Thanks to Kelly Kragen for reviewing and Dragonfly for serving as beta reader.
Chapter 34: Pitfalls
Holding a torch in one hand and a sword in another, Gilglîr led Gandalf into the depths of the Great Hall.
"Here we are," he said at last, drawing forth a large key. "Thranduil's Treasury."
The Seneschal unlocked the massive lock, and the door screeched upon its rusty hinges as he pushed it open.
"I'm sorry," he apologized to the wizard, "but the Treasury is little frequented, especially now that the rings are stored within. The hinges have not been oiled in a very long time, and I'm afraid you will find the room dusty."
"I have heard far worse sounds than the screech of unoiled hinges, and I do not fear dust."
Elf and wizard entered the chamber, which was nearly bare, save for a few chests. Gandalf looked about with great interest.
"Thranduil's wealth used to be fabled," he commented.
"True, but after the battle for Dol Guldur, he parted with much of it in order to care for the injured and the families of the slain. Now he puts aside as much treasure as he believes necessary for the needs of his people, but he does not accumulate gold and jewels for the mere sake of amassing a huge heap that, dragon-like, he can perch upon and gloat over."
Gandalf nodded approvingly.
"I never did see the sense of gathering gold and jewels unless one intended to use them for something, either by trading them for goods or working them into objects of beauty that could be placed where people might see and enjoy them. I am glad Thranduil has given over his avariciousness in favor of a more sensible approach toward these things of the world."
"I agree with you there, my friend. Gold and jewels are mere baubles with no intrinsic worth, valuable only if they can be made use of."
Gilglîr set the torch in a bracket and then knelt before one of the chests, drawing forth another key with which he unlocked it. Then, keeping his sword handy, he arose and went to the door to keep watch.
Gandalf knelt before the chest and lifted out a leather bundle. Unwrapping the leather and spreading it flat, he gazed upon the mithril rings that now shimmered in the torchlight.
"They are a delight to look upon," he murmured, "but no less deadly for that—indeed, perhaps more so, for their beauty would tempt the heedless. Thranduil is wise to keep them well hidden."
One after another he examined each ring, but he could make out no differences among them. Each was smooth and shiny and bore no device.
"These rings are so alike," he said at last, "that I think it will be necessary for me to bear only one with me to Lothlórien. If one should reveal its secret to the Lady Galadriel, that will suffice, for I deem that the secret of one shall be the secret of all."
"And what of these others?"
"In the end they should be destroyed, but not yet, for we do not know the method by which that should be accomplished. It may be that they can simply be melted down with no danger, but it is possible that doing so may release forces that will be injurious to those nearby. It depends on the strength and character of the spell. For now, let them remain locked in this chest within Thranduil's Treasury."
"It shall be as you wish, Mithrandir. You will be leaving soon for Lothlórien?"
"Yes. Haldir, Rúmil, and Orophin have been visiting these past several weeks and must shortly return to their duties. I will ride with them. I shall take Legolas, too. Tawarmaenas went to Lórien to extend the invitation to Haldir and his brothers, and it seems fitting that Legolas be the one to have the pleasure of the return journey."
"Hah!" exclaimed Gilglîr, "Thranduil is not likely to see it that way! Do not count on Legolas accompanying you. Especially not after these two attempts on his person."
"Pah! Two attempts—that's nothing! Let me see, now, these last few months alone, that would be one, two, three, four—"
"Stop bragging," Gilglîr chided the wizard. "Besides, you don't want to remind Thranduil how often your foes have tried to do away with you. Thranduil is not likely to want his son to ride by the side of someone who draws swords and arrow points toward him the way the lodestone draws iron."
Gandalf could not help but laugh.
"True, Gilglîr. I shall have to downplay my recent near escapes. Pity. I thought I acquitted myself admirably during several episodes and was looking forward to telling the tale."
Elf and Istar returned to the upper levels of the Great Hall, and Gandalf waited for his opportunity to talk with Thranduil. His chance came after dinner, when Thranduil and a small party of friends retired to the King's private chamber. Gandalf patiently bided his time as the Elves drank wine, told tales, and sang songs. Gandalf was, of course, very careful to tell only the most innocuous tales of his own doings.
By and by, each Elf excused himself, and Gandalf was left alone with Thranduil. With great tact, he broached the subject of the journey to Lothlórien.
"Thranduil, has Gilglîr mentioned to you that I mean to depart soon? I will carry one of the rings to Lothlórien in order to seek the advice of the Lady Galadriel. From there I shall journey on to Isengard, for Saruman, too, I intend to consult. Such rings are, after all, a special study of his."
