Apparently, while rare, reborn elves were still common enough that only Charlotte was concerned about the fact that she had been unknowingly using the previous king of Eryn Galen as a riding elk.

His voice was as warm as the first hints of summer when he spoke to her. "Anniuel," he said with a pleased grin and a slight teasing bow, so at odds with the ellon Thranduil had described. "Charlotte, what a pleasure it is to finally be able to speak to you with my own voice."

She was still trying to get over the knowledge that she'd pet him, told him her thoughts and worries, cried into his fur, fed him apples as treats. Oh, Elbereth! Her face flamed as she remembered her rather amorous attentions toward Thranduil while in the presence of his adar.

His adar!

The earth shifted beneath her. Thranduil had been grieving for over a hundred years, and his adar had been within his reach.

"Have you been an elk this whole time?" She asked. Her lips were numb. She turned an elk into an ellon. A king. A previously deceased king.

"Only for about as long as you've been an elf, I imagine," he said gently. His hands slowly reached out to clasp her frigid fingers as if he was worried she'd reject his touch. "I know you do not handle surprises well," he joked weakly, "but I vow we will talk as soon as you are safe."

Charlotte nodded, though she felt like her brain was rolling around in her skull as she did it. The words scrolled like a marquee across her grey matter. Thranduil's adar. Alive. Her elk was Thranduil's adar. Suddenly, Berior's often weird behavior made sense.

"I think you broke her," Haedirn said, pulling her up by the shoulders.

She finally blinked her swollen eyes and caught sight of the massive elk antlers jutting from the leaves. The snort she let out was definitely unladylike. "You left your glass slippers," she said.

Berior's— no, Oropher's smile was blinding. "There she is," he whispered, his hands squeezing hers.

There was such familiarity in his tone, an affection she couldn't quite place. Her mind warred with the notion that he was a stranger to her, whereas he knew her intimately, had been there for her in the dark hours when her heart was still raw from her mother's death, when her soul ached with guilt at the enchantment she'd placed on the river, the fear she'd faced each time she'd been forced to fight for her life in this world.

"Ederedair?" Legolas's voice was filled with wonder as his eyes roamed his grandfather. "You look like adar!"

Oropher huffed, crouching to Legolas's level, and said, "I rather think it is your adar who resembles me."

"I saw him first." Legolas shrugged as if that settled the matter.

"I certainly see my son in you," Oropher said, sharing a private smirk with Charlotte. It was yet another reminder that he knew so much about her, and she knew scraps of his history.

But there was little time for questions. The sky had lightened, and the wardens would rotate their posts shortly after the sun rose. Which made her wonder…

"Where were the wardens?" She asked.

Maethor and Haedirn glanced at each other as if trying to decide who had to answer. Finally, Maethor said, "According to Ellavorn, these spiders have consistently traveled in groups of at least four. Never less."

Which meant they either were fortunate and only fought a rare group of two, or the other spiders were being detained by the wardens.

"Shouldn't we go back and check to see if they're alright?"

"I don't think we'll need to," Haedirn said, nodding his head toward the Elf Path. "I can hear them."

Their worn group trudged through the undergrowth, and she eventually caught sight of two wardens, white blossoms pinned to their tunics, petting Maethor and Haedirn's horses. Beorn eyed them wearily from the side, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"Suil Annuiel!" One of the ellyn said as he stepped forward. He had two more white blossoms threaded through his braids, and she wondered if he had been in the north during the orc attack. "The other spiders have been slain," he said, "and the path is clear for you to the fields. You will be safe once you're free of the forest." There was an edge of confidence to his tone that bolstered her.

"Thank you," she said. "Are any of your wardens injured?"

"A few scratches, my lady," the ellon said, his smile easy, clearly pleased that she had cared to inquire. "All are being attended to now." And then his eyes widened, his mouth forming a round O, before he dropped to his knee, placing a tight fist against his heart.

"Galdol, Elvenking Oropher!" He said in reverence.

"Rise, Raenor," Oropher said solemnly. "How many of your wardens can you gather for an escort to the caverns?"

"At least ten at once, all loyal to Annuiel," he said. His fingertips soothed the white petals of his flower, almost reflexively, but then his brows twisted. "However, you may wish to continue your journey, lest we end this day with another war on our borders. There is a host from Imladris not far from here."

"Why were they not granted access to the forest?" Oropher said. "I know my son has extended an invitation to them for a council."

Raenor pinched his lips and shook his head. "I had heard so as well, Your Majesty, but we received orders the same day Annuiel was imprisoned. Wanderers and travelers, whether they be man or elf, common or king, who do not already reside within the borders of Eryn Galen are not to be granted entrance or passage. The king sealed it before he left."

