Chapter 8

She stayed in Rivendell for two weeks, but she never did get round to asking anyone about her dream. 'Oh well,' she thought. 'Wasn't very important anyway.'

So, she was on the road again. 'I don't know how Rath expects to be able to do this all the time,' she thought. 'It's so tiring. I'm missing a proper bed already, and I've only been travelling for a few days.' And it was the thought of a nice warm bed and that alone that kept her going. The sooner she got to Mirkwood, the sooner she could sleep in a proper bed.

One month later, she arrived at the borders of Mirkwood. It certainly lived up to its name. It was very dark, with narrow pathways. There was very little life (if you could call the things that were there 'life'), and apparently no animals. But, instead of seeing all this, she saw potential, as an artist would a blank canvas. She entered the forest and plants flourished around her. It was suddenly alive with colour. As she walked, more and more life sprang into being. She glanced back and smiled at her handicraft. She hoped the Mirkwood Elves would like it. 'I'm sure they will,' she thought.

She wasn't exactly sure where she was going but, if it was anything like Lothlórien, she'd be stopped sooner or later. 'Preferably later.' And that it was. She'd been walking for three days (A/N: No, not constantly) before she was experiencing déjà vu. Eight Elves surrounded her, arrows notched, ready for use. Though they didn't give the impression of being as hostile as the Lórien Elves.

"What business brings you to Mirkwood?" said the lead Elf.

"I'm here to see King Thranduil," she replied, politely. "I'm afraid I didn't inform him of my arrival. If it's a problem at all, I shall return to Rivendell." Her eyes looked onto one of the Elven archers behind the leader. 'Oh my...' All she could do was stare. His features were flawless. He was slender but muscular. He was confident with a bow... he was bloody gorgeous. She realised she was being spoken to.

"Pardonwhat?" she said, still unable to take her eyes of this Elven beauty.

"I said, you may not be able to enter," said the leader. 'He's a lot nicer than the Lórien Elves,' she thought admiringly. 'In fact, he's a lot nicer than anyone I've ever seen.' "Our King was very definite about not making any unauthorised entrances. You could be an enemy."

"But look what I did to your forest," she said, pointing behind her. They all looked. "Would I have done that if I was an enemy?"

"It could be a trick," said the leader, cautiously.

"I don't think so," said the 'bloody gorgeous' Elf. "No enemy would be that generous. We even have normal woodland animals."

"I suppose, but shouldn't we tell-"

"I think he'll be ok with it, let her pass."

"I don't want to upset your King or get any of you in trouble," she said.

"I don't think it'll be a problem," said the 'Elven beauty', with a smile (though to many it seemed little forced).

"That's good," she said. 'Mmmm, he has a nice smile too,' she thought, as he and another led to the Elvenking's Halls. 'Wait! Hold up! What am I thinking?! I don't do romance! I've never fancied anyone, EVER!!! I can't start now. That's what all the other stupid Istari do. I'm individual! I'm not like all them! I don't fancy people and I most definitely do NOT fall in love! MEEP! What's going on?!'

After what seemed like hours of walking (she didn't mind staring at his ass though), they reached the Halls. It was a castle built into a mountain, though apart from that small detail, it was like to any other.

"I shall the King of your presence," said the 'flawless' Elf.

"Shall I just wait here then?" she said.

"Er, yes, that was the general idea," he said, and walked away.

"I only asked," she said, indignantly.

"Don't mind him," said the other Elf. "He's a little miffed at the moment. His father made him aid us guards on the borders, he didn't want to. He says it's boring and needless him being there."

"Well, that's still no excuse to be rude," she said.

"Oh, it is," said the Elf. "When you meet his father, you'll understand."

"Who says I'll meet him?"

"Oh, you will."

The 'slender but muscular' Elf returned looking no happier than when he had left. In fact he looked even more unhappy, if that was possible.

"He will see you now," he said, monotonously and indicated for her to follow him. She did, reluctantly. 'I'm beginning to like him less and less.'

She was brought before Thranduil, who looked A LOT younger than she imagined. He only looked a little older than all the Elves she met everywhere else. He certainly looked younger than Elrond. He sat watching her for several seconds before he spoke.

"Welcome to my home, fair one," he said. "Please tell me, what is your name?"

"I am Silvawen of the-" she stopped. 'Oh crap, I wasn't meant to tell anyone! Oh well, I've basically said it now.' "-Of the Istari. There were several gasps from the younger Elves in the Hall.

"Well then, I am most delighted and honoured to have you in my home," he said. "My son tells me you have given us a great gift, the likes of which our forest has not seen for a very long time. Perhaps you could show us something of this-" She was staring at him again, only this time in disbelief. 'His son?' she thought. 'He's a Prince?! ARGH! That makes it even worse!' She snapped out of her little mental stress attack right on time. She just caught the end of Thranduil's sentence. Suddenly, the dais, on which the throne was set, was not to be seen for flowers and plants growing on it. Thranduil seemed impressed.

"Well, if this is anything to go by, I like you already," he said. "I shall have to see what you can do in the actual forest, though."

