This story is set in the world created by my Nameless One series in which Aragorn as Estel and Legolas as Anomen are both fostered in Rivendell by Elrond.
Estel pulled at his left ear in amazement. How had a penny gotten inside it? He had felt nothing. But there stood the man twirling the coin that he had just pulled from the child's ear. The man tossed the penny in the air—and the coin suddenly vanished. Estel gawked.
Smirking, the man reached forward—and pulled the penny from Estel's right ear. Chortling at the child's amazement, he tossed him the coin.
Anomen watched warily. He was a child in the eyes of elves, but in years he was decades old; and though he was not accounted wise in comparison with his foster father Elrond, he had enough experience to be suspicious of any man who gave something without asking anything in return—for in the end, the piper must be paid. 'Beware of men bearing gifts', the young elf murmured, quoting an adage from an epic poem that described the fall of a great citadel. The men sheltering behind its walls had foolishly dragged inside a huge wooden horse in whose hollow belly were hidden their enemies, who left it to propitiate the besieged—or so the city dwellers thought. Once night fell, their foes crept out and put the citadel's defenders to the sword. Yes, Anomen thought to himself, trouble came of accepting gifts from men—even a penny from a magician.
The man turned, saw the young elf watching, and smiled ingratiatingly. He reached toward Anomen's ear, but the young elf recoiled. The man laughed. "Wouldn't you like a penny, lad?" he coaxed. Anomen shook his head, and extended his hand to his foster brother. "Come, Estel," he said. "Lindir will have finished his business and will be wanting to set out whilst there are still many hours until nightfall."
"You travel together?" the man said curiously. "Elf and human?"
Anomen instantly regretted revealing that Estel was known to him. The man read his face. "I meant no harm in asking," he said quickly, "but hereabouts the young of men and elves are not often seen in company. The adults trade—no doubt this Lindir of whom you speak is a merchant—but then they go their separate ways, not sharing their abodes and with little occasion for their children to meet."
Anomen decided on two half-truths. "Estel's kin desire he should learn the elvish tongue. Those who speak many tongues prosper. I myself speak the Common Speech, as you see, but not all elves do so, and 'twould be a pity if a human merchant could not chaffer with such folk."
It was true that Estel's kin wished him fluent in elvish. It was also true that merchants benefit from knowing the language of those to whom they would sell their wares. But Estel left it to the man to infer that Estel was destined to be a merchant—which of course the man did.
"Ah," the man said, "an apprentice. Well, I reckon elves must take on prentices, same as other folks." But the man looked appraisingly at Estel. Perhaps he was wondering why the elves would accept a human as an apprentice. It was a good arrangement for a human, but what would be the advantage for the elves?
Anomen suspected what the man was thinking. It was not uncommon for an apprentice's family to pay a fee to the master who took on the lad. The apprentice worked for his master, true, but at first would be only an unskilled laborer, of little worth to the master, whilst throughout the indenture the master was obligated to shelter, feed, and clothe the apprentice, at the same time training him in a useful trade. The man might be wondering how large a purse the elves had commanded in exchange for Estel's (supposed) apprenticeship.
Anomen hurried Estel around the corner, out of the sight of the man, and took several more evasive turns before rendezvousing with Lindir in the stable yard of a blacksmith, where Anomen knew the older elf would have taken their horses, for one had cast a shoe. Lindir had been commissioned by Elrond to purchase medicinal plants from distant climes, and had agreed to let Anomen accompany him to the market on the western edge of the Gap of Rohan, where men from Gondor and Rohan, and even Harad, and elves from both Imladris and Lothlórien met to exchange wares. Elrond had given Anomen leave because Erestor had made such a good report of Anomen's progress at his studies, and Estel had clamored to accompany his foster brother. Erestor urged Elrond to let the little human go—not because the lad had done well at his books, but because the tutor needed a respite from his rambunctiousness!
"The way is safe," Elrond said to Lindir benignly (this was before the goblins had repopulated the Misty Mountains) "and Estel will give you no trouble, for Anomen can be tasked with minding him." This pronouncement was not to Anomen's liking (the young elf was as anxious as Erestor for a respite from his human foster brother) but Anomen feared that if he were sulky Elrond might change his mind about letting Anomen himself go. So the young elf nodded obediently and resolved to do his best to keep Estel out of mischief.
