THE FORGOTTEN
Lhing
Spider Web
Author's Note: The chapter in which – Lothril sees a flash of light and Legolas asks some questions. …I reckon this starts April 2nd.
Lothril was working late in her garden and was just about to the palace gate when a glint caught her eye. It was bluish white, not red like torchlight. She looked at the nearest guard and asked, "Did you see that flash?"
"No milady, I did not," answered the one.
"I did, milady," answered the other.
"Do you know what it was?"
"It reminded me of a glathralvas, but that was no signal we recognize," he answered.
"What is- oh, Legolas, good. Look that way," Lothril said, pointing into the forest. The light flashed again at odd intervals with no perceived pattern to it. "What was that?"
"That looks like a signal from a glathralvas, but that is no signal we recognize," he answered.
"That is almost exactly what he said, but I do not know what a glathralvas is and I want to know what it means," Lothril said.
"Alert the king to this and tell Commander Raven to order troops to assemble and come to me in the throne room," Legolas said to one of the guards who hurried off immediately. "It is a signaling device we use that reflects light, but elves are the only ones that can see it. I am not aware of any missing soldiers and if it was one of ours, they would use one of our signals," Legolas added to Lothril.
"Could it be Elrond? He is due to arrive soon," Lothril asked, concern creasing her brow.
"That is what I am wondering," Legolas said quietly. "They use them also, but I know none of their signals. Go back inside and wait for me."
Her face suddenly became set and she used ósanwe to say, "Is that an order?"
"That is a very strong suggestion that could rapidly turn into an order," he replied, sounding a little warning.
She raised a brow ever so slightly. "I am not so foolish as to go running off recklessly, but I will not sit around doing nothing when we both know I can help."
"Follow me to the throne room," Legolas relented.
By the time they reached it, Thranduil was there also.
"The guard said you saw a signal," Thranduil said as soon as he was near them.
"I did," Lothril answered.
"Do you remember what it was?" he asked.
She shut her eyes to concentrate and held up a fist and opened and closed it in the pattern she recalled.
"I do not recognize that. It could be either the lost men from Gondor or Elrond's party. What direction did it come from?" Thranduil asked.
"The darkness," Legolas answered.
Thranduil's eyes widened.
Just then, Raven entered the throne room.
"Commander Raven, report what you know of the situation," Thranduil said.
Raven gave a quick bow and said, "I noticed the flashing from the darkness and was already assembling troops to investigate and was heading this way to report when a messenger from the prince arrived and ordered my presence here. We are ready to leave this moment."
"How many?" Thranduil asked.
"A platoon under the command of Hebrion," Raven answered.
Thranduil nodded. "Excellent. Lanterns for all and prepare to head out."
"Athon (Yes, I will)," Raven said and gave a brisk nod and turned to go until Lothril spoke.
"I want to go."
"Legolas, thoughts?" Thranduil asked.
"She wishes to go and given whom it may be signaling help, I have no objections, but I do wish to lead the party," Legolas said.
"You may go, Lothril, but you must follow orders and I am sending four guards to protect you," Thranduil said. "And you may lead it, Legolas, with Commander Raven. Given who we suspect may be in trouble, I want them rescued promptly and not risk anything. And if anything about the situation seems off, everyone is to pull back immediately. This whole situation feels strange to me and I don't like it."
"Me neither," said Lothril.
"Aran nîn," Raven said, "who do we suspect may be in trouble?"
"We suspect it is either three men from Gondor who were sent ahead of the trade merchants and Lord Hithaeron or else Lord Elrond and his party. Either way, they seem to have a glathralvas, and that would strongly suggest they are a friend," Thranduil answered.
"We shall recover them," Raven said firmly.
-⸙ - ⸙-
It didn't take long for Legolas and Lothril to change into their armor and march out. They headed in a straight line towards the direction of the flash that was still being seen periodically with erratic flashes. Lothril could feel it when they left the Woodland realm, and could also feel it when they reached the edge of the darkness. Night was well on and they brought their lanterns that shone red and were shining them strategically intro the darkness at intervals. The flashes seemed nearer and the scouts had reported no sign of anything, and yet... They could all feel something.
"I think we are close. Start singing," Legolas said with ósanwe.
