Chapter IV: Seeds of Trouble

"You may roam until you reach the end of the rope, but you will not try to loose yourself if you wish to ever leave the caves again," said Bardil to Gollum, tying the end of a long rope to a tree branch. The other end was tied firmly around Gollum's hands, binding them together.

Gollum scampered away into the woods, and Bardil ran his hand over the tree bark. It was morning, and the Wood was drenched in pale gold light. Each leaf glittered with dew. Bardil drank in the air as if it were wine, each breath heady and intoxicating.

Nearby Galendur leaned against his own tree and smiled. "You breathe as if you have not tasted free air in centuries."

Bardil rested his head on a low branch, feeling the leaves brush his face. "It seems to me as though I have not." He cast an eye out at Gollum, who was playing in some gnarled tree-roots.

Nimlas, the third guard, frowned. "Have you been in the south of late?"

"Yes," said Bardil briefly, his face darkening. A gust of wind ran merrily through the branches over head, singing its wild song. The Elves fell silent to listen, and for a time there was an end to talk and questions. Bardil relaxed once more. The Wood called with the musical voices of each tree, all of them joyful this bright morning, like a triumphant chorus of viols and pipes and flutes. The birds and beasts of the forests were lighthearted this day, and flew and crept and ran without fear. On such a morning a Wood-elf could almost forget that Greenwood the Great was now Taur e-Ndaedelos and why it was so named.

A branch shook over Bardil's head; it was the branch to which Gollum's rope was tied, and the Elf turned sharply to look for the creature. Gollum was trying in vain to grasp a fruit between his teeth, but it was just out of reach. Nimlas ran lightly to Gollum's side. He tore the fruit from its branch and tossed it to the creature. Gollum tried to catch the fruit in his mouth, but he missed. It fell to the ground, rolling in the dirt. "How can we catch the nice fruit if our hands are tied, precious?"

The creature's voice was a shrill whine, and the sharp-eared Elves winced. "You will have to try," said Galendur shortly. "We are certainly not going to untie you."

"We won't run off if you do, we promise, we'll stay right here with the nice Elves, yes, we will," pleaded Gollum, his voice rising even higher, a dissonant note jarring against the wind-song and tree-song.

"You will stay right here because you will remain bound," snapped Galendur. "Your begging will do you no good." He loomed fierce-eyed and menacing over the flap-footed creature. Gollum backed away, muttering to himself and wringing his hands.

Nimlas fixed his curious gaze on Bardil. "What happened in the south?"

"What do you mean?" Bardil's voice was sharp.

"Something happened there that weighs on you heavily—even more heavily than the Shadow usually does on the warriors in the south."

Bardil stiffened; he had hoped his distress was not so clear. Galendur, too, was favoring him with a piercing stare. "Forgive me if I pry," added Nimlas hurriedly. "I know you may not wish to speak of it."

"No," sighed Bardil. "You do not pry. My tale is no different from the tales of many other warriors of the Wood. My dearest friend, my chosen-brother, was slain before my eyes, and my captain sent me back to the stronghold, saying that I should recover from the grief before returning to fight beneath the Shadow."

Silence followed Bardil's words. He sank down to the ground, his back against the tree trunk, and continued to watch Gollum at play, if play it was. Somehow the Wood-elf could not think of this dark-souled beast as 'playing.' He saw Gollum struggle to pick his fruit up from the ground with his teeth; there was something so deeply pathetic about the creature's efforts that Bardil might almost have wept for him.

In one swift and fluid motion, Bardil rose, strode over to Gollum and untied his hands. "Do not think of running away," he warned, shaking a finger in front of Gollum's startled eyes.

"Bardil!" Galendur hissed, coming up behind him. "Do you think this wise?"

"What can he do?" asked Bardil, defensive. He could not explain what had made him feel that sudden surge of pity—nay, more than pity, it had been fellow-feeling. He had felt himself akin to Gollum, and he did not know why. And he was inexplicably glad that Gollum's hands were now free.

"Little enough, but to let him wander without bonds is—Nimlas, what are you doing?" The other Elf was lifting Gollum into a tree so that he could gather fruits with greater ease.

"Do not be so stuffy," said Nimlas, a grin spreading across his face. "He wished to go up into the tree. What harm can it do?"

