Chapter 3:
Deep in the darkness of the trees, shadowed by the safety of the gloomy dusk, it waited.
There was little to do but wait as the two legged creatures passed, for it had no wish to encounter these beasts. It knew all too well the penalty of such an encounter. Two-leggers could not be trusted. All they did was kill. And the penalty for killing one, even in defence, was great.
Wait. Calm. Stealth. Retribution.
These were the rules that keep one's self alive. These ensured survival.
A hungry gurgle rumbled low within the gut as it watched. So easy it would be to take a straggler. To snag just one unsuspecting two-legged...
Inching forwards ever so silently, like a passing shadow, it's great body oozed across the great branch above.
No. Purred the winds. Wait. All in good time. You will have food that will satisfy, untainted.
Sniffing the soothing breeze, it cautiously tasted the air.
Different.
These were very different from any two-legged it had smelled before...and yet, familiar somehow, though surely they had never been smelled by this nose before.
A curious glow lighted the eyes, burning with a dangerous fire.
Powerful beasts. That's what they smelled of. Like the others, but not as dreadfully foul.
But, still...they were similar enough.
As night closed in, and masked by the stirring of the leaves and gurgling waters, a soft, angry snarl whispered into the darkness.
Death was coming.
Elsewhere, in the Halls of the Woodland King...(our story continues after what seems an eternity).
"Hir nin, you have returned unharmed! Well, isn't that pleasant surprise."
"I try to be considerate when possible, Medlinor." Thranduil drawled smoothly as he strolled along. The shorter elf fell into step with him easily. "And what have you to report? I have not sensed any distress from anyone of late, and had taken that as a good omen. I was correct?"
"You were indeed," Medlinor nodded. "Emily has recovered quickly from the illness. I had been concerned it would keep hold for much longer since the illnesses of this world are foreign to her body, however she is ever resilient. I released her the day before yesterday on the condition that she behave herself."
"And has she?"
"As well as any of your bloodline can." Snorted Medlinor, tossing his eyes to the ceiling.
"Then let us thank the Valar for small mercies." Thranduil replied mildly. "And what else is there to report?"
"Our beloved princess is taking it upon herself to rearrange your cellars."
Thranduil stopped short, turning quickly to face his friend with great concern etched over his fair features. "Not the wine cellars! Please!"
Medlinor chuckled long and hard, "You're precious wine cellars are safe. Legolas saw to that, though it took a great deal of convincing on his part. He managed to persuade her into starting with the ones that required her...skills...more desperately than your stores."
Relief washed over the old king and he shook his head ruefully as he started walking once more. "Thank the Eru and all the Valar for that! I confess that is one trait in my dear daughter I wish had not returned to these halls. The insufferable drive to disrupt perfectly good ways of doing things and rearrange everything in the name of making things more 'organized'! I beg of you, who is ensuring she doesn't get carried away and begin throwing ancient heirlooms out?"
"Hithaerthel is assisting her." Medlinor said with mock enthusiasm.
"Good." Thranduil relaxed once more. "Very good. Hithaerthel would not have remained on my council for many years if she did not have a strong will and practical head on her shoulders. I have every confidence she will keep my daughter in check."
"She does possess a good stern countenance that would send even the twins running to their rooms. A bit of a cross sort of soul, if you ask me. And she's always sour about visiting the healing wards."
"Medlinor, that is because you cannot keep your opinions to yourself and she shares some rather different ones than you do."
"That's no reason to be unpleasant." Medlinor growled. "I'm perfectly civil to her during our friendly debates, why should she not be the same."
"If you call challenging her to a duel and then insulting her loudly when she made a few suggestions about the healing wards being 'civil', I'm sure she is treating you with every level of civility you afford her."
"I'm a healer, and I don't have time for someone who is not a healer telling me how to run my wards." Medlinor rumbled, scowling at Thranduil. "Do I tell her how run her own offices?"
Thranduil opened his mouth to reply, but Medlinor cut him off.
"No! I don't. I offer some insights when I see fit, that is all and I don't take it out on her if she doesn't take them!"
