The library was full of aged knowledge and possibly forgotten ones. There were stories of old times and some where of this time. The books were encased in leather bounding as some were decorated with gold or silver inking on their cover. But it didn't matter what the outside of the book looked like; it was what was held inside that Annadel was searching for. She was looking for her elder scrolls of ancient magic and possibly the tale of Sauron. By heart, she only knew vague details of how he turned dark and became the greatest enemy in all of Middle Earth. Thinking that there was darkness in her too, made her feel weary that one day, her powers may cause her greed to take more and possibly the lives of others. It was a possibility that it may come to that, but she would not allow evil to over take her. Her heart was for those of Middle Earth, for she could not turn her back to the land she called home.
"You look lost, Goth en gothamin." A deep voice stood beside her as she sank deeper into the soft chair. Annadel gave a loud sigh, flipping through the book lazily, not caring to read any of the pages she had turned.
"I am not lost. I am just…" Her voice softened as she snapped her head up, eyes widened as she flew from her chair so fast, Thranduil blinked. Annadel climbed a wooden stair case, running up and skimming down rows of books. Her finger dragged along the baseline of each book as she yelled out in triumph. A book of a dark red covering was now in her hands as she hurriedly returned back to the Elven King's side and slipped back into the chair. Her eyes were wide with anticipation as she opened the cover of the book. The smell of the old book wafted over her, old paper muted down and smelt of its origin of a tree. She smiled happily as she read on.
"And what is it that you are so fondly reading?" Thranduil asked curiously as he tried leaning over her shoulder to catch the wording along the page. Her wide green eyes were smiling too as she grinned up at him.
"I promised the Elflings a story after they had finished their archery lessons. This particular story is about the many adventures my previous mentor has had."
He stared at her seriously. "You should not fill their head with silly tales."
"But these tales are not silly." Her brow furrowed, anger rising, but her voice stayed calm. "These are stories of Gandalf the Grey! These are wonderful and true stories, for I have heard these from his lips!" She paused as their eyes burned into each other's skull. "And these stories have given me hope."
"Hope of what?"
"Hope to believe that even when you are weak at the beginning of another long battle, after you have slain thousands before this one, there is still fire within you. To continue to carry on for what you fight for…for what you believe in against evil, that is the hope he has given me."
"And what of hope for others?"
Annadel smiled. "I am still here with you, aren't I?" Her eyes returned back to the book as Thranduil snarled.
"I am not hopeless."
"No," She shook her head as she flipped a page carefully. "You are not, which is why I still believe in you."
He was about to speak before Annadel interrupted coolly. "If you were, I would have left long ago."
"As I have said before, you would have made a wise queen." He huffed stubbornly. She chuckled.
"Now it appears even speaking that very same phrase again spites you."
"It is the truth, but to have such a queen, you are in need of a king."
Annadel looked up from the book, staring at another mound of books in front of her. She tilted her head up curiously. "I am not so in need of a king as you are a queen."
His eyes shot down at hers from her little outspoken thought as her lips curved to release a cackle. "You amuse me so, Thranduil! We should have conversations like these more often." She mused with a gentle laugh.
"I am glad to be filling in your shoes for the entertainment." He said dryly.
"Oh don't be that way, my lord!" Annadel returned her gaze to his. Thranduil was stuck in them for he saw specks of yellow starlight. His hand moved slowly, under his subconscious, to pull back a strand of dark hair that fell in front of her eye. She stayed silent and stopped movement as he made that simple, intimate gesture. Her chest even stopped moving from not breathing.
"Your eyes have the starlight in them…" He whispered as his face grew closer to hers. His eyes wadded back and forth to each eye, memorizing the star pattern within them. A faint blush appeared along Annadel's cheeks from the sudden closeness they shared.
"Would you like them?" She asked softly.
Thranduil blinked, still in their spell, but looked at her curiously. "Your eyes?"
"I can give them to you if you would like. I have known elves held a fascination and upmost love for the stars."
"We worship the stars and have feasts over their starlight."
"Then if you love my eyes, I may give them to you."
His face pulled away from their enchantment as his face grew in bewilderment. "Sut?"
Annadel smiled as she brought up her hand, now standing against him, she traveled up over his broad chest and over his neck. Thranduil watched her curiously as she placed her hand over his crystal blue eyes.
"Your eyes are very pretty too. They remind me of the cool waters of the far north."
"I have never seen this type of magic." He admitted quietly.
"That is because it is another trick." She smiled as she hummed softly. The tune was slow, using her hums as chants. Thranduil closed his eyes and right when he did, he saw images of her past and present. The first memory she had given him was when she was a little girl, running off and chasing birds high in the sky. The little girl thought that if she followed them by foot, she would sprout wings and join them in the clear blue sky. Then he heard a familiar voice to those he is known as Mithrandir by the lady Galadriel.
"Do not stray too far, Annadel. For if you lose sight of your path, you could be lost and not return home." He warned.
She spun around quickly, her long black hair falling in front of her face as her eyes glittered and her pink lips wide in smile. "But Master Gandalf, I wanted to fly like the birds too!"
Gandalf chuckled deeply as he gazed up at the eagles flying overhead. "And to fly at such great heights can be an extraordinary gift or a curse."
The younger Annadel cocked her head curiously up at the tall Wizard. "Gandalf, is that what love is like also?"
Gandalf stared off into space, coughing awkwardly for a moment or two before he nodded in agreement. "It very well may be."
"I want to fall in love one day." The little Annadel mused dreamily. "And one day, I want to heal all of the people in Middle Earth of disease and doubt. I want to give them love, Gandalf!"
He laughed, mainly at her innocence for he would allow her to have it before she was plagued by the truths of this world. Annadel smiled up at him before an eagle took her attention away from him as it swooped into a circle in the air. She watched in awe.
"I am expecting much from you, Annadel." He smiled as she grinned.
"Thank you Gandalf, for I hope to reach your expectations."
"Not by learning silly magic tricks you won't." Gandalf began to walk away from her as she laughed, running past him with all of her energy.
"You have given me your sight!" Thranduil spoke in awe and in slight astonishment.
Her hand began to pull away before he caught hers with his own. Thranduil placed her hand above his eyes, staring into her palm looking for more memories through her starlight eyes. Annadel chuckled from his behavior as he waited patiently.
"Show me more."
"I have already shown you two tricks within a day, my lord." She spoke kindly. "I will run out of tricks to impress you with."
"There is nothing to not impress me with that comes from you." He pulled her hand down from his eyes as they caught sight of each other once more. His eyes were softer as they were moments ago, glazed over in something she had not recognized from the moment she stepped into the Mirkwood Kingdom. His hand was warm against hers as her fingers began to curl and mold against his properly. He fit around her so perfectly. Her head swirled for the proper word to describe his eyes, this feeling that began to boil inside her but she didn't have enough time because the book fell from the table and hit the stone floor rather rudely.
He released her hand gently and leaned to reach for the book. Picking it up gently, he rose carefully, standing tall, and holding the book for her to take. Annadel took the book into her small hands as she held it close. Their eyes lingered along each other's for a few moments longer until Thranduil excused himself to speak to his captain of the spiders still in his kingdom.
Once he left, Anndel slumped into the previous chair she rested in as a giant sigh left her body.
"By my beard…what is going on?" She mused quietly as she stared off again. Then she mentally slapped herself for using a term in which she didn't even own a beard. She had been around the dwarves for too long and has been separated from them even longer.
Goth en gothamin: Foe of a foe
Sut: How?
