Athena Diagon Cat: He won't be doomed if Legolas has anything to say about it! 

Karri: "'Tis but a Nazgul"?  Oh, that's encouraging! 

Coolio: One of these stories I've got to do something really nasty to Saruman.

Silver badger: So you think I'm tricky, eh?  Hang on!

Grumpy: If it's not one thing, it's another, right?

Pallas Analise: "Cunning and smoothness."  Yes, that about says it all for Saruman.

Dragonfly: Yes, a Nazgûl would be a pretty good bet.

Joee: You will find the answer to your question in this very installment.

            It was a forlorn group that rode to edge of the forest of Mirkwood and bade farewell to its escort of Beorn's horses.  Mithrandir had been taken.  Elrond, Glorfindel, Elladan, Elrohir, and Thoron had gone in search of him.  What was to have been a journey toward a joyous reunion had become a dreary trek of riders bearing ill news.  Thranduil, however, did not yet know this when he summoned Legolas and Tawarmaenas to his presence chamber, where he was going over matters of state with Gilglîr.

            "Legolas, I have just received word from the border that your friends approach."

            "So soon," exclaimed Legolas.  "I would have thought that they would have lingered longer in Lothlórien.  But perhaps," he said, a broad smile spreading across his face, "instead of spending time with Haldir and his brothers in Lórien, they have brought them along.  That would be grand, for I should be glad to see them all!" He turned to his cousin.  "Tawarmaenas, you know how much fun Haldir and his brothers can be."

            "Oh, yes," Tawarmaenas agreed enthusiastically.  "I hope you are right, Legolas.  We shall have such times if they come along!"

            Thranduil smiled as broadly as his son and nephew, even though he expected that 'such times' might involve a considerable amount of mischief.  That latter thought could not lessen the pleasure he felt at seeing both Legolas and Tawarmaenas so happy.  At that moment a servant arrived at the door of the chamber.

            "My Lord."

            Thranduil motioned for him to enter.

            "My Lord, the visitors have sent ahead a messenger."

"Ah, good.  Send him in."

The servant went to the door and beckoned to someone.  Celaithand stepped within.  Legolas smiled at him but was a little disconcerted when his friend spared him only the briefest of looks before bowing to Thranduil and handing the king a scroll.  Thranduil read it and paled.

"Not Mithrandir!"

"Mithrandir?  Has he joined the company, Ada?"

"Had joined the company, my son.  He has been taken.  My son!"

Thranduil seized the young Elf by the shoulders as he suddenly swayed.

"Tawarmaenas, fetch that goblet over yonder!"

Thranduil seated Legolas upon his own throne and forced him to drink a little water.  He knew that one reason Legolas had been at such ease over the last several months was because he knew that his other 'family' had not been lost to him and would indeed be restored to him at some point.  It would be devastating to the young Elf if this surety were to be snatched away from him.

"Legolas, this letter says that Mithrandir was taken, not slain.  There is hope."

Legolas made to arise, but Thranduil firmly held him down.

"Nay, Legolas.  You look pale."

"Ada, loose me!  I must go at once!"

"Go?  Go where?"

"In search of Mithrandir!"

"You will do no such thing!  Any foe who could outwit Mithrandir must be a fearsome one indeed.  You will not venture yourself against such an enemy!"

Gilglîr had picked up the letter and was carefully perusing it.

"Legolas, you must listen to your father.  It seems that Celeborn and Galadriel have sent out many scouts.  Moreover, your foster-father and brothers, as well as Glorfindel and Thoron, have joined the search.  There is nothing that you can do that has not already been done."

"Nevertheless," said Legolas stubbornly, "I must search for him.  He saved my life, for I am sure I should have perished of hunger and cold in the forest of Imladris if he had not found me when he did.  And that was only the start of his kindness toward me.  I must leave at once."

