Blessed by the Stars (Thranduil X OC Story)

Chapter 2: Happy Travels

In Caerwyn's 30th year

Caerwyn  dislodged her sword from the neck of a now twitching Orc. It's blood splattered adding to the grime that coated her hair and armor. Her hair a normal radiant white was now a dark muddy color.
She turned to one of her fellow soldiers.
" How is it there are always more of these roving bands? Have you ever seen a female orc?"

The soldier laughed " how do you even tell the difference in the genders?"

Cae (As her father affectionately called her)  shrugged and tossed an axe at one of her Dwarven compatriots
"It's the same with Dwarves , isn't it Garrett"

The young Dwarf puffed out his armored chest.
"By my mother's beard Dwarves are nothing like Orc filth."

"That still doesn't answer the question on how you tell the difference in genders if all dwarves have beards."

A sly smile spread across Garrett's face and he lifted his hands in front of him in a vulgar motion. " Oh you can tell dwarven ladies by their lovely plump mountains."

The rest of the group broke out in laughter. This merry band was more like siblings than Cae's own siblings were.
Her own twin had resented her since birth. The last time they had spoken was at Rhoswen's wedding ten years ago and that was not a pleasant conversation. And her older brother Eldarion was too preoccupied with trying to learn his duties for when he took the throne eventually.
Her younger siblings were okay, they were still young enough that they had yet to really acknowledge the fact that Cae would outlive them and their great-grandchildren. Cae sighed and her thoughts returned to the present.

With another band of Orcs decimated her small troop gathered their horses and wounded and made their way to the White City and capital of Gondor.

Cae looked regal on her war horse a gift from her brother in law Elfwine. Despite being covered in sweat , mud and orc gore. Her pointed ears poked through her haphazard braid denoting her elfin heritage. Cae being blessed with Elven immortality was always a point of contemptment between her older siblings and her(Though them being half elf , half Duindain meant their lifespans would be longer than the average man). Rhoswen hated that she aged while her twin remained forever twenty-five.

Eldarion hated the fact that Cae would far outlive him and have a legitimate claim to the throne beyond that of his own bloodline.

Cae didn't really care about either of those things. She had no interest in ruling Gondor. And as for her permanent youth it's not like she had a choice in the matter. Cae believed that Rhoswen really resented the fact that Cae didn't have to deal with monthly cycles.

Her mother had explained elven physiology to her once it became evident that she was not mortal like her siblings but she had to admit that she was only half listening. Her brain was more focused on the sparring sessions that were happening in the courtyard below.

Cae pulled her squadron to a halt a mile outside of the city gates inside of a grove of trees. She looked at Idwal, her half-elven assassin and Spymaster. And He pulled a silver mask out of his saddle bag. There were two holes for the eyes. And it went over her nose and the top of her upper lip and then slanted down in a crescent , her chin and and mouth the only thing left uncovered by the mask with its swirling silver designs.

Cae released a frustrated sign as the mask slid into place.

Maccus (her middle aged Spearman originally from Rohan) chortled, "If you hate the mask so much lass, why do you still wear it? Its not like ye have to worry about assassins anymore."

Cae looked sidelong at her aging friend, " I think the fact that I had to deal with them in the first place as a child, speaks for itself. Plus, there is an added bonus of privacy in the fact that beside the assembled few here and Madam Felipa nobody knows my face. "