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Tauriel POV
A messenger arrived from Lothlorien within the week and Tauriel was once more summoned to a battle strategy meeting in Thranduil's council chamber with the other commanders of the great elven army.
The King was not seated; instead he slowly paced in front of them, blue eyes glimmering, issuing orders to the commanders on how best to distribute their forces.
'Galadriel and Celeborn are sending a force from Lothlorien to enhance our own ranks from the South. They will be here within two weeks and the Lady asks us to be watchful of the Eastern border and Dol Guldur. An army of orcs and goblins amasses, waiting for the order to strike. We will meet them and obliterate the filth when the time comes.' Thranduil paused in his movements and regarded the elleth standing in front of him.
'Captain Tauriel, seeing as the Prince is not available, you will lead the Guard and the members of the Lothlorien army we are to receive to the East when the time comes.'
Tauriel successfully contained her surprise. 'It would be my honour, hîr vuin.'
She looked forward to being amongst the Lothlorien elves again although she wished that the situation were different.
'The rest of the army will be divided to protect our northern and southern borders, flanking your company on each side.' Thranduil's red robes swirled about him as he turned towards the other commanders who inclined their heads in acknowledgement of his words.
'Be prepared, it could be weeks before the first open attack but it could also be days from now. This is no longer the Greenwood. Now the forest can harbour an orc army just as easily as keeping our own army hidden from sight. We must keep constant vigil on our borders.'
When the meeting concluded and the other commanders left, Tauriel lingered behind, for there was a thought on her mind that refused to stay silent.
'Is there something else you wish to discuss, Captain?' the King was now seated at his great wooden desk, gazing at her indifferently.
Tauriel's hands twitched nervously by her sides and so she hid them behind her back.
'My Lord, I wanted to ask you if…if you had received any word from Legolas?' The King's eyes hardened and Tauriel immediately regretted her decision to ask.
This was a mistake.
'No I have not.' Thranduil blinked slowly, no sign of emotion graced his face.
Tauriel nodded and bowed to leave but she paused when she heard the king sigh. 'Do I need to remind you of the conversation that we had so many years ago, Captain? I gather you recall my ruling on the matter.'
Tauriel turned around and bit her lip. 'No hîr vuin. I remember it well.'
Although I have since disobeyed you and have continued to see your son in secrecy behind your back.
The look Thranduil gave her made her question whether he could read her thoughts.
Tauriel quickly changed the subject. 'I will prepare for the arrival of the Lothlorien force, my King.' Having said that Tauriel made a hasty yet respectful retreat.
Legolas POV
They had been travelling south of Imladris for about a month now, heading towards the mountain pass and the fellowship had bonded significantly in their time together. As they rose in the pale light of dawn and ate their breakfast around the warmth of the fire, Legolas regarded his companions on this quest. Obviously, he was closest to Aragorn and spent many hours walking beside him and the wizard Mithrandir whom the Prince regarded as one of the wisest beings he had ever met.
Long has Mithrandir advised my Father for he is considered elf-friend and guardian to my people. Although he does have a habit of meddling in the affairs of others! Yet it always seems to be for a good cause in the end.
Boromir of Gondor was a proud man who kept mostly to himself, although Legolas had caught him eyeing Frodo on more than one occasion.
He found the hobbits endearing, they were a sturdy people with joyous hearts who seemed to be quite fascinated by an elf. Legolas smiled contentedly as he enjoyed answering Sam's many questions of the Eldar and in return the hobbit told him numerous details on the best gardening techniques.
The Prince still did not trust Gimli and his callous nature irked him but he was starting to appreciate the tales the dwarf wove to pass the night. Once, the dwarf had told a story passed down from his father, Gloin, who had been a member of the company of Thorin Oakenshield. Legolas had quietly slipped away when he heard Gimli recount how a fire-haired elleth had befriended and fought alongside Thorin's nephew, Kili. He noticed Aragorn's eyes follow him in sympathy as he wandered off to walk the perimeter of the camp.
I miss her.
Tauriel POV
The King wanted the Guard's patrols to continue as normal so that the Enemy did not grow suspicious towards their plans. Tauriel was glad, for it was almost a relief to take a break from war councils to vent her growing fear and frustration on the monstrous spiders and their silken webs. With their swelling ranks from the new recruits of both Mirkwood and Lothlorien origins, Thranduil had even allowed her to take a greater number of soldiers patrolling. Seeing their foes vanquished, if only temporarily, gave a moral boost to the warriors and the elves grew bolder in their attacks when they saw their Captain's silver daggers flying through the night.
On an evening patrol, Tauriel had been creeping through the treetops with her company fanned out behind her searching for a new nest they knew to be in the area.
There it is. I can see the filth of their feasting spread across the lower branches. We can easily ambush them from this position and release the forest of this foul burden.
The Captain gave the signal and let loose one of her arrows into the abdomen of a great black spider, which screeched in pain before toppling over, dead. The other elves followed suit and let loose their own arrows before they all sprung down from beneath the canopy as one and engaged with the massing beasts.
Now in close proximity, Tauriel sheathed her curved bow and instead ripped through the spiders' thick hides with Galadriel's gleaming daggers. More spiders rushed into the fray from what must have been another nearby but smaller nest and Tauriel found herself battling three monsters at once. She stabbed the first spider to lunge at her in its many eyes, causing it to screech in pain and stumble away, fatally blinded. Tauriel did not wait for the next attack, instead using the second spider's leg as a boost; she jumped onto its back and fired an arrow into its head, killing it. Seeing its kin die, the third spider launched itself at the elleth, knocking her off balance and trapping her under its monstrous hairy legs. Tauriel struggled under the weight, she managed to slice through its feet with one of her daggers but not before the spider cut her cheek with its fangs.
