A/N:  Writing about Esgaroth created one of those moments for me when I despair of following canon even when I want to.  In "The Hobbit," Tolkien tells us that Esgaroth was once much larger than the Lake-town of that era, but that its fortunes declined when Smaug destroyed Dale in 2770TA, and he says that on the lake, there used to be boats full of gold and warriors in armor.  This story is set around 2520, so Esgaroth is presumably a thriving place. Tolkien does not tell us what wars the Esgaroth warriors fought in, but I assume they were unhappy at the presence of the Balchoth to their south.

*******

7. The Warriors' Trip

(November)

Eilian pushed through the underbrush, searching slowly among the trees near where the novices had been camped the previous week.  He could see Siondel off to his right, searching similarly for signs of the intruder whom Maldor, Legolas, and Fómbor had sensed.  Home Guard patrols had been all over this area since Lómilad had reported the events to Ithilden, who had, in turn, called Eilian in to consult, but this was the first time that Eilian had been in the area. The patrols had found a spot where someone, probably a Man, had stood, but they had found no evidence of who he was or what he might want.  Eilian had tentatively assumed that this Man was the same one who had been in the caves along the Forest River, but that was only an assumption. He needed more information and today's trip was an effort to get it.

He stopped suddenly, some dim awareness of danger tugging on the edge of his consciousness.  Siondel approached.  "This is where he stood, Captain," the lieutenant said, indicating the thicket directly in front of Eilian.  "You can still see where the grass was bent and the bushes were disturbed, but we were unable to tell anything other than that he had been here."

Eilian looked up at the trees.  They were stirring uneasily.  As the faint breeze from the trees' trembling branches touched his face, an all-too-familiar cold shadow slid into his consciousness and made him, too, shiver.  He was aware that Siondel was looking at him curiously, and he closed his eyes, the better to reach out with all his awareness toward where he feared the source of the chill darkness lay.  He opened his eyes again. "He came from Dol Guldur," he asserted.

Siondel blinked.  "How do you know?" he asked, not challenging Eilian's conclusion, but asking for something beyond the flat claim that his captain was making.

"Do you not feel the chill?" Eilian asked.

"Yes," said Siondel slowly.  "Now that you mention it, I do feel something, but it is very slight."

"You have never served in the south, have you?" Eilian asked, and Siondel shook his head.  Few members of the Home Guard ever had.  The two patrols tended to draw warriors with different kinds of temperaments. "I can feel the remnants of shadow here," Eilian said. "Once you have felt it, you can never mistake it for anything else.  And the trees are uneasy, as they are when shadow has touched them.  This Man was at Dol Guldur."  He turned and started back toward where they had left their horses.  "Come," he said.  "We need to let Ithilden and the king know."

***

It was late when Eilian finally reached home, well beyond the usual hour for evening meal.  So, after asking a servant to send a tray of food to the family's small sitting room, he headed directly there, where he knew that he was likely to find both Thranduil and Ithilden at this time of the evening.   He entered to find not only his father and older brother, but also Alfirin and Legolas.  Legolas was playing a small harp and singing the Lay of Lúthien in his clear young tenor, while Alfirin rested against Ithilden's side with his arm around her and Thranduil leaned back contentedly in his chair.  Legolas broke off when Eilian came in, and the others roused themselves to turn to him.

"You found something," said Ithilden, seeing the look on Eilian's face.  Eilian knew that Ithilden was concerned over this second report of a stranger in the Woodland Realm, particularly since the novices and masters had sensed that whoever had been watching them was dangerous.

"Yes, I think we did," Eilian responded and then waited until the servant who brought in a tray of food had left it and departed.

"Eat," said Thranduil.  "What you have to tell us will wait for a few more minutes."

As Eilian sat down to eat the cold meat and bread, Ithilden turned to Alfirin.  "We are going to be talking about warrior matters," he said.  "Will you be bored?  Do you want to go and rest?"

She shook her head and looked faintly annoyed.  "I know that you have been worrying about this intruder," she said.  "Do not patronize me, Ithilden.  This matter concerns the Realm, and it closely concerns you, so it also concerns me.  I will stay."

Ithilden looked for a moment as if he would argue with her, but then he ruefully nodded. Eilian suspected that, in the short course of his marriage, Ithilden had already learned that his sweet-tempered wife was not quite as docile as he had assumed she was.  He also suspected that Ithilden was secretly proud of that fact.