"Your elf lord," Beorn said gruffly, "has been in a buzz about it. Your warden speaks the truth. If we do not return to him soon, Elrond has threatened to march on the Greenwood and drag Thranduil out of hiding."

"Except Thranduil isn't hiding," Charlotte said. "He's in the north right now."

Beorn grunted and shrugged.

"One of you should ride ahead," Charlotte said to Maethor and Haedirn. "Soothe the border tension before Lord Elrond follows through with his threat."

Maethor raised a brow at her, his arms crossed over his chest, and Haedirn shook his head.

"You can't guard me all the time," Charlotte argued gently.

"But they can," Oropher said. He frowned at the two guards, "If you do not tell her, she will not understand, and she will continue to suggest a path that, while sensible, goes against your hopeful vow."

Bless poor Maethor and Haedirn. They both dropped their heads, and Haedirn sighed. "A fair point, my king," he said, but he still didn't explain their reluctance to leave her alone.

"Well, if you two can't leave," Charlotte said, "then we need to get to the border. And since our party has increased and our hooves have decreased, it'll be a bit of a walk to get there."

Beorn grunted and said to her, "Leave your elves to their horses." The air shimmered around him, and she watched dark fur sprout from his body as it tripled in size, his face extending into a furry snout, two fluffy ears erupting from the crown of his head as he stretched up to his full height. Paws the size of trashcan lids thudded against the Elf Path as he dropped, settling low to the ground and flicking his nose toward his back.

Charlotte grinned and climbed on, careful not to tug on his fur.

"Every time," Haedirn said with wide eyes. "Every time I think she's stopped surprising me, she does something like ride a bear through the forest."

"Legolas," Oropher said, already taking control of the situation. "You will ride with Maethor, and I will go with Haedirn. Raenor, make sure your wardens know: you did not see any travelers on the Elf Path today. Surprise is still a weapon we might wield."

"Do you still have the order?" Charlotte asked Raenor. "The one banning people from entering the forest?"

"We can obtain it for you, my lady," Raenor said, and he turned to his companion, nodding his head to the canopy. The ellon flung himself into the branches and vanished.

She glanced at Maethor and Haedirn. Even Oropher seemed to narrow his gaze in awareness and anger, his body a nocked bow. During one of their few breaks on the first day, she'd told her guards about her discovery and Cúthon's altercation with her in the cells. Which meant that "Berior" had been present for the conversation as well. Now that she knew her elk had secretly been Oropher, it certainly explained the vicious stomps her elk had given during the explanation and the rage in his gaze. It had been a terrible way for Oropher to find out his family had essentially been murdered. A chill slid down her spine when she thought about the agony and fury in her elk that night.

Oropher placed a hand on hers where it rested on her knee. "Thank you," he said with a nod to her glowing necklace.

The warden was gone for only a minute or two, but Beorn shifted impatiently beneath her. "I know," she said, running her fingers through his fur. It was coarse and thick, and she desperately wanted to scratch him behind his big fluffy round ears. "We may need this though."

When the ellon returned with the scroll, Charlotte unrolled it, and sure enough, beside "Thranduil's" signature, there was a single elk stamped into the wax at the bottom. No star. "Cúthon," she growled. It sounded louder with a bear joining her.

She handed the scroll to Oropher, and his nostrils flared. She worried he'd shred the order in his anger, but instead, he turned it to face Raenor. "Should this seal appear on any other orders, they are to be treated as forgeries," he commanded.

"Your Majesty?"

"This is my seal," Oropher said, "and since I am not currently the reigning Elvenking, this seal should not be on any orders. Make your wardens aware: without the star, there will be no allegiance."

Raenor smiled widely and bowed. "A sentiment they already echo, my king. It will be as you've said; I will ensure that all the loyal wardens of Eryn Galen are made aware."

"Dismissed then."

The wardens flew into the canopy, and Beorn shuffled his paws as he stood. "Yes, yes," Charlotte said to him, "now we can go."

— O —

Celebrian had diminished. It was perhaps less noticeable to the others, but when Charlotte first beheld the Elven woman, she could easily see the pain in her eyes, the tension set in the lines about her mouth, and the careful way her body seemed to hold tightly to itself. Her smile in greeting her guests was warm but brief, the corners weighed down by the same hidden melancholy that slept in her gaze.

Elrond, too, radiated a sort of tension, an agitation permeated by grief. Already he had donned his golden armor, his heavy sword strapped to his side, and for a slight second, he seemed to be displeased that they had arrived just in time to prevent his storming of the Greenwood. Normally docile and collected, he paced the length of his massive tent, staged halfway between the Elf Path and Beorn's home, while Oropher explained Cúthon's attempted coup.

Charlotte eyed the golden-haired warrior discreetly positioned behind Elrond. Glorfindel had indeed followed his lord on the journey, and Charlotte wondered if she would finally get a moment to question him once everything had been settled.

