"Fae? Please talk to me… What is the matter?"
He had been in her cell for a long time now and she had barely spoken to him. All she wanted to do was drink the soporifics as soon as she began to wake and if he tried to withhold her water she just cried until he gave in, unable to bear seeing her so distressed. He could not understand how she could be so distraught until she had drunk herself back into unconsciousness again. He was appalled at how thin she was, but if she would not eat at all…

This time she could not escape him, for he had thrown all the water away the last time the thrall had brought some in. He could think more clearly at least and though he had a raging thirst, he had resolved to drink as little as possible this time. It was hard to keep track of time in here, but it had been so long since they had been together. This was the first time since they had been brought to this fortress and he knew she had been pregnant as usual so that explained a little but surely she could have had two birthings or more even since then. Sadly he brushed the dirty bone-pale hair away from her thin little face and smiled as well as he could at her as she opened her eyes and then held onto to her shoulder just firmly enough to prevent her turning to face the wall. He was sitting on the bench she had been sprawled on for most of the time he had been here.

"Fae. Please. There is no water so I cannot get you any. You have to talk to me my dear. What is wrong?"
"No. Let me be. Let me die…"

Her voice was cracked and dry yet deathly quiet. He kept his grip on her, refusing to let her turn away. At least she was not crying, but then that was probably because she was so dehydrated… The thought gave him pause. He knew he was rarely this lucid and put the notion away for examination later on. For now she was his priority and he would make her see that he could not lose her. But she looked so frail and sad. He decided to wait a little. Give her a chance to shake the drug a little more. He would not let her go. His other hand came up to her face and he gently stroked her face with the back, making sure his claws could not hurt her.
"Please, Gil. Let me be."

He shook his head and held her remorselessly as she tried to wriggle free of his grasp. She was too weak to struggle for long and so she gave up and lay back again defeated, unable even to cry any more.
"Let me go please. I cannot stay. Not this time, Gil. Please."
"Why, Fae? It has been so long since we were together and I have missed you so much Fae. What have I done? I do not understand…"
He stopped when he saw the despairing expression on her face and if he could have still he would have cried himself. For long moments he paused, waiting for her to do something, say something, she just stared at him, as though she were in hell and he was something she had thought lost to her.
"Ah Fae! I cannot bear to see you like this… what have I done? Have I hurt you somehow? Please tell me melleth and I will make amends however I can. Forgive me, please – I beg of you."

"You sound… different?" She was coming round and she needed to go back into the dark senseless silence so much, but he was looking at her with such love and pain… was so concerned… Behaving so considerately. Had they not told him what had happened? She had said they would, but if they had, then surely Gil would not be this gentle with her? He should be raging at her. At her betrayal.
"So do you now. Are you feeling more awake my dear?"
She nodded slowly at him and again he smiled kindly at her in his own way. He could not know then. Was this yet another of their tricks?
"I have not been drinking the water either. I threw it all away as soon the thrall had left. Why are you drinking it so much – usually when we are together again you do not want it at all hardly? Please Fae… if it is something I have done then tell me and I will do whatever you want to make it right again?"
"You have done nothing wrong Gil. Nothing at all."

She looked away from him, unable to meet his gaze. His hand came back to her face again and he stroked her skin, his own hot on her cheek and she trembled as she remembered the terrible heat of Baugbereth's touch as she had pushed her onto the floor to die. Her eyes shut and she groaned.
"Am I hurting you Fae?"
She shook her head again and he could not stand to look at her pain any longer. He put one hand around her shoulder and the other on the back of her neck and drew her to him as gently as he could, holding her to his chest so her head nestled into his neck. "Good. I never want to hurt you, or see you hurt. Did you die again Fae? It has been so long since we were together love… Was that the reason?"
"Part of it yes."

Now they were not looking at each other it was a little easier. He held her tight to him now, not crushing her, but needing her very close. "Then tell me the rest. I want to know what they did to you to make you so sad and ill."
"They made me hope again Gil. They tricked me and made me believe this was all a bad dream." Her voice was stronger now as she saw her way. She would tell the truth. Admit to everything and then Gil would end it. Kill her. She wanted him to do it. Send her back into the silence and emptiness. Even if it was only for a time. She wanted to die.
"Everything. I dreamed I was back at the Lake and we were together again and not dead. Both beautiful again… so beautiful…"

She told him everything and still he held her. She began to tremble as he kissed the top of her head, yet still he said nothing. Finally he spoke. Gently. Simply.
"It does not matter Fae. Truly. You are not to blame. They will pay for what they have done to us. I swear it."

