The journey continues
A/N To those kind readers who have reviewed and to whom I cannot send a PM, thank you it is most appreciated.
Dinner had been a private family affair at Legolas request and, though he had been careful to give no sign of it, his father had been relieved for it must mean that his son had something he wanted to say beyond the hearing of others. He could think of only one matter that might inspire such caution.
There had been five sunrises since the letter from Dale had been delivered to Legolas, and three of them since the reply had been sent, that much he knew, yet so far there had been no mention of either between them. Thranduil had no intention of asking, either about the letter or the reply, and if Legolas chose to say nothing of the matter then he would accept it; but he could not help but hope that the trust he had so painfully rebuilt between them was enough that Legolas would wish to make some reference to it. So far he had been silent on the matter.
But as dinner progressed it was clear that there was some tension within Legolas that was growing even as they discussed day to day matters and then the developing plans for the final spring feast and for Elronds' visit. It was the latter that seemed to give him the spur to mention the letter, though he approached the matter by a winding road.
"Does Lord Elrond plan to visit Dain, or Dale, when he leaves us?"
Thranduil shook his head.
"I believe not, though he has no reason to be explicit on the matter to me. I think that his plan is to travel to Lothlorien and then turn for home. He will wish to be back west of the mountains before the first snows which will give him little time to venture further east."Legolas had frowned at the fruit on the plate before him as if it was in some way the cause of Elronds' intentions.
"It surprises me that he does not think to take this opportunity to make the acquaintance of Dain and Bard." He said with a hint of disapproval.
His father smiled slightly.
"The health of the Lady is more likely to be of concern to him, for he was there when Sauron was banished and saw how much it hurt her, it is natural enough that is of more interest. But it is also true that the safety of the north and east has never been a matter of pressing concern to him. He is more likely to look further west and. like Mithrandir, to worry more about the Shire and the lands towards the havens, for that are the route to the ships and the west followed by his people."
Legolas frown deepened.
"Yet if the shadow rises again it will be east of the mountains where it will need to be fought, here as well as in Gondor and Rohan. Would it not serve him well to make himself known to those that might be his closest allies?"
Thranduil shook his head.
"If the armies of Sauron march then Imladris will be as much at risk as any, and Erebor and Dale will be too far to give aid, even if they were able and willing. Be in no doubt Legolas it will be the Elven Realms that Saurons' armies from the east will seek to destroy first, for with them gone there will be no barrier to sweeping west to the Shire and beyond. The Realms of men to the south will come later unless some pressing matter arises."
Legolas smiled a weary smile.
"This is why you swell our armories with such fervor."
His father inclined his head but said nothing more.
There was silence between them for a moment, the only sound the crackle of the fire and the soft clink of platters as Galion fussed with something on the side table. Thranduil raised his eyes and caught Galions' glance, without a word the other elf bowed his head and slid from the room. His going seemed to ease Legolas's hesitation just as his father had expected that it would and he seemed to take a deep breath before speaking again.
"Speaking of Dale, I received a letter some days past, a letter from the garrison, from Tauriel."
He paused but when his father remained silent he continued, though the words came slowly and with some effort.
"She requested a meeting with me, now rather than when we go to Dale for the celebrations."
He drew another deep breath.
"She wanted me to do so without your knowing and proposed a place where we could meet in secret."
He watched his fathers face closely as he went on.
"She did not say what the purpose of this meeting was to be, other than she wished to explain to me her actions of seven winters ago. The reason for the secrecy was that she did not believe that you would permit such a meeting."
Thranduil remained silent but sympathy showed in his expression and at the sight of it Legolas sighed.
"What she thinks could have any meaning now for either of us I do not know." He looked down at his hands, "I suspect it is the conversation between her and Mithrandir that caused her to write, though it may be that until that time she did not know I had returned. Be that as it may what is there for us to speak of? She abandoned her home and her loyalties to her kin to pursue a dwarf she barely knew, how can the why of that matter more than the what? Nothing can erase what was done."
If Thranduil read the wealth of unspoken meaning behind the words he gave no sign of it and his expression of patient sympathy did not change as he waited for his son to continue.
