Far Horizons 27:  Anticipation

‘Where did you get that outfit?’  Elrohir asked idly as he brought his breakfast of left-over venison and flatbread to sit beside his friend and brother.

‘Do not,’ Legolas said, pinning him with his clear blue eyes, ‘try to make anything of it, my friend.  And do not tell my adar – I have no desire to be dressed up like one of Eleniel’s dolls any more often than I am compelled to be.’

‘I,’ Elladan chimed in, ‘particularly liked the flowers in your crown.’

Camentur suppressed a chortle and Legolas winced.  ‘If Elerrina hears of that, I will know on whom to wreak my revenge,’ he announced.  ‘I am sure that Miriwen and Sirithiel would also enjoy seeing their husbands decorated with blossoms.’

‘They would look good with pink flowers, I think,’ Glorfindel added as he sat with them.  ‘Pink goes so prettily with dark hair.’  He looked at Legolas as he stretched his long legs out in front of him.  ‘The whole event was – interesting,’ he said.  ‘I was under the impression that we were hosting a gathering to greet elves of the forest, and instead it turned out that Laerwen was introducing the Crown Prince to his new subjects.’

‘She was not!’ Legolas sat up indignantly. ‘Oh,’ he said as some of the more flamboyant aspects of the evening surfaced in his mind. ‘Maybe – although I do not believe that was what was intended.  She was very nervous about it – she just thought it would be better to make me known straight away.’

Glorfindel smiled enigmatically.  ‘I probably did not help matters when I knelt to her,’ he admitted, ‘although I was only reacting to her as I would have done at Thranduil’s court.  However, it is hardly the action of an equal.  I might get away with it because I am, in fact, Elrond’s aide rather than Elrond’s son.  I would recommend,’ he said, turning to the twins, ‘that, if you are manoeuvred into the same position, you should bow and then kiss her cheek – ruler’s son to ruler.’

‘It was not a trap!’ Legolas snapped.  ‘I am sure that my naneth has no intention of demanding that she should be looked on as the – what is the female equivalent of a High King?  High Queen just does not sound right.’

‘We shall see,’ Glorfindel said.  ‘At least negotiations are opened between us.  I think we have reached the point when Rindor will really begin to come into his own.’  He looked at the four of them.  ‘However,’ he said, ‘and I do not believe you are going to like this, I think it would be best, at this point, if you were to return with all the new information we have.  I think we need Elrond and Celebrian, Celeborn and Galadriel – and most of all, Legolas, we need to bring your adar here.’

‘What of Adar’s wish that we should remain here for a month?’ Elladan asked.

‘I am making a judgment that depends on what is happening here,’ Glorfindel said seriously.  ‘You are fairly well qualified to deal with the type of threat you might face at home – you are less suited to the kind of debate I believe we are approaching here.’

‘Well,’ Elrohir smiled with satisfaction.  ‘As it happens, Glorfindel, I think I am prepared to oblige you in this.’

‘I do not believe that my brother has had the sense to tell you that his wife is in what could be termed ‘an interesting condition’ at the moment,’ Elladan said.  ‘Elrohir will be only too happy to return to her side, regardless of what dangers there might be.’

‘An elfling?’ Glorfindel smiled.  ‘Sirithiel will be happy.’

‘She will be doubly happy, then,’ Elrohir told him proudly, ‘because we are anticipating the arrival of twin ellyth.’

‘Then of course you must return.’  Glorfindel turned to Legolas.  ‘I am sorry to request this of you,’ he said gently.  ‘Your reunion has been so brief that it must seem a cruel thing to ask.’

Legolas shook his head.  ‘I have to go, my friend,’ he said, his eyes meeting Glorfindel’s earnestly.  ‘I cannot leave Adar in ignorance of this development for any longer than I must.  He has waited in hope for so long – and I have to be the one to bear this news.’

Glorfindel stretched out and grasped his shoulder with compassionate understanding. ‘You have the rest of time,’ he told him. ‘You are right; Thranduil needs to know.’

‘Which leaves us,’ Elladan said as he looked at Camentur.  ‘Shall we oblige Glorfindel, or shall we insist on remaining here?’

‘We can come back,’ Camentur told him obligingly.  ‘I suppose we should go and look after these two.  There is no knowing into what trouble they might hurl themselves in our absence.’