"Your plan of action is a wise one, my friend. Would you like an escort?"
"Yes. I had planned to ride with Haldir, Rúmil, and Orophin. Legolas should go as well, for the matter concerns him most nearly."
Leaning back comfortably in his chair, Thranduil had been idly turning the stem of a goblet within his hands. Now he sat bolt upright and banged the goblet down upon the table. Fortunately, it was made of metal, else it would have shattered.
"Legolas!? Absolutely not!"
"Why ever not?" asked Gandalf calmly.
"He may be murdered!"
"He may be murdered within the corridors of the Great Hall itself—indeed, it becomes the likelier if we do not solve the riddle of these rings."
"Oh, by all means solve the riddle, but without exposing Legolas to further danger."
"Thranduil, the more you try to shield Legolas from evil, the more unprepared you and he will be to face it when it does come—as it surely will. Consider the recent designs against your kingdom. Had Legolas been kept bottled up within these walls, you would have had little warning of your peril. As it was, Legolas was admirably placed to thwart the conspiracy. Rather than bemoaning the fact that he went into battle, you should be glad that he did. He would have had to fight eventually if your foes had reached the border of your realm, but perhaps under far less favorable circumstances."
"But, Mithrandir, I shudder to think what could have befallen him on that journey."
"For my part, I shudder to think what would have befallen him and your kingdom both had he not been on that journey. Had Legolas and Tathar not traveled to Lake-town and from thence to the Lonely Mountain, your enemies would have swept through Erebor unopposed and would have fallen upon an utterly unprepared Esgaroth. From thence they would have marched upon your realm, and things would have gone ill for your people. You must acknowledge that your eastern border was but lightly protected, for you did not expect danger from that direction. The blow would have been a hard one, and be sure that you would have been forced to venture not only your son's life but those of many others. You may thank the Valar that your son journeyed forth beyond these borders!"
Thranduil could not refute the logic of Gandalf's argument, but no parent is required to be logical when the safety of his child is in question.
"What you say may be true," he conceded. "Nevertheless," he went on stubbornly, "it was mere happenstance that things turned out as they did. The next time Legolas may not be so fortunate."
"You speak of 'happenstance'," returned the wizard. "Whatever makes you believe that it was happenstance and not the will of the Valar?"
"And whatever makes you think it wasn't?" retorted Thranduil.
"The outcome," replied the Istar calmly. "A crushing defeat of the forces of evil is just the sort of outcome that would have been pleasing to the Valar. I am here at their behest, I hope you remember."
"Pulling rank, are we?" grumbled Thranduil.
"What say," Mithrandir replied genially, "that we ask Gilglîr and Legolas to join this discussion? Let us assay their opinions on the matter."
"As if you didn't already know!" scoffed Thranduil, but he smiled a little. In his heart of hearts, he knew that, sooner or later, Legolas would journey for a time with Mithrandir. At least if he went now, he would ride in the company of Haldir and his brothers and an escort of Greenwood Elves. And, he told himself, it would only be to Lothlórien. Messengers traveled back and forth between the two realms frequently, and they rarely encountered trouble. Part of the way their path would take them through Beorn's realm, and they would be especially safe in those lands. Only a very foolish Orc would venture onto the plains patrolled by Beorn's horses, and he would not live to grow wise.
"I suppose," Thranduil at last said slowly, "that I can no more stop Legolas from riding with you than I could hold back the waters of the Anduin. But be sure he comes back safe or you shall be left holding only one staff!"
"Goodness! Have you been taking lessons from Edwen Nana in the art of punning!?"
"No, but if anything happens to Legolas, you'd better hope you don't fall into her hands."
"Oh, to be sure," Gandalf replied, shuddering. "I'd rather face a balrog than an angry Edwen Nana. A balrog I may survive!"
While this conversation was taking place, a similar one was underway in Rivendell. Elrond was pacing back and forth in his private chamber, watched by an amused but also concerned Glorfindel.
"Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir have traveled back and forth between Lothlórien and Imladris many times. Why so fearful?"
"Dangers seem to multiply daily."
"You exaggerate."
"Fine. Dangers multiply weekly."
"You still exaggerate."
"Monthly!"
"Elrond, I will concede that dangers multiply but only annually. Moreover, your sons are wise and skillful in the art of avoiding danger, and brave and resourceful in battling it if it is unavoidable. Messengers must continue to travel back and forth between the elven realms, and no riders are better suited than your sons to carry them."
