The wind was blowing through the hidden balcony of the Elvenking, moving the neighboring tree branches until their leaves rustled in song. The air carried the sweet aromas of the forest that marked the coming of spring: the growth of new things, of green things.

All these the king breathed in with a fond, if quite sullen look, he would miss this place dearly.

"Oh, come now your Majesty." Thranduil twitched at the touch on his arm, he looked down to find his loyal butler and friend placing a caring hand on him. "It will be okay."

"I am okay, Galion." He said with a curious smile at the comment.

The shorter elf tilted his head a bit and looked at the king with empathy. From a pocket in his robe he took out a handkerchief and offered it to the other, gesturing at his own face when the blond looked at him confused. When Thranduil touched his cheek it was wet.

"Ah," he said understanding, taking the offered cloth gratefully. "I guess I am being quite transparent at the moment." He offered ruefully "But I am okay, really. I'll just…" He looked out into the green, into the living, breathing place he'd called home for centuries now, and sighed "I'm really going to miss it here."

"Hm, me too." Galion said softly, gathering an outside blanket and folding it, ready to be put away along with everything else. A lot of things were being left behind, almost everything quite honestly, this would be yet another place where elves had once lived and would inhabit no more; just like Doriath, just like Amon Lanc.

"And you can stop it with the Majesty, Galion. I'm not a king anymore, as we have discussed several times." He looked at the other with an exasperated frown that was colored with an undertone of amusement.

"In your own words, you'll stop being king once you return your title to the forest." The brunet prattled as he arranged other things around the open room.

"It's only symbolic, you know Thranduil is fine." The king insisted.

"Alright my lord," Galion relented in jest as he walked back in, a clear smile in his voice "whatever you say."

"Stubborn." Muttered the blond with a fond huff.

He looked back outside and he was saddened again, feeling a stab of pain in his heart at the thought of leaving. His mind and soul had intertwined to this place and its inhabitants for millennia now, perhaps more deeply than he had with anything before or ever would again. He twisted the handkerchief in his fingers and when another tear escaped his eyes he wiped it away.

But Thranduil smiled then, he was going home at last, the last journey to elvenhome. Aman, Valinor. His family awaited him.

Most of his people were ready, Thranduil had seen them gathering at the gate, some of the ellyn and ellith going back and forth to the settlements and the palace to gather the final things for the last journey they would take. There were only a few hours left until they would leave, but enough time, quite enough for him to bid one last goodbye to his home.

He crossed the bridge with elegant strides and the guards, who no longer bore their heavy armors but something more akin to the foot soldiers light leather garb, bowed at him as he passed, he returned the gesture, nodding at busy mothers and young lads carrying luggage to the horses and the helping animals. A couple of children ran by his legs their laughter glittering and ringing with joy, it made him smile. It had been so long since there had been elven children born in the forest, once the demise of Sauron had passed, the realm had been blessed with a few precious new lights, it gladdened him like nothing else could.

He passed into the threshold of the forest until he was immersed amongst the tall twisted trees, which had new boughs of green leaves to show. Immediately he was flooded with the feeling of them, the lives of the trees pressing against him and intermingling with his fae, soft and strong and unique. He relished it, this connection that he had to his land, which had been so tainted for as long as the shadow had weighted on them, much too long. But now, the woods were lighter, less oppressing, yes there was still some darkness there; things weren't all suddenly pure because evil had been vanquished, but they were better. It felt like living in the dankness of a cave and finding the way out one day, breathing in the fresh air for the first time in forever, not realizing how little you had actually been able to breathe down there.

His eyes filled with tears at the mere thought of this healthy and beautiful change. Thranduil scoffed at himself, he'd been doing too much crying these days. He lifted his hand to brush away the moisture on his cheeks.

It's okay. He felt the thoughts of a tree reach him.

"I know." He sniffed, face cast down.

We're here. Thought another as it stretched out a thin branch to brush at his hair and another tree to touch at his clothes in a comforting manner.

"You are." The blond answered with a smile, raising his face and looking adoringly at them all.

The feeling of contentment and joy pressed softly against him. Yes, this was home, but now, it was time to leave.

Thranduil caressed the rough bark of the trees as he walked deeper, his fingers tangling between the new leaves in reach and his feet steadily guiding him up and down the roots that littered the earth.

