New Revelations

As we approached the end of the cave, Gimli was already looking towards us. Beleg was standing next to him, Maglor was kneeling in front of the fire, adding two logs. When we stopped, Gimli's eyes wandered to our entwined hands and then to Beleg. They both exchanged a glance. A mischievous expression flashed across Gimli's face. "I see Aspen is doing well."

"Excellent," I replied, and Beleg bit his lip.

"I am touched by your constant concern for me, my friend," Legolas said dryly.

Gimli waved him off. "I have found a way, but you will not like it."

"I thought as much," I said. "Little chance of success, what else could it be."

"Don't be so gloomy, lass." He ran his hand over his beard. "But I have to agree with you on one thing: It's not going to be easy. I couldn't think of any way that wouldn't get us close to the guards. We have to take a risk or we won't make it into the mountain."

Legolas frowned and I knew what he was going to say before he said it. "Telling your kin the truth is not an option?"

Gimli made a snide noise. "No. I've thought long and hard about it, but there are lines they wouldn't cross even for me. I would have three elves and one human with me, all of whom seek what Thorin, and many others of my kin, consider kind of a… sanctuary."

"The mere fact that his grave has to be opened for this will prevent them from even considering our wish," Beleg added. "We've gone through every possible scenario. The dwarves don't appear in any of them. Only this one is left."

"And even then, two of us have to stay behind." Gimli looked down at the tips of his boots. "You won't find your way to the chamber without me, Aspen has to come with us because she'll be the one to unite the shards…" He did not finish the sentence, but I felt Legolas tense beside me. His eyes wandered to the Elf by the fire. "It will not please you, Maglor, that you are the one who does not enter the mountain."

The dwarf looked at the ground for a moment longer, then nodded as if he had already foreseen this answer. "I was expecting that you wouldn't want to leave her side."

"So what do we do?" I asked. Maglor hadn't given the impression that he intended to be relegated to the role of a spectator. And maybe I couldn't do without him? After all, someone had to show me how to reassemble the Silmaril.

At that moment, he rose from his position and confirmed my worries: "I'm going into that mountain with you," he said. "And I had assumed that you knew, Master Dwarf, that this was a point I would not argue."

Legolas apparently had anticipated this answer, for he said, "Why can't two of us go into the mountain? Is it because of the guards?"

Beleg nodded. "We need a distraction. Something that will give us the minutes we need to uncover Gimli's tunnel entrance and slip in unnoticed."

"One person isn't enough for that?" Legolas looked at his friend sternly.

Gimli shuffled with his feet. "It would be safer if two did it."

"Safer or impossible?" he probed further.

"Legolas…"

"Safer or impossible, Gimli?"

The dwarf sighed. "It's up to you whether you want to increase the already high risk."

That sounded anything but good. In fact, it seemed like a suicide mission. Why did the second Silmaril have to rest on Thorin Oakenshield's dead chest of all places? I ran my fingers over my face. On the other hand, that was probably the reason why it had remained hidden for so long. The dwarves defended it with teeth and claws.

"Morgoth can speak through one of his fellows at any time. None of you can oppose him for long, not even you, Legolas Thranduilion," Maglor said. The composure he had exuded until now had given way to a restlessness that I had never seen in him before. "If that's all you've come up with in the last hours, I should have done the planning."

Gimli huffed in outrage, but Beleg put a hand on his shoulder. "Then what do you suggest?"

"We all go." Maglor looked at us in turn. "We need everyone to protect Aspen until she's done her duty."

"And after that, no more?" I questioned sharply. Maglor gave me a look I couldn't read, but said: "After that, too."

"And how do you think we're going to get into the mountain?" Gimli had his hands on his hips, his eyes flashing sparks. "You may know Erebor, but not the safety measures my kin has taken. Especially not in the last few years. They've changed a lot, as I saw for myself on one of my journeys."

"That is true," Maglor admitted, "but I know other... people who may make the situation easier for us."

Legolas' grip on my hand tightened. "You'll have to be more specific if you want me to put Aspen at risk of being captured by the dwarves of Erebor."

Maglor, who had been holding something I hadn't been paying attention to, offered the bundle to Legolas. "Here, fresh clothes. I bought them from a merchant in Esgaroth while you were watching over Aspen in the dream realm. For both of you."

When Legolas made no move to reach for it, I did, "Thank you."

"So?" The voice of the Elf beside me sounded relentless, his entire focus on Maglor.

"Mercenaries," Maglor said. "They will do as I have asked, for they owe me a favor. I used the time to remind them. They will be there, in two days at sunset."

"Mercenaries," Gimli repeated, his expression disbelieving. "Why didn't you mention them before?"

"Because it took me a few hours to realize that you, Gimli Gloin's son, were toying with the idea of splitting up the group. I hate to repeat myself, but that is not an option."

My eyes searched Legolas', but he was still looking at Maglor intently. He was probably trying to assess whether we could trust him. It seemed he had come to the conclusion that we had no other choice. "Very well, then. But you'll tell me more about your mercenaries on the way."

Maglor bowed his head in agreement. "Then let us leave before Lothlorien's guards get too close to the forest. It's only a matter of time before they overcome their reluctance."

I hesitated. The haste in Maglor's tone caught my attention. It was too fast, Maglor was in too much of a hurry. Because of that, and because I didn't want to change in front of everyone else, I said, "I'll wait until you're outside, then I'll switch clothes."

