~* Thank you to Ivy… I couldn't be the writer I am today without her…*~
The King woke everyone in the household extra early. Lakil woke me up, in my nightgown.
"Don't bother, he won't mind", he told me as we went down to the end of the servants' quarters. He wrapped his cloak around my shoulders.
"'Quel amrun llie (good morning all of you). I bring you all early this morning that I will be assigning most of you to go to Undying Lands", he said.
There was chatter amongst the group.
"You have been most excellent to me and my family, and for that I am in debt to your lives. However, the boats in the Havens are now official leaving for good", he said.
I looked at Lakil, whose eyes shone with fear.
"Lakil? Lle tyava quel? (Do you feel well)?" I asked him.
"Yes, I'm alright", he said, brushing me off.
I touched his arm, to be sure that he was okay.
"I want the younger elves to stay here until the last fifteen boats are ready to leave. The elder elves, I want you to leave first", the King said.
I did not know Lakil's age. My own age was 3,140.
"Helinwen, when are you leaving?" Lakil asked me.
"In the middle, how about you?" I asked him.
"Not sure", he said.
"Lakil, how old are you?" I asked him, still touching his arm.
"5,012 years old", he said.
I couldn't believe my ears. I would have though he around my age.
"Surprised, are you?" he asked me, looking at me with his gray eyes.
I nodded.
"Come, let's go to the kitchen and figure out if I should go with you", he said, taking my arm, and leading me down the hallway.
We got to the kitchen, everyone went back to sleep, it wasn't even sunrise yet.
I sat at the table, and folded my hands across the table. Lakil sat across from me and sipped tea.
"So, how do you think I compare to leave these shores?" he asked me.
"I don't think you should go. I need you here with me", I said.
"Then, we should leave now, and our ending point will be the Gray Havens", he said, reaching over to touch my hands.
"You don't have a replacement. We have duties to the King", I said softly.
"The King will not take offense. He will only assume we just left", he said under his breath.
I got up and went into my bedroom. I didn't have anything you would wear on a riding trip. I went to the wash line and took of one of the prince's jerkins, shirts and tights. I went back into my room and changed. Lakil had done the same, except instead of being dressed in shades of greens; he was dressed in shades of dark blue.
"Are we taking horses?" I asked him.
"If you want to reach your destinations earlier", he said.
I nodded. My father taught me how to ride a horse before he left. I went into the stables, the white horses all groomed to perfection and ready to ride in a moment's notice. There was no stable hand around, so I took the two horses furthest from the door. I took their saddles and fixed them on them. I had to go looking for their bridles, but I realized they were in the stalls. I finally walked them back to Lakil and the kitchen door.
Lakil had his sword and his quiver and bow ready.
"I didn't know you knew how to wield a sword or shoot a bow", I said.
"I don't talk about it often", he said, and armed his horse up.
"No food?" I asked him.
He held up a pouch.
"I can hunt, remember?" he said smiling.
I laughed softly.
I mounted my horse, and let her canter.
Lakil soon caught up to me and we rode side by side through the forest and on the path that was created by the people of the wood. It ran right from the King's halls to the Great River.
I slowed down a bit; it was nice to see the rest of Mirkwood.
"Lakil, what happened to the woods?" I asked him.
"I know that the Dark Lord came here and brought his evil creatures with him. The former name of Mirkwood was Greenwood", he said, riding close by my side.
An elf archer stood down the way.
"Mani naa lle umien (What are you doing)?" he barked at us.
"Lye naa lema I'Valinor (We are journeying to the Havens)", Lakil said.
"Aa' i'sul nora lanne'lle (may the wind fill your sails)", he said let us pass.
We rode a bit faster and then stopped.
"My father's job used to be doing that. I would sit in the trees and wait for his word to attack", Lakil said.
"You were part of the defense force?" I asked him.
"Defense force is too strong of a word. I was part of the alliance that took down Sauron in the last age", he said.
"Then how come you are not honored like the rest of the Elves who fought?" I asked him.
"I had no interest. To be an Elf-lord and be waited on hand and foot, I couldn't see myself doing that", he said.
"What would you have been Elf-lord over?" I asked him.
"A part of Mirkwood, I'd have to pay tribute to the King and collect taxes, and all sorts of things like that", he said.
"Do you regret it, you know, not being Lord Lakil of Mirkwood?" I asked him.
"No, I suppose I don't. Probably because my name's not really Lakil, Helinwen", he said.
"Then what is your name?" I asked him, Lakil was really nice, and I wasn't worried.
"Astald,
valiant. My father named me, and he was right. I was valiant", he said.
"That's a beautiful name", I
said.
"Thank you", he said.
We reached the edge of the woods and we were now by the Great River.
