Posting of Story & Feedback: Greetings all. I have completely finished writing this short story (21,344 words in total and split into 10 chapters), however, unlike in the past where I uploaded a completed story in one day, I am going to trial posting the chapters over several days. If you choose to leave feedback the only thing I would ask is that any criticism you may choose to make be constructive. As fair warning to any Thranduil haters out there my portrayal of his character will be much more favourable than as written for the movies.

Author's Note: This A/N is just to give some basic background to the story so if you want to skip it feel free. It may be a bit lengthy, but rest assured I certainly will not be putting ones of similar length at the start of each chapter! :)

This story could possibly be considered a sequel to my Hobbit story (The Revelation of Truth) as there are some minor references to events in that story, but there are no major plot points that tie into it.

Although I probably should have been solely focused on my own original work I could not resist writing this when inspiration struck. The idea for this story came to me when I was on holiday in Ireland last year and had the opportunity to see some of their beautiful woodlands. They truly are the real Elven kingdoms of our world! I hoped I might meet an Elf in one of them! Sadly, this did not occur. :'(

The main idea for this story is based on my own curiosity as to what transpired in Mirkwood leading up to Legolas' revelation at the Council of Elrond that Gollum had escaped. I spent a lot of time perusing LOTR (including the Appendices – in particular Appendix B), Unfinished Tales, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion and Morgoth's Ring (from Christopher Tolkien's The History of Middle Earth) to confirm a proper timeframe for specific events and obtain information pertaining to the innate character of the Elves, along with their physical, spiritual and (if you like) magical natures. The two main quotes that struck me as quite significant (so far as this story's plot is concerned) are:-

"The Wood-elves have him in prison, but they treat him with such kindness as they can find in their wise hearts." – Gandalf to Frodo in Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 2 – The Shadow of the Past

"How came the folk of Thranduil to fail in their trust?"

"Not through lack of watchfulness, but perhaps through over-kindliness…we had not the heart to keep him ever in dungeons under the earth." – Legolas to Aragorn in Fellowship of the Ring, Book 2, Chapter 2 – The Council of Elrond

These quotes are quite important to the plot as they allow a glimpse into the character of Thranduil who as king was the only one who held the authority to permit Gollum's walks in the forest. And as we saw in The Hobbit (the book NOT the movie!) when he believed he had a band of thieving dwarves on his hands, he did possess the power to command that any prisoner "not be allowed to pass the doors of their little prisons".

On the subject of Thranduil, I do not write him as PJ and his scriptwriters did. As my favourite character from when I first read both The Hobbit and LOTR as a child (a bit before the movies came out!), I have always had my own idea on what he would be like and therefore my main source of inspiration for his character are Professor Tolkien's own words on him and on the intrinsic nature of Elves. The only thing I took from the movies was Lee Pace's physical appearance and his emotive performance (certainly not the appalling script they gave him!). Therefore, the relationship between Thranduil and Legolas is much warmer and closer to what a normal elven father/son bond should be.

I will also mention that in this story Aragorn is referred to only as Strider or Estel.

For those of you who are curious or have not been able to read certain books, at the end of each chapter posted I will attempt to give a full reference to the main quotes/materials that assisted me with particular aspects of the story. As there were quite a few source materials and quotes I may forget to mention some, so I do apologise in advance. :)

Acknowledgement: As mentioned in my Hobbit story, I would like to acknowledge the website www . arwen-undomiel for the variety of elven names that are not recognised as being original Tolkien creations. I would also like to once again acknowledge fellow member AzureSkye23 for their wonderful idea of encouraging stories that contain canon Thranduil. If you have not yet checked out their story 'Arkenstone' I highly recommend it.

A special thank you must go to YouTube account holder Suki Wong for her lovely video entitled "Lee Pace/Thranduil MV: Memories". It certainly helped inspire my imagination and is a beautiful tribute to a fantastic character and the song is now one of my favourites. Please check it out for yourself if you can – I am sure you will not regret it. :)

Dedication: Finally, I will end this rather long introduction with the same dedication as in my Hobbit story: I dedicate this fanfic to "the greatest king" of the woodland realm, Thranduil, and of course to the wonderful Professor Tolkien without whom this beautiful character and the rest of Middle Earth would not exist. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the recognised characters mentioned in this story. They by right belong to Professor JRR Tolkien, creator of the Middle Earth world and all associated novels, including The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and Unfinished Tales. Any recognised dialogue/events pertaining to The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings or Unfinished Tales are the property of Professor JRR Tolkien. The unrecognised dialogue/events of the story are from my own imagination and represent my impression on the actions, thoughts and feelings of the characters surrounding the aforementioned recognised events. I am not making any profit from this story.

