AN: This is a continuation of a series of stories titled Interrupted Journeys. Parts One through Nine have already been posted. In the case of this story, it is probably necessary to have read at least Parts Eight and Nine to understand the OCs and their motivations better and to understand the events that Legolas is struggling with.  This part of the story is set in Legolas's childhood, immediately after Part Nine. Legolas is in the middle of his first formal year of training as a warrior. He is near adulthood, at the age of 46.

Gentleness can be repaid in death.
--Denethor
So be it.
--Faramir

Chapter 1: Through the shadow

T.A. 1987 
Tulus kept his eyes fixed on his target while reaching for the next branch along his path through the trees. He had to take care. The sparse leaves this far south offered little cover and he dared not be seen. He also dared not lose her.

"We have gone too far," the guard accompanying him breathed into his ear. "Too far outside the protection of the patrols."

Tulus ignored him, leaping silently to the next tree and pressing himself against its trunk once he reached its branches. He peered at Manadhien's dark form to make sure that she would continue, unpausing, down the deer trail that she was following. She did. Starlight glinted off a golden ring she wore on the hand that clutched her cloak closed around her. Tulus went after her, creeping, crouched low, along a sturdy branch. His tree was several dozen paces to her west, just close enough to keep her in sight.

"We are too deep into the orcs' territory," his companion whispered when he again came along side him. "If she wants to risk her life, let her, but we should not. The king wants her head, not ours."

Tulus glanced over his shoulder. "He will want ours if she walks straight from here out of the forest," he responded. Then he immediately turned his full attention back to Manadhien.

"She is most likely to walk straight into an orc's lair and I do not want to be killed along with her."

"Then go back," Tulus hissed. "If you will not go back, be silent."

When Tulus leapt into the next tree, the other guard followed him, silently, as ordered. Tulus nodded grimly to himself. Managing the other spies that Thranduil had sent with him was not nearly as difficult as he remembered command could be from his days as an officer before Oropher's arrival in the forest. Thranduil, Aradunnon and Dolgailon had managed to instill a sense of discipline into the ranks over the long Ages. That was definitely an accomplishment.

They pursued their quarry for a good while longer, until Tilion reached his peak height in the sky and began his descent towards the western edge of the world. Still, Tulus had no intention of turning away, even if he had not seen any wholesome forest creature for hours. He was about to move to the next tree when his companion sucked in a sharp breath.

"Something moves. There," he whispered, pointing with the arrow that he drew from his quiver to the shadows of a ridge that jutted up ahead of them. Manadhien was heading straight for it.

Tulus also drew an arrow and scanned the forest floor around them to make sure they had not already walked into a trap. He saw nothing.

Meanwhile, the other guard nocked his arrow and raised his bow, waiting to draw it until he could properly target whatever lurked in the darkness.

'The fool will shoot the next thing that moves,' Tulus thought and he motioned for him to lower his bow. That order was obeyed with obvious reluctance.

They watched.

Manadhien approached the ridge without hesitation. Indeed, she walked towards it purposefully, loosening a pouch on her belt as she did.

A group of orcs stepped out from a gap in the rocks.

In one swift motion, the other guard nocked his arrow and raised his bow again, shifting into a position to target the nearest orc.

Tulus grasped the shaft of the arrow.

"You intend to let them take her?" the guard whispered. "Whatever she has done, she does not deserve that fate. We have to protect her."

"Wait," Tulus whispered without releasing the arrow.

Manadhien did not so much as flinch in response to the orcs' arrival. Instead, she walked directly to them, unconcerned by the snarling noises they made or the way they sniffed the air. But they did not raise a weapon or move against her or call for reinforcements.

"Did that orc... the big one...it did not..." the other guard stammered, but could not finish his question.

Tulus nodded. "It bowed to her," he confirmed, releasing his grip on his companion's arrow lest he snap it in half and betray their position. It was true. She was in league with orcs! He would need to send another message to the king, and quickly.

*~*~*

Legolas walked slowly down the corridor that housed the offices of the King's Council. It was late, well past dinner, and most of the occupants of these offices were on the Green. Or perhaps they were in their own chambers in the family quarters. Legolas did not know where his cousins, aunts and uncles were. He had been working in the king's office until his father and Hallion had insisted he leave. 'Go dance with your cousins,' Thranduil had said, too firmly for Legolas to be foolish enough to argue.

He might not argue, but he would also not obey. To dance was not really an order either a king or even a father could issue. To not write summaries of the day's orders was. So, Legolas was heading to the Great Hall to work on summaries of the next day's petitions. The couriers should have already delivered those to the Hall.

Legolas stopped in front of Dolgailon's office and pushed aside the tapestry that hung opposite it. He laid his hand on the wall. A seam and then a crack appeared. Legolas pushed and the crack opened into a door. He passed through it, stepped around the tapestry on its other side and emerged next to the throne in the Great Hall. The door closed silently behind him. Lamps were lit in the Hall. That was odd at this hour.

Crack! Crack! The sounds of wood slapping against wood echoed loudly off the stone walls. So did grunts and labored breathing. Legolas scanned the room swiftly. What he saw made him stop and stare: Conuion was sparring in the Hall--with the queen!

Crack! Lindomiel raised her practice sword to a high guard, blocking a blow Conuion aimed at her head. She forced Conuion's sword to the side and used her momentum to swing at his leg. He leapt out of range, circling her, his own sword in a mid guard.

Legolas watched them silently. He had seen Conuion working to rebuild his skill with a sword since he lost the use of his right arm in the battle where Amglaur and Limmiel had died. The captain of the King's Guard had taken that work very seriously and, from what Legolas had seen when Conuion sparred with Thranduil or Dolgailon, he had succeeded in becoming, once again, a very formidable warrior.

The sides of Legolas's mouth turned downward and he nodded. His mother was giving Conuion a fair work out. They must have been fighting for some time. Both were breathing heavily and moving with evident fatigue.

Lindomiel lunged at Conuion, driving a thrust towards his throat. Conuion side stepped, swinging at Lindomiel's back as she rushed past, but she pivoted to parry his blow, following through with a slash at his right side. She nearly had him. He could not have reacted fast enough to void or parry that blow, so he did not attempt either. Instead, he stepped inside her attack and brought her flush against him by driving the wooden dagger in his off-hand into her back.

"Orc spit!" she shouted, slapping Conuion's leg with the flat of her blade.

Legolas's eyebrows shot up.

Conuion laughed, stepping away from her with a bow.

She followed him, not allowing him to put any distance between them. "As angry as I am, Conuion," she said, beating her closed fist against his undamaged arm to punctuate her words, "you would think it might be wise to let me win just one round against you. Just one." She shoved him. "So that I am not tempted to fight entirely unfairly in the next bout."

Conuion, his shoulders shaking with laughter, dropped to one knee. "Mercy, my lady, I beg you. And there will be no 'next bout.' You have exhausted me. Truly."

Lindomiel took a step back from him, crossed her arms across her chest and glared down at him playfully, her practice sword hanging loosely in her hand. "I will win against you someday, Conuion," she declared.

"You continue to make that claim, my lady," Conuion replied, flinching dramatically as Lindomiel again raised her hand.