And he said thank you, and he felt it with fervor; thank you for having me, thank you for housing us. Love, appreciation, bitter sweetness. And the trees cycled the feeling back to him; Love, appreciation, tenderness.

Once he deemed himself deep enough he sat down on a mostly even spot on the ground and held his crown of ever green twigs and leaves over his lap, soon the buds on it would begin to blossom into wild flowers. He closed his blue eyes and let himself be swept away by the feeling of the forest.

And in that moment he was more than himself, he was roots spreading deep and wide into the earth, distant leaves that the wind blew through and branches that the birds chirping in between them scratched at the wood with their tiny claws.

When he came out of his trance, he could tell an hour or two had passed, it was time. He stood up and softly set down the crown onto the earth, brushing tenderly its leaves and twigs one last time.

"Thank you," he said again "for everything you gave us, for being our home… my soul." He added after a bit, placing his hand upon his chest.

The trees sent confusion and wonderment at this. Why would the king ever leave his crown behind?

The trees knew the journey of the elves was coming, but it was still hard for them to really comprehend how permanent it would be, when their lives were so permanent in of themselves. And as he made his way back Thranduil took care to comfort and soothe the confused greenery, he could make the time.

When he emerged from within the tree line of the forest everyone turned to look at him; Slivans, Avari and the few remaining Sindars alike.

"It is done." He said solemnly "I've returned my title to the forest as it was once given to me and my father before me by it. We shall leave at last to the Undying Lands. I thank you all, for being a most loyal people, I hope I ruled you as you deserved. Every one of you, you made me proud to have called myself a king of the people of this forest." He bowed to them earnestly.

The people, just as solemn as him, bowed back in gratitude. It was a simple ceremony, but a ceremony nonetheless. After those short words, the elves returned quietly to their own particular duties.

From his place, Thranduil caught sight of a familiar head of light chestnut hair. The elf smiled at him softly and he walked towards her.

"That was lovely my lord." She said and hushed him quickly before he could say anything about the honorific "It was about time you showed up," she changed the subject "Galion was about to muster up a search party for you." She grinned a bit as she closed up a bag at her feet, securing the latches and the things tied by the straps on top of it.

"Well I hope you kept your husband in check Lairël." The blond returned her cheek amiably.

"Barely! You know how he frets about you." She laughed good naturedly. They turned together at the sound of approaching footsteps, the object of their discussion.

Galion reached them, looking light and unhurried as any unconcerned elf. They knew better though, he'd been worried for their vanished monarch.

"Sire, I was beginning to think you'd be staying behind after all." He said conversationally, he looked short beside the blond, but again so did his wife and most of the inhabitants of Erin Lasgalen.

Neither Thranduil nor Lairël teased him about his worry, but they did smile.

"Well, I am here now. How are the people? Ready to part?"

Galion nodded and stepped towards his wife and placed a tender kiss on her cheek.

"They are a bit more subdued now after that speech, but just a few more minutes now, everything is all but ready."

The blond huffed in annoyance.

"It was very touching my lo-" Thranduil glared at him with a vengeance "… Thranduil. It was very touching Thranduil." Beneath the amusement there was genuine feeling to the words of Galion. His wife smiled beside him just as filled with fondness for the elf.

The tall blond looked back at the trees, felt them calling to him, to his very soul. He'd tried centering himself, but it was harder with every minute that passed. This time he felt the tears as they rolled down his skin.

Galion placed his hand on his shoulder again, this time he didn't bother hiding his sorrow or laughing it away, he just let it be. The ellon and the elleth looked at him with tender understanding.

"Time to go home." Said Thranduil quietly.

His companions nodded, there was sadness in his dare he let himself call them friends now? Freely and without concern? Yes. There was sadness in their eyes, but also gladness, they were finally answering the call of the sea, and going into the west.

Thranduil mounted up on his gray horse, he was no longer a king, but the people still looked up at him, waiting to mark the trail, even though they already knew he wasn't to lead anymore. The soldiers and the guards, who no longer had any official positions, had expected this occurrence and had accorded with the king beforehand; they began ushering the people forward.

There was a quiet melancholy in the air, but as was the norm for the elves of this dark forest, there was also excitement mingling in with their grief. They'd lived a life under a terrifying shadow and had learned to find joy in whatever they could, and so in spite of their sadness their journey began with gladdened singing.

