Cave of the forest troll

A little of this and a lot of that. Nature, Tolkien, Fantasy in general and general madness..

[nuredhel]

A scene from my short story Shanrae, it is on inkitt. Here the main character Shanrae meets her true savior and mate, the shapeshifter dragon Ghuad. The story is connected to my novel series Snøtigerens klør, which will eventually be translated to english, when i can find the time for it.

[nuredhel]

A scene from one of my books, here Kyall is trying to convince some merchants that the route they want to take through the mountains is no good, and will lead to problems.

[nuredhel]

[nuredhel]

i got an Ai to make a commercial for my book, it can be found at Amazon

[nuredhel]

Some images from my already written and planned novels in the dragon's blade series. Made with nightcafe AI.

[nuredhel]

Some AI generated images based on my ongoing novel series, The dragon's blade.

[nuredhel]

Some Tolkien inspired images I made with Nightcafe, It is Maedhros and Fingon before things went to heck, A portrait of Eonwe and the last ride of Fingolfin, on his way to challenge Morgoth himself.

[musingsofahistorymajor]

https://twitter.com/northumbriana/status/846454474654781442

[little-scribblers-heart]

There’s this feeling I sometimes get watching humans do the cool things that humans have been doing for thousands of years. It makes my chest expand and my heart thud and I love it. I love this.

[nuredhel]

I have seen this video many times and it still gives me the chills. These old sailingships are still beautiful and elegant, many things which modern ships are not. They require true seamanship and knowledge, experience and dedication on a whole different level than a modern ship where a push of a button can fix almost anything.

[nuredhel]

Favourite lines from ten fics.

I was challenged by the wonderful @spiced-wine-fic to share ten lines from my latest ten fics, some of these arent ten lines but it is among my favourite passages from those stories. Some are multi chapter stories while others are single chapter stories. The genres are differing from sci fi inspired to humour and horror. I hope you will enjoy:

Falling like feathers.

Bard just grunted and sat down on a poof next to the chair, he was old, he was older than the hills, he had no energy left. The fireplace was lit and the warmth was blessed and such a relief. He could have cried. Thranduil was explaining Tim’s injuries to the Sheriff who appeared to be utterly shocked and Bard was dreaming of warm coffee yet again. He was leaning forth, almost dozing off when something caught his attention. Out of the corner of his eye he sensed movement and later on he guessed that it was simply a reflex, the oldest most primitive part of his brain which reacted for there was no way he would have been able to do what he did if he had been fully awake and able to think straight. The backpack was next to Legolas, on a chair and the heat from the fireplace had awakened something which had sought refuge in it. Bard moved within the blink of an eye, so fast he himself didn’t understand it was possible.

Suddenly he sat there, his arm held out straight and in his fist he held a writhing and hissing rattle snake, just inches from the lad’s neck. The snake was strong, terribly so but Bard just acted, he didn’t think at all. Protecting the kid was all he was about there and then and he pulled his bowie knife and got up, everybody saw now, and Thranduil let out a loud gasp, the sheriff looked horrified. Bard held the snake in a vice like grip, it was trying to turn around to bite him but he had managed to get it straight behind the head, it had a lovely almost pinkish pattern and he knew the moment he saw it that this was a very rare type of snake, infamous for being extremely venomous. He slammed the nasty head down onto one of the logs which formed the wall of the building, made sure that the fangs got caught in the wood, then he jammed the blade straight through the head, so it pierced through it completely, nailing the jaw shut. He felt odd, calm, almost indifferent. As if handling a very deadly critter was everyday work.

The room was silent, you could have heard a pin drop. The Legolas let out a thin wail, and Thranduil came running, embracing the kid. “ Oh God, oh God”

The sheriff was pale. “Everybody, check the backpacks, but be careful. There could be more rattlers hiding in them”

Bard stared at the by now very dead snake, there was something about it which was simply evil, he couldn’t describe it otherwise. He wasn’t one to give animals human traits but this particular snake, the eyes and the whole way it had acted had been just wicked. It could have chosen to slither down onto the floor, instead it had tried to strike at the nearest living thing, Thranduil’s son. Thranduil stared at him, eyes wet with tears of relief. “Thank you, thank you, I can never repay you for this, never”

For I am thy lord:

She tilted her head, eyes shining like gemstones. “So, if you could choose a manner to protect what is yours, what would that be?”

He frowned, “I am afraid I don’t completely understand my lady?”

She smiled, again that hint of sadness. “You fear for those who fight protecting your realm, and you have lost many already. If you somehow could prevent those losses, would you?”

He nodded. “Of course my lady, who wouldn’t? But I am a mere blacksmith, I cannot do much except forging good weapons”

She had an odd glimpse within her eyes. “If I told you that you in fact could do more than that, that you could prevent the orcs from even entering your woods, would you want to do that?”

He frowned even deeper, started to feel a bit apprehensive, where was she heading with this? She smiled. “You are of powerful blood young one, if awakened the magic within you could help you seek the protection you crave, but it will come at a price”

Eöl snorted. “Magic? I have never felt anything even resembling that, ever. I am a blacksmith, that is what I know”

The maia almost pouted, she was very sweet looking for a moment, then she was all majesty again, like a perfect statue, untouchable and cold. “But what you know isn’t all that there is, I can show you, teach you. You have great potential, to let that go to waste would be a true shame”

He swallowed hard, the king was just sitting there, motionless and not making a sound. “I am not so sure that…”

She looked strict. “Young one, like I said, magic comes at a high price, and it will be one which brings you great joy and sorrow alike, yet it is inevitable. I have seen it. You can deny it, even try to avoid it but in the end it will be what you desire the most, for your inner self does know the truth already. It may help protect your forest, your home”

The song of tomorrow;

Maglor and Artemar danced on, for a long time, slowly, faster, sensually, wild. Artemar looked almost drunk but Maglor knew it was the drugs, his eyes were shining, his cheeks were red and he was smiling, a wide smile filled with wild ecstasy and fierce joy. This was what Artemar loved doing, it was the core of who he was and suddenly Maglor felt a sense of deep reverence, almost a sort of religious awe. Who was he to decide how another living being chose to live or die? Artemar had embraced life wholeheartedly and now, in his final hour he was more beautiful than ever before, more alive, more vibrant. Artemar gave him a small signal and Maglor knelt down, swaying with the music and Artemar started dancing solo, making pirouettes and jumps that almost did defy gravity. It had to hurt but the albino was too far gone now to care, and the poppy milk did sedate him.

He swirled and spun, spun and jumped, leaped high into the air and looked so much like an angel some there almost covered their eyes in fear of invoking the wrath of the Gods. He leapt higher and higher, the music was building to a crescendo and Maglor knew, he just knew. He wanted to scream, to beg Artemar to stop, but he couldn’t. This was the albino’s ultimate triumph, his final escape, his moment of glory and freedom and he couldn’t ruin it, even if his soul was screaming in denial. Artemar spun around, smiling down at the elf and then he let the music carry him into a leap so spectacular nobody was able to believe it. He seemed to hover, to have defied the very law of gravity, arms stretched, a blissful smile on his lips and his hair was like a halo of milk and blood around his head. The moment seemed to last forever, the music reached its climax and then it fell silent and Artemar fell.

