Seeing as this is a short chapter and chapter 5 was relatively short I'm going to upload them both together, plus I have 0 patience, please levee me a review any criticism or questions ? I've had zero feedback since I started to rewrite this story so I have no idea if I ruined something that people were enjoying or if nobody really cares. I'd love to know either way though. Thanks for reading I hope you like it xx
The warrior elves were lead to a new wagon Thara noted, this was one she had never seen before probably created for the specific use of holding elves. The thought sickened her. She didn't know how she would get into it and she didn't have a lot of time so she decided to do the simplest thing, she would make sure that Durun was sufficiently drunk to the point that he would fall asleep before he could so much as touch her, the thought had crossed her mind many times but she had never dared it would just cause her pain later but on this occasion that sacrifice was needed. So she sat obediently by her master and offered him another drink.
"Yes, go quickly and make it strong... Now elf." She didn't even have to try, he was ordering his own destruction. She served him with the strongest drink she could find, after that hoped he would drop his defences and drink himself into a stupor. That he did, an hour later he was face down in the dirt he didn't even make it to his tent. Another chance that helped Thara as she sent all of the guards from about the elves' quarters to aid their leader, foolishly they all agreed.
It was easy, the doors weren't even locked. Thara noticed why the moment she entered the wagon.
Each of the elves were chained by hand and foot to the next and to the walls, whoever they were the humans knew to be cautious. The ellons still looked calm and quite content, they were up to something and it was going to plan. The thought crossed her mind that they could be there to save her, maybe they were even sent by her brothers they had survived! She kept her face clear of all these thoughts wearing a mask of indifference, she would not show them weakness and they could not doubt her.
The moment she set eyes on him again she knew that this would work, an elf like that was not going to be beaten by a man like Durun, it was impossible. He sat calmly and confidently with one muscled arm supported on a raised knee. They had planned this, there was no way that they were taken by force he was surely a God and God's could not be chained. She shook the thoughts from her mind as he spoke. His voice sent a shiver through her, his smile almost made her drop to the floor.
Haldir Pov.
There she was, at the door to their prison. He knew to there was more to this ellith than met the eye, she was most definitely different.
"Who are you?" He began, he noted her shiver with a small smirk.
Then she noticed something strange although he was speaking Sindarin she did not completely understand, Silvan perhaps. Yes, she spoke it fluently but she had believed that the elves of Greenwood the Great spoke also Sindarin but in the form of Doriath, the original home of their king Thranduil and therefore the language of his son. Her mind was roiling looking for an explanation, her plan had to work, who were these elves?
Haldir was surprised at her silence. "Who are you?" He inquired again this time in Westron, maybe she had been raised among men that would explain her lack of their native tongue.
She shook herself from her stupor and decided that she could trust them anyway, what could happen worse that had come to pass already and these were of her kin not like the cruel brutish men outside. "I apologise I speak your tongue fluently my lord it has just been... too long since I have heard it, do forgive me." He nodded smiling again, she was visibly shaken and he hoped it was due to his presence. "I am Almithara, daughter of the good and loyal King Dakath, Crown Princess of Kaldarion and captive to these fools." She finished with a smile of her own, his face had dropped once she revealed her true identity, she had also gained the complete attention of every elf in the cramped box, in unison they all nodded, as much of a bow that they could muster in their current predicament."And you my Lord…?"
"Haldir." He finished. "Haldir of Lorien, your Grace. I am the Marchwarden of the Golden City and I am at your service, as are my men." Thank the Valar, she thought to herself.
"And I thank you." She smiled, she would find out where in Arda Lorien was later, she had never heard of the place. "So, you have a plan to get us out of here then?" She was met with silence. "Oh..."
"Don't be down my your grace, I'm positive that my brother here will think of a plan soon enough." A new elf spoke, he was young, handsome and most likely very naive. At least they seemed to be over the shock of who she was, it didn't take long.
"Don't be insolent Rümil." Another reprimanded, so that was his brother, they shared each others look although this brother was most likely the elder more responsible of the two. He sat with his eyes shut, injured she thought but still strong, even though he was slightly slumped his broad shoulders were squared, these were true fighters.
Haldir noticed the tension in the air, his other men were wary of this newcomer hence he decided to question her further and find them some answers. "I hope you do not mind me saying your grace but we believed Kaldarion to be lost, gone to ruin millennia ago and her people all but sailed."
She looked back to him, then sat relaxing against the door. "Please, call me Thara, I am no Princess here believe me. As for Kaldarion I cannot say much, we were nigh ruin after the wars but our people prevailed. We shrunk back further into our homelands, the deserts are free of these orcs we face different dangers now but for a time we were safe from the arm of darkness. Now it seems that Its hand has reached my home." She closed her eyes shortly at the memories flooding to her mind.
"And how did you come here, your Grace?" She fixated her gaze upon the floor.
"I was sent by my father, accompanied by 20 good men who were my loyal friends and my two brothers. I was to be married, or it was my fathers wish that I should be married to the Prince of Mirkwood, the ties would be strengthened and Kaldarion would have a new influx of soldiers to protect her and fight her foes. Or mayhap a place for her people to flee to if the worst came to be." She knew what he would ask now so she continued. "We lost many men on our journey to orcs and other creatures foreign to us, on the night I was taken by these men I believe that my last protectors including my dear brothers were lost to Mandos' halls, may they rest in peace. I will avenge them if you should decide to aid me in escaping here." Haldir was silenced. She would give so much and suffer so much loss and pain then still be willing to give more for her people this one was either courageous and brave or foolish and over-proud. In his silence Ôrophin spoke.
"How are we to aid you? If we cannot get free of these damned chains, how are we to free you?" His strength was waining, and his temper was growing as a slight seemingly innocent cut had turned septic without the proper attention, Haldir suspected poison was to blame.
"I can start by healing you. Then I will find the keys to rid you of your 'damned chains' before I take you to your weapons." She told him confidently. They heard another elf reply quietly.
Luirlan sighed, "I'll believe it when I see it." He looked at her with humour in his eyes, she had already accepted the challenge. Haldir liked her already she was no shy maiden, but who could afford to be in a situation such as this, what wrongs had been done to this foreign beauty?
"So, you are obviously not beaten. You are here purposefully what was your aim?" She asked looking to Haldir.
And she was also intuitive he thought. "We are looking for someone." He replied.
"Don't be cryptic or I'll leave you in the box when I come to get the people who will help me." She stated with a smile. And stubborn he surmised.
"Elves are at risk during these most perilous times, many have gone missing and are believed to have been taken into captivity such as this, we will put and end to it."
"When you are freed from your chains by a small defenceless maid." She finished with a wink.
Yes, Haldir really liked her and so his companions.
It took her just minutes to pull the poison from Ôrophin's system, she was an incredibly talented healer when it came to poisons of mind and matter. That made it all the harder when she couldn't save someone. She was always left wondering if she had tried to learn just a bit more then she could have saved them. That kept her awake at night, the thought of innocent blood spilled that she could have prevented, thats what motivated her. Thara then left them after she fed and gave them water, she would return as soon as she was able, she would be free sooner rather than later. Her hope had returned.
