Hello Friends!
OMG! I love you guys that are still reading! Responses for all of you amazing and lovely people are at the end of the chapter.
Also a slight warning: There is a very angry and angsty elf in this chapter.
Note for this chapter: In the book, the Company was under arrest from King Thranduil for 2-3 weeks. I will cheat a little and prolong it for 6-7. I know that this messes up with the whole timeline and the Durin's Day thing. I am sorry for those of you that are disappointed in that. It also means that it will take longer for us to get to the end of the second movie, but I promise I will make the story interesting while you wait.
Also.. I noticed that I never disclaimed for Peter Jackson. Tauriel is his character and belongs to him completely!
Happy Reading!
-Love Skayes
I dedicate this Chapter to YES.. you know who you are! You are so sweet! I hope you like this chapter.
Anyone Would
Nephelion's anger boiled over as this old man mentioned Míla.
Has he given up on life? Does he want me to kill him?
When Nephelion remained silent, the grey man said, "Yes I can tell you are her brother. You have almost the same features. Except where her face is always smiling, your face seems to be in a permanent frown."
The room smelt of heady musk and old candle wax, but it didn't mask the tangy saltiness of the blood that dribbled out of Nephelion's lips. He was still hungry and this old man was risking his life for interrupting.
Nephelion chuckled evilly and said, "Isn't it funny that people call me her brother and not the other way around?"
The vexing chains clinked as he started to saunter toward the stupid man. The old man didn't hide his confusion. It was plain on his face. So Nephelion obliged him and began to patiently explain.
"Why do you think it is that people don't say to her, 'Oh you are Nephelion's sister?'"
Nephelion started to get excited as he heard the pulse of the man in front of him quicken. In his ravenous mood, he could easily tear off the neck of this garbage.
He stalked even closer as he said, "Or why is it that you said that I have 'Míla's' eyes? Why not phrase it, 'Míla has your eyes.' Hm?"
He was finally right in front of the man and he could smell his blood. The orcs had been nasty to him and he had a scrape on his wrinkled, dirty forehead.
"Have you run out of words old man?"
Nephelion felt his loathsome fangs protruding past his lips as his anger, annoyance and hunger combined.
Nephelion hissed and was about to attack when the old man said, "She told me all about you and your family. She also told me that you hate her."
His family… Nephelion wondered if Míla would consider him family after what happened in Kalderra months ago. He wondered even further if she and their family would consider him anything higher than dirt after what he had become.
He was brought out of his contemplation as the grey man said, "What has he done to you?"
That was enough to bring Nephelion's anger and malice back tenfold. He brought out his arm and whacked the old man against the head. The blow flew the man's body across the room and slammed him against the wall a few feet away.
Stupid man. I do not need his pity. Does he want to die? Does he not realize that he should not anger a monster?
From his time here, Nephelion gathered that Middle-earth was a terrible place. It was an understatement to say that he hated it. No being he had met so far contained one ounce of Control; no ounce of symbiosis with the elements. They were all stupid creatures that were beneath even the very insects of Kalderra. Everything here was worthy of Nephelion's hatred. He also hated the woman who was the reason for him being here.
It's all her fault!
His sister Míla was exiled here. A great move on the Queen's part. If the Queen wanted Míla to be unhappy, this was the place to do it.
Nephelion turned toward the woman lying on his bed. Her name was Zerraweth. She had a pretty face and dirty blonde hair; at least that is what Nephelion had to guess. Her hair was so grimy that the color was hard to distinguish. The slaves that had been brought here were not permitted to bathe. They were treated like animals. Barely any food was brought down to them and the Dark Ones unceasingly whipped them, day after day. Some were even fed to their monstrous dogs.
He sat on the bed and gingerly held the girl in his lap. He tilted his head to the side, trying to decipher how old she must be.
She's barely of age.
He sighed, shook his head and thought, What am I doing here?
Sniffing the air, he tried to remember his thirst so that he could finish this dirty work. Her body unconsciously sensed him and she started to involuntarily moan and squirm with rising lust.
