Thank you again, dragonfly32 and Tinnuial.
This episode plays off the fact that Galadriel wanted Gandalf rather than Saruman to head the Council.
Anomen had made it to the edge of Fangorn Forest without encountering any further obstacles. For that he was relieved. He was disappointed, however, at having seen no trace of any Ents. Perhaps, he thought sadly, it was true that the Ents now were no more than a memory. He had nursed the hope that he might renew his acquaintance with the ancient tree herder whom he met so many years before when he first entered Fangorn Forest. With a regretful sigh, he turned his steps away from the woods and made his way back toward the elven encampment.
Thoron was dawdling about the edge of the camp, looking hopefully toward the north. With his excellent elven vision, he spied Anomen whilst he was still many leagues distant. He leaped onto his horse and, leading Anomen's mount, galloped out to greet him.
"Mae govannen, Thoron!" Anomen cried out with enthusiasm as he friend pulled up before him! Mae govannen!"
"Anomen, what has kept you? The negotiations with the Rohirrim were concluded two days ago, and Glorfindel and Erestor have been fretting at your delay. Indeed, I think you will be lucky if Glorfindel does not skin you!"
"Ugh! Pray do not talk to me of skinning!" Quickly Anomen told his friend of his encounter with the warg and the subsequent fate of the carcass."
Thoron shuddered. "What disgusting beasts Orcs are—imagine dining on warg."
"Better warg than Elf!" declared Anomen, his spirits soaring now that he had been reunited with his friend.
"True, very true," laughed Thoron. "And Glorfindel will make allowances for your delay once he learns that you were treed by those beasts. How long did you have to remain hidden?"
Anomen turned sober again. "That accounted for very little of the delay."
"Then what did keep you?"
"I was kept by a wizard—and he would have kept me even longer!"
"Ah," said Thoron sympathetically. "It is impossible to hurry a wizard. It is said that a wizard is never late and never early but always on time—for it is only the wizard who decides what being 'on time' consists of. Remind Glorfindel of that if he begins to sharpen his blade!"
The two Elves laughed. Anomen mounted his horse, and they rode to the camp, laughing and singing as if there weren't a warg in the world. Glorfindel saw them coming from afar. He was relieved to see Anomen returning safe and in good spirits. "But," he thought to himself, "it wouldn't do to let the scamp know that." And so, when Anomen dismounted he found himself confronted by a balrog-slayer whose face was an impassive mask.
"I am glad that you have seen fit to rejoin us," he said dryly. "Did you enjoy your stay at Isengard?"
"I found it to be—confining."
"Oh? I warrant, though, that you didn't miss your chores."
"No, I cannot say that I did—and the food in Isengard is much better than camp food. Oh, yes, the accommodations were far superior, and—"
"I think," interrupted Glorfindel, "that the warriors have just supped. You will find several pots that need scouring just to the other side of that tent." With that Glorfindel turned on his heel and strode off.
Thoron laughed, "There now—that's what you get for being cheeky. Next time grovel a little." Anomen took a swipe at him with his bow.
"If Glorfindel sees you doing that with your bow, he will have your head," called Thoron as he evaded the blow and retreated. "If you finish cleaning before midnight, stop by my tent and tell me more of your adventures."
Anomen was finished well before midnight, but as he made his way across the camp toward his friend's shelter, he was spotted by Glorfindel, who told him that, unless he were on watch, he should be resting. "We break camp early tomorrow. As we are no longer forced to wait for a certain tardy Elf, we will make haste to Lothlórien, where we have been expected these many days."
Defeated by the vigilance of the balrog-slayer, that certain tardy Elf resigned himself to becoming reacquainted with his bedroll after several days of reveling in the comfort of a feather bed.
Glorfindel was as good as his word. They broke camp before dawn and ate a quick bite of cold food as they stood by their stirrups. Anomen resumed his usual place near the end of the column, glad to be out of the eye of both wizard and elf-lord.
