Fili was glad he had put the hammer down, for if he had not, he would have dropped it when the last name passed Thranduil's lips. Dread curled into his gut, and he looked at Thranduil with disbelief.
"Sauron, here? How--" Fili struggled to remember the tales, the coming of his people--but much had not been spoken about Sauron, except of his horribleness; there was no word of what he had been before. "--I truly wish you had told me this earlier."
"I had to consider my next actions very carefully." Thranduil glances toward the door again. "It serves him to deceive the people here. For you to be undeceived may place you in greater danger, if he realizes you are undeceived. Consider Celebrimbor and you will take my meaning."
"So I may be now in great danger, as the lives of my brother and my uncle. So what do you expect me to do, Thranduil? What good has there been in telling me, now?" Fili sighs, rubbing his beard. "I am getting so used to lying I'm wondering when I ever need the truth."
"There must have been some goodness once, though. Are you sure he is completely rotten, still?" Fili does not doubt Thranduil's words, but he feels that he must ask.
"There was goodness in all things, once. Nothing begins evil. But he is certainly from after the time he claims to be. He can indeed be from no earlier a time than when he was under the service of Morgoth. At the latest, he may come from the time of Númenor, the last time he could take a fair shape."
"How can you be so sure?" Fili shakes his head. "I do not mean to doubt you, or question you--but if you make me party to this, I have to understand it in all things."
Fili let out a breath, shaking his head. "Mahal..." This was not good. "Again I wish you had told me earlier. You have put Kili and I in danger, by keeping this to yourself, you realize."
Sharply: "And until we considered our next move carefully, we could not be certain we were not putting you in greater danger by telling you. You have put yourselves in danger by opening your arms to anyone who will come to you."
"You are as bad as Thorin! Believing in dangers behind every rock and tree." And yes, he was right in this one, but Fili shakes his head. "A man asked, and I offered help. And this is yet another secret I must keep--Kili can not lie well, and I am sadly finding out that I am quite good at it."
He knew he was getting mad at the wrong person, but still he felt choices were taken out of his hands, because Thranduil, as Thorin often did, decided not to bring him in on the situation until it was too late to make choices.
"Perhaps you would do better to see the world as your uncle and I see it, then. Now will you complain about my telling you or my not telling you? Because at the moment you are complaining of both and I will not be sure which I shall find less reasonable till they are sorted out."
"And if I saw the world as you two saw it? This would never be happening. I would never have spoken with you, or offered any act of friendship. Is that what you wish? That I become embittered the world around me?" Fili moved past Thranduil, to put away his tools, using more force in his anger.
"It may take me some time to gain that mindset, since even death couldn't do that, but I am sure I can do it in time."
"I did not say embittered, for I meant you should be wary." But the fire is cooling swiftly at Fili's words. The reminder of what this young man went through, a thing elves spend years and years recovering from in the Halls of Mandos, takes a good deal of wind out of his sails and reminds him of one of his goals as king. He's supposed to be the one who takes those burdens on, not others. He's supposed to be doubly wary so others can only be half-wary, and he failed here.
His lips press together briefly and he shakes his head.
"No, I would not have it of you. Forgive me. My heart was hot when I spoke. This was not your fault, and it is not your responsibility now. Dealing with Sauron should be left to those who have done so before--to me and to Lady Galadriel. I warn you now only so that you may not fall under his counsels, which will seem wise at first."
Fili sighed, and turned to look at Thranduil, shaking his head. "What is done is done--it is my responsibility now, as I have been told. I can not tell Kili though. I can only hope he does not find out about my lie." He rubbed a hand over his face. "I spoke in anger...this is just difficult, for me. I am trying, but this is what I would have been trained for, had I survived. I must simply find a way to learn to do it now."
"He will not make another like he made. Particularly not if he already has, in his time. Too much of his power and life-force was put into the Ring for him to make another. If he has not, why would he think to do so? The Rings of Elves, Dwarves, and Men are not here. There is only a metal husk for him to rule here."
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2013-05-24 10:06 pm (UTC)"Sauron, here? How--" Fili struggled to remember the tales, the coming of his people--but much had not been spoken about Sauron, except of his horribleness; there was no word of what he had been before. "--I truly wish you had told me this earlier."
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Date: 2013-05-27 02:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-29 12:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-02 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-02 11:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-02 11:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-03 02:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-03 02:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-03 11:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-03 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-04 11:49 pm (UTC)He knew he was getting mad at the wrong person, but still he felt choices were taken out of his hands, because Thranduil, as Thorin often did, decided not to bring him in on the situation until it was too late to make choices.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-05 02:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-06 02:15 am (UTC)"It may take me some time to gain that mindset, since even death couldn't do that, but I am sure I can do it in time."
no subject
Date: 2013-06-06 12:55 pm (UTC)His lips press together briefly and he shakes his head.
"No, I would not have it of you. Forgive me. My heart was hot when I spoke. This was not your fault, and it is not your responsibility now. Dealing with Sauron should be left to those who have done so before--to me and to Lady Galadriel. I warn you now only so that you may not fall under his counsels, which will seem wise at first."
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Date: 2013-06-07 11:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-13 02:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-16 05:39 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2013-06-19 06:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-21 01:40 am (UTC)It is troubling; too much for him to truly deal with.