So, I meant to post this yesterday, but I had an extremely bad time the past two days because I had to spend time with my father, who left my family, his wife, and his side of the family due to America's Thanksgiving and the family's traditional after day breakfast. So I didn't get to editing until pretty late last night when I stopped feeling emotionally drained. I was watching the AOC stream which made me feel better. I hope you folks in America had a good thanksgiving day, though.
Even with all the hype and festivity from his and Elrond's little duel the night prior, Li found that the Dwarves were back to being moody about being in Rivendell when morning came.
Oh sure they had enjoyed last night, or at least a number of them did— they hadn't expected a public exhibition match from Elves of all people— but Thorin was moody, meaning at least Dwalin and Balin were as well. If only because they were irritated at their King's irritation.
Thorin was moody, as he had been for the past few days, because Elrond couldn't read the map until that night because the moon hasn't been right the previous nights. Li, personally, had no qualms, and he didn't think that Bilbo, Óin, nor Ori minded all that much either— Bilbo because of the homely feeling of the, well, Homely House, Óin because he could stock up on medical supplies, and Ori because of the library. Oh, and Bifur wasn't too put off, though probably because he could eat any plants in the Valley without worry.
More than once, Li had found the Dwarf munching on flowers or handing them out to others around Rivendell (the Elves were tentative to take them, mainly because of the fact that most had heard by now of the fact that the Dwarves had bathed in one of the important fountains on the second night, he assumed). Li had allowed him to drag him around for an hour or two once as well to help him hand out flowers— it wasn't like he had much else to do in the meanwhile.
But aside from them, the rest of the Dwarves were irate about being in Elvish Territory for so long.
Li personally found their ire amusing.
He also found Lindir's distress and ire amusing as well, and he had seen him and his brother, Melpomaen, looking disgruntled more than once. Luckily for Melpomaen, he wasn't in charge of making sure the Company.
Unluckily for Lindir, he was.
(Or, at least, the aide was supposed to check in on them at least thrice a day before evening.)
Another thing that he had found amusing in regards to Elves and Dwarves, was the fact that the sheer idea that Li was so friendly with the Rivendell Elves ("Especially that Lord, I cannot understand," Thorin had grumbled) was absolutely asinine to the Company.
He had to remind them that he wasn't a Dwarf, so he had no blood-feud with them to begin with.
Furthermore, to what reason did they have to meddle with his affairs and friendships? He had spent a good chunk of time in Rivendell before he had ever met any of the Company. He was still allowed his past friendships even though he had joined them. They were acting like meddling old women.
He had told them as such as he was looking over Bilbo's contract since Balin had realized he hadn't signed one himself. They had no extra contract, and Li had just stolen a piece of parchment from Erestor to sign his name on as proof of agreement.
As it turns out, he would be getting a part of the Dragon's Horde, but what the fuck was he supposed to do with it? Unless he had somehow become Gilgamesh, he couldn't take any of that gold or silver with him when he returned to the Throne. He could probably snag those gems Thranduil liked and nick a few things for the other elves in the two realms but literally, what was he supposed to do with all that gold?
Anyhow, the Company did get him back for his comment on them acting like meddling old women— just slightly though. It had been when they were all out on one of the overlooks and Kíli had gazed up at him with a calculating gaze that Li knew never meant anything good for him.
The Archer and prince of the line of Durin then asked him if, perhaps, the reason that Elrond and he were so friendly was because they were secretly courting.
Li, who had been sitting on the railing of the overlook at the time and drinking tea (it had taken Li too long to get eastern-styled tea and he found it sad) had choked on the said drink. And then toppled backward off the railing.
That had prompted shouts from the Company, but he climbed back up without problem— coughing and shaking his head. The conversation didn't go any farther after that.
It wasn't a pleasant idea— he would be leaving Middle Earth as soon as his duty was done. Leaving a friend would be hard, imagine leaving a lover?
No, he and Elrond would not court and he was quite firm on that regard. The Lord and himself had made that boundary clear a long time ago when they had just been talking about this and that (Elrond had teasingly asked if he had caught anyone's fancy as he traveled). Besides, Li pointed out the fact that Elrond was married and his wife was in Valinor waiting for him to the Dwarves. Any odd feelings that Li ended up catching for the Lord would both be his own fault and then end up squashed down because it was stupid to begin with.
They were friends, close friends, and even with how close he and Elrond were, he could not understand— for the life of him— why Elrond had sent Lindir to collect him. Especially in the early hours of the morning.
