Epilogue: Desiring above all to sow fear and disunion

And desiring above all to sow fear and disunion among the Eldar, he commanded the Orcs to take alive any of them that they could and bring them bound to Angband; and some he so daunted by the terror of his eyes that they needed no chains more, but walked ever in fear of him, doing his will wherever they might be. Silmarillion

Tulus crouched high up in the crown of the broad oak that grew on the northern corner of the village. From this vantage point, he could observe nearly anything happening in the village and he was astonished by what he had seen over the last week. He came here hoping to find some sign of Manadhien, or at least Fuilin or Mauril. He had not seen Fuilin and his brother, and that was the best news he was going to be able to deliver to the King. When Thranduil...and Dolgailon...and likely, even Galithil...heard that Manadhien was not only living, openly, in Aradunnon's former village, but leading it! Well, Thranduil was going to explode. It was as simple as that. Just like one of Mithrandir's fireworks.

And Dolgailon! Tulus sincerely felt sorry for him. He long had a great affection for his son's young friend, despite who Dolgailon's father was. And now Dolgailon was going to learn that he had interacted with Manadhien without recognizing what she was. He had given his approval for the elleth who intended to assassinate his mother to lead his village in his absence.

Tulus had a good deal of experience with Manadhien. He was very familiar with her deceptions. He was not surprised that someone as young and unacquainted with deep evil as Dolgailon would make the mistake of trusting her. But Dolgailon was always very hard on himself. This would be a very difficult blow for him that Tulus sincerely wished he did not have to deliver, despite how glad he was to finally have the opportunity to bring Manadhien before Thranduil.

Manadhien exited her talan, heading in the direction of the Hall in the village, just as she had done every morning for the last week. She spent most of the morning there, managing the village business. Tulus watched her until she stepped off the path and began to cross the courtyard. Then he swiftly descended through the trees towards her talan. There was one more thing he wanted to know before he moved to arrest her. She received correspondence daily, from a  series of couriers that came from the north and who Tulus did not recognize. He wanted to know who that correspondence came from and what it contained. Whoever it might be, they were likely also someone who would deserve arrest, and Tulus needed to find out their identities, so that he could arrange to have them arrested simultaneously with his arrest of Manadhien, in the interest of not allowing any of these conspirators to escape. He expected--hoped--the correspondents would be Dannenion and Dolwon. But he had one remaining fear that he needed to prove wrong.

He slipped out of the trees and quickly pushed aside the thick curtains that covered the balcony entrance, blocking out the increasingly colder winter winds. Then he stepped into the talan's sitting room. Scanning it, he saw a desk just to his left. He strode over to it and pulled the handles on its drawers. Locked. Whatever was in those drawers was likely what he was looking for. He pulled out his knife and began working to force the lock of the right hand drawer. After some effort, its mechanism snapped and the drawer opened freely. Tulus frowned. The drawer contained a box. He pulled it from the drawer and set it on the table. Sure enough, it was locked too. He picked up his knife again.

Just as he was slipping it under the box's lid to pry it up, the talan door opened and Manadhien rushed through it, followed by a few flakes of snow. Taken off guard, Tulus froze.

Manadhien closed the door behind her and began to scan the room. She also froze and her eyes widened when her gaze finally fell upon Tulus at her desk.

Tulus shifted his grasp on his knife, preparing to throw it--to defend himself, if need be, or to disable her if she tried to run. He raised the knife when Manadhien reached towards her belt.

Instead of pulling a weapon, Manadhien withdrew a delicate silver chain with several keys on it from a pocket in her gown. She tossed them onto the desk. "Please use the key rather than breaking my box," she said, glaring at him.

He ignored the keys and instead stepped out from behind the desk and approached her cautiously. "I am taking you to the capital to face the King," he said.

She made a scoffing noise. "I doubt that." She pointed to a cloak hanging on the back of the chair behind the desk. "Will you bring me that cloak?" she asked. "It has begun to snow and I forgot it. I do not like cold weather."

Tulus ignored her request. "I will mention that to the king. Perhaps he will have his guards escort you to Forochel instead of Rhun."

