Hello again,

First, because I do enjoy getting to interact with readers, this chapter is dedicated to:

- angel897, who stuck with this story through a six year hiatus. Thank you for your kind word and lovely reviews! I also am glad you're still alive, and I hope you also are staying safe in these crazy times!

- earthdragon, who is clearly another book reader, like myself! On the clothing; Calil's clothing is actually based on ancient Korean warrior's garb, with a few liberties (slits vs pleats, the shoes, tighte sleeves rather than loose sleeves tied). It is very traditionally male, and if you're familiar with Korean dramas or movies, you'll notice that a female wearing this attire is always made into a "moment". I believe these items of clothing are called dongdari and jeonbok, for reference. On Aragorn; I think he, like his people, fell into that lazy sense of contentment that I mentioned in the first chapter. After all, it has been 20 years since the war of the ring. To add to that, we know him to be a great many things; a loyal friend, a great tracker and warrior - but he has never been a king before, ruling over such a large population. It's unfortunately understandable how things like that could slip through the cracks. The only purpose for my comparison of Calil to Galadriel and Arwen is to provide a contrast; as they all fit into the category of "powerful women in the west of Middle Earth", it the best compare and contrast I could come up with. Arwen, though not a warrior (thank goodness the filmmakers decided to take her OUT of the Battle of Helm's Deep!), would still hold a position of power as Elrond's daughter. Also, can we get a movie version with Glorfindel and Tom Bombadil please? That would be glorious. Thranduil, being mostly a minor character and so rarely mentioned in the books (he's not even named in The Hobbit; the movies decided to focus on him so much more because Lee Pace is talented and nice to look at), gets the most creative liberty. My personal depiction of him is based on that most of what we have to go off on him is from The Hobbit, where he most certainly was not a friendly figure. Legolas rarely speaks of his father in the LotR books, so we don't have much reason to assume the two are close. The most we can say about Thranduil for sure that is cannon is that he likes treasure and cares about his kingdom. We also know that after the death of his father, Orophor, he mostly secluded himself from the world outside his own borders. That being the case, he probably isn't overly concerned with mortals. Still, Eomer has been a king for decades longer than Calil, and Elessar is not only of the ancient Dunedain bloodline, but has also been king for two decades. Calil, by contrast, has been "King" for only seven or eight years, and only recognized as legitimate for five. He'd never even heard of her before this, and to Thranduil, that's a mere blink in time. As for arrogance and being shits, well. I think we can all objectively see that he has insulted Calil and her people multiple times. She, however, has done nothing but respond to him when he does starts doing such things. That's the point, and a major developmental feature of their relationship. I haven't intended to write Calil as arrogant at all, so I would love to hear what in the text gave that impression for you as a reader! She is merely strong, and certain, and knows what she is and is not capable of. Unfortunately, in western culture, we tend to read women who are sure of themselves as arrogant or cocky, but truthfully here's a difference between confidence and arrogance. She doesn't look down on anyone, save maybe assholes. Thranduil, by contrast, made it clear he looked down on her for no good reason from the very beginning. However, I confess to being confused between your chapter two review and your chapter seven: are you wishing to see Thranduil as a kind, benevolent, loving king and father as you said in the chapter two review, or are you desirous of seeing him as someone who doesn't respect or trust any of the main (proven to be good) characters, as you said in the chapter eight review? Gandalf brought about the destruction of the ring and is an immortal Maiar; why wouldn't Thranduil trust him? I'm very glad you enjoyed the battle chapter, as those are always difficult to write, and thank you for bringing up the topic and allowing me to wax analytical and harp on book vs. movie differences!

I hope you all enjoy this next one, I'll be throwing some new characters your way!

