbling around the stones. As I turned to look, she did a perfect double flip off the bank, fast enough that her arrows didn't fall out. I decided I had to learn how to do that.
"What?" I asked.
"Because Tauriel...banished...Father asked me...to be...Captain of the Guard...temporarily," she panted.
"That's great! You're perfect for the role, and definitely better than Tauriel," I told her. "A better fighter than her, and a whole lot nicer, for starters."
She laughed and gave me a hug. "Now, what have you done with my brother?"
"Last I checked...uh..." I trailed off. In fact, I knew where he was. I could see him sneaking up behind Artemis.
"Where?" she frowned. Noticing the direction of my gaze, she spun around in time to spot Legolas. "Nice try, buster."
"How did you find me out? I was as silent as a mouse!" Legolas complained.
"Thalia saw you. I saw where she was looking," Artemis explained, easily switching languages again. "Were you close enough to hear my news?"
"Yes. Congratulations! I agree with Thalia, you're perfect."
Before Artemis could reply, a guard came up to the bank above us.
"Lady Artemis, you are needed in the throne room. King Thranduil wishes to talk to you. Lord Legolas, Lady Thalia, you are required also."
We scrambled up the bank and ran to the palace. I hoped we would have something to do; life had been kind of boring since the Battle of the Five Armies. Although, I wondered, since when was I Lady Thalia?

When we arrived, Thranduil was waiting for us.
"Artemis, you remember that the spiders were traced to Dol Guldur? And that the Enemy has returned?"
Artemis nodded.
"I need you three to go to Rivendell and ask Lord Elrond's advice. I will give you a message for him."
With a glance at us, Artemis nodded again.
"When do you want us to leave, my lord?" I asked.
"Thalia, stop calling me 'my lord'!" Thranduil exclaimed. "I hardly feel that that's appropriate. I am your father-in-law, after all. To answer your question, you will leave as soon as possible. Take horses and supplies. Rest in Rivendell for a few days before you return. It's a hard ride around the Valley of Imladris."
"How about we leave now?" Legolas suggested. Thranduil nodded and passed a roll of paper to Artemis, who tucked it into her boot. I followed Legolas out to the stables, while Artemis went to get us some lembas and other supplies. When she got back, Gil-galad was ready, as were Hadron and Dúath. She put the food in the saddlebags, checked the message was still in her boot and then mounted.
"Let's go!" she said happily, nudging Gil-galad into a canter. Legolas and I directed our horses to follow.

That night we stopped to rest in a small copse of trees. Artemis divided up the real food that we had- some bread, cheese and fruit that she had brought alongside the lembas bread. It was good, although we all knew that there was no more of it. Only lembas remained for the rest of the trip. As I began to clear up, Artemis' voice stopped me short; her tone was calm but deadly. "Thalia, duck."
I wasn't going to argue with that tone. I crouched. So fast I barely saw it, her knife came out of its sheath and spun over my head. There was a solid 'thunk' and I slowly turned to see an Orc lying dead. Artemis drew her other blade, calling to Legolas. I pulled the knife free of the dead Orc and tossed it to Artemis, drawing my own two as quickly as I could.

Orcs approached from every side. Try as we might, they pushed the three of us back-to-back until we were fighting for our lives. Then suddenly Artemis dropped to a crouch and slid between the legs of the nearest Orc, forcing them to move away from us. No longer cornered, we were free to move about as we pleased, fighting the way we did best with agility on our side. But there were so many! Whenever we killed one, there was another to take its place. Even Artemis and Legolas were tiring. At a lull in the fighting I was wiping the sweat from my forehead, turning to speak to Legolas when I heard a sound that chilled my blood. A cry of pain that could only have come from Artemis.