Manadhien scowled and swept past him, leaving the desk between them to avoid his grasp. Tulus spun around to follow her swift movement, expecting her to flee through the balcony, but she only picked up her cloak, threw it over her shoulders and then reached for the keys she had thrown on the desk. "You will want to read these before we go to see the King," she said, unlocking the box and withdrawing a large stack of letters from it. "You will understand better what you are accused of if you do." She offered them to him.

Tulus did not take them.

"And what Glilavan is accused of," she added, still holding out the letters.

That made Tulus's gaze flick between her face and her hand. She smiled at him and he tensed. He remembered that smile. It utterly repulsed him.

Manadhien dropped the letters on the desk and reached back into the box, picking up a strip of paper that was rolled tightly―it had been carried by bird. "At least read this," she said.

Again, Tulus made no move to take the paper.

She shrugged and unrolled it herself. Then she began reading:

Manadhien,

Thranduil, Lindomiel, Limmiel and additional guards--Conuion for certain, but who else or even how many, I do not know―are travelling to the village. Amglaur at least, will travel along the western path to the forest border to return to Lothlorien. He asked Thranduil to keep Limmiel in the stronghold, but she refused and will likely insist on traveling with him. Thranduil and Lindomiel argued whether Lindomiel will accompany Amglaur as far as the border. Thranduil has forbidden it, but she wishes to. He has not asked for additional patrols along that path, as yet, but he will ask for an escort for Amglaur to Lorien. Once Amglaur leaves, Thranduil will bring his family home immediately, along the northern path. The patrol has already been informed of those plans and told to keep the passage north cleared and watched. I have enclosed copies of the orders Engwe sent to the patrol and the most current reports from the patrol, detailing their positions. If an attempt is to be made, the best option is to make it on the western path, since no specific orders have yet been sent for that area.

She turned it around, writing facing Tulus, and held it out, level with his face.

Tulus drew a deep, steadying breath. Though the writing was tiny, it was unmistakably Glilavan's.

"Glilavan is an excellent correspondent," Manadhien said cheerfully. She opened several letters in rapid succession and let them fall, one next to the other until they lined the length of the desk. All were in Glilavan's hand. "Of course, you may not be aware how good a correspondent you, yourself, are." She reached for another stack of papers in the box and began opening them. When she had several in her hand, she fanned them out and placed them on the edge of the desk closest to Tulus. His mouth fell open.

"Where...? How did you get those?" He was now looking down at reports--ones that he had written--on the few occasions when he had escorted Legolas away from the stronghold, most recently, the hunting trip where Legolas had ordered the arrest of three Men.

"I will tell the King that I got them from you--that is all that you need to know about how I got them," Manadhien answered. "I will tell him that you sent them to me in order to keep me informed of Legolas's movements in preparation to betray him. Combined with these letters that Glilavan has written, which could have no other purpose than to give me the information I need to conceal myself and plan attacks on the King's family, I think he will believe me. What do you think?"

Tulus made no reply. His mind was racing, trying to figure out how she laid hands on his own reports. Surely not through Glilavan. Dannenion and Dolwon, he finally concluded. As Golwon's assistants, they had access to the library and to the offices where those reports were stored. They must have stolen and sent them. He eyed the other papers in the box.

"Copies of patrol reports, information regarding Dolgailon's travels, Lindomiel and Celonhael's trips to Esgaroth--those are particularly interesting. As are Legolas's hunting trips," Manadhien said in response to Tulus's gaze. She flipped a few more papers from the box to the desk. "I am now particularly interested in Legolas's travels." She pushed her cloak off her left shoulder and pulled the neckline of her gown aside, revealing a scar. She rubbed her shoulder, grimacing as she did. "I was leaving him alone until you recovered some good sense and quit guarding him. I was trying to make sure you did not have to be injured or killed. Glilavan earned that favor for you. But now that the little troll shot me, I am more interested in Legolas than Lindomiel. Better to finish him now, than wait until he is even more skilled with that bow and therefore more difficult to deal with."

Tulus's hand tightened on his knife and he took a step forward to seize her, intentionally reaching for her injured arm.

