Chapter 38

By the second day after the destruction of the Ring all remnants of the Easterling forces had vanished from the plains around Erebor. Leaderless they scattered, running back to their eastern homes, surrendering to the Free Peoples or seeking refuge in the mountains. And those few that stubbornly kept fighting, bound by their malice and hatred, were slain to the last man.

A new era dawned for Middle-Earth. And Thranduil and Daenerys greeted the coming of this new era in the vast halls of Erebor, as they were guests of King Thorin III Stonehelm. A grand feast was held under the mountain, and all were in attendance: the dwarven King himself, as well as King Bard of Dale and a multitude of nobles and dignified officers. But the doors of the mountain were open to the simple folk of Erebor and Dale as well, and the feasting halls were crowded and lively with music, chatter and laughter night and day for many days after the victory.

The Elvenking spoke long to the gathered people about the presence of the dragons and how they came to be here, as well as of Daenerys, their mother. And with the utmost kindness and patience he listened to their opinions and answered their questions, until he made sure they all understood that they were in no danger, but the winged beasts were their allies. And their crucial contribution in the battle that tipped the scales against the enemy helped the doubts of the dwarves and men to be put to rest. By the end of the feast he also announced his intention to wed Daenerys, and he named her Elf-friend and Dragonqueen for all to hear. The news was received with cheer and joy by all, and Thranduil promised that they would all be invited to the wedding, once the date was set.

Thorin insisted that the Elvenking and Daenerys stay longer still in Erebor as his guests, but Thranduil, seeing that peace had settled upon the Lonely Mountain and Dale, decided that it was time they returned to their homeland. And so on the first day of April the Woodland Realm saw the return of its King and future Queen upon the winged dragons.

But little time had the King to rest, as a letter from lord Celeborn was awaiting him. His chamberlain Galion handed him the envelope, with the words that it was most urgent. Thranduil marched to his rooms and quickly discarded his cloak and battle armor, glad to at last be free of their burden. He walked to the balcony, and under the light of the morning sun he read Celeborn's words:

Elvenking Thranduil, my dear friend and ally,

I am writing to you this letter to let you know of our success in the war against the Shadow, although you must know of it already. The One Ring has been destroyed in the fires of Orodruin, and Sauron has been permanently disembodied and his spirit has departed this world forever. You surely felt the moment of change. The ground shook and strong winds blew, and then the evil of Sauron was no more.

Pertaining to our local matters, the Galadhrim have vanquished the forces of Dol Guldur. Whilst you were valiantly fighting in the north, I led an attack against the accursed fortress, and we defeated its defenders and captured it. Then Galadriel came and with her power threw down its walls and purified it of its evil. But, alas, I fear the power of Nenya is now dimmed, for with the destruction of the One Ring all other rings that were bound to it are now diminished to almost nothing but fanciful jewels. That was their doom, and ever have we been aware of its bittersweet truth: their power was to last only as long as the evil of Sauron persisted. The beauty and preservation of the elven lands was tied to the fate of the One Ring. Now that it is undone, so must they also fade. Still, they served us well all these centuries.

I must also congratulate you on your victories on both fronts, the southern borders of your realm and also Erebor. News travel fast, you see. You have secured the safety of all the northern peoples, my old friend. Without your invaluable contribution, our lands would have met a dire fate. I have always known you as a great strategist and the best warrior of the Sindar; my only regret is that the elven Rings were only three.

In light of these events I invite you to meet with me and renew the vast forest that due to the stain of evil the race of man has been calling Mirkwood. A new name I propose for it, in remembrance of its old name, when the realm still was under the rule of your noble father Oropher. Let Mirkwood be known as Eryn Lasgalen from now on, the Wood of Greenleaves.

If you are in agreement, let us meet on the 6th of April in the ruins of Ost Galadh in Emyn Lûm, and formally rename the forest.

