"Father, they are Dwarves!" Thranduil greeted his son's whispered avowal with an impassive gaze: only his grey eyes showed how busy was the mind behind them. After a moment he nodded slowly.
"Yes, Legolas. This I know," he replied softly. The younger Elf looked up, startled. He knew that his father held no love for the Naugrim and wondered briefly why he had ordered their folk to leave so swiftly, without even stopping to question the intruders on their motives for entering the realm of the Elven-king. Seeming to divine his son's thoughts, Thranduil spoke again.
"I want nothing to do with them, Legolas...I will not have the feast further disrupted by a group of pugnacious Dwarves. If we show that we care nothing for them or their actions, they may move on without disturbing us again. You know how hot-tempered some of the younger Elves can be, and I would not risk them falling into conflict with these wanderers: I know how violent and hardy in battle a Dwarf can be."

Legolas nodded in agreement: an ancient feud, a sudden appearance that could easily be construed as an attack and swift tempers-to say nothing of large amounts of wine-could form a potentially deadly combination.
"In addition to this," the king continued, "there is always the chance that their intentions were aggressive in nature. Although we saw but a few, that there are more among the trees is not outside the realm of possibility. We were caught unawares-" He broke off for an instant, glancing keenly at the other, as if he knew of Legolas' earlier suspicions. "-in feast-time, with children in our company."
Legolas mused on his father's words. Years of having the care of a numerous people had taught the King a caution his father had never possessed and his son at times disregarded.
"I do not believe their motive was to injure, merely to disrupt," he remarked thoughtfully. "We have not been pursued, and surely if such had been their purpose they would not have become discouraged so easily."

As they spoke the first among the company of Elves had already arrived at the low mound and stood among the trees, some murmuring to one another in bewildered tones, their fair faces troubled and their every sense now alert, others already laughing once more.
"All the same," Legolas added, looking around at their people, "I deem it would be wise to investigate farther." "Of course," Thranduil replied. "Set up a guard, and send out scouts. I shall have all those bearing weapons alerted. If anything more should happen this night, we shall be ready for them...but they shall think us foolishly careless."

Legolas nodded respectfully before retreating into the press of curious and bemused Elves to find those he wished to accompany him. He had no need to seek out Annum�r, for he was already tracing a convoluted route towards his foster brother. After a moment or two Legolas managed to identify Ornendil, Culedhel and Th�ntir, three of the elite of the Guard; Thalion, meanwhile, had remained with Lothiel, and had a protective hand placed beneath her elbow. All had weapons concealed beneath their cloaks. Legolas caught Culedhel's eye for an instant, and inclined his head towards the path that led to the river. The gesture was enough: highly trained and devoted as he was, the Elf needed no further instruction but at once began to move in the direction his captain had indicated.

Before Legolas could alert any of the others, a hand on his shoulder informed him that Annum�r had reached him. "What is going on?" the other asked in an urgent whisper. "No-one seems to know anything, since the king ordered so hasty a removal, but there are rumours flying like wildfire...some of the children are in a strange terror, and Gl�nw� is insisting that he saw a Man shrunk to half his natural height-what is the truth of the matter?"
Legolas answered his question with another. "Have you your dagger with you?" Receiving an affirmative nod, he caught his friend by the arm and advanced towards the place where he had last seen Ornendil. "Look out for Th�ntir and Thalion," he added over his shoulder as they walked. "If you see either of them move away, try to keep them in sight so that we will be able to find them later."

As they came near to the group of which Ornendil had been a part, however, the Elf turned and strode away, apparently not having seen Legolas or recognised his intentions. Anxious that they should not be delayed, Legolas called after him. Ornendil paused for a few seconds, long enough for the two who followed to catch him.
"I need you to come with us into the Forest," Legolas said in a low voice. "Culedhel is already waiting by the river path...stay there until we come."
"Very good," the other replied. Despite the obvious inquiries in his eyes, he asked no questions but immediately walked towards the edge of the glade with swift, purposeful strides.
"There is Th�ntir," Ann�m�r commented as they scanned the mingling Elves once more. Legolas hesitated for a second, then answered, "Ask him to go with you to where the others are...tell him that I sent you. I will find Thalion, and come to you all as soon as I can."

