Disclaimer: I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.
26/10/2016
My apologies to readers for the delay in chapters. Unfortunately, I was hit with a combination of ill health, a change of jobs, and IT troubles. I intend to update more regularly now those things are behind me.
Steve993: I couldn't imagine Azog happy about being demoted. And Ultron's attitude would only make it worse.
Avengers Fan: I'm almost certain Bruce won't be appearing. If only because the Ragnarok teaser trailer indicates he and Thor seem to be enjoying their break Down Under.
Omegashark18: Like Saruman, Ultron's a fun villain to write. And like what I said of Sir Christopher Lee; my portrayal of Ultron will always be a poor reflection of James Spader's.
Chapter 14 – Wanda Entangled
On the journey from Beorn's house, Gandalf told Wanda about 'Greenwood the Great'. A once beautiful forest, its sunlit pathways were swept by soft winds. Merchants and travellers from every quarter of Middle-earth used to traverse its roads. The roads were built and maintained by Elves of the Woodland Realm. The Wood-elves also provided security with their vast kingdom spanning the length and breadth of the forest. That was until nearly two thousand years ago when a powerful evil established a foothold at Dol Guldur. The greatest forest of the North became a corrupted reflection of its former majesty. So much so that it became known by new name – Mirkwood.
Mirkwood's twisted trees weren't the only indication of the dark magic pervasive throughout it. Sunlight struggled to penetrate the forest gloom. All manner of poisonous fungi and putrid herbs sprouted amongst the fallen deadwood. Strange black squirrels climbed and darted along the barren tree branches hanging overhead. Thousands of grey and black moths (some big as Wanda's hand) fluttered about during the day while the screeches of huge bats pierced the night air. Even the Wood-elves had retreated from their former lands as if they'd been ceded to a mighty invader. The Woodland Realm was now concentrated around the great Elven Halls located in the forest's north-east.
The state of the Elf-path perfect symbolised of the Wood-elves' retreat. The narrow stone path could only be traversed single file. Most of it was covered under and undergrowth. Taking point, Dwalin often tapped the ground with his axe to find where the path was buried. For like the High Pass, the Elf-path wasn't a straight road to travel. It often twisted under trees or sharply bent around forest ravines. However, the Company didn't have any problem following it until the third day of their journey. They stopped upon reaching a fork in the road. The Elf-path seemingly split both north and south.
"Which way?" Dwalin asked aloud.
Before anyone could answer, the Company was covered in a burst of red energy. It revealed the south fork was an illusion. The rest of the Company looked at the member who had prevented them taking a wrong turn.
"It's started," Wanda said about the sorcery Gandalf had warned them about.
The Scarlet Witch was the Company's only defence against magical attacks. Thorin had placed her in the middle of their column for the purposes of mutual protection. The dwarves and Bilbo acted as the Avenger's bodyguard from physical harm. It freed Wanda to concentrate on being the Company's psychic umbrella.
"Can you protect us like that continuously?" Thorin referred to her burst.
The Scarlet Witch's power hadn't yet reached the stage where she could summon an ongoing telepathic shield.
"Only if we slow down," Wanda effectively ruled out the option.
"We don't have that choice," Thorin brusquely decided.
As the Company resumed moving, Bilbo noticed a troubled look on Wanda's face.
"Is everything alright?" the Hobbit quietly asked her.
The Scarlet Witch told him what she sensed lay ahead in Mirkwood.
"The magic's getting stronger," she grimly reported.
Wanda's telepathy heard a malicious laugh echo throughout the forest.
Wanda placed a carnation at the foot of her family's headstone. After a moment of sad reflection, she stood and turned around. Before her was a desolate plain under a blackened sky. She gasped as Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin, and the rest of the Company lay dead at her feet. Galadriel, Elrond, Beorn and Radagast's corpses were intermingled among them. The bodies were in the wake of a massive host of Orcs and Wargs relentlessly marching towards the Lonely Mountain. Wanda then sensed someone standing to her left. She gingerly turned her head and was stunned to see who it was.
"How about that?" Stark whimsically observed of the scene before looking at Wanda. "It seems we've got something in common."
The Scarlet Witch jolted awake. She gave a sigh of relief that she'd been dreaming. However, the dream wasn't one she could simply shrug off. It's images and themes reflected Stark's fears. Fears he'd seen thanks to Wanda's mental manipulation. It made Wanda question the source of her own dream. Did the sorcery throughout the forest also affect one's subconscious? Or was the dream more from her conscience? The uncertainty prevented her from falling back asleep.
