Chapter One - Midnight Adventures

Aspen silently walked out of her family's home as she pushed her mother's warning of not going into the forest late at night into the back of her mind, fueling her steps with a sense of rebellion. Not something she was able to do or feel so easily, being a Lady of Alverton, as she was with her close cousin and best friend, Koren. She almost had stopped at Koren's door to invite her to come with her, just as they had done so many times during their younger, more foolhardy years. But something inside her told her to pass by. This night was for her. It had taken a few days of convincing herself that going into the forest to look at the stars was hardly something unlawful. Foolish maybe, but she wasn't breaking any rules.

Aspen ran vigorously through the field until she came across the nearby wood that only a few dared to enter. Even though Mirkwood lay miles inside, some often said that it was too close. But she was not afraid, nor was there reason to be. She was friends with Koren, who was in turn friends with the Woodland Elves, just as both of their fathers were. She still had yet to meet them.

Aspen peered around the fields one last time to see if anyone was watching before turning and heading into the forest without looking back. She followed the path that she and Koren had created many moons before that led right into their spot of the forest. Small pebbles painted with fairy dust, giving just enough golden light to illuminate the trodden path. It took quite a while to get where she was heading, as it was a fair bit within the wood. It had been years since they had been there but she recognized it the second she arrived. A small clearing covered in wildflowers. They had found it on accident, or as Koren had said, 'accidentally on purpose'. She beamed when she reached it and sat on one of the boulders that lay nearby. She looked up at the trees that surrounded her and listened to the night sounds of the forest. The crickets had picked up their songs they had left from the night before, and the owls joined into the melody. A wolf in the distance added their cry.

The crescent moon shone down upon her, calling her as it seemed. For Aspen, although she wouldn't tell just anyone this, she loved the stars more than anything. Koren would often joke that she should've been born an Elf because of her unbreakable bond of the brilliant twinkling lights. Aspen felt a pang of guilt enter her chest now as she hadn't brought Koren along with her, but she wanted to test the telescope she had received for the first time alone. It has been gifted to her from an old friend who now lived in Nordia, a city away, and Aspen was eager to use it.

She set it up, as she had done with Alverton's one in the observatory on the hill many times prior. Luckily as it was, destiny would have the sky be clear and full of stars, allowing her to have the most perfect view of the softly lit sky. Aspen breathed in hastily, an attempt to calm her excited nerves, and closed one eye as she leaned forward to peer into the scope.

She did not mean to gasp on purpose, the stars were breathtaking and her throat only allowed a constricted breath to leave her lips. Aspen beamed to herself as she relished being surrounded by the stars. Oh, if only she could hear them and the stories they had to tell. Venus was perfectly visible, as was Mars, which she hadn't seen since her study with Maine, her friend and mentor that had gifted her with the telescope. She giggled in a sort of childish way as she manoeuvred the telescope to the northern sky, hoping to see some of her favourite constellations. She did not care in the least how late she stayed out. This was beyond unimaginably wonderful.

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He rubbed his temples in a circular motion in the hopes of ridding himself of another headache that had been chasing him for the later hours of the day. Groaning when it did nothing to help, Thranduil swiftly stood from his desk and walked to the window, to only be surprised at how beautiful the stars had become since he last had looked. Knowing that a starry night walk would ease the tensions his mind held, he blew out the candle from his study and silently opened his chamber door.

The air was noiseless as all the others would long have been in bed or be studying the stars, so he gracefully headed out, knowing the fastest way to leave. The guards on duty nodded at him as he left the building. The only thing to approach him was an owl that swooped down in front of him, not even making a sound. He pressed on, letting his feet guide him as he breathed in the cool night air, trying to uncloud his occupied mind.

He did not know how long he had been walking, nor did he care, for finally, he felt himself again. The uneasiness that had been grabbing at him for the majority of that day had long been flicked away and was then replaced with his regular poise and calmness. His troubles of trying to figure out the source of the beasts growing ever stronger in his wood were long forgotten. It had been his heightened concern over the past few moons and he had had no luck in figuring out the mystery. He continued walking.

A golden glow in the distance caught his attention, so naturally, he went to investigate. Being ever so careful not to let whatever it was known he was there, he noiselessly crept forward, which being an Elf, was not difficult at all.

What he saw was not what he was expecting, although to be fair, he didn't know what he had thought it was going to be. A human, a young lady, was looking up at the stars with the aid of a telescope in a small clearing. She laughed softly every once in a while with joy at finding something new. She was completely entranced by the stars that she did not even notice him when he stepped out of the trees onto the makeshift path. He could hear her quietly humming a merry tune to herself.

He looked down at the path to find the golden glow he had seen. Painted pebbles of fairy dust. Chuckling to himself silently he continued forward until he was almost to the young woman. He watched as she hastily scribbled the stars' locations on parchment and even allowed the edges of his lips to curl up when she giggled at the planets. He was so intrigued with wondering who she was and why she loved the stars so much that he did something he had only done solemn times before in his life. He stepped on a twig.