"Why didst thou not tell him! He was bound to take her side…"
Sauron looked coolly at his cruel queen and answered her in quiet tones.
"Keep out of this Baugbereth. I will not tell thee again. Be content that thou hast achieved thy goal and that I shalt not breed with any of the ellyth again."
"I appreciate that, for it is only logic fath… Sauron…"
Her voice was conciliatory now, for though she had had her way in most things Sauron had made it very plain that things had changed between them since the birth of her half brother. No longer did they have the trustful, equal relationship they had enjoyed in Utumno, or at first here in Angband. Now it was better and yet worse since they had bred together. His will always prevailed and she now got her way only when it coincided with his. It galled her, but it had been worth the price.
"… but it is not as though we need the thralls any longer is it? All the spawn I have birthed with thee, and with Melkor too, are without peer are they not? They are as intelligent as they need to be and of perfect temperament too?"
"Yes. Thy yrchlings are everything we have envisioned Baugbereth. But if there is one thing for thee to learn from Melkor and his defeat, it is that thou cannot see all ends – nor I. So we will keep the breeding thralls progeny, since they are scarcely less in intellect than thine own broods for the most part - especially thy siblings. And we will continue with that breeding programme too – and that will include thy blood parents. Thy half brother and my two other hybrids also… especially my true daughter."
"Thou art only keeping them because thou knoweth how much it galls me."

He laughed coldly at her. She would not learn that she could not thwart him and for some reason he tolerated it. She owed everything to him and knew it, and yet in this she always sought to challenge him, thinking she could persuade him to abandon the original breeding programme. He was tired of this constant wrangling and spoke directly to her mind to mind, so she could not fail to notice his supreme indifference to her wants and needs in this one thing.
And what doth that tell thee Baugbereth? Though all seems to bode well for our own broods I will continue in the original breeding programme because it intrigues me.
His will lashed out at her preventing her from retorting. A little thing, but she needed to be reminded occasionally that she would not always get her way. Especially in this.
There are other things at stake here and there are things that we can learn from the ellyth and even their mates yet. The Ainur have secured the Quendi as allies and so anything we can use against them must be useful. Knowledge is a tool. An asset. A key to victory like no other – Melkor was too proud at times and his fall is the result of his lack of understanding. I wilt not make that mistake.

He paused a moment to reflect on the last year or more. He had had to resurrect Faenelloth time after time and finally had had to threaten her with Giliathmen's slow and permanent death to stop her constant suiciding. That had convinced him of his course in persisting with the breeding programme for he needed to know how strong the pair bond would be. How far it could be pushed. He spoke to Baugbereth again, his voice soft yet chilling in its objectivity.

"Whatever thou thinketh of thy bearer, however much thou hate her, I will not suffer any more attacks by thee upon her body or her sanity. The bond between thy blood parents appears to be inviolable and some of that is because of what we have done to them here. It has changed and that is fascinating to me at least. I would not tell her mate of her 'betrayal', nor would I allow thee to do so. I knew she would tell him herself if we did not. Just as I knew she would finally seek for him to punish her for her betrayal of their bond – and I admit I hoped he would not do so. That he would be able to mitigate it. Blame us, not her. Canst thou not see that this is important? A strength that is fallible and can be exploited? Manipulated – that at least should appeal to thee!"

He sighed as his mind stroked gently, sensitively over hers. The transition from daughter to mate had been disappointing in some ways, despite the undoubted excellence of their offspring.
"These Quendi have great strength of mind and of spirit, but they can be broken, moulded. Understand this well - they are my experiment and I wilt not permit thine interference any longer. Accept it Baugbereth, and quickly now, because if thou canst not then I may be tempted to terminate the experiment that is centred upon thee. I still love thee as ever I did – thou art my helpmate and my spouse now, but make no mistake about this – interfere one more time out of malice or revenge and thou shalt suffer for it eternally, I promise thee."