The remainder of their journey to Lothlórien was uneventful. They rode at a quick pace, but there was no sign of warg or Orc or any other fell creature. After several days, they entered the fringes of the golden forest of Lórien. There Glorfindel ordered them to dismount. Anomen knew that the watchful Galadhrim had surely been observing their approach; no doubt numerous scouts were hidden in the trees awaiting instructions as to how to deal with the band of strange Elves. Glorfindel knew this as well, hence his order that they dismount and go no further.
After a little while, one of the Galadhrim at last revealed himself. Anomen recognized him at once. "Haldir!" Anomen blurted out. Glorfindel and Erestor looked disapprovingly at him.
"Excuse the impetuousness of the youngest member of our company," said Erestor, bowing to Haldir, who, from his garb, was a Marchwarden. "He knows nothing of protocol."
"For my part, I pardon him," replied Haldir graciously. "Come. I have been commanded to escort you to Caras Galadhon. The Lord and Lady have commanded that a feast be held in honor of you and your companions. I hope," he said, turning to Anomen, "that you have brought a good appetite. I seem to remember that you were very hungry the last time you visited our realm."
Haldir smirked slightly, and Anomen blushed, remembering how he had hidden food in his pack before sneaking out of Haldir's talan.
When the Rivendell Elves arrived at the talan of Celeborn and Galadriel, Anomen tried his best to keep out of sight. He wished he had not been so thoughtless as to bring himself to Haldir's attention, for he was sure the Marchwarden would tell them of the return of the guest who had absconded from their land. Given his former behavior, he did not look forward to an audience with the Lord and Lady of Lothlórien.
Ai! The Lord and Lady were not to be denied. The next morning, soon after Anomen had broken fast, Haldir, accompanied by his brothers Rúmil and Orophin, arrived to inform Anomen that he was summoned to the talan of the Lord and Lady. Rúmil and Orophin looked Anomen over with great interest.
"So," said Rúmil, "this is the one who ran off that night. I was on guard duty at the border and saw an Elfling creeping away, but I had received orders to allow him to pass. So you were that Elfling."
Anomen had been very proud of the fact that he had evaded the guardians of Lothlórien that night. He was chagrined to learn that he had not done so—that he had been allowed to escape and could have easily been apprehended.
"I wonder," mused Orophin, "why you were ordered to let him go. Well, the Lord and Lady had their reasons, no doubt."
Bidding farewell to Haldir and Anomen, the two went off to take up their duties. As soon as they were gone, Haldir said to Anomen teasingly, "Shall I bind you to guarantee your appearance, or will you come along willingly?"
Anomen blushed again, and Haldir laughed.
"Haldir," Anomen apologized, "I am truly sorry for betraying your hospitality."
"Oh, do not be troubled," Haldir reassured him. "It is true that I had to put up with quite a bit of chaffing when it was discovered that the Elfling who slept so long on my talan was in fact a roll of fur and wool. 'Hasn't he woken up yet, Haldir? Hasn't he woken up?' That's all I heard until the turning of the month! And at first I was afraid that the Lord and Lady would think me remiss in my duty. As it turns out, they knew perfectly well what you were up to! I tried to apologize, but the Lady said there was no need."
Anomen felt a little green but forced himself to grin. It seemed that both he and Haldir had been tricked—and by the same Elves! And now once again he was to face the Lord and Lady who had been able to read him so well the last time he had ventured into the land of Lórien! Ai!
With great trepidation, Anomen mounted the stairs that led up to the grand talan of the Lord and Lady. Sitting with them were Glorfindel and Erestor and one other figure whose back was to Anomen. When Anomen stepped forward, however, this figure twisted in his chair.
"Mithrandir!"
"Mae govannen, Anomen."
Anomen could only again utter, "Mithrandir!"
Sourly Glorfindel announced, "Anomen has this most peculiar habit of shouting out names upon meeting people."
"Why are you here, Mithrandir? I thought that you were on your way to Shire."
"The Shire. I have been there and back again. My business was simple. I merely had to introduce a Perrianath to a company of Dwarves. I will check in on them later, of course, but for the moment they have no need of me."
