NOTE: This will be short.
Chapter Seventeen: Return to Mirkwood
During the following five days that it took the Mirkwood Elves to battle against the river and raft their way hard upstream, Síriel was busy in thought. Her mind kept drifting back to the gift Gimli had given her. To another person, it would seem rather absurd that she kept thinking about it, but to someone who wholly understood her situation, it would not. Gil-celeb gave up after the third time in trying to have her help them raft. He knew it was useless, and he need not waste precious energy trying to get her to raft when he could be rafting himself. She did prove useful, though, in pointing out floating logs and other dangers. But he also knew that something like this was a miracle for her, and it would be some time before she would recover. He was patient. He could wait.
'After all, it is not every day that she receives a gift. Eru, I cannot even remember when the last time was that I gave her a gift!' he thought.
Síriel had spent most of her time living with him. Her mother had raised her, yes, but she was a mortal, so she had died after seventy years. His daughter was but young in the eyes of Elves, a mere Elfling, but old in the eyes of Men. After taking her to live with him, he set her to helping him with the rafting, often forgetting that she was female, not male. Only quite recently had he noticed that she was indeed female. Her curvaceous figure was not something he could easily overlook anymore. And now that there was something between her and Legolas, he could no longer deny the fact that his daughter was almost grown. Soon, she would become of age and he would one day witness her wedding. What he would do without her, he did not know. Best not to think of it now. He should enjoy her company, for who knew when she would leave him?
They reached Thranduil's palace on the afternoon of the fifth day. They were actually early, since they usually arrived during the evening. Their early arrival was due to Síriel. She had helped them rafting.
The Elves' rafts touched the riverside gently. Síriel and a few others jumped into the shallow water and helped push the rafts up onto the riverbank. After tying them securely to posts, they began to unload the rafts. A sort of assembly line was set up, so that the Elves were passing to each other the barrels and packages of goods they got from Lake-town. After that was done, Síriel made sure everything was present, checking off the items on the lists she had with her. The entire process took several hours, for the Elves had brought with them many things. Even then, it was not over, for there still remained the task of carrying the items from the riverbank into the Thranduil's cellars in his cave-palace.
"Is everything present, Síriel?" Gil-celeb asked.
She nodded as she folded up the lists, placing them in her pocket.
"Alright, then. You all know what to do." Gil-celeb said.
The Elves nodded, and picked up barrels. They then formed a line and trooped towards the palace. They went slowly through the corridors, for there were many Elves going about their various duties. The Elf in charge of the cellars leapt to his feet when he saw them approaching and raced down the stairs ahead of them to unlock the cellars' doors. He had to flatten himself against the wall as they came, laden with their barrels. It took twenty trips before everything was in the cellars. The river-rafters breathed heavily and wiped the sweat from their faces onto their tunics.
"Well, I suppose we should inform aran Thranduil that we have arrived. Then we can give him the rest of the funds." Gil-celeb said.
Síriel nodded.
"You can go, now. We are finished. Hannon le." Gil-celeb said to the other Elves. "Go and rest. You deserve it."
They nodded their heads wearily and left.
"Let us go, sell nín." Gil-celeb said, offering her his arm.
They must have been a bewildering sight, the pair of them, Síriel and her sire. They were both soaked with perspiration from carrying the barrels from the riverbank into the cellars. Síriel looked more golden than ever, after all that time in the sun. Gil-celeb was deathly pale beside his daughter. But they could care less. They were weary and hungry, and they still had one more thing left to do before they could rest.
"Gil-celeb, Síriel, what a sight you are!" Thranduil said when they came before him, bowing wearily, and almost dropping onto the floor.
Legolas hurried over to Síriel.
"We have returned from Lake-town just now. Everything is in the cellars. And here is the rest of what you gave us." Gil-celeb said, handing his King a pouch filled with coins.
"How can it be that you have brought everything that we need and yet you used less than half of the amount I gave you?" Thranduil asked.
"They reduced the prices, hîr nín." Síriel replied.
"Am ma theled (for what purpose/why)?"
"Adar, with your permission, they should be excused. No doubt they have had a hard day's work. Can you not see?" Legolas said. "After they have rested, then they can come and answer your question. I am sure they will have no objection to that."
Gil-celeb gave Legolas a thankful smile.
"Indeed, I apologize. You both may go, and worry not about my question. It is not all that important." Thranduil said.
Síriel turned to Legolas.
"Then I shall see you later, perhaps in the evening." she said.
Legolas cupped her face.
"So be it. In the evening." he told her.