Chapter 18
The Game Continues
"Thranduil, where are we going?" Erynlith whined as she rubbed her sleepy eyes.
He didn't look back. "You said you wanted to explore the forest. Now, we are exploring, so enough of the complaining and whining. Just follow me." He moved some of the thick bushes out of his way and continued. Behind him, a sleepy minstrel followed, too grumpy to even smile.
It was barely dawn; even the Sun was not entirely up yet. For some reason, Thranduil shook her from her pleasant reverie and demanded that they go outside. She complied, and the prince tossed her a cloak and dragged her out of the palace. They had already passed the Elven-guard's outpost; Raithon and his guards greeted them as they passed through. Thranduil was in his usual green and brown hunter's garb, dark trousers and boots, and his silver brooch was ever present. He looked more like one of the elf guards than a prince. And Erynlith wore no different; the prince had given her the same kind of clothing, only dark blue, and a grey cloak to keep her from shivering in such a cold morning.
"Are we there yet?" She whined again. The first rays of the Sun finally showed, and it made her feel good. She rubbed her eyes yet again, and suppressed a yawn. Thranduil had warned her earlier not to yawn so uncouthly.
"First, we have to hunt for breakfast," he replied, still not looking back to her.
"Breakfast?" she repeated, not convinced for a second. "You do know that we can have breakfast in the palace, right? Why did we have to go all the way here? The explorations can wait until later. You could have joined me for breakfast, tra-la-lay..."
Thranduil chuckled and glanced back at her. "A prince does not get invited for breakfast in his own palace. It is sweet for you to invite me, though."
She rolled her eyes. There it was again, the usual narcissistic Thranduil. "Great. So why should I come with you? I promised a counselor last night that I'd accompany him. He will look for me, tra-lo."
"I don't care," he answered. "You should humor someone with authority first than all others."
"Give me a break, will you?" She wanted to leave this prince in his egotistical fantasies already. "It is too early for you to be bragging about yourself. Save it for later this afternoon, okay?"
He laughed. "Alright, I will, for your sake."
They arrived at a river bank, a few meters away from the palace. The waters of Anduin were running wildly, and the late autumn air breezed. Thranduil dropped on the ground and placed his bow and sword beside him. He looked up to his companion expectantly.
"Breakfast," was all he said.
Erynlith did not understand. "… What?"
"You said you wanted to have breakfast," he said nonchalantly, already feeling comfortable in his sitting position. He faced the river and leaned his back against a tree trunk. "Go get us some breakfast."
She looked at him incredulously. He dragged her all the way out there just to order her to get them breakfast? And as she glared at him, Thranduil smirked, and his eyes were glinting in mischief. She knew he was doing on it purpose, whether for his entertainment or what, she could not guess anymore. She did not want to please him, she never did. She crossed her arms and sat beside him, still glaring. Thranduil looked disappointed of her stubbornness, but he kept grinning at her.
"Any time now…" he drawled impatiently. "You wouldn't want to keep your prince waiting and starving, would you, little one? It would be terrible of the Prince of Greenwood the Great gets hungry for a little subject's stubbornness, hm?"
"I thought I said we save the self-centered comments later." Erynlith rolled her eyes at him.
He laughed quietly. "Really, now… If you want to stay here for quite some time, you should get used to our way of living. Greenwood is not the same with Rivendell. Everyone here knows how to hunt, even the most delicate of the maidens do. And you should be no different. Hunting for breakfast should be a breeze for you. And…" He paused to look at her. "You do know how to hunt for breakfast, I trust?"
"Um, can we go back to the part where I have to learn?"
"You are unbelievable," Thranduil breathed exasperatedly. He tossed the bow and quiver over to her. "Get us some breakfast. Now. And be fast; I really am starving." And he rubbed his abdomen for added effect.
Erynlith groaned and stood up. "Fine. You should stop ordering me around after this one, your hear me?" She went back into the forest, in search for something to eat. But it was already late autumn; were there still fruits around? She groaned again when she found none. All the fruit-bearing trees were barren and ready for winter. Her hope was almost diminished until her eyes caught glimpse of what seemed to be a thick bush, and there were berries. She beamed in delight and fetched them.
