*。☆。
★。＼｜／。★
˚ ₊ ♡ ❰ BALLAD OF BROKEN SWORDS ❱
*✧ ─── ❝ ❪ A BLANKET OF STARS ❫ ❞
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˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ ACT ONE  ── ad melinora 🏹 ⁺⑅

═════════ ☆•° °•☆ ═════════
CHILDREN OF ARDA DUOLOGY  ⋆ ☄.
♯ ❝ THEN WE SHALL REMAIN NAMELESS ❞
CHAPTER ELEVEN ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
˚ ₊ ♡ the third age ─── year 2950
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━━ ˚ ₊ ♡ 🏹
❝ 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝘧𝘰𝘳
𝘢 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝙨𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙚 ❞

*✧ ─── IT IS ONLY UNDER A BLANKET OF STARS THAT GYDA FINDS HERSELF SEEING THE NAMELESS ELLON AGAIN TWO WEEKS AFTER THEIR FIRST ENCOUNTER. AT FIRST GLANCE HE LOOKS LIKE ANY OTHER GHOST haunting the halls of Mirkwood, but keen elven eyes recognise his posture even if they have only met once. Her fast pace towards her quarters falters mid-step on the stairs in the courtyard leading inside, the warm torch glow calling her to rest, but another unseen force is stronger, its grip more alluring and after a moment's path, Gyda's pivots around, boots hitting the cobblestone in a hurry when she watches the silvery-blonde whisps of hair disappear behind a pillar in the distance.

Gyda knows it leads towards the bridge they crossed to get into the famed Mirkwood halls, and her heart stutters a worried beat at the idea of crossing the safe borders of the Elven Kingdom and into the dark and evil riddled woods. But despite the flicker of fear that runs to her body like a cold shiver, Gyda pushes it aside and fastens her pace.

When she turns the corner, darkness greets her, no person in sight as she stares at the dark woods up ahead. She takes a tentative step forward, and another, and another and another one until she stands at the edge of the bridge. Cobbled stone morphs into soil beneath her feet. Her hand automatically reaches for the hilt of her sword, the leatherbound handle reassuring to touch. She lets her hazel eyes wander around her surroundings. From the broken tree branches on the ground to the owl hooting from its home.

For a moment Gyda thinks she made it up, that her tired-state made her imagination run wild. She's ready to move back around, turn in for the night close to the flames and warmth of the hearth in her room, but then she hears it. Shuffling feet on fallen leaves. She knows the sound well.

She turns around again, trying to pinpoint the sound, and without thinking she starts walking further away from Mirkwood's safe haven and into the evil infested forest. She feels oddly calm beneath the great overhanding boughs over outer trees. Their trunks huge and gnarled, their branches twisted, their leaves dark and long with ivy trailing all the way to the ground. But throught all the dark, dreary and eerie darkness, Gyda spots a glimmer of light reflected on silver-blonde hair. It's still far, but her well-trained eyes spot it easily now.

She quickens her pace again, breaking out in a small sprint to catch up on the nameless ellon, but sadly it seems he doesn't know she tries to catch up ━ or does not want her to follow. Gyda is not sure. She follows the path further and further into the woods, eyes trained on the weaving figure in the distance. She ducks beneath a gnarled low hanging branch but when she looks up again, noting the ellon is no longer in sight and she stops in her tracks. She strains her ears to pick up on a sound, but nothing out of the ordinary stands out to her.

"Raich." She curses under her breath, twirling around in the hopes of spotting him again.

She holds her breath, head tilting sideways and she perks up as the familiar whoosing sound of an arrow soaring through the air reaches her. It takes her a moment to find the direction it came from ━ luckily sounding close by, before she takes of again.

Gyda spots his hair before she sees anything else. She makes sure to make noise as she approaches him. She pushes a low hanging branch aside and her heart stutters again as he twirls around, drawstring of his bow already pulled back, the tip of the arrow glinting in the moonlight as it is pointed at her.

"It's you." The ellon whispers and Gyda manages to shed the tension from her body as he lowers his bow again.

It is then she spots the thing behind him.

The large spider is as dark as obsidian, its eyes still have a sheen of wetness over them that reflects the moonlight. The arrow protruding from the side of its head is burrowed deep and Gyda carefully walks closer in curiosity. "Is this why you're here?" she asks out loud, glancing over her shoulder at the silver-blonde ellon.

He is watching her with an expression she cannot quite place, but she thinks nothing of it. She only had one conversation with the elf, it is not up to her to decipher his thoughts nor think anything of them.