"We do not know," said Galendur slowly. "I think it is best to be cautious, but if you are determined to let the creature have its way, then so be it."

"We will keep close to him," said Bardil, suddenly feeling guilty now that he had carried out his will. "He shall have no chance to make mischief."

"Let us hope so," said Galendur, his dark eyes fixed on Gollum who was perched precariously on a slender branch.

But Galendur's worries were all for naught, for Gollum was merely his tiresome self that day and gave his guardians no unusual trouble. When morning turned to noon, the Elves brought Gollum back to the stronghold. Once Gollum was returned to his prison, only one guard was needed to stand outside the door to his stone-walled room. Nimlas offered to stay this time, allowing the other two to leave.

"I will go give our report to Legolas," said Bardil.

Galendur frowned. "Are you going to tell him that we untied the creature's hands?"

"If he asks about whether Gollum was bound or not, I will," said Bardil. "Legolas bade us be kind to the wretch," he reminded his companion, "and he said that such was the command of the King as well."

"Hmm," said Galendur, looking dubious. "Well, I must return to my cottage. Perhaps my wife will have our midday meal ready."

After bidding the other Elf goodbye, Bardil walked in the direction of the other side of the caves. He knew Legolas would be around there, although Bardil would have difficulty finding him. Legolas had returned from the south even more recently than Bardil had, and so had a tendency to disappear into the carefree trees that grew around the stronghold of the Wood.

"Legolas?" he called out, when he reached the trees. "My lord? Are you there?" Bardil heard a soft thud in the midst of the trees, and then footsteps coming towards him.

"Bardil?" said the voice of Legolas.

"Yes, it is I." Legolas appeared suddenly out of the shadows, leaves in his hair, a quiver on his back and a strung bow in his hand, for spiders sometimes ventured into the trees near the stronghold.

"Well met," said Legolas with a grin. "How have you enjoyed your morning with our delightful prisoner?"

"I could scarcely bear to tear myself away from him," said Bardil, returning the smile.

"How does he fare?" asked Legolas, becoming serious.

"The trees and the open air seem to do him good," said Bardil.

"Does he give you trouble, or show signs of rebellion?"

"He whines when he cannot have his way," said Bardil. "But he has not defied us yet, nor compelled us to subdue him with force."

"Hmm," said Legolas, his green eyes pensive. "So he has not tried to escape, to creep away unnoticed?"

"No," said Bardil. "He did not even try to go where we could not see him. All he did was walk through the woods, and pick some fruits."

Legolas frowned. "Pick fruits? Were his hands not bound, then?"

Bardil silently cursed his loose tongue. "No," he said reluctantly. "We left his hands loose, but we kept very close to him. He was always within the reach of our arms." Bardil looked anxiously at Legolas; the other Elf looked skeptical, but not angry.

"See that you continue in that manner, then," said Legolas. "If you take him outside unbound, then you must keep close to him at all times. If you do not wish to do that then you must bind his hands."

"Of course, my lord," said Bardil quickly.

"And you are sure that Sméagol never spoke defiantly, or as if he wished or planned to escape?"

"No," said Bardil. "He is not defiant. He is only petulant and ill-tempered."

"Very well," said Legolas. "That will be all, I believe." He smiled suddenly. "I am glad I do not have your task," he said. "I fear the company of that miserable creature would cost me my mind."

Bardil laughed, bid Legolas goodbye and went off, glad to be free of his prisoner for the rest of the day.

Legolas left the trees in the evening, as the sun began to sink from its perch in the sky. He greatly preferred the trees to the caves but it was nearly time for evening meal, which he was expected to share with his family in Thranduil's halls. As he reached the wide entrance to the caves, he heard the clatter of horse hooves on the ground and turned to see a dark-haired elf-woman riding towards him with three warriors behind her. "Lothwen!"

"Good evening, little brother," said Lothwen with a laugh. "I have returned in time for supper, I hope?"

"Yes," said Legolas. "And stop thinking with your stomach. You are as greedy as a dwarf."

"You spend three weeks in Lake-town haggling with Men, and see if you are not thinking with your stomach by the end of it," retorted Lothwen. She dismounted and sister and brother walked into the caves. "What has happened since I left?"

"Naneth is busy tending to three warriors who were badly wounded in a skirmish in the east," said Legolas. "And Adar…Adar has agreed to keep a servant of Sauron prisoner here, under the watch of our warriors, as a favor to Mithrandir and Elrond."