The march through the forest was unhurried but constant, with song rising through the masses from time to time, sometimes light and sometimes more charged with grief. Food was eaten amongst family and strangers alike, shared with ease as well as skins of wine and water.

Thranduil enjoyed the freedom of sitting and feasting amongst his people without the crown hanging over his head, even though there was still much underlying respect for him, he missed this normality from his youth. He especially enjoyed the company of Galion and Lairël, who had always been close to him but now he felt their companionship perhaps a bit more open than it had been before. They rode and walked together, Thranduil sharing his mare with them when they accepted it and talking amiably to pass the time as they trailed through the vast land.

But the blond strayed further back down the large caravan with every kilometer they advanced, he seemed to take special care to place his hand over every tree they passed and whisper words to their trunks of comfort and gratitude.

The couple shadowed him, sometimes amused at his care, sometimes comforting his sadness when it showed. With the advancing days, the trees began their slow, innocent understanding that this was different from any journey these elves had taken before. They were all going. They were all leaving. Forever.

And so the trees clung at Thranduil's traveling robes, -their king who had ever been close to their hearts and souls, intertwined with them like creeping vines- with thin wisps of twigs on branches, wondering where was he going? Why was he going? And never in a hurry, never at a loss for patience, he took his time and care with them. "I have to go home." "It's time the elves left middle earth and we're so far behind from the rest of our kin." "It's time, I'm sorry, it's time, you must understand."

But the trees did not understand. Why was their king leaving? Wasn't he happy here amongst the cover of their canopies? Hadn't they sheltered and served him well?

And Thranduil kept on with the caravan, even as he trailed behind little by little, he said he was happy, nothing made him happier than being in this forest, that they had served him oh so well and that he was oh so sorry to leave. The trees tugged at his clothes and hands asking why, why, why? And each and every time Thranduil explained, patient as a tender parent the answers to all of their questions. Even when the trees began lifting up their roots to hinder him, even when they tugged harder at his clothes and sometimes at his hair, he was patient, like they were children who didn't know any better. He was patient.

The journey was slow, as expected with so many people, even though in retrospect, there weren't all that many elves left. But eventually, the borders of the forest drew closer, the woods becoming slightly sparser. The plains out from the canopy weren't far now.

The chirping of the birds and chitterling of animals quieted down as the anxious feeling of the trees increased and their inner darkness ruffled.

"…we will all miss you dearly." Thranduil finished saying with his hand pressed softly against the of a bark, the tree shuddering in distress as the elf began walking away.

The blond gasped in surprise when a thin branch shot out to grab at his wrist. Lariël upon Thranduil's mare and Galion who walked at her side turned to look at the sound. The former king was looking softly at the tree who was not very inclined to let go.

"I know it is very sad, but we have to go, I have to go." He explained, "Come now, let go."

The trees' leaves shook like a fast wind was blowing through them. Why? it asked Don't leave.

"I must, I need to go home." He said, brushing at the grabbing branch, encouraging it to loosen its grip.

We are your home. The tree insisted, distressed.

"And you have been a wonderful one; we have all cherished this land so much. But we need to go; I need to go- my child, my family." He tried to explain, his words full of feeling.

But we are your family. The tree tightened its hold a smidge, pleading to the one who had been its king for so many centuries not to abandon them on what it perceived a whim.

The blond winced a little, 'That is probably going to bruise', he thought for half a moment before returning his attention to the wood.

Galion and his wife waited patiently for him but began to fret at the insistence the tree was showing. The elves that walked past observed the scene but didn't stop, all well accustomed by now to the antics their former king had been displaying throughout the journey. It endeared him to them more if that was even possible.

"Let go, please." Thranduil asked a little more firmly now, he had been delaying an extraordinary amount, they were almost at the end of the march by now. "The time of the elves in this Middle Earth has come to an end my friend, our moment of passing is here." He stretched out his other hand towards the branch to comfort the poor disheveled thing but the branch tightened its grip even more.

No!

"Ah!" The king gasped in pain.

Two of the foot soldiers that were accompanying them stopped in a well-practiced response to any possible harm done to their king. The forest fell silent and the elves passing shared a sudden nervous filled look but were ushered onward by the other soldiers scattered about, away from the scene. The subtle darkness that permeated the forest thickened, making all those present feel heavier with its weight.

