Carrying the book that Ori had finished reading I returned it to its proper place but did not leave immediately. Having the study to myself I drifted through it for a moment, running my hand over familiar volumes and the chair at the desk where Thranduil used to sit with me upon his knee. The desk remained the same and I noted how Thranduil had not moved a single inkwell or quill. It was all exactly as I had last seen it. One of the drawers caught my eye, slightly ajar so I pulled it open, seeing that it had been obscured by paper that had been folded over and sealed with wax.
The seal that had been pressed into the stamp, however, caught my eye. A single star of six points, making me immediately seize the letter and unravel it to reveal my own hand. Yanking the draw further open I counted endless bundles of letters, all of them opened and stored away with more being tucked until a document chest. In every drawer there were more of my letters, all of them addressed to Thranduil. "You kept them." I whispered in awe, holding the first in my hand and read over a few lines. He had even carefully written over the letters in fresh ink to preserve them as they had aged. "You kept them all."
Emotion overflowing in my heart I closed my eyes as a tear fell, a small sound escaping my throat as I gripped onto the desk for support, a little more understanding coming to my mind as I carefully replaced the letter and closed the drawer once more, moving aside as I smoothed away the tear that had appeared down my cheek with a silvery trail. I left the study in silence with my head bowed, hearing the preparations for the feast beginning to take wing. They were almost ready and it would not be long until the feasting began. These days it was about celebration and not true reverence to the stars, so when Thranduil had extended his invitation to join him at the high table I refused, preferring to keep my own company this night, which of course meant I could not leave my room if I were not by Thranduil's side.
It was dull and I loathed that I could not see the stars from where I was, yet as the evening wore on I prayed that Bilbo's venture would be successful and I would be able to run for freedom in the distraction of the dwarves disappearing. The waiting was unnerving and I was restless, pacing about my room with nothing to do so eventually I tried of doing nothing and strapped my weapons to my body, knocking on the door and demanding that they open up as I wished to practice my bow. The guards denied me, so I hammered my fist again and remained silent, informing them without words that they would be met with my intense displeasure if they did not permit me to leave. After a brief pause I heard the key turn in the lock so I immediately stepped out and strode to the training grounds, my guards both following after me with close attention to my movements as I ordered they stay back from me as I practiced my aim. I had considerably less arrows than what I had begun with as many had been lost within the mountains and when facing Azog, so I picked up a fresh supply and deposited them into my quiver before rapidly firing them at every target in sight, hitting the mark each time.
A long while passed with me simply focusing on my practice, able to release my mind of all thought and concern in concentration until I heard someone dismiss my guards. "Who taught you to use your bow, Eleni?" Legolas asked me as he approached, admiring my skill which I had earned through hard practice.
"Haldir of Lothlorien, a good friend of mine. He taught me both the sword and bow though I tested the limits of his patience. I was no quick study, much like in everything else that I took up." I admitted a little bashfully, knowing that everything I knew was through hard work and diligence. Legolas smiled as he reached my side, lifting his hands in silent request to see my bow and I gave it to him for him to inspect closely. His hand ran over the wood which was flawlessly carved with individual patterns, testing the bowstring with consideration before he then returned it to me.
"It is a good bow, I have heard many things of the Galadhrim and their skill. You had a good teacher." He complimented and I felt my face flush slightly at his words.
"Lord Elrond and his sons, Elrohir and Elladan then continued my tuition after I left Lothlorien." I quickly continued, turning away from him to reclaim the arrows from the targets and Legolas followed me to keep me company. "Although their styles were different, I think I was able to develop my own way of swordplay through their generous teaching."
"You care for them greatly." It was an observation, not a question and it stayed my hand for a moment before I nodded.
"Yes, I cannot feel anything but love for those who protected and taught me my entire life. To open their homes to a complete stranger such as I, it was more than I ever deserved." At this Legolas reached out and placed his hand over mine, his closeness causing my pulse to quicken with his smooth skin brushing over my own with our eyes meeting with very little space between us.
