10. The Edge of Night
Rohan was, as one might expect, deadly still in the night. Every once in a while, a bout of mandatory laughter escaped the pub whenever someone exited the premises, but even that sounded shrill and forced.
Therefore, one can only imagine the surprise of the guardsmen when they witnessed three figures approching the gates astride on horses, armed, that seemed to radiate in the moonlight. The two posted at the gates sprung to their feet at an instant, hands gripping their sword hilts, ready to draw them at first sign of danger.
Recent events had increased their aversness towards anything magical.
"Who comes there?" demanded the tallest of them, his voice steady.
Haldir was the first one to toss his hood, revealing his long hair and sitting tall atop his horse.
"I am Haldir from Lothlórien, these here are my brothers Orophin and Rúmil. We are travelling to Minas Tirith and wish to resupply and rest."
The guard's posture relaxed, somewhat naturally mesmerised by the elf. He cracked a small smile to the Marchwarden.
"Well-well, I can't remember the last time the elves of Lórien passed through here."
The elf echoed his smile.
"Indeed, but perhaps it's time to change that."
In light of recent events, the guardsman found himself pondering, perhaps a fresh set of eyes would do some good. Perhaps they could spread word of what was happening in Rohan. Edoras used to be a glistening gem, a prosperous city that was alive. Now it was merely a shadow of its former self. He signalled his mates to stand aside, stepping aside from the open gate to way for the elves.
"Welcome to Edoras, my lords. I'm Holger, son of Holdor if there are introductions to be made. You'll find a local inn further down the city, it's hard to miss, I suggest you wait until morning for the stalls to open again so you can resupply, but feel free to stay longer than the night."
Haldir placed his palm on his chest as a gesture of politeness and gratitude.
"Thank you, perhaps we will. There is no hurry."
The guard chuckled heartily.
"Ride along now, it's late and stranger folk may be around at night."
The trio reied their horses through the gate, trotting through Edoras at a calm pace. Out of habit, Haldir scanned the environment with his eyes, automatically making note of every exit route, house and detail he could see.
Most houses had already dimmed their lights for the night, but some chimneys were still merrily smoking. The scant pubs scattered around the town were also still up and running, yet the city still felt dead.
"I don't like the feel of this city." said Orophin, resorting to their native tongue to avoid any eavesdroppers.
Rúmil nodded, agreeing with his brother. Edoras felt tense enough to cut the air with a knife. Haldir tried, but couldn't notice their Nameless companion. He had hoped that she would meet up with them once inside to discuss how to proceed. That's why Lady Galadriel had sent them, so she could aid the cause without physically being there.
"Any sight of our companion?" asked Haldir to his brothers, although he doubted that his vigilance had been that sloppy.
Rúmil shook his head.
"I think it's best we head to an inn. I doubt she's going to reveal herself here in the open."
The Warden had to agree with this assessment and decided to folloe Holger's advice and head to the local inn. For some reason, he felt that whatever Ivy was up to at the momment, she'd have no problem tracking down their movements. Her assessment had been correct that Edoras hadn't witnessed the presence of elves in a very long time.
They found the tavern easily enough and rented a room for a week. Their room was a little musty, but comfortable and warm. Haldir ordered a flagon of wine to be delivered, along with two cups. He poured one for himself and the other for Ivy, remembering her promise to him.
'Something to be discussed over a glass of wine.'
Despite their crass first introduction, she had proved to be intriguing of all things. Passionate, loyal and affectionate to those she cared of and above all headstrong, driven and passionate about her beliefs and goals.
If anything, Haldir wished to be on amicable terms with her after her apology and earnest effort to communicate to them in their native tongue. So he sat by the window, sipped the red wine and patiently waited.
Entering the city had proven to be child's play for Ivy. She had observed Edoras from a distance to distinguish guard patrol rottations and found none. Security had deteriorated to the scale of lax and non-existent.
