"See?!" Legolas yelled, pleased, after Galion had explained what had happened. "It's not just me! The other elves saw it too?"
Galion nodded. On one hand, he was pleased he and the prince weren't hallucinating. On the other hand, he was a little scared, though he wouldn't admit it to his king and prince.
"Galion, the wine?" Thranduil asked.
"Is safe."
Legolas jumped up from his seat and yelled, "Talk about priorities!"
"Are you sure you did not eat the fruit?" Thranduil asked, only half joking.
"He said the same thing about the wine." Legolas whispered to Galion.
Galion smiled a little, trying to hide his nervousness. "I can assure you we did not eat the wine."
"I have seen the elf who keeps the keys." Bilbo explained to the imprisoned and understandably angry but also weary Thorin Oakenshield.
"And how to you plan to get them?"
Bilbo paused awkwardly for a moment. "I don't know. But I'll find a way."
The two elf guards who had intended to walk past Thorin's cell stopped in their tracks.
There was a knock on the Elven King's door a few moment later. Though it was not Thranduil, rather Elrond, who answered it.
"Lord Elrond." The two guards gasped in surprise, raising their hands to their chests and lowering their heads momentarily.
Elrond merely smiled and turned to Thranduil. "It would be far easier to just inform the people of Mirkwood that I am indeed here." He then returned his attention to the guards. "You seem troubled."
"Come in." Thranduil said softly, soft enough to ensure that it was not a direct order but rather a friendly request. "Tell us what troubles you."
The two guards entered slowly and nervously; it was not every day an elf was invited into his king's room for a friendly discussion while the king's eyes were full of concern.
Elrond closed the door behind them quietly.
"Well..." The first guard began. "We were passing by the cells..."
"...when we heard Thorin Oakenshield talking..." The second guard continued.
"...to himself." The first finished.
"There is more." Legolas noticed. He urged the two shaken elves to continue. "Isn't there?"
The guards took a deep breath, the second speaking first. "It may have just been a trick of the light-"
"Or maybe just our eyes deceiving us." The first guard added.
"But we were sure we saw a... shadow. But there was nothing to cast it."
Legolas gave a cry of triumph, startling the two guards. "We told you! We told you something strange is going on. You can't blame this on wine drinking or apple eating."
Thranduil pondered the thought for half a minute, before replying. "Actually I could..."
"L-Like I said, it could have been nothing." One of the guards stammered nervously.
Legolas shook his head. "Whether the shadow was really there or not, Thorin was still talking to himself. Back me up here. You are allowed to prove your king wrong if you want to."
"Do you want to know my reasoning?" Thranduil asked, sadness hidden in his humor-filled tone. "Say this is just a very cunning burglar... Why here? Why would anyone want to steal from us? No burglar would be satisfied with our resources."
"What if it isn't a burglar?" Galion asked quietly.
"Well it isn't a ghost." Thranduil replied.
"My king... Maybe... if you were to speak with Thorin...?" One of the guards nervously suggested.
"Thorin would not tell me why he was trespassing, he would certainly not tell me why he was talking to himself." Thranduil said, before turning to Galion.
"No, no, please, don't make me talk to the dwarves." Galion begged. "What if they're... contagious?"
"Galion," Thranduil placed his hands on the butler's upper arms, "mellon nin-"
"Don't be nice to me so I feel compelled to do something for you."
"I will give you a year's supply of wine." Thranduil offered.
Galion thought this through. He was tempted. Very tempted. But then another thought popped into his mind. "Where do you expect to get a year's supply of wine for just one person?"
"Galion so help me I will let my elk trample you."
Galion gave a mock look of hurt and fear. "Then... who will sort out your precious wine for today's celebration?"
"Legolas will do it." Thranduil replied simply, ignoring the look his son gave him. "I can order you to do it."
Constantly looking back and forth to each speaker, Elrond then turned his attention back to the guards. "Is this what it's like in a Mirkwook council meeting?"
Galion reluctantly walked through the narrow corridors and made his way to the cells. He wondered just how long it would take to heal after being trampled by an elk. In the end, he decided he didn't want to find out. If he really wanted to know, he could always wait until the next battle and push the prince in the way of the charging beast.
"Thorin." Galion greeted the prisoner, trying his best to sound friendly.
It didn't work. "What do you want?"
"To talk." The elf replied simply.
The two exchanged glares, until the stubborn dwarf finally spoke. "I already told you-"
"Yes, I know." Galion gave an exasperated sigh. "You will not tell us why you were trespassing through our own forest. I am more interested in why you were seen talking to yourself."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes you do! You know exactly what I'm talking about." Galion didn't even attempt to remain calm. "Our resources keep disappearing. Then you are seen talking to yourself. If it is quite alright with your highness, we would very much like to know what is happening here."
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