116 To the Gates of Ithilien

By the time Parvon and Triwathon had no option but to join the flotilla, the rest of the company had, at least, adjusted to the loading and unloading of boats, and the complaints of those in them had reduced to occasional grumbles.

They had breakfasted, as usual, amongst the escort guards, Thindorion now accepted at Mago's side as a regular there, and he joined them to eat.

'It's not been too bad,' he confided. 'Now they've got used to it, and now they're realised that it's actually easier than walking and carrying their packs. Sorted themselves out, too, friends with friends, that sort of thing, so they're all settled into little cosy groups now. As for me, well, they put me on the baggage boat!' He laughed as he said it. 'Even though I am hardly baggage, and, indeed, have got quite good at poling the boat along. It minds me of the supply rafts that go up and down to Dale…! Later, it will get too deep for that, and we will need oars – or someone will! But they've suggested you and Triwathon share the baggage boat with me, if you like? We'll only need one of guard to help with the boat, and I think Mago's got the duty today.'

'That sounds good,' Parvon said. 'Better than I had hoped, certainly. No Captain Tawon, then?' He glanced about. 'Odd; I haven't seen him today… nor did I not him last night, either… has Mago killed him?'

Thindo's face became blank, expressionless.

'Captain Tawon stayed at the camp yesterday morning, awaiting the damaged boat. Then he will be returning to the waypost, in a duty swap with one of Lithon's people. It is an interesting opportunity for him to work with a new company for a time, and, of course, he will see home service again within a few weeks.'

'How… interesting!' Parvon said, seeing a bigger story there somewhere and determining to have it later, when out of earshot of the rest of the company. 'He was a worthy escort, but I rather think home duty might suit him better…'

From across the fire, someone stifled a laugh. Parvon looked up.

'Do not mind me, Master Parvon!' the hunter who had interrupted said, waving her hand. 'But in fact, that is exactly what Captain Thiriston himself said – that Tawon might be glad of simple orders for a time…'

Later that day, drifting down the canal which now ran close enough to East Lorien to be hailed by their flet elves, Thindorion related the entire story. They had been underway just long enough for Triwathon to lose his anxious expression and to stop clutching the sides of the boat as if it were about to bear him off to Mordor, but not so long that they were in danger of needing to stop for the day meal, thus interrupting the tale. They were at the rear of the flotilla, and Magorion at the back of the boat, poling it forward in long, steady movements.

Now, he slowed his actions and nodded to Thindo.

'If you want to tell them, now is good.'

'Well, then. I would say, make yourselves comfortable, but I think this is as pleasant as it gets in a little boat like this… So, here we are. You know Mago was all lined up for advancement until I spoiled his plans?'

'Changed them!' Mago called from the stern. 'Changed and enhanced them!'

'Ah, thank you, my good friend! Well, yes. Apparently, the commander in Ithilien wants a Second… now, Mago isn't shooting for the moon, no, but whoever gets that promotion will leave a captaincy up for grabs… and that's where my best love would have been. So. Thiriston's been asked to put a few of his guard through their paces, see if there's a suitable elf amongst them. He'd thought to try out one or two as your escorts in the trees – there are a lot of Men in Ithilien, apparently, and…'

'I don't see the relevance?' Parvon interrupted. 'Whatever else they say about us, Thindo, they cannot accuse us of being Men!'

'Well, no, but dealing with elves not used to guard commands, for instance. Although, I suppose you don't fit there, Parvon, you worked closely with Triwathon's garrison, I think. But me, I didn't know my way around orders or signals and things. So Tawon, really, felt he was under pressure to perform and was so busy showing off that he could give orders to all of us, he didn't watch what we were actually doing.' Thindo spread his hands. 'The commander waited until you were underway the next day before he made his thoughts clear; Tawon had expressed his wish to go with you, you see, and Thiriston rounded on him. "I happen to like Master Parvon!" he said, "And I don't want to see young Triwathon made a widower this soon. So, no," he said. And then he muttered something about forgetting basic training, and next thing we knew, Tawon's packed off up the river again and the elf that came down with the boat finds herself joining Thiriston's company for a duty round.'