Angels and Crooks:

Bard groaned, the fleeing man couldn’t possibly believe that he could escape using a cab? He didn’t listen to the shouts and rushed towards the first cab, a gig drawn by a very large grey horse which stood there with his head hanging low. The horse was tethered to a fire hydrant and the man grasped the tethers to free the horse and reached for the reins. Bard didn’t want to think of the damage this could cause, a wild man trying to escape the law in a carriage? And the poor horse, it would be in jeopardy too now. But Mog did make one crucial mistake, he probably assumed that all horses are kind and docile creatures and that they can be handled by just about anyone. He had never been more wrong in his life.

The moment Mog laid a hand on the reins to drag them with him into the cab the huge horse turned his massive head around with his ears flat back and he grasped the man with his long yellow front teeth, by the already injured shoulder. Bard and Thran could only look in a mixture of horror and disbelief as the horse lifted the man off his feet and shook him violently. Now the dog reached Mog too and grasped a hold of his inner left thigh and for a moment the two animals were part of a tug o war with the man as the rope. The dog won, the horse just let go of the man and shook its head up and down a few times, as if he was laughing. The dog was snarling and Mog was screaming like an air raid siren, the sound could be heard from blocks away.

The K9 officer reached the man and told the dog to back off and before two seconds were gone Mog was cuffed and now he was wailing in pain and trying to come up with excuses. Bard and Thran walked over, rather casually. Mog wasn’t going anywhere now and the man was staring at the dog as if it was satan himself. The owner petted the huge male rather lovingly. “Good boy Huan, very good boy”

The flower and the flute:

Ecthelion was quiet for a moment, his face was strangely devoid of emotion, he shrugged. “Well enough I guess. I had a bit of a fallout with my kin, they never forgave me for leaving the way I did and not even the manner of my death helped there. They are a bunch of stubborn bastards” Glorfindel had to cough. “Seriously?” Ecthelion nodded. “The worst one was my mom, she kept nagging and nagging about me finding a nice elleth, settle down and become a proper person” Glorfindel held his breath for a second. “And you don’t want that?” Ecthelion rolled his eyes. “Are you mad? If I wanted to marry I had done so back in Gondolin, remember how grumpy Turgon was when so few of his lords found themselves wives? Oh he was fuming, everything had to be picture perfect” Glorfindel had to laugh. “Yes, I remember. He tried to play matchmaker, and I cannot remember ever having seen Salgant run, but he did once. That time Turgon came dragging with that elleth, wanting him to woo her” Ecthelin laughed too, it was a wonderful sound. “Oh yes, I remember that one. She was one of those overly pious ones Turgon was so fond of. He wasn’t very happy afterwards” The dark one turned to Glorfindel again. “I have a home now, it isn’t much but I have prepared a room for you, until you figure out what to do” Glorfindel felt his heart skipping a beat, staying with Ecthelion for the valar knew how long? Why was the idea both wonderful and terrifying?

Starchild:

The male was still a capable hunter but he had to hunt for smaller prey now, and at this age his teeth had started to drop out as well. Where he once had been the mightiest fighter of the ocean he now hunted small squid and even fish, no longer the giant octopuses of the deep. The scar tissue ran deep and caused him great discomfort and yet he kept swimming, kept living because that was all he knew. He had been feeding rather well on a school of squid and was heading back to the breathing hole when he realized that he wasn’t alone. He had a sort of sixth sense and it told him that he was being watched. His sonar focused, capable of knocking other beings out with just one thrust but it didn’t find anything there. He got confused, swam ahead and tried again. Nothing, but he knew something was there, then he sort of felt that there indeed was something ahead of him but it was small, way smaller than even an orca and he relaxed. Such a small thing was no danger, it was probably a stray seal or something like that.

CeKay knew that this was no mere beast, this was a sentient being, a creature old and wise and self aware as she was. It had a soul and it even had a name for itself but she needed the meat. Besides, the male was very old and it was dying. He didn’t know it, but his body had started to slowly shut down. Before long he would take that final dive towards the great depths and never return, and leave a legacy only through the many calves he had sired. She felt sorry, and sad even as she used her superior strength to ram a huge spear of steel hard ice straight into the old whale’s chest and heart The old male felt a horrible pain pierce his side and he turned his massive head to bite, to find the opponent, to kill but he found nothing and his heart stopped beating. His eyes saw nothing, only darkness and his last thought was one of silent acceptance, he had outlived his days, now he would rest.

The hunter’s prey

The next morning they were ready to go and Celegorm opened the door and was about to exit the trailer when he saw a figure out by the trees at the edge of the parking space, it was a very tall person, covered by the dark shades of the trees and he tensed up and grasped for his gun. Lomiel stared out over his shoulder and she made a sound, a sort of yelp and her eyes got huge. The person entered the light and Celegorm had to gasp too, it was another elf. A very tall elf, broad of shoulders and muscular, with a handsome and yet odd face, as if there was something feral about him, something slightly unhinged. The hair was very long and braided back, held by leather strips and he was rather dark of skin, but the eyes…they were golden, piercing, the eyes of a predator. Lomiel squeaked again. “Lord Rog?!”

Celegorm had to blink. Rog? He had met Rog, in Aman, before they all went insane and followed his father to middle earth, back then the huge noldo had been a smiths apprentice and a very calm and down to earth person. Now this? Rog walked towards them, he grinned, the body moved with the wiry elegance of a huge beast and Celegorm remembered what he had heard of this elf. The name Rog was no coincidence, the orcs had tried to break and form him into a nightmare, a terror to his own people but the ones feeling the terror would be themselves. They had created something not even they could have foreseen. “Greetings, so, I see that the rumours are true. The lord of the mole was truly a lady”

The hunter’s task:

This elleth was very similar to her and there was something strangely familiar about her. She was dressed in the typical garments of those who were recently re-embodied, a sort of grey gown made from a very soft material. He would have to get her other clothes soon enough. He saw that she wouldn’t wake up right away so he made camp, made sure the area was safe. He had some food, nothing fancy but she would be hungry when she woke up, he had been when he first awoke in this new body. Who could she be? He hadn’t encountered any elleth who looked like her? Had he? No, he couldn’t remember anyone like that. He stared at her, the profile, the colours, she was so like Aredhel and yet there was something different in the build of the face. He tilted his head, stared at the sleeping face and then it struck him, he knew who she looked like. Maeglin!