Despite the battle-ready words exchanged between them, by the time Thranduil and Calil returned it was much ended; her armed forces, combined with the men brought to them by her allies, had made quick work of the invading Orc company. Elessar, Elrond, Eomer, Legolas, and Thranduil watched as a helmeted warrior, armored in the style of the Haradrim, rode to her, conversed quietly for a moment, then gathered a group of men and rode after the fleeing creatures. Which a gentle kick, she directed Hasleth over to the awaiting rulers.

"My men are going after those left," she told them, breath still coming a little fast. "If they were part of an organized plan, they will not return to carry word to their masters, I guarantee it."

Aragorn nodded his agreement with the move. "Very wise."

Elrond looked toward the city, eyes grave. "I fear this is but a taste of what the forces of Ungoliant have in store. How soon do you plan to move?"

She met his gaze, her own grim. "I plan to be packed by and moved out by nightfall. Someone knew where the city was and that it was our destination. Do we know how soon Gimli could return with his own forces?"

"Two weeks, at the very least." Legolas replied. "And Gandalf shall not return from his mission for one further week."

She sighed, regarding her city, worry on her features. "I suppose we had best begin."

Thranduil watched the girl-child king as she strode about the city, calling orders for it to be packed and emptied by nightfall while people rushed about in panic, stripping tents and assembling wagons, fetching horses and tack. Here she helped a woman lift a large chest into a wagon; there she caught a small child taking advantage of the confusion to run from his guardians. No task was too small or dirty; she stopped to help an old crone make dung cakes in preparation for fires and helped a group of others push an already-full wagon out of a rut. Often she brought calm and a smile with her, leaving less tension in her wake. It was very clear she was beloved by her people.

He was aware Men considered her a beauty, aware his son agreed and moreover, considered her a formidable woman - but they were mortal, and his son had been softened by his time around such ideas. It was not for these reasons she fascinated him. Like most Elves, Thranduil was in the habit of taking things as they were rather than lying to himself, so it caused him no shame to admit that he was indeed fascinated by her. She was competent enough in battle, and he would admit the sight of her standing above her fallen man, steadfast in his defense, had stirred him. It had been long since he had entertained thoughts of such fanciful notions as valor, but he could not deny it was these very ideas, old and buried in the depths of his mind, that she awoke. However, she had interested him since their first meeting, when she had snapped at him for speaking of what he did not know. How many had spoken to him thus? His usual course of action would have been to simply toss the offender in his dungeons. Perhaps it was that he couldn't, her being a ruler of a realm in her own right and under their host's protection, but he had found himself amused. The race of Men were ostensibly easier to read than his own race, and the look of surprise on her face when he revealed he would indeed shelter her and her people had made him shake with inner laughter. It seemed, after a long life, the race of Men still had the ability to surprise him, as was their nature.

Fortunately, it seemed Calil had not lied when she stated her people to be a mobile one, for they had the entire village packaged in wagons by the time the sun was beginning to sink into the horizon. There were enough horses that if everyone collaborated, no one had to walk on foot, though given the wagons it was hardly a fast-moving party. Unfortunately, with such a large group of people, finding a place to camp and making that camp took time, as did breaking camp in the first light.

Elrond, Thranduil, Legolas, Eomer, and Aragorn were gathered in Calil's tent, discussing plans for the settling of their people. Though they would be able to settle and live out their time as needed in Eryn Lasgalen in safety, there was still a rather large amount to figure. Firstly, she knew nothing of Elvish cities, nor how they were organized; how would she fit the daily life of her people together with the daily lives of Thranduil's? Did she need to instruct her diggers to dig new latrines for privies, or was the system of waste handling already in his kingdom sufficient for six hundred additional people? Would his blacksmiths welcome newcomers to their forges? Where would the weavers work? They traded for farm goods (one of the benefits of her relationship with King Elessar), which left her one less group of people to be concerned with, but what was game like? Would they be able to continue to hunt and store enough meat for all of them? Where would they put what they already had stored, and were bringing with them? Integration was sure to be an interesting venture.

