The guard captain took in the cool air of the forest as she and her company patrolled the forest. It was pretty quiet, save the sound of bugs and animals that resided in the forest. Tauriel noticed their sounds were getting weaker as of late, despite it being spring. In fact, spring itself this year did not feel the same at all. It disappointed and worried her. It was all the more reason to stay alert, even when nothing seemed to be happening.
After reaching the end of their border, Tauriel announced they could return to the safety of their walls. Once they did get back, stoic faces went relaxed, as they put their own equipment away. "Another quiet day in the wood?" A familiar voice asked behind Tauriel just when she finished putting away her bow. She turned to see Legolas, the prince of Mirkwood. "I fear for the day it isn't quiet." She said back to him. Tauriel and Legolas were good friends, since she grew up with him when she was younger. She smiled at seeing him, since he was absent for the patrol that day. "I wouldn't want to miss out on the action when it comes though." He winked, and she gave out a small snort.
A giggle made them both turn their heads to see their fellow guard Merenor holding the hands of his soon to be bride, Maein. They just announced their union, and Tauriel was glad for them both. She didn't realize she had been staring at them for a while, even as they walked off holding hands. But the idea of love was intriguing to her, even though she was never sure she'd find it herself. A hand on her shoulder pulled her out of her thoughts, and she realized it was the hand of Legolas. "They were truly meant to be, weren't they?" She nodded at him, feeling a little embarrassed about her distraction. He however looked at her with a feeling of longing, but she did not notice. "I'm happy for them." Was all she said. Then her mind snapped back into business mode, remembering she needed to report to the king. "Well I should go report to your father now, I bid you farewell Legolas." She left him then, hoping her meeting with the king wasn't stressful as it usually was.
It was an uneventful day for King Thranduil, but it was still painful nonetheless. This time of year was when lovers got together and wed. He only remembered proposing to his own wife as he saw new couples getting together. It only filled his heart with grief and sorrow. Usually, he knew how to hide it, but today he could not. There was always a day when his grief was highest, and this was one of those days.
Though footsteps snapped him out of his own self-pity, and he realized what time it was. Sitting in his personal study, he knew he would hear the final report for the day, which was coming now. "Do not keep me waiting, Tauriel." He called out. A second later, she appeared. Her bright face was always enlightening to him, and he guessed she had nothing but good news. "Sorry for faltering my lord, I guess I was a bit too relaxed." He saw her hesitation, and her fidgeting. He then guessed he was going to be in for an argument with her. It got even more obvious, because in their silence she was slightly fidgeting. Tauriel isn't the shy or reserved type, she is strong willed.
"What news today?" He asked after too much silence. "Nothing but the sounds of nature running its course, my lord." She replied softly, a small smile on her face. "It seems as if you are just strolling through the woods every day, isn't it?" He remarked. Tauriel took a deep breath, and he knew that her next statement would ruin all the peace. He could always tell when she was about to suggest them. He would be a fool if he didn't know by now. "My lord, since there is not much going on, I was wondering if you would let me train Maein to join our ranks." There it was. "She's already specialized in healing, her mother made sure of that." The king replied. Tauriel put her hands on her hips, and he readied himself. "Maein's fate is not in her mother's hands anymore, it's in her own. And I already taught her some basics, she seems really promising." Thranduil sighed, knowing there was no way he would agree to her ludicrous idea. "I can protect her. I am very capable." Thranduil groaned slightly, and opened his mouth again to speak, but she put a finger up. "Will you please at least let me train her? Or have her go out with us one day? She will be good-"
"Do not silence me." The king was slightly irritated now, seeing as she had literally just silenced him. He was tired, and he wanted her to leave. "I will talk of this no more today." She sighed, and her arms fell. "I apologize, my lord." He saw the weariness on her face, but it made no difference. "We shall discuss this later, but right now the answer is still no." He said quietly. At that she seemed to loosen up a bit. She sighed once more. "I bid you farewell then, my lord." She said, then turned abruptly and left. At her absence, he relaxed. He didn't realize he had gotten so tense. Tauriel always had a habit of doing that to him.
After retreating from the king's study, she decided it would be best to sleep. Usually after a disagreement with Thranduil, she went to the training room to hit things repeatedly until her hands bled. It just wasn't worth it today though. She somewhat lied to Thranduil about what she saw that day. She realized that at the very edge of their borders, the darkness that had put them in the corner of the wood, was growing. She was the only one who knew of it so far, and found no reason to say a thing until it got critical. It was a last minute decision, since she had left Thranduil without telling him about it. His stubbornness irked her to no end. Upon almost reaching her quarters, she heard a small voice call out from behind. Tauriel turned to find Maein, and her face dropped more. "I take it by your face he still hasn't agreed." Tauriel nodded. "I will keep fighting for you. It would be nice to have another girl with us." Maein smiled. "Thank you, captain."
Tauriel didn't sleep well that night. Spring was usually a bittersweet time for her. She loved the feel of the warmth and breezes, but it was also when she became orphaned. That night she was dreaming of her parents. She saw them every time she closed her eyes, so she would sit up and cry a bit each time she did. 600 years of being separated from them was still heart-breaking to her.
She spent the rest of the night sitting up in a weird daze, until a loud bang on her door jolted her to action. She thrust her sheets off of her and went to the door. It was Merenor. Before she could ask why he was here he spoke. "Maein is missing." Her eyes grew wide. "How could she be missing?" Merenor's face was worried, and she could tell he had no idea. She assumed that he came to her because everyone looked everywhere. "My equipment is also missing from the armory we discovered." Tauriel wasted no more time then. "Get the rest of our unit. She couldn't have gone far." She started walking toward the armory, despite the fact she was still in her nightgown. She equipped herself and left, trying to think of where her friend could have gone, and how she could have gotten out of the kingdom.
