Chapter Twelve: (Meeting Elves)

The Elvenking turned the Dwarven dagger in hands over and over idly as his mind tried to fit the pieces of the mental puzzle together. He had been equal parts bemused, curious, irritated, and even slightly apprehensive when Glorfindel had returned with his quarry. Thranduil had been given the description that the Dúnedain had relayed about the canine, but to see the creature in the flesh still caused shock to ripple through not only him, but all those that hadn't previously seen it during their patrols of the forest. He could see why the Dúnedain might have mistaken it as a warg. The creature did look a bit like the lesser wolves that had become twisted and bred for vile purposes. While his pelt wasn't the usual gray or even white like those of the north, neither did the black fur seem to have any blue sheen to it as Draugluin was reputed to have had. Yet, like the father of the werewolves, this strange black wolf was far too intelligent and behaved like and yet unlike a wolf. Thranduil had no doubts that this wolf had a soul in it. Unlike those twisted creations of Morgoth, this one for whatever reason had aligned itself to the half-elven child.

One whom they had no idea where he had come from or what threat he posed. The child's bag had been searched and it seemed like a lot of bits and bobs. Odd things that might strike a child's fancy, he supposed. It had been taken to the boy's room and the Elvenking had kept his distance from the protective canine that stood sentinel over the child when Thranduil gone to inspect his 'guest'. From appearances alone, one couldn't fault the Dúnedain or anyone else for believing the boy to a child of Men if none had seen a child of the Eldar or even those that were half as few and far between as they were. That didn't explain what the boy was doing in possession of a Dwarven dagger, harassing Dúnedain, and gallivanting in his forest with a creature that shouldn't be loyal to anything but the abominations that usually rode them into battle.

After his healer had confirmed Glorfindel's assessment that the child was fine and needed to allow his body to rest, Thranduil had swept out of the room. He had retreated to his throne while he tried to make sense of this new disturbance in his domain and how it would effect his people.

Glorfindel had heard tell of the boy from the view of the Dúnedain as relayed by Ohtar and Nathor. He was quite curious to learn of Harry's experience with the Rangers from his own perspective. From what he had observed himself the wolf was wary of anyone that came too near the boy for no reason or gazed too long. He seemed content with the healers, ears always at attention, yet his gaze would without fail settle on either Glorifindel or Thranduil the one time the Elvenking had come into the room. Those eyes didn't shift from Thranduil until the elf had left the room, then fell upon Glorfindel. When the elf didn't move from where he had settled to wait, the wolf's attention was returned to unconscious child and the healer.

It was disconcerting to say the least to have that gaze leveled at you. It was too intelligent. Too knowing. It was intriguing as well. He did not blame Thranduil for his retreat rather than waiting or forcing the boy to wake to get the answers he was obviously wanting.

The healer left and it surprised Glorfindel when the wolf instead of returning to staring at him, had laid it's head upon the boy's legs, gaze steady upon his slack face. It allowed the elf to study them as well as ponder upon the mystery. The wolf's behavior in the forest had been defensive rather than antagonistic. Neither child or wolf gave off any malice and Glorfindel much doubted they were connected with anything Morgul as he'd stated to the Dúnadan. It didn't rule out the possibility that the boy did know how to sunder the rope another way. He had his suspicions but would have to wait for the boy to wake as well as talk with Mithrandir before he voiced them.

A movement from the bed brought the elf's attention back to the present. It seemed the child was going to be waking soon. Standing caused the wolf's ears to swivel in his direction so Glorfindel informed, "I'm going to go see about getting something to eat for him when he wakes."

Upon leaving the boy's room he ignored and waved off any that had been with him in the wood and wanting to know if the child was conscious yet. The tray he assembled was for a light meal not knowing just what the boy's diet was like but knowing it couldn't have been particularly healthy. Who knew how long he had been in the forest. There weren't many edible creatures in the forest that would provide sustenance for the child. Only Thranduil and his elves knew the safe places where the forest hadn't been completely corrupted yet. Nor was Glorfindel aware of just how long the child been traveling with the wolf. The elf could only hazard a rough guess of moths from his time with the Dúnedain and tracking the duo across the Misty Mountains and into the Woodland Realm.

He returned just outside of the boy's room to hear the utterance, "I'm hungry."