There was even one gate that manned, but the lone guard posted there was fast asleep, allowing Ivy to merelt prance into the city on her horse. The elven steed proved to be quiet enough to not wake up the guard.
She had thought about sending the mare back to Lórien to sneak in alone by scaling the walls, but then decided against it. There was no point in slipping in the city alone. If there were any Nameless there, then they'd sniff her presence with ease either way, since they were basically trackers and assassins by trade. So she'd essentially end up in the same predicament with no horse.
Ivy led her horse to the stable, surprised to find a young stable boy still up and about. The familiar rustling of horses and smell of fresh hay made her feel strangely at home for some reason.
It was a strange occurrence Ivy had noticed regarding the Nameless. True, they had no memories of their former lives, but for some reason, scents still jostled feelings of nostagia, hinting them of their origin. It was something they cherished and a secret each member guarded carefully. She dropped a heavy bag of silver on the young lad's palm.
"Take good care of her, you never saw me."
The boy was a little grim considering the sum of money was probably enough to feed him for months, though he merely nodded.
"Understood, my lady."
This caused Ivy's brow to furrow. No questions asked? Meaning that this was either a regular occurrence or recent request to the stable boy. Both were equally worrying. She let her eyes scan over the horses stationed there quickly and spotted two other horses that were not from Rohan, nor were they elven steeds. As if a machine, the gears in her head begun turning.
Possibly two others were here. Where would they go? Straight to the king? Did theu arrive separately or are they working together? The questions and possible courses of action ran through her mind at lighting speed. What would she have done in their stead?
After infiltration it seemed logical to start by simply observing the locals. Perhaps at a tavern to gather gossip and news. Not anyone can just waltz into the king's halls, but infiltration is always possible. The important thing to know was how long had they been here.
There was though one cause of action she could take. Hide in the king's halls and provide direct protection. That had been Lady Galadriel's task to her. The choice to track down her brothers remained, but what was th chance of bargaining with them?
Judging by the news she received in Lórien, the situation was dire. Nameless are known to pass their own judgement, while giving careful thought on the impact. The assassination of a king had taken place before but it was...rare. They might decide that she's corrupt and hinder her from completing her task.
Théoden had to survive, no matter his condition. He had a son, an heir, meaning that the king's death would provide a quick sucession. She stalked through Edoras, following the shadows of the night.
Ivy then noticed three elven horses in front of a local inn and it caused her to halt. She glanced at the windows, although it was an idle urge and there he was. Haldir, beautiful and collected as ever was sitting by the window, silently pondering and sipping something from a cup every now and then.
The Nameless was about to turn away and go off on her ownm but something held her back. A sense of duty perhaps or gratitude towards the elves despite her aversion to them. Despite knowing how risky it was to make contact, Ivy grinded her teeth a nd turned away from Meduseld and headed to the inn.
Ivy thought about scaling the wooded wall to get to Haldir's room, but decided it would draw less attention if she simply slipped inside without making a ruckus. The tavern on the ground level was surprisingly lively, much to her relief. Slipping through the crowd proved to be an easy feat, not even the bartender noticed or questioned her presence. Ivy hadn't thought that Lady Galadriel's cloak worked this literally.
She made it up to the second floor and easily found the correct room. Ivy was about to knock but found it meaningless. For what she had witnessed. the elve's hearing was so ridiculously sharp that they probably knew her footsteps by heart.
The woman pushed open the door, three back her hood and stepped inside the room. As suspected, they made no sudden movements to draw their weapons, leading Ivy to believe that they weren't resting but merely staying vigilant in a seemingly nonchalant manner.
"Good evening, friends." She greeted the brothers, trying to utilise what Orophin and Rúmil had taught her.
Her pronunciation was still aboninable, but there were signs of improvement. Rúmil jumped up from the bed, coming to greet the woman.
"I'm glad you made it! We were just about to send out a search party."
