Weaving a Song

Chapter 70

c.3009 TA

"I am hunting a creature called Gollum." Aragorn told Thranduil as they walked through the halls.

"What for?"

"Gandalf told me too." Aragorn said shrugging. "He said its important but that it won't be easy. Apparently the trail has been cold for a long while. But we know Gollum came through here for what he was seeking also came through here."

Thranduil's eyes pierced his for a moment. "What was he seeking?"

"Something Bilbo stole from him in Goblin Town." Aragorn said. "But Gandalf keeps his secrets closer than Elrond does and he did not tell me."

"Yes, that is true." Thranduil said. "When you find him where will you take him?"

"It depends on where I find him." Aragorn said. "But I was weary and hoped for some rest in your halls before I continued. My journey here has been longer than I expected."

"What happened?"

"Orcs, too many of them. I can avoid them easily enough, but we stumbled onto each other before I even came too far on the road. After that it was this forest. Between your people's magic and a few Spiders-."

"Spiders? Where?" Thranduil asked suddenly more alarmed.

"Near the edge. I found them, or they found me, only a day after I entered."

"Where did you enter?"

"A little further to the South, but about halfway between the elf path and the mountains. I would have gone to the elf path to walk in the safety of the Beornings before I got here, but the Orcs were trailing me and I had to lose them. I knew after Gandalf had driven the Necromancer out, the forest had once more flourished, but I counted on too much, and my mistake cost me a couple days running from Spiders. The Necromancer may have been driven out but I… I do not know what it was before, but it is dark where I was. Perhaps darker than before."

Thranduil's eyes turned dark, but he said nothing. "Rest here as you wished. A patrol can escort you to the border of our realm, but after that, unless you wish to take Legolas with you, I cannot spare even that."

"Legolas is needed here, as much as I would appreciate his company. Nay, I will not take your son so far. I have seen the Spiders for myself and would rather not endanger the prince."

"As much as I appreciate that, Legolas has left enough times over the years. It might not make me feel much better, but he is capable of taking care of himself. As it has been seen over the years, no one is safe from anything. We were close to dying here. And with my daughter's habit of getting into dangerous situations, I have long resigned the fact that any of us could be in life threatening danger at any moment. No, if you really want Legolas to go with you, he can. There is a backup plan in case the Prince disappears when he is needed."

"Is that because its happened before?" Aragorn asked curiously.

"Well… no, but it has happened before. It just so happens that we fortunately already had a plan in place. It makes things go a lot smoother. His military duties can be taken over by Ortherion, and his political ones, as much as she might not like it, by his sister or by another."

"Shall I tell Legolas he is unimportant?"

"No, because then he would probably do what his sister did and run away on purpose." Thranduil muttered.

"Regardless I will not take your son from you. I will continue on my way soon enough."

"Mmm… just be careful. If there are more Spiders, you will also have a harder time avoiding them. And if your path leads South, Dol Guldur is nothing to trifle with."