Chapter 4, everyone!
I know; another late chapter, but school's been crazy. Hopefully, it will cool down now a bit (I wish!) so that I can focus more on writing.
Thanks to all readers, followers, favourites and reviewers! I really enjoy reading all of your comments and theories. It brightens my day whenever I get a notification of a new follower, favourite or review :) Now, I had a couple of questions from some guest-reviewers that I'll answer here:
guest: Glad you like the story and I've planned for it to be 20 chapters if everything goes the way I wish it to!
BryanVizard: Thanks for reviewing! To answer your question of why she was was staring at his bow; first off, it was a weapon which could be used to harm her, so she was naturally weary of it (she didn't carry a bow herself). But you are right that she also did recognize it, which I will go more into in later chapters (I don't want to spoil anything). Hope that answered your question!
This chapter is more of a filler before the - if I may use the expression - 'good stuff' will happen.
I do not own any characters (except some OCs) or bigger places; J.R.R Tolkien or Peter Jackson and Co do.
The italics in the beginning and the end of a chapter comes from either one of the Lord of the Rings-books/movies or from any of The Hobbit-movies/book. All of them will have some sort of connection to Elves. So I do not own them as well.
Elvish is also in italics.
Enjoy!
Kapitel 4: A new lead
"We must move on",
Legolas was still more or less fuming with anger as the cottages and their green lands came into view again. He was not quite sure of what had happened, but he knew that it was nothing to his advantage. In fact, he felt rather ridiculed. That wasn't something he usually felt, but then again it was not common for him to be treated as the red-haired woman had treated him. If he could look past his current annoyance and indignation of being nowhere nearer to catch the thief, he would have realized that it was quite refreshing to be spoken to without the shadow of his title hanging around and dampening the conversation.
Égon and the two guards were waiting for the blond prince outside the biggest of the cottages. It was covered with leaves and mosses in various shades of green and brown and thick roots were running across it, keeping it steady and safe. A couple of tiny white flowers clung to the walls, a picture of innocence. The brown-haired Elf who had joined the Groundkeeper and the guards was also a lovely picture of innocence and she curtsied when Legolas approached them. He gave her a nod and a polite smile.
"Forgive me for my delay", he said as a greeting. "I was held up."
Lannor and Duvaithor did not seem bothered and Égon accepted it with a pompously incline of his head. The elleth smiled hesitantly and Legolas couldn't help but wonder how young she was.
"No need to apologize, my Lord", said Égon. "Justice will take its time, but the end will be sweet. Now, I've brought you my apprentice who found the flowers missing."
Here he nodded at the young woman and it was to her Legolas turned, his face softening, and asking for her name.
"Díllothwen, my Lord", she replied and shyly looked at him from beneath her dark lashes.
"Díllothwen", Legolas repeated. "Could you tell me what happened, how you came to find the flowers gone?"
He spoke in soft, pleasant tones, trying a different approach then he knew his father would've done if he was the one interrogating the young woman. Legolas believed that it created some sort of feeling of equality if approaching someone with a vague sense of familiarity. He himself always felt better if someone talked to him politely, listening and actually wanted to hear what he had to say. It was only in company of his father and the members of his Council that it was easier to act as cold and superior as they did, looking down at the world from above their noses.
Díllothwen was nodding and her eyes sparkled and her voice was urgent, eager to speak now when it appeared that Legolas really wanted to know.
"It was yesterday morning. The sun had barely risen. I usually take the early walks around. It's always so peaceful then and I sometimes sing for the flowers."
Legolas listened as she talked, putting away the information and sorting it into different chambers in his mind. Díllothwen told him how she had been doing her usually round and when she had arrived at the flowerbed with ivor galas, which was at the end of her walk, all the flowers were gone. She had rushed to get Égon and he had fetched the guards that were on duty. Then after some arguing – though Díllothwen did not put it exactly that way, the meaning was still there – they had reported it to the King.
"And you are certain that you didn't see anything special, anything out of the ordinary?" Legolas asked her, wanting to make sure that she didn't forget anything.
Díllothwen looked thoughtful, glancing around the area. Her gaze was almost dreamy. Legolas patiently waited.
