Again, if you haven't read I Keep Looking for Something More, this may be a little confusing. Anyway, notes at the end! Enjoy!
Thranduil sat at his desk, pouring over reports coming in from the corners of his realm. Rubbing his forehead, he sighed, trying to think of what he was going to do. The darkness had been growing in Mirkwood, threatening the fringes of his kingdom, forcing his people to relocate closer and closer to his hall. He had just received another report about his subjects being attacked by spiders to the south. There were not enough elves to deal with the growing crisis.
"Any luck?"
"Nothing so far. I just don't know what to do, apart from moving everyone into the caves." Thranduil sat back, allowing his wife to sit on his lap and wrap her arms around his neck. "You don't have any ideas, do you?"
"I'm sorry, my love. Have you asked Legolas for help?"
"He is off with the Guard somewhere," Thranduil replied, waving his hand dismissively, bending over to shift through the papers on his desk. "Maybe when he gets back he can offer some further insight, but until then, I am stumped."
"You'll think of something," Ellissiel said, kissing her husband's ear supportively. Thranduil leaned back again, looking up at his wife.
"I do hope so. And soon. But to what do I owe the pleasure of your company this afternoon?"
Ellissiel was silent for a moment, looking down at her lap in thought. Thranduil waited patiently for her to continue.
"I was talking to my mother and Quessiel this morning," she said seriously, meeting Thranduil's gaze steadily. "They want me to take the ship with them."
Thranduil was silent, staring at his wife. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Lissi, I know it hasn't been easy for you, with the darkness growing, but are you really thinking about going into the West?"
"The nightmares are getting worse, Thranduil. Surely you've noticed. I have barely slept in the last month. I can't keep doing this, especially if the darkness continues getting closer."
"Could you wait at least a few more months, to see if we find a solution? Mithrandir has sent me a letter saying he will arrive next month. Perhaps the wizard will help."
"My family leaves in three weeks. If there hasn't been a change for the better by then, I am going to have to leave, Thranduil. I cannot wait for another ship to be built if the darkness keeps pressing on my mind. You know I don't want to leave you and Legolas, but I can feel myself getting weaker every day."
"I wish I could do something for you, melamin. It will break my heart if you leave."
"I know, and I wish you both could come with me. But I know you won't leave Mirkwood in crisis. And I love you for that."
"Does Legolas know you've been thinking about this?"
"No, not yet. I only made my decision this morning."
"He should be back in the next few days, then we can talk about this together."
"So you really haven't seen her in over a thousand years?!" Breigel asked, awestruck as she sat on Thranduil's lap, listening to his story.
"Really. I never meant to stay in Middle Earth as long as I did. But now I get to see your grandmother again. And just wait until she sees you. She will absolutely adore you," he said, smiling as he kissed his granddaughter's head.
"I'm going to go ask ada about her. Thank you for the story, Grandpapa."
"Of course, my dear." Thranduil smiled as he watched his granddaughter dash away, the rocking ship barely affecting her as she made directly for her father who was standing at the bow, talking with his father-in-law and Elrond's sons, Elladan and Elohir. As Legolas picked up the little blonde elleth, Thranduil turned away, looking out at the frothing sea. It wouldn't be long before they reached Aman, and he could find Ellissiel again.
The ships reached the shores of the Undying Lands late in the afternoon. There was a great deal of commotion as the elves began disembarking, stopping to talk with the elves working on the dock or just looking up at the white marble buildings around them.
Thranduil was helping unload belongs when he paused abruptly.
"Thranduil?" his daughter-in-law asked, concern on her face. "Are you alright?" Thranduil didn't respond. He looked around at the closest building, his eyes resting on an archway that lead onto a balcony.
Moments later, he saw what he was looking for. The biggest smile Tinwe had ever seen crossed his face, and he immediately took off, dodging elves and crates as he ran up the stairs towards the balcony. Tinwe watched as the King took the stairs three at a time, an elleth with strawberry blonde hair running across the balcony towards him. She leapt into Thranduil's arms, laughing as he spun her around quickly before putting her down and kissing her passionately.
"Legolas," Tinwe said, turning towards her husband with a smile. Legolas looked up at her from where he stood, helping the dwarf Gimli down the stairs. She nodded towards the pair of elves on the balcony, and Legolas stood up, smiling. "I'll help Gimli," Tinwe said, coming towards him and supporting the dwarf. "Go." Legolas started towards the stairs, but he was beaten there by Breigel.
"I have waited so long to have you in my arms again, Lissi," Thranduil said, holding his wife close. "I am so sorry for making you wait this long."
