An iceling in mirkwood ~ thranduil love story

Chapter 19 ~ fayla

The wind whistled harshly as the king rode is elk up to the mountain. It seemed a cold autumn was approaching quickly. He patted the elk's strong neck as she climbed up the rocky side, pebbles scattering under her hooves. The king stopped and glanced up at the isolated cave which held a sinister atmosphere around it. He scowled and pressed further, determined to make the arrangement as quickly as he could, he did not care for witchs. he stopped his elk outside the mouth of the cave and slid off gracefully. He did not bother to tie his elk up, he knew she was a loyal creature and would not leave without her master. He slowly walked to the mouth of the cave and touched it's cold wall. Any normal man would have not been able to see walking through the pitch black cave but thranduil had acute hearing and sight, making it easy for him to identify objects.

He walked through one long tunnel, sometimes hearing bats squeak and mice chatter their teeth.

"Thranduil of Mirkwood" called a smooth, almost arrogant voice.

"Fayla" he replied calmly. The two had met once when thranduil had caught her taking herbs from mirkwood forest. He had allowed her to go that once but warned her and she never returned. Green torches suddenly illuminated the darkness but thranduil was not scared.

"And what, may I ask, is the pleasure of your company?" She asked, standing from her sitting position. She was young faced to him, but to others appeared old. To some she was beautiful, others an ugly hag, it was a strange sort of magic. She was dressed from head to toe in a long black dress and cape, giving the appearance that she was floating.

"I need a favour" he said thickly. He did not like asking help from others.

"Ah yes, I've been expecting you. The iceling girl yes?" She asked, her green eyes searching thranduil's. she was so fast she appeared to have transported herself to stand face to face with thranduil. She took his hand in her's until he pulled away quickly in disgust. "How dare you touch me-"

"You have mated with her...naughty naughty" she teased tauntingly in her smooth voice. "She is in coma" fayla said as she walked towards the middle of the cave room and clicked her fingers. More green lights illuminated and a white cauldron stood in the middle.

"Made of elk horns, hope you don't mind" she added sweetly with a smirk.

"I did not come here to be insulted" he said through his anger.

"No....you came here because you think I have an answer for helke's long sleep....and I do" she added, gently running her finger along the rim of the cauldron.

"What's the price?" He asked shortly, knowing witches were all about payment.

"It may be the white of her hair. Or the blue from your eyes.....eye" she corrected herself, seeing past the magic thranduil had concealed himself in to hide his gruesome injuries. Thranduil clenched his fists in anger. Never before had he been made a mockery of. But he could not lash out, she maybe the only person to save helke.

"What IS the price?" He asked patiently, hiding his anger well.

"I will think" fayla taunted as she opened a large wardrobe in the corner of the room which contained shelves and shelves of bottles.

"Your little lover is scared it would appear. Her body has shut itself down in a time of over load" she explained as she scanned the shelves. "YOU wouldn't have anything to do with that would you?" She asked, knowing the answer. Thranduil stayed silent. With arms full of bottles fayla headed back to the white cauldron. She tipped in powders and liquids silently.

"What are you doing? How is she suppose to drink that? She is encased in ice" thranduil pressed angrily.

"She will not drink it. I did not know the elves were so ignorant"

"Do not insult my people" thranduil growled but fayla smirked. Her black wavy hair fell into her face as she hovered her hand over the cauldron and muttered words the king was not familiar with.

"It shall be poured over her" she explained. "It should melt the ice, however may not melt the ice in her heart" she added and thranduil scowled in confusion. "Many icelings awake to be cold, cruel creature, the ice bled straight to their hearts" the witch explained.

"Then work faster for heaven's sake!" Exclaimed thranduil and fayla smirked.

"Patience is a virtue. And are you elves not virtues?" She teased and thranduil felt his fists clench again.

"Please" he added patiently and fayla smirked.

"I am afraid I will have to come back with you...you cannot cast witchcraft" she told and thranduil scowled.

"I spell will have to be spoke whilst this is poured over her...a complicated process"

"If this does not work I shall have your head" thranduil said suddenly and fayla turned surprised. The king had suddenly found his pride and power again and was now beginning to come to terms with that fact his love may already by dead.

"I have no doubt" she muttered as she continued to work, but at a quicker base. "It must sit under the full moon for 9 hours" she said, picking up the cauldron and heading along the cave tunnel.

"We do not have the time!" He exclaimed as he followed her quickly, ducking under some rock.

"Do you want this done properly or not "your highness" she asked sarcastically. "Believe it or not I was great friends with the icelings that use to live amongst us. If she is the only one to grace the earth them i shall do all I can to help her. The icelers gave an awful lot to me. It's time I gave it back." She whispered angrily, getting close to thranduil's face before storming back into her cave home. Thranduil looked out as the win blew, moving small bit of rock and dust. He whistled and his elk trotted over, hoping her master was done. "I am afraid we will be sleeping here tonight laure" the elven king sighed and he saw disappointment in laure's, knowing she wanted to go back to her calf.

"It will not be long" promised as he stroked her long nose. He never use to talk to the elk before helke arrived, but upon seeing how happy it made her when helke talked to her and her calf he had warmed to the idea.

He decided to settle near the mouth of the cave to guard the cauldron, in case fayla tried to poison it or anything of that sort.

"I made a broth" said a voice behind him and he looked round sharply. Fayla now had her hood down, revealing her young, pale face with emerald green eyes.

"I will not eat anything a witch has made" he proclaimed and turned back Round.

"I know your worried about the iceling but refusing to eat will not help. I want her to get better too. I owe her people a lot" she explained.

"I do not want to hear your story" he snapped. "I merely want helke to get better so I may hold her again" he said through a heavy chest.

"I see a strange future for helke" said fayla as the wind whipped. "She will forget you, and everything about you. She will begin to love another." She recited and thranduil turned angrily.

"Do not tell me your lies!" He snapped and began pacing.

"They are not lies, they are the future. One of your people will betray you and helke will be lost" she said and thranduil clenched his fists.

"Leave me" he snapped and fayla went back inside the tunnel of the cave. What was she ranting on about?! She must be lying...mustn't she? How could helke forget him? The two had shared so much, were so close...one of his people?? As far as he knew none of his people were against helke...as far as he knew...he fell asleep in a must un-royal way, his head against the cave wall and his elk by his feet...