After a moment Legolas sighed again and went on softly.
"Certainly nothing that could be so pressing that it couldn't wait until summer; and nothing that could demand such devious machination." He smiled sadly, "which is how I replied. I have said that if she wishes to speak of it with me when we are in Dale for the celebrations then I will meet with her and with your knowledge, and I hope your blessing."
Thranduil inclined his head.
"If you truly wish to meet with her then I will not oppose it however you chose to do it. But I would counsel you to be careful about how and when you meet with Tauriel. Meeting her openly, with my approval and in my house, is unlikely to raise much comment, for you and she had been as brother and sister and despite her transgression none would expect that you denied her existence. But be on your guard against anything that hints at disloyalty or duplicity, she may not understand the consequences of her actions and how others might judge it and so you must be wise for both of you."He paused for a moment, taking a sip of wine, and then he looked at his son with compassion.
"If you wish to speak with her before we travel to Dale for the celebrations then tell me now for there ar
opportunities to facilitate it without causing undue comment. Elrond's impending visit is one such and you could make the journey and back again before he can be expected to arrive."
Legolas smiled and shook his head.
"No, I have no such wish, though I will confess to some curiosity as to her intentions. I have asked her to inform me if there is any urgency to our meeting in my reply, and I have told her of the expected visit, if she has particular concerns she may write to me of them and I have undertaken to reply. But as for meeting with her I am content to wait until the summer unless there is anything of substance in her next letter."
Thranduil considered that for a moment wondering how best to frame his response. He shrugged trying to hide his own suspicions of her reasons.
"I doubt that she will write anything of substance. As for her purpose in meeting with you, there can be only one likely reason for that, she wishes to judge for herself the degree to which you still view her actions, and hence her current plight, with sympathy. No doubt she wishes to be convinced that you have not suffered for your defense of her but she will also wish to see how much she might rely upon you to act as her advocate."
Legolas look at him in surprise.
"Her advocate? Why should she need one? Has she reason to think you might change your mind about her fate?"
The king sighed.
"She may have taken the wizards visit as an indication of such, though he assured me that he would give no cause for her to think it unless he judged her guilty."
He reached for his glass frowning slightly.
"Thinking of his letter, their conversation as he reported it would have given her some food for thought, and so her approach to you may be an attempt to fend off such self searching. What she wishes of you may be nothing more than a source of reassurance of her virtue in the matter." He met his sons' eyes. "Remember that she has had no news of you since Ravenhill. When I spoke to her in Dale I made no mention of your departure, she will have learned of it of course for I did not forbid it being mentioned but she will not know the reasons for your leaving, nor the detail of your return."
Legolas echoed the frown.
"Certainly her letter to me suggested a belief that matters continued to be stained between us. That some distance, some coldness lies between us. It may be that all she seeks is to be assured that such the estrangement is resolved. I would not wish her to continue to believe it, for it must be a source of further grief to her. "
Thranduil repressed the surge of anger those words sent through him, 'more likely she seeks to reignite it' he though bitterly, but no hint of that anger showed as he responded.
"Well perhaps it is to be expected when she has spoken to neither of us since that time."
Legolas considered that.
"Perhaps I should write to her again and assure her that you and I have made our peace and that she need not torment herself on that matter."
The king guarded his expression at that remark, careful not to show the difference in his own reading of the situation for there was much about Tauriels' actions he still had not broached with his son and he remained reluctant to do so.
"Perhaps, " he said gently, "but it might be best to wait to see how she responds first, after all we do not know what she believes on the matter, and she does not live so secluded that she will have no knowledge at all of what happens here. I think she will have known of your return for some time and be aware that no action against you has followed upon that return."
"Then I see no reason for her to ask for secrecy in our meeting."
Thranduil saw the uncertainty in his face and cursed silently, he would not allow any action by Tauriel to poison his son's still fragile peace and so he smiled and shrugged gracefully.
"I doubt there was any important reason for it, but that you were correct that she thinks I might forbid it, or perhaps that you would not wish to ask for my agreement so soon after your return. Gandalf may have said something to make her think this for he can be a difficult informant for those not used to his conversation."