She swiftly dodged around to the side of the desk, now drawing her own knife. "I will kill you if you lay hands on me," she spat. "If you kill me--or even manage to subdue me and bring me to Thranduil--you will seriously regret it. Do not forget: you do not have Fuilin or Mauril. If you bring me before Thranduil, I will name both you and Glilavan as my accomplices and I have enough evidence to convict you both." She pointed to the letters. "If Thranduil executes me, I will make sure to tell him enough to make him do the same to you. And to Glilavan. Meanwhile, Fuilin and Mauril will still be free to finish my work, but you will no longer be around to protect your dear prince and king. If Thranduil exiles me...I heard Legolas persuaded him to only exile Demil--how touching--then I will return to this forest. I have pursued the House of Oropher for three Ages of this world. I will not stop. But if he exiles you and Glilavan with me--and, again, I will make sure you receive the same punishment that I do--you will never see this forest again and neither will Glilavan. Your son has been useful, but if you cause me any more difficulty, I will kill him before your eyes. I will make sure he suffers and you are there to see it. If I fail to kill him, Fuilin and Mauril will see to it. Betray me and you are ensuring Glilavan's death."

Tulus's gaze again darted to the letters. Just the one she read was enough to convict Glilavan, there was no doubt. Whoever Thranduil believed helped to plan that attack--and that letter's intent was certainly to help plan it--he would, at least, exile. He had been ready to kill Demil. Against his will, an image of Thranduil advancing on Glilavan, as he had on Demil, flashed through his mind. The mere thought of it was enough to force Tulus to gasp for breath.

"Your last son, Tulus," Manadhien whispered. "Your last living kin this side of the Sea. All you have left. You lost your wife after she faded giving you Glilavan. If Thranduil executes you, and you have the opportunity to see your wife again, how will you tell her that you let her youngest son...her last son... the son she gave herself for...come to death?"

Tulus closed his eyes for a brief moment, forcing himself not to listen to her. He knew her cunning speech all too well.

"I do not want to lose Glilavan, obviously," he cut her off to silence her before he fell under the spell of her words. "But I will not allow Legolas or Thranduil or anyone else to come to harm either. You are going to speak to the king and if he executes you, even if Fuilin and Mauril still pursue him or Glilavan, your death will mean one less person is ready to cause either of them harm."

"And if Thranduil executes you along with me, one less person will be guarding them," she replied. "An even trade. A fair trade." She paused. "Let us be honest with each other, Tulus. Neither of us care about Thranduil. You, however, care about your son. He is nothing more than a tool in my mind and his death means nothing to me. What will it mean to you?" She gathered the letters into one pile, stuffed them back in the box and closed it. "I will go with you to face the king. I will not resist." She tucked the box under her arm. "You can try to destroy these along the way." She offered him the box. "Or you can burn them now. There are many more, including Glilavan's letter describing the patrol deployments when Lindomiel and Amoneth were captured by Men. Fuilin will make sure those reach the king's hands long before we arrive in the capital. Shall we leave now?"

Tulus remained silent. His sense of duty immediately answered, 'yes, we shall,' but his heart--his father's heart--held him firmly in place. His heart  won out. Thranduil would execute or exile Glilavan, and Tulus did not doubt Manadhien's threat that either way, Glilavan would die. He knew that he could not watch his last child die, much less have a hand in causing his death, no matter how Glilavan's own deeds contributed to that end. Glilavan was only a child when Tulus first involved himself with Manadhien. He blamed himself for her influence over him, so he would help extricate him from her grasp if he could. But how?

If killing Manadhien himself, here and now, would accomplish that goal, he would send her to Mandos without another thought and follow her, to accept his own doom for such an evil deed. But Tulus believed her threat that Fuilin and Mauril would avenge her by betraying Glilavan. He had to somehow remove Glilavan from both Manadhien and Thranduil's reach. How he would do that, especially since his son was not willing to abandon his service to Manadhien, he did not know, but he would find a way.

In response to his hesitation, Manadhien smiled her poisonous smile. She knew he would not arrest her. It was almost enough to push him to do it. Almost. Instead, he took a step back, unwilling to turn his back on her, moving towards the balcony. "You win this battle," he said. And then he silently added, 'but this is not over.' He was not stupid enough to openly provoke her by saying it out loud. He would bide his time until he could get Glilavan out of her way. And he would move quickly, because now his days were numbered. She would not trust him to stay silent for long, much less forever.

"Tulus," she said, and she sounded very much like the king she hated. "If you betray me, the war I will wage against you will be one in which everyone that I even suspect you care about will suffer. Everyone. Keep your mouth shut."

