Family Crisis
Eryniell dreamt of mother tree. She was scared; something was hurting her mother tree. She couldn't see the assailant. Eryniell couldn't get to her Mother tree. It was as though glass was blocking her from her kin, from her family. But Little Tree would get to her, any way she could.
In the early hours of the morning Eryniell slipped away running lightly down corridor after corridor. She had neglected to change knowing she would be too late if she did not hurry. All the time she could feel her mother tree hurting and she was aching more and more too. It was already too long before she found her way out of her new home, even with the trees help. Now she was truly home it was easier to find her way to mother tree.
Mother tree stood close to the outskirts of the forest. When Eryniell reached her she was mortified at what she had found. A great evil surrounded her family here. It crept down their branches and into their souls. It seeped into their leaves turning them black. First one spot would appear, then another. No skeleton would take their place, it would be an eternal blackness. The air pained Eryniell from deep inside. It made her feel sick, to want to lash out in despair. An anger grew in the pit of her stomach. It would kill them all, but not yet.
Amdirthorn raced through the palace shouting out for Eryniell. Suddenly she ran into Camaenor, the guard who had helped Eryniell in the forest that first day. She stumbled back before apologizing swiftly and side-stepping him. He stopped her.
"Amdirthorn, what is wrong."
"Oh Camaenor, it's Eryniell. I can't find her anywhere. I'm so worried for her, I've been looking since I woke this morning."
Camaenor stilled momentarily. "We must find her, I'll ask around where you cannot and if necessary I'll gather some guards to go into Mirkwood."
After many hours Camaenor kept his word and left with his friends by his side.
Little Tree hugged her mother tree in the hope she could help her and in turn gain some comfort. Eryniells heart bled for her family. If only she could fight for them. Every one of them. These trees had brought her up, she couldn't just let them fade away. Each tear that wet mother tree dissolved into loving care. As each tear fell some darkness left. Eryniells tears fell over her pure skin until she slept too sad and tired to dream.
"Captain I see her!"
Camaenor turned in his furious excitement. He just hoped she was alright, she was like a daughter to him. She was lying curled up in the branches of one of the trees. Now that Camaenor had Eryniell in his arms he began to notice the strange darkness which had come about. They should leave this place as soon as possible.
Days turned into months and months to years. Ever since Eryniell had run to Mother tree she had not spoken, not even in tree language. Her eyes had grown dark. She barely slept and ate in her room. The healers feared she would waste away. Most of the time not even Legolas could gain a smile. She was still a child. A child who resisted care, resisted love. She cared for nothing anymore. Almost all of her true family had retired into the darkness which enveloped them. Eryniell could feel it and it was drawing her in too. Everyone hoped perhaps one day she would come back to them.
A young elf walked through the forest of Mirkwood. A chill ran up his spine. On several occasions he found himself walking in circles and asked one of the nicer trees for directions. He walked to one saying "How far is it to Elva?" The tree answered back in the same ancient tongue and said "It is twenty trills south and fourty trills west." The young man had walked alone for many years with no one to guide him, hence the words trills and Elva, but the trees knew what he meant. He had heard of a city down this way, a city of elves. He called any city concerning elves Elva but no one quite knew where trills had come from. The trees called him Silva but he never gave his name if he could help it.
Something stirred Eryniell, there was someone new to her family. Someone who could help her. Someone who didn't belong to these woods.