"What?"

"That is what I said when I first heard," said Legolas wryly. They had reached his chambers. Legolas murmured a few soft words and the door opened.

"Has all that wine finally gone to Adar's head? Since when does he hire out our warriors to Mithrandir?" Lothwen fiddled with one of her dark braids, looking perplexed.

"The power of Dol Guldur grows, and Sauron threatens more of Ennor than he has in the past," said Legolas slowly. "You know this. Adar seems to think that Mithrandir, Elrond, and perhaps even Celeborn or Galadriel may know something about this that may be useful to us. He has stayed out of their confidences before now, deeming them worthless and keeping his own counsel…but now, I think, he wishes to cooperate with them so that they will be inclined to share any news they have with us."

Lothwen narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. "What does he think they know that we do not? What does he fear?"

"Sauron, of course. But more than that, I do not know," said Legolas. "I do not think Adar himself knows."

"Hmm." Lothwen was silent for a moment. Then she asked, "What is this new prisoner like?"

"Very small, and harmless-seeming. He is as small as the perian who came here some years ago."

"Is he akin to the periannath?"

"If he is," said Legolas thoughtfully, "then it is in the same way that the yrch are akin to us."

Lothwen shivered. "He must be twisted, then, and evil of mind."

"And miserable," said Legolas. "I almost pity him."

"Let us talk of merrier things," said Lothwen. "What have you been doing since you returned to the south?"

"Nothing very interesting," said Legolas. "Taking reports from Home Guard warriors, inspecting them, listening to Adar fume about whatever attracts his ire…But it is good to see my friends here again. I missed Nimwen and Nendur and the rest of them, while I was away."

"Nimwen!" snorted Lothwen. "How you can stand that pestilential brat, I shall never understand."

"Neither shall I," said Legolas with a groan. "She sneaked in while I was bathing and stole my tunic. I had to run back to my room half-naked, and have been plotting revenge ever since. It is not so funny," he said over Lothwen's peals of laughter.

"It serves you right for having such poor taste in friends," she said. "Though you must let me know when you plan to take your revenge. I would dearly love to see Nimwen bested. But we shall be late for supper if we do not leave now."

"Ah, yes, and that would be a great tragedy, would it not, Lady Dwarf?" Lothwen hit him on the shoulder, and after a small scuffle they left for Thranduil's dining hall.

TBC

Adar—father

Naneth—mother (Thranduil's wife is alive in this universe, mostly because I see no reason why she shouldn't be.)

Perian—hobbit, plural "periannath"

Yrch—Orcs

A/N: I've realized that this fic is already OC-heavy and will probably become even more so, as Tolkien told us so very little about Mirkwood Elves. So here's a list of original characters, which I will post at the end of every chapter:

Bardil: Gollum's guard, recently returned from the south of Thranduil's realm

Galendur: Gollum's guard

Nimlas: Gollum's guard

Lothwen: sister of Legolas and daughter of Thranduil, recently returned from Lake-town

Nimwen: Sindarin Elf, distant relative of the house of Thranduil, friend of Legolas

Responses to Reviewers:

Child of the stars: Thank you! I'm thinking Gollum will escape in the next chapter—which would take place a couple of weeks after the events of this chapter, probably. We'll see.

Nimnen: Thanks a lot! You made me laugh with your description of the Aragorn Sue fics. I've read so many of those, and that's exactly the kind of thing I was trying to avoid! I'm so glad you liked how I wrote him because he's not a character that comes naturally to me and I had some trouble with him.

SadieSil: Thanks for reviewing—hope you like this chapter!

Tarawyn: Wow, thanks for leaving such a long review. I'm really glad you think I made Aragorn human. I was trying very hard to do that without making him OOC. I'm also glad you like my Gollum, as he's tough to get a grip on. I tend to think of him as being fairly cunning—Legolas says he is, and I don't see how he could have escaped the Mirkwood Elves without being able to fool them into thinking him harmless. You're right that the first three chapters were quite short. They were mostly taken up with scene-setting (which I wanted to keep brief) and I considered making them one long chapter, but decided they'd work better separately. When the real action starts and Gollum escapes and Legolas leaves for Rivendell, the chapters will probably get longer.

Next chapter: Gollum escapes and all hell breaks loose.