Though that didn't mean much for the Company, as they had all been awake and eating— and causing trouble by starting fires with the furniture and breaking even more (thank the gods they were as far from the Elrond Family's quarters as possible, if they managed to get their hands on something that was Arwen's, it would not have ended well).
Li shook his head as he followed Lindir up the steps to the gazebo that overlooked the Valley. He could still hear the laughter of the Dwarves, and he had a feeling that they were up for some reason aside from causing chaos… he just couldn't place it.
Soft murmurs were coming from the gazebo, drifting down to them as he finished braiding his hair back, though his bangs were unruly as ever. He gave Lindir a quizzical look, but the Elf just shook his head, waving him off as they neared.
"Lord Elrond," Lindir said, stepping in first and bowing. "Master Li has arrived."
And with that, Li stepped into the gazebo. Gandalf was there, settled in a chair with the Wizard who could only be Saruman the White across from him. Galadriel and Elrond were both standing, though Elrond was closer to the steps, hands clasped behind him. Galadriel was flawless— as usual— and glowing in the night— also as usual. Li was certain that both she and Glorfindel had a glow they could turn on and off.
The redhead bowed slightly in her direction. Lady Galadriel, Lord Elrond," he greeted, pleasantly.
Galadriel smiled gently at him as Elrond nodded to him. Gandalf seemed to relax just a bit as he inclined his head in greeting.
"Master Li Shuwen," he greeted and Li bowed to him as well.
"And you, Gandalf."
Saruman was gazing at him, eyes hard and he stared right back at the Wizard.
"And who is this man you have brought to our council, Lord Elrond?" the White Wizard asked after breaking gaze with him. Elrond simply tipped his head back a bit, raising his chin.
"It is not my information to give," he said simply and Saruman glared again. Li stood with his hands behind his back as he moved to stand not far from Elrond.
So he had been called to meet the last of the Wizards (as the two Blues, Alatar and Pallando, he had only sent word to him via bird. A mission in the far east, they said and they only wished to have been able to see the legend with their own eyes) that were in Middle-Earth.
Or he had been called to disrupt a meeting.
Either way, he was fine. Though he would prefer the latter, in all honesty.
Galadriel seemed to sense his train of thought, a bemused smile crossing her lips as she glanced over to him. He just raised a brow, an innocent, straight-faced look on his face.
Saruman simply sighed. "Let us continue where we had been," he said after a moment. "The dragon."
Gandalf nodded solemnly. "As I had said, Smaug owes allegiance to no one," he said slowly. "But shall he side with the enemy, a dragon can do terrible things…"
Saruman looked exasperated. "What enemy? Gandalf, the Enemy is defeated. Sauron is vanquished! He no longer can be of a threat!"
Elrond looked slightly pained as he glanced at Li, who raised a brow. He could tell that the Elf Lord so desperately wanted to agree with the White Wizard, but the fact that Li was standing there, watching, was enough of an indication that there was something coming. It might not be Sauron, but it was something.
"For four hundred years," Saruman continued, "We have lived in peace. A hard-won, watchful peace."
"Are we?" Gandalf questioned, leaning forwards. "Are we at peace? Trolls have come down from the mountains. They are raiding villages, destroying farms. Orcs have attacked us— on the road."
Gandalf looked to Li and he sighed, fiddling with his sleeves a bit.
"They are not just on the road. They raid homes and roam the forests where they should not," He spoke up before he dropped his hands. "I have had to take arms against them more than I would have hoped to have done in the past three years."
Saruman glared. "Hardly a prelude to war," he countered, waving it off. "And certainly, a mere human man would find Orcs a challenge! Always, you must meddle, Gandalf, looking for trouble when none exists!"
"Let him speak," Galadriel said, circling around from the far side of the gazebo towards Li and Elrond. Li stayed where he was, bristling a bit being called a "mere human man". Elrond lightly placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from attacking the White Wizard where he was.
Li calmed slightly, but his shoulders remained tense under his facade of still calm.
Gandalf leaned his elbows on the table. "There is… something at work," he said, shaking his head. "Beyond the evil of Smaug. Something far more powerful. We can remain blind to it, but it will not be ignoring us, that I can promise you. A sickness lies over the Greenwood. The woodsmen who live there now call it Mirkwood, and they say…"
He trailed off, seemingly uncertain as he glanced to Li again. Li just raised a brow, giving him the smallest of nods. The Wizard didn't need him to hold his hand through this— or ever. The fact that Gandalf was a bit mellowed spoke volumes of Saruman's status, however. He was above him in power and held the highest authority— for the most part— out of everyone here.
"Well, don't stop now," Saruman prompted, "Tell us what the woodsmen say."