After running around the good part of the wood, Tauriel then remembered something. It was the night of one of the feasts, and Tauriel had basically shown Maein how to get out of the kingdom easily by climbing a specific tree. She decided to double back and go around the kingdom, thinking that may be where she might have gone.
Sure enough, when she trailed the river, there were obvious signs of movement. But it was the movement of humans. And then an elf joined them. As she kept trailing the river, she realized there was blood, and it was evident a fight had occurred. Upon closer look at the blood though, it only belonged to a human. Still, Tauriel's heart wrenched at the thought of something happening to her. She pressed on. The blood stopped, and it was right at the spot in the river where the current picked up. Tauriel examined it once more to still only find human blood.
Suddenly, her keen ears heard a whoosh coming from behind. She quickly jumped to the side, dodging the arrow while drawing her own bow and turning around. She saw Maein perched in a tree, smiling mischievously. Tauriel's face dropped in relief. "You shouldn't wander out here in those clothes, captain." Said Maein. Tauriel grabbed her arrow and shot it back at her, and she caught it. "If you were going to take out thieves, you should have at least let me come with you." Tauriel said, putting her weapons away. She jumped down, and her mouth downturned. "You would have been in big trouble then. I couldn't risk it. I wanted to prove I could do this myself. And I did. Those thieves got what they deserved." She shuddered, and Tauriel guessed it was because she had heard them talking about vile things. "The king would have been very angry at you too." She added, and that made Tauriel give out a small, haughty laugh. "At this point I don't care about his ill temper." Thinking of him got her riled up, and she was ready to bring the storm down on him.
Thranduil paced his throne room after hearing of the disappearance of Maein. He worried that something evil may have come into his halls unknown and unseen and gotten to her. The worrying didn't stop until he heard the doors to his throne room slam open. He turned his head to see the most incredulous sight ever. It was Tauriel, in her nightgown. He hadn't seen her so exposed since she was small, but seeing her like that now, struck something in him. "What is the meaning of you coming in so fiercely?" He asked her gently, though he was slightly annoyed at the fact that she was indeed ready to fight him. "Maein is safe. She was safe all along." Tauriel said quietly, which actually intimidated Thranduil. "Is that all?" He said carefully, trying not to make her worse. To his relief, she loosened up again. "She took out several thieves, all on her own." Thranduil sighed. "If you think that means anything, then you are pushing your luck. My decision still remains the same." She looked livid now, taking a deep breath. "She isn't even injured either." He suddenly closed the distance between them, staring at her angrily. "Put it to rest, Captain! I will hear no more of this!" She looked back at him angrily still. "Will you ever just listen to me?! Just once?! What am I? Am I not your captain?" Her eyes were glistening with tears now, but it still made no difference to him. "Get out." Was all he said, before turning his back on her. He went back up to his throne, and by the time he turned around, she was walking the other way fast, her white nightgown flowing behind her. He sighed, and sat down in his chair exasperatedly. He felt bad, and of course he wanted to do something. Tauriel's last words stung on him. Yes, she was his captain, but she was so stubborn and hard-headed. He was surprised he let it continue that long.
A while later, Legolas walked in with a stern look on his face. "Ada, please explain to me why Tauriel is crying." He said with a hint of anger in his voice. "I was harsh with her because she is stubborn. You can't blame me." Was all he replied with. "She is only trying to help our friend. And I fully think Maein should join us too. Her healing abilities will prove nice if we ever have a skirmish." Thranduil growled, and sat up. "I do not condone people who sneak out of the halls." Legolas sighed. "It was for good reason. She heard thieves nearby, planning to return with more men to try and rob us. She had no choice." Thranduil was now slightly intrigued. "What became of the men then?" Legolas then explained the story of how she fought them off with a dagger and a bow, and their bodies fell into the river and got washed away with the current. "She should have kept one for questioning." Thranduil said casually, and then caught what he said. Legolas gave him a look, and Thranduil sighed. "Bring in Lady Rainil." He ordered a guard to do in that moment.
Legolas smiled, and Thranduil groaned. "Why is Tauriel one of the captains? What did I recall you saying when you read her recommendations?" He said afterward. Thranduil recalled the papers and what they said, and then he remembered his words upon hearing of Tauriel's experience. "I said she had a lot of spirit, and I knew she would make a great captain." Thranduil said slowly. Legolas nodded, the knowing smile still on his face. "Prove her worthy of that title then, her judgment and leadership is better than most. Allow her to do her job without just looking down on her, which is what you always seem to do." At that moment, Lady Rainil entered. "You called for me my lord?" Thranduil was in thought mode for a second, but he snapped back at the sight of his councilwoman. "There is something we must discuss. Legolas, please leave. Assure Tauriel she still has her title." He turned and left at that instant, and Thranduil went full business mode.
Thranduil was glad once he was alone, it had been a long day. And at the end of it, all that came to mind was Tauriel, and how she could be feeling now. He felt like he should apologize, but he did not want to see her at that moment. He needed a few days to shake the heat of their argument. He needed a few days of rest from her fiery spirit. Then he promised to listen to her more afterward. He feared that she could get the whole kingdom to turn on him. He feared she had that power. Then he remembered who he was. If anything like that happened, he could put her out in an instant. But the question was would it ever come to that? Would he ever have to put Tauriel down? She was a light in his kingdom yes, but often times if that light is a fire, it needs to be controlled in fear of going ablaze, and taking down everything that stood in its path. Letting his scars show on his face reminded him that fire, was what he feared most.