Another Darkness

Chapter 9: Close Training

Ithil awoke the next morning with a heavy feeling on her chest. She would now have to somehow train her wilder magic. But how? She did not even know it's use.

She changed into a purple and gold dress made out of the finest silk and braided her hair. Looking in the mirror, she could see that she fit the part of an elf, despite being much shorter and curvier. She missed her weapons and her pants. She missed the wild freedom of the North. She was not meant to play the role of a lady. She was a fighter with a hell of a reputation and yet she had been acting unlike herself ever since she got here. Maybe this elven refinement was taming her?

With a heavy sigh, she turned away from her reflection and left her chambers. She had been given orders to go to the courtyard when she awoke. They already knew her sleeping schedule from the weeks she had stayed here previously. Ithil walked through the halls silently, watching, now understanding, as elves turned their heads as she past.

Once she stepped outside, she felt a rush of calm. She was so unused to being confined indoors. The courtyard was also the most beautiful place in Mirkwood. It was filled with luscious green plants, a pond, flowers of every colour. Vines clung to the walls around her, blue skies gleamed down from above. Grass, moss and mint covered the cobblestone floor.
"Good Morning, Ithil," Thranduil spoke suddenly, as he stepped out from behind a pillar. He was as glorious and regal as ever.
"Good Morning," Ithil replied softly, unsure how this day would progress.
"I am sure you're wondering how we are going to train this magic of yours, I have done some studying of the Ithrandur once I had a clue as to what you were."
"Why did you not tell me as soon as you knew?" Ithil asked with a frown. Thranduil looked at her incredulously.
"I had to be sure. Can't have you thinking you're more special than you actually are," he replied coldly. Ithil crossed her arms under her breasts, to which Thranduil simply raised his eyebrow.
"At any rate, we should begin, follow me." He turned away and began walking. Ithil pulled up her skirts and ran after him. When she caught up, she fell into step with him. Thranduil looked down at her from the corner of his eyes. They began to enter the great woods.
"Where are we going, elf?" Ithil sulked. She didn't like this situation one bit.
"Be patient," he chided. Ithil sighed, becoming bored. She lagged back a bit and watched Thranduil suspiciously from behind. It was only really then that she noticed he wasn't really wearing the robes he usually does. Instead he was wearing pale riding trousers and a mint green loose shirt. Yet, he still looked like a king. A king with a nice rear.

A furious blush ran up her body and into her cheeks. She quickly looked away and sped back up.
"Do try not to lag behind, Ithil. We are in Mirkwood and there are an all manner of things that could kill you or take you," he huffed.

Eventually they came to a clearing in the forest that had a small cottage in the middle of it.
"Well, Thranduil...why is it we are coming to train in the middle of nowhere?"
"Oh, please, you lived in the middle of nowhere for who knows how long, this is still in my realm. We are are here because the type of magic you poses is not the kind to be messed with in a kingdom of elves. I'd prefer to take you elsewhere."
"The more I find out about this magic the less I think you were right about people being safe." The two went inside the cottage to find it was barren with only a few chairs, and a large protective circle of runes on the floor in old elvish.
"Safe, safe, safe..." Ithil mumbled under her breath. Thranduil directed her to stand in the circle and brought over two chairs. Placing them facing one another.
"Sit." She did.

"You're magic is wild and dangerous. We can't have it leaking all over my forest. In order to access this magic, we have to find out what will trigger it."
"What if you trigger my aggressive magic. I could hurt you," Ithil warmed smugly. Thranduil rolled his eyes at her.
"This is hardly the work of a king, but anyone else would probably try latching onto you," he said, ignoring her quip.
"Why not get a human or someone to do it?"
"Like Vicor Bard? What do any of them know about the Ithrandur? I was there when they walked the lands in mass. Besides, that kind of magic is used predominantly on elves. It can be used for other things, and often is. But the best way to evoke it is through an elf."
"You think highly of yourself."
"I have a lot to think highly of..." he replied smugly. Ithil rolled her eyes, no one could make her feel more like a spiteful adolescent than Thranduil.
"In order to access your other magic, we'll need to provoke the offensive magic," he explained, taking the seat across from her.

Ithil was suddenly very aware of the King's presence and how close he was.
"Ithil," he began softly, his brilliant ice blue eyes looking directly into her strange ones,"I need you to use your magic..." Ithil paused, she didn't feel threatened, and he was being so soft...

