Chapter Text
"Aulea!" A man shouted running into the forest having spotted the horns of the elk hiding in the trees. He was helping an older, shorter woman, carrying her on his back. Quietly she spoke to him, and he hushed her gently.
“Please Amad, try not to speak.” He asked her softly, turning his head to nudge it against her cheek. The elder dam sniffed but listened to the words of her son and reached a hand to feel for her beard. The braided hair had been singed short, her long locks of black and gray fairing no better. She began to cough again, covering her mouth with her hand, wheezing softly against her son’s back.
“Aulea please!” He called again doing his best to hide the fear in his voice. He adjusted his mother apologizing as he jostled her to get her more comfortable.
At the second call of her name, Aulea appeared from the trees. She was tall, with long hair so pale in color, it looked white. Blue eyes widened in concern seeing the man run towards her with the elder holding onto his shoulders, her fingers shaking with the effort. She put a hand to her mouth at their state, a soft gasp slipping out as she stepped out into the sun. Her elk made a quiet noise in distress as she slipped down the slight incline in her hurry to get to them. His large head pushed out behind her, and she assured the mount she was alright as she continued to run to the pair.
"Gambir! My love I'm so sorry. I tried but I could not convince him, he had already made his mind up." She started, helping him with his mother. With a nod of gratitude, his mother sat down on a flat rock nearby, Aulea handing her a water skin to drink from and clear her throat.
She had seen it from afar, as she was captain of the elven army and had gone with him against his arguments to seek the dwarven kingdom of Erebor. Business. He had said, but they arrived only to see the city of Dale on fire, and the Mountain itself under attack by the dragon, Smaug. The dwarf prince - her husband's younger cousin, Thorin, called for their aid but Thranduil refused to sacrifice his own kin to a dragon. Aulea’s pleas for them to help in any way falling upon deaf ears as he had them turn back towards the Mirkwood.
The she-elf was torn between her love for her half-dwarf husband and her loyalty to her king and best friend. In the end, she thought about their child growing in her belly, the unborn babe all but making the decision for her; so, she turned back to go home. She followed Thranduil looking back twice as they marched home. He forbade her from leaving again, but being the captain, the guards she had trained herself did not stop her as she hurried back out into the forest soon after their return.
"It's all right Ghivashel. We could use your help though, mother got burned when she ran back to help carry Dis. She had been sick for a few weeks and was just barely feeling better when all of THIS occurs. It's ridiculous, Mahal forbid anything worse should happen." He spat, running a hand through his hair cursing softly in Khuzdul. He looked up at his wife noticing her frown, "Ah, I apologize for snapping. It has been rather stressful. But we could use the offered help." He said a bit sheepishly.
"Of course, Meleth nín." She said gently, moving back over towards where the dwarrowdam was seated, "Glain?" she asked, kneeling before the woman, helping in removing her burned coat so she could take a closer look at her burns. Most seemed to be on her back and arms, the trousers she wore under her dress did much to protect her legs.
The old woman looked straight at her and gave a nod able to speak again with the help of the water she had been given, "It's good to see you once more she-elf. You look healthy. And rounder for one your size. Is my grandchild all right?" She asked, head tilted as she brushed her fingers through the soot covered beard getting rid of the pieces that had singed completely off, letting them fall to the ground beside her as she did. She was the younger sister of King Thrain II, but her knowledge on everything far exceeded his and for that she was his advisor in a multitude of political and social issues.
The pair had not told Glain yet, planning on doing so upon Aulea’s next visit to Dale, for she was still not allowed into the Mountain, despite having married Gambir in the Mirkwood.
They were not married by dwarven standard.
Many in the mountain weren’t even aware that one of their Prince’s Ones was a she-elf. Thorin had found out on accident with Dwalin when they were walking along the river near Dale on an easygoing day and spotted the pair enjoying a meal together in the fields. Both promised to keep silent on it.
Aulea looked up and chewed on her lip, having picked up the habit from her husband, "The babe... is well. They say I am 2 nearly 3 months along. Thranduil- LORD Thranduil has given me nothing but the best healers. He and I have a wager going on. If my baby is a boy, he will be the next captain after myself. But if it is a girl, she's to be promised to Legolas as well as the next captain." She said with a fond laugh talking about her king and his elfling son. He was 7 years of age and an absolute terror to everybody in the kingdom. His mother had gone missing when the boy was five and despite efforts to find out where she had gone, or taken, there was no sign of her.
