Chapter 55: Paintings from the past

[General POV]

-Mirkwood-

Turiel walks through the beautiful and colorful corridors of the elven kingdom, her surroundings showcasing highly advanced architecture that offers a spectacular view. The hallways are illuminated by the soft glow of the sun, with architecture that makes the most of natural light. Her long, reddish-brown hair sways gently with the soft breeze that filters through naturally, giving her an elegant appearance.

Every elf who passes by greets her respectfully; after all, she is the captain of the elven guard, which grants her a very important status.

Today was one of those days when she set out to explore the forest and, incidentally, eradicate any spiders she encountered nearby. This had been a routine for the forty years she had served as captain. It was an important task, but over the years, it began to bore her. Her adventurous spirit was still there, deeply hidden within her, yearning for the moment of its release.

She had returned from the exploration and planned to enjoy a well-deserved bath before helping in any way she could, to ward off those adventurous thoughts that occasionally surfaced, urging her to abandon her post and embark on an adventure just like Tindómiel, her role model.

However, her plan was interrupted when she was informed that the queen was looking for her. This was likely because she was the only one who had been in contact with Legolas over the past two months.

After all, her best friend had avoided contact with his parents, and she was the only one who still had occasional conversations with him. Something had changed; his happiness had faded, his once-bright eyes overflowing with joy now dimmed like a waning star.

She asked if she could help with anything, but her best friend insisted there was nothing to be done. It was clear he did not want to discuss the matter, and she respected that. So, she did the only thing she could do: be with him and offer silent support.

Her walk came to an end as she entered the royal quarters. Here, the hallways harmonized with nature, adorned with trees and flowers, and a sweet fragrance permeated the place.

The walls that upheld the structure told the story of the wood elves, their sacrifices, victories, and the shadows they endured after the founding of their kingdom. She had been allowed to come here only a few times, but each opportunity was used to admire the beauty of the place and the history painted and etched in stone.

She stopped for a moment to admire the imposing painting of King Thranduil, who stood with his sword alongside other elves, facing what was represented as orcs. Below it was an inscription in Elvish

"Thranduil, son of Oropher, took leadership after his father's death in the Battle of Dagorlad during the War of the Last Alliance against Sauron at the end of the Second Age."

In the second image, King Thranduil is shown leading an elven pilgrimage, with the Lonely Mountain in its splendor in the distance. Below it, another inscription narrates the events

"King Thranduil moved his residence to the north of the forest, near the Lonely Mountain, where he established his realm in grand subterranean halls inspired by Menegroth, the ancient abode of the elves in Doriath."

Tauriel was fascinated. No matter how many times she read it, it was astonishing that the arrogant and stubborn king of his time had been a brave elf who led his people to settle in the Greenwood, now known as "Mirkwood" due to Sauron's malevolent influence.

This thought led her to examine the third painting.

The scene depicted King Thranduil leading elven soldiers, confronting a horde of spiders and other evil creatures. Part of the landscape, originally green, was darkened, symbolizing Sauron's corruption. Beside this depiction, another inscription was visible:

"During the Third Age, the forest once called 'Greenwood' became the now known 'Mirkwood' due to the growing influence of Sauron, who took residence in Dol Guldur, a fortress in the southern part of the forest. This shadow brought darkness, evil creatures, and a constant atmosphere of danger. King Thranduil and his elves bravely resisted, maintaining peace in the northern part of the forest despite the growing threats."

Tauriel was lost in contemplation of the painting. This was the beginning of their ongoing battle against the dark creatures inhabiting the forest. These creatures were extremely troublesome; they had to frequently explore the forest, otherwise, the spiders would come ever closer to the kingdom, endangering the well-being of the other elves.

She focused her attention on her favorite depiction. In it, an elf held a silver-white sword aloft, glowing with a white light. Behind her stood the imposing figure of King Thranduil, surrounded by numerous elves, all with expressions of determination and bravery.

The elf in the painting seemed to protect them, facing a fearsome red dragon whose fury and power were depicted with unsettling realism.

She knew this dragon well the fearsome Smaug. Beneath the painting was a text complementing the image.

"When the shadow of the dragon covered the sky and unleashed its fury upon the elven kingdom, the adventurer Tindómiel, wielding her silver-white sword, stepped between the Silvan elves and the wrath of the fearsome Smaug. Her light shone like a beacon in the night, and her courage inspired all who saw her. For every onslaught of the dragon, Tindómiel responded with unyielding strength, her figure shining like a star in the gloom. King Thranduil, inspired by Tindómiel's bravery, joined the fight with his army, their bows and swords forming a barrier that kept Smaug from advancing further into the forest."

It was fascinating; no matter how many times she saw it, her radiant figure had faced the fearsome Smaug and managed to drive him back. The battle was so intense that it changed parts of the ecosystem. Many hills were erased by the fight, and in the end, Smaug fled and took refuge in Erebor. Tindómiel wanted to end his life, but Smaug had already sealed all the entrances.

She still remembered how she used to be annoyed by Smaug's cowardice in fleeing. When she asked what would happen if the dragon returned, Tindómiel only smiled and said something she still remembered to this day.

-Flashback-

"Lady Tindómiel, what will happen if the dragon comes out again?" asked a small Tauriel, her chubby cheeks and tiny figure showing how charming she was, evident from the fact that Tindómiel held her on her lap, hugging her and resting her chin on her head.

"Well, if that happens, I will return and face him again. But if I don't come back, perhaps my future son or daughter will deal with him," she said, laughing lightly, a laugh that charmed anyone who heard it. Tauriel was clearly captivated by that laughter.

"In that case, if your son or daughter comes, I will help them, and together we will fight Smaug," added an excited Tauriel, looking up to meet Tindómiel's affectionate gaze.

