Two days later, Lorinor was among a small group of scouts that went north of Zelenolesie. And there, on the border of the forest and the Grey Mountains, the detachment was attacked by Orcs. Elves were too few, they retreated back into the forest. Lorinor was the last to cover the retreat, and the sheep arrows caught him. He still reached the forest and fell under the first trees.
Ellerian's cousin was buried in a light glade, not far from the forest palace. Like all the elves of the Golden Flower family, the golden elanor blossomed on his grave from early spring until the first snow.
With this death, Thranduil's loneliness became complete. The king had no friends, only his subjects. And with him happened exactly what Lorinor's parents had warned against. Thranduil fenced off from the world with an icy wall. Closed in cold arrogance and contemptuous indifference to everything and everything. King of the Great Greenwoods took good care of his subjects, tried to maintain good relations with his neighbors. But the mask of absolute insensitivity was never taken off before anyone.
Chapter 10. Life is alive!
Not paying attention to the icy wind, the Forest King was standing on the edge of the abyss, holding on to the rock with his hand in a heavy glove. His gaze was still gray, but he did not see any smoldering wreckage of fighting machines, or thousands of killed soldiers of different nations, or those who roamed the battlefield, finding survivors, sorting the dead by their races. And before the eyes of the king all crowded expensive images, he went so far on the trails of memory that he stopped to hear what was happening around him.
* * *
Thranduil took care of his son, tried to ensure that the boy grew up fully developed, studied martial arts and at the same time learned all the elven sciences. The king was looking for teachers for the young prince and even invited a wise scientist from Imladris (for a while). And as a reward for the lessons with Legolas gave the collector of elven history an opportunity to continue the work of Laurenaro. But Thranduil did not allow his son to approach him. And talks about his mother did not allow at all. And over time, the boy stopped asking questions. Moreover, the forest elves could tell him almost nothing about Ellerian.
The young prince was eager to learn everything, very soon he became one of the best shooters in the kingdom. Legolas also knew the story perfectly well, understood maps and various writings, was able to draw and compose songs. But as he grew up, he began to show in his relationship with his father the same coldness and estrangement that he had always seen from him.
* * *
Will we ever be able to overcome this barrier? Trandyl swore himself an oath that he would do anything to do so when his son returned home. If he comes back... "No!!!! It can't be, it can't be, it can't be, it has no right to happen so that Legolas doesn't come back! - The exhausted father shouted in his mind - we did not part as enemies! And the reason he left was not me! He will come back... His native land will call him back. After all, he is a kvando! It means that part of his fairy remains forever in the land where he came to this world... And when he comes back... I will tell him everything... Ellerian's son has the right to know what his mother was like...
Tauriel approached so quietly that Tranduel did not hear her, did not smell her. The warrior maiden looked at the battlefield recently. But seeing so much death was beyond her power... Feeling like a lonely leaf, ripped off by the mad wind from her native branch and carried away in the unknown place, the girl looked up to the king, instinctively looking for support and protection. And suddenly she whispered in amazement:
- Your Majesty... You have tears... Are you crying too?
Thranduil turned his back on the unwelcome companion and convulsively swallowed it. Then suddenly he looked at her straight and hard:
- Do you think you're the only one in Arda who suffered the pain of loss? - The king led with his hand, pointing to the battlefield. - Do you know how many tears will spill over those who are lying there now? Among them are those who were loved more than life... And they lie there and never return to their loved ones! Those who left do not hurt anymore... But the rest of us...
Thranduil turned his back on the girl and stopped talking for a long time. Tauriel was also silent, comprehending the King's words. Her gaze wandered through the field of death, she tried to realize how many broken, broken fates hides this smoky space, how much pain was born in the world that day... Something was changing, breaking, turning over in her tormented soul. The fierce wind lifted bitter smoke from the valley, threw bitter tears in the face of two elves, tore bitter tears from long eyelashes and carried away... Thranduil suddenly started talking quietly and tenderly, addressing the girl:
- Don't try to bury your beloved yourself, call the dwarves, have them perform the funeral rite as they should... And you will stay with him until the end, spend... Then go back to the forest palace, your place of the captain of the guard remains with you.
- Lord... But how did I... After all, you forbade me to come back...
- I lift my ban. Now your life is at a turning point. It is not easy to cross the threshold, but if there are those who can help and support, it will be a little easier... But if you tell anyone about what you saw now, I will kill you with my hand...
Tauriel was silent for a long time, looking away. Lord Tranduel was right about everything... She just didn't know, didn't see, that under the mask of ruthlessness and cold indifference lurks deep wisdom and understanding... And a good heart, though brutally wounded... The Elven maiden raised her trusting and open eyes at her king:
- I won't say anything to anyone, I swear... I promise that I will return to the palace, only, sir, please... I don't want to be captain of the guards anymore! Let me enroll as a student in a healer! I will learn to heal for real, to heal body and soul. I will devote my whole life to this! I don't want to take anyone's life anymore, I want to keep...