"Nana, surely you would not strike him when he is already on his knees," Legolas called, grinning at the sight before him as he descended the stairs of the dais.

Lindomiel spun towards him, startled and plainly abashed. She blushed, and returned his smile with a sheepish one of her own. "I have been caught being a terrible loser," she said. Then she smirked at Conuion. "Be grateful that he saved you. And do get up," she added when Conuion bowed to show his appreciation, even from his kneeling position.

"That was well fought," Legolas said, trying not to sound surprised. When he reached the back of the Hall, he allowed her to pull his head down for a kiss on the cheek.

"The queen has become passably skilled with a sword and dagger," Conuion said, only after he relieved her of her practice weapons.

She drew herself up. "Passably? You have just as many bruises as I have," she retorted.

"But yours are the fatal wounds and that is why I have won, yet again," Conuion replied.

Lindomiel took a threatening step towards Conuion, but she was grinning at him.

He put out both his hands in mock supplication.

"May I ask what has inspired this...warfare in the king's halls?" Legolas intervened.

"Frustration," Lindomiel answered with a rueful tone. "Ellyn are not the only ones who sometimes like to take their anger out with a sword or bow, ion nin. And since the king has ordered the Guard to keep me away from the storerooms, Conuion--one of the Guard--makes a suitable target."

Legolas laughed nervously, looking with wide eyes at his mother--surely she did not mean that she had to be ordered to stay away from Glilavan!

"It is Glilavan I would truly like to face with a sword," she said, confirming Legolas's fears. "Sparring with Conuion really does little to slake my anger at him, Marti and her servants for abducting my son and selling him to men, in order to torment my husband. For murdering my dearest friend, in order to torment my husband." She leaned towards Legolas, her right hand closed into a fist. "Marti had better pray orcs get her in the south before Thranduil has a chance to bring her here. If she is brought into this court," she stabbed her finger down to point at the floor of the Hall, "the king will have to act swiftly if he intends to be the one to pass sentence on her. I am completely at the end of my tolerance where her evil is concerned."

Legolas now stared at his mother silently, all amusement gone from his expression. His eyes darted across her face and then over her posture. Her stance was taut, openly aggressive. He had to make a conscious effort not to take a step back, away from her.

"My lady," Conuion whispered, his tone gently admonishing.

She shot him an annoyed look.

"Nana," Legolas said, his voice barely a whisper. "Can you not...I mean...what about your workshop? Weaving seems a much more suitable...."

"I have been weaving, thank you very much," she interrupted. "More than that, I have completed a lovely embroidery pattern in beautiful thread on my gown for the festival--it covers the entire back of the skirt and is much more elaborate than I had originally intended. And nearly all the baking is done for the festival. And the trade goods are packed, well ahead of schedule." She paused and drew a deep breath. After a moment, her shoulders relaxed and her fists unclenched. "Of course, you are right that I should not allow that witch to drive me to such anger. It is a foolish waste of time--a victory that she far from deserves and that I will not yield to her," she said so quietly that he had to strain to hear her, though he was standing nearly toe-to-toe with her. "But some things are simply...very difficult."

Legolas understood that.

Then her smile returned. "Better to  focus on what I love," she kissed his cheek again. "Such as you. And to a much lesser degree, of course, my weaving. Time in my workshop does help immensely. Very true." She paused, fixing him with a determined gaze that finally did force him back a step. "And what about you? What are you doing in the Hall at this hour? Galithil was looking for you. He wanted you to go dance with him on the Green, but he could not find you."

Legolas half turned from her, gesturing towards the papers on the table where the King's Council met. "I do not feel much like dancing, nana. I came in here to look at tomorrow's petitions."

"Just as I should be weaving, you should be dancing on the Green. Besides, if you work through those petitions now, you will have nothing to do during the night, when you are not sleeping," she answered softly.

Legolas looked back at her sidelong.

"Of course I have noticed that you are not sleeping, ion nin. Or eating."

Legolas frowned. "I am both eating and sleeping all that I need, nana," he replied. Then he searched his mind for some way to distract her. Doing so was his only hope of avoiding the Green. "How is Berior? And Aunt Ollwen?" He had seen very little of his cousin and nothing of his aunt since they learned of Celonhael's death.

Lindomiel stiffened in response to that question and Conuion shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.  

That made Legolas look between them with raised brows.

"Ollwen has been persuaded to go to the Havens, I hear," Lindomiel replied quietly.

Legolas gaped at her. "Berior is going with her?" he asked.

"No, no," she shook her head. "At least I do not think so. I have only heard of preparations to escort Ollwen." She turned to Conuion, who nodded.

Legolas struggled to put that together. Ollwen had always been...fragile. Legolas did not find it too difficult to believe that she did not have the strength to go on without Celonhael. But Berior's family was very close. If she sailed, she would lose Berior too. And he would lose her. Immediately after losing his father. Legolas just could not imagine how either Berior or Ollwen would cope with such losses.

"Your adar told me that she begged Berior to stay," Lindomiel said, reading his thoughts in his expression. "She argued that he is too young and has not had enough time to live in the forest. That he has so many friends and much more family here than in Aman. And, of course, your adar has promised to take care of him until he comes of age. I support her efforts to persuade him to stay. For what little value my words hold for them at the moment. I truly believe Berior can recover from this loss and thrive here in the forest. Eventually."

He frowned. "What do you mean, 'for what little value?'" he asked.

She affected a look of indifference that made Legolas's eyebrows climb. His mother did not normally bother to conceal her true reactions, at least when speaking within the family. And she was never indifferent to anything. "Surely Berior has expressed to you his, and Ollwen's, view of my involvement in Celonhael's death."

Legolas shook his head, confused. "What involvement could you possibly have, nana?"

"I gave the order that sent Celonhael and the guards that accompanied him to search for you in that mannish settlement," she answered.

Again, Legolas shook his head. "How is that important? Why should that impact whether Berior values your opinion on whether he should stay or not?"

Lindomiel shrugged and said nothing more, so Legolas turned to Conuion.

"Berior and his mother think that the queen should not have sent Celonhael. That he would not have been killed if she had not," Conuion explained quietly.

Legolas spun back around to his mother. "Did Berior say to you that he blamed you?" he demanded, scowling severely.

"You should go dance on the Green and put this out of your head," she said. When Legolas only glared at her, she smiled at him, though her eyes seemed very tired. "Your adar is enough, ion nin. I do not need my son's protection. I manage myself perfectly well."

"I asked you if Berior said to your face that he blames you," Legolas repeated.

"This is not your concern, Thranduilion," Lindomiel replied, her smile brightening to one that was more genuine. "So I have no intention of answering your question."

"Berior will answer it," Legolas said, turning towards the doors of the Hall. "I will not tolerate him treating my naneth in this manner." He took several long strides. "The very idea that you might be in any part to blame for what those insane, evil villains did..."

Lindomiel hurried after him, rushing around him and blocking his path from the Hall. "Leave it, Legolas. It does not matter. Berior and Ollwen are grieving. Sometimes people need someone to bear the blame for a terrible loss. I did order Celonhael to go after you. If they wish to blame me, let them."

