Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit, everything belongs to Tolkien and this story is not for profit.

Chapter 12

It didn't end very different from how it had began. When Aeiliel and I lost each other, I was still in danger, still being followed, and alone once again.

There were wild lands in the North, Aeiliel said, where we could go and where we would never be followed. There were places in the far West, I said, where we could go and live in peace. We could sail away and leave this wretched world altogether. We disagreed, as we always did, about what to do and where to go, but I actually would have gone anywhere she decided, and I let her lead the way. It was sad but true that I had come to understand and love her more than I had ever loved even my real family, which made me feel guilty sometimes. But there is no guarantee that the people to whom you are related will be the dearest to you in the world, no more than the girl living next to you will be your best friend, or that the rich handsome prince will actually be your one true love. Some things just are, and are not. It was completely random chance that Aeiliel and I would meet one another and be best and closest friends. It was a very rare thing, the kind of instant compatibleness with another person that I would only experience one more time in my life.

I'm not sure if we were actually traveling in a direction. We weren't traveling, say, north on horseback. We were traveling away from our chasers and on exhaustion and desperation.

I've already described how sick, how tired, how extremely ill we were. Well, just know now that were doubly so than we had ever been, and I will say no more about it.

We lasted longer than the horses. My horse collapsed one day as we were riding and wouldn't get back up. I sat down and cried and cried over his bony body, but Aeiliel pulled me along and we both got up on her horse and continued with Carotene trotting along.

We were going much slower now, with the two of us on the same tired horse. When the men were within sight behind us on the horizon, we galloped faster.

Faster and faster we went. They were catching up I could see. They stopped for a moment, I'm not sure why. But taking this opportunity so did we. I caught my breath and Aeiliel walked over to a tree and tore off a smooth branch. I didn't understand at first what she was doing. We quickly re-saddled and now were back riding with a glorious sunset to our left. The sky was all red and purple, giving everything an eerie glow. I could see clouds moving in from the other side and stars starting to peak out in-between them. I was so dizzy, so sick, so tired; Aeiliel must have been cursing for minutes before I even noticed. I was holding onto her waist and riding behind her, when I turned and say the men only a few hundred yards behind.

Aeiliel took the branch and started whacking the horse with it. She beat and beat him until he went faster than the men behind us. I told her to stop but she didn't listen. We regained some ground, but after a while her horse collapsed just like mine did. At the moment I hated her for that. Stumbling and crazy we ran on foot from there, until it started storming. It was the storm, I think, that saved us.

Wherever we were must have been an area frequent to flooding, but even so I am quite sure the storm that night was particularly bad.

Aeiliel and I had hid in some shrubbery on a riverbank, crouching down in the mud while we heard the men speaking to one another and their horses snorting.

We couldn't see anything aside from the occasional flash of lightning, which would briefly illuminate our surroundings, and apparently the men couldn't either. Our tracks had also already washed away. They must have known we were nearby, but they couldn't find us either. After a few minutes their voices faded away until only the crashing of thunder and pounding of rain was all we could hear.

We were both soaked to the skin; Carotene was bundled up in my arms and shivering. I tried to shield him from the water but he was as wet as we were. I was trying to wring out his fur a little, and not having much luck, when Aeiliel tugged on my sleeve and pointed out the river water rising above the bank.

I ignored her at first, but later the water began to rise so swiftly I knew we would have to find somewhere else to hide or the river could carry us away.

Not speaking, we climbed a nearby tree and huddled on the top branches over the water.

"So I suppose you're mad at me." She said after a minute.

"I'm not mad." I said back over the rain.

She stared at me disgustedly. She always looked that way when she thought someone was lying to her.

"I'm not mad," I said, meaning it this time, "I'm just unhappy."

Our dresses were clinging to our skin and the rain felt like tiny knives blowing against our faces.

Carotene sneezed.

"I know you are. And I'm sorry." She sounded strange; an odd look came over her face. I wondered if she were crying, but under the circumstances it was impossible to tell.

"I just wish I had surrendered to Baldrick after all, and not put you through all of this." I said.

"Don't ever say that." She answered.

"Why not? None of these things were your problems. Your father made the mistake of telling you to come and help me, and now you may never even see your family again."

"And you might not either. But you're my family now. And your problems are my problems. I know you may find it hard to believe," a bolt of lightning struck as if to emphasize her point, "but I am happy to be here now with you."

"I know you are. What do you think will happen to us?"

She thought for a moment. "I-"

But I never heard what Aeiliel was thinking, because the branch she was sitting broke under her weight and sent her splashing into the river below.

Ever levelheaded, she didn't even scream like I would have, which might have alerted the men.

I looked in vain for her. Leaning over my branch I stared over the river. I heard her saying my name. I knew she had the branch with her to hold, so she wouldn't drown. But I could never really have been sure.

…..

King Thranduil didn't sleep that night, so he got up the moment they knocked on his door.

He knew what the guard was going to say was before the guard even told him.

"When?" The King demanded.

"We don't know, Sir. Her handmaid, Galessel, went to check on her because she was worried and found her room empty. "

Galessel was standing behind the guard crying.

