2
The messenger stood at attention as Thranduil opened the scroll from his wife and scanned it. "Will there be a response, your highness?" the messenger asked the King.
"Yes, of course." Thranduil replied. "Head to the kitchens and have Galion find you something to eat and drink. I'll have something for you to take back by the time you are finished."
The messenger bent one knee, hand to his heart and took his leave of the King.
Thranduil smiled at the scroll in his hand. Finally! Celebrian would finally be on her way to her parents and Thranduil was that much closer to seeing his wife again.
He could not remember a time when he had been so acutely aware of the slowness of the days passing as he had been this winter, with Cyllessil away. Legolas had threatened to make the King join the patrols just to get him to settle down. Thranduil had taken him up on some expeditions into the forest this winter, simply to keep himself distracted. He could not wait to see his Cyllessil again.
He settled himself at his desk to make his reply. He had just finished the missive and signed his name when a knock came on the door.
"Enter." Thranduil called, looking up expecting to see the messenger. Instead he saw his son lounging carelessly against the doorframe, an amused expression on his face.
"Looks like your message finally got here, Ada?" he asked with a grin.
"Insolent Pen-neth!" Thranduil growled good-naturedly. "Yes, your Naneth is finally getting underway with this adventure of hers."
"Then I am surprised you aren't in the stables getting your horse already, Ada." Legolas laughed as he came into the room and made himself comfortable in one of the chairs in front of his father's desk.
"No point in it," Thranduil stated. "They will not set out from Imladris until next week. They should reach the Redhorn Gate a week from when they set out."
"So you are leaving tomorrow then." Legolas replied, his eyes full of laughter as he took in his father's much more cheerful countenance. Thranduil had been on edge all these months without Naneth with him.
Thranduil looked sharply at his son, noticing Legolas looked ready to laugh. He sighed and smiled at his son. "I would gladly leave today, if only to see your mother sooner but I have no reason to get there early and wait. I have the longer road as I am going to meet them near the western edge of Lothlorien but even then I do not need to leave for a few days at least."
"So you will not follow the Anduin down to Lothlorien?" Legolas asked curiously.
Thranduil shook his head. "The Anduin will take me to the eastern edges of the wood. They will be coming from the west side. I plan to meet them there, near the Celebrant. I have no interest in traveling through Lothlorien itself to meet your mother."
"Meaning you have no interest in spending time with the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood without Naneth there with you." Legolas laughed.
"Isn't that what I said?" Thranduil replied, raising his eyebrows at his son.
A knock on the door interrupted them and Thranduil waved the messenger from Imladris in.
"Here is your message for the Queen Cyllessil, with my greetings." Thranduil said.
Legolas stood up rapidly from his chair and approached Thranduil's desk. "If you would give me a moment," he said, addressing the messenger. "I would add a note for you to take to my mother also." Taking parchment from Thranduil's desk Legolas quickly filled the page, folded and sealed it, and handed it to the waiting messenger.
"Safe travels to you." Legolas said to him.
"Thank you, my prince." The messenger bowed.
"Any trouble on the roads?" Thranduil asked, as he handed his own scroll to the Elf from Imladris.
"None on the High Pass, your highness," the messenger replied.
Thranduil frowned. "Have you heard of anything amiss further south?"
"No, hir-nin, I have not. There were stirrings north a few seasons ago, near Gundabad but nothing recent."
Thranduil nodded, his frown fading slightly. "Safe travels to Imladris," he said, dismissing the messenger.
Legolas studied his father's face as the messenger left. "Ada?" he questioned.
Thranduil shook his head. "It is nothing, ion-nin. The passes have been quiet. I just wanted to be sure there was no news."
Legolas nodded, a thoughtful look on his own face now. "You will leave soon then, after all."
"A few days. I want to cross the river near the Forest Road where there is a bridge. The Anduin will be in near flood stage with the spring melts upon us." Thranduil answered.
"Shall I prepare a full company to accompany you?" Legolas questioned.
Thranduil gazed thoughtfully at his son. "No," he said finally. "A smaller escort will do. A full company will just slow us down."
"Shall I come with you, Ada?" his son asked quietly.
Thranduil smiled at his son and walked around the desk to grasp him by the shoulder. "No, ion-nin. I need you here, running the kingdom."
Legolas raised an eyebrow at his father. "It practically runs itself, you know."
Thranduil grew serious again and squeezed Legolas' shoulder. "You know better than to say that, ion-nin. You know the work you do when I am not here is more than just ceremonial. The blight on the trees in the Southern reaches worries me. And the spiders have been more active this spring than I recall them being for years."
Thranduil turned to pace the length of his study. "If I had not promised to meet your mother I would take another expedition South to look at this blight again, now that it is spring. But I will speak to Celeborn and hear his thoughts on this when I am in Lothlorien. Perhaps he can tell if such was seen in Doriath of old."
"I will keep the watch, Ada." Legolas said.
"I know you will. Keep the patrols ranging when I am gone. I will try to get your mother back before Midsummer." Thranduil answered.
"She would hate to miss the Midsummer feast, Ada. I am sure you will be back long before then." Legolas responded. "I for one will eagerly await your return with her."
Legolas stood at attention before Thranduil, now a captain again rather than a son. "With your leave, sire, I will go to prepare your escort."