Mary Goes to Mirkwood

Mary Goes to Mirkwood

(Revised edition)

Chapter Six/?

Co-authors: Mary A & Malinorne

Disclaimer: Just playing with Tolkien characters, for fun, and not profit, do not claim to have created them. Thaladir, the king's seneschal, is our creation.

Warning: NC17, Adult sexual situations/ nudity/naughty tree climbing activities.

Pairing: King Thranduil/OFC, Haldir/OFC

Summary: Mary has jumped in the river; Mal and Haldir share some time alone in a tree; the King gets muddy.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mary~

Although the current of the underground watercourse was not unusually strong, the icy water had numbed me both physically and reflexively. I clung as hard as I could to the tunnel sides, but my useless fingers could only find minimum purchase as I was constantly being dragged away and moved along like a floating piece of driftwood.

I wanted to get to the far side of the river but I was afraid of letting go long enough to attempt to swim across the surface. I was sure the paralyzing cold would sink me like a stone in the middle. The rapidly fading sunlight, just outside the tunnel entrance, was filtered through the leaves of the beech trees lining both sides of the river giving a greenish golden glow to the air and watery reflections.

At least I would die in a beautiful atmosphere, I told myself, in my never-ending quest to see the bright side of any situation. I reached the opening and tried to steer myself around to the riverbanks edge so that I could, perhaps, pull myself up out of the icy water long enough to restore some feeling into my limbs before attempting to enter in again to swim to the other side.

For I was on the wrong side of the river, the giant killer-spider side, and I needed to get to the far side before I was willing to climb up all the way out of the water. The king had made it clear which side of the boundary river was safe, and which was not.

Unfortunately, the high, steep banks were carved out in such a way that I could find no place to plant my feet to reach up to the roots of the beech trees, which grew out of the cliff sides and reached out tantalizingly close, but not close enough. There was no vegetation to cling to; only slippery, crumbly, clay-like soil which made a sticky mud that coated my arms, chest, face and hair as I struggled to pull myself up out of the river.

Again and again I would lose my purchase in the slimy goop, falling back into the water to be pulled along further down the waterway. Again and again I would somehow manage to slow myself along the edge and start over again. Ravens sitting in the trees above seem to be screeching in alarm, but no one answered.

A few times, I was able to reach up to grab one of the tree roots, just inches above me, only to have it break off in a shower of rotten bits that would rain down on my face, and send me back into the icy bath. Except, I was not being cleansed, the sticky clayish mud stubbornly clung to my skin no matter how many times I fell back into the river.

I felt I was literally at the end of my strength when I realized the bank had dropped down lower, and wach lch less steep. With more effort than I thought I had left in me, I managed to pull myself up on a healthy beech-tree root where I could rest a moment, with my arms slung over its outstretched length, before attempting to climb up any further. It had almost felt as if the river had lifted me up to reach, but that was impossible.

The tree root poked itself out far enough to make a convenient step as I dug into the slippery mud to claw my way up the embankment. I was not willing to pull myself over the top as I was sure I would be killed instantly by some foul lurking Mirkwood creature. I tried to find a way to get comfortable clinging to the side of the steep, muddy riverbanile ile I gathered myself.

The other side of the river, the safe side, seemed miles away now in the gathering dusk. I tried to turn myself to see better and ended up losing my footing in the mud. I slid half-way down the embankment on my back before coming to a stop. I reached for the beech root again, boosted myself up, and climbed all the way over the top of the embankment, this time.

Waiting to die, I laid in the grass for a while. I probably would have passed out if I had not have been shivering so hard, or if my teeth had not have been chattering so loudly that the noise kept me awake.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~

I stirred a little, to announce my awakened state, which was, of course, totally unnecessary, as Haldir probably knew from my breathing or something that I was no longer asleep. Then I stretched, in a way that I hoped would look sensual and tempting. It was useless. "No," he said, not even turning his head to look at me before he continued: "I am thinking."

'Well, I am thinking, too,' I wanted to say, 'I am thinking that you are no fun at all, mister.' I pulled the mantle tight around me again, sighed and continued to watch him, as he continued to watch the distant nothingness.

Gold had turned to ashes and ashes to mithril when the moon lo out out from behind the clouds of the night sky. I looked at him and I could not think about anything else other than how much I wanted this elf to make love to me.

