Chapter 2:  Decisions

Thranduil stirred slightly as he nestled closer to the familiar warmth that was holding him.  In his half sleep he could hear low voices but could not focus on any one in particular.  Thranduil was sure that he did not want to wake up.  He could tell he was not in his bed and the memories of being woken in the middle of the night were coming back to him.  Though he was slowly beginning to wake up, he pretended to still be asleep.

“You misunderstand me, Aniraêl.  We cannot go back because there is nothing to go back to!”

“Nothing?”

“Dior is dead and Menegroth is destroyed.  I brought what I could fit in my pack.  They did a thorough job of destroying everything they could.”

“Are we all that is left? Just the few families hiding here?”

“Another group has escaped and are following the river to Sirion.  Elwing is with them and she is taking.. it.. with her.”

There was a long silence after that and Thranduil found himself drifting back to sleep.  He did not know what they were talking about and was still too tired to think about it.  Instead he just nestled closer.  When he awoke again, the grown-ups were still talking.

“Lord Oropher, what of my husband?  He rushed out to join the fight when the attack began, but I have not seen him since he left.”

Thranduil never heard the answer to the elleth’s question, he only heard her anguished cry.  He opened his eyes and sat up.  He had heard his ada’s name.  It was only after sitting up that he realized he was sleeping in his father’s arms.  With a cry of his own, Thranduil threw his arms around Oropher’s neck and found himself enveloped in the warmth and security he had been looking for the previous night. 

Thranduil felt sorry for the elleth, but he was just glad to have his ada back.  As he clung to Oropher tightly, he saw his nana go with the other elleth a little way away.  He could not hear what they were saying, but he saw his nana hug the other elleth, then turned back to his ada when he heard him speaking softly to him.

“You are safe, little one, and we are together.  Nana and I will not let anyone hurt you.”

“Ada! I called you but you did not come!” he said accusingly.  “ I saw… I saw…” Thranduil was not certain he could explain what he saw.  He knew he saw bad things but he did not think he could make his ada understand how scared he had been.  Feeling tears begin to sting his eyes, Thranduil leaned his face against Oropher’s chest.

“Shhh, I know, ion-nin.  I came to you and nana as soon as I could.”

“Nana said to be brave and I tried to but I cried.”

“Crying was not shameful, Thranduil.  You were frightened and did not know what was happening.”

Thranduil dragged a sleeve across his eyes and looked up.  “What was happening, ada?  Why are we here and when can we go home?”

The look on his ada’s face was not one that Thranduil could easily recognize and he thought maybe he had asked something he should not have.

“How would you like to go to a new home?” his ada asked after a long pause.

Thranduil was confused.  He already had a home and he wanted to go there.  He had his own bed in his own room with his toys and his clothes and his friends were here too.  He did not see the need to go somewhere else.

“I like our home now, ada.” He said, suddenly feeling worried. 

“Well yes, of course.  But in a new place you would be able to help nana and I decide where we wanted to live and which room would be yours and what furniture you would like. In fact, you can even help decide what colour you would like your room to be.  And just think of the adventure of going to a new place.”

Thranduil thought about that.  He sniffled before managing to nod at his ada.  It did seem like it might be fun to go on an adventure.  He would definitely be braver for this adventure.  But what about his things?  What about all of their things?  Nana had lots of nice clothes and Thranduil himself had many things that he did not want to leave behind, and more than just toys.

“How are we going to move my bed?”  he asked after a moment of silence.

“Well you will get a new bed,” his ada replied.  “Perhaps you can help me make a bed for you, that would make it very special.  The important thing is that we are all together and we can take care of each other.  Our belongings are not so important.  They can always be replaced, little one.  Remember that.  Lives are far more important than belongings.”

Thranduil considered that.  If he and his ada made a new bed for him it would be very special, of course, but so was his other one.  He had not had that bed very long because he was too small to have a big bed before.  Looking at his ada, it seemed to Thranduil that it did not matter all that much if he wanted to go somewhere else or not, they were going to go.

“Will the dwarves be able to get us, ada?”

The look on his ada’s face was one that he easily recognized.  He was confused. 

“The dwarves?” he asked.

Thranduil nodded.  “Did the dwarves come back? Is that why we had to run out and why there was…” Thranduil tried not to think about what he had seen.  It was too frightening.  “Why everyone was running everywhere?”

Before he knew it, Thranduil found himself wrapped up in his ada’s arms again.

“No, little one, there were no dwarves.”

“But...” He wanted to ask why they were outside in the forest instead of in their rooms.

“There are some people who would hurt others just to get things that they want for themselves, ion nín.  It is wrong to hurt others because you want something for yourself.”

Thranduil thought about that for a minute.  “Ada?  Was it elves?  Did they want the king’s necklace like the dwarves did?”

When no answer came right away, Thranduil looked at his ada.  His ada looked at him and then nodded.

“Yes.  They were elves and they want the necklace of the king because it is very special.”

“I would never hurt anyone to steal things from them,” he said softly, “not even special jewels.”

“I am very happy to hear that, ion nín.”

“You will be with us when we go somewhere new, though Ada, right?”

Thranduil’s ada smiled and nodded as he gave him a squeeze, “Of course I will.  I can not leave you and nana to go off on an exciting adventure without me.”

Thranduil smiled and threw his arms around his ada’s neck.  “I will let you go with us then,” he declared.

A sudden thought occurred to Thranduil.  He knew that his ada said that it was okay that he cried and that he was still brave, but he couldn’t help but wonder if even though it was okay, it was going to change other things. 

“Are you still going to make sure I get my own bow that is my size even though I was not brave for nana?”

“I think you were plenty brave for nana, Thranduil, and as soon as… well as soon as I can I will make sure you get a bow.”

Thranduil smiled.  He had been looking forward to getting his very own bow and was glad that his ada still thought he was big enough to have one.  Thranduil’s ada told him that bows were the first things that elves hunted with and used to protect themselves - even before they had swords - and Thranduil wanted one of his own so he could learn how to hunt… and protect his family.

*** tbc ***