While I enjoyed writing this of Alasse and her father fighting together, I truly missed having Legolas on the scene! It really didn't feel the same without him!
Alasse fled the palace and ran into the forest outside the royal gates. The guards had noticed but did not stop or question her.
Alasse lept into the tall trees and ran along the branches for nearly a half hour before she dropped to her knees on a sturdy limb. She braced herself back against the trunk and hugged her knees to herself, crying. Up here, it was quiet with the sounds of nature for company. Up here, she could be alone to shed her hurt feelings. Up here, her father couldn't reach her. Well, at least not for a while.
Alasse could not believe it! She'd made her point very clear to Thranduil back in Gondor that she was coming back to the Wood for only a while, that she couldn't stay permanently. He'd agreed to that! He'd agreed! He'd gone back on his word! Or...had he? This had been his plan the entire time, to keep her away from her friends and the rest of the world, her own brother! And worst of all, Aragorn!
Oh, Aragorn! Where was he? What in Valar's name had happened to him? Had it already happened? Was it going to happen? How had he become a prisoner in horrible darkness, tortured? Aragorn was a great king and fierce ranger. He couldn't just be plucked away like a child could. So how did this happen? What exactly had happened? And just who was torturing him? Why? Who in their right mind would want to hurt Aragorn? He was a just, very kind man. And deeply humble. Anger burned through Alasse's veins. Whoever had dared to threaten the King of Gondor, and beat her beloved for sport would have to answer to her! And she would make sure that they did! Somehow...
"Naneth? Can you hear me?" Alasse sniffled. "You said that our bond was meant to be! Ada doesn't understand. He just doesn't understand! And he won't listen to me! He is my king, but he does not command my heart! What am I to do? Nana, where is Aragorn? Why is this happening to him? Why?!"
The trees rustled softly around her, inquiring what had upset their princess so. Alasse replied in Elvish, "My father deceived me about, something very dear to me. And I don't know how to make him change his mind!" The trees shuddered inwardly. Surely their beloved king had a good reason for doing what he had done. The trees whispered to Alasse, for her to be strong and talk to him again. "I can't." Alasse shook her head. "At least, not now. Not until I can sort this out."
Once she'd had a good sob, Alasse decided to take a serene walk among the tree branches, trying to calm her thoughts. She knelt down on a limb overlooking the river below, taking a breath, hoping it would give her answers. Suddenly, the trees were whistling anxiously. Alasse frowned at them. They only whistled that way when something was very wrong.
"What is it, my friends?" She asked in Elvish. "What has gotten you so stirred up?"
The trees shook and rustled shrilly, pointing her to the south. Alasse stood up and gazed sharply into the distance. Her Elvish eyesight did not deceive her. Her heart plummeted into her throat. "Orcs?!" She gasped. "I have to warn Ada!" And with that, she raced with all her might back to the palace.
Thranduil stood dejectedly on the circular pavement below his throne, tears spilling down his fair cheeks. His heart was broken in two, but he knew it was his own fault. He should have had just thrown away his pride and been upfront with his daughter. At least then, they might have been able to negotiate! "Why did I not see it before?" He asked himself. "I should've known better than to try to control iel nin's fate! It didn't work with Legolas. Why did I think this time would be an exception? I've been unfair. I didn't want to lose her again, to the jaws of death. And now I have lost her, forever! To my own stupidity." Thranduil wept. "Oh, Valar, what have I done? It seems the harder I love my children, the more I drive them away. Oh, Valar, protect my daughter! Protect my precious iel!"
It felt like hours since she'd spotted the enemies as she galloped through the forest like a doe escaping its hunters. As she reached the gates, she saw Feren. "Feren!" She called. The dark-haired elf looked to her. "Gather the patrols at once! Enemies are on the move!"
"At once, my lady!" Feren nodded and ran to fulfill her command. Alasse burst through the palace doors, hoping her father was in sight and wouldn't be hard to find. Relief washed over her as she spotted his flowing white hair, in the throne room.
"Father!" Alasse yelled frantically, racing to the throne room. Thranduil stiffened in astonishment. Could it be her? She'd returned? She didn't hate him? Hope lept in his bosom at the chance of reconciliation. Taking a deep breath, he turned and smiled sadly. She'd come back! He truly had not expected her to...ever!
"Alasse, I'm..." He tried to speak, reaching out to her with open arms.
"Father," she collided into him, "there are Orcs on the move, on the threshold of our borders! I saw them! We must assemble the troop now!" Alasse urged him. Thranduil gaped, stunned.
"What?! Where?" Thranduil gasped, painfully, protectively gripping her arms.
"Just south of the river. They are moving fast, Ada! We must be quick." Alasse sputtered, tugging on his arm. Thranduil couldn't help but feel his heart lighten.
We...she said, 'we'! Not 'you'! "Where did these Orcs come from?" Thranduil asked as they scurried down the stairs toward the front doors.
"I do not know." Alasse shook her head.
"How many?"
"I'm calculating at least forty!" Alasse exclaimed.
"Bellethiel!" Thranduil thundered in the foyer. "Bellethiel! Where is she?"
"My lord Thranduil?" Bellethiel answered, running as fast as she could.
"Orcs on the south border at the river! Gather your troops and have them ready! We must overtake these fell beasts before they enter the Gate." Thranduil commanded.
"Ai, my lord!"
Thranduil hurried into his armor and marched briskly to the front courtyard where his horse was waiting. Alasse was already there. "What do you think you're doing?" Thranduil growled.
"There's a fight on. I'm going to help." Alasse said casually.