But now he had drawn the magician's attention to Estel. The man might simply be an itinerant entertainer, traveling from town to town and earning his keep by putting on displays of prestidigitation at the fringes of markets. But itinerant conjurors had dodgy reputations. Onlookers often found that their purses had been magically lightened during performances. If this man were light-fingered, Anomen did not want him thinking about how rich Estel's kin might be or about how large a purse his elven master might be carrying.
Suddenly Anomen thought to ask to see the penny the man had given Estel. Clutching his treasure tightly, Estel looked suspiciously at his foster brother. "Why do you want to see it?" the little human demanded. Anomen decided to tell the truth.
"A penny is valuable," he said frankly. "Street magicians generally do not give away objects of value. I wish to see if it is a true penny or a counterfeit. And," he added slyly, "if it is a counterfeit, I will give you a true penny, for it was unkind of him to fool you and I do not wish to see you sad."
Estel handed over the penny at once, and Anomen carefully examined it. "You see, Estel, this is indeed a counterfeit. It is convincing to the quick glance but fake nonetheless. There is a lesson here: You must be sure to remember that all that glitters is not gold, just as surely as all that is gold does not glitter."
"But pennies are silver," Estel said. For the very young, metaphor does not signify.
"Silver, then," Anomen amended. "All that glitters is not silver."
"And you also said 'all that is gold does not glitter'," Estel reminded him.
"Very well. It is also true that all that is silver does not glitter."
"But I want a silver coin that does glitter."
Anomen reached into his wallet and handed Estel a shiny penny in trade for the counterfeit.
"I am very sad that the man tricked me," Estel said mournfully. "One penny makes me less sad, but a second penny would cure me altogether."
Anomen smiled. "You are a counterfeiter yourself," he laughed. "You counterfeit a puppy's pleading eyes when you think you can gain something by it."
"And when I cannot?" Estel grinned, catching the second penny that Anomen good-naturedly tossed him.
"Then you are a simulacrum of an orc—which is fitting for you are as dirty as one!"
Lindir had been settling the bill with the blacksmith, and now he called to the two youngsters to mount up. The three rode from the stable yard, with Lindir leading a pack horse. To Anomen's dismay, when they reached the town's gate, the conjuror was loitering in the shade of a stack of barrels. The man called to Lindir, "I see you travel west, and I journey that way myself. A larger company is always safer than a smaller one, so I'd be obliged if you'd allow me to join yours."
But before Lindir could answer, Estel cried out, "You tricked me with a fake coin. Surely any company would be safer without a cheat than with one!"
In one way the man proved a poor counterfeiter: he could not disguise his anger when called out so bluntly. "You an apprentice and you dare to speak for your master?" he snarled. "Were you my apprentice, I should beat you!"
"But he is not your apprentice," Lindir replied coldly, "and I thank him for warning me against allowing you to join our company." As he spoke, he laid his hand on his knife hilt, his sword not on display for he had traveled in the guise of a merchant. The man swore and spat on the ground and then disappeared back into the town.
"There is some tale here," Lindir said, "but first let us get under cover. He stood before us as a lone wolf, but a lone wolf sensing a kill may return with a pack."
Instead of continuing west on the open road, they turned north, swiftly riding for the forested foothills of the Misty Mountains, and they did not stop until they reached that shelter. Then Lindir built a careful, smokeless fire whilst Anomen kept watch lying prone on the limb of a tree at the edge of the forest. No one was in sight by the time Lindir had prepared their supper, and Estel was sent to summon Anomen to join in the meal.
"If we are followed," said Lindir, "it will take some time for pursuers to travel from the horizon to this place, so we have time to eat and talk. Then we will take turns watching."
Between bites, Anomen described how he and Estel had wandered about the market town, laughing at the puppet shows, marveling at the jugglers and firebreathers, and thrilling to a minstrel's glorious tale about a hero who slew three foes: a monster, a monster's dam, and a dragon that was visiting fiery destruction upon a land after a golden cup had been stolen from its hoard. At the last, after pausing to buy sweets from a street vendor, they had happened upon the magician, who was challenging passersby to guess which of three cups hid a penny. It cost a penny to play, but the conjuror promised a penny ha'penny to anyone who solved the riddle. No one succeeded. "Although, if they had," Anomen said wryly, "I reckon for their pains they would have become the possessor of counterfeit coins, the true penny having been pocketed by the conjuror."
