Silhouettes

Chapter 5

Thranduil and Sophia slowly made their way home arm in arm, Thranduil holding the arrow that had shot down the creature. Sophia was still silently crying but having Thranduil with her made her feel slightly better. They turned a corner and saw the gates to the kingdom in the distance, but Sophia lead Thranduil away from the path and down towards the creek where they had laid in happiness only that day. An hour later and their perfect world had flipped into one of darkness, sorrow and fear.
He didn't tell Sophia, so as not to sadden her further, but Thranduil knew where the arrow had come from. It was shot from the bow of an Orc.
"Sophia? Are you feeling any better?"
The two elves sat down in the green ferns were they felt safe, listening to the creek trickle over the small stones and pebbles and watching the stars twinkle through the gaps in the large oak branches.
"I'm fine. I'm just a bit shaken is all."
"I told you we should've just gone home. But your heart is too kind. Too loving."
Thranduil put his arm around Sophia's shoulder.
"You're angry that we didn't go home."
Sophia said as she put her head onto his chest.
"No. Not angry. Just worried about you. I'm always worried about you. But don't you worry, my dear Sophia, I'll always be here to wipe your tears and sit under the stars with you."
Thranduil woke the next morning to Sophia laying on his chest fast asleep. There was an orange glow on the horizon and the early morning birds twittered and chirped in the green branches above him.
Sophia woke and realised that she was sleeping on Thranduil's chest.
"Oh goodness, sorry, I didn't realise-"
"It- its ok." Thranduil replied awkwardly.
The two elves quickly got up and started heading back to the kingdom. They headed onto the path and saw in the distance that the gates were open.
"That's odd. The gates are never open."
Thranduil said questioningly.
"Maybe they were expecting us."
Sophia said.
"No. My father would never open the gates, especially for me."
He said this jokingly but Sophia could hear a tone of sadness in his voice.
They entered the kingdom and headed towards the throne room to present Thranduil's father with the arrow they had found in the woods, but as they got closer to the throne room they started to hear shouting and arguing.
They peered around to corner to see what was happening and to their surprise saw another elf king. Elrond. Ruler of Rivendel.
"I have seen the signs Oropher. They are approaching. They are targeting the elven kingdoms, Rivendel is priority on their list. We need help. Send your men to fight alongside with mine."
"I will not send my men into danger. We have no business with Rivendel. I will defend my kingdom and mine alone."
The king replied.
"You are selfish and arrogant. Our races are the same. Will you not protect your own race?"
Elrond was becoming furious.
Just as the king was about to retaliate, he looked up and saw his son looking in at the side of the large oak doors.
"You foolish boy! Are you spying? And you are with that peasant girl again. Don't think I didn't notice you two slipping away yesterday. Who knows what you've been up to?"
"Father please this is important. And please don't insinuate things. It makes it seem as if you don't trust me.
Thranduil said this with cheek in his voice and his father got up to punish him, but then saw the scar on his sons lip and sat back down on the wooden throne.
"What is so important that you interrupt this meeting, boy?"
Elrond spoke softly and kindly to Thranduil and for a moment he almost forgot to speak, because he was so taken aback by the way which Elrond spoke, and he made a vow to himself that he would never treat his children the way he had been treated himself, as a child.
"I bring something that Sophia and I found last night."
Thranduil presented the arrow to Elrond and turned to leave.
"how did you come by this?"
Elrond asked.
"A deer had been shot down in a clearing."
Sophia bowed her head and shifted uneasily on the spot that she was standing on. Thranduil immediately realised how hurtful the words he just said must have been and he moved to comfort her.
"You see Oropher. It is as I foretold. And now they are on your doorstep. You must fight."
"Very well." Oropher agreed reluctantly. "Guards, gather our armies."
"Yes sir." Two voices sounded from the back of the hall.
"Thranduil."
He looked up from Sophia to his father.
"You will fight as well. It is your duty as Mirkwood's prince. I will fight alongside you but I am a weak old man, of course you cannot expect me to fight at all, but you are stubborn and I know you will not go without me."
"Father I cannot fight! I must stay here."
"Why pray tell is that?"
"Who will look after our people whilst we are away?"
This was not the reason but it was the only thing Thranduil could think of to let him stay.
"Your mother is perfectly capable of that. You need not worry."
"What if she becomes ill, and cannot rule?"
Thranduil was having trouble arguing with his father.
"Stop making excuses boy. You will fight, and that is the end of it."
"I cannot leave Sophia!"
"And why is that? She is nothing to you, or at least she shouldn't be. She is but a common peasant-"
"No! She's not!"
Thranduil shouted.
"Well what is so important that you, cannot leave her?"
The king said with a tone of mockery in his voice.
Before thinking, and out of rage against his father, Thranduil yelled out his feelings for his best friend.
"Because I love her!"