[Gilthalion]

The elvenking looked long upon the Dark Elf, as if fathoming his purposes as much from his countenance as from his words. He finally spoke.

"From one kingdom to another, if they are not enemies and at war, there is a common understanding that the pursuit of murderers may stray across the boundaries of realms. Such pursuit is ventured at risk of misunderstanding and judgment and in hope of justice and aid.

"You may fairly make claim upon Elvenkind for such aid, if it is ours to give. But as all eyes have seen here today, these are perilous times. Already one elf has tried to take my life, at the behest of Mordor. Mortal men are sent from the East through my realm. A Dark Elf, long sundered from our kindred, appears with a tale of misery and moves as swiftly as my own son to protect me."

"Some would say it is too close to be coincidence," mused Legolas.

"And they would be right," replied Thranduil. "Clearly there is something at work here with purposes beyond our own. But I think that the Dark Lord has not arranged this, at least not all of it. I do not believe that Rûdhchamion placed himself in the way of the assassin as part of some subtle scheme of Sauron's. But I must be certain, for the sake of the Wooded Realm.

"Let the mortal prisoners be brought forth! Enter their cells with torches blazing," cried the king. "And let the torches in this chamber be doused, save these on the dais. Rûdhchamion, draw for me on a parchment, the mark you describe. Give me the scroll quickly, and stand behind the others, where you will not be seen."

Several guards hurried with sure speed to the prison cells and swiftly returned with the ragged men. Rûdhchamion drew the symbol he so vividly remembered, rolled the parchment, and placed it in the hands of the elvenking. If the Dark Elf noticed that the hands of Legolas were relaxed with the deceptive ease of a fighter ready to strike without warning, he said nothing.

Would I not be as vigilant myself? he thought. Rûdhchamion looked Legolas in the eye and the two elves felt that they understood one another well enough.

No sooner than Rûdhchamion had slipped behind some of the many elves in attendance, the mortal prisoners were brought into the darkened chamber. They could see only the elvenking and Legolas upon the dais on his right side, with Sauche standing upon his left, for she could not be persuaded to leave Thranduil's side.

The men blinked in the dark hall, seeing little, but feeling scores of eyes casting a stern and weighty regard upon them.

"I have had you brought here," said the king, "to render judgment. You are guilty of trespassing, with malicious intent, in the Woodland Realm. You are by your own admission, servants of a great wickedness that seeks power in Dol Goldur. Perhaps there is a way that you will not be put to the deaths you deserve by my decree."

The men were sweating, and the stink of their fear was foul in the elven chamber.

"One of you will be the first to tell me all that you know of a certain symbol," commanded the elvenking. "If I am satisfied that you are telling the truth, and that what you have said is useful, then I will allow the first one of you to speak to leave my gates a free man. The other two will surely die by my order."

Thranduil stood before the prisoners, who were now utterly terrified, and slowly unrolled the scroll, showing them the image drawn by Rûdhchamion.

Almost immediately, all three of the men began shouting their answers, but one of them leapt forward, casting himself groveling at the feet of the elvenking. Legolas had to prevent Sauche from spearing him, for she cared for these vile men not at all.

It was Micanar who was most zealous to betray his friends. The guards dragged the other two away to their, cursing and wailing, to await execution. Micanar was jerked roughly to his feet and inwardly smiled to himself. He would tell the foolish elvenking exactly what the figure meant, and then the proud word of Thranduil would be kept and he would freely return to his commanders.

"As you can plainly see," said Micanar, "more plainly with your elvish sight than myself, in this darkness, it is a military insignia, similar to the one I myself bear."

The man rolled up his sleeve, and there on his shoulder was the mark.

"All of the men of our company have taken this mark, as a badge of pride and solidarity," Micanar lied. "It is a mark earned by the bravest and the most resourceful of us, and I am proud to wear it. You will see it on the shoulders of those knaves you have taken away. I could only wish that all who wore it, honored it, but alas, you know how an army can be."

"Yes," said Thranduil. "I well know. Rûdhchamion, speak from where you stand and tell me if you have seen this man?"

"I have," said the Dark Elf, in a voice from the unlit chamber that made Micanar's blood run cold once again. "Near Leog Ningloron, where my sister breathed her last."

"Very well," Thranduil replied. "Micanar, you are free to leave my realm. There is the door."

The elvenking gestured and the great doors of the hall opened onto a bridge that crossed a high space. The sound of a rushing water could be heard. Micanar was nearly blinded by the light entering the chamber.

"Blindfold him and see that he is brought safely and swiftly to the nearest border of the realm," said Thranduil.

Micanar was lead blindly from the chamber and the great magic doors of the cavern fortress slammed shut behind the prisoner as the guards took him away.

Torches were relit, and Rûdhchamion stood before Thranduil and spoke bitterly.

"Is this the justice of the fabled Woodland Realm?" cried the Dark Elf. "Why do you give this wicked lying man your protection and his freedom?"

"I would know the true direction of Micanar's thoughts," said Thranduil calmly. "His feet will surely follow his heart. If he is only what he claims, then he will head East, to Dorwinion. And I will know that you can be trusted no more than he. If he heads South, or West, then he will be seeking our common enemy, where he expects to most quickly find them. Then the counsel of my heart will be shown true, and my faith in your words will not be vain.

But I do have faith that what you have said is true. And so I decree that you, Rûdhchamion, are free to leave. I charge you not to harm Micanar within my realm, for I will not have my word dishonored."

Thranduil gestured, and the doors opened again. Rûdhchamion looked closely at the elvenking, smiled grimly, bowed gravely, and then swiftly left the king's presence, following the path the blindfolded prisoner was being led.

Perhaps the elves of this kingdom are not as soft as we had believed, thought the Dark Elf, as he hurried into the wood.

And if he knew that he was himself swiftly followed by Legolas and Anarya, he did not care. For Rûdhchamion would keep his word, and Micanar would not die by his hand. Not yet.

No, Micanar's death would not be by Thranduil's order. The king's promise would be kept.

And not within the boundaries of the Woodland Realm would Micanar meet his doom, and not before his chosen path revealed the slayers of the Dark Elf's kin.