"Do say you weren't fighting with her while I was away?" Thranduil sighed.
Medlinor blinked at him. "Why would I fight with her? I have better things to do with my time. NOW! How are those little pups settling in? You did ensure all those mortals were made perfectly aware of what my instructions are for their care, correct?"
Smirking, Thranduil cleared his throat a little. "I may have chosen more diplomatic words, but, the instructions were relayed."
"Good. I'd hate to see the little terrors back here. Be a terrible waste of my time and frightfully irritating." The healer said gruffly, though they both knew he didn't mean a word of it, other than not wishing the children to be ill enough to have to see him again. "And what about the littlest one. I see she didn't return with you?"
A shadow passed the elf-kings face as he thought of the child and leaving her.
Amiena sat upon her bed, waiting for him anxiously as Tilda had said.
"There, penneth, you see I have come as promised." He said, scooping her up when she tumbled towards him, clutching at him with a trembling fingers. "Hush. I gave my word you would not have to remain if you did not wish it. I'm not going to leave you..."
"I don't want you to leave." Amiena whimpered, her tears wetting his neck.
"I'm am not going anywhere, little one." Thranduil told her again, propping his back against the wall and stretching his long legs out across the child's bed. It looked so much smaller with him sitting on it. "I'm right here child..."
"But you won't be if I stay and I don't want you to go."
Pausing, Thranduil carefully considered his next words.
"And have you been thinking about staying?"
Amiena quivered and then sobbed softly, "I don't want you to go away...and I don't want to leave either...I like Bern and Tilda and Alder...T-Tilda reminds me of mama...and s-she...I think she might really actually want me to stay...and Bern knows things that other people don't and he's safe...so is Alder...but I don't want you to go away."
"Shh, shh, shh. Sweet child, hush. I'm still here now, calm down." Thranduil rocked the little girl, heart heavy with the weight of the child's turmoil. This was the hardest part of getting soft hearted towards the children of men. He had to let them go eventually.
"I don't want you to leave...I...I'd really miss you and...I'm scared..."
"What part, aside from my leaving scares you, child?"
"The part were I'm here alone...what if...what if something goes wrong and they don't want me anymore?"
"That, dear child, will never happen. Do you trust me? You do? Good, then listen well, little one. Each and every one of the children are precious to me. I would not leave any of you in a situation that was not safe...and I will not leave you without a means to contacting me if you or any of the others are trouble. Not only that, dear one, some of my people are staying behind and will be living in this very house while they help to ensure all of the returned continue to heal. They will be here for several months..."
"Thranduil?"
Coming back to the present, he gave a small smile. "She remained with Lady Tilda and her family. She was welcomed with all the love and acceptance I could have hoped for, and more. I believe she will happy with them, and all is as it should be."
Quirking a sympathetic half smile, Medlinor placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed. "It never gets easier, letting go of them. Mortal or immortal, they all have to find their own wings eventually. What a terrible and wonderful thing that is."
"The pain in letting them go always surprises me." Thranduil murmured, soft and vulnerable hurt breaking his mask, then he shook himself and returned control to it's place as though nothing had happened. "No matter. She has a home and is with her own kind. That is good. Now tell me, where are all my grandchildren hiding?"
"Well, Emily has spent much time in the stables of late. She mostly sits either up on one of her beasts reading or she brushes them. It seems to be the one place that Clare and Aewnith do not seek her out thus leading me to believe that is the motivation behind spending so much time there. Clare is as proper as ever. She has been quickly adopting our ways and learning the proper customs of several races. Though I have my doubts about how she is truly...beneath the surface. At face value, she is doing remarkably well! You grandson is both awing and flustering your engineers with some of his more...exceptionally unique...ideas. He has great enjoyment in growing accustomed to his new and heightened elvish abilities, fledgling as they may be. It will be some time yet before his full potential is discovered. His changes seem to be continuing now at a much slower rate and with less dramatic side effects which pleases us all greatly. He is rather like you in his whining habits when he is in the healing wards."