Eilian glanced into the shadows at the edge of the room, to which Legolas had withdrawn when he stopped singing.  He was clearly trying to stay out of sight, hoping that Thranduil would not send him from the room before the conversation about the intruder began.  Their father had always tried not to talk about potentially frightening matters in front of his sons when they were young. Eilian could still remember how thrilled he had been when Thranduil had begun allowing him to be present during serious discussions.  In the last year, Thranduil had sometimes allowed his youngest son stay for such discussions, and Legolas undoubtedly wanted to stay for this one, given that he had encountered the intruder during the novices' mission.

When Eilian finally pushed his plate away, Thranduil asked, "What did you find?"

"The intruder was a lone Man, just as Siondel said," Eilian reported, "and he had been to Dol Guldur."

The others all drew in their breaths. "Are you sure?" Ithilden asked sharply.

"Yes," Eilian answered.  "He was touched by shadow, and the trees were uneasy about it."

Ithilden and Thranduil looked at one another. "I suppose it could be a Man from Esgaroth, but surely it is more likely an Easterling," Ithilden said grimly.  "They are not all gone, although those who remain stay out of sight if they know what is good for them.  It is not inconceivable that one or more of them could be in touch with Dol Guldur. Their allegiance has always been to Sauron."

Thranduil appeared to be pondering what Eilian and Ithilden had said. "Someone should go to Esgaroth," he finally said decisively.  "We need to make sure that this is none of the Men from there and to warn them of what is happening."

"I agree," said Ithilden.

"You will go, Eilian," said Thranduil. "Take someone with you."

"I will take Siondel," Eilian said promptly, pleased at the idea of the trip.  "No one knows more than he does about how and where an intruder might pass so close to the palace.  We can go the day after tomorrow, if that is acceptable."

Alfirin smiled at him.  "Do all warriors look so eager to carry news of possible danger?" she asked teasingly.

Eilian laughed. "I have behaved myself at home for months now.  I deserve to go on a trip."

Thranduil snorted.  "Remember that this is a diplomatic mission," he admonished.  "You are to learn what you can in Esgaroth while keeping the Men there out of our business."

"Yes, Adar," said Eilian, meekly enough, although he had every intention of enjoying himself as much as possible while doing as his father bid.

Thranduil turned his head to look over his shoulder. "Legolas, come and sit down.  There is no reason to hover in the corner."  Looking both sheepish and pleased, Legolas resumed his former place on the rug in front of the fire.

***

Two days later, Eilian and Siondel set out for Esgaroth.  The day was cold and both of them wore fur-lined cloaks as they rode at an easy pace through the bare trees.  The two Elves had gradually grown more at ease with one another over the past weeks, as they recognized the skill and care with which they each did their jobs. They rode slowly enough that they could talk about their mission as they went.

"Have you ever been to Esgaroth?" Eilian asked. "I went once with friends just before I joined the Southern Patrol, but I have not been back since."

"I have been several times," said Siondel.  "The lake-men are fine warriors, and I used to go with Deler sometimes to consult with them about dangers that we might have in common."

They rode in silence for a few moments, both thinking about Deler.  Finally, Eilian shifted the subject.  "Legolas tells me that Annael jumped in front of an arrow meant for their captain during the novice exercises," he said.  "Annael seems to be developing into a fine warrior.  You must be proud of him."

"I am," Siondel admitted, visibly pleased.  "He has never caused me a moment's regret."

"He is a good friend to Legolas," Eilian went on.  "I know that Adar thinks that too."

Siondel grinned.  "I recall the first time Legolas played at our cottage," he said, obviously enjoying the memory.  "He was just an elfling, and he stood up every time I entered the room and waited for my permission to sit or to leave.  Annael could not understand it, but Legolas apparently thought that a well-behaved elfling acted that way in any ada's presence."

Eilian laughed.  "Legolas is still coming to terms with what it means to be Thranduil's son, I think," he said.

Siondel shrugged.  "It cannot be easy for him," he said.  "He is tied down by duty far more than Annael is, for instance."

Again they rode in silence as Eilian thought about what duty meant not only for Legolas but also for himself as one of the king's sons.  Once he had decided that he would wait until Ithilden's baby was born before he pressed for his return to the south, he had found that his time in the Home Guard seemed easier.  He was still counting the days, but he now felt satisfaction when he could occasionally take some responsibility off of Ithilden's shoulders, and he had even found that some of the Home Guard's duties were interesting, this trip to Esgaroth being one example.  It had not occurred to him before that in some ways the Southern Patrol acted in a narrow world compared to the one that Thranduil and Ithilden dealt with on a daily basis.

