THE SEARCH III

A man stood in the cave where the two targets had been just hours before. If one looked closely they would see the slight point of his ears, and the seemingly ageless glimmer in his eyes. He was the son of Maro.

Beside him a young orc crouched and ran a hand along the bloodspattered rock. She had lighter skin and a sharper face compared to most orcs owing to the fact that she was half-elf - considered an abomination to both species. There was nowhere for her but the Legion.

"Who did we lose, Elyu?" the man asked.

"Voroth," she said.

The man did not react, but the darkness of his eyes seemed to deepen. Elyu did not notice it.

"What should we do now, Azriel?" she asked, elf eyes bright and expectant.

"Have you tracked their direction?"

The orc shook her head. "They cleaned up better than we thought they would. The Feared is hard to catch just as Lord Maro said she would be."

Azriel's expression cooled at the mention of Aza's alias.

The Feared.

Despite Aza's efforts, they made quick progress with Elyu's guidance, finding hints of their whereabouts written into the landscape. A broken branch here, a stamped out mushroom bed there. Elyu was a seasoned tracker - with her orc nose and her elf eyes there was little that escaped her.

Though she was the tracker it was Azriel who led the group. There were five, now four with the loss of Voroth. Diara and Henry, elf and man respectively, flanked the leader and the tracker as they made their way through the undergrowth. Azriel ran a hand along a tree branch for balance as he jumped down to the bank of a stream. He crossed right away, leaving his team behind. On the other side his worst fears were confirmed. Aza was in a rush. She was not covering her tracks at all now. He could even see footprints clearly outlined in the moist mud.

It didn't take him even a moment to decide what had to be done. When the others crossed over he handed them his water flask.

"Here. We can't let ourselves tire."

Henry took it gratefully and gulped down several mouthfuls, while Diara took just a sip out of courtesy. She was an elf, so naturally did not require the same amount of sustenance as the men did.

Elyu shook her head when he proffered the flask to her. "I don't need it."

"Azriel…" Henry mumbled, "Why…" he collapsed before he could finish the sentence. Diara's eyes widened in shock and she caught him before he hit the ground. Azriel closed his eyes and let out a breath.

"Forgive me," he said, and struck her neck with the side of his palm. Her blood stopped in her neck and she fell in a useless heap beside the already unconscious Henry. Elyu stared at him in horror.

"Azriel what are you doing?!"

He looked at her, eyes vacant. Not a hint of remorse or regret visible on his face. Elyu was so small next to him, he almost hesitated before striking her down.

You, at least, will live.

She may not have that luxury.

He followed the trail.

Aza led the way to the Legion's original base. It was their only real lead.

They traversed a difficult but empty route, crossing rickety bridges and abandoned campsites, meandering around landslides and rock outcrops. Verbal exchanges became more and more infrequent, though neither was doing it deliberately. A lot weighed on their minds.

Thranduil wondered about Verona for the first time in a long time since they had left, though concern for his mother had been with him constantly. He was beginning to see how foolish it was of them to come alone, without the aid of his army or any efficient way to summon them.

Azriel's thoughts were rooted in the present. Refilling the flasks with fresh water as they crossed streams, marking trees and stepping over loose stones and weaving her way through thorny bushes without getting cut. She watched the lines of the shadows, felt the speed of the wind against her finger.

There was no way she could have expected their next encounter. An attack was what they were anticipating when they heard the swift slicing of branches, and hurried footsteps rushing through the undergrowth towards them. Thranduil was ahead, and stepped between Azriel and the approaching assailant before she could protest, weapon brandished and ready.

The figure tore through the trees and-

"Thank the Valar I found you," Azriel - the man - said.

Thranduil couldn't even blink before he was shoved to the side from behind. Aza ran to her lover like it had been a hundred years since their last meeting - and it might as well have been. Neither thought they would see the other after that day at Amon Lanc. They did not kiss, like Thranduil thought they would, but held each other tightly, relieved that the other was real.

"Evanna-" Aza gasped.

"My father has her," Azriel said, holding her shoulders, "They took her back to the lair."

Thranduil's eyes narrowed. "Your father? You father is Lord Maro?"

Azriel seemed to only register the elf King's presence when he spoke. "Yes."

"Azriel," Thranduil addressed his Azriel, "how can you be certain he is not going to hand you over?"

Aza's open, unguarded expression instantly hardened. She was as volatile as an open flame in the forest. "He will not."

Azriel grew prickly despite his accommodating nature. "I abandoned my comrades to save you. I have never done anything to aid Maro, least of all jeopardise Aza and Eva's lives."

"I can't trust my enemy's son."

Azriel frowned. "Your enemy?"

"In case you were mistaken, Azriel, son of Maro," Thranduil spat out his name like a curse, nothing like the way he said it to Aza, "both Aza and Eva are my subjects."

Before Azriel could retaliate Aza stepped between them. "We don't have time for this childishness."

Thranduil crossed his arms, ignoring the acidic look she was giving him. "And besides that, your father took people from my palace. He took my mother. My mate."

Aza froze. Does he mean Verona? He couldn't have. They aren't…

Azriel looked at her. "I swear by the Valar I did not know he took others. Maro must have kept it from me knowing I may betray him."

Aza shook her head. "None of that matters now. We must leave at once."

Thranduil's mouth twisted into a scowl, but what choice did he have? He knew nothing of this lair, while these two were raised there. He needed them, whether he liked it or not.

"Fine. Lead the way."

They stepped out of the shadows into an empty clearing. It was completely innocuous aside from the eerie silence, not merely the absence of sound but its complete absorption.

"They've gone below," Azriel said. "The shift is changing right now that's why it's empty," he added when Thranduil shot him a suspicious look.

Aza was fazed. Maro must have changed the Legion's routine to catch her by surprise. Luckily Azriel was still in his good books - though not for much longer.

"Follow me," Azriel said, and took her hand. Thranduil ignored the pang of jealousy blooming in his chest. He was here for his people, not for her.

Or so he kept telling himself.

The chapters are a bit short lately... idk if that's good or bad but it means you get to wait another week lol