'I don't think she minds, though,' Mago called across. 'And I think she's impressed the commander, just by her willingness to set things aside for duty. Lieutenant Maldis could go far, I think. Even if she is only going back down to Ithilien at present.'

'It seems very far to me,' Thindo said. 'Even though I know all the maps… at least, I did until we went off the planned route…'

'It is but the next stage in our adventure,' Magorion said, slowing the work of moving the boat still further. 'We meet the river later today, and then will go with the current of the Anduin proper – we will run with all speed to a portage above Rauros, and thence onwards past the delta of Ondolo, or the Entwash, as it is known. Then Caer Andros will rise towards us, we will take the eastern side, and then a tributary will take us into North Ithilien, and to our friends there.'

'You know the lands around and about?'

'A little. Before the canal was made, we would cross the Brown Lands on foot; they are still not pleasant, and not entirely free from danger. So you are safer thus, Thindorion. You will be surprised at how swiftly we go once we reach the river proper.'

So it was that some days later, as the afternoon was fading towards evening, the company followed a narrow tributary of the Great River east and made landfall quietly, gently, almost, amongst rolling countryside with wooded his covered by bare trees, huddling against the winter rains.

'Is this it?' Cullasbes demanded as the escort made fast the boats and began to unload the boats. 'Have we come all this way for this?'

'No, indeed!' a laughing, golden voice sang out from behind her as a small company of elves, both mounted and on foot, emerged from around the curve of the landscape. 'You are here to sail to the Undying Lands! But for the moment, for tonight, be welcome to Ithilien, one and all!'

Legolas, clad in silver-and-gold, mounted on a grey horse, a cluster of guards in formal uniform ranged about him, rode slowly across the undulating terrain. At his side, on a black mare and wearing a high helm of office, Commander Govon kept pace.

Approaching, the prince reined in and leapt down, smiling as he reached the party as, amidst their clutter of belongings and wet cloaks and elflings, the company attempted bows and the obeisance due to him.

He laughed and bowed in return.

'Again, welcome! Now, I stand on far less ceremony than my father our king, so be easy! Master Parvon? Is that you, lurking at the back? Can it be that my father has heard I need an assistant, and has sent you to me? I am very glad to see you! Come forward, where I can see you, old friend and advisor!'

'Your highness, I would not have described myself as lurking simply because my boat was to the rear of the company!' Parvon advanced through the travellers and bowed deeply. 'And I am indeed charged to you by your royal father, but… not for the reasons you suggest. I will speak later to you, if it pleases you.'

'I'd as lief have the tale now, I'm rather impatient for news of home! I suppose you have messages or such…?'

'The dispatches are with Commander Thiriston's people, your highness.'

'Always so formal, Parvon! Well, no doubt they will pass through several hands before they come to my notice, so I will press you for news shortly, my friend, I warn you!' He lifted his voice again. 'Very well! Those of you who are not about to be ordered to the garrison by Govon here, follow us!'

Commander Govon eased his horse forward.

'Company! After me!' he called, and led off down one of the trails.

Magorion touched Thindo's hand, a gesture few but themselves and Parvon noted.

'I am recalled to work, my friend. Until later.'

'I will see you soon.'

The escort began peeling away from the Walkers, who looked around for leadership. All eyes fell on Parvon. He sighed.

'Very well, all of you. As our prince commands – unless you wish to remain out in the cold and wet?'

They began to fall into their family and friendship groups and to follow after him as he, in turn, followed the prince. Triwathon caught up with him, took his hand.

Legolas, who had handed care of his steed to one of the guard, raised a golden eyebrow in eerie resemblance to his royal father as he saw the gesture and fell back to Parvon's other side.

'Fraternising with the soldiers, Parvon?' he asked lightly, laughter in his eyes.

Parvon in turn lifted an eyebrow.