By the time the early dark closed in, Eilian and Siondel had reached the western edge of the Long Lake and were looking out across the water at the large and prosperous town of Esgaroth, which was built on pilings some way out into the lake.  The town drew its wealth primarily from its importance as a center of trade, and numerous large and small boats could be seen docked at the quays.  The ice of winter had not yet closed in to stop their movement up and down the lake to the town of Dale and the Dwarven kingdom of Erebor.

"There is a guards' hut at this end of the bridge, Captain," Siondel told him. "Do you want to go into the town tonight?"

"I think we will let them know we are here and then camp where we are," Eilian decided.  "I prefer sleeping under the trees and the stars when I can." Siondel grunted his agreement.

The two of them took care of their horses, stowed their gear, and then walked toward the guards' hut, from which they had obviously been watched.  The guard braced himself as they approached, evidently nervous in the presence of Elves.

"I am Eilian Thranduilion," Eilian said, watching impassively as the guard's eyes widened at his patronymic, "and this is Siondel Eärilasion.  We come as representatives of the King of the Woodland Realm. We wish to meet with the town's master tomorrow."

"I will see that a message is sent at once, my lords," the guard assured them.

Siondel was grinning as they returned to their campsite. "He was much more eager to please you than the guards ever were to please Deler and me," he said.

"He was overcome by the sheer force of my personality," Eilian grinned back. "I usually save it to lower the resistance of maidens, but it works on guards as well."

Siondel laughed.  "Why is it that I think there might be some truth in there someplace?" he asked.

In the morning, they had barely finished breakfasting on fish from the icy lake when a Man approached their camp.  He was dressed in the grey uniform of an Esgaroth warrior, and, with some surprise, Eilian recognized him as Beam, the son of the master of Esgaroth.  He had seen Beam when he and his father visited Thranduil in September to talk about trading for timber, but he had not realized that Beam was a warrior, for he had not been wearing any sort of uniform on the trip.

"Welcome to Esgaroth, my lords," he greeted them, with a small bow that they returned in kind.  "I am commissioned to bring you to my father, the town's Master.  Will you come?"  And he led them across the great wooden bridge, through the gates, and into the town.

Eilian looked around him curiously.  As he had told Siondel, he had been to Esgaroth once before, but it seemed to him that the place had grown even busier in the intervening years.  The town had been awake and astir for an hour or more, and its marketplace, which consisted of boats docked in a central pool, was thronged with men and women, who, to the two Elves, were unwashed and unbelievably noisy. The sound of their footfalls on the wooden walkways suggested a herd of Orcs to the Elves' sensitive ears.

The people in the marketplace stared at them with open interest as Beam led them around a corner to a large building where official business was evidently conducted. Uncomfortable under such concentrated scrutiny, Eilian deliberately made his face as expressionless as possible and, from the corner of his eye, he saw Siondel doing the same thing.

"The Town Hall, Captain," Siondel murmured to him, as Beam led them through a pair of large doors.  At the far end of the room sat three Men at table.  Eilian recognized the one in the middle as the town master, Calem, whom he had met briefly on his recent visit to Thranduil's stronghold.  He assumed that the other two were advisors or, perhaps, members of the town's trade council that Thranduil's councilors had tutored him about during the day before he left on this trip.  He and Siondel halted before the table as Beam introduced everyone.

Eilian drew a deep breath. He was not accustomed to carrying out political missions and, while he had seen Thranduil deal with visiting officials, he was not sure that he could imitate his father's manner. Indeed, he was privately unsure whether he even wanted to try.  He inclined his head slightly toward the Men at the table. "Master Calem, good sirs," he said, "King Thranduil sends you his greetings."

"Return our greetings to him," said Calem, and then waved for attendants to bring stools, ale for the Men and wine for the Elves.  They all sat and politely sipped their drinks before settling down to business.

"We have come to you," Eilian began, "because we are searching for a Man, and we thought you might know something of him whom we seek."

"There are many Men here and in Dale," Calem answered.  "Who is the one you seek?"

"He has crossed the Woodland Realm twice that we know of in the last two months," Eilian told him.  "He has harmed no one, but he does not make himself known, and," he paused to give weight to what he had to tell, "he goes to Dol Guldur."  The Men at the table all drew sharp breaths. 

"How do you know?" demanded Calem.  Siondel raised an eyebrow at his abrupt tone, but Eilian chose to ignore it.

"The trees have told us," he answered and watched the Men frown. He had known that they would not understand that answer, and he went on smoothly before Calem had a chance to press further. "Have the people of Esgaroth seen a stranger in the area this autumn?" he asked.

