Chapter 11, everyone!
I have not abandoned this story! Though the monthly break between updates might have suggested otherwise... Anyway, now I'm back with an extra long chapter for you guys and I really hope it will be worth the wait! :)
Thanks to all readers, followers, favourites and reviewers! So glad to hear that many of you enjoyed the previous chapter and as always, I really enjoy to read your different theories regarding the thief. Wonder if this chapter will make you have any new ones...
I do not own any characters (except some OCs) or places; J.R.R Tolkien or Peter Jackson and Co do.
The italics in the beginning and the end of a chapter come from either one of the Lord of the Rings books/movies or from one of The Hobbit movies/book. All of them will have some connection to Elves. So I don't own them as well!
Elvish's in italics.
Enjoy!
Chapter 11: Crystal caves, forest guide
"The stars are veiled."
When Legolas arrived at Bendaeenorod a second time, no one was there to greet him. He removed his hood and had a look around, taking in the new familiar sight. The last beams of the sun fought their way down through the thick crowns of leaves, but the villagers had already started to light their lanterns, hanging them outside at their doors. They dangled from trees and to Legolas's eyes they were hundreds of tiny suns in a slowly darkening place.
A few people were out, for night was still very young. They paused and blinked at him, the only sign of surprise of seeing their stranger back so soon. Legolas nodded, smiling in some cases and they let him through without any questions, though he could feel their sharp eyes on his back. He made his way down a path leading to Tatharon's cottage, wanting to ask if he could borrow the keys to one of his smaller cottages where he could stay this time as well.
He approached the Guardian's house and he supposed it was not surprising that there was a light burning low inside. But what was surprising was the fact that Legolas could glimpse not one, but three silhouettes through the narrow window, dark shapes sitting around a table. Perhaps it was not so suspicious; the Guardian must have friends and it was not forbidden to invite others to your home for a nice little visit, but Legolas felt a nagging feeling in his gut that there was something fishy going on. Instead of making his way towards the door, he strayed from the path and went to crouch down beneath the window. Had anyone chosen that moment to walk by, they would surely stare at the sight, thinking that the Elves from the north of the forest truly were odd.
Legolas pressed himself against the wall, his heart strangely calm in his chest. He tensed and focused on the words spoken on the other side of the wall.
"…. worry", he heard Haernor say with certainty. "One guard is nothing to make you ill at ease for, Tatharon."
"I do not like it", came Tatharon's voice floating through the tiny gaps of the window. "There have not been royal guards here for years, not since the King was recruiting for the war and now suddenly there is! It does not sit well with me."
"Oh, you have nothing to fear", sighed Haernor and Legolas could imagine him rolling his eyes.
At the same Amabres said:
"The King was just worried for his son. If you had children, Tatharon, you would understand. It was merely a precaution."
"Besides, one guard is nothing." Haernor sounded dismissive.
Legolas listened attentively, feeling an odd lurch in his stomach. The conversation sounded suspicious to his ears and he wondered if he had been wrong, if these three somehow was connected to the thefts, not only for the ivor galas, but for the food and the rare gems.
A sigh could be heard from Tatharon. Legolas waited for them to speak again, but they remained quiet. He could hear the faint pouring of drinks and smell the scent of an apple pie. Moving silently, he crept along the wall and stood up when he was covered in shadows again. Elves were naturally quiet, but Legolas had been trained since young years to become a deadly warrior, nothing more than a shadow should he wish to be one. He brushed off his clothes and headed straight for the door, giving it a firm rap with his knuckles. He was determined to get an answer from them this time, refusing to return to his father and the court without satisfying answers.
It did not take long for Tatharon to open the door, though it seemed like he was reluctant to do so. The Guardian's eyes widened a fraction as he took in the sight of his late visitor. His lips parted as if he was about to say something, but Legolas brushed past him and entered without an invitation. Proud was his walk, yet some might have called it the foolishness of youth.
"Tatharon, who is it?" called Amabres and her face froze when Legolas entered the room, with Tatharon at his heels.
Haernor's head whipped around in a motion more fitting a warrior than a scholar of things that grew. His mouth turned downwards in a frown and his eyebrows furrowed themselves together, appearing as one. Legolas noticed that his hand was clutching the back of his chair so hard that thin, bluish veins stuck out from the back of his pale hand. Legolas spoke before any of them had managed to collect themselves, because he knew that once they had renewed their facades, it would be more difficult to get the information he wanted.
"Why do you fear my father's wrath?" he wanted to know and his expression was grave. "What are you hiding; for I am certain that it is something."
