This is Me → Post BOTFA fanfic

Chapter 3

When my eyes flutter open, I see my mother getting dressed and braiding her hair. I slide out of bed and walk to the table where my mother is now eating some leftover stew. "Where are you going?" I ask her. "I didn't hear you wake up!" She whips around and says. "I am headed to Mirkwood" she says, "and you are coming with me". "I know. I heard you last night talking to father" I confess. "Well you better get ready" she says and gets up to gather some more things. I brush out my long, crimson hair and wash my face. I slip on my leather breeches, my flowing, white tunic, then my leather vest, tightening it around my stomach and chest. I put on my belt that has my daggers on in, and grab my bow and arrows for backup. "You never know what will happen in Mirkwood" my mother always says. I slip on my shoes and walk towards my mother, who is writing something on a paper. "This is for your father. I thought I would let him know when we are returning. He really wants to go so I thought we would leave before he wakes so he can't insist his presence on our journey" she says with a smile. She throws some food at me and I pocket it. She places the note on the bedside table, quickly kisses him and gestures at me to follow her.

She quietly closes the door, and walks out of the throne room to the halls of Erebor. Barely anyone was awake, but the few who were gave us disapproving looks. Mother kept on walking forward as if they had never done anything. I don't understand. Whenever someone talks and stares at me, I always feel like an unarmed, inexperienced human surrounded by a band of Gundabad orcs. We walked out of the front gates and out into the fresh air. The sun was just rising, and I could still see my breath. "This way" my mother said. "Once we reach Laketown I know someone who can take us across the lake. We should reach the edge of Mirkwood by nightfall. We will not go into the forest in the dark, because I know better than most what lurks there". I nod and keep walking.

"Why does Thranduil want to see you?" I question. "I honestly don't know" she says. "I do love Erebor, but sometimes I really do miss my home" she says with a downcast look on her face. I say no more, trying to imagine what it would be like to move away from my home I've known for hundreds of years, to move to a place were I am despised by all. I could imagine the pain she must have felt. The disapproving elves in the Woodland Realm and the disgusted dwarves of Erebor not wanting her in their newly reclaimed home. I still feel unwanted and I have lived there for 13 years, so I can't imagine what it must have felt like to be her.

We make our way over the land, and by sunrise, we reach Laketown. After Thorin broke out of the Dragon Fever, he paid to rebuild Laketown. We reach the edge of Laketown, and get stopped by a man named Alfred. "Last time we allowed a non-human into our town we experienced the wrath of a dragon" he says, "so why should we allow you in!". After some reasoning with him, mother beckons me to continue. After twisting and turning through the town, we reach a door which she knocks on. A man opens the door. "Hello Bard. I have been summoned by Thranduil to visit Mirkwood. We need a way to cross over the lake. May you be of our assistance?" she asks. "Of course Tauriel. And who is this?" He asks. "My name is Areth" I say nervously. "Ah, well nice to meet you" Bard says. I smile slightly at him, peeking into his house and seeing two girls and a boy. The youngest girl waves at me as I lift my hand towards her in reply. He beckons for us to follow him and we do. We board his barge and we start on our way.

Never having been on the water before, I feel nervous and unbalanced, grabbing onto things for support. We twist and turn through the canals of Laketown, Bard shouting greetings at a few of the people he passes, them smiling back. The boat seems to just glide over the water, and I look over the sides to watch it slip over the surface. By the time we get in the open water, I am practically green from watching the water and all the unfamiliar rocking. "Go and rest Areth" mother says, "it will help your stomach". I go and rest myself against a barrel, and before I know it, I am asleep.