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The forest was covered by a fine blanket of green mist, it was wet and heavy like the place it plagued. It made the trees and bushes about lose shape and definition, making the already eerie woods slightly more unsettling. A dark shape in the fog could be just a tree and just as likely to be an enemy.
“Do not move,” Thranduil instructed quietly. It was said so lowly that Celeborn almost did not hear.
They were so quiet that the forest seemed too loud in comparison. To Celeborn, it had always seemed quieter than his own home; a silence before the fall of the ax or the release of a string. The silence of dangerous things. But here, motionless and mute as Thranduil had commanded of him, the woods around them became alive.
His kin crouched, still as a hidden predator, his platinum-golden hair falling free of his crown like a waterfall down his back and over his shoulders. For a moment Celeborn wondered if he breathed at all. Like this, half hidden in the dark greenery around them, he could understand why most called the inhabitants of Mirkwood wild and dangerous, though he knew it was not so. Well… it was not so if you were considered a friend, of course.
‘ There ,’ came softly to his mind through the faint connection he shared with Thranduil. Celeborn made contact with big, blue-green eyes, and then followed the path they traced for him. He took in a quiet breath of surprise.
It moved slowly and silently but it was incredibly huge.
It was an elk.
But Celeborn had not seen such a manner of creature as this in millennia. It was not like any elk in the forest that he’d seen that was for sure. Powerful muscles rippled beneath its hide with every hove it put forward. It was a powerful thing.
Thranduil made a low noise like a long distorted scream. Celeborn held his body still so as to not let the shiver he felt run down his spine. The elk, which had been heading elsewhere, turned to look in the Woodland King’s direction. The hiding elf breathed in carefully, again, stilling himself so he wouldn’t reach for his sword in defense of his kin.
The creature took its time approaching, not quite wary but not really trusting. Meanwhile Thranduil did not move a muscle as he kept his eyes down, waiting.
Celeborn held his breath, the elk was right on top of the golden-haired elf, the animal towering over him. If the Elk decided he didn’t like his kin anymore, it would so easily trample him beneath his heavy hooves. But it didn’t. Instead a flicker of recognition crossed its big dark eyes. He sniffled Thranduil's hair and then huffed directly in Thranduil's face, perhaps confirming the identity of the elf. The blonde’s lips quirked into an amused smile yet he still did not meet the beast’s eyes.
The creature knocked his snout gently against the woodland King’s face and after a second Thranduil reciprocated, nuzzling softly against the short fur. When the elk returned the motion even harder, Thranduil laughed as he was bumped slightly backward and almost off his balance.
With a last touch on the elf’s cheek, the animal began retreating, returning to the direction it had been heading, just as slowly and majestically as it had come. Only once the creature disappeared in the distance of the trees did Thranduil uncoil from his crouch and sighed out. He let himself fall backwards to the forest floor. Celeborn winced, he did not want to think about what could be there but the image of thrones immediately crossed his mind's eye as well as foul poisonous plants.
The silver-haired unlogged himself from the tree his kin had instructed him to hide in. Thranduil turned his head to meet his eyes and smiled.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” He asked, a slight giddiness to his expression.
“Quite,” Celeborn breathed out, his heart still beating loudly inside his chest. “It was almost like Doriath,” he looked at the elf on the floor meaningfully, “like when the Maiar used to walk amongst us.”
“I know,” Thranduil said with a sad, bittersweet smile. “Come here now,” he said after a while as he extended his hand to his kin. “The forest will not bite you, I promise.” He smirked now, looking knowingly at the silver-haired.
Celeborn rolled his eyes but obliged, giving his hand to the other and allowing himself to be pulled down. He nested close to Thranduil and shoulder to shoulder they observed the canopy of the trees, letting the loudness of life and the forest around them sink into their bones.