Tauriel turned sharply to him, surprise clear in her eyes. Where she was from, Sauron was still the Necromancer, working in her wood. Mordor had not yet grown in power, yet even in her day, it was a dark place full of dark sorcery.

"They are well," she said carefully, watching his face. "As well as they can be, here. But you spoke of a dangerous place indeed, a place far from your home. What would take you to a place like that?"

She wouldn't say the name. It was better not to speak of such things, of dark places and sorcery. Particularly here, where the darkest of all creatures was residing.