'I had understood the new company of same-gendered couples established here would encourage a new spirit of openness,' he said. 'Commander Triwathon and I took vows on the road, and as marriage is still new to us, and my spouse is not working at present, yes, I suppose he is fraternising with me.'

The prince laughed again.

'Then congratulations! I am pleased for you; I know how good it is to be wed to a warrior. Ai, it is good to see you again! And so, what news from the New Palace? You were sore beset?'

'Indeed we were,' Parvon said, his voice growing softer, less formal as the remembered sorrows came to the fore of his mind again. 'We had losses amongst the talan settlements, families lost mothers or fathers, elflings left to grow up without either parent… fëa-mates sundered, friends left grieving. Worst, though, was the loss of Glorfindel of Gondolin, whose starlight gemstone forms my duty here; I am its honour-guard from our king, to show our respect and gratitude for his sacrifice.'

'I knew, of course,' Legolas, too, lowered his voice, the laughter gone from his tone. 'We had some of your news by hawk shortly after, and then letters came…' He broke off to sigh. 'I was fond of him, I suppose. When you could see beyond the hero, there was an interesting person there. He was certainly kind to me, those times I was at Imladris. Well. I suppose we will need to set up a room where people can come, you can't be walking a gemstone through the talain…'

'You must be settled some way from here; there does not seem to be much cover?'

'Well, we do not solely live in talain…' The prince paused as their footpath crested a hill, and gestured down into the valley below. 'We have all of this.'

'This' was a sweeping, undulating landscape of meadow and woodland and shrub laid out before them. The trail led in generous curves down the hillside, across a narrow bridge over a stream, and on into a smudge of further wooded hills, brown and grey with winter unleaf. To the south – the company's right - a rocky escarpment rose, crested by green, its base bracketed by sturdy gates that put Parvon in mind of those outside the Old Palace in Eryn Lasgalen. Ahead on the trail, he could see the escort company marching after Commander Govon and his troop, heads high and in good order, towards a low building that seemed to blend and nestle against the wintergreen of the valley.

'The garrison is stationed across the stream, as you can see,' Legolas said. 'There are smaller outposts stationed around the woods; unfortunately, we need to keep watch because some of the Men do not understand the nature of our arrangement with Lord Faramir, and so we must needs remind them.' He cast a glance at Parvon. 'This is one of the matters on which I was hoping to consult with you, Parvon. Our woodland holdings run from the crest of the hill to the hinterlands, down to Emyn Arnen and north for three leagues. All in this valley, too, is set to our use, in return for greening the land. But we also have some shelter underground, and it's to our poor tunnels we're now heading. So, if you are ready, shall we go?'

Descending, they followed the trail that branched towards the gates. As they approached, horns blew, and the gates swung open. The rain had continued to fall, and there were a few mutterings from Parvon's back about how it was high time that Master Parvon had stopped admiring the view and should have some consideration for the elves in his care.

'What's this about?' Legolas asked as they passed through the gates and onto a broad, paved pathway.

'My companions on the road have not quite adjusted to the knowledge that I am not with them for their use, but for the king's purpose; the only one in my care is Triwathon…' He squeezed his husband's hand. 'So, sorry, Triw, for keeping you out in the wet and the cold for an extra few moments!'

'Ah, but the view was worth it,' Triwathon said. 'This valley is beautiful, my prince. And I know you, Parvon, you will be glad to have stone about you!'

'I spent so long in the Old Palace, and then the New, that I was unused to talain,' Parvon explained. 'But I have been relearning the canopy…'

'Well, our talain are currently full,' Legolas said. 'But that's fine, our numbers are fairly stable, if lower than I wold like, but it means there is space under stone in case of emergencies. This is where we've prepared rooms for your company for tonight.'

'Just for tonight?'

'We'll discuss it later,' Legolas said. 'Once we've got your people –that is, your travelling companions – settled and fed, then you and I – and Triwathon, if you will – can talk privately about everything.'

'As you wish, hir-nin.'

Legolas sighed.

'Just… use my name, please! We are not nearly so formal here as the Old Palace.'