Yes. Squirm. Feel it. Concentrate on that sensation girl.
The monster in him was ready to bite, but as he was lowering his mouth to her neck he heard the old man shuffle to his feet.
He heard, "Don't do it Nephelion."
His fangs retreated a little bit as he said with a sigh, "I would not say that name so much if I were you. I don't know how many times my Master tortured me so that I would eventually despise the appellation. I have denounced it. Nephelion is no more. My name is Vragar now."
XXX
Gandalf winced as he put his weight on his right ankle. He would rejoice if it were, at most, a sprain. But he knew his luck wasn't so high today. He looked at this monster that Sauron had created; this monster that used to be Míla's brother.
No. He still is her brother.
Trying not to sound too forward, Gandalf said, "Vragar, listen to me. Míla and I are very close. She and I have been Student and Teacher for the past two decades."
The wizard had hoped that bringing Míla up would give him a better chance to get through to Nephelion. After he had said that statement, Gandalf decided to leave Míla out of the conversation entirely. It seemed that every time she was mentioned, anger and hate flared into his violet eyes.
Remembering what Míla had warned him about when he met royalty of Kalderra, he mustered up as much humility as he could.
The royalty of Kalderra are very proud and enjoy praise.
He bowed to Vragar and said, "It is an honor to finally meet another Kalderran, let alone a true Ruler."
Bowing to Kalderran royalty was supposed to make them happy. Míla had said that bolstering up their egos and calling them 'Rulers,' would guarantee you an amiable audience. It seemed that doing all of those things, however, had the exact opposite affect with the youngest son of the Kalderran King.
Gandalf was puzzled as Vragar's nostrils flared and heat seemed to simmer off of his body. The wizard felt that he was going to meet his end when the woman in Vragar's arms awoke.
Her eyes opened and she immediately noticed the wizard. She sat up, with fear in her eyes, and wrapped her arms around Vragar's neck. Gandalf was perplexed as Vragar put a loose and slightly protective arm around her waist as she clung to him. She was looking at Gandalf as if he was a wolf that was about to pounce on her.
Her eyes kept switching from Gandalf to Vragar as she said in a frantic voice, "Who is he? Is he going to take me?"
Gandalf was surprised as a Vragar's soft voice turned comforting as he said, "No, he will not take you. Master has thrown him into my cell to teach me."
Teach him? Teach him what?
Vragar sighed and said in an annoyed voice, "He is a wizard."
Vragar ran his fingers slowly through the girl's matted hair, trying to soothe her.
Three pairs of eyes snapped to the cell door as it swung open and two orcs came clambering in. The taller of the two pointed at the girl. The girl screamed as the shorter orc made his way towards the couple. As the orc came forward Gandalf watched as Vragar said one very forceful word in a strange language. The shorter orc was pushed into the air, away from the couple, and through the cell door from whence he came.
Gandalf then remembered that Míla had told him her younger brother had an affinity to air. The taller orc yelled and started to rush towards the two that were still holding each other and sitting on the bed.
Vragar stared hard, with his cold eyes on the first orc and said, "What are you doing? I am not done."
The orc halted immediately at the tone of Vragar's voice. There was no doubt that this man's gaze alone could scare any being with a brain.
The orc then said, "Wargs are hungry. They need to eat."
Vragar then repeated, "But I am not done."
"Master says now!"
The orc then proceeded to come towards them and Vragar held up a hand.
"All right."
Gandalf watched as Vragar stood up from the bed and pulled the shaking, sobbing girl up with him.
She trembled and wept as she said, "Please! Please don't let him take me! Help me!"
Gandalf watched as Vragar embraced the girl, ghosting his hands and fingers up and down her body. She buried her face into his chest. He stroked her hair and said in a soft voice, "Shhh. Shhh. It's going to be fine. Let me drink from you one last time, Zerraweth."
The girl's demeanor changed from frightened and panicked to relaxed and languid as he whispered to her. Her body was very compliant to him as his strong arms turned her around so that her back was flush against his chest. He stroked her hair and her bare shoulders very languidly. He tilted her head to the side and slid his fingers down the length of her bloody neck, milking from her a loud moan. She started to tremble, but not from pain. Her breaths came out short and loud as her body arched in want. Her eyes were glazed over but her mind seemed to remember her situation.
