Chapter Four: Waxing and Waning
Hours had passed since she left, and Thranduil was now lying upon a thick cot that held him in an open room. The wind blew through and the summer breeze grew faint. The leaves trekked in beside his gaunt-looking figure.
His hair, the flaxen blonde color, now seemed to turn white with the distress he felt. His hands lay beside him, spread out a little by the handles of the cot where he lay, his eyes half-opened. The breath he had became rather desperate to leave his lungs, even as he breathed in the air provided by the earth.
Elrond was sitting beside him, tending to the king as he had promised Tawariell. He dabbed Thranduil's pale, ichorous-soaked forehead, swiping at the sweat with the cloth, and leaving water upon his burning skin. It was the distress she had given him that made him feel this way.
His body was burning at an accelerated temperature, and his breath became rather shallow. He knew that if Tawariell would not return soon, the king would forever remain weak, until he would decide to depart overseas if he so choosed. He saw the despair in the Elvenking's clouded blues.
With a raspy voice, the king said, "I have failed my daughter."
The dark-haired elf looked down at the king with understanding eyes. He knew the pain Thranduil was feeling, as he pictured how the memories of he and his daughter were racing through his mind. He never doubted that Thranduil loved his daughter, but he was rather concerned for his well-being.
"If I had not hidden her from the world, if I had spent my every waking moment with her, none of this would have happened. She would not have left my side."
Elrond noticed how Thranduil was blaming himself profusely for his daughter's choice. He knew too, that if Tawariell did not return, he would not be able to save the king.
"My lord," Elrond began, "your daughter will return to you. You must have faith that she will come back to you, as it will be the only thing that will keep you alive in this moment."
Then weakly, Thranduil tilted his head to look up at Elrond. "But I have failed my daughter. It was because of me that she felt this need to leave our home. I am to blame, I am the one who is responsible for her deserting me. Elrond, I failed my princess, and I am paying for it now."
Shaking his head, Elrond replied, "It was her choice to leave, and it was also her choice to disobey you. She was blind in not thinking of you; if she had thought of you and Legolas, along with the shadow-riddled foundations of your kingdom, she would not have left thinking that this quest was her absolute last resort. I believe she will return to you, my lord. You must have faith in your flesh and blood."
Thranduil's eyes closed as he thought of her, his beloved princess. He sighed through his nostrils as his mouth closed. Elrond saw how tired the king was, and decided to let him sleep through his lamentations, though deep they were. He arose and left the room, looking over his shoulder only to see the king's paleness.
Lindir eventually caught up with Elrond hours later, his own breath hitching in his lungs. He panted, but kept a straight pose. "You called for me, my lord?" he wheezed.
Elrond looked at his panting page and nodded. "What I am about to tell you must stay between us, do you understand? No one else can know of this situation, not even the Greenleaf."
Lindir's brows pulled together in confusion, but he nodded in an understanding gesture. He was internally questioning himself, Lindir was. But instead, he complied and walked along side Elrond, listening intently. Elrond too wrapped his arms behind his back as they walked on.
Without pondering another moment, Elrond looked to Lindir and whispered, "E ú-'ar hired râd, heniach nin? He will not long survive without the princess. He is slowly dying without her, Lindir, and this makes these moments all the more dire."
The page's eyes almost went wide when he heard about the Elvenking's well-being. "Dying?" he squeaked, almost unable to believe it. Again, Elrond nodded. "Thranduil will perish if Tawariell does not return. She is the only one who can undo what has been done. If she does not reverberate her energy into him, he will die. It is very dire, much like I said."
Looking down, then up to Elrond, Lindir said, "Anírach i dulu nín?" Elrond shook his head, though the thought was kindred. "I already have plans to send others out to bring her back. She is riding toward Lothlorien." Lindir's heart raced as their conversation exceeded beyond words.
"But, if any elf from Mirkwood finds out that Thranduil is dying, there will be an uprise and there will be many impetuous words given. Most will think that there is foul play at hand. And if they discover their own princess is to blame, the possibilites of her returning alive will become rather slim. She is just as endangered as her ada. I will be sending two others from my patrol after her. They are leaving tonight to return the princess here. But remember Lindir: not one word leaves this conversation. Am I understood?" Elrond added.
Lindir nodded his head in obediance, replying, "Henion, heruamin." He walked off then down the stair to follow the squad of soldiers that were preparing to leave. Lindir in his civil duties, watched as the two elves readied themselves, arming their sheaths with swords and their arrows. Elrond watched as the two scouts mounted their horses.
He then cried out to them, alerting them with an order, "Avo visto!" Turning their heads, the scouts nodded and then clicked their tongues, then tapping their horses on their sides. The two white stallions rode out of the courtyard with their riders. Elrond exhaled in silence, hoping that they would find her in time. If the princess did not return, the Valar would soon see the king.
(Chapter five to come!)
(Elvish to English translations:
· E ú-'ar hired râd, heniach nin- He is not able to find a way, do you understand me?
· Anírach i dulu nín- Do you want my help?
· Avo visto- Do not stray!}