I neither own nor created, Thranduil, Galadriel, Elros, Sauron, Legolas, Middle Earth, The Golden Wood, or Mirkwood/Greenwood the Great. Tolkien did and I am eternally grateful.

I did create Lathwinn the Great. Of course, Legolas must have had a mother, but this is my version of her.

Thranduil and Lathwinn reference things I want to reveal later in other stories, so don't feel as though you must have missed something from the books or movies unless you really have. ;)

This story is for entertainment purposes only, so please read and be entertained. :)

I carried her to the tree with the pink blossoms. The sapling was a gift from the Lady Galadriel in hopes it would speed my queen's recovery. The Lady of the Golden Wood grew it from the seed of a tree Elros had brought back for her from far off places. My wife liked new things from distant places. As for trees, she never met one who would not whisper to her.

I could hear the ancient, towering ones around us now whispering to each other. They spoke of how I should let my wife go. This young one growing up among them, though, having newly gained its voice seemed to agree with me.

This is why I slid my queen under its sprawling branches still so thin they could barely bear the weight of a grown elf. I sat down beside her. Leaning over my love, I brushed back a lock of her brown hair. Every strand seemed lusterless, dark and dim rather than rich and bright as they had been. I sighed and glanced up at a pink and green branch. "Look, my love, tis the spring. Our new tree is blooming. See the blossoms like your blushing cheeks?"

Her brown eyes just stared in sleep. I sighed and brushed the back of my finger against her grey-tinted cheek. I almost preferred the madness that had once gripped her. Then she had been my fiery elleth at least, my warrior, leader, … Hawk. Now grief seemed to suck her down like the grey mud of the marshes that had taken so many of our people.

The trees around us whispered again. They loved her, but they had seen many elves they loved come and go, some killed and some fading away as they thought she was now. So, had I. But I would not let her go un-fought-for, unchallenged, un-wooed. I would try to bring her back to the wood she loved and the elves who loved her, including me as hard as I could.

Come, Lathwinn, my Hawk, my queen . . . I cannot rule our peoples alone, our peoples who have become one people . . . like us. What will I do without my fiercer half? I kissed her on the cheek and ran my fingertips through her hair. "Come on my beauty, awake to see this pretty thing. Come watch these buds bloom with me."

I thought I saw a flicker of something in her eyes. Then they went still again. A bud right over her broke apart into spreading petals over the hours as I knew it would. As they did, the clouds cleared in her gaze and it focused on the sight. I watched the event's reflection in her eyes. After the petals were spread out fully an hour after noon, her chest rose and fell in a sigh. Then she turned her head to look at me. "Thranduil?"

I kept my face neutral and voice silent, allowing whatever she was feeling to be drawn out without expectations from me. Her brown eyes moistened like rained-on earth. A sob racked her. So, I drew her into my arms. There she cried into my chest. "They are gone. They are all gone are they not?"

"Not all, some of us remain who love you, my Hawk."

"They did it for me. If I had not been there as you wished. If I had stayed away, stayed here . . ."

"No, my Hawk. It was his fault. And he is dead now, as is his master. He was killed and his master's ring was cut away. The great darkness is gone as are those who dwelt in it."

"So are they."

I was silent. It had taken her so long to realize it and I was not going to correct her now. Now that she was awake, her pain was great and raw. She let out only tastes of all that lay inside. Now I heard again the other trees whispering. They said I should not have awakened her. They said I should have let her leave and fly to the other shore where the rest of our people were.

I clung more fiercely to my wife and kissed her head. The little tree that sheltered us, its grandparent from a far off place of long ago, lowered its branches and sheltered us in its hiding place. I could feel its own voice encouraging her to remain with us. I would be forever grateful to it.

…

How appropriate.

I found my Lover beneath our tree. The lowest of its blossom-laden boughs were now high enough to let me pass beneath without stooping. Its highest were a long climb up. For a moment my wife was more still than the tree. Then she turned her head. My Hawk grinned at me. "Well, hello there. What brings my king this way?"