They parted, and Legolas plunged into the throng once more, wishing-not for the first time-that Thalion was taller: in situations such as this it became difficult to see his friend when so many stood between them. Thranduil, however, unknowingly aided his son's task as he commanded the musicians to recommence playing and the feast to begin again. The Elves parted, some sitting down, others circling around the fire. Many still wondered what had just happened, but most were willing to enjoy themselves and defer their questioning until a later time, secure in the knowledge that the king would not have directed them to continue in their feasting if he had considered the disturbance to be a threat to their safety.
Thalion was one of the few who still looked uneasy when Legolas located him at last, speaking seriously with Lothiel, who only laughed and asked him to join the dance.
"My apologies for disturbing you," Legolas interrupted. "I must beg your forgiveness, Lothiel, for the necessity of postponing your dance...I need Thalion's help for a few moments." She smiled at him as she released Thalion's arm. "How could I not give it to you?" she teased. "Go on, then!"

"What is wrong, Legolas?" Thalion queried as soon as they had parted from the woman.
"Nothing, I hope," his friend replied, and would give no further answer to his questions, saying only that he would explain once they reached the others.
Culedhel and Th�ntir were waiting on the path while Ornendil and Ann�m�r leaned against trees, their eyes flickering around the bushes that surrounded them.
"You all saw something of what happend," Legolas began, looking at each Elf in turn. They nodded, their faces impassive.
"Perhaps you know then what it was that disturbed us in Dor Mereth: 'twas a company of Dwarves."

At this revelation, Ornendil let out a sharp exclamation, while Culedhel and Thalion exchanged astonished glances and Ann�m�r nodded in sudden comprehension.
"We do not know their numbers, for there may be more than those whom we saw. That is why the king wishes us to discover what we can about them: how many there are, where they have gone...I do not want you to attack them, however, for we do not know what their intentions may be. "Th�ntir, choose a dozen or so other members of the Guard-older and more level-headed-and place them around the hill, but ensure that they are inconspicuous!" The dark Elf nodded sharply and melted away, correctly taking Legolas' words as a signal of dismissal.
"The rest of you, follow me. We shall return to the glade, but spread out so that we may approach it from all angles. If you see any sign of Dwarves having passed-"
"That should not be difficult to notice, anyway," Culedhel interjected dryly, and Legolas shared the general amusement at the expense of the noisy, clumsy creatures before finishing, "As I said, if you see anything, alert the rest of us as soon as you can."

These Elves had collaborated on many occasions in the past, and now moved with the ease and familiarity born of long association. Creeping with swift stealth through the trees, back towards Dor Mereth, Legolas and the other listened with all the power of their keen ears for any sound of clumsy feet or gruff voices; stared into the darkness with sharp grey eyes that looked everywhere for the smallest sign of movement. Behind them, fires blazed up and the sounds of mirth began once more. They circled around the glade, but no boot or hood was visible in the pale starlight.
Legolas raised one hand, indicating that the others should stay where they were, then slipped out into the open. The glade was deserted, but as he glanced towards the distant glow of the Elf-fires, he heard a sharp crack, as of a branch being snapped underfoot. Ann�m�r stepped out to join his brother and said in a low voice, "You see what they have done?"
"Yes...while we encircled them, they slipped between us in order to reach the feast," Legolas answered.
"Thalion!" he hissed. "Check the surrounding area for any who may have remained: Ann�m�r and I will be after them."

The two ran lightly along the trail the Dwarves had taken, clearly visible even to those not trained in wood-craft, for one pair of heavy boots may wreak more havoc than a hundred soft-shod feet. They were too late, however, to prevent their quarries from achieving their goal and entering the ring, for as they watched, the light of the fires was extinguished and the confused shouts of the Dwarves began once more.