He gasped and had to blink again. Changes Oromë had said, oh yes, changes indeed. If this wasn’t the traitor of Gondolin, the elf responsible for the death of thousands you could call him a donkey and saddle him up. But put into a female body. Oh by Aüle’s beard, this could get interesting indeed. So Maeglin had refused to repent? No wonder, he had been one twisted individual for sure. No wonder with that creep of a father but still. Well, Celegorm had his work cut out for him, no doubt about that. He sighed and sat down by the fire, warmed some water and now it was a waiting game. It could take some while for the fëa to fully connect to the new body and if the soul in question was forced into re-embodiment it made it only worse. He had almost contemplated going to bed when the elleth stirred, she gasped and coughed and sat up, just to fall back down again with a grunt.

Large slanted black eyes stared at him with panic and she tried to get up but couldn’t, the body not strong enough yet. He got up and walked over, sat down next to her and she blinked, stared at him in utter disbelief, then she became aware of the thick silky long hair which flowed around her like a velvet river and grasped it, held a thick lock up high and stared at it as if it was a poisonous snake. “What…where…Turkafinwë?!”

The ogre and the garden gnomes:

She woke up, the room was almost completely dark and she felt an odd smell. Her husband slept in a room of his own since he snored and she sat up, was the bed moving? She tried to ignite the night lamp but nothing happened, it remained dark and her heart sank in her chest. There was a scratching sound, as if something hard was being dragged across the floors, and she tried to listen. There was a sound, far away, a sort of chanting and she blinked, what the hey? She walked to the window and almost screamed. The lawn and street was covered with garden gnomes, all carrying torches, chanting. “Nom-nom-nom”

They had surrounded the house and she let out a howl and ran back to bed, diving into the duvet, hiding. Her rational mind told her that this couldn’t be real and yet it obviously was for the flames were visible in the window and why didn’t everybody else see them? Was she going mad? There was that odd scraping sound again, probably stone feet dragging along the floor boards. She shivered and then the floors shook and as she took peek out she screamed. There were gnomes everywhere in her room, staring at her with glowing eyes and they were pointing at her with stubby little fingers and screeching their mantra. “Nom-nom-nom!” They got closer, some started to climb up onto the bed and she saw that they had butchers knives in their hands and she screamed and screamed until the world turned black in front of her eyes and she fell back, passed out.

Relics

She was out of the bed, her instincts did take over. People were being shot, the camp was under attack. The rumbling had been trucks. She tore off the skirts, the hijab. Everything was in light colours, it made her visible in the dark. She wore dark clothes underneath, it was an old habit and she bound her hair up, pulled on a jacket with a hood and slid out of the tent near the ground. There was a tear there and she didn’t need much space to get through. The sand hit her like a thousand piercing needles but she had taken inn enough oxygen to last her for hours, she didn’t have to breathe again for a while. She closed off her nose, dropped her transparent third eyelid to protect her eyes and she switched to infra red vision, it made everything visible in spite of the darkness and the sand. There were glowing figures, shooting at the tents, some people were obviously being spared, she saw several kneeling on the ground, bound. It had to be the experts.

Were these terrorists? Not very likely, these were professionals and very few knew of this dig. She moved through the storm, invisible in the darkness and the flying sand. Some were being forced towards the entrance of the tomb, she did recognize Pierre among them and she sneered. Could she save them? The men who had attacked all carried machineguns and judging by the type the one behind this was rich. The equipment told of wealth for every man wore body armour and full combat gear. She waited, she couldn’t enter the tomb unseen and she could kill the men but not as long as they were in a group, was there a way to scatter them?

Again, thank you so much @spiced-wine-fic, it has been a while since i have done this.

[nuredhel]

Falling like feathers

Here is a new fan fic i am working on, it is a modern AU Tolkien inspired Barduil story, enjoy:

Falling like feathers

Chapter 1: Friends found.

Being a national park ranger had its rewards, lots of fresh air, gorgeous nature and way more freedom than your average Joe. But it also had its downsides, and right now he felt like calling it a quits. This was that one thing which pissed him off royally and also made him incredibly sad. If the park could have avoided visitors this sort of shit wouldn’t happen at all. But the park was there for the tourists and every little mention of reducing the number of visitors made the local businesses squirm and hiss like an irate rattlesnake.

He sighed and stood for a moment, he wanted to weep but couldn’t, he had to stay strong but it was just not fair, it was horrific, a crime and he had been the one who had to put an end to it, to an animal who really had meant no harm. Fuck those tourists, and fuck them hard and long! He still held the rifle and stared down at the dead bear, it was a young sow, a very sweet and naïve bear which had never shown any signs of aggression and she didn’t even go dumpster diving like some of the others. And now this, an idiot of a city slicker had decided to let his seven year old son offer the bear a snickers bar held between his teeth just so the proud dad could get a “cute” picture for Instagram. And when the kid understandably enough panicked the bear panicked too seeing the tempting treat disappearing, she reached out to grasp it and ripped half the kids face off. And so it fell to Bard to put the poor thing down, in reality he would much rather have put the goddamn father down, who puts his own child in such danger? Mindless thoughtless morons!

His co-worker Ben sighed and spat tobacco, he too was angry and sad and Bard shrugged. “What did Mr Jansen say this time?”

Ben made a grimace. “That we would get sued for all the money in the state and then some if the vicious and dangerous beast wasn’t put down. They are insane”

Bard nodded and made sure that the rifle was secure before hanging it across his back. The bear would be disposed of discretely, nobody would benefit from this. He hated it when people sort of assumed that they would leave with a stuffed out animal as a trophy. He had already called for Bob and Dan to come and remove the dead bear, it would be buried somewhere in the park, that was the right thing to do. Bard almost snarled. “Mr Jansen has got no balls, that is his problems. If he had been a man he would have stood up to the idiot and explained that bad actions have bad consequences”

Ben shrugged and his moustache hung even more than before. “I agree Mr Bowman, I agree fully, but you know how it is…”

Bard closed his eyes for a few seconds, yeah, he knew how it was, the park was almost out of money, they couldn’t afford bad publicity yadi yady yap. Their boss was a good man but he was too much of a coward to really stand up for himself and his park, money was talking and bullshit was walking, that was the sad truth of it all. Just a few bad headlines and they would be out of work faster than you can say Tiktok. Ben walked with Bard to the pickup, it was getting late and Bard was afraid of running late. He was officially off duty half an hour ago but he had to finish the job, he didn’t trust anyone else to do it, the others there were too inexperienced as hunters and way too trigger happy. He didn’t want the wrong bear to be shot, that would be a double tragedy. “You are taking the kid to the stable again?”

Bard packed the rifle away. “Yes, both girls actually. Tilda is starting to ride solo now”

Ben grinned. “Oh, she is growing up so fast, I can remember when you had to bring her along for the day and she was in a baby carrier!”

