An Unexpected Trip

Chapter 27

Thranduil's POV:

The dwarves of the Iron Hills and those few remaining in the Misty Mountain all readily agreed to form an alliance, their eyes were gleaming with bloodlust at the thought of another battle to show who was the stronger race.

King Aragorn of Gondor was in no condition to fight, for he was going well into his eighties, so he sent his eldest son in his stead along with five thousand strong. Queen Arwen promised she would send a messenger to her father for me and alert him of the circumstances.

Having thanked them, I took what little provisions I needed to return home and gather my own troops.

The rest of my kin had all traveled to the Undying Lands  ten years ago, yet my son and Lord Elrond had returned for a short time as they told me of the unease they sensed from Middle Earth only four years ago.

After the Dark One and his remaining servants are permanently vanquished, no doubt they will both return to the Undying Lands. 

The dwarves will continue to live under the mountains and hills, the hobbits still  will remain unaware of the events surrounding their perfect little world and the remains of my kin will travel across the seas as well.

I know the time of Elves has long past, but will I remain here or will I travel with the rest of my kin back to our home?

A part of me yearned for the paradise of the Undying Lands, yet a bigger part of me knew that I wouldn't leave that human girl behind to face the wrath of man when they discover her.

I know I will make the right choice when the time arrives. I just hope I won't be too late in stopping all of this.

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It was two and a half days later when I arrived at the edge of Mirkwood, the sun was already starting to set.

Patting my elk on the neck, I gracefully slipped off her to speak to  my son when he appeared out of the entrance to Mirkwood.

"Ada. " Father.

Legolas greeted with a slight head bow.

I returned the gesture before asking of our army.

"naa i' hosse desiel?" Is the army ready?

"Four thousand beleg naa desiel a' Sulime ie' lle naia. "Four-thousand strong are ready to march at your command.

"i' elven tira plus i' firimar hosse ar' i' naugrim karna ten thousand. amin wonder manka ta nauva faarea. " The Elven Guards plus the mortal army and the dwarves makes ten thousand. I wonder if it will be enough.

Legolas was silent for a moment, pondering over the odds himself.

"surely, ta nauva an even match? i' Glamhoth filth will caela goblin mercenaries , n'uma doubt." Surely, it will be an even match? The Orc filth will have goblin mercenaries, no doubt.

I only nodded my head, my mind elsewhere at the moment.

"tul a. i' n'at armies shall sana y' re ri' atta a' get sinome. iire ron rakta, lye Sulime no' i' iant nost." Come. The other armies shall take a day or two to get here. When they arrive, we march on the old fortress.

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The dwarven army arrived an hour before dawn the next day with news that Aragorn's son and his army were only a few hundred leagues behind them.

The dwarves refused to feast with the rest of the elves while we waited for the others to arrive mainly due to the ever-existing animosity between our two species.

I sighed internally while glancing to the noisy and lively dwarve camps stationed strategically around my castle, from my place on the wall.

They refused to even step foot in my castle save for the Dwarven Lord of the Iron Hills.

I scowled at the remembrance of all the elven jokes they taunted with me when I came to them.

I still can't believe I allowed myself to lower my standards to such lowly levels as to ask dwarves for help. Still, there is the upside that I could put them in the front lines as payback.

Smirking to myself, I turned when my ears picked up the faint sound of a horn.

But not just any horn. The horn of Gondor.

Finally, everyone has arrived.

Calling out to one of the guards stationed at the wall , I sent him to alert Legolas and gave him the command to ready my elk as well.

As the riders of Gondor came out of the forests depths, I called forth King  Aragorn's son.

A young man with raven dark hair and fair skin jumped down from his white horse adorned with silver armor and a horse blanket emblazoned with the emblems of both the  House of Rivendell and Gondor.

The half human prince approached me and bowed with one armored arm to his chest.

"Great King of Mirkwood. I ,Hariek, son of Aragorn and the Lady Arwen, King and Queen of Gondor, present to you the finest warriors of  the city of Gondor and those of Rohan. We have come to aid you  in this battle against the dark fortress."

I returned the gesture and glanced behind the prince to see his army.

When he raised his right hand and formed it into a fist , the army 'horahed' and stomped their feet  in sync.

Prince Hariek put his arm down and the army of men stilled.

" I thank you and shall you survive this battle, I do pray you will return to Gondor  with glory and most of your limbs intact." 

Giving a cold smirk I turned and strode away from the pale-faced prince to see to my Elven elk.

 Ten minutes later, all the armies were marching in formation in the direction of Dol Guldur. 

Prince Hariek, the Lord of the Iron Hills, and I were all riding at the front.

The Dwarven Lord and his army of only a thousand rode on my right, with their leader only a few paces behind me.

Prince Hariek rode on my left, but not by my side.

Fifteen minutes later, when the very fortress my father fought to destroy stood before me, everyone stilled when they heard a shrill scream come from within the old fortress.

Without thinking of any sort of battle strategy other than attack, I unsheathed my sword and charged forward, hearing as the other armies behind me let out a battle cry before following me into the fog-covered fortress.

It was time to end this.