16. I own Middle-earth and all that roams it (in a book on my nightstand!). So I own a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece. And that's all.
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To say that the elves were dazed, would be an understatement. They stared in stupefied disbelief at the image of a beautiful, completely wet elfmaiden in the water. Expecting an Uruk-hai and seeing 'this' emerging from under all those layers of dirt and mud was a bit too much. They did not whistle or cheer; after all they were elves and not some band of man-soldiers. However they did feel the pressing urge to cover themselves. Rovalhon coughed to get Legolas's attention. "Yes, well, I don't think you have to shoot her Rovalhon." Legolas said. On that signal the twelve warriors rushed out of the water and took their clothes behind the wooded bank.
The smile that was tugging at the corners of Legolas's mouth broadened: "Estel a glass an i arad, brennil" [Hope and joy for the day, milady; common elven morning's greeting; see also chapter 8] he nodded towards her. She nodded back and returned his greetings. "Would you do me the pleasure of having breakfast with us?" he continued, "We could exchange information; I take to that: I want to know..."
She chuckled. "It sounds nice," he felt his spirits rise, "however all information has its price." she continued.
"Your information must be good if you want more than a breakfast." he returned, "Tell me your price, and we will see." "Well," she hesitated for a moment, and then continued: "I was hoping you could spare a clean smock..."
He looked at her, the way she was standing there, shivering almost imperceptible in the light breeze, he felt like he was king of all Middle Earth, all weariness just slid away from him. He had to hold on to her, for his heart's sake. She looked back at him and slowly her suntanned face coloured slightly. He felt his smile creep back on his face when she submerged again. He waited until she had to come up to breath and said: "I'll bring some clothes and keep the man in the camp. I'll start boiling water for tea. Take your time." then he turned and, feeling very content, he returned to the camp.
Thûlocuil looked at his disappearing back. I was blushing! Thank the Valar for this cold water! And lecturing herself, she started to take off her last clothes.
The day was ending. The last rays of sun were touching the Emyn Muil. They had had a leisurely daytrip, travelling east towards Udûn through the marshes. Thûlocuil proved a skilled Ranger as she led them without any hesitation through the treacherous lands. Legolas had enjoyed this day like no other. Seeing her and hearing her jest with his men turned his blood into a warm flow. Of course Rovalhon had been curious how he knew her. But since their meeting in Minas Tirith had nothing secretive about it, he was soon content and did not bother Legolas with more sensitive questions. Yet Rovalhon did use his eyes that day and had noticed the change in his captain.
"Legolas?" He looked at her. "Ned loeg tol loda, ennas echad."[In (that) pool (there is a) island (that) floats, (we can) camp there.] Rovalhon cut in: "Camp? In the middle of a marsh? I do not like that idea!" He looked at Legolas. Thûlocuil responded to his remarks: "It's save, it just moves gently with the wind and your moves, but we will stay dry."
"Even with twenty of us?" Legolas asked her. No of course not! he thought, that's why she suggested it! I should use my brains more when she is around or else... Or else what Legolas? Or else what!
"If you do not have any sleepwalkers among your company, they will all spend a dry night there," she replied. Turning her head and pointing towards the pool she was talking of, she did not see his discomfort. But Rovalhon, who had been looking at his captain for an answer, did, and it confirmed what he thought he had seen during this day. His captain was a bit more involved then he let on.
Thûlocuil continued: "I do not want to cross the marshes at night, although it can be done, it is not the easiest or driest way." she turned to the two males again.
And I'm too happy with your clean and dry smock, she thought. I would like to keep it that way, just for now! Aloud she said to Rovalhon: "Something can be arranged though, if you insist on getting all slimy, wet and smelly again, you should just do five steps to your right. That will take care of your needs sufficiently!" Both she and Legolas laughed, because of the face that Rovalhon made. "Let's go, please lead the way," Legolas said, smiling at his lieutenant, but not entirely because of him.
