AN: Thank you so much for the great review Raven8! It's the best thing I've heard all day.
DISCLAIMER: I swear, I own nothing.
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The rain let up and the first rays of sun appeared. Thranduil smiled. ' Perfect time for a stroll ' he decided. As he was slipping quietly through the forest, armed only with bow and arrow, he really had just wanted to go outside. Being confined in one room too long learning the duties of being a Lord was really quite boring. Especially when you had Oropher with his deep rumbling-almost sleepy sounding voice. Besides, the trees were practically shouting for him to come join them and sit in their branches. So he had unnoticeably slipped away and ran out of the room. Then, well he mostly just dashed through all of Menegroth, being casted awkward looks the whole way through. It truly had been annoying...
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The Sun seemed to be caught in his hair. And he was handsome and very tall. The Sindar elf looked to be rather broad, but slim all the same. His eyes were gray; looking like the rainstorm that had just recently let up. He seemed to actually be rather young. He couldn't be over 3,000 years old. But, that was just an estimate anyway. Galadriel noticed he must have been hunting because he carried a bow and a quiver was strapped securely on his back. His song drifted into the trees and they whispered back.
Galadriel was no master at hiding in trees, but she wasn't horrible at it either. If she didn't want to be seen, she usually couldn't be. Though sometimes an orc or some beast would catch her. The golden haired Sindar elf had
very sharp eyes. He saw the whiteness of her tunic (or what seemed to be at least partially white) and knew that another being was watching him. He guessed it was most likely another Elf for he could feel the strong steady gaze of it and sensed it as well. The trees had already told him, hinting at the Elf's presence.
Galadriel tried to duck her head, but knowing she had been easily spotted, looked for a higher limb in which to climb to.
" Mellon nin, will you not come down? " Thranduil asked slowly. He was really hoping it was just another Sindar Elf out hunting like he. " I mean no harm and if you are uh...of my realm, than we may head back together. Please show yourself. "
Galadriel tried to think of something to say back, but her heart was pounding to hard in her ears. What if he saw her as some sort of threat because she wouldn't come down? Galadriel wasn't certain if this Sindar elf was dangerous or not. Maybe she could pose as a wandering Sindar elf? She racked her brain for some sort of Sindarin or common Elvish name. Anything as long as it didn't sound Noldor.
" If I must, I shall leap up there and personally ask who you are. Now, my fellow Elf, please tell me who you are and exactly what you are doing in that tree. This is one of the farthest borders of Menegroth. Saes, tell me your business. "
Galadriel found her voice and suprisingly a name. She knew she couldn't use her alias Galadriel for her fame under that title was too great and Artanis was 100 Quenya originated. " Suilad! Eneth nin es Randir. "
The handsome Elf of Doriath raised an eyebrow. " Mae govannen mellon. I am pleased to hear at least your name. Do you live here? Or are you simply a wanderer as your name speaks so plainly? "
" Yes, I am a ' wanderer '. I have never lived in any certain place. " Seeing the expecting look on the other Elf's face, Galadriel quickly added, " I of course came here by chance. " She then dropped down from the tree and slowly looked up. She asked in a warm tone (which definitely surprised her) " Man es lin eneth? "
" Eneth nin es Hir Thranduil. " Thranduil couldn't hide the pride in his voice. Maybe he should tell her he was a Sindar prince. No, one of his inner voices said. Try not to show off. You always scare off elleth like that. And anyway, why did he care so much about revealing his status to this random elf? He hadn't even known her for barely two minutes! Maybe he was one or two jumps off his rocker. ' I could have simply said I was just " Thranduil " and not " Lord Thranduil ". I never do this sort of thing...do I really have that big of a show off issue around she-elves?' Saying he never pronounced his title was a lie. He usually just said it around Ladies though. Like his father, Oropher, said he should.
Randir (Galadriel) bobbed her head, but did not bow. Thranduil looked her thoroughly up and down and suddenly noticed she was absolutely covered in grime. " Had you been traveling through the storm? It looks that way. " Then he clamped his hand over his mouth. ' I really am an idiot ' he decided, ' I even spoke my thoughts aloud around this dreadfully dirty elf! '
Galadriel stopped her eyes from roaming along Thranduil's body. He was absolutely lucious. ' And these can not be my thought! I sound like a pathetic young elleth who just found out she had a crush on some warrior! I am so pathetic, ' she silently scolded herself. Then she remembered she was supposed to look proud. She straightened up and her head was soon held high. She let her cool mask of indifference appear on her face and her eyes beamed with defiance and once again held a fiercely proud look to them.
The young Elf Lord raised his head as well and matched her posture. He was equally her height and she was considered rather tall. They had a battle of wills then, just by glaring strongly at each other. Thranduil had a glare that was even worse than her scariest one (which she had recently used on poor Calanon and was now currently using on him). Morgoth would have been wailing right now.
Randir seemed to be quite strong willed despite her unruly appearance. Her cold blue eyes tried to perceive Thranduil's mind and soul, but he locked his emotions in a tight box to make it impossible for her.
Galadriel broke the eye contact, remembering ever faithful Naur, dying slowly in the nearby cave. And she remembered her belongings were also there...she sprinted off in the general direction of her shelter. Thranduil, with out thinking, sped after her and soon they were both in a mad dash running wildly through the woods. Finally collecting his wits, Thranduil managed to ask one question. " Are you heading to a small cave which is nearby? It seems like it..." Galadriel looked at him then fully turned around, though rather hastily.
" Yes. And you must know these woods very well for you guessed it so precisely. " Then she ran on. Thranduil once again followed.
" What are you going there for may I ask? " Thranduil shouted over an exceptionally powerful wind.