"You're awake, I'm just in time it seems," Glorfindel stated warmly. Amused that apparently the wolf hadn't given his presence away if the boy's startled movement was any indication. The look of suspicion leveled at him was ignored as he placed the tray on the end of the bed as it had been vacated by the wolf. Retreating back to his chair, he observed the interaction between the strange duo. The boy had glanced at the wolf who huffed and nudged his nose into the boy's side giving a noise that Glorfindel wouldn't have been able to guess at. It must have made sense to the boy who gave a petulant glance toward the canine then gave a huff and looked towards the tray. When his stomach gave a rumble, the elf laughed. "Mayhap you should eat first before we discuss anything?"

Giving a nod, the boy didn't hesitate to pull the tray onto his lap and tuck into the food as if he hadn't had a good meal in awhile. It would seem that the boy wasn't too trusting when it came to the meat on the tray as he was more opting to scarf the fruits, vegetables, and bread. Watching him as he ate, Glorfindel was relieved to see that the food didn't seem to invoke any nausea. Still, it seemed as if his coordination was still slightly off as his reach to grab the food wasn't perfect.

Now that he was awake and not unconscious, the elf had been able to see the unusual color of the boy's eyes. He'd never seen eyes that color before on any elf, man, or dwarf. The child also seemed older than what his relaxed unconsciousness gave off. It was the look in his eyes and the way his body language came across. It gave more credence to the claim he was half-elven. His features seemed more similar to the Noldor, yet there were still enough there that was foreign that pointed towards a different lineage.

Once the boy slowed down and pushed the tray a bit away from him more towards the wolf which gladly ate the meaty leftovers, the two stared at each other. The boy's gaze was a mixture of confusion, suspicion, and curiosity. Glorfindel's was assessing to see if there were any other symptoms from the boy's tumble and experience with the spiders. Thranduil had not been pleased to find that a few were still wandering and trying to make nests in his wood this far north.

Giving the boy a gentle smile he introduced himself then asked for the boy's and his companion's names to get their conversation started.

"Harry and he's Padfoot." The wolf having finished and licked his chops lay his head back down upon the bed next to the boy. Harry's hand went and started petting the wolf whose gaze didn't waver from watching Glorfindel once again.

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you. Harry, can you tell me the last thing you remember before you woke up here?" While he would like to hear the child's story, Glorfindel thought it best to determine if there was any permanent damage from the knock his head had taken. Neither he nor Thranduil's healer had found anything to indicate such, but it was best to be cautious.

The boy's eyes went towards the wolf as his brows furrowed in thought. "We were in the forest?" The slightly questioning tone would have worried Glorfindel but it was quickly alleviated as Harry's voice gained surety. It seemed that the boy had just been collecting his thoughts.

"We were playing in the forest but then the men were chasing us. And we ran into a giant spider. I don't like spiders." This was said with a full body shudder from recalled memories.

"I assure you, none that live here like the spiders."

Latching upon the topic, Harry wondered, "Where are we?"

"You are still in the Woodland Realm that was once known as the Greenwood but more commonly called Mirkwood these days by most folk. At the moment we are in the halls of it's king, Thranduil."

It was interesting to watch the boy's mouth turn down in a frown as he mulled over those words. There was no recognition of any of the names. Harry's face was expressive and showed exactly what he was thinking which was still confusion as if he was wondering why he was in the halls of a king. It also showed his annoyance and frustration when Glorfindel added, "He is quite curious to know why you were in his wood."

"If you people don't want trespassers you really out to put up signs!" Was not the retort or answer Glorfindel had expected. The elf laughed and wondered if Harry's replies were thought out or if he just stated such things naturally. Either way, he was endearing himself to Glorfindel. He could see why he might have frustrated the Dúnedain, more so that younger one.

"Not your first time trespassing, I take it?"

At the teasing tone, the boy's arms crossed over his chest and a gimlet eye was his response. The boy muttered something rather unflattering about signs and people under his breath that had Glorfindel containing his laughter but not his amusement. "You might not want to say such things when you speak with Thranduil."

The startled expression caused the elf to wonder what had caused it. The peculiar mix of embarrassment and defiance aimed at him had Glorfindel gaze back with his own open honesty and curiosity. The elf was taken aback when the boy's expression morphed to a guarded one. Glorfindel was puzzled over the defensive attitude the boy was exuding along with the anxiety. The wolf whom had been silent and at one point had shut it's eyes during the discussion because the elf was very much aware of it's gaze upon him once more. Harry seemed hesitant when he voiced his question of, "What happens now?"

"What do you mean?"

