Day arose but the sun did not. A grey gathering of clouds was all there was to be seen through the thick weaving of branches. Elbereth Githoniel, a curtain was falling around us, but what it was covering refused to be seen.

Legolas and I had agreed to seek some amount of rest over the night, once the warrior halls had quieted and he had seen the King. The day had been arduous, and I feared the days to come would be worse. Night came early, and dawn late, and darker things crept under the cover of the night. The shadows were growing bolder with every dimming star.

Somehow, I had been unable to bring myself to leave Legolas's quarters for the full extent of night. Unease had built with my every step away, and the closing of my quarter's door had created a barrier I did not wish to have. The paths of dreams held no comfort nor respite, and mere hours after I left Legolas, I returned. The guards outside his door had posed no argument, and so I had silently slipped inside, finding Legolas under the bare cover of dreams. Not bothering to wake him--and frankly unwilling to--I had sat on the floor at his bed's end, keeping a half aware vigil over the night.

Naught had occurred, but I had been content in my stead.

Now, in the barely lit morning, I sighed, stepping away from the window and turning to Legolas. Even as I did so, he finished clasping his cloak and faced me. "Good enough?" he said.

I laughed softly, stepping forward and grasping his collar. A sharp tug straightened it and I stepped away.

"You will pass for your father's son, perhaps. Be careful, though. They say the councilors are on the prowl this day."

Legolas shook his head with a passing smile, adjusting his collar again himself.

"Gwador, you practically grew up inside these walls. You might have learned how to evade those councilors in that time." The spark that lit in his eye belayed any consternation that might have resided in his voice. As he spoke, he moved towards the door, myself at his heels. Just as the door opened, wind whispering at its hinges, a murmured argument crept down the corridor. The words were muffled and quick, but phrases could be caught.

"—saes, sirs, I must speak with the Prince—"

"—lady, we cannot permit you to—"

"--truly, I mean no harm, there may be trouble—"

At that, my eyes narrowed and Legolas and I both stepped outside his quarters and into the hall. The voice I knew; the qualm it spoke of remained ambiguous. The voices fell silent at Legolas's appearance, but only for a moment.

"Prince Legolas!" Iaewneth called, kept from coming nearer by the strict defense of the guards. The fiery indignation that burnt in her eyes might have been amusing if not for how very fiercely it shone.

"Lady Iaewneth," Legolas said as we came nearer. "Has something gone amiss?"

Iaewneth seemed to abruptly become aware of her position, or perhaps disposition, and her stoic stance turned to meekness. "Nay, caun-nin. But if it is to your pleasing, I would seek an audience with you this day."

I might not have been particularly schooled in the happenings of court, but even my scarce knowledge dictated that there were plenty of other more suitable approaches to gaining Legolas's attention. How she had been entrusted with a journey to Mirkwood was beyond me, and how she would return to her home even more so. Her training must have been short--what was the state of Imladris at present?

Pondering her request before answering, Legolas signaled for the guards to be at ease. "If that is what you search for, then you may have it. I do admit my curiosity."

Iaewneth smiled, curtsying briefly before beginning to speak freely. "I have heard the rumors traveling throughout your home, and I beg of you to answer me if they are true. They say that there are... assassins creeping about?" Her brow furrowed, bright eyes searching Legolas's face. The blues and greys of her long tunic were wrinkled around each other, belt tie loosening even as the seconds passed.

Legolas nodded. "Aye, my lady, I would wish it otherwise, but unfortunately, some dark force is near. Do not fear, though. You are in no danger, and I am sure that the assassins will not enter the stronghold again for some time."

As true as Legolas's words were, I could not entirely agree. This enemy had proved unpredictable in the past. It could just as easily show such nature again.

Iaewneth's expression turned. "I see. Then..." She bit her lip. "Then I am sorry for my words on the day before last, as I should have been then. I should not have spoken of the state of your realm, nor of your naneth. I was remiss."

A small gasp was drawn by the guards, nearly imperceptible. Talk of the late queen was traditionally done with fondness, and rarely done in so casual a manner unless by Legolas or the King. What Iaewneth might have said was beyond me.

"There is naught to forgive," Legolas said, but a tightness remained in his voice. "Saes, do not worry on it."

"Thank you, hir nin. I will not slip so discourteously in the future."

And with that, Iaewneth dipped into a quick bow and quickly took her leave. Legolas and I stood silently for a moment before I turned a questioning eye on him. "Care to explain?"

Legolas nodded to the guards, and moved past them. "It was nothing more than what she said and what I had told you on the practice fields. Rumors are spreading outside Mirkwood's borders."

"But she spoke of your mother?"

"In passing. But that is all. There are more important things to consider now. I glanced at some of the reports. One was from the maids in charge of identifying the cloak. They skirted a bit around the point before arriving at it, but they believe the cloak to be of one of the outlying villages of the edain.."

"The edain?" I said, ignoring how abruptly Legoas had redirected the conversation. "But the assassins. Their movements--their fighting--they are elves."

