Elias was furious with the elf. The cursed creature had actually gone and bit him. Bloody hard too. He'd had to wash his hand again to clear away the blood before having it wrapped non too gently by Aldred all whilst Samer and Saveric sniggered in the background.
Elias still offered to wrap up the elf so that he looked like baggage but Aldred had irritably waved him off to the side doing the task himself. Elias looked at his Captains horse in front of him and he had to admit that Aldred had done a very good job indeed of making the elf look like an extra piece of baggage.
Elias' thoughts were interrupted as Aldred swung round to look at him, "You're up boy make it convincing – don't let me down."
Aldred maneuvered his horse then so that Elias and he were riding abreast and Elias swallowed. It was time for him to convince the woods people to give them shelter for the night and provisions for the morn and in all truth Elias was nervous. He did not like the woods people and their strong wills and defiant spirit. Personally he would rather that they took their chances with hunting and gathering whatever they could find until they got out of Mirkwood. But alas he was not Captain and therefore he now had to do Aldred's bidding.
It was surprisingly easy, these people were seemingly a gentler and calmer race of the woods people. They had been welcomed into the town where an old, grey haired couple had haltingly offered to put them up for the night in broken Westron.
They had accepted even though it was slowly explained to them that they would have to spend the night in what was essentially the couple's cellar. Still Aldred eagerly accepted as it was the only way they would all be able to stay together.
"We…ah leave you… ah… get ready food," the elderly lady pointed back up the stairs to the main house.
Her husband nodded, "We calling you… when food…ah is ready for eating."
Elias planted a genial smile on his face bowing slightly as he faced the old couple, "This is good," he paused and made a show of thinking up the correct words in Westron before, "We…thank you kindly."
Satisfied the elderly couple went back up the stairs shutting the cellar door quietly behind them.
Aldred waited a few more moments before he spoke in a whisper, "That was very good indeed Elias. I'm pleased. Now let us remain convincing for the rest of the night. We can eat and I'm sure they will give us enough provisions for us to high tail it out of this forest. Now let's get our story straight before we go up to eat with them."
Elias listened distractedly to Aldred's whispered instructions as he piled their bags in one corner. He came to their last 'bag' and stared down at it. Elias was still angry about the wound inflicted upon him by the elf and he would've liked nothing better than to be allowed to inflict a little pain of his own upon the fair being.
"Put the elf behind the other bags boy and leave him be," Aldred hissed interrupting Elias' malevolent thoughts.
"We don't need him and you getting into another scuffle," Aldred walked up behind him watching as Elias did as he'd been told. "These woods people seem to have no knowledge of what's gone on in the other village and I'd like to keep it so at least until we leave. So no shenanigans with the elf ok boy?"
Aldred glared hard at Elias – this was a sin Aldred clearly would not allow him to get away with so he simply nodded yes.
Aldred gave a nod in return a pleased smile on his face when the door was lightly knocked before being swung open.
The old lady beamed down at them, "Food is…ah ready…now."
The men all turned round to face her fake smiles firmly plastered across their faces as they gave a little bow before following her up the stairs.
~o~
Faervel's eyes gleamed in the dim night light as he waited not so patiently for the rest of his troop to be ready to put their plan into action. He was raring to go – anxious to get to Legolas' side and ensure he was well as well as finding out whether Arasson and Hadril were also with the men. Of course he was also eager to let the men have a taste of cold Elvish steel. Faervel relaxed his grip on his twin knives a fraction willing himself to be calm.
Turning round to face the early evening gloom of the forest he watched as Aithel gave last minute instructions to their horses the animals gathered close around her. Camaendir, Feren, Thoron and Magoldir had all finished strapping on their weapons and now came to stand near him. Faervel swiveled round and gazed out over the plains again eyes roving as far as the woods on the other side of the Great River trying futilely to catch a glimpse of the men.
He gave up as he felt Aithel stand next to him.
"All is ready?" he asked softly even as he reigned in his impatience.
"Yes," was Aithel's calm response, "Tiro ven Elbereth."
"Tiro ven Elbereth," Faervel echoed the prayer along with the others and at Aithel's sharp nod they finally left the shadows of the trees and advanced across the plains separating them from their quarry.