Legolas succeeded in momentarily evading his father and would have made for the door.  Recovering quickly, however, Thranduil seized his wrist and prevented him.  Legolas looked at him in shock.  The only one who had ever seized him by the wrist was Saruman.  This was not to be borne!  He glared at his father.  Thranduil loosed his wrist, but he would not back down.

"You-are-not-leaving."

"Yes-I-am!"

"I am your father."

"I am of age!"

"I am your King!"

"I will go into exile.  I will not be your subject if I do!"

Gilglîr tried to interject, but things had already gone too far.

"If you are not my subject, then you are an interloper in my kingdom and I shall cast you into the dungeon as if you were a trespassing Dwarf!"

"Uncle," cried Tawarmaenas, "you cannot mean that!"

Father and son, equally pale, both breathing hard, glared at each other.

"No," said Thranduil at last.  "Of course I would not cast my own son into the dungeon.  But neither will I permit him to rush heedlessly and unnecessarily into danger.  Guards!"

Several Elves materialized from outside the chamber.

"Escort my son to his room.  He is not to leave that place unless he is in the company of myself, my nephew, or my seneschal."

"Yes, my Lord," replied the captain of the guards.  He turned to Legolas and politely gestured for him to precede him.  With one last furious look at his father, Legolas strode angrily from the room, Tawarmaenas trailing helplessly after.

Once they were gone, Gilglîr could no longer restrain himself.

"Thranduil, you fool!  Do you want to lose your son a second time!?"

"But, Gilglîr, I am trying to not lose him!"

"Oh, and you think threatening to toss him in the dungeon will accomplish your goal?"

"I was frightened and angry, Gilglîr.  I would never do that."

"I hope Legolas believes that you wouldn't, but I am not so sure he has such confidence in your intentions.  I would fancy that your grabbing him by the wrist has introduced some doubt into his mind."

"What am I to do?" asked Thranduil miserably.  "I don't want to lose him."

"That is not altogether your decision to make, Thranduil.  Many fathers have lost their sons in the defense of their land."

 Thranduil tried again.

"But going off to rescue Mithrandir would not be defending the land.  Legolas would do better to stay at home and look after the borders."

"You are taking a very narrow view of 'defending the land'," retorted Gilglîr, "and you know it.  Mithrandir has labored on our behalf for centuries, and you requite him very poorly if you do not take some measures on his behalf."

"Some measures," said Thranduil eagerly, sensing an escape from his dilemma.  "That does not necessarily mean sending out my son."

"No, it does not.  Perhaps you could placate Legolas if you assured him that you will send out your own Elves to join in the search."

"Yes," said Thranduil, overjoyed at the thought that there might be a way to mend the sudden rift between him and Legolas.  "I will tell him at once."

"No, I suggest that you wait until morning.  I am not sure that a rational conversation would be possible at the moment."

"Very well," agreed Thranduil.  "I will leave things as they are for the time being."

Leaving things as they were, however, was a risky proposition, for as King and Seneschal spoke, Legolas was pacing his chamber, racking his brains for a means of escape.   His usual method for absconding was not available to him, for in these dark times the family rooms were meant to be the most secure ones in the Great Hall and thus lacked window.  He would have to come up with some stratagem that would get him past the guards.

Tawarmaenas stood anxiously watching him.  At last Legolas ceased his pacing and gave Tawarmaenas an appraising look.

"Cousin, would you do something for me?"

Tawarmaenas was instantly on the alert.

"What would you have me do?" he said cautiously.

"Fetch my weapons from the armory."

"You don't mean to battle your way out!" exclaimed Tawarmaenas in alarm.

"Indeed I do not!  No, I want you to take my weapons to the oak tree next the spring that is all hollow inside, the one where you hid yourself and fell asleep once when we played hide and seek as elflings.  You remember, don't you?"

"Aye," grinned Tawarmaenas.  "I had stopped the opening with leaf litter so cleverly that you could not find me.  I waited and waited and at last dozed off.  'Twas Gilglîr who found me at last when you went to him crying that I must have been eaten by a wolf or a spider!"

Legolas grinned, too, but then he briskly returned to the matter at hand.

