* I don't own any of the LOTR characters. Lana and Christine and Oc is of my own creation.-Ladystarlet09

(Crossing The Line)

Lana and Christine both sighed from their respective war horses as they followed behind Thranduil as he sat proudly upon his massive war elk. It had been three weeks since they had departed his kingdom within the darken forest of Mirkwood and already both women were heavily weary and sore from almost constant riding in the saddle.

"My ass is sore and I think my inner thighs are chafing from all the hard riding." Lana complained as they came to a stop by a stream. She kicked her brown mare with her legs, wincing as she did so. The mare nickered softly as if laughing at her rider while swiftly trotting to the stream to take a much needed drink of water.

"I know how you feel, girl. But we agreed to come along and help as much as we can." Christine replied while pulling her horse along side Lana's. Her body was weary, but she was alert with everything around them. They had been ridding hard across the plains, killing small orc parties along the way with the small army the Elven king had massed. Much to the dismay of Lana, they didn't find what he was looking for so he had no other choice but order everyone to kill any who posed a threat long their journey.

"How do you think his son is faring so far, Lana?" Christine asked casually while handing her partner her water pouch. "He seems to be in better spirits since we talked to him."

Lana shrugged, sighing heavily. "Now that his wounds are fully healed, I suspect he will be wanting to continue on with whatever it is he wants." She replied as her eyes fell upon Thranduil's form several yards away. He was talking with his commanders and captains with Legolas sitting upon a white horse beside his father. She smiled as her eyes caught the similar expressions father and son wore. "Then again, I don' think he will ever want to go on a wild adventure without consulting with Thranduil, least he should cause his father to have a heart attack."

Gruivuen walked through the crowd of soldiers up to them. He bowed his head slightly, smiling. "The king says we are to camp here for the night. We shall continue on towards Rivendell instead because he isn't sure if it would wise to hunt more orc packs and not expect larger ones to appear."

"So how long will it take us to make it to this place you speak of? I can't take anymore of riding my horse until my legs come off." Christine asked while dismounting her horse.

"It will take about another few weeks before we are able to make it through the passage of the hidden paths." A tall old man dressed in all grey with a tall brown staff in hand replied. His keen eyes fell upon the two women as another old man dressed in all brown and carrying a similar staff to his own, hurried to catch up to his companion. "It seems like a higher power has guided you two to this world." He continued moving his gaze from one face to another. "You are yet to discover what paths each of you shall follow during these darkening times, however I feel in my heart that much is to take place between now and then."

Lana stared down at him with a look of confusion. "What do you mean, old man?"

"He does have a name, young lady!" His brown companion sputtered, offended by her lack of manners. "You are speaking to Gandalf the grey. I am Radagast the brown."

Cheeks turning bright red, she quickly got down from her horse and made a small curtsy to them both. "Forgive me, but king Thranduil failed to introduce me and Christine to you both when you had arrived back in Mirkwood." She said apologetically.

Gandalf snorted, muttering something under his breath about the lack of manners from Thranduil and his court. "It was probably for the best until I and Radgast decided to meet you two ourselves." He replied before swiftly walking away.

"What was that all about?" Christine asked Gruivuen who had taken a hold of the two horses's reins. He shrugged. "Wizards are strange people who often speak in larger riddles then us elves. They are often very powerful, quick in temper when its aroused, yet very merry as children once you get to know them. We often enjoy the company of those two compared to the company of the leader of their order, Saruman."

"Oh." Was all the woman could reply as he motioned her to follow him. Lana hung a little ways back, observing how quickly the other soldiers were working on errectng tents and fire pits to prepare the evening meals. Several royal guards were already beginning to set up a much larger and richer tent which was obviously for the king and his son in the middle of camp with the others surrounding it from all sides. His war elk and Legolas' horse were free to roam around for water and green grass.

She looked around for the king, but didn't find him as they passed through. Gruivuen eventually stopped beside the royal tent and worked on freeing the war mares of their saddles. "He is having a special tent being set up beside his own for you two. So go ahead and just enjoy yourselves cautiously while we prepare everything."

"And what about a much needed bath?" The women asked him, pointing to their dust and mud covered clothes.

"There is a spot that's hidden from eyes not far down that stream. Have several female warriors go with you to keep an eye out of unwanted eyes or the enemy. Its not well advice that you should lower your guard even thought we have several hundred strong here." He left them after hearing someone call his name. Christine sighed while going for some fresh clothes that were packed in her saddle bag. "I can't wait to close my eyes in peace." She groaned as her lower back began to ache. "I don't think I'll ever get used to riding a horse after all of this."

"I'm totally with you on that." Lana replied while glancing down at her watch. It was almost past seven in the evening. "Lets hurry with our bath first. I think I smell of horse and sweat." She suggested while grabbing her personal items from her own saddle bags.

Once they got what they needed, they looked for three elleth warriors who seemed to be relaxing by their tent nearby. After hearing that they needed someone to guard them while taking a bath in the stream, the three elleths agreed, saying that they too wished to bath a little bit before supper was to be served.

