The king under the mountain
Gandalf rose with the sun and winced as the bright light of a chilly spring morning infiltrated a head that was ringing like a bell. Thranduil's wine was powerful but good and its after effects were kind, Bard's wine on the other hand was not quite as powerful nor near as good and its after effects were harsh, he had learned that in the days after the battle and he wished he had remembered that lesson at dinner. The number of pipes he had smoked possibly hadn't helped matters but he had sat many hours with Bard when the main meal was finished and with another cup of wine always to hand and a bright fire beside him a full pipe had seemed a natural extension of his rare contentment. Outside the night had turned wet and the sound of rain dripping on the eaves had fostered a sense of being secluded from the world and its difficulties for a while.
Bard's company was easy compared to the elf kings for Gandalf could talk freely without the creeping feeling that he was telling things to someone who already knew them. There was no doubt that even a representative of the Valar could feel themselves to be at a disadvantage when their memory was curtailed and they were speaking to a being who remembered the previous age and talked of past events and hero's from personal experience. Gandalf accepted that those sent to aid the world could not be allowed power over the races of Arda but when faced with any of the remaining great elven lords and ladies he sometimes wished for a little more than he had. Men were much to deal with for there were none amongst them who recalled more of the world than he did. So though he had enjoyed the evening the morning was less pleasurable and he reached for the flagon of water on the table with a sigh, unable even to face the plate of fresh baked elven bread the steward of the house had sent to him.
Gandalf frowned as he tried to recall the talk of the night before. He had broached the matter of Tauriel early in their conversations and before the wine had really begun to flow and so his memory of Bard's words were clear enough. Not that the Lord of Dale had been able to add much, and he had been careful not to disclose his purposes for asking. However Bard knew that she could not return to the forest, knew too that there was some issue with Dain regarding her presence in Dale, and so some question had been natural enough. But Bard had been unable to add anything substancial to Gandalf's own knowledge, he knew nothing of her relationship with her fellow elves and she had few dealings with the men and women of the city as far as he was aware. He had been sure though that no one came to see her though, for all visitors must pass through the sentries house and give account of the reasons for their wish to enter the city and he made it his business to check occassionally. He also knew there was some matter between her and the king's son, but as the prince had only recently returned home he had not seen it to be of any great concern. King Thranduil had assured him it would have no concern for his people and he was happy to accept that.
As the wine had loosened his tongue a little it had become clear that he had heard the rumours of what happened that day, indeed that he knew more than Gandalf had expected him to. Bard, now well used to being the lord of a city, had become grim as he spoke of it and it was clear that he was surprised that the king suffered her to live if they were truth. He had shaken his head at the situation,
"If she were mortal I have little doubt that she would have been executed as a traitor or as an assassin. I confess that I would be of such a mind if what I have heard is true, but things, it seems are different for elves. I did not think her any threat to us and so I agreed that she might stay here provided she was well supervised and never left to wander at will. If you know differently as to her threat to the townspeople I would have you tell me now and I will ask that she be kept to the kings house alone, or locked away somewhere she can do no harm."
Gandalf remembered that he too had shaken his head as he responded, if not with the whole truth at least with some of it.
"No, I have no reason to believe that she is of danger to any man, woman or child in your city and Thranduil would not allow her to remain here if he thought her to be so."
"So I judge too, As far as my knowledge goes she does as Lord Thranduil has instructed, she completes her duties and remains within the elf kings house for the most part. The only time she sets foot into the wider and more public areas of the city she is in armour and usually accompanied by one or more of her fellow guards."
All as Thranduil had told him in fact.
"Why then does she concern you?" Bard asked as he refilled their wine cups.
"Dain, my concern is that she might cause some issue with Dain. The enemy is not yet defeated and all need to be allied against the day he is strong enough to challenge the world again."
"Why so much concern? There has been no sign of orc since the battle, not even in the mountains."
"So I have heard but that does not mean that the danger has passed. It is true that the orc army has been crushed and the enemy has been banished but I do not think that will prove to be the end of the matter; in time he may grow stronger and seek to threaten us all once again, and, as last time, he may well find supporters in the east and south. Nor will it only be Orc, men may once again be persuaded to his side for it seems that some of them have forgotten the lessons of the past. If this comes to be then your city, the mountain and Thranduil's lands will be threatened with attack, perhaps before any other for they must pass you before they can push west.. "
Bard's grim look hardened.