A heavy and piercing gaze set upon the features of the king, a cold expression he'd grown quite used to displaying in his years of ruling a kingdom shrouded in darkness and one he was very well versed in aiming. The coolness of the season turned to a subtitle cold with his changed mood.

"You will let go of me, now." He commanded frostily.

You can't go! The distress of the tree colored dark from within, left over from the shadow which would probably take years and years to cleanse, if it ever really went away from their cores in its entirety.

"That is enough. You will let go of me. Now." His blue eyes burned with ice.

No! You can't leave! You're not leaving! The tree squeezed hard.

And Thranduil's wrist snapped with a crunch.

The unexpected pain drove the blond to the floor as he gasped in an effort to breathe through the sudden hurt.

"Thranduil!" Shouted Galion as he ran towards the fallen elf, Lariël gaped horrified atop the gray horse which was by this point nervously shifting from hoof to hoof.

You can't leave, we won't let you. The tree insisted, and somehow, the thought seemed to echo back and forth between the forest in an eerie loop of dark feeling. It began pressing against the blond's mind in a worrying manner.

The guards snapped into action, with some of the remaining ellyn who had never been soldiers themselves taking out their knives and swords as well. The intention was clear, as a former guard zeroed in towards the branch that held the king. But the trees could tell what was about to happen, and at once, collectively sharing and growing these dark thoughts, another tree shot a branch out at Thranduil's neck and lifted him up from the ground just as Galion was kneeling beside him. The lack of solid ground made him choke and writhe in. Already he had been struggling to breathe through the pain of his broken, tightly held wrist, and now the only support he had was around his neck plus the already abused bones of his right wrist; the feeling of being held by them was excruciating.

"Daro!" Pleaded the brown haired butler to the trees, almost uncomprehending to what was going on or how it had even happened.

More branches reached for Thranduil, winding themselves around his waist and other arm, calf and thigh, in an effort to restrain him, perhaps also in a misguided attempt to give him support to breathe. They didn't want him dead after all, of course not, the trees only wanted him to stay with them, they still couldn't understand why he'd ever leave them after all these years. This was the king's home.

The soldiers were at an impasse, the threat was clear, come any closer with your weapons bared out and we'll hurt him. Galion, though, remained beside his king's hanging body, not touching, out of fear for his friend, but reaching for him still in anguished worry.

"Thranduil?" He asked softly.

"I-I'm fine." He stuttered a breath, the trees easing their hold around his throat and supported him more from the chest. But he was not fine, the branches held tightly to him, too tight despite them trying to be careful. The trees knew that elves were fragile but they still couldn't perfectly manage the strength they applied to holding onto Thranduil's body, they were also unfocused, not giving as much care as they otherwise would.

In their dark distress they reached as they ever had to the light of the king, to Thranduil's own heart and soul with their growing black thoughts, seeking companionship, their own souls rotting dark as their worry increased. Thranduil had become unused to the darkness in the decades that had come after the fall of Sauron, he used to guard his light against it even as he connected with his shadowed and sick forest.

He wasn't guarded against it now.

Their dark thoughts pressed painfully against his mind from all sides, the trees were like children only looking for comfort and not taking any notice of the pain that they were causing onto the elf.

The blond shivered as the darkness submerged through the pores of his skin and the openings of his eyes and his mouth, infecting him as it seeped into his veins like a slow, thick mist. He felt the cold wispy fingers of darkness surround his inner light; his face fell, suddenly terrified and disgusted at the violation.

"Stop. You are hurting me." Thranduil said shakily, trying to appeal to their love of him, but they only seemed to take this as an invitation to press their consciousness harder against him in an effort to comfort him, their attention like a suffocating fog and coiling around his soul like roots.

The cold darkness was so overbearing it made him gag, though he vomited nothing.

Elves, quite the perceptive beings that they were, could feel the thickening of the shadows in the air around the them.

Galion approached the tree at Thranduil's back, the one that had started it, hoping it would listen to him even if the elf himself couldn't understand the words of the trees like the former king could.

"Please let him down." He begged, giving nervous glances towards his friend.

But every second that passed more trees seemed to feel like keeping Thranduil by force was a wonderful idea and if they had to shoo away the rest of the elves, well that was fine too.

