Hi! I'm alive. Love to kill you all with leaving cliffhangers. Yup. I've seen all your reviews and PM's. I am alive. Seeing those little emails popping out time to time- kept this on my mind.

Depression is a big dark hole I recently crawled out of- now I am…me? More or less so. The whole thing left me unable to write, I just looked at the word file and…nothing. Blank. So. I am back. I think so.

Ljmrdh: I will try to.

Silvazemalfoy2014: I try to make them light. I'm not a smut writer, but I can kill you with fluff and lemons. *chuckles ominously*

WestOfTheGlass: She will meet spiders…not saying if she's gonna like 'em.

Thranduil is an ass at times. A king all the time. I like wrote three versions of this scene. One ending in steam *ahem* the other in tears, so I left the second version- minor freak out.

AND TO Ismira Shadeslayer- My personal apology with a dash of embarrassment. I would gift you Thranduil only dressed in a red bow if I could. Forgive me?

Thanks to all who said things somewhere. Just thanks. I have read all your reviews. Thanks.

Warning! Since I wrote this while being under drug influence (thanks doctor!) there might be grammar issues and so on, let me know, I will fix them.

A very long day. Part 2: I'm tired.

Her fingers were looking like dried prunes by the time she heard Elma coming back. Lena decided to get out and dry herself off.

"Elm-ahhh…" she stopped sinking her body more into the water and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

It wasn't Elma. It was Thranduil.

Selene looked wide eyed at Thranduil, then kicked her leg out of the water, sending water splashing out of the pool of water onto his robe. "Get out!" FUCK! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fucklings! Full nudity, jesus fucking christ on a stick. Can he see me through the water? Fuck!

The look Thranduil gave her could have frozen hell, the sudden noise behind the door broke his gaze. What the fuck? Her attention then went to the door that Thranduil had just stepped in from.

"What are you doing here? Let me in! Lena is in there you idiots!" She heard Elma behind the doors, her eyes flitted to Thranduil, whose head was also turned towards the door. Please come in and save me! Please!

"We can't." One of the guards spoke. "Elma, leave." Elma, don't leave me here with Perv Grumps.

"You can't or you won't?" Elma spoke in much threatening tone. A thump and a loud groan could be heard and the door opened. Thank god! Now kick his ass.

"King Thranduil." Elma's voice had turned into a squeak, she then properly curtsied. Her eyes darting between Lena and the king. Elma opened her mouth to speak, but she was out of words. The king and naked Lena. What did she just see? Did she see it?

Thranduil then took a step towards her, taking the bundle of clean clothes from her hands.

"I…br-brought Lena clothes?" Elma stared at her empty hands and then looked up at the king. "Goodbye." Elma continued to bow until she excited the door. Elma you traitor! Don't go. Shit.

Thranduil smirked, placing Lena's clothes on a chair. Arrogant SOB.

"Your hair is shorter." He observed, didn't he notice it before? "You will dress, eat and then show me where you met the onodrim and the troll cave. You have half an hour." He then turned around his robe trailing behind him, a dark spot on its front.

-…-…-…-

Anna had stuffed her with food before pushing her to the palace gates. Elma still hadn't returned after the 'king incident', but since no stories were out and about the palace of his visit, Lena decided not to worry, she was tired enough as it were.

Legolas and Thranduil were already outside, both dressed to impress. Thranduil's armour shined in the light, his cape looked like it was made of metallic feathers, varying in colour. Legolas was dressed in a similar garb, though his armour was a bit darker in shade and seemingly lighter.

"Lady Selene, this way." Kallos called out, leading her away. Kallos helped Lena mount the horse and then nimbly got on himself.

On the forest path she saw Thranduil riding a little behind her, making her do a double take. Horse with horns? Looking again she realized, it was a supersized elk.

"Which way lady Selene?" Kallos asked behind her, making her almost jump out of her skin.

"That way." She pointed out and held onto the reins tightly. She hated horses.

-…-…-…-…-

They reached the clearing where she met Ao. Legolas was speaking in a hushed tone with Thranduil, gesturing towards the trees, then both of them looked at her, tilting their head in a similar manner. It would have been funny to point it out, but since their gazes were pointed at her she felt a shudder going down her spine.

They were studying her. Did I do something? She pretended not to notice and walked away, towards the place Ao had uprooted himself.

"Here is where I met the onodrim." She spoke to Kallos, who was studying the upturned ground and leaves, it would have taken quite a lot of digging to make such a hole in the ground.

"Where is the onodrim?" Legolas asked.