She dreamily said, "I don't want to be eaten alive."
Vragar's soft voice turned cold and hard as he said, "You won't be."
Gandalf screamed in horror as Vragar's hand appeared right in front of the girl's chest. Míla's brother had somehow plunged his hand clean through Zerraweth's body. With his arm still in her body, Vragar's hand held a medium-sized object; her heart. Both hand and heart were saturated in blood that slushed freely to the floor. With a grunt Vragar tugged his arm and hand back through the girl's body. The girl's eyes were open wide in shock and her mouth was open in an unheard scream.
Her body slumped to the red-soaked floor and Vragar turned his eyes toward the heart in his hand. He held up and inspected the heart, with an interested gleam in his eye. Gandalf watched, in pure horror, the face of the man that easily ripped out his lover's heart. Vragar's face was paused in pure wonder as he beheld the organ in his hand. Vragar then blinked deliberately and in the next moment the wonder and interest was gone and replaced with nonchalance. He walked towards the orc and slammed the bleeding heart to the orc's chest; clearly disinterested and finished.
He then turned around in a flourish and gave them his back with his head held high. He said, "There. Now I am done. You may take it away."
The orc glared at Vragar and held the heart in his hand as the shorter orc, that was thrown out of the room, finally returned. The taller orc pointed at the girl once again and said something in their dark language. The shorter orc glanced swiftly at Vragar's back. He cautiously and carefully proceeded to lift the girl's body to take it away.
As the orc left, the taller one stood at the door and glared at Nephelion's back.
The orc then clenched the heart in his hand and said, "Warg's like live meat. Master will be angry with you, Vragar."
He then slammed the cell door shut.
After a few moments Gandalf heard very heavy panting in the silent room. He started to wonder who was breathing so hard, when he realized that the labored breaths were coming from his own mouth. His throat felt dry and constricted. He shakily brought a hand up to his face to wipe away the hot tears that soaked his eyelashes. He shook his head and started to be afraid at being locked in a room with such a monster.
Gandalf jumped as he heard, "What is your name grey wizard?"
XXX
The dream was about Nephelion. His body was propped up and his arms were tied to a massive stone statue. He was on his knees; body facing the statue as a whip mercilessly tortured blood from his back. The shirt that he had worn was in tatters; only scraps of cloth remained. Some unseen enemy was whipping him mercilessly.
The worst part of the dream was that Míla was there.
She was right there underneath Nephelion; tied and pushed up against the statue. Her body and face were flush with the statue and Nephelion's chest was flush with her back and shoulders. Their hands were tied together, his on top of hers.
She was sitting on him in a way. Her legs were bound around the outside of his as they knelt together in his blood. His body was protecting her from any physical harm.
Míla screamed at every crack of the whip that she heard—she also felt the force of the strike as Nephelion's body trembled. She glanced up and watched as he tightened his hands before each blow. Each lash would reverberate through his body and into hers.
She then screamed, "Nephelion!"
She felt him put his lips to her ear as the lashes started to lessen. Hearing his voice for the first time he said, "Shh. He will get even angrier if you say that."
His voice was soft, but deep, like a hum in a deep cavern that went on for miles.
She was shocked and felt a buzz go through her limbs as he slowly kissed her ear.
What is going on?
She then felt the perspiration on his face as he buried it against her neck for a moment.
The whip struck—and again Nephelion made no sound—only absorbed the brutal blow with the strength of his own body. Míla felt him tremble momentarily and knew that the pain must be excruciating. She could feel his moist, hot perspiration the pain was pulling out of his chest. It seeped through her nightgown and she felt it against her back, shoulders and the back of her thighs.
The whip finally stopped all together and she felt Nephelion's strong body relax against hers. He nestled his head on her shoulder, his nose snuggling into her neck.
He then said, "Now I know why Jaxion holds you so often."
