Everlong

22

There was something distinctly eerie about the halls of the palace when they were empty. A few guards were posted around, here and there just in case of anything happening; but for the most part, everyone else was fast asleep within their chambers. The torches which burned cast dark, long shadows across the walls and floors. Tendrils of black reaching up and out and throughout the space, the constant crackling of fire spitting was about the only real audible thing at the moment.

Thalion sat at a bench, forearms against his thighs and just staring up at nothing in particular. He was processing recent events, and it wasn't until someone sat next to him, that he blinked and turned his face. Liruliniel. She smiled lightly at him and kicked her feet out to stretch her legs. Her dark trousers looked even darker within the shadowed light of the corridor, though it did make her auburn coloured hair appear more fiery. He pushed himself up and turned to look at her fully, she just tilted her head to the side to look at him.

It was the eve before they marched out. Everyone had been told their positions and orders. It was all very final, and some were finding it a little hard to come to terms with; such as Thalion. He had spent his whole life training and leading up to such a thing, and now that it was here, he could admit he was fearful. Who wouldn't be? This was a huge undertaking, and so much was riding on the outcome. So much could go wrong if the outcome wasn't good.

"So...I hear you and father are to accompany Princess Vanadessë and her brigade." Liruliniel said slowly, she had been told this and she didn't really like it all too much. Did she think she'd be with her family during the battle? Honestly, yes. Yes she did, that may have been foolish of her, but it was the truth. Only, she gets told - by Oropher, out of everyone - that Vanadessë and her kin are marching off to another strategic place of interest. Only, because her kin's army were not huge, a small number from Greenwood would make up the numbers. Thalion and Hérion included.

"You don't agree." Thalion smiled slowly, he could hear the distain to this in her voice. Liruliniel tried to look ashamed of feeling this way, but she couldn't. He sighed and placed an arm around her shoulders, "It is the logical thing to do."

"What is in Gundabad?" Liruliniel asked curiously.

Thalion raised an eyebrow, "It is a stronghold, Liruliniel. It is where some of their forces are. If you can take this away, then there will be no help coming to their aid on the battlefield."

"You should take some dwarves with you." She mused, Thalion frowned her way. He did not like that sound of that, it seemed. She just smiled awkwardly, "They'd probably jump at the chance of getting a part of their mountain back, surely?" Gundabad was North in the Misty Mountains, what little she knew was that orcs and dwarves had fought over it on and off. She didn't know that that was were some resources and forces were though.

Thalion scoffed and rolled his eyes, "I think they're coming with you. After all, I heard on the wind how a young elf guard managed to sway a stubborn dwarf-King to the cause." Liruliniel scratched her cheek with a bashful smile on her face, Thalion just smiled and looked at her pointedly. "Play to his better nature, did you?"

Liruliniel sighed, "I like dwarves! I do not see why we should all dislike each other, I simply don't get it and I never will. I like their kingdoms, the two which I have seen. King Durin is no different than our king, Thalion. He doesn't want to fight. Face it, none of us do! But what else can we do? We have to band together, we have to. Because if we don't, evil will succeed. And it can only succeed if there are people who are not willing to put differences aside for the sake of saying no, we're not having this." Liruliniel said, Thalion raised his eyebrows and just blinked slowly. "Freedom is the right of everyone within our lands. We will lose this freedom if we fall and fail. But to not fail, everyone needs to be together, united and on the same side." Liruliniel ran a hand through her hair, she hadn't braided it up again, just leaving it down and flowing over her usual green tunic.