Author's Note:

Well. They're apart now. How will Thranduil handle this change? How about little Legolas? Fear not, I've got some fun little ideas in my head...some are quite strange, but I think most will enjoy them. They all make me feel quite terribly for Thranduil. :/ As always a big thanks goes out to Lady Viola Delesseps, and Stardust63. Thank you for all of your reviews, and for allowing me to annoy you with silly questions and random ideas. It's...it meas a bunch to know that there are some who are willing to put up with my lunacy! Also, a big hello and welcome to the new followers and favoriters. I hope you enjoy your stay! As always, raise a glass to the Professor!


Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Road Goes Ever On and On. (In this River)

None had seen the King in a week. However, all could hear him. Hear him crying, hear him throwing furniture, and they all could hear the sound of wine bottles breaking against his bedchamber wall.
One night, after glass after glass of wine Thranduil again cried "She didn't even say goodbye! ", and finally exited his bedchamber, and ran through his Halls, and into the Wood. He cared not for his dignity. His Queen had left them, because of him. He wanted to find her. Shouting her name, he ran to the one place he thought she would have sought refuge at. Their clearing, that sacred place of love and magic. She was gone. Only the silence and their mingled scent lingered.
He then sat upon the very grass they brought their precious son into the world and wept, hugging his knees, and repeating her name. A torrent of memories rushed into his mind and overtook it. Their first kiss, the night of their bonding, the birth of their child. He truly understood all that he had lost. He lost his love and the warmth that had built inside of him. Once more, he was as ice and stone. He knew that the one who could save him was in his room at this very moment, scared, alone, and saddened. He needed to go and be with his son. Their son. He wiped the tears and dirt from his face and started on his way back to his home.

Finally allowing himself to be aware of more than just his pain, he finally felt that of his people. They were in mourning. They missed their Queen, and reviled their King. He could feel that all their love was for his son, their Prince. He could feel the growing sickness within his halls. He never truly knew how important Glineth was to himself and his people until she was gone. As he made his way through his halls, he made a promise to himself and his people that he would bear this burden, bear the sickness and the hurt of his Kingdom. None should suffer but him. He took a few deep breaths and fixed a smile upon his face before he lightly knocked on his son's door.
He hear his soft voice from inside say, "Come in, ada."
Thranduil nervously stepped over the threshold, not knowing what to say, or what his son already knew. In this moment all he could see was his wife's face in miniature staring back at him. "Hello, my son."
Legolas frowning, looked away from his father and back to his wooden toy and asked, "Where is my mother?"
Thranduil knelt down beside his son and placed his arm around his tiny shoulders. "She went away on a journey, child."
"When is she coming back, ada?" he innocently asked, leaning into his father.
Thranduil buried his face into his son's hair and whispered, "Oh my child, I do not think that she is coming back. "
Legolas' lip began to quiver, and he began to cry on his father's shoulder, "It is my fault."
"No, no my son. This is my doing, and mine alone." he said, lifting his child into his arms and rocking him gently.


Glineth had been walking along the calm river path for two days. She took no food and she took no rest. Nothing of interest had happened to her aside from coming across fellow travelers in the now marshlands of Gladden Fields. She remembered times from long ago, when flowers grew there among the lakeside, at a time when the two rivers were joined. She bowed once to a tall stranger who was saying soft words of tribute to Isildur who fell in this very area, and continued onward, pulling a wary Losseth behind her. More days passed as she continued on her path, days filled with thoughts of her child and her husband. Her home. More than once as she faced the harsh wild, she thought of turning back, and hoping that all would be well. As she looked back once more, she say that she could barely make out the mountains of Mirkwood, in that moment, she knew that she was gone and would never return. Glineth shut her eyes tightly, and inhaled the free, changing air. She in that moment, tried to free herself of all her burdens. Glineth then looked to the East, and saw that her path lay across the river, and mere miles south. She could see her destination, her last home.
'Ah, I can just make out the trees of Lorien!' she whispered to herself.
As it was known by some that she was coming, she easily found herself in a small boat. It was there that she bid her precious Losseth farewell.
"This is a journey I make alone, Losseth. I cannot keep you from your mate and children. Go, go to your home, my love." she said, pressing her forehead to the cow's muzzle.
Losseth made a sound of sadness, and before she trotted away, bowed once to her master.
"Now I am truly alone." Glineth said aloud.
Before she climbed into the small whitewood boat, she decided then to change her clothing. Her leathers had been buried at the bottom of her bag, and as she shook them out, she had to quickly reach out to keep her precious book from falling into the river beside her. As she tied the last piece of her armor to herself, she could not help but feel free. She felt light of heart, and unburdened by her grief. She then climbed barefooted into the small boat, and began to row herself down the river.


