Author's notes: For those of you still reading, thank you so much! I have received much valuable feedback and I appreciate it so please, feel free to share your thoughts. I hope you like this chapter. The new additions to the story have been in the planning for some time. I make no excuses for borrowing from the books and films and doing whatever all simultaneously. It seems to work. I love writing this tale. My only regret is that I never seem to have the time to do more. Adulting is hard! Anyway, I hope you enjoy and more is on the way (though probably not until this weekend).

Lost and Found

Thranduil pushed his mount as hard as he was able, staring ahead as the light of Esgaroth drew closer. Around him, eight of his guards rode in perfect sync, Caireann to his right. He hoped to encounter Nuinethir and Eleros before reaching the town but the expanse ahead was devoid of all but his escort.

He thought of the camp and worry swelled within him. They had his commands. It would have to be enough.

His thoughts turned to Seren. He knew she would have preferred to go after Nuinethir as well. She wasn't a warrior, however and it was possible there would be conflict. It was better to keep her away from such danger, though he was torn between prudence and a desire to ensure it himself. That he needed to know she was safe was an unexpected realization.

He recalled how worried she'd been for him just earlier this night.

"Anyone who is not an enemy is a friend…" She had been worried for him, distressed and angry. It was strange to have anyone openly show concern for him and he wondered about it as he rode.

Unbidden, the memory of collapsing onto her when her touch banished the reflection flashed in his thoughts. For a moment, the ragged edges of his wounds had felt less raw. It had been so jarring he recoiled and the mere memory of it deeply unsettled him. He inhaled against the stirring pressure in his chest and focused his attention back to the path ahead.

The city on the lake was closer now and he pressed himself down onto the mare's neck, urging her pace higher still. The last few dozen yards passed in a blur and in moments they were dismounting at the gate.

"The hour is late, King Thranduil," one of the human guards declared. "No business is to be conducted until morning."

Thranduil narrowed his eyes, his stride not slowing. His guards fell into step beside and behind him and the humans swallowed nervously upon seeing the elven lord's expression.

"Two of my people have failed to return. The Master will speak with me now."

He didn't wait for acknowledgement and was beyond the men before they could respond. Instead they turned and followed, the quiet smaller one clanking his boots loudly on the wood in his hurry to keep up. As they drew near the town proper, the previous speaker shouted to a group of guards at a watch station.

"Go tell the Master to expect a visit from the elvenking!"

Immediate activity kicked up noise as the men hurried to stand at attention and two took off at a dead run to warn the Master. Heads popped out of windows and open doors to see what was going on.

Thranduil didn't care. Subtlety was not required. He and his guards arrived at the town hall's steps but at the top he paused and gazed around. Something seemed out of place. Some incorrect detail he couldn't name was hovering in his mind. His eyes didn't see anything extraordinary, however.

"Remain out here," he instructed Caireann and another, an archer named Laseviir. "Be vigilant."

They nodded and looked around curiously, not seeing anything that would have made the king uneasy. That made it all the more ominous.

Satisfied he could do no more and aware he couldn't linger, he went inside.

The hall was dimly lit and the air felt heavy as he entered. The two guards that had gone in stood still by the entrance, waiting for them to pass.

"Where is the Master?" Thranduil asked the one who'd spoken before.

"He should be down momentarily, my lord."

Thranduil sighed deeply. "Of course… How typical of him."

The guard said nothing to that and the elvenking wandered further inside.

He cast uneasy glances at the six of his remaining guard, telling them wordlessly to survey their surroundings and to be wary. Every blade was drawn and they fanned out to cover every nearby corner of the room.

After several moments passed in silence without a sign of the Master, they made their way to the deep end of the main hall. The shadows around the chair were almost black as pitch and devoid of any torchlight.

The door to the elves' left stood open and Thranduil strode over to it. The corridor beyond wasn't lit at all, save for moonlight streaming in through high windows. The long carpet smelled damp as if rain soaked traffic had passed over it recently and a door at the rear end was open.

The tension in his shoulders began to tighten and Thranduil gestured for his kin to follow him out of the building. When they neared the open doorway to the same little room the Master held their negotiations in, a form lounging in the shadows made them stop.

Thranduil went still. When he took in the sight inside, his gut clenched and the tension between his shoulder blades ratcheted into knots.

He took a slow step barely within the room and glared at an unfamiliar face.

"We've been expecting you, king of the woodland realm," the man said.

Behind him, Thranduil's guards stiffened and raised their weapons higher. He could tell by how their stance shifted that someone else was out in the corridor behind them – probably the guards as he heard the front door in the main hall close with a soft thud.