Legolas stood breathing hard, studying his mother. "Nana, you do not believe you are responsible, do you?" he asked after a moment.

"I am responsible for giving the order to send Celonhael," Lindomiel answered. "And I will not try to deny to you that I did regret doing so when I heard he had been killed. Celonhael was my closest friend. But your adar told me--and I must trust his advice because he has the advantage, or misfortune, depending your point of view, of having much more experience giving orders that result in people's deaths--your adar told me that if Celonhael had not captured Fuilin, we would not have learned Ulcamarto's name. And then Engwe would not have recognized that family. And we would still know nothing of their motivations and history. We might not even know where Manadhien is. We cannot be certain Tulus and Dannenion would have confessed it if you had not guessed it first."

"I think he would have, nana," Legolas said softly.

"I do too. I always liked Tulus. Still, we know more because Celonhael captured Fuilin, so his death was not entirely in vain. Your adar says that knowing a sacrifice achieved some good makes it easier endure. Helping Berior to understand that is what we must do."

Legolas looked at his mother for a long moment before pulling her into an embrace. It broke his heart to think she blamed herself in any way. That she had to have any exposure to such a burden. "Nana, you do know...adar told you, or Conuion did...that Uncle Celonhael suggested himself that he should take Fuilin and Mauril ahead of us to the stronghold? It was his own idea."

He felt her nod. "So your adar would not execute them, forcing you to see him do such a thing," her voice dropped to a gentle whisper, "so soon after you were forced to kill Demil."

Legolas tensed. He grasped his mothers shoulders and pushed her back to arms length, holding her there. "Adar told you that?" he asked. Then he turned a glare to rival Thranduil's worst on Conuion. "Did Conuion tell you?"

But Conuion, shaking his head, appeared as shocked as Legolas. "I certainly did not."

Legolas turned back to his mother. He would go have words with his own father--or whoever else it was--that told her about Demil.

Lindomiel gripped his wrists to hold him in place. "Your adar did not tell me that..."

"Who did?"

"No one. I am not a fool, Legolas. Nor am I blind. I know Demil was killed. I read the reports. There was much more in what they did not say than there was in what little they did say. If a guard had killed him, that would have been in the report. If the king had done it, that would be entered in the court record. It had to be you or Anastor or Dannenion." She moved her hands from his wrists to cup his face. "I know my own son. I can see that you are in far more pain than that caused by your injuries. I thought I helped you more by not letting on that I knew. I thought you needed more time to accept it yourself."

Legolas snorted. "Do you accept it, nana?" he asked with a much more derisive tone than he would normally use with his mother.

She raised her eyebrows. "Are you asking me if I accept that you killed Demil rather than allowing him to kill you? And Anastor? And Dannenion? And Tulus? I not only accept it, I expect it."

"She is correct, my lord," Conuion added softly, taking a step towards him to place a hand on his shoulder.

Legolas let out a long breath and looked down.

Lindomiel lifted his chin to make him look at her. "Your adar tries to shelter me, Legolas. He thinks me quite innocent. But allow me to remind you that of all the people in this household, I am the only one that shares with you the experience of being held prisoner by men. Of course men only held Amoneth and I for a few hours, not a few days. And they did not manage to remove us from the forest. I imagine that was very frightening. I know the threat of it frightened me. Greatly. I remember wondering how Thranduil and Aradunnon would find us if the men managed to escape the forest with us." She paused before continuing in a very quiet voice. "And you may recall that I killed one of the men that attacked us. Killing a man is probably not as...burdensome as killing an elf. Men kill amongst themselves, after all, so some think that means killing them is not as bad. But, I had never killed anything I did not intend to eat before that. And I have always thought of men as Illuvatar's children, just as elves are his children. Killing that man, even to defend you.... Suffice to say that I still occasionally have nightmares about that incident. I have had several over the last few days, in fact. My point is: you can speak to me about this Legolas. I am probably the most likely person to understand what you are feeling, both because we share similar experiences and because I was attacked only a few years ago, not two Ages ago. It is still fresh in my mind too."

Legolas silently studied his mother, the need to speak to someone he completely trusted and someone who would truly understand warring with the desire to protect her from exposure to such harsh topics. Of course, she had already been exposed to them, as she said. And she had, apparently, recovered. He would never have guessed she was still affected by her experience with those men. She had never shown any sign of even remembering that incident. Yet, she just said it still gave her nightmares. Nightmares triggered by all that had happened to him. How much suffering would this incident cause!

He shook his head, gaze fixed on the floor, and remained silent.

"You will eventually come to terms with all that has happened," Conuion assured him, squeezing his shoulder. "It will take time, but it will happen."

"It will happen faster if you focus on the beauty in the world rather than the ugliness," Lindomiel added. She reached for the practice weapons Conuion still held. "I will put these in their place and then I am going to take your suggestion and weave for a while. Conuion, rather than making Legolas wait for Tureden, would you mind taking him to the Green?"

Legolas almost flinched at the mention of his new guard.

Conuion nodded."Of course I will, my lady."

"Your cousins are there," Lindomiel said, forestalling Legolas's protests. "Aewen will be there. Go. Dance." She pushed him towards the doors of the Hall.

With a quiet sigh, Legolas complied. There was never any use to arguing with his mother. Maybe something on the Green could succeed in distracting him. But he did not really believe that possible. There was not really any doubt in his mind what he would face the first time he returned to the Green.

*~*~*

"And so, all the men are dead," Legolas said, concluding his story. "They are no longer any threat to this realm. Demil is also dead. His brothers escaped, but not before giving up some information that the king can use to capture everyone involved in this plot. The names of the two elves that helped Demil capture us, for example--Lagril and Pelin. All things considered, it could have ended much worse. Though, of course, it ended terribly enough," he glanced at Berior and released a long breath as quietly as he could.

It was not pleasant to relive that experience in the retelling of it. For him or for Anastor, who had added details here and there throughout. They both omitted the worst detail--how Demil had died. He had expected this the first time he ventured onto the Green, but, now that it was done, Legolas was relieved. The best part was that almost everyone who would feel free to question him--all his cousins, friends and even their parents--were present here in Aewen's yard. They had all heard the tale in one telling. Legolas looked at his cousin Galithil, wondering if he had arranged this little gathering purposefully to accomplish that feat. It was possible. If any of his cousins understood the difficulties of being forced to retell the same horrible story over and over, it was Galithil.

"I just do not understand how an elf could do such things," Berior said to no one in particular, shaking his head.

There was a quiet murmuring of agreement. Eirienil nodded. She was the most outwardly unperturbed of anyone present other than Galithil, who already knew the whole story. She had the experience of working in the Great Hall to temper her reaction. Brethil and Aewen's faces were both very pale and their parents were not much better composed.

"I do not understand it either," Anastor replied with a disgusted tone.

Berior turned a cool glare on him, one eyebrow raised. "Your adar understood well enough, apparently," he said under his breath.

Maidhien loosed a soft, annoyed noise and Anastor's expression hardened, his cheeks reddening.