Glorfindel grinned.  ‘I see you begin to know them, Camentur,’ he said.

***

‘If they are going back I do not see why we should not be going with them,’ Minalcar hissed to Ambantor.

‘We have not been invited to join their party,’ Ambantor replied wearily.  ‘We cannot force ourselves on them.  Lord Glorfindel has told us that we are to remain here and learn what we have been sent to learn.’

‘There is nothing they can teach me that I want to know,’ Minalcar said viciously.  ‘Why would I want to know how to live like a squirrel, scratching up nuts and living in trees?  My adar wants me to take my place at court, as an advisor to the High King.’

Ambantor sighed.  ‘Candidly, Minalcar, I wish they would take you.  I would also be quite happy if they chose to drop you off the edge of one of those high paths over the pass.’  He stared intently at the elf who had always been part of his social circle and one of his closest friends.  ‘You do not currently have the qualifications to advise the High King and it seems to me that you never will – you know nothing and you do not want to learn anything.  I have had enough of you.’

Minalcar stared at his friend, his mouth half open.  Never had Ambantor expressed himself quite so emphatically.

‘Oh, stop it,’ Ambantor told him irritably. ‘The High King wanted some of us to take part in this expedition and your adar managed you get you a place.  Run off home if you want to shame him – see how he reacts to that.  Or, on the other hand, grow up a bit and make the best of it here. If you give it a chance, you might even discover that you like it.  I do – and I will like it even more once you have stopped provoking Glorfindel into giving us all the worst jobs.’

‘Perhaps,’ Tineithil said as he emerged from the trees behind them, ‘you are not as silly as you look – although if you let Loareg torment you, I cannot be sure.’

Ambantor grinned. ‘He is taking advantage of my ignorance,’ he admitted. ‘I look forward to doing the same to him if he comes to visit my home.’

‘I have offered to keep you busy today,’ the Forest Elf told them.  ‘After you have cleaned up behind the horses, I am taking you off into the trees.’

Minalcar closed his eyes and pressed his lips together.  He had always been the leader of his group and he found it quite hard to understand quite how it was that Ambantor had managed to make a better impression on these elves.  Half of his current bad temper, he acknowledged, was because nobody appeared to have any idea of the respect due to him as his adar’s son – but Ambantor was right, loath though he was to admit it.  ‘Come on, then,’ he said with resignation.  ‘That task is not going to go away, is it?  We had better get on with it.’

Tineithil looked over to the expedition’s leader and winked.  ‘I am sure Lord Glorfindel can think of plenty of other tasks to remind you of your place in the scheme of things,’ he said amiably. 

As the two young elves moved away, he shook his head.  ‘It will take more than six months to turn that one into a worthwhile companion,’ he commented.  ‘I doubt he will be able to keep his opinions to himself for more than a day.’

Glorfindel watched them consideringly.  ‘He will behave for two days,’ he judged. ‘My belt knife to yours.’

The two of them exchanged grins. ‘Done,’ Tineithil agreed.

‘Winner to choose his next penalty,’ Glorfindel added.

***

Domeniel had withdrawn to the trees, the scowl firmly fixed on her face.  It had taken Aelindor some time to track her down, and even then he had only found her because she had decided to let him.

‘Do they have to keep staring?’ she complained.  ‘Especially that one on crutches.  You would think he had never seen an elleth before.’

Aelindor stifled a laugh.  ‘Ah,’ he said, ‘Haldir – yes, he is not exactly known for his skill with ellyth.  I should ignore him if I were you.’

‘Right up to the point where I punch him,’ Domeniel agreed.  ‘He licked his lips, Aelindor – as if I were a particularly delicious delicacy being offered to him for his delight.’  She frowned at Aelindor as he could not contain his chuckle.  ‘Which he will learn painfully that I am not,’ she announced.

‘I look forward to the lesson,’ Aelindor informed her amiably.  ‘I like Haldir – but he does not understand subtlety.’  He paused.  ‘Will your family be remaining here long?’ he asked.  ‘I shall miss you when your adar decides to take you back to your home.’

‘We are remaining for a while,’ Domeniel said, shooting a quick glance at him.  ‘Naneth has persuaded Adar that what is happening here is important – and Tineithil has suggested that his connections with your group could be useful.  And,’ she smiled, ‘the Lady has said that she would be glad to have Naneth and me here.  She has invited us to stay with her.’