"No….", said Díllothwen eventually, her eyes focusing on Legolas again. "It seemed like everything was in order. Though I remember", she added and her eyes got a new light to them, "that at first, I thought that something had gone wrong with the schedule, because once a month there are a couple of carriers that pass through here to pick up some plants and I was thinking that they had been here to get the flowers, but it turned out that I was mistaken…."
Legolas frowned and turned to Égon.
"You did not inform me of this."
The other Elf answered in a voice that was aching to boredom, defensive:
"What about it? It is a common event and they arrived as planned, the day before yesterday."
"The day before the theft…." Legolas paused and fixed Égon with a piercing stare. "Did they go near the ivor galas?"
"Yes", Égon admitted and now he looked a bit doubting. "They did. They usually take one or two with them to study. Their village is known for their vast knowledge of plants."
"Was it the usual carriers this time?" Legolas inquired, his spirits rising somewhat at the prospect of getting somewhere.
"Yes", answered Égon immediately, sounding sure of it. "My daughter and I greeted them and two of the gardeners followed us around when they were inspecting the plants."
Legolas nodded absentmindedly and thought of what he had been told. It was something that bothered him, something small in the back of his head that wouldn't go away. He tapped his chin with a long finger, deep in thought. There looked to be a trail to follow, finally some sort of clue. Legolas decided to visit the village, to see if there was as a chance of getting anywhere with the case. He turned back to the company of four that was all watching him, waiting for him to say something, to make a decision of what would happen next.
"Thank you for your assistance", he said to Díllothwen and she nodded. "You have been most helpful." The Prince next spoke to the Groundkeeper. "I need the names of the carriers who retrieved the plants and of their village."
"The village's name is bendaeenorod", explained Égon. "It lies across the river and further down from it, in the shadow of the mountain. Ask for master Haeronor. He is in charge of the plant learners."
"Diola lle", said Legolas formally and schooled his features into a mask of cold politeness again, though he was ready to leave at any moment, eager to continue his hunt.
Égon nodded graciously back and beckoned Díllothwen to follow him. As she was about to do so, Legolas remembered something.
"One last question." He paused and tried to appear casual, almost uninterested. "Do you have a woman working here with red hair." And beautiful eyes and an infuriating, secretive smile, his brain supplied helpfully but Legolas knew better than to voice it.
Égon wore a small frown upon his forehead and blinked slowly as if he was trying to turn pages of years of memories to find a blotch of red ink – a rare color of hair amongst their kin – that would stand out. It was Díllothwen who answered.
"There is Cerenil", she said and watched the Prince with wide, doe-like eyes. "Is it important?"
'I don't know' would have been the truthful answer, but Legolas couldn't make himself form the words. He only gave the young woman a thin smile and after a last show of gratitude, the Groundkeeper and his apprentice left. Legolas gave himself a little shake and faced the two guards.
"I seem to have gotten the information that I needed. Your services are no longer needed. Duvaithor, you have permission to return to your post or report to the Captain."
Duvaithor accepted the command with a bow before taking off, soon completely consumed by the trees. Lannor was the last one standing, regarding Legolas with sharp eyes, alert and awaiting his orders.
Legolas started walking and Lannor quickly fell into his steps. They were heading back towards the castle.
"What are you going to do now, my Lord?" Lannor dared to ask.
"I shall fetch some things for my travel", Legolas replied with his eyes set ahead. "Then I would like you to deliver a message to my father about my whereabouts."
If Lannor found it odd that the Prince did not want to seek out the King, he didn't mention it. He only inclined his head that he had understood and Legolas appreciated it. He didn't have the strength to meet with his father at the moment when he knew that Thranduil would not be too pleased with his decision to leave the castle grounds and venture to the very borders of the realm. Yet Legolas couldn't muster any strength to argue with his father about that now. He was thrilled that the search led him beyond the castle, across the river, to a place that he could not recall having visited before. If all went well, he would even discover the thief. A small part of him also wondered, even hoped, that he would come across the red-haired woman from earlier. He shook his head and smiled to himself. What a foolish thought.
"We cannot linger."
Ben/dae/en/orod - In the shadow of the mountain
Diola lle - Thank you
So, that was that. What did you think? In the next chapter, the 'good stuff' as I put it, will slowly begin...
Hopefully the next chapter will not take this long to get up.
Thanks for reading!