Bard had to smile, it was fond memories. “Yeah, but she is seven now and wants to compete with her big sister, although I doubt she has Sigrid’s talent. “

Ben sort of snorted. “Yeah, I understand that well, but few has Sigrid’s talent, I am telling you, if it has hooves that girl can ride it”

Bard nodded and got in the car, Sigrid had always been fond of horses and in his job he rode a lot. Not all of the park was accessible by car so the girl had often followed him and she had become a very skilled rider even before she started doing it for more than just fun. It was one thing she had in common with her mother. Vivienne had also been a very determined person and even though she probably never even touched a saddle she always went all in, no matter what she was trying to do. He still missed her, her quirky sense of humour, her calm demeanour and ability to let things rest and move on. She had given him three wonderful kids in spite of it all and he couldn’t regret anything, not really.

Bard was never supposed to be a park ranger, his parents were ultra conservative and also very driven by a need to increase their status. Nothing was allowed to taint the perfect image of the perfect family. That Bard very early realized that he was gay was of course something he had to keep to himself, in that household homophobia was perfected into an art form. That he would prefer an outdoors job was also something he had to forget about, his parents wanted him to go for an education which would lead to a high ranking job, a doctor or a lawyer or something akin to that. He absolutely hated it, he didn’t have it in him and he had to fight them for several years before he was finally allowed to study biology, the one redeeming thing about it was that he could end up as a professor and that was acceptable.

He had buried himself in his studies for years, until they one day started nagging about marriage and grandkids and all that stuff. Bard didn’t really date anyone, he didn’t dare to and he knew too darn well that he wasn’t attracted to women, there wasn’t even a point in trying. But they had sort of shoved Vivienne right into his lap so to speak, they hadn’t said it out loud but it was very clear what they meant, date and marry her or else… So he had dated her and knew that they had picked Vivienne simply because of her family, she came from a long line of very influential and famous names and they wanted a daughter in law with connections and the ability to raise their own status by quite a lot.

The wonder of it all was that Bard had liked Vivienne right away, she wasn’t what his parents believed her to be, she wasn’t some perfect pedigree showdog which wags its tail at its owners command. She was spirited, she was different and she realized the truth about him right away but didn’t mind at all. She was a modern person and since she was in the same situation as him they jumped onto the chance. Vivienne was not willing to marry some posh upper class aristocrat who was unable to even tie his own shoelaces, she wanted a man who knew how to get things done, with practical sense and down to earth.

Bard hadn’t become a professor, he was offered a job checking the decline in the rodent population within the park and within one year he was employed there as a ranger. His parents had almost blown all their fuses at once. But Vivienne had backed him up and they had been happy. The kids had arrived as a blessing and a proof of their happiness, they had both wanted kids and so it wasn’t really that hard to do. Then, when Tilda was just one years of age his parents had started to nag again, they wanted him to take a more profitable job in the city, they didn’t want to tell their posh friends that their son was a mere park ranger.

 Bard had had a brother, Jonas, he was fifteen years older than Bard and the reason why his parents had married, he had been an accident and they had been rather young when he was born. Jonas had been a teenager when Bard was born and didn’t really bother with his little brother but Bard could remember that he had been a bit of a rebel. He had been four when Jonas killed himself and that shame and humiliation was something their parents couldn’t put behind them. So Bard had to be perfect to make up for the flawed first son.

Vivienne had gone to visit them, to try to make them see reason and accept that Bard was trying to live his own life, not one dictated by their wishes. The kids had been back at home for Bain had the sniffles and Sigrid had never been able to stomach her grandmother. The two were unable to see eye to eye for sure and Vivienne didn’t want Tilda to have to endure a long five hour drive. That very night he was awakened by the country Sheriff and the local reverend, bearing some devastating news. Vivienne had taken her in laws out to a restaurant  to try to sweet talk them into submission and on the way there they had been hit by a drunk driver and all three perished. In just one fateful night he had lost both his best friend and his parents, it was just the kids who make him go on, without them he would have perished for sure.

Vivienne had a rather large life insurance, and so had his parents, he was a wealthy man now but he didn’t let that go to his head, the price he had paid for it was way too high and he lived a simple life. Buying Sigrid a good horse and allowing Tilda to take riding lessons was of course not cheap but he didn’t spoil the kids, they knew they were loved but they were not pampered with at all. Bain was taking small jobs and Sigrid was always spending time in the stable, mucking out. They all had to learn that hard work paid off and was its own reward.

He was still in a lousy mood when he arrived home, having to euthanize that bear was the worst thing he had done in years, and he absolutely hated killing animals, even when it was needed. Sigrid was already ready, she was waiting by the door and she was immediately able to see that he was feeling down. She gave his hand a swift squeeze but didn’t ask, she knew that he would speak whenever he felt like it.

Tilda was getting ready, Bain was helping her and she was very excited, it was her first riding lesson where she would be allowed to ride without someone leading the pony. Bard was very glad Bain had chosen to ignore the sports and had chosen other interests instead. He was already a very good sculptor and worked in both clay and metals, it too cost money but he had sold some of his stuff already, and gotten a good amount of money from the sales too. In short, Bard was very proud of his kids and tried to be both stern and supportive at the same time, he wanted them to grow into solid people, not the overly entitled brats he encountered way too often in the job.

The stable where Sigrid’s horse was placed wasn’t far from their home, Bard and Vivienne had bought it the first year they were married, and it was a good house, rather large and also very old but very well kept. It was a true home, even now without her. Sigrid owned a horse but she was also riding a horse which belonged to the stable owner, Mrs Brown. The mare Sigrid owned was a very nice mix breed and what she lacked in pedigree she more than made up for in talent and courage. Bard had tried Sunray more than once and the mare was small but as they say, dynamite comes in small packages for a reason.

He dropped Sigrid off and then he drove to the neighbour which was a riding school, it was run by an elderly woman who no longer was able to do much but she had very skilled staff and was very good at encouraging the kids. Tilda was to ride a small pony named Box, the reason wasn’t hard to see for the animal looked like a box, he was square in shape and had an appetite which was nothing less than phenomenal. He ate everything he could get his teeth into and because of this the pony had to wear a bit at all times, or else he would simply eat himself to death. Mrs Berner was an expert at handling horses and knew every trick in the book and then some but still the pony managed to trick them all from time to time. Bard usually waited in the stable office along with other parents and he knew them all. They were almost like a small gang and this city wasn’t large so he often happened to meet them also outside of the equestrian scene.

Bard was glad the girls had chosen such a healthy interest, of course there were dangers involved, a horse is a horse after all but he regarded it as way less dangerous than some of the other activities girls seemed to love. In his eyes things like Ballet was a free ticket to anorexia and the influencers? Heavens no, neither girl was allowed to have accounts on Tiktok and Instagram and whatnot. Vivienne had been very clear there, she had taught Sigrid that looks were superficial but skills and knowledge lasts a lifetime.

