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"Those damned wood elves are coming for Conclave, Elrond. I'll be going crazy shut up in these walls, trying to understand why they are so pig-headed about their trees and wild animals. Argh! How I wish I could just move against Mordor without their aid, but I can't. I don't have the numbers to defeat Sauron. I need every elf joined with us in this battle."
"When will they be here, my Lord?"
"They are due next week. Erestor has the calendar, but as I recall, next week it is.
"I've got to get out of here or I'll go crazy. I've got the humans on one side egging me on because of the destruction of their island home. A destruction, I might add, brought on by their own King. I've got the delegation from the Greenwood coming to maybe or maybe not join our forces, and oh, did I forget to mention that Círdan needs more materials for his damned boats and Celeborn is coming for a visit to discuss the needs of Ost-en-Edhil. Need, need, need … want, want, want. Well, this time I want. I want to escape for a few days."
Gil-galad had been impatiently roaming his private quarters while delivering his tirade. He had been picking things up and putting them back down distractedly. Elrond followed him, steadying rocking vases and pushing plates away from shelf edges after his liege had finished passing by. Elrond's quick hands rescued several exquisite works of the potter's art from imminent destruction.
"Let's go hunting," Gil-galad said, suddenly stopping in the middle of the room and turning on his heel to face his advisor.
"I'll talk to Glorfindel and see if he can accompany …" Elrond began.
"No! I'm going hunting and you're coming with me. Nobody else. I don't want a hunting party, I want to hunt. I want to come back with a deer, not spend my time in useless social chit-chat while my servants arrange for a buck to cross my path when my horse comes near. No. I'm going hunting, you're coming along, and we're leaving tomorrow at dawn."
"But …"
"Out!" Gil-galad raged. "Arrange for horses and supplies."
The king grasped Elrond's arm, pushed him through the chamber doorway and closed the heavy timber door firmly between them. Elrond heard the lock turn.
"Horses … supplies …" Elrond muttered as he walked down the hallway away from the King's quarters. 'Ooof!'
"Watch where you're going. Why're you wandering around the hallways with your head in the sky?" an abrasive voice assaulted the young, mild-mannered elf.
Looking up from the worksheets held in his hands, Elrond saw the solid elf standing in front of him was actually one that his liege had just been talking about - Celeborn, the current political head of Ost-en-Edhil. He stammered an apology, only to have it brushed off.
"No matter, young Elrond. Where's Gil-galad hiding himself? He swore he'd listen to my news. I have to tell him about what's been happening in my city as well as what's going on with the dwarves in their nearby mines."
"He won't see you," Elrond gasped out, grabbing at the other elf's arm as he attempted to pass him and continue toward the King's private quarters. "He's locked the door and won't be disturbed." The younger elf looked at Celeborn with calculation, then nodded and said, "He's determined to leave for a short hunting trip tomorrow morning. He said he needs to get away from here and the problems massing at our borders."
"A hunt? Leaving at dawn are you? I'll meet you on the road where he can't clap me in shackles for wanting to impose on his 'private time'." Celeborn's expressive fingers waved back and forth as he spoke, making the very idea of private time seem even more ridiculous than he made it sound.
"As you wish, Lord Celeborn. I was just going to arrange for transportation and supplies. Should I get some for you as well?"
"Unnecessary, young Elrond. I travel lightly and I suspect you and the King will be glad of my bow by the end of the hunt."
Elrond bobbed his head as Celeborn turned from him, striding briskly away down the hall. He shook his head. 'Oh, Gil-galad isn't going to like this,' he thought as he reached an intersection and turned toward the kitchen. He shrugged his shoulders; there was nothing he could do about Celeborn. He would make up his own mind, and he outranked Elrond. "For that matter," he muttered as he opened the kitchen door, "everyone outranks me."
* * *
Dawn found Gil-galad and Elrond on their horses, heading northwest of the citadel over the rolling hills. They wore armor influenced by Sindarin design. The dark mottled coloring featuring braced lacquer covered by hardened and textured leather would assist them in hiding discreetly, blending with the native foliage. The King led the way, his hair loose, bound only by a leather thong tied around his brow. Without the frippery of court costuming and behavior, he looked younger, less burdened by the weight of rule and decisions.
