runando ~ A Thranduil Story

Judgement

"I cannot believe he would even dare to think of such a thing!" Laineth cried, angrily pacing back and forth while Issel nervously watched on from the other end of the clearing, "I could just...Ugh!" She made a strangling motion with her hands, her head flying back as she became more unable to contain her emotions.

Anxious to try and calm her friend, Issel stepped forward, hand peacefully out to reach for her shoulder. With a shaky inhale, she spoke, "Laineth, you know our dear Thranduil, he is most jealous in the simple times. You know how he is not on good terms with the Noldor, Glorfindel is not the most favorable visitor to pass through the realm."

Spinning to come eye to eye with her, Laineth almost screamed. To say she was frustrated was a huge understatement, to have Thranduil practically accuse her of infidelity just because she walked in with Glorfindel was ridiculous! How dare he mistrust her in such a way?

"Not on good terms with the Noldor? Huh, I never would have known! It is evident now Issel, he even holds a prejudice against me, not for being the daughter of Sauron, oh no he couldn't care less about that, but because my mother was Noldorin, a princess at that! Glorfindel has never laid a finger upon Thranduil nor his ginormous ego and he would never say such horrible things about him. In Lindon, our people are respectful! We do not go around accusing our kin of such heinous crimes, how dare he?!"

Knowing that there was only one person who would be able to sufficiently calm Laineth and knowing that that person was not her, all Issel could do was offer up a bottle of wine she pulled out from under the vast lengths of her dress. Laineth's fiery eyes darted down towards the bottle and she snickered in amusement, swiping the bottle from Issel's grasp and popping the cork off, downing a few large gulps in a matter of seconds.

"Y'know, Glorfindel probably won't come back now. I shall just have to travel to him if I desire to see him again. He knew my uncle and mother, I assume, I would quite like to have a conversation with him without my pesky paranoid King hanging over our heads, watching our every move, listening in on every word." She groaned, aimlessly passing the wine back to Issel, although the bottle was already half empty.

Slumped up against a tree, Laineth gazed up at her friend who hovered over her, a concerned glint in her eye. "Issel?" She asked, gesturing for her to come closer. Issel did so, leaning down so she could whisper into her ear. "I greatly desire to go to Lindon, but I can't while there is the threat of plague hanging over the forest. Do you think that you could convince Thranduil to let me go though? I desire to see my ancestors' homeland."

Issel knew that a trip to Lindon would calm Laineth's jittery nerves, she had never been so restless. The arrival of Glorfindel had put a spring in her step, a very adventurous spring. Giving her friend a sympathetic smile, she nodded, "I can try, but no promises, I don't want to get on Thranduil's bad side."

Laineth opened her mouth to speak again, but halted suddenly, holding her hand up to Issel in an urge to prevent her from doing anything. Her eyes followed the treeline around the clearing as if she was searching for something, she sensed something, or someone. Issel almost spoke, but Laineth's hand flew up to cover her mouth, the only noise she made being a shocked squeal.

Slowly, Laineth stumbled to her feet albeit silently, almost looking like a disorientated snake. Moving to the center of the clearing, she reached down underneath her dress and for a moment, Issel thought she was adjusting her undergarments but was pleasantly surprised to see her hand reappear with a small dagger in hand. Of course Laineth would be armed at all times. As still as one of the trees, she stood and watched for any movement among the forest.

Then, all of a sudden, she launched the dagger through the air so briskly that it made a high pitched whistling sound, almost like an arrow. It made an abrupt halt in a tree, making a stubborn thump as it did so.