Thranduil was pleading with Landir again as his child slept soundly in his lap. "Landir, please. Tell me where she has gone. " he said, desperation in his voice.
"I promised her and those who shall care for her, that I would not." Landir answered.
"Please. At least tell my son. He mourns his mother."
" I will not. For you would manipulate your son into telling you. She promised that she would send word once she has settled into her new home."
Thranduil then smiled, "So, she has not left Middle Earth. There is hope yet."
Landir smiled sadly at his King and friend, and asked "Do you wish me to take him to his bed, Majesty?"
Thranduil looked to the sleeping child in his lap and placed his arm about him, "No. I shall keep him with me tonight. Thank you for speaking with me, Landir. "
As Landir shut the door, Legolas stirred and woke. "I'm sorry I fell asleep on you, father." he said, yawning.
Thanduil smiled at his son, and held him close to him. "Do not be sorry. It was not a bother, not one bit. Your tiny yet, little leaf." he laughed.
Legolas slid from his fathers lap and stood proudly, and declared "One day, I'll be as tall as you...and use a daggers like mother, and be the greatest bow wielder that ever lived!"
Thranduil smiled at his son, enjoying the way that this little being could bring him out of his blackest of moods. As he closed his eyes, trying to recall his own childhood, an excited Legolas was tugging on the sleeve of his long coat saying "Ada, let's play a game!"
"What did you have in mind, young one?" Thranduil asked.
"I shall hide, and you will have to find me." Legolas said, bouncing with excitement.
"Go on then!" Thranduil laughed.
Legolas climbed onto his father and placed his father's hand over his eyes. "You have to cover your eyes, and count!" Legolas jumped down and silently moved about the room, and found himself a suitable hiding spot, underneath what he thought to be a rather large pillow on his father's bed. H did not notice that his tiny feet stuck out from underneath it.
Uncovering his eyes, Thranduil made a show of trying to find his son. "Now, where could my little leaf be?" he said as he looked behind a long curtain, then underneath his bed. He smiled and tried to contain his laughter as he saw the tiny feet of his son peeping out from beneath the pillow. He then heard an excited giggle as he silently moved closer to the bed. Thranduil then drew out one of his long fingers and began to lightly tickle the bottom of his son's foot.
"Aha! So there he is!" he laughed, as his son burst from beneath the pillow.
Soon the sound of laughter and playful pillow tossing was heard throughout the halls. It was a sound that many thought they would not hear again so soon.


Glineth did not know that she had fallen asleep in the boat until she felt it gently hit the shore of Nimrodel. Glineth smiled and slowly opened her eyes to greet the morning sun. As she straightened herself up, she gasped in wonder at her surroundings. She had arrived at the very edge of Lorien, guided by an invisible hand. She looked in wonderment at the trees. They were the most beautiful things she had ever seen. These were not the twisted, corrupted, and intimidating trees of Mirkwood. The trees before her were green, beautiful, welcoming, and gentle. Glineth took a moment to appreciate the beauty around her, and the feel of the sun on her shoulders, before she lightly hopped out of the boat and tied it off. She gathered her things, and once again looked at everything around and ahead of her. This is where she belonged. In the sunlight, among the trees. She then knelt down to the ground and took in her hand a handful of dirt,and deeply inhaled it's floral, earthy scent.
"I am home." she whispered, letting the dirt fly out of her hand and into the light breeze.
As she crossed into the waiting woods of Lorien, Glineth physically felt a weight come off of her, she was now free, unburdened by her grief. She felt free. Free to live her life as she chose, at last.