‘That is good,’ he replied tentatively.  ‘I am happy that we will be able to continue our friendship.’

She blushed.  ‘And when we do return home, you will come and visit us,’ she suggested.

‘I would be honoured,’ he said, giving her hand a brief squeeze.  ‘Now would you be willing to stop hiding here and to come and meet some of my friends?’

She sighed.  ‘If I must,’ she said with resignation.  ‘But I will not be happy if they stare.’

‘I will tell them to be sure not to do so,’ Aelindor said very seriously.  ‘They will not look at you at all.’

She giggled. ‘Now you are just being silly,’ she said.

***

‘Are you all right?’ Laerwen asked as she joined her son in the well-grown oak overlooking the river.  ‘You look pale.’

‘I feel,’ he hesitated. ‘There is an infusion the healers give you when they want to set a bone – it makes you limp and you wake up dizzy and confused.  I think – the forest is going to my head and I am not quite sure how I feel.’

‘I understand,’ she smiled.  ‘It had much the same effect on me at first.  I am sorry that you have to leave.  The forest is very excited to have you here.’

Legolas looked at his naneth’s gleaming cedar-blue eyes as she sat cradled by branches that seemed to have curved into a hammock beneath her, swaying gently in the soft breeze.  ‘I could not justify remaining,’ he told her.  ‘Not now.  Adar needs to know that you are here – and,’ his voice took on a questioning inflection, ‘that you are waiting for him.’

Her expression was answer enough.  She flushed and her face softened before the colour ebbed away and left her looking slightly anxious.  ‘Do you think he will be angry?’ she asked.

Her son laughed.  ‘Thranduil becomes enraged by many things,’ he admitted, ‘but I have never known him sound angry when he spoke of you – not even when he told of various activities that would have earned me his considerable displeasure.’

‘Oh well,’ his naneth’s eyes twinkled, ‘that is the difference between being a wife and a son.  I am permitted to torment him.’  She sat quietly, allowing the tree to rock her lightly.  ‘I have written to him,’ she said.  ‘To try to explain why I was unable to be at the quayside for him.  But – if he had not been there to greet me, I would have been angry with him.  I shall understand if he does not wish to see me.’

‘So you think he should punish himself by refusing to see you?’ Legolas asked lazily. ‘And that both of you should suffer because of it?  I do not think he will see the sense in that.’

Laerwen looked at him sharply.  ‘You have grown to be intelligent and generous,’ she allowed.  ‘I look forward to meeting your wife.  She is very fortunate.’

They rested in silence, learning each other’s look and feel, growing accustomed to the presence of one who was both familiar and unknown.  ‘You are happy to share these lands?’ Legolas said suddenly.  ‘Elrond and Celeborn will want their own domains – they will not wish to be subject to you.’

‘I cannot imagine that Thranduil would be any more enthusiastic than they would,’ his naneth added.

‘King in name only,’ Legolas imagined with relish.  ‘Husband to the Queen – he would not care for it at all.  I am sure it is one of the main reasons that he is made uncomfortable by Lady Galadriel.  He cannot understand how Celeborn can endure being seen as secondary to her.’

Laerwen laughed lightly.  ‘I am not a queen in any sense that they would understand,’ she said.  ‘I do not rule – hold court, or consider grain harvests, or plan troop movements.  I just am – and I will continue to be, even when Galadriel builds a city in the trees and Elrond puts a haven of learning among the waterfalls.  And when your adar nurtures the forest and encourages it to be the best it can, I will not change.’

‘Love and acceptance,’ Legolas remarked.  ‘Life and power channel through you, but you do not have the need to alter things – not yet to possess them.’

‘You are perceptive,’ his naneth agreed.  ‘There is room for us all and as long as the forest is happy, I shall be content.’

***

‘Do you mind being left here?’ Loareg asked as they watched the tails of the horses disappear between the trees.

‘No,’ Ambantor told him.  ‘After all,’ he grinned, ‘look how many horses they took with them.  We should have a much easier time of it.’

‘Until they notice,’ the Forest Elf pointed out.

‘They are very busy,’ Ambantor said hopefully.  ‘It should take them a few days – provided we keep our heads down.’

Loareg shook his head.  ‘We will get into more trouble,’ he sighed.

