Chapter 10: Chapter 10

With everything that happened in the last few hours, Mistril couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned and in the end, she decided to go out and take a stroll through the kingdom. She found a nice spot near the river and lied down. The stars were shining brightly and it made her feel a lot better.

She could hear somebody approaching so she closed her eyes and acted as if she was asleep. He came and sat next to her and just kept silent. From his perfume alone and the way he breathed, she knew who it was.

"Are you really sleeping?" He asked but she preferred to continue her little act. 

Contrary to what she expected, Thranduil leaned closer and watched her carefully. From his point of view, her eyes were her best feature. One look and he always forgot where he was, he felt as if he was just an elfling once more. It was frustrating because then he had to return to the real world, which was harsh and dangerous, and lonely. 

A slight breeze brought a string of hair into her eyes and he moved it behind her ear. Then, instead of moving away, Thranduil's hand slowly and softly moved down on her cheek and her neck. Mistril's heart was beating out of rhythm like crazy. 

He probably realized what he has done because he suddenly retreated yet didn't leave. 

"What makes you so special Mistril?" He asked, not expecting an answer. 

"My skill to annoy kings," she answered, eyes still closed.

He smiled although she missed the sight. He knew she was awake from the way her breathing changed when he sat next to her. 

"Why are you out here?" 

"I can't sleep." She replied.

"Why?" 

Mistril opened her eyes and looked at the Elvenking. He was leaning on one hand as he faced her. Some of his hair was tied behind while there were a few strands falling on his shoulder.

"I watched as an orc killed my sister and another cut the head of my oldest brother. Then I was hit with something hard and fell and I woke up in a cold prison, with a chain around my neck. And this is just a touch of those bad memories," she explained staring into his eyes. 

Thranduil leaned in as if to check she was telling the truth.

"Do you hate Glorfindel?" 

"...no. I tried to but I cannot. He was my light, my little ray of hope that I clung onto for a long time." She said with a deep sigh.

"Is he still your light?" Thranduil asked, surprising Mistril. 

She moved so that she was leaning on her elbows and looked at him. His eyes were sparkling and she was sure that everyone in the kingdom could hear her heart.

"My light...is gone." She replied knowing that it was not at all about Glorfindel. "You might be right about me and it scares me. I don't want to be evil." 

Thranduil's eyes widened, taken aback by her sudden fragility. He reacted in the most bizarre way: he grabbed her by the back of her neck and wanted to bring their foreheads together but he stopped midway and froze.

"Your light flickers, it's dim, but you still have it. That's why I allowed you to stay. Everything that is evil about you is outshined by your stubbornness to keep it hidden. For Legolas," he said.

"...right. For Legolas," she whispered, her eyes falling briefly over his lips before she shrugged him off and got up. "I need to go for a jog." She said and sprinted out of there.

Thranduil remained there with an unsettling emotion. He looked down at the spot in which she laid and couldn't help but wonder about Mistril's past.

---

A few days passed since Glorfindel arrived and unlike her original plan, which was to avoid the Gondolindrim at all costs, Mistril couldn't help but follow him around. It was such a familiar feeling as if she used to do that all the time when she was young. Glorfindel didn't mind at all, he was very happy to tell her about her family and about Gondolin in general. Besides, Glorfindel's stories kept her mind off of other things.

"Your father was an incredible craftsman. He used to build different objects, not just forge swords. Whenever I had an order, even for a knife, you'd always hurry to deliver it to me. It was cute, seeing so much joy for such little actions." Glorfindel commented as they took a stroll in the garden outside the Halls.

"Why did you never scold me? Why didn't you tell me to stop?"

"I could see this ardent desire to prove yourself. You weren't coming for me, you were coming for what I could give to you and that was freedom. You were free to fight around with my soldiers, your brothers, or even me at times. You have always loved to fight, no matter the place. I'm sure you had disagreements with Thranduil." Glorfindel added seeing how she looked in the opposite direction. 

"H-he is an insufferable ellon who doesn't like to lose nor does he accept it when it happens," Mistril stuttered making the blond hero laugh. 

Truthfully, she could still feel the ghost of his touch from a few nights ago and it made her heart tremble.

