What I Would Do For You: Chapter 7: My Captain, My King

"What do you mean, it's a crime? I'm just lost." the girl protested.

Beleg sighed. "I don't make the rules, human, I just follow them." Sometimes.

"So am I under arrest, or what?"

This girl had an infuriatingly informal manner of speech.

"That is for Elu Thingol to decide."

"Who's Alu Thingol?"

"Cease your speech and come with me."

She shut up and followed.

They walked- or rather, Beleg walked. The girl had to almost jog to keep up with his long strides. To her credit, the girl didn't complain. They traveled almost three leagues in this fashion before they reached the gates of Menegroth.

Hansi stopped them at the gate. "What have you there, Beleg? Elu Thingol has no great love of Men."

"It's a girl, you dunce. I'm under orders to report suspicious activity in the Girdle. This looks like suspicious activity." Beleg's voice suddenly got deeper and more menacing. "Now let. Me. Pass." he growled.

Hasni admitted Beleg and his prisoner, all the while wondering how Mablung could bear to be friends with the grouch.

Beleg led the girl through the Thousand Caves, winding through elaborate halls and decorated arches. Her eyes were wide- indeed, the Thousand Cave was an impressive residence, even for a king- but Beleg had no time to allow for sightseeing.

Beleg stopped outside Elu Thingol's audience chamber and had words with the guard- many words and few to the point. At length, Beleg and the human girl were allowed in.

"My King. My Queen." Beleg greeted in Sindarin, bowing low before Thingol and Melian. The girl- was she stupid?- did not bow.

But Thingol had no patience for pleasantries today.


I'd rather endure this hell a thousand times over, Adira had said. Sure, Adira's life hadn't been perfect, but Leah didn't think that it was worse than what Adira was going through- well, wherever she was. Did she say Angband?

Suddenly Leah remembered what their last fight had been about. Adira was too melodramatic.

Leah contemplated this as her rescuer, Beleg, argued with the King. She couldn't understand a word of the exchange, but it was evident that they were both incredibly ticked off. Finally, the woman Leah assumed was the Queen said something sternly in the strange language, and both bickering men fell silent.

Beleg bowed before the royal couple, then took Leah's hand and led her away.

He guided her through the huge cave castle, twisting and turning through innumerable hallways, until he stopped in front of one door.

"Listen." Beleg said. Beleg internally debated the best way to put the Queen's verdict in the common speech of Men. Could this girl appreciate the mercies of Melian? She did not even-

"I'm listening. Do you have nothing to say, or what?"

Beleg sighed. "You are very fortunate; indeed, it seems Elbereth smiles upon you. Elu Thingol would have you banished or killed, and only by the mercy of Melian the Queen were you spared."

"Great. That's great. What's the other half of it?"

Smart girl, Beleg thought.

"Melian the Queen shows you great favor. She says you have been given a task by Eru Iluvatar Himself."

Leah remembered Adira mentioning an Eru. He was like God.

"How does the Queen know I have a task? I barely know what my task is."

"You gravely misunderstand the wisdom of Melian the Queen," Beleg answered. "She seeks the council of Iluvatar and will seek His will in this matter. Until then, you will remain in Menegroth as her guest. This is a far greater mercy than you comprehend, or deserve."

Beleg left her outside the room, by herself in the massive castle, confused and alone.

Beleg breezed through the hallways, neither his visage nor his composure revealing the frustration he felt.

Thingol had demoted from a captain to a common soldier. All his hard work and service, all his effort, his very fea had gone into serving in Thingol's army. His life's work, gone, like a puff of smoke in the wind, a dream dispersed upon waking. Seven centuries of blood, sweat, and tears gone- all for some tiny, ignorant, insignificant, mortal daughter of Men.

He had taken her fall.

Beleg kept his cheerful face up.