Your loyal friend,

Celeborn of the Galadhrim

Thranduil placed the yellowish parchment on a small table beside him, while a smile had subconsciously formed on his lips. His gaze leisurely traveled to the forest in the distance, expanding as far as the eye could reach. Tilting his face towards the sun, he inhaled deeply. Sauron is no more, he thought. We are at last free of his evil. Too long have these lands suffered under his black hand. Never again will he rise and threaten the peace of Arda.

The treetops swayed gently under the cool wind, and their leaves glimmered like jewels under the sunlight, catching and reflecting it in a myriad of colors. A sweet sorrow then came upon Thranduil. I have known these woods as my home for millennia, he told himself. Will I ever be truly able to part with them? Will I ever be able to leave here, and meet another destiny? But the time is not yet come. Still I must remain for a time and rule my people, and direct them into the new age that dawns.

But what of my son? In my heart I know that he is alive, but I long to see and hold my only child one last time before I leave this world. So far away he is, in the southern lands of men, but safe in the company of Aragorn and in the counsel of Mithrandir. Legolas is a wise ellon. He will return to me when the time is right. I am patient. I will wait.

"Why, you look so pensive, my lord."

Daenerys' soft voice disrupted his musings. He turned to look at her, and she walked to his side. She had removed her battle armor, and was clad in her long military coat.

"Have you not had a moment's rest? I was told you were needed as soon as we stepped foot in the Halls", she said.

"Yes… This letter was awaiting me. Here, read it", he replied and handed her Celeborn's letter.

Her eyes ran along the flowing script, and a bright smile lit her face in the end. "Thranduil, this is great news. We have victory on all fronts, and lord Celeborn invites you to renew and rename the forest. We could not have hoped for a better outcome, I think", she commented. "And he also acknowledges the fact that you did deserve a Ring of Power", she added as an afterthought.

He nodded. "Often has my mind turned to thoughts of the rings, and I would be a liar if I denied that I sometimes looked to the Ringbearers with envy. In my darkest thoughts I coveted those Rings of Power. The fact that Celeborn has written these words means a lot to me, and suddenly I feel all the envy I have harbored all these years lifted. Still, look at how much we have accomplished without the aid of a ring."

Daenerys wryly lifted an eyebrow. "Who needs rings when you have dragons?"

Her comment was met with a chuckle of amusement from his side. "Indeed…" But then his face grew more serious. "I will meet with Celeborn in Ost Galadh, as he suggests. And I wish you to come with me. It is right that the King and future Queen are seen together in events of such importance."

"Thranduil…" she whispered his name and gently took his hand.

He gave her a loving look. "Did I not promise you that I will wed you, once the war is over? If you will have me as your husband, that is."

"Of course I will!" she cried happily and threw her arms around him.

He held her tightly to his breast and breathed in her scent. "I love you, Daenerys. And for you I would do anything. Never forget that."

"I know, my love, I know. It is the same with me."

They kissed then there upon the balcony, and it felt to both of them that with the renewal of nature around them their love was purified and renewed as well.

The ceremony of Mirkwood's renaming into Eryn Lasgalen took place on the 6th of April, as Celeborn had proposed. The Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim met with the Elvenking and the Dragonqueen in the ruins of the old elven city of Ost Galadh, and each couple was escorted by a small number of councilors.

No grand feast was held and no decorations were hung from the columns and arches, but still the beauty of the forest around and the absence of evil made the ceremony brilliant and joyous.

First spoke Celeborn. He walked forth, dressed in long robes of white and silver, and he greeted those present. "The Dark Lord is vanquished forever", he said. "We are gathered here today to mark the beginning of a new era, an era free of the evil of Sauron and his servants. Too long has this great forest been plagued by their presence, but no more. And so I call the King of the wood-elves to step forth and officiate the ceremony."