"I should visit with them as soon as I clean up from the road." Thranduil mused, nodding in greeting to the various subjects who came across his path.
Medlinor rolled his eyes. "You will have plenty of time to do so, however I must suggest you speak with your sons first. Faervel returned along with Farland not two days ago. They came bearing some disturbing news. It would seem that our woods are not remaining as restful as we might have hoped."
A chill brushed through the elf king at these words and he drew a deep, pained breath. "Yes. I had feared as much. The darkness is returning swiftly. We have much to do to prepare."
"It may not be what you fear, Thranduil. There is a good possibility that it is merely a fleeting and passing danger which we can easily crush."
"Let us pray you are right." Replied the other grimly.
Hours later found Emily padding softly down the hallway towards her grandfather's study.
Her pace was brisk and the tension in her jaw suggested an air of great determination around her.
Her timing couldn't have been better, that is, for a youngest child who specialized in eavesdropping because no one ever told her anything interesting.
Disappointingly, she didn't hear much as the door were opening.
"I will take the hunters out at dawn. Perhaps we will be wiser hence forth." Faervel was saying as he strolled out.
Farland wasn't terribly far behind. "If it is what we fear then perhaps we should warn the Dunedain as Estel is- Emily what are you doing here skulking around in the shadows!"
Emily balked at the sharp words directed at her and nearly scowled. "I was coming to see daerada. Is that a crime?"
"Watch that attitude missy!" Farland warned, point his finger at her.
"Yes sir." Emily answered dully, peering around her father and catching Thranduil's eyes. She noted the disapproval and mild disappointment in them at her lack of respect so she couldn't help but mumble, "Sorry. I wasn't trying to skulk around or be sneaky. Daerada, should I come back later?"
"No, come in Emily. We have finished here."
A wave of relief rippled through the irritation and restlessness around Emily. It gave her the likeness of a caged bird pausing a moment in it's frantic fluttering against the bars.
She slipped past her father and uncles, accepting the gentle tussle of her hair from Legolas graciously before she closed the door.
"Emily." Thranduil softly greeted in his signature tone, beckoning her to join him with a subtle motion of his hand. She came and sat close beside him, tucking her knees up to her chest and holding them against her with one arm while her free hand raised to rake through her hair with agitation.
"You're home." She stated rhetorically. "How did everything go?"
"It went very well. All are returned to those whom they belong, and are closely watched over."
"Good." Emily nodded, eyes flicking away distractedly. "I'm really glad to hear that."
"What troubles you." Came his quiet demand and Emily very nearly twitched a smile. Her grandfather rarely bothered with coaxing anything from her or tricking her into talking to him. It was just understood that if she came to him when she was upset then she was going to tell him about it. Period. There was seldom any way around it.
And this is why I come to you... I just really really appreciate not being tiptoed around and coddled.
Gritting her teeth, Emily dragged her fingers through her hair again, this time stopping to worry at the edge of her scalp with her nails until Thranduil gently took her wrist and lowered her arm so she had to stop. He must have sensed she was exactly in a cuddling mood because he didn't put his arm around her so she could snuggle in, as was their habitual fashion when sitting together.
"Daerada..." She began, "As king, you give orders and people have to follow them, right?"
Thranduil suppressed a smile. "Yes. That is, generally speaking, the way it is supposed to work."
Hearing the humour that laced his cool tone, Emily bit the inside of her cheek to keep her face from acknowledging that it had been a bit funny and shot him a half-hearted glare for laughing at her. His expression was perfectly cool and innocent, but his eyes gently mocked her.
"Oh, never mind." Emily sighed tiredly, suddenly just really not in the mood to deal with anything good-natured at the moment. She moved to get up and it was then that her grandfather snaked an very strong arm round her waist, snatching her back down and preventing her from leaving.
"Oh no, penneth." He said in a deadly quiet voice, riddled with stern seriousness that completely banished his prior teasing demeanour. "You know much better than that. You came to me, troubled. You are not leaving until you have told me what this is about or given me a very good reason why you don't need to tell me."
