Here we go with my first thranduil fanfic! Im an awful artist so please note all images are AI generated for ease but i wanted to add a little visual to aid in the reading, or you can ignore it completely! Please enjoy and let me know what you think!
AI generated image of what amariel looks like as a child!
Doriath stood as a sanctuary of golden light, its trees towering and ancient, their silver leaves whispering secrets of times long past. It was a realm of beauty and power, ruled by King Thingol and Queen Melian, their court a blend of ethereal grace and unyielding strength. Among the Sindar who called these woods home, whispers of another people drifted like a faint melody—the Erusi, a rare and ancient kin of the elves, whose connection to Eru Ilúvatar was said to surpass even that of the Firstborn. Their mysterious gifts set them apart, but also made them a subject of both fascination and unease.
Amariel Blackthorn was one of these Erusi.
Amariel was still young by the measure of elves, barely beyond her first century, though her curiosity and willfulness often made her seem younger. On this particular morning, she stood barefoot in the dew-drenched grass of a clearing deep within Doriath’s forests, her training sword clutched tightly in her hands. Her reddish-blonde hair tumbled in loose waves down her back, catching the soft morning light, and her blue eyes, rimmed faintly with amber, scanned her surroundings with a mixture of determination and restlessness.
“Lego, iel nîn! Tolo an hant,” (Move, my daughter! Come and strike,) came the deep, steady voice of her father, Eluvian. He loomed a few feet away, his amber eyes sharp as he watched her stance with a critical gaze. Dressed in his dark tunic and leather armor, his long white hair gleamed like starlight, giving him an almost regal aura. His sheer height and imposing build made even the other elves of Doriath pause, though to Amariel, he was simply Ada.
Amariel tightened her grip on the training sword, her knuckles whitening. “I’m trying,” she muttered, her frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
“Hírith nîn, estelio i curwë lin,” (My daughter, trust your skill,) Eluvian replied, his tone hard but not cruel. “Trying is not enough. Your enemies will not wait for you to try. Again.”
She let out a frustrated breath and adjusted her stance, the muscles in her legs coiling as she prepared to strike. This time, when she moved, it was with precision—her blade slicing through the air toward her father. But he was quicker. He sidestepped her strike effortlessly, his own blade coming up to tap her shoulder in what would have been a fatal blow.
Amariel groaned, dropping her sword to her side. “You’re impossible to hit!”
“Teitho! Echil i randir vin!” (Dodge! Evade the wandering strike!) Eluvian barked suddenly, his tone sharper. Amariel froze for a moment, confused by his words in Old Elvish, and the hesitation cost her. His wooden blade tapped her shoulder again, firmly but without force.
Amariel blinked, frustration twisting her features. “What did you just say?” she asked, panting slightly from the exertion.
Eluvian’s sharp amber eyes fixed on her. “I said to dodge. If you had been paying closer attention to your mother’s lessons in Old Elvish, you would not have hesitated.”
From the edge of the clearing, a melodic voice chimed in. “Perhaps if you didn’t push her so hard, my love, she would have more clarity to find.”
Both father and daughter turned to see Vanimelda approaching, her crimson hair a vibrant contrast to the soft greens and golds of the forest. Dressed in an elegant but simple gown, she carried a small basket of freshly picked flowers. Her blue eyes sparkled with amusement as she stopped beside them.
“She needs to be prepared,” Eluvian replied, his tone firm but lacking the sharpness he often reserved for others. “The world is not kind, Vanimelda. If she is not ready, it will devour her.”
Vanimelda’s gaze softened as she looked at her daughter, stepping closer to gently brush a strand of hair from Amariel’s face. “And yet, she is still a child. There is time for gentleness as well as strength.”
Amariel smiled faintly, leaning into her mother’s touch. While she loved her father’s lessons in swordplay, there was comfort in the softness her mother brought to their lives. Vanimelda’s presence was a steady reminder that not all strength came from steel.
“Amariel,” Vanimelda continued, her tone lightening, “I have a dress being finished for you at the seamstress’s shop in the market. You’ll come with me to fetch it tomorrow.”
The smile disappeared from Amariel’s face. “Another dress?”
“Yes,” Vanimelda said firmly, though her eyes twinkled with mirth. “And you will wear it without complaint. You’ve grown taller, and your old ones no longer fit. But,” she added, a playful smile tugging at her lips, “as a compromise, I will have the seamstress prepare a matching pair of trousers for you.”
Amariel’s face lit up, the annoyance melting away. “Really? Thank you, Mama!”
Vanimelda chuckled softly. “I thought you might appreciate that. A lady must know when to compromise, after all.”
Eluvian chuckled under his breath, earning a playful glare from his daughter. “Even in trousers, iel nîn, you must remain vigilant. One cannot outpace discipline with cleverness alone.”
As the family began their walk back toward their home, Amariel’s thoughts wandered to the words her father often spoke about their lineage. The Erusi were revered and feared in equal measure, even among their elven kin. Their connection to Eru Ilúvatar gave them gifts beyond the comprehension of most elves, their animal forms a sacred reflection of their souls. To reveal one’s form was an act of great intimacy, and among the Erusi, it was considered a private matter, shared only with those they trusted most.
Her mother’s form, a swan, was a symbol of grace and serenity. Her father, however, embodied the strength and ferocity of a black lion, his rare form a reflection of the leader and protector he had become. Amariel often wondered what others would think of her tiger form, but her parents had warned her to keep it hidden. “Not all souls are kind,” her father had told her. “And not all will honor the sanctity of who we are.”
“Ada,” Amariel asked as they neared their home, her voice hesitant. “Do you think people would fear me if they knew my form?”
Eluvian glanced down at her, his expression unreadable. “Some might,” he admitted. “But fear is not always a bad thing. A tiger is strong, powerful, and fierce. It commands respect. But you must never let others define you by their fear. Estelio han, a sedho. (Trust that, and find peace.) You are more than your form, Amariel.”
Vanimelda smiled gently, placing a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Your form is a part of you, my dear, but it is not all of you. What matters most is the strength and kindness within your heart.”
Amariel nodded, though her thoughts lingered on her father’s words. She often felt torn between the strength he demanded and the gentleness her mother cherished. How could she reconcile the two? Was it possible to be both?