The Great Sacrifice

A Gift Of The Valar

Ari was kneeling on the floor, her body bent over a small stool. She had to finish the carving today. Ruth had ordered it for her daughter's wedding. Mila's soon-to-be husband was more than one foot taller than her and her mother had thought a stool would make a fine present, so that the newly-wed wife would be able to kiss her spouse in a more comfortable manner.

Ari smiled heartily as she brought their conversation back to her mind. Distracted by her thoughts for a moment, her wandering hand drove the blade she used for carving into her right thumb. The thin, sharp blade penetrated her soft flesh and was now stuck in her thumb. A gasp escaped her mouth as her body jerked in shock. A scarlet stream of blood flowed down her hand fast, dripping onto the unfinished stool. All of a sudden, a large, slender hand reached for hers from behind. Ari looked up, startled at the sight of the Elvenking kneeling down at her side. Keeping her hand in his, firmly yet gently, he applied pressure on her wrist to stop the blood from running any further.

"Galion, come over," he commanded.

Galion approached them and peeked at Ari's hand with a sorrowful expression.

"Pull it out," Thranduil ordered him with a steady voice.

"No!" Ari cried. Confused and in pain, her slender body trembled as she stared at Galion pleadingly. To Thranduil, her behavior did not make sense and he decided to ignore her.

"Galion, remove it," he repeated urgently as he pulled out a handkerchief from his tunic and prepared himself to press it on her wound once the blade was removed. Galion took a confident step closer and moved his hands towards her bleeding wound. She was scared of the pain that he would cause her and Thranduil could read it in her face. He could sense it in the air surrounding her, she smelled of it, he felt it deeply inside his own being as her fear spread all over his body in a rippling wave.

It was at that moment when it struck him. Thranduil gazed at her breathless. This human girl was meant to be... with him. There was no doubt about it. They shared... a bond. He swallowed hard before he spoke to her, his voice gentle but commanding, slightly shaking.

"Look at me! Look at me!"

Slowly Ari turned her gaze from her bleeding thumb and fixed her eyes on Thranduil's.

"If you don't watch him, it will hurt you less. Just look at me."

And so she did. She winced in pain as Galion pulled out the blade. Thranduil covered the wound quickly with his handkerchief and continued to apply pressure on it.

"Tell the guard to call Menethil! Request her to come here at once," the king ordered hastily.

Galion stepped toward the door while Thranduil's gaze was fixed on Ari. He felt her pain and her nausea. Stunned by the sudden realization, it took Thranduil a few moments to gather his thoughts under control. He had already known that she was special, but never before had it occurred to him she was that special. The Valar had created her for him. She was a gift, a gift from the Valar.

"It will be fine. Elvish medicine is the best," he assured her softly.

Ari simply nodded and looked down at the stool lying now on the floor still unfinished and covered in her blood.

"It's ruined," she sighed sadly.

Thranduil motioned Galion who had just returned to take the stool away.

"Make sure it is thoroughly cleaned and returned here."

After Menethil had taken care of Ari's wound, she bowed to her king and left. Ari felt considerably better. The elleth had not only treated her wound and bandaged her thumb but had also used some healing energy to calm her down.

Ari felt calmer now. She sat in her chair while Thranduil stood in the middle of the room, inspecting around. He noticed the wooden pillars supporting the ceiling. There were three of them. He stepped closer to one of them and a smile crossed his face.

His long fingers ran slowly over the symbols which had been carefully carved into the pillar. Every symbol on it could not have been carved more precisely. It could not have been done more perfectly. He was highly impressed. He turned around to see Ari, who was still sitting down in her chair with her eyes closed, sheltering her injured hand against her chest.

"Protection, Strength, Endurance, Patience. You learned well during your stay in my halls."

Ari opened her eyes and shot out of the chair. Her cheeks blushed deeply. She rushed over to the pillar, positioning herself between it and Thranduil, trying to hide her work from his view. Thranduil's smile grew wider upon seeing her embarrassment.

He chuckled lowly. "It is beautiful and perfectly done. There is no reason to feel ashamed of this," he assured her.

Ari remembered the words he had spoken in his halls, 'Elves can do so, but not all. Just those who have brought this gift with them upon their birth.'

But she was no elf. Her work had no power, no meaning for him. She felt shy and ashamed for carving the sacred symbols of the elves into her pillars. Never had she expected to see him again. That had not been among her plans. Yet she did not know that it had been his plan ever since she had left his halls.

Thranduil raised his right arm over her head and placed the palm of his hand flat against the pillar to support his weight. He leaned down to her, slowly closing the distance between them.

"Why are you blushing?" he asked, his voice suddenly low and husky. "They are done perfectly."

Ari felt as if an earthquake shook her very being. She felt his warm breath on her face and his scent, which reminded her of his forest, suddenly overwhelming her. Her senses were captured by his very presence. She found herself unable to remain calm as her heart began to race. Her insides started to crumble. Her protection fell steadily.

"Do you hear me?"

Thranduil leaned even closer. He brought his lips next to her ear and whispered, "It could not have been done more perfectly by any elf I know of."

His breath was now hot and moist as it brushed her ear and neck before he slightly moved back. Ari looked up into his eyes. They were mesmerizing, like shining sky-blue gems kissed by starlight. Thranduil sensed her excited heartbeat. He sensed her emotions and was momentarily overcome by a new sensation which spread throughout his entire being. He was being consumed by an unknown force. It was something new to him but at that moment he did not mind, nor did not care. To him it felt too good to be rejected or ignored. So, he leaned in to close the remaining distance between them.

'Bang!'

Thranduil and Ari turned their heads simultaneously in the direction of the sudden thud. Galion had returned, entering the workshop accompanied by a guard who dropped the stool in surprise on seeing his king with the human girl at such an intimate proximity.

Galion gave the guard an irritated look and sent him away at once. He picked up the stool, placed it on the table near the front door and fled the building without looking back.

Thranduil returned his attention to Ari but she was gone.