He saw two guys he knew at the office, both were staring at their phones and he sat down and allowed himself to rest, he was still in a rather sour mood and he was glad the tourist season as over in just a few weeks. They hadn’t had any major disasters this summer but that didn’t mean that none would happen. Last year some idiots got trapped in a canyon during a flashflood and had to be airlifted out by helicopter and he had to bring a very obese and very nasty woman out of one of the valleys on the back of a mule since she had fallen and sprained her ankle. He had been so sorely tempted to stuff a sock into her gob for she hadn’t managed to shut up for even a second.

Tilda was enjoying a double lesson so he had to wait for two whole hours, when she was done riding he was half asleep and had to accept a cup of very strong and not at all very pleasant coffee to wake up. The girl was over the moon with excitement and Bard just wished that he could have shared it. Sigrid was also done, she was standing by the gate chatting with a girl he hadn’t seen before. The stranger was at Sigrid’s age and she was rather stubby and had thick long red hair and a cute freckled face. She was wearing some very worn riding pants and boots and Bard saw that she was the kind of kid who is used to work. Sigrid was grinning and waving her hand at him. “Da, this is Tauriel, she is new here”

Bard smiled and hoped that Sigrid hadn’t scared the girl off, she needed real friends and he immediately liked this kid, she seemed to be the right type. “Pleased to meet you Tauriel, I am Bard, you have a horse here too?”

Tauriel nodded. “Yes, I placed him into his new home just three hours ago, we have moved here from the coast”

Sigrid was grinning from one ear to the other. “Tauriel is an eventer, just like me, and she has won several competitions”

Bard felt a bit better, Sigrid had so few friends her own age. “Really? Does your parents ride too?”

Tauriel shrugged. “Dad rides, and so does my brother, mom is dead”

Bard swallowed. “Oh, I am so sorry”

Tauriel didn’t seem to mind at all. “Oh, don’t be, mom was a first class bitch. Dad isn’t really my dad, he adopted me, but Legolas is my half brother. We have the same mom but not the same dad”

Bard had to blink, some families had a dynamic which could be confusing to say the least. Sigrid got into the car and waved at Tauriel, she was very happy and beaming. “Da, you should have seen Tauriel’s horse, he is gorgeous. I may be allowed to try him out soon, he is a pure bred akhal teke and I have never seen a horse from that breed before.”

Bard had to really twist his brain to recognize the name of the breed. “Uh…they are from Turkey?”

Sigrid shook her head. “No silly, they are ultra rare and so beautiful and strange”

She spent the rest of the drive explaining the origins of this breed and Bard was listening with half an ear. Bain was busy washing clothes and Tilda had fallen asleep in her seat, exhausted by the excitement. It would be a quiet evening for sure. Sigrid was still talking about her new friend and Bard was curious. “So, her family has moved here recently, what is her father doing? Did she tell you?”

Sigrid was helping him chopping up vegetables and she nodded. “Yeah, he is a neuro surgeon, one of the very best. They have bought the old Chester estate.”

Bard almost choked on his coffee. “Oh hell, then they will meet mini Godzilla soon!”

The Chester estate was a very large property at the end of a Cul de sack, it was old and very mansion like and it hadn’t been that well maintained but he had heard rumours that it had been fixed over the last months. The problem was that the area was part of a HOA and its leader was a woman everybody just loved to hate. She was riding the rule book and riding it hard too, the smallest deviation was enough to bring her to your door, foaming at the mouth like a rabid chiahuahua and just about as pleasant. Sigrid tilted her head. “They already have, apparently Ms Goldfinch has decided to hate them from day one since Sigrid’s dad is rich and unmarried. “

Bard felt a need to roll his eyes. “Poor guy, the next time you meet Tauriel, tell her to warn her father, Ms Goldfinch is capable of creating real trouble for people.”

Sigrid grinned. “Will do”

Dinner was done swiftly. Tilda needed to get to bed and the other two had school work to do. Bard collapsed into the sofa with a beer and some program about the wildlife migrations on the Serengeti on the TV. He was asleep on the couch before he even knew it.

-------

The next days went by as usual, the only thing which broke the routine was that some dude in an RV decided to empty the septic tank of the huge vehicle right by a creek which lead into a lake and that lake happened to be a source of drinking water to thousands of people. Yes, there were signs and yes everybody ought to know better and yet he had done it. And the rangers and the sheriff were hot on his tail right away and the fine was absolutely astronomical. The Sheriff was barking like a hound dog and the rangers were all disgusted. Bard was busy preparing a row of cabins for a couple of school classes which were to visit, he just hoped that the weather would be nice, if not the cabins would probably end up looking like pig sties. Teenagers locked up inside by the weather was destructive on a horrifying level.

Sigrid was riding every second day and soon Tauriel came along with her and visited, the girl was very level headed and Bard discovered that her horse indeed was both spectacular and unique. He met her half brother Legolas, the lad was probably somewhere in his late teens and very tall and wide shouldered with an impressive mane of golden blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He was quite a lot older than Tauriel and Bard got a bit curious about their dad, why would a neurosurgeon move to such an unimportant little town? There was a hospital there and it was in fact rather famous but he had never heard anything about them needing a specialist within such a narrow field of expertise.

Sigrid also visited Tauriel and Bard was glad she did, it was good for her to have friends her own age. The girl was getting way too isolated. Tilda was also riding every now and then and he had to drop her off ever so often. It was however more than two months before he met Tauriel’s dad and it was by chance. He noticed a huge pickup truck as he drove into the parking lot outside of the stable and it was old but very well maintained and taken care off. He liked that, classic cars had always been an interest of his. Sigrid was riding still so he went over to the paddocks and sat down on a bench to just rest a bit, he had been out to the furthest corners of the national park that day, on horseback, to fix a downed telephone line. A tree had fallen across it during a storm and the ranger station had lost contact with the outside world. Up there among the mountains there were no cell phone connection and even the satellite phones had trouble.

As he sat there he suddenly noticed someone standing by one of the stable buildings, reading one of the lists hammered up onto the wall. It was a list over the horses within the stable and what they were to be fed each day. At first he thought it had to be a woman, the very long blond hair was not something you saw on a man all that often, then he noticed the height and the wide shoulders, it had to be a guy after all. And he was among the tallest people Bard had ever seen, way taller than himself and obviously very lean and fit. Could this be Tauriel’s dad?

The man turned around and Bard had to blink, was this really a human being? Nobody could be that drop dead gorgeous?! The man was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt and looked like a farm worker but Bard was rather sure that he was far from it. The stranger had very dark straight eyebrows and blue eyes which looked as if they could see straight through you, and Bard looked down, his heart was beating like mad. This was masculine perfection, an angel in human form, he was sure of it.