"I hear thee my Lord and Husband. It shalt be as thou commandeth." She buried her other unspoken thought deep, where he would not pry. For now.

"How can we oppose them Gil? It is impossible. At every turn they torment us. Will not even allow us to stay dead. They control us in every way. Read our thoughts. How can you make them pay for their cruelty?"
He nodded grimly. She was right he knew, but there had to be a way. A reckoning had to be made. He drew her close again, needing to maintain contact and convince her that he would never doubt her, would always love and need her.
"They are not all powerful. They have enemies – strong ones. The Dark God has gone. He has been taken prisoner by his brethren. There are many other Gods and they opposed him. They oppose the Demon Lord too. He and Baugbereth fear them. They are still hiding from them in this place. Maybe their enemies would help us?"
"How do you know this Gil?"

He hesitated. They could be heard perhaps, but then few things here could be hidden and if they were punished as a result… What difference did it make to them after all? He realised she was amazed that he could 'forgive' her so easily for betraying their bond so badly, but he did not see it that way at all. She had been duped and manipulated and had truly thought he was with her, sharing her 'dream'. As she told him what had been done, her voice laden with an agony of remorse, he had only been outraged at the deception imposed on her and that the Demon Lord would go to such lengths with her to get a child that was almost an elf. Why did they want that when they had changed him and the other ellons so much. It made no sense, except that perhaps it was done simply to torture poor Fae – him as well presumably. Well that had not worked at least! He smiled and hugged her again, kissing her ear gently, then went on, his voice quiet and calm.

"The older thralls – sometimes they talk… those that can still. Not all of them were Elves…some were lesser demons… and they remember where they came from once. They were not always slaves. And they were not always bent to evil."
"Sometimes I have heard them talk of their old brethren, but I thought they meant other Elves… But we females do not often hear them speak of anything."
"They do not treat you and the other ellyth the same as us. You are precious to them, for all that they treat you so badly. When I am not with you, I am different. Angry all the time. I fight – I have to – with the other thralls. They call us daugs – soldiers. And the yrchlings too now. Sometimes they come to fight us and the Demon Lord watches us. They are turning the yrchlings we breed for them into savage killers – soldiers for a war they wish to wage on their enemies… and the Quendi are also their enemies Fae."

It was too much to take in and she was feeling so weak and dizzy now. The one thing she clung too was that he had not rejected her and would not allow her to punish herself. She felt a little less sullied as a result of his refusal to condemn her, but part of her still hated herself for what she had been tricked into doing. He would not let go of her as he spoke of these strange things he had heard in the time they had been apart and, as her exhaustion claimed her concentration, she burrowed into his warmth and finally took comfort in his presence as she had done before they had been brought to this terrible new prison.
"Let me sleep a little melleth. I am so tired."
"Of course beloved. I shall watch over you. Come, let us lie down together and I will hold you as you go to sleep. I missed you so much Fae."

And this was 'fascinating'? Baugbereth frowned in scorn at their pathetic attempts at defiance, then sighed and stroked her belly absently, once more full of Sauron's feisty yrchlings. She had promised not to interfere and she would not, but he had not forbidden her observing and listening to her blood parents. Maybe it was interesting in a way she thought to herself. The elleth knew that it was useless to oppose them by now but the thrall… he was always more alert when he was with his mate, but now it seemed he was also becoming more aware when he was away from her too. Or was it that the drugs fed to the thralls became less effective after a time?

Maybe she should speak of Giliathmen's rumour-mongering to Sauron? But then of course she would have to say how she discovered it… And it would be wrong to lie to her own mate of course. She smiled happily to herself. No doubt he was already aware of the older thralls' propensity to gossip… so she need not bother him with it at all. Perhaps this was just yet another of his experiments that she should not interfere with. Yes that was it. Nothing to do with her at all.

It was long before she was calm enough to talk to him again and both of them were glad of the respite. Aelial continued to hold her very gently, wanting now to support her as much as he could, hoping in some way to give her small comfort for the sake of his much loved brother Giliathmen, but also on his own behalf now. He dearly needed to make amends for his earlier revulsion, and because he was ashamed that he still wanted to stand back from her, even now that he had vowed to accept her. He did accept her in his heart, was deeply moved by her plight now he understood things more, yet still his head cried out that she was too different and that Sûlranna's instincts were correct. That Aeglos was too ruined to come back to her people.