The Company always slept in a tight knit circle just off the Elf-path. Watch duty was done in pairs. Those on duty faced away from each other at opposite points of the circle. Wanda was the one member of the Company exempt from watch duty. Thorin believed in giving the Scarlet Witch a full night's rest to recoup from her telepathic duties during the day. And as coincidence would have it, the Dwarf King was currently taking watch along with Bifur.
Thorin sat cross-legged as he stared into the pitch-black forest. He tightly held his cloak given there was no campfire to ward off the night chill. The Scarlet Witch hadn't been with the Company when it inadvertently sheltered in Goblin-town's front porch. Still, Thorin believed in doing nothing to attract attention. There had been no night sightings of Azog's forces. But those on watch often reported spotting at little distance pairs of yellow, red or green eyes. The eyes would momentarily stare at the sleeping Company before disappearing into the inky blackness. Neither Thorin nor Bifur had spotted any such eyes during their vigil. The former was troubled after noticing something else instead.
"Is all well, Wanda?" Thorin asked in a whisper.
The Sokovian shook her head as she sat alongside him.
"I can't sleep," she sighed equally as quiet.
Thorin could barely see Wanda's face as she gazed into the forest. However, her sigh clearly sounded more unsettled than tired. Perhaps she'd sensed something in the surrounds?
"Something bothering you?" Thorin coaxed.
The Dwarf King had grown less wary of the Avenger's telepathy. One reason being that, if asked, Wanda was always honest about her own feelings. It was a pleasant contrast to Gandalf's habit of speaking in riddles.
"Just a bad dream," the Scarlet Witch answered. "There was this army of Orcs and Wargs. Everyone was dead but me."
Wanda purposely didn't mention other elements of her dream. She had little doubt what they represented. The Sokovian still struggled to forgive herself about the mind games she'd played on the Avengers. Those she played on Stark were proving particularly hard in that regard. Not just because those manipulations set in motion Ultron's creation and the whole chain of events that followed. Having lost Pietro, Wanda wouldn't wish survivor's guilt on anyone. It was something that veterans of the Battle of Azanulbizar could empathise with.
"I felt the same after Moria," Thorin bitterly remembered. "Less than half of us survived the battle."
"I'm sorry about your grandfather," Wanda recalled Balin's tale.
The Dwarf King accepted her delayed condolences with a curt nod. But Thror's death wasn't the thing that most gnawed at him from the battle.
"At least I know what happened to him," Thorin observed. "I can't say the same about my father. I wanted to fight alongside him against Azog but he wouldn't allow it. It was the last time I saw him. After the battle was over, I searched high and low but couldn't find a single trace of him."
Thorin's stony face belied the acute pain he felt about his father's disappearance. There was no deceiving the Scarlet Witch's telepathy though. The pain Wanda absorbed was almost as wrenching as the grief she felt for her own father. The Avenger also sensed Thorin appreciated having someone else he could confide in.
"And you've kept looking ever since?" Wanda indirectly encouraged him.
"There's been many rumoured sightings," Thorin confirmed. "I've investigated all of them. I was still looking for him just over a year ago." Thorin steadfastly believed what he told Gandalf at the time; "He still lives; I am sure of it."
"I'd keep searching if it were my father," Wanda empathised.
The Sokovian's response gave greater solace to Thorin than anything the Grey Wizard had ever said about the matter. It compelled him to share something with the Scarlet Witch that he hadn't with Gandalf.
"Well, I intend resuming my search the day after this quest's over," Thorin committed himself. "Alone if I must."
The next few moments indicated how the pair's relationship had changed since they first crossed paths.
"No, not alone," Wanda disagreed. "I'll help."
An honoured smile burst across the Dwarf King's face.
"Thank you, my friend," Thorin graciously replied. "But the only thing you need promise me now is to try and get back to sleep."
The Scarlet Witch consented with a smile of her own. Neither she nor any of the dwarves noticed Bilbo suddenly wake. The Hobbit was the only one who heard what sounded like an agitated murmur.
Days followed days as the Company continued along the Elf-path. There was no chatter among them that morning. None felt they were making progress given the forest still seemed endless. Many felt anxious they wouldn't have enough food to last the journey despite what Beorn had supplied them. Bilbo was quietly worried if their psychic protector would last the journey as well.
