Author's Note: So here's the next part – I hope you enjoy it.
Many thanks to everyone who reviewed. :) I've responded to those I could, but please remember that if you ask questions, I can't answer them unless you sign in.
Quick sort-of-warning… You're not going to see Legolas or Thranduil very much in this particular chapter, but I hope that doesn't put anyone off. Enjoy reading!
Part III: Where Loyalties Lie
Rochendilwen quickly sobered when Saeldur said, "What happened in Council, Legolas? What did Lady Mídhaer say?"
"Nothing that need be repeated," Legolas replied, in a tone that was just slightly too calm. "I will take the evening patrol, since you will be with the King –"
"We will be with the King?" Rochendilwen said, startled. "Where will you be?"
There was no humour in Legolas' smile. "He wants to speak to the captains in private. I expect there will be a message waiting for you when you return home, if you left too early to see it this morning. In any case, I may have other business in the morning, so if Aeroniel or Colfind can take the first patrol and you, Saeldur, can supervise training again –"
"Legolas," Saeldur interrupted. "We will do all that. But you know we are not here only to supervise training and help you sort out the duty rosters."
"We are here to support you," Rochendilwen added. "To give you counsel, but also to support your decisions. You asked for our views last night, and you had them. But we trust you, or we would not follow you. Whatever you need of us, it will be done."
That drew the first real smile Rochendilwen had seen on Legolas that day.
"I know. I never doubted your loyalty. It is best that I say nothing until you have spoken to the King tonight. He will want your unbiased opinions. I am grateful for your concern, but there is no reason to worry."
Rochendilwen exchanged a glance with Saeldur, knowing they were thinking precisely the same thing.
There was every reason to worry.
Her view was confirmed barely an hour later.
Since training had been cancelled and Legolas was in no mood to talk, she and Saeldur parted. Rochendilwen intended to try to find out what had happened at Council from those who might be willing to explain.
When Rochendilwen went home to put away her bow and quiver, she found her aunt there. That in itself was surprising; Lady Mídhaer would normally have had her duties as commander of the Western Guard keeping her occupied through most of the morning. Apparently Legolas and Thorontur were not the only ones who had found that morning's Council disrupting.
Mídhaer was in the sitting-room writing a letter, her pen stabbing at the page so hard that Rochendilwen was certain she would tear it.
"Is anything the matter?" she ventured.
Her aunt turned to her, making an obvious attempt to smile. "Rochendilwen. I thought the archers had training with Thorontur this morning."
"Legolas cancelled it." Rochendilwen pulled a chair up to the window beside Mídhaer. "Lord Thorontur was in… something of a temper." Mídhaer's guilty start confirmed her suspicions. "Did something happen in Council? Did you and Thorontur have an argument?"
"Did Legolas say so?"
"Legolas said nothing to us, but from what he said to Thorontur…" Rochendilwen glanced at her aunt and then outside. "I have seldom seen him in such a foul temper."
"Who? Legolas or Thorontur?"
"Both. Either."
"If you are asking me what happened in Council, I can only assume that you already asked Legolas and he refused to tell you. You cannot truly expect that I will disclose information that your commanding officer decided to withhold."
Rochendilwen had known that would be a sticking-point.
"If you were involved, my lady," she said carefully, "Legolas might simply have wanted to spare my feelings. Besides, he did not say that he would not tell us what happened, only that he did not want to bias us before we spoke to the King. You are neither my commanding officer nor the Archery Master, so you may tell me without fear of biasing my views." When Mídhaer still looked uncertain, Rochendilwen pressed, "You know I do not ask for the sake of idle curiosity. I only want to know so that I may serve Legolas better."
"That I do not doubt. I have never had such loyalty from my captains as Legolas has from his." Mídhaer laughed. "I suppose it will do no harm to tell you why Thorontur was angry, at least."
Rochendilwen waited.
"That, I fear, was my doing," Mídhaer went on, a faint blush rising in her cheeks. "But before you accuse me of mischief, I assure you it was never my intention to create difficulties for Legolas, though it was perhaps an inevitable consequence of my discussion with Thorontur."
