Chapter 31

January 4, T.A 2940
Dusk

His realm grew closer, by tomorrow they would be back within his lands and with in all honesty King Thranduil could not have been happier. Though he had welcomed all the good that had come, the closeness in which it had brought between himself and his children he was beyond grateful, still, he belonged in his halls ruling over his realm and people. There he could ensure their safety, he had lost too much already to even fathom such loss again.

"Your daughter and the Marchwarden of Lorien, are close?" Lord Elrond observed casually, breaking the king's train of thought as the two lords conversed within the tent for the night, sipping his wine he watched through the slit of an opening the pair who were supposed to be training.

Thranduil could not suppress the sigh that escaped his lips at Lord Elrond's words, there was more truth to them than even he had wished to admit after everything that has happened. At first he held little to no reservations against Marchwarden Haldir and his daughter being together, but now…now he was not so sure he could condone such a relationship. He feared she would only be fooling herself, ruin a love she already had breaking her own heart in the process, still he knew he had nothing to worry about for sometime. "Yes, they have become quite close, still though nothing more will come of it."

"You speak with such finality," Elrond mused his golden robes swish behind him as he moved from his chair sweeping closer to the tents front, his eyes locked on the pair of elves.

"And you speak as if you have seen something," Thranduil's words came out short and bitter, as seemed to be the growing normal when it came to his daughter.

"I assure, mellon, I have seen nothing of the sort nor would I kept such things from if I had. Still, even you cannot deny that smile and look within those eyes are too genuine to be ignored."

"And I assure you, Anariel has decided not to further anything of the sort. And I believe she has a heart that belongs to Feren."

Elrond nodded, so he heard before. And yet, he could not help but see the obvious connection between the two, a heart could grow to love two. Perhaps this was none of his business and yet, as he watched a smile creep on to the Marchwardens lips helping the princess up off the ground where she had fallen in the sparring he could only be more sure that perhaps if not their hearts their very souls connected to one another.

Haldir helped her up from the ground once more, "You know one could never tire of killing you."

"Ha! Well, thank you. I am so glad to hear my fake deaths amuse you so," Anariel grumbled from the mossy ground, allowing her eyes to glance upwards to the swaying trees in the wind that blew her hair around into her face.

Haldir chuckled, watching as she puffed dramatically trying to blow as strand of hair out of her face. Reaching down to lend her hand Haldir pulled her up, his hand falling to the side of her face brushing away the renegade strand of hair. Their eyes met for the briefest second and neither moved, and he realized looking into her eyes they burned like his own ablaze with a fiery passion, and determination from so many painful years of hardship. Hidden beneath was this sadness, a weakness that that fieriness tried desperately to protect.

Haldir cleared his throat, pulling his fingers away from her skin, "We should go again, keep your leg tucked in your exposing your left when you dodge."

Anariel brushed herself off, as she adjusted the sword in her hand once more preparing herself to spar against this great warden.

"Good," Haldir commented as they began, "that is better. Okay, position yourself, leg tucked in, don't leave yourself open… and…" Haldir swiped his blade confident that she would execute the move this time, she had herself well prepared. "Honestly," he sighed as he stepped over top of her looking at the princess laying on the ground once more.

"I'm done," Anariel stated tossing the sword to the side without thought as she stood.

"Woah, watch the bow," Haldir rushed watching with horror as the sword came eerily close to his bow that rested nearby.

Anariel chuckled with a quirked brow she shook her head at the Marchwarden, sitting upon a nearby stump she freed her hair from the braid.

"Do you wish to retire to your tent for the night, as the king and your brother have."

She shook her head letting her eyes wonder the vast landscape around them, the very edges of the forest could be seen. It was so far and yet, so close.

"You have a few days left before the ball, before you must adhere to it all." Haldir spoke, noticing the way her smile fell from her lips as she looked towards the forest.

"Hmm, so little time it truly is, and I'm just as much not looking forward to the ball itself. Just a grand opportunity for me to make of fool of myself. To prove to everyone how hopeless I am."

"You will be fine, dance your heart out and let your worries go for a time and then you can show your kingdom how hopeless you are."

Anariel laughed nudging him in the arm, "Oh, well thank you. A good plan, but I don't…can't dance."

Haldir grimaced, slightly shocked by the fact he had assumed she could, loved to like all others ellith he knew, "Oh, plan is ruined then, honestly a princess and she can't even dance," Haldir shook his head disapprovingly, a teasing smirk upon his lips.

