The Strong Heart
folder
-Multi-Age › Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
14
Views:
3,454
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
-Multi-Age › Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
14
Views:
3,454
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
chapter 10
Chapter 10
In the morning Erestor, Glorfindel, Taurfaeron and Elrond were all gathered in Elrond’s office, discussing the situation.
“The cloak is Taurfaeron’s,” Elrond said. “Our mystery elf was clever enough not to use his own. Taurfaeron, have you found out anything more?”
The Lothlorien captain nodded. “After I realized it was my cloak, I quietly asked the rest of my guards if any had seen Thalahir during the noon hour. No one could recall seeing him, and he did not have his meal with the others. He was also missing for a while after the meal. This morning I noticed he had a slight limp, and I asked him how he had hurt himself. The said he was out walking, just exploring Imladris, and caught his foot in a hole in the ground. A Lothlorien elf? Catching his foot in a hole? He may as well have told me he fell from a tree. I don’t believe him.”
“Neither do I,” Elrond said. “When I went to check on Saercaeron this morning, Nestoron said he had been nosing around the healing house earlier this morning. He said he just wanted to make sure the little elfling was all right. Nestoron told me it just didn’t feel right, and he thinks Thalahir was checking how well Saercaeron was guarded. He kept glancing at the guards. Thalahir even asked him why the elfling was being guarded.”
“Elrond, has anyone checked the supply of poisons we keep there?” Erestor asked. Some poisons, in minute doses were used in healing; overdoses were usually lethal.
Elrond blanched, then ran out of the room towards the healing house, the other three quickly following him. Entering the room where the poisons were kept locked, they found Nestoron searching the contents.
“My Lord, I am a great fool,” Nestoron said. I didn’t think of checking in here until just a short while ago. The lock has been forced.”
Elrond peered into the cabinet. “Can you tell if anything has been taken?”
“I think we must assume that something has been taken, else why force the lock? The problem is even small amounts can be deadly, and could have been taken without notice. It is very hard to tell.” Nestoron shook his head. “If I were asked to decide which one I think it is, the one I fear the most is the one I think may have been taken. It can be brewed into a liquid, which can be spilt lightly on a surface and left to dry. Whoever touches the surface would absorb the poison through touching the surface.”
“Elrond, this has to stop. He has to be stopped,” Glorfindel said forcefully.
“Let us return to your office, Elrond. I believe I have a plan, and do not wish to speak of it here,” Erestor said quietly. He had been thinking as the others were speaking, as always, one step ahead.
The four elves returned to Elrond’s office, leaving Nestoron to secure the poisons. “Speak!” Elrond said.
“We have no proof it is Thalahir, correct?” The others nodded. “All we have at this point is speculation, however sure we all are it is Thalahir. If we confront him, he will simply deny it. What we need is to catch him in the act.”
“How do we do that, Erestor? He has outsmarted us at every step,” Elrond asked.
“We set a little trap for him. He can’t get to Saercaeron. I believe his next attempt will be Gurvelon again. It is he that Thalahir is really after. Saercaeron, in all likelihood, was only revenge for the elfling foiling his last attempt. We need to clear the way for him, make it easy for him to make another attempt on Gurvelon. By now, he probably already knows that we have moved Gurvelon’s desk to the library, and that Caladir is watching him. We need something that will draw us all together for something, Lothlorien guards included. Gurvelon’s work area and quarters will need to be secretly watched. Then we wait for Thalahir to leave the gathering, thinking everyone else is occupied.”
“Perhaps a mandatory dinner that everyone has to attend?” Elrond mused. “Taurfaeron can make sure he’s there – and he needs to be watched every minute until then. Can we manage this by tonight?”
“My Lord, I would like to tell the rest of my guards what our suspicions are. They will be able to help watch Thalahir until then. We cannot afford any longer to leave him to his own devices.”
“Aye. Go and tell them and make sure someone is always with him. Then return here.”
Taurfaeron bowed gracefully and left.
“Elrond,” Glorfindel said, “you can simply say that you want everyone, excluding the guards who are on duty and any healers and ailing in the healing house, to attend tonight.”
“What reason do we give?” Erestor asked.
“Who is anyone to question Elrond’s wishes, but we could say he believes it is time for everyone to take the time to share a meal together,” Glorfindel answered, “instead of waiting for the next festival or celebration. But whom do we get to watch Gurvelon’s work area and rooms, and how do they do it? We can’t simply follow him and burst in on him before he does anything.”