Wanda hadn't experienced again the same dream she told Thorin about. Every night since she instead had vivid ones about the most painful experiences in her life. The ones about Strucker's experiments were particularly disturbing. One night, a scream from Wanda didn't just wake the rest of the sleeping Company. For a fleeting moment, all but Bilbo felt the agony the experiments caused her. The dwarves doubted even the Great Goblin's torture instruments could inflict such suffering.
As the Company's healer, Oin was frustrated he had nothing to help the Sokovian sleep. The best he could do was stay close to Wanda during the day to monitor her. Reflecting the fraternal nature of Dwarves, Gloin assisted in the task. The brothers were well placed to notice a nasty pattern emerge – Wanda grew more tired in direct relation to the Company needing her protection.
The Scarlet Witch initially needed to disperse dark magic attacks a couple of times a day. That soon grew to an hourly need. Now she had to dispel them half-hourly. A weary Wanda dreaded how long it would be before the sorcerous attacks became relentless. Her eyes began drooping as she contemplated this. Gloin grabbed the Avenger's arm from behind as she threatened to stumble.
"Easy, lass!" he sharply warned her.
The Company immediately halted as their witch was startled back to the here and now. Wanda put hands on knees to steady herself. Oin's attention was more grabbed by the dark circles under her eyes. He shot Thorin a concerned and frustrated look.
"How many times must I say it?" Oin demanded in a healer's tone. "Wanda needs a rest!"
Wanda appreciated Elrond's ring now more than ever. The ring's soothing magic prevented her from completely succumbing to sleep deprivation. It was the reason she still had a sense of humour.
"Like that will help me," she dryly discounted Oin's advice.
Thorin was among those who awkwardly smirked at the joke. Wanda was justified in comparing Thorin and Rogers's leadership styles. Like the First Avenger, Thorin wouldn't hesitate assuming the burden of command even if he disliked the choices that came with it.
"We all need a rest," Thorin indicated sympathy to Oin. "But Durin's Day won't wait on us."
Like many healers, Oin wouldn't relent just because a patient denied they needed help.
"And nor will exhaustion wait on Wanda," he argued treating the sick came first.
The Scarlet Witch straightened back up again. She placed an appreciative hand on Oin's shoulder before demonstrating her improved relationship with Thorin.
"Thank you, Oin," Wanda first said. "But Thorin's right. We won't get to the mountain in time if we keep stopping."
The sharpest pair of eyes in the Company then noticed something just ahead.
"Then we have a slight problem," Bilbo drew their attention to it.
Everyone looked in the direction.
"The stone bridge!" Fili exclaimed.
The Company quickly covered the next few yards. Before them lay the enchanted stream that Gandalf had warned them of. The stream was only ten yards at its widest point. Its waters though were black and stagnant with countless white spores floating upon the surface. A knotted pattern of vines hanged over the stream from trees lining both its banks. However, it wasn't the sorcerous threat posed by the stream that dampened Company spirits.
"What's left of it anyway," Bofur dryly corrected Fili's observation.
The middle two-thirds of the bridge had been broken clean. Gandalf's recommended crossing over the stream couldn't be used. Only one in the Company thought otherwise.
"Wait a second," Wanda told them.
The Scarlet Witch felt something of a second wind having reached a Mirkwood landmark. She released a strong burst of psychic energy at the gap in the bridge. The energy swirled in a cloud like pattern before settling over the surface like a red mist. To Wanda's disappointment the gap remained.
"Well, it's no illusion," she said of it.
Many hoped another of the Avenger's powers could get around the problem. The hard part was how to politely ask.
"I know you're tired, Wanda," Kili prefaced with understanding. "But…can you still um?"
Wanda smirked as she read his mind. Everyone sucked in a breath as the Sokovian swiftly glided through the air before gently landing on the bank opposite. She turned to face Kili.
"That answer your question?" she quizzically asked him.
The dwarves and Bilbo happily laughed in response. It was the first time they shared such a laugh in Mirkwood. The Scarlet Witch quickly injected a note of caution.
"The enchantment's strong," Wanda warned about the stream.
"Can you contain it?" Thorin checked.
Wanda nodded. "But I can only bring you across one at a time."
The overhanging vines were the only other way across the stream. Given many of those vines didn't look taut, there was no doubt in Thorin's mind which option was the safest.
"We'll start with the lightest," Thorin confirmed.
Bilbo blinked at being the first selected. Even riding on Gwaihir hadn't settled his nerves the least about any kind of flying. With everyone else looking at him, the Hobbit tentatively stepped forward.