The man noticed him and sauntered over, Bard felt like an idiot, grinning and trying to appear as a sane person when he felt like blabbering and stuttering and acting like a clown. “You must be Bard? I am Thranduil, Tauriel’s dad”

The voice was deep, dark, a velvet baritone which sent pleasant shivers down Bard’s spine, he was desperate to sound like an ordinary sane person and not some moron. “That is correct yes, I am Bard, Bard Bowman. Park ranger, at your service”

To his relief his voice didn’t crack or shake, thank goodness. Still he felt like hiding in a deep dark hole, he was dirty, smelly and his hair hadn’t met a brush in days. Heck, he had to look like some hobo! He tried to act cool but he was sure he was blushing like a beet. Thranduil just smiled and grasped his hand, shook it politely. “ I am so glad Tauriel has met a sensible girl like Sigrid, she spends way too much time on her own. A friend her age is so good for her”

Bard had to nod. “Ditto, I mean…”

The tall blonde snickered. “I know what you mean”

Bard tried to act casual, to stay cool and collected. “So, you are a neurosurgeon? Why come to this forsaken place?”

Thranduil shrugged, oh god how handsome that man was. “I was offered a very nice position at the hospital here, they have a department of research and were willing to fund some of my work, I have worked within the field of neural regrowth lately and it is costly and also very promising.”

Bard was fascinated, a bit against his will. Normally he was very squeamish when it came to such things, it was odd but just the way he was. “You mean like repairing damaged nerves?”

The blond man smiled widely. “Yes, ruptured spinal cords, Alzheimer’s disease, prion disease, you name it”

Bard could understand that such research was valuable, and probably a God send for many patients. “Have you gotten anywhere?”

Thranduil nodded. “Yes, some experiments have turned out to have a very high success rate. We have not tried on humans yet but it will happen, sooner or later.”

The blond man tilted his head. “Enough about me, Tauriel says you were studying biology?”

Bard blushed again, damn it. “Yes, my parents insisted, they were a bit…demanding”

Thranduil frowned. “I see, just ambitious or controlling?”

Bard had to roll his eyes,. “Both, they even found me a wife, but she wasn’t quite what they had imagined her to be”

Thranduil raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”

Bard felt strange, standing there and speaking of such matters to a complete stranger but something about the tall man made him open up, without second thoughts. “Yeah, she was in fact a lesbian, they didn’t know though, but since I am gay it was actually fitting, we had each other’s six if you know what I mean?”

Thranduil blinked. “Really? And that worked out?”

Bard nodded. “Like a charm, we had much in common and she took my side, wholeheartedly. My parents probably regretted introducing us to each other many times”

Thranduil leaned against the fence, his face revealed a great deal of curiosity but also sympathy. “So you and your wife were more or less forced into an arranged marriage?”

Bard just shrugged. “Yeah, you can say that. My parents were terribly posh and wanted to climb to the top of the social ladder and she came from a very influential family. “

Thranduil smiled, it was a sad smile. “My family were not very posh at all, dirt poor immigrants and I met the kid’s mother when I was just sixteen. She sort of seduced me, and Legolas was the result. It was a shot gun wedding if you ever saw one, and she found out that she didn’t like me at all, whence we were married”

Bard frowned this time. “Why? “

The blond man made a grimace. “She had some expectations no man would be able to meet, she expected to be waited upon at all times, to be worshipped and obeyed and just treated like a goddamn queen and I was too busy studying to try to become someone capable of taking care of a family. Like hell I was going to let her ruin my future”

Bard felt a bit shocked. “So she found that she had married someone who wasn’t going to be an obedient pooch and lay down?”

Thranduil snickered. “Heck no, first of all, I already had a boyfriend, I am bi so I swing both ways, he didn’t like that I had to get married, not even a bit and she tried to spread some nasty rumours about him but that failed since he knew a thing or two about her the public truly enjoyed.”

He looked down and continued. “It was a terrible marriage, but she tried to make herself seem like a victim whenever she could. She had Tauriel with a friend of hers, then she died and I adopted the girl, she was innocent and I didn’t want her to turn out like her mom”

Thranduil tilted his head again, the eyes were so incredibly clear. “Tauriel said you are a widower too?”

Bard nodded and told about the accident and the tall blond listened. “Tragic, life can truly seem nasty at times.”

Bard had to swallow, the tall blond was using some sort of after shave which smelled just amazing, and expensive. Heck, this was not the type you bought at wallmart, that was for sure. He had to blink twice, he suddenly remembered something. “Ah, has Tauriel warned you about the local mini Godzilla?”

Thranduil snorted, “Oh, Mrs Goldfinch, or rather, Mrs Vulture as I prefer to refer to her as, yes, we have had our encounters already, none which were pleasant”

Bard cringed. “That woman is a menace, I swear she must be some sort of hellish creation which has managed to crawl its way out of heck”

Thranduil had to laugh. “Oh, yes, no doubt about that. She has been breathing down my neck ever since we moved inn, she absolutely loves to find flaws everywhere but she is blind deaf and dumb when it comes to her own”

Bard made a grimace. “So, what is the main complaint?”

Thranduil shrugged. “Oh, first of all, she cannot accept the fact that a single dad is capable of raising two kids on his own, second of all, we painted the house in a colour which wasn’t HOA approved, it is two shades too light.”

Bard shook his head. “She lives to complain, I am sure of it. It is the juice which keeps her going, everybody here just abhors that woman”

Thranduil nodded eagerly. “Why am I not surprised? But I think she owns the entire city council, and then also some politicians. She is more vicious than a komodo dragon for sure”

Bard snickered. “Ah, I once saw her spitting image”

Thranduil frowned.”Really? Where?”

Bard giggled. “The huge aquarium down by the coast, it was a moray eel, it had just the same eyes and the same sort of grin”

Thranduil threw his head back and started to laugh, it was a wonderful sound. “Oh God, thank you for that mental image. Now I know what I will think of each time she turns up to nag about something unimportant”

Bard snickered. “You are most welcome”

Tauriel and Sigrid came running, both girls were obviously very excited. “Da, I have qualified for the state championships next month”

Sigrid was almost jumping up and down and Tauriel grinned widely. “Me too, we are in different classes so maybe we’ll both win”

Tauril was beaming. “Wouldn’t that be magical?”

Bard smiled. “For sure it would”

Thranduil tilted his head, in the evening light he was just too angelic, Bard was sure that the man could hear how his heart was beating like mad, he had never reacted that way to another male ever. “Know what, let us celebrate this wonderful news, the pizza parlour down town is great, I am paying”

The girls let out small shrieks of joy and Bard felt a bit embarrassed, it was a great place beyond any doubt but at the same time it was rather posh, and also expensive. He had only eaten there a few times and it had always been paid by the job. Thranduil grasped his phone. “Go ahead, call your son, I am calling mine, let us get some decent food into us”

Bard hesitated for a second, then he called Bain and the lad was over the moon with excitement, eating at the pizza place was something which almost never happened.

He picked up Tilda and got Bain who was speaking non stop about the pizza he preferred and Bard knew that the pizza place had some rather unusual types on their menu. Once they had served pizza with boar meat, it had been available only for a few days and Bard had in fact tasted it, Ben had brought some to work. It had been interesting, not what he would normally prefer but he could have gotten used to it. But as Ben had said, it cost a fortune for the meat had to be tested for parasites before it could be served and that cost money.

