Chapter 6
The King's Decision
Legolas sat there eyes wide and mouth agape. Had she just said that she wanted to fight alongside Mirkwood's soldiers? He listened intently to the conversation going on between King Thranduil and Narawen.
"I'm sorry, Narawen," his father, who had regained his composure after the shock more quickly than Legolas had, was saying. "I just can't allow you to fight."
"Why not? Just because I'm a lady you're not going to let me fight?" Narawen asked keeping her voice as calm as she possibly could.
"Yes, fighting in a war is too dangerous for women. It is best that every woman stays to take care of the children. It is up to the men to protect the women and keep them safe. That is how it has always been and it will stay that way," Thranduil replied.
"But, King Thranduil, I have had just as much and if not even more experience in battle than any of your soldiers. You haven't even seen me fight and you are already telling me I'm not allowed to fight in a war just because I am a woman!" Narawen was about ready to yell. After a minute of thinking over what was happening she finally realized that she was arguing with a king. Her eyes widened in shock and she stood up from the table. "Please forgive my behavior, King Thranduil. I do not know what came over me."
"It is alright, Lady Narawen. I understand that all you want to do is help, but I think that the best way for you to help is by staying here," the king replied. Narawen nodded.
"Please excuse me, I am tired and would like to retire," she said.
"Of course, don't let us keep you," Thranduil said.
"Oh, and King Thranduil?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"Whatever happened to Colas, Aniond, and Forfin? I haven't seen them since we first arrived," she said.
"They left early the morning after you arrived. They had urgent business that they had to take care of back in Rivendell and left as soon as they possibly could," the king replied.
"Thank you," Narawen bowed, not wanting to curtsy since she didn't have a dress on, and left. She walked down the hall and turned down the hall leading to her room. Nice job, Narawen, she thought, so much for not taking no for an answer. Narawen entered her room and went to bed thinking of ways to convince King Thranduil that she could fight.
~*~
Narawen awoke early the next morning the sun hadn't even risen yet and it looked as if it could be another hour or so before it did. She had decided that she would go to the practice fields today. She was going to practice even if she wasn't allowed to fight and no one could stop her.
She got out of bed and dressed in a tunic and leggings. She strapped her bow and quiver to her back and then grabbed her unsheathed sword before heading out the door. She was half way down the hall when she ran into someone causing her to drop her sword. She bent down to pick up her sword and as she did so a familiar voice spoke.
"And where might you be going at this time in the morning?" the voice asked. Narawen looked up to see the blue eyes of the Prince of Mirkwood looking at her.
"I was just on my way to the practice fields," she replied as she stood up with her sword in hand.
"After my father told you not to?" Legolas asked in utter shock that she would disobey the command of a king.
"Your father only said that I wasn't allowed to fight in the war. Not once did he say that I wasn't allowed to practice my weaponry skills," she replied.
"So he did," Legolas said thoughtfully. "In that case would you mind if I accompanied you?"
"Of course not," Narawen replied noticing for the first time that he also had his weapons with him. "Why exactly were you headed in the opposite direction of the practice fields?" Legolas only smiled and shook his head as they headed for the practice fields.
~*~
It was nearly mid-morning and there were many other elves on the practice fields now. So many, in fact, that Narawen and Legolas had been separated sometime during the morning. How can practice fields be this busy during the morning? Narawen thought as she headed to leave so that she wouldn't be in anyone's way. By this point in time King Thranduil had already notified his soldiers of the war that was to take place and Narawen knew that they needed to prepare for it.
She went back to her room and left her weapons there before she began to wander aimlessly through the halls. She wasn't even paying attention to where she was going until she found herself standing in front of huge doors that looked familiar to her. The library! She thought excitedly as she pushed the doors open and walked inside.
Narawen spent the rest of the day in there reading books she had read long ago. That is where Legolas found her.
"Narawen!" he said relieved to have finally found her. He walked up to her. "Narawen, my father was worried when you missed dinner."
"Sorry, I've been in here all day. What time is it?" Narawen asked looking up from the book she had been reading.
"Just after dinner. You must be hungry. Let's go get you something to eat," Legolas said offering her a hand to help her up.
"No thank you, I think I'm just going to go to bed," she replied taking his hand and putting the book down on the table.
"If that's what you want," Legolas said leading out of the library, down the halls, and to her room.
A/N: I have been trying to make my chapters longer so just bear with me until I am able to. Thank you for the reviews! They really help.
