The Great Sacrifice

First Meeting

Thranduil had no difficulty in distinguishing her facial features in the first light of dawn. She was... human. But did not feel like a human nor did she smell like one. Her eyes, wide with fear, were now observing him through long lashes and the stray strands of her blonde hair that had escaped her long braid, framed the soft feminine features of her face. Her cheeks were reddened by excitement, a kind of sight that Thranduil had encountered in countless instances throughout his long life, but this time he could not resist the incomprehensibly alluring effect it had on him.

He could hear her excited breath escaping her slightly parted lips as her chest rose and fell in an uneven rhythm. Her deep green tunic matched her eyes, a pair of rare emeralds revealed before him by his enhanced eyesight despite their dark surroundings. It was a warm, rich green, an eye color Thranduil had never seen before. Her clothes hang rather loose on her body, yet they complimented her feminine curves.

Ari's heart raced wildly, drumming aggressively against the arch of her ribs, her breathing heavy. Her sweaty hands clasped the hilt of her sword in an effort to keep her trembling arms steady. While her brain was still trying to process what stood before her, her body and mind began to ease. In the dim light, his towering figure stood intimidating as he loomed over her with a drawn sword. Nevertheless, she felt that no danger arose from the stranger before her. In the sparse light of the stable, it seemed to her as if a celestial glow radiated from him, illuminating his dominating presence.

Ari blinked confused. His face was timeless, affected by neither happiness nor suffering, but the depth of his eyes told another story, causing Ari both curiosity and awe. His gaze bore intensity as rare as the color of his hair. Silver blonde on one side, slightly golden on the other, where the flickering lantern in the stable reflected its warm light, as if in an effort to dispel the surrounding darkness.

A solid silver armor shielded his body and hugged his apparently well built features and masculine shapes. She could not but wonder about the strength under the shiny metal. Ari's heart started beating faster, this time for reasons unknown to her.

A guard suddenly appeared and noticed Ari's presence. He turned toward his king and declared with a deep bow, "Hir vuin, the guards have assembled at the gate."

Thranduil lowered his sword first before he turned to the guard.

"Give the order to ready the horses."

He then turned back towards Ari who had sheathed her sword. She had noticed the silver circlet above his brows and suspected that she might be standing in front of the king of the elves.

"There you are," a voice suddenly exclaimed.

Both Ari and Thranduil turned around to see Arlos walking over to them. "We thought that we might find you here," he said, looking at Ari who turned away from him, taking a step towards Aro.

The company of travelers had been informed that they would depart instantly and Arlos went straight to the stable, expecting to find Ari there with her horse.

Irritated, Ari straightened her back and gave a stiff look back at Arlos. He now stood under a dim ray of light, as dawn began to crawl into the stable. There was no doubt in her mind by the expression on his face that he liked what he saw. Ari turned back to Aro to stroke his head and strong neck. She never felt comfortable with those kinds of stares from men. She had lived a major part of her life alone and things would remain so. Arlos had to understand that.

She turned again to see that Arlos was now addressing to the king. Arlos was quite tall for a human but the king still looked down at him. Ari could not make out what their conversation was about as they moved closer to the exit of the stable. Ari stayed by Aro's side. A few moments later Arlos returned, this time with Marten at his side.

"We are setting out with the elves. We are going to travel with them along the forest road and from there we'll make our way to Dale," Marten explained.

Ari nodded mutely. She reached for Aro's reins, grabbed her belongings and led him to the exit of the stable. She was surprised to find that many elves had gathered near the gate. They had mounted their horses and some of them were bidding farewell to their loved ones. Their faces were peaceful and joyous while the faces of her travel companions seemed tired and worn. Ari mused about the differences between men and elves and quickly abandoned the thought as she knew that she would never get to know elves more than she had so far. While she awaited their departure, a friendly looking elleth approached her and kindly handed her a small bag. Ari gave her a warm smile and took a peek into the bag. She found fresh bread and some fruits in it. Looking back at the elleth Ari smiled softly saying, "Thank you," while bowing slightly.

The elleth returned the smile and gesture and without saying a word she walked towards Ari's companions, handing similar bags to each one of them.

As Ari looked around she noticed that the king was watching her. Grateful for his hospitality, she gave him a generous bow. He just nodded slightly, almost unnoticeably, but she knew the gesture had been there. Ari had feared that he felt offended by her hostile gesture when he had awoken her and she instinctively drew her sword against him, in fact attacking him. But now she hoped that he acknowledged there was no ill will from her side. He had simply startled her. As she directed her gaze in the direction of the king, she found him gone. She soon spotted him again, as he rode regally up to the gate, giving orders in elvish.

The gates opened and the elves set to motion. Ari noticed that about twenty elven guards were riding behind them and felt content. She had heard rumors that some parts of this forest were still dangerous. The storm during the previous night might have stirred something dark and treacherous in the forest and who could tell what they may encounter on their way? Fresh air brushed her face when she approached the gate and she inhaled it deeply, clean, and humid, her body and spirit refreshed despite her troubled sleep. This forest smelled heavenly after rain. On the day prior the air had been somehow heavier, loaded with tension. But today, it was light and invigorating. Ari's spirits lifted and she looked forward to finally arriving in the legendary city of Dale.