"I don't know." Lena said frustrated. "I know which way he took me, before I fell." She added quickly noticing Thranduil blatantly staring at her again.

Why couldn't elves be covert about such things? Why did they have to stare and not even hide it? It was unsettling to Lena, until she realized, she was an elleth herself, so she looked back at him.

Silence fell as the guards noticed, no-one moving.

"Are you lying to me?" Thranduil asked, stepping towards her.

"No." Lena said quickly, he looked menacing.

"Where is the onodrim?" he inquired then, his cold blue eyes seemed to be burning like fire.

"Not here." Lena got defensive and then decided to dial back on her sass. "I don't know."

"Find the onodrim…"Thranduil said, brushing past her and leaning in to whisper. "-quickly."

Lena walked away from the group, going to one of the trees she had healed before. She wrapped her arms around the rough bark, thoughts running through her head.

It was the first time Thranduil had intimidated her, not purposefully, but his actions left a cold feeling in her. 'Ao you gotta help me. Ao!' she concentrated on the rustling of the leaves, the stillness of the forest itself.

Soft murmurs at first drew her attention, making her feel safer. 'The elleth has returned!' echoed through the forest as a loud rumble. 'She brought light! Find her spirit!'

Thranduil noted how the rustling of leaves grew louder, it felt like the air around him was alive, crackling with energy. He then noted another, almost rhythmic hum go through him and another low rustle of leaves. There was no wind. Selene. Where is she?

He looked around, he could not see her. "Kallos, where is Selene?" he asked her guard.

"She went that way." Kallos answered, drawing out his sword and walking towards an overgrown pathway.

Thranduil motioned for the group to stop, looking at the peculiar sight before him. Lena's arms were wrapped around a tree, he could sense the slight warmth and the pulse of energy originating from her. He then heard a low rumble, as if someone was kicking up dirt. He looked up, seeing the treetops move, something was moving through them.

"Lightbearer." A deep voice called from the forest.

Thranduil glanced at Lena who still wasn't moving.

"Let go. Don't be afraid." The soldiers lowered their weapons, looking at the onodrim in awe. Lena had stepped away from the tree, looking up at the onodrim. Reaching out, the tree swept her up with its branches and hid her.

The onodrim then rose to full height, glowering over the elves.

"You taught my kind to speak, not to wage war." Ao's voice echoed through the forest. "Do not anger the spirits."

Thranduil understood, sheathing his sword, others followed quickly.

"The son of Oropher, Thranduil. Prince Legolas. I am known as Ao." The tree bowed deeply, the wood groaning. Thranduil lowered his head in a greeting manner. "What does the son of Oropher wish?"

"The elleth. Selene, she is hidden somewhere." Thranduil smiled, now speaking in a friendly manner.

"The lightbearer."Ao chuckled, his deep voice reverberating. "I do not hold her captive, she was frightened, that brought me here." Selene appeared as a few branches lowered, she was cradled in a nest of leaves, then lifted back up higher, she appeared to be sleeping.

"To her account, you saved her from trolls?" Thranduil asked.

"Bothersome creatures." It sounded like a sigh. "They hide themselves in the cliffs, deeper in the forest. Sunlight turned three into stone."

"Could you take us there?" Legolas spoke up. "We need to make sure."

The ent seemed to consider, turning towards the sun. "I can't take all of you. Leave others to camp here and watch out for spiders. Few lurk about after nightfall."

-…-…-…-…-

After Thranduil had given orders to set camp to others he chose the others to come with him and Legolas.

Legolas climbed up the onodrim himself, Thranduil, Kallos and Tauriel were lifted up and placed. Tauriel was lifted almost into Legolas' lap, while Kallos was put on a branch just below them. The king was separated from them and seated not far from Selene, who seemed to be in deep sleep.

Lightbearer? Thranduil wondered over the name, observing Selene's sleeping form.

"She is tired. You should have let her rest." Ao said, moving through the forest. "We can't lose another bright spirit, the darkness has taken enough. You know how it taints the forest."

"Legolas told me that the forest was dark there, deaths shadow lingering over it and now, flowers are blooming? What did she do?" Thranduil asked.

"She is a healer. Darkness cannot stand the light of the Illuvatar, nor someone who bears it."

-…-…-…-…-

Lena was awoken by a deep voice, she opened her eyes to see Thranduil, she recoiled from him. Ao broke the tenseness of the moment by lowering both of them on the ground.

Lena looked down into the cavemouth to see the stone statues. Tim was on his ass, a hand infront of his eyes and his mouth open. Bernie was reaching upwards, anger evident on his face. Jim looked like he was running, but he had fallen over, cracking his arm, which was lying beside him.