"Do not think so little of yourself, little starling." He cautioned in an almost inaudible whisper, leaning towards me gradually. "You deserve to wear the stars themselves as your crown and walk among the brightest and most beautiful of lights. If it were my choice, I would not have you leave this place ever again so that you may remain here where I may see you always for the rest of our days." I had no words to answer him with, my gaze faltering slightly as I found my lids beginning to close of their own accord and my head tilting towards him as he too began to close the distance between us.
"My lord Legolas!" Immediately our moment was broken as I froze and Legolas turned his head sharply towards where one of the guards stood. "The dwarves have escaped!" With a hardened expression Legolas looked back to me accusingly but I gave no response, watching him coolly as anger boiled underneath the surface as he then seized my hand and dragged me forwards and gave the order to search for them, demanding to know where the Keeper of the Keys was. Feeling his strong fingers beginning to draw pain from my wrist I pulled his hand away from me, continuing to remain silent as the guards hurriedly began to search for the dwarves.
"What have you done, Eleni?" Legolas demanded of me but my expression never once changed.
"I have done nothing." I responded to him simply before suddenly gasping, snatching his arm for balance as my eyes became milky and swirled like stormy clouds and with his anger quickly forgotten, Legolas held me upright as I saw flashing images of orcs upon the river, shooting black arrows and finding flesh. Almost as soon as my vision had appeared it went again, leaving me with the sensation of dread as I breathed, fingers still gripping onto Legolas closely before I then shook my head to clear my thoughts. "Summon your guard and make for the water gate." I ordered him before pulling away and leaped into a run, drawing my bow in preparation as Legolas called out after me.
A guard attempted to stop me however with my bow I caught his neck and swung him around, sending him to the ground in a quick movement before I then sprinted away, an icy hand gripping at my heart as I forced my way out of the city, fighting off anyone who attempted to stop me with either a quick movement or a powerful leap to vault over them. The moment I rushed out into the cool morning sunlight I breathed it in, immediately feeling more refreshed but I did not stop to bask in it, emerging from the river mouth and began to run with all haste towards the water gate where I could hear the deep snarls and growls of orcs. How had they managed to crawl through our land unnoticed? I was enraged at their presence so close to my beloved home and I fully intended to eradicate them. With an arrow knocked against my bowstring I lifted it up, taking in everything at once and instantly let it fly towards the orc that stood over Kili who had an arrow embedded deep into his calf. "Kili!" I called out instinctively, shooting again to kill another orc that sprung for him and his head turned quickly, eyes widening as I ducked under the swing of a mace and slew another foul creature that smelled of rotting flesh and death. They were everywhere and their numbers were not small, scores of them were spawning all over the gate where they had already slain the guards, causing my blood to boil.
Behind me another orc ran at my back, sword lifted high as I dealt with the two in front of me, using my bow to concuss them before then kicking one into the water with an arrow to the other. As the orc aimed to cleave me in half an arrow flit through the air with a sharp hiss, striking through its neck and I glanced over my shoulder to see Legolas and his men appear from the trees and bushes, descending upon the orcs as Kili managed to open the gate. With a grunt of effort I drew back another arrow, aiming for an archer across the bank. When the snarling voice of one of the orcs, the tallest of them all, ordered his foul followers after the orcs I made a bid to rush forwards, bow in one hand and sword being drawn by the other and with flashes of light reflecting off the blade I slew through several more, seeing them drop one after the other before I then leaped onto the water gate and cut through the shaft of a hammer as the orc attempted to block, making it blink before I then sent its head rolling. Black blood pooled onto the ground as I arched back and spun, whirling my bow and blade outwards to take down the orcs that were beginning to leap over the gate after the dwarves and hobbit as they rode within the barrels, the rushing water carrying them away.
