"Are you well, Thorwen Hiril nin? You look a little flush," - Bregwen

11th July/Cerveth, 3016, City Realm of Dale.

It was early evening when Legolas, Calenamath, Celephinniel and Thorwen made their way to the Keep by carriage. Celephinniel took great care in dressing Thorwen's hair with a jewelled hairnet to cover her ears. Legolas peaked nervously through the drapes. "The city feels somewhat darker tonight as if a shadow were upon it."

The Keep itself was a small castle at the very top of the city and surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens. Despite the repairs, the building still showed signs of ongoing work. Once inside, the company was shown into a grand dining hall with high vaulted ceilings and wall hangings. King Brand, his Queen and their son Prince Bard graciously entertained them with feasting and music.

Prince Bard had Thorwen seated next to him. He was a little older than her, his brown hair was neatly trimmed to the shoulder and he had the beginnings of a beard. Legolas and Calenamath shot disapproving looks as Prince Bard paid Thorwen lots of attention. "You have lovely eyes, Lady Thorwen. And with that dark hair of yours, you remind me of the stories of those mysterious Ranger Folk we've heard talk of in the North." Legolas nearly choked on his food, but much to his relief, the evening ended well and the party returned safely to the guesthouse. Thorwen returned to her room and settled down to a peaceful sleep, knowing that the following morning they would all be returning home.

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11/12th July/Cerveth, 3016, City Realm of Dale.

The sound of frantic knocking disturbed the peace of Thorwen's rest. Celephinniel rushed into the room a sword belt at her hips. "Thorwen, get dressed and arm yourself," she whispered. When she was ready, Celephinniel led her down the stairs. As she descended, Thorwen saw Legolas and Calenamath. They were speaking with a hooded man in hushed tones, a look of concern on their faces. As they all turned towards her, Thorwen realised the visitor was Prince Bard.

"Thorwen, men from Mordor arrived and spoke with King Brand. They want him to hand you over to them or they will destroy the city. We must leave before they find you," said Legolas.

Celephinniel unsheathed her sword. "There's a hatch under the rug that leads to the cellar. I will remain here with Legolas and the others. Slow down any intruders." Thorwen nodded in reply.

Calenamath pulled back the rug and opened a hatch on the floor. "Prince Bard, can you get us to the Royal Barge?"

"Yes, I know a shortcut."

Thorwen's bracelet glowed, and they heard the trot of hooves approaching. Bard jumped down into the cellar, followed by Thorwen and Calenamath, who closed the latch behind them. "Quick, this way!" called Bard. He grabbed a torch and Calenamath lit it. Unsheathing their weapons, they made their way through the cellar to a door that led to a tunnel. At the bottom of the tunnel was a small door. "This opens out onto the street, a little way from the quayside." Calenamath released the door, and they exited into a backstreet.

The full moon gave them a clear sight of the Port and the Royal Barge. With relief, they ran as fast as they could toward the quayside. But as they drew nearer, a rider on a black horse came out of the shadows, blocking their path. They were dressed in black and had their face hidden under a hood. The hair on the back of Thorwen's neck stood up, and they turned to the sound of hooves approaching behind them. The three of them stood back to back as another rider approached. Also clad in black, blocking their way back to the guesthouse.

Prince Bard shuddered, his hands shaking, and he grabbed his sword tighter. "I... I feel strange," he whispered.

Calenamath noticed a small light flickering at the far end of a small dark alleyway between two buildings. "Where does that lead?"

"F...Further downriver, there may be some s.. small boats there," replied Bard.

Calenamath whispered in Thorwen's ear. "If we ever needed your Will, it is now."

Thorwen nodded in reply, but before she could respond, arrows rained down on the black riders. The horses reared up, distracting the riders as they struggled to regain control. Thorwen glanced up to see Legolas and a couple of guards on the roof before Calenamath pulled her into the dark alleyway. Bard's shallow breath was all they could hear as he tried to compose himself. "Those things, they are servants of the Dark Lord and came to my father. He was so afraid that I feared he would give in to their demands, so I left the Keep unnoticed, or so I thought. You know the rest."

