8: Fox and Hounds

They sat in the middle of the talan and Thandir handed out some provisions for the two Mortals to eat while they talked. Aragorn spoke first, wishing to satisfy his curiosity.

"The last I heard, Thandir," he began, "you were in Lórien visiting with your two children. What are you doing here in Rohan?"

"We’ve been tracking orcs across the Wold from Lórien," the scout said. "There was some depredation along the way but these orcs seemed more intent on reaching a particular goal than in marauding through Rohan."

"We followed them here, to this dale," Haldir picked up the tale. "Here we found the telain, mostly rotted away, but one or two, such as this one, still in good condition. We decided to use this dale as our base of operations for we are still hunting the orcs and seeking to find where they go. It may be that they mean to harry the Rohirrim or perhaps cross over the Ered Nimrais to harass the good folk of Dol Amroth. We do not know."

"So Elves truly lived here," Aragorn said with some awe. "Perhaps the story told of this dale is not so far-fetched as I believed."

Haldir nodded. "Yes, Elves dwelt here for a time, though I do not believe within the living memory of the Mortals who now live here. Still, it was a shock to us as well to see these telain and know that our kinfolk dwelt here for a time. I’ve often wondered if Nimrodel...."

He shook his head and gathered his thoughts, casting a wry glance at the two Mortals, one of whom stared back with a knowing look, while the other simply stared in open-mouthed wonder.

Thandir smiled. "Now why don’t you tell me what you’ve gotten me and my people into and why are you not in the Westfold with your cousin?"

"As to that," Aragorn said with a slight grimace, "circumstances prevented me from joining Gilhael, which, in retrospect, is just as well."

Thandir gave the Dúnadan a shrewd look. He noticed that even Wídfara’s expression, which had been open and innocent, was now closed and he wondered just what those circumstances were, but declined to press the matter. Then Aragorn was speaking again.

"I do not know all the particulars, but apparently when Thengel came to the throne there was some contention as to his right to rule in some quarters."

"‘Some quarters’ meaning Éolind," Thandir said. Both Mortals nodded.

"Thengel King decided that it was time to force matters," Aragorn continued, "for the plot, if there is one, and I think there is, has been brewing for four years now. The king wishes to put all plotting to an end, hence, when he learned the queen was coming here where none now live, he became suspicious and decided to allow me to play the ruse in hopes of forcing her hand."

"Well, you will not have long to wait, I deem," Thandir said. "I little like involving myself in the petty affairs of Mortals, but I do admit me that I found this little drama rather amusing. However, what happens from hereon is your affair and none of ours. We hunt orcs, not traitors."

Aragorn bowed his head in acquiescence. "I am grateful that you intervened on our behalf, my friend. I was never sure I could have pulled it off. Perhaps the Valar were looking out for me and sent you to help."

Thandir gave the Mortal a ghost of a smile. "Perhaps. It grows late. Rest you here and in the morning we will escort you back to your horses before we ourselves move on."

Aragorn nodded and thanked the Elf. Soon the two Mortals were sleeping, guarded by the silent Wood Elves of Lórien. Aragorn slept deeply and contentedly; Wídfara had some difficulty at first and tossed and turned until Haldir began softly singing a slow song in the Silvan tongue. Then the young Rohir found it nearly impossible to keep his eyes open.

****

Dawn broke and found Thandir and the Mortals making their way through the dale to where Aragorn and Wídfara’s horses were waiting.

"The queen and her fellow conspirators were gone two hours ago," Thandir said as they made their way down the valley. "My scouts say that Éolind returns even now to Aldburg but the two men move eastward, presumably towards Isenbert’s steading, for did you not say, young Wídfara, that that lord’s holdings lie to the east?"

"Aye, lord," the young man answered. "It pleases me not that Isenbrandingsdale is near to my own father’s steading and that my sire has feasted one at his own table all unwittingly who is, I deem, a hláfordswica."

"But Alorharadsdale lies more to the north, does it not?" Aragorn asked. "So why does Léodward travel east with Isenbert?"

Wídfara shrugged. "I know not, lord, but I like it not."

"Nor do I," Aragorn grimaced. "We needs must reach Thengel before Éolind does."

"That may not be possible," Thandir commented, "or even prudent, Estel. The queen has a good two-hour head start on you and the land is too open for you to travel without being seen. Even if you were to go west rather than north you cannot hope to reach Aldburg before her."

Wídfara looked at the Elf in confusion and turned to Aragorn. "Lord, why does he call you Estel? Is not your name Thorongil?"

"Aye, it is, my friend," Aragorn said with a smile. "The Elves, however, called me Estel when I dwelt with them for a time. It means ‘hope’."

"Why did they call you that?" Wídfara asked, crinkling his nose.

