The smell of damp earth filled her nostrils, and Rhîwhên could feel the draft through the tattered fabric of her clothing. A feeling of dread passed over her, lying in fear she had returned to a new imprisonment. The cold air was not nearly as chilling as the thought of being recaptured. Rhîwhên remained unmoved with her eyes closed, as if still in a dream, listening intuitively for even a single sound to shatter the stillness. Events of what had passed were slow to come over her dazed memory. She could see her mother, the beautiful Élaine, who had so ardently protected her, who had fallen beneath blackened blades. Rhîwhên remembered locking her cold fingers over her mouth from the terror, heart thundering in her chest, ready to leap out. She had cowered, slipping away, and biting deeply into her lip hoping she wouldn't be discovered.
Eventually, she shifted her weight up and let her eyes adjust to the surrounding darkness. A figure sat in the corner, thin silhouette illuminated softly against the flickering flames of a fire. He seemed to ease into relaxation at the sight of her returning to the waking world. Rhîwhên moved toward the figure with the utmost caution in her steps.
His white hair contrasted against the surrounding shadows, lit only by the light of the fire before the Elf. His sapphire eyes bore down on her, as if they were able to penetrate straight through her core. He had a thin frame overall, though it remained well defined and muscular. Rhîwhên crouched near to the male as her legs gave out, then extended a tentative hand to his face. It was an affirmation she needed in order to assure herself this was real. Elven-kind he was, but the words he spoke were foreign to her ears.
'You have no need to run. I am –' he paused warily, searching for the word. In this darker tongue, there was no word for friend. 'You are safe here. I know little of these words, and would not speak more even if I had the choice. Do your ears not recall the language of your kin?'
Rhîwhên shook her head.
'Varsis,' he greeted in the elven tongue and indicated toward his chest.
Rhîwhên thought of her scarred forearm and shrunk back into the shadows.
'You are safe here,' he repeated firmly, though this time in the Sindarin tongue. Varsis crouched to her level and extended his hand with a warm smile. Her large dark eyes searched his sapphire gaze in the silence between them. Slowly, and hesitantly, she reached out to grasp her slender hand in his.
'Well?' He asked, pulling Rhîwhên to her feet. 'Do you have a name? I cannot simply resolve to call you girl.'
Rhîwhên blinked.
Erestel, came the answer in his mind.
Varsis nearly tripped over the unpacked bags from their journey home.
'D—did you just do that?' Varsis asked, a slight startled.
Rhîwhên gave a tentative smile.
Who's there? Her voice entered his mind softly.
'Wha-?' Varsis asked absentmindedly, abruptly disrupted by the sound of footsteps.
'Can she speak?' A darker-haired stranger interrupted several moments later.
Varsis glanced at his brother curiously, and then back to Erestel. She took a step back at the sight of the second-born, eyeing him cautiously. 'Who is he?'
'—my brother,' Varsis said, wanting to shake the timid voice from his head. It felt as though there were two people inside his thoughts.
Phaedrus gave him a perplexed expression.
'This is Phaedrus—my brother.' Varsis was quick to correct his words.
'Are you alright, Varsis?' Phaedrus asked as his brother held fingers to his right temple.
'I'll be alright. Its just been a long day, and its only a minor ache.' At least he didn't need to lie about that.
'She must have a name,' Phaedrus continued.
'Agreed. Does Erestel work?' Varsis gave another half glimpse over his shoulder, then returned to Phaedrus. Out of the corner of his sight he caught his youngest brothers, Erastus and Aramaes, following in curious pursuit of Phaedrus.
'Trusted One, as it is in the Sindarin. How did you come to that?' Phaedrus grew quiet in thought. 'It will fit, for now,' he concluded. 'I was eager to hear what she was doing in the aftermath of the battle, but I presume now I will have to wait with the consideration of our language barriers. I will take my leave accordingly. It is good to see you finally awake, Erestel.' Phaedrus inclined his head courteously toward their guest, and turned to leave.
'For the love of Elbereth!' Phaedrus protested. 'Is there nowhere I can go you two do not follow?'
'Oh, quit being such a kill-joy Phaedrus,' Erastus replied dryly with a roll of his eyes. He gave his older brother a hard elbow in the side to silence his objections.
'We heard a commotion and thought it would be worth having a look. Turns out its only you,' Aramaes added with a dissapointing groan.
Erastus was quick to realize a fragile, curved figure in the shadows behind the crowd of siblings. 'A girl!' He said, as if it were a scandalous accusation. Erastus managed to arouse the swift interest of his twin, as though the entire event were a huge novelty.
'What a wonderous situation this turns out to be! I can't wait to tell—'
Both twins were cut short in their excitement by and overwhelming, hard pinch to a pointed ear.
'Owww! .Ow!' Aramaes whined uncomfortably.
