Chapter Seven
A/N: Just a heads up, I'm also working on a story on Wattpad, so its going to be a little while in between updates, but I am keeping the story going!
When their song ended, Neniel could feel herself dozing off, as she laid her head on Thorin's shoulder. Thorin placed the lute aside, and he took Neniel into his arms, resting her head gently on his broad chest. The next morning, everyone woke up and met up with Beorn outside on his front porch as they were discussing the next leg of the journey. When Neniel mentioned Mirkwood, she scowled. She didn't want to set foot near the place, because she had been there before, and know of its people.
She loathed Thranduil, because he claimed the Dark elves as traitors, and considered them disgraceful to the entire elven race. At her last meeting with the Wood Elves, he had threatened if any Dark Elf would set foot in his kingdom, they would be killed off immediately. Thorin noticed the troubled look on Neniel's features. "Do we have to enter the forest, Thorin?" asked Neniel. "Neniel, we have no other choice? Is there something you need to tell me?" asked Thorin.
"I fear for my life, Thorin if I enter that forest. They will kill me." said Neniel. Thorin scowled. "Listen to me, Neniel. Those elves will not LAY a hand on you! I will not let them, is that understood?" said Thorin, firmly. Neniel smiled, as she took Thorin's hand. "You remain close to us when we enter the forest, especially near me." said Thorin. Neniel nodded. It was decided that day, the Company will depart from Beorn's home. Gandalf also informed them he would be taking temporary leave for the Company as well.
Neniel didn't like the sound of the wizard having to leave, but she knew he had other business to attend to. "A wizard's job is never done, Miss Neniel." said Gandalf as they ridden that day. Neniel smiled. "And so is a dark elf's!" Neniel smiled back. Hours later, they stopped to make camp just outside of the Forest entrance. "We will enter the forest by sunrise." Thorin announced to the Company. After setting up camp, Thorin had made sure that Neniel remained close by.
"I'm going to be taking first watch tonight, Neniel. So stay where you're at." said Thorin. Neniel nodded, as she climbed into bedroll preparing to sleep. As the night progressed, a voice startled Neniel, and it woke her up. "Neniel, come! You must seen this, this is amazing!" the voice said. Neniel thought it was Thorin that was speaking to her. Wait a minute! Isn't Thorin supposed to be taking first watch? Neniel thought to herself and she laid back down in her bedroll, dismissing the voice. A few minutes later, the voice spoke up again. "Come on, love! This is a once in a life time thing, you must see this!" the voice continued. Neniel stood up and scanned around the area. She noticed the entire company and Bilbo are sleeping, and Thorin was at his post taking watch. Neniel felt something was a bit off, and she decided to follow the voice.
"I'm in the forest, love. Come into the forest, that's where you'll find your surprise!" the voice began to speak again. Neniel began feeling frustrated. She knew, deep down inside something was not right about the situation, as she entered the forest. As Neniel walked further into the forest, she could see a glowing figure ahead of her, and it formed into Thorin! Instead of wearing his blue silk tunic and chain mail, he was wearing gold armor, and his beard was much, much longer.
What in blazes is going on here? Why is Thorin dressed like that? Isn't he supposed to be taking watch? Neniel thought to herself. "My love, you have found it!" purred the glowing Thorin as he approached her. "You are not Thorin, go away!" hissed Neniel.
"I wouldn't speak to your King that way, woman! I am Thorin, and no one can say otherwise!" the glowing figure spoke in anger. "Get away from me! I told you, you're not Thorin!" Neniel screamed, as she quickly withdrawn her sword. Suddenly to her shock and horror, the glowing figure's eyes turned red. "You are right, I AM NOT THORIN!" the glowing figured yelled in a deep, ominous voice. Suddenly, Neniel swung her sword at the figure, and it disappeared. Suddenly a black shadow appeared. "You are mine, Neniel!" shouted the dark figure. Neniel screamed as she bolted further into the forest, with the dark shadow chasing after her.
But the dark shadow stopped as the chase went further, knowing it was on the territory of the Wood Elves, and the black shadow disappeared with a loud shriek. Neniel covered her ears at the loud sound, which soon left as soon as it started. As Neniel tried to go back to camp, she realized that she is now lost, and couldn't find her way back to the camp. Shit! I'm effing lost! Neniel thought angrily as she walked further into the forest.
Later, she stopped for a rest, because the atmosphere of the forest was making her feel tired and groggy, and she soon dozed off.
Thorin's POV:
When my watch ended, I returned to the camp and noticed Neniel not in her spot. I panicked as I woken up the Company. "What's going on, laddie?" asked Balin. "It's Neniel! She's missing!" I exclaimed. "Maybe she went potty." said Bofur. "This is no time for jokes, Bofur! If she had went to relieve herself, she would have been back by NOW!" I snapped at the dwarf. I decided to send the Company in pairs to go find Neniel. "Dwalin, Gandalf, Bilbo and myself will search that part of the area. Balin, Fili, Kili! Search the beginning of the forest." I instructed them.
Everyone nodded, as we split up into groups as we searched for Neniel. An hour later, we met up at the camp, and there were reports of no sign of Neniel, much to my worry and frustration, and I decided to call off the search. "We have no time to search for her. We must continued our quest." I said, icily. "You don't mean that you're going to leave Neniel wandering the forest alone are you?!" snapped Balin. "Balin, time is running short! We have no time to look for her! Neniel can handle herself! Don't worry, we may meet up with her, we may not!" I argued.
