Chapter Eleven: (A Deadly Game of Hide and Seek)

The clatter of fast approaching horses drew attention from all those that were along and near the courtyard of Imladris. Riders and horses alike were spattered with travel and exhaustion was clearly visible on both. The Ranger had pressed the horses as hard as he dared to get his friend to someone who could take care of the injured arm better than those in the wild with no healing magic and only the medicinal properties of the plants to aid them. For the last leg of the journey Ohtar had been forced to tie Amras to his horse so the man wouldn't fall off. It would have overtaxed his own horse if Ohtar had tried to keep his friend in front of him. He thought it best for each horse to have one rather than two burdens.

"We need a healer!" Ohtar cried as soon as he was able, sliding off his horse with ease and rushing over to the slumped form of his friend. There was a flurry as both the riders and horses were seen to. The horses were led away with much grumbling about the state of the poor lathered things. There would be a lecture awaiting sure enough later, the elves were long accustomed to the Dúnedain and knew there had to be a pressing matter for them to treat their steeds thus.

"What has happened?" One asked as after they had helped the Rangers to a room to assess the injured man.

"His arm was nearly taken off by a warg," Ohtar replied for the silent Amras whose eyes were glazed over in pain and fever. He blanched when the bandages were removed from the arm that was twice the size it should be.

The healer murmured as they made short work of removing the sleeve from the infected bite mark and then after a few commands, had assistance to work on the Ranger. Ohtar was sent away while the elves worked. Elrond came quickly and entered the room leaving Ohtar to pace after finding out that his Chieftain wasn't at Imladris but was in fact due within a week or so. He was confident that Lord Elrond would save his friend's life, but he wasn't sure if they had been in time for Amras to keep his arm. It seemed like hours before he was approached by Elrond to find out what had occurred. The man hadn't thought he knew much even when asked to repeat the event again with many pointed questions. When his tale was done, the elf looked pensive.

"It is strange," Elrond murmured. "You are sure he claimed to have come from Eryn Vorn?"

Ohtar nodded. "He didn't come by the road, but he had stated had followed the Baranduin." He had given his captain's reasoning for following the wolf and rider from Sarn Ford. "We only realized it wasn't a goblin when we were able to sneak up on the rider when he was sleeping."

"Yes, when the warg tried to lead you away before circling back to attack." Elrond held up a hand before the other could refute or argue the point. "Do you know where your captain is now?"

"We had plans to meet back near Tharbad if we could."

"Hmmm."

"Lord Elrond?" Ohtar questioned, breaking the thoughtful expression on the elf. "Amras? His arm, is it-?"

"It shall heal, but he'll not have full use of it anymore, I'm afraid." What wasn't spoken was had they been any later and if Elrond had been less a healer, the man would have lost his arm and most assuredly would have if they had gone to Bree instead.

Ohtar was relieved and was sure that his friend would feel the same when he awoke. After speaking a bit more, he was given leave to relax which he did so gratefully. Elrond in the meantime sent out a few riders of his own to look into the matter and see if they could track down this mystery. It needed to be seen if it was dangerous or lent to a more benign design.

Glorfindel was one of the riders that had been sent out to try and find the strange duo. He had left the Ranger that had brought news to stay with his injured comrade. Making haste, he was able to find the Ranger Captain that he sought a few miles from Tharbad.

"Hail, Dúnedain ," Glorfindel greeted the two Rangers as he drew close and dismounted. The two Rangers returned the greeting. "I bring word from Lord Elrond and to inform you that your injured comrade is recovering."

Both men exhaled in relief at the glad tidings for both had feared that Amras hadn't been able to make it to Rivendell. It was curious to Glorfindel to find the younger Ranger looked put out when he the elf admitted that he did not know if Elrohir and Elladan had also been sent on the same seeking mission as he.

"Ignore him," Nathor stated with a disproving look towards his subordinate. "He is holding a grudge for the boy taking and keeping his bow until he made his escape."

"How did he come to lose it?"

The encounter with the boar was then told. Nathor hesitated before he produced the cut rope and handed it over to the elf. He stated his suspicions of the boy being able to wield a touch of magic. Neither Nathor or Thandir knew if this was something he had learned from the Drúedain if the boy had actually stayed with them. It might have come from a more nefarious people like those allied to Sauron and Angband so long ago.