“That is a good point, my love. Is there a way to hide someone in the library?” Erestor thought for a few moments. “I can think of many ways. The shelves and tables and work areas offer us many areas. Their rooms are also not a problem. But perhaps the question is, would Thalahir sense them?”
“We need to discuss this with Taurfaeron when he returns,” Elrond said. “Now, who do we use to hide and watch him? Who could be missing without him noticing?”
“There is a patrol returning today that has been out on the border for a month. Thalahir has never seen them. I will ride out and intercept them and choose who would be best. The four or five I chose from the patrol will remain behind, then enter unseen after all are in the dining hall.”
Elrond nodded. “Good. They should have time to seclude themselves in the library and Caladir and Gurvelon’s rooms before Thalahir makes his move.”
“Let us just hope that I am correct, and he will make his move tonight. If he decides to lay low for a while, this is all for naught,” Erestor said.
“I do not believe he will wait. Why steal the poisons if he plans to wait?” Elrond responded. “He ‘should’ see tonight as his golden opportunity.”
Glorfindel nodded. “I will make sure that Turidon has a good view of that area of the house.”
When Taurfaeron returned, they told him of the plan. Taurfaeron thought for a few moments, then said, “If I may make a suggestion, my Lords, I think it would be wise if we make sure that Thalahir not only makes his move tonight, but we make sure he is even more angry at Gurvelon. If he is particularly angry, there is less chance that he will be aware of the others watching for him in the library or his rooms.”
“How do we do that?” Glorfindel asked.
Erestor smiled. “Glorfindel, my love, Thalahir either hates Gurvelon because he sees in him his betrothed, or he wants Caladir and sees Gurvelon as unworthy of him. How do you think he will feel when he sees Caladir totally fawning over our little friend, looking at him adoringly, and kissing him?”
“Point taken, my love.” Glorfindel grinned.
“I was also going to suggest that you announce that tonight’s dinner is in celebration of Gurvelon’s return to health,” Taurfaeron said. “Having to attend a celebration in honor of Gurvelon should add more fuel to his fire.”
Elrond nodded. “Let’s go and make this happen.”
Tbc…
In the morning Erestor, Glorfindel, Taurfaeron and Elrond were all gathered in Elrond’s office, discussing the situation.
“The cloak is Taurfaeron’s,” Elrond said. “Our mystery elf was clever enough not to use his own. Taurfaeron, have you found out anything more?”
The Lothlorien captain nodded. “After I realized it was my cloak, I quietly asked the rest of my guards if any had seen Thalahir during the noon hour. No one could recall seeing him, and he did not have his meal with the others. He was also missing for a while after the meal. This morning I noticed he had a slight limp, and I asked him how he had hurt himself. The said he was out walking, just exploring Imladris, and caught his foot in a hole in the ground. A Lothlorien elf? Catching his foot in a hole? He may as well have told me he fell from a tree. I don’t believe him.”
“Neither do I,” Elrond said. “When I went to check on Saercaeron this morning, Nestoron said he had been nosing around the healing house earlier this morning. He said he just wanted to make sure the little elfling was all right. Nestoron told me it just didn’t feel right, and he thinks Thalahir was checking how well Saercaeron was guarded. He kept glancing at the guards. Thalahir even asked him why the elfling was being guarded.”
“Elrond, has anyone checked the supply of poisons we keep there?” Erestor asked. Some poisons, in minute doses were used in healing; overdoses were usually lethal.
Elrond blanched, then ran out of the room towards the healing house, the other three quickly following him. Entering the room where the poisons were kept locked, they found Nestoron searching the contents.
“My Lord, I am a great fool,” Nestoron said. I didn’t think of checking in here until just a short while ago. The lock has been forced.”
Elrond peered into the cabinet. “Can you tell if anything has been taken?”
“I think we must assume that something has been taken, else why force the lock? The problem is even small amounts can be deadly, and could have been taken without notice. It is very hard to tell.” Nestoron shook his head. “If I were asked to decide which one I think it is, the one I fear the most is the one I think may have been taken. It can be brewed into a liquid, which can be spilt lightly on a surface and left to dry. Whoever touches the surface would absorb the poison through touching the surface.”