The King looked toward the candles in his chamber that were used to tell the time. It was the middle of the night. She couldn't have gone very far yet.

"Sir, I'll alert all of the guard, and the young hunters as well. "

The King, putting on his boots, did not even hear him.

"My King?"

"Yes, do that. They can follow after me, since they won't be quick enough to come with me."

"Your highness, surely you can't mean to –"

The King silenced the guard with one look. By then he had his long winter cloak on and was marching to the stables.

His stag was already outside, waiting for him, somewhat miraculously.

"Follow quickly," The King called over his shoulder as he rode away.

I ran so quickly now, and I realized what rest and being regularly well fed did to ones energy.

Carotene and I seemed to fly though the forest. We slipped a few times over the little patches of snow, but luckily didn't run into any spiders or any of the other monsters that I knew inhabited Mirkwood.

And yet, every step I took hurt me, physically and mentally, like a thousand poisonous bites, and I knew it was because every step I took carried me away from the one that I loved and towards another who would do me and my family harm.

I tried not to even think about what would happen to me when I arrived at Baldrick's camp, and yet it was all I could think about. Horrible thoughts and images entered my mind.

But still I ran, with Carotene following closely at my heels.

Suddenly, far behind me, I cold hear a noise, as I was so used to hearing back when Aeiliel and I used to ride and were being chased.

I knew it couldn't be my enemies this time, but the elves that I loved so much that were coming to bring me back.

I ran even faster through the woods. The trees flew past me along with the rest of the landscape.

And then, suddenly, there was no more forest.

I was out in the chilly open air, with only a river far in front of me, and beyond it, very far into the distance, I could see the twinkling lights of my cousins camp.

I came, more slowly now, towards the river, wandering how I was going to get across. Would my cousin have someone waiting to ferry me across?

But as I came closer, I saw that it would not be necessary, because the river was frozen solid.

It was wide and long and it would take me some time to cross, so I hesitantly put my first step out.

It seemed safe enough, so I took another step. And another. I kept walking across the frozen surface, but about ten steps in I heard a small sound and saw a tiny little crack in the surface. It was barely visible, but I knew it could quickly widen if I wasn't careful, and I was too far across to come back now.

I shuffled along, very slowly now, not picking up my feet.

I dragged my feet across carefully, but stopped when I heard someone call my name.

"Lady of Gondor!" I heard someone call from the other side of the river.

There were three men, grimy and in black. I knew they worked for my cousin. I couldn't see the expression on their faces, but I knew that they were probably sneering.

For a moment I lost heart. It was one thing to go over to my cousin in theory, but seeing these evil men now frightened me. I took a few steps back. I did not want to go to my cousin with them. I could not approach them at all.

Seeing me take a few steps back, they started forward, worried I think that I would run back.

They took some steps toward the water, and soon like me, were walking over its frozen surface.

Unlike me, they were not being careful at all. Their heavy bodies were taking no care not to crack the ice.

I swallowed, took a deep breath, and went out to meet them.

As we approached one another one of them stepped forward and grabbed me with both arms. He lifted me up, looking at me, and the others all laughed.

I could see, for the first time since those few years ago, their faces up close.

They were just as cruel as I had imagined them in my nightmares. Their dirty faces, and their cold eyes all laughed at me.

I struggled but the leader would not let me go. "So this is what put us through all that trouble for so long?"

"I don't blame Baldrick, she is quite beautiful up close, now that she's got some skin on her bones." Another one said, and came up behind me and put his mouth on my neck.

I cried out in anger. They all laughed again but the leader scowled. "This is the one that killed Ristoff, isn't it?"

His grip tightened on my arm. We might need to pay her back for that before we return her to her cousin. He took out his knife.

"Oh, I think her brothers all paid enough for that crime."

I turned and stared at the one who had just said that in horror.

He looked uncomfortable for a moment; he knew he had said something he shouldn't have.

My little brothers were already dead. It was all a lie.

I yanked my arms out of his grip.

I would not die for nothing.

I took my knife out and quickly stabbed the one holding me. He fell back, but my knife was still in his stomach.

I turned to run but one of the men grabbed me while the other went to check on the leader who had fell to the ground.

Using all of my strength I pushed him away and stepped back.

He came back toward me, sword drawn this time, but out of seemingly nowhere, an arrow shot him in the arm and stopped him.

He stumbled for a few moments, but he was determined and came toward me again. I shoved him away and this time he fell down next to the other two.

The man who was not wounded I saw try to get up, but at that point it was too late. The weight of two of the men smashing down was too much for the river, and a mighty crack and whoosh broke the ice through and sent us all falling, falling into the freezing waters beneath.

What felt like a thousand pounds of ice was weighing down on me. And not just on me, but in me. Ice water was in my eyes and lungs and in my blood. The awful cold consumed everything. I could not swim through it or walk on it or breath it in; it was unconquerable.

All of my warm winter clothes, my fir cape and gloves were now dragging me down, heavy with water as they were. I'm not sure how I did it, but through all of the pain and the panic, I splashed my arms enough to bob up to the surface to take a quick breath before I sank back down.