The elvenking cast a glance at the figures he knew. To his left, Lagdar stood looking smug. To the right another stranger held onto Nuinethir by the hair and pressed a dagger's tip gently to the underside of the runner's jaw. He appeared groggy and sluggish and leaned almost entirely on the arms that held him, his own hands lashed together behind his back.

Eleros was similarly bound, lying on the floor in front of the smoldering fireplace. He was utterly still but he drew breath. There were two other men lining the wall, watching the scene.

Finally Thranduil rolled his gaze back to the speaker, assessing him with narrowed eyes. The man was tall and athletic, though a little leaner than the elvenking. He and the others wore telltale dark leathers common among the eastern peoples and his long black hair reflected the moon's blue glow with mirror-like quality. His skin was a colorless pale shade but not sickly. In the moonlight, a subtle iridescence whispered over his features and his eyes shone far too pale. As Thranduil stepped further in, he noted the delicate point of his ears.

"And who are you, peredhil son of Rhun?"

The man smiled slowly. "Perceptive as they say, I see. I am Tolvaris."

Thranduil tilted his head, still staring the man down with piercing eyes. "That name is unfamiliar to me."

"Many wars have been waged over the ages. Even elves sometimes choose capture over death. I hail from an entire lineage the Eldar forgot."

Thranduil ignored the implied accusation and raised a brow. "It is not possible for any elf to beget a child by force."

"Come now, king Thranduil; tsk-tsk-tsk," Tolvaris said smoothly. "Force is unnecessary, given enough time."

It was unfortunately true that, although it took far longer than it did for men, elves could succumb to corruption so Thranduil dismissed the rest of his curiosity. "What is your purpose here?"

"I gave Lagdar a task," Tolvaris said with a note of annoyance directed at the human. "He failed. My compliments to your healer."

Thranduil's jaw clenched as several things became plain at once. "The attempt on Seren's life… Why?"

"I have my orders. We were content to keep to our usual efforts but she ruined those endeavors."

"Your endeavors are now beyond salvaging," Thranduil pointed out. "There is nothing you will gain by killing her."

Tolvaris turned away slowly and stared out of the window. "I do not question the one I serve." He gestured and the men standing against the wall abruptly moved. A pair of low whistles sounded and the elves behind Thranduil grunted, grabbing at their necks.

The elvenking turned in time to see them slump. Those still in the corridor were similarly reaching for their skin and pulled a barb free only to drop them as they began to sway.

"Do not worry, king Thranduil. They merely sleep," Tolvaris said as he came to stand next to him. "Once Seren is dead, we will be gone."

Thranduil stared in shock at his fallen kin. His mind furiously recounted several facts: The humans who had placed the Lothrim meant to kill Seren were still in his dungeons; a dragon was rotting in the lake and these Easterlings were here in a secretive manner rather than the military force usually expected of the chieftains who served Sauron.

"You are a fool," he said to Tolvaris.

The half-elf said nothing to that and raised a blowpipe. The sting in Thranduil's neck was immediate and darkness soon followed.

Seren stood at the entrance to the elves' clearing, looking down the path that disappeared into the trees. Now that the camp was as ready as it could be, she had nothing to do but wait. Just two hours ago, she had been furious with Thranduil. Now she only wanted to see him and her friends return alive and unscathed. The heavy feeling in her chest spoke of that being unlikely. So far the three search groups had returned once, none with any news.

Tellis strode up beside her and stared into the direction of Esgaroth. "Our people are well suited to handle themselves. You should get some rest, should we indeed need to leave at dawn."

Seren continued to watch the forest ahead but acknowledged him with a nod. "We would only need to leave if they do not return. They would only fail to return if trouble is afoot; trouble they couldn't manage."

The tan elf tilted his head a little in allowance of that. "All the more reason we should do all we can to be ready and that means you should rest."

Seren narrowed her gaze at the gloom of the woods. They were foreboding, but her sense of urgency was rapidly chasing away her trepidation about the dark. Nuinethir and Eleros would have returned if they could have. It was unlike them to tarry. That Thranduil hadn't rendezvoused with them and returned by now was worrisome still. Something had kept the quickstriders. Whatever it was might also detain Thranduil and his escort, Caireann among them. The more she thought about it, the more her dread grew.

"The night feels too restless… I'm going." Abruptly she turned and went to her pack. She was kneeling; gathering fruit, bread and water skins into a satchel when Tellis rejoined her.

"You know the king's orders…"

"If all is well, I will gladly accept whatever remonstration I'm due. I'm not asking you to wait for me."

Tellis sighed, wrestling with his thoughts. Finally he retorted, "You may not have…"

Seren's attention was immediately piqued and she met the male elf's grey-brown eyes. Slowly, she stood, her features warring between anger and amusement. "Did he tell you to babysit me?"