Thranduil took a few steps, separating himself from the rest. His attire was of the hue of the olive leaves, and on his shoulders a silver cloak hung, and on his head he wore his spring crown of woodland wildflowers. At his belt today he chose not to carry his faithful twin swords, but Aradhel the sword that had been Celeborn's gift, out of respect and wishing to honor the Lord of the Galadhrim.

"My father was King of Greenwood the Great in times past, when still our capital was Amon Lanc, and the realm flourished", the Elvenking began. "Alas, dark times fell upon us, and we came to see this great beauty so diminished and marred. Often I have wished the duties of kingship were not upon me during the dominion of evil upon the forest, but the time we live is not ours to choose. As our dear friend Mithrandir often likes to say, we can only decide what to do with the time that is given us. And I believe we did our best. We have won the war and defeated the Shadow. These lands are free now, and their peoples can prosper. From north to south and from east to west all realms will now know undisrupted peace for the first time in countless centuries. And so will our land, our forest. It is time now that the name of Mirkwood is heard no more, but instead a new name I bestow upon it: let these woods now be known as Eryn Lasgalen, as lord Celeborn wisely proposed. Carry this news to the far corners of Middle-Earth, and let everyone know that the Elvenking has opened his realm to all. No more will the wood-elves be isolated from the rest of the world. Once more we will reach out and reclaim our old dwellings in the woods. Let new life spring upon branch and twig, and let our vast forest rejoice once more with the song and laughter of the elves."

He made a pause, as tears of emotion rose up in his eyes. Daenerys beheld him, and she smiled fondly at him. But then all the gathered elves cheered and applauded, and Thranduil could only smile back in joy.

He then lifted his hand. "But there is more I wish to say. Lord Celeborn and lady Galadriel have always been our closest friends and allies. Without their aid and intervention the whole of Middle-Earth would have fallen to darkness and ruin. For this reason I wish to bestow a gift upon you", he said, turning to the Lord and Lady, "for it is within my power to do so. Of old the southern part of the forest was under my father's rule, but now it is my wish that it should belong to the Galadhrim. Let it be regarded as East Lórien, and may the power and wisdom of the Galadhrim augment its beauty and repair the damages done by the enemy. The mountains shall be the southern border of my kingdom, and the part of the forest that lies in-between our realms shall be given to the race of the Beornings, for them to make their homes there and live peacefully." With that he concluded his speech, and the Galadhrim present looked at him with reverence, profoundly moved by his gesture.

Then lady Galadriel, clad in the purest white and glowing with a light of her own, spoke. "A great gift it is indeed for our people, and for that we deeply thank you, Elvenking Thranduil. Be assured that the Galadhrim will take care of these woods, for as long as we linger here. Alas, the time of the elves is over. Still we may dwell here for a time, but our purpose is done. We have guarded this Middle-Earth and guided the Secondborn. It is their turn now to inherit the earth and shape it with their works. May they be works of beauty and wisdom, and let evil never again reign. But alone they will tread on their path now. The power of the elves is dimmed. Even now I can feel it fading, slipping through my fingers like water… But my heart is at peace, knowing that we have fulfilled our destiny. Grave has been the cost and many our losses during the long fight against the Shadow, but the outcome consoles even the weariest of spirits. Freedom! Freedom from the shackles of evil. I can taste it in the air, and such sweetness I have not tasted since my days of old in Valinor. Soon the Third Age will be over, and with it all that marked its passing. But we must not be sorrowful. Let us greet the dawn of the Fourth Age with joy, and give the coming years our blessing", she said, and her voice was calm and soothing to the ears of all.

Then Celeborn and Thranduil stood in front of all and shook hands, sealing their agreement, and they were joined by Galadriel and Daenerys and their people. And thus the ceremony was concluded.

Night had fallen long ago. The forest was quiet, and only the occasional calling of the night birds broke it. The elves were sleeping, sheltered at the western part of the ruins of Ost Galadh. They had erected no tents, for the air was warm and they liked to gaze at the open sky above, where the stars shone clear.