Thranduil was lost in a reverie when his companion returned. She tossed him a bag of what he figured were berries, and he quickly dug in to see what it was. He held up a small dark berry, and examined it. Then, he looked up to his friend, who was smiling broadly at him, obviously proud of her first accomplishment of the day. With a heavy sigh, he dropped the berry back into the small bag.
"Are you serious?" he said incredulously, earning a confused look from his friend. "These are Nightshade berries." Erynlith blinked at him. He sighed again. "They're poisonous."
"Oh, they are? How unfortunate for you, tra-lil-lay..."
"You're hopeless." He grunted and stood up, taking his bow and quiver from her. "Come. I'll show you how to fish because I assume you do not know this either." He and Erynlith went further down into the river bank. He drew one arrow and aimed on the shallow part of the river. "This part is easy," he began, feeling some sort of a mentor to her. "Imagine you are hunting some orcs, which should be easy. You wait, aim, and release! Ha, see?! I got one!" He proudly exclaimed and took a fish out.
Erynlith clapped her hands. "Good. We're having fish for breakfast, tra-la-la," she sang gleefully.
"And it's your turn," Thranduil said, returning the bow in her hands. "I'll start the fire, you start hunting fish. I expect you in a few minutes." He went back to his previous post and gathered some firewood.
"Fish, fish." Erynlith scoffed, notching an arrow to the bowstring. "Yeah, I can hunt a fish or two. It should be easy. I've seen Gildor had done this so easily. Fish, fish... what is the Elvish for fish, I wonder?" She paused for a while, and then, "Ah, yes, khal is for fish, tra-la-lay..."
"I didn't tell you to sing! I told you to get us some breakfast!" Thranduil called out to her.
"I am getting your precious breakfast!" She shouted back.
In the next few minutes, they were comfortably sitting in front of a small bonfire Thranduil made, eating their fish, and making no talk whatsoever. It was such a silent breakfast in a silent morning. The Sun had fully risen into the sky now, warming the whole of Greenwood. Critters sounded near them, and Erynlith got up to chase them, much to the disapproval but amusement of the elf prince. She ran around chasing squirrels, as though she was still a child, and when the critters were gone, she slumped back to her seat.
They remained quiet then; Thranduil was glad Erynlith knew when to keep quiet when needed. As his companion kept her thoughts to herself, he reached out for his back pocket and felt the two daggers that were strapped there. He felt for one cold blade, and his mind wondered of what he might do with it. Then, it hit him. Smirking to himself, he stood up unnoticed by his companion, and he waited on the edge of the river bank.
"So, little one…" he called out to her, his voice sly, and Erynlith looked up to him. He took out one of the daggers, a white-hilted one, and they both knew to whom it belonged to.
Erynlith jumped up from her seat. "That's mine," she declared. During her very first week in Greenwood, Thranduil had gotten hold of her two daggers, and he was determined not to return it to her. He had teased her about it once, but she was never able to reclaim them. He thought this was a good opportunity to spark up another little game with her, and he certainly looked forward to it.
"Oh, is it really?" He crooned and started twirling the dagger. "I have this in my possession for quite a time now. Are you not going to get it back?"
"Give that back," Erynlith said in a demanding voice, already walking towards him. She was glaring yet again, just as expected. "That is not yours to play with, and you've been keeping that for too long. Give that back!" She ran towards him in an attempt to take the dagger away, but Thranduil was taller and swifter. Evading her attempts was too easy for him.
"Either you will beg me, or you will have to disarm me," he simpered. He showed the dagger out for her to see, and he knew she was growling. When she did not move, he looked disappointed. "Come on, little one. Where is your sense of fun?"
"Give that back or I'll… I'll… just give that back!"
And their little game commenced. Erynlith grabbed his shoulder, trying to stop his constant moving, as her other hand tried to grab the outstretched dagger. She jumped and pulled and shouted, adding to Thranduil's entertainment. He laughed as her face became flustered in annoyance, and he kept the dagger out of her reach. They were running in circles now, and he was earning lots of glares and shouts from his friend. He laughed again. Surely, no one in Greenwood was more entertaining than Erynlith. Finally, she collapsed to her knees, panting fervently.
