Hey guys! I'm finally back with Caladwen! Sorry to keep you waiting, just wanted to get this chapter perfect before I put it up.
Before we get on with the story, I have a question. How would people feel if I did another True Love Conquers All, but an alternate version, where Caladwen ends up finding herself in Ered Luin, back with Thorin and the others and she lives with him, Dis and the boys, and then during the Hobbit, their son travels with them?
If you all decide it's something you'd like to see, then please drop me a comment in your reviews or send me a PM and letting me know your thoughts.
Review responses;
Moore4control – No problem, I'm glad you are excited. But, as I said before, I don't know when I'll be getting back to it. I hope for now, the stories I am continuing, are enough to contain your excitement xx
Reunion
As I'm walking along the path, I am beginning to think the company didn't come this way. Even though they had a head start on me, if they did come this way, I would have caught up with them by now. I know that they're going to possibly walk into danger, but I also cannot leave the path. Mirkwood is my home, but with how much it has changed, I fear I won't be able to find my way out again.
I suddenly stop and look up as I hear a noise. As I focus on that sound, I can hear what sounds like shouting and the slashing of blades. I cannot hear specific voices, but from the tones I can tell those are my dwarves and trouble has found them. I run off the path and through the trees, heading in the direction of my company.
When Thorin wakes after being struck by a spider, his vision is suddenly white, his arms pinned to his body. that's when he realises he's stuck in a cocoon of spider web, especially when he notices the nausea and dizziness from being hung upside down.
Hearing a clicking sound not far away, he manages to look through the webbing and see the spiders crawling around before focusing on one body, from the shape, he can tell it's Bombur. He then hears a thud and all but one of the spiders scurry away, towards the thud, the one that stays back however, moves as if to eat poor Bombur, but then there's a slice of a blade and the spider starts to squeal. He hopes it's Caladwen and that she's found her way back to him. After a few moments of this, another sound is heard, it's not Caladwen, but it's another voice which brings him just as much happiness.
"Here!"
It's strange how just one word from their hobbit can fill him with such hope and happiness, especially when a few weeks before, he couldn't stand the fellow. But now, with Bilbo here, they're safe!
As he hears a large thud hits the ground, he hopes that isn't Bilbo, but he hears the hobbits voice again, which settles his racing heart.
"Sting. That's a good name."
Hearing the swish of his blade, he can see a few of the cocoons fall before he does, luckily it's a gentle fall. As soon as he feels his back hit the ground, he immediately begins wriggling and managed to get the webbing off him. Looking around, he sees the rest of his company all freeing themselves.
"Is everyone alright!?" Thorin asks as he gets to his feet.
They all nod in confirmation.
"Where's Bilbo?" Bofur asks suddenly.
Everyone looks around but don't see the Hobbit.
"Bilbo!"
"I'm up here!" They hear his voice from the trees above.
Relieved that he's safe, Thorin begins to lead the way through, to escape the oncoming spiders, but they are soon surrounded. They fight against the spiders with their various weapons. Bombur is knocked to the floor by a spider, and it stands over him to bite him.
"Bombur!" Bofur yells out for his brother.
"Grab a leg!" Dwalin exclaims.
The other dwarves grab each of the spider's legs.
"Pull!"
The dwarves pull at the spider's legs, and they manage to pull its legs right off its body. The dismembered body of the spider lands on Bombur.
The dwarves are still fighting the spiders. A spider manages to grab Kili.
"Kili!" Fili cries.
Before he can rush in, Fili manages to kill it and free his younger brother. They have defeated their spiders, and continue running through the forest. But they soon stop as more spiders jump down on threads of silk in front of the dwarves and hiss at them. Thorin raises his sword in preparation to fight, but pauses as he looks up.
A blonde Elf, runs through the treetops, then swings down a spider's silk in order to land on it and kill it. He slides on the forest floor under the spider facing Thorin, slicing it in half, and comes up kneeling with an arrow nocked in his bow and pointed at Thorin.
As looks at this elf, he realises that this is Legolas, Caladwen's older brother. He may not have met him before now, but he can certainly tell who he is. Caladwen is almost a copy of him, except Legolas's features are much sharper, wheras Caladwen's are softer.
"Do not think I won't kill you, dwarf. It would be my pleasure." Legolas says to Thorin.
As I get nearer, my heart drops as I hear Kili screaming for help and then Fili shouting for his brother. I run as fast as I can, dodging trees and jumping over roots, I can't let anything happen to Kili, I just can't.
"Throw me a dagger! Quick!" I hear Kili's voice call out.
"If you think I'm giving you a weapon dwarf, you're mistaken!"
I stop as I hear that voice, Tauriel. . .my best friend and sister growing up and the one who helped me to get away from here almost two hundred years ago.