She began to quietly sing until she could feel the darkness lifting around her then began to sing louder by degrees until the air around all of them felt more wholesome. They moved forward again and out of what almost seemed like a wall of shadow stumbled a man wearing insignia of the white tree with spider web clinging to him. He looked wild eyed, gaunt, and half starved. He saw them and stumbled towards them, arms outstretched crying, "Elves! Oh elves! Save us! Save us! We have been trapped by spiders, such huge spiders! I have only just escaped! My companions are back there! I cut one down, but could not carry him so pledged to return with aid."
"Does he yet live?" Raven asked.
"I know not. Nor our companion, but I hope. They are as doughty as I or more so," the man replied, looking like he might burst into tears.
Raven ordered a soldier remove him to the back of the procession and forward they went, Lothril singing louder by order of Legolas. She was pushing back the darkness and because she was not doing it with light but with song, whatever was behind the darkness seemed to struggle to reclaim it.
Perhaps twenty yards further they saw them, and Lothril realized and then promptly ignored the fact that Legolas' drawing had been so accurate. There were a variety of animals wrapped in web, but thankfully only two people.
No one could see the spiders, but no one doubted they were close, so the fallen man was cut out of the web and picked up and the other cut down and hurriedly carried away.
The night was growing old when they reached the palace with the three men being carried on stretchers. They questioned the first man very little as he seemed so weak, but he was able and willing to tell them his name was Fimben and he was a soldier attached to Lord Hithaeron who was sent ahead to tell King Thranduil of his pending arrival and that he had escaped using the sharp edge of this strange mirror thing King Elessar had insisted they bring on this trip. He produced the mirror and Legolas immediately examined it. It was identical to ones he had seen in Rivendell. It was in a stiff leather frame and could be slid out to double as a cutting edge if needed.
"You are among friends now, Fimben. Rest as you may and we will reach the palace soon," Legolas said, sliding the mirror into a pocket to show his father. They reached the palace very late and the three men of Gondor were rushed to the healers. All three were alive, but they were in a bad way. Lothril had offered to heal them, but Legolas and Raven both said no and that she was more valuable as a soldier just now than a healer, especially as they were not in peril of dying. Legolas though was especially uncomfortable with the idea, because he could not feel her hand through both their gauntlets and he was not sure how much of her power was needed to push back such a darkness.
As it was, she was quite fine; a little tired, but not so much that she couldn't keep up marching back. When they reached the palace though, she did have servants summoned to her room to help her take off her armor and crawled into bed right away. She was happy to feel Legolas crawl in beside her ten minutes later, as they had already been planning on it before any of this happened. As soon as he was next to her, she drifted off to sleep.
-⸙ - ⸙-
The next morning at breakfast, Legolas handed Thranduil the glathralvas before breakfast was over.
"The soldier Fimben used that to cut the spider web he was wrapped in. It looks to me exactly like the ones that Elladan and Elrohir carry. As I recall, the Rangers often carry them in case they find themselves in great need," Legolas said.
Thranduil examined it closely then handed it back to Legolas. "Then there is no doubt, these must be the missing men," he said.
"There was doubt?" Lothril asked.
"Admittedly, very little, but a healthy measure of skepticism serves one well when welcoming strangers into your home," Thranduil said.
"I reckon that is true," Lothril said thoughtfully. She paused a moment then asked, "I know it is still breakfast, but do you mind a question or two?"
Thranduil smiled. "You may."
"I well suppose now that we know there are, in fact, spiders lurking in that dark part of the forest that we are going to do something about it?" she asked.
"We shall certainly try," Thranduil said. "Now that Dol Guldur is laid waste, I reckon we have a much better chance of destroying it."
She nodded. "Now… do you know the origin of these spiders?"
Thranduil and Legolas glanced at each other then Legolas spoke. "We have long assumed them spawn of Ungoliant."
"Right. Now, for what this is worth, that place last night felt evil, but not nearly as strong as the Pass of Cirith Ungol. Therefore, I think whatever evil lives there is not as powerful or old as Shelob. At least, it seems less likely to me. So… I would like to be in on eradicating it."
Her petition was met with silence as two stone faced elves stared at her, then looked at each other and held a brief ósanwe conversation then Thranduil said, "You may."
"I… may? Really?" She repeated, stunned.
"You may," Thranduil repeated.