"Just look at me, Bilbo," Wanda tried settling his visible nerves.
Streams of red energy quickly wrapped around the Hobbit. Bilbo began floating over the stream as Wanda smoothly pulled him towards her. At the mid-point, nerves gave way to a laugh of delight.
"It's like walking on air!" Bilbo giddily described the experience.
Wanda softly landed the Hobbit next to her. Bilbo's upbeat mood was a contrast to his nerves on the opposite bank. The Scarlet Witch sensed several Dwarves were still unsure about her telekinesis transporting them. On that basis, she wasn't surprised about who her next passenger was.
"Ready when you are, Wanda," Thorin resolutely volunteered himself.
The dwarves held their breath as their king was transported over the stream. In contrast to Bilbo's elation, the Dwarf King remained calm and assured as he floated towards the opposite bank. The unspoken message to his followers was to treat this as just another step in their journey. After landing near Wanda, Thorin immediately drew his bow with arrow at the ready. It was all about protecting the Scarlet Witch as she transported the rest of the Company.
"Who's next?" Wanda asked those on the opposite bank.
Thorin's example had greatly settled the dwarves' anxiety. They were nonetheless surprised by who among them volunteered to be next. Bombur stepped forward with a confident look. Wanda smiled at what her telepathy sensed. Bombur was reminding the other dwarves the Sokovian's telekinesis helped him over the ladder in Goblin-town. As such, there wasn't the slightest chance of dropping into the stream.
Thank you, Bombur. Wanda telepathically thanked him.
Bombur gave a pleased smile before Wanda began drawing him towards her. The Sokovian sensed she'd need to do something else after landing Bombur. She'd need to hit the stream with fresh a telepathic burst as the enchantment was regaining strength. The situation also allowed something to make its unwelcome return.
The evil voice had been silent ever since the Company took leave of Beorn. It now resumed with a vengeance as it started to chant over and over. The chant was in a disturbing language that the Sokovian had never heard before. Wanda struggled to concentrate as the chanting in her mind grew ever louder.
"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum ishi krimpatul. Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum ishi krimpatul!"
A bolt of light instantly struck and killed Bombur. The Company didn't even have time to be shocked as his corpse fell face-up into the stream.
"Look out!" Bilbo directed their attention upward.
Wanda couldn't believe what had killed Bombur. Rapidly bearing down on the Company was a quartet of Ultron Sentries! She instantly had to cast a hex shield as the Sentries opened fire with their energy cannons on Thorin, Bilbo and herself. The trio were unharmed as the cannon fire deflected off the shield. With the Scarlet Witch pinned down, Ultron's forces launched their main attack.
A dozen Sentries swarmed from nowhere at the Dwarves on the opposite bank. The dwarves were subjected to a barrage of cannon fire from above. The surviving members of the Company could only watch in horror as their friends were massacred in seconds. Wanda released the hex shield outward with an angry cry. Half the Sentries were destroyed in the resulting energy wave. This compared to Thorin who loosened an arrow at a Sentry only to see it deflect off the target's armour.
"Run!" Thorin ordered Bilbo and Wanda to flee the killing zone. "Run!"
Bilbo and Thorin immediately fled the scene as the sprinted north and away from the path. Wanda first had to take down another Sentry before joining them. A blast from a Sentry saw a thin tree fall in front of her. The Sokovian used her telekinesis to levitate over the tree before it blocked her path. She destroyed the offending Sentry with an energy blast of her own before landing next to Thorin and Bilbo in a forest clearing. The remaining Sentries began landing a second later.
Wanda dispatched the first Sentry that landed with an energy blast. She quickly then had to summon a hex shield to deflect a pair's fire. The offending Sentries were torn apart by Wanda's telekinesis. While this had been happening, another pair of Sentries landed right next to Thorin. The Dwarf King had far better fortune using Orcrist than Beorn's arrows. The legendary Elvish blade easily cut through the robots' armour and internal systems. Thorin destroyed both Sentries in rapid succession. The Company leader's triumph was short-lived as the remaining two Sentries landed yards in front of him. Wanda's energy blasts destroyed them. But not before they'd simultaneously killed Thorin with a cannon shot to the chest.
The Scarlet Witch turned to check on the only other surviving member of the Company. Bilbo had remained at Wanda's side throughout the skirmish in the clearing. Wanda froze in shock as the tip of a mighty lance was thrust into the Hobbit's stomach. The Avenger's shock was mostly from who was wielding the lance.