"Do you have these orders?" Elrond inquired after Oropher had explained how his seal had been used throughout the centuries.

Maethor fished the other orders from his tunic and passed them to Elrond. He'd guarded them for most of the journey from the caverns, save the few hours Idhrenes had possessed them while he swam beneath the mountain to rescue Charlotte.

She could tell when the lord got to the command that cost Queen Renieth her life, for his grey eyes flickered to Oropher, and there was that same mixture of rage and grief that she had seen echoing in his gaze before. Hopelessness.

"Why?" Elrond asked, clearing his throat softly and handing the letters to Oropher. "Why has Thranduil not ended this ellon's deception?"

"Thranduil was forced to march north days ago," Oropher said. "Reports reached us of a host of orcs, possibly tens of thousands, descending from Ered Mithrem. Did you not receive his request for aid?"

Elrond shifted, his gaze flashing for a brief moment to Celebrian, so fast Charlotte almost missed it. "It may be in Imladris now," he said. "But we departed a few weeks ago and have been camped on your border for days."

"Days?" Oropher scrunched his brows.

The lord's eyes shifted with concern to Charlotte, and he said, "After we were forbidden entrance, I attempted to reach Thranduil. I tried a few times that day, and each time I was rebuffed. For reasons unknown to me at the time, Thranduil had sealed his mind from connection. Now I suspect that it is too dangerous for him to be distracted should someone attempt to contact him. I was thoroughly surprised when I heard a different voice the night before we were to return to Imladris."

Charlotte shook her head, hope fleeing her body. Thranduil hadn't heard her cry for help. Unless Ellavorn had reached him, he wouldn't know about the issues at home. "I never reached Thranduil. It was you, wasn't it?"

Elrond nodded grimly. "I could feel your pain and your fear. You projected them so strongly Celebrian thought they were my own, yet I could not decipher your words. I knew you were trying to speak to me, but the sounds merged together in my mind. And then you vanished. I attempted to contact you again, but it was as if your mind was made of water. I could no more focus on it than grasp the river in my hands."

"That might have been the concussion," Charlotte winced. "Meluieth fixed me right up though. Only hurts a little at night now."

"I can heal that," Elrond said, "should you wish it, that is."

Charlotte nodded gratefully. The lack of sleep on their journey had only worsened the ache in her skull, and she longed to be rid of the pain. Without it, she stood a chance of reaching out to Thranduil without vomiting and passing out before she could say anything.

Then again, if Lord Elrond couldn't reach him, she doubted she would.

But Elrond couldn't travel the song like she could. She chewed her lip. It wasn't safe to travel the song, not with Mairon waiting for her wandering soul to get within reach. He'd tried when she was in the dungeons, but if her guess about Elrond's difficulty understanding her was true, her scrambled brain had made it impossible for him to pull her consciousness to him.

"I don't like that look," Haedirn muttered.

Charlotte jerked her head up.

"That's the look you get right before you do something that could get you hurt."

She sighed and rubbed her throbbing forehead. "We may not have a choice."

"There's another one," he said firmly.

"If it's between Thranduil living and dying, then there is no choice."

"What are you planning?" Oropher asked. He waved his hand to silence Haedirn's protests.

"We need to know what's happening in the north," she said. "Right now, Cúthon controls the wardens and the caverns. Even without your seal, he has that power as the Steward of Eryn Galen. You would be able to return and take control, but it would take days to reach the caverns. Thranduil is already in the north fighting, and with only half his host because he's had to protect us against the possibility of a southern attack."

She took a deep breath and faced her guards, an apology written on her face. "I have to try to reach him through the song."

"You could be killed," Maethor argued.

"He can take you if you try," Haedirn said. "Sweep you off to Aman Lanc and leave your body a shell."

"Silence," Oropher ordered. It was quiet but absolute. He turned to Charlotte. "You are certain?"

Maethor and Haedirn begged her with their round eyes and tight lips, and her heart both cracked and froze as she said, "I am." Their sagging shoulders chipped at the ice. "We need to know if Thranduil still requires aid. If he does not, if he is safe and well and on his way home, then we need to return to the caverns and remove Cúthon from his post."

Oropher was silent for a breath, his brow furrowed in thought. Charlotte felt the air burning in her lungs and forced herself to exhale. With or without his permission, she would move forward with her plan. Her chin rose, and her muscles tightened.

"Very well," he finally said. "But Lord Elrond will still have to heal you before you can hope to make such a connection, and I will join you. Maethor, Haedirn, find some rope and return here."

They both hesitated, glancing at her until Oropher raised an elegant brow at them. The ellyn practically stomped from the tent in search of the requested rope.

"You require rope?" Elrond asked, his brows high.