Behind them, they could hear unearthly shrieks of anger coming from the horsemen, who could not get into the alley on horseback. "It won't stop them for long," said Calenamath. Slowly, they made their way down the dark passage towards the flickering light. As they drew nearer, they could see it was being carried by another hooded figure, the moonlight reflecting on the Elven sword in the other hand. Bard was terrified. "They have us surrounded!"

"I do not think this is a servant of the Dark Lord, but we shall approach with caution," replied Calenamath. In the limited light, they could see the tall figure was wearing a long Elven cloak of the darkest green. He put a finger close to his hidden face in a gesture that implied silence.

"I come from the King, follow me," he whispered in a firm Elven voice. Thorwen thought it sounded familiar, but there was little time to wonder. The four of them ran through the streets toward the river. The sound of their pursuers grew ever nearer. Thorwen thought for a moment that she could feel the breath of a horse upon her back and someone attempting to grasp her, but she daren't look behind. Arrows from above again hampered the rider's pursuit long enough for all four of them to reach the water's edge.

Thorwen and the others turned to see the riders come to an abrupt halt and dismount. With rattled laughter, they drew their weapons as they advanced. Bard glanced at the river and saw a rowing boat moored a little way out and pulled it to the bank. The mysterious Elf urged them to board the vessel whilst he stood before the black riders, his sword poised. Bard had already entered the boat and Calenamath followed. Thorwen tarried for a moment as the mysterious Elf held off the riders. He turned for a moment and her heart jumped as she saw familiar bright eyes staring back at her. "NORO!" he commanded.

Thorwen looked back toward the river, Calenamath and Brand called out to her. Both of them held out a hand as she attempted to board the vessel. But her foot missed the side of the boat and she fell into the water. It was black, cold and weed-infested. Thorwen panicked as she became disorientated. The weight of her woollen clothes dragged her downwards. Choking water filled her lungs as she struggled to find her way to the surface, till all her strength left her. Thorwen lost all sense of anything and felt at peace. A fine way to fail my Master. I will have some explaining to do.

"I think not Almarie. You have barely begun," a watery male voice whispered in her mind.

Suddenly, she felt an arm around her waist, pulling her back to the surface. Thorwen gasped as she emerged from the water. Coughing and sputtering as refilled her lungs. Calenamath and Brand pulled her into a rowing boat. Before assisting her mysterious rescuer into the boat. Although his hair and clothes were sodden, the glow on his bracelet fading. There was no mistaking it was King Thranduil.

Bard removed Thorwen's sodden cloak, placing his own around her. Calenamath quickly rowed away as the two riders screeched at them from the bank. And high on a nearby rooftop, against the full moon, they could see the silhouetted figure of Legolas waving at them. Thorwen shivered as the four of them rowed across the lake to Esgaroth. There was an uneasy silence in the boat and the saturated King did not take his eyes off Thorwen. And she could not tell if he was angry or concerned. By dawn, they had reached the Jetty of the Raft Elves. The King disembarked first and insisted that Thorwen be attended to before him. The Raft Elves took her to one of their dwellings. They gave her dry clothes, food, and a place to rest.

When Thorwen awoke, she found the King was sitting in a chair nearby. Now dressed in his usual attire, he smiled as she sat up. "I hope you are recovered from your dip in the river, Thorwen. That stretch is particularly deep."

Thorwen smiled. She was not sure why, but it was as if she saw him with new eyes. As if some spell had come upon her. Her heart beat faster and her cheeks felt warm. "Thank you my Lord King, I am....."

The King's smile grew wider. "I suppose you are wondering why I am here. I permitted this brief excursion, but disquiet got the better of me. Seems I was right to be concerned."

"I am sorry, my Lord King."

"No, it is I who was at fault. You have behaved impeccably. Despite that little parlour trick in the Tavern. Legolas has much to learn when trusted with such an important task and now we must all live with the consequences."

"You were the one following us in the Tavern?"