"Because it seemed that every time I tried to impress them with what I had learned from them, one of them invariably would say, with a rather pained look on his fair face, ‘I do hope that was not meant to be taken seriously, O Child of Men’." Aragorn gave the young Rohir a wry smile and said in a confidential manner. "Elves are very hard to please, you know."

Thandir laughed aloud, his eyes bright with amusement. "Too true. We’re never satisfied. But I think in this case you have done quite well, O Child of Men." This last was said somewhat facetiously, but Aragorn detected real respect in the Elf’s words. "My Lord Elrond will be pleased when next I see him and tell him so."

Aragorn bowed his head briefly in acknowledgment and gave the Elf a smile, but did not say anything. Wídfara watched the two walking beside him, sure that there was more to it than what he had been told but knowing it would do him no good to seek for further answers. On reflection, he wasn’t sure he really wanted to know them anyway and remained silent for the rest of the trip down the valley.

They reached the horses and were soon giving their farewells to Thandir and the other Elves. "Good hunting, Thandir, my friend," Aragorn said in Sindarin.

"And to you, Estel," Thandir replied. "Watch your back. Treachery is oft a two-edge sword. Take care not to be caught by either edge. Farewell."

Aragorn and Wídfara urged their horses forward and were soon making their way north and west towards Aldburg. When Wídfara chanced to look back, there was no sign of the Elves and he wondered if he’d imagined them, for much like a dream the last few hours had seemed to him.

"I like it not that we will not be in Aldburg before the queen. How else to explain my presence?" Aragorn said as they rode.

Wídfara thought for a moment or two. "There may be a way to reach Aldburg sooner, lord, though it is not an easy route. See you, the queen must take her entourage due north towards the royal road before she can swing westward to Aldburg. It is the route we took to get here. But just beyond this ridge is another way that we can take. It is narrow and steep but cuts across the Folde and will bring us directly behind Aldburg."

"Why did we not take that way to Dúnælfenedale?" Aragorn asked, trying to place the geography of this land in his mind.

"Too dangerous by night, my lord," Wídfara replied, "but not so in the light of day. If there are no unexpected delays we can reach Aldburg before the queen, for even if she rides flat out it will still take her until nearly noon to arrive. We can be there by mid-morning."

"Then let us hence, my friend."

Wídfara nodded and began to lead them westward. The way proved narrow indeed and steep as well. Oft times they were even forced to dismount and help their horses through narrow defiles or up steep inclines, yet, as slow as their going seemed to Aragorn, Wídfara remained confident that they were making good time.

And so it proved, for the sun was yet an hour or so from the nooning when they at last came out of the hills to see Aldburg sitting on the plain. Aragorn gave Wídfara a smile. "You have done well, Wídfara son of Éonoth. Thengel King will be greatly pleased with your performance in this. Come. Let us hurry. I would fain not to be found outside the walls when Éolind arrives."

They spurred their horses and soon were approaching the front gates of the town. The guards recognized them and let them through without question and in short order they were ensconced with Thengel, Erkenbard and Grammund in the senechal’s study relating their tale and all they had seen and heard concerning the conspiracy. The three men stared at Aragorn in wonder as he told of Thandir and the Elves of Lórien.

"No word has reached my ears of either orcs or Elves traveling through the Wold or the Eastfold," the king said. "It troubles me that such doings go unseen upon my own lands."

Aragorn shook his head. "Be not dismayed, Thengel King. The orcs would have traveled only by night and the Elves as well. If they so wish, elves can hide their movements from Mortals and all anyone would have seen would have been a swift mist moving under starlight."

"Be glad, my Cousin," Erkenbard then said, "that these denizens of Dwimmordene seek to destroy those who threaten our lands and the lands of our allies. Let us leave them to that task in peace and concentrate on our own troubles."

"Rightly spoken, Erkenbard," Grammund said gruffly. "My lord, do we wait for the queen, your mother, to arrive or no?"

Thengel gave them all an appraising look, then shook his head. "No. I do not wish for my mother to know of my presence here, so we must make haste ere she returns. Grammund, gather the éored. We will travel the defile that lies behind Aldburg, for there is another way that leads back to Edoras, though it is a tortuous and treacherous road. Erkenbard, alert the people to speak not of my coming, yet if any seek audience with the queen, mark him, but hinder him not. We would see which way our quarry jumps."

The two men bowed and left to do their lord’s bidding. Thengel turned to Aragorn and Wídfara. "You have done well. Indeed, better than I had hoped. I am well pleased with you both."

"Well, we did have a little help," Aragorn said with a deprecating smile and Thengel laughed.

"Indeed. It helps to have friends in high places, even those who live in the trees."