The island was large enough to camp on. It was the only place where they could sit and sleep if they did not want to do that in a line. They started a fire and after dinner they all sat in a circle around it. It was the only light for miles around. Rovalhon was mocking: "I think it is strange to sit on something that surges. Yes, I know," he waved his hands in the direction of Thûlocuil, who was sitting next to him, "it is only slightly, but it does anyway!" "You ought to feel what happens if we all start jumping!" Thûlocuil answered.
"How come you know this place?" he asked her. "I'm a Ranger, I know lots of places" she said. "And how come, that you are 'a Ranger'? I only heard of men, and more precisely the Dúnedain, doing that. And they stopped being it, since Elessar became King of the Reunited Kingdom. I never, ever heard of an elf-ranger." He said the word 'Ranger' like it was something far beneath an elf. She returned his question with another: "How old are you Rovalhon?"
"He is 2953, we were born in the same year," Legolas answered. He sat facing them and had been following their talk with interest. "Yeah, go and tell her everything there is about me..." Rovalhon muttered.
She said to him: "Well, did you ever heard of Hobbits before Legolas told you about them?"
"Yes! As a matter of fact, I did. I have family in Imladris [Rivendell, but you all knew that one!] and they heard of them. No, lady, you have to come up with something else to catch me..." the triumph in Rovalhon's voice was unmistakable.
She let out a chuckle and was silent for some time. Then she said in a soft voice: "Good, did you ever heard of an elf called Nenmírdan?"
"No, and it is not likely that any of us has, since there are no smiths who can forge water" Rovalhon answered. [A/N: Nen=watery mírdan=jewel smith].
"Still, once there was a man who was called so and could do so. Although you never heard of him, he made a jewel that was of vital importance to this world. He and it existed once in this world." she continued, her voice low.
"Nenya!*" Legolas whispered, as Galadriel's ring suddenly occurred to him. She jerked her head at him; the look in her eyes had changed. Terror had taken the place of wit. Legolas could only look at those eyes, radiating so powerful this strange emotion. Why? Why would she panic when he found out that this Nenmírdan aided in forging Nenya? What had she to do with an elf that once lived in Eregion**? What was her connection with Nenya?
"Well, it passed over the sea as did the Lady of the Golden Wood herself," came the impatient voice of Rovalhon: "end of story!" he continued. "Tell me this: you Rangers always have information from everywhere, don't you?" He did not seem to notice that Thûlocuil did not answer. "Then tell me this: what have you been doing before you dropped yourself into OUR bath?"
Thûlocuil breathed deeply in relieve. She had brought herself into trouble with her big mouth. Trying to outwit Rovalhon, but forgetting Legolas; she promised herself to beware! When was she planning on starting on that? No doubt he already wondered about her connection with Eregion. And to talk of Nenmírdan... she had not said that name for at least four centuries. She eagerly accepted Rovalhon's way out: "Well, about a fortnight ago I ran into a group of about one hundred orcs...
It was night. Legolas was on watch. Thûlocuil told them what she had done: following the group of Uruk-hai for several days. Attacking them on various occasions and slaying some thirty of them. Although the elves did not show it, they had been struck dumb by this information. That she had slew thirty of these creatures all alone was rather unbelievable. After some pressure she admitted that she did got injured herself, and they gave her some salve, although she already put some Athelasleaves on the wound. She told them it was almost healed but Legolas had watched her refreshing the bandages later. The cut was a nasty one.
It was these attacks that got her the strange mixture of armour. Since the orcs did some damage to her own she just lent some of theirs. She had not been aware of how strange this action was to the Elves of Eryn Lasgalen. They would not be caught dead in any armour of Mordor's allies. Yet she spoke casual of it. She also had not cast the armour away, but had put most of it in the saddle bags of her horse and some of it on again. She told them that the Uruks had been on their way to the South Undeep and from there to Fangorn. What could be their business there, she did not know.