The Captain used her feet and considerable elven strength to flip the beast off of her. She rose quickly and threw one of her daggers into the beast's face, killing it instantly.
Tauriel assessed the situation around her and found that most of the soldiers were recovering their arrows whilst a few finished off the last remaining spider. A couple of the soldiers looked to have some minor injuries from the fight but they had not lost any elves, even from the surprise attack of the second nest.
'Burn the webs.' Tauriel commanded to her forces that immediately moved to obey her.
'Captain, are you hurt?' Farine walked towards her frowning although she herself was covered in black spider blood. She motioned to the Captain's face and her pale green eyes looked almost colourless in the darkness.
Tauriel touched her cheek feeling a small yet painful gash from the spider's venomous bite. Her hand came away covered in blood.
'It is nothing major; do not worry Farine. Tolo, gather the others for it is time that we returned to the keep.' The Captain tried not to inhale the stench of the now burning spider silk.
On the way back, Tauriel clenched her teeth together as her face began to burn with the poison from the spider bite. She had been using the hem of her sleeve to stem the blood flow but it was the venom that worried her.
Maybe I will pay a visit to the halls of healing. I can almost imagine the frown on Legolas' face if I did not go. He always fusses over me when I injure myself, like I am still a little elfling!
By the time she reached the healing quarters, Tauriel was clutching her cheek painfully in her hand. She was glad when it was Serilla who arrived to attend to her, for she had not seen the honey-haired elleth in a while for her duties claimed most of her time.
'Tauriel! What has happened?! Havo dad!' the healer practically shoved the Captain down onto a pallet.
'Nice to see you too, Serilla.' Tauriel muttered. She did not like people making a big deal out of her injuries; she was a warrior, after all.
Serilla just gave her a no-nonsense look, completely into her role as an elven healer. The elleth pried away Tauriel's bloody fingers and inspected the gash.
'Hmm, you are lucky that it is a small cut, it should fully heal with the proper poultice to draw out the spider venom.'
Serilla moved away, plucking herbs out of labelled jars on the shelves lining one side of the treatment room. Tauriel watched as she began rubbing herbs together in her hands over a bowl, adding some water and then moving back to the Captain with the poultice and some clean, damp linen in her hands.
'Please lie down for me Tauriel, you look tense and that is not good for the healing process.'
Tauriel sighed and removed her quiver, bow and daggers before settling herself on the white downy pillows. She had to admit she was more relaxed this way.
Serilla gracefully sat down beside her on the pallet and gently used a moist linen cloth to wipe away the blood from Tauriel's cheek. The Captain did not flinch but she bit her lip from the burning pain that even the softest touch caused.
Once satisfied on the cleanliness of the wound, Serilla put down the linens and gently brushed the Captain's auburn hair away from her face as she began to sing a soft and lilting song that seemed to lighten the room.
Tauriel could not look away from the healers dove grey eyes, for she could feel the healing song caressing her body and urging her feä to reject the venom. The pain receded as the poultice was applied to her cheek and Tauriel released the breath she did not realise she had been holding.
'Hannon le, Serilla.'
The healer smiled and took Tauriel's hand in her own. 'Oh Tauriel, you are like kin to Ranadir and therefore a part of my family now. You can always come to me when you are hurting, both physically and emotionally.' The elleth's gaze seemed to be studying the Captain's face intently.
Tauriel blushed; she did not have many elleth as close friends. Her position as Captain granted her a noticeable rank yet she was also isolated by her status as a silvan elf in the company of so many sindarin nobles. Looking into the healer's affectionate grey eyes, Tauriel felt all the emotions she had walled up since the battle for the mountain so many years ago rise up inside her into a great flood that she could no longer contain. Before she realised what she was doing, Tauriel found herself crying whilst Serilla moved to hold the Captain gently in her arms and began stroking her hair.
'I am afraid Serilla! I fear for the lives of the elves in the days to come. I fear that Thranduil will never respect and care for me as he once did when I was an elfling under his charge. I fear for you and Ranadir, and for the future of Mirkwood and Lothlorien. Most of all I fear that Legolas will die on his mission and I will not be there to save him!'
Serilla held Tauriel back at arms length and looked at her without judgement in her eyes. 'Then use that fear to fight for them Tauriel. You are our Captain, the soldiers would follow your lead until whatever end. The King needs you now more than ever following Legolas' absence. Fight for Mirkwood, for Lothlorien, for Legolas. Since when did the Captain of Mirkwood let darkness become stronger than her?'
She is right. I am the Captain of Mirkwood and I will fight to defend Thranduil and this kingdom for as long as I can draw breath.
Tauriel took a moment to compose herself and clear her throat before continuing. 'Hannon le, again Serilla. I…thank you for listening.'
Serilla rose, causing her grey robes to flow about her. She smiled warmly at Tauriel and raised a delicate eyebrow. 'Leave that poultice on overnight, your face should be fully healed by the light of dawn.'
Tauriel nodded her thanks and rose to retrieve her weapons. She paused just before leaving the door and turned back, giving Serilla a light kiss on the cheek in thank you before hurrying out of the healing halls.
How Ranadir managed to be lucky enough to end up with Serilla I will never know.
Elvish
Tolo –Come
Havo dad –Sit down