Gandalf cleared his throat before he continued. "They speak of a Necromancer living in Dol Guldur," he said slowly. "A sorcerer who can summon the dead."
Saruman seemed unamused. "That's absurd. No such power exists in this world. This Necromancer is nothing more than a mortal man. A conjurer dabbling in black magic."
Gandalf nodded a bit, "And so I thought too, but Radagast has seen—"
"Radagast?" Saruman cut in, looking appalled. "Do not speak to me of Radagast the Brown. He is a foolish fellow."
Gandalf was looking increasingly more put off every second as he sighed.
"Well, I understand that he is an odd fellow, solitary maybe, but—"
"It's not that," the White Wizard cut in, "It's his excessive intake of mushrooms!"
Oh, so he had been high when they first met. That was good to know.
'Maybe I'll get him something of that nature for a yule gift if we're all still alive by then.' Li thought dryly as he watched as Saruman went on a tirade about the Brown Wizard.
After a few moments, he decided that he had had enough.
Clearing his throat, Li drew attention to himself as he walked towards the table.
"Topics of Radagast aside," he said, raising a brow to Saruman as Gandalf seemed to sag with relief. "We're missing the main point. Perhaps the Brown Wizard might be addled in mind, but that does not dispute the fact that there is something going on."
He shook his head as Saruman scowled. "And what would a Man know about the going ons in Middle-Earth?" he asked irritably. Li had to reign in his ire with a deep breath, eyes flashing dangerously as he spoke again.
"I had hoped that you would realize it yourself," He started slowly. "I've taken enough time out of my night to listen to you, and I grow tired of being equated to a lesser Man. I had hoped that you were as perceptive as the others gathered here, but it seems my opinion of you was too high."
He circled around behind Saruman, eyes narrowed. "What is the legend? In the oncoming threat of a calamity, the Greater Magic will respond. And by responding, the Kingless Throne sends a being with their name engraved in it."
He slammed his hands down on the table, cracks forming under his palms as he leaned down next to Saruman, teeth bared as he turned to gaze at him. "Tell me, Saruman the White, will you not listen to your fellow Wizards? See with your own eyes, I am here— a spirit from the Throne! So tell me! What is it," he hissed, "That you are waiting for? An army to show up at the gates of Rivendell? For Greenwood the Great to be burned to nothing?"
He pulled back from the table, face deadly calm as he gazed at Saruman. Saruman's eyes were trained on the cracks in the table— as were Elrond's, but for a different reason— but Li made no movements, waiting for his answer.
"I am not waiting for anything," Saruman said slowly, "I simply say that there is nothing, there is no evidence. Let us examine what we know. A single orc pack has dared to cross the Bruinen, a hero from a bygone age has been summoned to deal with cleaning remnants of an age long passed, and a human sorcerer who calls himself the Necromancer has taken up residence in a ruined fortress. It's not so very much, after all."
Li took a deep breath, looking up at the sky and slowly counting to ten.
He then turned on his heel, heading back towards the stairs.
"Shuwen, where are you going?" he heard Elrond ask but he just waved him off.
"Away from here!" he said as he headed down the stairs. "If I wanted to spend the entire night awake and dealing with politics, I would have taken a Civil Service exam instead of starting a martial arts school."
He paused, turning and gazing up at Elrond as he stood at the top of the stairs.
"I would most likely get farther in the exam unprepared than we will get here," he said, "With a Wizard who refuses to acknowledge the fact that I am here because of a Calamity," he said evenly. "If I am to stay here, Lord Elrond, I fear that you will have more than just a shattered table."
Elrond studied him before he nodded. "I'm sure that Glorfindel will be pleased if you assist in sharpening the guards' skills," he said simply. Li nodded once, before he turned again, heading back down the stairs.
The Civil Service exam was one of the largest exams in China that basically gave any who passed a chance at holding a government position. It focused on Confucian stuff for the most part and was abolished in 1905. Li would have lived through a time when it existed— since he lived from 1864-1934. A whopping 80 years and he was still kicking ass.
Reviews:
Sawtooth44: Li Shuwen kicks all sorts of ass and so does Elrond
VGBlackwing: I'm waiting for Saber Li Shuwen but I don't think it'll ever happen haha. In terms of going forwards into LOTR, I'm not sure how I'll be doing that— or if I will be in the first place. I loved the hobbit and the pre hobbit books— Silmarilion and such— but jesus fuck the Council of Elrond was the dryest set of pages I've ever read in any fictional book. Anyways, Men for sure are wary and underestimate him. Elves, animals, and Beorn? They know whats up.