As the objects fell, the man stepped out from the wall of the pit onto the edge of the ledge he was standing on. The objects were falling quickly. He reached out, straining muscle against tendon, and bone. His fingers grappled with the air trying to snatch one of the falling objects, the important one. As he leaned out he began to slip, and his other arm shot out and grabbed the rocky wall of the pit. The object of his desire fell towards his outstretched hand, his other hand being skinned by the sharp rocks on the side of the pit. He strained further out, and his fingers clasped the object. The other object, unwanted, continued on it's decent into the bottom of the fiery pit. Triumphantly he pulled back into the shadows cast by the high wall, his hand clamped firmly around it. He entered into an opening in the wall and walked into a small room made completely out of rock, it was lighted by the eternal fires burning in the pit below. When he had entered he raised his eyes and glared at the huddled figure, whose feet were tied with a long piece of rope between them, lying on the floor. A look of anger crossed his face and he strode across the room, hands fisted in anger. When he reached the huddled figure he reached down and grabbed one of it's arms, yanking it into a standing position. He looked with disgusted anger upon the down turned face of the elf who had unwillingly helped him in his mission. He let go of the elf's arm to grab her chin and roughly jerk her head upward to face his. Still the elf would not meet his angry gaze.
"Look at me!" he demanded, letting go of her chin to grab her arm and shake her roughly. The elf slowly raised her eyelids so her brown eyes glared piercingly into his. "Still brave are we? You won't be for long," He continued.
"Have you done it?" the elf asked her gaze unwavering. Instead of answering the man smirked and opened his hand to show the elf the object lying on his palm. Gasping for breath, the elf tried to step backwards from the man to get away from the object, but the man laughed shortly and quickly grabbed her arm.
"You aren't getting away from this," He said closing his hand and reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a thin chain which he slipped the object onto and then placed the chain about his neck tucking it into the collar of his shirt. The elf shook her head and lowered it sadly. "Hmm, sad are you? Well if you think this is sad you will be dead from grief by the time I have finished," The man said chuckling. The elf made no response. "Answer me!" he demanded shaking her arm.
"Yes," The elf answered shortly.
"Yes, what?" the man snapped.
"Yes, Jaron," The elf answered closing her eyes.
"Thank you. That's better," Jaron said finally letting go of her arm. As soon as his fingers left her skin the elf jumped backward and sat down a few feet from the wall. Jaron rolled his eyes and walked to the back of the room. He began to pull a few large rocks out of a hole in the wall.
"Why do you never call me by name?" the elf suddenly spoke. Jared straightened and turned slowly. He glared at the elf who was now staring bravely at him from her place on the floor.
"What did you say?" Jaron asked incredulously.
"I said- Why do you never call… me by name?" answered the elf some of her bravado fading as Jaron took a menacing step toward her.
"I thought that was what you said. There is no reason I should answer that question, and normally I wouldn't, but today I am in a good mood. I suppose there is no real reason. I felt you needed to earn your right to be called by name by me. I suppose after all your help you have earned that right. …What was your name again? Brunhilda?" Jaron answered with a smirk. The elf clenched her jaws in unexpressed anger, her fair face, normally placid, was now a story of hate.
"You know what my name is," She answered crossing her arms across her chest. She waited for several minutes during which no one said anything. Jaron shrugged and started to go back to clearing the hole in the wall. "My name is Fiorwen," she finally said grudgingly.
"Very well, Fiorwen. Go against that wall, and then I might remove those ropes around your feet when I'm done here." Jaron said laughing.
"What are you doing?" asked Fiorwen not moving from her spot.
"You ask me what I am doing? How dare you! Get against that wall and stay there." Jaron said glaring at Fiorwen until she stood, meekly moved to the wall and sat down with her back resting against it's coldness. Satisfied, Jaron turned around and continued removing rocks from the hole. After a moment he had all of the rocks cleared and he turned around and walked over to the watching elf. "Well, get up. Come on. Hurry up," He demanded, angrily grabbing Fiorwen's wrist. She stumbled to her feet in his hurry, and glanced at her tied feet. "After we get out of here." Jaron replied to her unspoken question. He dragged her to the back of the room and shoved her at the hole, while holding on to the trailing belt of her dress. She started to gracefully climb through, but then sliced her arm open on a protruding rock when Jaron gave her an impatient shove. He scrambled out after her, never loosening his grip on her belt. He gestured impatiently at the tunnel ahead of them as she used the hem of her dress to try to stop her arm from bleeding. She glared at him, he sighed, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. She snapped it from his hand and, using her teeth and her other hand, she tied it around her arm to keep pressure on the cut, and to keep the sides of it together so it would heal properly.
