The Undecided of Earendil
By- Larien
Chapter 21
Copperfang- I'm glad the last chapter was effective. And I'm also glad you remember the dream Gandalf had for it will come into play. Everything that happens, happens for a reason, and we will discover more on Sirdhem later. Ah! I don't want you to die, so I'll try to get them out of this rift...eventually! Lol. No, things will look better soon, I hope. It just depends how long all this other craps takes, 'cause there are more twists being added this chapter. So thanks for the long review and I hope you don't die anytime soon, 'cause yes. I still need you to kill Thranduil eventually.
Elvnchic9- Yes, Sirdhem is important and all will be explained as we go along. And I agree that I would not get on all fours at the rudy command of an elvish prince. Even one so bold as Legolas. Lol. Did you check out the poems? How were they? Thanks for the review and I hope that things become clearer as we progress.
nunkih- Hey! I'm glad you like it and thanks a ton for the review! I look foreward to hearing from you in the future so keep reviewing!
Legolaslover77- Seriously, are you reading my mind or something! Lol. You always comment on something that is incorporated into the story the next chapter. And I'm glad that the last chapter was satisfactory. It was a pain to write, that's for sure. And this one is a little bit lame, so sorry in advance. Thanks again for the reviews!
Loony Kay- I hope you had a good vacation, and I'm glad you enjoyed the bittersweetness of the last chapter. It was kind of a change from the sweeter chapters earlier on. Lol. Anyway, thanks for the review!
A/N- Warning: I will be vacationing for a week, so this will be the last chapter for a while. You can expect to see a new one any time after Sunday, which is the 21st I believe. Anyway, just know that I'm not leaving you for no reason, and I will write as soon as I can upon my return home. So there it is. On that note, many reviews encouraged as I will be looking forward to reading them when I get back, and again if you have the ambition, check out the poems I've posted and let me know what you think.
Some new names mentioned in this chapter, and here's what they mean-
Rochval- Powerful Horse(Aradhel's grandfather)
Belegorn- Mighty Tree (Aradhel's father)
Celin- Water Flows Musically (Caniel's second name)
And as a reminder, since dates come into play this chapter, this is the year 2980, Third Age. Caniel is 1980 years old, Aragorn is 49 years old, Sírdhem is 517 years old, Rodwen is 21 years old, and Aradhel is 30 years old. Just so you are all clear on this. If you want a complete timeline of Aradhel's family, request it in your review, and I will post it either next chapter, or on my homepage. Le hannon.
A lot of people have been asking me about Sírdhem to which I will say this- she is important. I know it doesn't seem like it, but everything she does has a point and purpose and if you've been paying attention some things might become a little clearer in this chapter. I'm not going to give away anymore, because it will all be explained in time. Just know she's important, to say the least, and pay attention to what she does. I can tell you it will impact the outcome of this story greatly.
And if that doesn't make you wonder, I leave you with this quote from dear old Elijah Wood, "You can see the wildness in his eyes. He goes slightly mental…something kinda clicks, tick!" (He's describing Viggo. Genius that one. Lol.)
Silver ripples caressed the surface of the water where her body broke its smooth glass. No waves stirred, no creatures circled her. The sky was cloudy and dreary gray as it had been for most of the month. It seemed ever since the Mirkwood elves had retreated, all had lost its splendor. Her dress was heavy in the water, and its cool fingers brushed her legs where she was waded in waist deep. The very tips of her hair floated in its fine surface and her hands moved back and forth, shaping the waters form and dripping on new patterns. Breathing deep and slowly sinking to her knees, Caniel let herself drop below the surface for only a minute, wallowing her sorrow in the murky waters of the pond she was so accustomed to viewing from her secret spot. Now the water was a shield from the world above. Opening her eyes under the water, she gazed up to the faint light that tried breaking through to reach her, but she sat low on the sandy bed and kept herself hidden, stretching her hand upward as if to tease its rays. After a moment, her lungs aching for the fresh air, Caniel stood, emerging into once again the dreary world above.
