The King's Heart (Thranduil Fanfiction)

Chapter 5

(Thranduil)

The screams came from deeper in the woods. I called my guard to my side and we charged forward. There, we found several more orcs surrounding an elleth. She had long, golden hair and pale skin. I could see the twin blades she held against an orc's throat, just before she lopped his head off. The other orcs were advancing, but they seemed intimidated by the sheer speed of this warrior. As we rode up, four other orcs were already dead before my archers could even load their bows. The last ten or so were shot by the time we reached the mysterious elf.

"Are you alright?" I asked, wanting desperately to know more about her.

"Yes, I am quite fine," she said, wiping orc blood from her cheek. Her tunic was cut in several places and her trousers were muddy. Only then I realized how odd it was for a elleth to wear trousers. She still had not looked up at me or any of my company behind me.

"What is your name?" I ask.

"Miniel," she answered, finally looking up. Her gaze fell on my face, and I finally saw her eyes. They were the most beautiful blue I had ever seen, bluer than the waters of Long Lake in the summer, clearer than a cloudless sky, and brighter than the sun. Then her eyes fell on my crown.

"My Lord Thranduil!" She gasped before falling into a kneel. I was greatly surprised at her actions, I had never seen this elleth before, yet she knew exactly who I was. Not all those in Rivendell and Lothlórien knew me. Then I noticed she was still kneeling. I dismounted and came up to her.

"You need not kneel. Please, join me. I would very much like to learn more about you." She nodded after a moment and I offered her help onto Aras's back, but once I invited her, she was already up and settled. I chuckled a little. I was the only one who could mount Aras that quickly, this elf obviously had tremendous strength and agility. I pulled myself up and urged the great elk forward.

The sun was on the western horizon when we arrived at the gate. Miniel leaped from Aras's back before we reached the bridge that spanned our river. She took off running back into the forest.

"Hey!" I yelled after her, but she turned her head ever so slightly, smirked at me, then launched herself up into a tree and began sprinting through the branches. I knew I would face trouble if I followed her, but my curiosity got the better of me. I turned Aras to the direction she took off in and spurred his sides. The guard called after me, but I waved them off. I could handle anything atop Aras.

I galloped after Miniel, barely keeping her in my range of vision. She was amazingly fast. She leaped through the trees like a bird. It was so interesting to watch. She was running along the thinnest of branches, ones I had seen Legolas climb through many times. She was gaining ground on me. I feared I would lose her. That was when the spiders came.

I saw a thin layer of silk wrap around Miniel's ankle and she fell. As she fell, her head smacked against a thick limb, and she hung there limply. I heard the spiders before I saw them, their scuttling legs breaking twigs and crackling the dry leaves that scattered the forest floor. I drew my sword and started swinging. The trees were thick ahead of me, and I knew Aras's antlers would slow us down considerably. If I was making a stand, I was making it here.

The best advantage I had: Aras. His antlers were sharper than arrow heads, and more easily controlled. He swung his great head around and killed three of the beasts before I had a chance. There didn't seem to be many of them, but I knew from experience that more would come, and soon. I led Aras to where Miniel was hanging. She groaned slightly when I touched her shoulders. I cut the spider silk that held her ankle and laid her in front of me like a felled deer. I then urged Aras back toward the gates. I knew the spiders would follow, but there were skilled guards that could handle the spiders.

So I ran Aras out of the forest and thundered across the bridge, doing my best to hold Miniel in place.

"Spiders!" I yelled to the guards, who then strand into action; most loaded bows and aimed at the tree line. I jumped off Aras and pulled Miniel down after me. She had a nasty bruise over her right eye, but she was responding to my words. I kept telling her she would be fine, that I had the best healer in the realm, that she was safe now. Each comment earned a groan of some sort.

I carried her to Tarawen's room and let her do her magic. I then ran back outside to help the guards. There were more spiders than I had thought, dozens of them were crawling over the small hill that formed a bit of a flood barrier. Most fell before they came within a hundred feet of the bridge, but the few that did were mine to slaughter. They fell before my blade, hissing and screeching as I cut legs off and stabbed abdomens. One managed to get behind me and sweep my feet from under me, but was quickly shot by Annoneth. She had taken up a bow and climbed to the top of the gate and felled spiders from there. I caught her eye and inclined my head in silent thanks. She had saved my life again.

But I did not have time to stop. My archers seemed to be running out of arrows, and more spiders were climbing over the hill. I whistled for Aras and caught his antler as he charged past. Together, we killed the remainder of the spiders with little difficulty. After I stabbed the last one, I turned back toward the gate, wiping spider guts from my face.

The sun was dipping below the horizon, and I congratulated the guard on a job well done. I then led Aras back to the stables and headed for my room.