Rushing towards those voices, I stop behind a tree as I see over a dozen guards and in the middle, all huddled together are the dwarves. I frown in confusion. Where's Bilbo? I can't see him in the group.
"Search them." A voice orders.
For the second time in a few minutes, I freeze. Legolas. . .my older brother. For years, I have wanted to hear his voice and see his face, especially after my capture. I really would have loved to have his support, as well as Thorin's, during that dark time, but was deprived of thar because of my father.
Peeking out from behind the tree, I see Legolas pulling a picture frame out of Gloin's pocket, one I know contains pictures of his wife and son.
"Hey! Give it back! That's private!"
"Who is this? Your brother?"
"That is my wife!"
Legolas looks at the other picture, which is of a dwarf child.
"And what is this horrid creature? A goblin mutant?"
"That's my wee lad, Gimli."
I frown at this, never having known Legolas to be cruel. But, I suppose with my father's influence on how he feels about dwarves, it's possible that my brother has changed. . .I truly hope that isn't the case.
As the guards continue their search, Legolas turns to Tauriel.
"Gyrth in yngyl bain?"
"Ennorner gwanod in yngyl na nyryn. Engain nar." Tauriel replies.
I frown. They must have been having problems with the spiders for a while.
"Legolas, hir nin."
I look up as an elf hands Legolas Thorin's sword, Orcrist, and he inspects it.
"Echannen i vegil hen vin Gondolin. Magannen nan Gelydh." He glares at Thorin. "Where did you get this?"
"It was given to me."
Legolas points the sword at Thorin's throat.
"Not just a thief, but a liar as well."
This is when I decide to step in. He may be my brother, and I love him dearly, but I will not tolerate anyone threatening Thorin.
"He tells the truth, Legolas."
This causes everyone to turn in my direction, the elves that had their backs to me spinning around, their arrows pointed, but stop dead at the sight of me. Stepping aside to allow me to pass.
"Caladwen!" Fili and Kili shout out in relief and happiness.
I give them a quick reassuring smile and wink before turning my gaze to Legolas, who doesn't take his eyes off me. His whole body is stood still in shock, his eyes wide and mouth open.
"Caladwen. . ." he manages to breath out.
I smile as I stand before him. "Gi suilon, muindor."
He slowly raises a hand and gently places it on my cheek, closing my eyes, I lean into his touch slightly. That's all it takes for Legolas to pull me into him, wrapping his arms tight around me. My arms also come up and wrap around him, gripping his tunic as I pull him close. I have missed my brother so much since the day I left. I always had thoughts that he would never forgive me for leaving, would come to hate me, but maybe that saying is really true; distance makes the heart grow fonder.
He soon pulls away and gently holds my face in his hands as I hold his forearms. His eyes roam my face, darkening as he looks at the three, white scars going across it.
"What happened to you, muinthel?" he asks, his gaze flickering to the dwarves and back. "Did they do this to you?"
I scoff at the insinuation. "Don't be ridiculous, Legolas. Did you forget one of them is my fiancé?"
He doesn't say anything for a moment, but then nods, lowering his hands to take my own.
"Come, let's get you home, father will be happy to see you."
I shake my head. "I highly doubt that, especially when he finds out I came here with the dwarves."
He raises a brow. "You did?"
"Yes. Now, release them, muindor, they are guests, not prisoners."
Legolas sighs. "I cannot do that, muinthel, you know that. They are to be taken to father where punishment will be given."
"Very well. Then I will speak to him. For now, unbind them, they won't run off."
He looks to me for a moment before giving the order to unbind them. I walk over to Thorin, who immediately takes me into his arms.
"Are you alright?" he asks me.
I nod. "I'm fine. I'm sorry you are treated this way, all I can do is to have you walk into the kingdom freely."
He shakes his head. "Don't be sorry. It cannot be helped."
I smile as the elves lead us along, looking around in worry as Bofur asks Thorin where Bilbo is. But that worry soon turns to hope. Hope that the little hobbit can help me get the dwarves out, as I know father. . .he won't let us all walk right back out of here so easily.
Well, there we have it. Caladwen and Legolas are finally reunited. Next is the moment Caladwen has been dreading. . .seeing her father again! Stay tuned next time to find out. Please keep leaving me your reviews, and let me know your thoughts on the alternate story!
Translations;
Gyrth in yngyl bain? - Are the spiders dead?
Ennorner gwanod in yngyl na nyryn. Engain nar. - Yes, but more will come. They're growing bolder.
Echannen i vegil hen vin Gondolin. Magannen nan Gelydh. - This is an ancient Elvish blade. Forged by my kin.
Muindor - Brother
Muinthel - Sister
Gi suilon – I greet you