"I need my herbs," she stated when she finished tying and glanced up at Jaron.
"Well, we need to get out of here then. They are on the horse. I did not bring them." Jaron replied shoving Fiorwen roughly into the tunnel then following himself. They slowly felt their way along the pitch black tunnel. Fiorwen stopped several times to gather her bearings and rest, but was forced to keep going by a sharp kick to the ankle by Jaron. After an hour of walking in the dark, steep tunnel they arrived at an entrance to another rock room, awash with sunlight. Pushed forward by Jaron, Fiorwen was suddenly blinded and she stumbled forward and fell onto the hard ground. Jaron let go of Fiorwen's belt, and stayed in the tunnel's mouth until his eyes adjusted to the change in light. He stepped out into the light and stood over the elf.
"Get up," He ordered nudging her with his foot. When she did not respond he dragged her up by the arm. Fiorwen's eyes were still closed when Jaron pushed her towards the side of the room where there were gouges cut in the completely vertical wall. "Let's go," he said impatiently, shoving her roughly into the wall. Fiorwen groaned softly as her body made contact with the rocks. She rested her head against the wall for a moment before slowly opening her eyes. Jaron was impatiently tapping his foot on the floor when she finally pushed herself away from the wall. She turned to face Jaron. "Climb. …Now," Jaron ordered staring at the elf. Fiorwen turned and looked at the wall. She raised one hand and put it in a cut in the wall. She placed a foot in a lower one. She raised her injured arm and placed that hand in a groove as well. She tried to pull herself up enough with her arms to get her last foot in a groove. She gasped in pain and collapsed backward, off the wall and into Jaron. Jaron growled at her and pushed her into the wall again.
"Stop faking. Your arm is fine. Climb," Jaron grunted as he pushed her.
"I'm not faking! I really can't use it," Fiorwen said desperately holding the bloody injured arm to her chest. Jaron groaned and grabbed the elf around the waist. He lifted her effortlessly and held her there until she put her uninjured hand and both her feet into grooves in the wall.
"Now climb. Just don't use that one arm. I won't let you fall. You are too valuable right now." Jaron said squeezing her waist hard. Fiorwen painstakingly climbed up with one arm. Jaron impatiently started to climb right after her and every time she began to fall he stopped her by pushing her flat against the wall with an angry growl. When Fiorwen finally reached the top of the wall she hooked her one good arm over the lip over the wall and pulled herself out of the rock room into the open air. She scrambled up and then lay on the grass panting while Jaron pulled himself out. He lay face first on the ground for a moment, then heaved himself to his feet and looked at Fiorwen.
"Get up. …Come on, we need to get the horse and go to Lothlorien." Jaron said bending over and shaking Fiorwen's shoulder. She groaned faintly and rose to her feet. Again Jaron forced Fiorwen to lead the way, this time as they walked down to the place where they left the horse, gripping her belt tightly. When they reached the horse Fiorwen collapsed to the ground unconscious, blood from her arm dripping from the soaked through handkerchief. "Blast." Jaron stated glancing at the pale elf. He released his hold on her belt and walked over to the horse. He opened the pack that was strapped to the animals side, and removed a large engraved silver box with a sparkling ruby on each side and on the top. It was held closed by a delicate looking clasp and lock. Jaron tried to open the box but the lid would not budge. He rummaged through the saddlebag looking for a key, but found none. He then tried to break the lock, but instead almost sprained every muscle in his hands. Jaron thought for a few minutes before he spoke, "I've looked everywhere except on your person. …I wonder…" He finished speaking and placed the box on the ground next to the horse. He walked over to the deathly pale figure of Fiorwen and bent over…