Faervel turned his head looking back a little wistfully at his woodland home. He had left Mirkwood before - of course- it came with his promise to Thranduil yet it had always been to go into towns of men. Never had he left the safety of his forest to go further out into Wilderland - he'd had no desire to and no need to.
Yet he had need now and as he marched silently across the grassy lands with what remained of his dírnaithhe ran through their plan in his head once again. They had waited for evening to cover them with darkness and shadows so they could cross the open plains. They had their stealth back now and by morning they would be in place in the woods on the other side of the Great River ready to unleash the same fear and chaos upon the edain that they had experienced themselves only this morning.
Faervel quickened his step ever so slightly – he could hardly wait.
~o~
Legolas gently stirred as he came back to awareness ever so slowly. His mind felt cloudy and he ached fiercely. He opened one eye just a crack and was disconcerted to see nothing but inky black darkness. He forced his whirling mind to calm and he took stock of what he knew or could remember. It took some doing but he finally remembered the men, the ambush and that he was a captive.
This last part made Legolas try to pull himself together more forcefully. He needed his wits about him if he were to have any chance of escaping these men. He stretched his senses out listening carefully to see if he could piece together where he now was. Unfortunately his mind and senses refused to co-operate and Legolas gave up with a small huff. His senses were dull, his mind was groggy and he hurt all over. Valar how he hurt.
It was no mere dull ache like he'd experienced with his injured shoulder either. It was vicious stabbing pains shooting through his body and pooling in his chest. If only he could breathe some fresh air unrestricted Legolas was sure he'd feel lots better – yet the accursed cloth tied tightly round his face made sure that was impossible. His feet and hands were tied too and Legolas was annoyed that when he gave an experimental wiggle neither knot budged so much as an inch. He was also aggrieved to find that his hands were quite numb. Fat lot of use they were going to be then.
Legolas wiggled a bit more in an attempt to find out a bit more of his surroundings. He could feel hard ground beneath his back and yet it was not cold. So he was not outdoors then for the ground in most of Mirkwood emitted a cold dread chill and was one of the reasons the elves had taken to sleeping in their beloved trees.
Another little wiggle told Legolas that he was surrounded by objects that felt sturdy yet they were not hard like stone or wood. Legolas was still considering this little mystery when he was suddenly grasped and tugged into an upright position. His hood was yanked off and this time Legolas could not refrain from blinking in the harsh bright torch light that was held in his face.
The bright light was removed and as Legolas eyes slowly readjusted to the now dim light of the room he silently berated himself for being caught off guard.
"Hello elf."
Legolas blinked owlishly in the direction the voice had come from annoyed with how slow and confused he was. A young adan grinned at him with a cheerful smile that did not reach his eyes.
"Wha..." Legolas tried but found his words were not only muffled by the cloth still round his face but that his voice had cracked from disuse and thirst.
"Oh shush, shush, shush elfie. You are not to make any noise or the Captain will be most upset."
Theadan looked down at a water skin near where he had crouched before looking again at Legolas, anger and bitterness in his eyes.
"You need a drink elf?" the man asked and Legolas was surprised at how he had spat the word elf using it as one would a curse. Legolas simply blinked slowly at him and kept very still. This was the adanhe had bitten earlier and the hatred and anger that had caused a small frisson of fear in Legolas' heart was still there in his pale grey eyes.
"Do you not understand me elf? Do you not speak Common?"
The young man gave his fake cheerful smile again and Legolas stayed stock still – maybe if the man thought he could not speak Westron he would shut up and go away and leave Legolas to deal with his raging headache and plans of escape in relative peace.
The man however merely shook his head before whispering, "Here let me make it easy for you elfie. Pedin edhellen."
Legolas' eyes widened with surprise and he studied the man before him more closely. Not many men knew Sindarin – even the trade merchants and peace envoys that came from Dale and Lake Town could only haltingly stutter out the traditional welcome butchering the words so badly it was often difficult to even understand what they had attempted to say. Yet this young adan had spoken the words like he was born to them. Legolas' eyes narrowed as he decided to test the man – that had been a fairly simple phrase after all.