Letting Ingwë and Oromë judge the situation only made sense, he knew that, but part of him rebelled at the necessity. And so he would champion her as much as he knew how. For Giliathmen, and for his own sake. His brother had never abandoned the bond, despite all the attacks and humiliation heaped upon them both. Because of that he would not deny or abandon his brother's mate and he anyway was now convinced that Aeglos, even if she had sinned as she said and was obviously never going to forgive herself no matter what anyone else said or did, deserved mercy and much aid, for she had suffered so badly. Gil was gone now, into whatever void the fëa went to when the hröa died, but he was still here, and he would do his best to see his brother's spouse treated with all the honour and respect that had been reviled and trampled into the dirt by the 'wild animals' that had preyed upon her and his brother.

Aeglos sighed and at last spoke softly, moving away from him a little so she could look at Aelial and so he could see her fears and the price she had paid for a freedom that she was still in doubt over.

"I can tell you now – about how Giliathman and I escaped and what we did together. But I need you to understand that we were both terrified of being recaptured and that, for him anyway there could be no hope of returning with me. No coming back to his kin, however much he wanted that."
Aelial nodded gently, meeting her tormented blood-dark gaze with sorrow and kindness now.
"I already believe you my sister. Tell me as you will. Whatever you can bear to tell."

How close are they now?
Sauron's thoughts were quiet and cold in the Balrog's head.

The foremost have passed over the mountains east of here and are in the Land of many Rivers [Beleriand]. Most remain in the great southern forests [Greenwood] beyond the tall mountains and have not yet crossed into the Land between the Mountain Ranges [Eriador].

He paused, sensing that the greater Demon was not as calm as he appeared to be. The Balrog was still wrapped in the darkness that he had been bidden to assume whilst he was observing the progress of the Quendi. Though his flames were eager to reassert themselves, he held them back, knowing that Sauron would be irritated at the brightness. The queen, Baugbereth, however had no such fears and he looked at her in a mixture of awe and trepidation as she turned to her Lord and urged him to take action.

Fools! I say we can take them Sauron. Let Gothmog and I lead the daugs against them. There is only one Vala and they are a small clan…

"SILENCE!"

His physical voice was like a thunderclap and echoed all about the Iron Hall of Thangorodrim. Both Baugbereth and Gothmog cringed a little at his ire and this was enough to allow him to resume his former composure. He would have dismissed the Balrog and dealt with Baugbereth there and then, but she had yet again failed to curb her inappropriate enthusiasm and this time in the presence of an inferior, though powerful in his own right. Fiery yellow eyes regarded his queen's dark, glittering gaze and still he admired her indomitable spirit, even as he regretted her constant, thoughtless aggression.
She is still young. She will learn patience and guile yet.
His thought - a frequent one these days - was gradually losing hope and he was not convinced she would learn in time. Maybe it was the form… She hardly ever changed her orc body these days and perhaps that was something to take into consideration with her. Later. He spoke distinctly and calmly once more, his words heavy and authoritative in their minds.

Do not underestimate the power of a Vala, Baugbereth. Melkor did and so he did not prevail against Tulkas. Oromë has great strength too and he knows these lands as well as we do. This is not the time for us to reveal our own strength or even our position. Remember there are other Valar still in the West who will come to their aid and many other spirits who are as strong, or even stronger than I. Gothmog knows this as well.

Baugbereth bowed her head slightly, acknowledging her Lord's more informed assessment, but her dark eyes still glittered dangerously and she persisted a little more, though in more conciliatory tones.
But this vanguard is so small my husband – we have numbers enough now to overwhelm them twice, maybe thrice over. We will also take them by surprise and the Quendi expect no opposition… have no weapons… know not how to fight…

And still I say we wait. This is the smallest part of their migration – when the rest come then they shall outnumber us…

… but they travel so slowly my Lord! Surely we should seize this opportunity boldly and press our advantage now. We can always breed more quickly… ummmgggh. Arghhh!