"This isn't Morgul magic." Glorfindel was stated assuredly after his examination of the rope. "I shall send word and ask Mithrandir about this all the same."

Elf and Dúnedain parted ways after the former learned which direction those he was tracking headed. The Rangers had been sure the warg had headed back towards the Misty Mountains. Glofindel used the pass and spent many a week trekking along the vales between the mountains and the Anduin River. He did not believe the warg and it's rider would head to Lorien if he were allied with the enemy. There were no signs to indicate it either. The Dúnedan had indicated the boy indicated they had been heading north, so that was the direction Glorfindel focused on. It took time to search the Wilderlands. There he found traces that indicated someone had come by within that last few months. Ahead stood Mirkwood, to the north the Grey Mountains and to the south were the Brown Lands of Rhovanion.

"Come, Asfaloth. Let us see if there is any news from the Woodland Realm about our quarry." So saying Glorfindel nudged the horse north to avoid the few Woodmen that still resided at the edge of Mirkwood.

Upon entering the forest both Harry and Padfoot felt conflicting emotions and thoughts running rampant through them. There had been awe at the size of the forest trees themselves. While their previous forest with the Drughu had been tall, these were even larger and grew much more closer together that some would find stifling. To both boy and wolf it felt wilder if that was possible. It made it more difficult but not impossible for them to traverse. All they had to do was watch where they stepped until they got used to all the roots and different way the tree and foliage grew.

Padfoot took in all the scents that he could and let out a soft whine that caused his boy to glance at him in question. Padfoot let out an anxious whimper letting his boy know that he wasn't sure of this forest. His ears rotated this way and that trying to pick up all the sounds or lack of it that caused some of his distress. There was an absence of birdsong, the chatter of squirrels and the scrapes of their tiny claws as they scaled and scampered about the boughs of the trees. The scents he could smell on the air were all wrong as well. A whine was pulled from the wolf's throat as he pressed closer to his boy seeking as well as offering solace for the strangeness of the wood. He was grateful when his boy reached up to run his fingers through his fur, petting him.

Harry gave a shaky smile and then made a face when Padfoot licked his hand. Absently wiping the wolf slobber off his hand onto his shirt, the boy took a few strides into the forest, glanced upwards and turned in a slow circle taking it all in. Once done, he gave a shrug before he began to walk further with Padfoot staying right next to him. As they wandered both took note how the light was vastly different as it tried to make its way through the dense canopy. "I don't think this is a tame forest," Harry murmured feeling his thought was right. His lips turned upwards into a smile when Padfoot gave a yip of agreement. "Let's go exploring, shall we?"

The boy ignored Padfoot's warning bark when he took off running making the wolf quickly lope behind him to keep him in sight. While it seemed his boy had the mind of exploring for the fun of it, the wolf had other priorities. He didn't begrudge his boy the moment of excitement. Since their run in with the Menfolk the boy was always at least a little cautious when traveling. It had been good for them to find the Dwarves so they could have a bit of relaxation and know that kindness and acceptance wasn't just limited to one kind of people. That didn't mean that there weren't more like the Rangers which was why the wolf was more keen on seeking out what could pose a danger in this forest. The forest prickled at Padfoot's instincts.

When it came to settle for the night, the wolf dug them out a den between tree roots and made sure that Harry was towards the back well protected. The wolf had growled showing there was no room for argument, that the boy was to stay put while Padfoot went to place scent markers. As far as he could tell, he was the apex predator in these woods. Any animal that came across the wolf's scent would know better than to invade his territory. His boy wisely hadn't moved from the den while he'd been gone and didn't fuss when it was time to sleep and Padfoot put himself closer to the opening.

Each day they would explore and after a few days went a bit further traveling northward trying to find a water source. While the forest muffled some noises, Padfoot could still faintly hear the sound of the river they had crossed and made sure to be traveling as parallel to it as they could. He didn't trust this forest just yet and wanted to be sure that they could flee if need be. The wolf halted when his hearing picked up the sound of voices and activity. Trotting closer, the wolf slowed to a walk then watched while hidden behind a thicket. His nose took in all the scents while his eyes gazed about seeing what looked like a village. Unlike the one where he'd stolen the pig from, this one had complete wooden houses. There were also very few people.

