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'There it is,' Legolas said, as they reached the top of the hill. 'Laketown...'
'I did not imagine that it would be so grim,' Tauriel replied.
'There is little grace to be found in places such as this,' Legolas agreed. 'We will need to be careful...'
'What will we do now...?'
'We must speak to the Master of Laketown...'
###############
'Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, Master,' the gaunt, rat-faced man said as he lead them towards the ornate, carven chair where a portly man sat. He was dressed in expensive furs, a heavy gold chain around his neck.
'Welcome, Prince Legolas,' he said. 'Thank you, Alfrid. You may leave...'
'Of course, Master,' Alfrid said, bowing deeply before scurrying out past Tauriel, who stood by the door with one hand on the hilt of her knife.
'May I offer you some wine?' The Master asked, pouring a goblet and proffering it to Legolas.
'In other circumstances, I would accept,' Legolas said. 'However, my business here is urgent...'
'As you wish,' the Master said, taking a deep swig. 'How may I be of assistance...?'
'We have discovered that hunters have been stealing spider's eggs from near the borders of my Father's realm. It appears that at least one of the men involved came from Laketown...'
'That is most distressing,' the Master said. 'However, I strongly doubt that any of my citizens would do anything so foolhardy. I fear there is little that I can tell you on this matter...'
'I see,' Legolas said, inclining his head. 'Thank you for your time...'
###############
'He's lying,' Tauriel said as they descended the steps from the master's hall and Legolas nodded.
'Yes. The Master is greedy, but he is no fool. There is little that goes on here that escapes his notice. We will need to try another approach...'
###############
'Here you are,' the innkeeper said, placing a plate of meats, cheese and bread on the table, as well as two goblets of wine. 'It's not often that we see travellers from Mirkwood in Laketown these days. Is there anything else I can get for you...?'
'Do you recognise this?' Legolas asked, producing the hunter's dagger that they had found, laying it on the table.
'Oh, I don't know anything about that,' the innkeeper said. 'Folk round here don't carry weapons like that.
He leant closer, lowering his voice.
'If you really want to find out that dagger, you should try the Cloven Hoof tavern. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll see about some rooms for you...'
'...thank you,' Legolas said, taking a sip of his wine, turning to Tauriel. 'We'll leave as soon as it gets dark. I'll look for the Cloven Hoof, while you ask around at the Docks for any boats that might have come from Mirkwood...'
###############
Legolas was greeted by the smell of sweat and stale ale as he stepped into the Cloven Hoof, keeping his hood up as he approached the bar where a swarthy man was wiping glasses with a grimy cloth.
'Ale,' Legolas said and the bartender stared blankly at him until he took out two silver coins and laid them on the bar. With a grunt, he grabbed the coins and plonked a mug down in front of him, slopping some of the grey foam onto the wood. Moving to a table at the back of the room, Legolas took a sip of his ale, stifling a grimace as he looked around the bar. The tables were occupied with grim, hardened men who were hunched over their drinks or talking in hushed whispers, while gaunt women moved through the room. Occasionally, one of the men would slip them a few coins and follow them through a curtain into the back of the inn. As he watched, another of the women approached, stopping next to him with her hand on her hip.
'If you want anything,' she said,' that'll be two silvers...'
'No...'
'Every man wants something,' she said, reaching for his hood. 'Even one as handsome as you...'
'I said no,' Legolas said, his hand snapping out to catch her wrist. 'However, there is something you can do for me...'
He took out two silvers and laid them on the table, covering them with one hand as she reached for them. With his other hand, he took out the hunter's dagger that they had found and showed it to her. 'Have you seen one of these before?'
'...no,' she said, glancing left at a table where two men where seated by the fire and Legolas saw that they were wearing similar clothes to the hunters.
'Thank you,' Legolas said, removing his hand from the coins and she snatched them up, turning and hurrying away. Legolas finished his ale as the hunters pushed back their chairs and he waited a few seconds before getting up to follow them...
###############
Tauriel walked through the harbour, looking around at the docked ships and the workers that were unloading them.
Anyone of them might have seen something, she thought. But I can't ask them in case they're working with the hunters...
Then, her eyes settled on three children, two boys and a girl, playing in one of the alleys.
'Hello,' she said, walking over and pushing back her hood, their eyes widening.
'Are you a' Elf?' the girl asked, her blonde hair pulled back into a braid and her face streaked with dirt.
'Yes,' Tauriel said.
'What are you doing here?' One of the boys, brown-haired and freckled, asked.
'I'm looking for someone,' Tauriel said. 'Have you seen any boats coming in from Mirkwood in the last few days...?'
'There was one yesterday,' the other boy said, nodding so quickly that his black hair fell over his eyes. 'There was a scarred man onboard...'
'Thank you,' Tauriel said, handing each of them a copper coin. Quickly, she left the harbour, making her way back towards the inn. As she was walking through an alley, she heard footsteps behind her and she started to turn, just as a hood went over her head. Hands grabbed her and she struck out, her elbow connecting with someone who grunted in pain and she managed to draw one of her knives. Stabbing behind her, she was rewarded with a strangled scream before she felt something hit the back of her head and everything went dark...
###############
Where is she? Legolas wondered, as he stormed through the docks. Occasionally, he would find her boot prints, but there were so many other footprints that her trail was impossible to follow. As he was passing an alley, he saw a glint of metal and he knelt down, picking up the knife that was lying in the mud.
Tauriel...
Slipping the knife into his quiver, he set off at a run...
###############
'Where is she?' Legolas demanded, slamming the bartender of the Cloven Hoof against the wall.
'Who?' he managed, as Legolas pressed his knife against his neck.
'My friend has been taken by the hunters who were drinking here. I want to know where she is...'
'I don't know,' the bartender began and Legolas pressed the knife closer to his neck.
'Wait, wait,' he gasped. 'There's a warehouse on the eastern side of the docks. They might have taken her there...'
###############
Legolas was slipping down the alley that ran along the side of the warehouse when he heard the crunch of a boot on stone behind him. Drawing his bow and knocking an arrow, he turned to find himself face to face with a dwarf brandishing a large double-headed axe.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any comments, reviews or constructive criticism very welcome.