‘That will happen anyway,’ Ambantor shrugged.  ‘And if we are going to be in trouble whatever we do, we might as well enjoy ourselves.  For example -.’  He nudged Loareg and pointed to where Minalcar was reluctantly loading his basket with horse droppings.  ‘Do you think he has any idea where he is?’

‘He must have.  We have trudged that path often enough to leave signs.’

‘But his sense of direction is not the best – he is just following us.’  He grinned wickedly.  ‘If we head off that way, we should be able to cut back and finish in time for lunch.  I would not mind betting that he becomes completely lost.  He is always telling me how all these trees look the same.’

‘We will be gutting fish tomorrow,’ Loareg warned.

Their eyes met and both grinned.  ‘It will be worth it,’ Ambantor said philosophically. ‘Come on,’ he called to Minalcar.  ‘Let us get this lot back – I am getting hungry.’ 

Without waiting for his friend to catch up, he followed Loareg into the trees.

***

‘You are walking better,’ Rindor said critically as Haldir swung across the open ground towards him.  ‘Is Thornen happy with your progress?’

‘Of course,’ Haldir said airily.  ‘He seems delighted with the idea that I will be out of his hands within the week.’  He lowered himself carefully to sit next to Rindor, watching as he completed his reports.  ‘Have you sent messages to Lord Celeborn?’ 

‘Not specifically,’ Rindor replied.  ‘It seems pointless to write the same report three times.  I am sure Elrond, Thranduil and Celeborn are mature enough to be able to share information.  Even if you are not.’

‘What do you mean?’ Haldir sounded puzzled, but something in the quick glance he threw at Rindor suggested that he was not as innocent as he seemed.

‘Amondil,’ Rindor enunciated clearly. 

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘Amondil.  He turns out to have been an old friend of Lord Glorfindel.’

‘Well – I would not have called them friends,’ Haldir hedged.  ‘Rivals, perhaps.  Glorfindel is a little too competitive to have many friends.’

Rindor raised his eyebrows.  ‘Not a description I recognise.  I would say that Glorfindel is a most amiable lord.  You, on the other hand -,’ he allowed his voice to trail away.

Haldir’s refusal to issue a challenging reply told him all he needed to know.  ‘What did Amondil tell you?’ he asked finally.

‘He said,’ Glorfindel spoke into the march warden’s ear, ‘that he met you by chance as you first ventured down from the pass – and that he requested you to keep the existence of the Forest Elves to yourself until they were prepared to reveal themselves.  He said that you agreed to say nothing as long as their presence was no threat.  He said that, until you took your spectacular tumble from that tree, you were meeting regularly with Tineithil and sharing information.’

‘Some,’ Rindor observed with detachment, ‘would call that treachery.’

‘I wonder,’ said Glorfindel mildly, ‘what Lord Celeborn would call it?’

A slow flush spread across Haldir’s face, but he pressed his lips together and remained silent.

‘I suspect, my lord,’ Rindor remarked without changing his expression, ‘that what he would call it is intelligence gathering.’

The flush intensified from rose to scarlet. 

‘In fact, Rindor,’ Glorfindel said conversationally, ‘I believe I am left with only one question.’

‘And that would be, my lord?’

‘If Haldir is seeking information on Celeborn’s behalf, and you are Elrond’s spymaster, then who is looking after Thranduil’s interests?’

‘That is easy, my lord.  Are you sure you want me to tell you?’

Glorfindel sighed meaningfully.

‘If you insist, my lord.  Clearly it is Falas.’

‘Falas is in a position to have learned more than any of us,’ Haldir agreed as his colour gradually returned to normal.  ‘Everyone talks to him – and no-one feels threatened by him.’

Glorfindel looked at them both.  ‘I wish to remind you that this is a joint venture.  Rindor, speak to Falas and let him know that we are working together on this and information is to be shared.  Do you understand me?’  He waited until Rindor agreed, then held Haldir’s eyes until he nodded reluctantly.  ‘Summon Falas.  Later today, you will all inform me of everything you have learned.’  His voice was cool. ‘You will hold nothing back – or be assured that I can make your lives as uncomfortable as if you were the brats.’  He rose with dignity and stalked away.

Rindor looked at Haldir and raised his eyebrows.

Haldir returned his stare quizzically.  ‘Everything?’ he asked. 

‘I think it would be as well,’ Rindor nodded.