Phaedrus glowered at the youngest twin paternally, quickly silencing any complaints. Erastus only seemed to fidget away in the background uneasily. Phaedrus finally relented, letting Aramaes weasel from his firm grasp.
Aramaes nursed his throbbing ear.
'Never more fun than a wall. There's a rotten apple in every family, Aramaes,' Erastus mocked dissapointedly.
'Out! Both of you!' Phaedrus shouted.
As he ushered his brothers out, Erestel glanced down at the filth of her hands, only to hear the thunderous rumble of her stomach. When had she eaten last? As she glimpsed back at Varsis, she had a squeamish expression of discomfort.
'Come eat,' he gestured over at the fire.
Precariously, she stood to her feet only to collapse to the stone floor weakly. It had been too long since her last real meal. How long had it taken to find her way out of that wretched stronghold? Varsis rushed to her side to offer his support, but Erestel declined, stubbornly forcing her weight upward. As she nearly lost her balance again, she frantically clung to him for support. Varsis caught her, but fixed his eyes on the indication of a mark branded to her right forearm. Her severely scarred skin hardly disturbed him, but the nature of the raven symbol did.
It was a blood oath.
Only those loyal to Meren Môrelen received such an emblem.
At the same time, Varsis understood that only elves with power could possess abilities to speak telepathically. Who then, was she? Varsis realized evidently he was wrong to believe she had no knowledge of sindarin. Her gesture earlier simply meant her refusal to speak any language, at least audibly.
Erestel suddenly had a great deal to answer for.
'How did you get this?' He demanded, entrapping her wrist.
Erestel attempted to recoil, as if a panic-trapped animal. Even if she did understand sindarin, she refused to speak with every fiber of her being.
'I could bring Phaedrus back and tell him of the interesting talent you possess, if that seems a more viable solution for you. I am here to be of assistance, but cannot do so unless you reveal certain information to me in return. I refuse to house traitors.'
Silence.
'Speak!' Varsis commanded, nearly startling her out of her own skin.
'I am weary still,' she replied. 'If you refuse to rest until I have said these things, then so be it. I was captive in the fortress of Amon Lanc—or Dol Guldur, I am not sure which it is called in these parts. Meren trusts those who give their undying oaths, and so it was a sacrifice I made in return for my chance at freedom. As for the ability I have, it can be explained by heritage. I am unsure of those akin to me, unfortunately. Meren murdered my mother, and my family. I have nothing to do with that monster,' her voice held emphasis on the last word.
'How can I trust what you say is true?' Varsis accused hotly, pinning his hold on her wrist harder.
Her black eyes studied him with a hard resolve, mouth unmoved.
Varsis released her.
Erestel felt the slight sting of her conscience for not revealing more.
The truth was, Eres-Erelith Rhîwhên Môrelen would be stuck with the crimes of her family regardless of where she chose to run. Her chest rose and fell with a deep sigh of regret, this was not her expectations for intended life after escape. How long would it be before she was discovered here? …and at what cost?
Varsis remembered Dol Guldur. It loomed in the distant horizon above a peak in the south. He was sure if light could penatrate through the dark webs of the canopy, thunderous black clouds would loom overhead. It had been a broken stronghold long ago, when he was a much younger elf, but even then it had the power to give him a formidable feeling.
Varsis sat near her in the dim light of the fire, the only illumination the stone room provided. He handed Erestel a small portion of salted meat.
'How long were you there?'
Her gaze fell on him again silently, revisiting her dark memories.
'I shouldn't have asked,' he started.
'No,' she cut in. 'You may ask what you wish, but I cannot say I will always have answers. I am a guest in this house, as well as a stranger.'
It does not mean I will always be truthful.
'I cannot tell you how long I was there, though,' she finished regretfully. 'An eternity, so it seems. I was a small child when…I was taken hostage, and my mother was murdered. I am weary though, if you permit me to rest I will rejoin this conversation tomorrow.'
Varsis took his leave, and Erestel yawned. Her head slumped downward as she returned to bed.
Élaine came to the end of the pass she had taken, only to find the stone door that held both mother and child's escape collapsed. A sweet echo of Meren's voice cooed not far behind; a madman's lullaby. Élaine hushed the fearful murmurs of her child, moving quickly toward another narrow end of the tunnel in hopes to find a new route to freedom.
All was unfavorably quiet.
A light within the passage broke through the cracked stones, shattering the grey of twilight. Her fear of Meren had been forgotten for a small, peaceful measure of time, but now it flooded her memory all too well. Even those who willingly served him were unable to last with his volatile temper. Élaine folded a hand over her child's mouth in silent dread, holding her close as they fled. Behind them, Meren's sinister laugh echoed in the darkness. An instant dragged by as if an eternity, her heart beating wild with fear. The path bent around westward with one last course cutting along the stone. An open door in the mountain side rose to the brink of the cliff, letting the blazing sunlight pierce straight through the ridge.
Freedom.
