Summary: Erestor is sent on a mission to Mirkwood.

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Chapter One

"You are joking!"

He had to be. Dumbfounded, I just stood there in the middle of Elrond's spacious office and stared at said Lord for a long moment. Surely I had misunderstood what he had just told me, there couldn't be another explanation. Or Elrond had gone mad overnight, but this was a possibility I would rather not face. He looked normal enough though. While I stared at him a soft breeze drifted through the room and caused the silken curtains to move. I was distracted for a moment and watched the play of the red, yellow and green colored leaves on the trees outside; I wished I could be there instead of being locked here inside. Anywhere else would be better than being here!

"I'm surely not joking, Erestor," his calm voice robbed me of my last hope that this was all one big misunderstanding.

And Elrond? What did he do? He just sat there in his large chair with his hands folded on his desk, and a grim determination on his face. But well, if I wasn't mistaken I could make out the barest hint of amusement in his shining pewter eyes. No wonder though; it didn't happen every day that I freaked out like I did just now. Jumping up with an undignified shout and calling my old friend mad wasn't surely the wisest thing to do on a lovely autumn morning. Luckily he didn't bear me grudges for my behavior.

Taking a deep, calming breath, I collected the last bits of my pride and dignity and picked my chair back up from the floor. Oh well, yes, I did knock it over when jumping up earlier. Was it any wonder? It was early in the morning, and I was barely awake and thinking coherently and had to face such bad news. What was Elrond thinking? I sat down again with a huff, crossed my arms and stared at my old friend, waiting for him to start laughing and telling me that it had been a joke all along. He just stared back without saying another word. Great. Right now I just wanted to leave his office and return to my own work. Translating the letter from Rohan seemed like a rather interesting and challenging task to do now. Why had I wished a mere moment ago for something exciting to happen for a change? A bane on my unruly mind! But who would have thought that the Valar would fulfill my wish at once? Sighing, I tried to gather my racing thoughts. "Elrond, I trust him, and I know you and Thranduil came to an understanding a long time ago, but are you really sure you want to take that risk? If you ask me, it's a bad idea!"

"That's why I'm not asking you for advice in this matter."

His jaw set firmly and I could feel his growing impatience with my resistance. Instinctively I swallowed and averted my gaze. I knew that look too well. But the last time I had seen him serious like that had been the night we spent together with Ereinion before his death. I knew that I shouldn't push him too far now, but somehow I didn't really care. He could throw me out of his office if I managed to annoy him, and I would be happy to go.

"Surely you cannot mean that you..."

"I mean every word I said," he interrupted me firmly and I looked back up. I was unable to read him, something that rarely happened.

"But..."

He raised his hands. "Erestor! Stop trying to involve me in a discussion! I will not let you talk my ears off again. Not this time," he added with a fleeting smile. He must have remembered our last discussion when I had managed to get the last word. I remembered that as well; it had been a good day for me. Unlike today.

"But Elrond," I dared to say and carefully gave my voice the soothing and almost hypnotizing quality that had afforded me with many victories in past arguments. "You know just as well as I do how...."

"Erestor, no. Discussing this is as..." he appeared to be looking for words that would cause my unruly tongue to shrivel up inside my mouth and make me agree to anything he wanted. "It's as useless as tits on a frog."

Huh? Tits on a frog? I shut my mouth with an audible noise, too stunned by this strange remark. My eyebrows rose skyward and he seemed satisfied with my reaction because he smiled, got to his feet and started to pace in front of me. I was getting old, it seemed I was losing my touch. I sighed, this was very bad. His dark red, velvet robes made a soft sound as he walked and I watched him closely, still trying to find a way to make him change his mind.

"It wasn't easy for me," he continued. "Don't think that. But I don't see any other way to help Thranduil. His Elves are ill, tired and unable to fight the evil that threatens their land any longer, but you know that they are too proud to admit defeat."

"Yes, that's why I wondered that Thranduil asked for help at all. I know how stubborn and proud he is," I murmured thoughtfully.

It had been a real surprise when the brown falcon had arrived two days ago with a message from the Woodland Realm, bearing Thranduil's signet. It was not only a request for military and medical assistance – it was a desperate call for help. Yet the message didn't reveal much, only that many Wood Elves were ill due to a strange cloud emanating from the cursed mountain. The trees were suffering too, and according to Thranduil, his people were quite unable to fight the Uruk-hai, Orcs, trolls, and other dark creatures on their own any longer.

"He doesn't want to admit that he can't continue this fight alone. He needs help, and he finally knows it."

"But why can't he ask Celeborn for reinforcements? You know that we don't have enough warriors to send away. We are barely enough to defend our own borders."

"I know. Unfortunately, I cannot send any of our own warriors, but we will supply Thranduil with medicine, food and other useful items. I farspoke to Celeborn yesterday," he said. "Lorien *are* sending as many Galadhrim as they can spare. But it will take a while until they arrive and until then we can supply Mirkwood with anything else they might need."

"Yes, I will ask Mel to take care of arranging a caravan, it can follow us."

"That's a good idea. Send a messenger bird when the road to Mirkwood is clear, will you?"

"Yes, but it's still very risky," I murmured, still trying to find a way to convince Elrond not to carry out a part of his plans. It was too dangerous what he wanted to do. Again I felt him watching me; somehow I had the feeling he was pushing me into a certain direction, and I didn't like it at all.

"That's why I don't want to send anyone else but you, my trusted and loyal friend."

While he said this, he walked back and came to stand behind my chair. I could feel his breath on my left cheek as he leant close.

"Do this for me, please," he whispered into my ear. "I really need your abilities now."

Putting his hands on my shoulders, he gently started to run his fingers along the bare skin of my neck. Damn him, he knew how much I liked to be touched there! I was tempted to close my eyes and let him have his way with me, but my pride wouldn't allow him this easy victory.

"Stop trying to flatter me," I said and moved my head aside, but my resolve crumbled noticeably. And he knew that too; when he walked around to kneel in front of me, I could see it in his eyes. "Why don't *you* go?" I asked. "After all, it's your..."

"I would, really I would," he interrupted me. "But I don't want to leave Celebrían alone. The child will be born soon," his eyes turned dreamy as he thought of his wife and his unborn daughter.

Smiling, I nodded. How could I have forgotten it? I felt his excitement and happiness; of course he didn't want to miss the birth, although I already knew that the midwives would throw him outside the room because of his nervousness once the birthing process had started, like the last time when the twins had been born. It had taken a whole bottle of wine to calm him down. Seeing the happy expression in his eyes, I made up my mind; I would do what he wanted me to, but not without a little fight to keep face. Damn pride, I know.

"I still don't think it wise, my friend," I said for the umpteenth time since this conversation had started.

He tilted his head and a lock of shining dark hair fell onto his face. Only now I noticed the worry lines etched into his forehead. It was clear the decision hadn't been an easy one for him. Reaching out, I brushed his warm and slightly brittle skin with my fingertips. He leant into my touch for a moment.

"It's the only way, Erestor. Thranduil needs our help. And you are the one I trust the most, that's why I want you to bring Vilya to him," he continued. "The ring will ensure that the woods grow healthy and strong again and present a barrier to the dark forces streaming from Dol Goldur."

I shook my head, but not in denial. "Elrond, never before has the ring left the valley. What will happen without its protection? You just said it; we don't have enough forces in case of an attack or invasion. And we are in danger here too. Or didn't you read the reports about the increasing Orc sightings?"

That was a rhetorical question, though. Of course he had read the reports. He was the one who had tended to the injured border guards and knew first-hand what was happening out there.

"It's risky, I will admit that," he said with a curt nod. "But who will know about it? No one, because we won't spread the word. And I will double the guards and patrols and make sure they are watchful at all times."

"Risky? I should be here to help organize the defenses should the need arise!"

"We have enough Elves here to do that, you are not the only one who has organizing talents, my friend."

I knew that and tried another approach. "I'm not the only one who can go to Mirkwood, you know," I said defiantly, but he only gave me a knowing smile. I huffed. "All right, but I refuse to carry the ring to Mirkwood all alone. I'm capable of defending myself, but what if I get killed?"

"You won't get killed that easily," he said with a frown. "Don't even think of it."

"I don't like the idea either. But let's face it, Elrond. It might be an arrow ending my life, and then what? Vilya would be lost, or even worse, in the hands of our enemies. I want at least two other Elves I can trust to accompany me, so they can take over should I fall."

He nodded. "You will have your escort, so don't fret," he said, suddenly smirking. This smirk alarmed me.

"Why don't I like the look on your face?"

He shrugged, still smiling and obviously pleased with himself. "You just accepted to go there for me – with Vilya. Thank you, Erestor, for offering your help. Excellent!"

I groaned. Unfortunately the wall was too far from where I was seated, I would have loved to bang my head against it. "You tricked me," I grumbled instead. I wasn't really angry though- I merely let him think that he had won.

"I did nothing of the sort," Elrond smirked and kneeled down in front of me, taking my hands. "I need you to do this. Bring Vilya to Thranduil to help him in his struggle. I will take care of Imladris."

"Let's hope the valley still exists when I come back home," I said with a straight face.

"I will do my best, although I might be lost without your council now and then," he gently squeezed my hands a last time and let go while standing up.

I slouched down in my chair, mulling this over. Leaving for Mirkwood wasn't so bad; I have known Thranduil and most of his people for a very long time, and I liked them. What I didn't like was the idea of carrying Vilya out of the valley where it belonged, across the Misty Mountains and into the Woodland Realm that was infected with darkness. The ring was so powerful; surely it would attract only unwanted attention. Looking back at Elrond, again sitting behind his desk, I could almost see his mind working.

"What are you thinking?" I asked quietly. Somehow I had the feeling that another unpleasant surprise was waiting for me.

He smiled sweetly and I mentally prepared myself for the worst. "When you leave for Mirkwood, I want Glorfindel to accompany you."

"No!" I gave him my famous glare, but he was used to this sight, and it appeared to amuse him. He even laughed. "Anyone but him! Forget it. I will do whatever you want me to, but this is a bad idea. You know how Glorfindel acts in my company. And I don't want him around me all the time."

"I know how he behaves, or rather misbehaves," he said. "Although I don't know why you both can't act like adult Elves when you talk to each other."

"Don't tell *me*," I huffed. "He annoys me all the time, you know how he's constantly trying to seduce me. It's terrible."

"You could give in, you know, and be done with it," he said with sparkling eyes. "Judging from the happy and sated looks on his partners' faces you can only benefit from his skills."

"Elrond!" What was he thinking? "You know that I'm not like that! I don't want to be another conquest in his books."

"I was only joking, my friend." He became serious again. "No matter what it is between you, I want the best escort for you. I want someone reliable watching your back; and Glorfindel is capable and very reliable. I trust him to keep the ring safe. And you, of course."

"Very well, but if he tries to annoy me again, I cannot vouch for *his* safety," I grumbled. "But I agree, he would be the best choice."

Bah, how much I hated to say these words!

"Poor Glorfindel," Elrond muttered but he smiled. "I think I will tell the twins to accompany you too. They are capable trackers and should find the safest route across the Misty Mountains for you. And they can help the healers in Mirkwood once you're there. Surely Thranduil will be happy to know I take his request seriously enough to send my own sons. The four of you should be enough."

He was right; a smaller group was safer than a large escort. We would be quicker and less conspicuous. But something else was nagging him.

"Stop worrying so much, the twins will be fine, they are capable warriors. And Thranduil won't be angry because you are not going yourself."

"You know me too well. It's the first time my sons visit Mirkwood," he sighed and rubbed his eyes. "And Glorfindel as well....But you are right, I should stop worrying."

"Do that. You will be too busy to worry when we are gone," I replied. "And when did you plan for us to leave?"

"The sooner the better," he said promptly. "I'd say the day after tomorrow. That should give you enough time to prepare everything."

Again my jaw threatened to hit the floor. The day after tomorrow? That *did* upset my plans for this week. "Very well," I said finally. "But I refuse to tell Glorfindel about his luck; that's your job." I hoped I wouldn't see the blond Elf until the journey began.

Elrond didn't look too pleased, but I didn't care. It had been his idea after all. He should be the one receiving Glorfindel's temper tantrum.

"Is there anything else or can I go?" I asked after a moment of silence.

He considered everything. "That would be all for now. We will talk another time about the details concerning the journey, and I will give you Vilya the day before you leave."