Then he suddenly turned, giving me a smouldering glance, before he said huskily: "Now." I just continued to stare at him, not believing that he was finally coming to me. Slowly and smoothly he crept over the few paces to where I was lying, and straddled me. I wanted to reach up and draw him down to me, but my arms were trapped under the soft wool, and again, Haldir told me to wait. Then he started to fold back the mantle from my neck, revealing my shoulders and then chest, unwrapping me like a piece of confectionery. I suddenly wondered if Haldir had ever tasted chocolate. I was sure he would like it.

As the thick, grey layer was peeled off of my body I began to experience a kind of freshness and freedom, perhaps like a butterfly might feel when it comes forth from its chrysalis. I was both totally relaxed and so tense I could have climaxed from just the way he looked at me when he continued his labour, opening the bodice of my dress and laying me bare before his eyes.

Then his hands covered my breasts and he moved them in circles, letting the palms tease my nipples until they stiffened. I moaned softly at the sensation, and it must have affected him as well, as his eyelflutfluttered for a moment.

And then he moved his attentions to my face, my neck and shoulders, and he only smiled at my attempts to wriggle into a position that would make him come into contact with my breasts again.

"So impatient," he whispered before he leaned down to let our lips meet in a kiss, that remained soft and controlled, though I tried my best to make him lose his concepts. Then he kneeled beside me and raised me to a sitting position so that he could pull the dress over my head. I wrapped my arms around him and tugged at his tunic, wishing it to disappear. Obviously Haldir was not as calm as he pretended to be, because he shed his clothing in an instant, and without further ceremony he lowered me unto the bough.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mary ~

Death refused to come.

I decided that I would be better off being killed and eaten by a giant spider than lying there lost, alone, shivering, chattering, covered with mud, and consumed with both jealousy and hatred for the king. My head was throbbing, where I had slammed it into his chair, and my heel, despite it being numb from the cold, ached from kicking him in the jaw.

After struggling up to a sitting position, I tried to yell, "Come and eat me!" but I was too chilled to make a sound. My jaw refused to open as it clattered my teeth together and my voice refused to free itself from my frozen lungs. I hugged my knees to find warmth and readied myself for the end. 'Just get it over with,' I mentally told the horrid creatures that I was sure were stalking me, 'just kill me and end the suspense.'

Then I heard something. Voices? There were soft, musical voices speaking in the distance. Elves! Hope lifted me to my feet and I tried to call out, "Hello," but could not manage more than a hoarse stuttering whisper. I could not see them in the dusky gloom of the forest around me but I knew they were close by.

Normally, elves would have known I was there long before I would have seen them. But I was so covered and caked with mud, with bits of beech-tree roots distributed loosely over the top of it all, that I was better camouflaged than even the wiliest wood-elf. And I was too cold to move enough to make noise in the underbrush. I hugged myself as I looked around and I heard the voices again, louder, they were moving closer to me. I tried again to cry out and managed to yelp, "Hey!"

After I heard one call back, as if in reply to me, I tried to answer, cursing myself for not having even tried to learn a single word of Elvish with which to respond. Well, I had learned a few words and phrases, but, as they were ones that the king uttered, or shouted, during moments of, ahem, passion, I did not think they would be appropriate for the situation.

But I could see the elves by then; there were two of them, moving stealthily in my direction, with the quick, cunning movements of all wood-elves. They would seem to disappearen ren reappear, among the brush and tree trunks of the forest as they drew nearer. I was shaking too hard to call out anymore and I sat, again, and waited for them. I knew they would be curious and, in investigating this mystery, would find me soon. I hugged my knees and shivered.

Then I heard a noise from the brush on the other side of me. A faint, barely noticeable sound that I believed the bloated, evil body of a giant spider would make as it closed in on its prey, ready to strike. I changed my mind on the spot about being spider dinner.

Where were those elves? They should have found me by now. I was too afraid to stand and reveal myself in order to check their progress, in case there was a spider near by, until I clearly heard a noise right beside me that could only, at least to my ears, have been made by the hairy legs of a giant creature getting itself into position to pounce.

I leapt up with a squeal to take off in the direction I had last seen the wood-elves approaching and was caught from behind, around my waist, by a very familiar arm. As I was lifted up, and into his embrace, I was almost happy enough to be glad that I had been captured by Thranduil. The stealthy wood-elves, who I had been depending on to rescue me, were at his side instantly and I wondered if they had been sent out to find me for him.