THE PROVIDENCE OF MERCY

"The quality of mercy is not strain'd, it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven… 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes the throned monarch better than his crown." – William Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice)

Part 1 – Journey into Mirkwood

For many the sight of the dark shadow of Mirkwood Forest would evoke a sense of dread; its once tranquil and pleasant wood now infested with creatures of unspeakable evil that preyed upon unwary travellers, despite the untiring efforts of the Wood-Elves to quell their numbers. However, to the tall, grim-faced and travel-weary man that approached the entrance to the ancient elven path on the forest's western border in the early hours of the morning, there was only an overwhelming sense of relief that his unpleasant task was almost done.

'Move!'

The sharp order to the wretched creature in front of him elicited only a miserable whine and a muttered curse, followed by a hoarse, 'gollum!'

Tightening his grip on the halter around his prisoner's neck, the man suppressed the desire to kick the treacherous thing that had led both he and Gandalf on a long and arduous search of several years; a search that had taken them to the perilous Mountains of Shadow and the borders of Mordor.

'Wretched we are, precious, yess, wretched,' the creature moaned weakly. 'Nasty man hurts us, gollum, gollum. Takes us and not a crumb does he feeds us! No, indeed, precious. We curses him, yess, curses him forever we does.'

Ignoring his prisoner's complaints, the man silently examined the huge and gnarled tree trunks that guarded the forest's edge, their twisted branches bearing a host of long, dark leaves that provided a protective shield for the more peaceful, though still quite dangerous, inhabitants of the forest. A strong sense of elf-magic also pervaded the area.

'NO!' The horrible shriek was immediately followed by the creature scrambling backwards, its scrawny body desperately seeking to escape as its enormous eyes stared fearfully into the forest. 'Wants to take us to see Elves, fierce Elves filled with nasty light that burns! No, we won't go, precious.'

Having brought the creature's movements to a forceful stop with a short jerk on the halter, the man gave a harsh warning: 'be silent; or I shall replace the binding over your mouth.'

Snivelling miserably, the creature shot a malevolent look toward the man but did not dare utter another word. However, a very different voice did speak; the stern, but not unpleasant, sound coming from inside the hidden depths of the forest.

'Declare your name and allegiance prior to entering the Woodland Realm of Mirkwood,' it commanded, 'ere we place our own binding upon you.'

Straightening to his full height, the man looked in the direction of the voice. 'I am known by several names,' he replied, his words spoken fluently in the elven-tongue. 'I am friend to Gandalf the Grey and known to your own king, Thranduil, son of Oropher. I hold captive the one called Gollum.'

A moment of silence passed. Then, from out of the forest stepped a tall, fair Elf, arrayed in garments of green and brown with white gems sparkling on his collar and belt; the arrow fitted to his bow was pointed with deadly precision at the man.

'Such information may easily have been learnt by a servant of Sauron who would seek to deceive us,' he declared. 'Even your appearance may be a deceit. If you truly are who you have claimed to be then I shall demand proof of it.'

A small smile, lightly tinged with humour, softened the man's grim countenance. 'You are Legolas, son of Thranduil,' he stated, 'and your father once had to reprimand you for attempting to drink a glass of Dorwinion wine when you were but a year old in the age of men.'

The arm holding the bow slowly lowered and the severe expression in the Elf's eyes began to lessen. 'Only my parents and one other knew of that occasion so it is certainly not a story of which the enemy would have any knowledge! Whom do I have to thank for revealing it to you?'

The smile on the man's face deepened. 'When your father visited Imladris for the last time when I was a child he caught me attempting to do the same thing. He made the comparison between us quite clear. He also mentioned that given it was potent enough to make even hard-headed Elves drowsy, a child from the race of men should certainly wait until they were quite advanced in age before consuming it.'

'Wise counsel that I am sure you heeded, Estel,' Legolas replied laughing.

'In this one's presence I am known only as Strider and I would prefer to keep it that way.' His eyes narrowing in suspicion as he looked down at the whimpering creature that was shying away from the sight of Legolas, Strider explained, 'there are few who can say they have been into the very heart of Mordor and lived to tell the tale. This creature is one; but there is a great sense of malice about him and I do not trust his seeming escape from the enemy. When your borders drew near I must confess that I was heartily relieved in the knowledge that I would soon be free of his company.'