"No you are not!" Thranduil demanded. Alasse glared at him, as if to say, 'must we go through this again'? "You will stay here where it's safe." Thranduil commanded.
"Our people are out there, Ada. And they need our help. The last time I played it safe, two of them died!" Alasse reminded him.
"And I'll not have you suffer the same fate, again!" Thranduil argued.
"They need us, Ada. I'm going with you." Alasse said determinedly. Thranduil froze, pondering what to do. He was desperate that she remain behind.
"You will not accompany us." He declared sternly.
"This is our land, Ada." Alasse vented back sharply. "Our kingdom, our people. We'll fight for it and win...together!" She told him angrily. Thranduil glowered darkly. He was so angry, and scared. He couldn't put her at risk. Why did his children have to be so stubborn? Because they were his children. They definitely had inherited their father's bull-hardheadedness!
Alasse didn't move, though her heart was pounding. The last person to defy her father that way had been Tauriel. And that had not gone over very well at all! Thranduil stood still, eerily quiet. He squinted dangerously. "You stay at my side, and don't try anything stupid." He warned her icily. Alasse's eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded quickly.
Thranduil mounted his horse, and Alasse jumped on behind him. The troops were already in the forest, under Bellethiel's command. The king and his daughter rode into the fight.
The screeches of bloodthirsty, dying Orcs shrilly disturbed the normally quiet, peaceful forest. Elves were up in the trees, on the ground, on horses, on boulders in the river, shooting arrows, throwing knives and daggers, slaying the Orcs to the best of their ability. The Orcs were everywhere! Thranduil drew his mighty sword and slashed it skillfully, cutting through Orcs as his horse galloped into the meadow. Alasse did not need to hang onto his cape to remain on the steed, she was perfectly balanced, so she shot arrows with her bow, killing several Orcs at once. Then, she stood up on the horse's rump, her back to her father, and pulled out her bow staff, flinging it brutally into the Orcs, knocking them senseless into piles on top of each other.
"Get out of the range of fire!" Thranduil yelled back to her. Alasse lept into one of the trees and raced along the limb, joining her soldiers who used their vantage point to pick off the beasts unnoticed.
Thranduil, still a perch his horse, drew his other sword and danced both weapons in a most deadly spin. Several Orc heads toppled to the ground. Five Orcs raced straight at the king to grab him off, but he was more than ready and killed each one before they so much as laid a filthy claw on him. His horse, reared back, not out of fear but out of anger, and kicked out with his might hooves, bashing Orcs in the face.
The trees trembled in rage and shook themselves wildly, hurling pine cones and hoards of nuts at the Orcs, catching the beasts off guard. Bellethiel was cornered by four Orcs against a tree. But she showed no fear, her eyes blazing with determination. She whirled around, viciously kicking the Orcs in the face, splitting their lips, then she went full rampage, running her blades through their ugly skins. They dropped dead within seconds. She glared at the ones behind their dead companions. The Orcs had seen what the tall captain of the guard had done and they fled. Bellethiel wasted no time and killed them off.
Feren, Alasse, and more elves were holding out pretty well until the guard pointed out to the direction from where the Orcs had come. Alasse's heart dropped. More were coming, too many more! "ADA!" Alasse yelled from the tree. "More Orcs! We need more troops!" She hollered.
Thranduil glowered bitterly at the Orcs and was momentarily cut off guard for not more than three seconds when his daughter told him their predicament. Being distracted, even if only for those few seconds, six Orcs pounced onto the king, angering his horse. They clawed at him, jerking at his cape, trying to pull him off his horse.
"Oh, no!" Alasse cried. "Feren, send for help!" Feren obeyed, blowing their horn as Alasse lept down from the tree. Thranduil would not go down without a fight no matter how badly he was outnumbered. He appeared more annoyed than anything else as the foul creatures tugged on him from all directions. His downfall was them grabbing him by the arms. Alasse threw her daggers at them, piercing two in the skulls. Then she landed on the horse's rump, whacking with all her might at the Orcs. How dare they touch her father! The poor Orcs were mercilessly forced to be on the receiving end of her stave and they dropped to the ground.
"I am not a defenseless child, iel." Thranduil muttered sassily, squaring his shoulders to shrug off the wrinkles the Orcs had left on his cape. Alasse narrowed her eyes at him.
"Yeah. You're welcome." She shook her head then hopped down to the ground and dashed into the herd of Orcs, fighting alongside Bellethiel, taking down the enemies.
Thranduil looked to the south. Sure enough, an entire band of Orcs were advancing on them. Thranduil stiffened in disgust. He had to keep them from crossing the river. Bellowing in Elvish, he ordered the elves to the river's edge, to shoot down as many Orcs as possible. Bellethiel, Alasse, and others tried to finish off the ones in their midst while all the rest of the army followed their king. They overtook the Orcs at the water with arrows. Some of the ones who escaped tried crossing in the water. Thranduil wasn't about to let that scum set foot in his land! His horse took a mighty leap to the other side, and using both swords again, he made quick work off the Orcs to the left, cantering around and cutting off any hope of escape into the water for them. The elves on the other side fledged their arrows, but some were running out.
Thranduil thought they could hold them off, but the Orcs were piling in again. Just then, elves on horses galloped to the water and crossing over, pushed back the Orcs, herding them into a giant circle, surrounding them and shooting them. Thranduil breathed in relief. His army was indeed loyal and mighty.
With the cavalry relieving them of the Orcs at the water, the remaining elves on the shore went after the Orcs that were still there on foot.
Alasse had just slain a huge Orc which dropped to the ground. She took a second to catch her breath, and then...something sharp was suddenly thrust into her belly.