"I never imagined that you would want to create difficulties for Legolas," Rochendilwen assured her aunt.
"I pointed out to Thorontur that several members of court consider his views… inconsistent, given how strongly he has always supported Legolas' right to choose when to risk his life." Mídhaer shrugged. "I admit I did not phrase it very tactfully, but it is a fact that he must face, and a question he will have to answer."
"Oh." Rochendilwen did not ask for further explanation; what her aunt had told her was enough. "I do not imagine he was pleased."
"No."
"But… You do not truly believe he –"
"Oh, no," her aunt said quickly, cutting her off. "No. I know Thorontur better than that. But I very much fear he does not know himself better than that."
"What do you mean?"
"His dislike for Calathiel's plan is instinctive. He has not thought about why he dislikes it, and he does not dare think about too deeply because he is afraid that at the root he will find that he truly is more willing to risk Legolas' life than those of his children. And that is a thought he cannot bear. I think, though, that if he finds the courage to examine his own heart, he will find an answer that need not upset him."
"And you… do you agree with Calathiel?"
"I think she should have her chance to prove herself to the weapons masters, if that is what she wants. But I do wish she had chosen to go to Ellaurë instead. It would have made matters less… complicated."
"How?" Rochendilwen demanded indignantly.
Her aunt looked amused. "I mean no insult to Legolas. He is a fine commander, but the Home Guard is safer. And Ellaurë is not as interesting a figure as our warrior-prince as far as court is concerned. We might have had less rumour to contend with." Her smile turned into a slight grimace. "Thorontur is angry with me, and perhaps with some cause. None of his anger is on Legolas' account, although some of his frustration may be. Legolas knows this as well as I do, and he is not unduly disturbed – no more than any of us is. It is an uncomfortable situation when there is dissent in the War Council."
Rochendilwen nodded. She knew genuine friendship and mutual respect existed among the Elves the King most trusted to defend his realm. The warriors all knew it, and counted on it; it gave them a sense of security.
"Is there serious dissent now?"
"Worse," Mídhaer said grimly. "There is resentment." Then she shook her head. But do not let that worry you, not even for Legolas' sake. It will not last."
That night Rochendilwen could not help reflecting that her aunt had been wrong, just as Legolas had been wrong. Sanguine as they both seemed, there was every need to worry.
The largest of the Council chambers was packed with the captains and sundry junior officers who had come to speak to the King and Lord Arbellason. Despite the respect accorded to the King and the High Commander, and despite the King's repeated explanations that he wanted their views only, and no decisions were being taken tonight, more than one quarrel had broken out.
The Elves of the War Council, who, despite their differences, trusted each other utterly, might be able to treat this as a brief disagreement and even to laugh about it later. About the warriors in general Rochendilwen could not be so certain.
Rochendilwen herself had already had a heated argument with two of Ellaurë's captains, who, in her view, had been committing the double offence of being disloyal to their commanding officer, and, more damningly, disrespectful to Legolas. And more than once it had required the firm intervention of Aeroniel or Colfind to keep Saeldur from coming to blows with someone.
Of course, the quarrels had quietened once the King had entered the room. But even his presence could not entirely do away with the undercurrent of resentment.
"Why would he do this?" she murmured to Aeroniel, who was standing next to her. "He must have known that if the War Council could not come to an agreement, the captains certainly would not."
Aeroniel shrugged. "Perhaps he wanted to know what to expect when a decision is eventually made. One thing is clear. No matter what is done in the end, there will be those who object strongly."
"Perhaps it is best that we know where everybody stands," Saeldur muttered.
Most unfortunately, he spoke loudly enough to be overheard by one of Ellaurë's captains, who said, "Perhaps it is best if you know where you stand, Saeldur."
Her tone was polite, out of deference to the King and Lord Arbellason, but there was no mistaking the challenging light in her eyes.
"What are you saying?" Saeldur asked coldly.
"Defending a decision you do not truly support? That is not why we are here."
"Saeldur," Aeroniel said warningly, but Saeldur ignored her.
