CHAPTER 16: REVELATION

For a few seconds after his announcement and the initial gasps of shock from the elves, Aragorn felt as if every living thing in the clearing had come to a standstill to take in the news about the Lord of Ithilien. All the elves’ faces went as ashen as his was. The sky was a washed blue, the greens were new and fresh, but all the colors that had seemed so vibrant an hour ago seemed shadowed now. Then every elf in the gathering, except Hamille, who stood stock still, started talking.

Lishian protested. “But… my lord, they went to the talan looking for the king’s son!”

Aragorn narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment. “I was not there that evening, my friend, and I know no more than what Lady Arwen told me. But… was Legolas not also in the talan when they went up?”

Now they all waited for Lishian to answer, for he and Galean were the only ones in the tree house at the time, besides Legolas, Arwen and Eldarion. He closed his eyes and focused silently on the memory of all that had gone on, and when he remembered, he opened them and sighed sadly, wishing he were wrong.

“Aye, he was. And… it is true,” he said, looking around at his friends. “The attackers did not invade the talan till our prince had returned to it.  He was fighting them on the ground at first, and he wanted us to be quiet, for he did not wish to draw their attention to the presence of the queen and the prince… the other, young prince.”

Aragorn closed his eyes now, speaking silently to his absent friend. Mellon nin, you protected them, and I hurt you.

Lishian went on. “But soon after, he came up himself, to see to their safety. It was then that the intruders climbed the tree, and Galean…” Lishian faltered, thinking of his slain friend. Hamille placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him strength, and he continued in a softer voice. “Galean and I started shooting them then, as they tried to come in over the wall. I was shot after that and I do not remember very much, but… I think the prince took my arrows and shot someone at the door, and then Galean fell… and there were others coming over the wall. I… someone said to take him alive… the king’s son. I… I do not remember more.”

“We did not think he was after our prince, for it was Eldarion that Legolas sought to hide first,” Lanwil said. “Never did he think they were after him, and thus neither did we.”

“That is Legolas,” Aragorn said fondly, almost to himself. “Last is he in his own heart.”

“But why does Sarambaq want him?” Hamille demanded, his eyes growing hard. “Who is this villain?”

Now that he knew where Legolas had gone, Aragorn was more than anxious to follow his trail, but he knew that the elves needed to be told all that the man of Adhûn had revealed to him.

“Sarambaq was a servant of the Necromancer… we know him better as Sauron.” Aragorn stated, looking at the elves to see if they were able to relate the two he had named, but they did not and waited expectantly for him to say more.

“You all know that before the Quest of the Ring, Mirkwood had long been at war with the Necromancer in the dark forests of Dol Guldur,” he said, and then the elves nodded. “Legolas had been on those patrols as well?”

“Aye,” Hamille replied. “He led many of them.”

Aragorn nodded and said softly, “That is how Ködil knew him then.” He saw the uncomprehending looks on the faces of the elves and continued. “During and after the Quest, your king and Celeborn of Lothlorien attacked the evil in Dol Guldur, did they not? They drove them out of the forest and renamed it Eryn Lasgalen?”

“Aye, many of us were part of those efforts, and indeed in the final assault as well,” Lanwil responded. “But this Sarambaq…?”

“Some of those who brought darkness to Dol Guldur came from the area between Gondor and the Sea of Rhûn,” Aragorn explained. “They were men whom Sauron enslaved and tortured as he did the orcs. Many of them had families and kin. Among them was Sarambaq, who commanded one of the armies.”

The names of the people the elves fought were unknown to them, but a glimpse of understanding began to light their faces even as they waited for Aragorn to tell them more.  

“In the final assault upon Dol Guldur, Thranduil killed one of the younger men.” Aragorn paused. “He was Sarambaq’s son. Sarambaq himself escaped, but he has not forgotten the death of his son, nor has he forgotten the elf king who ended his life, for he witnessed it himself and was unable to stop it. So he fled and swore vengeance.”

The silence in the clearing was unnerving. Even the birds seemed to have stopped singing as they listened intently to the tale.

“His vengeance would be taken by capturing Legolas, for in that way would he torture his father, Thranduil. That is why he sought to take your prince alive. My guess is that he desired to make certain your king would know of his son’s imprisonment at his hands and to gloat over the pain that would cause.”

