After the strange light was gone and Thalia could see once again she gasped. She was in a field, just outside of a tree line. She knew those woods… Mirkwood. She walked closer to the forest and up to the entrance, lightly touching it with her hand. She could feel the roughness of the horns once again making her smile. It was like she was five years old again. But she wasn't, she was twenty-three and she was wearing her sleeping shorts and a t-shirt. "I must have passed out again." The logical person in her said. She nodded. She was dreaming. "I guess since I am dreaming it wouldn't hurt for me to go in now would it?" She asked herself and stepped through the ark and into the woods. Her bare feet stepped lightly over fallen twigs, leaves and rocks as she made her way into the heart of the forest. She hummed quietly to herself and looked around the dark area. She stopped on her tracks when she spotted a group of elves dressed in battle gear. One of them looked back to her with wide eyes. He said something in elvish but Thalia didn't quite catch it until two other elves snuck up behind her and took hold of her arms. That was when she realized he had commanded them to arrest her. "Great. This is just turning into a nightmare." She said under her breath as the other elves looked at her with both disgust and curiosity.
"What do we do with her?" One of the male elves asked their leader.
"Take her back to the kingdom. I imagine Thranduil will want to speak to her." He said making her stand up a little straighter.
"Yes, Thranduil! I need to speak with your king as soon as possible." She said urgently but the elves ignored her and pulled her along with them. When they arrived at the grand gates of Mirkwood Thalia could hardly hold back a smile. She was fascinated with how much of Mirkwood she remembered. How on earth she had dreamt up this much detail she would never know. Everything was so perfect. The elves were leading her to the lower levels of the kingdom where the dungeon was found. "I thought you were taking me to see Thranduil?" She asked as one of the elves shoved her into an empty cell.
"It is King Thranduil. And he is busy at the moment they will come for you when he is ready." The elf said making Thalia frown.
"Mítho orch!" She spat getting a shocked expression from the guard just before he stomped off. Thalia sighed and sat down on the hard, stone floor in silence. It was cold and she was starting to get aggravated. She could wake up any time and be perfectly content. Instead the hours drug on and on until the dungeon was dark and night was upon Mirkwood. Thalia felt exhausted which was strange to feel while you were dreaming. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the rock wall behind her not knowing she would actually fall to sleep.
Thalia's body ached as she started to regain consciousness. Thinking she was back at home and it was morning, she opened her eyes and looked around groggily. To her surprise she had noticed her room had taken on a new look. Three of the walls were made of stone and the other one was iron bars. "You have got to be kidding me." She said while standing and walking up to the bars. She looked out to see the other stone cells of the dungeon of Mirkwood and gasped. She wasn't dreaming… this was all very real. "Impossible." She said under her breath and jumped when someone stepped in front of her cell.
"The King is ready to see you. Put this on." The lady elf passed clothing to Thalia through the bars. She nodded and took a few steps back from the door. She them pulled off her t shirt and pulled the fine elven fabric over her body. It was a beautiful silver dress that was almost too short for her. "Come, you mustn't keep him waiting." Again Thalia nodded and walked towards the now opened door. The elf led her along the narrow paths and towards an area Thalia recognized. The throne room.
"It will be simple, all I have to do is get him to look at me then he'll know who I am." Thalia thought to herself but mentally kicked herself when she saw that Thranduil was standing below his throne with his back to her. "Leave us." He ordered the elf. Once they were alone he continued. "What were you doing trespassing in my woods?" He questioned without even taking a glance in her direction.
Thalia sighed. "Well, you see… I wasn't really trespassing."
"I was never told an elf would be visiting Mirkwood… therefore it is trespassing." His deep voice was calm making Thalia all the more irritated.
"Thranduil…" She began but her cut her off with a quick glare and a hiss.
"How dare you address your king as such!" He looked away even though he hadn't really looked at her in the first place.
Thalia's body trembled but she took a deep breath and steadied herself. "That is because I never addressed you as such, Mellon nîn ." She whispered the last word but knew he had heard it. She watched his shoulders drop and his head turn slightly towards her in recognition. "Nae saian luume', Thranduil."