"You betrayed me, Wanda," a black-armoured Ultron raged at her.
Bilbo's corpse fell to the ground as Ultron withdrew his weapon in the blink of an eye. He twirled it around and struck Wanda's jaw with the base of the lance in a single fluid motion. There was a loud crack of bone as the Sokovian recoiled from the blow. Wanda fell face first to the ground in agony. Before she knew it; Ultron's boot was pressed firmly on her spine. The automaton stood poised to drive his lance through her back. Ultron taunted his former ally a final time with something Wanda once told him.
"You know how that felt?" he announced her doom.
Wanda blinked – and found she was alone. Her robotic arch nemesis had seemingly vanished. Even the pain from Ultron's blow was completely gone. The only 'injury' she'd seem to have suffered was some dirt and leaves from lying face down on the ground. Nor could Wanda see Bilbo or Thorin's bodies or any remains of the Sentries that had attacked them.
The Scarlet Witch tentatively got back up while closely taking in her surrounds. The Company reached the enchanted stream by mid-morning. The fading light indicated it was now sunset. The Avenger was in the middle of a forest clearing. But unlike the clearing she was in moments ago; the trees bordering this one were covered in thick and ugly spider webs. Wanda could only draw one conclusion. For all its terrifying realness, the attack by Ultron and his forces had all been an illusion.
The Sokovian's initial reaction was still only partly correct. Wanda had been the subject of a concentrated psychic attack ever since she'd stepped foot in Mirkwood. The attack's primary objective had been to separate the Company from its telepathic protector. The Necromancer's evil struck her when she was asleep and unable to defend herself. Wanda's sleep deprivation and nightmares had been all about mentally weakening her when the illusion was finally cast. Wanda stood poised to be a victim of what she'd sensed at Mirkwood's eaves. The dark sorcery within the forest had gotten her lost – now it moved to kill her.
The webs surrounding the clearing began to twitch. It was the first sign Wanda had she now faced a real ambush. She rapidly looked up and saw a multitude of man-sized spiders scuttling down the trees towards her. Mirkwood's giant spiders weren't just unnerving because of their numbers or sharp fangs. Wanda's telepathy told her the spiders were sentient even if she couldn't understand their tongue. The Sokovian didn't care about the language barrier. The spiders were outlet for her anger over the sorcery she'd been forced to endure since entering the forest.
Wanda unleashed energy blasts in all directions. Many spiders didn't even have time to release a grating screech being blown apart. Not even the Wood-elves who hunted them mercilessly possessed such firepower. The Avenger took no small sense of satisfaction as she sensed the spiders' appetite for her quickly turn to fear. The downside was sentient spiders could also rally and counterattack.
The spiders spread themselves out over their webs. Wanda twisted and turned as the spiders came at her from all directions. Despite their heavy losses, the spiders were unrelenting in their attacks. One managed to get within a yard of the Scarlet Witch. The Avenger used her telekinesis to rip it in half just in the nick of time. Wanda grimly surmised it was fatigue more than the spiders that threatened to be her downfall. The thought of being tired gave her an idea.
The Scarlet Witch summoned a hex shield around herself for the purposes of protection. The attacking spiders swarmed towards the spherical barrier of red energy. The shield began inching back towards its summoner as the spiders pressed against it. The spiders thought their prey was weakening as she sank on one knee. All the remaining nest kept up the pressure confident the Avenger's shield would collapse any moment. In truth, Wanda losing strength was just a feint on her part so she could destroy all her assailants at once.
There was a bright explosion as Wanda thrust her shield's energies outward. The trees surrounding the clearing shook and swayed as the spiders were instantly disintegrated in the blast. One tree was totally immolated while another fell such was the power of the blast. Most of the surrounding webs were also now burning. A victorious Wanda felt compelled to declare the Necromancer had failed to kill her. Another Avenger proved to be her inspiration.
"Is that the best you can do?!" Wanda's voice echoed throughout the surrounds.
After several moments, Wanda initially wondered if her challenge had been accepted. Her telepathy sensed two individuals had snuck up from behind. The chaos of the battle must have drowned out their thoughts. Wanda spun around and saw a male and female elf facing her with bows pointed. The pair of them were dressed in green and brown clothing to blend into the forest. Both were also long-haired – the male, blonde and the female, red.
Wood-elves, Wanda guessed their identity.
"Do not move, sorceress!" the male coolly threated her.