"Are you hurt?" asked the king. But my teeth were still dancing too hard for me to talk. I heard him speak rapidly to the other elves and the next thing I knew, there was something warm being wrapped around me, heavenly warmth, which, I was to learn later, was a tunic that one of the elves had been wearing. Thranduil wrapped it around me like a blanket, crouching down and balancing on one knee while he did so, and then he asked me again, "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head, "no," and pressed my face into his bare chest, so hard and strong. I reveled in the fact, once I was warm enough to think a little bit more clearly, that I was safe and no longer spider bait. I still shook from the chill that seemed to have entered into my bones and now radiated outward from inside of me. My exposed feet felt like they were incased with ice and they throbbed from the cold.

The king carried me swiftly back to his halls. There must have been other elves around when he crossed the bridge and carried me up the hillside to the great gates, but I kept my face pressed against his chest and did not look about me. I could not stop shivering.

We entered the halls; the reddish light from the torches replaced the evening gloom of the forest. Thranduil carried me into his private chambers, and then sat himself down, with me in his lap, in the chair before his fireplace. The heavy chair was now facing the right way, thanks to me. If I was on speaking terms with him, and if my teeth were not still chattering, I would have pointed this out.

The heat from the fire felt amazing, like something I had never felt before, like a brand new sensation, as my frozen body slowly thawed itself. My mud caked feet were thankful at first as the cheery blaze caressed them with warmth. But, as the blood began to circulate again, they burned.

Thaladir, the seneschal, stood before us, suddenly, and there was a cup being held to my lips. I sipped at it, a hot sweet beverage; it tasted like mulled cider, or wine, perhaps. As it slid down my grateful throat, I felt instantly warmer inside as it glowed within my stomach and sent out waves of heat in all directions. The shivering slowed, then, finally, halted and my jaws relaxed. I felt drowsy and safe as I sat before the cozy fire with the king.

"Now," he said, "will you tell me if you are hurt?" I contemplated the fireplace flames as if I had never seen anything like them before and ignored him. "Very well, I will just have to examine you..." he said as he started to remove the tunic wrapped around me.

"My head hurts! Where it hit the chair," I blurted out as I clutched the soft buckskin back around myself tightly. "And my heel...where I kicked you." I held the foot in question up for display.

"Look at me," said the king.

Not this again. I closed my eyes. I was so weary that they wanted to stay closed, once I had done so, and it was not hard at all to keep them closed. I felt my head nod and I leaned my head back onto the king's chest and rested a moment.

"How can I make you stop behaving so childishly?" he asked.

"I will break my promise I made myself to stop speaking to you, ever again," I said with my face pressed against his chest, loving the fact that he was nearly as mud-covered as I was, "long enough to tell you that you should stop trying to make me do anything." It took effort to speak, I yawned.

"And, telling me that I am childish is not a good idea." I added. "Even if I am acting childish." I paused for a moment, because that did not come out right, before adding, "Which I'm not." My brain felt sluggish, my thoughts were not working right. "At least not much."

The king hugged me to him. He stroked my muddy hair and face so tenderly that I could feel my resolve b to to waver.

"What do youh frh from me?" he asked, "Just tell me what you want." His voice was gentle, caressing, and it held a promise of the fulfillment of all of my desires. "Anything," he whispered. I could not resist it, that voice.

"Well, to start out with. I want you to say, please." I had opened my eyes again but I looked back into the flames instead of into the eyes of the king.

"You want me to say...what?" I could tell, just from the way he asked it, that no one in his life had ever said that to him. At least, probably not since he had become a king. It was so hard not to smile.

"Please," I repeated. "You know, please, as in, please forgive me for throwing your lap-top into the fireplace." I yawned again before adding, "That was real grown-up of you, to do that, not childish at all, no, not hardly." I felt too sleepy to say anything else.The fire crackled and sizzled and that was the only other sound that was heard in the large chamber for several beats of my heart.

"Please, look at me," said the king. I looked at him. His eyes held mine. "Please, listen to me."

"Okay," I said.

"Will you forgive me for throwing your lap-top into the fireplace?"

I thought about it for a moment.

"Will you get me a better one?" I asked. The king smiled. I smiled back.

"Is there anything else?" asked the king.

"Give me a moment," I replied.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~
as sas surprised not to feel the mantle under me, but was too distracted by the kisses and caresses that were placed all over my body, to ask why, and when I felt Haldir's hand wandering along my inner thighs I parted them willingly. An eager finger found my clitoris and rubbed it gently, making me whimper and press myself up against his hand.

Again I wrapped my arms around his waist and this time I succeeded in making him lie down with me and I enjoyed the feeling of his strong back, and muscular behind, under my hands. But most of all I loved how his hair, silvery in the moonlight, caressed my face with every move he made.