"As you easily pushed back the darkness last night, I reckon you are correct and quite capable of handling it. So you may aid our efforts," Legolas said.
"But you must follow orders," Thranduil added.
"Of course!" Lothril answered.
"I have already sent out scouts to observe the area and attempt to learn exactly what we are dealing with. I hope to have this business taken care of within a fortnight," Thranduil said.
"That would be nice. Oh, I just had a thought – Elrond will not have to pass too close to that darkness, will he?" Lothril asked.
"No, not if he keeps to the road," Thranduil asked.
"That does beg the question though, why our guests ended up there," Legolas said.
-⸙ - ⸙-
After breakfast, Thranduil had Legolas speak to their visitors to discern why and how they had gone so wildly off course.
Before he entered the room he drew Taraves aside. "How do they seem this morning?" Legolas asked.
"Well enough. Fimben was least poisoned, the other two more, so he is about but the others yet sleep, though I expect them to wake today at some point," she answered.
"Do you suppose Fimben is up for questioning?" Legolas asked.
She nodded. "Indeed, my prince, I reckon he is, so long as you are judicious about it. Try not to excite him or upset him too much, if you can avoid it," she answered.
Legolas nodded and entered the room where the three men lay. Fimben was awake and sitting up, his bandages being changed over his wound from the spiders. When he saw Legolas enter, he recognized him and smiled.
"Good morning, Fimben! How fare you this morning?" Legolas asked as he drew near.
"Much better, Prince Legolas," Fimben answered. "Forgive me for not bowing."
"You are quite excused. We do not expect formalities from the injured, especially when they are getting their bandages changed. But how did you know I am Prince Legolas?"
"I thought I recognized you last night, for I was in the company led by King Elessar, but I was so sick with poison, I was not sure of anything I saw. I still feel ill, but much less so now," Fimben answered.
"Are you feeling well enough to answer a few questions?" Legolas asked.
"Yes, your highness, I am if the healers will permit me," Fimben answered.
"How long were you in the clutches of the spiders?" Legolas asked.
"I know not. It was the twenty-seventh of March the morning the fog came and we set out and became ensnared. What is today?" Fimben asked.
"The third of April," Legolas answered.
"It felt so much longer," Fimben said, shaking his head.
Legolas well knew that feeling, but only asked the next question. "How did you become ensnared?"
"We were on the elven road and had been warned by the Beornings to stay upon it at all costs, for even though the shadow is lifted from the forest, it is thick and dense and easy to get lost in. Then the morning of the thirtieth we awoke to a thick fog beneath the trees and thought it strange, but we could still see the road beneath our feet and so carried on with caution. But then darkness fell as if a great and terrible storm was coming upon the forest, and so we thought but we heard no thunder. I think in that darkness we went astray and so became ensnared. There were many spiders that fell upon us, and though we tried our best to fight them off and slew a couple, we were overwhelmed and then I knew no more until last night when I came to enough to rouse myself and cut myself free," he answered.
Legolas found that story disturbing on a number of levels but kept his face neutral. "Thank you, Fimben. Rest now and we will send word to your fellows that you have been rescued safe and whole."
He immediately left and returned to his father who was working in his official study. He relayed the interview to him.
"I do not like that. Not one bit. Especially with guests coming. Elrond and his company are enough, but your grandparents are coming soon also, and I expect them in not too many weeks from now," Thranduil said with a frown. "I am going to send out guards further into the forest to watch for and accompany Lord Elrond and we are going to tackle this swiftly and aggressively. I am now regretting not tackling this as soon as we returned, but I was hoping it was merely a shadow of darkness left that would fade away. I see now I was wrong. Are you certain you are fine with Lothril aiding us in this endeavor?"
Legolas took a deep breath and said, "I am not fond of the idea. In fact, I do not like it. However, I know what she is capable of and she is a good fighter with good sense. As long as she is well guarded and either myself or someone I trust implicitly is there to aid her, I will hold my fears in check and let her help."
"I will let you hand choose her guard and go with her if you wish. If I read her mood this morning rightly, she is viewing this as a threat against her family and her home, and I have seen mortal and immortal biss do seemingly impossible things when they thought those they love were in danger. Given her blood, she should be capable of doing astounding things even without feeling like her loved ones are in danger. With it… I think standing in her way would be more futile than King Thingol trying to lock up Lúthien."
