The sun shone brightly over the thick green woods of Mirkwood. The war that had nearly crushed Middle Earth was over and peace reigned over the people. The world was finally green again, the threat of Sauron was quelled and the people rejoiced. The world of Men prospered, the elves retreated back to their homelands in Mirkwood and Rivendell, the dwarves and hobbits and returned to their dwellings with nothing but the thought of rebuilding their homes in their minds.
With Thranduil's passing, the Woodland Realm was left to his most trusted advisor Godric. In his realm he had endured much pain, he had lost his beloved wife in the previous war with Sauron. She had always been bored with the mundane day to day activities of royalty, she was born into a soldier's family and she had always been a warrior at heart. Being a queen was not her forte, but it had also been her downfall.
She fought bravely, but her garrison had been overwhelmed, she had died valiantly alongside her best friend Rhovanor. He had been her childhood friend for many years, while he was fighting his wife was pregnant with his baby girl, Tamuríel who he would never meet. Tamuríel's mother died giving birth to her, the news of her husband's death drove her to despair and the workload of giving birth to a child was too much for her. She died with agony in her heart, and she wept for her husband as she died.
With her parents dead, their beautiful daughter Tamuríel was adopted by Godric and was raised with his own daughter, Aurelie. The two girls were just a couple of years apart and, as they grew up, they were inseparable. Aurelie and Tamuríel were inseparable throughout their entire lives, they spent their time practicing their archery and exploring the bounds of their kingdom. Even though they weren't siblings by blood, they were in every other way that mattered.
Leaping from branch to branch just below the canopy of the trees, in a cold but bright wintry morning, a pair of young elves bounced through the woods until the vast rolling hills that lay beyond the western border of their lands. The younger elf paused at the very edge of the forest, her emerald eyes scanning over the land, reaching out to the horizon. Shortly after she was accompanied by her adopted sister, Aurelie.
"Oh Aurelie, what I'd give to be able to go out there" she sighed, before perking up and pointing a slender finger towards the horizon, "look! On the horizon! We can almost see Rohan from here!" She said excitedly, Aurelie bore a sad look in her eyes,
"I also wish that we could be free to explore out there, but you know what father says, it's too dangerous" she sighed, her curiosity sating her for the moment. "What do you think it's like to be out there?" she said, the thirst for knowledge clear in her voice. She looked over to Tamuríel who dropped to sit on the branch she was standing on. Aurelie's head cocked to the side as she pondered her question and gazed dreamily into the distance, her hands fidgeted in her lap.
"I imagine it would be spectacular, they are free" Tamuríel said, a smile playing on her lips as she spoke, "I imagine that it would be amazing, the people can come and go as they please, go wherever they want without reprimand" she paused and looked up to her older sibling.
"Have you ever seen the horses that they ride?" The younger elf said excitedly, Aurelie shook her head, urging her to go on. "They are great beasts that stand on four legs and can carry people as fast the wind! I've seen them in many shapes and sizes. My favourite ones are the one that are a bit stockier than the spindly thin ones. They have hooves, much like the deer that we hunt and hair that waves like flags in the wind! I have read about them in the library-" she chuckled, stopping as she realised that she was waffling again to her adopted sister.
"But I could never go out there into that vast world without you by my side, Aurelie" she said with a fond smile as her sister joined her on the branch. Her mind went back to the horses once again. Aurelie smiled at the younger elf. Her youth showed through in her passions, archery and this new creature; a horse. It was a pretty sight, her bright green eyes glowed with curiosity.
"They sound beautiful sister! We have been through so much together, you bet you wouldn't leave this forest without me!" She paused at the sound of the city's horn bellowing through the trees.
Tamuríel lifted herself onto the branch to stand next to her sister. "I wouldn't dream of it sister!" she frowned in the direction of the horn, "it would seem your father is calling us , let us head back, lest we get into trouble" she grinned cheekily at her sister, "it seems that man knows exactly when we're daydreaming about life outside these woods" she chuckled
"Come on, let's make this interesting! I'll race you back!" she said as she leapt from the branch, Aurelie snorted as she raced after her just about keeping up with her. Aurelie was fast and careful but Tamuríel was spritely and uncaring, she giggled as she chased after the younger elf.
"You'll have to do better than that if you intend to beat me!" she giggled with joy, Aurelie succumbed to Tamuríel's provocation and bounded after her faster. When she was level with the younger elf, Tamuríel looked round with glee "ah there you are! Thought I'd los-"she shrieked as a branch gave way under her weight and she fell under the canopy of the tree, she yelled Aurelie's name as the ground came rushing up to meet her and she collided with the ground in a heap, the forest floor making her lose consciousness. Aurelie looked on in horror as her sister fell to the ground.