Thranduil was sleeping peacefully, his breath even and noiseless. Beside him lay Daenerys, and she too was sleeping.

But suddenly she felt a coldness reaching for her, like a persistent breeze. She shifted and drew her blanket closer, but the feeling of the cold remained. Bothered, she opened her eyes to see where the cold was coming from, thinking to get another blanket.

And then she saw it.

It was a flickering light. Pale in color and shining dimly, it hovered just above the ground. It had no source, but seemed to exist on its own, like a star fallen from above, lost and misguided. It made no sound but a barely audible crackling one, like the flickering flame of a candle.

Daenerys blinked, surprised by the unexpected sight, thinking for a moment that it might have been a trick of the eye. But still there it was, faint and flickering patiently before her.

Curious and intrigued now, she cast her blanket aside and slowly made to touch it. Tentatively she reached with her fingertips, and it danced. The feeling of cold was stronger the closer she was to the light. A faint tingling sensation spread in her fingers as she touched it, but it did not shy away from her. It did not drift aimlessly but deliberately moved in front of her, as if it wanted to hold her attention.

What are you, little light? Daenerys thought, and rose to her feet, feeling drawn to it. The pale light flickered more brightly once and then moved towards the western exit of the old city, and there waited, hovering under the gate arch. So you want me to follow you? Almost entranced, she walked to the light. And then it started moving again, hovering in front of her, showing her the way.

It led her to a southwestern direction, away from the elven road. The woods grew denser as she went, their thick branches reaching far overhead and intertwining, and soon the light of the stars in the sky was lost. The only light that remained came from the flickering presence in front of her, and paler and somewhat weak and sickly it seemed now. But on it went, and further deep into the forest it led her.

"Where are you taking me?" Daenerys asked it aloud, but the flickering light only danced in her face for a second, and then shot forward. "Do not go so fast, wait!" she called, worry starting to seep into her heart now, though her trance was not broken. For she did not pay heed to the cold and darkening woods that were now dank and swampy, nor did she for a moment consider turning back in her steps.

At last the light brought her to an ancient glade. Huge trees rose around, their canopy a black blanket above her head. No sound could be heard but only her breath and the soft crunch of the leaves beneath her boots. The forest was still and unnaturally silent now, as if it watched and waited.

Daenerys stopped. The flickering light was lost from her sight for a moment, and she looked around in worry. There it was, hovering near what seemed like a broken tree trunk. She approached it with apprehension, and the image became clearer. It was a tree, a very old tree, and its trunk had been split in twain, as if struck by lightning. On a low branch hung a lantern.

Daenerys looked at the lantern with a start. What is a lone lantern doing here in the deep of the woods? She wondered. Her flickering companion moved towards the lantern, and its form was illuminated. It was clearly of elven make, elegantly wrought, but the iron was cracked and rusty from ages of disuse. She made to touch it, but just then the flickering light jumped into the lantern, and she recoiled.

Now eerie voices rose in the air, speaking in long-forgotten tongues, and Daenerys knew in her heart it was the tongue of the trees. And the trees themselves began to move from their roots, and they were speaking to her in their booming, haunting voices:

"The Lantern of the Lost… You have lost your way… You must find your way… The Lantern of the Lost…"

Cowering in fear and dread she listened to the message being repeated over and over, the voices of the trees mingling in discordant polyphony. And then a blinding light shot forth from the lantern. The whole glade was brightly illuminated for a few fleeting moments. Daenerys stared in awe and wonderment as her own shape was projected like a great shadow on the trees. But for a heartbeat, it was not only her shape she saw. Wings, great and shadowed, unfurled behind her. But then the blazing light died, and the vision was lost. Daenerys felt her consciousness slipping away, and darkness taking her. Helpless, she fainted.