The three older Elves – for Tatharon had emerged from behind Legolas – exchanged subtle glances Legolas would have missed had he not been looking for them. His expression hardened as he waited. The silence was tense and he could hear crickets play outside, accompanied by the faint sound of singing and other sounds of the forest, sounds that only came out during the night. Whatever passed between the three Elves, it left them with different gleams in their eyes.
"Well?" Legolas repeated and his voice sounded harsh even to his own ears, similar to his father's and Legolas did not know what to think of that.
"We might have done something…. not completely honest", admitted Tatharon and wrung his hands nervously.
Haernor scowled and turned his back towards both Legolas and Tatharon. Amabres face had taken on an odd smile, half-twisted and could not completely hide the bitterness in her eyes.
"Show him", she sighed and grabbed one of the goblets on the table. "It will only get worse if we do not."
Haernor let out a strangled sound and Tatharon hesitated for a brief second, before going over to a drawer, blending into the wooden wall, and took out something from inside, something small. Looking closely, Legolas could see it was a piece of parchment, rich in color and with something written on it. Tatharon held it out for him to see, his hands not shaking once. The Prince peered down at the note. Written in elegant letters, an inky black, Legolas recognized his father's signature proudly stating that he was King of the Woodland Realm and son of Oropher. He frowned, inspecting it even more closely.
"How did you come by this?"
"I took it."
Legolas tore his eyes away from the parchment and looked in Amabres direction. She was smiling an odd smile, which twisted her beautiful features. She shrugged as if to ask 'what can you say?' Next to her, Haernor was glaring at the table surface, his jaw clenched and body tense. With as much regal dignity he could muster, Legolas nodded coldly to Amabres that she should continue. Her smile seemed to get even wider.
"I took it", she repeated. "Many years ago when I still lived up at the castle. I thought it could come in handy." She looked amused at the memory. "Your father and I grew up together, though I cannot say we were too fond of each other." She chuckled. "Perhaps I just felt the need to pay back for all the years of teasing and defeat in swordplay. I did not realize how truly useful it would become."
It all sounded very ominous to Legolas's ears. Some of his fears must have shown, for Amabres let out a tinkling laugh and Tatharon hurried to assure him that it was nothing too absurd or terrifying. Apparently, the three Elves had used the King's signature to buy and sell plants and equipment from the Dwarves in Ered Mithrin and the Elves of Lórien. Legolas listened, his jaw set and face pale.
"You do realize I will have to report this", he said quietly and looked every one of them in the eye, even Haernor. "Illegal dealings with stolen goods are not something I can let pass unnoticed."
"There are no stolen goods involved", spat Haernor, drawing himself up haughtily. "We do not have anything to do with your thief. We pay them with crystals and gold and knowledge. There is nothing against the laws with that."
"Crystals?" repeated Legolas, head spinning as he tried to gather his thoughts.
"From the caves in the Mountains of Greenwood", offered Tatharon and put down the piece of parchment on the table.
"The King knows about them", said Amabres and her eyes gleamed dark in the light from the candles. "The castle has access to the caves, but rarely collects crystals. They are not particular valuable."
"Yet you use them to trade with other kingdoms", said Legolas humorlessly.
"The Elves of Lórien like them." Amabres shrugged. "And the Dwarves can use them, though they much prefer to be paid with coins."
"Greedy buggers", scoffed Haernor, which Legolas found to be very hypocritical. His raised eyebrows must have been enough to show his opinion because Haernor's expression turned sour.
Sensing the tension, Tatharon intervened.
"You see?" he said, a shadow of his bright smile upon his face. "There is no need for anyone here to lower themselves to thievery when the crystal caves are near and not belonging to anyone."
Legolas was not too sure of it. The people of the village had already proven to be shrewder than he had thought from the beginning. It would not surprise him if it turned out that the crystal caves in the mountains were of more value than they let him know. From what Legolas could remember from the maps he had studied, it would be a bit of a journey to the mountains from Bendaeenorod and they lay in the outskirts of the Realm, rarely visited as Amabres had said. If one would like to hide stolen goods and others properties, it would not be a bad place to do so. With that in mind, he decided that he should very much like to go there and search the place for any sign of evidence that the thief might be lurking around in the southern parts of the Realm.
"If I would like to visit the crystal caves", Legolas began slowly. "How would I get there?"
"You would need a guide", answered Tatharon immediately, now eager to help. "Someone who knows the forest like the back of his hand."
"Where would I find someone like that?"
Tatharon looked thoughtful. Haernor's mouth was pursed tightly and Legolas did not expect any help from him. Amabres looked faintly amused, an expression Legolas had come to associate with her. She took a sip from her goblet lazily.
"You remember Tauriel, do you not?" she asked. "You met her when you visited the House of Green for the first time."