"Aye I know that the Elvenking believes that the dark one will seek power again soon and he has known the enemy long enough that I will trust to his belief. Let us hope it is not so soon that we cannot prepare for it.""Indeed we must, and we must be sure of each other as friends and allies if we are to withstand the threat and so it is important that no estrangement between dwarf, man or elf occurs. I would see no loss of trust between Dain and the Elvenking on her account."
Bard took a swallow of wine then sighed,
" Would men truly side with him though for all he can promise them is pain and death?"
"Some will persuade themselves otherwise if the lure is great enough, and old grudges with elves and dwarfs and the men of the west still linger in some. Others will follow them for reasons of their own. The failure of his promises in the past they blame on his enemies."
Bard was silent for a moment, his eyes drifting over his children and their families with a sad look. Then he drew a deep breath,
"Aye, hate and the lust for power or wealth can make fools of many. Perhaps that is the lingering legacy of Morgoth to men. I would wish it otherwise but I fear it will remain even when the enemy is defeated. But to return to the elf Tauriel, if Dain knows of her presence he has made no mention of it and there had been no issue involving her with other visiting dwarfs. King Dain's guard are often seen about and many traders come from the mountain to sell their wares but none have asked of her, nor does she seem to be concerned with them. Dain himself rarely visits us but I have entertained him several times since he was crowned and never once has he mentioned her."
Gandalf smiled, it seemed that Dain had honoured his undertaking in the matter so far. Provided she was not thrust under his nose it appeared that the agreement between him and Thranduil would hold.
He nodded to Bard.
"That is good let us hope it remains that way."
Bard shrugged.
"With dwarfs who can tell, but Dain is king now and cannot indulge his whims as once he did if he wishes his Realm to prosper. I will leave things as they are if you are sure she is no danger to my city, but I hope that the Elvenking will not come to regret his forbearance, particularly now his son had returned home."
"So do I, but I do not think there is much to alarmed about on that score. I have spoken with the Prince on the matter and it clear that he wishes to avoid any further difficulties for his father, and yourself. He will come in the summer but I doubt he will see her, other than as guard."
"I hope that is the case. I am not clear what the matter between them is, but your concern with Dain suggests a dwarf is also involved. As all will be here in the summer is there anything else that I should do to avoid strife?"
"No. the dwarf who was concerned is dead, he died on Ravenhill with Thorin, more than that need not be recalled and should you hear more than that I would ask that you forget it."
"I have heard nothing more, nor am I likely to for such things are too old for gossip now."
"Good." He looked around him and smiled."No doubt people find plenty of other things to chatter about, they always have."
They had said no more on the matter.
Gandalf took another swallow of water and winced as the bells began to ring the full hour and his head echoed in time with their chimes. Despite his present discomfort he was satisfied with what he had learned last evening, the meeting with Dain might be less difficult than he had feared. He frowned, and this time not at the pain in his head, that did not mean it wold be easy or that there would be no need for him to tread carefully. Dain might have been forced to learn some moderation but the memory of that revelation before Thorin's funeral would no doubt still trouble him and it would be wise to be careful about how he approached the king under the mountain as a result of it. But it seemed that whatever his feeling on the matter he was holding to the agreements of that day, which was cause for hope.
As for Tauriel, well there was nothing more he could do for the moment, he would write the promised letter and hope he had judged wisely. Nor was there any point in delaying further, another day in Dale to recover from Bard's wine and to see and be seen and tomorrow he would set off for the mountain.
He reached for some bread and began to think how best to frame his message.
xxx
"The one called Gandalf is in Dale my lord."
The dwarf before him had bowed low and so Dain could not read the look upon his face, but the voice spoke of unease as if the messenger knew the news would not be welcome.
Dain scowled at the bent head for a moment before replying, but he had learned to mind his temper a little since he became king and no hint of his feelings on the matter could have been read in his voice.
"Indeed. That is unlooked for. How long has he been there?"
The dwarf before him, emboldened by the calm tone, risked looking up.
"A day, no more, or so our informant says. He entered the town at first light yesterday.
The dwarf king nodded.
"Well it was to be expected that he would reappear at some point I suppose. Does he lodge with Lord Bard?"
"No my king, the information is that he stays at the house of the Elvenking. It is said that he came with messages for Lord Bard from the Woodland Realm"
Dain drew a deep breath at the mention of the Elvenking, maintaining his composure with some effort. A sense of unease flickered into life, as it always did at the mention of that name, but he pushed it from him and waved the messenger calmly away.