She was no longer in the forest. She now stood barefoot on a shore grey and endless, where the sea met the sky without horizon. The sand beneath her feet shimmered faintly, as if starlight has settled in its grains. The soundless waves lapped at her feet, but they were not of water pale and cool; the sea was a glowing fire.

She lifted her eyes and gazed ahead. A towering silver gate loomed in the distance, its great arch of mithril reminiscent of elven craft. But the waves touched the gate, and now it was burning with living fire, yet remained unconsumed, like a flaming beacon calling to her.

"Will you cross?" a voice spoke, and it was her own voice. "Will you cross, or will you look back?"

I must never look back. If I look back, I am lost. Her answer echoed in her thought. And she made to step forward into the flaming sea. She found it shallow, and realized that the fire was not a barrier, but a path, a threshold. More confidently now she made for the gate.

As she approached, another shape came into view. Tall, regal, cloaked in black and silver, with flowing hair and eyes of pure starlight. Thranduil.

"Thranduil!" she called his name and made to walk to him, but a rift opened between them, the sea turning black in the span. Dragon cries sounded overhead, faint and distant.

Thranduil lifted his hand, palm outward, not in farewell but in offering. "Hush", he said, and all sounds stilled. His eyes were trained onto Daenerys. "Will you accept?" he asked her. She looked at him in puzzlement.

Then he turned and faced the gate. Slowly he raised his arms, and the flames of the sea licked up his body and enveloped him.

"Thranduil no! You will burn!" she cried in agony.

"It is the only way", he responded, his voice deep. Then he peered at her from over his shoulder. "Sacrifice", he said, and then stepped into the gate, and vanished.

The ground shook then, and Daenerys fell to her knees, her breath trembling and her heart beating like a drum. A black wind rose, and in the wind this ominous chant was heard:

"One life to leave this world, one life to pay for it. One willing to lay down his life for a friend, and the friend to claim it. Let now the blood run hot, let the darkness take it. Let it open this door, for one to leave this world and ever forsake it".

It was the verse of Sauron's scroll.

"No, no…" she whispered amidst her tears.

But then she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Mother, do not be afraid."

With a start she turned. Beside her stood a boy luminous and beautiful, with deep indigo eyes. He smiled at her, and behind him unfolded two wondrous golden wings.

"Tarry not, mother. I am waiting for you", he said, and then turned and flew off into the sky.

A white light filled her vision, and the dream faded.

Daenerys opened her eyes. Her hair stuck on her face with sweat, and her breathing was quick and shallow. She felt dizzy and feverish. Despite her discomfort, she tried to stand, but the muddy ground was treacherous and she lost her footing. Absolute blackness reigned, and she had no sense of orientation.

Fear gripped her heart. She felt around with her hands, and soon her touch met the old cloven tree. But the lantern was there no more. The air was still, and a heavy mist had descended upon the glade. Her breathing was difficult, and it came in short gasps. Her skin was burning, and her eyes were glazed over with tears.

Where am I? Why did I ever follow this accursed light? Now I will never find my way out. I am doomed, she thought despondently. On the verge of panic she looked around for anything that might help her.

And then she saw a spectral form arising from the mists ahead. It was greyish, and took the shape of a man. A faint glow was about it, and it stood there with its back turned to her.

"Who are you? Can you help me find my way?" she asked frantically, and made to walk to the specter, but she found her feet rooted in place.

Then the shape shifted, and turned from grey to white. For a moment it glowed brighter, and then it was gone.

Daenerys shielded her eyes from the light with her arm, but when she lowered it, the sight around her had changed. The mist had dissipated, and the leaves on the branches rustled in the gentle breeze. Dawn broke overhead, and the singing of birds began to fill the silence. Nothing looked eerie or otherworldly now. Peace had returned to the forest, and the glade seemed serene and welcoming, if not a little muddy.

Her fever subsided, and her breathing became steadier. She looked towards the way she came, and she could see her footprints in the wet soil. Encouraged by that and by the growing light of the day, she walked back.