That meant tomorrow. A knot seemed to form in my stomach hearing these words; I wasn't afraid but very worried. I didn't say another word and merely sighed with a nod. When he gave me leave to go, I walked back to my office and threw a last longing glance at the letter from Rohan before handing it over to one of my scribes. Then I went looking for Melpomaen, my reliable assistant; I had to tell him about the caravan and the most important things that needed to be done after I was gone.

And then I had to start preparing everything for the journey, like dusting my old knives and fetching some other weapons from the armory; after all, travelling to the dark and dangerous forest of Mirkwood wasn't an everyday-event for me.

Chapter Two

"Oh, be quiet, Glorfindel," I muttered for the umpteenth time this day and shifted the quiver on my back as I tried to ignore Glorfindel's attempts to be pleasant.

All right, I had to admit that he was trying to be nice and not too brash for once, but I was not in the mood for bantering, hearing his charming laughter or his rather entertaining stories. How could he be so merry and talk so much right after dawn anyway? But no, I wouldn't ask him. It was far too early in the morning; I had just spent the night on a cold, soaked and very uncomfortable ground, and was rightfully grumpy. Well, it could be much worse. Right now I had other things on my mind than Glorfindel, like staying awake, and I just let him talk. It seemed he liked to hear his own voice.

I shifted and looked back at the four packing horses loaded with every kind of medical equipment, herbs, bandages, various potions and other things we had thought would be helpful for the Wood Elves. It wasn't much, and the caravan that would come after us would carry much more. The four horses were still heavily loaded; hopefully we would make it without losing them in a fight. Their reigns were attached to my saddle to make sure they didn't get lost. I didn't particularly like this, because should there be any kind of attack they would hinder me when trying to get away from the source of danger.

My back hurt slightly; I wasn't used to riding anymore – at least such long distances. And it felt strange to be armed to the teeth. But on the other hand it was great. It was almost like in the old days, very long ago, when I had been one of Gildor's wanderers. Being on the road again was good despite the uncomfortable situations. I just had to get used to them again. I realized how much I had missed this, it felt like coming home again. Just the feeling of sore muscles didn't really fit in the whole picture.

From somewhere in front of us a short but shrill whistle sounded, the signal from our scout that the path was clear, and we continued riding. A cold breeze came up and carried drops of rain water onto my face. That was nothing to cheer me up; I didn't feel the cold but it was so uncomfortable to be soaking wet. We had been underway since before dawn and the weather was getting worse with each mile we rode. I looked up at the darkening sky, heavy with black rain clouds. It had been raining without a break since our departure from Imladris the previous morning. Despite my hood and my thick cloak I was completely soaked by now, but I didn't say a word. Complaining about it would only give Glorfindel another reason to harass me, of that I was sure. I'd rather suffer in silence.

The temptation to use Vilya to change the current weather was there, of course. And I thought I knew how to do it just from watching Elrond in the past when he had done something of that sort. It was nothing to be recommended though, because the act of re-directing clouds or the wind was very draining. I imagined myself doing just that and falling off my horse due to the exhaustion. Apart from this unpleasant side-effect, using the ring and releasing its power for any close sensitive being to feel would be like sending a written invitation to Mordor to pick up the ring. It wasn't so difficult to endure the bad weather with that thought in the back of my mind.

"Erestor?"

The annoying voice interrupted my musings in the same moment another squall carried more cold rain into my face as I turned my head to look at him. Please no! This nuisance of an Elf wasn't going to make it any easier for me. One look into his smiling eyes full of barely suppressed mischief told me that he was going to start going on my nerves in earnest again. Riding closer to me, I felt his knee brushing mine.

"Want some?" he asked and offered me some dried fruits.

Oh, that was a surprise! I gave him a shrewd look; perhaps he was only trying to be nice and I was overreacting? No idea. Despite our breakfast I found myself hungry again.

"Thank you," I mumbled gratefully and picked some apple slices. While I was occupied chewing, I hoped he wouldn't continue with his attempts to get into my trousers just now.

"What do you think will be expecting us in Mirkwood?" he asked me. Oh, that was a good and rather safe subject to discuss. I only shrugged and swallowed, carefully contemplating his question.

"I have asked myself the same. I'm not sure. Thranduil wasn't very forthcoming with information or details about his current situation, only that he is in desperate need of help. I know as much as you do, but knowing him, it must be very bad if he swallows his pride."

"You already met the king, yes?"

I nodded. Only then I remembered that Glorfindel had never been in Mirkwood since his rebirth. And he didn't know Thranduil or any of his family either. "Thranduil has the reputation of being complicated, easily offended and hot tempered," I explained.

He nodded thoughtfully. "I have heard the talk about him."

"Don't listen to it, Thranduil is a great actor," I said with a fond smile. "He's not half as bad as he wants us to believe, but friendly, warm-hearted and caring instead. He's just good at hiding it"

"Hmm, sounds like you know him quite well," a cocky smile followed. "Is he as beautiful as the rumors say, or shouldn't I believe this either?"

I grinned. "In this case the rumors are quite true, but if I were you, I wouldn't try to approach him."

"No? And why not? I love challenges."

I laughed and shook my head. "Do it, if you think you can stomach him....." I didn't say more. A twig snapped quite loudly and Glorfindel straightened in his saddle and looked ahead from where the sound had come while he moved his hand to indicate that we should be quiet now. We stopped our horses and listened carefully; there was nothing but the usual howling of the wind. A few moments later a single hare hopped across our path; we watched the animal disappear in the bushes nearby.

"Wait here," Glorfindel told me and steered Asfaloth into a light canter. He vanished around the corner and Elrohir – or was it Elladan? – came to a halt beside me. He was frowning as he looked ahead; surely his twin would have sent us a warning if something had been amiss? I was a bit nervous, hopefully we worried for no reason. I never realized that I'd been holding my breath until Glorfindel returned to us some moments later.

"'Tis nothing. We can continue."

If he was convinced, then there was no reason to doubt his words. He knew what he was doing. Feeling relieved, I soon found myself riding next to Glorfindel again, the twin returned to riding behind us, and we continued with our conversation like nothing had happened.

"Let's hope the situation in Mirkwood is not as bad as Elrond pictured it," he said casually. I glanced at him and found him still watching the path ahead of us. Perhaps I did judge him wrong after all. Sighing inwardly I promised myself to behave and not lash out at him again in the nearest future. But then I suddenly felt his hand sliding along my leg and I tensed. What now?

"But don't you worry," he said with a smile. "No matter what is waiting there for us, I will look after you."

"I can look after myself, but thanks," I said with a strained smile, pushed his hand away and steered my horse on. He was driving me mad with his flirting attempts! For the next few hours I did my best to stay clear of him, but I was tempted to knock him off his horse more than once. Even Asfaloth was peeved with this blond oaf; at least I thought he was. It was difficult to read a horse's facial features.

"Glorfindel," I said aloud when he was trying to involve me in another conversation some time later. "Do us all a favor and be quiet for a change. Please."

I didn't have to see his face to know that he was pouting. Behind me I could hear one of the twins snickering. I shot an angry glare over my shoulder when Glorfindel started to mutter once more. Twinkling pewter eyes met my own from under a hood. I didn't know it for sure, but I thought it had to be Elladan who was laughing at me now. The twins took turns to ride ahead and make sure that the road was clear, and one of them was always with Glorfindel and me, but since I still had trouble in telling them apart sometimes, I couldn't be sure who was riding behind me now, because even their horses looked identical – but I would find out and my revenge would be terrible indeed.

Why was I complaining? Everything was really wonderful. We were heading for one of the most dangerous places in Middle-Earth, the weather was nice and Glorfindel whined some paces in front of us about how cruel the world was. How lovely.

I tried to shut his voice out and concentrated on our closer vicinity; not that there was much to see apart from cliffs, stones, mud and spare vegetation. It was strange; we hadn't encountered any Orcs, trolls or any other living being on our way yet. It was better this way, but I doubted we would enter Mirkwood without being seen. When I shifted slightly, I could feel the soft leather pouch containing the precious freight moving against my chest. It felt warm against my skin, but it didn't help sooth my nerves. I wasn't comfortable having Vilya with me; so many things could go wrong.

I spent a long time contemplating the circumstances until Glorfindel decided to have another go. Tightening his reins, he waited until I was riding at his side, and, rolling my eyes, I pulled the hood deeper onto my face. Perhaps if I tried and wished it, he would vanish into thin air?

"I'm still waiting," he said.

"What for?" I asked. I had no idea what he wanted from me. Could be my fault though, I never really listened to him.

"An explanation; I doubt it was Elrond's idea to send me along. I was thinking...."

"I don't want to disturb you doing that," I interrupted him with a smile and steered my horse on. I needed to get away from him. But he wouldn't let me go away this easily; the next moment I found him right back at my side again. "Why are you so stubborn, Erestor?"

I rolled my eyes when I heard the way he carefully pronounced my name; he made it sound like a verbal caress. Valar, why couldn't he accept ‘no' as an answer?

"What do you want?" I growled at him.

"You know what I want, and you want it too, deep down inside of you. You just have to push your prudence away, you know."

"I am not interested," I have lost count how often I had already told him that. But, as always, he decided not to hear that remark.

"We will see."

There isn't much to say about the rest of our journey. The weather remained much the same, although the rain stopped while we crossed the Misty Mountains. It stayed cold but our cloaks kept us warm and the icy wind didn't disturb us much. The horses even moved swifter to get warm. We didn't talk much but remained alert all the time. Somehow I thought it very strange that we hadn't sighted a single Orc all this time. It was strange; somehow I just would have felt better if we would have been attacked.

We were quite fast and not three days later Glorfindel led us down a hidden path in between high ivy-covered rocks. Finally we left the mountains behind us and rode through a narrow canyon that led us up a high hill. A small rivulet ran in the middle of that canyon, the water was clear and icy. The sound of the horses' hooves echoed against the small and narrow walls and then we were finally outside.

And we saw the Woodland Realm. There was nothing but trees to the horizon; a sea of colorful leaves; so very beautiful! Glancing to the side, I watched the twins' faces; their fascination was clearly visible. Although they had been on the road for many years, they had never been to Mirkwood before, and the sight of the seemingly endless woods was indeed impressive and awing. The sun blinked tiredly from behind the dark clouds and illuminated the area in front of us; the trees shone in countless shades of green, yellow, red and brown. It was indeed a beautiful sight! For a moment it was easy to forget what was lurking inside this forest, slowly poisoning it with darkness. How wonderful life would be here if not for the constant threat.

I sighed; somewhere in the south I could make out the high mountain of Dol Goldur emerging in the midst of the forest. If I wasn't mistaken I saw a distant shadow spreading from it and darkening the environment; it was a rather worrying sight.

"Let's hurry down to the Elven path. If we are lucky, we will be picked up by the Woodland Elves before the sun goes down," Glorfindel broke the silence and pulled me out of my contemplation. He was right, of course, it was not good to linger here, and wandering these woods at night was nothing but committing suicide.

"Good idea, Glorfindel. Lead the way, please," I said aloud and gave him a sideways glance. Surprised, he looked back at me and I smiled. Despite our difficulties, I wanted him to feel needed. It wouldn't hurt to be a bit nicer to him. Who knew what the future would bring? Perhaps it would be wiser to be on good terms with him.

"Let's go then," Glorfindel nodded and took the lead.

He had only studied the maps of this region and had never been here before, never seen this place and yet he acted like he knew every single way around. How did he do that? Well, I shouldn't underestimate him and his abilities, but I was amazed how serious he could be once the situation demanded it. He was not captain for no reason. Feeling elated that we had almost reached our destination, I threw a last glance back at the packing animals, steered my horse forward and let it search for the safest way down towards the edge of the forest.

The ground changed from rocks to grass and soon enough we entered the tree line; it became darker the farther we rode. It didn't become completely dark; it was more a gloomy half-darkness that made it almost impossible to estimate distances between the trunks. I heard the trees whispering, but apart from this rather subdued welcome, the wood was eerily silent. I couldn't make out any sounds of small animals or any other wildlife around us. The little sounds of our small group were swallowed by the trees almost instantly.