“Elrond, this has to stop. He has to be stopped,” Glorfindel said forcefully.
“Let us return to your office, Elrond. I believe I have a plan, and do not wish to speak of it here,” Erestor said quietly. He had been thinking as the others were speaking, as always, one step ahead.
The four elves returned to Elrond’s office, leaving Nestoron to secure the poisons. “Speak!” Elrond said.
“We have no proof it is Thalahir, correct?” The others nodded. “All we have at this point is speculation, however sure we all are it is Thalahir. If we confront him, he will simply deny it. What we need is to catch him in the act.”
“How do we do that, Erestor? He has outsmarted us at every step,” Elrond asked.
“We set a little trap for him. He can’t get to Saercaeron. I believe his next attempt will be Gurvelon again. It is he that Thalahir is really after. Saercaeron, in all likelihood, was only revenge for the elfling foiling his last attempt. We need to clear the way for him, make it easy for him to make another attempt on Gurvelon. By now, he probably already knows that we have moved Gurvelon’s desk to the library, and that Caladir is watching him. We need something that will draw us all together for something, Lothlorien guards included. Gurvelon’s work area and quarters will need to be secretly watched. Then we wait for Thalahir to leave the gathering, thinking everyone else is occupied.”
“Perhaps a mandatory dinner that everyone has to attend?” Elrond mused. “Taurfaeron can make sure he’s there – and he needs to be watched every minute until then. Can we manage this by tonight?”
“My Lord, I would like to tell the rest of my guards what our suspicions are. They will be able to help watch Thalahir until then. We cannot afford any longer to leave him to his own devices.”
“Aye. Go and tell them and make sure someone is always with him. Then return here.”
Taurfaeron bowed gracefully and left.
“Elrond,” Glorfindel said, “you can simply say that you want everyone, excluding the guards who are on duty and any healers and ailing in the healing house, to attend tonight.”
“What reason do we give?” Erestor asked.
“Who is anyone to question Elrond’s wishes, but we could say he believes it is time for everyone to take the time to share a meal together,” Glorfindel answered, “instead of waiting for the next festival or celebration. But whom do we get to watch Gurvelon’s work area and rooms, and how do they do it? We can’t simply follow him and burst in on him before he does anything.”
“That is a good point, my love. Is there a way to hide someone in the library?” Erestor thought for a few moments. “I can think of many ways. The shelves and tables and work areas offer us many areas. Their rooms are also not a problem. But perhaps the question is, would Thalahir sense them?”
“We need to discuss this with Taurfaeron when he returns,” Elrond said. “Now, who do we use to hide and watch him? Who could be missing without him noticing?”
“There is a patrol returning today that has been out on the border for a month. Thalahir has never seen them. I will ride out and intercept them and choose who would be best. The four or five I chose from the patrol will remain behind, then enter unseen after all are in the dining hall.”
Elrond nodded. “Good. They should have time to seclude themselves in the library and Caladir and Gurvelon’s rooms before Thalahir makes his move.”
“Let us just hope that I am correct, and he will make his move tonight. If he decides to lay low for a while, this is all for naught,” Erestor said.
“I do not believe he will wait. Why steal the poisons if he plans to wait?” Elrond responded. “He ‘should’ see tonight as his golden opportunity.”
Glorfindel nodded. “I will make sure that Turidon has a good view of that area of the house.”
When Taurfaeron returned, they told him of the plan. Taurfaeron thought for a few moments, then said, “If I may make a suggestion, my Lords, I think it would be wise if we make sure that Thalahir not only makes his move tonight, but we make sure he is even more angry at Gurvelon. If he is particularly angry, there is less chance that he will be aware of the others watching for him in the library or his rooms.”
“How do we do that?” Glorfindel asked.
Erestor smiled. “Glorfindel, my love, Thalahir either hates Gurvelon because he sees in him his betrothed, or he wants Caladir and sees Gurvelon as unworthy of him. How do you think he will feel when he sees Caladir totally fawning over our little friend, looking at him adoringly, and kissing him?”
“Point taken, my love.” Glorfindel grinned.
“I was also going to suggest that you announce that tonight’s dinner is in celebration of Gurvelon’s return to health,” Taurfaeron said. “Having to attend a celebration in honor of Gurvelon should add more fuel to his fire.”
Elrond nodded. “Let’s go and make this happen.”
Tbc…