Elrond followed his liege closely, shivering in the weak light, a woven blanket across his shoulders clutched tightly at his neck. He silently bemoaned his part-human heritage on days like this. Where elves were untroubled by the crisp, cool temperatures, he shivered with the cold.
The terrain leveled out and they approached a small stream bisecting a shallow valley. They headed for the far side and the beginnings of deeper forest. As they crossed the laughing waters, an elf stood up from the tall grasses near a large clump of brambles.
"A good day to you, highness. I hope I may join you in your hunt," Celeborn called out.
Gil-galad pushed his knees hard against his steed, causing it to rear and twist. Although the king was a proficient rider, his horse twisted underneath him, causing him to lose his balance and fall off onto the soggy stream bank.
"Manwë's beard, Celeborn. What are you doing here? Now I'm soaking wet, filthy with mud, and the day has barely started," Gil-galad growled. "This was supposed to be a private hunting excursion with Elrond before Oropher and Thranduil arrive in a few days." He cast an accusing glance at Elrond. "And how did you find out about my plans?"
"I told him, Sire," the young peredhil hastened to admit. "He outranks me, and he would have pounded at your door long enough to give you an aching head."
"Well, I'm not pleased with you, Elrond. I hope you don't distribute state secrets with as much ease."
Elrond blushed and muttered, "No sire."
"This had best be the only interruption we'll get on this trip." Gil-galad whistled for his horse and remounted gracefully. "We'll take a bit longer route before entering the forest to allow my clothes to dry a bit, even though I'm going to smell like rotting weeds until I return home again or find enough water for a quick wash."
Celeborn fell into an easy lope beside them, his hunting bow loose-strung across his chest. As they passed the thicket where the Lord of Ost-en-Edhil had been concealed, he broke away for a moment as he retrieved his pack and cloak, quickly rejoining them again. By morning's end they were deep in the forest following the animal trails.
"Look here, Sire. There are wild boar droppings on the trail," Elrond said as the others approached.
"And deer scat as well," Celeborn added as he caught up with the young elf. "Let's follow this trail for a while and see where it leads and if it is still in regular use." He loped ahead. Gil-galad followed him and Elrond brought up the rear.
The trees here were close with twisting and shifting trails. Negotiating the trails was challenging for the elves and their horses. They were now leading the horses and moving single-file through the brush. Here, Celeborn proved his worth, choosing the best pathways through thickets of brush, sometimes humming a tune, seeming to cause a closed path to suddenly open before them.
In this manner, they spent the day and the setting sun found them in a small sheltered valley surrounded by forest.
"A small fire for cooking and heating drink, then the stars for our blanket tonight, I think," Elrond said, bringing an armful of collected deadfall wood to the center of the valley floor. Celeborn had busied himself digging a fire pit and Gil-galad was stacking the cut turf around the pit while the wood elf walked toward a nearby small swift stream to clean up and fetch water.
"Well, isn't this organized with all the comforts of home," a voice spoke from the trees north of them as Elrond fixed a pot of water on a tripod above the small fire he had lighted.
"You may as well come down, cousins," Celeborn called out. "I've been hearing you following us for more than a mile now and wondered if you would decide to be sociable."
Gil-galad, walking to the fire with another armload of dead wood for the fire rolled his eyes as Oropher and Thranduil dropped down to the ground from trees on the northern side. "You're not supposed to be here until next six-day," he blurted as he saw the two elves walking toward him.
"We aren't there," Oropher pointed out. "We're here. And you're here, not there."
"I'm here, but you're supposed to be coming there," Gil-galad snuffed, hints of irritation coming through his stance as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yes, but you're here, not there. Therefore, we still can be there in a six-day and also be here today," Oropher said mildly, a hint of a grin on his face. Thranduil had given up on propriety and was edging away from both his father and the King while softly chuckling at the word play.
"In any case, here or there, are you going to share the hospitality of your fire?" Oropher continued as he walked up to the High King and stood across from him, mirroring his position with crossed arms and an open stance.
As Gil-galad tilted his head, Oropher followed suit. When the king raised one hand to begin to begin making a point, the motion was mirrored by the tall wood elf.