"It is impossible." She heard him whisper just before he looked at her, taking in her beauty. "Thalia?" His thick brows furrowed and his glowing blue eyes were wide and brimming with tears.
Thalia's vision blurred slightly from her own tears. She smiled at him. "It's really me, Thranduil. I am back… I am home." Before she knew it, he had closed the space between them and she was enveloped in a strong hug. The top of her head came just below his chin, making her realize just how much she had actually grown.
"You have changed, pen tithen." He said once he had taken a step back from her.
She grinned. "You haven't. You still look the same." She paused and smiled mischievously. "Your attitude could use some work though." He smirked and looked her over once more making a light blush rise to her cheeks. Yes he was an elf and it was normal for them to be beautiful but she had forgotten just how handsome he actually was. His hair, a tad more golden than hers, was straight and neat. He was adorned with one of his many beautiful crowns and his clothes were the color of charcoal, just shiny. His face looked exactly the same, which was no surprised. In Middle Earth elves did not age after they reached maturity. His eyes were as bright as ever and above them were is thick, dark brows. Thalia's eyes traveled to his lips. She had kissed those lips in a dream. They were thin but beautiful nonetheless. She cleared her throat and looked back to his eyes.
Little did she know he had been analyzing her in the same way. She was breathtaking. Thalia had grown into a beautiful elf just like he knew she would. Her pale hair flowed in neat, natural curls halfway down her back. Her face had taken on more mature features. Her eyes were the same lavender color and her nose was like a button. Her lips were full and soft looking. They were lips that Thranduil wanted on his own. He looked back to her eyes when she cleared her throat. "Legolas is out on a hunt. I will make sure that you get to see him when he returns, if there is time." The hope in his voice made Thalia smile.
"I believe we have all the time in the world, Thranduil." He looked confused so she told him the story of her wishing to come back here. She told him of the white light and how she found herself just outside of Mirkwood when she opened her eyes. His eyes widened in shock. "What is it?" She asked but he only shook his head.
"I only remember something from many years ago." He said recalling what Gandalf had told him about her staying when she wanted to give up her life on Earth. He grinned and looked down at her. "Come, I am sure you are hungry. And I am quite interested in what has happened to you in the last ten years." She smiled and followed him to the great dining hall. An assortment of fruits and vegetables had been placed on the table making her stomach growl. "I hope you are not as much of a meat eater as you were when you were a child."
Thalia shook her head. "I gave up meat a long time ago. I do have fish on a rare occasion though." She said while taking a seat. Thranduil sat across from her. The moment he sat down a servant came with a glass bottle in her hands. She poured the purple liquid into Thranduil's goblet then looked to Thalia asking if she wanted some. Thalia held up her empty goblet getting a surprised look from Thranduil. She smiled at him and took a sip of the rich wine. She remembered how Thranduil had always had at least one glass with every meal when she was younger. The wine was strong but sweet like fresh berries. "Now I know why you always drank this, it is delicious." He grinned. She knew that elvish wine was much stronger than and other alcohol out there so she made sure only to take a few sips before switching to water.
Thranduil watched as she picked at the large salad on her plate. She still ate the proper way, just like he had taught her. "What happened to you, Thalia?" He asked making her look at him with those purple eyes of hers.
She took a breath. "When I was younger I would visit this thing called a therapist. They are like mental doctors. You talk to them and they try to figure out what is wrong with you."
"What a strange practice." Thranduil's velvet voice spoke.
Thalia smirked. "Tell me about it." She paused as she took another bit of her salad. "Well when I returned home after that day you gave me the new bow… my last day here…" She could see the flash of pain in Thranduil's eyes. "I had to get up and go visit this doctor. At the end of my appointment he gave me medicine, telling me that they wouldn't affect what happened to me at night but they would help with something else. Well… he lied."
"Why did you not stop taking this medicine?" He questioned before taking another sip of his wine.
"I did!" She exclaimed. "When I woke up and realized that I was still home I was furious! So I stopped taking the medicine thinking that I would be able to return but I didn't."
"Not once?" He asked and she began to shake her head but stopped.