The difference to Imladris was easy to see; no lush grass, bushes, or even flowers covered the ground. Only mosses and thin blades of a plant I didn't recognize. The colors were different too, darker and not as vibrant and rich. And then there were the trees; old, knotty and wise; but looking closely, I could see that the leaves on the branches were deformed and ill. This was a worrying discovery. Riding close to one of the trees, I touched the leaves and shuddered when a strange and somehow slimy substance clung to my fingers. What was this? I had no idea, but suddenly I was glad Elrond had decided to send Vilya here. If anything could help this place to heal then it was a ring of power.

We didn't use the main Old Forest Road leading through the Woodland Realm; it was too dangerous nowadays. Not only dark creatures lurking there, ready to kill, but despite the danger there were also normal vagabonds and robbers waiting for possible victims who were desperate enough to take this road. I had read enough reports to know about those. For anyone who had no idea of its existence, the carefully designed Elven path we used wasn't visible at all; but I remembered the signs from my last visit, no matter how much time had passed since then. Discreetly intertwined twigs, certain flowers planted in a special way were only two of those signs that led us on safe ways through the forest, past the traps I knew the Wood Elves had created for their enemies.

The longer we followed the hidden path between the trunks deeper into the heart of the forest, the darker it became. And I felt apprehensive because once the edge of the forest had disappeared behind us, invisible eyes seemed to follow our every move and I could tell that these were no friendly eyes. Instinctively I tensed and made sure my bow and knives were ready. I had a bad feeling. Shadows were moving under the trees, just on the edge of the range of my vision. Whenever I turned my head to look directly at them, they were gone. Beside me, I could hear Glorfindel cursing silently.

"There's something evil lurking in the dark. Stay alert."

He was right; I could feel it too, and it was coming closer. The twins appeared at my side, their bows ready in their hands. "It's a strange place, nothing like home," Elrohir whispered, his wide eyes tried to pierce the gloominess, but I doubted that he was successful.

"We should hurry," I whispered back, and grabbed the reins of the packing animals tighter.

I hoped we wouldn't lose them and their precious freight! Because something bad was going to happen very soon. I looked around once again; just where was our escort? I knew that Elrond answered Thranduil's letter and told him about the time of our arrival. I had expected them to pick us up as soon as we had crossed the borders to this realm, but there was no sign of them yet. Hopefully nothing had happened to them.

The attack came suddenly but since we were already alert and expecting something to happen, it wasn't a real surprise. A terrifying shriek that hurt my ears and made my blood freeze sounded through the forest, causing the horses to shy with fright. I had difficulties in keeping my steed calm and not losing hold of the reigns when the packing animals frantically tried to flee. In the end I couldn't do anything else but let them free lest they injured themselves in their frantic tries to break loose. They galloped away into the darkness, hopefully they would not get killed. I could hear the familiar sound of arrows being released, and then something large, covered with black, coarse hair and with far too many legs fell out of the tree right in front of me. Have I already mentioned that I hate spiders, no matter the size?

"Good aim," I heard Elrohir's voice and then the shadows around us became alive. More giant spiders appeared seemingly out of nowhere, surrounding us. Countless twinkling eyes greedily sparkled in the dim light. Without thinking I used my bow, each arrow found its aim, but the number of monsters seemed to increase, no matter how many of them we killed. There had to be a nest somewhere close.

A few paces to my left, with his back against a tall tree, I saw Glorfindel fending off two middle-sized spiders at once. He was no longer sitting on Asfaloth's back but standing on the ground, his sword and a long knife in his hands. These beasts attacking him were trying to reach his legs but couldn't get close enough. His movements were almost too swift to see, and the carcasses covering the ground before him spoke volumes of his abilities. He was all right then. Somewhere behind me the twins were engaged in the fight too, but I didn't have time to see how they were doing. I was quite worried, because they had never been fighting against such creatures before.

Too soon I reached for an arrow and found my quiver empty. Cursing silently, I swiftly put the bow away onto my back and unsheathed my knives. Just at the same time my horse reared up, I lost my hold and fell, instinctively making myself as small as possible and holding the blades away from my body. Wouldn't it be a great way to die? Pierced by my own weapons? Lovely indeed and very heroic. What an obituary!

Oh, Valar, and why did the ground always have to be so hard? Luckily I didn't land head first, and as soon as I was down I rolled to the side – and none too early, as long hairy legs pierced the ground where I had been lying a moment before.

Old warrior instincts came alive and without thinking I acted. Raising my knives, I cut through skin, hair, muscles and bones; the sickening smell of the spider's insides spilling to the ground was almost too much for me to bear and I tried not to breath in too deeply as dark and thick blood sprayed out of the body above me. The large spider convulsed and fell to the ground, almost burying me beneath it. Gasping for breath, I came to my feet, stepped aside, felled another smaller spider who jumped towards me and looked around. Too many, there were still too many of them. We would never make it without help!

"Erestor, down!" I heard the shout and obeyed instinctively, but I was not fast enough. Something hit me on the back of my head and sent me flying to the ground where I managed to hit my head on a stone. But of course; the only stone in the vicinity, and I had to hit it. I felt dizzy and tried to get up, but something large pinned me down, making it impossible for me to move. I couldn't breath, but strangely I didn't panic. Through a haze I saw a large spider towering above me, raising its foreleg to end my life. I could only stare and wait for entering Mandos Halls.

But suddenly it was gone. Huh? How was this possible? Then I saw it; a swarm of Elven arrows came from the trees around us, effectively killing our attackers. It was indeed perfect timing. But I hardly saw what was happening because I did my best not to lose consciousness as I crawled back until I bumped the trunk of a tree where I remained. The vigorous fighting went on for a long while, spiders shrieked, Elves shouted orders, blades sang and arrows flew. But my head didn't feel better. I waited until the deafening noise of fighting died down, then I thought it safe enough to try and get up.

I slowly tried to rise and rubbed my head. My fingers encountered not only a large bump that was forming on my left temple but also a long cut. Wonderful. I could feel the blood tickling on my skin. But it became even worse; my stomach was rebelling too. I had no wish to say hello to my breakfast again, so sitting up wasn't really an option now. With a groan I sank back against the tree and took a deep breath after closing my eyes. There, much better. My head pounded; only now the ache registered with me. The ground was cold and wet, but I could use a nap now. With my hand I reached up and inside my tunic to make sure that Vilya was still there. Only when I felt the pouch with the ring in my hand, did I relax. I felt someone approaching and kneeling down beside me. Before I could open my eyes, I felt a cool hand on my forehead.

"Every time we meet you are lying on the ground with a colorful bump forming on your head," an all too familiar voice caused my eyes to snap open. Surely I was hallucinating. But no. I blinked until my sight was clear, I would have recognized the slightly arrogant smirk anywhere.

"I was just waiting for you to say that," I replied and gave him a lopsided smile. He remembered our last meeting when he had also found me sitting on the ground and tending to my head. "You certainly took your time, but I'm surely not complaining. Nice to see you too, old friend."

Thranduil smiled. "We were ambushed and delayed on our way hither. Otherwise we would have been here much sooner."

Another terrifying shriek echoed through the woods, causing him to raise his head. The other Wood Elves stopped in their tracks for a moment and a couple of them vanished into the woods again, probably to secure the closer vicinity.

"We should go," Thranduil said and looked back down on me. "Can you get up? It's not a safe place to take a nap, you know."

"Oh, I don't know, a nap sounds fine to me," I grumbled. Then I remembered. "The twins? Glorfindel? Are they well? And what about the packing horses?"

"They are all well and without a scratch, and the we caught the horses. They are over there in safe hands," he pointed somewhere beyond us. I didn't bother to try and look. "You all fought very well, but come. I don't know how many other spiders are around here."

"All right," I sighed and prayed that my stomach wouldn't act up again.

He stood and I held up my hand. Without much effort he hauled me up to my feet and held me close as I swayed for a moment. But the dizziness didn't last and soon I was able to stand and walk without any help. Thranduil stopped me though, tilted my head to the side and brushed my hair out of my face. Reaching inside his tunic, he fetched a soft cloth smelling of herbs and pressed it gently against my head. "Hold it like this for a moment. The cut isn't deep but still bleeding, and we don't have time to linger here. Can you wait until we arrive to safe grounds?"

"I can manage, it's only a scratch."

I watched him walk over to his fellow Elves who were already busy dragging the heavy carcasses of the large and ugly spiders together and set them on fire. It was indeed very scary to watch how the dead bodies still convulsed now and then. The monsters seemed still alive, their legs twitched. Elladan and Elrohir didn't have such an aversion. Although they had never faced such creatures before, they touched them just like that and were helping to light the fires. I found Glorfindel checking Asfaloth if he was all right. The horse had an ugly scratch across the chest but looked fine otherwise; hopefully the cut wouldn't get infected. The smell of burning spiders was disgusting enough to cause my stomach to make just another somersault. I groaned and tried not to inhale too deeply when I slowly walked over to my own horse, he looked as good as I did. Just when I didn't pay attention to my surroundings, the twins appeared at my sides and took my arms.

"You are hurt," they chorused.

"I'm no invalid," I grumbled but let them have their way with me. Knowing them, it wouldn't help much to protest.

"You should see your face, it's covered in blood," the one on my left – Elrohir – remarked as he probed my head after swatting my hand with Thranduil's cloth away. "It's not as bad as it looks. Are you fit enough to ride?"

"I doubt we will ride," I said and pointed at the Wood Elves who had just taken hold of the reins of our horses and started to lead them into the forest. Glorfindel came over to us. His clothes were torn, dirty and covered in blood, but it didn't seem to be his own.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he looked me over.

I nodded and Thranduil reappeared.

"We will walk the rest of the way; it's not far," the king said as he approached us.

This was a surprise, I knew that the Wood Elves' homes were at least a half-day's ride away. Thranduil noticed my puzzlement and explained.

"We had to retreat into the caves for protection. Our shelters in the trees were no longer safe. We will use one of our hidden entrances into the cave system that is rather close by."

The twins eyed him closely. They had never met him, and he didn't look different from the rest of his company – his clothes torn and soiled with blood, mud and other dirt but something in his appearance and regal demeanor gave him away. He had always been this way, working, fighting, suffering alongside his people without demanding anything. After sharing a quick glance, both twins bowed slightly before him. "Greetings, Sire," they chorused and managed to look like they were in court and not in the midst of a forest.

Thranduil smiled. "Let's postpone the formalities until we are safe. But I ask you not to call me ‘Sire', it makes me feel rather old and snobbish. Follow me now."

He turned and we went after him. I felt Glorfindel's hand on my shoulder, but this time I didn't really mind. The bigger part of the company remained behind; only five archers were accompanying us as the King led us on invisible paths through the dark forest. The ground was uneven and covered with branches and dry leaves. Thranduil went to a large tree and kneeled down, touching the trunk. I had no idea what he did, but suddenly we stood at the foot of a stony staircase that led down into the earth. Thranduil walked on; it looked like he was swallowed by the ground. Like many Elves I disliked darkness, narrow walls and low ceilings. Being trapped inside a cave was one of the worst things possible for me, and the prospect of spending a longer period of time buried under the earth was not very encouraging. But well, what could I do? Nothing, or stay behind and get killed and eaten by a spider.

I followed Thranduil. Yet I had worried for nothing; cleverly concealed by overhanging rocks, countless torches illuminated the staircase and made it easy to walk down. The walls were masterfully crafted and gave the roots of the trees above enough space at the same time. Here and there I thought I saw blades inside strangely formed holes; some kind of trap, I guessed, in case of an attack. The staircase wasn't long and after a few moments we reached the even ground and stood in front of a massive looking wall surrounded by more torches attached on either side. Again, I didn't know what Thranduil did, I couldn't see it, but a narrow passageway opened on the left side of the wall.

"Now we are inside our secured cave system," Thranduil said quietly once the door closed behind us again. He relaxed visibly and smiled at us.

My eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light as the Wood Elves led us inside their caves. We didn't have much time to admire our surroundings, but what I saw told me enough. It was nothing if not a masterfully designed maze made to confuse the senses. Turning left and right and left again, we walked through many angled and narrow corridors. Soon I lost my orientation and had no idea where to turn to find the exit again. But the place was neither suffocating, nor cold and uncomfortable; the Wood Elves had done their best to add a homely touch to the caves. The walls were covered with painted plants, flowers and beautifully mastered pieces of art. Wooden doors, perhaps leading to the rooms where the Elves lived in, were adorned with detailed carvings and were lined up along the corridors.