Ithil took a deep breath and summoned the magic from inside her, the ring of runes began to glow an orange light. There soon formed a glowing ball of orange magic in her palm, it crackled and sparked aggressively. Ithil watched the ball with fascination, she was so used to her magic, she never really stopped to just look at it in it's raw form.
"You feel the magic, how does it feel?" Thranduil's voice asked softly. Pink flares began shifting through the magic.
"It feels...strong, like pure power. It's warm in my hand, weightless, familiar..." Ithil couldn't form proper sentences. She was so used to using her magic quickly, getting the blow in when they expected nothing.
"Good," suddenly, his hands brushed Ithil's arms, more pink flares. "Now, I want you to focus on that strange magic, just under the surface, that wild, unpredictable magic..."

Ithil turned her attention inward, she could always feel it, the Wild Magic. The runes around them began to glow pink, the offensive ball of magic seemed to disperse, being replaced by pink mist in the palm of her hand, so soft and translucent, it seemed to pulse with her own heartbeat. She had never before seen this magic.
"Oh, it's beautiful."
"It doesn't usually manifest so physically. However, all your life you've trained your magic to form physically, so now that Ithrandur magic is appearing that way." Thranduil's voice was soft, and distant. He was staring into the magic with wide eyes.
"Now, we're going to try something I'd rather wish I didn't have to. Move the magic into me," Thranduil leant backwards, only then did Ithil notice that Thranduil had strapped himself to the chair, other than one hand. Ithil, hesitantly, pressed the magic to his hand. It seeped into him, spreading up his arm and through his body. Thranduil's eyes became rampant and animalistic. His breathing was labored and sweat began forming.

As soon as Ithil pressed the magic to Thranduil he felt a surge of sexual desire. It was intoxicating. It consumed him.
"Thranduil, calm down!" Ithil ordered in a panicked voice. Thranduil felt himself calm instantly.
"G-good. Your...magic...is that of...control. Over others," Thranduil strangled out between ragged breaths,
"Is it that for every Ithrandur?" she asked.
"Yes, that is...the most basic forms of their magic." Without thinking much, Ithil grabbed Thranduil's free hand and began to take the magic back.

And then, without thinking, Thranduil yanked Ithil from out of her own chair and into his lap. Ithil landed on him, confused by what had happened. She looked at the elven kings, who had a darkness in his gaze, like hunger.
"Thranduil...I-I need to get the magic out."
"Then do it, I'm not stopping you..." He said in a husky voice. Ithil held his hand, trying to reach out to all the magic inside him and bring it back. She felt uncomfortable on Thranduil's lap, but it excited her at the same time. Ithil yelped when his hot lips pressed to her neck.
"Thranduil!" She fell backwards off the chair they were sharing and onto her back, her head hitting her previous chair on the way down. With her, she took the last remnants of her magic. The spell broke.

"Ithil?" he asked in concern as he saw her lying on the ground, clutching her head.
"Ow..." she moaned. Thranduil unstrapped himself from the chair and knelt next to her.
"Are you okay?"
"Why did you do that?" she sulked, checking her hand for any blood. She was relieved to find none.

The ring around them was no longer glowing.
"To be fair, it was your magic..." Thranduil countered, standing. He offered a hand to her, which she begrudgingly took.
"I don't know if I want this magic. What good will it do me controlling elves? My offensive magic is far more important!"
"You not being able to control your magic led me to sleep for a week, whilst you went gallivanting across the countryside!" Thranduil growled. Ithil looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "if you want to use more aspects of your magic, then you've got to start at basic level. To practice in the mean time, I want you to try subtly controlling some of my elves. It doesn't have to be sexual." Thranduil gave her a pointed look.
"I thought that was all there was?" Ithil asked, folding her arms under her breasts.
"Only if you don't control it," Thranduil seemed to leave a thousand words unsaid.

"Fine, I don't feel comfortable with it, but fine... when are we meeting again to do...this?"
"We'll meet every three days in this cabin at midday. I still have king's duties to attend to."
"Don't let me get in your way, Your Highness," Ithil quipped sarcastically. Thranduil gripped her chin in his hand. His strong fingers clutching at her. It hurt, but not enough to complain.
"Don't you forget that I am the King," He warned. Ithil felt anger boil up, mixed with excitement that was totally inappropriate for her situation. Why did she like being around him so much?
"How can I? You're so pompous it's hard to forget," Ithil smirked at him. Thranduil was unsure what to do. So he released her from his grip, shoving her away.
"I've told you what to do in the mean time. Try not to completely seduce my kin," with that, the elven king left her in the cabin in the woods without another word. Ithil looked around her, lost. What on Middle-Earth just happened? She had never felt so...so...attracted to anyone before...Is that what this was?

With a humph, Ithil left the cabin, slamming the door behind her.