Blinking the water away from her eyes and being soaked to the core, Caniel felt relaxed and serene with the pools of blue, which surrounded her. Feeling a great presence approaching from behind, she turned suddenly to behold the old wizard standing on the shore, his staff at his side and his eyes gleaming warmly. Smiling slightly, she made her way back to him, her steps weighed with her water-absorbed dress and her hair dripping more water behind her. As she approached him, he gestured to the boulders where they sat.
"Caniel Celin."Gandalf smiled to her. "You are named for the water for even as a child you held fascination with its calming allure."
"I do find it serene and a place of comfort." Caniel admitted, wiping some water from her forehead. "What brings you here, wise one?"
"News, I'm afraid. From the Valar."
Caniel looked to the lake, which was still once again without any disturbance. How she longed to suddenly plunge herself in and keep away the news she could feel to be troubling. But she could not bring herself to move, herself being frozen in this spot startled by the sudden presence of her old friend.
"Let's hear it then." She said hesitantly, looking at her feet, which were leaving fine imprints on the rock's rough exterior.
Gandalf let out a weary sigh, also looking at the ground. He was leaning heavily against his staff, a sure sign that the news was troubling, and his brow was wrinkled in thought.
"Caniel there is no easy way around this, and therefore I will not delay in revealing what we have discovered." With another deep breath he began. "The Valar have decided to let you return to Valinor. But you must choose elf, and you must depart before the end of the month."
Caniel looked to the wizard who watched her carefully. She didn't know what to make of the news. "End of the month? That is a little soon isn't it?"
"It is."
"The other elves have only just started to leave. Why is it then I must go so soon?" Caniel asked.
Gandalf shook his head. "They have their reasons, Caniel. I do not question their decisions, only abide by them."
"Then you know not why this is their judgment?"
"I have my guesses."
"So should I choose elf-"
"Therein lies the other news." Gandalf interrupted her. "You have only the month to decide as well."
"Absurd!" Caniel breathed. "To decide whether to leave immediately for Valinor as an elf or die then within the next short time as a human?"
Gandalf nodded sadly. "That is their decision."
Caniel stood and started pacing. "There is no fairness in this at all! If I choose human now, then my life will be shortened, if not ended, within a few weeks! And if I choose elf, I just leave what life I had anyway and sail to the Undying Lands!" She threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "What about my duty as ambassador? I leave in two days! How am I to fulfill that duty if it takes longer then a month?"
"By then there could be another ambassador to take your place." Gandalf tried to comfort her, though he knew it would not help. Instead, she suddenly seemed to become more worried.
"And what if I choose human? What of Legolas? They really leave me no choice do they?"
"They are doing what they think to be right, Caniel…"
"And for some reason what is right is to get me out of Middle Earth at the end of the month, is that it?" Caniel shrieked. " And what if I just decide not to make a decision? What then?"
"Caniel! Do not challenge the Valar!" Gandalf warned sternly. "You would not want to upset them."
"Indeed, though they have no trouble upsetting my life!" Caniel sank wearily against the boulders, a look of great weariness replacing the angered one. "Gandalf, what am I to do? I know not the decision to make. I do not want to die just yet, and neither do I want to leave Middle Earth."
"It is an unfair game the Valar are playing with you." Gandalf sighed. "But understand that their reasons are great for taking a rash action like this."
Caniel nodded sadly, not being able to allow herself to believe that. During the time Legolas had been here, the decision had seemed minimal. She rarely thought about it, but now it appeared that all that time was wasted. She should've considered it, should've been weighing her options when she had more then a month to decide. Perhaps that is why the Valar had decided to put a deadline on it- she had procrastinated too much. Or perhaps it was the extreme visions she had been having and they thought her place to be right with the elves.
Not that the last thought was comforting. In fact, it angered her to think that the Valar might be hoping that quick death would persuade her into choosing the elf life. Who were they to be biased anyway? And why did it matter what she chose? Was elf just that much better then human? Surely both had their ups and downs, so why then did this outcome seem so prejudice?
