Hey Everyone! I'm baaaaaack!
So this is the long promised prequel series to my Lord of the Rings OC Trilogy. Expect lots of background for our OC and also an introduction to her relationship with Legolas! If you've already read my first trilogy, awesome! but expect to read it again bc after i'm done uploading The Hobbit series, I will be going back through that one and uploading my edits! and there have been A LOT of edits, from grammar to entire story changes!
If you haven't already read my first trilogy, DON'T. As i said earlier, I WILL be editing it A LOT.
Enjoy loves!
"Legolas!" Caladwen called through the Elven Kings halls. Her voice echoed off the stone walls as she searched the citadel for her friend. Caladwen was not paying attention and while she wasn't watching where she was going, she ran full force into another elf, appearing no older than eight or nine, a young serving girl of Mirkwood. "Ow…" Caladwen hissed rubbing her nose as the other girl rubbed her forehead.
"Oh, I am so sorry, Lady Amdirvaethil!" The girl told her, crawling over to check on Caladwen's nose.
"It is fine, I am not bleeding." Caladwen brushed her off, allowing the girl to help her to her feet. It was only then that Caladwen realized she had knocked all of the girls things, a basket full of root vegetables and salted meats. "Oh! Please let me help you!" Caladwen begged, bending over to help her pick up the food.
"Oh, you really don't have to-"
"No, it was my fault. I should have been watching where I was going." Caladwen apologized, placing the last of the vegetables in the basket. With a smile, when handed the basket off to the girl. "I was looking for Legolas and I wasn't paying attention. I think he may be hiding from me." Caladwen frowned. The serving girl laughed.
"He hides from everyone, but I know where he likes to hide the most. I can take you to him if you don't tell him I showed you." The girl offered. Caladwen smiled at her warmly, nodding her head.
"I would be forever grateful. Do you think you can give me some tips on how to be less-?" Caladwen joked, with an exaggerated sigh, laughing at herself. She could feel her cheeks growing red.
"Well, for starters, I wouldn't be following a serving girl who offered to show me where Legolas was hiding." The girl told Caladwen. Caladwen frowned, burying her face in her hands, embarrassed. "I only jest!" The servant laughed, nudging Caladwen lightly.
"I know I'm a bit much… But my parents and I are visiting for the entire season and he is the only one around my age that I know here." Caladwen sighed.
"Well, now you know me!" The girl beamed, a smile that Caladwen returned. The halls grew quiet around the pair as the serving girl led Caladwen to the deepest depths of King Thranduil's cellars. She knew they were on the last floor of the fortress, as she could hear the waters of the Forest River below them.
"He's likely in there, the armory." The girl told Caladwen quietly, adjusting the basket of food goods on her hip. Caladwen smiled at her, bowing.
"Thank you." She said earnestly. "Please, call me Caladwen. I would very much like to meet you again," She paused thoughtfully. "Perhaps a bit less painfully next time?"
"Of course!" The serving girl laughed. "My name is Tauriel, my family lives down by the kitchens if you're ever looking for a friend that won't hide from you." Tauriel told Caladwen. Caladwen smiled at her, waving once more before turning to the armory door. "He likes sparring." Tauriel called to her. Caladwen turned to look at her, confused. "You know how to use a sword, right?"
"Eh, I can hold one." Caladwen admitted. Tauriel grinned.
"That works too, ask him to help you with your sword play." Tauriel told her, walking away. "I'm sure he'd love to feel like he's in charge!" The servant girl called again, heading off down the hall. Caladwen laughed, turning back to the armory door. Quietly she knocked at it, opening the door to find Legolas' sitting by one of the racks, cleaning a bow. He looked up at her briefly before sighing and returning to his cleaning.
"What." He muttered. Caladwen frowned, crossing to stand in front of him. As the prince ignored her, Caladwen quickly grabbed a nearby sword, admiring it and flailing it around. "Not like that!" He snapped, standing and grabbing her wrist. Quickly, he moved her hands to a more comfortable position on the hilt, moving her arms in a more fluid slashing motion.
"I know how to hold a sword!" Caladwen hissed accusatory. She shrugged him off and Legolas' stepped to the side, smirking.
"Doesn't look like it to me, Amdirvaethil." Legolas' snickered as Caladwen muttered something under her breath. "what?"
"It's CALADWEN!" She cried, dropping the sword at her feet and wiping her eyes. She whimpered, making Legolas' feel terrible about how he'd heckled her. She was younger than him, after all, more sensitive. "All I wanted to do was be friends!"