"I thought I made myself amply clear, Eglos. I do have doubts. Healers are unaccustomed to following orders, and they will find it a difficult lesson to learn."
"You know that, and yet you speak in favour of letting them go into battle. Because Legolas thought it was a good plan. Are you so frightened of Legolas?"
"I trust my commander's judgement, and I abide by it willingly." There was definite hostility in Saeldur's voice. "If you cannot say the same, it is hardly my fault."
"Saeldur!" Colfind hissed. "This is not helping."
"I think the fact that I am free to disagree with Lady Ellaurë without fear of repercussion says more about her judgement than your blind obedience says about Legolas'," Eglos responded.
"Enough!" Arbellason snapped, before Saeldur could retaliate. "Both of you! Do you really imagine either Lady Ellaurë or Prince Legolas would be at all pleased by this ridiculous bickering, or that they have anything but the deepest respect for each other? I know one thing they do both expect of their captains, and that is to be able to speak your minds without letting what should be a conversation between grown Elves devolve into childish squabbling."
Eglos blushed and dropped her gaze. Saeldur looked mutinous.
That was far from the only quarrel that broke out, though, and Rochendilwen was certain it would have been far worse if not for the King's restraining presence. By the time they left, the tension in the room was thick enough to cut.
"Come." Colfind seized Saeldur's arm and pulled him in the direction of the door. "We should go."
Legolas was neither in his study nor in his room, nor, as they ascertained from the duty officer, had he gone on a patrol.
"We can speak to him in the morning," Aeroniel said. "Legolas must have known as well as any of us that nothing would come of a meeting of the captains."
"We will be unlikely to see him before breakfast," Saeldur protested.
"You mean you will be unlikely to give him your version of your various quarrels before the King has a chance to speak to him," Aeroniel said, unimpressed. "I would not worry. That you can be intemperate in your responses will not come as a surprise."
"Intemperate!" Saeldur began indignantly.
"Leave it be," Rochendilwen interjected. "There has been enough squabbling for one evening. We do not need to add to it now. Aeroniel is right, Saeldur. Legolas will not be shocked to learn you lost your temper." She shrugged. "If the next Council goes as today's went, I doubt he will even care."
Saeldur looked as though he wanted to ask if her aunt had said anything, but he did not, possibly because he wanted to hear it directly from Legolas, but more likely because the events of the next few days would render what had happened in the last War Council a moot point anyway.
Aeroniel waited until both he and Colfind had left before asking, "How did today's Council go?"
Rochendilwen's talk with Aeroniel was necessarily brief. There was little to be said on the subject, after all, that they had not already discussed.
As she was making her way home, she saw Legolas and Feredir going towards the stronghold. They had clearly been walking in the forest.
That was no surprise, but Feredir's expression – a cross between desperation and unhappiness – was. Rochendilwen had not seen him look like that since he had given up his ill-judged attempt to be a warrior.
And that, she supposed, answered the question of what they had been doing.
She hesitated, wondering whether to join them. Feredir might not welcome company. But then Legolas saw her and beckoned her over.
"How bad was it?" Feredir asked when she was near enough.
Rochendilwen laughed, though she could not coax much humour into it. "It was as you would expect, plenty of hot-blooded argument. I suppose that is a sign of things to come."
Feredir shook his head. "I… I cannot do it. Even if Calathiel ever does, I cannot –"
"I know," Rochendilwen interrupted. "We all know. Why should you think anyone will ask it of you? Every last one of the King's warriors is willing – more than willing – to take up arms to defend the realm. Nobody would ever think of sending any Elves to any place, especially to battle, if they do not want to go."
"But do you not see?" Feredir sounded desperate. "I want to go. I would give anything to be able to go, to know that my father does not for my sake have to endure being called a coward."
Rochendilwen gave a guilty start. Fortunately, nobody noticed.
"Feredir," Legolas said quietly, "get some rest. You will feel better. None of us expects anything of you, and those who do are not worth worrying about." He glanced at Rochendilwen. "I am taking the night patrol. I will see you in the morning."
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