"Ah, Princess of Arathilian. I had wondered when I would be granted the pleasure of seeing you after these many years," he greeted with a smile, his eyes crinkling as she took his hand and squeezed it. "And look how you have grown. No longer the impish little sprite but now a beautiful young lady."
"Perhaps," she returned with a laugh. "But you are every bit the same as I remember you, although a bit more tired, dear wizard. I am afraid you have been having a rough time of it."
"You would be right to assume that. But then, maybe you are not assuming much, since you seem to know very much the business of everyone."
Emerald laughed, "I am a young lady. It is my business to know everyone else's business. But come, have you time to walk with me, or perhaps sit if that would better suit your needs? I have many questions to ask you, as I am sure Lord Elrond has warned you in the time that your arrival was kept a secret from me."
"I always have time for a beautiful lady and an old friend, and you are both. Let us sit," Mithrandir agreed, and together they walked along several pathways before he settled on a garden from which they could overlook the river, its noisy chatter echoing around the trees as the sun tentatively lowered itself to the west, shooting orange and red spears through the branches. Emerald didn't press Mithrandir immediately, and for the first several minutes, they merely sat together, enjoying the cool breeze dancing up from the water.
It was Mithrandir who finally broke the silence, saying, "I am sure you are full of questions you believe I will be able to answer for you." At Emerald's quick nod, he continued, "However, I know no more than Lord Elrond, for I have taken him into confidence of everything I have learned, and perhaps I know less, for it appears you have done the same, though he seemed to hint that there is more that you are not sharing. However, I am not to press you for anything."
"I have promised that everything of importance, I will share with him, and he has, likewise, answered my questions as best he can."
"Then I shall do the same, though I ask that on some questions, you be patient, for I will not be able to answer many things fully until I have had time to talk to Frodo and contemplate."
"All right. Answer what you can, but know that I'm an expert at getting answers to questions people seem unwilling to answer."
"Ask what you will."
"How long have you known that Bilbo's ring was the One Ring?"
Mithrandir thought a moment, then replied, "I have had my suspicions for many, many years. Of course, I could not be sure until I found papers written by Isildur himself explaining odd characteristics of the Ring, such as that script appears on it when held in the fire. I performed this test, found it concurred, and was thus decided."
"Why did you not have the Ring destroyed as soon as you learned what it was?" Emerald asked, then suddenly regretted it by the pained expression that seized the old man's face.
"You ask me a difficult question, Lady Emerald, for you bring up a mistake of mine that may cost us everything. The Dark Lord had been vacant for so many years, and the Ring was causing no harm to anyone in the care of Bilbo, so I let it be, though I should have had it destroyed simply on my suspicions. It was not until only a few months ago that I performed the test and was so decided."
Emerald quickly assured him, "You can't be blamed, then. For all you knew, there shouldn't have been any problems." However, she could feel the guilt seeping through his being and knew that whatever action was decided, he would be a forefront member of the activity, if only to clear his conscious. "I know Bilbo tricked the Ring out of Gollum in that cave, and I also know that Gollum escaped the Mirkwood guards and fled to Dol Goldur–"
"You have gathered your information from a variety of sources. It seems no one in this house is able to resist your appeals for answers."
Emerald laughed, "That might be so. But my question is, why was Gollum being held captive?"
"I myself do not have the whole answer, though I was the one who asked it of King Thranduil. What all do you know of Gollum?"
"Only that he used to be called Smeagol."
"Yes. Before he came in contact with the Ring, Gollum was a creature not that far removed from a Hobbit. He was called by Smeagol. However, once he came to possess the Ring, for which he murdered his cousin, it turned him into what he is now, the vilest and lowliest of creatures, a cave dweller who has ventured from his dark dwelling only because of his greed for the Ring. You see, he and the Ring are one in his mind, and it pains him to be far from it. He knows from where the Ring has come, though, and so watches Mordor with a passion. I recently found him wandering in the area and decided it best if we kept a close eye on him," Mithrandir answered.
"Well what can he expect to find in Dol Goldur? Legolas of Mirkwood only told me that Dol Goldur is an old fortress of Sauron's and that no one goes near there now without a death wish."
"Yes," Mithrandir nodded. "I do not believe Gollum will find anything there, for I doubt anything resides there except maybe a few remaining scattered orcs from the dark lord's glory days. I do not believe Gollum has stayed in Dol Goldur, though he might originally have fled there. I find it much more likely that he is wandering in search of the Ring."
"If the dark lord has gathered enough power to wake up, might Gollum go to him?"
"I don't believe so, for even more than Gollum hated Bilbo taking the Ring does he hate the idea of the dark lord getting the Ring. He knows it will never be his again should such a thing happen to him."
"Well we could spin that to our advantage, couldn't we? I mean, if Gollum's been creeping around Mordor, than he probably knows better than anyone how to get into the Mountain so that the Ring could be destroyed!"
"You are suggesting a very manipulative means, and a very dangerous method of destroying the Ring."