"In that case, I hope you take care of them if I'm not there with him or her," she said almost in a whisper. She had once visited Galadriel, who had allowed her to see the Mirror of Galadriel. There, she saw a possible future where her child fought against Smaug.

The blurred figure did not reveal their gender or appearance, but she knew it was her child because of the immense love she felt upon seeing that figure, the maternal love her mother had once spoken of. She even glimpsed an elf, clearly Tauriel, helping her child.

Later, she saw them both fighting a Balrog, which alarmed her greatly. A Balrog was no ordinary foe; they were extremely lethal, and she had nearly died at the hands of one of the few remaining ones hidden in Middle-earth.

"Lady Tindómiel, can I go on adventures with you?" asked Tauriel, pulling Tindómiel out of her thoughts. With a gentle smile, she stroked Tauriel's hair with great tenderness.

"I'm sorry, little one, but my adventures are very dangerous," she said tactfully to avoid upsetting the little girl, but she still failed, as Tauriel lowered her head sadly. Seeing the little elf's sadness, she said something more to cheer her up: "Let's do this: when you're older, I'll come back and take you with me on my adventures."

This clearly encouraged Tauriel, who brightened up upon hearing her role model's words. She nodded energetically and turned to look at her. "I'll wait for you, Lady Tindómiel," she said excitedly.

"Then it's a promise," she said as she embraced Tauriel warmly. "I hope my child is as sweet as you," she murmured, closing her eyes and enjoying the relaxing atmosphere that surrounded her.

-Present-

She sighed; she had already spent too much time reminiscing and reading the paintings. She needed to reach the queen's chamber. Just as she turned around, she was startled to find the queen standing in front of her, looking at her with great affection.

"I figured you would be here; after all, you took quite a while to come," said Thalwen, moving gracefully to stand by her side, admiring the paintings.

"I'm very sorry, Lady Thalwen; it was my negligence to be so absorbed in admiring the paintings," she said, lowering her head in apology. It was unlike her to be late, and she reproached herself for making the queen wait.

"It's alright. But now that we're here, why don't we take a walk?" Thalwen looked at her fondly. She didn't mind waiting, after all, Tauriel was like a daughter to her. Since Lady Goldberry had entrusted her to her care, she had treated Tauriel as her own child. She only knew who Tauriel's father was, she had no knowledge of who her mother was and why she was in Golden berry's care for a while, but she didn't care; she had raised her, so she was her adoptive mother.

Nodding, Tauriel straightened up and walked beside her. They began to walk together as Lady Thalwen spoke to her from time to time about the paintings further inside. These paintings depicted her meeting and subsequent marriage to Thranduil, as well as the birth of their son, Legolas.

They went on like this for a few minutes until they came to a small garden adorned with countless roses of various colors. A fountain in the center highlighted its beauty, and next to it, a small dome complemented the garden, providing a quiet place for conversation.

They both sat down. On the table was fresh fruit, clearly prepared in advance. Thalwen gently picked up a grape and lifted it to her mouth, savoring its flavor and juiciness.

There was a comfortable silence, broken by Thalwen, who initiated the conversation. "How is my son?" she asked, a hint of sadness in her voice. Since her talk with Legolas, she had not seen him; he had been avoiding her. She understood that he needed time to take it all in and she was willing to give it to him, after all, a few months was nothing in an elf's life.

"He's fine, but..." Tauriel hesitated, but the queen's encouraging look prompted her to continue. "But he is not the same. I see a lot of sadness in his eyes. When he comes back from seeing the human woman, his sadness increases. I don't know how to help him," she said, lowering her head in disappointment.

Sensing Tauriel's mood, Thalwen reached out and gently stroked her head, a gesture she had not done in many years. "Don't worry, it's not your fault. Give it a little time and it will get better," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "Besides, you can call me 'mother' when we're alone. I've raised you as my own daughter, so don't be so formal with me, dear."

Feeling even more embarrassed, Tauriel kept her head bowed until she finally looked up and said, "I'm sorry, mother." This brought a bright smile to Thalwen's face, who nodded with satisfaction.

Still feeling somewhat embarrassed, Tauriel added, wanting to understand why Legolas' mood had changed so suddenly, "Mother, can you tell me... why Legolas is like this?"

"Love," sighed Thalwen, resting her delicate hand on his cheek. She had never spoken to Tauriel of that feeling. After all, given Tauriel's behavior, it seemed impossible for her to find love, so Thalwen had not mentioned it. But if Legolas had found love with a human, Tauriel, despite her strict nature, might find love as well.

"Love," Tauriel murmured. She remembered hearing King Thranduil say that he would not allow his son to love a human because their short lives would eventually harm his son.

"What is love, will I ever feel that love?" she asked curiously. She wanted an explanation, thinking that perhaps understanding it might help her understand what Legolas was going through.

"Yes, my dear, you might feel love in the future. Perhaps someday a man will come along and evoke those feelings in you," Thalwen said warmly. She did not know who might win the heart of her beloved adopted daughter, but she hoped it would be a just man, with no malice in his heart, and above all, a brave man.

...

"Run, you fat bastards!" shouted Aldril in panic, fearing that Bëor would catch up with them. Behind them, the dwarves gasped and ran with all their might, the huge bear in close pursuit.

****

Hello, this time I come as a common human, I didn't upload a chapter because I've been in a very low mood, the girl I was going to propose to turned out to be a bad woman.

It's sad and at the same time I was a bit relieved to have found out before I proposed to her, I took these days off, besides I celebrated the independence of my country like never before to try to alleviate my inner sadness.

Remember to support me on patreon, I will be uploading chapters with more activity, since I want to distract my mind. 

"P@treon.com/Mrnevercry"