A Shadow of Hope
.::~**~::.
Prologue
Brynja carried a little blonde haired girl in her arms, looking over her shoulder every few seconds, checking that her intoxicated husband had not followed her out of the house. A few more twists and stairs and a bridge, Brynja found her brother's house. While still holding her six year old daughter in her arms, Brynja knocked quickly against the wooden door. Brynja looked over her shoulder once more, even as the door opened. Bard sighed of relief when he saw his little sister.
"Brynja, thank the gods," he whispered, as she stepped in. "I was quite certain Yric would have followed you."
"He spent a fortune at the tavern again. Now he is high with mead and ale. I was terrified he would have come after me, but not this time."
"Did anyone follow you?" Bard asked.
"No," Brynja shook her head.
She looked down at her daughter, Ylva who was still asleep. Bard smiled as he looked at his sister and his niece.
"Does Yric know?" he asked, softly.
"Of what?" Brynja returned.
"Her heritage,"
"No, he does not know. Bard, promise me you will keep her safe. I will do everything I can to protect her myself. But — if Yric were to know, things would end badly. Once Ylva is ready to know, I wish for you to tell her."
"Brynja—,"
"There is pain in my chest and it hurts to breathe and cough. I fear I may not have much time. I have brought Ylva to you for a little while. He wrote me, saying he wished to see me again. I cannot see him here."
"I will look after Ylva. Is he going to come to Laketown?"
"I do not know. I hope that he will. Just once more so I may see him and feel something other than fear and dread."
Ylva stirred in her mother's arms and stared up groggily. She looked up at her uncle and smiled tiredly.
"Hello, Uncle," Ylva said. "Mama, why are we here?"
"You are going to stay a little while with Bard and your cousin." Brynja answered.
"Are you not going to stay too, like last time?"
"Ylva, my love, there is something I must do but I will come back for you. I promise." Brynja said, kissing her on the cheek. "You must obey your uncle and be on your best behaviour."
"Yes, Mama," Ylva replied.
"It is late, get some rest. I shall come see you in the morning." Brynja continued, with a few coughs.
After a long embrace and several kisses, Brynja allowed Bard to take Ylva into his arms and left. Ylva nestled closer to her uncle and yawned.
"I have a bed ready for you." Bard said as he brought Ylva upstairs.
Ylva looked over at the other little bed, seeing her cousin Bain already asleep and an empty bed near his. Bard gently laid her down and pulled the blanket up to her shoulder. He kissed her forehead and brushed hair out of her eyes.
"Good night, Uncle," Ylva whispered.
Bard smiled.
"Good night, Ylva,"
.::~**~::.
Mirkwood – Thirteen Years Later
"What is this?" there was that voice again.
Ylva could barely manage to keep her eyes open. Her breathing was ragged and she was shivering from the cold. The voice she had heard was soothing. It was almost as calming as her uncle's voice, but not quite.
"We found her wandering near the borders. She must have come from Laketown, my lord."
Ylva looked over at the red-headed elf. She had been the one who had discovered her, nearly unconscious and weak. The elves hovered over her and she recoiled back, her whole body trembling from cold and from fear.
"Tell me; what is your name, human? How came you to Mirkwood?"
Ylva looked up at the elf who was questioning her. She stared up in surprise, once the realization dawned on her. The Elvenking himself was interrogating her. Thranduil was gazing at her intently as if he was trying to decipher everything about her. Her golden/ash blonde hair was covered in dirt, as was her skin and clothes. The boots on her feet were riddled with mud and her rucksack was stained too. There was something peculiar about this human and it did not go unnoticed by the Elvenking. However, the bloody gash on her cheek and the bruises on her neck did not help her appearance.
"Forgive me, my lord, I — I did not mean — I came for refuge." Ylva rasped.
Her voice cracked and her lips were chapped. She desperately wanted something to drink. Her water had run out when she stepped into the forest and continued her journey down the Elven road.
"Why were you running?" he inquired, folding his hands behind his back.
Ylva bit her tongue and averted her gaze from the Elvenking. She closed her eyes and sighed. All she wanted to do was sleep.
"The king asked you a question. Are you deaf, human?" one of the Elves exclaimed.
"Enough," the Elvenking said. "Tauriel, you found her. Take her to the House of Healing and tend to her wounds. See that this human rests. If she says anything of herself, inform me at once."
"Yes, my lord,"
So, Tauriel is the redhead then, Ylva thought as she was lifted up. Not long after, she lost consciousness and thought of her uncle back home in Laketown.
.::~**~::.
A Week Earlier — Laketown
Ylva escaped the wrath of her father again. She was running to her uncle's. Ylva had practically memorized the path to Bard's house. Her feet already knew where to take her. Ylva ran through the so called streets of Laketown and finally arrived at her uncle's house. She knocked loudly on the door and waited for a response. Not long after, the door opened and Bard looked at his niece in surprise.
