Demons
And the blood's run stale
His eyes opened suddenly gazing into the dark… His heart hammering inside his chest. He stayed completely still through the night until everything was painted pitch black. Such hour was only fit for what he had to do… The darkest hour before the dawn… He slowly moved through the shadows unseen and unfelt, standing up, leaving a dark figure lying on the couch; still. A faint movement gave the inclination of soft breaths. He left the room confused, seeking advice only one person could provide… Or rather… One lonely soul…
Travelling through the mountain's corridors was easy. Although he always complained they were built like a maze, those paths he knew well. The dark paths of the dead… No Dwarf had ever walked there before. They had barged in like wild animals leaving behind them broken rock... The blood of the mountain running to their forges with no other choice… Sacred places being raped from their axes… Still, it was the mountain's choice to give them such a sacred gift… Why?
Back when he was visiting the secret halls of the ancient mountain he dared not look at it when it was right in front of him because tears would come in his eyes. He knew it had appeared for them… If they had found those pure jewels of starlight it must have appeared to them too… Who was the mountain favouring? And when did Thror plan to announce he had found it? Finally he found what he was looking for. He kneeled… and prayed… Begging for advice… for a path he could follow… He knew nothing anymore… He was confused… So confused…
'What shall I do? I don't know what to do…'
Trembling despair. He waited and waited until he felt the stars fade without seeing them. He was ready to return to harsh reality but…
Flame… Ruin… Blood… Quick flashes through the mind. Fire… Wrath… Blood… People screaming through the night. Red… So much red… A city falling to pieces… Air thundering through the battlements… Death… So much death… A golden gate shattered… Emeralds and rubies scattered… Panic… Anger… Sorrow… A distant light turning away… Calls for help but no answer heard… Despair… Betrayal… Shame… Foolishness… Blood… Death… Everywhere... Fire! Everything burning… Trees cracking as if a roaring beast has just caught its hunt. Ashes… Confusion… Where was everyone? Where? Birds… Run! Run! They were screaming… The sky getting dark… The sun disappearing… The moon becoming red from blood and fire! Blood! Fire!
Thorin gasped. His head between his palms pressing at his ears. Oh, the screaming… Screaming… He had woken up so suddenly but he was grateful for it. His eyes focused and he realized he was sitting up on a couch… Whose couch? His breath was caught in his throat. The screaming again… He stood up and paced around trying to ignore his headache… and the screaming… Then he remembered. He was in the Elven King's chambers! 'By Mahal!' he thought and looked around, but the Elf himself was nowhere to be seen. It was nearly dawn. Thorin thought of going back to his quarters in case his father decided to pay him a visit early in the morning but he voted against it. He would wait stubbornly for the Elven King. He sat down again and tried to rest, but his dream couldn't leave him alone… So he just stayed still; screams in his ears, fire and ashes in his eyes…
When Thranduil appeared he walked straight to his bedroom slamming the door behind him; not even noticing the Dwarven Prince still sitting on the couch. He started packing his bags for his return to Mirkwood which he hoped could be arranged as soon as possible. He was frantic, hands trembling, a frown drawn by his eyebrows above his concerned eyes. The door cricked and the Elven King turned in a blink of an eye, his Elvish knife at hand right at the neck of the intruder.
They stood like this for a long moment -both startled- before the Elf's hand fell to his side.
'Oh…' was the only thing he managed to say and to Thorin it sounded much like a disappointed "You still here?".
Then the Dwarven Prince saw the Elf's wrist struggling to keep the knife steady, even though it was hanging to his side. Was he trembling? Was the Elven King trembling? Thranduil caught his gaze and slid the knife back to its place while letting his hands get busy with gathering his Elven robes.
'What are you doing?' asked the Dwarven Prince after the short unnerving silence that had fallen to the room.
'What does it look like I'm doing?' snapped the Elven King, his frown deeper.
'You can't be…' Silence.
'Leaving?' finished Thranduil 'Oh yes, I am.' more harshly than intended 'And I'm not going to answer to you about it.' added with voice shaking slightly.
Thorin overcame his surprise at the last remark quickly and closed in the distance between them seeking an explanation. Did Thorin just touched him ever so slightly?, was all the Elven King could think of, steading himself and turning to face the Young Prince inches away.
'Are you alright?' the worried tone struck Thranduil like a slap, nobody ever cared or even noticed if he was alright… But he met the prince's eyes with defiance and noted stubbornness.
'Since when do you care?' the hurt look in those blue orbs in front of him almost made Thranduil plead for forgiveness but he resisted stubbornly... again.
'We…' Thorin shook his head and continued 'How can you just leave? We haven't talked about this yet…' the 'this' he was referring to, was obviously their so-called relationship that was probably doomed even from the time the Young Prince was a child.
'I must…' was the cold response but Thorin knew the emotions hidden behind that mask and moved closer… Getting into another's room in the middle of the night and confronting him was something entirely different than claiming that someone again when the morning came and that's exactly why Thorin was shivering and of course why Thranduil was stunned and was standing completely still with wide eyes in front of him, as if struck by lightning. Their lips brushed and both let small gasps escape, the feeling so enchanting that a moment later they had fallen into each other's arms almost desperately and had almost fallen on the bed beside them.
'Fine… I'll stay… Only for some days…' was the soft response that escaped the Elf's lips when they finally parted. Thorin smiled but didn't say anything for the time being. The Elven King caught his concerned gaze and whispered 'But something else concerns you…'
'I just…' the Young Prince sighed and gave up 'I just had a nightmare before I woke up…'
'Nightmare?' Thranduil almost choke 'What nightmare?' he insisted and continued more softly when the Dwarven Prince met his eyes with confusion, intrigued. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…' but he was caught off by the Prince.
'No, it's alright…' he hesitated but continued. 'It was… fire… and ashes and… death… so much death… I… I don't know…'
'Don't say another word.' Instinctively the Elven King's fingers had travelled to the Prince's lips and then he spoke as if speaking to himself out loud 'This wasn't a dream… Oh, no…'
'What is it?' Thorin gasped softly as the divine touch of Thranduil's fingers had caught him off guard and then his words filled him with curiosity.
'Nothing!' Thranduil said with authority that Thorin hadn't found the courage to oppose yet when he was presented with it so suddenly. The Elven King led him to the door and then the next door murmuring worriedly 'You must return to your chamber before they notice you're missing. Now! And don't say anything to anyone about this dream, I beg of you! Not even your mother…'
'But… Thr-'
'Shhh!' said Thranduil while opening the door that was leading to the corridor 'Promise me!' whispered demanding a positive answer. Thorin seeing his shaken and nervous expression sighed resigned and nodded soundlessly, his eyes meeting the Elven King's with honesty. Thranduil nodded back and although he did not say a word, Thorin knew he was inviting him for later discussion and maybe more than an innocent kiss this time… So he waved him goodbye and silently run through the corridors to his own room, unnoticed...
At the other side of the door the Elven King of Mirkwood slid down to the floor and curled up with his arms around his knees and his head between them trying to keep calm when images of blood and fire run in front of his eyes… Blood… and fire… A Dragon's fire…
Clarification: Thrandy can't see the future. He can sense some things with what has remained of the power of the Eldar inside him but he can't see the future. The vision came to him because of the sacred place he went which is a part of a plot twist. As of why Thorin saw the vision too that is also a noncanon plot twist. You'll have to wait and see XD