The King's smile changed into a smirk."I have been observing proceedings since you arrived, though I must be getting a little rusty as the guards spotted me in the market. Only two guards. What was my son thinking? That hairnet was a good choice, though. You really did look like an Elven lady."

The compliments gave Thorwen a strange but pleasant feeling in her stomach and the King's eyes were less cold than before.

"Where are Calenamath and Prince Bard? I should thank him for alerting us to those servants of the Dark Lord."

The King shook his head. "There is no need. I have thanked Prince Bard on your behalf and named him an Elf-friend. He has shown much courage and loyalty to us. As for my brother, I have sent him back with Prince Bard to carry out the duties assigned to him. We shall see him with the rest of the company when they have returned to the Halls."

His tone grew colder when he spoke of Calenamath, who had seemed very uncomfortable as they rowed towards Esgaroth. "Come, we should eat before we leave." Thorwen followed him and together they went into the small living area of the Raft Elves' house for a simple but filling meal. The King repaid their hospitality most generously and shortly after Bregwen arrived to inform him that his boat was ready. It was a small vessel that could dash through the water.

The King smiled at Thorwen as they embarked. "We shall be safely back in the Halls in no time." He squeezed her hand reassuringly and a pleasant sensation went through her. Thorwen felt her cheeks warming again. Instinctively, she looked away with embarrassment. Bregwen pulled up the gangplank behind them. "Are you well, Thorwen Hiril nin? You look a little flush."

Thorwen smiled nervously."Yes, Bregwen, I am very well, thank you."

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14th July/Cerveth, 3016, The Kings Chambers, The Elven Halls.

Thranduil paced up and down his campaign chamber as Legolas and Calenamath endured his wrath. "You have some explaining to do, both of you! Legolas, I told you not to draw attention to yourselves and to leave Dale at the first sign of trouble!"

"We could not exactly turn down an invitation to the Keep. King Brand is our ally," protested Legolas.

"You took Thorwen to a tavern. Was the Guesthouse not sufficient for your dining purposes?"

"We were discreet. Thorwen has been couped up in this realm for years without incident. I saw no harm in it."

Thranduil stepped toward him. "No harm? Do you not realise what your carelessness has brought upon us? The danger you have put Thorwen in? It is more than a coincidence that two of the Dark Lord's most feared servants tried to hunt her down."

"Father, Thorwen is perfectly safe here. Our scouts patrol our borders day and night, and your enchantments allow us to intercept any intruders. What is there to fear?"

"Legolas, you have not encountered servants such as these. They are not Orcs, but evil men enchanted by the Dark Lord. They are not to be underestimated," said Calenamath.

"Muindor! You are in no position to counsel my son. Need I remind you what your orders were? And yet it was you who escorted Thorwen from the city, not Legolas."

"But Ada, there was no time........."

Thranduil cut him off. "There was time enough for you to prance about the rooftops like a stray cat. Your orders were to protect Thorwen. Not to take potshots at the Nazgul! And those things are no longer men. They are something far worse." He walked over to the engraved table. "The Dark Lord knows Thorwen is here and if you think he will just send a few more Orcs and spiders to trouble us, you are very much mistaken. The shadow upon us grows ever darker. We must prepare for the worst!"

Thranduil breathed deeply as he gathered his thoughts. He felt they had both undermined him. This would be bad enough in normal circumstances. But with corrupt Elves infiltrating his realm and the Dark Lord's eyes now cast in his direction. He feared his very crown might fall from his head. If he could not command obedience from his own family, then all hope was lost.

"We can increase patrols, Ada. There are many young Elves in training who are eager for the challenge," said Legolas.

Thranduil turned back to them. "You are right, Legolas, see it done. As for you, Calenamath, ensure that our defences on the Western border are strengthened by taking over command. Remain there until I summon your return."

Calenamath nodded but looked pained. "As you wish, Muindor. I shall take my leave of Celephinniel and Thorwen."

"There will be no time for that. I need you to go immediately, Steward."

Calenamath bowed and took his leave, but Thranduil could not help but notice the anger in his eyes.