Forgotten Allies: part viii
by: McJen


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"To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable."

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Though, she'd barely been gone from London a week, Kate felt as if she'd been gone a lifetime. Entire realities had been forever altered, so it seemed only right everything else should have changed with it. But nothing had. The air raids continued, and the people of London continued to fight the good fight.

Kate's father had been released from the hospital and was recuperating at home. Guarding his precious museum would have to wait until his body healed completely. Kate sat at the edge of his bed. The looks exchanged between them said more than any words ever could.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kate said.

Her father sighed. "I thought about it a thousand times. And a thousand times I thought what was the point. When I was very young, Gandalf had told me that one day I may have to fight a great evil. Do you have any idea the grand adventures I reenacted in my mind as a boy? But nothing ever came of it," he said. "It seemed like a foolish fairytale. I didn't want to worry you. I thought, on the slim chance something ever happened, I would be the one to take action. Certainly not you or Colin."

"It's not your fault. He didn't have to go with them," Kate said, but she knew her words offered little consolation. Her father would blame himself as long as Colin was missing.

Their worry was interrupted by a knock at the door. Gandalf and Elrond walked into the room. "Please excuse us, Kate," Gandalf said. "We need to speak with your father. Legolas awaits your instructions."

Kate kissed her father on the cheek before closing the bedroom door behind her. Legolas was waiting at the foot of the stairs.

"How is your father?" Legolas asked.

"He's getting better," Kate said. "But he's worried about Colin."

"That is understandable," Legolas said. "Even after centuries, Elrond still worries about his sons."

Kate nodded. "I have the names of antiques owners to contact. My father knows a lot of people. We shouldn't have any trouble locating the pendant. But, I'll need some help." She looked at Legolas, studying him a moment. "We'll have to do something about your hair."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kate and Legolas walked up the busy streets of London. Legolas was the perfect Englishman. His hair had been pinned up neatly so no traces of its length were revealed. His height made it nearly impossible to find anything in her father's closet that would fit him properly. During the torturous hour she spent letting out the hems of the pant legs, Kate found herself wishing her mother hadn't left the city. As a child, Kate had refused to learn how to sew. Her mother had told her that one day she would live to regret it. Today was that day.

As she glanced down at the pants legs, she thought she did a fine job, even if one leg was slightly longer than the other. Besides, she knew that no one would notice Legolas's pants. If anyone paid any attention to him at all, she thought to herself, it would be to his eyes. They were an incredible shade of blue.

"You are quiet," Legolas said.

Kate looked at him and blushed, embarrassed at her own thoughts. "It has been a long week," she said.

"No longer than any other," Legolas said.

"Maybe to you, but I feel like I've aged at least a few extra lifetimes this week," Kate said.

Legolas smiled. "You hide your age well."

"So do you," she said with a grin as she opened the door to the antique shop.

During the years she had spent helping her father at the museum, she had had dealings with many of the antiques dealers across London. After making some general inquiries on where to find pre-historic English artifacts, she'd finally been directed to Welsh's Antiquities. She'd met Mr. Welsh some years before, but never in a professional capacity. As she stepped inside the dimly lit antique store, she hoped her professional attire and demeanor would compensate for her age.

The door shut behind them, and Mr. Welsh walked from around the counter. "Kate, I haven't seen you in ages. How is your father?"

She recounted her father's close call with a German bomb, and introduced Legolas. Mr. Welsh shook hands with Legolas and scrutinized him with a hard gaze, before turning his attention back to Kate. "You said you were interested in artifacts from barrows?"

"Yes, I heard you had the best records of the artifact's whereabouts," Kate said.

"Yes, come into my office," he said. Kate followed him into the small office. He closed the door behind him, and turned to look at Kate. "Kate Elessar, you are not fooling me."

Her heart began to pound in her chest. "Sir?" she stammered, as she sat down in the chair across from his desk. She gripped the armrests.

"As hard as you try, you will not be able to fool me into thinking you're all grown up," Mr. Welsh said. Kate let out a sigh of relief and grinned at Mr. Welsh as he sat down in his desk.

"Well, it is up to me to keep the museum running while my father recovers," Kate said.

"What is your client interested in?"

"Any artifacts from the East Kennett Longbarrow," Kate said.

His eyes rose in interest. "East Kennett. Well, you know the official stance on that barrow."

"Never been excavated. I know," Kate said.

Mr. Welsh smiled approvingly. "But we know better don't we?" He winked and took a book down from the shelf behind him. "Anything in particular you're looking for?"

"Jewelry and armor," she said, leaning forward to look at the catalog entries as he searched through the ledger.

"Hmmmm." Mr. Welsh studied the entries for a long five minutes. "Why the interest in the East Kennett?"

"Oh, you know collectors," she said. "Who knows where they get their reasons from. I think it's one of those reincarnation things with him. He traced his ancestors back to the Kennett area and believes he was once buried within the barrow."

Mr. Welsh chuckled. "Ah, one of those. I've had to deal with of few of them myself.....Ok, here we go." he said, as he look at the book. His finger was on an entry. "There are only 4 listings."

"What are they?" Kate said, her fingernails dug into the leather armrests.

"Let's see.....there's a suit of chain mail. A small child- sized shield. A pendant of some sort, nothing spectacular, apparently it's rather tarnished from age. And there's a sword, great condition, that will cost you a small fortune," he said.

"If you could just put me into contact with the owners, I would greatly appreciate it."