Turning away, Padfoot made sure to move their den further away from this area and headed south. He well recalled his treatment and how the last men they had run across had treated his boy. The wolf huffed when Harry wanted to know why they had to move instead of trusting him and doing as he was told! Even after a reprimanding nip, the boy insisted on knowing what the danger was. Knowing that Harry would trudge out on his own and likely end up in trouble, the wolf gave in. The two crept back up to the clearing where the houses were and they both spied on the small village for awhile before it seemed the boy came to his senses. After that, much to the wolf's pleasure, he didn't question Padfoot when he herded him rather than allowing him to choose to continue wandering where he will northward.

That didn't mean that the he wasn't curious when they came upon a lone cottage that caused them to pause. Boy and wolf had been leisurely ambling along until they caught sight of the cottage which had both of them on alert as they hid to find out who else lived in the forest, without being seen themselves. Harry scrambled up a tree and crouched on a branch peering through the leaves as far as he dared. Padfoot lay at the base of the tree using the trunk as well as the shadows to help him blend in and disappear. Used to hunting and having to wait, the wolf did much better than the boy who was growing bored even while he was tense and his stomach twisted with nerves. Shifting to relieve some pressure from his legs, Harry nearly lost his grip and fell out of the tree when Padfoot gave a warning noise. Recovering quickly, the boy narrowed his eyes as he gazed towards the door of the cottage and then frowned when he didn't see or hear anything that would have caused the wolf to alert. Then he saw it, but only because there was a flutter of movement among the browns and greens of the forest. It had to be a man because he was at least a head taller than the Dwarves and despite his long beard, he wasn't dressed at all like his mountain friends. The brown clad man carried a strange branch on in one hand and a small animal in the crook of the arm not holding the branch.

The man paused when he was halfway to the cottage, his head moving and eyes gazing in the general direction in which boy and wolf hid. Harry resisted shrinking down as much as he could but still felt his muscles tense further causing him to almost quiver as he held his breath. Could the man sense them? It didn't look as if he had actually seen them as his head and eyes moved a bit as if searching. Neither Padfoot or Harry moved as they waited to see what the strangely dressed man would do. After giving the area another sweep, the man went into his house. Letting out the breath he'd been holding, Harry shuffled back towards the trunk of the tree and looked downwards to find that the wolf hadn't taken his gaze off the door to the cottage.

"Padfoot?" he questioned with a whisper wondering why the wolf hadn't moved or made a sound to indicate what they should do next. When he didn't get a response in any form except silent stillness, Harry huffed and began to make his way down the tree. Right as his foot left the second to last branch, Padfoot shot up and gave a warning bark that was directed towards both the stranger as well as Harry. Halting his progress, and startled when he heard a voice trying to sooth the wolf, Harry pulled himself back up and crouched on the tree limb being careful to not disturb the smaller branches. Oh so carefully, he laid himself flat along the branch, wrapped his legs on either side to get a good grip just in case, and used his hands to part some of the leaves with little noise as possible. Peering out, he stared at the strange man this time without whatever small creature he'd taken into his cottage.

It seemed that while Harry had been occupied with his descent the man had left his home and approached their direction which caused Padfoot to reveal himself. While Harry was still hidden he took the time to study the stranger. And he was strange. It wasn't that his weathered face was surrounded by a mane of gray hair and beard, nor even the brown robe the man was wearing. It was a bit of everything all together combined with his expression and body language. It wasn't hostile or suspicious, more bemused and curious as well as if he was trying to puzzle something out. He didn't appear as if he wanted to harm or felt threatened by Padfoot, not if the tone of voice was anything to go by or anything else Harry had seen so far. The only weapon that the boy could see was that stick that could give him a good clouting if he allowed himself within range of it.

Harry could either climb back up into the semi protection the canopy gave and try leaping to another tree, something he did quite often and found fun when not put on the spot like this. Or he could drop down next to the protection of Padfoot knowing the wolf wouldn't let the man hurt him and be in a better position to leap onto the wolf so they could run away. As the man seemed to still be trying to communicate with the wolf whose ears were pulled back and eyes were squinted in his own version of suspicion, Harry made his decision. The boy carefully sat up then continued his climb down to the lowest branch and dangled himself for a few seconds allowing his and the startled man's gaze to meet before letting go to land in a crouch beside his furry protector. The sudden motion had caused the man to back up a bit more than Padfoot's abrupt movement had.

