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Thorvel had listened with growing satisfaction as Calenvása argued with Ambarturion. The Captain was doing what needed doing, as far as Thorvel could see. However, his eyebrows rose skeptically at hearing Ambarturion’s plan to attack the smaller force, and he could not keep quiet any longer. Earlier he had thought that the Lórien Elf’s dash into the woods was the result of clouded thinking, but Thorvel was starting to wonder if that wasn’t just how he always thought. He was hardly surprised any longer that they had been captured in the first place.
“Wait a minute!” he said. He thought he saw Calenvása shoot him a warning look, but he ignored it. “You propose that we should abandon our companion here and attack the smaller force by ourselves? Six against two hundred? It’s madness.”
“Perhaps, but it is what I intend to do. Help me or hinder me as you will.” Thorvel stared at him for a moment. Where was the other Elf’s sense? That would not help Lothlórien or the Lady, and it would get all of them killed! Ambarturion had said they could kill a full hundred of that force. What if they were killed first? Thorvel shook his head. Arguing with Ambarturion did not seem to be doing any good, and so he turned to Calenvása, who was frowning slightly.
“I think,” Thorvel began slowly, “that we should take Lómarandil with us to Lothlórien. It is closer than the palace, and he can get the care he needs there. He has been lucky so far, but I do not know if he would last the entire way to the palace. In addition, we will be able to alert the Galadhrim of the coming attack.” The last was said with a darted glance at Ambarturion. He had purposefully spoken loud enough for the others to hear. He stepped back. He had stated his opinion, one that made a great deal of sense to him, and was done speaking for the moment. Calenvása was doing a fine job debating with Ambarturion, and Thorvel intended to let him continue to do so.
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