"She has entered the Wood, brother." Rumil said, quietly leaping down from the tree in which he observed the Queen.
"How far is she?" the eldest of the three brothers asked.
"We could intercept her in mere minutes, brother." Orophin answered.
The eldest brother sighed, and said "She is a Queen and a guest of the Lady of Light. We were sent to escort her, not capture her."
Orophin bowed to his eldest brother and said, "We have been greatly honored with this task. We shall not fail you."
The eldest brother smiled and nodded, and began to slowly run down the nearby path. Hoping to reach the mysterious Queen of Mirkwood before she reached them.


Glineth neither saw nor heard the three brothers approach- and was quite surprised when they seemingly appeared out of nowhere in front of her. Keeping her hood pulled over her head, she nervously bowed to her escort.

"Welcome Glineth off the Green, Queen of Mirkwood." a deep, rich voice from behind the two youngest elves that stood as still as statues before her.
Her grey eyes widened as she saw the being behind that strange voice step out from behind his brothers. This oen was taller, and wider in the shoulder than any male of their kind Glineth had ever seen. His hair was a slightly darker shade of blonde than she was used to seeing, and it was held back by twin braids that met in the back of his head to form a a singular one that flowed down to the middle of his back. She also took quick notice of the color of his eyes. At first she thought them to be a brown color, but as she looked closer, they were of a dark blue, with a hint of green.
Glineth bowed once again and said, "I thank you for your kindness."
She then shook her head free of her hood and watched as the two younger brothers stared at her in shock and open fear. She smirked ever so slightly, as she knew they had likely never seen a female of their kind look as she did. The eldest brother looked at her with curiosity and apology. He knew that his brothers had shown her disrespect. 'Clearly she has been through much.' he thought.
He then smiled at her once more and said kindly, "I am Haldir, Marchwarden of Lorien. These are my brothers, Rumil and Orophin. I apologize for their behavior. They have not seen one such as you before, and do not understand your words well. "
Glineth bowed again, her eyes staying away from his and said "I am pleased to meet you all."
"Come my Lady, I am to escort you to Caras Galadhon. The heart of elvendom on earth." he said with reverence.
Glineth smiled and picked up her fallen bag and said "I am eager to see it at last."
All three brothers turned from her and began to walk down the path, Glineth followed them slowly taking in the beauty of the forest. All walked in silence until Haldir stopped and reached out to take the bag that Glineth was carrying. He knew that taking her weapons would be a mistake he would regret greatly, so he offered to take her bag instead.
"Do not trouble yourself. I can manage, thank you." she said smiling.
"Please. I can sense that you are feeling pain from injuries past, my Lady. Let me help you." he said lightly tugging on the leather strap of the bag.
Glineth narrowed her strange eyes at him, and removed his hand from her bag with ease. She looked down, ashamed of her rude behavior and began to walk ahead of him.
Haldir shrugged off her strange behavior and walked on behind the small party. He looked ahead to where Glineth had stopped to dance among the leaves that fell all around her with the breeze. He smiled inwardly as he watched her jump up to catch a fair few of them and put them into her bag. For what reason, he did not know. But he made a note to remember to ask her why she did such a strange thing.

'So, how did one such as Thranduil win this strange being?' he thought as he watched her continue to dance in the falling leaves.


A/N:

Sorry that this took so long to get out. I struggled a bit with how to have her arrive and all that happy stuff. Let me know what you think will happen once she reaches Caras Galadhon! Oh, and do you feel pity for poor ol Thranduil? Oh, and before I go...a huge happy birthday to the best gal in town, Kayla! You are a marvelous young woman! -M