"Do not think bad of them, Caniel." Gandalf interrupted her thoughts, as if he had read them. "We cannot presume to know their exact motives, whether good or bad. But just because we do not know, doesn't mean we ourselves should become prejudice against them."
"I don't understand why this is so difficult for me." Caniel sat down, looking at her feet again which had dried. "There are so many half-bloods. So many undecideds that don't have such troubles with their decision. They live out their lives, some not ever deciding. I just don't see why I'm so different."
"Not all of them had parents like yours, nor were they born under the same circumstances." Gandalf said.
"I'm aware." Caniel mumbled. Shaking her head, she tried to smile. "I still have a month. And I should not let this ruin the job I have lying in front of me."
"Alas! Another matter I came to speak with you about!" Gandalf smiled as well, though his was more genuine. "You have studied hard on the matter at hand, I'm sure? So you are well prepared for this visit?"
Caniel nodded.
"Well done. The truth is, Caniel, there are some tricky twists to this whole matter that I'm not sure you understand. So to begin, I want you to know that this visit should not influence your choice at all. Do not let Aradhel persuade you one way or another."
"Why would he?" Caniel asked, surprised by this seemingly random advice.
"Just listen to my word and promise me." Gandalf said sternly. "Secondly, beware of the people there. I know Aradhel claims that there is no crime, but there are criminals residing there nonetheless and I just want you to be cautious. Also, be the kindness that Aradhel lacks."
"What does that mean?" Caniel looked baffled at the wizard.
"You will understand. Just be the kindness he lacks and don't be hasty to judge. There are a lot of things that aren't as they appear and what is good can easily be covered by evil, conniving lies. So be open to all possibilities and go with what you know to be right. Just be kind. Love. And you will be fine."
Caniel didn't even bother to ask further. The advice, she thought, was rather obscure and not very helpful at all. Was she not always kind? And why was Aradhel lacking kindness in Gandalf's opinion? And lies were everywhere, and should she come across them, how was she to know what was right and wrong?
Her head swam with the cornucopia of questions that had aroused since his talk, but taking a deep breath, filling her lungs with the humid air, she cleared her mind of all the jumble. She would have time to meditate on it later. Caniel then decided to ask Gandalf other questions that she had formed since her studies on the history of the Northern colonies.
"Gandalf, I've been researching some of the history of Aradhel's city. And from what I gather, the kings are of bloodline, are they not? And they rule until they die, whereon their first-born is the predecessor? Even if it is a woman?"
"You are correct." Gandalf nodded, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "There is not a lot of information on the northern lands, for so many of the cities come and go. But yes, in Aradhel's city the ruler is of blood. When the king dies, the first-born becomes king. Unless it's a woman, then she becomes queen, and whomever she is wed to becomes king. And it is then their first born that will be next in line. Hence why every member of the royal family must be married off. So that there is always the next first born to take over."
"But Aradhel is not married and he is king." Caniel thought aloud.
"Indeed he is not, to which I've heard many bad things commented on." Gandalf smiled sardonically. "He should be marrying soon I wager, if he does not want the rest of the royal family to get angry."
Caniel shared the smile. "My real question, however, is what happened to Aradhel's father? In the books it does not say much, only that he died rather young and after only a short span as king."
"Ah, this is one of a few things I have recently discovered during my traveling this month." Gandalf sighed, leaning back and looking to the sky. "And I will share it with you only because I feel it might help you in the long run while you're there."
"It all began, really, with the grandfather of Aradhel, King Rochval. He became king at a very young age about nineteen in the year 2882, Third Age. Now as it goes, he was a very fine lad growing up, his father being very noble and well thought of around the whole of Middle Earth. But he became king when his father was tried for pillaging in our very own Rivendell. As he was only to be locked up and removed his title of king, the elves made arrangements to jail him when he put up a fight, killing a few elves. Which, in turn, he was killed for in the rush of the moment. It was said, that from that disaster sprung the boy Rochval's hatred towards the elves. He became king shortly after that and started campaigning against the elves, which to this day is still in affect. Hence why there are so many disputes between us now."
