They searched high and low for the child until they were weak and weary and
needed rest. Anuriana went without sleep for weeks and the King sent out
search parties of Elves to some of the farthest and most remote regions of
Middle-earth, but to no avail.
Legolas called on Gandalf to help and the old wizard did all he could.
"Legolas my elven friend I'm afraid whoever has taken Aníron is cunning, I
fear the worst," said Gandalf gravely.
"Gandalf do not talk of this matter in such a way! We shall find Aníron,"
said Anuriana worriedly, playing with the cuff of her dress.
Gandalf smiled a little and nodded. "Yes I am sure you're right."
But inside Gandalf was worried. Whoever had posession of this baby was
using some powerful spell to keep Gandalf's mind from discovering anything.
That night, however, Anuriana had a startling and vivid dream. She was a young girl again, wandering through the woods, when suddenly she heard a loud cry of a baby. She ran towards the sound and discovered a small bundle of rags hidden amongst the reeds of a nearby stream, running through the woods and down a cliff on the other side. Inside was a tiny baby. Suddenly she awoke. "Legolas!" she whispered to her husband, dozing next to her. "Mmm? Yes?" Legolas asked sleepily. "I've had a dream - a premonition - I think I know where to find Aníron!" "Then we must away at once," said he, sitting up in bed.
They dressed and went to the King's room. To their surprise he was awake, sitting in a rocking chair by the fire reading a book. "And what are you two doing up and about in the middle of the night?" he chuckled softly. "Anuriana has had a dream father, we think she knows where Aníron is!"
The King hurried downstairs with the couple and gathered some elves from the main hall who were still awake. They questioned Anuriana hurriedly about the location of her dream, and she described the woods and the stream running down to the cliff. "Aha! The woods of L?nl?thien!" exclaimed one of the elves, "I know it well! And it is not far from here, no more than four hours ride East." "Then there we must go," announced the King and they departed at once, Anuriana too, on horseback to the woods of L?nl?thien.
As they drew near, a deep dark shadow was cast around the woods, as if it were permanently night-time. "Just as Gandalf feared," muttered Legolas, "a spell." "Never fear," said the King, "This is some powerful magic, to disguise the whole forest with a cloud of nightfall but I have brought with me my finest sword and my elven knights know some powerful magic." They entered the wood cautiously, for all way black and grey inside. Suddenly, Anuriana heard the same cry she had heard in her dream. "Aníron!" she cried, and galloped towards the stream ahead. The elves heard the cry too and followed her. She dismounted and ran towards the reeds. There he lay, smothered in his bedclothes. "Oh my dearest Aníron," wept Anuriana, picking up the baby and holding him closely, "I have been so worried." "Quickly, my dear," said Legolas, dismounting and stooping down beside her, "We must away quickly." "Yes, yes," she said, standing up. Suddenly they heard a loud screech, then a moan and a roar. "I believe that is what has been holding your baby here," said the King in a low voice, "Quickly we must leave!" Anuriana grasped Aníron tightly and mounted her horse again. Away the party galloped and soon they were more than a mile away from the forest. They stopped to check that Aníron was alright, and they heard a blood-curdling scream from the direction of the forest. "I do believe that was the creature, discovering that the baby was gone," said Legolas with dry humour. Anuriana glanced at him, and the party continued their ride home.
That night, however, Anuriana had a startling and vivid dream. She was a young girl again, wandering through the woods, when suddenly she heard a loud cry of a baby. She ran towards the sound and discovered a small bundle of rags hidden amongst the reeds of a nearby stream, running through the woods and down a cliff on the other side. Inside was a tiny baby. Suddenly she awoke. "Legolas!" she whispered to her husband, dozing next to her. "Mmm? Yes?" Legolas asked sleepily. "I've had a dream - a premonition - I think I know where to find Aníron!" "Then we must away at once," said he, sitting up in bed.
They dressed and went to the King's room. To their surprise he was awake, sitting in a rocking chair by the fire reading a book. "And what are you two doing up and about in the middle of the night?" he chuckled softly. "Anuriana has had a dream father, we think she knows where Aníron is!"
The King hurried downstairs with the couple and gathered some elves from the main hall who were still awake. They questioned Anuriana hurriedly about the location of her dream, and she described the woods and the stream running down to the cliff. "Aha! The woods of L?nl?thien!" exclaimed one of the elves, "I know it well! And it is not far from here, no more than four hours ride East." "Then there we must go," announced the King and they departed at once, Anuriana too, on horseback to the woods of L?nl?thien.
As they drew near, a deep dark shadow was cast around the woods, as if it were permanently night-time. "Just as Gandalf feared," muttered Legolas, "a spell." "Never fear," said the King, "This is some powerful magic, to disguise the whole forest with a cloud of nightfall but I have brought with me my finest sword and my elven knights know some powerful magic." They entered the wood cautiously, for all way black and grey inside. Suddenly, Anuriana heard the same cry she had heard in her dream. "Aníron!" she cried, and galloped towards the stream ahead. The elves heard the cry too and followed her. She dismounted and ran towards the reeds. There he lay, smothered in his bedclothes. "Oh my dearest Aníron," wept Anuriana, picking up the baby and holding him closely, "I have been so worried." "Quickly, my dear," said Legolas, dismounting and stooping down beside her, "We must away quickly." "Yes, yes," she said, standing up. Suddenly they heard a loud screech, then a moan and a roar. "I believe that is what has been holding your baby here," said the King in a low voice, "Quickly we must leave!" Anuriana grasped Aníron tightly and mounted her horse again. Away the party galloped and soon they were more than a mile away from the forest. They stopped to check that Aníron was alright, and they heard a blood-curdling scream from the direction of the forest. "I do believe that was the creature, discovering that the baby was gone," said Legolas with dry humour. Anuriana glanced at him, and the party continued their ride home.