One of the ellyn, once a soldier of the king, took a calculated breath and positioned himself to spring, his companion understanding immediately; pleading with the trees wasn't going to do them any good. The elf nodded and both sprang into action, swords raised to hack through the branches. Other elves prepared to take action, even if they had never been a warrior, most Mirkwood inhabitants knew a thing or two about the craft of war. But the trees were just as versed.

One of the elves chopped through the branch holding Thranduil's throat with two quick swings and the other was already through the wooden appendages holding one of his wrists and arm, but that was all they had time to do before thicker and more dangerous branches joined the fray. They grabbed at the elves who had attacked or were just about to, throwing them to the ground and raising their roots to hold them and press them hard against the earth.

Thranduil's mare neighed in the background amongst the cries of surprise and terror that begun to rise.

"No, don't!" Thranduil's eyes trembled with fear as a feeling of betrayal crept into his heart, he couldn't believe that the woods would do something like this. Then he heard the first snap and the scream of an elf. He whipped his head towards the source of the cry, in between the thick root of a tree an elf wriggled in pain, his leg bent at an unnatural angle.

The rising cries of agony swarmed the former king's ears like a terrible song. The gasp at his back, Galion!, filling him with even more dread.

"No, no, no, no." He said anguished, unable to move and help or do something, anything to save the people that he loved, his people. "Please, stop! Please!" he screamed his voice breaking.

New sets of branches encircled him, a feeling of care, comfort, love, seeped into his mind to make him feel better. But it wasn't helping, it wasn't comforting, it made him nauseous to be forced into feeling something that he didn't want to. It had always helped before, when the feeling of the trees intertwined with his own and softened his aches. But he didn't want to feel cared, comforted or loved now; he needed his distress and his sharp senses to help but the trees were successfully soothing him and relaxing his body against his desire. He could feel their thoughts merging with his own and making him feel cared for and comforted and safe, so his body, in-turn, relaxed. He twitched violently then, it felt awfully wrong to be forced out of his own feelings, his eyes teared up.

"Please stop, I am begging you please." His skin prickled with discomfort, he heard more bone cracking amongst the clamor and choked on unshed tears. He didn't… he didn't know what to do, his feelings were all over the place and not his own and the branches were jealousy holding him, keeping him out of reach from the elves, and it hurt. Thranduil couldn't process a single thought, darkness was tainting him from inside his soul and head; pain shooting through his whole body from his wrist was helping matters even less. He couldn't even tell what his own feeling were now, where he ended and the wood began, if he had bark or skin, leg or root.

He couldn't think, he couldn't think, what was he meant to do?

It… it wasn't that hard to decide though.

"Stop, stop! I am staying!" He shouted his words nothing more than agonized begging.

They weren't stopping; he could… still hear the sobbing pleas of his people, ellyn and ellyth trapped in pain and terror, useless swords raised in fight. Another bone snapped close by.

The blond gasped for a lungful of air, and gathered all of his mental power and screamed with both of his voices.

"I am staying! STOP!"

There was a sudden stillness all around, quiet but not empty, just like a forest should be. It was filled with the heaves of struggling chests and subdued cries but they merged into it beautifully, like birds and little animals scurrying in the distance, leaves rustling by the grace of the wind, that's what it sounded like. The trees took a long moment to process Thranduil's words.

"No!" Shouted Galion at his back, already well aware of where this was going on.

"I am staying with you, here, in the forest, please. There is no need to hurt them. Please, please… do not hurt them anymore." The blond was struggling to breathe, but regaining his famed battle composure; everything had happened so quick, he hadn't had a moment to think before everything fell into chaos.

The trees untightened their roots, confused and sorry, they hadn't meant to take it that far, they loved the elves so much! But the elves wanted to take the king away, they couldn't let them do that.

Promise? Inquired a tree and then the question bounced around the wood in waves of innocent darkness.

"I promise, I will stay right here, you do not have to worry." Despite his racing heart, he made his words sweet and gentle, like he always did when talking to the trees, wishing for them to listen to him and let go of his people. They deserved to go, they needed to go beyond the sea.

The movement of leaves and earth began a murmur through the forest as the trees relented bit by bit and the elves scattered away and helped those with broken bones to hurry away from the roots.