"Fair enough. But make haste." Maglor turned away and the others followed him. Everyone except for Legolas. As I undid my bodice, I leaned forward. As quietly as I could, I said, "Something is wrong."

"I know."

"He's keeping something from us." My skirt fell to the floor and I reached for the pants Maglor had secured. I was at least grateful to him for not bringing me a dress. I would probably have to run or fight. Skirts would only get in the way. "What choice do we have but to take him with us? Gimli has already tried to get rid of him – without success. Besides, I need his help with the Arkenstone."

"We can't shake him off, so we have to follow his plan. I don't assume that he wants to prevent us from getting to the Arkenstone."

"But you think he'll have his own agenda once we have him."

"Yes. Perhaps." Legolas buttoned his new pants and slipped into his tunic with a tense face. He had taken off the sling that had been holding his arm. "Whether he is trying to betray us or just not telling us everything he knows – my heart cannot fathom that. That's why I suggest we bring a second set of Silmaril shards into play."

"What do you mean?" Where would we get a second set of them? And why?

"If everything is fine and our gut instincts are wrong, you'll use the real ones as soon as you put it together. However, if our suspicion is confirmed and something happens that we didn't foresee, you have the opportunity to protect the true Silmaril shards by taking the replicas."

"Do you really think Maglor will try to take the Silmaril shards? After all, he gave me the third one of his own free will."

Legolas listened to the voices of the others waiting for us at the cave entrance. We couldn't let any more time pass than necessary. "I don't think he will try to take them himself," he replied quietly. "He wouldn't benefit from that. But I think he's too focused on the goal and is overlooking possible risks. The mercenaries are truly too much of a coincidence. He wants to see the Silmaril restored to its former glory, how that happens and whether you come to harm in the process doesn't matter to him. We can't defy him, he's too powerful for that. The false shards are a form of cover, if nothing else."

"So we take the key out of the lock and change the status quo?"

"Aye."

"Okay," I said. "But where do we get them from?"

Legolas closed his cloak and then bent down to his old clothes. From one of his many pockets, he pulled out a pouch that looked exactly like the one I hid in my bodice. "In the time that you and Gimli were unfortunate enough to get to know the cells of my home, I had these made." He pulled out three shards that looked like the original ones. Only the inner glow wasn't there. "Ever since we talked about them in the tavern in Rohan, I had the feeling that we needed a duplicate. But it never arose to talk about it. Other things were always more important."

"Like staying alive."

"Among other things." He chuckled. "Here. Take it."

As his hands touched mine, I was grateful for his foresight. Making a replica of the shards had been a clever idea of Legolas'. I now had something that Maglor didn't know about and that I could use to my advantage. "Thank you," I said, hiding the pouch in my clothes. "I hope we won't need them."

"I hope so too."

With that, we followed the others, but not without rolling up our old clothes and taking them with us. When we reached the exit of the cave, Beleg, Maglor and Gimli were already waiting impatiently. "We will move in the shadow of Ered Mithrin and approach Erebor from the north," Maglor said as soon as we had caught up with them.

"The Grey Mountains are full of orcs. The dwarves left this place for that very reason a long time ago," Gimli interjected. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"We are not going to enter the mountains, Master Dwarf," Maglor replied. "I know a number of hidden paths that no orc would ever follow. They run across a grassy plain that will protect us."

"Besides, the Ered Mithrin are the nesting ground of dragons." Legolas looked at Maglor again with that piercing gaze. "Do you want to end our quest before it has begun?"

"The dragons are no longer a threat. There are not many of them left and those that survived the War of the Ring have retreated deep into the mountains."

"Yet they are Morgoth's servants. He will have alerted them."

"Being picked up by Lothlorien's guards seems much more likely to me." Maglor looked from one to the other. "They are tightening the ring around the northern part of Eryn Lasgalen. Soon we will only be able to leave the forest with great effort."

"And they control the route to Esgaroth," Beleg said. "Gimli and I almost ran into them after we got rid of the orcs."

I lowered my eyes. So we had to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea. Which was the better option?

"You decide, lass," Gimli said and I winced mentally. Why me of all people? I didn't know Middle Earth half as well as Legolas, Gimli or Maglor. So I quickly tried to work out which risk was greater and came to the conclusion that Maglor was right: The immediate danger from Lothlorien's guards was greater than that emanating from the Grey Mountains. At least I hoped so. "Do the orcs come out of the hills at night?" I asked, just to be sure.

"No, they've been hiding in there since the Ring War, just like the surviving dragons," Legolas replied. "I just think that each and every one of us should know all the risks before decisions are made." A clear jab in the direction of Maglor, who had not brought up the key details. Another sign that something was wrong.

"So there's a better chance of moving in the shadows of the mountains than taking the direct route past the troops of Lothlorien?"

"That's my best guess."

"And there is no other way to Erebor?"

"None that wouldn't take us too close to the Woodland Realm," Beleg said. "I also think this route is the best – if one can say that under the given conditions."

As discreetly as possible, I looked at Legolas, who nodded barely noticeable. "All right, then. We'll take the northern route. But if I see so much as the tip of a dragon's tail, we'll turn back."

"Good." Maglor shouldered his bow. "Follow me."

He went first, Beleg went behind him. I came next, Legolas and Gimli were at the back. I didn't have a good feeling about what we were about to do. But what choice did we have? Even if Morgoth had not yet paid me another visit, the moon would soon pass its peak.

And then my respite would be over.