***

‘Come and sit with me, Glorfindel,’ Laerwen invited from her haven in the branches.  ‘My son has left me and I am feeling melancholy.’

He looked up.  ‘I am not in a very good mood, my lady,’ he said.

‘Neither am I,’ she said ruefully.  ‘I would like to talk to you.  From what my son did not say, I think I owe you an apology.’  She watched him climb, slightly less at ease than a Wood Elf, but graceful as he was whatever he did.  He settled in the same curve of branch and trunk where Legolas had sat.  ‘I did not mean to make it appear that you were supplicants to my throne.  In fact, I neither have nor want a throne.’

‘It is not, perhaps, so much what you want,’ Glorfindel suggested. ‘It is not necessarily the monarch who chooses to be a ruler, but the people who decide to place him – or her – in command.  You are the Forest’s Lady.’

‘Do you think he will come?’ Laerwen asked wistfully.  ‘Legolas seems sure, but he is very young.  He might assume that his adar will feel as he does.’

Glorfindel smiled.  ‘He will come,’ he said reassuringly.  ‘And Legolas is not as young as all that.  He has had much experience of life – and he knows his adar very well.’

Laerwen rested her head against the branch behind her and looked at him.  ‘What do you want here, Glorfindel?’ she asked. 

The golden haired elf blinked at her and laughed.  ‘You are not supposed to ask questions like that, Laerwen,’ he replied. ‘It is far too simple and straightforward.  Politics is about finding out what is the least you can get away with granting and then negotiating to part with even less.’

She shrugged.  ‘I have always left such matters to others,’ she told him.  ‘And so have you, my friend.’  She smiled at him.  ‘Neither of us care to waste time in lying – what is it that you have come to seek?’

‘I believe you can guess,’ Glorfindel conceded.  ‘Finarfin, who, I believe, in all honesty, thought that these lands were empty, suggested that the lords of Imladris, Eryn Lasgalen and Lothlorien should bring those who wished to come and establish their own realms.  Matters have now become complicated, because these forests are clearly not empty – they look to you as their ruler and may not wish to be absorbed into new realms.’

‘I infinitely prefer discussing such matters with those who have little experience of debate,’ Laerwen commented.  ‘I think we can decide the whole matter before we come down from this tree – and then leave the details to the diplomats, who will spend years discussing who precedes whom into a party.  I have long suspected that those who prefer a more simple life would come here.  I have hoped that those of Eryn Lasgalen would gather near me, in the hope that, should my husband sail, he would find a place that suited him here – and that, if he did not, I would be able to provide a haven for such Silvan Elves as could not endure the treeless lands.  The centre of my homelands is further north.  I believe that would be the best place for the elves of Lasgalen.’

Glorfindel nodded.  ‘I do not know the lands you speak of – but I am willing to learn.’

‘Very neutral,’ Laerwen smiled and sat up, crossing her legs as the tree appeared to shift to accommodate her.  ‘This area,’ she said, waving her hand to indicate the settlement, ‘and further west, up to where the rivers meet, strikes me as being the ideal site for Elrond.  It is rather less heavily wooded and there are broad glades, as well as steep hills and icy streams coming down from the mountains – and there is also the great waterfall down to the populated lands.’

‘And Lothlorien?’

‘West of where the Lagornen runs down to the Celebduin there are ancient trees so big that it would take twenty elves to surround them.  I can see Galadriel there.’

‘And these lands would be big enough to hold those who would wish to come?’

‘More than four times the size of the realms of Arda.  Bigger probably,’ Laerwen shrugged.  ‘Only this section would be bordered by the others – I do not believe anyone has reached the edge of the forest to see how wide it is.’

‘And what of those who live here?’  Glorfindel looked at her.  ‘Would they be content in realms led by others?’

‘If they were not,’ she said, ‘they could move north to join me – or travel west beyond the reach of us all.  All are free to do as they feel best.’

Glorfindel considered.  ‘I would need to see maps,’ he said.  ‘And perhaps you should draw the lines as you feel best – then we can move on from there.’

‘Good,’ she said with satisfaction.  ‘I do not wish to have too much dispute over this.  It seems pointless to me.  We will present them with accomplished facts and let them get on with it.’

Glorfindel studied her speculatively.  ‘I am fairly sure I have been manipulated,’ he said.

Laerwen smiled at him.  ‘It is all for the best,’ she told him easily.  ‘And no-one will ever know.’