Meanwhile, Thranduil was taking council with his son under the privacy of some oak trees not too far away from camp. "Three more weeks time, we shall be riding beneath the gates of Rivindell." He said softly while his son rubbed his aching shoulders. "And we shall be facing Elrond's wrath and quite possibly Estel's surviving parent as well once she gets word of the failed mission."

"He will understand, Ada." Legolas comforted him. "After all, Elrond knows that we will keep searching for them until they are returned back to their rightful place within his house."

Thranduil closed his eyes as he felt a particular knot slowly start to loosen up beneath Legolas's expert fingers. "Aye, but not before he has my head. I swear that old elf sure knows how to have an terrible temper on his human side. I remember how swift he was in punching me in the face after he found out I had swapped the sugar for the salt when we were younger. My black eye didn't go away for weeks time after that." He laughed, remembering how fuming the young lord had been when he discovered his favorite cookies were not sweet, but rather very salty.

"Ada?"

"Yes, what is it, my little greenleaf?"

"Are you or do you have strong attraction to Lana?" Came the very innocent question.

Thranduil's eyes flew open and he swiftly turned around, forcing Legolas to pause in the massage. "What makes you think that?" He countered with a look of disapproval in his blue eyes. "She is a mortal woman and I'm an immortal elf king."

"Well, yes that's true, Ada." Legolas replied as he gently forced his father to turn back around so he could continue on with his work. "But my eyes see otherwise when I see you looking at her whenever you think I'm not paying attention." An amused grin spread across his fair face, his matching eyes twinkling beneath the cover of darkness. "Did you two share something that I'm not aware of?"

"Legolas, you are most precious thing to me above all else." Thranduil replied in a deadly tone that he only used when him and his son were not seeing eye to eye. "But what you see is just a mere friendly exchange. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Yeah...well I heard from some of the healers that she has been turning deep red whenever you have her come to keep you company." He squeezed a part of his father's shoulder that had been bothering him, causing the king to yelp at the sharp pain. "Sorry, Ada. It seems like this knot doesn't wish to go away."

"Well this upset king and father wishes that you cease talking about such nonsense." He replied irritably. "Why don't you go help some of the captains with their horses and leave me in peace until supper."

"Yes, Ada." Legolas lightly jumped to his feet, placing a kiss upon his father's cheek before swiftly running off in the direction of the camp in a happier mood. It was so easy for his beloved son to have such a gay side even during dark times such as these.

Thranduil sighed and rubbed his shoulders with both hands while craning his neck side to side. Ever since that night when he had fulfilled Lana's drunk request of kissing her, he had become troubled with dreams filled with the memory and the sweet taste of her soft lips beneath his own. She had been very drunk during their heated kiss, but he knew that she was aware of how her body was responding to his lovemaking. He remembered feeling the rise in body heat, the low groans of pleasure as he deepened the kiss, how tightly she clenched his body against hers, trembling beneath his expert fingers as he had trailed them long her skin and hip.

"Your majesty?" He heard someone softly call out to him suddenly. "The royal tent is ready."

"Thank you, Maluon." Thranduil replied with a hard cough and his usual cold mask to hide his embarrassment of being caught unaware. "I shall be there soon."

"Of course." The elf replied as he left the king in peace once more. Thranduil let out a growl of frustration as he angrily kicked at a fallen log with his booted foot. "Damn her! Why am I attracted to such a small, frail thing?" He said to himself while clinching his head between his hands. "Such attraction is only filled with bittersweet unions."

"So you may chose to think, Thranduil, son of Oropher." A deep voice replied softly. Looking up, he found Gandalf standing nearby, leaning on his staff while keenly looking upon the elven king. "What troubles you so, my king? Is it because you have fallen in love with that lovely young woman?" He asked kindly while taking a seat beside Thranduil without asking permission. He made a low grunt once he managed to get his bottom on the low log. "These bones are growing more older by the day." He muttered while withdrawing a long stemmed pipe from a leather bag that he carried with him. A tiny flame emerge from his finger as he held it against the small bowl, blowing on the stem until a thin blue wisp of smoke began to curl forth into tiny rings.

Once the wizard was satisfied with how much smoke was emerging, he let out a weary sigh and kicked out his legs upon the green grass. "So as I was saying, does she hold a strong favor in your seemingly cold heart, Thranduil?"

Keeping his cold mask of indifference in place, Thranduil snorted. "Perhaps, but what does it matter? She and the other woman isn't even from this world. They don't know the dangers we face, how we live in near constant vigil against orcs and other foul creatures. If it wasn't for me or even my son, I doubt that they would even be able to survive past a single night upon these plains." He gestured a hand towards the busy camp. "Even as we speak, I have almost every single elf warrior keeping an eye on them while we make our way through this journey."

