To Live Again: The Road to War {Lord of the Rings Fanfiction}|

7. Hideaway

"Thranduil...where are we?" I sigh and lean into his chest, as he insisted I ride with him. Sirdal seems to be in agreement with my impatience, as he shakes his head in boredom. We haven't exactly been going any major speed, just ambling along for what seems like hours; in fact I am pretty sure it has been hours. We even stopped for a lovely picnic, and I thought that was the treat, but nope...onwards we go.

"Nearly there," he murmurs lazily and rests his free hand on my abdomen, "Do you need to take a rest again?"

"No," I mutter and roll my eyes, "but where is there? And it is late in the afternoon, unless you plan on camping, then this is going to be a short visit."

"Well, I would not call it camping. That implies a level of roughness that I simply will not allow my pregnant wife to endure," he chuckles teasingly and I twist around in an attempt to look at him.

"Overnight? Thranduil...what about Legolas? I don't think Gilron was aware she was required for an overnight stay?" I cry anxiously and am slightly irritated by Thranduil's amused chuckling. "You arranged this didn't you? So you just let me spend the whole afternoon worrying about the amount of daylight we have, when I didn't need too?"

"I told you I was stealing you!" he defends himself and I just laugh weakly at the innocence in his charming voice. "Anyways, you can stop fretting, we are here."

I snap my head back to the expanse of wood in front of me, and see nothing but an empty glen. A small waterfall tumbles over well-formed rocks, and an ancient tree overhangs this; its roots curling into the very foundations of the rocks, its tall and wide limbs stretch out like long arms, and it reaches high into the sky. A sturdy structure, and I note how, at its feet, it is covered in an array of wildflowers, so perfectly positioned it was as if they were deliberately sown there. The shaded stretch of grass reaches to the fringe of the circling wood, creating a feel of secluded bliss. The strong late afternoon sun dapples the scene in golden light, bringing with it a comforting warm and homely feeling. However, I see no place to rest, and as much as it is a beautiful scene, we didn't bring any camping necessities. Like blankets for instance?

"Uh...Thranduil...darlin'... I thought you said we were not camping?" I ask worriedly and frown when he laughs at the confusion in my voice.

"Oh Clara, when will you learn to stop relying on your eyes for sight!" Thranduil grins mischievously as he jumps down from Sirdal's back and strides towards the tree.

I narrow my eyes and let my keen ears pick up the faint sound of my husband whispering hushed words in a lulling tone. I lean forward and grip handfuls of the horse's mane in my hands, my senses tingling when I pick up the waves of elven magic echoing back at us. Slowly and ever so subtly, the scene changes, and like the ripples in a pool of water the image before my eyes distorts. When everything focuses again, I see that I am not just standing in a quiet and empty glade, but a tastefully drawn together elven home.

The tall tree is now housing a spilt level pavilion of talans that circle it to its mid-point, reached by carefully positioned steps that twine around the main trunk like ivy. The walls of the few rooms of this beautiful home are made of billowing gossamer and intricately carved lattice wood. An array of lamps and blooming flowers laden the ledges and railings. I see now that the well placed flowers and other plants, have indeed been strategically placed by a skilled gardener. This place feels like a dream, like a happy memory of a stolen time of bliss.

"What is this place?" I ask in wonderment when Thranduil returns to my side to help me down.

"This is my childhood," he answers me with a soft smile and ignores my look of complete bewilderment. "I spent much of my infant years here, tucked away with my Naneth. This is a place that she built for herself, and her family, although Adar never saw the point in it. He preferred the familiarity and the safety of the underground, but Nana...well Nana preferred the wild."