Like Thranduil, Elrond could not deny the truth of his friend's words.
"Glorfindel, you offer, as always, a sensible assessment of the situation. But, with your leave, I will continue to worry."
"I am sure," Glorfindel smiled, "that with or without my leave you will worry!"
"True," laughed Elrond. "Now turn your attention to the matter of Estel's upcoming journey and see if you can reassure me as successfully as you did in the case of Elrohir and Elladan."
"Ah, nothing simpler. Estel will be with Halbarad, whose dourness alone is sufficient to discourage most foes, and they journey only to Bree, a most inoffensive little town populated by nothing more sinister than butchers and bakers and candlestick makers."
"There was a time," Elrond reminded Glorfindel, "that Bree was not quite so free of danger, and that time may come again."
"Still, I think a Ranger will be more than equal to any risks that may currently be encountered in Bree. And Bree is within an easy distance of the Shire. I would be very surprised if Mithrandir did not want Estel to become acquainted with the lands thereabouts."
"Yes," agreed Elrond. "Mithrandir's interest in the Shire grows rather than wanes. I very much wonder what it is that draws him there so often. Well, no doubt he will tell us in good time."
The next day, Elrond informed the would-be pilgrims that he was granting them permission to depart on their respective journeys.
"This will be the first time since Estel came to dwell with us," said Elrond meditatively, "that he has departed Rivendell without the company of kinsmen."
"I am a kinsman," Halbarad said pointedly.
"Yes," allowed Elrond. "I was thinking of his descent from Elros, my brother. But more than that, I have stood toward him as a father, and Elladan and Elrohir as his brothers."
"Yet his kinship with Men cannot be denied, and it is that, rather than his elven blood, which shall govern his destiny. Unlike you, he shall never depart for the Undying Lands but shall remain in Middle Earth for all time, even until the end of time. And so shall all who adhere to him."
"True," said Elrond sadly, "and so I shall be sundered from those whom I love."
To Elladan and Elrohir, Elrond said little, other than to tell them to stay well. At the turning of the moon, he stood in front of the Great Hall to bid the travelers farewell.
Although it was out of their way, Halbarad and Estel were to travel some distance with Elrohir and Elladan, for Halbarad wished to do some reconnoitering in the Misty Mountains.
"'Twill be good for the lad to practice in the mountains," he observed to Elrond, "for oft tracking there is the most difficult, as it is hard to find traces upon the rocks."
Elrohir and Elladan had no objection to Halbarad and Estel bearing them company, for, even though the twins were mounted and the other two were not, they would be traveling through such country as could be traversed as quickly afoot as on horse.
After a week in the company of Elladan and Elrohir, Halbarad and Estel at last set off on their own, heading due west. They had walked for several hours uneventfully when Halbarad suddenly stopped and pushed Estel back. Even as he did so, however, the ground fell away beneath the feet of the Ranger, and he vanished from sight.
Halbarad's shove had been a powerful one, and Estel landed hard several feet away. For a few moments, he lay breathless. Recovering, he crawled to the edge of the hole and peered down. A good twenty feet below, Halbarad sprawled, his right leg bent under him at an unnatural angle. He grimaced, but did not cry out.
"Halbarad," called Estel, "are you well?"
"No," came the dispassionate reply. "When you climb down, be sure to bring several stout, straight sticks. My leg needs to be splinted."
Estel gathered several and then carefully picked his way down until he knelt by Halbarad's side. Carefully he eased Halbarad's leg straight. Tearing strips of cloth from his cloak, he carefully bound the splint to the injured leg. As he worked, he asked Halbarad about the pit.
"What is this hole? Is it a trap dug and covered over by our foes?"
"If it is a trap, 'tis no more than a natural one. Limestone riddles the mountains hereabouts. Over the aeons, water seeping beneath the earth sometimes will dissolve away that limestone, leaving behind a cavity that is covered over by a mere crust of dirt that crumbles beneath the feet of any creature unfortunate enough to step upon it."
Estel sighed in relief.
"Ah, that is good, Halbarad. I feared you had fallen into a device of our enemies."
Halbarad allowed himself the ghost of a smile.
"'Tis more substantial a pit than our foes would have troubled to dig. My fall would have been the shorter had it been one of theirs. On the other hand, they do tend to place sharpened and poisoned stakes in the bottom of their pits, so I suppose I should be grateful."
Estel finished his task, and Halbarad nodded at his handiwork approvingly.
"'Tis true, I think, that the hands of the king be the hands of a healer."
"What?"
"Nothing. Gibberish uttered by a wounded warrior."
