Chapter Ten: More Reasons Why Kidnapping Noldor Princes is Stupid

The nightmares were the worst part. At first, I thought I was back in the tol-in-Guarhoth. Distorted images, the sound of a werewolf snarling, pain and darkness. But as I woke further, I began to notice things that did not make sense. The surface on which I lay was soft, and I was not cold. My bonds were cord and did not burn me. Most of my pain was a bad headache, except for that caused by how I had been bound. I was blindfolded, which was wrong, and I wasn't naked. Most of all, since when do orcs and werewolves speak Telerin Quenya? This was definitely not the tol-in-Guarhoth.

Shortly after that, I felt my father's presence in my mind. Together, we managed to figure out some of what was going on. That was when the lady guarding me arrived. My father listened in the back of my mind while I spoke. I asked her who she was and why she had kidnapped me.

"I'm hardly going to tell you that," she said. "I have food here for you."

"My hands are tied," I told her. "I can't reach the food."

"I know, and I don't trust you enough to untie your hands. Open your mouth and I'll feed you." She fed me and gave me something to drink. From the bitter taste, it was probably drugged. I contrived to spill most of it, much to her annoyance. I could feel my father fuming at the way I was being treated, but I did not care. Finding that I was not in the tol-in-Guarhoth was such a relief that it was hard to be either afraid or humiliated. It could be so much worse...

"I never realized having a prisoner would be so much like having an oversized baby," my captor complained.

"If you don't like it, you can always let me go," I said.

"Not likely," she replied. "You're all we have to prevent them taking the ships."

"Nobody is going to take your ships," I replied. "My father and Ingwe the High King are in negotiations to organize the loan of the ships. They will never take them by force."

"We trusted Feanaro to show civilized behavior once. Look what happened. And why should I care what you think, kinslayer?"

"I am no kinslayer. Do you honestly think that Lord Namo would have let me out of Mandos this soon if I were?"

"How should I know? The Valar helped us not at all when Feanaro slew my brother. Why should they balk at freeing a kinslayer unjustly soon? They always act as if we Teleri are not good enough for them because we prefer our own lives and the sea to sitting at their feet praising their every move like the Vanyar, or begging for whatever scraps of knowledge they choose to throw our way, like the Noldor. One of my brothers is still in Mandos, and he was murdered, Noldo, he never even knew what was going on. They have no justice for us and never did."

How do I begin to reply to that? "The Valar are not perfect, but they are wiser and more just than you are giving them credit for. While I was in Mandos, I asked one of the Maiar about the kinslaying, and he told me that the Valar did not know that it would happen and were taken by surprise while they were trying to deal with Morgoth and the death of the Trees. As for them preferring the Noldor, you have no understanding of what happened to us in Exile. There are much worse things than death..."

"Nothing is bad enough for what you did!" Receding footsteps and a slamming door told me that she had stormed out of the room. I wriggled a little, trying to find a more comfortable position within my bonds. No such luck. I was getting really tired. That drink must have been drugged.

Did you get any useful information? I asked my father.

She has a brother who was kinslain, and who is still in Mandos. That may narrow things a little, he thought back. And your mother got an image of her, and of the room. Now if we could just figure out where... Findarato, what is the matter, you're fading out!

My head hurts and I think that drink was drugged. I managed to spill most of it so I will probably wake up sooner than last time. Good night, Dad. I tried to send my father reassuring feelings, but what I felt from his end didn't seem reassured. I slept again.

When next I woke, I was alone and my headache was much diminished. After a moment of complete panic, I remembered where I was. I could not hear my father, so perhaps he had fallen asleep. I began to think of ways to get out. I tested my bonds, but they were thorough. However, I had broken worse bonds before. All it would take in this case would be a little weakening of one of the strands that bound my hands. She had not thought to gag me. I began to sing very quietly, concentrating my power on one particularly tight strand. It snapped, and I began to twist and rub my hands together. The long length of cord loosened and slid off. I pulled off my blindfold, and grabbed at the cords on my legs. The light was so bright! I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated on the cords. They did not give, so I started singing to a specific strand there. It snapped, and I kicked my way free.

My head was aching again in earnest now but I ignored it. I slid my legs off the bed, tried to stand and fell to the floor with a thump. I heard footsteps and saw the doorknob begin to turn, and I turned and grabbed the nearest thing to hand - the tray she had bought my food in on. The door opened and my captor and I stared at each other. She was holding a frying pan.

I tried again to stand, and this time I made it. She squeaked, but brandished the frying pan threateningly. "Put that down," she said.

"Do not attempt to harm me," I said. "I am war trained, you are not."

She lunged at me with the frying pan. I sidestepped, catching myself against the wall, and slammed the breakfast tray onto her head and shoulder, knocking her down. I stumbled out the door, throwing it closed behind me. I weaved down the short hall, looking for the exit of the house. Over there... Behind me I could hear my former chapter thrashing around and opening the door behind me. Then I reached the front door, where I struggled for a moment as I realized it was locked, then undid the latch, and I was free! Dimly, I realized I could hear my father in my mind, but I had no time to think of that. I ran down the path, intent only on getting as far as possible away from the house and finding innocent witnesses so that I could not be dragged back.

I kept stumbling and fell twice, for my legs were numb and my headache had returned in force, almost blinding me and getting ever worse. Each time I got up again and went on. I had no idea where I was or where I was going, and it was to my great surprise when someone called out to me "Are you all right, friend? You look to have had more to drink than is good for you." I looked up and saw a couple with a young child. Safety? My knees buckledunder me, and I fell again. I sat up, craning my head to look up at them. "Help," I said. "Don't let her hit me again. Where am I?"

"You are in the palace gardens," he answered. "Don't let who hit you? Who are you?"

"It's the missing Noldor prince," the lady said. "They've been looking for him everywhere!"

"I'll stay with him," her husband said. "You go with Eardil and get the gate guard." I sat there on the ground, with the unknown elf standing protectively over me. My former captor did not reappear. "Do you need first aid?" he asked.

I shook my head, then winced. "Drugged, headache, I'll be fine. Just don't let her hit me with a frying pan."

"I won't let anyone hit you with a frying pan," the elf said. "Or any other kitchen implement."

His family arrived with the gate guard, who helped me to stand and then started to walk with me back to the palace. Before we had gotten more than fifty feet, my parents arrived along with many other people to whom I paid little attention. I was safe.

A/N: I am currently in the process of packing to move to another city for a new job, so updates will likely be rather erratic for the next while.