An iceling in mirkwood ~ thranduil love story

Book 2: chapter 5~ fire

The picture is of Adelaide (the younger one) and arla (the older). Hope you enjoy this chapter :)
By nightfall Luca and his people had settled down and where gathered around a giant roaring fire where arla was cooking dinner. Many were telling stories or singing, laughing or joking carelessly around the fire. Valladea sat far away from the fire, afraid of the hot, licking flames. Luca looked round and chuckled to see valladea shying away from the fire.
"You are not afraid, are you?" He chuckled and she looked up, fear plain in her eyes.
"Here" he said gently as he looked around. "ADELAIDE!" He called across the camp. The red haired girl looked up worriedly. Luca could have a temper when he wanted...
"Yes sir?" She asked coming over to Luca and valladea.
"I want you to show valladea your...ability" he requested. Adelaide outstretched her palm and concentrated on it. Valladea looked from Luca to adelaide's palm. She almost jumped up when a small, controlled flame burst into her palm. He unchained valladea but gave her a warning look that chilled even valladea's bones. "I'm trusting you" he said menacingly. "I'll leave you to to chat." He got up, his tone lighter and left before either girl could say anything.
"Phew!" Adelaide puffed once Luca was out of ear shot. She smiled at valladea but valladea smiled uncertainty.
"Do not be cautious of me! I mean you no harm" she begged valladea. "You have abilities to" she said looking over valladea. Adelaide could just TELL valladea was different. Different colour hair, eyes. Different facial structure.
"I cannot" valladea shrugged then looked down at her ankle. "I cannot take it off" she sighed.
"So...you joined our camp very....suddenly" said Adelaide, trying to sound welcoming.
"I....I can't tell you sorry. Luca said he helped me, picked me up from the road." Valladea explained.
"How are you finding the camp?" Adelaide knew Luca was lying to her but who was she to go against him? Valladea shrugged.

From where Luca was sitting he could see the two girls sitting talking quietly but valladea still seemed.... afraid.
"Luca, have a drink, relax. It'll take time for her to settle in" aeron comforted his friend and Luca smiled at him.
"Yes I suppose" Luca nodded and accepted the goblet of wine. He stood with his goblet and all looked at him. "I think it is time to have some music?!" He called and they all cheered. Many of his camp were skilled musicians and owned beautiful instruments. They seemed to know what to play without needing sheet music, each note intertwining with the other. Soon people began to stand and dance. It was an old but lively dance that all gypsys seemed to know, young and old. Soon almost everyone was on their feet, dancing with Luca, valladea and a few older members staying seated and clapping along to the tune. Luca laughed as he watched a young man that had obviously had too much to drink tumble, bringing his sweetheart down with him. But it was all in good nature. "Come on valladea!" Called Adelaide as she pulled helke into the dance.
"I don't know how!" She protested but was soon partnered up. She managed to learn the quick complicated steps quickly without treading on too many people's toes.
"Dance with me!" Begged a young girl to Luca, taking his hand.
"Alright" he smiled and got to his feet, letting the child lead him into the dancing circle. The music soon quickened and people were swapping partners in Rhythm with the dance and valladea noticed everyone (whether they were dancing or not) had a smile on their face. She danced with young and old, male and female trying to keep up with the increasing rhythm. Helke reached out to her new partner but the song stopped with a halt and she stared up at Luca, panting. He looked slightly flushed as their bodie's pressed together and his hands on her back whilst hers on his shoulders, prepared to dance again. They stared at each other for a few moments and in those moments something connected. like they suddenly understood and trusted each other. But valladea pulled away smiling politely.
"I have never danced like that before" she admitted.
"You were beautiful" he said but them caught himself and cleared his throat. "It was a dance invented by gypsies. It is a dance of joy and laughter" he explained.
"I can see" valladea said as she looked around At the happy people around her.
"I hope maybe one day we will dance together" Luca said before heading back over to his seat as slower but lively music played up again. Valladea quickly moves out of the way as another dance started up and sat down, watching the fire. The fire seemed to dance in it's own way and after dancing herself, valladea was no longer afraid of it....

Thranduil unseated his sword as he unmounted his elk and moved into the cave. "Look who it is! The elvish lord himself" sniggered fayla and thranduil's blood boiled.
"TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" He shouted, his scars re-appearing.
"Temper, temper" she taunted, wagging a finger at him
"I would watch where you point your fingers or you may have non of them left" he hissed through gritted teeth as he rose his sword higher for fayla to see.
"Yes, I took her, well not me personally but you know what I mean. She is far away now and you will never find her" fayla talked in a happy voice, as if she was giving thranduil some great news. "Kill me if you like. It will not make much of a difference. I will die happily, knowing that I have done a good deed." She smiled.
"Good deed?!! Helke is probably stuck someone, scared out of her mind-"
"I can assure you that is not the case. She will surely not be missing you if that is what your impressions are. She does not even know your name anymore. She knows nothing of mirkwood. thranduil son of oropher. Father of legolas. Le cin gar er mael esse lil cin beren an helke (You hold only lust in your body for helke- you used her for pleasure). I wonder what your queen thinks?" She asked, her eyes almost glowing.
"Why don't you ask her?" He Hissed. There was a moment where confusion crossed fayla's eye then the kings glade connected with fayla's neck just as she was about to dodge and the witch's head hit the floor. Thranduil had not lost his edge in combat, that was for certain. He stared down at her crumpled body and head. He mounted his elk, laure, and rode her solemnly back to mirkwood. By now he was cold and tired from searching all day. But he was restless. By now daylight was gone which meant waiting until sun up to be able to search again. This was the second time she had been captured against her will. Even with all his guards and protectiveness she had still managed to be taken. What was he to do? Chain her to the wall?!!
He lead laure back to her stable and calf. By now her calf was beginning to grow and so would soon need to have his own stall. Helke had watched laure give birth and was even aloud to hold the new born elk. She had named him laug, meaning warm in elvish. A stable worker stepped forward to untack laure but the king snapped "leave me" and exited quickly. He took the leather headpiece and saddle from the elk and patted her strong shoulder. He suddenly felt a nudge on his leg and looked Down laug who snorted softly then let out a high pitched moan making thranduil smile slightly. He exited Laura's stable and locked the door behind him and watched as laure lay down with her calf tucked snugly against her. It reminded him too much of helke. It was still raining when he exited the stables but he walked slowly to his chambers, letting the rain run down his face and back. As he walked he thought. Helke would not have gone willingly with someone she did not know, meaning she must have been lead on by somebody she trusted somebody in the palace. As took a quick bath but any task seemed long and dull now. What if he were never to see helke again? He could not bare the thought. As he lay down in his big, empty bed to try and get some sleep he could only think of helke. Was she captured somewhere? Scared and alone? Was she being tortured brutally? The thought made him too sick to relax and he got up and paced his bedroom, the moon his only source of light. If only he knew half of the answer to his problem was sitting in a draw in his very chambers....

If you guys wanted me to write another love story, who would it be about? Let me know in the comments :) love you all!