"It is the only way," Emerald argued. "And the Ring must be destroyed. As long as it still exist, Sauron will continue to haunt Middle Earth. Even were we to defeat him now, how many years will it be until the next time that he rises again?"
"However, it is not so easy as that. The action you are suggesting would take much time and consideration, and the battles have already begun."
"Well we will fight until the Ring is destroyed."
"Who will fight? Your brothers? Your friends? You? Who is willing to fight?"
Emerald settled back after the excitement that had welled up at her in the thought of a means of action struck a wall. She recalled the mourning of her kingdom at the death of the guards and tried to imagine the massive deaths a war would bring on a race of people that otherwise would never die.
"You are considering the deaths, I see. As does Lord Elrond. He does not wish to sacrifice his people for a cause that they will not stay to see. Dwarves will not fight. Hobbits are no warriors. That leaves only men, and what hope have men on their own? They are divided, weak, defenseless."
"What do you mean Elves will not see? We're all here, aren't we?"
"Yes, but Elves have the right to travel to the Grey Havens."
"Elves are fleeing?"
"Elves are leaving a world they see very little hope for if things continue at this rate, and if worse comes to worse, I have no doubt you will do likewise. Your brothers and parents will leave you no choice, as is wise."
"As is cowardly!"
Mithrandir paused a moment to let the frustration linger on Emerald's face, then leaned in to explain, "Pardon my saying, Lady Emerald, but you are young and sheltered. You have led a blessed and protected life in a kingdom and with people willing to fancy your every whim. You cannot understand what war on the scale we are fearing is like. You do not know real death or fear or discomfort, so it is not your place to judge courage and cowardice. It is not your life that will be risked, but the lives of all those you love."
Emerald fell silent and looked down at her lap in shame. Mithrandir was right. When it came down to it, Emerald would never be in harm's way. Her family would not allow it. At the first signs of danger, King Orwig would be sending a messenger to fetch her back, and no doubt she would be on the first ship to Gray Havens when news of this impending war leaked out.
But what about everyone else? Emerald thought of Father Bilbo, of the men at home, of Merry and Pippin, even of the dwarves. What of the elves who stayed to fight or were caught unwilling in the war? But was she willing for Tegryn, Hergest, Beven, Gildas, Auryn, her father, Alagedh to die so that a few of other races might live? It was not the sort of question Emerald felt she was able to fully consider, much less ever come to any conclusion on. She suddenly began to think, though, of how wrapped up she was in everything. So far it had been a safe involvement: she just knew things, she asked questions, she learned things, she made arguments. But how deeply would she be entrenched in things? Would she be here to watch the deaths? Would she herself be killed, or the ones she loved? Would she have to make such a decision? Would people die because of arguments she made?
Slowly, Emerald felt her heart beginning to break.
Mithrandir reached out and gently patted her hand, "I believe that is enough questions for tonight. I am afraid I have said far too much, Lady Emerald, and I apologize. These thoughts are not thoughts for a young lady such as yourself to entertain, and I beg you to think no more of it." He rose, but held her hand, "Please, Princess, stay as you are now. Do not let this world or this war get to you. You were made for a world more perfect than this and a life more beautiful than one of war." He looked sorrowfully down at her a moment longer, then kissed her forehead, pressed her hand, and walked off, regretting saying as much as he had, though he hoped it would encourage her to board the first ship to Gray Havens. Though he hoped more than anyone for the salvation of Middle Earth, there were lives to spend before it came, he knew, and he didn't wish for hers to be one of them, as he feared it would be should she stay.
Emerald pulled her knees up to her chest and spun on the bench to feign watching the river, though her eyes grew so glassy that everything blurred into one large abstract of red and gold and black. She closed her eyes and rested her chin on her knees, wishing more than anything she could just run home and be a little girl again. She suddenly felt more alone, scared, and in over her head than she ever had. Suddenly, she was beginning to see what this all really meant, but at the same time, she knew she still couldn't understand, and that scared her even more.
She heard steps behind her but ignored them, expecting someone to simply be passing by, but the steps paused, and after a moment, someone posed gently, "Princess, are you still out here? It is growing dark and cool."
Emerald wiped furiously at her eyes and insisted, "Yes, I am just admiring the night," turning to the side in the hopes that in the waning light, her profile would hide the couple tears that had trickled down her faces.
It was to no avail, though, and Legolas cried, "Ai, fair lady, what has happened?"
"Nothing," she shook her head, "I am fine."
"A fair creature such as yourself does not waste tears," he argued, taking the liberty of a seat beside her on the bench.
"On the contrary, fair creatures often cast tears on the most trivial of occurrences."
"Well then what is this occurrence, that I might be the judge of its triviality?"
Emerald sighed as if considering relating everything to him before remembering that she couldn't, so she shook her head, "Only thinking deep thoughts."
"Such as?"
"Just nonsense–"
"Come then, let me think nonsense with you."