His light footsteps leaving no mark on the ground as he walked toward his friend, Legolas glanced at the cringing, emaciated form of the creature and, with all his former mirth vanished, said solemnly, 'I am sorry that our greeting was not the warm welcome you expected to receive from us. We are now extremely wary of all who attempt to enter Mirkwood, even those who appear to be trusted friends. Spies and servants of the enemy have been growing in number and they can deceive even our very eyes with the aid of Sauron's sorcery. When word reached us that you were seen approaching the western border with what appeared to be the creature we had tracked for Mithrandir through our lands many years ago, we could not be sure that it was not another of the enemy's deceptions.'

'I assure you, my friend, this creature is the one that created the dreadful terror among the beasts and woodmen when last he roamed through your father's realm,' Strider said grimly. 'I finally managed to capture him along the skirts of the Dead Marshes as he lurked by a stagnant mere. Ours has not been a pleasant encounter since first he bit me and I lost all inclination to treat him with gentleness. For my part I hope to never again set eyes on the miserable wretch after he is put under the watch of your people; I have had my fill of guarding him day and night.'

His keen eyes looking once again at the cowering form on the ground, Legolas frowned as he examined the scars that covered the lean and withered body under a thin layer of dried green slime. 'He has been tortured,' he murmured, a hint of pity seeping into his voice. 'Tortured most cruelly.'

'I would feel more sympathy for him had I not good reason to believe he would be quite prepared to kill me in my sleep,' came his friend's austere reply. 'Many a night did I find myself longing for your people's ability to find rest without sleep as I felt his pale, cunning eyes fixed upon me.'

Turning his concerned gaze back toward the man whose face bore clear evidence of those sleepless nights, Legolas informed him warmly, 'you need not be so vigilant now, for we have numbers enough to keep guard over your prisoner. Also, when we reach my father's halls you may be assured of tranquil surroundings in which to repose in peace.'

Issuing a small signal with his free hand, Legolas waited until the summoned Elves emerged from the forest and had reached him before speaking again, only this time in the Common Language and with his words directed at the creature who was now muttering to himself. 'Hear me Gollum, for I shall give this warning but once: we shall permit the bindings currently placed upon you to remain, but should you try to escape or attack one of us we will not hesitate to use our own. Do you understand?'

A sly look passed through the large eyes that glinted with malevolent cunning. 'We no wants to hurt the nice Elves do we, precious. Good Elves won't hurts us with nasty burning ropes! No, indeed, precious, gollum, gollum! We promise, yess, we promise not to attack the nice Elves.'

A disbelieving sound escaped Strider's lips. 'I would put little faith in a promise from him,' he said frankly. 'He has no honour and would not hesitate to break any oath that he gave.'

A horrible rasping sob escaped the creature's lips. 'Nasty he is, precious, nasty and cruel to us.'

'Enough!' Gesturing toward the halter's end Strider held in his hand, Legolas ordered, 'Beiniel, take charge of the prisoner and do not relax your guard for a moment.'

A very young but extremely tall elf stepped forward and accepted control of the halter. As the elf's form drew nearer to him, the creature began to writhe and hiss as though tormented by a great pain. 'Bright light hurts us! It touches and bites.'

Concerned, Beiniel glanced toward Strider. 'What is wrong with him?'

'When we passed near the borders of Lórien he reacted in the same manner when any of the Elves there approached him,' Strider informed them. 'The Lady Galadriel deigned to come and meet with us and she believes that his reactions to your people, and anything created by you, may be a result of the evil that poisoned his mind.'

As one all the Elves present looked down at the whimpering creature.

'He is to be greatly pitied,' one of the Elves observed quietly, 'to only feel pain while in the presence of the Lady Galadriel is to be cursed indeed.'

Releasing a small sigh Legolas instructed, 'Beiniel, keep as near to him as caution demands but no closer, there is no need to inflict undue pain on him, unless he attempts to escape.'

'You are too kind.'

Strider's muttered comment caused a brief smile to appear on Legolas' face. 'It is not kindness, my friend, but mercy,' he said gently. 'Conniving and treacherous as he may be, the creature should have some respite from whatever adds to his tormented mind. Now come, let us start our journey; my father will now be expecting our arrival and you are in great need of rest.'