Thranduil observed her reaction, relief was evident. He then noted the bruises and cuts on her arms, daylight showed the blue and yellow marks that were blooming on her skin. The dim light in the palace baths had left the injuries hidden.

Legolas wrinkled his nose in disgust, motioning Tauriel to follow.

"I am not going there, I was held in that stink for quite some time." Lena shook her head and sat beside Ao, resting her back against the onodrim. She still felt awfully sleepy, but tried to hold her tired eyes open.

Legolas was soon out with a bounty, carrying a big chest with him. Setting it down he let out a huff, glancing at his father, who was smirking.

"You are going to carry this back." Legolas said, Thranduil just raised his brow and opened the chest. Various items of moth eaten clothing, jewellery and two swords, wrapped in leather.

Thranduil pulled out the first admiring its glint against the sunlight, then testing its weight in his hands. "Elven made. Never used."

Thranduil then entered the cave, stepping over the troll, kicking its arm further. He could hear the crunch of bones under his feet. Human and animal bones littered the cave. Tauriel was squatting beside some ropes. "She was held here. There are some human bodies rotting back there. Half-eaten, seem to be disease ridden." Tauriel handed Thranduil her torch and walked out.

Thranduil walked deeper into the murky cave, the smell of rotting flesh burning his nostrils. He held his torch over the bodies. A dark realization- human family had been slaughtered, by their dress he could tell either they were poor peasants or beggars, by the way cloth still covered them- they had a sickness that gave boils on the skin. They were chased out of their village and their home torched, to keep the illness from spreading. A man and a woman, a bundle that he thought at first to be clothes, was a child.

The man was missing his leg, the flesh had been torn off. The woman's whole lower half was thrown away, her insides spilling on the cave floor. Their last moments were horrid. Thranduil lowered his head in silent prayer.

-…-…-…-

The sun was low on the horizon when they got back to camp. Lena looked at Thranduil who seemed sombre for some reason. She was dead tired on her feet and everything ached, even the little nap didn't help much.

Legolas was much cheerier, showing off the two swords, earning a few laughs from others. Tauriel seemed to scoff- boys comparing their swords. Kallos didn't let Lena dawdle, instead lead her to the horse.

"Don't bite me." Lena said to the horse and tried to mount it, but she was lacking strength. "You need to help me up." She said to Kallos, who on the third try pushed her up, grabbing a fair portion of her ass. After that the few elves present at that moment didn't even look her in the eyes, she just sighed loudly.

-…-…-…-

Finally back in the palace, she trudged up the steps to the healing chambers. Landmir looked up from his book. "Go to sleep. We will talk tomorrow." Lena went straight to her bed, flopping down on it, not bothering to take off her clothes.

When Landmir heard silence fall, he went to the kings chambers. Galion had already left to his own room and the guards were relieved of duty.

"Evening. What did you find?" Landmir asked, sitting down on a plush seat.

Thranduil was in relaxed clothing, walking barefoot to pour himself some wine, lifting the bottle he offered Landmir some, who refused shaking his head.

"3 stone trolls. Jim, Tim and Bernie." The king plopped down on the sofa. "The human illness has spread further. Even trolls don't eat them. Tauriel found three bodies in the cave. Man abandon their own kind, probably chased them in the forest and then trolls found them. Man and woman torn into pieces, child half eaten. Left to rot." Thranduil took another mouthful of sweet Dorwinion wine, enjoying the warmth that it left in his chest.

"Traders have asked for no medicine. I can look it up, but I believe this to be a new kind of illness." Landmir sighed, scratching the back of his head. After a few beats of silence, Thranduil spoke.

"Lena called forth the onodrim. Ao. Knew my father and Legolas. Strange, I have met his kind, but nowhere in Greenwood. Ao said Lena healed the forest, called her Lightbearer." Thranduil looked questioningly at Landmir.

"I taught her to heal. Nothing else." Landmir said.

"We found weapons and some jewels in the troll cave. Two swords, elven craftsmanship, not used in battle. Trolls are not fond our work, they wouldn't keep swords that could kill them so near and in a chest." Thranduil tapped his fingers against the goblet.

"A previous inhabitant?" Landmir offered.

"Perhaps."

"I'll leave you to your thoughts." Landmir said and left the chamber.

REVIEW. PM me, don't PMS me though. Won't give you any promises. EXCEPT- I will update. Just not going say when. Giving out dates hasn't worked out for me.

P.S: Mareth will fuck up some shit in the next chapter. ALERT. SHIT WILL GO DOWN. Eheeeehehe.

Lots of love,

Boo.