Emerald looked at him again, but his blue eyes seemed so earnest in their sympathy that she finally consented and asked, "Have you ever seen anyone die?"
"Elves do not die."
"They do if they are killed."
"Either way, I have not."
"Neither have I..."
Legolas waited a moment, then prompted, "And this depresses you...?"
"Yes, but no... I don't know. It's just that... A short time ago, two guards in my father's kingdom were killed. I knew it happened, I saw the people mourning, and yet my father ordered that no one discuss it with me and basically tried to keep the whole thing hidden from me. He did it out of love; he was just trying to protect me from sorrow, but... People are always sheltering me, always protecting me, always looking out for me, but what if in the long run the are actually doing me harm?"
"There will never be a time when you are not being protected," Legolas argued. "That you can be sure of, Princess. You are dear to everyone who meets you. There will always be someone there watching over you."
"You can't know that!" Emerald insisted and almost let slip her story again. Instead, to Legolas' confused expression, she shook her head, "Dangerous times are coming, Legolas of Mirkwood, and I fear they will destroy me."
"Why would you fear such a thing? No harm will come near you–"
"I cannot always be protected from every type of harm. If I don't get myself killed... but even besides physical harm, I have never known sorrow. Does that mean that even the smallest of sorrows will affect me a hundred times worse? I have a girl child's heart. Does that mean it will break under the slightest pressure? I have never been afraid, therefor I have never been brave, not in the real sense of the word, so does that make me a coward?"
"Those are indeed heavy thoughts to be thinking," Legolas agreed after a moment. "And I wish that you would not entertain such ideas, but I know that saying that has very little affect."
"That's what people have been telling me all my life. I have been sheltered from the world, and now the world is crashing down around me."
"Is it?"
"Yes," Emerald replied, but she didn't offer more and Legolas didn't ask more.
Instead, he waited another moment, as though hesitant to offer it, then shared, "My father saw his father murdered in battle, and because of that, he has been a hard man all my life. But like your father, he has done it out of love. Nevertheless, I too have been sheltered, possibly too sheltered. I have never suffered as my father has, and I have never known true sorrow the way he has."
"Perhaps you will do something stupid because of it," Emerald mused, and though they both smiled, she was being quite serious.
"It is possible."
"Would you fight if there was a war? If there was the strong chance that you would die, that you would never go to Gray Havens, would you still fight?"
"It is the courageous thing to do."
"But is it also stupid? I am confused where the line between courage and stupidity is..."
"It is possible they are the same thing."
"Yes... yes, I think many things like that are actually the same thing. But you would really fight? Why?"
"I cannot say."
"Of course you can say."
He paused, then answered, "If it was something I truly believed in, I would fight. I would fight to prove myself. To win the respect of my father. To bring honor to my family. And because I am young and reckless and the true idea of absolute death is unfathomable to my mind."
Emerald laughed, a nice, loud, genuine laugh that made Legolas grin as she replied, "That's a very honest answer."
"I told you I would never be anything but sincere with you."
"You did say that," Emerald mused. She waited a moment, and though the depression had not completely fled her mind, it had momentarily run its course, and though the heavy thoughts remained hidden in her mind, she found that she could not think on such things for very long at a time. So instead she added, "I believe I am too young and reckless, as well, and that will either be the death of me, the salvation of us all, or perhaps both."
"You will not. Princess," Legolas quickly tagged on, as though he had momentarily forgotten whom he was speaking to and felt it necessary to remind himself. "You are perhaps the wisest lady I have ever met, and the wisest youth as well."
"I have my moments," she laughed. "Of course, you can still be stupid and wise at the same time... But don't expect to see my deep thoughts often. Nobody wants deep thoughts from the sunshine bringer."
"Perhaps. However, I, for one, will always be a willing ear should you need to think out loud again, and I will try my best to keep up."
"Thank you, Legolas. That means a lot to me," she smiled and would have said more had Alagedh not suddenly come hurrying up the path.
"Alagedh, is everything all right?"
He looked at her with surprise for a moment, then nodded, "Yes, only Mithrandir warned me he might have said something to upset you."
"Oh, it has passed, and you see me now, perfectly fine, don't you?" Emerald grinned. "Melancholy is not becoming on a young lady, now is it?"
"Very little could be unbecoming on you, Princess," Alagedh teased, and Emerald laughed and shook her head at his daring.
"Well at any rate, I promised two little hobbits a song before I retired for the night, and if they are out and about, I had better keep my word. If you two will excuse me..."
"I'll come with you," Alagedh assured her, offering his arm. "I wouldn't miss an opportunity to hear you sing, and those little creatures are an amusement to be around, aren't they?"
Emerald nodded and slipped her hand through his arm, not bothering to put too much thought on his sudden chivalry, and walked offer with him, leaving Legolas alone on the bench, though she did turn and mouth to him over her shoulder, 'Thank you.' He nodded and turned to watch the river scrambling past, the moon painting the trees as Emerald rounded the corner with Alagedh.