*~*Shape-shifting is a magical accomplishment, common in a greater or
lesser degree to fairies, wizards and witches. Tales of people changed
into another shape by a wicked enchantment are very common. ~ Katharine
Briggs "An Encyclopedia of Fairies"*~*
"The Faerie Goblet"
Chapter 7 ~ "Aragorn, son of Arathorn, King of Gondor"
"How is your son?" Legolas asked before he even turned around.
Aragorn gave his friend a rueful grin. "I must be losing my touch that you should hear my steps so easily."
Legolas gave Aragorn a small smile. "Nay, tis only that I've been expecting you."
Aragorn nodded and hugged the Elf hard, clapping him on the back and noting as he did so that his friend had lost weight. "My son is fine," he said answering Legolas' question and looking him over carefully. "Thanks to you."
Legolas tipped his head slightly. "You give me too much credit. Arwen had the creature pinned to the wall with a poker. If she'd had any other weapon, I've no doubt she would have used it and used it well. I have never seen her both so frightened and so angry. She is a courageous woman."
Aragorn nodded. "She is at that. She told me the entire tale. I am deeply grateful to both of you. If we had lost our son." Aragorn shuddered and left the sentence unfinished. It was too frightening to think about. Instead he looked down at the object in front of him.
Legolas turned back to the stone slab as well. Torchlight threw flickering shadows across it and failed to illuminate the underground chamber completely. Legolas longed to be out of the room. It was as oppressive and cold as a grave. Small wonder considering its present purpose.
Legolas wrinkled his nose. The body of the creature that had tried to steal Aragorn's son lay upon a stone slab. Despite the coolness of the room, the body should have been buried days ago. But it had taken a few days for the messengers Legolas had sent out to find Aragorn and a few days for them to ride back to Minas Tirith.
"Do you recognize him?" Legolas indicated the body.
Aragorn was already stepping forward. "Yes. He's a Trader. He was under suspicion a few years ago for trading merchandise out of Mordor. But no evidence was ever found. I don't remember his name."
"We have his name," Legolas said. "Some of your men recognized him as well. I sent them out to search for his family, but it appears he had none. He made his living by scrounging up odds and ends and selling them. Some of his trades have been legal, some of them not so. I discovered where he had crawled the walls of the palace to gain entry and have posted men with torches all around that area. I doubt that there are more such creatures, but I wish to take no chances."
Aragorn smiled at his friend. Twenty years ago the Elvin prince had had some trepidations about governing his own kingdom within Ithilien. He had been uncertain of his ability to rule but had overcome it well. He'd conducted the investigation just as Aragorn would have and had taken the same steps for protecting the palace.
In truth, he's had more years in a royal court than I've been alive, Aragorn thought. "What else did you find out about him?" he asked aloud.
"Not much really. I had some dealings with him myself a few years ago. He traded salt for woven goods. That was the last I saw him."
"He appears to be just an ordinary man," Aragorn said.
"But he was not ordinary when we first found him."
"So Arwen said."
"It. he, was like no creature I've ever seen. Eowyn thought him a 'hobgoblin', but I am not certain."
"But what would a hobgoblin want with our son?" Aragorn asked worriedly.
"I know not. The bundle of hay which he placed in the crib had obviously been prepared ahead of time, no doubt to delay discovery of the babes absence. I assume your child was to be held for ransom, but that does not explain the man's appearance."
"Can hobgoblin's change their shape?" Aragorn asked.
Legolas answered with a wide Elvin shrug. "Again, I know not. But what puzzles me even more is the goblet that was found in his pack. It was the only object he carried and when I first beheld it the symbols about the edge glowed."
"Do you think it is magical, like. the Ring?"
The Elf nodded seriously. "I think that it is the key to whatever enchantment lay over an apparently ordinary man. Whether the goblet was made by the same magic as the Ring, I know not. But I know someone who could probably tell me."
Aragorn cocked an eyebrow.
Legolas looked rather uncomfortable. "There are at least two wizards in Rivendell at this very moment, perhaps more. I think that they would be the best source of information on magic that Middle Earth has left. With your permission, I would like to take the goblet to them."
Aragorn gave him a look of concern. "You mean Alede and her father. Are you sure? Is it wise?"
Legolas shrugged, a slightly sheepish look on his face. "I seem not to make wise decisions where Alede is concerned. But yes, I am sure."
~ ~ ~ A/N: Oh boy, is he in for a surprise. Alede is too in chapter 8 "The Question". Coming soon! Sorry its taking me so long to get them back together. I just have to set a few things up first. ;) Thanks for the wonderful reviews! You guys keep me going!
