Mirkwood
Tiberius POV
Waking up after a night's rest I stretched my body and smiled after having a good sleep, I remember the wonderful dream where I and Melody were in the lake where I met here, instead of her running away we chatted and laughed as fireflies surrounded us. After recalling my dreams I washed my face and prepared myself to meet our elf friends in their tent to invite them for breakfast and start our journey towards their city.
I went to their tent with my Praetorians and whistled happily excited to meet Melody once more, seeing their tents from the distance I can already see the elves awake and outside of their tents exercising and Legolas speaking to a hawk before it flies away going northwest, I see Melody behind him and I walked faster. Melody turned her head after hearing footsteps and see me with my guards she smiled excitedly and came to meet me.
"Good morning Melody" I smiled and wave my hand at her.
"Good morning Tiberius" She smiled back after knowing my name from the night before on our journey to the camp.
Legolas see us and walked towards our direction along with other elves who noticed our presence. We have a conversation about how their rest was and he smiled saying it was fine and thank us for our hospitality.
"Please join me for breakfast along with your companions," I asked sincerely
He nods and I escort them to an open field where tables and food are already prepared.
"I hope you eat meat, but if you don't I have bread and honey that can serve you and the other elves for breakfast, I got them from the beornings who welcomed us to their village."
"It is fine Tiberius, some elves do not eat meat in middle earth but us wood elves eat meat because of the lack of fields to plant here in the forest, we hunt our food in the forest to sustain us." Legolas smiled at me while impressed that we were welcomed by the beornings.
We have breakfast and Legolas sit besides me with Melody on the other chair, we talked about my story how we were transported and on a quest to help the dwarves, Legolas frowned when he heard about the quest while Melody smiled excitedly hearing of our adventures like a fairytale from her bedtime stories when she was a child.
"What was that hawk I saw you with?" I asked Legolas
"It was a messenger hawk, I gave word to it to send to my father informing of your upcoming visit and Melody being found"
We talked some more and I looked towards Melody while we eat breakfast while she sneaked glances towards me and we smiled seeing each other vision, after breakfast, we prepared to break camp while gathering all the separated legions from different camps, Melody and the other elves were impressed by the legions seeing them marched with discipline and formations, Legolas frowned seeing them as if worried about the mighty army marching towards their domain.
After completing preparations I gave the elves some of our horses and we continued our march while the elves escort us and scout our surrounding area, I felt better that we finally have some natives who can guide us in this dangerous forest especially seeing those giant spiders yesterday. I trot my horse towards Melody side as we chatted some more while I see Darius trying to court the brown-haired female elf from yesterday. Darius' face was perverted and saying something when the elf slapped him, the female elf rides her horse away and went close to the dwarf named Kili. Me and Melody smiled as we see this and we laughed at Darius' face with a red hand mark.
"So Melody why did you ran away and singing in that lake?"
"My friends left a few days ago to go to the Undying Lands as they will sail across the west sea forever not to be able to return, I felt sad not seeing them again unless I leave middle earth permanently. I went to that place where father brought me and brother when we were young, it's one the most special place for me but as the forest got more dangerous we rarely go there anymore," She said in a sad expression with tears in her eyes.
I offer her shoulder and she leaned on it, behind us without me knowing Legolas frowned seeing our actions and was about to interrupt when the browned haired female elf stopped him and shook her head, Legolas reluctantly agrees but continued to look at us making sure we don't do anything inappropriate.
As the legions marched along with dwarves and elves we faced more dangers from the forest, we encountered trolls and ogres which attacked us while the elves taught us how to beat them more conveniently, they said killing them from afar was better and showed us as they shoot their arrows towards the dark creatures bringing them down before they can get near upon us, everyone from the legions we're impressed while Thorin remain silent and glared at the elves.
We continued marching during daylight and setting up camp during the night for many days as me and Melody get closer sharing our stories with one another while I spot Legolas always near us either cleaning his bow or counting his arrows. Darius gave up on the browned hair female elf after seeing her being close with the dwarf Kili instead he looked for new targets to seduce to complete his goal of sleeping with an elf while Garen led the army in charge of the logistics and command as he has seen me busy lately with Melody.
After five days of traveling, we arrived upon a stream with an eerie atmosphere. I looked at it and Melody explained that the Enchanted stream was a black stream in Mirkwood that flowed north from its source in the mountains of Mirkwood towards the forest river which it joined about ten miles before (west of) the Elven kings halls. It had fast and strong currents, but was not too wide at least in the area near the forest path. Anyone who drank or bathed in the stream's water would fall into a deep sleep, and suffer amnesia when finally waking.
They had to cross the stream while traveling through Mirkwood on their way to the woodland realm, we carefully crossed the bridge when one of the dwarves Bombur the fat one clumsily fell backward into the stream while trying to get food from the carts. We fished him out of the river with a branch we cut off from the trees while covering him with a big cloth to dry him after that we saw him in deep sleep smiling probably having a good dream.
Bilbo and the dwarves looked worried but Legolas assured them they have a way to wake him up back in their city but probably will lose his memories, they nod now more determined to arrive faster in their city even though they were reluctant before still bitter about something.
Few more days passed and we see more elves from up the trees arriving jumping from branch to branch to escort us and make sure Legolas and the other elves were safe while looking wary at the legions making sure they were not a threat to the elves domain. Legolas said we were within five kilometers from the city and the legions must stop here, the other elves escort them to a good spot to camp while Garen and the centurions stay with them while me, Darius, Praetorians and Thorin's company join us to go to the city, arriving there I admired the beauty of the city while Melody pointed and explained their heritage and history of this ancient city of the wood elves.