Moonbeam

Chapter Two

Seasons came and went.

Years rolled past, turning into decades and eventually centuries.

Thranduil became cold and detached, closing himself off from others. Legolas, who had grown into a strong warrior, held a certain amount of bitterness and resentment, but not as much as his father. Neither of them spoke of it, or acknowledged it.

But both knew it was there.

One spring morning, the King had decided to venture into the woods, taking three guards with him. His son was out on patrol, and his Captain of the Guard was taking his company through combat training. With no meetings scheduled, Thranduil chose to use the quiet time to assess how the forest was holding up against the ever-present threat of darkness.

The ruler rode before his guards, their horses slowly plodding through the undergrowth. Patting the neck of his horse, Thranduil slowly turned his head.

Nothing seemed out of place.

The lush green bushes and plants were still in the warm air, with only a slight rustling of leaves from the canopy above them. Birds twittered occasionally, a brief lift in the silence.

Approaching a clearing, he pulled the reins and his mount halted. The guards stopped behind him.

Ice blue eyes slowly lifted upwards.

"My Lord?" one of the guards asked hesitantly, wondering why they had come to a halt.

"Something awaits, above us," he said. His gaze travelled overhead, but nothing stirred.

The guards exchanged looks.

The royal horse shrieked and reared up on his hind legs in terror as four spiders tore out of the foliage on the other side of the clearing. The guards gasped and pulled their swords, preparing to defend their King.

Thranduil urged the horse back onto all four hooves, guiding him back a few steps as he reached to unsheath his own sword.

In the blink of an eye, something dark leapt down from the overhead branches, placing itself between him and the spiders. The shape was a blur of black and steel as twin swords slashed at speed through the air, spilling blood and venom in all directions. The blades moved so fast, even his sharp eye couldn't focus. Screams of pain echoed through the forest as the spiders met their deaths one by one.

The figure turned, dropping the swords and whipping a bow and arrow from its back, lining up an arrow and aiming at the King.

His eyes widened in astonishment.

An elleth?!

She stood proud before him, dressed in tight black trousers tucked into knee-high leather boots, and a sleeveless black tunic. Her long black hair cascaded down her back, reaching past her hips. Her stance spoke of aggression, and the hatred that blazed from her blue eyes almost burned his soul. Strong arms kept the weapon trained on him.

His guards moved forwards, but he held a hand up.

"I have no desire to bring harm to your guards," she said in an even tone. "You are my purpose here, not them."

"Retreat," he said, turning his head only slightly.

The guards hesitantly shuffled backwards. They moved back to the line of trees, where they stopped and waited.

Thranduil shifted on his horse. "You know who you threaten," he said. His voice was quiet, but held enough menace and tightly leashed anger to send a chill down the back of anyone within earshot.