Ivy understood the first half of his words, but the second sounded merely like gibberish and she merely stood there with a sheppish smile plastered across her face. If Orophin smacking his brother with a pillow was enough indication, it was most likely something silly.
Haldir snapped something at his brothers, causing both of them to shut up and aresume their previous positions. Ivy glanced at them apologetically before sighing.
"There's no need to be so harsh."
The Warden let her obsevation slip and instead motioned her to take the seat opposite of him by the window. Ivy wordlessly complied, but not before sliding the chair away from the window so she could remain hidden from anyone glancing below.
Haldir poured her a glass of wine while she grabbed the loaf of bread on the table and tore of a piece. His brothers observed the interaction between them like hawks, mostly likely hoping that between the two of them, they could later translate the conversation.
Haldir was the first to speak, vocalising what they were both thinking at the time. He pushed the glass of wine towards the woman who cast one hesitant look before agreeing to take a sip to wash down the bread. Dulling her senses with alcohol was a foolish thing to do at the moment.
"I wasn't sure you would show up."
She swallowed before cracking a small smile.
"Just a coincidence that I happened to pass by. I had no plan to drop by to be completely honest."
The Warden frowned and although he appreciated her honesty, a sudden flare of irritation washed over his loins.
"On your own, with no backup or words to us?"
His sharp and demanding tone of voice annoyed Ivy, but she didn'r let it show. The elves hadn't ridden a long way of home just to rot away in an inn and only now did Ivy realise the reason for his frustration. She inhaled a calming breath of the dusty air before responding.
"I wotk best alone and sneaking inside the king's hall is difficult enough on my own. I just have to make up one or two grand lies or try to remain unnoticed."
She paused before continuning, trying to cover up the possible implication of her words.
"Haldir, I don't doubt skills of you and your brothers, but I must go alone."
He leaned back in his chair, throwing one leg over the other.
"What if you get caught?" He asked, as if there were a way to answer his question.
Ivy held back the urge to roll her eyes.
"Would we still be having this discussion had I been born a man?" She snapped at the Marchwarden, using the argument as old as time.
The retort made Haldir's eyes widen just a little, causing the elf to stumble over his words.
"Have some faith, Haldir. While I protect the king from inside his own halls, I need you to keep an eye out for me. There may be up to two of my brethren inside Edoras as we speak, although I haven't seem them. Though you and I both know that Mithrandir had completed his task, whatever it may be, he will most likely land here sooner or later and we can join up once more then. If possible, you could enter Meduseld before Gandalf does, make up an excuse to get in. Any excuse. Does this sound fair enough?"
She crossed her arms over her chest as if to challenge Haldir to debate with her. He held back a mocking smirk, quirking an eyebrow.
"I am to idly sit by while you self-sacrifically endanger yourself?"
Ivy refrained from pouring the contents of her mug over his stupid, smug face and decided to act like a poised and civil adult instead.
"Make yourself useful and find if there are any Nameless in these walls. Reason with them, if necessary keep them away from the king but do not harm them. I will kill you myself if something happens to them."
Well, poised and civil was perhaps an attempt of overachievement. Haldir almost flinched at the ferocity in her eyes. Ivy mentally cursed herself for threatening Haldir in such a manner, right after things had begun to seem civil between the two. She lowered her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Damn it, ignore my final words. I don't mean it. I mean I do, but…Damn it!"
To her surprise she didn't receive a backlash from the Warden, instead he laughed. He had no plan to let her go in completely alone, but for now it was easier to seemingly comply with the demands of this human woman.
"I understand, you love your companions dearly. Alright, I trust you to handle this task, but if you get caught I will break you out."
Ivy looked up from her lap, her sharp features breaking into a smile.
"I'll drink to that, Haldir of Lothlórien."