Legolas shot a startled glance at his cousin. The king still considered Dannenion's involvement to be confidential--a secret Berior had been privy to since Demil's original arrest and one that none of them were allowed to discuss in general company. That aside, Anastor and his father had suffered too. It was not like Berior to be cruel and it was cruel, in Legolas's opinion, to remind Anastor of deeds that both he and his father had paid for dearly. Of course, if Berior was blaming Lindomiel for his father's death...

"But why would any elves in this forest threaten our king?" Aewen's mother asked. "Much less in such a terrible way. How would elves even think of such schemes, much less find the means to act upon them?"

"I heard they are not Silvan. Or not Demil anyway," her father answered. "Conuion told us that he was not from this realm when he showed Demil to the warriors in my patrol and warned us not to allow him to re-enter the forest after the king exiled him. So maybe none of them are Silvan."

Menelwen and Dollion both faced Legolas to see if he could confirm that speculation.

"But they could not be Sindar, could they, Legolas? That seems even worse, since all the Sindar in the forest--or most of them, anyway--are the king's personal friends." Aewen said before Legolas could respond to her parents.

Much to Legolas's surprise, Aewen had been fairly stuck to his side all evening, even holding his hand since he first allowed Galithil to drag him to her yard to meet their friends. When his mind could manage to focus on something other than Demil, Legolas found himself hoping that she was not clinging to him simply because the story he had told frightened her. But, surely that was all there was to it. A First Year warrior was currently courting her. Of course, she had not invited that warrior to be here with them now.

"If they are Sindar," Crithad said, interrupting Legolas's speculation about Aewen, "which I greatly doubt, they are not from Menegroth. Those of us that are would not commit such atrocities, having seen them once. Who are they, exactly, Legolas?"

Legolas hesitated over how to answer that. His father had agreed that if the people in the forest asked, he would not hide the reason Manadhien and her servants sought revenge against him. Still, Legolas was not certain it was his place to discuss it.

"Demil is not Silvan or Sindar. He is Noldor," Berior said when Legolas remained silent too long. "When he was first arrested, he said that he and," he paused to glance at Anastor, Noruil and Maidhien, "some others intended to take revenge on the king by murdering everyone in our family and making the king watch that. When they killed my adar and attempted to kill Legolas, Demil made good on that promise."

Aewen, Brethil and their parents gasped at that revelation. Anastor and Maidhien were nearly successful in hiding their glares, while Noruil squirmed uncomfortably. Eirienil and Galithil both stared a warning at Berior.

Berior did not seem to notice. He simply faced Legolas.  "Do you know what they claim the king did? Why they want revenge on him? I have not heard that part, if the king managed to learn it from them."

Everyone again looked at Legolas, waiting to see if he could answer that question.

Legolas clenched his jaw. Berior should know better than to make this discussion public.

"It may be that he knows, but is not at liberty to discuss it," Dollion said softly.

Legolas could not deny that he was tempted to accept that escape, but no one in his family hid from confrontations. Neither would he. "The king said he would explain Demil's claims if asked," he said. "I will do so, since I have been asked. You all know, of course, that my adar and daeradar were forced to fight when the Noldor attacked Menegroth and later Sirion."

Dollion nodded and Crithad visibly tensed, but their wives and children obviously had not known that fact.

"Apparently, they killed an elf named Ulcamarto and his son. Ulcamarto's daughter, Manadhien, and her servants, one of whom was Demil, are now seeking revenge against my adar for that deed."

Aewen drew in a sharp breath and her hand tightened around Legolas's, but before he could do anything to reassure her, Noruil's response commanded everyone's attention.

"Thranduil has actually killed an elf!" he exclaimed loudly in the same scornful voice he always used when speaking of the king. He looked from Legolas to Anastor and his eyes widened further when his cousin did not appear surprised or even slightly disapproving.

"While defending himself and his family," Anastor answered.

"While defending himself, his family and other unarmed citizens, including me," Crithad added.

Legolas tried to ignore Noruil's opinion of killing elves by focusing on Crithad. He looked at him apologetically. He did not intend to remind him of terrible memories. He did not even know that Crithad was in Menegroth during the attack. But when he saw Crithad's expression, he froze. Never had he seen such cold, fury on Crithad's face. And Legolas, alongside Brethil, had confessed plenty of misdeeds to him during their youth.

"Those Noldor were willing to kill anyone. Even people who were unarmed," Crithad continued, pointing to himself. "Who could not fight. Thranduil and Oropher defended us all, at great personal cost. They did what they had to do."

Noruil looked down. "I suppose so," he replied quietly.

"I know so," Anastor said vehemently.

Noruil looked at him, eyebrows raised. So did Eirienil.

"I agree," Dollion said. "As I understand it, Oropher was a warrior in Menegroth. It was his duty to defend its citizens, just as I would defend the citizens of this realm. If I saw an elf attack another elf, I would intervene. If I saw a force of elves attacking this realm, I would fight against them, even if that meant killing them to protect our citizens. That is my duty to this realm as one of its warriors."

Legolas nodded his thanks to Crithad and Dollion. He was more grateful for their words than they could understand.

"May I ask what Glilavan's part in all this was?" Dollion asked after a pause. "Conuion sent me to escort him back from the training exercise. He has been removed as captain. And imprisoned, I have heard."

"An excellent question," Berior said, turning to Legolas expectantly.

Legolas drew a long breath. Glilavan. This part of the tale would be the worst shock, since everyone present was friendly with Glilavan to some degree. Indeed, Galithil, who already knew the answer to Dollion's question, closed his eyes in anticipation of being forced to hear it again. "Glilavan used his position as captain to conspire with Manadhien and her servants," he answered. "He told them what they needed to know in order to compromise the training drill and abduct Anastor and I from the border. When the king questioned him in the Hall, Glilavan concluded the interview by attacking and attempting to kill me with his knife." He held up his left forearm, allowing his sleeve to fall back and reveal the deep cut there that still bore stitches.

Aewen clutched his right hand so hard now that her grip was painful, but she appeared so frightened that Legolas did not have the heart to try to extract his hand from her grasp. Instead, he turned to Berior and continued in a softer voice. "Glilavan also helped Demil's brothers to escape, and in doing so, it is my understanding that he confessed to shooting your adar, though it was one of Demil's brothers that killed him. For attacking me and killing Lord Celonhael, Glilavan has been convicted of high treason."

Dollion loosed a low whistle, shaking his head. Crithad, eyes closed, whispered something. A prayer, possibly. Legolas thought he caught Elbereth's name.

"Glilavan always was an orc's arse!" Noruil exclaimed.

Anastor uttered a worse curse and looked straight at Legolas, fists clenched.

It was Berior who voiced the question Anastor was obviously about to ask. "And what is the king doing with him, then? He had better execute him. I want to see him die for helping to kill my adar."

With effort, Legolas kept his face as expressionless as he could manage. That was the closest he had ever heard anyone in his family come to publicly questioning the king, though, granted, Berior did not know yet that his statement contradicted the king's decision. Only Legolas, Galithil and Dolgailon had been present to hear what Thranduil would do with Glilavan.

"Execute him?" exclaimed Merileth. One hand flew to cover her mouth and the other sought out her husband's.

"The king would not execute elves," Crithad reassured her, patting her hand. "He will exile him, as he did Demil."

