ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɢʜᴛ [ᴀ ᴛʜʀᴀɴᴅᴜɪʟ x ᴏᴄ]

Chapter 13- What happened?

I stared at the note for ages and ages. For some reason, it had never even occurred to me that she would become an issue. She had been my friend before but of course, she put the blame for the poisoning of the former King on me. Given what that had gotten me into I would have never thought she would come clean. She still might not. I would hope with my position of power she wouldn't try and deny what I had said I had done but I couldn't be sure. Acantha was not one whose actions could be accurately predicted. Even though she had been the only person I would ever spend time with here it never gave me any insight into her. I never would be thought that she would do what she did or at least not to who she did it to. Death, destruction and violence were all second nature to these people. Along with treachery and deception among the ones with greater intellect.

Slumped on my bed I laid back and stared at the ceiling. There's was never anything to here apart from train or go to meetings that end in near brawls.
I decided eventually after becoming incredibly bored that it was about time to start another part of my plan. Now I was accepted as one of them I need to try and work out the relationships between all the factions. Every friendship and every rivalry.

I sighed and toyed with the hilt of my sword remembering when Thranduil had given it to me. I wondered what they were thinking now. Whether they all hated me or had just forgotten me by now.

***
Laeanna had been the one to find the letters. She had woken up early on that day one year ago and gone straight to her best friend so she could pester her. Laeanna had been hoping to some training this morning before she and Araniel went off into the forest to deal with spiders coming into their borders once again. Laeanna had bounded down the hallway bashing past a few elves and not caring in the slightest. She was used to all the stares and all the whispered remarks long before she became friends with the half-dark elf Araniel. The two of them always had a little came of how many glares or stares or whispered remarks they would get in one day. Most of the time it would be Araniel that one. Laeanna found it stranger to have someone who was considered stranger than her around. Before Araniel she had always kept to herself but now she had two friends- Araniel and Astra.

Laeanna knocked lightly on the door and waited a whole ten seconds before knocking again. When the second knock went unanswered she frowned and some of her brown hair fell in front of her face. Every time before this on the second knock a tired groggy sounding Araniel would shout at her to go away playfully and Laeanna was always refuse. But there had been no shouts or complaints on this morning as so, with concern filling her, Laeanna pushed the wooden door. It opened slowly with a creak and revealed to Laeanna a completely bare room. There were no longer any books on the shelves nor any weapons. The only thing left were three envelopes. On the envelopes were three names written with care.
Laeanna scooped the letters of the bed and ran off in search of her friend hoping what she was feared was not the answer. Her shoes connected loudly with the ground as she dashed through corridors and almost skidded around corners. Astra saw Laeanna in her state and did her best to catch up with the worried-looking elf and stop her.
"Laeanna what's going on?" She asked immediately sensing her friend was far from her usual cheerful state.
"It's Araniel she wasn't in her room and I found these on her bed, " The brown-haired elf presented the three envelopes to Astra who felt her heart sink at the sight. She hadn't thought that Araniel would leave not after how close they had all gotten.
"Please tell you've seen her Astra, " Laeanna pleaded her fears finally setting in.
Astra shook her head solemnly her usually bright white hair seeming duller now.

They went to the library as one final hope if Araniel was to be anywhere it would likely be the place where she could surround herself with books. All hope drained from the pair then. So they sat down and each opened their letters and read the contents. It was at that point they had found Araniel's reason for leaving.
Fresh Panic sparked in the two when they read about her plan. They leapt up and went straight to Thranduil. Laeanna had never been the fondest of her king but they needed his help with this and Laeanna couldn't deny the closeness of him and Araniel. Astra, for what seemed to be the first time ever, dismissed all etiquette and burst straight into the throne room. Thranduil glared at Astra and then Laeanna as she dashed in behind. As did the two other elves speaking with the King.
"Have you ever heard of knocking or perhaps announcing yourself, " One of the elves commented.
"Yes I have but I chose not to. Now get out we have something actually important to discuss with the King, " Laeanna snapped back.
"Laeanna watch your tongue, " Thranduil warned.
"It's Araniel, my King, "
At the simple mention of her, Thranduil's attitude changed. He sat up straight in his throne and immediately dismissed the people already in his company despite their complaints and objections.
"What's happened?" He questioned as soon as they were alone.
The two women looked at each other thinking of the best way to explain things but found no other way other than being blunt. In the end, it was Astra who managed to step forward and tell him.
"She's gone. She must have left last night or early this morning, "
A flash of a hurt expression asset over Thranduil's face but it was quickly masked.
"Why? Why would she leave?" He questioned though it was more to himself than the others present.
"The dark elves. They were coming closer to our lands. She left us to go back to them. To kill their King and stop them from getting at us, "

The rest of that day was spent planning and finding out all they could about their darker kin. They had no idea how to find them since they had disappeared. They had no wag to find their friend. But they weren't giving up any time soon.

Once a year had passed they were still looking though their hope was beginning to dwindle. The three had no idea what Araniel's plan actually was. So they had no clue how long it would take to complete or even if it was actually possible. They didn't know if she was dead or alive and it pained them all greatly.