Spider’s Prey
Slowly the days passed and began to blend one into another as Amala waited for the return of her father from the battle. As per the request of Lord Thranduil, Amala passed much of the time in solitary study under the tutilage of his chief advisor and scribe Keristan. It was during one of these study sessions when the doors to the great hall opened and a messenger in dented blood stained armor entered.
“My Lord Thranduil,” he said bowing his head respectfully “victory is ours. The dark lord Sauron has been defeated though with a heavy price. The High King of Men is dead as is our own High King Gil-Galad. Elrond prior to battle was named his successor. He now rides here to claim the child of Gil-Galad to return her to her father’s kingdom. There she is to be groomed in the scholarly arts as well as those of a warrior and diplomat that one day she might serve as co-ruler with Elrond.”
“Very well,” Thranduil said looking over at Keristan. “You know what you must do.”
Bowing before Thranduil, he ushered Amala to the steps leading to the archives and once there, shoved her into a cell where she remained a prisoner until long after the departure of Elrond.
Upon arriving in the great hall, he stood before Thranduil weary from sorrow and the strain of the battle.
“Lord Thranduil I have come for the girl child Amala,” he said sternly. “Please bring her to me immediately that I might continue upon my long journey home.”
“I am terribly sorry Elrond, but the child you speak of is no longer here,” Thranduil replied coldly. “She got into a mood and tried to avoid doing the lessons planned out for her by my advisor and head scribe Keristan. This was done by trying to force Keristan’s own daughter M’Lora to do her work for her. When M’Lora refused, Keristan saw Amala trying to break M’Lora’s hand and scolded her. As a result, she bolted out the door and got caught up in a spider’s web. By the time we found her it was too late. All that remained were the scraps of clothing that were falling to the grab from the trees above.”
Hearing this dreadful news, Elrond’s heart ached all the more as he turned slowly from Thranduil and headed to the door.
“Long will it be known that nobody is safe in your halls Thranduil for it is obvious you neither care nor stand vigilant over those that require your protection,” he said as he headed out the open doors. It was then that Amala’s life became a living hell.