Leaping over the wall I dropped down to the ground and began to run, shooting down the archers as they fired upon my company, picking them off one by one but then I drew two more arrows and knocked them at the same time, drawing my bow at a horizontal level before then releasing. One drifted slightly, arcing around and stuck one of the archers in the back of the head, making it squeal before dropping at once as I continued to run. With a blur of pale hair Legolas overtook me, leaping up and shooting several orcs upon the rise as I twirled upon one foot, using my sword to cut my way through as some orcs turned their attention away from the dwarves and to us elves. I ran through the trees, climbing higher before then leaping down and rolling on the ground, my hair remaining firmly pulled back from my face in the dwarvern style that it had been braided into.
My eyes remained firmly fixed upon the dwarves and Bilbo, seeing an orc jumping down upon Gloin who yelled fearlessly but my arrow cut the creature down, feet flying swiftly as Gloin then turned and blinked at me in surprise but my attention remained to my surroundings. I was falling behind because of the sheer mass of orcs that swarmed like flies around dead flesh, shrieking and snarling with repugnant breath as I defended myself from their blades until more of my kin arrived and rained their arrows down upon them, allowing me to continue forwards. "Asta! Asta shoot them!" Fili was shouting to me as he wrestled with one of the orcs, holding off its weapon and arm and I quickly responded, seeing that some of the orcs had managed to leap upon the barrels themselves. I felled them one after the other, running ahead before then leaping from the rocks to land upon one half of the log that they had broken, surfing the water with a steady balance as I then shot down more of the orcs as they continued to hound after their prey.
"Look out!" Bofur's warning came as an orc leaped down and attempted to ride the log along with me, causing me to cry out as I almost lost my balance but I fought to maintain it, the orc squeaking harshly as he realised his stupidity too late as I then kicked him over the side, drawing deep breaths into my body. Before the log tipped over the waterfall I rushed to the end, standing as it lifted me up so that I could then jump back onto the safety of the bank and turn, sword once more being drawn as more orcs crowded forth. There seemed to be no end to them, however as I finished off the last of the group that had attempted to corner me I turned, seeing Legolas jump down and stand upon the heads of Dori and Dwalin, causing my eyes to widen in wonder as he gracefully balanced upon them, seemingly undefeatable as he flew through the darker forces like a force of nature, stopping at nothing as he then crossed back over the water using their heads as stepping stones.
Sheathing my blade I returned my hand for another arrow, seeing an orc across the water with a bow and black arrow, however when I heard thumping feet behind me I quickly whirled around, stepping out of the way of the sword however I felt a flash of stinging pain flare across my palm, eliciting a startled cry as blood was drawn from the slice. For a moment I stared in horror, having not seen my own blood in over a hundred years. It was bright red and warm as it dripped down my hand, causing me to stare before I was then awoken by the lunging of the orc so I whirled around and cracked my bow upon the back of its neck, stooping to draw a knife from my boot and killed it off in a single stab before I then continued to run.
Legolas had stopped, no longer pursuing the dwarves as the last of the orcs had been slain except for those that ran, though our kin pursued them. Breathing calmly I returned my bow to my back, giving an angered yell as I grasped the bow from the orc that had crept up behind Legolas, whirling around before I then snapped the arrow and looped the bowstring over the orc's head, planting a foot into its back and pulled on the wooden shaft to strangle it, hearing the chocking sound as Legolas turned his head. "Eleni, we keep this one alive." Pursing my lips slightly I decided not to argue, retracting the bow and tossing it into the water whereby I then drew my knife free once more, trapping the orc under my blade as it seethed. "We return, come." Glancing to the river where the dwarves had disappeared I hesitated, wondering if I should run. "If you try to flee, Eleniel, I will shoot you." The dark warning of Legolas's voice bade me remain, eyes flitting towards him before I dragged the orc filth to his feet and kicked him forwards firmly as the rest of our kin appeared and soon the orc had numerous arrows pointed towards its head and throat. As if to ensure that I did not try to escape, Legolas placed his hand upon my arm and drew me towards him, refusing to meet my gaze before he ordered everyone to return and all the bodies to be tossed into the river.