"After you have hidden my weapons in the tree, fetch my horse.  You needn't tie him to the tree.  He will come when I summon him.  In fact, it would be better if you didn't tie him.  Someone might see him and wonder at his being there.  Tell him to hide himself until I call him."

"But, Legolas," said Tawarmaenas, "what good will all this do?  You know you won't be allowed to leave the Great Hall.  Your father will have sent word to the Door Warden by now."

"I can leave my chamber if I am with you."

"Aye, but even with me, you will not get out of the Hall itself."

"I don't mean to try to get out by the door."

"How then?"

"Leave that to me.  Just do as I ask, and then return here."

Tawarmaenas still hesitated.

"I should be going against the King if I helped you."

"True, but you should be going against the Prince if you don't."

"A King outranks a Prince."

"There is no King in this room at the present.  Here, I am of the highest rank.  Tell my father that when he questions you—and make sure Gilglîr is there!  He will second you."

Tawarmaenas shook his head doubtfully.

Legolas had one more argument.

"Tawarmaenas, I am going to escape.  Consider this: if you do not help me, I shall be ill-provisioned.  Which would you prefer: that I escape with horse and weapons, or that I wander the wild on foot and with no way to defend myself?

Tawarmaenas sighed.  He was not unwilling to help his cousin escape, but he thought Legolas' plan unlikely to succeed.  Nevertheless, he now yielded and went forth to perform his part in the enterprise, returning shortly thereafter to report that all was in readiness.

"Good," exclaimed Legolas.  "Now you must escort me to the lading dock where the barrels are off-loaded."

"That is part of the wine cellar.  You have need of wine to make your escape?"

"You'll see," said Legolas, his eyes dancing.

The guards gave them a hard look as they passed, but the King had clearly said that the Prince could leave his chamber in the company of his cousin.  Once clear of the guards, the two young Elves hastened to the lading dock.  Tawarmaenas went in first to make sure that no one was about.  When he was sure that all was safe, he summoned his cousin.

"Well," said Tawarmaenas, once Legolas had joined him, "here we are, and here we shall stay unless you can pass through stone walls."

"I can't do that," said Legolas, "but I can swim."

"Swim?"

"Aye, swim.  Mithrandir told me that a party of Dwarves once escaped the Great Hall by floating out the passage through which the barrels enter and exit the lading dock.  The stone walls do not come all the way down, you see, else the water could not flow through here."

"But that opening is blocked by a portcullis."

"Of course, else it would not be secure from enemies.  But a portcullis can be raised and lowered, can it not?"

"Yes," replied Tawarmaenas, feeling a little silly.  "So we are to raise the portcullis, and you are to swim clear of the Great Hall.  I wish you had told me.  I would have hidden some dry clothes and boots with your weapons."

"Oh, that won't be necessary," said Legolas, who, after helping Tawarmaenas raise the portcullis, stripped off his boots, tunic, and leggings and made them up into a bundle.  Then he lowered himself into the water, careful to hold his bundle well above the water.

"After I am through," he called to Tawarmaenas, "lower the portcullis so that no one knows that someone has gotten out.  That will delay any search somewhat.  And do not go near my chamber, for the guards will notice at once that you left with me but came back alone.  When I am missed, try to dissemble as long as you can as to my whereabouts so that at first they waste time searching the Great Hall itself.  My father will probably think that I am merely hiding myself out of resentment."

Tawarmaenas nodded glumly.

"And Tawarmaenas."

"Aye, cousin."

"I am sorry for the trouble I am causing you.  Remember to tell my father that I ordered you to help me.  Remind him that he has always said that the chain of command must be respected!"

"I don't mind, Legolas," Tawarmaenas called back.  "I only hope that you do not get into trouble.  You had better not forget that I do not want to be king!  I shall be angry else!"

Legolas laughed and let go his hold on the lading dock, making for the opening.  As he reached it, he briefly raised his free hand just long enough to wave, and then he was gone.