Gandalf was silent. He puffed away at his pipe and stared up at the bright stars that were slowly starting to emerge in the sky above. After a while had passed, he spoke again. "Then perhaps you should allow your feeling for her to blossom. Perhaps there is something beyond the purpose that she had been brought here by the will of the Valar. Maybe she was meant to come into your life so that you can begin to heal from long wrought wounds that were inflicted by your brother. Already your son and heir has easily become friends with someone who has powerful healing abilities within her fair hands. Don't you think its high time perhaps that you allow your pride to die down a little bit and perhaps you relearn what its like to truly live life to its fullest? I heard many great praises from your people on how she and Christine were able to bring your son back from the abyss of death through their gifts of healing. I believe Lana is a wise choice that you have been bestowed upon by the higher powers of Eru himself, you just don't' fully realize it yet, king Thranduil."

"Are you talking riddles with me, Mithrandir?" Thranduil replied with a frown. "Or is this truly what you believe you see in the young woman?"

"Valar help me with having patience for your foolish ears and mouth!" Gandalf cried as he got to his feet. He glared down at Thranduil with his eyes, making the elf king feel like he had indeed said something rather foolish to someone who had the power of making him practically disappear from the face of Middle Earth. "Thranduil, I have seen what I have seen within the woman's heart and mind. She is full of kindness, love and a wisdom that sets her well beyond her own mortal years. Yes, it may seem very bitter to you for having such strong affections for someone like her, but think of the more positive sides of such a union. Your son will have a mother again after being long suffered of growing up without his own, you will have a queen and wife to love and protect and your people will be alive and happy of seeing you show the former warmth that you once displayed so long ago. If you don't think I am talking truth, then perhaps you would like to hear it personally from a particular elf lord who resides in Imladris who has gone through it and witness it for himself."

Thranduil's ears began to turn red at the tips. "I'd rather try to avoid that if I can, Mithrandir." He replied hastily. "Its bad enough that I'm putting myself on the line to tell him of the stolen heirlooms in person."

"THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF FOR ONCE AND JUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO CROSS THAT LINE, KING THRANDUIL!" Gandalf's voice boomed unnaturally louder then normal, making him flinch as his warriors looked curiously towards their king and the grey wizard. "You should not fear the unknown if you don't know what the final outcome is going to be, your majesty." Gandalf replied in a much kinder voice. "I may be one of the Istari that traveled across the seas from Valinor with my Order to help aide you people against the growing darkness, but also remember that I bring healing within my wake as well. Not all has to be full of despair and darkness that I cannot help in anyway that I can, even for you, Thranduil." He reached down and placed a wrinkled hand upon the king's shoulder. "Be at peace and just follow what your heart seeks."

Thranduil bowed his head respectively to the wizard before watching the old man walk away back to camp. He took a deep breath, exhaling out as the sound of light female laughter caught his sharp ears. He looked around for the source before his eyes felling upon a small group of elleths who were accompanying Christine and Lana for a evening bath by the looks of the various clothes and toiletries in their arms. Jumping to his feet, he swiftly intercepted them before the group could go any further as they passed him unawares.

"My king." The elleths bowed deeply as he came into their path. He nodded, signaling them to be at ease as his gaze fell upon Lana. As normal, her cheeks became its usual deep shade of red, her eyes darting away from his as she bit her lower lip between her teeth. Christine raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"I would be greatly honored if perhaps you two women would please join me and Legolas for supper in my tent." He said smoothly while his red tips of his ears gave away his embarrassment. The female warriors did well in not showing their open shock and amusement behind carefully placed blank masks. "There is something of importance I would like to discuss privately." He added to help give a reason for them to agree. "I will have one of my captains come get you once all is ready." Thranduil said firmly to prevent them from backing out.

I am being so stupid with this whole love thing. Why am I even listening to such crazy advice from Mithrandir? He may be older then I or even my forebearers, but he doesn't know what love is.

Care to repeat that, Thranduil? A sudden familiar voice broke through his mind. The elf king's gaze went towards the camp where he found Gandalf looking at him by his own tent with a look of slight anger in his eyes.

Er...well you didn't exactly arrive with a wife and child to these shores, so how would you know what love is? Thranuil bravely defended himself as his whole face turned red.

Doesn't mean that I don't know what love is. The wizard scolded before turning to go inside his tent. I left someone dear to my heart behind in Valinior before I left its don't insult my advice when given unless you have a death wish upon your eternal soul.'

"Of course we can join you, your majesty." Christine spoke up for herself and Lana. "We were just on our way to freshen up a bit after a hard week upon a horses back. We will be back within an hour." Lana started to protest, but was cut off when her friend punched her with her elbow in the rib. The female group moved onward while Thranduil silently watched the swaying backside of a particular mortal woman. Clinching his fingers into tight fists at his side, he turned back towards the protection of the oak grove and walked inside, seeking to abate his sexual desire for Lana in a more personal fashion that he hadn't done since he hit adolescence before having to face her once more within his powerful presence over supper.

Meanwhile, Gandalf and Radagast both sat within their tent on their respective sides, smoking on their pipes and discussing their next move in search of the precious heirlooms of the house of Isildur. If all went well in finding them before Thranduil reached Imladris in a few weeks or so, Valar willing with safe passage through the secret way, there would be no need for Elrond's human temper to be unleashed upon his own house.

Or so they fervently hoped.