"Well the night before I was sent back here I did… but that was just a dream." She said while looking down at her plate.
"How do you know?" She heard Thranduil asked making a blush creep across her chest and to her cheeks.
"Just trust me, Thranduil." She met his gaze. "It was a dream." They were both silent as Thalia ate more of her food. "It was horrible, not being able to come here anymore…" Her voice was quiet. Her eyes met Thranduil's. "I tried for years to get back but realized it was impossible. So instead I made myself start to forget everything." Her eyes brimmed with tears yet again. "I started to forget some of the Elvish language I had learned. I forgot the sounds of the music that rang through the halls on celebration nights. I forgot names of places and people. I was starting to forget about you." She could see that her words hurt him. "For the life of me, I couldn't picture your face! I couldn't hear your velvet voice or laugh! I tried to remember but it was all a blur!" Her tears fell freely now.
Thranduil's heart hurt for her. He silently got up from his chair, walked around the table, and knelt down beside her chair. He wanted nothing more than to wipe away her tears, to put his hand under her chin so she would look at him but he didn't. "Do not weep, Miluis." This time he did wipe her tears away and she looked at him. "Do not grieve over the past, Thalia. You are here now… that is all that matters." He stood straight. "Now, I have several hours until the council meets… how do you wish to spend the time?"
She grinned and wiped her eyes once more. "Do you still have my bow?" He smiled and nodded. "Can we…" She didn't have to finish the question. Thranduil held his hand out to her and she took it then stood. He then put her arm through his and they walked side by side towards the practice arena.
As they walked some memories of the times she had spent there started to come back. As they walked into the archery range Thalia started to remember when she got her first bow. It had taken many months of begging until Thranduil finally caved. On her sixth birthday he presented her with a bow made especially for her. Thranduil disappeared from her side for only a moment to retrieve her bow. She watched as he picked it up from the last place she had set it. He walked over to her and placed it in her hands. "Thank you." She whispered without looking at him. She faced one of the closes targets which was still many feet away from her. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and put it on the string then took a deep breath as she pulled it back. She released the bowstring, sending the arrow flying past her target and into the straw behind it. She hissed and grabbed another arrow, not daring to look at Thranduil. She shot once more, again missing her target. She heard Thranduil snicker behind her making her growl. She glared back at him. "Be nice! I haven't picked up a bow in ten years!"
The smirk was still on his face as he casually strolled over to her. "May I?" He asked while holding out his hand. She looked up at him and sighed as she pressed the bow into his open palm.
"I've never seen you shoot a bow, Thranduil. You always chose a sword when practicing." She watched as he grabbed and arrow put it on the string and pulled back. He shot without hesitation. Thalia let out a puff of air when she say his arrow was in the center of the target. He looked at her with a proud grin and held the bow out to her. She snatched it up and looked up at him. "So what? You're like two-thousand years old!" She grabbed another arrow and started to get it ready but her confidence was dimming, making her hesitant. She suddenly felt a pair of strong hands on her shoulders.
"You are thinking too much, pen tithen." She could feel his warm breath on her cheek making a shiver run down her spine. "Pull the string back." He directed and she did. His hands and his body moved with hers. "Breathe." He said with a small laugh. She inhaled. "Now let go." Her body did as he commanded and to her surprise her arrow hit just outside of the center.
Her eyes widened and a large smile spread across her face making Thranduil chuckle. She whipped around so she was now facing him. "Did you see that! It was so close!" She squealed with delight. "Thank you, Thranduil!" She said before standing on her tiptoes and pressing her lips to his cheek. He watched then as she turned back, grabbed another arrow and shoot at her target, hitting near the center yet again. She looked back to him for a second making him smile.
This went on for a little more than an hour but would have lasted longer it Thalia's arms hadn't started hurting. They had decided to take a walk through the gardens next. They walked side by side in silence while Thalia pondered on what questions she could ask. "I have so many questions, Thranduil… I do not know what to ask first."
He gave her a sideways glance followed by a grin. "We have plenty of time, Thalia. Ask what you wish." He told her while directing her to a stone bench beside the path.
