"Galeth, have you seen Sevein?" Legolas caught up with the advisor in the
hall outside the royal quarters. "I was to have taken her on a ride this
morning, and she is not in her room."
Galeth poured on a sickly sweet smile before turning to face him. "The last I saw of her, she was leaving for the forest, with no mention of where she was going."
"What?! She went into the forest alone? How could you have let her do such a thing?" he fumed.
"Forgive me, my lord," Galeth said, dropping into a deep curtsy, "But she said she knew the way. She told me that should I find you, I should tell you she wanted to cancel the ride and go home."
Legolas wasted no time in running to the main gate of the castle. Within a few moments, he had reached the outer limit of the city and had burst forth into the forest. The two guards that should have been at the gate were nowhere to be seen, and he stopped dead in his tracks. The guards were never missing.
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She knew she had taken a wrong turn somewhere. "This doesn't make any sense," she muttered aloud. It had to have been three hours' time since she had left the Great Hall, but she was still in the underground mazes that populated Thranduil's Elven City. Even in the time she had been in Mirkwood, she had not been able to figure out the ways of the halls on her own. "I must be a hundred leagues from the throne room by now." she muttered. Just as she said so, however, she quietly walked through the door in front of her.directly into the throne room. She heard speaking, and she stepped to the side so as to hear but not be seen.
"Where is the girl?" came a commanding voice that Sevein recognized to be her father's. She trembled in anticipation. "Your advisor sent word to me seven days ago telling me she was here. I demand to have her returned!" Like so much property, Sevein thought bitterly.
"My son has taken your daughter for a ride. He left nearly two hours ago, and when he returns, I will make certain that your daughter is returned to you. And good riddance, I daresay."
Sevein did not wait to hear her father's response. She bolted down a hallway near to her and ran hard, ignoring the slight pain in her leg, praying it was the hallway to lead out of the underground city. Turning to glance behind her, only for a moment, she ran directly into someone and nearly fell over. She looked up to find Legolas looking down at her, concern crossing his face.
"What is going on, Sevein?"
"Legolas! I thought you had left without me!"
"And I thought you had left without me!" he said. "Galeth must have-."
"I must leave, Legolas," she interrupted. "I have no time to explain. Thank you for your kindness. Perhaps I shall see you again someday." Without allowing him a chance to reply, she bolted down the nearest corridor that looked familiar. Her legs were burning and she had a pain in her side, but still she ran and ran, until she had found the Great Gate of the city. Bursting out into the forest, she stopped, suddenly. It was pitch black outside; night had fallen while she was lost in the mazes, and she had not known. Here, barefoot and unarmed, she stood for a long moment, feeling defeated. She did not hear Legolas approaching her from the entrance to the city behind her.
"Where will you go?" he asked, as though reading her mind. "You have no weapon, no clothing, no food, no shoes." He paused for a moment. "What do you run from?"
Without turning to face him, Sevein spoke. "My father has come to your Kingdom, looking for me. When I ran into you in the hall, I had just heard him demanding information from the King." The situation seemed adverse, and the sadness, loss, grief, and anger could be heard in the girl's voice.
After a few moments of silence, Legolas whistled low, and his horse, Celegsûl, approached from out of the trees. Legolas stretched a hand out to Sevein. "Come.I will take you to where you will be safe."
She abided and gave him her hand. He led her over to Celegsûl, and lifted her onto the horse, and then climbed up behind her.
With a soft whisper in Elvish, the horse was off, slowly at first, then gaining speed, until they were off at a full gallop through the narrow path that delved between the dark walls of Mirkwood trees.
Galeth poured on a sickly sweet smile before turning to face him. "The last I saw of her, she was leaving for the forest, with no mention of where she was going."
"What?! She went into the forest alone? How could you have let her do such a thing?" he fumed.
"Forgive me, my lord," Galeth said, dropping into a deep curtsy, "But she said she knew the way. She told me that should I find you, I should tell you she wanted to cancel the ride and go home."
Legolas wasted no time in running to the main gate of the castle. Within a few moments, he had reached the outer limit of the city and had burst forth into the forest. The two guards that should have been at the gate were nowhere to be seen, and he stopped dead in his tracks. The guards were never missing.
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She knew she had taken a wrong turn somewhere. "This doesn't make any sense," she muttered aloud. It had to have been three hours' time since she had left the Great Hall, but she was still in the underground mazes that populated Thranduil's Elven City. Even in the time she had been in Mirkwood, she had not been able to figure out the ways of the halls on her own. "I must be a hundred leagues from the throne room by now." she muttered. Just as she said so, however, she quietly walked through the door in front of her.directly into the throne room. She heard speaking, and she stepped to the side so as to hear but not be seen.
"Where is the girl?" came a commanding voice that Sevein recognized to be her father's. She trembled in anticipation. "Your advisor sent word to me seven days ago telling me she was here. I demand to have her returned!" Like so much property, Sevein thought bitterly.
"My son has taken your daughter for a ride. He left nearly two hours ago, and when he returns, I will make certain that your daughter is returned to you. And good riddance, I daresay."
Sevein did not wait to hear her father's response. She bolted down a hallway near to her and ran hard, ignoring the slight pain in her leg, praying it was the hallway to lead out of the underground city. Turning to glance behind her, only for a moment, she ran directly into someone and nearly fell over. She looked up to find Legolas looking down at her, concern crossing his face.
"What is going on, Sevein?"
"Legolas! I thought you had left without me!"
"And I thought you had left without me!" he said. "Galeth must have-."
"I must leave, Legolas," she interrupted. "I have no time to explain. Thank you for your kindness. Perhaps I shall see you again someday." Without allowing him a chance to reply, she bolted down the nearest corridor that looked familiar. Her legs were burning and she had a pain in her side, but still she ran and ran, until she had found the Great Gate of the city. Bursting out into the forest, she stopped, suddenly. It was pitch black outside; night had fallen while she was lost in the mazes, and she had not known. Here, barefoot and unarmed, she stood for a long moment, feeling defeated. She did not hear Legolas approaching her from the entrance to the city behind her.
"Where will you go?" he asked, as though reading her mind. "You have no weapon, no clothing, no food, no shoes." He paused for a moment. "What do you run from?"
Without turning to face him, Sevein spoke. "My father has come to your Kingdom, looking for me. When I ran into you in the hall, I had just heard him demanding information from the King." The situation seemed adverse, and the sadness, loss, grief, and anger could be heard in the girl's voice.
After a few moments of silence, Legolas whistled low, and his horse, Celegsûl, approached from out of the trees. Legolas stretched a hand out to Sevein. "Come.I will take you to where you will be safe."
She abided and gave him her hand. He led her over to Celegsûl, and lifted her onto the horse, and then climbed up behind her.
With a soft whisper in Elvish, the horse was off, slowly at first, then gaining speed, until they were off at a full gallop through the narrow path that delved between the dark walls of Mirkwood trees.