"So he can come back and kill more people?" Dollion asked. "Demil, with Glilavan's help, returned from exile to kill two Sixth Years, Lord Celonhael and almost the king's own son. Berior is right. Glilavan and everyone else that participated in this must be prevented from doing more harm."

"Would you kill him then?" Crithad demanded.

"If the king ordered it, yes," the captain of the Palace Guard replied without hesitation, nodding once.

"Dollion, no," Menelwen whispered.

Dollion turned a look on his wife that clearly demanded silence. "I trust the king's judgment and I will obey it."

Crithad looked down at that. "Well said, Dollion. I cannot argue against that reasoning, especially given all the king has seen. He would fully understand that judgment, should he have to make it. Still, I hope that he is not forced to."

"If these elves are going to continue attacking the king's family--and they said they would, apparently--he will have to," Brethil said. "I am not even in the training yet, but I would fight these elves to defend the king. Or anyone in his family." He turned to Legolas. "If I had been there with you, I would have fought them."

"So would I," Noruil said.

"And I," Galithil added softly.

"So would I," Aewen said. "If I saw them attack Legolas or anyone else. But I cannot imagine the king having to....what would he even do? Would he stab them with his sword?"

"I would be happy shoot them with an arrow as they shot my adar," Berior said.

"Enough!" Legolas intervened before anyone could respond to Berior's comment and make the argument worse. "The king has decided that Glilavan will be taken under guard to the Havens and sent to Aman to be judged by the Valar there." He avoided saying that his father had decided to execute Fuilin and Mauril, if they were caught. Legolas still hoped to persuade him to find another punishment for them.

"That is a good solution," Crithad said, with obvious relief.

"It is, no doubt, the best decision he can make," Dollion agreed.

Only Berior scowled. "I would rather see Glilavan executed here. That would ensure he is beyond the ability to hurt anyone else and will be judged by the Valar in Mandos Halls."

Legolas turned a squelching glare on his cousin now. Publicly gainsaying the king was completely unacceptable and Berior knew it. He was grieving, obviously, but that was no excuse. "Executing Glilavan is not what your adar wanted, Berior," he said quietly. "When the king asked his opinion on this matter, your adar stated that executing any of them was an unthinkable crime against the laws of both the Eldar and the Valar. Those were his words. Words he backed up with actions. He took Fuilin and Mauril north in order to remove them from the king's sight, fearing he might be provoked into executing them before properly considering that decision..."

"And that kindness was repaid with death," Berior retorted.

"Your adar knew the dangers, Berior," Legolas replied. "Knowing them, he chose, of his own free will, to take on the risk of showing mercy to Fuilin and Mauril. In doing so, he lost his life, but preserved his fea. Executing them, or standing idly while they were executed, was an act that he believed would shadow his entire family--he said he would not even allow you to witness it, if the king chose to execute them. He wanted to try to prevent it, if possible, and I believe he made the right choice..."

"Easy for you to say, since your adar was not the one who died," Berior interrupted, voice raised.

Legolas leaned forward, towards Berior, trying to keep his tone reasonable, but doubting that he entirely succeeded. "Your adar was trying to show that there are ways to prevent murder without doing murder ourselves. Killing elves is evil. I would rather die myself than employ evil or become evil and if..."

"Well that frightens me, my lord," Berior cut him off, now shouting. He rose to his feet to tower over Legolas. "Who else are you willing to allow to die with you?" he asked "I want to believe that the king will do whatever is necessary to keep the forest safe. That is his duty, after all. It might be yours one day. Would you do it? It appears not!"

"Out of line, Berior!" Galithil shouted, also standing to face off with his cousin.

"You want to shut up," Anastor said, jumping up and interposing himself between Berior and Legolas. "You have no understanding of what you are talking about. You have never even killed an orc. Legolas has already fought several battles and killed many enemies."

Berior glared at Galithil and Anastor, but did not back down. Instead, hands on his hips, he looked past them at Legolas, awaiting an answer.

Legolas frowned and held his gaze, but he did not stand himself. "The deeds that Manadhien and her servants have committed are evil, no doubt," he said in a quiet, even voice. "And I agree that everyone in the forest, my family especially, is obligated to fight against evil in this realm to keep its citizens safe. But I firmly believe that while fighting evil, we must not become evil or do evil ourselves. Therefore, I can say that, should such a decision fall to me, I would only execute an elf--or a man--if I had exhausted every other alternative. But, if I had to, yes, Berior, I could do it to protect this realm."

"And Anastor accused me of speaking of things I did not understand," Berior muttered.

Legolas's back stiffened.

"May neither Legolas nor the king be forced to such acts," Anastor said, speaking over him. "Glilavan has been judged by the king and will be judged by the Valar. I hope orcs get the rest of his co-conspirators. They deserve the nasty way orcs would kill them. But It is not any of our places, not even Legolas's, to question whatever decision the king has made regarding Glilavan. This conversation needs to end. Now."

"Well said, Anastor," Galithil replied.

"Indeed so," agreed Maidhien, eyebrows raised at her brother.

Eirienil nodded, also appraising Anastor with open surprise.

If the situation had been less tense, Legolas would have laughed at Maidhien and Eirienil. Truth be told, he was impressed by Anastor's words as well. Much better impressed with him than with Berior.

Berior looked between Legolas and Anastor, breathing hard. Then he stalked off without another word, pushing his way past Anastor and Galithil.

"He needs time to heal," Crithad whispered. "He is grieving and did not think before he spoke."

Everyone remained silent, watching Berior leave with sympathetic expressions.

*~*~*

Legolas and Galithil walked swiftly down the main corridor of the family quarters. Conuion had finally insisted they come in from the Green. All their other cousins and friends had retired to their own rooms or cottages, much to Legolas's relief. He wanted solitude. He had suffered all the company he could bear for the evening.

A light under the king's office door showed he was still working. Hallion was likely with him. Legolas glanced into the sitting room. It was empty. He frowned, wondering where his mother was, since there was no light under the door to his parent's suite. She must still be weaving. On the positive side, Engwe was not in the sitting room either. Legolas cut into the room just as he was about to pass the door.

Galithil emitted an annoyed growl, stumbling after him. "A little warning," he mumbled.

That made Legolas grin as he walked straight past the chairs his parents normally sat in.

"You do not even want any wine?" Galithil asked, pausing by the small table that held drinks and snacks.

"I would not complain if you brought some for me," Legolas replied without slowing down. He laid a hand on the stone wall behind the chairs. A seam appeared in it and then a door swung open, leading into the Queen's garden. "Close the door again on your way out, so no one bothers us," he said, stepping outside.

As soon as he did, Legolas stopped short. Galithil's sarcastic reply was lost as Legolas focused on the garden's occupant. Dolgailon sat on the bench under the beech in the middle of the garden. An empty goblet sat next him as he stared up at the stars. His expression was grave and he brought it under control only with obvious effort when he realized someone had joined him.

"I beg your pardon, Dolgailon," Legolas said softly, taking a step backwards. "I will leave you to your thoughts."

Dolgailon shook his head and raised a hand from his lap to wave Legolas forward. "I would prefer company, if you are willing," he said, trying to smile.