"Well if she ends up getting hurt or worse, its going to end up on your conscious, my friend!" snapped Balin, as he walked away from me.
Mirkwood
Woodland Realm
Two guards bought forth the slumbering dark elf, presenting her to the Elf King. Thranduil scowled. "What is a dark elf doing in my forest?!" demanded the Elf King, angrily. "We don't know, your Majesty. We found her sleeping in the forest, and stealing some of the food." said the first guard. "Take her to the guest room, until I decide on her fate." Thranduil ordered the guards, and then he called out to the Elf Captain Tauriel. "You make sure this woman is fed. I don't want her to starve before I put her to death." said Thranduil. The red haired elf nodded.
An hour later, Neniel woke up finding herself in a large bed, inside a large room. "Where am I?" Neniel asked, as she looked around the room. Suddenly, she saw a red haired elf standing in front of her, Neniel gasped, as tears ran down her face, and there were also tears in the red haired elf's eyes as well. "TAURIEL!" cried out Neniel's eyes widened in shock. "My dearest step sister-!" gasped Tauriel, and the two of them embraced. "I-I thought you were dead! I thought Azog killed you!" stammered Neniel.
"I managed to escape. What are you doing here? You know this place isn't safe, and you know how the King feels about dark elves." said Tauriel. "I don't know how I got here Tauriel. All I remember I was with my Company, and I heard this voice calling for me, and asked me to enter the forest, and I did, and suddenly I saw this black shadow chasing me into the forest." Neniel explained. Tauriel looked at Neniel with great concern. "Neniel, that was the Necromancer chasing you." said Tauriel, darkly.
"He didn't go any further as I ran further into the forest, knowing he was in the territory of the elves." Neniel continued. "Neniel, you cannot stay here. Its dangerous for-!" began Tauriel, when there was a knock on the door, and then a blonde male elf entered. It was Thranduil's son, Legolas. "Tauriel, we are needed in the forest. A Company of dwarves have been spotted, as well as spiders. Father wishes us to bring forth the Company of Dwarves." said Legolas. "THORIN!" Neniel exclaimed softly. Legolas turned his attention to Neniel, whom had given her a hard glare.
"You know these people, dark Elf?!" demanded the Elf Prince, darkly. "Yes, please don't hurt them!" said Neniel.
"You, dark elf, stay put! Once we capture the Company, I will come and get you to join them!" snapped Legolas and he turned away, followed by Tauriel, who looked upon her step sister sadly, and she left. Three hours later, Legolas returned and he took Neniel down to the Throne Room where the others are gathered with many guards surrounding them. "THORIN!" Neniel cried out. "NENIEL!" Thorin exclaimed, as Legolas brought Neniel forth.
"So, a dark elf in league with the dwarves? Why doesn't that surprise me?" snarled Thranduil. "You leave her alone!" Thorin bellowed to the Elf King. "Its bad enough I despise the people whom are a disgrace of our kind. Do your recall my final words to your father, on your last visit here, Neniel?" asked Thranduil coldly. "Yes, I vaguely remember. And I don't want to remember." said Neniel, icily. "I told you father, whom is now dead the next time any of you appear in my words, the penalty would be death, am I correct?" said Thranduil. "Yes." said Neniel icily.
"I swear you lay your hands on her, I'll!" bellowed Thorin, as he tried to lunge at the Elf King, but several guards held her back. Then the Elf King turned to Thorin, and began asking questions to the dwarf, regarding their quest.
"Thorin, make a deal with him and lets get this done and over with." hissed Balin. "I refuse to make a deal with those who done us wrong, to those who betrayed us! To those who never came to our aid, while we're out there suffering from the dragon's wrath!" barked Thorin. It wasn't long when Thranduil demanded to the guards to take Thorin and his companions to the dungeons. "What of the dark elf, father?" asked Legolas. "She dies tonight." demanded Thranduil. "NO! I won't let you do it!" shouted Tauriel, as she stepped forward.
"You are defending this dark elf, Tauriel?!" snapped Thranduil. "She is my step sister, Your Majesty, she is not a terrible person!" said Tauriel. "Just lock me up in the dungeons with the dwarves! My place is with them! My loyalty is with the dwarves!" snapped Neniel. "Well if that is what the dark elf wishes, so be it. Tauriel, take her to the dungeons." Thranduil demanded. Tauriel closed her eyes and sighed, and she took Neniel, as they walked towards the dungeons. "Thank you, Tauriel. That was a close one." said Neniel, as they reached the dungeons.
"I'm not going to stand there and allow him to kill you, King or not. You have done no wrong, sister. You have a lot going in your life right now, you do not deserve death." said Tauriel, and both elves hugged.
Afterwards, Tauriel placed Neniel in a cell with Thorin. And Tauriel left. "Neniel, am I missing something here? You spoken to the Elf Captain as if you know her." said Thorin. "Please don't be angry with me, Thorin. Tauriel is my step sister. She just saved me from being killed by Thranduil's hand." said Neniel. "She did that?" gasped Thorin. Neniel smiled and nodded. "She's really your sister?!" exclaimed Kili cheerfully. "Yes, if you must know!" Neniel called back. "Hot damn!" said Kili softly. Neniel rolled her eyes.