Thranduil stopped at a turning and looked back to us. "I will show you your guest rooms where you may refresh yourself. Would you prefer one or two separate chambers?" he asked, eyeing the twins.

"One is—" Elladan started.

"Quite sufficient. Thank you," Elrohir finished. Both bowed again and smiled.

Amused, Thranduil nodded and beckoned one of the quiet Elves accompanying us closer. "Illian will bring you to our Healing Rooms," he told me. I nodded.

While Thranduil looked after my companions, Illian led me into a rather large room with a narrow ceiling. Countless shelves filled with various phials, glasses, dried herbs and bandages made it look smaller than it was, and the bright fires emitted a friendly air. On the other side behind a curtain I could see beds, all of them occupied by ill or wounded Elves. I felt sorry for them and hoped that the presence of the ring would ease their suffering.

"What happened to our pack animals?" I asked. "We had medical supplies with us."

"We have brought them to our sheds. The packages should be brought to you soon with the rest of your luggage."

One of the healers, a tall and stern looking female Elf, interrupted our little talk and shooed Illian out of the Healing Room. Turning towards me, she told me to hop onto one of the unoccupied beds standing along the wall. Her hands were gentle and with her curious questions about Imladris and my journey hither she managed to distract me from the unpleasant stinging in my head. I tried my best not to let the discomfort show and answered her countless queries to the best of my ability. Whatever she was doing didn't take too long and as soon as she was finished cleaning and dressing the scratch, another female Elf was waiting to accompany me to my quarters.

"We will bring you something to eat shortly," she said when she opened the door for me to step inside. "You will find a bathing chamber to your left." She trailed off and pondered something. "If you prefer larger bathing chambers, I recommend that you visit the caverns down this corridor. We have natural mineral springs there and hot springs too."

"Oh, that sounds great," I replied and nodded. "I will surely visit these springs during my stay here. Thank you for the recommendation."

"My pleasure. If you don't require anything else, I will bring your things to your rooms."

"Thank you," I said with a smile.

"Oh, and when you are finished eating, the King will expect you in his study."

"I don't know the way there," I said. Knowing me, I would get lost after taking one single step into the maze without company.

She smiled almost cheekily. "I know. Someone will come and fetch you."

I was indeed very glad to hear that. "Good."

"You wouldn't be the first to lose your way here."

With a last smile she left me and I hurried into the bathroom for a quick wash; I knew Thranduil, and he wouldn't wait long until he asked for our presence in his study. I would have to postpone the visit to the hot springs.

Chapter Three

After my bath I found my bags on the ground next to the bed. Glad that I was able to have my own clothes, I swiftly slipped into a simple but elegant looking robe. I didn't have much time and patience to take care of my tangled hair and simply pulled it into a loose ponytail. Clever as I was I pulled too hard at first and the scratch on my head made itself painfully noticeable.

As expected, I found myself accompanied to Thranduil's study just after I had finished my meal. The King was not alone, he seemed rather amused by something and smiled to himself when I arrived. Strange. But I thought I had my explanation when I caught sight of Glorfindel who was slightly pouting. Did I just miss Thranduil reject a flirting attempt from Glorfindel? It almost looked like that.

I would have to ask the twins later; the Half-Elves looked freshly bathed and curiously eyed our host and their environment; their young age showed clearly although they tried to act composed. At least they were able to sit still.

"How is Elrond doing? I guess he has important business for being absent on this journey," Thranduil said jovially while we all took a seat in his rather small study.

I remembered the study he had in the palace on the surface in the midst of a small clearing: walls made of woven twigs, open, wide, filled with sunlight and flowers. This place was a contrast but not less comfortable though. A small fire was burning in the fireplace; a kettle filled with tea was hanging above the flames and spreading a mild spicy scent. A few bee wax candles were spread on various shelves to expel the darkness and the green and gold colored leaf-shaped tapestries on the walls gave the room a warm and comfy atmosphere. The furniture was simple; wooden chairs, a desk, a board filled with books, scrolls and quills. I felt at home here.

"Why would you think that?" I replied and sat down on one of the chairs. They didn't look very comfortable, but luckily the appearance was deceiving.

Glorfindel sat beside me; he looked regal and very handsome in his silver blue tunic. I could see him studying the room and the King. It was strange because he hadn't said much until now. But I knew it wouldn't take long for his usual cheekiness to appear. He was never one to pout long.

"I know him a bit, I think," Thranduil replied with a smile and I shook myself mentally to concentrate.

"The birth of his daughter is close. He didn't want to miss it, you can imagine," Glorfindel said and Thranduil nodded.

"Understandable. And you didn't want to witness the birth of your sister?" he asked the twins who shook their heads at once.

"Not that we are not happy," Elrohir said, "But it will be bad enough to..."

"Play babysitter all the time later," Elladan finished for his brother and grimaced slightly.

Thranduil laughed quietly, his eyes were sparkling. "You are indeed a mirror image of your father. He was just the same when he was younger."

"He was?" Elladan asked.

Somehow I didn't like the gleam in the twins' eyes and suspected that Elrond was in for some uncomfortable questioning once we had returned home. I wondered if Thranduil was doing that on purpose, feeding the twins such information.

"I wish Legolas was here to meet you all. But he is in Esgaroth at the moment. He loves haggling with the humans there and often accompanies my trading parties."

"He is your son?" Elrohir asked and Thranduil nodded.

"He is a bit older than you are though. But he is still like a cheeky Elfling, playing pranks on his elders all the time. And if you are only half his caliber then Elrond is surely in trouble."

The twins snickered; they liked the King, and they were fascinated by his personality like everyone else who met him for the first time. Even Glorfindel. I could see it in his eyes as he speculatively watched the King as he spoke. We continued to talk a bit about nothing in particular; Glorfindel was remarkably quiet but whenever Thranduil involved him into our talk he replied politely. After a short silence Thranduil leant back into his seat and looked at us. I felt his sharp eyes trying to look into my very soul.

"Firstly, I want to thank you for coming and bringing the medicine. It will be a great help for our healers."

"We can support your healers too," Elrohir said while Elladan nodded his head. "Ada has taught us the arts of healing and sent us in his stead to assist your healers."

"I would appreciate that very much," Thranduil replied seriously and nodded. "I will send someone to show you around tomorrow."

"When will your help arrive? Surely you four form the vanguard of a larger group," he asked suddenly.

All right, the time for niceties was over now. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw the twins exchanging a worried look. I had told them enough tales about the King's famous temper to have them forewarned.

"There will be a caravan arriving within the next week with supplies and more medical equipment. We bring no troops, and we are no vanguard," I replied calmly, took a sip from the wine and managed not to flinch at the icy look he shot my way. I knew what to expect from him. "We are alone here, no army will come after us from Imladris."

"No troops?" Thranduil looked like he was waiting to find a hidden meaning in my words. When I only nodded, he exploded. Slamming his hand down on the smooth surface of the table, he glared at us. "Why are you here if not for help?" He didn't raise his voice but remained calm, a very dangerous sign. "I thought I wrote an explicit description of our situation here."

"You did, and we were all sorry to read that letter," Glorfindel tried to placate the King. I shot him a warning glance, knowing that Thranduil had no love for empty platitudes.

"Spare me! That's not useful. My people suffer and die."

He was angry and jumped up and started to pace. I couldn't blame him for his outburst. Thranduil took a deep breath, his fists were clenched and his knuckles white. There was so much repressed anger inside of him. I could feel it even from this distance. How had he managed to hide it thus far?

"The shadow is spreading, poisoning these woods. So many strange and deadly creatures emerge from Dol Goldur, hunting us down, breaching our defenses and forcing us to hide deep inside of these caves. My people try to leave for the Havens but get killed on the way there, and all you bring are words. I have no need for them."

I could feel Glorfindel's and the twins' eyes on me, watching me expectantly. All right, my turn now. With a sigh I stood up and slowly approached Thranduil while pulling the pouch with Vilya out of my pocket. "We bring more than that. Do you really believe we came empty handed and have only words for you?" Turning his head, he gazed at me, his face an unreadable mask as I took his hand in mine, gently pried his fingers open and placed the pouch in his palm. "With best wishes from Elrond. Use it to heal the wounds the shadow brings over your people and land. And although *we* have no troops for you, Celeborn sends enough warriors to help you out. It won't take long until his reinforcements will arrive to take care of the dark creatures."

I didn't return to my seat but stayed close in front of him. He looked down as he opened the pouch, and then the mask slipped off his face as he saw what he held in his hands.

"I can't accept this!" He raised his head. Disbelief, gratitude and hope were shining in his normally so guarded eyes.

I smiled lightly, "You can. You have to. We didn't travel all this way only to be turned back again."

Thranduil smiled his typical smile; the right corner of his lips rose just a bit higher than the left one. It gave him a cocky air somehow. "In this case I won't start arguing with you. Thank you."

He meant it, he was very grateful. He looked at us all. He didn't say that he was sorry for his former outburst, and there was no need.

"Elrond wants it back sometime, you know," I could not help but add this remark. Smirking, I crossed my arms and leant against the wall while watching his reaction.

Snorting with amusement, Thranduil picked the ring up to eye it closely. "As if I want to keep it. Don't you worry about receiving it back."

"I'm not worried," I have known all along that Thranduil disliked the idea of becoming dependent on anything, even if it was a ring of power. "Put it on, it won't bite," I teased him as he continued to stare at Vilya. He smirked lightly as he almost reverently slid Vilya on his ring finger. It fit perfectly. The stone sparkled visibly for a moment, shone in different green and red colors.

"How do I use it? I have never had a magical ring."

I had no answer for him. I really should have asked Elrond about that. "Don't worry about it, Sire," Elrohir said. "Ada once told us about it." "Did he now?" Once Thranduil's attention shifted from me to Elrohir, I returned to my seat, meeting Glorfindel's gaze. For a moment I was rather taken aback by the anger shining in his normally serene orbs. Did I do something wrong? I raised an eyebrow, but he only shook his head. Shrugging, I sat down again and returned my attention to the talk.

"You will learn to work with it," Elladan said. "The ring will lead you. Give it time."

"I will heed your advice, my young friend."

A knock on the door interrupted our conversation and I sat back when Thranduil bade the Elf outside to enter. A tall, slender young Elf wearing a hunter's garb walked inside. "My Lord, the patrol from the Southern Border has returned. You wanted to be informed about their arrival."

Thranduil rose. "Thank you, Gildin," the young Elf bowed and left again. Turning towards us, Thranduil smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry to interrupt our talk, but I need to speak to Mîr. He led this patrol and surely brings news from the area around Dol Goldur."

"We understand," Glorfindel replied before I could say something. "Can we do anything to help?"

"Yes, you can. But you are my guests, and you will be treated as such, although your help is very welcome," Thranduil said thoughtfully. "Rest now. You've had a long and taxing journey. Tomorrow we can talk about what we are going to do next. Wait here now. I will send someone to accompany you to your rooms."

He bid us a good night and left. Good night? My sense of time was already messed up; just how did the Elves here know when the sun was down? I needed to ask someone about it.

"That went well," Elladan said as he linked his and Elrohir's arms. Elrohir yawned widely.

"Yes, I feared a fiercer reaction than that," I said.

Just when I wanted to ask the twins about what had happened between Glorfindel and the King earlier, one young Elf rounded the corner and asked us to follow him to our rooms. I didn't want to address it now, this young Mirkwood Elf was years away from his majority, and discussing Glorfindel's attempt to seduce the King in his own study would have surely led to a disastrous effect on the poor child's mind.

After a long and rather hot bath to get rid of all the remaining dirt from the road I slipped into my sleeping clothes, sat on a chair in front of the mirror in my guestroom and tried to untangle the unruly mop on my head without irritating my poor scalp too much, not to mention the healing scratch on my temple. It didn't really work. To say that I was still surprised by Thranduil's almost lenient reaction earlier would be an understatement. I really had expected him to throw us either into his famous dungeons, or kick us out into the woods when telling him that there wouldn't be any troops following us. Grinning at my reflection, I shook my head; what would I have given to know what had been going on in his head when seeing Vilya! But the look on his face had been priceless indeed.