"As king, Rochval accomplished many terrible but great feats. His plan of invading the Undying Lands being the most brilliant, if not terribly foolish of them all."
"Invading Valinor? That's lunacy!" Caniel gasped.
"Indeed. But he had a way of overlooking that one little detail and spent many years trying to get the location of Valinor. His first way being to question the half bloods of his city, which there were many since the elves and men had been allies for many years before. Granted many of the half-bloods did not know the whereabouts of the Undying Lands and in his frustration many of them were killed or jailed."
"Did he ever find out where it was located?"
Gandalf shook his head. "Oh no. He tried almost everything, even invading cities and elvish villages, threatening to destroy everyone if they did not tell him."
"But, they could have and it wouldn't have made a difference!" Caniel said suddenly. "He wouldn't have stood a chance invading Valinor!"
Gandalf nodded grimly. "That was the elves biggest mistake; their own pride. So no, he never did find out and eventually he was killed at the age of 62, in the year 2925 Third Age. His killer, though, was a ban of people named the ghosts of Arnor. They were led by a leader so powerful, people started believing him to be an Istari!"
"Was he?"
Gandalf laughed quietly. "No. There are only a few of us here and we have better things to do then assassinate kings. But the leader was powerful, being very able with the mind, so that they tricked the guards into letting the party right into the palace grounds where the king was."
"What man is capable of such a feat?" Caniel asked, with wide eyes. "It is almost sorcery!"
"No man. But an elf perhaps?" Gandalf suggested. "Little is known of this leader. For all I know, it may have been a woman! But it was said they were powerful and very quick in the killing. King Rochval was slaughtered and the party vanished. Then, in the year of 2946 Third Age, Aradhel's father, Belegorn became king. Now, his rule was interesting, for you see he was born almost a year after his father was killed. So growing up, Belegorn had a great hate of the elves who had slaughtered his father. Carrying on his fathers duties, he continued to search out the location of Valinor, but in much more subtle ways. He opened his city to travelers, made it a haven for the half bloods of Middle Earth. And through them he gathered all the information he could. But again, never the whereabouts of Valinor."
"Well, his ruling seemed to be going smoothly, Aradhel being born when he was twenty-four, and Rodwen coming along nine years later. Eventually though, he too was assassinated. And here's the punch line; it was the same group of people who did it! And the same leader!"
"Do you think there is a secret society of these people?" Caniel asked.
"I don't know. And I don't know if they are even a society!" Gandalf looked utterly baffled. "Fact is, I cannot decide whether they are the good guys or bad guys, for they killed Belegorn when he was 38, and at that age he had started more brutal means of getting information. He had reverted to attacking small villages and burning them to the ground if they failed to comply. And whenever he was questioned by authorities, his response was that the village had been allies who had failed to comply to all that had been requested of them."
"Sounds a lot like what Aradhel had been saying." Caniel mused, biting her lip thoughtfully.
"Indeed it does, and when he became king at the age of twenty, in the year 2970 Third Age, we were worried that once again we'd be faced with the same problem."
"You haven't?"
"Aradhel, it seems, likes to play things low-key as his father did. And very low at that, for it is often difficult for us to catch him up to anything. That is why we fear you attending his city with no one to watch out for you. I believe this may be his way of getting some new information, while making it look as though he's just doing business."
"But what of the orcs? Would he make that up?"
"It is a big risk, especially now that you are going to verify it. But one cannot say until one has seen, I suppose." Gandalf sighed. "But now you know why your brother is so weary of the Northerners. They have not had a good past with the elves, and this new alliance is sudden and seemingly fishy to all of us."
Caniel nodded, a whole new jumble of thoughts now engulfing her already saturated mind. She was amazed at this new information for nowhere in the books did it give all that information. Sure it had mentioned how there were mild disagreements between the elves and men at some points, and how some fights had ensued with villages of the north, but nothing to the extent of what Gandalf had said. In fact, they didn't even mention the "ghosts" that had assassinated the Kings.