He nods in confirmation. "The latest patrol reported they were getting closer to our border. I wanted to go an see for myself."

Gyda hums, crouching down to look closer at the ghastly creature before wrapping her fingers around the arrow and pulling it out. It comes out easier than she had expected. Standing up again, Gyda holds the arrow out towards the Woodland elf with a small smile gracing her lips. "I get wanting to check such things out." She breaths out. "I do it myself often around the river Bruinen for stray orcs raiding the land."

"Do you hail from Imladris?"

Gyda shakes her head." No... I am from Lindon. What's left of it at least."

A smile spreads on his face at her words, "I heard about your entrance here━ "

Gyda flinches.

"━ it was quite...an unexpected way of greeting."

"My anger rolled from my tongue before I could stop myself." Gyda tells him honestly.

"King Thranduil can bring out such qualities fairly easily I am afraid."

Gyda nods, "I am all very new to this, to the politics and silver tongued words."

"It must be." The ellon twirls his arrow around, "responsibilities can be terribly burden I am afraid."

"They are. But I pride myself in carrying them." Gyda replies before noise catches both their attention. "Do you think there are more?" She whispers worriedly, drawing her sword from its sheath.

"Could be."

Its like the forest holds it breath and for one long, seemingly never ending second everything is quiet. Gyda can only hear her heart hammering in her ribcage before chaos erupts like a bursting volcano.

Snarls resound from above her and the Woodland elf and they can both barely jump aside before one of those foul spiders hits the ground, fangs snapping at the two elves. Gyda juts her sword forward, slashing at the obscene creature but it moves away from her faster than she imagined it would.

She is so focused on the beast in front of her, one she had never encountered before, she does not notice the one approaching her from behind. She has barely any time to register what is happening when a large, powerful force crashes into her back. She can hear it screeching in her ear when she hits the ground harshly.

She cough and manages to twist her body around the large spider legs and she comes face to face with its beady eyes staring at her. She grunts, moving her hands up to catch its fangs as it snaps at her. Her knuckles start turning white from the sheer force she needs to hold on, brow furrowed in concentration.

Her breathing gets more labored by the second as fear creeps In before she kicks her leg upwards in a desperate attempt to get free. It gives her the distraction she needs and she crawls backwards towards where she dropped her sword.

She scrambles back to her feet, sword clutched tightly between both hands as the obscene creature approaches her rapidly. She watches as it launches itself in the air and Gyda runs towards it before letting herself fall to her knees. She glides over the loose soil, sword raised upwards as the spider flies over her head.

The sharp edge of her sword meets little resistance as it slices easily through its skin, ripping the foul creature open from beneath. It screeches in pain as blood spurts from its body.

Gyda catches herself from falling over with her left hand, glances over her shoulder as if to check the spider really died. But she has no time to waste as another snarl echoes in the small clearing. Gyda notices another dead spider, an arrow protruding from its head before her gaze flickers towards the ellon.

He is surrounded by three of them and Gyda wastes no time running towards him. With precision she leaps onto the back of the first on, using it as a stepping stone to launch herself at the second with her sword raised high above her head.

She strikes in a downward motion, sword moving straight in its head, splitting it in two. She rolls over the ground before pushing herself up again. An arrow whizzes past her and lodges itself in one of the legs of a spider that comes towards her. It tumbles as its leg caves in.

Jumping backwards, raised sword in hand, Gyda and the woodland elf circle around with each other, backs pressed together. She is breathing heavily, sword arm aching from the strenuous movements from her earlier fight with the spider. The touch of the ellon at her back is warm, comforting ━ a reassurance she's not alone in battle.

They simultaneously move, Gyda jolts her sword forward whilst the woodland elf releases his nocked arrow. The sword cuts one of its legs clean of, dark blood spurting on her leather tunic, and sticking to her skin. The foul creature stumbles, but still snaps its fangs and raises another leg.

She gets swiped and manages to intercept its snapping fangs with her sword just in time. Pushing the beast back with her sword, she wings her sword backwards before launching herself forward. She dashes forward, swords swinging at its head.

She watches its head roll on the ground, bouncing off of the soul once before crashing against a tree trunk. Its body drops in front of her just as the ellon kills the other spider with an arrow through one of its eyes.

Gyda lets herself fall next to the spider's head, letting her head lull back against the rough-feeling tree trunk. Tense muscles relaxing and eyes closing to take in the moment of peace. She hears shuffling, before the familiar warmth returns. His shoulder is pressed against hers. "I'm glad we did not encounter those foul creatures during our journey here." She states breathlessly.