Meduseld was simultaneously one of the easiest places to break into, but also the hardest. It had no remote balconies nor was it hidden from view. A grand stairway led to the top of the hill where the hall stood, proud and beautiful. A hall of such grandness had to have several back entrances, a way for the workers and traders to go in and out. Ivy made note of those beforehand in case she needed a quick way out.
For now she determined that only a fool would try to infiltrate the castle without a proper plan. This could only end with her being caught and thrown in prison or worse, executed. So there was naught to do but to wait until morning and try to gain access officially. While the Nameless may be out to assassinate the king, they hadn't done it yet so concealing her affiliations was unnecessary.
So she did the only reasonable thing and went back to the very inn she had just deserted. Before entering she removed Lady Galadriel's cloak, choosing to make it seem as if she's acting alone and shamelessly letting her presence be known.
Renting a room proved to be simple, accompanied with the usual surprised looks and mentions of her weapons, but not to the extent that she had grown accustomed to. It was well-known that in Rohan it wasn't unheard of for a woman to know how to handle a blade. True, they weren't recruited to the army, but it wasn't stigmatised to learn how to protect oneself.
Ivy nearly went back to the elves, but at the last moment decided against it and retreated to her own room. She washed the dirt and dust from her skin and hair to be at least somewhat presentable tomorrow before turning in to bed for a night of restless sleep, plagued by nightmares of failure – failure of the quest, failure of Galadriel's task and failure to discover what was happening with the Nameless.
The sun was up by the time she roused from sleep. Ivy dressed, ate a hasty breakfast downstairs and then turned her course to Meduseld. It felt as if she was marching towards doom, but years of training had taught her how to control her body language and thoughts in order to focus on the task ahead and believe whatever was necessary.
For now her plan was to find a way to at least see the king with her own eyes to determine the situation and from there on find an ally. Someone who could be reasoned with and convinced of her good intent. Or better yet, find the king's son and reason with him instead, what better person to aid her.
She marched down the road with her back straight and head held high, and it was all going well until she saw someone. Oh how she wished to throw a tantrum right then and there, but instead she forced her face into relaxed neutrality. Haldir turned to her, smiling.
"Ah, I was beginning to think that you wouldn't show."
Ivy had to physically clench her jaw to stop herself from shouting at the elf right then and there. Stupid, lying, reckless, selfish race of pompous…
"We should head inside, the hall seems quite ready for us. I think I'll handle the talking."
The Nameless grinned.
"Oh, you really think I'll let you mess this all up?"
"And you really thought I'd let you go in alone?"
A chase was taking place in Edoras, a hooded figure, chased by a tall elf with light hair. Now that was a sight one does not see often. Orophin found that for the first time he was struggling to keep up with a human of all things! The man had to be a human, he was tall, but lacked the presence and grace of the elves.
Orophin was positive that this was the right man. Now how did things end up like this?
Before Haldir set out he tasked his brothers to patrol the city, especially public places and keep their eyes open for anything suspicious. So he and Rúmil decided to stroll around Edoras. Stalls were opening and to keep suspicion away from them, they made a few purchases as instructed by their brother.
It was his younger brother Rúmil who caught sight of something interesting. A cloaked and hooded figure buying bread, right at the stall next to theirs. As the human reached to his coin pouch to pay up he pulled away his cloak, revealing something that Rúmil recognised right away.
He had seen a dagger on that man's hip, the same dagger that he had admired on Ivy numerous times before. Only this time the gem was green. There was no mistake, unless it was stolen from the rightful owner then this might've been the Nameless assassin that they were looking for.
Rúmil had only taken a few steps towards the human before he broke off into a run.
Thus the chase began through the morning crowd, a human, chased by two elves. So much for staying unnoticed, if things went amiss today then the group might just have to start planning their escape from Edoras while they're at it. Orophin signalled for his brother to split up and corner the man. Rúmil had always been the fastest of the three.