Misery loves company. Legolas had learned that Mannish expression when he had studied Westron, but he said nothing. He only continued his march into the garden. The night air was crisp and the smell of fall leaves lingered in it. That was a pleasant smell that reminded Legolas of childhood games jumping and hiding in piles of leaves. He settled on the ground in front of the bench, causing Dolgailon's brows to rise. Before his older cousin could say anything, Legolas laid flat on his back, pillowing his head on one hand bent behind him. With his other hand, he picked up a bright yellow leaf and twirled it by its stem, studying it silently.

Dolgailon nodded and leaned back against the tree.

"Do you want me to pour your wine down your throat?" Galithil asked, interrupting the silence as he juggled two wine goblets, a flagon and struggled to close the stone door with a foot.

"If you are not careful, you might spill it down your own shirt," Dolgailon replied, watching his brother with an amused expression.

"No one should bother to get up and help. I can manage," Galithil said, finally hooking his foot around the door and giving it a good shove.

"Of course you can. Bring me that flagon. My goblet is empty," Dolgailon said with all apparent seriousness.

Legolas snickered, causing Dolgailon to openly laugh as Galithil made a face at him. Dolgailon took the flagon from Galithil as he approached the bench and refilled his goblet. Galithil dropped Legolas's goblet next to him on the ground, took the flagon from his brother and sat next to Legolas, leaning back, propped up by one hand. He filled his goblet and placed the flagon on the ground next to Legolas, leaving him to pour for himself. Legolas did not bother to sit up to do so.

They sipped their wine and studied the stars in companionable silence for a long while.

Finally, Dolgailon looked at Legolas and Galithil.

"The two of you have training in the morning, do you not?" he asked.

Rather than annoying Galithil, as his older brother's attempts at parenting always did, that question caused him to spin around and stare at Legolas. "Are you returning to training tomorrow?" he asked, voice rising in surprise.

Legolas nodded. "I am supposed to, yes. At least for the classes, not for the weapons training. Nestoreth says I must wait several more days for my ribs to completely heal before I can do any training that involves contact, like sparring or the hand-to-hand combat drills." He glanced at Dolgailon. "I will be on time, commander. The First Years have drills in the morning and classes in the afternoon this week. If staying up late makes me late for anything, it will be petitions, not training."

Dolgailon raised an eyebrow. "I doubt the king will respond better to lateness than the training masters would."

Legolas now tilted his head forward to look at his cousin fully. "I notice that you are here along with me, so how will the king respond when the orders to the patrols are not sent on time?" he asked. "For that matter, how will Arthiel respond when she cannot find her husband?"

Dolgailon snorted and shook his head. "You win, Legolas. We will both report for our respective duties on time in the morning. And as for Arthiel, she threw me out of our bed until I can stay in it without keeping her awake, so I am trying to be a good husband by being here rather than with her," he responded.

Galithil laughed out loud at that. "And I was counting on you for marital advice," he said. "But then, you have been married for almost 50 years and you still do not have any children, so I suppose you are not keeping Arthiel awake for the right reasons. Obviously not in her opinion, at any rate."

Dolgailon launched a kick in his brother's direction. "I am having trouble sleeping and my tossing and turning is keeping her awake, you little orc. Govern your tongue when speaking about my wife," he responded, his broad smile tempering his words.

Galithil reached over and shoved at his brother's boot in retaliation for the kick.

"Why are you having trouble sleeping?" Legolas asked, watching as Dolgailon continued to poke repeatedly at Galithil with his boot. Galithil slapped it and then seized his brother's ankle to prevent further attacks.

"For the same reason you apparently are, I imagine, Legolas," he replied, trying to free his foot. "Take care the conversations you begin."

Legolas propped his arm behind his head to better look at his cousin. "If you would prefer not to speak of it, I will respect that, obviously, but I cannot deny that I am curious what aspect of the recent events could cause you to lose sleep."

Dolgailon looked at him sidelong. "Very well. I have been replaying in my mind what I could have done differently, since returning to live in the stronghold, to prevent everything that has happened over the last few days." He shook his head, abandoning his game with Galithil and becoming very serious. "I cannot believe Glilavan...." He closed his eyes. "He could have killed you, Legolas. He is responsible, at least partly, for Celonhael's death and the deaths of two Sixth Years. How could I not see the danger he represented? I am so sorry that I did not."

"If you are apologizing to me, Dolgailon, I do not need or want an apology. You are not responsible for Glilavan's actions."

Dolgailon looked at him. "Yes, Legolas, I am. I made him captain of that program, knowing you and my little brother were about to enter it. I put him in a position that he was able to take advantage of. And I did that despite the fact that the king and my adar warned me repeatedly that Glilavan could not be trusted." He paused. "Even you warned me, Legolas. Ten years ago, when I first promoted him, you told me that that you heard Tulus tell Glilavan that if you were attacked, that would mean Tulus would be attacked. You were suspicious of that conversation. Do you remember that?"

Legolas went stock still. He had not remembered it until now.

"You obviously do," Dolgailon said. "You came to me because you did not know how to bring such a conversation to the king's attention. I should have told him. But did I? No, because I did not have the ability a thirty-five year old child had to judge Glilavan's character. So I had a conversation with Glilavan and Tulus and convinced myself that I had done more than enough. If I had listened to you then, you might not have..." he drifted to silence and ran his gaze across Legolas's various injuries. "What would you say? Around 50 stitches, all told?"

"Do not remind me," Legolas exclaimed, keeping his tone playful in an effort to make Dolgailon see that he truly did not blame him. "How is it that the wound is never, never as painful as its treatment?"

Dolgailon shook his head and laughed, but he looked miserable. "A forty-six year old child should not know that so well and you would not save for Manadhien's attacks on this family. Their success is at least partially my fault. I made Glilavan your captain. I have defended him since Manadhien first attacked the queen. Over and over I told the king that Glilavan is a good officer. An outstanding warrior. My friend." He spat that last phrase. "Legolas, until I saw him attack you, I was ready to argue with the king that there was, in fact, no evidence to convict him except the accusations of three traitors. I believed that his explanations for all of the king's questions were logical...."

"They were," Legolas agreed, cutting off Dolgailon's self criticism. "That is what made him dangerous. He was smart and played his role well."

Dolgailon did not appear to hear that. He continued without pause. "I have been an utter fool. I am ashamed to even look at your adar." He paused. "I am ashamed to look at you," he added softly.

"I understand that," Galithil said. His voice was full of regret. "Glilavan deceived me too. I defended him to Legolas a hundred times in the last year alone. I could not believe my own eyes when he drew his knife..."

Dolgailon responded to that with a wince and a nod.

Legolas studied his cousins for a moment. Then he hauled himself up to sit cross-legged. First he addressed Galithil. "Glilavan was always nice to you. We were children. Young children. And Glilavan gave you what you wanted. Being a young child, you did not have the experience to see anything deceitful in Glilavan's behavior and if I did, it is because my adar told me , long before he told you, that he thought Glilavan guilty of treason, though he could not prove it. Naturally, we had differing views of Glilavan." He turned to Dolgailon. "And Glilavan was your mentor when you were a new warrior. When you first came of age. True?"

Dolgailon nodded. "It is only by the grace of the Valar that he did not simply let one of my mistakes kill me then," he muttered.

