Chapter 10: Delayed

Thranduil strode up and down his living quarters, his stomach a bunch of nerves. The body part was making it clear it was missing Tauriel, but the rest of him was just as nervous. She never stayed so long out on patrol or if she did, she would send word of the circumstances. The ruler tried to calm himself, ruminating, reading, lying down to force some sleep, rubbing his own stomach for comfort, but then gave up, knowing in his heart of hearts he will not rest till there's an explanation for the girl's disappearance. So when at dawn Elrondit came to report that one of Tauriel's aides was found dead in the forest, Thranduil gave immediate orders to have his horse ready and a dozen guards to shadow.

Angrod was woken from his slumber by a fussing Elrondit and was just about able to intercept his patient and king as he mounted a white mare, imposing, but pale in comparison to the elk that died in the battle. "My Lord!" He held on to the bridle of the animal, "I do not consider a good idea for you to ride, the strain would surely upset your delicate stomach."

"What do you know?" Thranduil urged his horse to turn.

"Sire, I would like you to at least take some of these potions with you," the scholar rummaged in his bag to produce a few bottles. If not for you, it might come in useful for someone on the endeavor," he placed them into the pouch on the saddle.

Following the messenger to the dead body of the slain elf, it was determined in the now bright morning light that the fatal injuries came from the hand of an orc. A few other warriors were found in a similar condition nearby and then finally a decapitated orc as well. Thranduil regrouped his men, covering a larger search area, but that still didn't bring much more success than another few dead bodies, elf and orc alike, and a couple of small scuffles with orcs found wounded, but alive. The resulting dread was a sickening feeling that had nothing to do with his stomach.

"Darkness is upon us," Elrodit approached the overwhelmed king, "the men are tired and hungry. Perhaps we should renew efforts with fresh blood tomorrow?"

Thranduil's head snapped up, feeling betrayed, "I will not rest till Tauriel is found and I expect my soldiers to do the same!" He ordered.

"I understand my lord, it's just that all of us are concerned for your safety. You have recently been very unwell and yet you have not rested nor eaten anything since we rode out at dawn."

Thranduil rolled his eyes and reached into the knapsack hanging on the saddle to take a piece of honey lembas he was furnished with as part of his provisions and stuck a large bit of it into his mouth, swallowing it almost completely whole, without chewing. "Happy?" He scoffed, feeling the waybread sink like a rock in his stomach uncomfortably. Elrodit sometimes took his duties of safeguarding the king way too literally, but his brazenness did qualify him for the job the same way as it has been with Tauriel. You had to talk back to a stubborn king to keep him safe.

"Tauriel's arrows!" One of the sentries came back with the items in his hands, "I got them out the flank of a goblin two hundred yards north!"

"Gather the troops, we are scanning this area three hundred yards every which way!" Thranduil marched his horse off in the direction the arrows were found, leaving Elrodit to sort out the details. That was what he was there for after all. It was due to this that it was the king who found her. Sitting on the ground stiffly over the body of Inglorian, her long hair covering most of her face but still making it visible she was crying. She didn't look very much different than how he'd found her after the battle of the five armies, but perhaps more apathetic and frozen and less outwardly emotional.

Thranduil dismounted, relieved. She was alive, in whatever condition it will not matter long term. He advanced slowly and reverently, so as to not to startle her and yet she knew he was there. "It was a trap." Her voice sounded monotone and lifeless, "the whole thing with the trolls was a trap. They wanted the guard out here so they can take out the best. I couldn't save him Thranduil. He was my second in command and he died for me and no amount of my fighting skills, nor any of my fea I endeavored to give him could save him," she breathed, hyperventilating.

"It won't always be like this Tauriel," the king approached, kneeling by her once more and she needed no encouragement this time to take the offered consolation and throw herself in his comforting arms. With no interruptions due to injury on this occasion, she sobbed, her pain feeling like a heavy, swarming cloud that encompassed both their forms. Tauriel wondered what right did she have to feel better like his embrace soothed her. People were still dead but with her grief shared and understood, the burden wasn't crushing her as much.

"My Lord?" Elrodit dared to interrupt the moment, having closed up behind him with half a dozen other stupefied members of their company. What was the king doing with that ordinary elf?

"Leave us!" Thranduil shifted the crying woman in his arms to allow his fierce expression to be seen as he gave orders, "set up encampment where we were given word of the arrows but leave some blankets, water and a tent for us here."

"Would you like us to set up your tent?" Elrodit offered.

"No. Just depart straightaway," the warrior king shook his head, "and leave a smaller tent, not the stately one."

"I beg your indulgence Your Highness but the dangers…"

"The enemy is slain, there's no danger. Now go," Thranduil gave sternly, yet never stopping stroking Tauriel's hair and face with a gentle, comforting hand. He only kissed the top of her head when everyone was out of sight.

tbc