Again I tried splashing my hands and trying to reach back up to draw another breath. My arms were so tired now and my head was all foggy. I made it up for another breath and dared try to open my eyes; when I did, everything I saw was so foggy and unclear, and it pained my eyes terribly. I looked frantically for the edge of the ice, somewhere where I could climb back out of the freezing water and onto land, but as I was searching something dragged me back down.

It was a human arm, the last man the unwounded one, was dragging me down with him, or rather, using me to push himself up, I clawed and tried to tear at him through the water but all of his weight was pushing me down. I needed to breathe. I needed to breathe. I pushed to go away but he went out and grabbed me once. Again.

In the water I opened my eyes, trying to find an escape, but nothing I saw made sense. Not the red water mixing with the clear, or the man's dead eyes staring back at me. So I closed my eyes back and drifted off.

…..

I woke up coughing. I think I was coughing before I was even awake. My lungs seemed to be filled with more water than air, and the freezing water stung them horribly. I coughed and coughed and soon I was retching up last night's dinner.

I was on a snowy surface, and not the icy surface of the river, which I could see in the background.

Someone said something to me, I thought, but I wasn't sure.

When I was finally breathing again, my body could concentrate more on how cold it was.

I though I might die of the cold. Every bit of me was soaking wet with it.

I looked up and saw the King standing over me.

He was breathing nearly as heavy as I was and his sword was drawn and bloody. His arm also was wet, and I understood what he must have done for me, aside from just pulling me out of the water.

He didn't say anything, and I was not sure what to make of his expression, which was both tortured and angry at once. Or at least I thought it was.

He came over and took off my soaking wet cape. With a few weak sputterings I started to protest when he gave me his own cloak, but the expression on his face silenced me. Gently grasping my arms he helped me up. He took off his own big, dry cloak and wrapped me up in it like a child. A ways a way was his stag, and he lifted me gently up onto him. He also lifted up a shivering bundle and put it into my arms, which I realized was Carotene, who I had not realized had fallen into the water with me and the rest of my cousin's men. He also took of my boots and the wool over my feet which were now soaking and freezing my feet.

He put his gloved hands over them and rubbed them together while blowing on them. It was a few minutes until I could feel anything in them, and when I could he looked at me and I nodded.

His sword sheathed now, he came up on the stag behind me and drew me close to him while we rode away.

During the entire trip back I could think of nothing to say.

I felt awful, putting him through all of this trouble, knowing that he was right after all. But I was also a little angry at him, for thinking that I could just condemn my brothers like that. But as angry as I was, I was every bit grateful. And every bit in love as I had been.

So I shivered silently until we came back to his halls. He said nothing the entire time, and I had no idea what he must have been thinking. He seemed to be thinking very intensely, and whatever his feelings were at the moment, which I did not know, they appeared to be very strong.

When we arrived, and several elves came to greet us, he finally spoke.

He told a young elleth to alert the guards who were still searching that I was safe, and as he lifted me down and set me shakily on the ground, he called over my maid Galessel, who had been waiting with some of the other elves.

He whispered something in her ear. It took a few moments, and her expression went through a variety of changes before settling. She nodded and helped me walk back to my chambers. I turned to look back at the King-I realized I had not even told him thank you-but he was walking away swiftly, and did not look back at me.

We came back to my chambers. Galessel and another maid helped me take the soaking wet clothes which were sticking to my skin off of my body and helped me into a warm tub.

The hot water felt absolutely delightful, but it was quite a while before I truly felt warm again. They both worked hard scrubbing the dirt off me and afterwards brought me before a big fire that was burning in my fireplace.

Galessel combed my hair out until it was dry and shining. It had grown even longer since I had come here, and I had not even realized it. I went to tie it back into its usual braid, but this time she stopped me.

She and the other maid took away my towel and slipped a white, intricate nightgown over my head. They tied it for me while they also slipped on a necklace around my neck and a bejeweled headpiece over my head.

I was confused, not sure I should be wearing these jewels to sleep, and not sure why they would want me to anyway, when they asked me to follow them.

….

I was just as confused when we entered the room where the King was standing.

We appeared to be in the highest room in the entire palace, which was made entirely of glass. The snow and the stars were all visible, since the room gave an entire view of the outside, but the glass kept the room warm and secure.

The King nodded to Galessel and the other maid, and they nodded and left.

Then it was just me, the King, and Carfon, who was standing at the end of the room.

The King came over to me and took my hands. His grave expression did not change as he met my eyes.

He led me over to Carfon, and as he settled us both in front of him, never letting go of my hands, I finally understood what this was.

With this understanding I also realized that the "nightgown" was no "nightgown" at all; but a white dress in the elven style. An elven wedding dress.

I started, not sure what to do, but it soon became clear.

I repeated after Carfon, and so did the King.

At the end Carfon left silently, and it was just the King and I.

I was suddenly shy and not sure where to look.

"My King, I-"

He took my hand firmly, and slipped a diamond ring onto my finger.

"Call me Thranduil now."

He took my arms in his, and leaned down to kiss me chastely on the mouth.

He led us out of the room, and I turned my head away so he could not see me cry tears of joy; and tears of pain, because he was not as happy as I.