As Harry stood, he stared at the man suspiciously. He felt different than the Rangers. Up close to him like this with an unimpeded view he could very well believe the man was ancient despite not looking shriveled. There wasn't a slouch to him, but the boy still got that feeling.

"You have a friend."

He sounded confused and a bit disappointed to Harry. From their past encounters it always befuddled people that Harry was with Padfoot, but this strange man was the opposite. It appeared as if he was confused as to why Padfoot would be with Harry! That was a bit novel for the boy. "If he does?" He challenged causing the man to blink at him.

"It quite surprising is all." Yes, there was definitely a quality of disappointment and confusion in the stranger's voice.

Before Harry could question why that was so, the man continued. "You had better get home and not wander any further south."

Glancing southward, Harry was curious why the man didn't want them going that way and where the man thought that their home was. Padfoot brought the boy's attention back to him though when he'd taken Harry's sleeve in his teeth and and began to walk back away from the stranger. All the while, Padfoot kept himself between his boy and the strange old man. With sufficient distance between them, Harry was given the instruction to get atop the wolf. Harry complied but was still very curious and confused. It seemed that Padfoot didn't think the man a danger because he didn't run, but trotted away back towards their current den.

The next day Padfoot had Harry climb atop him again as they went through the forest heading northward but giving the clearing they'd seen the houses in a wide berth. The wolf hadn't wanted to alarm the boy about the things he sensed in the forest knowing that Harry could feel a duller version than that of the wolf. Both could tell there was something wrong with this forest and it was a lot stronger when they had gone southward. The man likely knew the cause, but Padfoot didn't trust him despite the man not giving off anything threatening at that moment. He needed to find an area that was unoccupied to settle in until it was time to move on.

It was the laughter that drew the elves. The ones that had been on patrol had first felt the difference in the forest for the past few weeks. They had wondered at it then decided to satiate their curiosity if not for themselves then for their king who would want to know. They had followed it spurred on by the sound of the laughter. It was clear, bright, and full of joyful amusement. There was something to that sound that lightened the elves' hearts and demeanor. The laughter was interspersed by the sounds of a flute. When they found the source they couldn't help but stare at the child who danced around being chased by a large black wolf in a friendly way. The boy seemed to be teasing the wolf with the flute music and dancing away to keep from being tackled to the ground. The wolf was yipping and dancing about as well in his way to try and capture the child. The elves thought their eyes were deceiving them, but they quickly began to whisper among themselves. Some of the words that kept being repeated were 'Huan' and 'elf-child'.

Suddenly the wolf stopped it's playful sounds to those of aggression as it spun to place itself in front of the child blocking him from the elves. Ears were jutted out to the sides, lips curled back form teeth as it snarled and gave warning growls, hackles raising. The boy had frozen at the first sign of the wolf's nature changing before quickly placing his flute into his bag and leaping atop the wolf.

"Wait!" An elf called out but they paid no heed, the wolf quickly darting away. The elves tried to follow but the wolf was able to leap further and had longer strides than they. The black coloring along with the child's grey-green tunic helped to blend them into the forest to hide from even the sharp vision of an elf.

The elves didn't give up and were set to track down the two. They split into groups one making sure to go and inform their king what they found in their wood.

They were surprised to see Glorfindel there already talking with their king when they arrived in the halls of the Elven King. Quickly they told of their find which seemed to be exactly who Glorifindel had been seeking. He seemed as shocked as Thranduil when they stated they were sure that the boy had elven blood in his veins.

"Dúnedain?" Glorfindel questioned why the Rangers he'd spoken to wouldn't have recognized one of their own. That notion was dispelled as Thranduil's elf shook his head in the negative and continued to speak.

"The Edain rarely can tell the difference between our kind and theirs. Even those that have been around elves wouldn't know an Elven child from one of their own at first glance."

"Peredhel?" Thranduil mused with tilted head in thought. It would make much more sense for the child to be half-elven.

"Either way, it leaves questions that need be answered."