The elf chuckles heartedly, "I'd wish they left our homelands"

Gyda chuckles but she does not say anything else as she gaze upwards, staring through the canopy of leaves above her, and towards a small gap where moonlight shines through.

"I feel strange, not knowing your name." The ellon speaks up softly and Gyda feels his gaze on the side of her face.

"Strangers often make for the best company." Gyda says calmly, "it be a sorrow to ruin it now, with my departure only days away."

"Then we shall remain nameless, in favor of good conversation."

"You know, your fighting is not bad for a Woodland elf." The jest tumbles from her lips before she can stop herself.

"You're not too bad yourself for an outsider." He shakes his head, laughter escaping his pale lips as je nudges her shoulder with his own. "I see why they have chosen you as their representive."

Gyda hums. "it's my duty as captain of the guard." She offers as answer, "I've trained my whole life to fight. It's something I was born to do you know. It's my path and legacy. I could do this for days, but sitting in a dining hall entertaining guest, hiding my temper, stroking egos? Those are not skills I am in possession of."

Gyda pauses, mind drifting back to Imladris. "The Aranel, she doubts her skills, I've seen it the moment we left through the gates of Lindon's keep. She might not be skilled with sword or spear, she might still waver at the sight of danger. But she has persevered through so much despite it. And she knows how to fill a room with warmth, to make other like her. She will be a good queen one day. Maybe an impulsive, one. Maybe one who will always be afraid? I don't know. But she will be a great one."

"She sounds wonderful."

"She is as much good company as she is trouble." Gyda chuckles. "both plenty often and equally. I never knew why my father thought we'd be a good match, like he was with the High-King. We were, we are as opposite as night and day..."

"But you compliment each other." The ellon finishes her trail of thoughts.

"We do." Gyda nods. "We make each other better. Even if I don't like the discussion and arguments happening before we reach an agreement."

Gyda looks up at the stars again, a content smile on her face. "We'd make good friends, if we'd put in the effort."

"Then you should." The silver haired elf states.

And Gyda knows exactly where to start.

*。☆。
★。＼｜／。★
𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝘣𝘺 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙮 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭
𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳

─ andrzej sapkowski

⋆⋅ ━━━━ ‧ ༻✩༺ ‧ ━━━━ ⋅⋆

MIRKWOOD'S HALLS SEEM ABANONDED WHEN GYDA FINDS HERSELF WANDERING THROUGH THE CORRIDORS THE NEXT MORNING WITH A GOAL IN MIND. SHE HAD HOPED TO FIND SOME ELVEN guards stationed around like they had been during their entire stay. Especially during the times she and Cerwyn had to discuss the standings between Lindon, Imladris and Mirkwood with King Thranduil. Meetings in which Gyda felt especially on edge after her first encounter with Thranduil.

The cobblestone steps were rough beneath her feet as she descended deeper into the cavern, fingers trailing alongside the cold carved-out stone, shadows flickering as the torches lined upon the wall warmed her skin. The silence hangs in the air like a heavy rain cloud, each miniscule sound echoing in her ears. Straining her ears, Gyda notes the soft and familiar footfalls of one of the Silvan elves she'd seen on her first day.

Quickening her pace, Gyda rushes down the last couple of stairs before swiftly turning right into a smaller, more narrow corridor. It's far less lit, and more eerie than the main hallways she had taken during her stay.

The footfalls sound more clearly as she gets closer, and she picks up the sound of humming. The tune unfamiliar to her. Peeking around the corner, Gyda notes an open oak door, light escpaping through the small cracks.

"Hello?" She calls out, and as soon as the first syllable leaves her parted lips, the humming stops. Gyda waits a moment as shuffling resounds from behind the door before a familiar green eyes, and red haired Silvan elf appears. Her hair is twisted in an intricate design as she smiles kindly at her.

Gyda returns with one of her own, "Sorry to disturb you." She murmurs and the elven girl shuffles closer as the Noldorian elf holds up the bow she'd used for training with the others. "The wood used for this bow, it is unfamiliar to me. I noticed it was lighter than what we use for our glaives, but just as strong. What is it?"

The redheaded elf clasped her hands in front her navy colored dress, "Our bows are made off of the wood of the arbor fortis. They're native to Mirkwood's forest!" She exclaims excitedly.

Gyda nods, fingers caressing the beige wood. "Could you lead me to a workplace perhaps? One where I can find myself some to work with?"

The elleth nods feverishly, "Of course! My adar is one of the elves who work there! He's the best!"