"Ylva!" he exclaimed. "Come in,"
Bard checked over her shoulder as she quickly entered the house. He closed the door and barred it. Ylva often looked for solace with him and Bard always welcomed her. He did not need to ask Ylva what had happened. Yric had been drinking again. Ylva was looking out the window and Bard noticed bruises on her cheek and on her collarbone. After the beatings, Ylva escaped, thank the gods. Bard examined her wounds and sighed.
"I should have Yric hung." Bard hissed. "He does not deserve to be your father, Ylva."
Ylva smiled as her uncle gave her some ointment for her scratch. She rubbed it into her wound and looked at the ground.
"You know the Master won't listen to you, Uncle." Ylva said.
Bard smiled and shook his head. Ylva turned as she heard footsteps descending the stairs. Bain smiled as he saw his cousin and hugged her.
"Hello, Ylva!" he exclaimed.
She returned the embrace and smiled lightly.
"Are you here to stay for good?" Bain inquired, still smiling.
Ylva chuckled.
"I wish it dearly. You know my father will not hear of it. Neither will the Master," Ylva replied.
"Sigrid, Tilda, come downstairs. Ylva is here." Bard called from the bottom of the stairs.
"I will not stay for long. I—,"
"Ylva, you are welcome to stay as long as you like. You are my niece. My sister, your mother, would not have wanted you to suffer in the care of your father. He should never treat you in such a way as he does."
"Thank you, Uncle," Ylva said.
Bard returned Ylva's embrace as she held tightly onto him. He kissed her forehead and smiled when his own daughters came down. Sigrid and Tilda both tackled Ylva with hugs.
"Ylva! We were hoping you'd come back!" Sigrid exclaimed, happily. "Come upstairs! We may talk and spend some more time together."
"Do not sit up so late, Sigrid, Ylva. You both need your rest." Bard said, as the girls ran upstairs.
"We won't, Da," Sigrid answered.
Once the girls were gone, Bain looked over at his father.
"What are you going to do about Yric, Da?" Bain asked.
"If only I could, I would never let that man near my niece. Ylva is of age and can make her own choices. Yric sees differently. She is still his child and so she is bound by his laws." Bard answered his voice quiet.
"Couldn't you ask the Master to become her guardian?" Bain wondered.
"The Master of Laketown and I are not…we do not like each other's company. He will not hear anything I have to say, as Ylva said."
"I could help protect Ylva."
Bard chuckled and ruffled his son's hair.
"I am quite sure you could. For now, you must go to bed. The hour is late."
"Yes, Da," Bain answered.
Once all his children were upstairs, Bard sighed and dropped his head as he sat at the table.
"I am doing all that I can, sis." Bard whispered. "I love her as though she was my own daughter. Please, help me, Brynja."
There was nothing except the whisper of the wind outside and the quiet conversations of his children and niece upstairs. Bard continued for a little while longer, waiting for a sign of some sort. Nothing. There was nothing but silence that followed.
"Very well, good night then, Brynja." Bard concluded and blew out the candle.
.::~**~::.
The next morning, there was a heavy pounding on the door. Bard got up and realized he'd fallen asleep at the table again. The pounding continued and Bard got up.
"…open this damn door, Bard. I know you have her. I know you have my daughter again!" Yric yelled, outside.
Bard went to open the door but he stepped out, closing the door behind him. Yric was enraged. His face was red and his eyes blood shot. Bard glared at him and pushed him back.
"Ylva is my niece. How dare you lay a hand on her? You do not deserve her as your child." Bard exclaimed, his expression darkening.
"Nevertheless, she is mine. I have every right to my own child and I will report this to the Master. You will no longer have any guardianship over my little Ylva. You will have no right to see her any longer." Yric growled.
"She is my family and I will do whatever I can to protect her. Leave, Yric,"
"Not without my charge," Yric barked. "Give my child back to me, Bard."
Both Bard and Yric glanced as the door opened. Ylva was paler than usual and she glanced at her uncle. He put his hand on her shoulder.
"You do not need to go with him, Ylva."
"I know, Bard, but I…I do not wish for anything to happen to you or my cousins."
"Ylva, do not worry over me. I am here for you. Do you understand me?" Bard exclaimed.
"Ylva, come now." Yric said, impatiently.
Ylva hugged her uncle and swallowed the knot growing in her throat. Bard returned her embrace and let her go after.
Once in her own home, Yric glared at Ylva and grabbed her shoulders. Ylva bit her tongue and closed her eyes.
"If you leave this house again, I swear I will have Bard executed. I will take this to the Master. It will be your fault your uncle is dead and your cousins orphaned." Yric snarled.
"I promise I will not leave again. Please, do not report this to the Master. Bard has nothing to do with this!"
"He has everything to do with this. Your mother was just the same as you, always running away to him for help. It disgusts me how much you are like her and how much you look like her. Go upstairs, damn it."
Ylva obeyed, allowing her silent tears to fall once she was in her own room. All she could do was wait for some sort of miracle. There was nothing else she could have done, after all. Just wait.
.::~**~::.
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