"As I said, you win," Tulus said, hands out in a pacifying gesture. "You are right. I will never sacrifice Glilavan. Or anyone else. I am leaving and I will not say a word about you to anyone." He made an effort to look and sound as cowed as he could.

She watched him leave and made no move to follow him, but Tulus did not doubt that she was already plotting his death. Just as well. He was off to plot hers.

*~*~*

Tulus listened as the cooper and his wife hurried along the path outside his cottage, talking loudly about the repair of their family's traps. Neither, apparently, felt they should be responsible for that work. A few minutes later, Crithad walked by, speaking somewhat breathlessly to Brethil, telling him to be careful. Tulus could just see them through the gap in the closed curtains, carrying a heavy package between them--a delivery of something Crithad had made, no doubt. Soon Tulus could smell the smoke of hearth fires, as families began preparing the evening meal. Many were likely already eating when the door to Tulus's cottage opened.

Glilavan walked in, closed the door, tossed his cloak and bow on the stand next to the door, and began working on his quiver straps. Once the quiver followed the bow, he turned towards the sitting room, unfastening his sword belt.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, drawing in a sharp breath, taking a quick step back and partially drawing his sword. Just as quickly, he slumped against a chair, let the sword slide back into its scabbard and scowled angrily at his father. "You are very lucky to not have a blade in your chest! Why would you sit silently in the dark? Say something! Light a lamp! Anything so that I know you are home." He took another calming breath and pulled off his sword. "Where did you disappear to anyway? You have been gone for over a week with no word or explanation."

"I do have a blade in my chest," Tulus replied quietly, ignoring the questions and standing to approach his son. "And you have put it there." He took advantage of Glilavan's confusion to take the sword he had just removed from his hands. He tossed it onto some cushions on the far side of the small room. "I have just come from Lord Dolgailon's village."

Glilavan's expression was immediately shuttered.

"Of course, since Lord Dolgailon is rarely there, I suppose it is more appropriate to refer to it as Manadhien's village," Tulus added.

"Did you arrest her?" Glilavan asked. "Does the king have her now?"

Tulus's entire body tensed when his son did not appear even slightly surprised. He had expected no less, but he had held on to a spark of hope, just the same. "No," he replied, shaking his head. "I certainly intended to arrest her. That is what the king sent me to do. But I did not."

Glilavan made an impatient face. "Why not?"

"You know perfectly well why not," Tulus answered, allowing his fury to show fully. "My only question for you is this: did you know, when you sent her those patrol reports, what she would use them for?"

Glilavan started to adopt an innocent expression. Tulus grabbed him by the front of his tunic and shook him once hard enough to make his head snap back. "Did you know, when you sent those patrol reports, that Manadhien would use them to plot to kill Thranduil and Lindomiel?" he repeated without releasing his son's tunic. "And do not for an instant pretend you do not know what I am talking about. Manadhien showed me your letters to her. A stack of them. She has enough evidence to ensure Thranduil would cut you to pieces with his own hands on the Green so the entire populace could watch. Now answer my question."

"I am not denying that I sent Manadhien the troop reports," Glilavan answered, drawing himself up with as much dignity as he could muster under the circumstances. "I did send the reports. And I know she intended to use them to plot Amglaur's and Thranduil's deaths. This forest and Lothlorien too would be better off without Sindarin rule."

Tulus's hand fell from Glilavan's tunic. For years he had allowed his son--and himself--to deny involvement with Manadhien. He could no longer do that now that he had direct evidence of Glilavan's involvement. But he had never for a moment entertained the idea that Glilavan knew about, much less approved of, Manadhien's plan to kill the king. "Who are you?" he asked, taking a step back and looking his son up and down. "No son that I raised would think about...I can barely say it...killing another Elf."

Glilavan shook his head, the mildly annoyed expression back on his face. "There is no other way to rid the forest of him, adar. And if we are going to stop the orcs from destroying this forest, we need better leadership. Like Manadhien's." He stepped around Tulus and began stirring the embers in the fireplace. "Do you see the patrol reports as Legolas's guard? Since Manadhien began leading that village, orcs attacks around it have declined dramatically. There has not even been one skirmish with orcs near that village this entire year." He tossed a log onto the grate. "I attribute that improvement largely to her leadership and especially the fact that she provided swords for the guards. The orcs are afraid to go near the village now."