"Yes," Legolas agreed. "Which means they must retain some amount of relation with the edain, otherwise we would have heard of it."

"Then they are not criminals, least-ways not of the known kind."

"No, presumably not. We must be careful, though, for we cannot know how deeply they have shrouded themselves into the goings on around us, nor why they want my adar dead."

"You recall that they want you dead as well?" I followed Legolas into the banquet hall, incredulity rising.

"Something we need not continue to discuss," Legolas said, a sudden brightness appearing on his face as the gazes of the warriors passed over us.

Always had Legolas had a shining nature. He had inspired hope into so many of our people's hearts, even when he had little of it himself. On more than one occasion, he had pulled me from the edge of despair--and in on particular instance, from the fade to my own death. I jolted away from the thought, for thinking on those darker days would only weave another black string into an already tangled web.

Scattered greetings filled the air as we joined the warriors, the tone much less downcast than it had been the night before. I felt my own level of comfort rise. No attacks inside the stronghold should come for at the least the next day, and if we were fortunate a week. To come any sooner would be not only reckless but foolish as well. Many of the warriors were sharply attentive after the events of the last day, myself included, and the guards that walked the halls stood at acute awareness. Inside would be too hard to navigate.

Just as I began to settle, my sense of ease was ripped from the air as the night's patrol swept into the room. Whereas they would most often be entirely quiet, this time a buzz hummed around them as their captain came to Legolas. At this early hour, the warriors composed nearly every present person in the banquet hall, and so the room quieted to a distant murmur.

I swirled my glass as I listened to the captain's words. "We found a trail," she said. "it is along the river for a time before it seems they either dive into the water or simply vanish."

Legolas's jaw ticked. "How old is the trail?"

"Less than a day. Some of my warriors remained there."

Legolas gave a curt nod and stood, motioning for myself and the rest of our contingent to follow. The banquet hall was a flurry of motion as whispers of curiosity were turned upon speculation, and warriors took their leave. It was only moments before we had collected our weapons and were riding into the forest, following the captain and her other warriors. The ride was swift, but even in those short moments I felt tension tighten amid the tree branches.

Arriving at the river's edge, we dismounted carefully, cautious of disturbing whatever trail had shown itself. Legolas moved briskly, and soon knelt along the river's edge. His fingers brushed the dirt as his eyes traveled up to the point of disappearance, my own gaze following his. Nothing of note rested in the flow of disturbed grass and twigs--it could have been caused by an animal if not for the lightness of step that could only be of an elf. "Fan out," Legolas called. "Be sure the area is clear and keep your sense about you."

I nodded, eyes searching for any flash of movement. As the other warriors took action, so did I, beginning to step amid the trees. But even as I moved forward, I doubted the action and turned back toward the way I had come. Whereas my comrades moved forward from where the trail ended, I could not help but to but trace it back. Something lingered there, masked by the chirp of the birds and murmurs of the trees. My hand rested steadily on my sword hilt, my footsteps falling silently upon the foliage.

I breathed--once--twice--passing one tree after the next--and then I saw it. Something moved, but it lacked the practiced caution of an elf of Eryn Galen. My eyes narrowed and I stepped deeper into the forest. Moments passed until another rustle sounded. "I know you're there" I said, voice low. "Show yourself now."

No answer came, and the song of the forest fell to be soundless. I waited, hoping or believing that the sounds and flashes were some apparition of my all to livened imagination. I moved in pattern, turning with every step. My heart hit my chest, slow but harsh. The seconds passed--and then the peace shattered.

A whistle broke the stillness and I fell to the forest ground. Even as I did so, my eyes caught the rush of an arrow passing where my head had been not moments before. I rolled to stand, whisking my sword from its sheath. I had just gained a knee, sword coming up in front of my chest, when metal rang upon metal and a jolt shot up my arm. I grunted, but pushed forward, forcing my assailant back. The dance of steel began, and a growl built in my throat as it continued. Cloaked before me, my foe appeared entirely unwilling to engage in fair play and he was soon shrouded again in the shadows. I reached forward, only for my hand to swipe at empty air. Almost savagely, my eyes raked the area, searching--searching--searching--

Hardly a breath passed before the foe returned, this time behind me. Hands wrapped about my neck and then a weight latched upon my back. A cruel hiss reached my ears, and then I was stumbling backwards. One step, two step three step, and my vision began to darken. This foe refused to be turned over my shoulder, and his grip would not be dislodged.

My breath hitched and my balance slipped askew.

Finally I felt the force of a tree behind me and then the satisfying grunt of the assailant's breath being caught by the force. Still, pressure upon my neck was dangerously near bone breaking; as my vision continued to darken I felt the cold whisper of metal creep nearer to my skin and the sharp prick of a dagger's edge.

"Legolas..." The broken call was all I could manage, hoping that by some chance or blessing, my warning would be caught into the wind and carried to the living hope of Eryn Galen.

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To be continued...

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