"Thranduil, no!" Galion scrambled away from his momentary trappings at the roots of the tree and reached for Thranduil, still held a little off the ground by the branches. "Do not do this, we will find a way to convince them and get you safely out of here." He whispered, but shut his mouth with a click when the branches on the blond's body tightened, making him gasp for breath.

"I do not think we will." Thranduil said, dazed, his mind scattered and struggling to regain some form of order, of self. He centered himself then and looked at one of the mostly unhurt soldiers. "Move, go. Take everyone away." The elf hesitated, dirty blond hair tousled around his face "Now!" the former king shouted.

The elf jumped, startled, and bowed a swift bow, hurrying to comply, a pained look crossing his face at what would surely happen.

Confused and distressed, Galion looked around and then up again at his friend's face.

"I am staying then." He declared forceful.

"You are not." The king glared icily, and it always worked, but not this time, his friend was unwilling to leave him behind.

"I am staying too! I am not leaving you behind." He reached to place a hand on the other's chest.

"Galion, you are leaving with the rest of the people, that is an order." Thranduil barked and if this were any other moment, the brunet would be shaking at the fury of the other, but he couldn't think of fear when his friend was restrained like a fly in a web.

"You are not the king anymore; you cannot command me!" Galion shouted desperately to convince the other to not succumb to the will of the trees.

Thranduil looked lost for a moment, uncertainty breaking for a second through his cold façade. Then, swift as an arrow, he lifted his free arm and backhanded Galion so hard he stumbled back. He would've fallen too had his wife, who had climbed off the horse as soon as the trees had let go of the people, not been there to catch him.

"Go now." Spat the blond, words sounding poisonous.

"Meleth nin?" Questioned Lariël softly.

Stunned, incredulous, the dark haired elf looked at the floor, his hand touched his abused cheek. Not in all his centuries of service, no matter how badly he'd messed up or failed, had Thranduil ever raised a hand to him. Even when he had been deserving punishment, Eru knew he drank too much at times and fumbled with important documents or tasks, Galion had never come to harm outside of disappointed words or an ire filed rant. This was… His king had never hit him.

The rings of the blond had carved lines through his cheek and broken his lip. A devastated expression took hold of him, but when he lifted his head he did not look hurt or heartbroken, he just looked sad.

The last of the caravan of the elves were being led away, all looking at their captured king, grief stricken for their leaving of him. He nodded to them solemn and whispered a pain filled 'Namarië'. Thranduil looked down again at Galion, who's demeanor was subdued but determined.

"You think that's going to work?" The butler asked stern, but the other said nothing. "You think hurting me in some poor attempt to drive me away will be enough?"

The blond was quiet, his face as emotionless as a stone statue.

"Answer me!" Galion demanded "Maybe you would like to try that again, see if it works this time?" he turned his head and gestured at his other, unblemished, cheek.

Thranduil's stone features cracked subtly and he looked down in shame, unable to meet the eye of the other for a moment. After a long pause he finally said.

"I am sorry, I do not know what I was thinking." He looked back up and grimaced when he caught sight of the brunet's face, Thranduil could tell he was ready to reassure him, but he didn't let the Silvan speak.

"Do you think it is fair though? For you to wish to stay here? You know what it will do to Lairiël right?" Thranduil's gaze found her own, and she knew at once what he meant to do. She closed her eyes and nodded in pained acceptance; she understood.

"What are you-" Galion took a step back away from the other and then looked back at his wife.

"If you stay here either she goes or stays with you, do you think either option is fair to her Galion?" The blond pressed "We all know what will happen if you both stay here, you have accepted the call of the sea, how long do you think it will be before she fades?"

"Why are you saying this to me?" The brunet said roughly as tears began falling from his eyes.

"And if she goes even then, do you think it is fair to her to live her blessed days with a hole in her heart?" At Thranduil's words Galion reached for her hand and held it tightly in fear.

"And how is this fair to you?!" He shouted angrily "How is you staying alone and against your will any fairer? Hm?"

Not alone. Never alone. The trees sang in comfort, a branch circling the blond's shoulders, nestling close to his neck, it wasn't choking like the other one had been, but still Thranduil felt the fear of repetition, he swallowed at the touch.

Galion and Lariël gave a small frightful step back and looked around at the hanging branches and twigs and new green leaves

We are always here with you. He felt the dark pressing of their souls close to his own, comfort, comfort, they shouted in feeling, but it was cold and full of twisted life and the 'comfort' took away the warmth of his body.