-LINEBREAK-

He was cursed. That was the thought that kept going through Harry's head as he ran as fast as he dared along a tree branch leaping from one to another. His heart was pounding in his chest with his fear as he glanced back to check and see if he was still being pursued. Looking forward again he made a daring leap and pinwheeled his arms before catching his balance when he landed. As he pressed himself against the trunk of the tree to hide as well as catch his breath, Harry took a few deep shuddering breaths trying to rein in his fear and calm his breathing.

After they had fled northward from the tree men, ever northward which the boy was now regretting, they had been finding bad luck. They had known that food seemed to be scarce in these woods. Padfoot found doe that he had allowed Harry to eat from first and take a portion to try and make dried meat for provisions. The wolf disappeared quite often likely to find his own food since he could move fast like he had when they had scaled the mountain the second time. Harry had a suspicion Padfoot had stolen things from either the old strange man or from the people in the wood houses. Whichever it was, the wolf always brought back a full skin of water that Harry would ration until it was empty.

It didn't seem how hard they tried the tree people kept finding them! They didn't seem to be scared off by Padfoot and Harry was eternally grateful that they didn't decide to shoot his wolf full of arrows. They seemed to want to talk, but Harry couldn't understand anything they were saying! And they were tall like the Rangers which meant they were trouble. So both Harry and Padfoot had fled, but now, he was thinking maybe they should have either left the forest or gone south despite what the old man had told them.

Hearing the particular sound that the creature made from it's legs upon the wood and the sound of it's pincers, the boy desperately looked about for a place to hide. He flung himself away from the trunk and towards another tree with a branch that looked like it could bend without breaking from his light weight. In his desperation he'd miscalculated and hadn't seen the bit of rot that caused the branch to break with an ominous cracking sound. When he fell with greater momentum than planned, he slammed onto a branch that drove the breath from his lungs. It had also caused a nasty gash bruise on the back of his head where it collided with tree since he'd landed on his back and unable to keep his head from hitting. He tried to pull air back into his lungs with a painful gasp. It hurt and his head throbbed as he lay stunned.

A wolf's howl, Padfoot's howl, brought him to as he blinked and tried to sit up. He hissed as he did so and felt as if he was going to lose his lunch as his vision swam and his stomach threatened to rebel. Shakily, he tried to stand to continue to try and evade the giant spider that had decided he was going to be its lunch. Only, when he went to stand and take a step, he overbalanced which caused him to miss and his foot touch only air. Tilting precariously, he went over and free fell until he felt something solid collide with his side. It happened so fast. One moment he was falling, the next, he'd been caught in Padfoot's jaw's with the wolf twisting, trying to keep from plowing face first into the ground with Harry. He was aware of being jostled though and feeling even more like he wanted to throw up.

Confused, the boy felt as if his head was full of cotton and everything was blurred. No matter how much he blinked, things were wrong. As if from a distance he could hear Padfoot snarling and snapping, but when he tried to focus he could see that his wolf was standing guard over him. Woozy and knowing that Padfoot would keep him safe, he allowed himself to tilt over and curl into a ball and try and breathe as he closed his eyes.

Continuing to snarl and lunge at the men when they tried to approach his boy, Padfoot wouldn't let them near them. The spiders had done a number on both of them. When they had come across the first spider, Padfoot and been angry it hadn't recognized him as higher on the food chain it when it had tried to attack them. The creatures tasted foul and smelled as if they were infected, so he quickly gave up trying to bite them recognizing the danger in that. He had become enraged when it had been able to scratch Harry with its stinger when he was trying to dodge it. Thankfully the thick shirt he'd received from the Rangers had absorbed it the most as it pulled at the material. That was when he had Harry try and flee while he took care of the spider. He hadn't known there were more of them, though he should have.

Just as with Harry, Padfoot wasn't feeling well from the bits of ingested spider which fueled his need to protect himself and his boy. It didn't matter that they weren't brandishing weapons at him and had decided to fell the spiders. No one was going near them while they were injured and vulnerable. When one tried to get too near, Padfoot would lunge and snarl at them snapping his jaws making them quickly retreat and they seemed to realize it wasn't a good idea to try and distract him with one of them while another tried to get to his boy.