Aulea had worried for her best friend the first months after her disappearance. The pair having been close ever since they were elflings in Doriath when he saved her from being taken for stealing. He had brought her back to his home, and had his parents take her in when it had become known she had no parents. She worked under his father as a servant, but as she grew, she became trusted within the family and was accepted and trained into the army under the commander before her.
But he was okay. As far as she knew he had been able to get better because of his son. The little boy kept everyone on their toes and Thranduil adored him.
"But what if this Legolas is not the babe’s One." Glain said, sliding her coat back on once Aulea had used what elven magic she knew to heal the burns as well as she could.
"This child will be a quarter dwarf; I am not entirely sure they will have a One." Aulea argued gently.
"That is untrue. Gambir is only half and yet he found you. You are his One. And this child will have a One. The babe will be an elf so it may take a long time before their One is found, but they will have it." Glain nodded her head affirmatively, her singed braids that remained in her beard bouncing against her cheeks, “Mahal created all Khazâd, no matter how little, with a One.”
"If you say so Glain." Aulea stood giggling softly before giving a soft sigh, "I have to be on my way. Thanduil-Lord Thranduil, sorry, will start to wonder where I am. Plus it's my weekly check-up on this little one." She rubbed her belly softly.
Gambir walked forward and took her hands, "Be safe my love. Mahal guide you home. And you too little one." He kissed her stomach before standing. They kissed once before Aulea called for her elk. The big male appeared from the tree line making a noise, clicking his hoof to the floor. She rubbed his nose before mounting with all the grace of an elf. She gave one wave before clicking and the elk called out before trotting off.
"Well... Amad shall we begin on our journey to Beorn's? He should've heard by now and if we can get to there before night, we will be able to stay." He said helping his mother stand.
"I guess so. Your father should have heard the news. If he hasn't gotten himself killed. Hurry and transform, it's getting cold. I'll fold your clothes." She rasped. Gambir snorted and gave a nod. His mother turned as he stripped himself of his clothes. He groaned slightly and shifted into his giant gray and white furred wolf form. He stomped his one black paw as he adjusted to the shift. It sometimes hurt if he hadn't shifted in a while.
His father was a Gundaling. A race of people who were born with the ability to shift into giant wolves. They were once a strong people, but living on the edge of Gundabad, desperately defending their territory from hordes of orcs, their numbers had been dwindled to about fifty remaining. Lupin had gone off again to find how many more of his people were left, but he hadn’t returned since Gambir had just come of age, but Glain held onto the notion that he was alive for the most part.
Gambir licked his mother’s hand to grab her attention, and his eyes flashed as his saliva healed a small wound on it that Aulea had missed. Gundaling's were naturally gifted with the ability to heal with their saliva in their secondary forms, but they could never heal more than small wounds.
Unless a babe were special and born to be one of the Giver’s; a Gundaling who could heal even the worst of wounds and bring back the dead regardless of the shape they took. They were most commonly marked with having white hair and white in their fur. As all Gundaling naturally had dark or red furs. Bringing back the dead had been forbidden among those who could, since it took to much energy and nearly always killed the healer's whenever they tried so any knowledge of this ‘gift’ was no longer shared.
"You're a good son." Glain said softly in Khuzdul, rubbing his ears as he laid down for her to climb on. When he felt her grip his scruff he stood and took off at a lope through the trees, running the Mirkwood path he had learned by heart from sneaking out of Erebor to meet Aulea. He ran his ears swiveling for sounds of an approaching patrol, but he heard none. When they came close to the end of the woods he slowed down.
His sides expanded with each large breath he took as they trotted from the path and to the flat lands. Beorn's scent was stale, meaning he hadn't patrolled over here today. Gambir let out a soft bark as he began to run again. He was greeted by the dogs Beorn had as he got closer to the house.
He bumped noses to each of them before they circled him and lead him towards the house on the hill. He trotted and gave off a few barks. Beorn appeared from the house and saw them. He greeted his dogs before sending them away.
"Gambir. I have seen what happened. Come, bring your mother inside. I am just about to leave." He spoke. He trusted Gambir, because his father, Lupin, was close friends with the large skin changer.