Legolas laughed lightly at his father's words and the wry expression that accompanied them...
"That is true. I can well imagine that he left her more than a little confused, I have felt the same on occasions when in his company. Very well I will wait until I receive her response, assuming that she writes again given my refusal."
The king looked down into his wine and spoke quietly
"Oh I think she will, and if you wish to travel to Dale to meet her at my house you have my agreement to do so. But I would ask that you do not make a long stay and that you are here during Elrond's visit, I do not think it will be of long duration. If you decide to wait until the summer celebration I will ensure that you are given ample time to meet with her and a suitable place to do so. But do not feel that you must wait if she sends some reason for the meeting to take place sooner."
Legolas inclined his head with a smile.
"Thank you, I cannot deny her the request and yet I know that any contact with her must cause you grief. For that I am sorry, I do not wish to cause further pain and so I ask for your understanding. "
Thranduil waved the apology away.
"Do not concern yourself on that score; for I have always known that some further meeting and discussion between you two was inevitable and well understand why you feel as you do. I would not ask you to do otherwise."
With that he turned the conversation back to Elrond's visit and the entertainment of his foster son; nothing more was said of Tauriel or her letter.
xxx
The scouts had been right and the mountain passes were largely free of snow and ice allowing Elronds' party to ride for much of the time only dismounting to lead their horses through the rare remaining drifts, or in the places where the winter weather had tumbled rock slides across the winding path that was the fastest route through this part of the mountains. The temperature fell as they climbed higher, snow could still be seen on the slopes above them and the wind that whistled through many of the passes still had the power to bite at exposed flesh, it caused the mortal member of the party to shiver and pull his heavy cloak closer about him.
Yet for all the winds edge the weather was far kinder than at such a time in most years and they made good time only stopping to rest when the pack horses showed signs of weariness or when the light declined enough to put the horses at risk of tripping. Though the outriders traveled with weapons at the ready they encountered neither Orc nor troll, and their nights around the camp fire were peaceful and untroubled.
Barely a week after they entered the western foothills of the Misty Mountains they were cresting the last line of peaks and seeing the Wilderland laid out beneath them. In the distance the great river glittered silver under a bright afternoon sun and beyond it, on the horizon, the dark shadow that was the outer edge of Greenwood the Great could be just seen by human sight. It stretched as far as even elvish eyes could see in both directions.
It had been more than two millennia since Elrond had traveled this far to the east and for a moment he was taken by a sense of shock at the sight before them for he had forgotten the extent of the great forest. Beside him his foster son stared wide eyed at the panorama.
"So big! I had not thought that the Greenwood forest would be so big, at least if that shadow is the forest."
Elrond smiled at him.
"Yes, the shadow you can see is the outer edge of the forest, and in places it is as wide as it is long."
The youth stared at the horizon with surprise.
"Then the Elvenkings' Realm is much bigger than Imladris? I had not realized that would be so."
Elrond nodded.
"Oh yes, Thranduils' Realm is far larger than Imladris, larger than it and Lothlorien combined in fact. Though he never ruled over all the forest, and his realm is smaller since the shadow returned to Dol Guldar and they moved north. Once his Realm covered a good part of Greenwood the Great and was truly vast but the evil has forced them from all of the south forest and now the Woodland Realm is confined to the northern section, but even so it is by far the largest elvish realm remaining, and one of the largest there has been since the first age."
For a moment they both continued to look towards the shadow on the horizon in silence then the child of men looked back towards his foster father.
"How long will it take us to reach his lands?"
Elrond was still looking out towards the east but he replied without hesitation.
"About half a cycle of the moon. Another day or so on this road will take us to the main pass out of the mountains and then another day or a little more to descend to the plain and leave the foothills, then a week to reach the forest gate provided we have no difficulty in crossing the river. Possibly another few days through the forest, Thranduils' people will meet us at the forest gate and provide us with an escort down the shortest route to his Halls."
"He will not allow us to travel unescorted? Why, does he not trust us even though we come at his invitation?"
Elrond shook his head.
