There and Back Again: A Girl's Tale

Chapter 21 The Lost Princess

Chapter 21 The Lost Princess

The elves marched the company through the forest, which seemed to grow lighter the further they were from the spot where the hideous spiders lay dead. Elwen tilted her face toward the sun and basked in what little warmth she felt through the green leaves.

They had chained the others but left Elwen's hands free, which she found odd. She was the one who had held a blade to their pretty blond boy's throat; if anyone should be bound, it was her. More than once she eyed the elf marching beside her and wondered if it would do any good to try and make a grab for the knife on his belt. Fili caught her eye and shook his head emphatically, knowing what was on her mind, so she gave up on that idea.

Fighting them would do little good. Elwen was elf kind, yes, but these elves moved like they'd been training for centuries. While she might match them in speed, she could never hope to be their equal in skill with blade or bow. She bit back a curse. What good was she, belonging to some ancient line of elves if she had not their skill in magic or combat? She felt helpless as they came to a bridge that would no doubt lead them straight into the realm of King Thranduil. The king who had turned his back on Thorin and his people during their time of greatest need. I should be able to get us out of here, and I can't.

When the elves had chained the dwarves and begun their march, Bofur had whispered to Thorin, "Where's Bilbo?"

The hobbit had disappeared after the spiders attacked. Elwen had to believe he'd survived the onslaught and had remained hidden as the elves descended upon them. She had to put her hope in him now, that he would find a way to rescue them once again. It seemed impossible; one hobbit against the entire Woodland Realm, but if anyone could do it, it'd be Bilbo.

The gate was made of what looked like gray and blue stone, built as if it were covering the entrance to a cave. It wasn't exactly what Elwen had thought it would be. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, perhaps something more open like Rivendell. But when the blond elf ordered the gates to be shut behind them and her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit cavern she found herself in, Elwen gaped unashamedly.

Just as the elves of Rivendell had built their structures around the land of the valley, so had the Wood elves. Their home was carved from rock and wood and dirt, a network of brides taking them to different levels of the subterranean cavern. Everything flowed with the structure of the land, and it was stunning in its complexity. Where Rivendell was elegant and fair, the Woodland Realm was rougher and truly one with the world around it.

Elwen felt a pinch in her chest, a longing she hadn't known she would feel. This was where I was born, she thought with certainty. These are literally the roots that bore me into the world. Would her family be here? Had she finally found somewhere to call home?

The blond elf ordered the dwarves to be taken to the cells, all but she and Thorin. Kili and Fili shouted and pushed against their guards, but were eventually dragged away. She was fairly sure they were calling the elves all manner of filthy names in Khuzdul, judging by the smirk on Thorin's lips as his nephews were taken away.

Elwen and Thorin were taken up steps with no railing onto a high dais surrounded by spires. To the king. She understood why Thorin had an audience, he was their leader. But why her? Why hadn't she been tossed into the cells with the rest of the company?

The blond elf from the forest came to mind. His similar eyes, the way he had reacted when he'd heard her name. Does he know me? She remembered the strange sense of familiarity she'd felt when looking at him. Perhaps she'd already found what she sought. Perhaps...