She had told a lot, more then Legolas counted on. He strongly suspected her of telling so much in order to distract their attention from this Nenmírdan. However, she had not told them everything: where did she pick up the Easterling parts of her outfit? How come that she possessed a part of High Elven armour? And how did she know of the Uruks'plans? She was badly injured, yes, but not that bad that she would not have been able to follow the Uruks nomore. It was definitely the same group that Legolas and his men encountered. But where had she been by then? She said that she lost them. Rovalhon believed this, but Legolas had seen too much of her. No one capable of 'losing' a host of seventy orcs was called 'Great Warrior' by the men of Gondor and Ithilien. Where had she been when they had attacked the Uruk-hai? Her story left him full of questions.
Be that as it may, by the time she told them of her encounters with the Uruk-hai and answered all questions his men had about her attacks on them, he could see that she was very weary. Where they had been able to catch some sleep, she, being alone, had had only a little. So he told his men to go to sleep for tomorrow they would set out early again. And that whole day he could and would find answers to his questions. She had agreed on travelling with them to Udûn. They persisted to travel to Udûn, although the Uruk-hai had been heading for Fangorn. Gimli would be at the Morn Dant and Thûlocuil was certain that, whatever the Uruks had planned to do in Fangorn, Udûn was the place where they had set off and therefore it was the place where the answers would be found.
Legolas had taken the first watch and was thinking about her. Yet, despite all his questions and sorrow, he could not help but feeling complete again. There was peace instead of the rush he had felt since he had left Osgiliath or maybe even since he left Minas Ithil. And he knew that the reason for those feelings was sleeping nearby... He looked up, his sensible ears had picked up something. There it was again, very soft: a low growl. Immediately he armed his bow and closed his eyes. He concentrated on the direction the faint sound was coming from. Again he heard it; a soft growl was coming from where Thûlocuil was sleeping! She was making the noise in her sleep, probably from the pain her arm was causing her. He walked over to where she laid and kneeled beside her. The little light the fire gave was enough for his eyes to take a look at her arm. She had rolled up the sleeve of his smock, but the smile this caused him, disappeared quickly when he saw the bandage on the upper arm: it was soaked with blood. He put down his bow and gently took her arm to take a better look at it. Suddenly he froze, feeling cold steel against his throat. Only turning his eyes, he looked at her face. Her eyes were open and sparkling with anger. "What do you thi..." she stopped her hissing and fell silent when she recognized his eyes. Legolas swallowed and not only because of the dagger she was holding, for their faces were only a leave apart...
and neither of them heard the low growling sound that came from behind.
A/N: *Nenya was one of the three elvenrings. It was Galadriel's. Its name means: 'watery (ring)'. Therefore it was also called the Ring of Water. Its stone was a diamond.
** Eregion was the elvenland west of Khazad-dûm. The elves of Eregion were unequalled smiths. Sauron, disguised as Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, taught them secrets to enhance and refine their craft. With this knowledge the elves of Eregion forged the Rings of Power. Only, Sauron betrayed them making The One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. In the year 1697 of the second age, he destroyed Eregion.
***I renamed the place where the Black Gate stood into Black Fall (since 'ruin' was not in my Sindarin dictionary).
If you want to know something peculiar about this chapter, and the name Nenmírdan, please read my bio.
Review of reviews:
Princess of Mirkwood: I'm surprised (and happy!) by your nice review of chapter 15. Since the one of chapter 14 was making me sad. I am grateful that you are still reading this. I think it best to finish this at my own pace. Thanks for your review!
I was getting worried that no-one read this anymore! I was glad to find your review Adrienne. You asked me wether there was a new Ringwar going on. Thûlocuil said to Ragnor: "...Terror is rising in Udûn, let's all use our skills to prevent another Ringwar." This got Legolas started. If you want to reread this: it is in chapter 11. The question is: did she meant this figurative (as a warning and a reference to the severeness and scale of what it might become) or literally?
13 September 2003: reviewed because of some spelling errors.