"I required a moment with Charlotte without her guards in attendance," Oropher clarified. "And the rope will be to restrain her while she travels the song. The last time she did it, Mairon summoned her to Aman Lanc, and her body attempted to follow. Should he succeed, I fear we will never recover her."

Charlotte clutched her arms tightly around her chest. She would dread being back in that place with him. Dread seeing the coldness radiating from his eyes.

"Which makes me wonder," Oropher asked, his gaze narrowed on her pale face, "why are you planning to return to him intentionally?"

Shit.

"Do not look at me like that," he said gently. "I have been your companion since your arrival. I'm sure even your guards suspect you will attempt something dangerous, hence their reluctance regarding your endeavor."

Charlotte sighed. Of course, Oropher had seen right through her. "I do plan to reach for Thranduil," she tried.

"Both as a means of assuring his safety and as bait," Oropher scoffed. "You will not fool me."

"Just…" Charlotte rubbed her frigid hands, "just don't let me out of your sight, okay?" She eyed Legolas waiting wide-eyed in the corner and whispered, "And please don't let him stay to watch."

Oropher followed her gaze, and catching sight of the tiny elfling sitting on the sidelines of their conversation, he nodded.

"We have the rope!" Haedirn cried. His chest rose and fell quickly as if he and Maethor had run through Elrond's camp to find it.

Charlotte studied the long stretch of golden rope clutched in his fist and prayed it would be enough, even as her palms sweated at the idea of being tied again. "With your permission, Lord Elrond, let's get this over with," she said.

Elrond nodded and glanced to Celebrian, who quickly vanished from their tent. And then he was rummaging through one of his many bags, and Charlotte could hear the clinking of glass vials as his fingers deftly plucked what he needed from its depths. Celebrian returned within minutes, with two guards carrying a cot between them. As she moved to rejoin her husband, Oropher stopped her.

"Lady Celebrian," he said, "I wonder if I might trouble you for a favor?" He nudged his head toward Legolas. "Our young prince has not eaten in days. Would you be willing to aid him in finding a meal?"

"I want to stay!" Legolas shot up from his seat. "Please," he said softer, looking at Charlotte. "Do not send me away. I want to stay. I can help."

"Little leaf," Charlotte said gently. His chin wobbled, but he chucked it up to hide it. Charlotte pinched her lips. This was no place for him. He'd suffered enough. She dropped to her knees, her tattered gown fluttering around her, and held her hands out for him to grab, pulling him closer when he did. "What I must do next… I cannot be distracted."

"I will be very quiet," Legolas vowed. "You won't even notice I'm here."

"It won't be safe for you here," she said. She pressed an errant lock of hair behind his pointed ear before reclaiming his hand. "I will find you after."

"But what if…" He swallowed, and his nose flared. "What if you can't?"

"I promise you, Legolas," she said, and she watched Legolas's eyes perk up. He knew how seriously she took her promises. "I promise you that I will do everything in my power to return to you, but this must be done. Please, I know that you are brave and strong, and there will be other battles for you to fight one day," she said and hoped it wouldn't be true, hoped that their actions in the coming days would prevent Legolas from ever seeing war. "This one must be mine."

Celebrian stepped in with a gentle smile. "I believe there are oatcakes somewhere in this camp, Legolas. Would you care to join me while we wait for Charlotte?"

Legolas frowned at them both, knowing he was being managed, but said, "I don't think I'm very hungry, but I'll go with you." He threw himself at Charlotte and squeezed. "Be safe."

"I'll try," she thought as she hugged him back. She watched him go, and the aching spread from her head to her chest.

As soon as he vanished through the tent flap, Oropher asked, "Are you certain?"

She squeezed his arm softly and settled on the cot.


Translations:

Ederedair - Grandfather (Not canon! Loosely translated: Grandfather. More literally translated: Father's father. Similar to "edenedair," a canon Sindarin word meaning "Fathers of Men" and used to reference the forefathers/ancestors of the Edain.)

Suil Annuiel! - Greetings, Annuiel!

Galdol - loosely: "Welcome;" more along the lines of "well met!" or "blessed (/well)come!"

AN: Apologies for the delay; I had to make an emergency trip and, after many hours of driving, I am finally reunited with my laptop. I'm absolutely blown away by all of your comments! Thank you so much! The general love seems to be going to Baby Legolas, Maethor and Haedirn, and Charlotte and Thranduil, though there was a bit of Idhrenes love too! It's really helping me know which characters stand out and feel developed for you all, so thank you!

It is late where I am in the world, and despite tomorrow being my day of birth, I must rise early. So I'll leave you with another question for anyone who feels like answering: Has there been a specific setting in the story that really stood out to you? That felt real and vivid?

Thank you all so much for reading and coming on this journey with these characters! It is an absolute honor to read your thoughts and reactions!