Whilst she was thinking on the assassins, she wondered if Aradhel would be next, even if he was playing it low key. And if he was, who would take his place since he was short a son and wife? And the leader that was so highly regarded; who was it? A list of powerful men came to mind, but most were renowned in Gondor and Rohan. And who would be so powerful as to play with people's minds? Caniel thought to how Gandalf had been worried about the dreams being shared with Caniel and she wondered if it was an Istari power, or if someone else had been playing with their minds. If someone else was involved, though, she assured herself that Gandalf would have sensed it.
Thinking also to the history of Sírdhem, Caniel wondered if she had in fact come from one of the cities burned by the previous kings. It would make sense, Caniel thought. And if she had, was she questioned by the invaders as to the whereabouts of Valinor?
Standing rather abruptly, the wizard startled Caniel who shook herself from the deep thoughts she had been wallowing in. Stretching his back, he smiled warmly.
"Come, it is late and you should rest. You leave in two days after all." He said.
"I will find no rest until I can sort out the many thoughts that have enveloped me." Caniel said wearily, standing as well.
But her footing was off and her legs felt weak, and the girl fell to the ground with a cry of surprise. Gandalf hurried to help her up and was surprised to see the pale glow that had come over her face. Helping her to a sitting position, as she mumbled about how clumsy she had become as of late, Gandalf felt her forehead, which felt rather cold.
"Caniel, are you all right?" He asked hurriedly, searching her still piercing eyes.
"Yes, yes. Just a clumsy fall." She waved her hand dismissively. "I swear I've forgotten how to walk these past few weeks."
"This has happened before?"
Caniel nodded, eying him curiously. "Yes. Why?"
"And how have you been feeling?"
Caniel hesitated before answering. "Rather cold, now that you ask. And always tired it seems. What are you getting at Gandalf?"
"Do you feel weak? Like your legs won't support you and her hands can't move as well, or grasp as tight? Do you feel faint and dizzy, or even just light headed when you move?" Gandalf had clasped her shoulders now, and was watching her fiercely.
Uncertain as to what the big deal was, she nodded slightly. "Sometimes. Why?"
Gandalf continued to look exceedingly worried as he stood and started pacing around the clearing, the sky casting dark shadows all around them and the clouds continuing to linger as if to eavesdrop on the conversation.
"When did this start? When Legolas left is it?" Gandalf asked quietly.
Caniel thought back and realized that it had been since he left. "Yes."
"I know this may seem personal, but trust me as you always have and just answer truthfully. Do you miss him?"
Caniel smiled, thinking this to be a rather lame, impersonal question, but she nodded.
"A lot?"
"More then words can say."
Gandalf nodded grimly. "And you loved him?"
This caught Caniel by surprise, and she felt the heat rush to her cheeks.
"I thought so." Gandalf smiled sadly, sitting again next to her. "Caniel, this feeling, or feelings, you have for him, what are they like?"
"They are wonderful and beautiful all combined." She said without hesitation. Her insides felt light and fluffy as they had when she had been with Legolas. "They are the sun and moon, my earth and sky. The hell drowned by heaven's angles. My joy outliving my sorrow, and my every protection and desire. He is my life and death."
"Therein lies the problem." Gandalf sighed. "I do not doubt your feelings to be true, Caniel. Nor do I doubt that he shares them. For that reason, I worry for your well being. He is your life when he is near, but when he is gone…do you not wonder if he is in fact your death?"
Caniel studied the wrinkled features of the wise one in front of her, dawning comprehension showing through her silver eyes. "You don't think…" She took a deep breath, for she had begun to tremble at the thought. "You mean to say I am dying?"
"Your heart has been broken, Caniel. Don't think no one has noticed. The sun has not shine since his departure, you have not smiled sincerely since he's left, and you grow weaker by the day. Your brother has seen it, Arwen has seen it, even the short time Aragorn has been here, he has noticed."
"I…I don't mean to…" Caniel couldn't say a complete sentence now as she averted her eyes to the ground.
"No one does, Caniel. And with your uncanny elvish traits, this is indeed worrisome."