Gambir snorted in response and padded in. His tongue lolled as he laid so his mother could climb off. She set his clothes down and he transformed as she looked away. He huffed and wobbled to catch himself before he got changed. He helped guide his mother to a table and sit down. She had begun to cough pitifully, and he wished he could do more, but he could only heal her cuts. Beorn brought her a cup of honey and tea to which she drank gratefully.
"Thank you for this." Gambir said as he grabbed the slices of ham that were brought over. He waited until his mother began to eat before he did. He took a bite of ham hungrily, soon realizing how hungry he actually was.
"It is no trouble. The dragon, it has taken your home has it not?" He asked. Gambir nodded.
"Aye, it has. Smaug. He came suddenly and without warning. We lost many kin in the fight to escape our home." Gambir reported drinking a cup of milk.
"I am sorry to hear that. You may stay here as long as you need to" Beorn offered. Glain said her thanks a small cough escaping from her.
Later in the evening, Gambir had his mother rest. She had begun to cough shortly after they finished eating and he was honestly worried about her. She was old and had taken in a lot of smoke getting who she could out to safety. She refused to listen to him when he begged her to come with him to safety. She got her stubbornness from her father and growing up as the youngest between her and her brother.
"Goodnight Amad." Gambir said kissing his mother's forehead.
"Goodnight my Inudoy. I love you." She smiled tiredly, bringing his head down and she bumped her forehead to his. Gambir smiled warmly at her, her smile was like how it had been when he was a child and would do something that made her laugh. He let her go after that, closing the door to the extra room Beorn had lent them. He helped the dogs pick up the table before going to find Beorn.
"How is your she-elf wife?" Beorn asked once Gambir joined him on the porch. He was preparing to leave for his nightly watch over the valley and his land. Gambir was seated beside him the dogs crowding him, and he took turns scratching each of their bellies.
"She is well. Our child grows every day. We don't know if it will be a boy or a girl. I'm hoping for a girl." He said aloud, a grin gracing his face. Beorn smiled down at the tall half-dwarf.
"I am pleased to hear this. Do you think your child will be a skin changer?" He asked. Gambir nodded proudly.
"I am positive they will be. The gene is dominant, and my father says that its very rare for a Gundaling to not be born with the changing ability." He explained. Beorn smiled.
"That is good. This world could use more skin changers." He said softly. Gambir nodded. Beorn stood and scratched the matriarch of his dog's ears. She barked softly and he rumbled in response.
"I will be taking my leave. Goodnight, Gambir son of Lupin." He nodded his head before he headed out the large front door. Gambir watched him go before going to sit in the rafters and think.
" Aulea. You must be going to bed. It's rather late." Aulea jumped slightly, automatically reaching for one of her blades. She turned and sighed.
"You scared me you ninny." She snorted crossing her arms over her chest. Thranduil laughed hands behind his back as he walked forward.
"Terribly sorry. But you should come back in, it's rather cold tonight. The midwife is going to be upset if you're not in bed." He leaned slightly to the side crossing his arms.
"I know, I know. I just hope he's safe." She said softly. Thranduil leaned on the railing next to his closest friend.
"Your half-dwarf husband?" He asked.
"His name's Gambir, Lord Thranduil." She teased, knowing he didn't like when she called him that. They had known each other for far to long at this point, so he just rolled his eyes and made a gesture towards the open door.
"That’s it, in you go." He laughed. She didn't argue with him this time and with one last look to the moon she went inside for the night.
His mother died the month following the dragon's attack on Erebor, the smoke that had gotten into her lungs had done much to sicken her.
Gambir woke up from where he had fallen asleep in the rafters and seen the dogs curled around her body. He smelled it before he could touch her. He felt her cool skin and he was sad. But she had died in her sleep, and that was what mattered. She hadn't been in any pain when she passed. But he still shifted haphazardly and ran out the back door. He ran to the top of the rock face by the hill and let out a howl of grief for his mother.
Beorn was kind and let him bury her in the gardens near his home.
Aulea woke up with a cramp in her lower stomach. She called for the midwife who came running. She questioned her and helped her to the pool. They sat her in it, the mid-wife's hands running circles around her stomach as she checked all around.
She gasped feeling a pinch and asked if the baby was okay. She cared more for her child's safety than her own. She was 5 months into her pregnancy and her belly was rounding more and more each week.
"Your baby is all right. She was just going through something. Preferably the beginning of her pup form. She is a quarter, Gundaling, you say?" The mid-wife and Thranduil were the only two who knew of the baby's lineage.