Tellis frowned at the unusual term. "He bade me to watch out for you. You are unfamiliar to these woods and, being human, you need more rest than elves. I was to make sure your needs were not neglected."

Seren huffed wryly. "That's Thr… the king's way of telling you to babysit me."

"He would not want you to disobey him in this," Tellis implored.

Seren gazed at him pityingly. She knew the tall, lean elf didn't much care for her, but he had his orders and would follow them and she was making that impossible.

"I'm sorry, Tellis; but I must go. I cannot help feeling I have to. Something's very wrong. I only plan to sneak around the city a bit to see if nothing is amiss and come directly back."

The advisor's eyebrows rose and for a moment he studied her critically. Finally, he nodded and turned away but a moment later, he dropped a pouch of dried meat at her feet and handed her a dagger.

"Since you will do this regardless of my heed; the least I can do is see that you have means to defend yourself," he said stiffly; arms crossed behind his back.

"Thank you." She stuffed the jerky into her pack and tied the blade around her waist.

"If I return as if I have demons on my back…"

"We will be ready."

She nodded and crossed the clearing, gathering her courage as the forest loomed ahead.

Just before she reached the path, Tellis called out to her. She half turned back to him, almost impatiently.

"Be safe, Seren."

She nodded, though she was obviously surprised by the platitude. "And you."

Then she was gone.

Bard crouched in the shadows between buildings, watching the town hall. After he escaped the ambush in the street, he circled back in time to see his elven escort dragged inside through a service entrance.

He paused to recall Nuinethir diving madly to slash an arrow from the air that had been meant for him, only to be hit with a dart that rendered him unconscious. Eleros yelled at him to flee, going down a moment later. There was nothing he could do against four men with poison darts so he ran. He'd managed to slip into a barrel and hid until the men who gave chase had given up.

Now king Thranduil and his guard were in there and had yet to return. The Master and his guards must surely be either dead or incapacitated.

The bowman stepped out to the street and made every appearance of a casual passerby. Once to the front, he ducked into the shadow of a porch and spotted Caireann. He whistled softly.

Her eyes widened in alarm at the sight of him and she hurried forward, crossing the distance of the court on one side.

"How can you be here?" She demanded as soon as she joined him. "The king went inside to speak with the Master about your disappearance. Where are Nuinethir and Eleros?"

Bard held up a hand, beseeching her to let him speak. "They saved me from the men who attacked us but they were hit with some kind of poison and taken into the hall. Whoever is doing this is inside."

The warrior's features pinched with a horrified scowl. "But the king is in there!"

"Then he's a captive now too," Bard said.

The sound of the great doors opening drew their attention. Laseviir hurried to hide in the deep shadows next to the steps and stared wide-eyed at Caireann.

Two dozen men in blackened leather armor filed out. Water dripped freely from their forms as they marched. They all had a sword in hand and Bard spied a blowpipe hanging around their necks.

"They must have come from the water," he mused. "Why bother sedating anyone?"

Caireann whispered angrily. "Easterlings take every opportunity to add fresh blood to their slave labor trade."

The two columns of men thundered past their hiding place and continued to the boardwalk that led out of town.

Caireann scowled. "Where are the city watchmen?"

The intruders stomped uncontested to the end of the boardwalk and turned south.

"They're heading to our camp!" Caireann hurried down the steps of the porch to watch them go. Laseviir hurried up to them, staring at the retreating men.

"There's nothing we can do," Bard said as he joined them.

Caireann refused to listen. "Is there a boat at the south end of the city? If I can reach the woods, I can rendezvous with our search groups – meet the Easterlings in greater numbers."

"Of course," Bard said. He hurried to a specific street and gazed down it for signs of adversaries. "This way!"

Seren ran through the trees, guided only by the moon. It shone high over her, lighting stones and other obstacles in her way. She started at a jog and was now running full tilt but she could run faster still if she sprinted. Her blood flowed hot in her veins and she longed to put her head down and let go but held back.

The terrain was unfamiliar to her. Until her body's reflexes felt ready, running would have to be good enough. She cursed as the path wended around a large tree and sloped sharply down. A sudden leap to the area where it flattened kept her from tripping on a tree root but her momentum was so great, she had to roll head over feet once and recover her stride.

Adrenaline flushed her and it sharpened her senses. Deciding no time was better than now; she bent forward, pushing off from her feet harder. Her torso twisted side-to-side ever so slightly as she moved and her arms sliced the through the air in front of her.

Faster she ran; the forest began to seem like a never ending blur. Tension built in her muscles and she forced herself to relax into it, her limbs becoming fluid. She had her pace and settled into the breakneck speed, worried less about generating power instead of maintenance. Her breathing fell into a rhythm, expanding with an inhale at the apex of her torso's movements instead of fighting to breathe. Everything fell into a cadence and she was better able to pay attention to the land as it passed beneath her feet.

