Back To You (Thranduil Fanfic)

Part Eleven

Lúthien wheezed as the cloaked man approached her from the shadows. He placed his lantern on the ground as he crouched down beside her.

"It's alright, do not be afraid." The man pulled back his hood, revealing his face to her

"You...you're him aren't you?"

"I'm Eris, I've come to help you." His eyes scanned her injury "But your wounds are far too severe for me to treat here."

"No, please." Lúthien begged "Just end it."

"You're time on this earth will not come to end so soon, you will live."

Eris took her frozen hand in his, and it was as if she were sitting next to a fire. His touch brought warmth to her entire being, and her shivering ceased.

"What did you do?" She looked up at him in shock

"A simple spell, you must be freezing."

"thank you."

"Don't thank me yet flame, there's still much work to be done."

"What... are you talking..about?"

"I need to get you home, I'm really sorry about this." Eris scooped his arms underneath her legs and back, picking her up as gently as possible

Lúthien hissed in agony "And where's that?"

"Forgive me." He said simply

She looked over at him as he placed his palm on her cheek. Immediately her eyes began to flutter and she fell into a deep sleep.

"Rest now flame, for tomorrow you shall be reborn."

                                     *+*

Thranduil and Elros had ridden all night, and by morning they made it to the end of the river. They both stopped their horses as soon as they saw the crimson snow.

The King eagerly dismounted his horse and rushed to the pool of of blood. Immediately he began searching for a trail, something that would eventually lead him to Lúthien. But his efforts were in vain, they couldn't find a single trace of her.

"She's gone." Thranduil breathed, he tried to prepare himself for what he was about to find. But finding nothing at all felt so much worse. "Lúthien's truly gone, Elros tell me where she could've gone."

He looked down at his King, ashamed that he couldn't give him a proper answer. "I don't know Thranduil. Nobody would've been able to get up and just disappear like this."

"You said you imprisoned the assassin, did you not?" The King said turning around to face him

"I did."

"There has to be something he knows, we've got to get it out of him. I won't give in so easily, not with Lúthien still out there somewhere."

Elros couldn't help but pity his King. The false hope he kept giving himself would soon become to difficult to bear.

Thranduil and Elros arrived at the palace before the night had begun to fall. Everyone around them were disappointed that they had returned without Lúthien. The entire household prayed that they would, hoping that their King would have some closure.