Orophin noticed a street corner coming up and as he had expected, the man made a sharp turn. He smirked when he heard him come to a halt, skidding through the dirt and creating a cloud of dust around him. At the end of the road was Rúmil, hardly panting, but smirking victoriously like a hunter would do after days of stalking his prey.
"I did not expect to meet two elf lords here."
It shocked them both to hear the man speak in their tongue. When the dust settled he straightened up and removed his hood, revealing a head of messy short hair. The man must've been around his early thirties, but his most striking feature was his eyes. The left one was dark brown while the right one was light blue, the stark contrast made it seem as if they were black and white.
"You speak like one of our own." Noted Orophin with some disdain.
Truthfully he was impressed as the man's accent was almost unnoticeable. Mandos grinned lazily.
"And you came here with one of our own."
The Nameless leaned lazily against the wall, hands resting by his side. Rúmil raised an eyebrow, ready to draw his blade at any moment.
"She's with us of her own free will."assured Rúmil in some vague hope that small amount of common ground they had might keep things friendly.
"I don't doubt that, you can't coerce Ivy into anything she doesn't want to."
Orophin closed in on Mandos slowly, carefully as if dealing with a wild animal – unpredictable and incredibly dangerous.
"You're coming with us."said Orophin to the human who merely nodded to his surprise.
"I don't doubt that. It's been too long since I've seen Ivy as well. How is she?"
Rúmil tied his hands, which Mandos allowed him to do without any resistance. No doubt the man could break out of his bonds whenever he so desired, but his compliance was suspicious. Orophin couldn't even voice his concerns to his brother for Mandos could understand them.
He was either careless or purposefully wanted them to lead him to Ivy. Whatever the reason, they were ready to fight this human if necessary. Haldir had left them to go to Meduseld and assist Ivy.
Whatever the outcome, they had to reveal the presence of this assassin as proof of some plot going on. So the brothers led him towards the hill where stood the straw-roofed hall of kings. Mandos was quiet the entire way, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
Only then did he look up when the sound of ripping fabric pierced the air. The brothers followed suit to see the last flag being blown away by the harsh and cold spring winds of Rohan. In front of Meduseld stood a number of flag poles, all of them empty with some traces of fabric left on them.
A maiden in white stood there like a protector of Edoras, observing the town below. She looked at the flag being blown away by wind, eyes filled with sadness before turning away and heading back inside.
Haldir and Ivy stood in the corner of the grim hall of Meduseld. What used to be a warm, grand and welcoming place and a collection of Rohan's history was now a silent, bleak hall with thugs stalking the corners. No doubt hired by Grima Wormtongue. A slippery man that hovered around the king, whispering lies and deceit in his ear.
Ivy occasionally glanced at this grey, feeble man that the Rohirrim called king. Ivy would have removed this man from power had she not met Lady Galadriel and received this task. Just how could this man be of any use to the future was unknown, but she dared not argue with a being as old as time itself.
Before pleading for the king's presence they had asked for the presence of the heir, only to be noted that Théoden's only son and heir had perished in battle and quite recently. This threw a large chip in their plans and for the time being they were waiting for their turn to speak with the king. Foreign visitors would come after internal affairs.
"Still hate me for coming along?" whispered Haldir almost inaudibly, his lips barely moving.
Ivy snorted audibly.
"Without fail."
The Marchwarden held back the urge to roll his eyes.
"Well what next?"
Her eyes flicked to Haldir for only a moment before going back to scanning the hall. There had to be someone here by now, from the order. Why else did Galadriel send them out with such haste?
"You mean you came here with only one lie up your sleeve? Make something up, oh great Warden since you were the one-,"
"My presence did not kill the king's son. You would be in the same predicament, only alone." demanded Haldir patiently, trusting Ivy to be a woman of reason.
She rolled her eyes at his complete lack of self-preservation.
"I never said you are at fault. It just baffles me you'd put yourself in this situation at a foreign country."
Haldir was utterly perplexed, feeling the same familiar sense of annoyance towards the woman.