I put the comb aside, got to my feet and slowly made my way over to the bed. It looked very comfortable. I remained standing in the middle of the room and enjoyed the feeling of soft fur lying on the ground. I liked the feeling against my bare feet but then my tiredness got the upper hand. I was really looking forward to crawling under the thick and soft blankets and falling asleep. Who knew what would be happening tomorrow? I was too lazy to extinguish the candles and decided to let them burn; the golden glow helped to soften the scanty plainness of the small room somewhat. I was comfortable and warm and about to doze off, but then someone had the nerve to disturb the peaceful silence and knocked on the door. Frowning, I contemplated not answering at all; but perhaps it was an emergency? Or one of the twins needed something from me?

Silently cursing, I pushed the blankets aside, slipped into a robe, walked over to the door and opened. A surprise was waiting there for me with a bottle and two glasses in his hands. Thranduil was leaning against the doorframe, smiling slightly. I really should have known he would show up to talk!

"I hope I'm not disturbing you."

Oh, well, a little lie wouldn't hurt anyone, and inwardly sighing, I pushed the thought of sleeping peacefully away from me. "Of course not," I said with a smirk. "You and your wine are always welcome. Please, come inside."

I stepped back and let him enter, and while he closed the door behind him I had the chance to look at him without being noticed. His golden hair was loose without any braids and danced against his back like a silken curtain. He must have had a bath because his locks were slightly damp. Clad in casual trousers and a light brown tunic he looked young and approachable. This impression vanished once I looked into his old and wise and so beautiful eyes. Oh, just wait a moment, beautiful eyes? Did I really think that? Erestor, get a grip!

Raising an eyebrow, he looked into my face and I carefully schooled my features. Without saying a word he put the wine and glasses down onto the wooden table next to the fireplace and looked around. Then he sighed. "I know, these rooms are nothing compared to the luxury you are used to in Imladris," he started but I waved my hand.

"I like it here. I always have liked it in Mirkwood whenever I had the pleasure of visiting you."

"I know," he smiled. "But this place *is* different from being on the surface after all." He expertly opened the bottle and poured the dark red liquid. "It's been a while since your last visit though."

"Yes, I know. But I'm here now. Oh, wonderful vintage! Are you trying to get me drunk?" I asked jokingly when I recognized the scent of the wine. It was sweet and fruity, but I knew that too much of it would only end with too much headache.

"If I wanted to do it, I wouldn't be so obvious, my friend," he said and handed me a glass before sitting down on the bed. "I see that you have already prepared for sleeping," he looked at the messy covers. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, I like talking to you," I waved my hand and sat down beside him; we sipped our wine while enjoying a moment of companionable silence.

"I really appreciate everything you and Elrond do for me, and I'm sorry for my outburst earlier," Thranduil said seriously and looked down into the dark red liquid while swirling it around. "I don't know what I was thinking when you told me that you were the only ones from Imladris."

"I understand. If we had enough warriors...."

"Hush, say no more, I know. I never expected him to give me this treasure."

This confession, and apology, were a real surprise; he was not one of those who could apologize with ease, it surely had to do with being the leader of so many Elves. I followed his gaze to his hand; he was wearing the ring. Vilya had changed color again. Instead of shining in various blues like I was used to, it was glowing in a dark shade of emerald and gold now. Fascinated I watched the color change ever so slightly to a lighter green.

"Your people need it more than we do right now. I just wished we could do more. Can you already feel a difference?" I asked him, my eyes never leaving the ring. I still remembered how it had looked on Ereinion's finger.

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's too early, but I think there is a difference. At least I feel different, lighter, hopeful. I wish that the wood will profit soon also. You saw how ill the trees are, didn't you?"

I nodded when I remembered the strange substance covering the leaves. "The wood will recover, we will fight with you. Like in the past, side by side," I looked into his eyes and shook my head. "You and your damned pride, Thranduil. We would have sent help much sooner if we had known about your situation." The King's cheeks burned at the slight but he maintained his calm and even smiled ruefully. "Now you sound exactly like my son." "He is right, you know."

He nodded and changed the subject. "What is between you and Glorfindel? There is some kind of tension; I could almost see it."

"Oh, then you noticed it too?" I smiled. Was it any wonder though? "He has been doing his best to get into my bed since his arrival from the Havens, you know. But I don't want him there," I took another sip from the wine. It warmed me from the inside and the rich taste was indeed very pleasant.

"No? I thought you preferred Elves like him? Tall, golden haired, overly confident, cheeky. Or don't you like him?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "You are impossible, my friend. You know that Ereinion wasn't any of that. I wouldn't say that I don't like Glorfindel; he can be charming and nice if he wants to. I don't like his attitude, that's all. And I don't want to be just another one of his numerous conquests. That reminds me, he tried to flirt with you, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did. He's really good. But I was forewarned, you know. I have heard rumors, even here in the woods, about his ravenous appetite. So *you* haven't shared his bed?" he smirked. It annoyed me to a certain degree and I put the glass down on the table with more force than necessary. He was as bad as Elrond!

"No! Who do you think I am?"

He inclined his head. "I think he is only looking for attention, or some kind of confirmation. And you are not giving him enough."

"Confirmation?" I echoed and raised my eyebrows.

"Perhaps he is lonely? Look at it through his eyes; returning to life, into another era, far away from home and the people he knew. Perhaps he is looking for friendship but afraid to ask?"

"Indeed," I snorted. "There are other ways to attract someone's attention or someone's friendship, in my opinion at least. And I'm definitely not interested in this kind of ‘friendship'."

"Why not? There must be a reason, my friend," he asked.

"Oh well. If you have to know; there hasn't been anyone since Ereinion. I can't look upon any other without seeing him," I said a bit reluctantly. Even after all this time it hurt to think of my dead mate. "What?" I asked defiantly when he looked a bit surprised.

He nodded slowly. "It makes sense now why you always were so close. I wasn't really sure about that – you and Ereinion. You are missing him, aren't you?"

I snorted. "This question is rather needless, don't you think? I loved him, I still do."

"What is keeping you here on Arda then?"

"You should know. I have duties here, and then there are Elrond and his family," I said honestly. "They make me feel young again and give me reason enough to go on."

"I know what you are talking about," he said wistfully. "If not for Legolas and my people here, I would have long joined my wife in the Undying Lands."

I nodded in sympathy. I knew how much he had suffered after her death, and only recently he had received the news that she had been reborn; yet he remained here. I could understand him so well. Quietly we drank our wine, each one of us deep in thought.

"Mîr had some interesting news for me," Thranduil said suddenly.

"The Elf who led your patrol?"

"The very same. He met a few Dwarves who live under the Misty Mountains on his way back home and they asked for a meeting with me, concerning a plan I had discussed with them a while ago. What do you say to this?"

My eyebrows rose skywards. Did he away with the old grudges and anger? "So you plan an allegiance with them?"

"Sort of," he confirmed. "They want to meet me the day after tomorrow; their leader, Glaurui, wants to talk to me personally. I would like you to accompany me there. And I need your advice in some matters. "I know you are a good strategist."

"Hmmm," I said doubtfully. "It depends. Matters concerning what, precisely? And where do you plan to go?"

"I haven't told anyone about it yet, but I'm planning to try and destroy Dol Goldur with the help of the Dwarves. And they agree. We just need to have a closer look at the mountain to see if it's possible or not."

I was speechless for a moment while I digested this information. He wanted to do what? Destroy Dol Goldur? "You are joking. You want to go *there*?"

"It wasn't my idea," he defended himself. "The Dwarves suggested this meeting place. They want to discuss my idea and look if it is possible to carry out."

Hmm, all right. That sounded reasonable.

"Do you have enough resources? And do you have the slightest idea what kind of venture this is?"

My mind reeled while I thought of all the preparations we would need, the planning, the forces. Thranduil alone didn't have enough warriors left. In my eyes this plan seemed rather impossible to achieve, because I doubted that the enemy would sit still and watch us destroying the fortress just like that. But I didn't tell him about my doubts.

"And the Dwarves? What about them?"

"They agreed to my suggestions, but only because they will benefit from a possible victory too. Right now they are unable to use the roads through the forest because it's not safe for them. They too have suffered from too many attacks in the past. So they want to give it a try."

That sounded rather encouraging. "And how exactly are you planning to do it? The mountain is rather compact and it should be impossible to enter the fortress unnoticed. Or did you plan to dig your way through the rocks?"

The corners of his mouth twitched. "Nice idea, but I would need a whole battalion of Dwarves to accomplish this. I'm not sure yet how they will do it, it's just an idea. I thought with the help of the Dwarven magic that is able to move stones they could make it. But as I said, we need to check the place before we can decide."

"And it's really necessary for you to go there? It's dangerous, now even more so," I pointed at the ring. Although it could be used as a weapon, I doubted that it would work. Not like this.

"I have no intention to let anyone know what we are doing. Glaurui made it clear that he wanted to talk to me personally. And he wanted me to be there when he and his men inspect the place." "Good. And you want me to accompany you there? I'm not sure if I can help you. I have no idea when it comes to rocks, their composition and such."

"You *can* help me. I'm really glad that your arrival is so timely," he said seriously and leant forward. His eyes locked with mine. "You are one of the most cunning Elves I have met; you speak the language of the Dwarves better than any of my own people and are an able negotiator. You can tell when people are lying too."

"I don't think I can follow you," I said slowly. His words were rather flattering, and a part of me was very pleased to realize how much he actually knew of me. But this was Thranduil, I had to remind myself. He had always been a cunning and tricky Elf. I needed to be careful. "Why should my skills be of any help here?" I asked cautiously. He noticed it and smiled knowingly.

"You and your skills will be advantageous when we will start negotiating the conditions of our treaty, because the Dwarves will have many claims."

"I see," I emptied the glass and stretched to put it onto the small nightstand. "But one thing you have to explain; why are you going yourself? It's rather risky, isn't it? Especially if you plan to discuss the whole thing at the foot of this mountain. I doubt the Orcs will just sit there and watch you negotiating with the Dwarves."

He chuckled. "You are right, but the Dwarves don't want to set a foot into this, I quote, ‘cursed Elvish place'. And who else can I send? Not that I don't trust my people," he added swiftly. "But it was difficult enough to establish contact with the stubborn Dwarves. That they suggest such a meeting is a big step. They won't accept anyone else, you know them."

"I do, but still, I think it is rather dangerous," I said again and sighed. Although I doubted I would be a help, I shouldn't let him go there alone. Alone – there would be his numerous guards accompanying him, of course – but I should not let the ring out of my sight, and perhaps watch Thranduil's back in the process. "I trust you to know what you are doing. When do we leave?"

He smiled gratefully as he reached out and squeezed my hand for a moment. "Right at dawn, after a hearty breakfast."

"Great," I mumbled and rubbed my face. "You know I'm not a morning person!"

He actually laughed and clasped my shoulder. "Then we can get used to the grumbling of the Dwarves while travelling to the meeting place with you."

I grinned. Draining his glass in one go, he got to his feet and stretched gracefully. "It's getting late, I will leave you to your rest, my friend."

He collected the glasses and the half-empty bottle. The fire cast a golden glance on his hair and made it shine. My fingers actually itched to touch the silken mass, to feel if it was really as soft as it looked. Before I could do something stupid I folded my hands and looked away. I was tired, and surely that was why I had so strange thoughts running through my hurting head.

"Thank you for listening to a foolish Elf's ramblings," leaning close he pressed a light kiss on my cheek and walked over to the door. My skin tingled pleasantly, and I got to my feet and followed him.

"You are not a foolish Elf, and I don't think you are rambling, Thranduil," I smiled and returned the gesture by kissing his cheek as well. His fine hair brushed against my face; it smelled of flowers. "This plan sounds risky and rather stupid, but on the other hand it has something appealing. We will make it, Thranduil," I said. I was fairly confident that everything would turn out well in the end for anyone involved.

"Thank you."

With a last smile for me he turned around and I watched his retreating form until he vanished around a corner, only then did I close he door behind me and went to bed. I needed to rest now, my head was slightly pounding again. But I knew that it would be fine the next morning. Some sleep could do wonders.

As soon as I was sitting on my bed and reaching for the candles, it knocked again. Huh? What now? I froze with surprise; surely Thranduil hadn't forgotten anything? Quickly scanning the room, I didn't find anything.

"Enter?" I said bewildered and frowned when Glorfindel stepped inside with a smirk on his lips that alerted me. He pushed the door closed and casually leant against it. "Is anything the matter? Why are you still awake?" I asked carefully. I knew that smirk, and normally it meant nothing but trouble.