Estel shrugged and arose to his feet.
"I will help you out of this pit now."
"No, you won't," said Halbarad calmly.
"But you can't stay here!"
"Look at the walls of this hole, Estel. It will take more than your aid to draw me forth."
Estel studied the sides of the pit thoughtfully. He had climbed down with great difficulty. Halbarad was right. Estel looked down at the Ranger in dismay. Halbarad, however, did not look troubled.
"Now is your chance to show your mettle," said Halbarad. "Hasten back to where we parted from your foster-brothers. Pick up their trail and catch up with them. The three of you together will be able to effect a rescue."
Estel hesitated.
"You are not afraid, are you?" Halbarad asked.
"No, but you will be defenseless until I return. What will you do if foes come upon you?"
"Someone shall die," Halbarad said simply.
Estel had been in Halbarad's company often enough to recognize the sardonic humor of a Ranger, and he replied in kind.
"Oh, that's all right, then," he said sarcastically. "How foolish of me to have even asked!"
"Estel," argued Halbarad, "if you leave me, I may die. If you do not leave me, I will certainly die. Both courses are ill ones, but the former a trifle less ill than the latter."
Estel had to reluctantly concede that Halbarad spoke the truth. Arising to his feet and tossing his water bladder down to the Ranger, he began the laborious climb up the walls of the pit. Once at the top, he looked down briefly and nodded at Halbarad. Then he vanished from the side of the pit, not caring to say farewell. Halbarad understood.
Estel had been taught well, and he had little trouble tracking his foster-brothers. Tireless and swift, the young Ranger sped on, every now and then bending to the ground to examine a sign. Occasionally he would lose the trail on the rocks, but he always picked it up again when the Elves and their horses returned to softer ground.
Suddenly, he realized that another set of tracks had come in from the side and overlay those of Elladan and Elrohir.
"Orcs," he gasped in dismay. "Elladan and Elrohir no doubt will elude them and hasten on to Lothlórien once they realize they are being followed, but then they will be unable to help Halbarad. I must reach the twins before they become aware of the Orcs."
Estel raced on until he could hear the Orcs just ahead of him. Then he carefully stole near to ascertain their numbers. Once sure of that, he circled around them and resumed tracking Elladan and Elrohir. Another hour of steady running brought him to them, as Estel discovered when he rounded a corner and found himself staring at two nocked and drawn bows. Quickly Elladan and Elrohir lowered their weapons.
"Elladan, Elrohir," Estel gasped, "you are being tracked by Orcs!"
"How did you get here?" exclaimed Elladan. "And where is Halbarad!?"
"Back yonder, a few hours walk from where we parted. He is injured. I set out to bring you to him and then saw that you were being followed by many foes. I circled about them and so reached you."
"Well done, Estel," said Elrohir approvingly. "Many foes you say? So many that we cannot cut through them?"
"I think that would not be wise, for they number at least two dozen. You may be able to charge through the band, but then the survivors would pursue you. 'Twould make it difficult to carry Halbarad to safety."
Impressed by the youth's shrewdness, Elrohir at once gave over any thought of attacking the goblins.
"Very well, Estel, we shall do as you have done. We will circle around the Orcs. Meanwhile, we will send our horses onward, so that the Orcs will be none the wiser."
Elrohir spoke quickly to the horses, telling them what must be done.
"Without our weight," said Elladan as he watched the horses trot around a bend in the path, "they will move swiftly toward Lórien. The Orcs will not catch them."
"Now let us turn aside from our path," ordered Elrohir. "Estel, can you leap onto that rock?"
"Yes, Elrohir."
"Good. Leap from there to another rock, and so on. We don't want to leave any traces that could be read by Orcs. Fortunately, they are not good trackers, but let us nonetheless take care to leave at worst a few subtle markings in the lichen that would attract the attention of only a Ranger or an Elf."
Proceeding in this fashion, the two Elves and the youth skirted the Orcs and then returned to their path. Once on it, they jogged without a break until they had reached the pit where Halbarad had been lying silently, weapons at the ready. The Elves and the youth, elven-trained as he was, moved quietly, but Halbarad had the ears of a Ranger and heard them coming nonetheless. "Mae govannen," he called before they had even looked over the edge of the pit.
"So, Halbarad," answered Elladan, stretching himself out by the edge of the pit and peering into it, "you seem to require rescuing."
"I do."
"Such an event is without precedent in the annals, I believe," said Elrohir, joining Elladan and surveying the situation.
"Less talk, more action," grumbled Halbarad.