"Foreign country? I am the commander of Lady Galadriel's forces. You are no one."
The Warden regretted those words the moment they left his lips, despite the fact that Ivy looked completely unhurt by them. This was quite possibly the worst time for them to bicker about such matters, but there was truth behind it. He had a powerful patron while Ivy was part of an organisation that was bordering the lines of illegality. What he meant and how he delivered where a completely separate matter though.
Ivy smiled.
"Exactly, I am no one."
She echoed his words before continuing as if nothing had happened.
"I don't notice anyone familiar, I'd recognise one of our own."
The doors of the hall swung open, causing Ivy's head to turn right away and did she almost gasp. Right there stood Gandalf, cloaked in grey rags, leaning onto Legolas as if for support, shadowed by Gimli and Aragorn.
All looked worn by the road and haggard, but alive and well. Ivy's heart swelled in joy, but she didn't see the hobbits or Boromir with them. Perhaps they were left outside. The hobbits most likely had no idea how to behave in the presence of a king and Boromir was like a herder of hobbits. Haldir gripped Ivy's arm reassuringly, sensing her accelerated pulse.
"I know you wish to join them, but let us remain concealed for now."
The Nameless nodded, nails digging into her palm. That was the reasonable thing to do, stay hidden to help when necessary. Oh how she wished to just hug Boromir, quite sure that the Gondorian will most likely have her head for not telling about her feeling ill.
"They're alright. I didn't think I'd ever see them again after parting."
The elf nodded.
"You will speak to them, but when this is over. Just be patient for another hour."
The tone of Haldir's voice managed to calm Ivy, as if by magic. Her posture relaxed once more and she calmly observed the events about to unfold. Grima was hovering right around the king, his small eyes scrutinising the new arrivals with distaste.
"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Théoden king!"
Gandalf's voice boomed through the hall like a breath of fresh air, showing no sign of weakness. Ivy was sure that she saw Grima shrink under the mere presence of this wizard. Ivy took this moment to stalk away from Haldir and scan the hall.
This moment when everyone's attention is turned to Gandalf, she would attack right now were she an assassin. Just one could throw or a well-placed arrow would be enough to end this king. For the first time Ivy heard the king speak, in a faint and cackling voice he retorted while dragging each word as if it took tremendous effort to even speak.
"Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?"
It didn't escape Ivy's notice that Grima's thugs had gathered and menacingly stalked Gandalf and the remaining fellowship, ready to strike them down. Well two can play this game. She saw from the corner of her eye that Haldir was taking her side.
Grima and Gandalf bantered back and forth, but Mithrandir ended the discussion by turning the point of his white staff to Grima's face. The pale man backed away, finally afraid.
"I told you to take the wizard's staff!" He shouted at the guards that had been posted by the door.
Gamling and Hama, if Ivy remembered their names correctly. The thugs rushed towards the fellowship and even Gamling was ready to join the fray out of loyalty to his king, but Hama held him back.
Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli had no problems dealing with this group of common sell swords. They still hadn't noticed Ivy's presence. Gimli stomped on Grima's chest, keeping the snake on the ground where he belonged, allowing Gandalf to speak to Théoden directly.
"I release you from the spell." Said Gandalf, closing his eyes and holding up his hand.
The entire hall stood still, waiting to see how this exchange will end. Théoden merely laughed mockingly.
"You have no power here, Gandalf the grey."
This jab visibly angered the wizard and he cast off the grey rag to reveal the blindingly white robes beneath. Théoden yelped as his body was thrown back against the chair by an unseen force.
"Is he here?" whispered Haldir into Ivy's ear who shook her head.
"I don't understand, there has to be someone."
Her eyes scanned every face, corner and pillar, frantically looking for anything out of the ordinary. A tattoo, a familiar dagger or face, anything.