Fury grew in the faces of the elves, but they were still silent, so Aragorn spoke again.

“Thranduil would have gone after him with the forces of Mirkwood, and Gondor would have joined him without hesitation. But…” Aragorn paused as he considered his next words. “I think the greater likelihood is that Sarambaq would have wanted to hold Legolas ransom, as a lure for Thranduil, and only Thranduil, to come and claim him. Alone.”

Alone. The word sent a shiver of fear up elven spines.

“Then Sarambaq would have killed our king – as well our prince,” Hamille finished, his voice as hard as steel. Disbelief and horror filled the faces of the elves.

Aragorn nodded. “That is what I believe. We should all be glad his plans were thwarted, thanks to your valor.”

In the clearing under the mid-day sun, the elves of Ithilien surrounded the King of Gondor and digested with growing apprehension the information he had brought. The thought of pursuing their prince was now uppermost in their minds, but the others waited for Hamille to speak.

Before he could, Lanwil gave a sudden gasp and clutched his arm, saying urgently, “The king! He has to be warned!”

“I have taken care of that, my friend,” said Aragorn. “Even as we speak, riders are already on the way to your king’s home with a message about the threat. They would have left not long after I did.”

Hamille nodded in silent gratitude, and Aragorn spoke again. 

“I do not think that Sarambaq would dare to attack the Greenwood – he would not get past Thranduil’s watchful guard and would not dare confront his forces. Even your small elf colony in Ithilien must have been daunting to him. The prisoner told us that he bided his time, and favor was on his side when so many of your elves removed to South Ithilien. He told his people to wait till Legolas came back, and with only a handful of guards around your prince, they deemed it ripe to strike. Fortunately, they underestimated the strength and resistance of elves.”

“Then… Lady Arwen and the young prince… they were just there by chance,” Hamille reflected.

Aragorn sighed. “Aye, Hamille, just by chance. But all this while, we thought Eldarion was the one being sought.”

Hamille hung his head and spoke in sorrow. “My prince would be grieved to know that the child suffered as a consequence, and needless was the suffering, as was the anguish caused to everyone.”

“I thank the Valar no greater harm came to my son, but no blame should be laid on any of us, Hamille,” Aragorn said graciously and firmly, laying a hand on the elf’s arm. “It is Sarambaq who caused the pain we have all borne, and Legolas not the least. Had we but known the truth earlier! As things stood, it was my life for which my Steward feared, not Legolas’.” Aragorn sighed wistfully as he added, “If the prisoner had spoken earlier, and we had known where the real danger lay, I would have come at once. I did not think Legolas would have decided to go off on his own, or that he would have known where to go…”

“You did not know of our prisoner, King Elessar,” Hamille said graciously in return, and Lanwil nodded in agreement. “You could not have foreseen our prince’s actions, when even we who were with him did not. No fault do we lay on you in this matter.”

“Wherever the blame lies, Hamille, what remains to be done immediately is to go after him. He must not be taken.” Aragorn proceeded to tell them about Sarambaq’s flying beast Dárkil and the meeting place located a three-day trek from Ithilien. When he had finished, the elves were both furious and highly worried for their prince. An urge to depart instantly filled their veins.

“We know Sarambaq wanted to take Legolas alive. I believe he may already have found out that the men he sent failed to do so, if he has gone to the meeting place with his flying beast,” Aragorn said. “He may or may not already be planning something else, but in all likelihood, he would not have given up his desire. I fear for Legolas, even more so that he has gone off alone, without any knowledge of this matter. I have to go after him and bring him back.”

“We will go after him,” Hamille objected. “He is our prince, and it is our duty.”

“I have no doubt that is your fervent wish,” Aragorn said gently. “But I do not know if that is the wisest choice at this point – ”

“Not the wisest choice?” Lishian demanded, startled by Aragorns’ words. “Pray tell, what choice do we have, now that we know our prince is out there alone, without help?”

Aragorn’s mind worked furiously as he weighed the alternatives, but when he answered, his voice was patient and steady.

“Without the gift of foresight, I cannot know if any choice we make will prove well or ill, yet choose we must. When we have had enough time to convene and consider an offensive on Sarambaq’s stronghold, then indeed would strength in arms be needed. We would need to gather the forces of the Greenwood and Gondor, and indeed we may still march on him. But that course of action would brook delay, and now is not the time for it. Our immediate concern should be to bring Legolas home safely as soon as possible. To do that, we should avoid an encounter with the enemy.