"For trespassing." Harry scowled. The wolf gave a whine that had the boy reaching out absently to pet the furry muzzle and head.

"I imagine it would depend on your reasoning." It would also depend on the Elvenking's humor. Lord Elrond would likely have a say in the matter as well as it was him that had tasked Glorfindel to find and question the child. His answer clearly didn't satisfy the boy the scowl didn't leave his face only deepening.

"We're only traveling! We're not harming anyone. Why does everyone have a problem with that?"

"Peace," Glorfindel raised his hands. "I assure you, no one here wants to harm you." If anything it was the opposite and the boy would be fending off those that would wish his presence.

The derisive snort he received in reply spoke volumes which had him wondering, "What happened before?"

Harry gave him an assessing gaze before glancing to the wolf as if seeking his opinion. A lick to his face was the boy's reply which caused Harry to grimace and glare half-heartedly as he gently pushed the muzzle away from him and wiped his face. The wolf settled once more with his head draped on the bed while the boy sighed and after crossing his arms allowed himself to relax against the head board. "We were minding our own business following the river and had tried to decide which way to go when it crossed a road. Before we could, arrows were coming at us. We ran away but they chased us just like the one in the forest." Tensing as if coming to a realization, the boy quickly asked, "The men in the forest, they weren't with the Rangers were they?"

Men in the forest? Did he mean the woodsmen? No, he meant the wood elves. Leaning forward, Glorfindel was curious. "Have you never seen an elf before?"

Perplexed the boy's voice came out as unsure. "No?"

The minute movement of the elf's lips betrayed his amusement. "Are you sure?"

"Yes?"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Glorfindel watched as the boy puzzled that out before his eyes widened as he understood.

"You?"

Glorfindel gave an affirmative nod. "I am. As were those in the forest and all those that dwell in the Elvenking's halls."

The boy's mouth opened before quickly shutting. A conflicted expression crossed his face before it was hidden away and replaced by open staring before he glanced towards to the wolf again. When it yawned lazily, Harry huffed but then turned his attention back to Glorfindel.

"So the elves weren't give me over to the Rangers?"

"Why should they?" He was only aware of one particular Dúnadan that would venture east of the Misty Mountains.

"Because-" he stopped and seemed to rethink what he was going to say as he still appeared to doubt Glorfindel's trustfulness. "They followed me and Padfoot and when they attacked us, well." The boy shrugged. "Padfoot defended us and one of them ended up hurt."

'Mauled' had been the Dúnadan's words that had spoken to Lord Elrond. Glorfindel hadn't seen the wound nor the men when they had rode in, but had heard about it second hand while the Ranger had been seen to.

"What happened next?"

They boy looked away, his mouth returning to it's scowl, and chose to focus on petting the wolf which was returning his gaze. "They didn't like that and threatened to slit my throat if Padfoot continued to protect me. They took us prisoner and were going to hand us over to their chieftain for hurting their friend. It was their fault though! They should have just left us alone. We weren't doing anything! It wasn't our fault we were near the Shire. All they had to do was have a sign that said no trespassers! Or they could have said something instead of attacking us like that. It wasn't as if we had any intention of going there." The last was said in a grumble.

"Where were you intending to go?"

Harry shrugged not taking his gaze or hands away from the wolf. "We were just traveling. Don't really know where we're going. It was more fun until getting attacked and chased by Rangers and spiders."

"How did you begin to travel?" That question had gained him the boy's attention and focus. It looked as if he didn't understand the question or what he meant by it. "Why did you start to travel?"

Again, it seemed as if Harry bit back what he was going to say and rethought it and looked back to the wolf. "The people we were with were nice enough, but we couldn't stay there forever. We left as soon as the weather let us. Been traveling since."

The elf wondered at the omission of the Drúedain. He was also curious where the child was before he was with the Drúedain. Perhaps it was the wolf's presence that sent them to wander? One question that begged to be asked Glorfindel was hesitant to do so. Gathering his own thoughts he decided to stand bringing the other two occupants of the room's attention to him. "Harry, how old are you?"

The boy's eyes widened, hands stilling, as he stared back at Glorfindel with confusion that became momentary panic then ended with a brief lost expression. The elf wasn't sure if Harry was even aware that he was broadcasting so much. Finally, the boy looked away with a frown and a muttered, "Does it really matter? I'm old enough."

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On you." Glorfindel almost hadn't answered but paused before he left the room and the boy to this thoughts without explaining.

Elves were almost as bad as Dwarves. This was the conclusion that Harry came to when he was allowed out of the sick room. While the elf that had brought him food had spoken to him in a language he could understand, the others didn't. They spoke in some other language that sounded a bit like the that spoken by the Rangers when they hadn't wanted Harry to know what they were saying. The only thing that kept him from disbelieving Glorfindel about their involvement with the Rangers were the fact that they were dressed differently and they also looked very different despite the heights being relatively the same. It seemed everyone no matter what they were spoke another secret language which was becoming very annoying. Thankfully there were a few who did seem to speak normal although it was accented.

He'd been out of sorts since his talk with the elf. It was strange. When he and Padfoot had been told about the Elves from the Drughu and then how the Dwarves were twitchy about the subject...Harry wasn't sure exactly what he had expected. Glorfindel hadn't been it though. At least he appeared to believe him about his and Padfoot's innocence when it came to their wanderings. It was only after he'd left though and Harry had pushed his frustration at the elf's parting remark that he realized that his fear of the Rangers hadn't been alleviated. Glorfindel had neither replied in positive or negative to the Elves handing them over to the Rangers should they cross the mountains and into the forest.

Whenever his thoughts started that way, Padfoot would nudge him and distract him. It worked and Harry found himself wandering about the Elvenking's Halls admiring it despite everything. While he wasn't completely enthralled with it or wanted to live in a place such as this, it wasn't too bad. He felt a bit guilty to like it a bit better than he had Moria. However, the boy would have loved to have been able to have a window with a nice breeze and sunlight. It would take them a long time to explore if they didn't get lost as it came across as a complete maze to him!

Hadn't that been a shocker, to learn that he was partially underground! Dwarves living in mountains underground hadn't come as that much of a surprise. Elves living the same way completely dumbfounded him. He didn't think either race would like the comparison. While he wanted to know what the contention was between the Elves and Dwarves, because Balin had seemed a bit reticent about Elves as well, he had bigger issues at hand to deal with. Mainly, how to get the Elves to leave him alone!

"It's worse than Moria," Harry muttered making sure that he kept his voice as low as possible. From Glorfindel's reaction when he'd commented about signposts, the Elves had better hearing than the Dwarves or Men did. He didn't think that it would go over well if they heard him compare their halls to that of those occupied by Dwarves. That was why it came as a surprise and heightened his curiosity when he learned the reason behind the blend of stone and wood was due to the fact the Dwarves had helped cave the halls out for the Elvenking. It had been admitted grudgingly by the elf who was able to speak the same language as Harry and had volunteered to be his guide for the day.

They were like the Dwarves in another fashion as well. They kept trying to get him to wear shoes! The Elves kept leaving him shoes with the clothing that had been given to him to replace the ones he'd been wearing. The trousers and tunic weren't that bad and actually felt really nice although they felt strange to him. He did miss the shirt that he had gotten from the Rangers though, despite how he personally felt about them. The material had been made for continual wear and travel. The ones he was gifted by the elves left him feeling as if they would tear if he so much as climbed a tree! Not that he would be able to find out with how the Elves seem to always have him under their gazes. Nor had he been allowed outside.

Just like the Dwarves they seemed just as deaf and bemused whenever Harry tried to explain that he preferred to be barefooted. In the end, to save his breath when he realized they wouldn't listen or stop giving him shoes, and because it would be amusing for him, Harry made a game of it. Whenever he received a new pair of shoes, he would go exploring, wait until his guide was distracted by another elf, Harry pointing to something and asking what it was even if he didn't actually have an interest, or Padfoot would begin to make them nervous going too far or close and then Harry would quickly slip off his shoes and hide them. Or drop them off the edge of a bridge or set of stairs. It didn't matter as long as the shoes wouldn't trouble him no longer. Despite it all though, he always found a new pair which caused him to scowl before thinking of another way to dispose of said shoes. There was other ways to get his displeasure across he was sure, as well as to alleviate the boredom and monotony of his days.

"Oh, Padfoot!" Harry sing-songed causing his friend to look at him in curious anticipation. "How about we find a way to let them know that we need sunshine too, hmm?"

A.N. - So, I am alive and not homeless! Had been working to try and make sure that we didn't lose our apartment. Being homeless is not fun and didn't really want to do that again. Once was enough, thank you. I'm sure you all agree that is most important, yes? It has been sorted so I have another 6 months to a year before I have to worry again, LOL!