" My horse and items. " Galadriel stated simply as they finally came to a halt in front of the small and rather shallow cave. There was Naur, her brilliant white coat spotted and dashed with a numerous amount of blood.
Thranduil swallowed a gasp as he looked upon a heartbreaking sight. Randir had fallen to her knees and was currently checking for any sign of a pulse. " No, Naur. You must hang on, you are my only friend. " Randir seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he was in the room. " If you must, mellon nin, then leave me. But know that Artanis will miss you. I am sorry I came too late. I knew we wouldn't stand a chance leaving the way we did...I was stupid to think my dear brother was out to get me. Is that truly what I thought? Aye, I can no longer remember. " The elleth bowed her what seemed like a golden head and she began to weep silently.
Thranduil felt he could do something. Actually, he knew he could do something. Never one to be left unprepared, he always had a small stash of herbs in a pouch hidden from plain sight in his cloak. He took them out and began to work on the pitiful animal.
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Galadriel felt something drop beside her and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a stream of glossy golden hair. She blushed as she realized it was Thranduil. He still had followed her? And she thought she ran fast...obviously not quick enough. But, she welcomed his help as he helped Naur. Galadriel knew she herself looked horrifically dirty, so she announced to him that she was going to go to the nearby stream she had seen not to far back. She knew she could trust Thranduil despite the fact she had known him less than a day. And deep down, some weird feeling centered on him was forming.
Galadriel was unfamiliar with any type of emotion, which could be observed as one of her scarce weaknesses. As she sat in the stream, rinsing the dirt from her hair and dunking underwater to cleanse her skin, she allowed her mind to wander. She tried to understand the alien emotion that was inside her, but she was sure it was a silly infatuation she had with Thranduil. She slipped into the only other pair of clothing she had. It was her only dress, which was gray, and the sleeves hung down to her knees. Galadriel knew her tunic was beyond repair so she was stuck with this dress.
Galadriel marched back to the cave and soon sat down in the far back corner of the cave and watched Thranduil as he stitched Naur up a few times.
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Ten days passed before Naur could regain her feet and she look starved. Thranduil had gone hunting for apples and Galadriel stroked the mare gently. The horse nickered a warm and heartfelt thanks. A small smile tugged at Galadriel's lips. After spending almost a full eleven days around the Sindar Elf, she had grown to admire him and secretly, she felt as if she loved him. A full fledged and soul wrenching emotion that threatened to destroy all emotional control she had. She guessed Thranduil probably housed none of these feeling for her and just her luck, was already married and possibly had children. Galadriel knew she was sinking more and more into depression each minute she thought this. She never had wanted to become this weak--and so fast! It was not supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be in control.
But, like her brother Finrod had said not to long ago ' Love is a different sort of passion-so different from the huntress' life you have chosen. ' And then he had then left the room as he had said it and left her alone with her thoughts.
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Thranduil looked for any sign of the apple tree he had discovered as an elfling. ' Where is that drat thing? ' When at last he found what he sought he disappeared fully into the tree and began to stuff apples into his arms. He felt light and happy almost, but one thing seemed to be weighing him down. Thranduil had suspected that Randir was not the shining maiden's name. He thought she had a quite cool demeanor, but when he looked into her eyes, he could tell her soul was fiery with some sort of passion. ' Randir ' or Artanis as she unknowingly called herself when she had at first seen Naur must be her actual name. So as he walked back to the cave and came to the entrance he called, " Suilad Artanis! Is that not your name? " Thranduil couldn't hide the smirk that had all of sudden appeared on his face.
After a river of pure gold (or so looked like it) Artanis's hair fell away as she turned her head and faced him. " How do you know that, Lord? "
" I heard you mention a few days ago. "
" Then you have found out my true name Lord. "
" But Artanis sounds...like the language of the Noldor. You are not Sindar? "
" I am afraid not, Thranduil. In fact I am the Lady Galadriel, huntress and slayer of the dark servants of Morgoth. " Galadriel could have almost smacked herself in the head. She had just given her identity out!
" Aye, I have heard of you for you are of Finarfin's house. My king Thingol has close friendship with your brother Finrod of Nargrothond...who is also my friend. I am pleased to have finally met you, Lady Galadriel. Many tales have been told of your deeds. "
" I would have liked to have not been so well-known. Then people treat me as a queen or some object of attraction in many Lord's cases. I should have made up a different name."
" I promise I will call you Randir while you are here in Menegroth, but you must call me Thranduil and not ' Lord '. That way we can better blend in. "
" You are taking me to your palace? What, so I must speak in front of your rulers that I was invading your land and then I will be thrown in the dungeons? Or perhaps so I can just be your prize that you caught while out? " Thranduil bowed his head as Galadriel rambled on about her fears.
" I am not trying to take you prisoner. I wish that you just come to my home and we may get to better understand each other. If you wish to, then leave me. I shall just go back. If you come with me, you must pose as Randir, the wandering Sindar elf. " Galadriel's eyes searched Thranduil's for any sign of a lie or trick. Finding nothing, she whistled to Naur and the trio made their way to Menegroth, the place of a thousand caves.
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Some translations:
Suilad-greetings
Eneth nin es- my name is…
Man es lin eneth?- what is your name?
Mae govannen- well met
Mellon-friend
List of Characters Thranduil-father of Legolas in the Lord of the Rings (you should know who he is anyway)Galadriel-daughter of Finarfin (everyone knows who she is)
Finrod-the lord of Nargrothond who helped Beren in his quest to retrieve a Silmaril. He is Galadriel's brother. He is in the Silmarillion.
Oropher-father of Thranduil; is mentioned in the Unfinished Tales
Thingol-King of Doriath;is in the Silmarillion