“The choice I would counsel, therefore, is the one that Lord Elrond made when he sent only nine walkers on the Quest of the Ring, instead of the armies of three elven realms. The success of the quest depended on stealth and secrecy, not might in numbers.”

He paused briefly to compose his next words.

“Legolas has been gone less than half a day, and it would not take too long to track him if it is done immediately, and thus will he be reached soonest. But it has to be done in stealth and secrecy as the Quest was.” Aragorn swallowed before resuming, “If things go ill and he is taken by Sarambaq’s men in their own territory … if that happens, then our present numbers will be of little avail.

“I would choose not to do battle, but to follow his trail and bring him back quietly. I believe this is what Legolas needs now. We do not want to draw Sarambaq’s attention to him, and that we will surely do if we go in numbers.”

Although the elves had been appalled at Aragorn’s earlier words, for it had been unthinkable that they would not go after the prince as well, the mention of the much respected elf lord Elrond’s name and his counsel, even if he had already sailed to the Undying Lands, made them hesitate and consider the man’s argument. Aragorn had, after all, led the quest much of the way, after the fall of Mithrandir.

“We do not doubt your skills as one of the Dừnedain Rangers, my lord, albeit in days past, but perhaps one or two of us can go with you,” Lanwil submitted.

The elves waited as the king considered this.

“On my part, I have great faith in the stealth of elves, you know that,” he said at last, “but there may be times when it will be necessary to move in the open. I can clothe and disguise myself so that I would appear to be a human traveler seeking new lands. Indeed, if I should be seen or approached, that would be my claim, that I am lost in the wilderness. An elf, however, would find it most difficult to hide his true form and countenance; your looks are… distinctive,” he pointed out. “If you should be seen or stopped, I fear that it would be more difficult to convince strangers that you are wandering elves; they will suspect something amiss and guess that you seek someone. Do not forget also that Sarambaq’s men have seen you. They would know you are from Ithilien.”

What he said seemed sensible so far, but he was not finished.

“Even if Legolas escapes capture, none of you can afford to be taken either. If Sarambaq does not get his prince, he would not hesitate to use you – any of you – as ransom.”

“We are prepared to take our prince’s place,” Lishian said staunchly.

Aragorn held up his hand. “Your loyalty to Legolas is not in question. I, too, would willingly take his place if it would do any good, for I too love him.”

The light in his eyes and the set of his jaw as he said this left the elves in no doubt that he meant every word.

“Alas, it is your king Sarambaq wants, not me. He may not hold you as valuable a hostage as Thranduil’s son, but if he were to take any of you, Thranduil would still send his forces after you, would he not?” Aragorn swept his eyes over the group as he posed the question.

“But at least he himself would not go. No one would allow him to go, it is unthinkable,” Lanwil ventured. “The king would be safe.”

“You speak truly, yet it is not him you need to worry about should the situation arise,” Aragorn countered. “If the elves were to go after you, who do you think would lead them? Who would insist on leading them there, even if he himself had returned safely?”

“Prince Legolas,” Hamille conceded softly.

Aragorn nodded agreement. “You have served him long and faithfully. Even if he has eluded capture, I do not doubt for one moment that he would ride back there and risk being taken again rather than abandon any of you to captivity under Sarambaq. But you know what would happen if that should come to pass.”

The elves looked at one another and pondered this counsel from Aragorn. He understood the hesitation they were experiencing, but he needed to remind them of the urgency of the situation.

“This matter concerns all of us, my friends, and I can see no further than you as to the wisdom of my choice, if I were to make it. You are free to deliberate it, and I will follow the decision you make. But we must tarry no longer than necessary. Legolas has not been gone overly long, and the sooner I – or we – depart, the greater the chances of finding him before he ventures too far.”

The very trees in the clearing seemed to await the elves’ decision as they pondered Aragorn’s arguments. Their hearts were torn in two, but understanding the urgency of the matter, Hamille spoke before long.

“As you say, King Elessar, none of us can foresee whether one decision would be better than another. “But we have to resolve this quickly. Our prince gave me the task of looking after Ithilien in his absence, so I shall bear the weight of this choice. Rightly or wrongly, my lord, we will follow your counsel. We trust that you will do everything in your power to bring him back safely.”