Thranduil was already seated as they entered, he gestured for them to come over and he grinned widely. “Come, I have been so bold as to order some starters already, it takes a while for the food to arrive here. The pizza is made from scratch after all”

Bard had to snicker, he had once bought some frozen pizza and it was more cardboard than pizza, at least it tasted like cardboard.

Thranduil started asking Bard about his job and he answered willingly, it was obvious that Thranduil was a person who knew a lot about nature and they sat there and relaxed and shared stories. Bard ordered some soda for himself and the kids and Tilda was a bit cross that he didn’t ask for her favourite drink which was strawberry milkshake. This restaurant simply didn’t sell that sort of beverages and Thranduil revealed that he had spoken to some of the employees once and they had told him it was because too many tried to sue the establishment claiming they were lactose intolerant and that their drinks contained milk even if they had asked for something without any lactose.

The food was excellent and the kids were stuffing themselves, Legolas in special was eating a lot and Thranduil grinned and claimed that the lad was eating them all out of home and hearth, he had the appetite of a ravenous pack of wolves. Legolas just grunted and reached for yet another piece of pizza, this was a type with at least three types of pepperoni and also marinated beef. It was a bit too tasty for Bard, he preferred more bland tastes. Bain was loving it though and the lads finished that one pizza with a speed which was nothing less than phenomenal.

Thranduil emptied his glass of Sprite and cocked his head. “Bard, I wondered if I could ask you a question? “

Bard nodded. “Shoot?”

The tall blonde stared at Legolas who was opening yet another pizza, this one was with three types of cheese, the lad couldn’t have heard about constipation ever in his life. Thranduiil took a deep breath. “Legolas school class is going on a field trip in three days, to a place known as Buffalo bluff? I wondered if that is a safe hike? I have never been to that part of the area at all”

Bard had heard of that trip, he just hadn’t known that it was the class Legolas was inn which was going. “Oh, that is a pretty easy hike, we have people going up there all the time. It is a very standard trail and nothing too strenuous”

Thranduil seemed to be reassured by this. “Great, and the campsite?”

Bard shrugged. “Good, there are in fact wooden cabins there”

Legolas rolled his eyes. “Dad, I am not some small kid, I have been on way harder hikes remember? Even Mrs Dale is going with us”

Thranduil smiled, he looked a wee bit sheepish. “I know son, I know. It is just that…”

Tauriel raised an eyebrow. “You are over protective, that is why.”

Thranduil shrugged. “Maybe, I just don’t like taking any chances”

Bard recognized that trait, he had it too. Those who have suffered loss often become terrified of going through the same again. He knew he was way too strict with the kids in some ways but what else could he truly do?

They started discussing the local school and the rest of the evening went by in a very pleasant manner, Bard had found that he truly enjoyed the company of the tall blond, the guy had a wicked sense of humour and also, he was extremely calm and sensible. Bard appreciated that.

When they went back home that day Bard was sure that he never had met anyone he had felt this attracted to and the mere thought of the gorgeous man sent his heart into a frenzy.

The next two days Bard was busy helping the fish and wildlife department with some research. Some lakes had become infested with a rather nasty fish parasite and it was discussed whether or not it would be wise to just cull off the whole fish stock and then repopulate the lakes when the parasite had died out. It was taxing work and he was barely at home at all. Sigrid took care of her siblings as she usually did when he was away and he didn’t really have time to think about the encounter with Thranduil at all.

He was dropping Sigrid off at the stable when he spotted the tall blond again. He was standing next to Tauriel who was grooming her horse, the strange metallic shine of that animals coat made it look like a bronze statue. Sigrid immediately ran over and the girls started chatting right away, apparently some girl in Sigrid’s class had broken up with her boyfriend and the news had to be thoroughly analysed, teenage girl style.

Thranduil smiled at Bard and that smile made his stomach do somersaults, or at least it felt that way. “So, how is work going?”

Bard shrugged. “Good, today I only fell into water twice, once from that goddam kayak and once from the pier”

Thranduil laughed out loud. “Oh, but you do not look like a drowned cat now so I hope you are alright?”

Bard nodded. “I am, it is just boring, putting out nets, pulling them inn, counting the number of infected fish, repeat a hundred times or more”

Thranduil nodded. “I can only imagine. Well, Legolas left for that hike yesterday and I think they have reached the camp by now, at least they were planning on doing that”

Bard smiled. “Yeah, if they left yesterday they are at the camp now. It is a lovely place”

As he said those words he got a peculiar feeling within his gut, it was a feeling he knew way too well, it didn’t bode well at all. Thranduil saw his expression and frowned. “Anything wrong?”

Bard just shrugged. “Uh, no, just something I forgot”

He grasped his phone and saw that there were no new messages from his boss, so why did he react that way? Thranduil kept talking about the research they were doing at the hospital right now and how important and interesting it was, and it was truly interesting but Bard couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. It was something he had heard? Or seen perhaps?

He was wringing his brain in every possible direction and then it struck him, the weather forecast for the end of the week. It had been on the radio while he prepared for the day, he hadn’t really listened to it but some of it had stuck, a chance for heavy rain. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem but it was coming in from the north west, that meant that there was a risk of flash floods from the narrow river valleys. But that wasn’t truly a problem, there were nobody up there at this time of the year.

Thranduil went to help Tauriel take the saddle of the horse and Bard felt torn, he was an idiot for being this nervous but it was nagging at him. He grasped the phone and made the call to the head quarters. It was Sally who answered, she was their dispatch and knew all that was to know about the park and the rangers and then some. “Yes?”

Bard took a deep breath.  He was being silly, he just knew it. “Ah, it is me, Bard. Uhm, that group that is heading for Buffalo Bluff, they have two guides yes?”

Sally could be heard flipping papers. “Sorry, but Dean came down with the flu the day before they were to leave and Georg, well you know him. He managed to strike himself in the knee with his axe, again!”

Bard felt a chill running down his spine. “Then who is guiding that group?”

Sally sighed. “Tim, oh I know he is a rookie but it is a very easy trail and you really cannot get lost up there”

Bard felt ice cold, Tim was very green indeed, and he hadn’t been allowed to guide any groups further away from the head quarters than a couple of miles. It wasn’t that he was bad at his job, he was just too undisciplined and too eager to please everybody. And he was also way too overconfident. It was not good news.

“Sally, have you checked the weather reports?”

She took a deep breath. “Yes, got the newest one just half an hour ago. It will get nasty in the west but that group won’t be affected at all”

Bard swore to himself. “If they are where they are supposed to be yes, I do not trust Tim Sally, I simply don’t. He has no idea of how dangerous the mountains can become”

Sally could be heard sighing again. “Right, well, to give you peace of mind I will call him, he has a satellite phone, will that ease those nerves of yours?”