Rocks and roots she hopped over without missing a beat. Trees and ruts she darted around, bounding from one side to the other. She grinned. It had been a while since she had run so freely. The cold winter night air seemed a distant concern as her limbs were suffused with warmth. Supple and languid, they carried her along and her wool cloak flew through the air behind her.

The night came alive, weighing heavy and cool over her awareness. Though her thoughts still centered on her missing friends, all worry seemed to fade away as she felt a hum rise around her, pressing against her mind.

Another tree was revealed as she rounded a bend. It stood from the ground at an angle and rather than go around it, she chose to hop over the part of the base that stood in her path. She leapt, placing her hand on the truck and images of the forest flashed in her mind. Briefly, she felt that the tree knew she was there. Briefly, the forest floor seemed to shine with the light of Arda from all the interconnected plants. In soothing tones of pale teal, the essence of the forest flared bright in her thoughts and everything that grew glowed like stars.

Her momentum broke her contact with the leaning pine and the disorientation broke her rhythm. Her arms flailed for something to grab onto as her body pitched forward and her stomach lurched at the anticipated impact. But it never came. A soft chorus of crackles and the whisper of leaves filled her ears. Gentle pressure wrapped around her torso and filled her grasping hand, halting her fall and taking her momentum in a soft bounce.

She looked down. A mossy vine encircled her, holding her in mid-fall and her hand gripped a soft vine. She put her weight back onto her feet and was gently released. The vine retreated to hang once more among its brethren from the canopy overhead.

Seren stepped back, eyes round as she waited for whatever would come next.

"Who are you?" Seren licked her lips. "What are you?"

She studied the vine but nothing else happened. She looked at her left hand. There were dirt smudges and a faint green smear where she had crushed some of the leaves. The hum was still in her head and she reached out to the tree. As before when she touched it, an awareness of the forest sprang into her thoughts. Around her, she could see the forest as it was and the thinning tree line showed the open plains beyond. Every dormant blade of grass glowed under the snow. The lines of every tree softly pulsed with light.

On a whim, she moved to another tree and the vision returned. A memory from her earlier days in Middle Earth echoed to her and she heard Thranduil's cultured tones.

"The essence I believe you harbor, is of one whose purview was the health and protection of Laurelin and Telperion, from an order unto which it fell to heal the land and restore the Trees. They possessed great communion with all that grows."

Abruptly she let go and stared, bewildered at the forest. She heaved great swallows of air. The urge to touch the trees returned and she almost reached out but stopped her hand mid-air and clenched her fist. There wasn't time for this. She shook her head to clear it and sprinted to the forest's edge and paused.

Esgaroth was ahead in the distance but a sense of warning kept her from continuing her speed. The lake's embankment offered the only possibility for cover. It sloped down to the water, a testament to its recession. At least she could stay down and out of sight.

She stepped as near to the lapping surface as she dared and made her way forward, mindful not to slip on moss covered stones. She needed only to make it as far as the southernmost pier. And then she had to cross a few yards of water.

Right… One thing at a time, Seren…

"I found one of your guards." Laseviir pointed to a pair of barrels resting against the front of a store. Behind them, an Esgaroth watchman sat slumped on the deck.

They were in the market, not far from the southern pier and the night was ominously quiet. The further they went, the less activity there was. No guard patrols thumped the wooden streets and no beggars were pleading to share the fires of the watch to warm their hands.

Bard bent down and pulled a white quill-like barb from the man's neck. He was still warm and breathing evenly.

"He's unconscious, but alive," he said and held up the dart for Caireann to inspect.

"The others must be similarly disposed," she said. "Whatever this substance is, even our kin are susceptible to it. I would not expect your people to wake any time soon."

Bard straightened. "This way. The boat is just a little further."

The elves followed him out of the market and to the small docks where dinghies bobbed in the water.

"Over here!" Bard directed them to a long boat. Inside was a seat behind a set of pedals. "It's a new design the dwarves sold us. There are paddles under the water that propel you forward or backward. It generates far less noise than oars. There's a rudder for steering." He gestured at a long polished handle the sat to the right of the seat.

Caireann eyed the contraption, puzzlement plain on her features. "It'll do if it will take us to the southern bank of the lake."

"It will." Bard gestured for them to get in and instructed Caireann on how the pedals worked. He untied the rope holding the boat in place, bidding the elves farewell before shoving it off from the pier and watching as the boat picked up speed and pointed south.

He waved briefly, wondering for a moment if he should have gone with them. "Good luck, woodland kin." After a deep breath, he turned away and headed back into town to see what could be done about the Master, Thranduil and the elves that had disappeared inside the town hall.