Disclaimers: All canon material for The Hobbit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers, MGM Studios and Turbine. All other canon material belongs to their respected owners. All original material belongs to me, the authoress of this fanfiction story.

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This story has been quite the challenge because Elros the Guard has only a few short clips in "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" and is also a movie character. So how do I pull this challenge off? It won't be easy.

This story is dedicated to Eldhoron, who I'm also giving credit for the Sindarin names he gave me.

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The battle was won. All was well. And yet, the auburn haired Elros did not feel the same. For one matter, he hardly expected the elves and dwarves to unite against a common foe. But fate stepped in and saw the matter closed.

Now what was he to do? Remain a guard under Thranduil's rules? No. He had orders. Be loyal to the king. There was much to do and so much time…

"Have you considered a hobby, Keeper of the Keys?" Thranduil asked, a smirk creasing his lips.

Elros' brow furrowed in confusion. "My lord, I serve you. What else is there to find out?"

"I'm releasing you from your duties when we return home. But just for a day or two," Thranduil looked sharply at him, like a cat looking for its prey. "I do not seek an immediate answer."

"My lord, what am I to do with my time off," Elros asked.

"Let me see: you failed in your efforts of keeping the dwarves prisoner," Thranduil said. "That makes you a liability. But since we came under good terms with the dwarves of Erebor, the question remains thusly: what shall you do with your time off."

Elros hadn't planned on Thranduil being so cryptic.

"The question still remains, wherever your road deems fit," Thranduil answered.

Elros was confused. Hadn't he been trusted to his duties? Or was there something he was missing in life? He hadn't thought of this before. What could he do? Well, there was art… there was so much he could think of doing… but what exactly?

Mirkwood was still in danger. The spiders were out there. And yet, for Elros, the possibilities seemed endless. And inside the Woodland Realm, another guardsman – or elven guard – took over his duties. So it was true. He was free to do whatever he wished.

Light on his feet, Elros returned his quiver, complete with bow and arrows onto the rack. That said and done, he retreated to his house, where – to his delight – was his beautiful wife and child. He was glad to see them both.

"Celebriel," Elros kissed her on the lips. "I'm home."

"Yes you are," Celebriel addressed him with a smile.

"Ada!" His five-year-old son squealed in his arms.

"And how's my little Eldathar?" Elros asked, hugging him.

"I learned to ride a horse today," Eldathar squirmed.

"You did what?" Elros was confused.

"I held onto him as he rode a pony." Celebriel answered. "You know the new breed of ponies arrived. It was a darling stallion. Dappled grey too."

"I wonder how the elves find such horses," Elros said. He smirked. "But then, we are Silvan elves, capable of breeding horses."

"Yes, dear husband," Celebriel said, smiling at him. The second she released Eldathar, and after the boy retreated to his wooden toys, Celebriel turned to Elros, asking him, "Elros, you're home early. What happened?"

"Thranduil, the Elvenking, gave me the day off," Elros said. "Now I have need to try my skills at another task: painting."

"Elros, you haven't painted in two years," Celebriel said. "You're out of shape, out of practice."

"I know." Elros smirked. "That's why I feel the need to resolve my issues in art. Excuse me, Celebriel. I must prepare." He wandered off into his art room, which was lined with parchments, revealing vast landscapes and distant songs. There were even flowing scripts with words written in Sindarin. Oh, where was he to start working? Oh where…

In a matter of hours, towards evening, Elros finished his landscape painting. The image revealed splashes of brown, blue and white. It was the mountains of the Woodland Realm. His home. And yet, it was the mixture of colors that brought the painting to life. He looked up as flowing dark hair touched his shoulders. They belonged to his wife.

"It's good, Elros. Well done," Celebriel said.

"Yes." Elros stood up. "And very soon, I will return to being the Keeper of the Keys. I must go… and go to sleep first."

"Come on," she said, taking his hand.

-.-.-

Elros returned to his guard duties in the morning. So far, Thranduil allowed him a pass of only one day. But it was exactly the day that Elros needed to relax and prepare for the days ahead. If only the spiders were more resilient to take a break. So far, the Woodland Realm was safe, but when the time would come for the Elves to leave Middle-earth. Well, that decision was up to Thranduil.

For now, Elros was glad to be in his home, his realm. For the Woodland Realm was where he belonged and where he would stay, until the time came when the Wood-elves would accompany their kin into the West.

The End.

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Thanks for reading. :)