"I could ask you the same, my friend," came the softly spoken reply. I couldn't really see his features because his face was partly hidden behind his loose golden hair. But I saw something else. His collar parted a bit as he moved, and the sight of tale telling bruises along his jawbone was something to behold!

"You surely didn't waste any time," I said slightly impressed. "Who and when?" I could not help but ask him with a grin.

"Oh, that," he waved his hand and then touched his skin around his neck. "One of the guards when he showed me around after our conversation with the King," he sighed theatrically. "He was rather enthusiastic, I fear."

"Right after the King rejected your advances, no?" I grinned when he grimaced slightly.

"At least I tried. He is an interesting personality, and I think I will get him somehow. Like I will get you eventually."

"Get a grip," I said. "You are insatiable, but I wish you luck, you will surely need it," I shook my head with a grin and suppressed a yawn. It almost felt like we could talk like friends after all.

He grinned back and shrugged. "And what went on in here?"

I knew exactly what he was hinting at and I tried my best not to roll my eyes. "Thranduil was here," I said curtly. "We talked about an idea he has concerning Dol Goldur. He wants me to accompany him on a tour tomorrow."

"Really?" His eyebrows rose skyward with surprise. "And what about the twins and me?"

"The twins will be busy helping the healers. They already promised to do so when I talked to them in Imladris. I have been in the Healing Rooms earlier, there is much to do. And I'm sure you will come along with me on that tour."

"Hmm, just strange that Thranduil didn't say anything about it."

He seemed lost in thought. The silence stretched and again I looked down at my bed. I just wanted to get some sleep!

"What now?" I asked him when he remained quiet. Glorfindel didn't seem very interested in hearing Thranduil's plans and pushed himself off the wall to take a step into the room. I threw a last longing look at my bed; it looked like I wouldn't get sleep anytime soon. "You disappoint me, Erestor."

What? Did I miss something? I merely raised my eyebrows to indicate that I had no idea what he was talking about. "Did I do anything wrong?"

He shook his head but didn't offer an explanation. All right, this wasn't my problem. I yawned and swiftly covered my mouth with my hand. "I'm sorry, but it is late, Glorfindel. I want to sleep now. Can we postpone this talk until tomorrow?"

"Sleep?" he didn't say more than this one word but wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he threw a look to the bed. He was indeed impossible.

"Please. Let. Me. Sleep. Alone. Would you mind going now? I'm not in the mood for any games."

"What was Thranduil really doing here? I doubt he came here only to talk."

"Are you drunk?" I asked bewildered. His eyes were lucid though. "I already told you that we talked. Thranduil is my friend. What do you think he wanted from me?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed, Erestor. Even you can't be so dumb!" When I didn't react but stared at him, he sighed audibly. "He has rejected me for a reason. His eyes have been following you all the time."

"Oh, Glorfindel, please," I rolled my eyes and slapped my forehead. This was a bad idea because my headache came alive again. I needed to get rid of him soon. "Not again such nonsense from you. Can't you think with your head instead of your elfhood for once?"

His eyes sparkled. "You wouldn't know it, Erestor. When did you last get laid?"

"Excuse me?" Was he completely mad now? "I don't know what this has to do with the current situation, but it's surely none of your business."

"I beg to differ," he strolled over to me and grabbed my wrist. Before I knew what was happening he had pulled me to my feet and pressed himself against me. He was taller and broader than me. I have seen him using his size to intimidate others, but this wasn't the case now. I just felt uncomfortable.

"Try to relax," he breathed into my ear, just a moment before I felt his hot tongue circling the tip of my ear. My knees trembled and felt weak all of a sudden. I could feel Glorfindel's large, warm hand slowly travelling under my robe, across my chest. My body betrayed me. The idea of pushing him away now never crossed my mind; it felt so good to be touched this way. I had to admit; it was difficult to think when the blood left my head and travelled to my nether regions.

"There you are. I knew you could be swayed eventually," he said huskily. The comment was like a cold shower and caused me to snap out of the daze.

"Get out," I pushed his hand away, made sure he felt my fingernails, and took a step back. I pointed at the door. "I don't want to talk to you. Out."

He didn't seem to be affected my by rejection. "You have no idea what you are missing," he hinted with a wicked smile. "But as you wish. Good night, Erestor."

He left. With a quiet click the door closed behind him and I continued to stare at the spot where he had been a moment before. I started to tremble with anger. I wasn't only angry at him but at myself as well. How could I have allowed this to happen? Curse him! One day I would surely kill him. Perhaps Thranduil could help me? But now, I wanted the pleasure all to myself.

Somehow I managed to get the trembling under control and fought the sudden urge to bang my head against the wall. I couldn't go on like that; his behavior was driving me insane. But what could I do? Perhaps I would succeed in pushing him into one of the spiders' nests when accompanying the Mirkwood Elves outside? No, the poor spider would only suffer from a serious heartburn. I needed another idea.

I let my thoughts fly while I extinguished the candles and crawled under the blankets. Perhaps trying to direct Glorfindel's interest somewhere else? There were enough handsome Elves here. I wasn't sure it would work, but if I was successful in marrying him off with one of the Mirkwood people, he would perhaps even decide to stay here. A nice dream! With this pleasant thought I finally dozed off.

Chapter Four

Warm hands travelled across my stomach, touched my chest and pulled me back against a solid chest. Satin-like skin slid against my own and soft lips pressed tiny kisses on my neck. I almost purred with contentment when fingers ran up and down the insides of my thighs. It was warm, cozy and simply wonderful. I felt goosebumps forming on my skin, but surely not from being cold. What a pleasant way to wake!

Then my mind started working. Something wasn't right. Skin against skin? I went to bed clothed last night! Why was I naked now? Who was there in bed with me? I was pretty sure that I had been alone. The hand travelled lower but I could no longer enjoy it. With a curse I rolled over and out of the warm embrace, grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around myself. My sudden movement startled my unknown visitor so much that he tumbled noisily out of the bed on the other side. Served him right. Hopefully the hard floor had knocked some sense into his head. The ash was still faintly glowing in the fireplace and I managed to rekindle the fire without burning my fingers. That was a first.

I saw my clothes lying on the ground. Hmm, so much for my reliable warrior instincts. How did he manage to unclothe me without waking me? Had to be the wine I drunk with Thranduil. Yes, that was the explanation. I turned around to face the uninvited intruder who was now sitting on the bed with a huge grin on his handsome face.

"I really should have known it was you," I spit angrily and watched Glorfindel carelessly braiding his hair. "I should maim you!"

"Ouch," he said and promptly covered his private parts with a pillow. I stopped myself from ogling his naked form just in time.

"What are you doing here? And when did you..."

"Are you always this sweet-tempered in the morning?" he had the nerve to laugh softly. "Well, I couldn't sleep, and I feared you wouldn't be awake on time and too late, you know, for breakfast and the departure."

"Oh, great," I drawled sarcastically. "So you spent the night in *my* bed, uninvited, I might add, just to make sure I wouldn't be late? You did it out of brotherly love. How noble. Now get out!"

He didn't move an inch. "And I wanted to be sure not to be left behind if you and the King go outside. Who knows if you accidentally forget me."

"Forget you? You? That would be rather impossible even if I wanted to," I grumbled and grabbed the blanket tighter. "Get out now or I will be extremely bitchy for the rest of the day."

He smirked. "Truly? Wouldn't make a difference from your normal behavior, I think."

Oh, that comment demanded too much thinking so early in the morning. But I had enough. There was only one way I could make Glorfindel disappear. I had to play a bit dirty. Sighing, I rubbed my eyes and let the blanket slide to the ground. Accidentally, of course. I knew what a picture I had to present: my naked body illuminated by the rekindled fire from behind. Biting on the insides of my cheeks to prevent myself from grinning when I saw his eyes growing round, I slowly approached Glorfindel.

"Perhaps you are right," I mumbled and gave him the best puppy-dog-look I was able to muster.

He was visibly stunned by my sudden mellowness and raised a hand invitingly before touching the skin on my hip. I looked down at him; he was indeed beautiful, only a fool would not see it. But I disliked the way he jumped from one bed to the next.

I took his hand in my own, lightly touched his fingers and gave him a serene smile before suddenly hauling him to his feet. Before he knew what was happening I whirled us around, pulled him to the door, opened it and gave him a kick in his well-muscled backside; the kick was strong enough that he almost ran into the opposite wall. Face first. There was an audible ‘oohmph'. Well done, Erestor, I congratulated myself and wiped my hands as though I had just touched something dirty.

"Told you so," I said matter-of-factly. "Very bitchy."

Swiftly I went back to collect his clothes that were lying in an untidy heap at the foot of the bed, and threw them into his still stunned face before noisily shutting the door.

Whistling I walked into the small bathing chamber to refresh myself. I have surely had better mornings, but there was little that could compare to the feeling of immense satisfaction when seeing a naked Glorfindel sitting dumbfounded on his naked butt in the midst of a corridor while his underwear was dangling from his rosy hued ears.

~*~

"How much longer?" I asked quietly while I walked beside Thranduil.

It was still dark and cold. A silvery mist floated slowly above the ground, and it softened the gloominess somehow. If I wasn't mistaken, I could even hear the soft, hesitant sound of a bird singing hidden in the branches somewhere above our heads, greeting the new day. The first bird I had heard since entering Mirkwood; a good sign perhaps? I really hoped so.

We moved quickly and as quiet as possible through the forest, hoping we wouldn't attract any unwanted attention. Gracefully evading a fallen log lying on the leaf-covered ground, Thranduil glanced at me and pointed ahead into an impenetrable coppice of the forest. I followed his glance but as expected, I couldn't see anything in particular. But he was a Wood Elf after all, his senses had to be sharper than mine. Or he simply saw things I wasn't trained to see as a sheltered Imladris inhabitant.

"We will be there around midday if we continue to go fast," his soft voice startled me out of my musings. "We are taking the safest route around several spiders' nests we would encounter otherwise."

Silently I thanked him for sparing me another meeting with these terrible beasts. Could there be anything worse? No. But on the other hand it would have been a perfect way to get rid of Glorfindel when he *accidentally* fell into one of those nests.... with a little help from me. Mentally I slapped myself for thinking this; shame on you, Erestor. Kinslaying indeed.

With a sigh I looked down onto the ground, counting the steps and tried to suppress a yawn. Thranduil had stayed true to his word. After the healer had looked at my head and declared me healthy and whole again, we had enjoyed a quick but generous breakfast and were now on our way to the meeting with the Dwarves.

And it was still too early for my liking.

The forest was dark and gloomy like before, but somehow I had the feeling that there was a difference. The song of the trees sounded lighter and encouraged, no longer as depressed and weary as it had been on the day of our arrival. The magic of the ring was already at work, and although we wouldn't be able to see the difference any time soon, I felt hopeful. And yet I worried. First about Elrond sending Vilya to this place, and now it was Thranduil wearing the ring while venturing out on a very risky mission that could end in disaster despite his numerous safety precautions – like the number of archers following us high in the trees without making a single sound; like the guards accompanying us on the ground; I really hoped it was enough.

I risked a look over my shoulder; the Elves looked grim but determined. Several of them looked tired and had barely healed wounds visible on their skin. And still they were here of their own volition, such loyalty told me much about Thranduil; his people loved him indeed.

Glorfindel was walking somewhere behind us, talking quietly to one of the archers accompanying us. I wondered if this tall and slender Elf with these incredibly feline green eyes was the cause of Glorfindel's bruised neck, but this wasn't really my business. At least he had left me alone until now, deliberately ignoring me, and for this I was rather grateful.

I sighed and concentrated on my footing. The ground became uneven and holes and branches were hidden beneath dried leaves. Yet I tried my best not to shame myself by stumbling and falling down. I was rather proud of myself that I managed to move as quietly as the Wood Elves did. We were lucky; the forest around us remained quiet and we didn't encounter any evil or dark creature. From time to time lone sunbeams found their way through the thick canopy and illuminated the otherwise depressive gloominess; this little light managed to change the picture of the forest completely. The environment was soft and serene. But soon the clouds covered the face of the sun and robbed us of the warm light.

I looked up and around; somehow I felt watched by invisible eyes. Perhaps it was only my imagination, but I didn't think so.