I returned in silence and in trepidation, sensing that Legolas was angry with me for deceiving him though I never told him a lie. I did not help in any way to free the dwarves, I merely told Bilbo how to be successful. His grip was firm but not painful, keeping me at his side as the prisoner was brought before Thranduil and Legolas gave his report, informing him that the dwarves had escaped. As soon as the words were spoken Thranduil looked towards me but I remained stoic, unflinching from his gaze. His head tilted slightly, watching me reaction before he then turned and elegantly began to glide forwards as Legolas held his long knife at the creature's throat. Thranduil circled around with silent footsteps, robes shifting silkily as he passed in front of me but then halted, brow creasing slightly before he then turned to look down at my hand. "You were injured." He noted and I started, having completely forgotten about the cut upon my palm. Lifting it up I exposed it to him, showing him that it was nothing. "It will need to be treated and bound, you should go and have it healed, Eleniel."
"It is not bothersome." I refused simply, lowering my hand to my side once more however before it could drop completely Thranduil carefully captured it in his own larger palm, lifting my hand up once more so that he may inspect it more closely. The blood had dried and I would treat it in a moment as I had my travelling satchel at my hip with my own healing supplies, however Thranduil proceeded to draw a length of silk from within his sleeve, dark yellow and almost golden in colour which he slowly wrapped around my palm before deftly tying it off. The caring touch of his fingers made me stiffen, mind flying back to the letters that he had kept all these years and these small acts were proof that he did in fact still care for me though he would try to deny it.
Once the bandage was secure he released my hand and moved on, returning his attention to the prisoner which Legolas held in check, though his clear blue eyes had watched us both intently. "So this is what has crawled from the dark crevasses of the earth." He mused, looking upon the orc with disdain. "Such is the nature of evil. Out there in the vast ignorance of the world it festers and spreads. A shadow that grows in the dark. A sleepless malice as black as the oncoming wall of night. So it ever was. So will it always be. In time, all foul things come forth." He spoke cryptically though I was beginning to understand the nature of the evil of which he spoke.
"You were tracking a company of thirteen dwarves. Why?" Legolas demanded to know as the three of us stood alone with the prisoner, my eyes fixated upon its disgusting form with loathing.
"Not thirteen, not anymore. The young one, the black-haired archer." The orc began to spit in harsh sounding words and I straightened slightly, reacting minutely to his reference to Kili. "We stuck him with a Morgul shaft. The poison's in his blood, he'll be choking on it soon." Poison? I had seen Kili had been struck with an arrow but if it was poisoned and they did not know, he would die within days, possibly even less. The orc smirked at me, baring its ghastly fangs and my lips curled downwards in quiet anger.
"Falsehoods." I accused in a low voice, clenching my fingers into a fist around the silk bandage. "Answer in truth, orc, you have been asked a question." Although I did not understand Black Speech, I knew that the words that were snarled at my direction were most likely an insult so I swung out my hand which held my blade and a long cut appeared upon the orc's face, expression hardened as the blood ran down its blackened skin.
"Ego Eleniel, before you kill this miserable creature." Thranduil ordered me and I paused for a moment, considering my options before I obeyed, leaving both Thranduil and Legolas behind and two guards turned to escort me back to my chambers. I will not go back there. Not again, never again. If Kili was suffering from poison then I need to heal him so that he would not perish. His mother would feel unbound grief should she lose her son. With my decision made, I waited until we were out of sight and range of Thranduil before I moved.
With a quick slice of my hand I knocked out the first guard before then pouncing upon the second, knocking off his helmet to then slam my foot against his now exposed face and felled him also into black unconsciousness. I did not have time to hide their bodies so I simply took their arrows and then ran, disappearing into one of the less used paths which would take me back towards the cellar but I did not enter it, continuing forwards to escape through the river port where goods were accepted through. With no one looking to see anything escaping out, I slipped away before anyone could notice that I was gone, racing into the trees with my bow in hand, praying to the Valar to keep Kili alive long enough for me to save him.