Gyda has no time to contemplate a response when the girl grasps her hand and interlaces their fingers. She gets pulled back up the stone steps, their shadows racing up the stairs beside them as they get closer to the courtyard where they usually train. The redheaded elleth giggles every step they take and Gyda is surprised at her quick pace.

"Soles!" a deep voice resonates from up ahead, and the girl stops in her tracks as she stares with wide green doe eyes at an approaching ellon. He's tall, even so for en elf, and his pale blue gaze is piercing as her regards them, but he has the same fiery red hair as the little girl. He squares his Shoulders and straightens his back as he walks closer to the pair. "What are you doing sellig?"

"She wanted to know where the workshop was adar!" The girl bounces up to the ellon in quick steps, wrapping her small arms around his waist.

The ellon's face morphs into a warm smile as she does, hard edges smoothening and his furrowed brows relax. "What business do you have in our workshops?"

This time Gyda masks her emotion carefully under his scrutinizing gaze. "I am in search for wood from the arbor fortis. I am in need of some."

The redhaired ellon hums as he places a hand on the elleth's shoulder. "Can I show her?" she whispers excitedly.

Gyda's strong façade cracks a bit at the girl's innocent question, "I won't need much." Gyda starts to elaborate, "I wish to make a new glaive. The wood, it is perfect for the person I am making it for."

"Please adar!"The girl tugs on her father's green tunic sleeve. "Please! I want to watch her make one!"

Gyda holds back a chuckle as the girl start tugging more roughly, a comical sight when the older elf barely moves an inch.

"One glaive?" He looks at her again.

Gyda nods. "Only one."

"Follow us then."

The Elleth, Soles, returns to her side and grabs her hand once more to pull her along. The move through a towers arch where ivy and neldoras flowers hung catching the sunlight.

"My adar made the bow of the prince." Soles boasts pridefully.

"I made his bow when he was an elfing Soles." The older elf corrects as he looks over his shoulder grinning at his daughter. He seems more at ease now as they close in on a building. "He has outgrown it by now my dear."

Soles pouts, "Why didn't you make him a new one? You make the best bows."

"Maybe someone was better?" he suggests with a hint of knowing in his tone. "who knows, one day Prince Legolas will be at our door asking for a bow once more."

He chuckles and Gyda listens with a warm heart. The elf reminds her of her own father.

"What about a bow of my own?" Soles wonders thoughtfully. "I want to be an archer!"

"You wanted to be a healer last week? What happened to that plan?"

Soles mutters something under her breath as her brow furrows.

"What was that dear?"

"I forgot to water the Athelas."

"You know the Aranel Of Lindon is a healer too." Gyda pipes up and Soles wide eyes turn to focus on her as they continue their trek through the courtyard.

"She is?"

Gyda hums, "She wasn't very good at the start. Couldn't even remember the name of most of the herbs when she started. But she studied very dutifully under the tutelage of Lord Elrond. I would trust her with my life if I had fallen ill."

"Whoa."

"You study hard Soles, and you'll become a fine healer, I am sure."

"I need to find a new Athelas plant then!"

Gyda could only watch as the small Elleth rushed off towards another path, a bounce in her step as she disappeared behind an ivy-covered pilar.

"Hanta." The ellon slows his pace to walk beside her.

Gyda grins sheepishly. "It was nothing."

"You are Gyda daughter of Gyldorn then?"

Gyda blinks before replying wordlessly with a nod.

"I am Nandir." He motions towards a small building, "here we are."

She watches as he rummages through all kinds of tools and supplies in the small workshop before presenting her with a smooth piece of wood a little bit taller than herself.

"I have smoothened this already, I hope this will work well enough—I cannot say I am well versed in the crafting of Noldorian spears."

Gyda lets her fingers glide over the smoothened ridges, thoughts drifting to her father. "It's perfect actually."

"I wish you well Gyda, daughter of Gyldorn."

"As I do you Nandir of Mirkwood."

Her fingers tighten around the wood before she leaves out the door again.

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📝🖇 — we are very close to the ending of the first act, which means more gyda x legolas congent whoop whoop! Thank you all so much for reading this story! I know it's a real slow burn haha, but Gyda isn't one to place her own wants and feelings before her duty! Also Gyda makimg a spear for Elgerain like her father did for her just has my heart go whoosh 💞 gotta love an enemies-to-friends trope! Don't forget to also check out nel's book a ballad of bitter glory to read more about Elgarain!

ELVISH TRANSLATIONS
rhaich — curses
adar — fatter
sellig — my daughter
Hanta — thank you