Suddenly Théoden jumped from his throne, lunging at the wizard, only to be thrust back by Gandalf's staff. The king slumped back into his throne and it seemed like this…whatever one may call it, was over. Ivy couldn't believe that Gandalf literally beat Saruman out of the king's mind.
A woman in white rushed towards Théoden, supporting him and helping him sit up. The man that looked up was not the king that Ivy had seen before. It's almost as if the clouds from his eyes had been lifted for there was life in them and independent thought. He looked around quizzically, as if unsure what was going on. Finally, someone woke him from his slumber.
Haldir tapped on Ivy's shoulder, making her turn towards the door. She was relieved to see Orophin and Rúmil, and it seems they had caught the Nameless on their own. Ivy relaxed, a smile on her lips that vanished as soon as the Nameless looked up. Those mismatched eyes, that carefree cheerful smile on the man's lips…
"Where's the other one?" whispered Ivy.
Haldir looked at her quizzically.
"Other one?"
His question fell to deaf ears, for Ivy had already taken off. She jumped on the table, using it as her support to make a lunge at a man walking towards the king with what was most likely the king's own sword in his hands. Only now did Haldir take notice that the profile of this man looked eerily similar to the one's his brothers were holding captive.
Twins, how startlingly brilliant.
They were probably hoping that Ivy and the elves would hunt the Nameless together, this way keeping them away from the king or at least hindering the party until Ivy recognised one of them.
It took only a fraction of a second for Ivy to reach the twin and place her dagger on his neck. She hadn't thought about what this might've looked like to anyone else in the hall, not even once. Right now she looked like the assassin.
Both Gamling and Hama were attempting to reach the king, but it was Legolas who stayed their hands, whispering something to them before letting them go. Probably assuring them that Ivy harboured no malicious intent.
"You give the sword to the king and then you and I will go outside for a little chat, along with your brother." She hissed in his ear.
If possible she hoped to talk this out with the twins. Ivy had known them for years, they watched her train and grow into a woman and she wasn't about to let them get killed because of a miscalculation. Strangely enough Mandos wasn't showing any resistance, neither was Marin. They were either plotting to take her out together or this submissiveness was deliberate.
The twin looked at Ivy stoically before smirking.
"All these years, and this is how you greet me? With a dagger in my face. Fair enough, I know when I'm beat."
Gandalf, who stood nearest to Ivy gave her a warm smile.
"You're right on time."
Ivy laughed, relieved.
"I try to make an entrance."
Mandos surrendered the king's sword to Gamling before raising his hands in defeat. Ivy removed the dagger from his neck, but kept it squeezed in her palm. She exchanged a knowing smile with the fellowship, or what was left of it.
A wordless promised passed between them to catch up when the official part was over. Although her self-control almost waned when Gimli gave her the biggest smile of joy that she had ever seen. What she wanted to do was to run up to him and hug the dwarf with all her might.
Last time they had seen her she was dying of some unknown poison and here they were, all gathered in the same room.
Haldir grabbed the twin's arm in his iron grip before motioning for Orophin and Rúmil to come to them. He escorted Mandos while Ivy strolled next to him, her posture somewhat relaxed.
"How on earth did you get a hold of the king's sword, Mandos?" asked Ivy, almost jestingly from the Nameless.
After all, they were lifelong friends. The man cast her a sultry look.
"And just how do you know that I'm not Marin?"
The woman snickered, rolling her eyes.
"Oh please, I could tell you two apart in my sleep."
The Warden silently observed the bantering of the two, making a note in his mind to inquire about their relationship later. Clearly they were on very friendly terms, despite Ivy being ready to kill him just moments ago. Or perhaps this was simply to stay the man's hand?
No, this was true friendship. He had never seen Ivy's features soften up this much. She was at ease with this man and on familiar terms.
Ivy led them out from another exit to the side of the king's hall and guided them to a remote corner. Let the important people finish their squabbles with Grima out in the front. This was private. Orophin and Rúmil caught up with Ivy, pushing Marin to his twin brother.