Taking the safest route to the mountain meant that we needed longer than normal. We didn't rest and walked swiftly without break and covered a long distance when the sun went down again. After a short respite we started again and walked through the night. It wasn't safe to linger on one spot for too long. Luckily, we didn't encounter any evil beasts. The nearer we came to the accursed mountain, the darker it became and the quieter the trees were. The whispering died down, and it was no surprise to find that many of the trees were already dead. But some of the oldest and strongest trees, although close to the mountain, still fought against the overwhelming shadow that seemed to swallow every light close by. Cobwebs covered not only the ground but the barren branches as well; the ghostly white and gray strands moved in the light breeze.

"There they are," Thranduil said quietly and pointed ahead to the foot of the mountain.

I felt nervous and on edge. This whole place reeked of evil and it made my skin crawl. Glancing ahead, I could barely see the sturdy forms of the Dwarves against the dirty gray of the rocks. There were five of them, heavily armed with axes and short swords.

"We four are going," he said, nodding at Glorfindel, myself and the leader of his archers.

I would have loved to protest because I disliked the idea of the larger part of our group having to remain behind. I swallowed my complaints, knowing very well that the Dwarves would be either affronted or feel threatened by a larger group. Or they would laugh at our fearful weakness. So I kept my mouth shut and followed the King. Glorfindel and the archer were just behind me.

It is always difficult to read a Dwarf's face, not only because of their beards hiding most of their features, but also because they are masters of hiding any emotions. Their faces are like masks.

"About time," one of them said in a grubby voice.

He spoke the common language fluently, but with a heavy accent. He was rather tall for a Dwarf, black-haired and clad in dark-green and brown armor, a perfect camouflage in the forest. His eyes were constantly moving around and didn't seem to miss the tiniest details. Quietly, I remained standing behind Thranduil and tried to assess them. Although trying to act composed, I could sense a certain uneasiness, even nervousness surrounding them. It was either this place, or something else. I would keep my eyes open.

"Y'are the King?" the Dwarf asked a bit too haughtily for my liking and looked Thranduil over, obviously searching for a symbol of his status.

His eyes lingered on Vilya; I didn't particularly like his greedy glance. He only received a curt nod in return, nothing else. I saw how it irked him and felt some satisfaction. When we greeted them, the Dwarves made acquiesced noises and nodded their heads. They had no friendly glances for us. But this was normal.

"We've already had a look at the ground and the foot of the mountain," the black-haired leader – Glaurui – muttered reluctantly. "Your plan should be possible to carry out."

"That's good to hear," Thranduil replied. His voice didn't betray anything.

"It won't be easy, ya know," Glaurui continued, his eyes flashed. "Ya Elves will have to send us enough supplies for about seventy of my people when we start working here."

"You need so many? What for, precisely? And how much time do you think you will need to achieve the destruction?" I asked and took a step forward. I didn't particularly like the way the Dwarf assessed me from under his bushy eyebrows.

"Not sure. It's complicated," casting a glance over his shoulder, Glaurui shrugged. "I can show ya why. If ya would follow me."

He made a mocking bow and smirked; I would have loved to wipe that smirk off his face but suppressed the desire. It would only complicate things unnecessarily.

He and his silent comrades turned like one and started to walk brusquely towards the foot of the mountain. Raising my head, I had a bad feeling when I caught sight of the seemingly empty windows of the fortress staring back at me.

"Shall we go with them? I would not advise it," I said quickly, but Thranduil, stubborn as he was, only shrugged and started following the Dwarves.

He had even the nerve to stop his escort from leaving the trees and accompanying him. Cursing silently, I motioned for Glorfindel to follow and we hurried after him. I would have to tell him what I thought about his careless behavior when we were back. Just what was he thinking?

"I don't like this either," Glorfindel muttered under his breath as he flexed his fingers and checked his sword belt. Was he preparing for a fight?

"Oh, no," I groaned when we caught sight of Thranduil walking through the entrance of a narrow tunnel. "Damn it!"

Quickening our pace, we caught the King and I grabbed his sleeve to stop him. "Wait, you cannot just go in there like this. Are you mad?" I hissed at him. He only raised his eyebrow.

"We have to ensure a positive outcome," he said. "I don't want to make any mistakes if it means that we can destroy this place."

"What if you are making a mistake now? You are the King, Thranduil. That means you have to be more careful!"

What if the possible success of his plan was blinding him?

The Dwarves had stopped and were now waiting for us. I could barely make out any features in this semi-darkness. Again I had the feeling of being suffocated under the weight of the rocks above us.

"What exactly do you want to show us?" I asked them and held my voice down. "Is it really necessary for us to enter this accursed place?"

"D'ya want us to help ya or not?" Glaurui rolled his eyes, he was impatient and nervous. "It's important for ya to see the results of what y'are planning. How it will affect the structure of the ground, as it could affect the whole area of your forest. Do ya think it is an everyday event for us to bring a whole mountain down?"

He had a point, but still, I didn't want to be there.

"Let's trust them," Thranduil said almost too quiet for me to hear. I didn't want to but I nodded reluctantly.

"Follow me now," Glaurui said and swiftly walked into the darkness of the tunnel. There weren't any lights, of course. Who on Middle Earth would expect from the inhabitants of Dol Goldur to help uninvited guests with carefully lightened tunnels? It was difficult to walk in here; the tunnel seemed to be a natural one, not created by any creature's hands. Stones, rocks and cracks covered the uneven ground. The Dwarves didn't seem to mind but walked on. Too swiftly for my liking.

The way was leading us deep down into the mountain, at least it felt like that. We followed the Dwarves as quickly as we could. Again I had the strange feeling of being watched. The Dwarves turned around a corner. Then suddenly it was silent; there were no longer any sounds from ahead. Frowning I tried to pierce the impenetrable darkness, but there was no trace of our bearded friends. They were no longer there.

"Wait," I told my companions and stopped. "Where are they? I don't like this. I don't trust them."

Glorfindel quietly passed us by and scouted ahead. My heart started pounding.

"They are gone."

At that moment I could hear the faint but unmistakable sound of metal clashing against metal from outside the tunnel. Exchanging an alarmed glance with Glorfindel, I cursed aloud when someone pushed me hard against the wall and made me stumble. Turning around I saw Thranduil decapitating an Orc who had pierced the earth where I had been standing a moment before with a long spear. Where did the beast come from? I stumbled back to my feet, unsure whether to spare Thranduil a grateful look for saving my life or a an angry one for blindly believing these Dwarves.

"Out, this is a trap!" I heard Glorfindel say and without thinking I grabbed Thranduil's arm and hauled him back with me. We needed to get out of the cave and back into the woods!

A strange sound, the walls seemed to slide aside and the shadows beyond moved towards us. Glorfindel unsheathed his sword and remained a few paces behind us. An earsplitting shriek sounded from the depth of the earth and we quickened our pace. Luckily, we weren't that far from the exit.

"Glorfindel! Come now!" I called him when I noticed that he was staying behind.

"Get out!" he replied, but to my relief he followed us. We ran, stumbled and jumped over hindrances. The way back seemed so much longer.

Once outside, I stood frozen for a moment; heavily armed Orcs and Uruk-hai were engaged in a fight with our people. I gave Thranduil a glare; this had been a trap all along! Who knew why these Dwarves were helping our enemy. Oh, well, this was not the time for pondering this question. As I could see, we were badly outnumbered. Although the warriors were all well trained – we were bound to lose. What we needed was a diversion.

Chapter Five

"Make sure you save your hide," I said to Thranduil and gave him a push.

He kept his balance, nodded with a grin and shouted a few words to his people I didn't understand, then he grabbed his long sword, ready to fight his way towards the tree line. At once three of his fellows were at his side, ready to defend him should the need arise. Good, because a couple of nasty looking and terribly smelling Orcs had discovered us and approached with raised weapons.

A diversion. But how? Grabbing my bow I sent my arrows flying and without much thinking started to throw all kinds of nasty comments into the Orcs' ugly faces. I had no idea if they understood what I was saying, but somehow they turned their attention towards me. Shouting, I pierced one Orc's stomach, kicked another one's head, and with an upward movement sliced another one's throat. Now that I had their attention, I ran back to the tunnel where the Dwarves had disappeared, but instead or entering it, I sheathed my knives and started to climb up the wall. It wasn't difficult to find holds. Grabbing a stone as big as my fist, I threw it at the head of the nearest Orc. It worked quite well; with an audible growl he started to climb up behind me. And he wasn't the only one!

Somehow I had managed the unthinkable, they were indeed following me up instead of trying to hunt Thranduil down. Encouraged, I continued to climb up, not thinking what I would do if I reached a dead end. Throwing a look down I saw that the last of our people vanished into the tree line. Good. Now it was time to return to them. Checking the environment, I saw the large tree nearby. Its branches moved invitingly and I grinned. If I managed to bridge the gap with a jump I would be safe from the Orcs.

Swiftly but carefully balancing towards the edge, I risked a look down. I wasn't afraid of heights, but the sight that greeted me wasn't particularly pleasant. I tried to count the Orcs climbing up behind me. This had been a bad idea, I realized. Then it happened; I felt something grabbing my left ankle and instinctively kicked out with my right foot; one moment I was on my feet, pushing one of my spare arrows into an Orc's eye, the next I found myself tumbling down to the ground when I lost my footing on one of the slippery stones. Transfixed, I watched the Uruk-hai who was slowly crawling up the rock and raising its weapon for the final blow. The dirty scimitar seemed to move so very slowly, but this time no one would appear out of nowhere and save my hide. A rebellious spark surfaced inside of me.

No, I couldn't die like this!

Collecting my last strength, I kicked out and hit the Uruk-hai in its stomach. Luck was on my side because my kick was strong enough to cause the Uruk to stumble back and lose its footing for a split second. That was enough. I pushed myself off the ground and got away from the edge of the cliff with graceless hops. The Uruk-hai regained its footing and started to attack again. A red, intense pain sliced through my knee, and while burying a tip of my arrow into another Orc's eye socket, I looked down to assess my injury. Nothing bad, only a large bruise, that much I could see through the torn fabric of my trousers. When I had enough space to move, I ran towards the edge again and finally jumped. I managed to pull myself into the cover of the large tree that would hopefully hide me from the Orcs' searching eyes until I had regained my breath.

"Erestor, over here," I heard Glorfindel's voice somewhere to my left. Judging from the closeness, he and the rest of our company were also high up in the trees.

"I'm here," I said breathlessly while avoiding his and Thranduil's glares as I slowly climbed over to them. I really had enough for today.

The King gave a sign to retreat, and I meekly followed behind. We climbed down to the ground again. According to Thranduil, travelling through the trees wasn't safe because of the spiders. I didn't ask what he meant by that. I was too tired; my whole body ached and I was also angry with myself for blindly running into this trap. Destroying Dol Goldur, indeed! With the help of Dwarves, no less.

Avoiding Thranduil and Glorfindel on the way back was a most difficult, and almost impossible thing to do but somehow I managed to stay clear off them until we arrived at the entrance to the caves. There I slipped away, but I knew it would only be a matter of time until one of them had my ears ringing.

This time I didn't lose my way in the maze under the earth. Taking a detour to my rooms, I fetched some clean clothes before I left again. I was in no mood to wait here for Thranduil or even Glorfindel. I needed to get clean, wash the dirt, blood and grime away. Finding the public baths in the caves under the earth wasn't a real problem despite my worrying that I might get lost after all. After taking only one wrong turning, I was finally standing under a high archway. I walked through and found myself on the foot of yet another staircase that led down. Just how deep under the earth was I now? The golden hue of brightly lit fires made me feel comfortable enough. Slowly I walked down the stairs, now and then stopping when my bruised knee protested overmuch.

When I arrived at the ground, I found myself staring with awe at the masterful architecture of this place. It was Elven made, filigree and elegant. High, slender pillars, finely crafted benches, and in the midst of all this beauty were the hot springs. There were three of them, as far as I could see. One large in the middle of the cave, a smaller one next to the wall, opposite to the staircase and one that looked like a bathtub big enough to house only one Elf.

The water looked inviting and I hastened to get out of my soiled clothes after putting my bundle onto one of the stone benches standing next to the pools. Taking a deep breath I filled my lungs with the unmistakable scent of minerals, hot water and stone. One would think that it would be dark down here, creepy and gloomy, but the fire helped and blue light beams streamed into the caves; they were masterfully spread by mirrors hanging all around the place and created a mystical atmosphere. I hoped that the baths would remain deserted, and for once I thought that I was indeed lucky. I walked over to the largest pool. I didn't look where I was going, however, stepped into a small puddle, slipped and fell down to my knees. Great. It didn't hurt at all to fall directly onto my bruises. Oh, Valar!