At first she could see nothing, but she withstood the sting of the gaining light. Light! Élaine felt far safer in it. Hair pricked up on her neck, and her ears pricked still at the footsteps crunching on the stone floor. Her white head of hair whipped around her as she turned, protectively pushing her child aside.
'You will not touch her!' Élaine threatened harshly. Her words rang powerfully against the old passageway, but did nothing to sway Meren's intentions. He stood veiled in the shadows, hands clasped calmly together.
'On my life, you will not touch her!' Élaine shouted again fiercely.
'I can arrange that,' Meren mused invitingly with a soft laugh. In the dwindling dimness where he stood, she could see the corners of a grin creeping across his confident expression. Élaine stepped further into the safety of the sunlight, inching toward the rubble of the stairway. It severely impaired her enemy, but his senses were far from dull, even with the consideration of his age. Meren stood tall and straight in the remaining darkness, fearless, but full of malice.
Élaine's heart thudded with deep panic, and she gave in toward the instinctive urge to run. Would Meren follow in the bright daylight? Élaine was ready to take the chance.
Rhîwhên ran easily by her side down the old stone stairway, but Meren was too quick. He snatched the child by a free arm, and rocketed Élaine down the steps from the force. Her weight broke the fragile stairs free from the cliff, sending her spinning wildly out of control with a scream of shock and surprise.
'Please,' she pleaded in desperation.
Meren enjoyed the odds in his favor. How easy it was! His daughter beat against his side fiercely, but it was no more than a pestering thorn to his side. Daylight tinged his pale skin, and he was thankful for the dark cowl shading his eyes from the wretched light. Élaine's fingers slid hopelessly against the stone, desperate tears escaping down her cheeks as she struggled to hold on. For an instant, he pondered crushing her fingers against the stone, but she had been much more trouble than she was worth. It was hardly satisfying to see her fall to such an effortless death. Meren wrangled the child next to him, throwing her away back toward the entrance into the passageway.
Even if he could lift Élaine to safety, the bridge only had moments. Meren could hear the muffled, frantic cries of his daughter behind him to save her mother. For a brief second, he nearly felt an ounce of guilt. As he remembered his brother, his dark brows knotted together again with hatred. Meren bellied against the stone, fracturing it further. Élaine thrashed madly against his hold, and he shouted above the crashing cliff.
'Hold on!'
'Why? So you can murder me when I reach safety?' Élaine spat back, but quickly remembered her daughter, and took his offer tightly. Both rolled over as the stone shattered down the deep crevice. Élaine caught her breath quickly, it wasn't over yet. Meren stood as swiftly as she had racing back toward the passage, toward their child.
It was pure survival now.
Élaine shoved the madman away from her terrified daughter, and he grabbed her cloak, sending them both tumbling again. Élaine flew to Meren's side when she recovered, dragging him furiously upward again, and fighting off his choking attempts to escape her grasp. Pinning him against the stone floor just outside, she yanked his cowl back and forced the blazing daylight on the Dark Elf.
'Burn!' Élaine hissed at him.
Meren laughed wickedly.
He didn't need to see to win.
Meren suddenly throttled her by the throat, and then tossed her against the nearest wall like an old ragdoll. His vision was white and blurred, almost completely blinded by the sun. Thankfully, recognizable shapes still formed around him.
The child, he thought. Get the child first.
A small trembling figure outlined near the entryway, crying softly for her mother to wake up. Meren surveyed the blurred panarama of his vision, picking up the scent of blood. Élaine? His mouth twitched smugly. Rhîwhên shouted desperately for him to keep away, sobbing and clinging on hopelessly over the bent form of her mother.
'I hate you!' Rhîwhên screamed between her tears. 'I will always hate you!'
Meren pulled out a dark dagger concealed inside one of his pockets. He traced a slender finger around Élaine's cheek, then grabbed her in place roughly as he plunged it directly below her breast.
'NO!' Rhîwhên shouted.
Erestel startled herself back into the waking world.
Her ragged clothes acted as a second skin now, drenched in a cold sweat. Her heart hammered so hard inside her chest it was hard to breathe.
Erestel! Erestel!
'Erestel!' Varsis was suddenly at her side, shaking her back down to reality. 'It was just a dream,' he said.
Her dark eyes turned to him quietly. What happened?
'You had a nightmare.'
Erestel furrowed her brows. A nightmare? No, a memory.
'You have a habit of talking in your sleep. Your still not completely recovered, I expected it. You did it a great deal while you were still feverish—er—I suppose that doesn't help,' he said as her met her unsure eyes. Her face flushed red, and she recoiled from his touch.
'Who do you hate so much, Erestel?'
Her face went white, suddenly expressionless.
No, her eyes said.
'I need answers,' Varsis pushed. 'Perhaps not now, but eventually.'
'If its answers like that you want, get used to dissapointment,' a hard stare toward Varsis put him off the subject, for now.
What was so terrible? He wanted to question.