"Keep going," Thranduil urged. "You are so close… Come on, try again…"
"Give that back already!"
"No."
In her final attempt to reclaim it, she charged and tackled him to the ground. They both fell, she on top of him, and the game continued. She tried to pin the elf prince with her weight, but he was always stronger. She reached out for the dagger, and almost had it if Thranduil did not roll them over. Now she was pinned underneath him, adjusting his horrible weight, and she screamed again and again. The prince laughed and tightened his grip on the dagger's hilt. With all the struggling, he wanted to make sure none of them would be hurt.
"Thranduil!" The screaming continued as she thrashed beneath him. She kicked hard until the arrogant elf prince moved away from her. He sat beside her, panting a little, and grinned again. "Give it back!" Her demand continued, and she crawled over to him. He stretched his arm out of her reach. "Just stop it already! Give me back my dagger!"
When his cheek was accidentally slapped from the chaos, Thranduil winced and his grip on the dagger loosened. The blade was dropped and Erynlith quickly crawled over to it. She held it up, as though earning some very valuable prize, and turned to give him a victorious smug smile. Thranduil stroked his stinging cheek, hoping the slight pain would fade away soon. And as Erynlith was celebrating for her dubious win, Thranduil pulled out the second dagger. He showed it off to her, his smirk never fading, and his companion's eyes widened in realization.
"Oh, you are kidding…" Erynlith breathed.
He chuckled. "No, I am not. It is amusing to see such a fine dagger in your possession. How did you come by it, and who made it? The hilt is beautifully carved, and even the blade had Elvish writing on it." He looked at her mischievously. "I can read the name 'Eglador' from here…"
Hearing that name, Erynlith flinched. It felt different to hear that name again after so many years. She knew Erestor agreed that the name should not be spoken anymore, as it would only bring bittersweet memories. It would remind Erestor of his so-called failure, an accident that charged more than thirty elves all in one day. And he returned that day, almost as dead as his friends, but someone was there to pull him back again. Erynlith shook her head at that memory, blinking back the tears that welled in her eyes. No, she did not cry for that loss. She cried for Erestor's situation back then, trying to understand what had happened.
Thranduil noticed her passiveness, the way she looked affected by hearing the name. He knew his initial assumptions were correct, but he did not try to press the topic anymore. He wouldn't want to make her cheerless, or worse.
"Well, what about this one? Will you not take this as well?" He said, trying to regain the lost joyful little game.
Erynlith scoffed. "Yes, I will. Now should I tackle you again or you will hand that over to me nicely?"
"I don't think so," he said and stood up. He twirled the second dagger yet again. "Disarm me. If you want to stay here with us, you also need to learn the basics of survival. Like I said earlier, Rivendell is different from Greenwood. There are no stone gates to protect you, only wooden gates. No armored warriors to protect you, only guards garbed in tunics and boots. The difference there is imposing. If you can hunt thirty orcs in one night, then you can disarm me of this little white dagger."
She groaned. She was already exhausted from the first struggle. What made him think she would go for another round? But the daggers were far more important to her. You cannot have the one without the other. It was crafted long before she was born, and was passed down over the years. Erestor kept it hidden until she knew how to wield them, hoping that the blades would save her from danger. And the supposed things to save her were in the hands of a self-centered elf prince.
And so, the second game continued. It was alike with the first one, filled with screams and laughter. One might think these two arguing elves were children, fighting over such a nontrivial thing. But they were both acting like children; one was teasing and the other was flustered with annoyance. Just like to little elflings in the playground. In the end, when Thranduil had sensed his friend was getting more exhausted, he pretended to drop the dagger, and was immediately caught by her.
"I got it!" Erynlith exclaimed, almost kissing the blade with her delight. Then, she glared at Thranduil. He was standing by the river bank again; his back turned to her, and was silent. Quietly, she made her way towards him and when she got close enough, she reached out to push him. But Thranduil was too quick for her, and the situation turned upside-down. Erynlith almost fell on the river if not for the grip on her wrist. It was Thranduil, and he was dangling her off helplessly on the edge of the river. She screamed and was pulled back onto the ground.