The day had properly dawned when at last Daenerys returned to the ruins of Ost Galadh. She found the elven encampment in unrest as she walked in.

"My King! She is here!" an elf called.

Soon Thranduil came hurrying. "Daenerys!" he exclaimed when he saw her, and rushed to take her in his arms.

Exhausted, she let herself disappear in his embrace, and breathed deep his scent. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his breast, feeling now calmer.

"Daenerys, where were you? What happened?" he whispered in worry.

"Let's go somewhere quiet please", she said in a weak voice.

He ordered his guards to go back to their tasks and he led her back to the place they had spent the night. Their belongings and blankets were still there.

Daenerys sat down. "Something very strange happened to me during the night", she began. Thranduil sat next to her and listened to her attentively. "I felt something cold reaching for me, and as I awoke I saw a flickering light before me, pale and glimmering, hovering just above the ground."

Thranduil's eyes opened wide in surprise. "A limrafn!"

"A what?"

"A limrafn, a corpse-candle, an echo of the dead... They are extremely rare and appear only during the night, and usually around tombs and places of decay. Their light is pale and faint and their aura is unsettling, although they are not inherently evil. I remember seeing one very long ago, after the battle of the Last Alliance, at the site where my father was slain. It had made me shiver, I recall, but it disappeared when I approached it", he explained. "Did you really see a limrafn, Daenerys?"

"I think so. But it didn't disappear. It was persistent, and made me follow it through the forest. An enchantment was on me, I think, and I could not resist."

And then Daenerys recounted the strange event of the night with as much detail as she could. Thranduil's brow was furrowed and his expression had turned into a frown by the time she was done.

"I am glad that you are returned safe and sound to me", he said, slowly tracing his fingertips along the line of her temple and her cheek. "But you walked through great peril, for you wandered into Sâd Meryrn, home to unfriendly and wrathful huorns. But much has transpired and much has been revealed to you. Slowly we must try and decipher it. But it must wait for later. Rest now a while, wash your face and change your garments. I will see that fresh water and food is brought to you", he said and kissed the top of her head. "I must meet with Celeborn and bid the Galadhrim farewell, and also give the orders to prepare our departure later in the day."

And so it was, and a few hours later, by early afternoon, the Elvenking's delegation took the road home. Daenerys had managed to sleep for a couple of hours, and she felt now somewhat refreshed. Clad in a riding attire in the hues of brown and green, she now rode beside Thranduil. Their pace was unhurried, and after making camp for the night, they would reach the Halls by the following afternoon.

As it was spring, the days had grown longer and warmer. The forest felt different – benign, joyful, renewed. Colorful wildflowers bloomed along the elven path, and the trees were green with new leaf. The birdsong was sweet, and the air was clear and fragrant. Small animals hopped around the bushes, and all signs of spiders and their webs and nests had vanished.

Daenerys looked at the face of her lover. It glowed with a bright light, and it seemed that a heaviness was lifted from him. "You look different", she commented.

He looked at her sidelong. "How so?"

"You look peaceful, radiant. Your inner essence shimmers. It is because of the evil having been lifted from the forest, is it not?"

He nodded. "You remember I told you I am one with this land, my realm. Its pains and sufferings were mine too, and I carried the burden of sorrow. But now my heart is lighter, and I can rejoice in the beauty of the Greenleaves again."

"The dark woods I saw last night were not that peaceful, though", she said thoughtfully.

"Sauron might be vanquished, but the seeds of evil can never be utterly erased from the world. For they were planted by Morgoth himself, when he sang his song of dissonance during the Making of the World, and they are forever embedded in its essence. They belong to this world as much as laughter and joy and all that is good do. But it is all as Eru had designed, for a balance is necessary to the creation", the King explained.

"So those woods might have some traces of evil… But what about the light, the one you called limrafn, and the lantern? I think we should discuss them now, Thranduil."