"Doubtless," Lindir agreed. "And did Estel play this game?"
"No, but once the onlookers grew bored and wandered away, the man amused himself by pretending to pull a coin from Estel's ear. He offered to pull a coin from my ear as well. It was then that I told Estel to come away, and the man realized that we traveled in company. He became curious about us, and I fear that he came to believe that either Estel's kin or you might have money enow to be worthwhile marks. We took a circuitous path to the blacksmith, but he knew we were on the verge of leaving the town and so he must have made for the gate through which we were likeliest to depart. I reckon from our garments he would know we hailed from Imladris and not Lothlórien and so would head west rather than east."
Anomen handed Lindir the coin as he said ruefully, "I am sorry I spoke incautiously and drew the man's attention to us."
Lindir examined the coin. "You have good eyes," he said approvingly. "It is a skillful counterfeit. Now as to drawing the man's attention to us, no harm." He nodded at the shadows beneath a tree, and Anomen gasped as a hooded man stepped forth.
"It seems I do not have such good eyes after all," the young elf said, even more rueful than before.
"Nor good ears, neither," said the man drily, drawing back his hood. "Well met, Lindir. Well met, Anomen. Well—oof!"
Estel had launched himself at the man. "Uncle Halbarad!" he cried.
Even the dour Ranger was not immune to Estel's impish charm. He allowed himself a wisp of a smile before turning briskly to business. "This is not the path to Rivendell," he observed, "and I have never known you to indulge in sightseeing, Lindir."
"We are trying to avoid pursuit by a man—men, probably—who may have ill-intentions," Lindir answered. Quickly he described the conjuror's encounter with Estel and Anomen and his behavior at the gate.
"Given that the man is a proven cheat, you are right to be wary of his attempt to join your company," Halbarad said. "But now you are in my company and may rest secure in the knowledge that any who follow you will live to regret it."
'As likely not live to regret it', Anomen thought to himself, but he did not wish to utter such a grim prognostication in front of Estel.
It was growing dark, but Lindir said there was no need for Anomen to keep watch—Halbarad would see to their safety—so the young elf prepared to sleep. He stepped around a tree to make water, only to find a Ranger standing silently on the other side. Looking about, Anomen realized that he was surrounded by Rangers. He cleared his throat, and they all politely averted their faces so that he could relieve himself. Then he returned to the fire and wrapped himself in his blanket, falling asleep straightaway confident in the knowledge that a company of Rangers stood guard.
Toward dawn he woke up to the sounds of oaths and thuds. He did not, however, hear the clash of steel-on-steel. 'Hah!' he thought. 'The Rangers did not deem our pursuers worthy of being met with swords. So they will live to regret targeting us'. Anomen rolled over and fell back asleep contentedly.
Estel poked him awake at sunrise. "Uncle Halbarad went away before sunup," the little human said excitedly. "But see what he has left us." Estel poured a bag of coins onto Anomen's blanket. "Uncle Halbarad says that these are not counterfeit."
There were pennies, but also groats and half-groats and shillings and pounds, worth four pence and two pence and twelve pence and two-hundred forty pence, respectively. These coins were made of silver, but there were gold coins as well: florins and half-florins, each florin weighing a twelfth of an ounce of the precious metal. Anomen grinned. Yes, the conjuror and his confederates certainly were feeling regretful at the moment. Halbarad's Rangers would have left them with nothing but counterfeit coins, and Anomen was sure the wretches dared not think of trying to retrieve the genuine ones, for they must have thought the Rangers brigands.
"What shall you do with all these coins, Estel?" he asked.
"Share them with you and Elrohir and Elladan," he proclaimed. "And," he added, "I shall buy Arwen a gift so that she will remember me. She is leaving soon for Lothlórien because Ada says that she is too old to be raised with hellions and must dwell with the Lady Galadriel. What's a hellion?"
"A young one who is very wild," Anomen answered.
"Am I a hellion?"
"Most assuredly!" laughed Anomen.
"Shall I always be a hellion?"
Anomen paused. "No," he said thoughtfully. "I reckon not. You have a generous spirit and think of others. I don't think a dyed-in-the-wool hellion would be so quick to share. And it is very kind of you to think of giving Arwen a parting gift.