Aragorn nodded, accepting their decision. His anxiety for their prince was plain, and the elves knew he would not rest till he was face to face again with his friend.  

“Yet we cannot sit by and do nothing,” Hamille finished, a note of helplessness creeping into his voice.  

“Not nothing, Hamille,” Aragorn said. “My riders have already gone to the Greenwood, but they will first travel the route west through Rohan, for they know of no other. The route across the Reclaimed Lands and the Wilderland to the north, however, is shorter, as you well know, and I imagine that one of you will now wish to take it, to reach Thrandruil even sooner…”

“Of course, we can leave straight away,” Hamille agreed readily and turned to issue an instruction.

But Aragorn held his arm, speaking hesitantly as another thought entered his mind. “I do not know if it such aid will be needed in the end, but… I would be much relieved if I knew that I could expect it.”

Aragorn told Hamille what he needed done, and Hamille nodded.

“It is highly likely that Thranduil himself will come. If we are not back in four or five days, the time may be ripe for you to come after us, with whatever forces you can muster, and I hope with the aid I seek. The prisoner in the City will show the way.” Aragorn paused before saying carefully: “If that should be necessary, it is up to you to stay your king if you deem it wise to do so, yet it will not be easy, for a father’s anxiety is a powerful emotion… one that can lead to neglect of caution, both in word and deed, as I can testify.” As he said this, he and Hamille exchanged a look of mutual understanding, again lost to the other elves.

“We shall leave that in the past,” Hamille said comfortingly. “But as for my king, I do not know if I could hold him any more than I could stop the charge of a herd of raged oliphaunts,” he sighed resignedly, looking a little abashed as he realized the comparison he had used without thinking.

Aragorn could not hide a grin at those words. “And that may be well, for if we are still not back by then, we will welcome aid, for we may be in deep waters. But let us not dwell on morose possibilities. I need to prepare.”

“Your Steward and family does not yet know of your decision to depart immediately from here, but I assume that is what you wish to do…?”

“Most certainly, as soon as I am ready. My escort will return to inform them,” Aragorn affirmed. “You will need to see to your own defenses as well, for who can tell if there will be another attempt. I will not presume to advise you on that matter, as you know best how to strengthen them. But you are also most welcome to seek refuge or aid from the White City should you need to.” Hamille nodded his agreement.

Half an hour after they had finished talking, the men of Gondor had taken some light refreshment and were remounted on their horses. Aragorn had changed into informal clothes, not the kind he would have worn as a Ranger, but far more suited for travel than the velvet tunic he had come in. He silently blessed his wife for having packed a set for him. A plainer but warm cloak from the elves replaced his own. The wind would tousle his hair soon enough, and the elves helped to smear dirt on his cloak and boots so that he would look more travel-worn.

They gave him packets of lembas, the waybread of elves, and filled his water skin. Healing herbs too were quietly given and received, although everyone hoped they would not be needed.

As they were walking to the horses, on a sudden impulse, Aragorn turned to Hamille and said: “Give me something of Legolas’.”

Hamille stopped in mid-stride and stared at the man. “What?”

The man looked a little sheepish. He could not explain his strange request, but his heart was moved to make it. “Something he has worn recently, a shirt or a cloak. Please – fetch it for me.”

Hamille looked at him a moment longer, before asking another equally puzzled elf to bring from the prince’s talan a cloak he had seen the prince wear sometimes. When it was handed to him, Aragorn received it gratefully and silently. It was then rolled up with his blanket and tied to the saddle.

Much to their chagrin, Aragorn’s two guards were commanded to return to Minas Tirith with information and instructions for Faramir, and a message for the queen. They were highly unwilling to leave their king, but he had given the order, and they could not disobey. Faramir would not be pleased either, but that could not be helped.

The elves gathered around Aragorn when he was finally ready to set off. There was no need for many words, for they all knew what each felt. As he placed his hand on his breast in farewell, Aragorn’s eyes filled with resolve, and he said to Hamille:

“I will go to whatever end to bring him back, my friend. Only death can stop me.”

“May the Valar watch over you both,” came the heartfelt reply.

With that, the royal escort rode back to the White City. And the King of Gondor, who was once again a Dừnedain Ranger, rode north and east on the heels of Legolas Greenleaf, elf of Greenwood and Ithilien, and his most cherished friend.