The pair's defensiveness was instinctive. History showed that human sorcerers were almost invariably pawns of darker powers. The Kingdom of Angmar (its existence being like yesterday for many Elves) was a particularly notorious example. It was then that the female spotted Wanda's newest ring.
"Legolas, tiro," she directed her companion's attention to it.
The male quickly glanced at it before his eyes darted back to Wanda.
"I see you possess the token of Elf-friend," he observed before releasing a contrite smile. "Forgive me, I did not see."
The Scarlet Witch quietly thanked Elrond for his foresight as the pair lowered their bows. Satisfied they weren't facing an enemy, the Elves adopted a friendlier tone.
"I am Legolas, Prince of the Woodland Realm," the male made introductions. "And this is Tauriel, Captain of my father's guard."
Wanda hoped meeting such high-ranking Wood-elves meant an overdue turn of fortune in Mirkwood.
"Wanda Maximoff the Scarlet Witch," the Avenger unhesitatingly declared herself.
Tauriel responded with an impish smile revealing a playful spirit.
"Certainly your title comes as no surprise, milady," she wryly observed.
Both Legolas and Wanda gave a good-humoured smirk. The former's reaction allowed the latter to pick up some of his thoughts. Legolas was a daring and fearless protector of his homeland and people. However, he also had the open mind of a young idealist – 'young' being nearly three thousand years old. The Scarlet Witch had to ask her new acquaintances about their immediate selves.
"I hope didn't hurt you," Wanda referred to her destruction of the spiders.
The pair shook their heads they'd been collateral damage from the battle. Wanda also learnt them being in the vicinity was no coincidence.
"A spider was seen near here," Legolas revealed. "We'd come to investigate."
His companion looked around at the dead spiders. Despite the Wood-elves' best efforts, the overall danger posed by such creatures was getting worse.
"We didn't expect to find a nest of them right on our doorstep," Tauriel grimly observed before complimenting the nest's destroyer. "A nest that no longer threatens us thanks to you."
Legolas agreed with the praise. But his royal station also required him to question this potentially new and powerful ally.
"Yes." Legolas concurred before telling the Scarlet Witch, "I nonetheless must ask why you've entered my father's lands."
"I didn't know these are his lands," the Avenger answered non-defensively. "I got separated from my friends."
This surprised Legolas and Tauriel. How did this party get past the Wood-elves' border scouts?
"When did you last see them?" Tauriel attempted to solve the mystery.
"We were crossing the enchanted stream," Wanda replied.
The Sokovian had deliberately chosen to be succinct. Describing the illusion and the events leading up to it could result in Legolas and Tauriel figuring out she was a telepath. Both seemed friendly enough. But Wanda wasn't quite ready to disregard Beorn's warning about Wood-elves being 'less wise and more dangerous' than their kin. Despite being cautious, Wanda was taken aback as she sensed the Elves had been shocked by her answer regardless.
"That's several days from here!" Tauriel gasped in concern. "You've been separated for some time."
Now it was Wanda's turn to be mystified. Had the illusion caused her to lose track of time? That was unlikely if only because she didn't feel hungry or thirsty. Wanda then remembered how she used her telekinesis to avoid an illusory tree that was falling on her. Maybe what seemed to be an evasive leap was long-distance travel at great speed? The Avenger felt no satisfaction if this was indeed the case. A chill ran up her spine as she pondered the illusion's full deceit. Maybe the 'Sentries' she'd hit with her energy blasts hadn't been Sentries at all…
"I have to find them," Wanda stated with renewed urgency.
The Elves were sympathetic. However, the evil throughout Mirkwood had grown very strong. The nest of spiders demonstrated the Wood-elves couldn't afford to feel safe even within the borders of their own realm.
"We would aid you, milady." Tauriel prefaced before counselling, "But it will be dark soon."
Wanda's telepathy picked up the fear behind Tauriel's words. The Wood-elves were engaged in a long war of attrition against nests like this one throughout their lands. Worse, it was a war in which the spiders were slowly but surely getting the upper hand. A fact seemingly confirmed by the Prince of the Woodland Realm himself.
"We also need a larger search party," Legolas added. "A party my father first needs to approve." He then politely requested Wanda, "Are you willing to accompany us to speak with him?"
Part of the Avenger wanted to begin searching herself immediately. But the title Elrond had bestowed on her also carried responsibilities. The Wood-elves might suspect how much of an 'Elf-friend' the Scarlet Witch was if she declined to speak with their king. Besides, Wanda was still lost in Mirkwood and in desperate need of a guide.