Elrond, Celeborn and Thranduil stood on the far side of the fire pit. The king's young aide offered hot tea to his companions and, discretion being the best part of valor, Elrond also poured two cups of tea for the two rulers, leaving them on a nearby flat stone and quickly retreating.
"This could be amusing," Thranduil said in a soft voice. "Just look at the two of them."
The two rulers were of a similar height and build, with Oropher being a bit more slender and Gil-galad slightly taller. Their hair was of similar length but opposite coloring, the silver-blond of Oropher opposed by the midnight black of Gil-galad's locks. Their clothing and bearing were almost identical, both having dressed appropriately for hunting in the woodlands. They were exchanging muted words, but Oropher was still mirroring the king's physical actions.
Elrond asked Thranduil, "Do you have ground cloths and packs? You're welcome to join us tonight. We were going to leave in the pre-dawn and to shoot a deer in the early morning mists. We have plenty of room for you without placing you in the smoke's path."
"Our packs are a mile or so away in trees near a watering hole. We also are hunting, and from the tracks this seems to be the perfect place to find a deer in the morning. If father and the king haven't slain each other by dawn's light, why don't you join us there. It should be good hunting."
"If we go," Celeborn added, "we should go now and sleep in the trees. Waking in the morning and walking there will take time and make noise that may scare the animals away from the water."
"It's getting too dark to get the horses there safely," Elrond noted. "I suspect the smell of horse might frighten the deer in any case. Celeborn, why don't you go with Oropher and Thranduil for the night and we'll join you in the pre-dawn. We'll leave the horses here when we join you. I think they'll be safe, and we'll want to use their strong backs to take the meat back to the citadel."
Celeborn agreed to the plan and the three elves settled down with their tea, watching the two rulers parade in front of each other and attempt to overwhelm each other with empty threats.
Thranduil finally rose to his feet and faced his father and the king. "All right," he called out loudly. "I've had just about enough of this for one night."
All eyes turned to him as Oropher and Gil-galad realized the sun had gone down, their tea was cold, and several hares were being roasted on a spit over the fire. They looked at each other with some confusion. They hadn't even noticed that snares had been set, game had been caught, and meat had been readied for the spit. They caught a whiff of the aroma of cooking meat and their nostrils flared as they realized their hunger.
Thranduil continued. "Both of you have had enough time standing there trying to prove that each is better than the other. Come here, sit and eat, and we'll tell you what we've decided."
Gil-galad began sputtering "You've decided? YOUV'E …?"
Oropher patted the king's arm. "There are some battles not worth fighting, my friend. This is one of them. Come. Let's sit and find out what the others have decided behind our backs."
Gil-galad muttered something about how decision-making behind his back was becoming far too normal as he sat down and accepted a quartered hare.
After the meat had been eaten, more tea had been poured, and the plans had been discussed, it was agreed. The talk turned friendlier and Gil-galad even broke out the potent brandy Erestor was famed for brewing, sharing a tumbler each around the fire. The three wood elves left for the water hole in the middle of the night. The sun would be rising in a few short hours, so there wasn't much time for sleep before Elrond and Gil-galad would have to awaken and begin their travel to the drinking hole. They decided to take advantage of the quiet night to rest for a while.
The two settled down, the stars shining brightly above them, a small crescent moon beginning to shine into the glade. Elrond turned to his side and watched as the Mariner sailed in the sky. He wondered, as he often did, if his father ever saw him or even remembered him when he sailed through the night sky.
It seemed that he had barely closed his eyes before Elrond was up again. He followed Gil-galad up into the trees and they used the branches as a high road across the overgrown forest floor. Although they weren't as quiet as wood elves, nor as comfortable using the trees as a highway, they still made it to the watering hole with ample time before the dawn and were welcomed by the three who had rested in the boughs of the tall trees near the stream bank.
"You do have a bow, don’t you?" Oropher said softly, looking at Gil-galad. "I can't imagine you found it easy to get through the trees with that long sword hanging by your side."
"Carrying it may not always be easy, but it has saved my life several times and I will not leave my lands without it on my person. But I have a bow also and it is ready and my aim is true."
"Hmmmmph, we'll see," Oropher replied.