Legolas sat there eyes wide and mouth agape. Had she just said that she wanted to fight alongside Mirkwood's soldiers? He listened intently to the conversation going on between King Thranduil and Narawen.
"I'm sorry, Narawen," his father, who had regained his composure after the shock more quickly than Legolas had, was saying. "I just can't allow you to fight."
"Why not? Just because I'm a lady you're not going to let me fight?" Narawen asked keeping her voice as calm as she possibly could.
"Yes, fighting in a war is too dangerous for women. It is best that every woman stays to take care of the children. It is up to the men to protect the women and keep them safe. That is how it has always been and it will stay that way," Thranduil replied.
"But, King Thranduil, I have had just as much and if not even more experience in battle than any of your soldiers. You haven't even seen me fight and you are already telling me I'm not allowed to fight in a war just because I am a woman!" Narawen was about ready to yell. After a minute of thinking over what was happening she finally realized that she was arguing with a king. Her eyes widened in shock and she stood up from the table. "Please forgive my behavior, King Thranduil. I do not know what came over me."
"It is alright, Lady Narawen. I understand that all you want to do is help, but I think that the best way for you to help is by staying here," the king replied. Narawen nodded.
"Please excuse me, I am tired and would like to retire," she said.
"Of course, don't let us keep you," Thranduil said.
"Oh, and King Thranduil?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"Whatever happened to Colas, Aniond, and Forfin? I haven't seen them since we first arrived," she said.
"They left early the morning after you arrived. They had urgent business that they had to take care of back in Rivendell and left as soon as they possibly could," the king replied.
"Thank you," Narawen bowed, not wanting to curtsy since she didn't have a dress on, and left. She walked down the hall and turned down the hall leading to her room. Nice job, Narawen, she thought, so much for not taking no for an answer. Narawen entered her room and went to bed thinking of ways to convince King Thranduil that she could fight.
~*~
Narawen awoke early the next morning the sun hadn't even risen yet and it looked as if it could be another hour or so before it did. She had decided that she would go to the practice fields today. She was going to practice even if she wasn't allowed to fight and no one could stop her.
She got out of bed and dressed in a tunic and leggings. She strapped her bow and quiver to her back and then grabbed her unsheathed sword before heading out the door. She was half way down the hall when she ran into someone causing her to drop her sword. She bent down to pick up her sword and as she did so a familiar voice spoke.
"And where might you be going at this time in the morning?" the voice asked. Narawen looked up to see the blue eyes of the Prince of Mirkwood looking at her.
"I was just on my way to the practice fields," she replied as she stood up with her sword in hand.
"After my father told you not to?" Legolas asked in utter shock that she would disobey the command of a king.
"Your father only said that I wasn't allowed to fight in the war. Not once did he say that I wasn't allowed to practice my weaponry skills," she replied.
"So he did," Legolas said thoughtfully. "In that case would you mind if I accompanied you?"
"Of course not," Narawen replied noticing for the first time that he also had his weapons with him. "Why exactly were you headed in the opposite direction of the practice fields?" Legolas only smiled and shook his head as they headed for the practice fields.
~*~
It was nearly mid-morning and there were many other elves on the practice fields now. So many, in fact, that Narawen and Legolas had been separated sometime during the morning. How can practice fields be this busy during the morning? Narawen thought as she headed to leave so that she wouldn't be in anyone's way. By this point in time King Thranduil had already notified his soldiers of the war that was to take place and Narawen knew that they needed to prepare for it.
She went back to her room and left her weapons there before she began to wander aimlessly through the halls. She wasn't even paying attention to where she was going until she found herself standing in front of huge doors that looked familiar to her. The library! She thought excitedly as she pushed the doors open and walked inside.
Narawen spent the rest of the day in there reading books she had read long ago. That is where Legolas found her.
"Narawen!" he said relieved to have finally found her. He walked up to her. "Narawen, my father was worried when you missed dinner."
"Sorry, I've been in here all day. What time is it?" Narawen asked looking up from the book she had been reading.
"Just after dinner. You must be hungry. Let's go get you something to eat," Legolas said offering her a hand to help her up.
"No thank you, I think I'm just going to go to bed," she replied taking his hand and putting the book down on the table.
"If that's what you want," Legolas said leading out of the library, down the halls, and to her room.
A/N: I have been trying to make my chapters longer so just bear with me until I am able to. Thank you for the reviews! They really help.