Seeing that Thranduil was adhering to his previous policy Legolas halted, calling back to the others to leave the Dwarves and instead follow the rest of the Elves to wherever the king led them. Returning to the hill, Legolas watched as the dark silhouettes of short, broad forms stumbled through the darkness: there seemed to be perhaps a dozen, and certainly they did not appear to pose any kind of threat to a large company of Elves. As he turned back towards the others, a glimmer of torchlight revealed the position of the main gathering so they made their way through the trees to where the Elves milled around in even more confusion than on the previous occasion: it had transpired that those set on guard had been aware of the Dwarves' approach and so the fire had been quenched almost before they entered the glade, leading to great bewilderment among those Elves who had seen nothing.

Leading his little group of scouts, Legolas made his way to where Thranduil and several of his courtiers stood at the centre of a large crowd, placating and reassuring. On seeing that his son had returned, however, he broke through the circle and strode a little distance away to where they could speak in relative peace-at least for as long as his councillors could keep the people from following.
"What did you discover?" Thranduil asked, watching Legolas with eyes that could read the hearts of Men.
"Very little, I am afraid," the other replied. "By the time we discovered them, they were almost upon you. I did not let them know of our presence, but observed them for a little time...I am convinced that there are no more than disturbed you, in the immediate vicinity anyway. What they are doing, wandering in the Forest, I cannot imagine, but I do not think we need concern ourselves overmuch."

Satisfied for the moment, Thranduil again ordered the renewal of the music and food was passed among the Elves. The king seated himself and the majority of his people followed suit, dropping to the ground in long lines to feast and laugh and sing loud, clear songs of mirth. Ann�m�r, however, seemed unable to relax: he paced from fire to fire, staring into the trees, picking up a cup and casting it away without drinking. Legolas watched, wondering what his friend knew or felt that he did not, until eventually Ann�m�r joined him by the largest of the fires and stood for some minutes without speaking. The flames reflected in his eyes, warming the grey with a softly flickering copper sheen.

"Why, Legolas?" he asked at last, his gaze never leaving the crackling wood. He could have made a pretence of incomprehension, but Legolas knew exactly what Ann�m�r was asking.
"I do not know," he replied, the concern returning to his expression. "Years pass without any news of a Dwarf, let alone sight of one, and now..."
"This little band comes tramping heedlessly into our realm," Ann�m�r finished. "What could possibly draw them this far from their homes? They are not like us, they have no love of wandering for its own sake, nothing draws them..."
"Nothing save a desire to augment their wealth," Legolas corrected with an ironic half-smile.
"But what could they hope to find here? I doubt greatly whether a Dwarf could learn to appreciate rowan berries as rubies, or droplets of dew in place of beads of mithril...yet these are the only treasures they are likely to discover in the Forest, for so small a band could never hope to assail the halls of your father in search of jewels."

Even as he nodded agreement to Ann�m�r's words, Legolas chanced to glance up again into the trees, and as soon as he did so, he froze. Directly opposite to him, standing between two mighty beech-trunks, was a tiny figure-not a Dwarf, surely, for no beard was visible and the features were too fine, yet seemingly to old to be a child of Men. His surprised observation lasted only a long-drawn instant, however, before time began to move again and with a shout a blue-clad Dwarf stepped into their midst.

For the third time that night the torches and fires were doused, but on this occasion Thranduil's patience was ended. The middle hours of the night were waning and the stars fading, so with a word the king decreed that the feast was over. With barely a murmur the Elves swiftly gathered their belongings and melted into the shadows. Lingering a little behind the others as they made their way home, Legolas heard the wood echo once more with the unmusical voices of the Dwarves. The words they shouted seemed nonsense to him: harsh and ugly and meaningless were they. Out of the jumbled, frantic calls, however, one rose up that seemed familiar to his ears. That it was a name he could of course have guessed, but it was one that he knew: the name of Thorin Oakenshield.