"I will on one condition," she solemnly consented.
"What's that, milady?" Tauriel queried.
The Scarlet Witch softly smiled. "That you call me 'Wanda'."
The trio soon exited the dense forest before travelling eastward along the Elf-path. The section of the path within the Woodland Realm was in far better condition than what the Company had been travelling along. Despite feeling exhausted, Wanda's spirit had been perked by making two new friends. Not to mention the Wood-elves' territory seemed to be free of the dark sorcery that had tormented her since entering Mirkwood. Time flew as they reached their destination in under an hour.
The palace of the King of the Woodland Realm lay above a fast-running river at the eastern edge of Mirkwood. The river flowed in an easterly direction into the Long Lake below the Lonely Mountain. The river also acted as moat protecting the western side of the palace. Legolas and Tauriel led Wanda over the only crossing – a narrow wooden bridge over a precipitous ravine. On the other side of the bridge was a pair of huge stone doors. At a command from Legolas, the doors opened allowing the trio to enter. Wanda watched as the guards Tauriel oversaw closed the doors behind them. A resounding echo throughout the interior confirmed the entrance had been closed for the night.
Wanda took in the vast and cavernous interior as she was escorted to its centre. Within the palace were elegant halls, winding passages and many chambers that lay entwined among the roots of the giant trees growing above it. The Sokovian couldn't help but compare the palace with the other Elven realm she was familiar with. Like the Hidden Valley, a power magic seemed to permeate throughout the palace. But whereas Rivendell's was warm and comforting; the Woodland Realm's felt austere and vigilant.
The Scarlet Witch's journey came to a halt at the base of the stairs leading to the throne room. The throne room was hewn into the living rock, vast tree-roots making a pattern of natural sculptures down the walls. Legolas briefly took his leave as he ascended the stairs to brief his father about their realm's unexpected visitor. Alone with Tauriel; the Scarlet Witch tried learning a bit more about her.
"Do you have family, Tauriel?" the Avenger enquired.
Wanda's telepathy caused her to instantly regret the question. The emotions her question stirred within Tauriel were painfully familiar.
"Orcs murdered my parents when I was a child," Tauriel sadly remembered events of six hundred years ago. "The King has raised me like one of his own ever since."
Tauriel noted Wanda's expression. The expression was less about sympathy and more of empathy.
"You're an orphan as well," Tauriel deduced aloud.
Wanda subtly nodded. "And I recently lost my brother." She then reflected on her initial assessment of Legolas. "In some ways, Legolas reminds me of him."
"Your brother would've been very dear to you then," Tauriel returned empathy. "Legolas has been my truest friend since childhood."
The Prince of the Woodland Realm returned to them moments later. Wanda sensed some undercurrents suggesting Legolas saw Tauriel as more than a friend. She chose to respect their privacy as the trio climbed the stairs into the throne room. The King of the Woodland Realm stood waiting for them.
Thranduil was a stern, severe, and imposing Elf with piercing blue eyes and long, silver-blond hair. He wore a crown wound about with red leaves and berries in line with the autumn season. There was also no mistaking that Thranduil's sigil was the great elk. Giant antlers adorned his throne as well as being the motif of his silver robes. His throne room was protected by several heavily armoured guards each equipped with a spear and shield. This was despite Thranduil being a powerful and accomplished warrior himself.
Tauriel remained with Wanda as Legolas stood alongside his father. Wanda reflected she should've asked Legolas about appropriate etiquette in his father's presence. She instead opted to copy Gandalf's example with Elrond and Galadriel. The Scarlet Witch acknowledged the King of the Woodland Realm with a respectful bow of the head. The Avenger's telepathy picked up her show of humility won Legolas and Tauriel's admiration. The reaction of the gesture's recipient was unknown. The background magic shrouded Thranduil's thoughts – the implication being he'd know the moment anyone tried probing his mind. The Elf-king had the advantage as he commenced Wanda's audience.
"I am told your name is 'Wanda' and you are Elf-friend," Thranduil coolly began.
The Sokovian nodded before gently stretching out her left hand. The Elf-king impassively noted the ring signifying Wanda's title.
"It's been many years since I've seen such a ring," Thranduil commented. "And never has one been given to a human sorcerer until now. I am curious to know your connection to Elrond Half-elven."
Wanda privately speculated if the magic within all Elven realms reflected the personality of their ruler.
"I'm a friend of Gandalf the Grey's," she answered.