"I have given some thought to what you told me. The limrafn I told you about, although the one that visited you sounds peculiar in its sentience. It had purpose, that much is clear. Was it acting on its own accord or was it sent by someone else? This we cannot know", he said.

"It all felt like a preordained sequence, as if something – or someone – wanted me to follow this path. But what about the lantern? Do you know of it? Did it once belong to the elves?" Daenerys asked.

Thranduil shrugged. "An abandoned lantern on a ruined tree? There may be numerous such lanterns in places we once dwelled and have now fallen to ruin. There used to be a watchtower and a small settlement close to Sâd Meryrn back in the days of my father. I wouldn't give much thought to the lantern, were it not for the whispers of the trees you heard next."

"The Lantern of the Lost they called it. And they urged me to find my way. But when I came round the lantern was not there. It was as if it had never existed."

"I have not heard of it before. Perhaps it is a fragment of lost wood-lore, preserved only in the memory of the ancient trees. Or maybe it did not even exist at all, as you said, and it was a trick of the treacherous light. But the dream you had afterwards, Daenerys, I think that was much more important. You have had such dreams before. What do you make of it, my heart?" he asked her with concern.

The mother of dragons sighed and her gaze seemed lost. "It was a dragon dream. It showed me a gate, and I think it symbolized the gate between worlds, the passage that I seek. And the gate and the sea around it was in flames. Fire, Thranduil. My element. The gate was clearly for me to cross. But it seemed distant, until you appeared in the dream. And flames took you, and you spoke of sacrifice. It sounded foreboding, and my heart was pained then. What do you think it means?"

Thranduil's brow furrowed, and he did not reply at once. Several thoughts danced in his head, thoughts that only too often had he lately thought. He glanced at her with a deep and knowing look, and a frown was on his face.

Daenerys examined his eyes, and worry crept in her heart. "Thranduil? What does this sacrifice mean? And why was then the verse of the scroll of Sauron heard? What does this mean to tell me?"

Thranduil sighed, but avoided to look at her. "It means what we already know. That the only way of travel between worlds we have discovered till now is the dark way of Sauron's spell. Perhaps the dream meant to tell you that it is the only way."

Daenerys fell silent, not entirely convinced that he was being completely frank with her. But for now she decided not to press the matter. This was a conversation better suited for the confines of their chambers, and far from curious ears. Instead, she chose to speak of the ending of the dream.

"But then I saw that boy again, my son. It was the same child I saw before, Thranduil. His face a perfect amalgamation of both our faces. And he was beautiful, confident, and luminous. And golden dragon-wings he had, and eyes of deep indigo. He told me he is waiting for me, and that I shouldn't tarry. I have come to believe what you told me many times, my love. That we will have a child, and that he will be strong and wise. Although how or when this may come to pass I cannot guess."

Now Thranduil smiled. "Yes, of that I am sure. You will become mother of the greatest Dragon that has ever lived, Daenerys. And I think this is now closer to us than we may imagine. The sense of urgency in the dream confirms it, I reckon."

She took a deep, shaky breath. "Oh… I dare not believe it fully yet. But it all points to that. Much I doubted it before, but these doubts are gradually clearing. The message and the image is clear, every time. I must only learn to trust to hope."

The Elvenking reached across and took her hand in his, squeezing it lightly in encouragement. They locked eyes and smiled fondly at each other.

But then Daenerys spoke again. "One last thing… When I awoke, I saw a spectral figure in the distance, and its glow changed from grey to white. I asked it for guidance, but it did not speak. I saw it for a second, and then it was gone."

Thranduil's eyes suddenly shone with realization. "From grey to white you say?" Daenerys nodded. "This must allude to Mithrandir, for sure. And you asked for guidance. Mithrandir! I will seek him as soon as possible. The wizard is probably still in Minas Tirith."

And he spurred his horse on, signaling for his retinue to follow. Their leisurely return to the Halls now became one of haste.