"But how can I-"
"Stop it?" Gandalf finished. "I don't know."
Holding his hand to her, Gandalf led her back to her dwelling, which they found to be cleaned again, probably thanks to Arwen. Promising her he'd talk to Elrond about the matter, Gandalf left her to think on all he had said. With all the new possibilities, the Valar's news, the past of Aradhel, and the prospect of her dying, Caniel thought it to be rather ironic. If her decision alone wouldn't kill her, then there was always Aradhel. And if he didn't, well then her sadness would be the end of her.
With all this weighing on her and more, Caniel figured it was no wonder she was dying. And by the looks of things, this was shaping out to be one difficult month.
Caniel lie on the soft moss floor, her golden hair strewn about her, decorated with the silver gems that were rain crystals falling from the heavens. In her eyes were tears welling, but never leaving. Just resting silently as she gazed towards the direction she felt her soul being lifted. The silver and blue garments she wore caressed her frail, pale body like the very water she was named for. More tears fell from the sky as her breathing slowed and her eyes dared to narrow into fine slits. Her lips were a chapped pink, uttering one word, "Greenleaf."
But no green leaves showed around, for the very earth seemed brown and dried, though fresh water was drenching their roots. Everything was dying along with Caniel who drew her last breath and fell silent to her muttering. One fragile hand slipped off her stomach where it had rested, and landing with a resounding thump on the forest floor below. A crack of thunder caused the rain to swallow her in sheets, an illuminating light seemingly protecting her from getting wet. Then a man picked up her head. His hair was dark and long, and his features pointed and dark. As he laid her limp head back to the ground, his other hand replacing hers on her stomach, Aradhel stood and laid a silver sheet over her, silhouetting her unmoving body against the sudden lightening.
"No!" Legolas breathed, trying to move, but his body would not allow it. Struggling against all that he knew to be wrong, he willed himself to move. "She is not dead! Caniel IS NOT DEAD! I'LL KILL YOU!"
Jumping from his spot on the couch, breathing fast and hard and sweat dripping from him, Legolas starred at the shocked figure in front of him. His father had his hands in the air, looking widely alarmed and surprised. It was then Legolas noticed he had a blade clenched in his fist, threatening his father's throat. Letting it fall to the floor as his arm fell numbly to his side, Legolas sank wearily in to the couch, burying his face in his hands, which rested on his knees.
"You were only dreaming, my son." Thranduil said softly, still recovering from the near death experience.
Legolas moved his head in what appeared to be a nod, though he himself had trouble believing it to only be a dream.
Thranduil sat next to his son, whose hair was laid askew on his bare back and his leggings hung tightly to his tense legs. "What happened, Legolas? What did you see?"
"Caniel was dying." Legolas said meekly. "And Aradhel was the only one there to mourn her passing."
"I see." Thranduil nodded. "If it is of any comfort, I happen to know that Aradhel left for home shortly after we did, therefore it was not a vision of the present."
"But it may be of the future." Legolas grumbled.
Thranduil said nothing, only watched his son as his breathing began to calm and his figure relaxed. He wondered if indeed it was of the future, and should it be, what had the maiden died from? It would be rather sudden, though Thranduil wondered if she had chosen human hence why she was with Aradhel. But he said nothing to his son, who had in fact already thought of this, and many other options. So they sat in silence for a moment, until finally Legolas stood walking towards a tub of water and splashing it uncaringly onto his face, splattering the floor with random drops.
"You still miss her then?"
"Terribly."
"And non of the maidens you have visited with have filled the void?"
"Non." Legolas wiped his face, letting some drip onto his chest. "Do you not understand it father? I loved her."
"There is more then one love in the world Legolas." Thranduil said pointedly. "And you can find someone to love more suited for you here. Which brings me as to why I'm here. I have arranged for another meeting with Gailrin. She is available today and is bringing lunch to you in about an hour."
"Is it already that time?"
"Indeed it is. You slept late. How was it with Arniel last night? I heard she had a wonderful time, which is an improvement since the last disaster." Thranduil smiled.
