The ElvenKing [A thranduil fanfiction]

Chapter 2

Lindon S.A 3425

          The next time I met Thranduil was in Forlindon, at the end of the following year right when autumn had come to an end to provide room for the next season. Snow had not yet arrived, but the weather had become colder. The trees, once lush with autumnal colors, now stood barren and plain compared to the once warm and welcoming shades of red, orange, and yellow. It was a time of year I found particularly unpleasant, dreadful even.

No matter how much I enjoyed Autumn and its warm colors, the shifting season's association with decay and loss, were overwhelming. It was a time that couldn't pass quickly enough and give way for winter. I looked forward to the snow that would eventually follow, resetting the land. Snow had always been a favorite of mine. I could stay outside for hours and not get tired of the view.

I had already finished my studies, and now I waited for it to become safe enough for me to travel back home to Greenwood. The ever-growing threat from the east had made the roads extremely unsafe. Father had deemed it wise that I would prolong my stay in Forlindon until winter had passed. I smiled at the thought and lowered the book in my hands. Something had caught on my lashes, forcing me to blink as something else got into my eye.

My smiled widened at the unmistakable flurry of snow that slowly floated down to dust the land. Snow had come sooner than expected. I had been too preoccupied with the book in my hand to notice at first. Snow had finally arrived to wash away the feeling of decay there had been left behind. Wonder warmed me and I closed my eyes to enjoy the moment.

A soft wind pulled on my hair, making me shiver despite the fact I was wearing a warmer dress. The velvety material one of my favorites. I straightened up as more snow fell, quickly covering the land. Within minutes the whole garden I was seated in had been covered by the snow.

While the kingdom of Lindon was larger than the Woodland realm, and with many exploration opportunities, I often elected to remain in the heart the main house, under the guidance of the King and his household. I knew my father's close friendship with King Oropher had properly benefitted my stay here a great deal. With my mother's heritage, I did not have a hard time fitting in like I so often had I Greenwood, yet everyone still seemed to know who I were without us ever having met before.

The old book that rested in my lap, still open on the page I had been reading earlier before my mind had begun to wander, had in the meantime been covered in a thin layer of snow because I had been inattentive. I chuckled and quickly brushed the snow away before closing it.

I had absentmindedly flipped through the pages earlier, fingers running across the aged paper as I read through the words scribbled down, looking for something. The beautifully written text in the runes of the high elves were not as easy to read as I first believed and had humbled me more than once.

Because of that, I had sought refuge outside the main house to avoid the constant stares I got from the other elves that were also studying. I was as much an outsider here as I had been in the Woodland realm. Even fewer children were born as each year passed, meaning the young grew old, and the old did not die. It was a cruel circle of life.