"Life has not been fair to me often though, has it?" He smiled crooked but softly at the two, it was a question that needed no answering.

Galion stumbled back into the arms of his wife, and he hid his face against her, his face wet and full of sorrow, Lariël held tight to him, trying to keep her own tears at bay.

"I do not want to leave you." Galion said wetly. He let go of his wife and stepped close to his friend, trying to wipe the tears away from his face but more were soon to come. He looked up at the other, trapped and with little mobility, his misery bleeding through the air. Galion took one last angry step forward and circled his arms around the blond's middle in an embrace, burying his face in the other's stomach.

Thranduil's brave and cold front cracked more. He bent as best as he could, placing his free arm around the other's shoulders and awkwardly tried to rest his head on the other's hair.

"You must give my love to Legolas and my brilliant wife. My father as well, he will be so heartbroken. My mother…" He whispered roughly to the other.

"I will."

"Tell them I think of them every day and my heart cannot contain what I feel for them." He cried just a bit then.

"I will, I will." Sobbed Galion, squeezing the other tighter.

Carefully, another arm snaked its way behind Thradnuil's back, Lariël was just as teary as her husband; she looked with tender sadness at the hanging elf.

"Go now," Thranduil sniffed, "you must get back to the others, it's too dangerous right now." He gave a nod to the two remaining elven soldiers, who had waited for the couple and who bowed deeply to their king, for he forever would be, one last time.

"I do not want to leave you." Cried the dark harried elf again. "Not after all this time."

"I know," consoled the blond sadly, with his free hand brushing the other's long hair. He nodded to the elleth, and Lariël began gently pulling back her husband away, who reluctantly let himself be taken away.

They walked over roots and uneven ground, hand in hand, sharing their sorrow together.

"Galion, Lariël," he called and the couple turned, just about to leave him behind in the shadow of the woods. "Do not forget… we will meet each other again." He was quiet for a moment, the Silvans eyes filling with more tears, a soft current of wind rustling Thranduil's white golden hair like it would the tree's leaves "Someday across the sea."

Galion closed his eyes with a grimace, knowing this to be true. They had all now accepted the call of the sea, even Thranduil, who had resisted for millennia, staying now would only mean his death, one way or another.

"Tenn' enomentielva." Galion whispered, his wife hiding her face on his shoulder now.

"Yes. Until we meet again." Answered the trapped elf in his softly deep voice.

The elves walked away and the blond watched them until they disappeared amongst the foliage and the trunks of the trees.

The woods were content, the woods were happy. It was so wonderful knowing that their king was staying. There really wasn't a need for all that fuss. But now that they had him, safe in between their wood and leaf, safe and sound in the forest, where he'd be with them forever, with no one to pester him or take him away.

The king would stay, safe amongst their branches and close to their wooden hearts, one mind, he and them, one soul, as it was always meant to be.

Thranduil wondered again where the wood started and where he ended, he couldn't… he couldn't really tell. He closed his eyes and decided it didn't really matter anymore.

Words:
Elleth – Ellith: Elf man
Ellon – Ellyn: Elf woman
Erin Lasgalen Forest of Green Leaves
Fae: Spirit / Soul
Daro: Stop
Meleth nin: My love
Namárié: Farewell (Lit: Be well)
Tenn' enomentielva: Until we meet again

Abril: Here is my spoopy treat for the month of October. I hope I did well and it's actually at least a little bit spooky hahaha. This was, once again, another sort of challenge of the ones Shadow-ying and I tend to have, the prompt was just, do something spooky, of whatever fandom you like.

This was originally a story I had thought years and years ago, back when the Hobbit movies were a thing lol, and it was meant to be a multi-chaptered story. In it originally Galion and Lariël stayed with him in the forest, but i thought it worked pretty well as a standalone too (:

Hope you guys enjoyed it, I'd love to know what your thoughts are!

Also, I've looked so much at this thing I'm going to barf, I'm sure it's not bad or anything but the amount of times I've had to read it over have convinced me it's trash XD

Also, also, my personal headcanon for the Mirkwood elves is that they left Middle Earth after everyone else was gone, cause they were so attached to the forest. Just wanted to throw that out there in case there was any confusion.