He closed his eyes, bless that woman, she was like a mother to them all. “Yes, by all means. Call him. I am paranoid and I know it but something about the weather forecast doesn’t sit well with me”

She giggled. “Right, I will call you back in five”

She hung up and Bard stared at the phone, that uneasy feeling wasn’t going away. He had spent so much time in the wild he had learned to trust his instincts and now they were screaming at him for whatever reason.

Sally called back but her voice was different now, tense, almost hoarse. “Bard, I cannot reach him, or he isn’t answering”

Bard took a deep breath, he felt a bit faint. “Does he have a tracker on him?”

Sally scoffed. “Of course he has a tracker, we never let a guide leave without one, hang on for a moment”

He heard the tell tale sounds of the GPS being turned on, then she dialled in the right number. She went silent. “Bard? Ah, something is off”

He just knew it, there hadn’t been any major incidents this year after all. “What?”

His voice was flat, he already knew it was bad. “The tracker, according to it Tim is somewhere near Bearclaw lake, and that isn’t right at all. He wouldn’t just leave his group now would he?”

Bard closed his eyes again, he felt a headache coming. That goddamn boy, he was gonna flog the one who had sent him off instead of one of the more experienced guides. “No, not if he wants to have a job tomorrow, but damn it Sally, Bearclaw lake? That is a nasty area”

She was flipping papers again, probably maps. “Oh yes, Ah, I know he has been talking about getting up there, to see the lake I mean. If he has brought his group to that place I am gonna fry his ass, it is a very tough trek, and with that weather forecast…”

Bard leaned against the wall, his legs felt weak. “It is a death trap if there are flash floods, call the boss, call the other rangers. If Tim truly has brought everybody up there we have to get them asap, and I mean it”

Sally sounded short of breath. “Will do, hang on. I will get back to you!”

Bard just stood there, staring into nothing. That area was ragged, it was a veritable maze and there were no roads. You had to use a helicopter or horses, there were no other option.

Thranduil and Tauriel returned from the stable and Bard managed to calm himself, he took a deep breath. “Ah, you haven’t happened to have heard from Legolas today? He haven’t called? Sent a message?”

Thranduil frowned, his eyes got narrow. “I have, what about it?”

Bard braced himself. “I have just found out that the guide has been taking them to the wrong camp, did your son mention a lake?”

Thranduil went pale. “Yes? The guide had said it was a small detour, but very scenic?”

Bard almost gaped. A small detour? More like a whole day of hiking and then some, if they were lucky. “Was it a text?”

Thranduil opened his phone and handed it over, Bard could already see the fear starting to claw its way into the tall blonde. The text was short, but very telling. “We are having a great time, it is so pretty here. The guide want’s to show us a lake too, the trail is a bit steep but he says it’s worth it. Sounds cool”

Bard felt frantic. “Thranduil, it is not a small detour, it is a trail we only recommend for very skilled hikers, and it is very long too. The guide is a newbie, he doesn’t know how far it really is, he has lead them into danger””

Thranduil went completely pale and Tauriel let out a small gasp. “But they will be alright?”

Bard felt like the worst person in the world there and then. “There is bad weather coming, if it drifts just a wee bit more to the east than predicted…”

Thranduil swallowed visibly, his eyes were dark. “So, what are we to do?”

Bard tried to just breathe. Yes indeed, what were they to do?  

[nuredhel]

I was tagged by the lovely @Spiced-wine-fic to share six images from my phone. Here goes:

An image from a mountain hike some years ago, this is Svartdalsvatnet in Lesja, an area in the south west of Norway. It is where my mother's family is from and among my favourite places.

This is Mardalsfossen in Eikesdalen, it is on the western part of the country, not far from the coast and it is among the tallest waterfalls in Europe. It has been very controvertial since it is regulated for hydroelectric power, they only send water over the fall in the tourist season and it is just a shadow of its former self. Still it is an amazing sight and you can hike all the way up to it, but you will need an umbrella.

A selfie from another hike, this is the mountain Feforkampen and it isnt that far from our home. We were up there to watch an amcar show and then we had some time to spare so we went for a hile. A lovely trip but very steep.

Lovely sunset from the neighbourhood, i think this image was taken in autumn.

The view from a local mountain, Prestkjerringa or "the wickers wife" It is just under an hours drive from home and it is a very nice hike, not too long and rather easy too. Once can chose a more difficult route but we usually choses that for the return since you have to climb a bit. It isnt far from where i worked as a dairy maid for some summers and it is very popular for both hiking and bathing. The lakes are rather shallow and get warm fast in summer.

Thank you for tagging me @spiced-wine-fic, this is fun. I am hereby tagging everybody who feels like it, give it a try. Have a great weekend everybody.

[nuredhel]

Kyall is about to kick some demon's behind.

A dramatic cinematic still of a tall, androgynous elf ready for battle. The striking image features glowing eyes, tribal tattoos, and a glow

[nuredhel]

The Silmarillion -THE MOVIE-  I was just waiting for someone to try to make an AI video out of the Silmarillion, and this is actually not bad at all. It shows respect for the original work and it is very well done. You do need AI to be able to do this masterpiece justice-

[bebs-art-gallery]

© unholy_artworks

[princessfantaghiro]

TEARS OF FALLEN ANGELS

[nuredhel]

I didnt really like the show, it had too many things which didnt fit with the canon but i have to say, that actor did an amaaaazing job as Sauron, he was the thing which made it worth seeing. that is a stellar performance right there, he realizes what he has done, that Celebrimbor is right, and that he has more or less sealed his own ultimate fate.

[nuredhel]

Two images from the novel i am working on right now, the dragons blade book 4. The first is of Kyall, the main character and i like this one for the program did for once manage to show how tall he is, he is kind of a giant compared to most others. Here he is camouflaged as a human being and the old man is the court mage at the island he is sent to, to find some missing magicians. Turns out the mage has been fooled by the king and tricked into doing nasty stuff, now he wants revenge so he switches side. The second image is of Halana, she is a girl from the capital of the island kingdom and she is unfortunately for her destined to play a huge part in the things which are happening there. She was infused by some very ancient magic by accident and now fire is suddenly something she both fear and crave, and possibly control as well.

[aamuusva]

[nuredhel]

That sword looks wicked! So very cool.

[nuredhel]

some more images from my story The song of tomorrow on AO3. It is the last dance of Artemar, he is dying of consumption and instead of being sold to someone eager to abuse him he choses to die on his own terms, by ingesting poison and dying on the dancefloor. The next image is Maglor meeting Rog of Gondolin, the former smith has been sent back to middle earth since he is way too wild and feral to control and his hatred of Sauron so great he can do a lot good, although he is a freak and slightly orcish of nature. Maglor is a bit nervous around him, no wonder since the elf appears to be stark raging mad. The last image is Maglor and Artemar dancing, Artemar is supposed to the shorter than Maglor, the program didnt obey me very well but one can see the passion between the two of them.