'And yet you come to meet us in formal dress, hir-nin Legolas…'

'Only because I wished to show respect to the gemstone, Parvon. It's not for you'

Parvon laughed.

'Ai, my pri – Legolas! I am reminded how much easier I found it to work with you, than sometimes I did with your father!'

'Well, I'm glad you can remember how easy I am to get along with; it will make for a good start to our working relationship…'

'Now, about that, my prince…!'

Legolas laughed again, almost danced them through the entrance to the caverns.

'We will talk later! Now, my friend Gimli helped design the work here – it's still very young, you understand, not finished yet, but it is home. If anyone needs me, I tend to use the rooms at the end of the next corridor, during the day. Off to your right is a chamber where we gather to share meals… and now I will pass you over to our housekeeper. She will have a minor fit, Parvon, when she finds you will need married quarters, for we had not anticipated you would finally manage to bring Triwathon to an understanding…! Ah, and here she is!' He cocked his head at an elleth in dark green garments who approached and inclined her head in greeting. 'Mistress Gathrodes, meet everyone; everyone, this is Mistress Gathrodes, who takes care of the household needs; she'll see you settled, and give you a short tour – and it will be short, we have much work to do on the cavern system yet… Parvon, I'll send for you after supper. No, better yet, you and Triwathon dine with us. Someone will send for you. Ah, Gathrodes – Master Parvon will need married quarters…'

'I see, ernilen,' the housekeeper said, formal, almost accusatory in tone. 'And are there any further challenges I might expect?'

'Mistress,' Parvon bowed to her. 'To begin, many thanks for your care of the company. Another of our friends, Master Thindorion, has also found his heart's friend on the journey, so he, too, will need married quarters, if you have them.'

Thindo stepped forward and waved to the housekeeper.

'That's if you have them, Mistress. And if my love is free from guard duty, of course. But if it's too much trouble, I can pitch a tent outside, I suppose.'

Gathrodes looked him up and down.

'A tent? In these conditions! Nonsense! Well, follow, all of you, and I will do my best…'

'The room's big enough, it's just the bed that's small,' Parvon said, eyeing up the single mattress in the rough-hewn chamber assigned them by lamplight some little time later.

Triwathon slid an arm around his waist.

'The door is fastened, we are private; it's not that bad,' he said. 'Bigger than the old single warrior quarters, and I shared them often en… they were often shared by two warriors together.'

Parvon smiled to himself at Triw's hasty correction.

'I quite like the idea of having to lie close so one of us doesn't fall out of bed,' he admitted.

'I am glad you said that! Do you think we should practice?'

'That's probably a good idea.'

An hour later, when a tentative tapping at their door threatened to interrupt, they were both properly clothed once more, Parvon in King's Office robes and Triwathon in fresh leggings and a borrowed shirt. It being intended for Parvon's frame, it was tight across his chest and short at the wrists, but he rolled up his sleeves and put a jerkin over, so that he looked tidy enough.

Parvon went to see who was there, and found Thindo grinning at him.

'Come to the common room along the corridor,' he said. 'Mistress Gathrodes has managed to source proper furnishings for you, although not a bigger room to put them in, and she and her friends wish to rearrange the room for you.'

'Most kind of Mistress Gathrodes,' Parvon said, glancing past Thindo to where he thought he could see a little cluster of waiting attendants. 'Triw? Is that all right, if we go to the common room?'

'It is if they have beer, love, yes.'

The common room was empty, but for themselves and Thindorion. Not beer, but wine, was standing on the table, but Triw seemed content with it.

'So, what news?' he asked. 'How are your quarters? Will you be allowed Mago's company, too?'