They settled down to await the dawn.
It didn't take long for deer to come and drink after the sun was up. In short order, two bucks were brought down; one by Celeborn's shot with Elrond's a fast second, the other by arrows shot almost simultaneously by Oropher and Gil-galad. Thranduil held back, seeing two bucks were down already.
Oropher's son jumped down from his tree and went to the first carcass. "This kill belongs to Celeborn," he said as he examined the buck. He moved to the next kill. "This buck was slain by Oropher, although it was close. Gil-galad's arrow was just off the mark."
The elves dragged the carcasses away from the water. They might want to hunt there again sometime, and if they polluted the water with blood, other animals might avoid the watering hole. Walking farther into the forest they found two strong trees and strung the deer up to bleed them out.
"I'll get the horses," Elrond said and turned away just as a squeal and snort were heard. Turning, he saw an angered warthog glaring at them between two tree trunks. It snorted and charged, aiming directly for Oropher. Gil-galad immediately pulled his sword and jammed the hilt into the ground in front of the charging beast. "My Lord!" Elrond cried out.
The enraged hog now had several of Celeborn's arrows in its' thick hide; but was still moving full speed. It continued to charge toward the King who aimed the point of his sword at the beast's chest. The boar impaled itself on the sword and Gil-galad focused all of his strength on keeping the hilt wedged tightly, holding it in place against the slamming flesh and putrid breath of the red-eyed beast. The beast's tusks slashed at him, missing him by mere inches. Elrond drew his own blade, running to his liege and plunging it into the beast. Thranduil and Oropher peppered it with arrows. In a short time, the trees were quiet again except for the deep breaths of the five elves.
"Well, that was exciting," Oropher said, as he pulled his used arrows from the carcass. "Is your life always so interesting?"
"Not usually, but that is why having a blade around can be a good idea." He pulled his sword from the beast's body and began to clean the blood from it.
"How many times will you be assailed by a wild boar? But, all right, I'll grant you that it is a good time to have a sword available." Oropher walked up to the king and offered his hand. "You possibly saved my life. Thank you."
"My world would have been poorer without you to jab at every now and again," Gil-galad said, a smile on his face. He ignored Oropher's hand, pulling him into an embrace and pounding his back. They returned to the work of bleeding and cutting up the meat for transportation, adding the boar's meat to the growing piles.
Within a few hours, the meat had been loaded upon the horses. The five elves and two beasts were walking back to the citadel, talking companionably. Gil-galad and Oropher each led a horse as they talked, Elrond and Thranduil were acting as scouts as they exchanged stories ahead of the pair, and Celeborn was rearguard, watching to make sure no other beasts appeared looking for easy food.
"We work well together, my friend," Gil-galad said as they approached the city gates late that night. "I need you at my side when we go against the Black Gate. Your skills and your insight might well mean the difference between success and failure, and failure will mean the death of us all."
Oropher stopped and looked at the king. "I am still reluctant to enter this war, Noldo. My people can remain in our forest and the Darkness will overlook us. We will stay safe, if we stay hidden."
"No, not overlooked, just postponed. Sauron will deal with the more imminent threats first, but your turn will come. And when it is only you remaining, how long do you think you can hold out against his hordes of orcs and goblins? But if all free beings join together to assail him at the gates of the Black Land, we have a good chance of defeating him. I do not know if we will succeed, but I do know if we fight him separately, we will all die."
Oropher sighed deeply as they handed the horses and the meat off to the stable elves and the Keeper of the King's Larder. "I like it not, and I feel this war will be harsh on my people. But your words hold wisdom too. When you send word, I will join you with those of my folk I feel I can spare while still leaving my lands protected. Will that do?"
Gil-galad grasped the other's arm in a warrior's shake. "It will more than do, my friend. I promise you will not regret this decision."
"I already regret it, but I will abide by my word."
Gil-galad led the way into the Citadel and toward the large bathing chambers. "We can clean up in the baths here. I'll have fresh clothing brought for each of you and your rooms will be prepared. Now, as we bathe, perhaps we could discuss Círdan's request for additional lumber?"
The doors of the chamber closed behind them, muffling the burst of laughter that followed those words.