"She? You said she." Aulea repeated her eyes wide.
"You heard correctly. The blood we took from you a few days ago finally changed when we gave it the dye. It became lighter, a sign that you are having a girl." She smiled. Aulea cried out wrapping her arms around the mid-wife pulling her into the pool.
The mid-wife cried out in surprise when she was suddenly soaking wet. Aulea cried and an elf went to get Thranduil.
He came in, unfazed by her lack of clothes and the mid-wife's dripping clothing and hair. She looked at him and gave a nod.
"She'll be born in four months." She smiled. Thranduil gave a smile.
"And when she is, well introduce her to Legolas." He spoke. Aulea nodded softly, wiping her eyes. She asked Thranduil to send a messenger to Gambir. She assumed he'd be at the skin changers. He had told her that his father had been friends with him, and he would go there on occasion.
Thranduil ordered a messenger to head out the Mirkwood to the skin-changer's.
"A girl? Oh, she's having a girl! THIS IS WONDERFUL!" Gambir yelled out running around. He changed forms in his happiness and ran around yipping like a pup again. He was having a daughter.
He was overjoyed. He would have a daughter that he could love. He had no mother, but he had a father whom his mother had said had gone on a journey back home. He would have to find him and bring him back to meet his first grandchild. Female dwarrow being a rarity, he knew she would be cherished by her family should the couple ever travel to Ered Luin.
3 months passed since learning he was having a daughter and Gambir went on a mission to find his father. He told Aulea, who by now was 8 months pregnant her belly well rounded. He had kissed her goodbye and promised to return and then he left.
But he didn't return.
And Aulea went into an early labor two weeks after. After many hours of waiting, painful wailing, Thranduil not once leaving his best friend's side. She birthed a small, but very healthy baby girl. The infant screamed as she was held from her mother, who cried upon seeing her. The moment Aulea was allowed to hold her, she silenced her cries feeling the warmth from her mother. Aulea cradled the baby to her before the she stirred and turned into a small white pup. Aulea gasped out and tears began to fall as she brought the blind and deaf pup to her lips and placed a kiss there. The pup whimpered before it changed back into the baby and stayed in that form.
"She is one of them." Aulea whispered softly sniffling quietly. Her eyes tired as she pressed her daughter to her chest again. Thranduil watched her, entranced by the strange transformation but he said nothing of it and congratulated her.
"Have you decided on a name?" He asked, sitting at the edge of her bed as she continued to look down at her child with such a loving gaze that he smiled.
"The one we chose. Yes... yes," She whispered softly, “Her name is Lyria." She smiled looking up at Thranduil, running a finger gently over the baby's head of white hair. It wasn't blonde like her own, but a snow white. Like Gambir’s own and the fur of her Gundaling form. The baby stirred and Aulea kissed her head to calm her back down. The baby gurgled before shifting and falling back into silence.
Thranduil gave a small nod to her midwife who turned to open the door and a small boy came running in. He gripped tightly onto Thranduil who lifted him, mentioning quietly how big he was getting.
"Isth Auntie Lea ‘kay?" He asked frightened for the woman. Thranduil gave a small laugh as his son stared at him, he already looked so much like him. But he had features that reminded him heavily of his late wife.
"Yes, she is okay. She's just very tired. Would you like to meet Lyria?" He said softly, smoothing his son's hair back on his forehead. The child nodded wildly, holding tightly onto his father's clothing. Thranduil nodded and walked back over to the bed where Aulea was cradling Lyria, looking down at her with eyes of pure love. Thranduil sat down on the edge of the bed, allowing Legolas to crawl himself out of his grasp and up further into the blankets where Aulea gently guided him.
"Legolas, this is Lyria. You'll help take care of her when she's bigger right?" Thranduil said, introducing the blonde boy to his intended. He leaned down; his blue eyes wide with wonder as he took the infant in for the first time.
He nodded vigorously, promising to take care of her. And then Lyria let out a very small noise, her eyes shut tight as she was taken by the mid wife to be properly washed and dressed. It took a bit of coaxing from her to get Aulea to release the infant, but she did after a minute of trying. The baby being taken away caused Legolas reached out and Thranduil leaned forward to grab him before he slipped off and promised him that she would be okay. That she was just being checked once again to make sure she was healthy.