"Amdir-" He began, receiving a fierce glare from the girl. Had she been holding the sword he may have been scared. Legolas' took a deep breath, placing two hands on her shoulders. He leaned down so they we're face to face and offered her a warm smile. "I'm sorry, Caladwen." He told her.
Calaldwen watched him suspiciously for a moment before giving in to a smile of her own. She sniffed, wiping her eyes, and picking up the sword she'd dropped. She looked up at Legolas' sheepishly, forcing a smile.
"I only know how to hold a sword." She told him finally. Legolas' bit back a laugh.
"Well now, that's half the battle!" He cheered, again grabbing for her wrists to guide her, this time more gently.
Caladwen did not know how long she'd been in her cell, but any time spent in the cell was longer than she wanted. It was tiny, cramped, and the cot they had was not nearly big enough for her. She began taking apart the cot, hoping that maybe the bronze bars could be used to pry open her cell, when there was several loud thuds from out in the corridor.
Caladwen froze, getting to her feet, and she tiptoed over to her cage door. To her surprise, across the dungeons chasm, her guards were downed, neither of them moving. Caladwen's heart began to race and she clutched the metal bar in her hand until her knuckles were white. Caladwen was steeling herself for God's only knew what, when Tauriel appeared outside her cell.
"Caladwen." She said, slightly out of breath. Caladwen's jaw dropped, and she looked past Tauriel to the unconscious guards. "Don't waste time gawking. We must hurry." Tauriel told her, using the keys she'd taken from the guards to open Caladwen's cell.
"Wait, I don't understand." Caladwen told her.
"What they are doing is wrong." Tauriel told her, tossing the keys over her shoulder and into the chasm below. "The punishment did not fit the crime, and I will not let Kíli die knowing that I can do what's right."
"What do you mean let Kíli die?" Caladwen asked, concerned.
"The tips of those arrows were dipped in Morghul Venom. If we do not get medicine to him he will die." Tauriel told her gravely. Caladwen nodded, they would have to hurry, Kíli would not have long.
Leading her down to the armory, Tauriel put a hand out in front of Caladwen's chest, stopping her. Caladwen peeked around Tauriel's body, spying two guards outside of the armory door.
"Leave them to me." Tauriel whispered, straightening her hair as she did. With a wink, Tauriel left Caladwen behind, addressing the two elven guards who stood watch. It was not a moment later when the guards were easily dispatched, Tauriel barely breaking a sweat.
"You will have to use different weapons than your own. Thranduil is keeping a close eye on them." Tauriel informed Caladwen, picking up a nearby sword. Caladwen sighed, taking the elvish sword and scabbard from her.
"I need a bow." Caladwen told her. Tauriel turned, taking one off the weapons rack, giving her a full quiver as well.
"We will follow the river to Escaroth. They will likely take refuge in Laketown, though how much hospitality they will find there is debatable."
"What's wrong with Laketown?" Caladwen inquired.
"Their leadership." Tauriel smirked at her, hiking her own bow and quiver over her shoulder.
The quest down the river was rather uneventful. Tauriel paid off a guard to turn a blind eye to their leavings, and there were plenty of orc bodies to step over, but save for the evidence of their battle earlier in the evening, the river was silent. In front of her, Tauriel walked at a sprinters pace, her eyes never leaving in front of her, not even when she was addressing Caladwen.
"The rapids end up here. From there it is likely they met with Bard the Bowman." Tauriel told Caladwen obviously.
"Bard the Bowman?"
"Yes, he is a trader from the realm of men. He does business with Thranduil and the woodland realm. For a price." Caladwen nodded, sprinting to the edge of the rapids, Tauriel following her lead. Scanning the river bed below the falls, the elves quickly found evidence of the dwarves.
"There!" Caladwen pointed to nearby rock. Making haste, they descended to the river below, rushing over to the rock. Caladwen reached out, running her finger through the viscous liquid that sat on it. "It's blood." She scrunched her nose is disgust. "Its stagnant."
"It's Kili's." Tauriel whispered, taking off into the woods. Caladwen watched her go, her eyes falling to another set of boot tracks that were , dwarf or Hobbit.
"Tauriel! Wait!" Caladwen called after her. To Caladwen's surprise Tauriel listened, turning back to her. Caladwen gestured toward the ground, pointing off into the direction that Tauriel had run. Tauriel followed her fingers, studying the tracks.
"It's orc!" Tauriel hissed, stepping away from the tracks. Caladwen stood, walking to her friend. She put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it.
"Do not let your emotions cloud your judgement. We do not know what's out there." Caladwen told her. Tauriel made to argue, but Caladwen shushed her. "You are no good to your beloved dead."