"But he did not," Legolas continued. "In fact, you have told us stories about how he helped Galudiron save your life several times when you did make mistakes that would have killed you."

Dolgailon remained silent.

"And you spent leaves with him, in Tulus's home. You enjoyed that because you were friends. With both of them."

Dolgailon laughed bitterly. "I thought he was my friend, but now I can only believe that he was forming that supposed friendship because of its potential later use. Manadhien probably told him to do it." He glanced at Galithil. "Just as he tried to manipulate Galithil. That is what adar and the king and you," he directed himself back to Legolas, "all thought was happening when Glilavan first befriended him."

"It is also possible that Glilavan truly was your friend, Dolgailon. That he did not hate you as he apparently does my adar. Perhaps he saw something in you that he never saw in the king. He certainly thought you are a good warrior and he respected you as an officer. I know that because if I had heard him say one more time, 'Dolgailon caught on to this right away. What is your problem?' I might have struck an officer."

Dolgailon raised an eyebrow and laughed despite himself, but his response was serious. "I based my judgments of Glilavan solely on my own interactions with him and I ignored the way he treated you. I dismissed what you said about him because you were a child and I thought your adar and mine had influenced your opinions of Glilavan. I continued to dismiss what I heard about his treatment of you in the training program--what I heard from the officers in the program--because I trusted him. I was a fool."

"I admit that I thought his treatment of me was unfair in training," Legolas said. "But I believed the justification he gave for it in court when Dannenion brought that up. I think perhaps his treatment of me was a mixture of his hatred for my adar and a desire to make me into what he would see as a better leader, more like you."

"Until he tried to kill you, at least," Dolgailon concluded sarcastically. "Dead leaders rarely have much use."

Legolas frowned. "Dolgailon, hear me when I say that it did not occur to me to blame you for trusting Glilavan. Ever. If you say that Glilavan was a good officer and a good warrior, then I trust that judgment. Unfortunately, he also, apparently, blamed the king for the death of his brother and the loss of his naneth and Manadhien twisted those losses into hatred. Such a blind hatred that he was willing to endanger even his own father. Glilavan betrayed both friends and family...."

"That much is certain," Dolgailon said.

"But his betrayal is not your fault."

"I command this realm's warriors, Legolas. Everything pertaining to those warriors is my responsibility. That is the nature of command. You know that."

"I do. I also know that when we make command decisions, we make the best ones we can based on the information we have and, if we later find that information is inaccurate or incomplete, we have to adapt. If we make a mistake, we learn from it and move on."

"So long as you are alive to do so, which, this time, you are exceedingly lucky to be."

"Not lucky. Well trained. In the program you designed, by the officers you chose, including Glilavan."

Dolgailon studied Legolas silently for a long moment. "Well trained. I will grant you that. You responded very well to all of this."

Legolas sighed and looked between Galithil and Dolgailon. Neither appeared any less remorseful than they had when this conversation began. Maybe their guilt, like his own, was something that would only be assuaged with time. He laid back on the ground, head pillowed on his arm.

"There are few injuries that are more painful than cracked ribs, in my experience," Dolgailon commented in response to Legolas's still slow and careful movements. "How did that happen, if I may ask? Or better still, tell me how you got that impressive cut. Knife fight with the men?"

Legolas tensed and did not answer. He had spoken about his abduction earlier because he knew it would be impossible to avoid doing so entirely, but Dolgailon's question required a much more specific answer, on a much more difficult topic. From the corner of his eye, he saw Galithil shake his head at his brother, mouthing 'he has had enough.'

Dolgailon only scowled. "Tulus made his report about this incident before leaving for the village, Legolas," he said very softly. "It was remarkably undetailed, yet the king accepted it. That struck me as very suspicious."

That made even Galithil raise an eyebrow.

Legolas stiffened and looked at Dolgailon, searching his older cousin's eyes to try to determine what he knew or suspected he knew--if he, like Lindomiel, had guessed too much. But Dolgailion appeared remarkably calm. Unperturbed. He likely knew very little then, Legolas concluded, turning away.

"From what little I could glean from that report, you managed yourself very well, as I already said. Still I am curious about several things. For example, surrendering yourself to save Tulus and Anastor must have been a difficult decision. I understand at that point Tulus had already been wounded and disrmed by Demil's arrow and one of the elves had a knife to Anastor's throat, so I see why you chose to surrender."

Dolgailon definitely knew nothing. Not if that was what he thought made Legolas unwilling to speak. Still, that decision to surrender did plague Legolas. It was the one that set everything else in motion--their abduction, Anastor being forced to kill the man, Dannenion loosing his arm, Demil's death, Celonhael's death...

"But it was a decision that contradicted what you, specifically, were taught in the training program about allowing yourself to be taken hostage," Dolgailon pressed.

Legolas drew a long breath and let it out slowly. He pushed himself up to a seated position again. "That was a difficult decision," he answered, accepting, albeit begrudgingly, that Dolgailon was not going to abandon his questioning. Perhaps Legolas could keep the conversation focused away from the worst topics, as he had earlier. "I understand the position I put the king in. I was aware of the risk to this realm when I allowed myself to be captured. Especially when I could have killed Demil right there. Did Tulus put that in his report? I had an arrow on Demil, but Demil had his arrow on Tulus and Pelin had a knife at Anastor's throat. I did not see how I could shoot both Demil and Pelin too before he slit Anastor's throat." Legolas loosed a bitter laugh. "Demil helpfully pointed out, after I surrendered, that the proper thing to do would have been to use the arrow I had nocked on Pelin first, to eliminate the greatest threat, and then shoot him--Demil--second. If I had thought of that, I am sure I could have managed it. I could have shot Pelin and then Demil fast enough to get them both before Demil got an arrow off. But I did not think if it."

Legolas expected some sort of reprimand for that failure. He deserved one and he knew it. But Dolgailon did not make one. "I have seen your skill with a bow. I think you could have managed to do what Demil suggested. But given the added pressure to aim well enough to injure and not kill--since they were elves and not men--it would have been a difficult shot, even for a more experienced warrior. I think you made the proper choice, difficult as it must have been. I might have done the same thing, in hope of a solution where I did not have to injure any elves."

Injure any elves! Legolas swallowed hard as the memory of Demil's blood flowing over his hands involuntarily arose in his mind. He said nothing.

"Tulus's report also said that you and Anastor escaped from the men before he and Dannenion managed to aid you," Dolgailon said after a brief pause. "That is impressive. Will you tell me how you managed it?"

Legolas closed his eyes. "We had worked ourselves free, but there was a man in the tent with us. I stabbed him with...something. Anastor grabbed his knife and finished him. And we slit the back of the tent and ran."

"A good many men came after you when they discovered your escape, the report said. Did you get that cut fighting one of them?"

"I got it when Tulus and Dannenion were trying to hold off the men, yes," Legolas answered.

"Do you know when Demil came into all this? The king killed him before he found you, I assume?"

Legolas look up at his older cousin again. "Did adar tell you that he killed Demil?"