Ice water washed through Emily's stomach at his tone and she stayed very still until his arm loosened to a warm hold. Slowly, she slouched down and curled into him so that her head rested near his heart. The steady beat calmed her frustration and momentary fear of displeasing the older elf. Seconds later the other raised a hand to weave through her hair soothingly and she drew a shuddering breath.
"Can you order everyone to just leave me alone!?" She blurted out.
The elf-king blinked, placidly taking everything in stride.
"I would need to more specifics than that, Emily, if I were to do so." He stated calmly. "For example, I cannot imagine that everyone in my kingdom is 'not leaving you alone'..."
"Well, ok, not everyone...just some people...ever since I came back from the 'stone fiasco' everyone...and by that I mean mum, dad, Clare, heck, even Merenith and the four dull ones (mostly all of them, anyway, kind of)...Faervel...and bunch of other I encounter everyday..." Emily trailed off, struggling to find words to explain.
Finally she flailed her hands dramatically in exasperation and exclaimed in a whispered yell, "They won't stop freaking hovering and watching me all the time! They treat me like I'm about to just fall apart at any second, tiptoeing around anything that might 'upset' me! I'm never left alone! Someone ALWAYS finds an excuse to go outside with me, or even just wander around the stronghold! Faervel, in the last few days, just keeps showing up or having me escorted everywhere, which drives me nuts, by the way! And then Merenith won't stop skirting around things she thinks might upset me...Joel...Joel actually is being pretty cool, for the most part, which is surprising me. He even told Clare to butt out the other day. AND Clare! Arrrghhh! She keeps wanting to do 'sistery' things together, which is fine except I don't always want to be around her! And mum and dad are just...arrrghh! They all have these...these idea's about how they think I should be handling everything. They're like, 'Now, Emily. You've been through some really traumatic things, and we really would feel better if you went for counselling about it!', except they never actually just come out and say it! It's like they're worried because I'm not crying all the time, or that they think I'm not even talking to anyone about all this just because I don't talk to them! And the way they keep watching all the time like they expect me to just off and disappear again! It wasn't like I meant to in the first place! Doesn't anyone trust me anymore!? You should hear mum whenever I go outside! She goes onnn and onn about how I need to be more mindful of my surroundings and how if I see something strange to stay away from it and go find 'an adult'! Or dad being all joking, but actually passive-aggressively saying, 'Now don't forget to leave the heroics to the professionals!'. Frick! I hate it so much!"
The girl gulped air and clenched her teeth against the angry tears that had surfaced.
"I just want to be normal! I just want NORMAL back! It would be great if I could just move on with my life, and get used to the way things are now...dealing with stuff as it comes! But, no! No, Emily's not allowed to have a simple, normal life! I have to have angst and drama! I'm suddenly not allowed to process things at my own speed! No! No, I get these not so subtle 'cues' that tell me 'this is were Emily spills her guts and we fix her because she broken and that's not OK because it makes us uncomfortable!'. And then when I don't react the way they wanted me too then suddenly something is wrong with me and well 'oh, she's just not coping well.' and then they shake their heads and have this big old superiority complex and idea's about how they're being all supportive and stuff, but I really just want to them to STOP!"
Emily deflated and hid her face against him mumbling, "I just...I don't know. I can't do this anymore, daerada. I could just scream at the top of my lungs..."
"Would that make you feel better?" Thranduil asked, smirking lightly at the idea.
Emily thought for a moment and then snorted, "No. It would just make it worse and the hovering would increase tenfold because they would be worried I was loosing my mind...which I might be."
"No, penneth." Thranduil crooned seriously, "We cannot have you loosing your mind. It is a rather important part of you and I, for one, am rather fond of it."
A small smile stole across her face, but it was quickly clouded over again. "It's been worse too ever since they found out about what happened with Verick...suddenly old 'issues' are being dragged up as if I can't be trusted to deal with it properly or that I haven't been seeking out help when I need it."
"And do you seek help when you need it? Or merely just when it all becomes too much...?" Thranduil asked.