Cursing my bad luck, I took a deep breath and tried to get up. Then I stopped dead; this couldn't be what I was seeing there. But yes, my eyes did not betray me; in the midst of stones and glittering minerals, a lone flower was blooming, occupying one of the few lightened spots. Still on my knees I inched closer; this was indeed a mystery. I recognized the form of the petals; an Orchid? Here? How strange! I would have to ask Thranduil later how this could be; normally these flowers did not grow in such an environment.

Pushing the thought away for later investigation, I slowly stood up and groaned when my knees began to ache due to the movement. Knowing my luck it would surely burn terribly once my bruised skin came in contact with the minerals in the water. But it wasn't so bad. I chose the largest pool and slowly waded into the blissfully hot water, where I spent more than one hour in wonderful ignorance of what was going on around me. I floated, swam a bit and enjoyed the soothing effect of the minerals. I knew I couldn't hide down here and with a last regretful look at the wonderful water I left the pool, wrung my hair and wrapped myself in one of the large towels lying on the shelf masterfully attached to the walls around me.

Stepping up to the bench where I had left my clothes, I heard quiet, almost inaudible steps on the stairs. Oh no, I knew the feline-like sound. It could only be Thranduil who was hurrying towards me. And indeed, when I pushed my hair out of my eyes and raised my head; it was him all right. He wasn't in a good mood, his eyes were burning. I swallowed; this could only mean trouble for me, and this time I couldn't run away.

"Just what were you thinking?" he hissed at me once he came to a halt mere inches in front of me. I could feel the heat of his body through the thin fabric of his tunic. "Taking such a risk and endangering yourself! What were you thinking?"

I took a step back, his anger wasn't really unexpected, but I wouldn't let him intimidate me this easily. I raised my chin while putting the towel around my hips.

"And what about you?" I shot back. "Trusting these Dwarves without reason, running into these tunnels without your escort? You might be the King here, but I'd advise you to use another tone with me as you too are to blame for stupidity."

Perhaps I shouldn't have said that. His eyes flashed angrily. He snorted and almost snarled at me. It disfigured his beautiful face somehow.

"Be careful, Erestor. I know I made mistakes. I was blinded by the hope of success. By my hopes to find a solution. But you? You had no reason to endanger yourself like you did. You know exactly what I am talking about. Did you plan to get yourself killed here in Mirkwood?"

He was referring to my climbing earlier. I tried to play it down. "I was never in any real danger. And I can take care of myself; you should know it."

"Should I? I doubt it. You slipped, and you almost fell off the cliff when you jumped. What if that Orc had decapitated you?"

"Nothing happened," I said sharply, shook my head and pushed my hair out of my face. "Why are you so angry about it? You should be angry at the oh-so-reliable Dwarves who set you up against the enemy. Or are you denying that this had been a carefully planned trap to get hold of you? Are you denying it?" I repeated and raised my chin. His eyes flashed again, but I wasn't afraid.

"I don't deny it, Erestor," he growled angrily. "Nor do I deny that I have been wrong in trusting them as I did. But I can't change the past. We all make mistakes, even I."

"Indeed," I said scathingly. "Are we done? Excuse me now."

I turned my back and continued to unfold my robe to put it on. Then I turned towards the exit without sparing him a single glance. But I didn't get far.

Thranduil had always been fast; from one moment to the other, without knowing how we had crossed the distance, I found myself slammed against the wall; my head collided with the hard stone and I saw various colorful lights dancing in front of my eyes. He had his elbow pressed against my throat, making it almost impossible to breath. Instinctively I tensed and was ready to fight him off, but then I saw his eyes, burning with anger, worry and suppressed fear. It was difficult for me, but I relaxed and took my hands down. I didn't even try to defend myself.

"What is this really about?" I asked him. "Surely you are not really angry about earlier?"

He didn't reply. He was so close that I could feel his breath on my face. Pressing his lips together, he grabbed my hair with his free hand and pulled my head back. It hurt and I didn't make a sound. But this was too much. With a growl I brought my right knee up, my movement had the desired effect as he took a step back to save his crown jewels. Raising my arms I gave him a hard push, grabbed his wrist and spun us around, shoving him hard against the wall.

"Are you done?" I asked him breathlessly. "I will not tolerate such treatment, not even from you."

He was tense under my hands, like a string. Then he tried to break free, but without success. I had him. Slowly the tension seeped from his body and he sighed. "Let me go," came the muffled reply. "I will behave."

I hesitated but then I slowly released my hold and stepped away from him. He didn't look angry anymore, but I was unable to name the expression in his face as he watched me from under his lashes. Absentmindedly he rubbed his arms where I could see the imprint of my fingers.

"Can you tell me what this was about?" I asked again.

He nodded slowly; it almost looked like he was unsure what to say. His next words surprised me.

"You made me fear the worst when I saw you in danger. I care for you, perhaps more than I should. You are my friend."

He approached me and instinctively I took a step back until my bare back touched the cool wall. I shivered, but somehow I doubted it was due to the cold. He only reached out and cupped my face for a moment. His eyes made it impossible to look away; they held me captive.

"Just what are you doing?" I asked him. It was obvious though; he raised his arms and leant his hands on both sides of my head, leaning close.

"Those regular hits to your head must have done some damage or otherwise you wouldn't ask this particular question."

He took another step closer and pressed his whole body against mine. I could feel his arousal through the thin fabric of his tunic, the soft silk sliding sensually against my skin. Then he stopped all movements and just looked at me. His dark blue eyes seemed to look deep into my very soul, and my legs started to tremble although he wasn't doing anything at all but looking at me. I knew what he wanted from me now; I could read it in his eyes. But knowing him, Thranduil would never voice it; he was far too proud and too stubborn to do it. And I knew he would never do anything against my will, but the question was, what did I want?

Did I want him? Yes, I wanted him.

"I love you," I said. "But not like that. You are my friend."

"And I love you, but not as a lover would. You are my friend," he replied, repeating my words. Smiling slightly, I nodded. We understood each other. For me there wouldn't be anyone but Ereinion in my heart, and Thranduil had still his beloved wife. I closed my eyes and leant forward, gently brushing my lips against his. Surely he would understand. And he did while deepening the kiss. I felt his soft tongue against my own. With a fluid movement he opened his tunic and let it slip to the ground. Underneath he was naked. Did he plan this?

But then I felt his hands, his lips and his tongue on my skin and forgot everything around me. And he knew exactly what he was doing; I was helpless as he pressed me against the wall – and I liked every moment of it. After a while I felt his fingers carefully sliding into me. I tensed instinctively and he stilled his movements, soothingly touching my back with his other hand.

"It's been a while for you," Thranduil remarked as he leant closer and brushed his lips against mine, and I nodded, still a bit overwhelmed.

"Yes, no one since Ereinion," I shifted my hips ever so slightly. "Continue, I am not frail."

"I know," I could hear the smirk in his voice. "But you have always had a taste for royalty, my dear Erestor."

"Thranduil," I growled at him. "Stop playing, just do it."

I turned my head to look at him; he was looking back at me; I could drown in his eyes; they seemed almost black in this dim light, and I could see in them how much he wanted me. Then his hands were moving on my arms, my chest, my thighs. And then his touch was gone. He stepped back and I watched him touching himself. I liked to see him doing that; he ran his hand across his flat stomach up to his chest and down again, invitingly licking his lips. I enjoyed this view but I soon ached for his attention.

"If you don't need me here, I can go," I said huskily and watched his mouth curl in a lazy smile as he reached out and pulled me close again. Skin against skin, the sensation was incredible.

"I won't let you go now."

And he didn't let me wait, either.

Leaning closer, he kissed me again, deeply, and then I felt his hands on my shoulders, making me turn around. I didn't protest as he pressed me against the wall and started to torture me some more with his long and agile fingers. Gasping for breath, I opened my mouth to complain but with a swift movement of his hips I could feel him breaching me. It didn't hurt at all; his careful preparations paid off now. Thranduil groaned, I gasped – and I wasn't the only one. But the sound didn't come from Thranduil, either, but from someone else. And if I wasn't mistaken I could hear water splashing nearby.

My old instincts kicked in and I tensed for a moment. But Thranduil held me tight against his body, making it impossible for me to move at all. Opening my eyes I managed to turn my head a bit and glanced to the side where I had heard the sound. At first I didn't see him in the almost gloomy darkness, but then, as my eyes adjusted, I could make out a familiar figure sitting in the smallest pool, half hidden in the shadows. He looked like he was trying to merge with the walls. His face was flushed; I could see it even from here. Just for how long has he been trapped here?

Poor Glorfindel.

I shook my head to make my hair fall in front of my face; he didn't have to know that I was watching him watching us. What a twist of fate. He was watching the two he could not have making love together. And how he suffered!

I smirked; now Glorfindel would see that I was not half as straitlaced as he thought I was. But my smirk soon vanished when Thranduil moved again, rotated his hips and repeatedly hit his target. This was bliss! I wanted Glorfindel to suffer even more; I leant my upper body against the wall and reached behind me to grab Thranduil's hair to pull him close. Our lips met briefly.

"Let's give him a show," I whispered hoarsely against his mouth. He looked a bit confused and didn't know what I was talking about, but then his blue eyes flickered to the side and enlarged when he saw our uninvited visitor. With an evil smirk he returned his gaze to me and leant closer; I felt his breath on my lips.

"We can do that. Will you scream for me ?"

"Make me," I moaned.

And I really meant it. Thranduil's eyes flashed in the dim light; he was accepting my challenge. All the better for me. Grabbing my hips, Thranduil had me soon forgetting everything around me, including Glorfindel. I could not care less about his presence and what he was possibly thinking. If he was thinking at all.

Thranduil took me like he fought his battles, with skill, passion, force and endurance. He gave everything and didn't hold back, and he made me scream his name when we reached the peak of our desire together. I collapsed against the wall, my legs refused to carry me any longer. But I didn't fall down; Thranduil's strong arms came around my waist and held me upright. I could feel him deep inside of me, slowly softening. Gently he withdrew from me.

"Can you walk?" he asked and nibbled my ear.

"I can try," I murmured, utterly satisfied.

My legs decided to cooperate as Thranduil led me towards the hot spring. Ignoring the Elf who was still watching us with an intense and burning gaze, we settled down in the warm water. Thranduil pulled me close and I rested my head against his shoulder. It was not much later that I glanced to the side and noticed that Glorfindel was no longer sitting there. I grinned and stretched lazily.

"What I wouldn't give to know what he was thinking seeing us here," Thranduil said.

"Oh, I will ask him later during dinner," I replied. "He owes me an explanation as to why he stayed during our encounter."

He chuckled. "I want to be present when you confront him. I'd love to see his face."

"Very well," I replied and closed my eyes, savoring his warmth and the gentle touch of the water on my skin. Then I remembered. "How is it possible for these flowers to grow here?"

He didn't know what I was talking about, I could see it. "Which flowers?" he asked bemused and I pointed my finger towards the corner where I had seen the Orchid blooming.

He followed my gaze and sat up. "I haven't seen this one before."

Untangling himself from me, he got to his feet, and naked as he was, he presented me a splendid sight of his bare back. I didn't take the time to admire him though but stood up as well and hurried to his side. Kneeling down, Thranduil reverently touched the white petal.

"I cannot believe it. How is this possible? I thought these flowers needed natural light?"

"I don't know. Perhaps it's a sign?" I said and put my hands on his shoulders from behind while looking at the flower.

"If this is a sign, it gives me hope. Hope to see better days," Thranduil said. I could hear the smile in his words. "Hope indeed," he stood and turned, putting his hands around my waist. "Will you stay?"

I should have expected such a question and quietly assessed him. He met my eyes, and I knew he would accept any answer I would give him, even a rejection. This was typical Thranduil. He would never beg for anything.

Slowly I nodded. "As long as you need me I will stay with you. I want to stay if you will have me."

He smiled and nodded. There was no need for talking more, and feeling utterly satisfied, I let him pull me into a warm embrace. I knew that there would be many fights against the dark forces awaiting us in the future, whether here or at home in Imladris, but I allowed myself to be optimistic. All we needed was to be patient. While I looked at the Orchid in full bloom I was hopeful that there would be a happy future for every one of us.

The End