"This one calls himself Mandos." said Orophin to his older brother.
Haldir quirked an eyebrow.
"Well Ivy called this one Mandos just now."
Discussion and mention of names didn't escape the woman's attention who rolled her eyes.
"Really, Marin? You impersonated Mandos to some strangers?"
The man grinned sheepishly.
"It has saved me before and redirected anger from me. Not to mention it's pointless with you around."
The revelation earned him a smack from the real Mandos. Only now did Haldir and his brother notice the twins' eyes. True, their eyes were mismatched in colour, but the colours were also mirrored. That's how Ivy could tell the difference between the two at glance.
Haldir motioned for his brothers to pull back, trusting this matter to Ivy. Those were her companions and this was her burden to sort out. They had fulfilled their duty. Ivy did have only one demand to the twins.
"The king must live."
Mandos raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms across his chest.
"The king is under Saruman's influence."
Ivy was quick to rush to Théoden's defence, thankful that the twins were at least still willing to parlay. There was no telling what would happen if she'd just let them leave without trying to talk things out. There's nothing to stop them from finishing the job later.
"Was under Saruman's influence. Based on what I just saw before the wizard arrived, I would have executed him as well."
Marin was the one to pipe in this time.
"Then why didn't you?"
"Because he's presence holds importance in the long run. I need for him to be alive. I was tasked with this by Gandalf and Lady Galadriel of Lothlórien."
She wasn't quite sure how to explain this without revealing too much information. There was no way she could tell them about the one ring, but to base her arguments on 'A wizard and elf told me to do it' was pure weakness. Marin snorted, rolling his eyes.
"Since when do you take orders?"
"I don't take orders. I think for myself and act accordingly. I travelled with Gandalf the Grey for the past few months in order to aid him on a mission that holds real impact and in order for it to succeed, he needs the king."
This caught Mandos attention.
"Mission? We heard from Siron that you abandoned reason and joined Sauron."
The name caused Ivy to freeze.
"Siron? Sauron? Then why are you still talking to me?"
She hadn't heard Siron's name in quite a while, but what worried her most was Mando's claim. Why would Siron spread lies that she had joined Sauron? He's the most thorough and reasonable man that Ivy had ever met and…of course that's why most would never doubt his claims, especially if he makes daring accusations such as that.
"Well why are you still talking to us? You had every chance to kill us there and tell any lie you wished to the king. You joining Sauron sounded just wrong. I don't care how trustworthy Siron might be, but he never taught us to blindly follow orders without gathering our own perspective. We were hoping to find you before anyone else does to see if he's speaking the truth."
Mandos' logic was solid and it seemed that Siron had taught the twins perhaps a little too well.
"Why were you targeting the king?" asked Ivy out of pure curiosity.
If they were hunting her then Théoden should've been the last one on their minds.
"We weren't targeting him specifically. Siron's words sent us all searching for you, at least all from our generation. Mandos and I just happened to pass by here and…like you said. Théoden looked completely gone and beyond hope. The plan was for his son to succeed."
Ivy buried her face in her hands.
"What the hell is going on…Well, do I at least have your word that you will leave Théoden alive?"
This was a bit too much to handle right off the bat and things were making even less sense than before. The twins both placed their palms over their heart.
"We swear. Théoden was freed from influence, we both saw it. There's no need for our interference any longer."
Their word was something that she could trust wholeheartedly and Ivy visibly relaxed as the threat was over.
"Alright, then what now?"
Mandos flashed her his trademark grin that had a tendency to sweep women of their feet.
"How about we catch up over a mug of ale?"
Hello again!
Yes, I've returned from the dead/university once more. I have a few more days to spare and I'm hoping to get as much writing done as possible. Just realised while writing this chapter that my naive dream of keeping a correct timeline in the sense of having characters stay in one place for the canonical amount of time has completely gone to hell, but I'll do my best.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!