Frowning, Emily chewed her lower lip.
"I'm getting better at it...sometimes I just don't know for sure if it's actually a big deal or not. That's all. Besides...you and vede Legolas are really good at knowing, even if I don't, when I need you."
"And yet you take very little issue when we approach you...were as you are nearly driven mad by other family members stepping into roles of concern and worry?" Thranduil challenged. He knew well what she was getting at and why she was so aggravated. He himself was growing weary of the drama and he had only just returned.
"That's different though...you give me space when I really need it. And you don't smother me...or watch me all the time as if I'm just going to run off and do something stupid again."
"You are certain that I do not watch?"
Rolling her eyes, Emily craned her neck to look up at him, "No. In fact I'm certain that you do keep a close eye on me, even if I can't see you. But, again, that's different. You've always done that. It isn't something where you're suddenly treating me differently because of what happened."
Thranduil hummed, gazing into her eyes thoughtfully until Emily couldn't take it anymore and ducked her head back down against him.
"At least I can count on you to be consistent. And Vede Legolas...and Glorfindel...Glorfindel is consistent in his own weird way though...and the twins too. I don't know how they do it, because I still know they are hovering, but it's not nearly as annoying. And Elrond is consistent. I guess Medlinor is too. And Estel has been really great..." She murmured. "I wish everyone else could get the memo. Mostly mum, dad and Clare...and Faervel...and a lot of the others too. I mean, I really do appreciate that so many people care about me, but, I just...I just want to be a normal, not-noticed person like I was back on Earth. I don't like being treated differently than before..."
There was a long silence in which Emily left all her anger seeping out of her and she was left tired, defeated and despondent.
"Am I really just not coping well, or something? Am I being dumb because this is making me mad?" She whispered haltingly, afraid that her grandfather would say 'yes' and then lecture her.
To her relief he burst out laughing, shaking his head.
"Nay, penneth. It is perfectly understandable that you are feeling this way. And you are to be commended for how well you are taking things. Ever since we meet, I have been continuously blown away by your resilient spirit." Thranduil chuckled softly and then sobered. "Has it occurred to you that it is possible those who are hovering so...insensately...are perhaps the ones who are not coping well with what happened?"
The girl in his arms shifted slightly as the idea sparked her interest.
"No. I hadn't thought of that...well, except in Clare's case, but, that's just because she suddenly seems to be having trouble with everything these days, even if she hides it well."
"Hmm. Then let us explore this possibility together, shall we?" Thranduil suggested, knowing how his granddaughter's mind worked well enough to know thinking through it would help calm her frustrations somewhat.
"Ok." Emily agreed, tucking her feet under her more comfortably and shifting so she was perfectly cosy this time as she allowed herself to relax trustingly into the embrace of the other.
"Firstly, you must understand, Emily, that I am not exempt from your frustrated accusations. I do confess that I have been aware of the, how shall we say it...extra company you have endured of late? Not only have I been aware, but I have done nothing to discourage it. I confess it has eased my mind knowing you are well watched over at all hours of the day, especially while I was way. But...this peace of mind should not be at the expense of your sense of freedom, Emily. I am to blame for that, penneth, and once we are finished discussing this, you and I will come up with something more reasonable."
A small sense of betrayal snuck into Emily's heart and she tensed, not knowing what to say.
Daerada doesn't trust me?
The thought crept forth and made her stomach plummet.
As if reading her thoughts, Thranduil continued gently, "Emily, it is not a reflection of a lack of trust in you that I allowed this, rather my distrust of the world and it's evils. From under the nose of my very best warriors and close to the very walls of my magical fortress, you were taken from me...from us. It was by no fault of your own. You could not have known, nor were you able to fight the enchantment...no, do not make that face, Emily. You were not to blame for anything that happened...with the small exception of purposely disobeying me and using the stone, however in the end that was for the best and has long since been forgiven. None the less, it was through no fault of your own that you were taken by the witch...and none among us could seriously be to blame for it either...no matter how much Merenith or Tirnel feel otherwise, or Faervel feels he should have gotten there faster...or how Legolas wishes he never let you go to the archery field that day...or how much your parents blame themselves for not paying enough attention and for not knowing you as well as the thought they did...nor can I blame myself for not listening to my heart when it told me to never let you out of my sight that day. No. Emily, there is no blame to be laid except with the witch herself. But, what remains is that it did happen, and you were stolen away from under our noses, and that is a frightening thing to realize. I would lying if I said it did not still rattle me to the core, thinking upon this, and so I did not discourage the escorts."
