The first year had ended and the second year had begun, and the cold had passed. The month of April brought the warmth of the sun, and the forest began to come alive, along with the spiders. The elven guards were sent out once more to clear the forest of the enormous insects. Catalina began to be irritated with it; each and every day more spiders came, and still the guards drove them off.
Catalina expressed her feelings to Tauriel, who had become quite easy to talk to about matters concerning patrols. Tauriel agreed wholeheartedly with her, and they both resolved to report it to the king at the end of the day.
"Why hasn't he ordered us to simply annihilate them all?"
"I would like to know the answer to that myself," Tauriel said as she and Catalina walked away from the heap of dead spiders.
"Well done," Legolas's feet hit the forest floor with a thud as he jumped from the branches above.
"But more will come," Tauriel turned away from him in disgust. Legolas watched her walk away, not knowing what to say.
As the elves ventured out of the forest and began crossing the bridge, Catalina and Tauriel drew closer together, preparing themselves for the report they would give to the king. But as the guards filed into the palace, only Veryangole stood to the side, the king not in his presence.
"Where is he? He's always here."
"I don't know." Tauriel frowned and they both walked silently passed Veryangole, who avoided Catalina entirely.
"I'm sure we can find him. Do you know where he could be?" Catalina looked behind her, just in case she had missed the extremely tall blonde king.
"The gardens maybe?" Tauriel suggested.
"Possibly, but before we check there, this way. I saw him once here."
Catalina led Tauriel to the place where she had stumbled upon the king that one day.
"Are you sure?"
Catalina heard footsteps, and she nodded.
"Yes Tauriel?" His voice emanated from the room and the two young women went in. They bowed and the king nodded to her.
"I thought I ordered that nest be destroyed not two moons past." He looked at Tauriel, who had begun pacing in front of him; she was nervous.
"We cleared the forest as ordered My Lord, but more spiders keep coming up from the South." Catalina covered for her, and stepped forward. Tauriel thanked her with a nod.
"They are spawning in the ruins of Dol Guldur, if we could kill them at their source-"
"Their fortress lies beyond our borders; keep our lands clear of those foul creatures, that is your task." The king seemed to be irritated, but Tauriel continued.
"And when we drive them off, what then? Will they not spread to other lands?"
"Other lands are not my concern." He said flatly, and Tauriel stopped pacing and looked at him, confused. "The fortresses of the world will rise and fall, but here in this kingdom, we will endure."
Catalina and Tauriel looked at each other, and began turning away in defeat.
"Legolas said you both fought well today." The girls stopped. "He has grown very fond of you: Catalina as a friend, Tauriel as something else."
Tauriel looked at Catalina in near shock.
"I assure you my lord, Legolas thinks of me no more than a captain of the guard."
"Perhaps he did once, now I'm not so sure." The king walked passed them and poured himself a glass of wine.
Catalina smiled and nudged Tauriel in the ribs and winked. Tauriel smiled.
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Once Upon A Dream (Thranduil Fanfic)
Fanfiction(Completed!) When Asgard sends its princess to Middle-Earth, Odin doesn't believe that she will remember anything. But when the Elven king Thranduil is allowed to give her a relic of old times, the princess will begin to learn a little more about he...