'Ah, now, there is a tale. And here's to good Mistress Gathrodes!' Thindo raised his wine cup towards the corridor. 'When I introduced myself, she almost stumbled over herself – apparently, she has had some of my work pass through her hands, and particularly likes my way with summer yellow dyes; they do not fade, and go grey, as many such are wont to do. And so, she found me a larger room, with apologies she only has the one chamber available, but I assured her you would not mind a smaller chamber, since you are more compact of person than am I…'

'Oh, and many thanks for that!' Parvon shook his head, but couldn't help but laugh. 'Well, Thindo, I sincerely hope your warrior can join you – think how lonely you might feel, rattling around in a large room alone…'

'Ha! What did you say…? Oh, yes! Thanks for that! No, I will console myself that I do, at least, have room to breathe – unlike you, my dear friends!'

'But I am used to it,' Triwathon put in, smiling at the easy exchange between his spouse and his friend. 'And, as you say, Parvon is neat, and compact, and tidy in person…'

'I suppose you'd be used to it, too, wouldn't you, Parvon?' Thindo said. 'Those rooms of yours in the Old Palace – just room for two chairs, your desk, and a bed in the alcove…'

'Forgive me, but when were you in MY husband's rooms…?'

Triw's tone was bantering, but Thindo hastened to reassure him.

'No, nothing like that! I helped him move, once…'

'What?'

Parvon laughed.

'I was being generous. When Melpomaen and Lindir stayed, they wanted to share quarters – separate beds, of course.'

'– of course!'

'…and the rooms were too big for me, anyway. So I took over the rooms I'd had as an apprentice – quite spacious enough for me, and our friends from Imladris were grateful.' Parvon gave a shrug. 'I liked being there, it felt more like home to me. It did cause some gossip, though, with Thindo helping…'

Thindorion laughed.

'And it wasn't for lack of trying that good Master Parvon had not succumbed to my attractions!' he said.

'Of your friendship, I was most grateful,' Parvon said softly. 'But my heart and fëa had long been in Triwathon's care.'

Triwathon smiled.

'I was most ireful when I heard, Thindo, that you were interested in my friend – even though I had not discovered my heart, still, Parvon was mine in some way that I could not quite fathom! But we understand each other, at last, and you have Magorion now, and all is good. What will you do, will you stay with him, or will he sail with you?'

It was not really a fair question for Triw to ask, and Parvon found all of his interest in Thindorion's answer, no less because Triw, too, seemed to be listening with all his body, and his eyes dropped to where his and Parvon's hands lay entangled on the table.

'That's the thing, isn't it? If you love someone, you do what they need. And so, while I would stay for him, if it meant losing him, but he will sail with me because he sees I need to take ship… it does not mean I love him less than he loves me, because he understands that in some way I can't explain, I cannot stay here, while he is not tied by kin or duty to these lands.'

Triwathon nodded, silent.

It seemed to Parvon that perhaps his beloved husband didn't trust himself to speak, or that he was struggling with the concept behind Thindo's words. To be fair, what the dyer had said struck home; had not Parvon himself been thinking that it was unfair to ask Triwathon to sail? Yet it was not a test of love, to ask it of him, rather… it was a chance of a fresh start, a new beginning, away from the failure of the New Palace and the politics of the Old, somewhere to be and serve together, where Fonor would be waiting, and there would be new forests and lands to explore together. And with Thindo along, now with his own fëa-mate found at last, friends for the journey and perhaps beyond, without worrying about his feelings of being friend of both but beloved by neither…

'Besides,' Thindo took up the conversation again, 'Mago has said that if the very trees of our own forest won't exert themselves to help me, I'm better off away from them!'

His laugh broke the tension, and Triwathon stirred himself, squeezed Parvon's hand, and raised his wine cup.

'Here's to safe trees for you then, Thindo!' he said. 'I am very glad you have found your happiness, and even more pleased that your flirting with my beloved helped me to see how much I needed him.'

Thindorion grinned.

'Happy to be of service to you both,' he said.

They stayed in the common room, talking softly, until a messenger stood before them and bowed.

'Master Parvon, and Commander Triwathon? Prince Legolas has sent me to escort you to him,' he said, turning to Thindo. 'I regret, Master, that the invitation was for your associates only. But the call to supper will happen imminently.'

'That's fine, my friend.' Thindo refilled his cup. 'I have good wine for company until then.'