Legolas rolled his eyes. "Right. We sat and discussed likes and dislikes. I found it most peculiar when all her likes were the same as mine, until I discovered that she was supposed to like everything I liked and agree to everything I said. In which case I told her to stop it and tell me what she really liked."
Thranduil sighed deeply, looking utterly dumbfounded at his son. "Do you not want a maiden who agrees with you? That way you don't have to work past all the disagreements for there will never be any!"
"I do not want to marry myself, father." Legolas said. "Also, apparently she was expecting me to want more last night, for someone told her to give me a good time."
"I merely meant it to lighten your spirits, Legolas. You've been so down as of late, and I thought maybe something to get your mind off what's her name would do you some good." Thranduil replied dismissively.
"First of all, her name's Caniel and you would do well to remember it." Legolas said through gritted teeth. "Secondly, I will not have any of this entertainment you speak of from a maiden I am not wed to. And thirdly, presenting me with maidens to get my mind off Caniel is possibly the worst idea yet! What do you think I do whenever I'm with them? I see Caniel in them. If they move a certain way, it reminds me of her. If they smile, I compare it to hers. When they call me master, or agree with everything, I think of how nice it was to have a normal conversation with Caniel. No father," Legolas marched past him to the closet where he pulled out some gray robes and threw them over his leggings. "You are doing more harm by presenting me with maidens who only occupy me with thoughts of Caniel."
Thranduil watched with wide eyes as his son played out his biggest mistake in front of him. And a sudden realization was inching through ever vein of the king. Presenting maidens to get Legolas to stop thinking on Caniel was having the reverse affect, but not presenting maidens made marrying off his son a lot more difficult. His options weighing thin, Thranduil thought a moment before turning again to his son who was pulling back his hair from his blood-shot eyes.
"What if I tell them to stop the whole 'master' escapade? What if they are just themselves, no entertainment, no lies or stupid antics? Just nice maidens who you are to get to know?"
"Unless one of them is Caniel, I'm not interested." Legolas stated.
"You know that is not an option." Thranduil harrumphed, standing and walking to the door. "Anyway, I will inform them of this new change immediately and I will hope that you have a fine luncheon then."
"I'm not hungry." Legolas again stated.
"Nonsense, of course you are." Thranduil said sharply. "She will be arriving shortly. Look presentable."
And with that, his father left the dwelling. Legolas turned as soon as the door shut behind him and glanced outside. Indeed it was nearing lunchtime, and his stomach gave a hungry grumble as he looked to the door as if expecting there to be a maiden standing there, smiling at him. Thankfully it was still closed and though he was hungry, he ached for time to mediate on his dream, which was still haunting his thoughts. Caniel wasn't dead, she couldn't be. And if she was…which she wasn't…why had Aradhel been with her?
A sudden knocking on the door startled Legolas, who bit his tongue hard to keep from calling out. Cursing under his breath and reaching for his boots, he darted to the back of his dwelling where a door stood ajar to the trees behind the house. Creeping out of it silently and running quickly towards the trees, he was soon lost to their dark canopy. Taking a moment to watch from behind some brush, he saw the elf maiden make her way from his house back down the street, a basket of food slung over her arm.
Legolas felt a little guilty watching her go, but that was soon replaced when he watched her meet up with a different elf, who inconspicuously wrap his arm around her and lead her into his dwelling where Legolas figured she'd have much more fun anyway. Putting on his boots and making his way further into the woods, Legolas allowed himself to mediate on the dream, as birds chirped vividly overhead and sun brushed his fine face. His insides felt heavier then they had in a long time, and he ached to know if Caniel was indeed alive. But how would he know? He supposed he could write to Rivendell. But what if she had already left? He knew not where to send the letter in the North and knowing Aradhel, it'd probably be intercepted before it every got to her.
Sighing heavily and falling onto a stump of a knocked over tree, Legolas sat for many moments, allowing himself to stretch out his feelings and thoughts, hoping to somewhere find Caniel who he prayed silently would still be alive.