Prompt: Tree Decorating

Rating: G

Setting: Set just after the orc attack on Mirkwood that freed Gollum

Characters: Thranduil

Summary: The beauty of his forest at Yuletide serves as encouragement to Thranduil in his fight against the Darkness.

++ Dedicated to my amazingly fantastic beta Karleen who had been super with getting these beta'd up in a quick and orderly manner and also for putting up with all my angsting and helping me past the numerous bouts of writers block I've had this past year. Cheers Chibi – you are one in a million! Here's to working with you next year. Enjoy! ++

The Elven King stared out upon his woods, grim faced and uncaring of the strong wind that buffeted him as he kept his lonely vigil from the highest point in the stronghold. The watch tower balcony shook from time to time with the strength of the wind yet Thranduil remained unmoved as he continued to silently survey his Kingdom. He was plotting for war.

The King glared hard at the dread tower at the southernmost part of his forest – he knew the Enemy would make his move soon and Thranduil was determined to be ready. Hence his watch from the best lookout point his stronghold had. Yet Thranduil found he could hardly concentrate on the task at hand – he had come here alone so that he could plot and plan in peace and yet his papers, inkpots and pens all remained untouched.

Thranduil glanced away from the dark tower as something prettier and far more enticing glinted in the deepening dusk. That was what was keeping him distracted – it was nearly Yuletide. In fact, the holiday would be upon them in a mere week and as such the decorations were out in force. All the trees within a ten-mile radius of the stronghold were exquisitely decked.

Thranduil gave in to the barest hint of a smile – he had not expected to see so much décor and ornaments adorning the trees of his forest home this year. For it had been a very hard year - even by their usually tough standards. His eledhrim had suffered blow after blow at the Enemy's hands and much to his great rage they had been pushed further and further North toward the stronghold. Then there had been all that business with the accursed creature Estel and Mithrandir had asked them to look over. It had ended in bloodshed for his people and as a direct result several of his eledhrim had taken ship.

Things were quite grim and Thranduil had not expected his people to still be in the mood to celebrate the holidays. Yet the first few decorations had gone up ahead of Ennyn Rhîw and had increased steadily throughout the season. Now they hung heavily on the bare branches where they swung, tinkled and glittered in the wind. Combined they all presented a rather beautiful distraction indeed.

Ribbons in gold, silver, green and red wrapped the trunks and sturdier lower branches. The smaller branches higher up held all manner of decoration - hand-blown glass baubles, tiny silver bells, sprigs of holly, small mithril trumpets and candy cane to name a few.

Thranduil felt proud, for it took real effort to get the trees to look so good - to get the decorations right up to very top of the leafless boughs. The elflings helped in that aspect, with their parents and the older eldehrim seeing to the lower half of the trees. It had been lovely and truly encouraging for the King to see how his people came together to make their home a festive wonderland even after all the grief they had suffered through the past year. Even though the cloying, grim darkness spread its evil, sickly claws further and further North causing animals to flee and plant life to fail his people were determined that at least one section of their woodland home should retain its name of Eryn Galen.

That in turn gave Thranduil renewed vigour and refreshed him in his fight against the ever-encroaching darkness that seeped out from Dol Guldur. He knew what Men and Dwarves and even Hobbits said about his woods. He knew how people feared to enter his forest; he knew the wild tales that were told about what lay inside. Thranduil knew that it was expected that his Kingdom would fall into darkness and total despair – indeed some tales already told of the ruin of 'Mirkwood'.

Thranduil frowned; how he hated that name that had been bestowed upon his home. It was inaccurate and untrue for the most part. The entire forest was not yet given over to what was evil and dark. One only needed to look at the dazzlingly gorgeous view he had right now of the magnificently decorated trees to see that it was not so.; to see that there was still beauty to be found in these woods. To see that the Greenwood still had the potential to be great again. Very much so and Thranduil would see to it.

His people still had faith – still had fight and spirit and a yearning to make their home as beautiful and as green and as great as it had been in centuries past. Despite all that the Evil One had thrown at them this year they remained undaunted and were ready to celebrate with all of their usual vigour.

Thranduil's frown slowly dissolved to be replaced by a smile as he again marvelled over his beautifully bedecked forest. Sure, the section of forest decorated this year was smaller than it had ever been but that just fuelled the fire in the Elven King's heart.

Thranduil at last moved toward his desk and picked up his pen. They would fight – and he was determined they would win. They would overcome and overthrow the occupants of the dread tower once and for all. Thranduil would see to it.

This time next year, Thranduil determined, Greenwood would be decked from North to South. No part of his Kingdom would miss out on the Ennyn Rhîw and Yuletide decorations.

His Greenwood would be 'Great' again.

END.

Eledhrim –Elves

Ennyn Rhîw – The Gates of Winter

Eryn Galen – Green Wood