"I'd be happy to," he said, his finger traced the lines across the ledger book, and his _expression changed. "Hmmm. How badly does he want these?"

"Money is no object to my client. He wants these at any costs," Kate said.

He studied Kate's _expression for a moment. "I'm guessing you'll get a nice profit with this sale?" he asked.

Kate nodded. "I will."

He closed the book and leaned forward to speak to her. "Is your family having a problem with money?"

She wasn't sure where Mr. Welsh was going with these questions and felt uncomfortable with them. He could see the concern on her face. Mr. Welsh sighed and leaned back in his chair. "You'd be better off rising from that chair and telling your client you've had no luck."

"I can't do that," Kate said.

"I had a feeling you were going to say that," he said. "The artifacts your interested in are in Paris. German territory. How badly do you need the money?"

"My very life depends upon it, Mr. Welsh," Kate said.

He nodded. "Very well. You know if there was anything else I could do to help your family I would." He opened the books and wrote down the information. "Against my better judgment, I'm going to put you in contact with a German art dealer who lives in London." He handed her a slip of paper.

She rose to her feet. "Thank you, you have no idea what this will mean to my family," she said.

Mr. Welsh nodded and Kate left the office. Legolas followed her out onto the sidewalk. He glanced down at her expectantly, but she said nothing only made her way up the busy streets.

Legolas gauged her expression. "You did not find it," he said.

"No. I found it," Kate said. "Along with a sword, a suit of chain mail, and a shield."

"Where is it?" he asked.

"It's in Paris. German-occupied Paris," Kate said.

"Then we shall have to go to Paris," Legolas said.

"You make the decision sound so easy," Kate said.

"Isn't it?" Legolas asked.

"You're right," she said, and unfolded the slip of paper in her hands. The address wasn't far. Instead of delaying the inevitable, Kate thought it best to go ahead and face whatever fate awaited her.

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The first thing that surprised Kate, was that the art dealer was a woman. And the second thing that surprised her, was the she wasn't entirely German.

"My father was German, I grew up in England," Mrs. Schneider said in a lilting British accent, as they sat down to tea. "Ties to my homeland aren't so easily broken. Despite the political changes which I despise. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Not at all," Legolas said. "Where we come from always has hold over us, no matter how much has changed from the land it once was."

"Well spoken," she said. "I may not like the Fuehrer, but I do love the opportunities he has given me. Had he not come to power, I would never have been able to purchase some of the finest works of art hidden across Europe," she said, waving her arm in the general direction of the walls. They were covered with all manner of masterpieces. Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh. Kate was astonished at the number of masterpieces within the one room.

Kate had no idea where she'd bought such works of art. Most people who came into possession of such a work, kept is as a family heirloom or kept it within a museum. She wondered at the human cost of those paintings and it made her sick to think that each one probably resulted in the death of at least one innocent person.

Legolas said. "I am hoping that you will be able to assist us in making the most of this opportunity."

"These are the pieces you are interested in?" she said, reading the list that Kate had given her. "What will you have to offer in trade? We do not deal in money. Only gemstones or artworks."

"I have an entire gallery of artwork for the trading," Kate said.

She smiled at Kate. "Excellent. My contact within France will be returning here within a few days. Call me back then and I will see what I can arrange."

"We wish to make the transaction in person," Kate said.

"Of course, I would expect nothing less. A woman and her art aren't easily parted, are they?" she said.

Kate smiled. "You know me well."

They finished their tea and rose from their seats. Mrs. Schneider escorted them to the front door. "It was a pleasure meeting you both. I look forward to our next meeting."

Kate nodded.

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The sun was setting by the time Legolas and Kate returned to the house. They followed the sound of voices to the kitchen where Gandalf and Elrond were sitting with Kate's father. An assortment of papers were spread across the kitchen table.

"Well?" her father asked.

"The pendant is in Paris. We met a German art dealer who is going to get me and Legolas passage into France to make the trade," Kate said.

"Perfect," Gandalf said.

Kate, her father, and Elrond all stared at Gandalf as if he'd lost his mind. "Elrond and I were just headed to France ourselves," Gandalf said. "At least we'll be close to keep an eye on you."

"You're going after Colin and Elrond's sons?" Kate asked.

Gandalf nodded. "They have been gone far too long. And I want to see with my own eyes, what is keeping them."

Kate sat down at the table, and picked up one of the many documents. It was a German passport with Elrond's photo on it. She picked up another document, German id papers. The entire table was filled with forged documents. She looked at her father.

He smiled sheepishly. "Did you think I would stand by and do nothing for the entire course of this war?" he asked. "I have the skills. I put them to use."

Kate looked at Gandalf. "Your father has been forging German documents for the resistance movement across Europe. His work is quite legendary. I have been assisting him for some time now."

"How?" she asked.

"They are smuggled in paintings. I put two sheets of canvas over one another and hide them in between," her father said.

"I know for a fact that some of your father's documents have saved some Jews in Poland," Gandalf said.

Kate was speechless. She shook her head. "Is there anything else anyone has to tell me? I don't think I can take much more of these surprises."

"The only surprise I want to have, is to see Colin walking through those doors," her father said, suddenly serious.

"If he is in Europe. We will find him," Elrond said.

The room lapsed into an uneasy silence as the seriousness of their task sunk into their thoughts. Darkness fell, and the air raid sirens began to wail. Compared to the uncertainties of the future, the distant sound of bombs wasn't at all threatening.

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