Enough!
She had fallen to the ground shuddering with the pain of the mental blows. He looked on her coldly, but again spoke aloud, this time deathly quiet and distinct though both queen and Balrog could hear…

"They are not fools Baugbereth. Far from it. Thou thinkest that they will wait if we crush their leaders? They will come all the faster. Even if we could conquer Oromë he would alert the other Ainur simply by his absence, for he will not be defeated easily or at all – certainly not by thee! As for the Quendi not being prepared – we have only to look to our own thralls do we not? They learn how to fight very quickly if they are threatened and most fiercely in defence of their blood kin – as thine own blood father did!"

He looked harshly upon his two chief servants. The Balrog he could trust insofar as he feared him greatly and would not openly assail him whilst he knew that he could not hope to oppose his will and power by main strength, not even with Baugbereth as his ally. Already Gothmog and the others knew not to trust her, even if their causes seemed to coincide.
"We do not ride or fly anywhere near the Quendi who march with Oromë. Understood?"

Two mute nods were given. He pressed his point home, eyes ablaze now with repressed anger and focussed solely on his spouse.
"We continue as we have been with more new blood, when we need it, taken solely from the east as far as Cuiviénen. I want no hint of our presence or activities here in Angband betrayed to the Valar, or the Quendi closer to home. They must not know of or even suspect our existence. Not yet."

As Sauron and Baugbereth continued in their refinements to the breeding programme for the second and further generations or orcs, the focus for thralls like Giliathmen began to centre around their training in warfare more and more. He was put with Faenelloth less and less and in some ways there was not so much pressure on them to mate when they were. They wondered sometimes if they had been forgotten but whenever they tested the situation they were fed more stimulants, which they no longer resisted. Faenelloth no longer knew how many yrchlings she had borne for their captors, though in the latter years she often had twins and once even triplets.

The intervals between births and conceptions was certainly getting longer than when they had been in Utumno and whenever she and Giliathmen were reunited the toll, on him in particular was heavy. Every time he reappeared she could see fresh scars on his body, but it was always his spirit that was most markedly affected when he returned to her. Finally there came a day when he was brought to her unconscious. This had happened a few times before and he had always revived after a few minutes of being brought in. However this time it took several hours and when he did regain consciousness he lay still as stone on their hard bed, not saying a word to her. In a way she was glad he did not speak for she had no words. His entire torso front and back was covered in weals surrounded by burns, unclean scabs and open bite marks too, some of which were still festering. When he had opened his eyes and looked into hers she had kissed them shut for they were so sorrowful she could not bear to look on them.

"What have they done to you Gil?"
He had just shaken his head slightly and turned over to face the wall. She had wept silently and laid down beside him, putting her skinny arms about him, holding him close and gave the only comfort she knew could reach him. Just five little words, interchangeable and true after all the terrible years, softly repeating them over and over like a litany, until they both slept.
"You are still my mate... You are still my Giliathmen… You are still my mate…"

They awoke much later and knew they had been gone a long time for there were two lots of food and water left for them. Neither of them wanted the food, but they drank a little water together, still not saying a word to each other, both knowing they did not want to lose the clarity they had attained during their long sleep. When Giliathmen put down his mug, Faenelloth's hand clasped around his and she brought it up to gentle lips. At last he smiled a little as her breath, cool on his heated skin, brushed lightly over his swollen and cut knuckles.

"Ah Fae! What would I do if I did not have you?"
His other hand reached over and took hers gently and brought it up to his face and laid it softly to his rough cheek, as his other arm went about her thin shoulders and pulled her close in to him.
"Tell me what happened, Gil… Or is it too terrible?"
"No more terrible in its way than anything else that has happened here to us beloved. But…"

He stopped, wondering if he should tell this to her, for it would hurt her most deeply. As it had hurt him. More than he could bear in fact. It tore at his heart, or at least what was left of it. He looked at her closely, thinking of all the other betrayals and evils they had both endured and knew he would tell her, for the truth was the last and only thing they shared and could give to each other, no matter how tarnished. And still they would not be broken. Nothing could break them apart anymore. Nothing at all. Not even this.

"I have been dead again, Fae. I was in a fight. A really bad one."
She nodded a little, for this was plain to see. He needed to look at her properly and moved stiffly away from her, the pus encrusted wounds re-opening in places as he did so, to kneel on the floor before her. His hands clasped hers gently on her lap and his eyes were soft with love on hers.
"Our daughter watched it. Watched me fight an Elf. Your son Fae. The Demon's son…"