Anariel scoffed punching him in the arm, "Yeah, then teach me, since you're so wonderful at everything."

"Teach you? To dance?"

Anariel nodded firmly.

Haldir was quick to hold his hands up in defeat, shaking his own head this time forced to admit it out right, "I fear I am no dancer myself."

"Ah, well than, the perfect pair we shall make. Two poor dancers should make a sort of decent one, yeah."

With a chuckle Haldir shook his head disbelievingly, "Can't say I trust in your logical on this one, my lady. We would both be made to look like a fool, go but I will not…"

"Of course, my apologies you have a reputation to uphold, the cold, heartless, brute of a Marchwarden, who cares little and does not love," Anariel pursed her lips as she spoke looking him in the eye.

"I…" Haldir was about to remind her just how cold and brutish he was with her when the cracking of twig reached his ears, his eyes scanned the entire scene all elves seemed to be as they were.

"Yes…"

"Shh," Haldir was quick to hush the princess, grasping his bow firmly in hand as others to stood grasping their own bows and swords. "I knew I should have had you change," he cursed himself, he allowed her to train with him that night in her simple attire leaving the armour within her tent seeing they weren't planning to train long. "Stay beside me, and move quickly your going to your tent."

"But, I…"

"Listen to Haldir now."

Anariel turned to face her father striding out from his own shelter sword drawn and at the ready, Thranduil commanded the princess's guards to stay by her side. "Get her to safety, do not let her out of your sights."

"My lady, this way," Haldir guided her away and out of the oncoming fight. Anariel growled as the guards took their places prepared to protect their princess.

"I can't just sit in here and…"

"You can and you will, you are not ready to fight," Haldir stated firmly turning his back on her he left her behind headed out to fight the pack of orcs that threatened their camp.

Anariel watched through the a slit in the tent, watched as they fought to protect the people, her people, those she trained to help protect. She watched helplessly as elves were struck down, slaughtered for an orcs entertainment. Eyes widened as they landed upon Anarion forced away from her shelter to lead an orc away from her, he was encircled fighting she rushed to the entrance calling out for him. Remembering their short time in Bree, what he had done for her there, what she had done for him he had to make it back for his daughter.

Orelion caught the princess in his arms as she rushed towards the battle, "My Lady, you must stay here where it is safe."

"No…"

The blade of an orc slashed across his front before piercing him through the stomach, throwing him to the ground, an ear splitting scream escape her lips grasping her blade from beside the entrance she knocked Orelion in the side catching him off guard. "Princess, no!" Orelion cried gathering himself back up rushing behind her, to keep her safe.

Anariel stabbed her blade through the back of an orc the other around falling by means of arrows shot by her guards that followed after fighting to keep her safe by any means necessary. Casting her blade to the side the princess fell to her knees beside Anarion, "No, you mustn't. You have to make it back."

"My lady, you must return to safety," Anarion coughed out painfully his breath short, and ragged as he spoke.

"No, not without you. You have to return, you cannot miss your daughter's begetting day," Grasping him beneath the arms she helped crawl his way to her own shelter.

"Leave me, my lady, protect yourself."

"No, I swore to take up my place in this kingdom as princess, to train and fight to protect this realm and its people. I will not just leave you here, you will make it back to your daughter, I promised, and still promise."

"Princess!"

Anariel gasped out as the arrow of an orc struck her in the shoulder digging through her flesh, she lost her grip upon Anarion her eyes began to water, a shaking hand felt at the wound around the shaft of the arrow left hanging out of her body. Glancing to Orelion as he came to her aid, shrugging him off she shook her head firmly. "No, help Anarion inside first."

"My lady…"

"That was an order!"

Thranduil pulled his sword out the body of the orc, head whipping behind him at the sound of his daughters voice gasping out in pain. His heart stopped as he looked on seeing her upon the ground arrow within her. Rushing to her side he picked her up within his arms carrying her to his own tents the fight dying around them.

"What were you thinking," Thranduil scolded in worry as he laid her down, her face twisting in pain. "You should not have been out there, you are not ready."

"Anarion," she gasped trying to sit up to seek him out within her own tents.

"Anariel!" Legolas cried out as he came rushing through the tent, he to had caught wind of her injury Haldir was not far behind. "Are you alright?" Legolas demanded as knelt by her side.

"Why were you out there? I told you to stay where you were, that you were not ready." Haldir breathed as he took in the arrow protruding from her shoulder.