"Very well you may go about your business, but let me know immediately if any more on the wizards is discovered."
He watched the departing dwarf with an expressionless face but the could feel the tension growing within him, the worm of memory rearing its head again and nibbling at his gut. What messages might the wizard bring from Thranduil to Bard and what might they mean for him? He gnawed at his lower lip as he thought about that, a deep frown settling on his brow, he knew that Thranduil would visit the city for the ceremony of the Battlestone but he had not expected to have to meet him before then. Did this message mean that he was planning to visit sooner? If so, why?
He shook his head in anger at himself, there was no reason to think such a thing, and, even if Thranduil did come before he was expected,what of it? There was no cause for a meeting between the two of them before the summer and then the meeting would be formal and distant with no need of more than polite and diplomatic exchanges. No, this message could be of little interest, but if the wizard was here then there could be little doubt that he would pay them a visit. Dain felt his stomach clench at the unwelcome thought and cursed himself, and then cursed his cousin who had put him in this position.
Things had been going well, the halls of the king under the mountain had not yet been restored to their full glory but some rooms were almost as they had been in the days before Smaug, the gate was strong again and the statues that guarded it had been replaced. Thorin stood beside him in the new carving, something Dain had some reservations about but which had been received well by others, and there were many others now. Though the population of Erebor was still some way short of the numbers of Thror's time there were enough now to hold the mountain, unless the attacker was again a dragon.
But he didn't want to think of attacks by dragon's, not with the wizard so close.
Dain had been careful to do all he could to avoid the dragons curse and for many months he had camped outside the mountain whilst all trace of Smaug was removed not wishing to risk the madness that had taken his cousin. He had been careful when dealing with the mound of treasure too, unlike Thorin he had made no claim to anything that was not clearly his own, not seeking to keep that which Smaug had stolen from others. All that had been taken from the men of Dale and the lake had returned as soon as he was asked, so too had those things belonging to the elves of Mirkwood, and anything whose ownership had been deemed uncertain had been set aside and would stay so for one hundred years. So far it seemed to have held any lingering dragon curse at bay for no other dwarf had been corrupted as Thorin had been. There had been other good effects too, his relationship with the men of Dale was strong, and though he would probably never be held in the same regard as the Elvenking he knew himself to be respected and considered fair. Even his relationship with Thranduils Realm was harmonious, distant it was true but there was no strife between them and should he need assistance from that quarter at some future time he had no real doubts that it would be forthcoming. Given all that had gone before he could ask for little more.
But there remained that lingering unease, and it would probably always be there since the cause could not be removed. For all he held Thorin to be much to blame he was honest enough to know that some part of the fault was his own, and there had been few days since then that he hadn't recalled it and regretted it. A glimpse of himself in a mirror dressed as king was enough to call back to his mind that other king who was the source of his discomfort and the look of sympathy in his eyes, a look that had cut the soon to be king of dwarfs to the quick. Now the coming of the wizard reminded him again. Dain scowled at the floor, his mind drifting back to the those difficult days after the battle, back to that one meeting that was the cause of his unease. The meeting in the Elvenking's tent the day before they buried Thorin and his nephews in the vault below the mountain, the meeting where ….
No he would not think of that! Enough that he must remember that he had been bested by Thranduil that day and that the wizard had seen it. That they had met in the following days of the funeral and his crowning in no way undid what had been witnessed, for minds had been on too many other things and he had been able to pretend to himself for a while that it would not matter. But once those events were passed, once he was king under the mountain with time and space to brood, then he saw it differently and realised that it had changed things and that he could never undo it.
But he particularly regretted that the wizard had been there to see it for he travelled widely and spoke with many and Dain couldn't help but wonder who else he had told of those events. He knew that Gandalf had long considered him unreasonable, and that did not worry him, but that the wizard might now also consider him to be a fool did, and he had never had the opportunity to set him right on the matter, for Gandalf had left Dale with the elvish host soon after Thorin's funeral, taking his hobbit friend with him and he had not been seen since.
As to where he had gone, what information Dain had been able to glean suggested that he not travelled to Thranduil's Halls but that he had left the Elvenking at the gates to the forest. Bard had it that he and his companion had skirted north around Mirkwood and then had tracked south and crossed the Misty mountains heading west. There had been no sighting nor word of either of them since. What form of portent Gandalf's return might prove to be would be seen in time but it was unlikely that the news was good and the very sound of his name made Dain uneasy.