Legolas had to repress the bizarre desire to laugh and he tried to imitate his father's expression of blankness. Of course he remembered Tauriel. She had been ghosting around in his head since he had first met her, a bright annoying fly he could not get rid of. Many lonely and quite times, Tauriel had occupied his thoughts, provoking conflicting emotions that he felt he could have done without. But he knew he could not speak this. Instead, he only replied: "I do", which was true enough.
. . . .
Finding Tauriel was easy. The Guardian and the two founders of the House of Green had proved to be very informative regarding the subject of the crystal caves. Legolas suspected they just wanted him out of the village so they could continue with their lives. He told them that he would inform his father of their wrongdoings, which all three of them accepted solemnly and without a fuss, even Haernor. "The Valar will judge us in whatever way they deem proper", was all the older Elf said in a monotonous voice.
Tauriel's love for the stars was not a secret and he was advised to go and look for her at the waterfalls, which were a popular place for looking at the stars and for looking out over the village and for romantic escapades, Lady Amabres said with a hint of a cheeky smile that left Legolas torn between blushing and uncomfortableness.
From Tatharon's house, it was a bit of a walk up a narrow path to be able to spot the waterfalls. Black water with hints of silver flowed down the mossy rocks and hurried down a stream to meet the river outside the gates of the village. Legolas narrowed his eyes and could make out a lonely figure sitting at the waterfalls' peak with legs casually dangling closely to the flowing water.
He approached the falls and discovered some stairs which had been cut out in the rock and winding up alongside the left side of the waterfalls. The stairs were covered in green, wet moss and had Legolas not been steady on his feet, trained to endure whatever challenge thrown at him, he might have slipped and fall. But he did not and made his way up without any trouble. As he had expected, he found Tauriel at the top, her face a welcoming sight in the dark. She studied him for a while without speaking and he hesitantly sat down next to her, though with a proper, moderate distance between them.
"You are back", stated Tauriel, her lips curling into a sly smile. "Though you left without saying goodbye. Not a very princely thing to do, Ernil-nin."
Legolas froze. A cold hand gripped his heart and he swallowed, keeping his expression indifferent, but his voice betrayed him.
"How long have you known?"
Tauriel smiled crookedly and looked to the sky.
"People talk and it was not long after you left that I heard some talk of who you truly were." She glanced at him. "Apparently you share similar features to the King, so similar that it would be strange if you were not family."
Legolas sighed and he too lifted his eyes towards the sky. It was dark and he could not see any stars. It was as if a dusty cover had been dragged across the sky, smoky clouds preventing any light to break through. He could sense a storm coming and it was not the sign he had been hoping for.
"I need your help", Legolas explained and there was a shift in Tauriel's expression that showed she was intrigued. "There has come to my knowledge about the crystal caves in the Mountains. Your name came up, as I will need someone to show me the way through the forest. I wonder if you would take on that task. I will pay you for your services", he added, just to be on the safe side.
"Keep your gold", Tauriel scoffed, appearing to be offended. She frowned. "Why would you want to visit the crystal caves?"
Legolas hesitated, not sure of how much he wanted to tell her. It was a common occurrence when being around Tauriel; either he did not know what to say or he spoke too much. In the end, he settled for a vague answer of that he hoped to find something about the thief in those caves. Tauriel looked him over and while it now was her face to show indifference, Legolas still got that feeling that he had revealed too much.
"It is not a simple way to get there", said Tauriel eventually and her face was grave. Her voice had lowered in tone and it was dark, almost a mumble. "We would have to cross the swamp, travel alongside the river and who knows what we will meet there, with the Men-i-Naugrim so close." She turned solemn eyes towards him. "There are many strange things in this world and it would require a lot of nerve to get to those caves…."
It was difficult to tell if she was serious or joking. It was eerie, sitting next to her in the dark, with her pale skin so prominent like a ghost's and her green eyes alight. Yet it was because of her eyes, their mischievous gleam and shrewd twinkle he decided she was teasing him, swaying him from not going. He coolly met her gaze and smirked, bowing his silvery head ever so slightly in respect. He enjoyed Tauriel's momentarily bewilderment that flashed across her face. Two could play a game like this.
"Meet me at the gates tomorrow, by the first light", said Legolas, getting to his feet. His expression was challenging. "If you dare."
"South away! and South away!"
Ernil-nin - My Prince
Men-i-Naugrim - "Dwarf-road" in Sindarin, but more commonly known as "The Old Forest Road "
So, that was that! Any thoughts or questions? Next chapter will focus on Legolas and Tauriel's journey further south to the mountains and the caves. We'll see what happens then...
I cannot promise when the next chapter will be up, but I'll try not to make the wait so long as I did now.
Thanks for reading! :)