"Yeah, I know but I had to help Anarion," she continued to insist despite the pain in that made her vision swarm with tears, and the bile rise in her throat. "He… he had to get home to get to his daughter's begetting, I promised we leave so he could be there. I… had to."

"And I have a daughter, I would like to journey home with alive!"

"I'm sorry, Ada."

Thranduil could do nothing by sigh, nodding his head, "Elrond, could you?" Thranduil's words trailed off as he took a seat next to her lifting her up so her back would rest upon his chest supporting upright so Lord Elrond could take a closer look, he awaited outside the flap of the tent.

"Bind the wound up to the best of your abilities out here and then we must move on, we cannot linger here longer than needed. Haldir, go give the order. Help those who need it and get everyone ready to move out."

"Yes, my lord," Haldir left with a bow of his head, eyes glancing back at the princess.

"Can't we just pull the arrow out so…"

"No!" It was an unanimous decision all around.

Elrond bent low examining the placement of the arrow looking at where it had entered her body. "Most orc arrows, are made by metal not good metals mind you, but metal none the less, however, they are mainly tied onto the shaft using tendons, or sinew if we just pull it out the the head of the arrow will give away. Tendons and sinew only hold well when dry once wet, as they are now by means of your own blood they'll loosen and release the arrow head." Elrond worked carefully feeling the wound. "This, I will not lie, is going to hurt." Elrond cautioned grabbing a hold of the shaft he tried to spin ever so carefully between his fingers.

Anariel choked back the bile that rose, her vision blurred as the pain increased.

"I feared so," Elrond mused, reaching for a small dagger he had not drawn in the fight. Elrond worked through digging his dagger through the princess's flesh guiding his finger along the shaft of the arrow till he found the arrow head in order to properly extract it from her shoulder. Elrond worked diligently focusing on his work he tried to ease her pain as quickly as possible. Elrond made quick work wrapping her shoulder, anchoring the bandage around her upper chest.

"Riding is out of the question you will ride with Legolas."

Anariel made no answer, nothing as she stood steading herself from the spinning, she rushed from the tent uncaring of her current state, the king chased after her furiously her tunic in hand. Though her bandages covered her, it was far from appropriate attire for a princess to be seen in. "Anarion," she called out for him, listening desperately for an answer. Nothing. Nothing was the sound she could hear in return to her calls, the sounds of the others readying themselves to leave, idle leaves blowing in the wind, but he did not answer. Her eye caught Orelion standing among a smaller group of elves from Mirkwood, she strode their way as quickly as her light headiness would allow.

Elves of Rivendell gave this supposed princess their fair share of unsure looks in this unleveled state.

"Where is he?"

"My lady," Orelion began his eyes glancing to the ground unable to look his princess in the eye.

"Where is Anarion?"

"We've gathered his belongings, what he would want returned to his wife and child but…"

"No! No, don't you dare tell me such things. He has to be okay, he has to be here. I promised him, promised we would get back for her begetting day, I…" Anariel crashed to the ground in tears, a sobbing hysterical mess.

Whispers spread like wildfire around the clearing, all looked at this princess before them this princess so many thought so little of. It was clear her heart broke, if only a little, for this elf. She risked her life for him, so he could return to his own family and she failed him.

"Come, we must move on. We must make it back to the halls before night falls upon us in the woods." Thranduil spoke gently helping her stand he guided her to Legolas' horse. Helping her adorn her tunic he lifted her to sit side saddle in front of Legolas her good shoulder leaning into him, grimacing slightly still as they took off into a brisk trot.

"I failed him," she spoke against her brothers chest after sometime of silence.

"You have failed no one, you did everything you could," Legolas insisted, hoping to lift her spirits.

"No, I should have been faster, stronger. I should have been able to get him home."

"Rest, Anariel, your body needs, your mind needs it. Try to be at peace," Legolas raised a hand stroking her hair gently laying her head down upon his shoulder. "Hoda, thel tithen." (Rest, little sister)

Legolas stole a glance at her as they rode past the borders of their lands, glad to see she still rested she needed all the rest she could get. He would not stir her from this restful state yet, he'd wait till the crossed the stone bridge through their great doors if he could help it.

Author's Note, Hey! Hope you guys enjoyed this new updated. It's been a while I know… but I have been busy. Will do what I can to keep up with writing as much as I can. Please, let me know what you think!
Much love, Ivy