Darkness fell upon middle earth and upon all those dwelled in it. Lanneth stood at the gated of Geenwood in her battle armor awaiting the Kings order to move out. She had quickly moved through the ranks due to her ability to fight. She sat atop her beautiful horse, a dark bay with white upon his stocky limbs and a small white spot upon his forehead. His long ebony mane trailed down to his shoulders while his tail dark as the night touched the ground. He stood quietly beneath her waiting for her to give him to cue to go.
As the King and his son Thranduil rode past all the elves bowed their heads to show their respect. Once past Lanneth lifted her head and gazed upon father and son who looked so alike. King Oropher turned to his king and spoke to all in his usual calm and cold voice, "Darkness has come, today is the day we stand and fight. We stand united with all of those in middle earth who oppose this threat, this evil! You are not only fighting for the safety of your kingdom but for all of middle earth! Remember your oath and if it comes that you meet death upon the battlefield that you greet him as if he were an old friend knowing that your sacrifice will always be remembered!" He looked upon the face before him with hard blue eyes before turning his mount and yelling "Move out!" Three quarters of the guards marched out of Greenwood that day not knowing if they would ever gaze upon the magnificent kingdom again.
Lanneth rode silently, her face set behind a mask of calmness when suddenly she felt a hand upon her shoulder. She turned her rich blue eyes towards the person and found her father gazing back at her. They looked at each other but no words were spoken. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before moving father ahead. No words were needed for the look said it all, good luck and I love you. Would this be the last time that they were going to gaze upon each other for when it battle death waits eagerly on the side to take you into his arms.
As the elves of Greenwood grew near the meeting point, Lanneth saw just how many had come to stop this evil. Men and elves alike set up camp and waited for they knew tomorrow would bring forth a battle they would not soon forget. Lanneth pulled her horse to a stop in an open cleaning before she dismounted and prepared her tent. She knew she wouldn't be sleeping in it as she did not like being confined this close to a battle. One never knows when the enemy may try and attack you by surprise. More than likely Lanneth would be found sleeping near her horse if anyone were to walk by.
The sun was still high above in the sky when Lanneth pulled out her sword to practice just like she did every day. As she spun around and swung her sword it was met by another and she looked upon her intruder with cold eyes. She quickly realized that the person on the other end was none other than Prince Thranduil himself. Lanneth quickly replaced her sword before casting her eyes down and apologizing, "I apologize Prince Thranduil I did not see you there. Forgive me for not being more aware of my surroundings!" She kept her head bowed and her eyes upon the ground. Prince Thranduil spoke quietly, "Do not apologize, and please look up at me Lanneth." She slowly raised her head as her eyes met his, she felt her heart skip a beat. "I hear you are one of the best in the lands both with a sword and a bow. Is this correct?" He blue eyes gazed upon her with a softness that made her knees go weak. Lanneth felt like the words were lodged in her throat so she simply nodded. He smiled before he also replaced his sword and walked slowly away from Lanneth. Lanneth stood rooted in spot watching him go and could hardly believe that the Prince himself had just spoken to her again after so many years.
Lanneth rose early the next morning and prepared her horse for the battle ahead. She placed her palm on his forehead and murmured softly, "Protect my steed from enemy blows, protect his heart made of gold, and if I shall fall into deaths waiting arms protect my steed from every blow." She kissed his velvet muzzle before placing her own armor on. She strapped her long eleven sword to her side, slid two sleek daggers against her back and one in her boot before placing her quiver of arrows upon her saddle. Lanneth could easily ride her horse with just her legs so there was no reason to weigh herself down any more than needed. She mounted with the horses, grabbing her reins in one hand and holding onto her bow with the other. She turned her beautiful horse and rode off with the rest unsure of what lay before them be it death or glory.
Fire and death filled Lanneth's nose as she swung her blade down upon the neck of an Orc. As the Orc fell to the ground his black blood splattered her face. Her chest heaved as she glanced around at all the dead bodies around her. Men, Elves, and Orcs all dead. Lanneth pushed onwards cutting down Orcs at every chance that she got it wasn't until she heard someone yell out in rage did Lanneth finally spot someone she knew. Standing not far away was Thranduil standing over someone and Lanneth could only guess that it was the King. Her gaze travelled to an approaching Orc holding a whip in one hand and a jagged knife in the other. Adrenaline went into over driver as Lanneth pushes forward swinging her blade left and right cutting down any enemy that dared to cross her path. A small gap presented itself to her and Lanneth bounded forward towards the Prince who was still caught up in the fact that his father had just been slain to realize his life was about to end. As the Orc raised its arm Lanneth launched herself through the arm and placed herself between the Prince and the Orc. There was too much momentum for the Orc to keep his arm from coming down and Lanneth felt the whip wrap itself around her face. Thousands of tiny objects dug into her skin as the Orc yanked his arm back and to the side causing Lanneth to be lifted off her feet and thrown to the ground. As the whip uncurled its clutches from her face she hissed in pain as the blood trickled down her face and into her line of sight. She blinked rapidly scrambling to get to her feet as she turned to face the Orc who had now turned his attention to her.
Lanneth could feel her body protesting and her knees threatened to give out from under her as she noticed her long elven sword was gone. As the Orc advanced upon the elleth she noticed the flash of metal and the Orcs head was promptly freed from his body. The Orcs body crumpled to the ground and behind him stood none other than Prince Thranduil his eyes held both gratitude and anger in them all at once. Lanneth's gaze flickered to the body just behind Thranduil, it was indeed his father but there was another lying beside him…her father. She felt her heart break and shatter into a million pieces around her. She grabbed the two daggers from her back and drove them backwards into the necks of two approaching Orcs, her gaze never leaving the body of her fallen father. She slid her daggers sideways before pulling them out and felt the Orcs drop dead behind her. She turned her gaze to Thranduil who has since resumed fighting the Orcs. She had never seen someone move so elegantly on the battlefield and she knew then that she had fallen for the now King of Greenwood.
The war had been won but so many lives had been lost. Lanneths mother soon left her to join her father leaving Lanneth all alone. Lanneth felt herself shutting down her emotions, she had not only lost a father but also a mother. The pain was almost unbearable and she found it so much easier to just shut it all off. Feeling something is worse than feeling nothing at all right?