"You are with me now, that is all that matters," Ellissiel said, smiling up at him through happy tears. Before she could say anything else, she felt a tug on her skirt. Looking down, she saw a small blonde elfling looking up at her with emerald green eyes.
"Well hello there," she said with a smile, wiping away her tears. "And who might you be?"
"I'm Breigel," the little elleth said happily. "And you're my grandmother."
"Is that so?" Ellissiel said, her smile growing as she bent down to look Breigel in the eye. "Aren't you a charming little elleth?"
"Naneth." Ellissiel looked up, grinning broadly as her eyes fell on her only son. She stood up and proceeded to hug Legolas tightly, kissing his cheek happily.
"Just as handsome as I remember. I have already met my granddaughter, but where is my daughter-in-law? I must admit, I had doubts I would ever have grandchildren. It must have taken someone very special to rein you in, my dear."
"I think you'll find I did most of the reining, naneth," Legolas said with a smile. He turned to look down at the docks, where Tinwe was still helping Gimli. "She appears preoccupied at the moment."
"I shall have to go interrupt for a minute then," Ellissiel said, taking Legolas's arm and starting down the stairs, Thranduil and Breigel following. Before they reached Tinwe, Ellissiel was set upon by Raina.
"Lissi! Oh how I've missed you!" Raina said, giving her friend a tight hug.
"Raina, and Balamaethor! How have you both been? And where is young Faelon?"
"I still can't keep track of him," Raina said with a sigh. "Or his brother. Oh, there is Erynion," she said, pointing at the elf as he walked down the gangway, carrying a small chest. "Erynion, come here for a moment." The elf looked up at his mother's voice, before putting down the chest and trotting up to her.
"Yes, naneth?" he said, coming up beside her.
"Erynion, this is Queen Ellissiel. Now you can put a face to all the stories we've told you."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, your majesty," Erynion said, bowing politely. "I have heard a great deal about you."
"That frightens me a little," Ellissiel said with a laugh. "Raina knows a little too much about me, I think. It is wonderful to meet you, Erynion, but I am anxious to meet my daughter-in-law."
"You will love her, Lissi," Raina said merrily. "Once you hear her stories, you will be proud to have her in your family."
"Well don't make me wait any longer then," Ellissiel said, pulling Legolas forward. "Introduce us."
"Tinwe," he called as the two of them walked towards the ship. The brown haired elleth looked up, saying a quick word to Gimli before walking towards her husband and his mother. "Tinwe, I would like you to meet my mother. Naneth, this is Tinwe, my wife."
"It is an honor, Queen Ellissiel, to finally meet you," Tinwe said with a smile. Ellissiel let go of Legolas and promptly pulled Tinwe into a hug.
"There is no need for such formalities, my dear! Please, call me Lissi, or at least Ellissiel. I'll have none of that Queen business here."
"Very well. It is a pleasure to meet you, Ellissiel."
"Better," Ellissiel said with a laugh. "Now I have been gone a long time, but your name sounds familiar to me. Where do I know you from?"
"We met many years ago when I was a young child," Tinwe replied. "But you probably don't remember that. You probably recognize my name from all the tales of my wild adventures around Middle Earth."
"Oh no, I remember you now. You are Rissa's daughter, aren't you?"
"Yes I am," Tinwe said, surprised the queen remembered this. She glanced down briefly as Breigel took her hand. "You have quite the memory."
"It is a gift," Ellissiel said. "Now what is this about adventures? Legolas said he was the one who reined you in, so now I'm intrigued."
"It is a very long story," Tinwe said with a laugh. "But I would be happy to sit down and tell it to you some time."
"I would like that very much," Ellissiel said, smiling as Thranduil came up and took her free arm. Everything was as it should be. Ellissiel stood between the two elves she loved most, her husband and her son, and facing her was her daughter-in-law, who was holding her granddaughter's hand. Her family was whole once more.
So it is over. I hope you enjoyed this story. Whether you did or not, I would appreciate your reviews. It will be a while before I start posting the final story in my trilogy, the sequel to I Keep Looking for Something More. It will be about Breigel growing up in Valinor. I've written the first couple chapters and the ideas are all floating around in my head, but I want to finish up my other two stories first.
I was also thinking about starting another Thranduil story, since there are so few of them. The problem is, the idea I came up with is a bit Mary-Sue-ish, and I generally hate Mary Sues. But I would be using ideas from Norse mythology, which was the source material for Tolkien's elves. Thoughts? Send me a message or indicate in a review if this sounds appealing, and I may try and get started on that one as well.