"The Faerie Goblet"
Chapter 7 ~ "Aragorn, son of Arathorn, King of Gondor"
"How is your son?" Legolas asked before he even turned around.
Aragorn gave his friend a rueful grin. "I must be losing my touch that you should hear my steps so easily."
Legolas gave Aragorn a small smile. "Nay, tis only that I've been expecting you."
Aragorn nodded and hugged the Elf hard, clapping him on the back and noting as he did so that his friend had lost weight. "My son is fine," he said answering Legolas' question and looking him over carefully. "Thanks to you."
Legolas tipped his head slightly. "You give me too much credit. Arwen had the creature pinned to the wall with a poker. If she'd had any other weapon, I've no doubt she would have used it and used it well. I have never seen her both so frightened and so angry. She is a courageous woman."
Aragorn nodded. "She is at that. She told me the entire tale. I am deeply grateful to both of you. If we had lost our son." Aragorn shuddered and left the sentence unfinished. It was too frightening to think about. Instead he looked down at the object in front of him.
Legolas turned back to the stone slab as well. Torchlight threw flickering shadows across it and failed to illuminate the underground chamber completely. Legolas longed to be out of the room. It was as oppressive and cold as a grave. Small wonder considering its present purpose.
Legolas wrinkled his nose. The body of the creature that had tried to steal Aragorn's son lay upon a stone slab. Despite the coolness of the room, the body should have been buried days ago. But it had taken a few days for the messengers Legolas had sent out to find Aragorn and a few days for them to ride back to Minas Tirith.
"Do you recognize him?" Legolas indicated the body.
Aragorn was already stepping forward. "Yes. He's a Trader. He was under suspicion a few years ago for trading merchandise out of Mordor. But no evidence was ever found. I don't remember his name."
"We have his name," Legolas said. "Some of your men recognized him as well. I sent them out to search for his family, but it appears he had none. He made his living by scrounging up odds and ends and selling them. Some of his trades have been legal, some of them not so. I discovered where he had crawled the walls of the palace to gain entry and have posted men with torches all around that area. I doubt that there are more such creatures, but I wish to take no chances."
Aragorn smiled at his friend. Twenty years ago the Elvin prince had had some trepidations about governing his own kingdom within Ithilien. He had been uncertain of his ability to rule but had overcome it well. He'd conducted the investigation just as Aragorn would have and had taken the same steps for protecting the palace.
In truth, he's had more years in a royal court than I've been alive, Aragorn thought. "What else did you find out about him?" he asked aloud.
"Not much really. I had some dealings with him myself a few years ago. He traded salt for woven goods. That was the last I saw him."
"He appears to be just an ordinary man," Aragorn said.
"But he was not ordinary when we first found him."
"So Arwen said."
"It. he, was like no creature I've ever seen. Eowyn thought him a 'hobgoblin', but I am not certain."
"But what would a hobgoblin want with our son?" Aragorn asked worriedly.
"I know not. The bundle of hay which he placed in the crib had obviously been prepared ahead of time, no doubt to delay discovery of the babes absence. I assume your child was to be held for ransom, but that does not explain the man's appearance."
"Can hobgoblin's change their shape?" Aragorn asked.
Legolas answered with a wide Elvin shrug. "Again, I know not. But what puzzles me even more is the goblet that was found in his pack. It was the only object he carried and when I first beheld it the symbols about the edge glowed."
"Do you think it is magical, like. the Ring?"
The Elf nodded seriously. "I think that it is the key to whatever enchantment lay over an apparently ordinary man. Whether the goblet was made by the same magic as the Ring, I know not. But I know someone who could probably tell me."
Aragorn cocked an eyebrow.
Legolas looked rather uncomfortable. "There are at least two wizards in Rivendell at this very moment, perhaps more. I think that they would be the best source of information on magic that Middle Earth has left. With your permission, I would like to take the goblet to them."
Aragorn gave him a look of concern. "You mean Alede and her father. Are you sure? Is it wise?"
Legolas shrugged, a slightly sheepish look on his face. "I seem not to make wise decisions where Alede is concerned. But yes, I am sure."
~ ~ ~ A/N: Oh boy, is he in for a surprise. Alede is too in chapter 8 "The Question". Coming soon! Sorry its taking me so long to get them back together. I just have to set a few things up first. ;) Thanks for the wonderful reviews! You guys keep me going!