An iceling in mirkwood ~ thranduil love story

Book 2: chapter 4~ maybe...he's not so bad?

Meanwhile...
"WHERE. IS. HELKE?!!!" Bellowed the king to his guards and the whole palace could hear him.
"We're are sorry my lord, we do not know" one said timidly.
"what do you mean you DO NOT KNOW?!!!" He shouted again and he could feel his scares re-appearing. "You will find her, you will searching all day and all night for 1000 years if you have to!" He shouted and the guards nodded, trying not to run out. He was angry so angry she was gone again. Just she was safe and under his wing she was swept away again. He unsheathed his sword and and slammed the blame against the wood of his throne in anger. He had to pry it out again and panted as he looked at the chip in his magnificent throne.
"You will not go again. I will not lose you" he almost sobbed as he fled down the steps. He put on his outdoors cloak, grabbed his now and saddled up his elk. "I will kill who ever had taken you" he spat, not sounding like himself at all.
Meanwhile....
The sun shone brightly as Luca sat in the front of his caravan as his horse pulled it, leading the way for everybody else. Breakfast had consisted of a thick ricey broth with chive that didn't taste awful but not the best thing he had ever tasted. Still he sat and ate with everyone else. Helke, or valladea as she was now known as was much shyer and did not join in the laughs and talk. Some spoke different languages and other older members didn't speak at all. Luca stared at his horse's tackle as he thought about this morning. Aeron his friend and what would be the closest thing to an adviser he had, had spotted helke and had come to talk to to him.
~"Luca?" aeron asked as Luca scooped some of the broth out of the bashed wooden bowl and Luca looked up
"What is it?" He asked bluntly. On other days he would maybe be a bit more friendly but he wanted to get packed up quickly and get on the road away from the elves.
"That young lady-?"
"Her name is valladea. She's the girl I told you about" he reminded, looking back at his broth.
"Ah , I see" he said, sitting down next to his king, although aeron was old but Luca was much older then him but still had a youthful appearance compared to aeron's grey hair and wrinkles.
"Mummy, I'm hungry" Luca heard a small child whine and looked over to see one of the quieter women of his camp looking down at her son, a smaller child in her arms.
"I'm sorry sweetheart" she sighed sadly. The women had rushed down hers quicker then she could think. She had not eaten in three days.
Luca looked down at his bowl. He was always given that bit more in his bowl at mealtimes and it made him angry. He got up and headed over to the small family. The women looked up frightfully and held her sons close. "Your highness-"she started but he smiled at her kindly and bent down to address the child.
"I hear your hungry? How would you like bit more?" He asked and the child nodded wide eyed.
"Tam!!" The women exclaimed, thinking it rude to ask for more.
"Don't worry about it" he smiled to the women and emptied his food into the tam's bowl. He ruffed the child's hair and walked back to the ancient trunk he had been sitting on.
A bump in the road pulled Luca out of his day dream and he looked up. The sky was becoming grey, signalling the changing of seasons. Soon it would be the bitter cold. This was the time when many of his people (especially the children) became sick, weak and died. He wondered if the bump had awoken helke who was asleep inside the caravan. Luca was a complicated soul. He wanted show helke off but keep her concealed at the same time. Most of all he wanted helke to learn to test him, and maybe even love him?
He took his leather water pouch and uncapped the lid before tipping it back and drinking thirstily. Hey had been traveling for about 3 hours now and judging by where the sun was it war probably nearing around 10 o'clock in the morning. He smiled as he heard children scream and giggle behind him on their carts. He did not mind having young ones around the camp, in fact they often brought cheer, but he never wanted his own. This (in his eyes) was the worst part about being a traveller. Going around all day sat in one position, your hips and legs aching after a few hours. He stretched out his long legs and cricked his neck, hearing it crack. He suddenly heard running water and looked to his left to see a stream and small waterfall near a field.
"We'll rest in here!" He called, steering his horses and heard the message being passed on. He climbed off his caravan seat and I tackled his horse and gave them a few handfuls of oats each and allowed them to graze and drink as they liked. Luca went round to the back of his caravan and unlatched the doors. He looked in and could just make out valladea's small body in the pile of blankets and cushions as she bundled up. He rolled his eyes and stepped into the caravan and prodded her with his foot.
"Valladea?" He asked and she groaned quietly. "Get up. I will have to get you use to getting up earlier" he chuckled as she sat up yawning.
"What's going on?" She asked quietly as she sat up.
"We're just stopping so the horses can have a drink. Here" he replied them uncapped his pouch and pushed it into her hands. She gulped the water down and shyly gave it to him.
"Where are we heading to?" Valladea asked as she stood and began to pack away the blankets.
"Here and there. I never have a set destination. I stop where I like" he sighed as he looked out of his caravan.
"Why do I have to stay?" She asked quietly.
"I'm only trying to help dammit!" He snapped, running out of patience. "If you want to go out into the world where there are sorcerers, orcs and worst of all....elves. Then be my guest" he said through gritted teeth. Valladea stayed silent as she thought. Then apologised.
"I'm sorry-" she started but before she could continue a small child ran up to Luca's caravan.
"Hello lassie" he smiled, bending down to the small girl.
"I-I-I. I made this for you" she stuttered shyly then produced a pretty, handmade dream catcher with feathers intertwined into it.
"Thank you love. It's very pretty" he took it carefully in one hand and lifted her up into the room with the other. "I'll put it up here, how's that?" He asked as he pinned it to the wall and stepped back to admire it. She nodded happily then shied away when noticing valladea. Luca noticed and cleared his throat.
"Run along now love, we'll be getting going in a few minutes, okay? " he knelt down and she nodded. She ran off, hoped down from the caravan and ran to her family. Valladea stared at Luca. This man had a sort of....invisible glow emitting off of him. Some sort of kindness which was rare in humanity. Maybe he wasn't as bad as valladea was trying to convince herself he was. He chuckled when he saw she was staring at him.
"You're not falling for me now are you valladea?" He teased and chuckled when she blushed.
"Of course not. I was just looking at your hair. Why is some of it black?" She questioned.
"I'm not actually sure. I've had it my whole life and I don't know." He chuckled to himself "some say it represents the iceler and human part of me. But I think that's a load of-"
"Luca" aeron knocked quietly on the door and Luca looked out.
"We should get going my lord" he bowed slightly. Luca looked out at the land far on with sharp eyes.
"You're right. Let us be off" he nodded.
"You may ride with me on top if you like" he asked and she nodded. He unchained her and helped her up onto the seat on the front of the caravan. As they rode Luca pointed out all the plants around them, naming them and telling her what they could be used for.

The king however was not having such a pleasant time. It was raining hard in mirkwood as thranduil and his men searched the woods. The king hoped that helke had fallen in the woods and knocked herself out. That with a little sleep and love she would be right as....rain. He glared up at the rain as he thought. How could his perfect life turn so rotten so quickly? He was soaked to the bones, as was his elk, his blonde hair sticking to him. He was shivering from the cold but also from fear. He was scared. Scared of what was happening to helke. Who would want to harm helke-
Fayla.
He glared in the direction of fayla cave and nudged his elk's sides, steering her towards the cave. This time there was no helke to stand in the way of the king's sword and fayla's neck.

Please tell me what you guys think of Luca so far! Thanks for all the support and comments :) <3