Elrohir sat up.
"Elladan, I have a length of rope in my pack. I'll climb down and secure it under his arms. Then the two of us will be able to hoist him up, I am sure. Estel, while we are doing that, gather the longest and straightest branches you can find. We shall need to fashion a litter to bear him back to Rivendell."
The two Elves and the youth set about their tasks, and soon Halbarad rested comfortably on a litter borne by Elladan and Elrohir. Estel having taken charge of all the packs, the small company moved with all possible speed in the direction of Rivendell.
While Estel and the others had been preparing to depart from Rivendell on their ill-fated journey, Legolas had of course been making his way to Lothlórien in company with Gandalf, Haldir, Rúmil, and Orophin. It had been an uneventful journey, and the Greenwood escort had been sent back from Lórien with a letter to Thranduil assuring him that all was well. Now Legolas and the others were on a patch of greensward wrestling one with the other. Legolas was on the verge of pinning Rúmil when the Lórien Elf shouted, "Hullo! Elladan and Elrohir's horses!"
"No good," panted Legolas. "I won't be distracted." Just then a horse whinnied, and Legolas looked up. In a trice, Rúmil had flipped and pinned him.
"It seems you will be distracted," he announced casually, "and, oh, by the way, those are Elladan and Elrohir's horses."
The four young Elves approached the horses, who nuzzled their necks, for they knew the Elves of old.
"These horses show no signs of having been in battle," said Legolas, "but their hearts are filled with the fear of Orcs. We must backtrack along their trail in search of their riders."
He did not say, 'be they dead or alive', but the thought was in the mind of each.
"You will go with us, Legolas?" said Orophin.
"Of course. Elrond and Elrohir are my brothers. Come. To our horses."
"Hadn't you better tell Mithrandir?" Haldir suggested.
"No. For if I do not, Mithrandir will have nothing to explain to my father."
Haldir and his brothers saw the wisdom of this, and they hastened to their horses. Elladan and Elrohir's steeds, weary as they were, would not remain behind, and so six horses set off toward the west. News of their departure Haldir entrusted to one of the horse masters, who carried word to the talan of the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel.
Mithrandir at about this time was consulting the Lord and Lady over the matter of the ring that he had carried from Mirkwood. Unfortunately, neither Elf could add anymore to what Mithrandir already knew: that the ring was imbued by evil and undoubtedly crafted by a dark force.
Frustrated, Mithrandir turned the ring over and over in his hand. "Smooth and flawless and without a device," he murmured to himself. "Save for being mithril, so like the hobbit's ring."
"What say you, Mithrandir?" asked Celeborn.
"Nothing, nothing! I suppose I shall now journey on to Isengard to consult the head of my order."
"If you think you must," said Galadriel, but her voice was not very encouraging.
Before Gandalf could reply, a servant stepped forward to inform the Lord and the Lady that a horse master had brought a message from Haldir.
"Let him be admitted," instructed Celeborn.
The horse master stepped onto the flet and bowed deeply.
"My Lords and my Lady, I have been instructed by the Marchwarden Haldir to say that he and his two brothers and their guest Prince Legolas of Greenwood have departed in search of the Lords Elladan and Elrohir, whose riderless horses have but lately entered our land. The Marchwarden Haldir fears lest some evil has befallen the two Elves. My Lords, my Lady."
The horse master bowed again and backed respectfully away.
"Well," sighed Gandalf. "I suppose I had better delay my trip to Isengard. Thranduil will not be pleased to hear that Legolas has given me the slip, so I'd best hasten to catch up with him. Would you happen to have an extra staff hereabouts, one that you could spare?"
"I suppose so," answered Celeborn. "If not, one could quickly be fashioned. But why? Your own staff is resting against the back of your chair."
"True, that one is bestowed there. But Thranduil has sworn that he would leave me holding only one staff if anything happened to Legolas on this trip. So I pray that you will have a messenger carry a spare staff to Thranduil with my compliments."
Celeborn still looked puzzled, but Galadriel had a knowing glint in her eye and a slight smile upon her lips. As Gandalf began to descend the mallorn tree, all was silent at first, but then laughter fluttered down from on high, the light tones of Galadriel's mirth joined by the deeper tones of Celeborn's.
"Galadriel was able to explain matters, seemingly. Well, well, glad to have provided them with an occasion for amusement. Only hope Thranduil finds reason to laugh!"
With that, Gandalf went to retrieve his small bag of necessities and set off in pursuit of one Elf who was fated, it seems, to get into nearly as much trouble as Gandalf himself.