Tulus stared at him a long moment. "First of all," he finally said, "village guards cannot hope to eliminate orcs from this forest. Numbers alone should make that obvious to you--there are a few hundred village guards in the entire forest and thousands of orcs in the south. And you are the captain of the training program, for pity's sake! Are the guards that come to join the patrols ready, in your mind, to serve in the Southern Patrol?"

"No," Glilavan answered quickly, "but they are when they leave the program."

"They are not and as a warrior that served in that patrol for the better part of this Age, you know it," Tulus answered back. "Second of all, there are not enough warriors and guards combined to drive the Evil from Dol Guldur. Did you see the report Lord Dolgailon made? Did you see what he said he saw there? Would you, as a captain, feel it is a good choice to lead warriors--any amount of warriors--there? Honestly? Is there any strategy that could successfully drive that many well armed enemies from a fortified position?"

Glilavan did not answer that.

"Third, Thranduil has done all he could to arm the warriors as best as he could. You do not remember this, because you had not been born, but before Thranduil became king, none of the warriors in this forest had swords. Not a single one. If he has spent all the funds he can raise and there are no more funds to spend, we are still better off now than we were before and no denying it."

Glilavan rolled his eyes and Tulus grabbed his arm to make him pay attention.

"Fourth and foremost: if there have been no orc attacks around that village, it is because Manadhien is commanding the orcs as one of the Evil One's forces, not because she has successfully fought them off. You, ion nin, are serving the very Evil you wish to drive out of this forest."

Glilavan loosed a scoffing laugh. "That is absurd...."

"She stood amongst the orcs and shot arrows at Lindomiel," Tulus interrupted. "I saw it with my own eyes. Explain to me how an Elf stands amongst orcs. Explain it. And while you are explaining things, explain to me why she would attack Lindomiel and not the king if the true reason she is striking against them is to aid the forest. Lindomiel has nothing to do with this realm's military." He remained silent for a moment to give Glilavan a chance to speak. "She is not working to aid the forest," he continued when Glilavan said nothing. "She is enacting revenge against Thranduil. Demil confessed, when Thranduil questioned him, that Manadhien intended to hurt Thranduil by eliminating the people he loves. Manadhien herself confessed to me, when I spoke to her in the village, that she intends to target Legolas next. Legolas! A child! Because he shot her, thinking her an orc!"

"So I have heard," Glilavan replied, looking at his father evenly.

Tulus's jaw dropped. "So you have heard!" he repeated. "Lest you have forgotten, I am Legolas's guard. Whatever she intends to do to kill him has to kill me first. Have you no concern over that?"

"My only concern is how I might arrange the attack so that you will not be killed when Legolas is," Glilavan replied.

Tulus found it difficult to draw breath. "Is my only concession to be that you do not wish your father dead along side the king and his family? How has your mind come to these thoughts, Glilavan? How?"

Glilavan stood up from where he was sitting on the hearth and paced angrily into the sitting room. "Where is my naneth?" he asked, waving his arm around the empty room. "Where are my brothers and my sister? My uncles?"

Tulus closed his eyes briefly before looking back at Glilavan, open grief in his eyes.

"Gone, all of them. My oldest brother  and all of my uncles lost, specifically, standing next to Thranduil's father. My mother faded from the losses she suffered. I never knew any of them." Glilavan's expression grew hard. "But when I was still a child I watched my father move the few fragments of his household that he still managed to preserve across the forest because Thranduil turned him out. Why? For having a conversation about Lindomiel stripping on the riverbank...."

"Glilavan," Tulus interrupted with a warning tone.

But Glilavan did not stop. "I watched my father beg for a position in the patrols and be repeatedly denied that position. And when I became a warrior myself, I never became an officer until Dolgailon made me one, and that was here in the capital, under the Troop Commander's supervision, and even that, he had to fight his father and the king to do..."

"He did not. Not the king..."

"Do you think I care if Thranduil tastes a bit of grief? No, I do not care at all if he does. This forest will be better off without him and however I can help rid the forest of him, I will." He stood straight, chin up. "You took my sword and you have stayed between it and me throughout this conversation. King's Guard, arrest me for treason if that is what you intend to do. I do not deny my part in it and I will not resist."