"My, how alike the two of you are," Glorfindel teased her, getting a scoff and a glare from her in return. 

Dinners were especially interesting because she’d stay next to Glorfindel and eat silently while he spoke to Thranduil about this or that, small things regarding trade routes or wine or food, and so on.

Thinking about it, Glorfindel came to Greenwood with a reason and Mistril could guess it was about the fortress. They met on the way back which meant he was also sent to search for answers. The two must have spoken about it but none said a word to her. Even Faervel seemed well informed; he’d lock himself in his office or with the king and talk for hours.

But Glorfindel was keeping her busy during the day and Thranduil's soft touch kept her mind busy at night.

“Your mother played the harp. She was disappointed that her oldest daughter was so bad at it.” Glorfindel added on one of their walks.

They were very close to the spot in the woods where she felt herself shiver with a new emotion. She couldn't help but stare at it with longing. 

“What about my love for battles?" Mistril asked, although her mind was elsewhere.

“Valdaglerion was a wise elf. He taught you how to hold a sword but never how to wield it. He believed it would be better for you to live a peaceful life rather than sacrifice it by my side." Glorfindel said with a tinge of melancholy.

He could still hear Valdaglerion's worry in his husky voice as he came to the palace and vehemently urged Glorfindel to stop Mistril from ever getting into battle or even petty fights.

Glancing at the elleth, he was quite glad he didn't listen to the blacksmith, or else she would have been dead. She looked just like back then, only there was no joy, no sorrow, nothing. She looked like an empty shell. 

"And yet you let me do as I wished." She said, turning to him, sounding like she was just as glad as him with the results. 

"You used to spare with my men. I always wondered if those fights were just a game or if you were developing your own style." Glorfindel added, staring closely into those green eyes.

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"I'm sure whatever it was, it made an amusing sight." She commented trying her hardest not to smile. She was still fairly disappointed with how he abandoned her.

"It helped you fight your way through those orcs."

"Yet they still caught me." She said meekly. It was still uncomfortable just thinking about those times.

"You were outnumbered. Even so, you escaped and we are able to have this discussion now because of your swordsmanship." Glorfindel before he got a great idea. "Come with me to Imladris."

"Why would I?" She asked rising an eyebrow suspiciously.

"I will not disappoint you or myself a second time. Lord Elrond will welcome you gladly." He said, his eyes sparkling with genuine care.

"What will king Thranduil say?" She asked receiving a confused expression from the Balrog killer. "I mean, I have lived here for so long and I'm sure he will prefer to be informed of any change that might take place." she said randomly, always growing polite in her speech when she was nervous.

"I'm sure that won't be a problem," Glorfindel said slowly, watching her with a brotherly glow. "I can talk to him if you want."

"No! No, no, it's fine. Let me do it." she interfered with wide alert eyes. 

If Glorfindel had known better, which he did, he would have gone and talked to the king himself, assured that Thranduil wouldn't deny him this favor. But she seemed so keen on doing it herself that he decided he'd let her do so first and then have his personal conversation. 

---

It was past dawn when Mistril wandered around the halls, trying to avoid Thranduil as much as she could because if they'd meet then she'd have to talk to him. If she were to stay in her room, Gweluven would come and ask questions and then report everything to his king. If she were to go out, Tudor and Maerdor, and the rest would crowd for answers about the Balrog slayer. There was also Legolas, to whom Mistril felt rather guilty. She wanted to leave with Glorfindel and yet there was a part of her that knew she would miss Greenwood.

Wandering the halls, she ended up in front of the stairs down to the prison. She never went there but it seemed like the only place she could hide for a while. Step after step, it got colder and as she opened one cell and sat in, she realized it felt familiar. It was not traumatizing and it wasn't bringing up any memories but that might have been because she was focusing on the king. 

Ever since Mistril became part of Greenwood, Thranduil did nothing but send her on long errands and have her inform him wherever she was going, with whom, establish many reasons why she needed to do this or that and eventually bicker on those reasons. She chuckled as she remembered how he reacted when he found out that she volunteered at Miluinir's father's forging shop.