The elves had made sure to keep keep track of the wolf's passage in the forest, finding signs of where he'd been. When they had finally found fresh tracks they found the wolf without the boy. They also found a spider or two that had been hiding themselves. Whether it was because they thought the new additions to the forest were an easy meal, or they were desperate for food, they had made a grave mistake. They made quick work of the spiders and backed off when the wolf howled. He paused as if waiting, ears twitching even while keeping his gaze on the elves. Apparently having heard something, it had sprinted and the elves had followed to watch in horror as the child was plummeting toward the ground. Before any of them could act, the wolf was already in motion, leaping and catching the boy by his side in his maw.

When the wolf had placed his burden gently on the ground he had rounded on them snarling. They tried to speak calming words, letting him know they posed no danger. No words seemed to penetrate whatever protective mode the wolf was in. Or perhaps he was too injured?

"Glorfindel!" One cried in relief seeing the balrog slayer. "He won't let us near to treat the child."

Glorfinedel's eyes widened when he saw that the child's eyes were shut. "That is not good," he murmured. Motioning for the others to back away, they did so while shifting their gazes from the older elf, to the wolf, child, and their surroundings.

"Peace," he tried. "We won't harm your charge. We only wish to help."

There was no comprehension in the wolf's posture. He continued to snarl at the elf, body tense and ready to lunge if need be with his ears jutted out listening for threats while his gaze kept that of Glorfindel's. Pausing the elf wondered, "Can you not understand me?" No response but what he and the rest of the elves had been getting. Considering, he then switched to Westron, the more common tongue throughout Eriador. "Peace, fierce one. We don't want to harm you or the young one. We only wish to help. Will you let us?"

Finally! There was a response from the wolf as his savagery was lessened and pulled back but still gave a warning growl when Glorfinel took a step forward. "Peace," he soothed. "Will you not let me help you and the young one? It is not good for him to be asleep right now." Not if the boy was poisoned by the spiders and they weren't entirely sure of his condition.

The wolf seemed to take in and consider his words before he stepped backwards and whined as he nuzzled the boy's face and gave it a lick when there was no response. His head snapped up and he gave a low growl when Glorfindel took another stop forward and practically snarled when one of the others moved. Giving the signal for them to stay put and move further away, the elf waited for the wolf to allow him to move another step closer. The blond elf's patience was rewarded when he was allowed to touch the child under the sharp eyed gaze of the wolf who likely wouldn't hesitate to try and rip his throat out if he tried anything.

While sleep would be good for the boy to rest physically to allow his injuries to heal, Glorfindel first had to find out the seriousness of any other injuries. There was a huge chunk of his shirt missing on the side, but it seemed the graze he had gotten wasn't serious and there hadn't been any poison injected into the boy. The scratch would go away quickly. Feeling along the child's limbs he noted there was no broken or dislocated bones which was a blessing. There was a large bump on the boy's head though which would explain his unconscious state. The child had a concussion. Sitting back on his heels now that he knew there wasn't a great danger, Glorfindel studied the boy. His hair was dark like those most commonly found in Imladris rather than the blond and silver found in the woodland realm and Lothlórien .

"I'm going to pick him up." There was a low rumble from the wolf. "You are more than welcome to join us, but he needs somewhere more comfortable to heal and rest." When there was no audible answer from the wolf, he glanced over to see it studying him. After a bit it hugged and sat down giving the elf his permission to pick the child up. Nodding his head, he stated, "Thank you."

With gentle carefulness Glorfindel picked the boy up and with him cradled close to his chest he turned to the other elves and gave a nod. Keeping to Westron so the wolf wouldn't become suspicious and decide that they were playing him falsely, he stated, "Let's get him back to the Thranduil's halls."

A.N. - So this was originally supposed to be part of the last chapter, but I had to shut my computer down and became two chapters instead. Elves! At last; which I'm sure a lot of you had been waiting for and possibly been expecting from the start. Thank you so much for your patience LOL. And you even had a Radagast cameo.

Secondly: When I had begun to write the story in the early drafts I waffled between the clichéd Elfling Harry and having him have elven blood somewhere further back more in line like the Dúnedain. Which is why I had previously stated I hadn't intended for him to be an elfling, but I was convinced/persuaded otherwise. Sorry to everyone!

Thirdly: Assume when the elves are speaking especially with each other it's all in their own language. I am lazy and don't want to frustrate people by having Elvish there and then having to either translate it or force them to google.

Fourthly: I will be busy for the next month or two so hopefully these past couple updates will hold you? Please don't kill me!