****

They left Aldburg soon after, making their way to the defile that Aragorn and Wídfara had traveled earlier. There they continued up into the mountains until they came to another split in the fold of the land that went westward. Aragorn had marked it coming through the other way but had not bothered asking where it led. The way was indeed tortuous and oft times treacherous to both man and horse and the going was slow, a snail’s pace that forced them to camp as day gave way to night and Thengel deemed they still had several hours travel before they could reach the plains behind Edoras.

"This defile debouches before Upbourn in Harrowdale," he explained to Aragorn as the men set about making camp. "From there we will ride swiftly to Edoras."

"What will you do with Lords Isenbert and Léodward?" Aragorn asked in curiosity.

"As to that, I know not," Thengel admitted ruefully. "I only have your word, and Wídfara’s, that they were there and plotting with my mother. I need further proof of their duplicity. Betrayal is a heavy charge to lay against any and I would have iron-clad proof of it before I act."

"The hounds have been let loose and the fox is running, or so we can hope," Aragorn said musingly. "Let us hope the fox runs in a direction that benefits the hounds."

"Let us hope indeed," Thengel said and his tone was dark and cold and Aragorn shivered in spite of himself.

****

The next morning Aragorn and the Rohirrim woke to heavy fog that remained thick on the ground throughout the forenoon, making travel even more treacherous than it already was. It was thus almost midday before they reached Upbourn, coming out of the mountains like ghosts, though not silent ones, for the men began singing as soon as they came out of the defile to find the fog was not so thick in the dale. Many in Upbourn hid behind their doors in dread of the troop that had appeared so unexpectedly out of the fog, for Harrowdale had a grim reputation and all feared the ghosts that haunted the road to Dunharrow.

Thengel eschewed stopping along the way and cared little for what fright his appearance might cause his folk, for he was intent on reaching Edoras. So it was that the king returned unlooked for and all were amazed at his appearance, for he had ridden along the Snowbourn to the royal road and thus had approached the city, not from the east, as expected, but from the west. Once in Edoras Thengel ordered certain members of his Witan to assemble, a select few that made up his Inner Council, including Hildebrand and Hildered, as well as Morwen. Grammund came as a matter of course. Three others also joined them, along with Aragorn at the king’s insistence.

"I would have them hear from your own lips what has happened," the king said as the two made their way towards the council chamber. It took some time to explain all to everyone’s satisfaction. Aragorn felt nervous at first, but spoke confidently, having had long practice in holding his own councils with his Dúnedain leaders. None interrupted though Hildered’s mouth hung open when Aragorn got to the part with the Elves and several others stirred uneasily at the thought of denizens of Dwimmordene, as they insisted on calling Lórien, walking upon their land.

"It was not always your land, Lord Beornwine," Aragorn replied softly when the lord of Beorningsdale did voice such sentiments. "Once, it did not even belong to the men of Gondor. Once these lands were the habitation of the Nandor who eventually made their way to Beleriand under Denethor, their lord, ere the rising of the Moon, when all of Middle-earth was illumined only by Elbereth’s stars."

The Men of the Mark stared at the Dúnadan with varying degrees of wonder, for they knew little of the history of others outside of Rohan and thought their own tale of years quite long. Yet, here was one who spoke of Ages uncountable and a Past that stretched into darkness unfathomable to Mortal ken. At last Thengel stirred and gave them all an appraising look.

"As Lord Thandir said, my mother plays a dangerous game," Thengel remarked. "It remains to be seen how dangerous. I have placed my hounds in the field. Let us wait and see which way the fox will run."

****

They did not have long to wait. A week went by and Aragorn was readying himself at last to leave for the Westfold. Thengel had finally given him leave and he was due to go two days hence with a messenger from the king to his Marshal. It was during the morning court where all might come who had a grievance to seek the king’s justice when the unthinkable almost happened.

Aragorn, as usual, stood among the thegns, a darkling shadow amidst the brightness of the Rohirrim around him. He stood next to Hildered with Wídfara, who had recently been elevated to thegnscipe by Thengel, much to the young man’s everlasting delight and surprise. Two men approached the dais where sat Thengel. Morwen, as usual, stood beside him, while his three children sat to the left near where the men stood.

They appeared to be typical farmers or herdsmen to Aragorn’s eye as they began to present their case to Thengel, something about the wording of the landbóc and the actual landefn to which one of the men was entitled. Yet, something niggled in the back of Aragorn’s mind. Something did not sit well with him when he looked upon these two landbegengan. He casually inched his way forward to stand closer to the dais, surreptitiously easing a knife from its hidden holder, for he refused to be weaponless even though he wore not his sword in the hall. Thengel had not yet given him leave to do so.