The Scarlet Witch now got a taste of Thranduil's incredible intuition that had been honed over a life spanning six millennia.
"And you're in these parts at Mithrandir's behest?" Thranduil almost knowingly asked.
It was inevitable the Elf-king would ask why. Given Wanda's concern about Bilbo and the Dwarves' current welfare, the Avenger opted to force the issue.
"I'm part of the Company of Thorin Oakenshield," Wanda declared outright. "I got separated at the enchanted stream."
Thranduil's stony façade fractured as his eyes flashed with interest at this revelation.
"On your way to Erebor no doubt," he promptly concluded.
Wanda thought her gamble had paid off as she caught a tiny trace of Thranduil's thoughts. Thranduil had visited the Lonely Mountain before it fell to Smaug. He apparently also had some unfinished business with the House of Durin. The Scarlet Witch was prevented from finding out the details as Thranduil's thoughts again became clouded. Still, the reaction she'd sensed in the Elf-king gave her cause for hope.
"We plan to kill the dragon and retake the mountain," Wanda summarised the Quest of Erebor.
Legolas and Tauriel immediately shared a concerned look. Wanda had earlier offered to tell them more about the 'friends' she'd been separated from. They declined believing it only appropriate Thranduil hear an Elf-friend's story first. The Scarlet Witch easily picked up the reason for their reaction now they'd heard it. The pair believed it suicide to retake the mountain while Smaug was alive. Like Elrond; they feared the dragon could be enraged enough to retaliate against other lands – including their own. If Thranduil shared these concerns about the quest he didn't show it.
"A noble quest," he saluted it. "One I feel obligated to assist."
Wanda brightened at hearing this. Fatigue caused her to miss the enigmatic undertone with which Thranduil had spoken.
"So you'll help find them?" Wanda checked to be sure.
"I need to discuss it my son," Thranduil replied before adroitly ending Wanda's audience. "You, however, are tired and in need of rest." The King of the Woodland Realm regally delegated the matter. "Tauriel, take Collgwend to our guest chambers. Ensure her every need is met."
"Yes, milord," the Captain of his guard instantly complied.
The Scarlet Witch copied Tauriel's respectful bow to the Elf-king before following her from the throne room. As they descended the stairs, Tauriel's thoughts told Wanda it had been decades since the Woodland Realm hosted any honoured guests. The Avenger was more interested about something else Thranduil had said though.
"I'm still learning Sindarin," Wanda admitted to her escort. "What does 'Collgwend' mean?"
Tauriel had something else in common with the Avenger than being an orphan. Apart from sworn enemies, she liked believing others acted with the best of motives.
"You should feel honoured, Wanda," the Elf happily informed her. "The king speaks as if you were Gandalf. As Mithrandir is 'Grey Pilgrim', Collgwend means the 'Scarlet Maiden'."
Thranduil's description of Wanda was indeed said in respect. But it was also part of a greater deception. For Thranduil had his own agenda in helping the Quest of Erebor. He waited until Tauriel and Wanda were well out of earshot before acting on it.
"I want you and Tauriel to leave with a company at first light," Thranduil told his son. "Oakenshield and his followers will undoubtedly stumble across our borders in search of their witch. Find and bring them to me."
Legolas believed his assigned mission and force could be expanded.
"Many nests have respawned over the last two moons," he prefaced his argument. "Perhaps Wanda can come with us? We'd swiftly clear our lands with her aiding us. Maybe even deter the spiders from ever coming back."
"No!" Thranduil instantly rejected the idea.
The Prince of the Woodland Realm was puzzled by the reaction. Why was his father so adverse to even considering the Scarlet Witch's help? The Elf-king cryptically revealed his reason.
"I have an opportunity, Legolas," Thranduil observed intently. "An opportunity to reclaim what is mine."
Separating Wanda from the rest of the Company is the result of me trying to be an evil mastermind. Particularly how the Necromancer might try and exploit Gandalf's absence.
In the overall scheme of things, the Mind Stone's energies are far more powerful the Necromancer's sorcery. But Scarlet Witch-199999 is still 'only' human in many aspects. Wearing her down with sleep deprivation combined with her (current) inexperience against telepathic attacks would be a feasible tactic IMHO. Then again, maybe I'm just projecting given my own experiences with sleep apnoea.
A major reason behind the plot device of Elrond's ring was Wanda first crossing paths with the Wood-elves. Though I didn't believe Thranduil would be any less haughty given his own objectives.