A man entered the tent, stopping just inside the entrance and bowing to Calil. "Your Majesty," he said by way of greeting, his stiff and upright demeanor marking him clearly for a military man. It was the same warrior they had seen conversing quietly with her for a moment after the battle before the City of the Forgotten People of Gondor, the man dressed in the decorated armor of the Haradrim. Interestingly, given the choice of armor, he wore not the head wrappings standard to that culture, but a helmet of the westron style, now under one arm. He was a man of beauty, to be sure; dark brown skin, Haradrim like his armor, matched liquid almond-shaped dark brown eyes, and curling black hair was cropped short atop his head. Full lips accentuated the strength of a square jaw, and he was nearly a head taller than Calil, making him of a size with most of the Men in the room.

She nodded absently, eyes still downcast, studying the model of Eryn Lasgalen spread on a table below her. "My second advisor and general, Husi Nu'nif," she said, by way of introduction. "Report, general."

He bowed to the foreign leaders, then straightened, staring ahead. "We pursued the attacking party of Uruk-hai eastward for nearly four leagues before catching them. We questioned several vigorously, but they gave mostly threats. We killed all that remained."

Finally distracted from her musings, Calil lifted her head to look at her general."Mostly threats? What did they say?"

"'The eggs of Ungoliant will hatch, and we will swarm your land in an ocean of spiders. She'll get everything; she'll get it all', Lady." he quoted.

Her eyebrows drew down. Leolas leaned forward, Elessar shifted, Elrond drew his hands within his sleeves. "Well," she said, sounding unimpressed, and the general's eyes began a silent sparkling of laughter, knowing his king and expecting the impertinence to issue from her mouth forthwith, though his face otherwise remained expressionless. "That does sound alarming. I hope no one here is withholding a fear of spiders." She looked to Husi Nu'nif. "Is that all?"

He bowed, saluted, said "Your Majesty," once more, turned on his heel, and left. Silence echoed in the tent; none could think of a response for Ungoliant's words.

Suddenly, Eomer hmphed slightly. "Man of few words, your man." Chuckles fell around the room as the tension broke.

She grinned. "I do prefer them that way. No use in a general sitting around gabbing, unless it's about strategy, that's what I believe."

Smiling openly in amusement now, he turned to the other men, who were beginning to laugh outright. "That was the shortest report I think I have heard in my life! Three sentences!"

She chuckled. "Yet we still learned the most pertinent information, did we not? Even better, he gives me written reports with more detail than I could ever desire, or desire to read, every third day."

At length, they decided the evidently-competent Husi was to take charge of organizing the guard for the traveling caravan, taking extra men from Thranduil, Elessar, and Eomer's forces as need be. They also discussed if there was anything they should do while they awaited Gandalf's return - but as his mission was of a secret nature, there was little enough they knew to prepare - and where to send Gimli's forces to make camp until they were ready to march. Of course, the conversation did eventually turn to the meaning of the Great Orc's words. Were they literal, and there really were hordes of Great Spider eggs lying in wait to hatch, hidden across the realms? Just how far had the reach of Ungoliant extended? Also, then, to not only Husi but each of their respective generals, went the duty of dispatching scouting parties, much more extensive than those they had each conducted previously on their own. Business concluded, each ruler began to depart for their own tent. The first out of the the tent were also those with the sharpest ears, and Legolas shook his head at his father as they heard the female ruler sink into a chair with a groan and call Furlong to send for Husi to come to her, to receive his new orders. "She does not have my envy," he told his father. "Four mere hours until dawn, and her a mortal!"

His father did not scoff. "Such is the role of a ruler during wartime. We may all be called to play such roles soon enough."

Well, there we have it. Camaraderie grows between our allies, as it will do between traveling companions on a long haul, and we're introduced to more of Calil's people.

I greatly enjoy reading all you all have to say, whether it be a short review or an in depth analysis, so feel free to leave a review!

Many thanks,

KiwiChookie