Finally I felt the tip of his hard length slip between my folds, but still he let not his passion overtake him. "Do you allow me entrance?" he asked, politely, though in a voice thick with lust. I could only moan in answer, as my ability for coherent speech was long ago impeded.

"Then feel me", he whispered as he entered me. "Feel the tree." And I felt. I felt the rough bark under me, already slightly moistened from the dew of the night, and Haldir's soft skin against my body. I looked into the depths of his eyes and it was as if I saw a universe in them, endless and eternal, for the while he allowed me to share his mind, and there was also another presence, humming in a low, almost not audible tone, and I knew that somehow the tree participated in this sharing.

And this was what Haldir had wished to show me, what he meant by sharing fully, and as that was accomplished, he cast aside his restraint and began to push into me, all the time keeping my gaze locked into his, not to break the temporary bond. The sensations his rock-hard member created as it slid in and out of me in an increasing tempo and steadily pushing deep into me made me delirious, but what finally undid me were his throaty growls and the way his face turned fierce during the final, hard thrusts before he spilled his seed deep into me.

It must have taken minutes until the shivers of passion that shook my body finally ceased, and I realised that I was still moaning when Haldir withdrew. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the fresh night air, before he looked at me again. Raising an eyebrow, he grinned and asked: "Again?"

"Aye, Haldir," I whispered. "Again and again and again." At that he chuckled, but he looked pleased. "Now, despite what you may think, there are limitations to elven stamina." A shade of disappointment clouded my face, but it disappeared instantly when he added, with a smirk, "But, I will do my best."

It was late morning when Haldir had finally finished doing his best, for the time being, and he wanted to scout the area, so he helped me down from the tree so that I could wash myself, and then he lifted me up again, tucked me back into his warm mantle and left me to sleep for some hours before it would be time to advance towards the palace.

We breakfasted on lembas from Haldir's rations, said goodbye to the tree and began walking towards the halls. Haldir insisted that I should wear his mantle to protect me against the chilly autumn air, and I was happy to accept it. It warmed my soul as much as my body and it smelt wonderfully of him. I felt strong and renewed, where I was walking behind the March Warden of Lothlorien, and I was confident that my torn nerves were healed, and that nothing the Elvenking could do would unsettle me again.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mary ~

"And I don't want you to spank Mal again. Ever again," I told the king. "I don't care if she does like it. I think you need to be nicer to her. She doesn't think highly enough of her self as it is." I had hated seeing the callous way he had handled her the night before. "You need to treat her better."

"Quite the contrary, I think most highly of Malinorne," replied the king, imperiously. "She knows that I hold her in high regard..."

"Tell me about it!" I cried. "She knows and now everyone else knows, too, what high regard you hold her in..."

"You are jealous." He sounded amused.

"I'm extremely jealous!" I was long past feeling chilled to the bone; the fire had warmed me to the point of feeling overheated. I wished I could open the tunic that was wrapped around me to feel air on my steamy skin, but, I knew the s riv river mud that covered me smelled horrible, so I left myself wrapped.

"I can't compete with her in your bed. How can I? Look at her! She's tall, she's blonde, she's beautiful, she's smart, she speaks Elvish, and she has green eyes and a...." I paused because I hated having to say it out loud, "a magnificent behind!"

Thranduil's body shook as he chuckled at me until I burst into tears, surprising both of us, I think. Then he clasped me tightly to himself and whispered to me of how magnificent my own behind is, as if that would help.

It did not help. The tears came even faster. "You li-li-like her mo-more than muh-muh-me!" I sobbed.

"Nonsense," said the king gently, "you know better. You are distraught, and you need sleep."

"I do not!" He was right, I did need sleep. "I need a bath! I stuh-stuh-stink!" I wiped my nose on the tunic as I sobbed louder.

"You will bathe later. You need sleep now," the king told me firmly as he carried me over to the bed and laid me upon it, still wrapped in that poor wood-elf's now badly soiled tunic. He laid a finger to my rebellious lips and stated, "Not one more word. You smell like my forest, and my river; that is not such a bad way to smell."

His voice reached inside of me, I was too tired to resist it, and felt like a warm caress on my soul. I relaxed, stopped crying, and felt even drowsier than I had earlier. He bent down and kissed me, sweetly, before stroking my forehead and putting me to sleep with whispered words that were beyond my comprehension.

~ **~

When I awoke, Thranduil was sitting next to me on the bed. "Good morning," he said, "or, I should say, good noon?"