"But...something let her take me...and I know we've been over this already, but..." Emily whispered softly. "Daerada, if there are...higher beings that guide and shape the story of Middle Earth...like the Valar, and Eru...then why did they let her take me? She was evil. Why did they allow evil to take me from you?"
"Because it is a fallen world, and freewill is a terrible thing that allows others to do evil things...as I explained to you before...but know this, penneth. In my many, many years I have seen the same thing over and over again. Never is an evil allowed to happen without something very good coming from it, the ugly transformed into the most spectacular of beauties. That good comes when light shines in the darkness, standing firm against the oncoming storm." The old elf paused and gazed down, studying her face that was only just visible to him. "Emily, what might have happened if you had never been taken?"
"You would have gone to save the kids...and Estel...and the spiders would have come...and Melantha probably would have still released the spell of destruction...you..." She grew very still. "Are you saying that my being there was essential to everyone surviving?"
"Perhaps. It is very likely."
"Huh." Emily said thoughtfully, clearly not having considered this angle yet either. Some the tension left her and she let herself go somewhat limp again as she rested.
"We stray from the matter at hand." Thranduil said briskly, briefly tightening his arms. "Now, given that no one was truly to blame for what happened, and yet we know that some still blame themselves for it unduly, what does that tell you about their constant hovering?"
"That they're scared it's going to happen again if they aren't there to stop it." Emily answered softly.
Thranduil made a noise of agreement, "How else could we explain the behaviour?"
"Mum said it was her fault she didn't teach me enough about Middle Earth because she never told me about who we were until it was 'too late'. So she's feeling guilty?"
"What else." Thranduil prompted with a nod.
"Clare's just been all out of whack since we got here...so I figure she just doesn't know what to do with anything anymore. Joel...Joel's actually been growing up a lot, I think...and actually took the time to listen the other day when I was ranting a bit about people hovering, that and he doesn't really do the hovering thing, so he hasn't been acting that differently, other than being nicer. Dad...I know. I feel like he can never find the balance between his family and the job. I know he cares, and I know he loves me, but he's not never really there when I need him...I mean, he doesn't really do the whole talking thing, except with mum, and even then, mum is really logical about things so she doesn't often get emotional about stuff. Vede Faervel...I don't really know him that well to know..."
"Faervel carries a self imposed burden of making sure everyone else is safe. It can become somewhat of an obsession...one which I have taken half of my life time to tame in myself. I understand it well, and he is learning. What of Merenith?"
"She's worried I'm just going to leave and go back to Earth. I kinda blew up at her before the feast, right before all this happened? Yeah, so she doesn't believe me when I say that I choose to stay..."
"In short, they dearly love you, Emily. They are smothering you, yes, however it does not change the truth that they love you very much and it hurts them to see when you are hurt."
"I'm not that hurt!" Emily exclaimed. "It's like they are just imagining how they think I should be and not listening when I tell them that they're wrong! They're just seeing what they want to see! I mean, this is an old dance now for me, I've done this before. It's actually been easier this time through because I've got better coping strategies...or at least that's what Estel thinks..."
"That may be true, but perhaps you do not see all of what they see?"
"So, what, I'm a frail, broken little girl who needs everyone to coddle her?" Emily snapped suddenly.
"No." Thranduil replied mildly, not at all taken aback by her sudden change in mood. In truth he grimly expected it, for it was a familiar shift that reflected his own inner struggles. "But, you have been hurt, Emily. You are broken, to a degree, and you must heal."
