The Choices we Make [O.E II] ~On Hold~

Chapter six- War on the horizion

Chapter six

I awoke late the next morning, half of my body hanging off the tree. I struggled upward into a sitting position. Down below us the people where milling about there own business. I looked to the base of the tree and Octavia was waiting there, my father beside her. “I wondered when you'd wake up Princess.”  She said, I frowned and jumped down easily landing nimbly before them.

“Octavia has agreed to accompany us to see the dwarves.” Thranduil informed me, I blinked raising an eyebrow at the ebony haired woman before me. “What of your people?” I asked, she smiled “I have a friend who will watch over them until I return.” She said, I nodded not asking more.  Thranduil strode out before us, to the horses and awaiting Lorien guardsmen. She mounted her own hala, it steed snorted in greeting as the elven maiden mounted it. We left the forests and headed towards Mirkwood. The horses and hala ran across the moorlands with ease,  we entered forests and pasted massive rolling mountains.

We neared the edge of the forest, stopping the mounts. Octavia stared skeptically into shadows “There is a strange feeling here.” She whispered “I do not feel like I should enter those forests.” She said, I eyed the woman on the hala mount beside me. “We live here, nothing will harm us.” I said, but my father said nothing beside me but trotted the horse along the path towards the river. We followed behind quickly, we neared the palace and I sighed in relief. I dismounted the horse, as did my father. “I will inform scarlet of our plans.” He said, I nodded going inside trailed by Lady Octavia.

She gasped as we opened the doors. “This palace…” The woman said, staring into the vast stretching trees inside and the roots that made up the paths, green light flickered and glittered dancing like moon dust in the breeze.  She walked in circles trying to get a full view of the place, the young maiden gazed at the roof in awe. “It is beautiful.” She said, looking to me. I smiled “My father has a thing for beauty.” She chuckled quietly “I can see that.” We walked up the throne room, My younger brother was there. He was practicing sword fighting with a young maiden I had never seen before, she had white hair and large blue eyes. The woman looked over in surprise as we approached, she was almost like an exact opposite of the girl beside me. White hair and Black hair… She dipped her head in respect to me and quickly departed.

“Whos that?” I asked my younger sibling. He shrugged “a friend, whos that?” He said looking at the headstrong woman standing a shoulder height to me. “I am Octavia, and who are you?” Right Feaneros birth was kept a secret. “A royal guard.” I quickly said “He is a close friend of mine.” I covered for him, Feanero glared at me but said nothing. “Indeed m'lady.” He played along.  My father came down the steps, followed by my mother. Again we would have to pretend she wasn't related to either of us. Scarlet smiled quietly. “You are back my lord.” She bowed to me, I smiled. “This is royal advisor Scarlet Rivers.” Thranduil lied. Octavia nodded and smiled at my mother. “Nice to meet you, I am Octavia lothrien.” Scarlet nodded and bowed to her, I chuckled inwardly what Octavia didn't know was she was speaking with the queen of Mirkwood, it was kind of funny actually.

“We will be heading to the dwarven kingdom now, we want to make sure they don’t try to hatch anything.” He said to my mother, she nodded. We started off, returning to the horses and riding to the mountain in the west by following the river down towards the lake. We followed the path though the Lake town, riding the horses directly though the gates, Humans marveled and gasped. The humans who had assisted us at the battle where long gone or very old now, so the ones now alive rarely saw elves so they would tend to be in awe at us, we where beautiful and perfect anyway.

We reached the base of the mountain heading upward towards the city recently repaired, we slowed the horses and hala, to a trot moving though the busy streets, Dwarves and humans moving about. Most looked at us in confusion and most in hatrid. They did not like our kind, mostly my father. All though myself and Lady Octavia had never wronged them in any way they still despised us. We neared the entrance to the mountain castle. Gimli lived here, I believed.

Sure enough the stout little dwarf raced out to greet us, time had not been kind to him. He looked old with gray and silver in his auburn beard and hair. “Aye! Elf boy!” He laughed as he spotted me, I dismounted to greet him. He turned to Thranduil in surprise “My king.” The dwarf bowed in respect but Thranduil only wrinkled his nose at the creature dismounted his horse followed by Lady Octavia “And who is this young lass?” Gimli asked me. “I am Octavia, daughter of lady Galadrial.” She said. Gimli bowed to her “Greets m'lady.” He turned a little peachy at the mention of the fair lady.

“You shouldn't be here.” Gimli said to us. “Our people are growing restless, they wish for more land to expand on, since we took back the land there has been a spike in the population.” He said “They said there target would be Laketown, then Mirkwood.” Thranduil scowled, his blue eyes flaming in hate and anger “Let them try.” He hissed, shoving past the dwarf and towards the gate of the mountain. I followed quickly behind, Octavia and Gimli following me. “Please My lord! You must believe me, they will not listen to reason.” The dwarf said. Thranduil pushed open the gates, going inside into the dark gold filled caverns.

“Dain!” He yelled into the cavern, dwarves heads poked up from places in the rocks at his yell. “Well if it isn’t the great king Thranduil.” Mocked the old dwarf as he approached, I had met this one before he had been in the group that traveled here before. His left eye was scared and he had an eye patch over it and he walked with a crooked cane.

“I would like you to explain why this one tells me you are planning on waging ward against the humans and elves again.” He said, glaring down at the dwarf with a look of pure disgust, I didn't think it was possible to hate something so much. I waited watching, Dain smiled slyfully. “Well my great and lustrous king, our people are growing very fast, we need more land to sustain them and what better then to take it from a greedy king who doesn't need all of that forest.” He said, Thranduil made a quick movement, grabbing the dwarves collar. “You have brought this upon yourself, my people will be prepared to fight Dwarf.” He shoved the crippled. old dwarf away he turned and left shoving the doors open in rage. I followed quickly “Father!? We can actually fight them.” I said falling instep with the fuming elf king. “We can, and we will.” He growled “Let us return.” We remounted the horses, I waved to Gimli who gave us a forlorn look and we returned to Mirkwood.

Dismounting at the palace, we re entered the great halls. Suddenly Feanero raced up

“Father! Mother is gone!”