"How did you-"
"I have been in love too, you know." Caladwen smirked.
"Have?" Tauriel asked as they made their way to the forest. Caladwen gave a sad smile.
"I have not seen him in a while." Caladwen chuckled. "Our ember has grown colder in the years past." To Caladwen's surprise, Tauriel laughed.
"Then that is not love." Tauriel smiled at Caladwen. Caladwen froze, watch Tauriel with a furrowed brow. She was almost angry. "Love never fades, it only burns stronger." Caladwen watched her with a queer look as Tauriel took a few steps ahead of her, her anger sated.
Was what she felt for Haldir not love? She could have sworn that it was, it was fiery and urgent. Is that not what love is? Suddenly, Tauriel turned in front of Caladwen, hands grabbing for her sheath. Caladwen froze, turning around as well. To both of their surprise, Legolas stepped out of the bushes.
"Híngannen le Orch. (We thought you were an orc.)" Tauriel gasped, her hands still not leaving her hilt.
"Orch im, dangen le. (If I were an orc, you would be dead.)" Legolas told them cooly. Caladwen glared up at the Green Prince, taking several steps away from him. She reached for her bow, pulling it from her back and arming it as well.
"Legolas, sevig dhâf am mened! (Get out of here, Legolas!)" Caladwen demanded, drawing her bow. Legolas froze where he stood, watching Caladwen carefully. Tauriel stood next to Caladwen, placing a hand on her shoulder. The clearing was tense to say the least.
"There has been quite an uproar at the Elven King's Halls." Legolas began, putting his hands up in surrender. "Some orc kind came and kidnapped the Maiden of Lorien, Tauriel and myself had no choice but to go after her." Legolas told her, walking up to the pair. Caladwen growled, only holding her bow up higher.
"I do not know what irritates me more;" Caladwen hissed. Legolas tilted his head, curious. "The fact that you made me a damsel in distress, or that fact that your father believed it." Legolas chuckled, raising his hand and gently lowering her bow.
"We should go back, my father will forgive you both if you return with me." Legolas offered. Caladwen groaned, just when she thought he had changed, he still grovels to his father.
"I will not. If I return now I will never forgive myself." Tauriel told him, Legolas looked hurt and Caladwen bit back a frown. "The King has never let orc filth leave our lands, but he would let this pack cross our borders and kill our prisoners?"
"It is not our fight."
"But it is mine, and I will not be returning with you." Caladwen hissed, stowing her bow and walking off towards the treeline. Tauriel followed her lead, leaving Legolas behind.
"This fight does not end here. With every victory, this evil will grow, so, tell me friend, when did we let evil become stronger than us?" Tauriel asked. Legolas watched the two elves quietly from where they left him in the lake bed.
"Caladwen! Tauriel!" Legolas called to her, but the women did not stop. Legolas sprinted to catch up to them, taking Caladwen's hand in his. Caladwen pulled away from him and further upstream Tauriel turned to watch them, willing to intervene if need be. Caladwen nodded for her to go, she would be there soon.
"What." Caladwen snapped as Tauriel walked off. Legolas took a deep breath, thinking hard on what he wanted to say.
"I am sorry." He told her finally. Caladwen narrowed her eyes at him. "The way my father, treated you, it was not right." He continued. Caladwen rolled her eyes, turning again to walk away from him, and again Legolas grabbed her hand. This time Caladwen did not pull away. "I should have stopped him, I know this now."
"But you didn't." Caladwen said quietly, carefully taking her arm back. Caladwen began to walk away from him, but Legolas was not finished.
"I will never stop calling you a friend, not until my last breath has left me." Caladwen froze where she stood. She turned to look at him over her shoulder, confused.
"Mankoi dîn sínome, Legolas? (Why are you here, Legolas?)" Caladwen asked him, her voice cracking with emotion. "Mankoi? Bedo nín! (Why? Tell me!)"
"You told me you wanted me to do what was right." Legolas said, baffled. "Is this not it?"
"I wanted you to do what was right in the face of your father, not behind his back. You told him you're rescuing me to cover our backs, but we do not care about our reputation with him." Caladwen told him astonished. "If you risk nothing, it is not justice! If you risk nothing you are still hiding from his shadow!" Caladwen took a sharp breath, turning back towards the direction Tauriel took. "I know that you are not your father, but you refuse to show me!" She huffed, walking off after her friend. Legolas frowned after the pair, but he did not turn back, despite his overwhelming want to return to Mirkwood. Something was pulling him in the direction of Esgaroth, and he would follow it because he knew Caladwen was right.