"I don't want to broken! I want to be fine!" Emily cried. "I want to be normal again, because then I won't need-"
She broke off.
"Because then you won't need to accept help? Or feel guilty because they care and you don't want them too when it humbles you to do so? Because you don't want to be the one with a problem, or the one who needs to heal? You don't want to be the project that everyone is meddling with, trying to put it back together? Because you want to be better than this?" Thranduil spoke quietly, yet with a cutting note that told Emily he knew exactly what he was talking about. And so did she. His words gave voice to her interior whisperings before she herself could. "Yes, penneth. I know well what hides beneath the justified frustrations. It is wounded pride, and it will end up hurting you, and those you love if you let it cloud your mind."
Though the chastisement was gentle and filled with understanding, Emily still felt the sting of it, for he was right. She did get angry mostly because anytime her family hovered it suggested she needed some kind of help because she was too weak on her own. It stabbed at her. She didn't want to need any help from them, especially when they could deal with life's problems as responsible adults (on their own). Why couldn't she? She should be able to deal with this...she WAS dealing with it and was already seeking help, but they didn't think she was, and that too hurt her pride.
"I don't like being seen as weak and needy." Emily muttered. "I want them to believe in me, to respect me...I guess...I want them to trust me to figure it out!"
"It is not so simple to merely stand back and let those we love just 'figure it out', Emily, particularly when we perceive that they are struggling." Thranduil sighed, kissing her head gently. "I am thousands of years older than you, child, and have experience that goes beyond anything you could imagine, however this truth still remains. When we love someone, we want the best for them, and it is very difficult to stand by and let them make their own mistakes without stepping in and trying to stop them from falling in the first place. It becomes a delicate balance of knowing when to step in, and when to leave well enough alone, trusting, as you say, that the loved one will be well in the end, for sometimes the greatest teacher is overcoming our mistakes. I have skill at this practice, though even I have not perfected it."
"So what do I do?" Asked Emily, filing another question that had arose during his speech away in her mind for later.
"Well, we must first ask what is good for you, Emily? For if they love you, and wish for your wellbeing, then they must accept what is good for you." Began Thranduil, "Is it good for you to be smothered and continuously hovered over? No. Obviously not. But how does one ask for them to behave differently...we would need specifics yet again. I believe I can be of assistance in that matter, for if I am not mistaken you have no idea how to make them stop, it is not so?"
Them grinned ruefully. "This is true. I was kinda hoping you could just tell them to stop...everything..."
"I will, melui indyo, but I shall aim for the heart of the problem and the symptoms will ease from there."
"How are you going to do that?"
"First, I will tell you to focus your energies more on being patient and compassionate to the fact that your family is struggling as much, if not more than you are. As you said earlier, you have found methods of taking care of yourself, but they do not know this because you don't tell them, or they do not understand. In many ways this is all very new to each of them. Second I will tell you that you are doing very well, Emily. Do not let their worrying tell you otherwise. Do you trust me when I say that I will tell you if I feel you are in danger of what they think they see in you?"
"Yes." Responded Emily without the slightest hesitation. "And yes, I will try. But I can't promise that I'll be good at it. They do make me really bad-tempered...and I'm not good at keeping calm with them right now..."
"Ah, but I know your heart, penneth, and the more you empathize with them, the easier you will find it. Compassion and forgiveness are two very strong traits in you. A shade of your mother, and a shade of your grandmother." Thranduil smiled a little, "And thirdly, I want you to promise me something."
"Uh oh." Said Emily, making Thranduil chuckle lightly. Slowly she raised her eyes, knowing he would make her anyway if she didn't. "What promise?"
"That if you ever feel a darkness in your mind closing in, you will come to me."
"Like nightmares?"
"Worse than a nightmare, penneth. Much worse. It is slow and stealthy. Do not let it linger the moment you see it. Come and I will teach you to banish it."
A chill rolled through the girl, making her hair stand on end.
"Well that's not ominous at all." She said in a half-hearted attempt to lighten the mood.
"No. Not in the slightest." Thranduil mock agreed, playing her game for the sake of making her smile.
