The Archers Heart

9 - Dale

Haldir didn't say anything. His face stoic and unreadable, even for me. Scared I had overstepped a line, I pulled my hand out of his grasp, stepping back a few steps, to get some distance between us. "I am sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I... I think I should leave." Turning on my heels, I rushed back the path, blinking several times to force down my tears. What I did not realize was Haldir staring at me leaving, his arm slightly reaching out for me, as if he wanted to hold me back.

I reached the room I had stayed in before my injury, packing my stuff and then going to grab the last things from the room I had been put into to heal. Once I wore my armor and weapons, I shouldered my bag, making a stop at the kitchen to refill my water and food. Luckily for me, I wasn't stopped by anyone I knew on my way to the stable. Saddling my horse, I slowly led him down a path I knew barely anyone used, jumping on his back the second we reached to forest.

***

It had been several days that I had been on the road. Reaching Dale to fill in on my supplies, I decided to visit Bard and his kids. He had become the new major after the fight of Erebor. The dwarves had helped rebuild the old ruins of Dale, making it the new home of the people of Laketown. It had been five years since I last saw him and his kids, I had helped reclaim the mountain as part of the dwarven fellowship. Being a friend of Tauriel for a long time, she had asked me to help her.

Meeting Legolas during that time, I was glad to have some people I felt a certain sense of belonging, so I helped them fight against the Orcs that marched onto Erebor. Meeting Bard while he, Gandalf and Thranduil discussed how to engage the dwarves in the mountain, I had clicked with him very quickly.

Jumping from my horse, I knocked at the majors house. A young woman opened the door, that I didn't recognize. She smiled at me: "Hello. How can I help you?" I returned the smile, offering her my hand: "I am Thaleia. Is Bard here? I came to visit him. I know its on a short notice, but I have been in the area and decided to stop by."

Bards voice came from the inside: "Martha who is there?" Instead of letting the woman answer, I just yelled back: "Its me, Leia. I came to visit and empty your food storage." Bards head popped up and he came racing down the hall. "Leia! It has been a long time. I never thought I would ever see you again. Come in." He ushered me inside, then called out for his son: "Bain! Come take care of Leias horse. Take it to the stables." His first born son came down the stairs, a smile spreading across his face, once he saw me.

"Leia. You haven't changed one bit." He grinned, playfully coming at me as if he wanted to fight me. I decided to give in to his antics, dodging his fists and then twirling around him to hold him in a neck hold. "Unlike you. You have grown quite a lot." I let go of him and he just went outside. Turning towards Bard again, I smiled at him: "Seems you have made quite the thing out of Dale."

"It wasn't me alone." He answered, smiling an unsure smile. Then he looked at the woman besides him, clearly wanting to change the topic: "Oh, by the way. Meet Martha. She is my wife. I married her two years ago." Turning my gaze from him to the blonde young woman, my smile grew wider. "Nice to meet you, Martha. I am Leia. I met Bard during the battle to reclaim Erebor."

Martha also smiled and I could feel the genuine happiness she carried in her heart, that lit up the room in an instant. "Ah, you are the she-elf he talked so much about. He told me there was this young and tiny elf that was the fiercest fighter he had ever seen. He also said, that if I ever were to meet you, I would know the second I would see you."

Furrowing my brows, I tilted my head: "Young? I am 2481 years old. And what does he mean you would know?" Martha just giggled at my question. "Well, I believe you are still young considered some of the other elves Bard had met. He said that you however had a fire behind eyes as grey as steel and hair as black as death himself. That you would slay Orcs double your size with ease. And I can see why he would say such things. You really seem like a very fearless person."