It was while one of the men attempted to present the actual deed to the king that Aragorn realized what was amiss. All eyes were on the one man holding out the patent to the king who was reaching down to receive it. No one was paying much attention to his neighbor. No one, that is, but Aragorn who suddenly saw the man reach behind him to pull out a knife.

"Ethiro, aran nîn!" Aragorn yelled, even as he whipped his own knife out and threw it unerringly at the man who cried out, dropping his knife as he clutched at his other arm where Aragorn’s knife protruded.

Pandemonium reigned. The man with the patent, quickly dropped the parchment and in one fluid motion grabbed Théodfrid from the bench, his own knife, that had been hidden up his sleeve, to her throat. The child was her father’s daughter, for she did not scream, though she was white-faced with fright. Two of Thengel’s councillors reached over and grabbed the other two children and held them close, out of harm’s way, the one attempting to soothe young Théodhild, who was near screaming with hysterics. Théoden, Aragorn noticed, was as silent as his older sister, his young eyes burning with royal outrage.

Thengel had risen from his seat and Morwen stood white-faced and tight-lipped beside him. The man holding Théodfrid snarled at the king. "Let us go, Thengel King, and your daughter lives." Thengel gave a single nod and the man began backing away, his partner with him, still clutching his arm and cursing. Aragorn was wondering if he could do anything to stop them when all of a sudden the man holding Théodfrid gasped and arched his back. His knife nicked the girl’s throat but did no real harm as he let go his grip on her and slithered to the floor with an arrow in his back.

The other man simply stood there staring in horror at his companion. Théodfrid fell to the floor as well but had the presence of mind to crawl as quickly as she might away from the two men. Now that she was free she allowed herself to break down and began crying, clutching at her neck where blood flowed.

The rest of the court stood in absolute silence, shocked beyond anything they had ever experienced as three Elves quietly walked up the nave, never taking their eyes off the two men. All three were dressed in the grey-green of Lórien, though Aragorn knew they were not Wood Elves but Noldor. All three were armed with bows at the ready. As they came abreast of the two would-be assassins two of the Elves pointed their bows at the man still standing, while the third put his bow behind him and gently reached down and picked Théodfrid up, cradling her as if she were but a toddler. She stopped crying, awed by the presence of the Elf, who walked up to where Aragorn was standing and gave the Dúnadan a huge smile.

"Well Estel, I think I arrived just in time, as usual," the Elf said, speaking in Sindarin.

"Thandir! Why are you here?"

Thandir laughed, his voice merry and full of joy. "Why, Little One, because I wish to be. I need no other reason. Come, let us see to this maiden’s hurt and offer her the comfort of her parents' love."

With that the Elf turned to Thengel and Morwen, who, as shocked as everyone else, had not moved. "Hail, Thengel King. I do believe your daughter is in need of a healer," the Elf said, continuing to speak in Sindarin. Thengel bestirred himself and with an inarticulate cry rushed to his daughter and took her into his own arms.

"I’m all right, ada," the child said. "’Tis just a scratch, truly."

"Let the healers be the judge of that, daughter of mine," murmured Thengel, kissing her on the forehead. Then he turned to Thandir, his expression one of deep gratitude. "Le hannon, hîr nîn. Le hannon ’nin guil en-iell nîn."

Thandir reached out and gently stroked Théodfrid’s hair and gave her a smile. "You are entirely welcome, Thengel King." Then he looked at Aragorn standing next to him and with considered humor spoke in Westron. "Well, Thorongil, aren’t you even going to invite us for lunch?"

Aragorn glanced at Thengel who looked on with amusement, then turned to Thandir and spoke a phrase in Quenya, assured that only the three Noldor would understand. All three of the Firstborn started laughing and the Rohirrim were treated with the sight of Thandir suddenly twirling around in a merry dance, the gemstones in his warrior braids glittering brightly.

****

All words and phrases are Rohirric (Anglo-Saxon) unless otherwise noted.

Telain: (Sindarin) Plural of talan: a wooden platform in a tree.

Hláfordswica: traitor, literally "lord’s betrayer" [hláford "lord" + swica "deceiver, traitor, betrayer"].

Thegnscipe: Thaneship, the status of thane; also the body of thanes or retainers.

Landbóc: Land-book or written grant of land.

Landefn: The resources of the land, or the measure or proportion of land as defined in the landbóc.

Landbegengan: Plural of landbegenga: peasant, husbandman.

Ethiro, aran nîn!: (Sindarin) Imperative: "Watch out, my king!" [ed "out" + tir- "watch"; cf. ethir "spy" from ed + tirn "out-watcher"; and athol- from ad + tol- "return, come back"].

Le hannon, hîr nîn. Le hannon ’nin guil en-iell nîn: (Sindarin) "Thank you , my lord. Thank you for the life of my daughter".