Aulea cared for her daughter, for three months. And in those three long months, she didn't hear word of Gambir - no letters, no messages, nothing... as if he had fallen off the face of the world. And on that day, she knew he was never coming home. She didn't know what his fate was, but she knew deep within her heart that he wouldn't be coming back. She swallowed and made a decision - a selfish one - mostly for herself and the man who became her One when she met him. But she could think of no other choice. She could feel her body wearing down, even with having her daughter. She was slowing and was doing her best to hide it.
She went to get Lyria, who was tugging on Legolas' hair, her bright blue eyes big in wonder as he tried to get her to let go - her grip tight. She never stopped staring at Legolas and Aulea wondered if he was by fate her One. She wouldn't live to find this information out unfortunately.
She gathered her daughter and told Legolas goodbye hugging and kissing the boy tenderly on the head. She had seen his birth, had been named his protector by his mother the moment he had been born. He was her daughter's intended. She faltered in her steps, before setting her mind straight and continued forth.
She headed to her quarters, gathered a few items and set the child in a basket that she used for putting things she found precious in and went to gather her Elk. She mounted the beast - cradling the basket in her lap - and they took off into the Mirkwood. The Elk knew something was off, but he made no move to stop in his tracks. He listened to his master, regardless of his instinct to turn tail and go back with her.
Aulea made it to the end of the forest, slowing the pace she had set and walked her Elk up the hill. She made it to the skin changer, Beorn's home and dismounted. She grabbed the basket holding her daughter off the Elk's back and pulled her out of it gently. She held her tightly to her for one last time, placing a kiss to the small baby's head. She tied the necklace Legolas had helped her make as a little courting gift around her neck before laying her back into the basket. She covered her up with a silver blanket Thranduil had gifted to her the day she had been born. It had been a gift long ago made by him and his wife, once they heard of her marriage to the half-dwarf prince. Lyria looked up at her mother blue eyes wide as her puppy ears appeared, as they did when she was curious. They swiveled as she took in all the new sounds around her. Her small nose quivered taking in all the scents.
Aulea wiped her eyes as they rapidly filled with tears, "I love you Nin Melleth. I love you so much. Be a good girl for your mother. Beorn will protect you. I love you and... I'm sorry." She cried as she mounted her Elk. She looked back before squeezing her legs and the elk took off, hesitating momentarily seeing the basket on the floor. She made the right choice; she didn't have a lot of time. She had begun to feel the darkness of losing her husband, coupled with the thoughts she would have since she gave birth. She cried and knew she wouldn't survive much longer. She did the right thing, in giving her up.
Her heart was breaking, losing the one person whom she loved. She loved her daughter so much, but she reminded her to much of her lost love and looking at her caused her pain. She loved her child, but her child was doing nothing but making her sorrows worse. She gave her daughter away and knew it would speed up the process. It was incredibly selfish on her part, and she knew that if she died her daughter would have been taken good care of by her best friend.
But giving her up to the skin changer just seemed right.
She made it back to the kingdom and ran in, crying to Thranduil that her daughter was missing. That she had her with her when she went out and the next thing she knew, the infant was missing. Thranduil moved to action at once. Searches went on for weeks and nobody could find her. Thranduil himself lead most of these searches to find the little girl. Aulea’s health began to deteriorate. She was dying and Thranduil could do nothing but watch as she wasted away.
The entire time they searched, Lyria was being taken care of by Beorn who had taken her in when he returned and saw the puppies of his matriarch smelling the silver basket. He gathered the infant, a letter written to him by her mother asking him to care for her daughter. Lyria. He picked the basket up and went inside with her as she began to cry for the first time, shifting into a puppy her cries turning into whimpers. He had set her at the belly of his matriarch who accepted her, and she began to feed.
When Aulea died 2 months later, Thranduil kept searching. He went out himself, looking for the lost little girl. He knew she was alive. He knew it deep within himself, but he could never find her.
He sent his best friend off in a boat, praying that she would be welcomed to wherever she decided to go. They had grown up together, ever since he had found the young Sindar hiding from the men looking for her. He had taken her with him back home where he begged her to be welcomed. She started as a worker for his father, but eventually he trusted her enough to give her, her own quarters and began to train her in his army.
He stopped searching two years after Aulea had died and he began to assume that the child was gone. Really, really gone.
And so, life continued on in the Woodland Realm.
And nobody had any knowledge that this entire time. Those entire two years.
Lyria was being raised by Beorn, the skin-changer. Just a forest away from the Mirkwood where she had been born.