They both sat and Thalia let her hands fall into her lap. She looked up at him, once again taking in his beauty. "Why do I age quicker than elves are supposed to? Ten years have passed and you look the same. Hell, you have looked the same for more than a thousand years! Why did I age quickly?"
He nodded but did not have to think of an answer. "Gandalf told me that as long as you remained in your world you would age the same way they did. Now that you have chosen to call Middle Earth your home, you will be immortal… like me and all the other elves."
Thalia looked up at him and nodded then was quiet as she thought of her next question. "So I'll look like this forever?" He nodded making her smile. "Do you know why I came here in my sleep?" Thranduil shook his head and again there was silence. "Gandalf once told me that you were friends with my father… is that true?"
His eyes landed on hers. "Yes. Your father, Almer, was always there when I needed him. I fought many battles with him at my side. He was a good elf."
He watched as she smiled a little but realized there was sadness in her eyes. "Did you know my mother as well?" Another nod. "What was she like?"
Thranduil let out a soft sigh and looked out to the gardens while trying to picture Thalia's mother, Lodiel. "You look just like her. I thought you didn't when you were a child but that was because of your hair." He glanced at her. "You're mother had the darkest colored hair I have ever seen on an elf. And her eyes of course were different as well. You are the only elf I know of that has eyed the color of fresh lavender." Thalia smiled at him and he continued. "But you are beautiful just as she was."
She noticed how his lips turned up into the smallest of smiles. "What do you think would have happened if my father hadn't sent me to Earth?"
"You would still be a child." He said making her laugh.
"Right… I forgot." She paused. "What if I was the age I am now? If he would have kept me what do you think would have happened?" He smiled at her question. "I would have claimed you as my own." Thranduil thought but did not say it out loud. "Do you think we still would have become friends?" He heard Thalia ask.
"Perhaps." Was all he said. He could feel her eyes on him but did not look her way.
Thalia was about to ask another question but was interrupted by a guard. "The prince has returned, my king."
"Tell him to join us here. Do not tell him she is here yet." Thalia was smiling because he was smiling. The guard nodded and walked away. They both stood and Thalia placed herself right behind Thranduil. She placed her hands on his back to steady herself making him look back at her. "What are you…"
"Shhh! I wanna surprise him!" She whispered making him chuckle.
Thalia's ears twitched as she started hearing someone coming their way. "Legolas, good to see you have returned." Thranduil greeted his son. He felt Thalia's hands on his back but kept his face plain. "I trust it went well?"
"Yes." Legolas paused and looked at his father as if confused. "You seem to be in good spirits today, Ada."
"With good reason." Thranduil said with a smile. "We have had an unexpected visit from an old friend today."
"An old friend?" The young elf questioned. "Gandalf?" Thalia snickered from behind Thranduil making him have to hold back a laugh as well.
"No, our friend is a she." Legolas' brow furrowed and Thalia finally stepped out from behind Thranduil.
"Hi, Legolas." She said with a small wave.
He looked at her as if he was seeing something impossible. "Thalia?" He asked and she nodded. She then walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. He was much taller than the last time she had seen him. If he was human he would have looked to be about eighteen years old but he looked like a man. "How is this possible?" He asked while looking at her then to his father.
"We don't really know." Thalia answered before Thranduil could. "I woke up outside of the woods yesterday and have been here since." She answered then looked to Thranduil. "I am staying here… for good."
"This is great, Thalia!" She heard Legolas say, making her smile. "Ada, we must have a celebration!"
They both looked to Thranduil who nodded. "And we shall. Now if you excuse me, I have some business to attend to. In the meantime why don't you two catch up?"
He gave them a nod and started walking out of the gardens but Thalia reached out and grabbed his hand as he passed her. "I still have more questions." She told him making him smile.
He nodded. "And we have all the time in the world for them to be answered." He pulled her hand to his mouth and placed a quick kiss on top of it. "Stay out of trouble." It was almost a plea. Thalia nodded and watched him go then turned her attention to Legolas.
Mítho orch – Go kiss an orc
Mellon nîn – my friend
Nae saian luume' – it has been too long
Pen tithen – little one
Miluis – lovely one