"If I intended to arrest my son, Manadhien would be imprisoned in the king's stronghold right now. Instead she in in that village, probably plotting my death." He followed Glilavan into the sitting room and grasped him by both shoulders. "You obviously grieve the losses of our family. Do you want to grieve another? Do you want to see me killed, ion nin?"

"Of course not, adar. I have done everything I could to keep you safe."

"Has Manadhien threatened my life to coerce you?" Tulus asked.

"No!" Glilavan responded forcefully. "I have always been loyal to her. She overlooked your betrayals for my sake. She will continue to do so unless you have said or done something stupid in her village."

"Glilavan, I do not want you to associate with her, even if it means my life. I would give my life in an instant if doing so would wrest you from her grasp. No matter what Thranduil has done in your mind, either to you or to this forest, you have no right to plot his death. Killing another Elf goes against the laws of Eldar and the Valar. It is wrong and nothing justifies it. Nor will killing Thranduil bring back your naneth or brothers or sister. If you grieve for them, go to Belfalas and take a ship. You would likely be reunited with them there. They went to Mandos a very long time ago."

Glilavan shook his head. "I am not leaving you or this forest, adar. I will not allow Thranduil to destroy it."

"And I cannot allow you to destroy him. I am a member of the King's Guard and sworn to protect him. I am the head of my household and bound to preserve the honor of my family. Most importantly, I am your father and I am determined to prevent you from destroying yourself."

"Then we are at a standoff, it seems," Glilavan replied.

"One I will find a way to overcome," Tulus whispered. But he could not even begin to imagine how. This situation was far worse than he had imagined. “But be aware of this," he continued in a stronger voice. "I intend to recommend to Thranduil that the reports that you or someone has been stealing and sending south be better secured. And I intend to recommend the paths south be watched. I will do whatever I can to interfere with Manadhien’s attempts to bring harm to Thranduil. Take care that you are not caught―and the best way to do that, is to do nothing to be caught at.”

Glilavan only scowled.

*~*~*

"Tulus!" Thranduil exclaimed as the guard at the office door closed it quietly. "I did not realize you had returned already." He acknowledged Tulus's bow with a nod of his head and gestured for him to sit at the table.

Tulus glanced quickly around the room and stifled a sigh when he saw Legolas rising from the desk where he had been copying orders to also join the king at the table. He returned Legolas's bright smile weakly. He had hoped to avoid speaking to Legolas on this topic at all. He hoped Legolas would hear in council what Tulus reported and would not question him about it directly. Somehow Legolas was even harder to lie to than Thranduil. But lie was what he was here to do.

"You saw no sign of either Manadhien or Fuilin and Mauril, I take it?" Thranduil asked as Tulus stopped at the end of the table without taking the liberty of sitting.

Thranduil having said it for him made this easier. All he had to do now was agree, rather than say the words themselves. "That is right, my lord. I am very sorry," Tulus said quietly, unable to meet the king's gaze.

From the corner of his eye, Tulus saw Legolas's openly disappointed frown. Thranduil stood and strode over to stand before Tulus at the end of the table.

"Do not be so hard on yourself, Tulus," he said, grasping Tulus's shoulder. "We have searched for her for this entire Age. I did not have any true hope you would find her, but I appreciate your efforts just the same. At least we know that Dolgailon's village is safe from her. Did you see Moralfien? Had she returned yet? I know Dolgailon is worried about being absent from the village while she is also."

Tulus had to struggle not to cringe in shame at Thranduil's initial words. His final question was impossible to answer. If he admitted he had seen 'Moralfien,' when it came to light who she was, he would have no hope of playing ignorant. If he said he had not seen her, Dolgailon might travel to the village, and the Valar only knew what might become of him then, alone and at unawares with Manadhien. "I did see an elleth that I believe was the village leader, given her regular presence in the Hall, my lord," he finally answered. "The village is being managed, at any rate. I would not see any reason for Lord Dolgailon to need to return there."

"That is good," Thranduil answered. "I cannot spare him at the moment." He re-seated himself the table. "Go home and get some rest, Tulus. And thank you for your attempt. Let me know if you would like to try again later, but I will understand if you do not see the value in it." He smiled. "It may be just as well if you do not make another attempt. I know Legolas would prefer for you to remain here."

“That much is certain," Legolas replied in a dry tone.