"That was a lame attempt," Thranduil said. He crossed his arms. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
She looked flustered. Her plans were not going as smoothly as his, and it made her frustrated. Without thinking, she grabbed one of the daggers and threw it at him. But he evaded it effortlessly, and the dagger sank into the river behind with a soft plop. And with that, her minutes of arguing with him came to nothing. She scrambled onto her feet and see how deep the dagger had gotten into. Its white blade gleamed under the water, but it was too far from her reach. Even using a branch wouldn't do it. She gave Thranduil an accusing look.
"Look what you've done! Go get it back!"
He shrugged. "Why me? You threw it. Go get it yourself."
"But Thranduil!" She looked flustered alright, and it was entertaining for him. Then, her voice dropped into a low whisper. "You have to get it back…"
Suddenly, he paused. There was a look of downfall in her face as she looked back on her lost dagger. Somehow, it made him feel guilty. But he knew he was dauntless and would not easily give in to other's wishes. He was a prince, after all. He shouldn't please other people. Others should please him.
"I don't care," he snorted. "You go get it yourself."
Erynlith glared and gripped the hilt of the other dagger. When Thranduil continued to look at her with his unimpressed look, she seethed in anger and threw the dagger at him. As per usual, he dodged, but his eyes were widened at the realization that she just tried to hurt him. He looked back; the dagger was deeply ingrained on a tree trunk. Just as he looked, he heard Erynlith mutter something, and she stomped away in anger.
"Where are you going?" he demanded, not very pleased that he was almost pierced by the blade. "You're not leaving your weapons behind, are you?"
"Shut up!" she seethed and continued to walk back towards the palace.
He followed, leaving the two daggers behind. For some reason, his mood turned sour. He was glaring all the way back. When they passed the outpost, Raithon approached his friend to inquire about Erynlith's foul mood, only to realize that Thranduil was the same.
"What happened?" Raithon asked cordially. He had a concerned look on his face.
"I don't know," Thranduil answered in all honesty. What did happen? One time they were laughing like children, and the next they were glaring at each other. "Whatever happened, it is her fault, not mine."
"Are you sure you didn't do something out of hand?" the captain pressed.
"Give me a break," the elf prince snorted. "I could care less about what happened. If she wants to stay angry, then fine, let her."
Raithon chuckled. "You are both acting like children. And you should swallow your pride for once. She is a lady, and a lady's mind is full of secrets and traps. Try to understand her. She's your minstrel after all."
Thranduil looked unimpressed. "One, she is not a minstrel. She is an eccentric elf from Rivendell who sings eccentric songs. Two, she is not mine for argument's sake."
"Alright, fine." Raithon held up both hands in defense. "Calm down. Goodness me." When Thranduil walked passed him, his anger still not dissipating, but worsened, the captain had to add: "Hey. You wouldn't punch the next nearest person to you, would you?"
"I might as well, to make this frustration fade."
Author's Notes: Hurray for an early update! I tried fixing my schedule to have some time to edit and publish this chapter.
The reviews last chapters are indeed very heart-warming; it's like coming home from a very long vacation. It is very motivating to read opinions, especially from the new ones who dropped by to give review on the last two chapters.
*Asmodeus Black - Thank you! And yes, I was trying to keep my feels in check while watching in the cinemas.
*KrystylSky and Oriana5 - Many thanks to the two of you as well!
*Penrose Quinn - I am very grateful on your lengthy review; it is very comforting that readers like you appreciate Erynlith just as she is, and how Thranduil is portrayed. And woah! You've read my Grey/OC fic? LOL. It seemed too long ago since I last updated it. Thank you for reading that as well! I know this reply is terse, but I cannot really express how thankful I am for such a motivating review!
*TishaLiz- Thank you, and yes, I will keep on updating this story!
*Lana - Yes, my language may seem a bit off, and thank you for pointing that out. I'll try looking into my errors and learn how to improve my writing. Thank you for reviewing!
*DeLacus - I missed talking with youuu~! I have been away for so long, I know! I'll try bringing back more Elvish sass in the upcoming chapters.
Once again, reviews are greatly appreciated. The next chapter will not be long, I hope. For now, please enjoy this one. Thank you!