"We would not be safe if we tried to travel that road alone, even with the kings' goodwill and the shadow lifted. The forest is a dangerous place even with the Necromancer gone and it is made all the more dangerous by Thranduils' protective enchantments. Or so Mithrandir tells me. The road has been kept clear by the kings' influence even in the darkest of days but in places it is twisting and hard to follow and if you leave it then it is likely you will become lost among the trees and never find it again, as the dwarfs discovered. If the wood elves do not find you then it is possible to wander endlessly in the dark places of the forest and never escape. Though it is not likely that would happen to us Thranduil will not risk the possibility of mishap and so he will have us escorted, for which I am most thankful."
That brought a startled look.
"Enchantments? The king has some power then?"
Elrond hesitated for a moment, wondering what best to say; eventually he shrugged, his grey eyes drifting back to the shadow of the forest.
"I believe so, though I know nothing of the nature and source of it. Thranduil is something of an enigma even to his peers. Since the coming of the shadow to the fortress in the south few have visited his Realm and he has had little time to spare to venture beyond his borders. Most of his attention has been upon protecting his people and holding back the power of the Necromancer, and he ceased to join the Council several centuries ago."
He paused for a moment his mind going back to that last meeting the Elvenking had graced; wondering what might have changed had they paid more attention to his concerns. He pushed the thought away and turned to the youth beside him with a smile.
"As I said there are dangers in the forest even now."
"The Elvenkings magic? What sort of dangers?"
Elrond gave him a long and serious look.
"There are many I am told though I could not list them. However I do know that the river that runs through the forest and before the kings gate is enchanted and should be treated with great caution, they say its water causes sleep and vivid dreams, but the source of the spell that lies upon it not even Mithrandir knows. The wood elves themselves have strong magic and can deprive a person of their wits with little effort, yet there is more than that at work in the forest. Thranduil himself is Sindar not sylvan and he has all the skills of the elves that went over the mountains towards the west, and I would expect that he has learned all his people know and more during the days of his reign. Certainly it is his power that holds his gates and once you are within them you can only leave with his permission. Something none of us should forget. "
"The guards say that he lives beneath the ground, that his realm is contained within stone, a strange thing for an elf. Is it true?"
Elrond smiled.
"There are many stories about the king of the wood, most of them nothing more than empty and childish gossip that you need not concern yourself with. But that one has some truth for his Halls are indeed built within stone, they are within a large complex of caves in a mountain covered with trees, just as Menegroth was long ago. But his Halls of stone are his palace, the treasure house of his Realm, and the stronghold of his people at time of danger and against their enemies. Only those who serve within his Palace guard or have some official role within his government or Council are required to live within the palace. His people live within the forest for most of the time, either in the trees as they do in Lothlorien, or in houses on the ground. Settlements extend as far east as the River Running, and in the days before the dragon they were as far north as the Lonely Mountain. "
Elrond gave his foster son a long look.
"Though I believe it also houses the workshops of the smiths and his armory which I Mithrandir says is considerable. Thranduil is in many ways a warrior king, you should not forget that whilst we are there."
The youth nodded.
"He fought at the gates Mordor with you did he not?"
Elrond nodded slowly, his expression somber.
"Yes. He came to Dagorlad as a prince and left it as a king having seen his father fall before the black gates. He stayed and fought even then, and his people paid a high price for their loyalty and bravery. They might have repudiated him given their losses but their love and respect for him was and remains strong, as it was for his father before him."
He looked back towards the shadow of the forest.
"He has reigned for the whole of this age in times of light and times of darkness, few can claim to have done as much; it is for this reason that we travel to meet him, for there is something I would request of him for none is as well qualified to provide what is needed than he."
Elrond looked back towards the youth again with a faint smile.
"His knowledge is wide and he has many informants to ensure that he knows most of what is going on in the world. Do not be seduced into thinking the separation of his Realm from others means that he is unconcerned with the world and its' doings. Though he might seem to suggest it if it serves his purpose. He cares for his forest and his people deeply and defends them with his skill, his wit and his own power. Yet few can claim to know him."
The youth stared towards the horizon with a frown.
"He sounds most strange and formidable."
Elrond nodded.
"I cannot testify to strange but formidable most certainly." He said softly.
With that he urged his horse forward.