I grinned back and gave a single stride forward, back straight but head bowed to look her in the eyes. "I seek my queen."

She raised her brows in feigned innocence and curiosity. "Have you need of her?"

I waited to answer until I stood right behind her. She still hadn't turned fully around, just grinned at me over her shoulder. I wrapped a tendril of brown hair glowing with red-tinted threads around my finger. Then I kissed it. I kept my voice deep and low as I wrapped my other arm around her waist. "Always have I need of her."

She turned around in my embrace and, to my very slight regret, I had to back up a half-step. Her voice was high and bright. "And what do you need her for?"

Now I grinned and leaned in to kiss her. I was partway, she had lifted her face and puckered her lips. I had closed my eyes. Then a lock of my own hair was pulled straight and tight.

My eyes snapped open. I glanced down. My wife giggled at me. I sighed.

Our little Green-leaf smiled up at me from her arms. My hair, just a shade lighter than his, was grasped in his tiny fist. Brown eyes laughed up at me from his face. His mother's matching ones laughed down at him. I gave them both a smile of my own. "Your son has strong hands, my Hawk."

"He thought we were playing with each others hair today. His 'father's' actions indicated so."

I began attempting to extract each hair from Legolas' clutching fingers. It proved a long and painful process especially since he kept trying to put fist and all in his mouth. I shook my head. "He has a strong grip. He will be a good sword-master."

"No. He will be an archer."

I looked up in wonder at her. Both of our elder children had favored swords taking after me rather than her in that manner. In appearance, this one seemed to be taking after me most of all. "How can you tell?"

She shrugged. "I know."

I smiled. Over an age ago I had learned to humor . . . 'trust' her. I nodded. "An archer then, like his mother."

Her voice lowered and eyes moistened. "And his uncles."

My shoulders drooped and smile softened. I nodded again. "Just so, like his uncles."

I had continued trying to free my hair. I had only extracted perhaps a dozen strands and the lock in his fist seemed no smaller. My babe giggled as if amused at my slow progress. Lathwinn giggled also. "Darling, it goes so much easier and quicker if you tickle his stomach."

I looked up and raised my eyebrows at her. Then I ran my fingertips over his rounded middle in a staccato beat. Our son shrieked with glee, curled up his legs to protect his exposed middle, and released my hair as he waved open hands. I raised my head and brushed the lock and rest of my hair behind my back, but did not step away. I then looked up to meet my wife's gaze. Brown eyes shone with her "I'm quite happy, but am still going to punish you" expression.

"It would seem you need to get to know your son better, Thranduil."

I sighed. "So it would seem. May I also get to know his mother better today?"

"If you can catch us."

And with that, even with our new babe wrapped up tight and safe in one arm, my wife reached up with her other and disappeared into the branches of "our" tree. I shook my head.

Then, my efforts hampered only slightly by the train of my green robe, I chased after her. She is always asking me why I wear robes. She says it is so I will not be mistaken for a "common" or "half-common" elf. I say it is so she can get and keep a head start for a time. It makes catching her so much more satisfying.

After a chase she let me catch her by reclining on a top branch and waiting for me. Her gaze was fixed upon an opening bud. There was another nearby branch that let me sit upon it just beneath and close beside her. I was able to slide my arm beneath her head and watch with her. Our son laughed up at the clouds passing over us, seeming to find them more interesting.

I looked at him and then at my wife. I reached up my free hand and brushed the back of a finger against her cheek. She turned her head to look at me. I smiled, but I allowed a catch to creep into my voice.

"They once said you were dead-wood, my Love." I then let my hand lower to tickle my son under his chin. I grinned at the thought of how all around us we were surrounded not only by pink blossoms, but by his namesake as well. "But that was long before the birth of our Green-leaf. You have conquered."

Tears like dew drops raced down her cheeks as she grabbed my hand and brought it to her lips. She kissed it. Then she looked back into my eyes. "We have conquered. With Ilúvatar's aid, we have conquered."

Reviews are much appreciated and often responded to.

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes