Where the Lady Celebriel was concerned Thranduil was careful not to make the mistakes that the Lord and Lady, and Lord Elrond had made. They had pushed her and pushed her too far and Celebriel had done what she seemed to excel at—push back.

He still wished for a marriage between her and Legolas, but he stepped carefully back, guessing rightly that if it were to happen, the two must come to it on their own terms.

He instructed Legolas to be ever present, but not intrusive. He had now relented and allowed Celebriel to accompany his son when he went out with his companions to patrol the Greenwood. She was not immediately to be made a member of the guard, he instructed Legolas, not yet. He was to gage her skills and capabilities and let him know what he thought. There were other women who served in the deep wood, to add one more would not be unusual.

"And make sure she does not run," Thranduil warned him, but they found she had no desire to. At long last Celebriel was being allowed to do what she loved the most. If she considered herself first and foremost a soldier, Thranduil was coming to believe that she should be allowed to do just that. He would not send her out untested and was forming plans to see if she should merit a place in the guard of the Greenwood.

There was no doubt in his mind that she was content in a way that she could not, or would not be allowed, in Imladris. Why Elrond had not seen that it would take so little to make her happy puzzled him. She had remained longer in the Greenwood than she had in Imladris and had not once attempted to escape.

He had more on his mind now than keeping watch over an elven maid who may or may or not run away. Rumors were coming to him of evil goings on in the south of his realm. A tower was being built with inhuman powers. A black cloud hung over it that caused the woodmen who had long made it their home flee for their very lives.

Thranduil's realm was small and while he could keep effective watch in the north, the southern reaches by necessity were left to fend for themselves. The southern end of the forest was too remote to maintain an outpost. The elves of Lorinand were much closer and Thranduil depended on their cooperation to keep him abreast of anything unusual that went on.

But now there was little communication between the two realms. Lorinand was smaller and perilously close to the Greenwood's southern reaches as well as Moria. Though Moria had not yet proved to be a threat, the elves would not enter there.

To hear of rumors was one thing, but even the most persistent of rumors must at times be proved. Thranduil was wise enough to know that he could not wait any longer to try to substantiate them, but must send someone to see for themselves. And the best person he could send was his son.

It was not long before Celebriel found out and though she hated to beg she was willing to do just that to be allowed to accompany Legolas. When she asked he shook his head, refusing to be cajoled into permitting her to come.

"It is too dangerous," he said, "I will not take the risk of something happening to you."

"But you need me, you just don't understand." She put her hand on her arm, "I think I know what this is and where it comes from. Who it is, I can only suspect. If I am right then your father will not be able to prevent this evil. Legolas, did I ever tell you why I was sent away from Lorien?"

"No, you did not and it was a subject that seemed to distress you so I vowed never to ask. Are you telling me that what is going on has something to do with why you were exiled?"

She led him to a small couch and they sat down. "You know who my mother is and what she bears though we are not allowed to speak of it. Legolas, when I was born my mother was wearing her ring and at that moment I became awake and I saw the last battle on Orodruin. I saw Gil Galad and Elendil fall, I saw the spirit of Sauron seem to disappear."

"As I grew older I discovered that I could hear my mother's thoughts, discern her feelings. And I became aware of something else, something that was trying to find her, divine her thoughts and since it could not it turned to me instead."

"You mean—are you saying…?"

"No, I don't know who it was, but removing me from the south seemed to help. You need me to come with you. If this is what I think it is, it is more dangerous than you think. Remember the One Ring was not destroyed and if it still exists, the evil that occupies it still exists. The Nine could be out there waiting for the chance to reveal themselves."

"Celebriel, you know this sounds like madness," Legolas said patiently, "That is an interesting story you told me, but it doesn't necessarily connect to any danger to my father's realm."

"Very well, if you do not take me with you I will go on my own. You can lock me in my room, lock me in the dungeons but I will find my way out and follow you. What I know, what I am might keep you from harm. I can keep you from venturing too close, I can tell you if we have been heard. You need me!"

"My son, what are you saying? Of course she cannot go with you, it is too dangerous." Thranduil's hands gripped the arms of his throne, "Surely you see this is folly?"

"Father, I don't know but remember she made the journey from Imladris by herself, she does not lack for courage. And if she is right, we will have to do something to protect ourselves if this is an evil we can do nothing about."

Thranduil rested his chin on his hand. There were refugees arriving from the south, humble woodcutters who had lived in the forest all their lives. Radagast the Brown who had settled at Rhosgobel was doing what he could but even he would not venture close to the new threat in the southern reaches. Something had to be done.

"All right my son, take her with you but keep an eye on her. Do not let her wander off on her own. We know so little about her and what powers she had inherited from her mother.

"Don't go on foot, I cannot spare you that long. We have ponies that can travel swiftly and pick their way through forest pathways. I do this reluctantly but I must know what is going on so I can choose my actions wisely. Make sure you and your party come home, and do not let any harm come to Celebriel!"

The party that set out was solemn, even scouting parties and patrols had not excluded merriment, but this one did.

Nothing seemed to penetrate the silence until at last Celebriel spoke. "When we used to patrol the eastern fences in Lorinand we'd take boats and cross the Anduin and explore the edges of the forest. It also seemed so, empty, even though we'd hunt deer and other game to bring back home. Even the wood cutters seemed to avoid that part of the forest."

"So you were trespassing," said Legolas, trying to make his words sound like but in the gloom of the forest it was not possible.

"Perhaps," she answered, "But we thought of ourselves as guardians, checking to see that all was well. If it is the Enemy and he is building a fortress in the forest, that is where he would choose. He'd build it close to Lorinand in case he planned to invade it from there someday."

"Why Lorinand?" asked Legolas.

"Because someday that's where I'll be, Mother too, maybe. He hasn't forgotten his hatred of the elves, you know. He wants to think we're weak, but he knows we're not. We have long memories and we don't forget."

They rode as far as they dared each day, not wanting to exhaust their ponies. The first night they built a fire and cooked the fat rabbits they had caught. They sat and washed down the rabbits with the wind they had brought, and between the good meal and the wine allowed themselves to forget the reason for their journey.

Not so the second day. Something in the Greenwood seemed to have changed. The air had become thicker, the ponies' hoof beats seemed muffled. The songbirds had seemingly disappeared and what birds there were now sounded menacing, ominous.

Celebriel put her hands over her ears, "Stop, stop!" she cried out and Legolas asked, "What is wrong?"

"Can you not hear them talking?" Celebriel replied, "I cannot understand the words but there is a language they are speaking that is foreign to me. I hear words but they mean nothing. Who taught them this language? What has caused this?"

"My lady," said one of the elves, "We hear nothing of which you speak, in fact there is mostly silence reigning in these woods. There are few if any birds at all, but none that speak in words."

"Perhaps we should travel to Rhosgobel and seek out Radagast the Brown," said Legolas, "Perhaps he would understand why you hear these things that we do not."

"It would do no good and would lengthen our journey," said Celebriel dully, "He would not understand any more than I do. Besides, Gandalf told me that he is seldom in his home and spends his time wandering the woods looking after the birds and animals. He does not concern himself much with men or elves. Am I frightened? Yes, I am but I want to know if the Enemy has invaded these woods. If he has I must get word to Amroth. He will need to know what is at stake."

"If you say so," said Legolas doubtfully, but decided to heed her words.

The forest grew darker as they grew closer to where the tower must be. The elves could see in the dark and their ponies had eyes that were better than humans' but relied on their riders to tell them where to go.

The path was becoming barely a track now that might have been invisible to mortal eyes but Legolas, Celebriel, and their companions could read it as if it were a silver thread laid on the forest floor. It grew narrow at times, so narrow that the elves found it expedient to dismount and lead their ponies until it grew wider again.

"We should leave them someplace safe and continue on foot," Celebriel said, "It will be easier if they can stay hidden, we can return to them later."

"Do you think we are close, my lady?" asked one of the elves.

"I can feel something, like the pricking of my hairs at the back of my neck. And I can hear what seems like humming. And look at how dark the wood are, like a thick black cloud. Where have the birds gone? The animals? Even the humming of insects is missing."

She did not mention the voices she seemed to hear, soft, inaudible almost yet ever present. I must be careful not to let it know I'm here, she thought. I had never thought I could come so close to a danger like this, but I have to, they need me. I'm the only one who can warn them when the danger is too near!

Some had drawn knives, some held their bows with an arrow at the ready. Legolas put Celebriel behind him and she kept her hand on his shoulder as they drew forward, step by quiet cautious step.

No eyes but elvish eyes could have seen through the black mist, but Celebriel, born of Galadriel of the Blessed Realm, could see through the blackness better even than the elves of the Greenwood. No one could have heard their footsteps for the elves go quietly when they wish and now they desired that none should hear.

"Just ahead," she spoke no words but sent her thoughts to Legolas, "A tall black tower whose color seems to absorb even the darkness around it.

A tower was growing by unseen hands. The elves watched in horror as it grew, seemingly on its own. It seemed to be growing out of the earth, slowly but steadily becoming taller.

"Something unearthly and dark is causing this to grow," said one of the elves in a voice so quiet that only their ears could hear. "And it will be completed soon," agreed another, "This is can only be the work of a dark force, such as has not been seen in middle earth for ages."

"We have to leave," said Celebriel, "Now. He's telling me that if we don't leave we will be seen and we may not be able to escape."

"Who is he?" asked Legolas, but she only shook her head. "Come then," he said and took her hand, "This place is evil and I will not remain here. We can tell Father what we saw. I am afraid you are right, Celebriel, this is an evil he is powerless to deal with. The Southern reaches of the woods must become a forbidden zone now. Evil has arrived and now we must be watchful."