Our Song Lives On

Places

Eluriel went into town to refresh before leaving, when her elvish hearing picked up a familiar neigh. The queen ran in its direction, and came to find her father's horse refusing to be groomed.

"Hey! You!" Eluriel called the man out, and any elf soldier in ear shot circled around.

"Release the horse!" She demanded, brandishing her father's sword as she approached him.

The man immediately let go of the animal and stepped back with his hands up, to be apprehended by the elves.

Azula immediately recognized Ellie and welcomed her caress.

"How came you by her?"

"Answer her question!" Thranduil, who had joined them, demanded of the man when he didn't answer.

"I...I Nicholas told us to gather all the horses to come down here."

"And where is Frederich?"

"I don't know. I didn't get your horse. Promise!"

Thranduil waved his hand and his soldiers released the man, who took the opportunity to run away. "Frederich is..?" Thranduil addressed his wife as he came nearer the horse.

"He took care of me when I... returned. He was like my father." Azula felt her sorrow and pressed her nose in Ellie's palm.

"You fear something has happened?"

Ellie finally turned her attention to her husband. Thranduil could see the worry stretched across her face.

"Something must have happened, Thranduil. He wouldn't give up Azula so easily!"

Thranduil pressed a hand down her hair and kissed her head.

"Then that is where you should be."

"B...but the war?"

"Eluriel, I couldn't be more happy with you a thousand miles from the battleground. Your place is by your father, and I wouldn't mind if you didn't return."

Eluriel smiled and kissed her husband, cupping his face.

"Once I'm sure he is safe, I will be back." She promised him and got on her horse.

"Ohtar!" Thranduil called out to his royal guardsmen, "follow your queen. You make sure she is not offended."

Eluriel gave one last smile to her husband, and then lead Fenrir and her guards to Arendale.

Some hours later, the Elven squad came trembling down the gates of Arendale as Eluriel made her way to the townmaster's manor. The entire town gathered around and the interim master -previously the town jailer- came running out of the house.

"Where is Frederich?!" Ellie demanded from on top of her horse.

When no one answered, Ellie swung down and released her sword as she did so, pressing the blade against the master's throat.

"Where is my father?"

"Ella?" someone called her name, and she turned to see her neighbor standing out from the crowd.

Eluriel relaxed and went to her neighbor. The man filled her in on what she had missed, and lead her to her father, in the town jail. The temporary jail keeper, most of the regular men in position had gone to war, immediately gave in and lead her to Frederich's cell.

"Father?" Ellie called out to the old man sitting in the far corner.

Frederich instantly looked to where her voice was coming from.

"Ella?"

Ella grew restless waiting for the jailer to unlock the cell, and one of her soldiers pinned his sword against the already trembling man, making him go faster. The instant the door opened, Ellie ran to the man who had raised her for the past year.

"Da!"

Frederich raised trembling hands towards his daughter, and Ellie quickly placed them on her face.

"Ellie?" The old man rasped.

"I'm here! I came back for you!"

Her father smiled.

"Just like you said you would."

Elle nodded with tears.

"How long have you been in here?"

Fred shook his head.

"That doesn't matter, my dear."

But Ellie didn't accept his answer and growled the question at the jailer.

"A-a a couple months he's been here."

"When I left?" She tearfully asked her father.

Fred gave up and nodded.

"Niklaus offered to spare you, if you married him."

"And you made me leave! That night!"

"You, you couldn't be his."

"You are right." This time, she smiled as she nodded to him. "Because I'm already someone else's. I'll tell you about him later. Let's take you to the healer."

She began lifting the man up, but her guards quickly stepped in to help, carrying him to the healer's. Once there, Arendale's wiseman was given proper care, and he slept a good night. Eluriel waited for him to wake up, so she could share with him what had happened in her life.

Meanwhile, she sent most of her guards back to join the war, sanctioning Fenrir and the remaining guards to take charge of the town. There wasn't a chance she'd let the Nicks have power again.

Frederich woke up in the morning, feeling better than he had in months, but still poor in health. Eluriel made him food, and told him all about her new old life. Some time later, Fenrir joined the two, and promised Ellie he would take care of her father. Satisfied with the arrangement, Ellie rode Fenrir's horse back to Dale.

She returned to an overrun Dale.

As she'd feared, the legions of Dol Guldur had unleashed. Eluriel forced the horse through the crowd, one hand on the reigns, while she cut down orcs with the sword in her other hand. An arrow shot her horse from behind and she was flung in the air, but Ellie managed to somersault onto her feet.

She fought her way into Dale, sorrowed by the sight of her kinsmen lying about the streets. Eluriel feared that the loss of elves would soon get to her husband, if he hadn't left already, and raced to find him.

"EH HUI O AU HAI LAH!*"

Eluriel heard Tauriel's voice through an alley and ran towards it.

"You will not turn away. Not this time."

"Get out of my way," Thranduil gritted at her.

"The dwarves will be slaughtered!"

"Yes, they will die. Today...tomorrow... one year hence, a hundred years from now. What does it matter? They are mortal."

Tauriel was as much insulted as Eluriel felt, and the Silvan elleth was quick to pull an arrow against her arrogant king.

"You think your life is worth more," she gritted, "when there is no love in it? There is no love in you."

Thranduil took one second to take in her words, then in the next he had cut down her bow. But just as he pointed his sword at Tauriel's neck, he felt another blade lay against the back of his own. A third sword challenged his, pressing it away as Legolas came to stand in front of Tauriel.

"If you hurt her, you will have to kill me."

He left a stunned Thranduil and turned to Tauriel, letting her lead the way up to Ravenhill.

"You will follow him," Eluriel told Thranduil as she stood next to him, "or you will lose him forever."

Eluriel went after her son, leaving her husband to make up his own mind.

"Protect the city, and let no creature get past Dale," Thranduil ordered, because past Dale lay his own kingdom.

He left his army to do his bidding, and followed after his family. His place was beside them, whether he liked where they went or not.