So he did. She was taken back outside to a small clearing, just in sight of the castle. It was dark, damp, full of weeds and choking creepers. It was basically plain damn nasty. But when Silva was done with it, it was light and dry and pretty.

"I must thank you, Silvawen," said Thranduil. "This is greater than I imagined. Though I am saddened that it will not stay as this."

"You doubt my abilities?" she said, slightly offended.

"No, no, it is only that we are plagued by a deadly foe," he said, sadly. "It will be destroyed soon enough." Silva gasped inwardly. 'My dream,' she thought.

"What is this foe?" she asked. 'Please say big.' "Maybe I can help."

"Now, that I do doubt," he said. "It is an infestation of Giant Spiders." 'YES!!!' "None of my warriors have been able to defeat them."

"Do you think I can't handle because I'm a woman?" she said defiantly. "I'll have you know I'm VERY scary and dangerous when I'm angry. And very defensive and protective of people I like."

"Then you can gladly take you own chance when the opportunity arises," said Thranduil.

"And now she has her chance, sire!" said a messenger. "We're under siege, sire. West of the Castle. All your best warriors are there already."

"Not all of them," said Thranduil. "Legolas, get out there." Legolas immediately obeyed and ran to aid his kin. 'Legolas? Shame about the name.'

"There isn't much point in sending him if he can't do anything, is there?" said Silva. "Just direct me where I have to go. I'll soon sort out this little inconvenience for you." She was escorted, once again, to the place under siege. She saw several other Elves (all male, she noticed) running towards the invaded area. She turned to one of her escorts.

"Honestly," she sighed. "They're wasting their time. I will sort it out the best way I know how."

"And what's that?" said the Elf (wondering if he really did want to know).

"Oh it's a woman thing. You'll just have to wait and see."

When they got there, she was shocked. The spiders were enormous. Not just giant, enormous. They were at least 10ft high. She hadn't counted on them being that big, else she wouldn't have been so quick to volunteer. 'Oh well, I'll just have to try a little harder,' she thought. She approached Legolas (being the leader this time).

"I don't know what you think you can do," he said. "We're armed and we can't defeat them."

"I'm armed," she said, defensively.

"What with? A dress? Yeah, that'll help," he scoffed.

"Look, just move out of the way," she said angrily, and pushed him aside. She wasn't going to be snubbed by some stuck-up Elf (again) like he was her superior, no matter how gorgeous he was. She went up the spider at the front of the attack.

"OI! YOU!" she yelled. The spider looked down at her. "Yeah, you! I want a word with you!"

"You do realise I could kill you in an instant, don't you?" said the spider.

"I don't care," she said. "Now then, I'm going to ask you nicely to leave, or else."

"Or else what?" said the spider. "What could you possibly do to me?"

"Seriously you do NOT want to see me angry," she said. "It is not a pretty sight. It is for your own good that you listen to my advice and bugger off before you regret it." The spider began to laugh (if it could be called a laugh) and loomed over her.

"And if I don't?" he said. Her temper was beginning to reach unbearable levels. It seemed to get darker in the forest. Lengths of ivy began to wind tightly around each of the spider's legs.

"Get out, before I get really mad," she growled. The spider was now firmly secured to the ground and couldn't move or had any means of defense against attack. It came to a bit of a sticky ending. (A/N: Sticky? Arrow? Do you get it? It's not funny, is it? No, didn't think so...) The other spiders were furious at the death of their leader and all turned on Silva. Everyone knew that no amount of arrows would stop her from being harmed, but they had to try.

Silva was extremely pissed off. They hadn't learnt from the death of their leader. 'I gave them fair warning,' she thought. 'It's their own fault.'

"COME ONE STEP CLOSER AND YOU'LL BE SEEING NEXT WEEK EARLY!!!" she screamed, deafening all those who were nearing, and scaring all the others witless. The fact that she appeared several feet taller and a sort of storm raged around her didn't bear anything on that when she shouted she was just plain petrifying. Nobody knew such a noise could come from such a young- looking, innocent-looking 'girl'. Suffice to say the spiders never bothered the Mirkwood Elves ever again.

She hadn't got angry like that in a very long time. It drained quite a lot of energy from her, so she had to take a moment to rest. But still she felt happy. She had helped these people who (with a couple of exceptions) had been very nice to her. The spiders would have inevitably killed off all the Elves sooner or later, and she had now stopped that from happening, if not forever then for a very long time.

"They won't be back here in a hurry," she said, eventually, breaking the silence. She began to restore beauty to her surroundings.

"Silvawen, we have now to live in your debt," said Thranduil, who had seen it all. "You have defeated our enemy and are making our home beautiful, as it once was. Never will I be able to repay you fully, but as a token of my appreciation, I offer you permanent residence in my Halls. It is not much, but we will gladly have you stay with us." Silva's face lit up.

"Really?" she said. "I'd love to! You've all been so lovely and I've only been here a few hours. Thank you, King Thranduil. I gratefully accept your offer."

"If there is ever anything you need, do not hesitate to ask me, for it will be the least I can do," he said. They, then, all returned to the castle, with Silva changing the landscape as she went.