He sat back in his chair and scowled at the floor. No, there was almost no one in all Arda he would rather see less, other than Sauron himself, or the Elvenking, yet it was too much to hope that the wizard would stay in Dale or move on without coming to the mountain, and Dain knew that, as king, he could hardly refuse to see him without reason. Had it been later in the year he might have set off on a hunting trip or some other journey but the spring was still young and the roads unpredictable. He could not even summon up reports of orc to chase for none had been seen in the mountains or the land around them since that battle before his gates, yet the very thought of meeting Gandalf filled him with a desire to escape, to flee. He sighed, but to do so would be to admit defeat and that he would not do, not even if he could find a pretext, therefore there was nothing to be done other than to be as gracious as he could when the wizard appeared.
He sighed again and rising began to pace, a not unusual occurrence when he allowed himself to think of that time, or think of Thorin. Not that he could lay it all at his cousins door, he knew he had not behaved well that day, that his manner and his insulting and taunting of King Thranduil had not been consistent with his own Lordship and dignity. He had known that even before he knew the truth, Thranduil had seemed fearless that day, everything a warrior king and leader should be, and Dain had found himself regretting his earlier outburst. Now, well now he would give much to be able to take it back.
He crossed the room and poured himself a cup of ale then sank down on the chair beside the table, taking a deep swallow as he frowned at the floor. 'If only it were just that to regret then I might face the wizard with more ease,' he thought, 'then I might pass my taunting off as the anger of one kept from aiding his kin, but the rest...' He took another gulp, feeling the anger rise in him and the ale turned to vinegar in his mouth, the insults were not the worst of it by a long way for he had been shown to be a gullible fool, caught out believing tall tales and stories of monsters, and that he could not forgive himself. He should not have... well there was no point in dwelling on that now and it seemed he would soon have to face one of the few who had seen.
He drew a deep breath, but perhaps he was being pessimistic the wizard might he not recall the matter, no that was not likely, but he might behave as if he did not, which would serve as well. Gandalf was a wily old fox and knew much of the hearts of men, dwarfs and elves and so might just treat him as he was, the king under the mountain, and for the sake of that kingship not mention it and they could both pretend that it had not happened. Yes, perhaps that was how it would be and that he could manage. He swore long and hard at his own foolishness but he would know that the wizard knew and so he would not be comfortable again until the visit, whatever its purpose, was concluded.
Dain took another swig of ale and stared at the wall, his mind lost in remembering those days that had brought him a crown and a pile of gold but that had cost him many comrades and friends of his youth. Given the fight and the enemy he could not regret coming but there were some things he would have wished different. The raven had brought the message and they had started their march as soon as the warriors could be mustered and got into armour, they hadn't even bothered to assemble supplies more than they needed for the march for Thorin had promised much in return for their aid. He had moved swiftly, perhaps too much so for it had given him little time to reflect. Looking back Dain knew that he had not taken time to think about why an army of men and elves might threaten his cousin, Thorin had given him a reason of sorts and he had accepted it without thought. Why had he done so? He had asked himself that many times in the days after the battle. Why had he believed Thorin so completely, so recklessly?
True they were both dwarf and those that besieged Thorin were not, but it was not as if they had ever been close, indeed they barely knew each other if he were honest about it. In the years between Smaug's coming and dying Thorin's visits to the Iron Hills could be counted upon one hand and even then had not generally lasted long. But more than that he had long known of the weakness in the line of Durin, of Thror's obsession for gold and the price his people had paid for it. Yet he had conaidered none of that when the message came, instead he swallowed every word of it and raged at men and elves even as he called together his host. Yet it might have been different if he had been more cautious. He slapped his hand against his thigh in frustration, and he should have been more cautious, less willing to take what he had been told as truth! He hadn't seen Thorin often but despite that he knew him to be a proud and bombastic fellow with a high regard for his own importance and more than a little prone to grudges, just like his grandfather in fact. He had made it clear in his brief time in the Iron Hills that viewed himself as king even if he no longer had a kingdom, and that he expected his kin to treat him as such. His cousin had always been demanding and fond of his getting his own way, rather given to embellishing his stories too, for he much liked the sound of his own voice. All things that he should have given more thought to at the time but hadn't.