"What have I told you, Mistril?" the king asked, already tired of the discussion. Only seeing her face made him tired and he couldn't move over the fact that she seemed to defy him for her own amusement. "You do what I order you to. Afternoons should be have been spent with Dorondir as of last week."

"I went with him to protect a few men that came with provisions. Nothing happened on the way here so I went and met Gaerben (Miluinir's father) at his store. I watched him and it seems I am quite handy." she smiled after complimenting herself. "And anyway, I do everything you order me so I might as well enjoy myself in my free time."

"Should I take that free time away then?" he asked glaring at her even though it wasn't as imposing as before. 

"No," but her answers were still not containing that respectful word that he wanted to hear, in his position as king. "But as long as I do my chores and I do them well, I'd like to have control over what my hobbies could be. Besides, it's Miluinir's father which means you will still get a report from him on what I did that day." 

Mistril was an adult that knew how to sweet talk people into agreeing with her and yet Thranduil was so stubborn.

She laughed as she leaned back and enjoyed the silence until someone else made a bit of noise. Interestingly enough, it was Faervel. He was a ball of glum no matter how much people tried to convince her otherwise. Hinnorbes explained how he was actually a gentle and thoughtful elf but she never saw Faervel smile. He might have been for all Mistril knew but she never saw anyone disobeying Faervel, not even Legolas who was the prince. 

"What are you doing down here?" he asked looking down at her sitting figure. 

"Taking important decisions."

"Daughter of Valdaglerion," He started sounding impressed which was an improvement compared to how monotone he usually was. "Who would have imagined you come from the Fallen City." 

"It doesn't matter, though. My home and family are dead," she said, thinking that she might as well apologize if she were to leave. "I'm sorry for any type of trouble you had to go through and I'm also thankful. Maerdor told me later on that it was you who assured Thranduil that I am fit to be on guard duty."

Faervel didn't deny nor agree. It was always a mystery what he was thinking about.

"You fight well. I sent you to Dol Guldur because I knew nothing will happen," he said as he took one step closer. "I read your reports but I only gave Tudor's forward to the king. He is aware of what happens around his kingdom but he doesn't know everything the orcs mentioned in their conversations," he admitted making Mistril suddenly get on her feet.

"There is a shadow that's brooding over the fortress and it's drawing them all to it," she said growing serious. "The orcs said that he is summoning them, that he will ask for me too..." she added looking down at her hands.

Faervel seemed to have come with expectations of what the two will talk about; if she was careful enough she might have noticed that his posture was more relaxed than on many occasions they had met. 

"I know. Glorfindel said the same thing and yet nobody but you and I know what truly happened."  

"When I entered the fortress, I could feel this odd familiarity although I know I had never been there before. But it reminded me of another place, just as dark..." she stopped and closed her eyes, thinking that Faervel was probably judging her as she spoke. "He's going to be very happy to know that he was right,"

But Faervel didn't move an inch, instead, he leaned forward against the cell door. 

"Your past is yours alone. It does not involve us or Greenwood so it does not matter to me. But the king must never know what they told you or peace will be threatened inside the kingdom and suspicion will arise."

"You won't have to worry. I'll leave soon for Imladris." she said her eyes glinting with the same type of distant and controlled emotion as Faervel's. "Glorfindel came for the same reason, didn't he? He was sent to check if the rumors are true."

"Lord Elrond is a wise elf. He will know how to manage you." It almost sounded like he cared enough to mention she could be safe there.

"Did you anticipate this outcome?"

"I am a commander in the army of the Elvenking. I anticipate all the outcomes," Faervel said bluntly. "I sent my best archer with you just in case you needed him to brighten your path."

That was a surprise but it also eased her mind. 

"What did Tudor write in his report?" She asked suddenly growing curious.

"Darkness. Orcish. It doesn't get any better. But that doesn't matter as long as he is gone." he emphasized, his tone rising a bit in power.

"And if he returns?"

"Let's hope he won't. For both our safeties," He said as he turned around and left, although he did not go up into the halls, but deeper down into the prison. 

At least somebody's sincere, she thought, feeling like she has been both threatened and advised by the same person. 

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