Everlong

68

Liruliniel couldn't help but wince every so often, she thought it was a good idea to try and sort out her hair; her hair that was tangled, soot covered and braided together or escaping in wild wisps. She was sitting on the broken wall looking outwards towards Erebor. Behind her was the tent that belonged to Thranduil, a small almost semi-circular courtyard was behind her leading to this point. She just thought she could sit, stare, grimace and she was regretting at least one of those decisions.

Thranduil was elsewhere, no doubt overseeing how everyone else was settling in...or meeting with Imrathon, Liruliniel knew he was here, of course he was, but she hadn't seen him yet. Pulling a particularly locked piece of braid in front of her face, she glared at it quite irritably. With nimble fingers, she plucked and pulled, twisted and weaved everything free. Didn't mean the hair looked better for it. Liruliniel breathed slowly, she had become quite aware to the fact that without a proper wash, her hair was going to remain wrecked. She didn't particularly care, but the soot and smoke residue was starting to make her itch.

It was as if her mind and thoughts had been read, she jumped when the sounds of metal quietly clinked against the stone behind her. She turned, Thranduil just stood back and looked downwards and then at her, a small pail sat with water within it. She threw her legs over and sat facing him, her hands reaching for the cold water before pausing and retreating.

"There is plenty, do not worry." He said simply, still remaining standing and watching as she looked relieved and dived her hands into the water. She winced again, it was very cold, what else was she expecting? Turning and sitting beside her, Thranduil looked forwards at the camp before them. So many were bustling about, training was happening in another large courtyard; it was more centred, the large stone building before it, from what he recalled, was the main hall. It was were Girion would've resided. A long ago memory.

Liruliniel side eyed him worriedly, a troubled look was on his face and really, it was an expression she wasn't used to. Straightening up, she shook her hands gently in the air and nodded his way. "What is it?" Thranduil raised his eyebrows and looked, or tried, to look at least a little surprised that he'd been caught lost in thought. Liruliniel leaned her elbows against her knees, "Come on, you looked utterly lost in your head."

"Merely remembering another time." Thranduil responded simply, watching recognition flick across her face. It seemed like something she too had mused over. He kept his hands hidden within the large flowing sleeves of his robe as his eyes watched sidelong, as people pottered close by them. He didn't know what they were doing, but they were doing something.

"I suppose that is a burden we must carry. To remember, always remember and tell the stories of times gone by." Liruliniel looked down at the reflection in the water, her face just stared right back up at her blankly. "It is a little weird being here though, no?" Tilting her head, she watched him think over the question. His eyes stared up at the sky, the rest of him was motionless, silent almost apart from his quiet breathing. "I found it strange walking into the city."

"Another fallen kingdom, we are unfortunately used to seeing such things."

"Well, the new Lord, sorry, King has plans, I think." She joked, it was easier to tease Bard when he wasn't present to glare at her for it. She did chuckle quietly to herself, looking quite chuffed in a small way and Thranduil just looked at her a little confusedly. He didn't reply, he just shook his head and looked over his shoulder briefly, the braziers were still lit and from here, both of them could see the completely barricaded doorway had been fully blocked. He didn't know what the dwarves were doing in there, and in part he didn't wish to know.

He knew though, that he would need to go there. Thorin needed to be confronted, Thranduil was incredibly tempted to force an apology out of the dwarf while he was at it. Whatever he said to Liruliniel would've been unfounded, rude, and unneeded; but also, his general behaviour was something he would need to apologise for. Liruliniel has been most accommodating and polite, where most aren't. "What are your thoughts on this?" Thranduil asked after her quiet chuckling ceased, she looked taken back that he had asked her such a thing.