"I'm starving," I said. I could feel that the pain in both my foot and head were gone, he must have healed them while I slept. Whatever resolve I had felt to keep him at arms length seemed to melt a little as I realized he must have sat there and watched me sleep the whole time. His bare chest and upper arms were still smeared with dried mud from me; I could see dried bits of it on the tips of his hair.

He rose and brought back a platter with bread, fruit, a jar of honey, and slices of cheese. I sat up, letting the muddied tunic slip off my shoulders, and ate while the king watched me. When my angry stomach finally felt contented enough to allow my brain to function more clearly I looked around the chamber and then asked the king where Mal was. It occurred to me that I had not seen her at all since I had made my escape attempt.

"I am going out to fetch her in a moment," answered Thranduil. "But, before I go, I want to put you somewhere for safekeeping."

Before I could protest, or run, he lifted me and carried me through a door that stood open right next to his bed. I had never even known there had been a door there, so cleverly was it disguised to resemble part of the stone wall. But, at that very moment, I was sure it must lead to a private dungeon where I would soon be shackled to prevent any more escape attempts.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~

When we approached the halls, Haldir told me that he could see Thranduil near the last bridge, and that the king was pacing to and fro, seemingly worried about something, and as we came closer I saw it as well. I thought it a bit strange that the king would be out to look for me personally, if that was the reason. But it made my heart beat a little faster....

Haldir and the king greeted each other correctly, but somewhat reservedly, and it was clear that the March Warden was not a popular guest here, no matter how honoured, and I think it suited him as it meant he could tease Thranduil to his heart's content as long as the minimum of politeness was observed.

"Your highness," Haldir said, making an exaggerated bow before he continued, "I heard you have been having a problem keeping track of your house guests lately."

"Surely, the proceedings in my royal household are none of your business, March Warden." The way the king accented "royal" and almost spat out Haldir's title did not seem to intimidate the Lorien elf at all, and Thranduil looked irritated when he continued. "I caught my wriggling goldfish last night. But thank you, Warden, for bringing back my rootless mallorn." The king nodded in my direction, but he kept looking at Haldir, as if not recognizing my presence.

"You ought to treat your guests better, Thranduil," Haldir replied, "so that they will be less prone to look elsewhere for... ah... what shall we call it... assistance, perhaps." I tugged a little at the back of Haldir's tunic. Even if I felt a lot more confident than before, there was no need to tempt the king's patience. But Haldir just removed my hand and took a step closer to him.

I could not follow the rest of the conversation; they were speaking far too fast, and quietly, but I did catch some of Haldir's words; fears... love.... feelings. I could not hear a word of what the king was saying, but he did not look angry, only serious. And at one point of the conversation he looked at me with a thoughtful expression on his face, and nodded.

Thranduil approached. He looked determined when he removed Haldir's mantle from my shoulders, not too gently, and handed it to its owner. Then he shrugged of hof his robe, wrapped it around my shoulders, held me for a moment and then turned to walk back to the halls with an arm around my shoulders. I turned to look at Haldir, expecting to see at least some sign of discontent. But he just smiled enigmatically.

I suddenly stiffened as I remembered what the king had said about Mary and capturing her. Where was she now? Locked up? Badly injured? Was she even alive?

"Do not worry." He stopped and looked me seriously into the eyes before he continued. "Trust me; I would never hurt her. Or you. Do you believe me?" Actually I did.

Haldir had made me understand that my fear of the Elvenking had more to do with my unsettled state and emotional exhaustion with all the new impressions, than with any of his actions. Thranduil had not been very nice in the bedroom, but it seemed likely that it was like Haldir had said, that the king might have overestimated his ability to handle two mortal women at the same time.

Then Thranduil surprised me by kissing me more tenderly than he had ever done before. True, he did hold me quite possessively, and there was greediness in the way his tongue found its way between my lips, but still, the heart of it was not control, this time, but affection.

"Are you still afraid of me?" he asked.

"A little. Not more than I want to be."

"Good. I will take good care of you."

He said it gently, and I decided that he meant it honestly, and not with some wicked hidden meaning. Perhaps being a royal concubine in Mirkwood would not be so bad after all, I thought, as I listened to the king's deep, velvety voice telling about the halls as we went.

Finally, the king left me in the care of yet another silent but smiling elf-maid, who took me to a room with steaming hot water pools sunken into the floor.

And Mary was there! A lot of strange things had happened the last days, but I felt that we were still friends and I was truly happy to see her again. And I did not need much persuasion, none at all, in fact, not even an invitation, to quickly throw off my clothes and join her in the nearest pool.

to be continued

Feedback: thaladir@yahoo.com