"I love her," Estel said simply. "I hope she will not forget me."
"In the eyes of men it will be a long time before she returns," Anomen replied. "Your appearance will have changed greatly. But," he added, "if you are still Estel, she will have no difficulty recognizing you."
"Of course I shall still be Estel!" laughed the little human. "Who else would I be?"
This was altogether too difficult a question to answer, so Anomen did not even try.
After a late and hearty breakfast—Halbarad had left them a brace of pheasants—the travelers resumed their journey, skirting the western edge of the forested slopes of the Misty Mountains. "What a lucky coincidence that Halbarad and his company were passing by last night," Anomen commented as he rode alongside Lindir.
"Coincidence?"
"Yes, that they happened to be near."
"They didn't just happen to be near, Anomen."
"They didn't?" Anomen said, puzzled. "Oh!" he said suddenly.
"Estel shall always be Estel," continued Lindir, "but as you chose not to explain to the lad just now, someday he also shall be known by another name, one which we do not yet utter outside the borders of Imladris. Elrond, as his uncle, fosters him, but his Dúnedain kin, mindful of Estel's heritage, are his guardians as well—last night, literally. I do not think Elrond would have given permission for him to accompany us without having been assured that the Rangers would shadow us. It is true that hereabouts no goblins have been seen in several years, but men are dangerous, too. You and I could have managed on our own, but in a melee could we have safeguarded Estel? So Halbarad promised that he and his company would remain near. Thus one of his men was on watch as we rode toward the shelter of the trees. When he spied our approach, guessing at its import, he went to recall the others from a hunt."
"If the journey might turn dangerous, why did Elrond permit Estel to accompany us in the first place?"
"In spite of his moiety of elven blood, Estel is a mortal who will one day dwell amongst men. It is important that he become so fluent in the Common Speech that his elvish upbringing is indiscernible. Moreover, he must learn the other tongues spoken by men. Erestor will teach him languages from books, but to speak them altogether like a man he must converse with men. Likewise, Estel must follow the customs of men. Again, Erestor will have him study these customs from books, but to embrace them as a man, unmarked by an elvish upbringing, will require observation and practice."
"Is it so bad to be an elf, then?"
"Have I said anything to suggest that it is bad to be an elf?"
"Someday Estel must speak and behave as if he had never dwelt amongst elves. Aren't you saying that men will reject Estel if he reveals his elvish upbringing?"
"It is true that some are mistrustful of elves and would reject him for that reason, but that is not why Estel must be practiced in the speech and customs of men. Estel must hide his elvish upbringing to avoid bringing attention to himself. If he does not speak and behave like other men, some folk might wonder, 'Who is this man? Where does he come from? Who are his folk?' Such speculation might put people in mind of old stories, and from stories might arise speculation and suspicion. The wrong person might guess that Estel is—someone else."
Anomen felt all the more rueful that he had drawn attention to Estel. Lindir guessed at what he was thinking.
"Yes, you have gotten an inkling of the attention that may be drawn to Estel when he goes about in company with an elf. But no harm was done. Since Estel is a child, a simple explanation presented itself: Estel was apprenticed to an elf, an uncommon yet recognized arrangement. But by the time Estel reaches manhood, and especially when he is traveling on his own, he must be able to present himself as a human raised by humans."
"Elrond will continue to send him on journeys, then."
"Yes, as often as might be, and often in your company. But the day will come when Estel will strap on his pack and set forth alone on a journey that will take him far from Imladris."
Anomen suddenly felt sad. "Must Estel go alone? Wouldn't it be helpful for him to have an ally?"
"Do you have someone in mind?" Lindir said drily. "Someone who doesn't long to escape the clamoring of a rambunctious imp?"
"He is not always rambunctious, and he has grown less so this past year."
Lindir smiled at the young elf's plaintive expression. "Legolas," he said, momentarily addressing the Greenwood elf by his Sindarin name, "when you both have acknowledged your true selves, you will be such allies as will shake the foundations of great fortresses. But for now, Anomen," he continued, reverting to the young elf's alias, "you have only to keep him secret, keep him safe, whilst he makes a trial of learning to be a Man amongst Men."
Lindir handed Anomen the counterfeit coin. "Sometimes it is good to counterfeit," he said. "Sometimes it is needful that all that is gold does not glitter. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Anomen answered. "Yes, I do."
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.