Dolgailon shook his head. "He is being evasive about discussing it, which is understandable. I would find it difficult to talk about if I had been there and been forced to kill him. But, Conuion's report did not mention Demil at all. It did say that Celonhael managed to capture Fuilin and Mauril, and made no mention of Demil being with them, so I thought it must be that Thranduil killed him before you met up with Celonhael."

He waited for Legolas to elaborate on what happened.

Legolas forced his face to be completely blank, but he could not speak. He simply did not know how to explain what happened to Demil.

"You did not see...were you there when...Demil died?" Dolgailon asked, eyes widening as he recognized how uncomfortable Legolas was despite his efforts to hide it.

Legolas nodded and looked down. He could not let Dolgailon and Galithil think that his father killed Demil. It was wrong to allow him to take blame. But... He took a deep breath.

"Did Demil fight Thranduil or did the king execute him?" Dolgailon asked, his voice a mere whisper.

"Adar did not fight him..."

"Elbereth! He executed him!" Dolgailon exclaimed, trying and failing badly to not sound disapproving.

"No he did not," Legolas rushed to say.

Dolgailon frowned in confusion. "If Thranduil did not fight him or execute him, how did he die?" His jaw dropped. "Did Dannenion kill him? I assumed he lost his arm fighting the men. Tulus's report said Dannenion fought the men with him." He fell silent, waiting for Legolas to answer that question.

Legolas found himself staring at his cousin, trying to speak, but his mouth would not form any words. "Dannenion did fight him..." he finally managed to stammer. "To defend Anastor and I... that is how Dannenion lost his arm... Demil did it..."

Dolgailon shook his head and waved his hands in front of him, cutting Legolas off. "You do not have to talk about this. Indeed, Uncle Thranduil will be furious with me, with good reason, for dragging you this far into it. I am sorry, Legolas. And even sorrier that you had to see such things."

"Dolgailon..." Legolas tried to interrupt.

"That explains why the king is so certain of Dannenion's new loyalty to him," Dolgailon muttered. "He seems to have earned the king's trust, true enough, I suppose. Of course, he was likely defending his own sniveling son more than he was you. I hope Thranduil has thought of that."

"Anastor and I were doing well enough against Demil on our own, Dolgailon," Legolas blurted out, not willing to listen to either Dannenion or Anastor be disparaged. "Indeed, I would not be alive if not for both Anastor and Dannenion. Anastor would not leave me when he had the chance to run. He stayed and fought with me. He jumped in behind Demil and stabbed him with a knife. Twice. Both times, Demil would have at least managed to disarm, if not kill me, had Anastor not intervened. And when Demil got the knife from him, Anastor jumped, unarmed, onto Demil's back. To give me time to recover enough from this," he pointed to his chest, "to be able to defend myself again. That was when Dannenion joined the fight too. They both fought bravely and we all would be dead if that were not so."

By the time Legolas stopped speaking, both Galithil and Dolgailon were gaping at him.

"You fought Demil?" Dolgailon asked.

Legolas tensed and looked down, nodding.

"With a sword? A knife?"

"Anastor and I had one sword between us that we stole from the man when we escaped and I held it since I at least have some idea how to wield it...."

"More than I thought if you could hold your own against someone like Demil," Dolgailon interrupted. "You must have fought very well to hold him off. I have never, not even once, beaten uncle Thranduil or Engwe sparring. Their experience, like Demil's, dates to the First Age."

Legolas snorted bitterly. "So Demil reminded me. I was lucky, Dolgailon. Nothing more. At first, he tried to disarm me because he wanted to recapture Anastor and I and sell us to another group of men for still more gold. He wanted me as uninjured as he could manage and believed that I could not fight at all. When I fought better than he expected, he grew more serious, but he also believed by then that I would not kill him, because I had not taken advantage of several opportunities to do so. Several times, he left himself completely open, since he thought I would not take a killing blow..."

"Then he was a fool," Dolgailon interrupted. "Never assume anything in a fight, Legolas, unless it is that your opponent is willing to kill you."

Legolas only managed to nod in response to that.

"Of course, obviously I understand why you did not take advantage of those opportunities to kill him. I am not at all certain that I could have killed him either. He was an elf, not an orc. Supposedly. But I am very pleased with your ability to analyze the fight. It sounds as if you fought well." He paused, shaking his head, but continued again before Legolas could more fully explain what really happened. "Neither Conuion's nor Tulus's report included a word about this fight, likely at the king's orders since you were involved. But I will speak to Anastor about his bravery," Dolgailon said.

"You should," Legolas agreed, some animation returning to his voice. "He would be very pleased to hear from the realm's Troop Commander that he was brave. Hearing about his adar was very hard on him. He needs support right now."

Dolgailon leaned down and placed a hand on Legolas's shoulder. "You do realize how brave your own actions were? You and Anastor freed yourselves, killing a man and holding off an elf. By keeping your head under remarkably difficult circumstances that few elves have experienced, you survived. True, Dannenion was badly wounded. You all were wounded, but warriors are sometimes wounded and you all did survive. No one died but the enemy. You won this scenario. And I find that very impressive. You did very well, Legolas."

Legolas managed a half smile at him. "Thank you," he said quietly. He said nothing more. Dolgailon's words did spark a tiny bit of pride in him that he quickly dismissed. He was not certain it was appropriate to feel proud of anything that had happened. He still had not even managed to confess the worst of it, so Dolgailon might be of a different mind once he did.

"Has your adar spoken to you about this Legolas?" Dolgailon asked.

"Of course," Legolas answered quickly.

Dolgailon looked at him doubtfully.

Well, that reaction was somewhat justified and Legolas could not deny it. His father had spoken to him. He had drilled him on the facts surrounding this incident and then used what he had learned to interrogate Fuilin. Given how busy the king had been managing this situation, they had not specifically spoken about what Legolas had done and that suited Legolas fine.

"Perhaps you and I should speak to the training masters about it as well," Dolgailon continued after a moment.

Legolas's gaze snapped to his cousin and he drew a breath to protest.

"To analyze some of the decisions you and Anastor made for the sake of discussing their advantages and disadvantages. It might help you to talk about it."

"I will consider it. Unless that is an order. In that case, I will comply, obviously," Legolas replied stiffly.

"It is not an order," Dolgailon replied. "I would never order you or anyone else to speak of something private. But Legolas, I think you should consider talking about this more. It is plainly obvious how uncomfortable you feel for fighting Demil. Guilty, even. I only want to do whatever I can to help you realize that what you did, you had both the right and the duty to do."

Legolas nodded without looking at him. "I do understand that, Dolgailon. Adar told me that and so did Tulus and Conuion. And Dannenion. And Anastor. And even nana. Understanding it and truly believing it are two different things. I imagine time will help the most."

Dolgailon studied him for a long moment and then leaned back against the tree. "I would say time and a little sleep, but since we are both in this garden rather than in our respective beds, I have no room to criticize you on that score." He turned his attention back to the stars.

Legolas did the same. If Dolgailon felt guilty about Glilavan without even knowing everything that had happened, perhaps it was best not to burden him with even more.

*~*~*

Adar/ada -- Father/dad
Naneth/nana -- mother/mum
ion nin -- my son
Daeradar -- Grandfather
Ellon/ellyn -- male elf/elves