Despite his guilt, Tulus also smiled. Obviously, Thranduil had assigned Belloth to guard Legolas in Tulus’s absence. That was not surprising given how short they currently were on household guards. That thought made Tulus inwardly wince―and struggle not to do so openly. How many more deaths would there be due to his mistakes?

“My lord, before I leave, may I speak to you…that is, I would like to make a suggestion regarding security.”

Thranduil nodded, again gesturing to a chair. “Sit. Of course I will listen to your suggestion. Shall we call for Conuion?”

Tulus shook his head. “No need to disturb him. If you agree to the suggestion, either of us could discuss it with him tomorrow.” Thranduil nodded again, in agreement with that, so Tulus continued while sitting on the edge of the nearest chair. “While I was watching the village, I was thinking about the attack…and how it must have been planned. We have been assuming that Demil diverted the warriors and Manadhien coordinated the orc attack after Lord Galithil brought your orders to him. That would have given Manadhien that night only to bring together a very large number of orcs and position them.” He looked at Thranduil, meeting his gaze for the first time since entering the room. “That would have been a very difficult task.”

“Are you suggesting she had advanced knowledge of our travel plans somehow?” Thranduil asked, his posture rigid.

“I know for a fact that she has in the past, my lord. I saw, with my own eyes, reports that she used when contemplating her first attempt on the Queen’s life. I assume she used them on the second, though, I did not directly take part in that plan. I think it is likely she used them this time. How else could she get that many orcs through the defenses of the Southern Patrol and that close to the village?”

“I assumed…we all assumed that when the Men attacked the Queen, the information they needed to evade the patrols came from spies she had living near the stronghold and watching the patrols,” Thranduil responded. “If she is living in the south now, she could easily be watching the patrols there herself, and thus know how to avoid them.”

“True,” Tulus agreed. “But why plot an attack in the first place?” He turned to Legolas. “We had no word that the Queen would be accompanying her naneth to the village. You and I both expected she would, but we did not know it. How would Manadhien even know the King was coming, much less the Queen? I did not mention Lord Amglaur's intentions to anyone in the village. I am sure Galuauth did not. Did either you or Galithil?”

Legolas shook his head and his posture now matched his father’s as he began to understand what Tulus was suggesting. "Neither of us spoke to anyone about Amglaur returning to Lothlorien and you are right that even we did not know adar was coming to the village. Galithil and I bet that he would, along with naneth, but we kept that speculation to ourselves."

“We travelled for three days, Tulus,” Thranduil retorted. “More than enough time for her spies to inform Manadhien that I was traveling and who was traveling with me.”

“Yes, my lord, but that information only bought her time to plan the attack if it came sooner, rather than later―when you were still close to the stronghold and had days of travel ahead of you. And that implies her spies are closer to the stronghold rather than confined to the south.”

Thranduil sat back. “Well, Tulus, the idea that Dannenion and Dolwon are spies for her would not surprise me, but they were in the village, not the stronghold. And they left before anyone knew even Legolas and Galithil would be traveling. They could not be the source of this information.”

“Yes, my lord, that is my point exactly,” Tulus said. “She has more spies here than just them, assuming they are spies. I admit I believe they are, but I cannot prove it.”

Thranduil remained silent for a long moment, obviously considering his next words carefully. Tulus knew what they would be.

“My lord,” he said softly, again looking down. “I know you believe Glilavan to be the most likely spy aside from Dannenion and Dolwon.”

“Is he, Tulus?” Thranduil asked.

Tulus drew a deep steadying breath. “I do not know,” he answered while releasing the breath.

“Would you tell me if you did know?”

Tulus’s next breath caught in his throat and he glanced quickly at the king. Lying to him had always been nearly impossible. “I confess, I do not know, my lord. He is my only remaining son. I do not want him to be involved in this.” He braced himself and met Thranduil’s gaze directly. “But I do know that I will never allow anyone, including Glilavan, to bring harm to Legolas or anyone else in your House, my lord.”

Thranduil studied him, his gaze harsh…penetrating. With effort, Tulus did not look away.

“Legolas, leave,” Thranduil finally commanded.

