Before the End

Chapter 6

Othon and Nestor were walking down the hallways the next morning. They were going to do some target shooting and maybe practice hand-to-hand combat. They weren't part of the elven army, but Thrandruil still wanted them to fight when the time came. The two were the best fighters in the kingdom.

When they got there, Nestor spotted Calithiel shooting her bow and arrow. The target had at least three arrows in the bulls eye, each splitting the previous one. Many soldiers were staring at her in awe. They didn't expect someone to do it, maybe Legolas, much less a women. Tauriel, when she was the captain, could hit the bulls eye, but her arrows didn't split each other. Now that she's in Erebor with Kili, Othon's older brother took up the captain of guard job.

Calithiel knew that the soldiers were watching her, she didn't care. They think that women should be in gowns with their makeup all done trying to get suitors. They thought women were weak and it made her furious when people across Middle Earth would always tell her when they saw her weapons.

"Care for a fight, like good old times," Nestor's voice said beside her ear.

Calithiel spun around to face him, raising a brow. "Sure, but no whining when I beat you." Both of them knew that she could defeat him within a minute.

They stood in front of each other. Calithiel spun her twin swords, trying to show off. She wanted them to know that she isn't weak. She was stronger than everyone here.

They started circling each other. Calithiel wanted this to be over quickly. Hell, she was hungry. Nestor got his sword ready. Neither of them making the first move.

Calithiel swung. Nestor had to quickly block it. She was fast, faster than she was 500 years ago. She kept swinging, Nestor could barley dodge them. She hooked her leg on his ankles, pulling his feet from underneath them.

Once he was on the ground, the breath knocked out of him, she put one of her swords to his neck. The fight lasted a little more than 30 seconds. Everyone around them was in shock and awe. Even Nestor was. She fought better than he remembers.

"How?" he barely got it out.

She looked down on him. The look in her eyes made him squirm. "The naive little girl that you once knew, is long gone. She left when her so call brothers left her." Calithiel was beyond angry, she felt rage swell up in her.

Nestor's face fell. He knew he hurt her, but not this much. It broke his heart.

Calithiel walked through the crowd, feeling Othon's gaze on her. It nerved her that he had to see her like that, definitely changing his view on her. She felt broken.

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Calithiel headed to the royal dining room to quickly grab something to eat. She was still thinking about the look on Othon's face. She was deep in thought when she ran into someone.

The person quickly turned around. It was the person she didn't want to see, Othorion. He was the captain of the guard and brother of Othon, though she didn't know that part.

"Welcome back, my lady," he said with venom in his voice. Anybody could see that they hated each other. When she was in Mirkwood long ago, they always butted heads. They never agreed and he always insulted her family and her. "I heard that you returned and found that idiotic brother of yours."

Rage coursed through her. She grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall, taking the upper hand. "Say something about my brother again and I'll slit your throat."

Of course, at that moment, Othon and Nestor turned the corner hearing only the last part. Nestor quickly split the two apart. Othon glared at his brother, technically his adopted brother. He never liked Othonion.

"What the hell is going on here?" Nestor pretty much yelled. Calithiel was seething. Nestor never took her side in anything, thinking she was the bad guy.

"Oh you know, sticking up for you little brother. I guess you never expected that of me did you?"

Nestor was speechless.

Othonion looked at his little brother. "There you are little brother, I was looking for you."

This shocked Calithiel, but she pushed that away and looked at Othonion again. "I meant what I said. Say something else about my family, you'll wish you were never born."

A cough sounded throughout the hallway. The group spun around to find Thrandruil. Othon, Othonion, and Nestor quickly bowed, showing respect. Calithiel stood still. Thrandruil raised an eyebrow silently asking if she would bow too.

She smirked. He wasn't her king. He should be bowing to her. Not the other way around.

The three men were shocked that the king didn't yell at her.

"Calithiel, I was looking for you. Come with me."

Before following, she turned and gave a mock salute to the men and followed Thrandruil.