As they entered the forest and proceeded down the elven path through the gloomy tunnel made by two great trees that leant together, Strider asked, 'what is King Thranduil's opinion on the current news from the south?'

'My father rarely reveals his own thoughts on the matter,' Legolas replied, 'however; I have sensed a great unease in him these many years since the last meeting of the White Council. Both he and Mithrandir were deeply troubled by the stirrings in Mordor and Dol Guldur, but Saruman was certain that no danger would arise. Despite his reassurance to him, my father paid slight heed to Saruman's words and had our borders strengthened, with extra fortifications also provided to those woodmen that dwell in the forest; a decision for which many now thank him.'

'It is unfortunate that his suspicions were proven true,' Strider said, still keeping a vigilant watch on his surroundings even though he was now in the company of several Elves; all of whom would be capable of hitting a bird's eye in the dark with a single arrow.

'I am sure he would agree with you,' Legolas admitted honestly. 'I do not think he would have been more pleased to be proven wrong in his life.'

References:

Details of Aragorn's capture of Gollum and his journey to Mirkwood (which will also be mentioned in later chapters) can be found in Unfinished Tales, Part 3: The Third Age, IV The Hunt for the Ring (ii) Other Versions of the Story; and also in The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 2, Chapter 2 – The Council of Elrond

Gollum's torture in and escape from Barad-dûr (again to be mentioned in later chapters) is covered in Unfinished Tales, Part 3: The Third Age, IV The Hunt for the Ring (i) Of the Journey of the Black Riders etc; along with The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 2 – The Shadow of the Past

The mention of Thranduil's suspicions and actions were inspired by information in Unfinished Tales, Part 2: The Second Age, IV The History of Galadriel & Celeborn, Appendix B, The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves;and event dates concerning Dol Guldur and the White Council mentioned in Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, The Tale of Years

Gollum's reaction to elven-made items (and therefore one must assume Elves themselves) was taken from The Two Towers, Book 4, Chapter 1 – The Taming of Sméagol. When tied with the hithlain rope, Gollum screamed and "tried to get his mouth to his ankle and bite the rope." He then said: "It freezes, it bites! Elves twisted it, curse them!" Also, when he was freed and was walking he "avoided the touch of their elven-cloaks". This, to my mind, is a result of the evil influence in him being so great he cannot bear to be near anything 'pure', such as the light of the Eldar.

Singular Quotes:

"His ways were hard and long, and he became somewhat grim to look upon, unless he chanced to smile…He became at last the most hardy of living Men, skilled in their crafts and lore, and was yet more than they; for he was elven-wise, and there was a light in his eyes that when they were kindled few could endure. His face was sad and stern…yet hope dwelt ever in the depths of his heart, from which mirth would arise at times like a spring from the rock." Description of Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, Appendix A (v) Here Follows a Part of the Tale of Aragorn & Arwen

"He went in many guises, and won renown under many names." Description of Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, Appendix A (v) Here Follows a Part of the Tale of Aragorn & Arwen

"The Wood-elves tracked him (Gollum) first, an easy task for them, for his trail was still fresh then. Through Mirkwood and back again it led them, though they never caught him." Gandalf to Frodo in The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 2 – The Shadow of the Past

"3009 – Gandalf & Aragorn renew their hunt for Gollum at intervals during the next eight years, searching in the vales of Anduin, Mirkwood, and Rhovanion to the confines of Mordor." Date noted in Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, The Tale of Years

"…the spies of the Enemy are many… Mirkwood is again an evil place, save where our realm is maintained." Legolas in The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 2, Chapter 2 – The Council of Elrond

"I caught him, Gollum. He was covered with green slime. He will never love me, I fear; for he bit me, and I was not gentle." Aragorn in The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 2, Chapter 2 – The Council of Elrond

"They gave him food and drink, plenty of both, if not very fine; for Wood-elves were not goblins, and were reasonably well-behaved even to their worst enemies, when they captured them. The giant spiders were the only living things that they had no mercy upon." – Narrative in The Hobbit, Chapter 8 – Flies & Spiders

"It must be potent wine to make a wood-elf drowsy; but this wine, it would seem, was the heady vintage of the great gardens of Dorwinion, not meant for his soldiers or his servants, but for the king's feasts only, and for smaller bowls not for the butler's great flagons." Narrative in The Hobbit, Chapter 9 – Barrels Out of Bond