Legolas put his hands on the table, preparing to stand and comply with that order, while at the same time looking from Thranduil to Tulus with open concern. Then he hesitated. “I beg your pardon, my lord,” he said quietly, without standing. “But I hold Tulus as a dear friend, not just my guard. I would like to hear the rest of this conversation. It will directly concern me, after all.”

“Legolas,” Tulus whispered, shaking his head.

Thranduil only glared at his son. “Very well,” he conceded. Then he turned back to Tulus. “Hear my words, Tulus: I have entrusted you with what I hold most dear. Legolas clearly trusts you as well. If I ever find that my trust and his trust have been misplaced…well, since Legolas insists upon hearing this, I will only say that if you betray me, my wrath will be beyond your worst imagination. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, my lord,” Tulus responded. And he wished to add that Thranduil had no need to fear for Legolas, but that was not true and Tulus doubted his ability to deliver such a lie convincingly, so he remained silent.

 “If Tulus intended to betray me, my lord, I would be dead rather than sitting here,” Legolas said, again speaking softly, but resolutely. “Frankly, so would you be dead.”

“I am fully aware of that, Legolas. I trust Tulus to defend you against any enemy save one. If Glilavan is part of Manadhien’s conspiracy and if he is willing to kill, as she and Demil are, I cannot help but wonder what will happen when Tulus faces his own son with drawn weapons.”

Tulus closed his eyes, unable to contain his reaction to that scenario. It was a nightmare he had never before today allowed himself to conceive of.

“You know I have my doubts about, Glilavan, my lord,” Legolas said. That caused Tulus to look at him sharply. “I am sorry, Tulus,” he said in response, “Glilavan has made some statements to me in the past that made me uncomfortable, at best. Since I learned of this plot, I admit that I have wondered what part he had in it. More than that, I admit that when I heard you were involved in it, I was certain Glilavan was too, even if that was never proven. I am sorry, but that is what I believe.” He turned back to his father. “Until we can prove that, all we can do is continue to watch him. And regardless of what Glilavan’s continuing part may be, it is his alone. Not Tulus’s.”

“Unless Tulus is concealing it,” Thranduil replied, but he directed himself to Tulus.

“Tulus is speaking to you now, suggesting that Manadhien has conspirators in the capital. If Glilavan is one of those conspirators, calling your attention to them is a poor way to conceal Glilavan’s involvement, if that is Tulus's intent.”

Thranduil remained silent and Tulus struggled not to squirm in his chair while wondering what caused him more grief―knowing Glilavan was involved or hearing Legolas’s loyal defense.

“I will grant you that, Legolas.” He looked at Tulus. “Legolas is absolutely correct that you have been nothing but faithful to your oath to my House. As he said, I owe you both Legolas's life and my own. I do not doubt you, Tulus. And I hope my fears about Glilavan are proven incorrect.”

“Not nearly as much as I hope that, my lord.”

"Naturally," Thranduil said, and Tulus thought he saw a hint of sympathy in his eyes. Then his expression grew stern once again. “I agree with you that Manadhien likely has spies around the stronghold. I assume you have a recommendation for managing that?”

Tulus made an effort to focus on that question and his duty. “We cannot stop anyone from watching the patrols if we do not know who they are,” Tulus said. “But I do recommend the patrol reports and the reports of the household guard, especially mine, Conuion, Colloth and Galudiron’s, be kept in a more secure location.” He looked back at Thranduil. “Where Dannenion and Dolwon cannot access them.” He drew a deep breath. “And where Glilavan cannot, if there is any doubt concerning him.”

Thranduil nodded. “I will ask Dolgailon to see to that.”

“And, since we do not know who is carrying these messages south, I recommend we vary the messengers to the patrols in an effort to interfere with Manadhien’s ability to communicate with her spies in the stronghold. If possible, it would be a good idea to set our own spies on the main paths south, to see if there are regular travelers along them that we should suspect are messengers.”

“Also a good idea, Tulus,” Thranduil said. “I will ask Conuion to coordinate that. Maybe some such messenger might lead us to her.”

“Perhaps,” Tulus responded. And he knew that he had his work cut out for him before one did.

*~*~*

Adar--Father
Naneth--Mother

AN-- This is the end of Journeys through Shadow and Flame. I hope you enjoyed it. The next story should be ready sometime late in September. Meantime, I might post another short story from Legolas and Galithil's earlier childhood in Steps Along the Way.