Dain took another mouthful of ale and stared at the floor with narrowed eyes. He had known that something strange had happened on the day the dragon arrived, for there had been no call for aid then, as Thranduil had so astutely observed. Later he had learned that both Thorin's grandfather and father had somehow escaped the mountain when few others did, which should perhaps have made him wonder how that could be the case. When the disaster came upon Erebor the few that survived had not sought out their kin for succour, preferring far away lands amongst men; perhaps he knew the reason why now. But he had never given thought to that either. In the days of glory those within the mountain had not had many dealings with their kin in the Iron Hills and when it fell, bar a passing anger at the works of Dragons and the loss of so much gold to a firedrake, Dain's folk had given little thought. He shook his head at his own foolishness; knowing all of that he should have been more cautious about accepting Thorin's claims. Nor was there much excuse for not doing so for as soon as Thranduil had started to speak he had known the Elvenking's words to be the truth, realised that time and distance and the nature of dragons meant that things could never have been as Thorin claimed.
So why had he been so credulous? Certainly not for love of Thorin nor for any loyalty to Durin's line. Had he believed it because that message named the Elvenking? He did not wish it to be the case but it could not be discounted easily for he relationship between dwarf and elf was always difficult given the history that lay between them. He scowled at the thought, it was true that many dwarfs disliked elves in general as the firstborn of Eru's children, feeling some disadvantage given their own origins. That elves were skillful, that they fair and quick and strong, and tall, only fostered more distrust in many dwarfs who thought them unfairly blest. Thranduil now, he was a case in point, he had walked the world for millennia and yet his senses were undimmed and he was as strong and vital and quick and... young as the day he passed his majority. Time did not touch elves, immortal as they were, and their memories were long; how could man or dwarf be expected to understand such beings, much less like them! That the dwarvish race had sinned deeply against elves did not help of course, despite the ages between those sins and the present time. An elf like Thranduil might well remember such events and have seen them or known those who had. Something else that made him uneasy, for how could you say 'we did not' when the one you spoke to might respond 'you did for I was there.'
Was that why he had believed?
Yet , it was perhaps it was as he had said that day, Thorin was kin so why should he had doubted? Thorin's line had no specific cause for dislike of elves in general, and none towards the Elvenking particularly that he had known of before that wretched message. But it was a;so true that Thror had held many resentments against the Realm of the elves of Greenwood, even before the madness took him he had resented the fact that Thranduil's Realm had been established long before they came, and that it extended up to the foot t of the mountain itself. He had been angry that the beautiful forest that surrounded their mountain, and fertile plain between that forest and the river, was not within their control and that they had to pay tolls to use the road and river and seek permission to collect firewood or graze cattle there. There had been other stories too, that as the madness for gold took ever greater hold of Thror he had come to covet the metals and gems that lay within the rocks beneath the great forest and ran in ore rich lines through the hills from which Thranduil had carved his Halls. Rocks that he was forbidden to tunnel or mine and that were protected by the Elvenking's power. That the elves had carved their Halls without help from Dwarfs had also been a source of irritation, and that they continued to enlarge them without paying for his help cut him deeper still. When Thranduil had started smelting and working his silver and gold for himself then Thrors' rage had apparently been loud. Dain had no knowledge then or now of why the Elvenking had taken such a measure but thinking about it with cool blood it was clear that the reason must have been serious for Sylvan elves did not excel at such metal working and the number of Sindaran smiths and craftsmen within his population could not be large. Those he had were needed to make the swords and spears that, along with his own power, something else the king under the mountain had resented, defended the lands of his people from others who coveted them.
But he hadn't thought of any of those things and as a result he had been caught out behaving like both a bully and a fool. Which brought his mind full circle and back to the wizard. He took another gulp of ale, ah well he would remember he was a king now and smile and speak fair words to the visitor as if there were no such memories between them. But he wished he had more warning and he wondered why no word had come to him whilst the wizard was on the road to Dale. Perhaps he should establish a new watchpost that gave better sight of the road out from the forest. Whatever the reasons for his visit the coming of Gandalf reminded Dain of that last battle for the mountain and the indisputable fact that the danger from the great darkness was not yet past. Yes, something indeed to consider.
Dain got to his feet and shook out his robes, 'yes,' he thought, 'the battle may not yet be over. Perhaps that is the portent of this arrival, the reminder that the enemy still survives and an army of orc might one day return to the mountains.'
He drained his cup of ale went off to consider what he might yet do to to improve their defences.