"And," added Glorfindel dryly, "Anomen stayed so long at Isengard that Mithrandir had ample time to complete his errand twice over."
"Ah, yes, Isengard." The Lady spoke now. She turned to Anomen. "Tell me, pen-neth, how did you find Saruman?"
"I found him well, Lady."
"That is not what I meant, as you no doubt know." The Lady's voice was gentle but firm.
"I-I-found him daunting—and a little frightening."
The Istar and assembled Elves questioned Anomen closely about everything he had seen and heard, from the moment he stepped into Fangorn Forest until the moment he left it. He was quite weary by the time they had finished.
Mithrandir nodded at him. "That will be all for now, Anomen. You may go and seek out Haldir, who will see that you are provided with food and drink."
"Yes," smiled the Lady, "and I am sure that Haldir will be careful to make sure that you truly do eat that which is placed before you."
To Anomen's surprise and relief, that was the only time during the interview that either the Lord or the Lady had alluded to Anomen's previous visit to their realm.
After Anomen had left the talan, silent reigned for several minutes. At last Mithrandir arose to his feet and began to pace back and forth.
"You see, Galadriel, your fears are groundless. Anomen saw no fell forces assembling at Isengard."
"Still," said Celeborn, "mark how he tried to suborn the young one."
"Suborn? That is far too harsh a word. Is it to be wondered at that Saruman would want Anomen to enter into his service? Why should he not?"
"He wanted Anomen to spy on the King of Rohan," said Erestor sharply.
"You know as well as I that every ambassador gathers as much information as he may. There is nothing sinister in that. No, Galadriel, your suspicions are ill-founded."
Glorfindel spoke up, anger in his voice. "I do not like the way Saruman spoke of Elrond, implying as he did that Elrond would seek to manipulate and exploit those who come to him for aid!"
Mithrandir sighed. "I grant that Saruman became somewhat—forceful—in his attempts to persuade Anomen to enter into his service. But this is nothing as compared to Galadriel's suspicions."
The Lady of the Galadhrim had not yet spoken. Mithrandir addressed her directly. "Galadriel, how can you entertain such ill thoughts of Saruman when he saved Anomen's life when the warg would have slain him?"
"I wonder," said the Lady, at last breaking her silence. "Does it not seem strange to you that Saruman would happen to be there at that time—that the warg and the wizard came upon the scene well nigh simultaneously?"
Mithrandir's face grew dark. "I hope you do not mean to imply that Saruman was somehow responsible for the warg. Do we blame Thranduil because spiders infest his realm? They do not ask his leave! And," he added, turning to Glorfindel and Erestor, "was Elrond at fault when the Southrons invaded Imladris in search of slaves?"
Said Galadriel softly, "But Thranduil has never talked of allying himself with spiders; nor has Elrond bragged that he can master Orcs and force them to serve him."
"There was some truth in what he said."
"Mithrandir! Do not leave the path of wisdom!" Celeborn declared vehemently.
Mithrandir paused. When he spoke again, it was in a soft voice. "Fear not. I have not forgotten that there are some devices that are altogether evil and may be wielded safely by no one—be he Man, Istar, or Elf. But you cannot deny that some of our actions do indeed resemble those of the enemy. They kill; we kill."
Galadriel spoke equally softly. "We differ in our motives, and that has made all the difference."
The Lady arose then. "Mithrandir, it is true that I cannot prove my suspicions—that they depend upon circumstance only and can be explained away all too easily. Yet I remain firm in my resolution to propose that you head the council."
"You must do so without my consent; I will not seek to supplant the head of my order."
"Very well. I shall do so without your consent. Will you at least agree to this: should the others support you as their choice, you will accept the office?"
Mithrandir pondered long. At last he spoke. "I do not seek the office. If circumstances thrust it upon me, I will accept it and do my utmost for the protection of Middle Earth."
Satisfied, Galadriel nodded. "I knew you would do no less."
TBC