There was a moment's silence, and then Calem turned to his son. "Perhaps you had better tell our guests what has befallen us, Beam," he said.

"We have seen no stranger," Beam said soberly, "but we believe one has been here nonetheless."  Eilian looked at him inquiringly.  "About two weeks ago, one of the night watchmen was stabbed to death while on duty," Beam told him. "No one else saw the attacker, but we did find his weapon."  He pulled a dagger from his belt.  "I have been carrying it, hoping to find some way to locate its owner."  He laid the dagger on the table, and they all regarded it.

The blade and handle of the weapon flowed into one another in a graceful curve, separated by an S-shaped crossguard whose ends were shaped like little claws.  A line of gold ran in a spiral down the handle, separating a row of red gems.  The crevice where the blade met the handle was still stained with a dark substance that Eilian avoided studying too closely.  Eilian and Siondel looked at one another.

"Surely you know who carries such a curved blade," Eilian said to Beam in a neutral tone.

Beam nodded.  "Yes," he said, "the weapon plainly belonged to an Easterling."  There was a moment's silence.

"Perhaps it would have been wise to send word to King Thranduil of such a person in the area," Siondel murmured.

Beam looked a little abashed.  "Perhaps it would have been," he conceded, becoming defensive, "but we had no way of knowing that the intruder had entered Thranduil's realm, and we are capable of maintaining our own security."

"You know now," Eilian said firmly, "and I believe that both parties will benefit if we keep one another informed of what we discover about this Man."

At this point, Calem intervened in the warriors' discussion.  "I agree," he said.  "What steps can you take to learn more, Beam?" he asked his son.

"I will check with the Men of Dale to see if they have useful information, and I will also investigate further here," Beam answered. He turned to Eilian.  "If you like, I can have my men investigate the shores and the edges of the forest up and down the river to see where this Easterling might have entered."

Eilian hesitated.  He liked the idea of Beam's warriors gathering information from Dale and checking the lake shore, but he knew that Thranduil would not want them exercising any kind of authority in the forest.  Evidently, Siondel felt the same way.

"Our Border Patrol needs no help in the woods," Siondel said stiffly, "although, of course, the lake is your responsibility."  Then he glanced at Eilian, evidently wondering if Eilian was going to take offense at his speaking up, but Eilian nodded at him.

"If you will send us word of what you find," Eilian promised, "we will do the same for you."

Calem and the other Men all nodded agreement.  "Will you stay to feast with us this evening?" invited Calem.

Eilian hesitated for only a second.  "Of course," he said, earning a surprised glance from Siondel. Evidently Deler had not been in the habit of feasting with the Men when he and Siondel had made previous trips. Eilian grinned at his lieutenant.  If his mission was to encourage the Men to cooperate with his father's wishes, he knew no better way to gain their good will than to eat and drink with them.  Slowly, Siondel produced an answering grin.  The watching Men blinked nervously as the Wood-elves' expressionless masks dropped away.

"Good," said Calem, a bit uneasily.  "Beam, would you show our guests something of the town?"  And Beam led them from the Town Hall and out into the crowded marketplace.  They walked a few feet, and then Beam ran down a few steps leading from the quay to a small boat carrying fruit and bought apples for all of them.  They strolled along, munching on the fruit.  Eilian eyed the various buildings that Beam pointed out and several pretty girls that he did not.  He smiled at one who was looking at him curiously, and she blushed, looked away, and then turned to smile back at him.  Siondel tugged discreetly on his sleeve, and he turned to find that his lieutenant was smothering a smile.

Beam was watching him dryly and evidently had something he wanted to say.  "I would not want you to think that we were deliberately careless of your people's safety when we failed to tell you about the Easterling," he told Eilian.  "I simply did not think of telling you because I was so intent on finding the bastard.  We fought the Balchoth hard when they were in Rhovanion, and I have sworn to do whatever it takes to keep any of them who remain well away from Esgaroth.  I am afraid that my father says I can be rather reckless sometimes when it comes to fighting the enemy," he added apologetically.

Eilian grinned at him.  "Now that sounds familiar," he said.

The three of them passed the day together pleasantly enough until it was time for the two Elves to return to their camp to bathe and dress for dinner. As they crossed the bridge, Siondel was shaking his head and laughing.

"Eilian," he said, "you had better hope I do not tell Ithilden all the details of this mission.  He will recommend that your father make you a permanent diplomat."

Eilian rolled his eyes and laughed too.  It was the first time that Siondel had addressed him as anything other than "captain."