Legolas's muffled question caused the man to frown.
"I can't understand you with that mask on elfie, I will loosen it slightly but if you make any attempt to bite me again I sigil nin egor I bau nin. You can decide your punishment."
Legolas's eyes widened again in shock at the man's knowledge of his mother tongue and he was so surprised he did not even register the man slowly loosening the cloth wound round his face before hastily jumping back.
Legolas quickly blinked before looking at the man again – it seemed pointless to test his knowledge of Sindarin now – it was clear he knew it well.
Still his next whispered words were in Sindarin, "Man i theled i cheniol edhellen?"
A slow malicious smile spread across the young man's face, "Ni elvellon."
The man chuckled as he moved around out of Legolas' range of sight, "Does that answer all your questions elfie? I am an elf friend so I can speak your filthy tongue just as well as you do."
Legolas snorted immediately regretting the action as he caught a whiff of the sweet sense dulling poison. Still he carried on, showing no outward signs of unease, "You lie lýg, you are no elf friend and I warn you avof nathlad 'werth min daur vîn."
The adan merely chuckled again before suddenly the cloth was once again tightened around his mouth and nose being secured from behind. Legolas twisted, struggled in vain and he internally raged at himself for letting the man sneak up on him. Who was this man exactly? Who moved so swiftly, silently and who spoke the Grey Tongue as if it were his own.
The man came back into sight and peered down at Legolas a horrible grin on his face.
"Enough talk elf," he jiggled the water skin that had been on the floor at him. "You sounded hoarse – how about that drink I promised you?"
Legolas narrowed his eyes at the man again. Why had he gagged him again with the cursed cloth if he intended to give him a drink?
The man smiled wickedly before he uncorked his water skin and carelessly let its contents splash down onto Legolas's lower cloth covered face. Legolas turned his head but the man simply moved forward so that his was sitting on Legolas' abdomen before pushing him flat to the ground his hand clamped firmly around Legolas's neck. Pain flared in his abused body as the man roughly adjusted him into position. Legolas was firmly locked in place and the man again gleefully spilled water across the cloth that covered his mouth and nose soaking it. Legolas wriggled trying in vain to move his head out of the way of the water that was again being poured onto his face. The cloth was soaked now and Legolas tried to take a quick gulping breath. He panicked as the saturated cloth simply clung to his nostrils not letting him take in any meaningful amount of air. He let out a chocking cough as he tried for breath by inhaling with his mouth and panicked again as he found he could not.
Fear was rising steadily within Legolas as he trashed around beneath the man. The man however simply sat on him harder forcing Legolas to be still lest he aggravate his broken ribs further. The man finished emptying his water skin upon Legolas' face and he calmed a little thinking that this particular little bit of torture was over. His calm soon vanished as the man simply pulled out another, larger water skin. Legolas again tried to take a breath and gasped as he found it difficult. He had no time to gather himself as more water splashed down upon him and he trashed wildly as the sensation of drowning over took him.
He could not breathe, he could hardly move, the water trickled down his nose to the back of his throat making him want to gag and heave. Legolas tossed his head or at least he tried to - the man's hand clamping down more firmly on his throat added to the sensation of breathlessness. Black spots danced in Legolas' vision as he tried ever harder to free himself from the man's grip, broken ribs be damned. He would not allow this man to send him to Mandos by drowning him on land! It was too stupid a way to die. Yet Legolas could feel his strength leaving him even as his lungs burned and screamed for oxygen.
Just then a door creaked open before a gruff voice ground out in an angry hiss, "Get off him!"
TBC.
Tiro ven Elbereth – May Varda (Elbereth) watch over us
Dírnaith – Military (Troop/Guard)
Edain – (Plural of Adan) Men
Adan – Man
Pedin edhellen – I speak Elvish
I sigil nin egor I bau nin – My dagger or my fist
Man i theled i cheniol edhellen? – Why do you know Elvish?
Ni elvellon - I am a friend of the Elves (I am elf-friend)
Lýg – Snake
Avof nathlad 'werth min daur vîn – We don't welcome traitors into our forest