She shivered as she watched his usually pristine black hair, fall over her shoulder and down her chest in clumps. The blood had made his hair matted and messy, taking away its usual shine and softness.
She yelped as a gnarled hand untied Nephelion from her. She felt naked and helpless as the warmth of his protective, strong body left her back. She pulled against her restraints with all of her might.
She was not going to let some monster whip her brother like that and get away with it!
The restraints would not budge. She then heard his voice as he said, "Mílathiel, stop. He will hurt you instead if you keep trying to escape. Can you, for once, try not to be an imbecile?"
She then felt weightless as she was flung into the air a few feet. She landed on her back in pain and tasted blood in her mouth as she opened her eyes. The ropes around her wrists and legs acted on their own accord and tied themselves to the wall behind her.
Míla then gasped as she saw Nephelion's back, as he was facing away from her. She sobbed as he staggered to stand before this unknown monster that was holding them captive. The blood and torn back were so plethoric—so gruesome—she marveled that he was standing at all, let alone conscious.
Then an eerie and loud voice said, "Aren't you hungry slave? Didn't that lashing drain most of your strength?"
Míla watched, wide-eyed as a silver dagger slowly floated towards her. When it was inches from her, it floated to her right wrist.
The voice then said, "Here. Fresh food. Just for you, slave."
What?
Míla looked inquisitively at Nephelion as she watched his body jerk still.
In a flash, the dagger cut her and blood spurted forth. She yelped at the stinging pain. She looked at her deep wound at her wrist, grimacing and wishing she had some water to kill the monster that was doing this. Her blood turned cold as she felt Nephelion right next to her.
She turned her head and looked into his violet eyes. They stood out against his pale skin like amethysts found on a mine wall. Instead of the blankness that she was used to, his eyes opened up to her and burst with raw emotion. In them she saw desperate longing and hurt. Instantly, her previous fear was gone and replaced with love. Her eyes filled with tears as she saw the love that she had been working so hard to attain from him. Still locking gazes with him, she also saw a different emotion. She tried to put the right words to it, when suddenly he was upon her and sharp fangs protruded from his mouth.
She screamed as she realized what it was that she saw in his eyes as his fangs plunged into her neck and he started to suck her blood: Deep and painful hunger.
It was at that point that she woke up, gasping for air. Sticky sweat drenched her entire body.
What was that?
She didn't know why Nephelion had come up in her dream and why she had dreamt up him being tortured. Míla let a few tears escape her eyes as she thought of the torture that Nephelion had gone through. She eventually settled down to go back to sleep, reassuring herself that Nephelion was safely in Kalderra. She hoped that she would never have to experience him being tortured. Yet, every time she dreamed that night, it was the same dream, over and over again. It was awful to not be able to help him as he suffered.
Míla woke up to the sound of feet pattering on the floor right next to her. Eyes still shut, she maneuvered her body so that her head was crushed snuggly underneath her pillow.
Bilbo's voice was muffled through her pillow as he said, "Míla? Are you awake?"
Míla slowly nodded her head with the pillow and said a faint, "Mmmhmmm."
"I apologize for forcing you to sleep on the floor last night. I was a lot more tired than I thought."
Míla removed the pillow from her head in surprise.
"No! No, it's all right Bilbo! You probably hadn't been able to rest since before those spiders had captured us. You, honestly, have nothing to apologize for! You poor guy!"
Míla then sat up and stretched her arms above her head and let out a wide yawn.
Bilbo then said, "Yes, that may be so, but my actions forced a lady to sleep on the floor. I selfishly enjoyed the bed for the night." Míla looked at him as he frowned.
She stood up and waved her hand. "Oh, that's all right. I prefer the floor right now. A bed is just too weird for me, now that I am used to sleeping on the ground."
She stretched to the side as she said, "What time is it?"
Bilbo then answered, "It is nine in the morning."
Míla then transformed herself into a backbend and touched the floor behind her. "Oh really? Wow. I overslept."
Bilbo then said, "Yes, more than a few elves came by while you were sleeping on the floor." She watched him smile as he said, "A few of them tried to pick you up and carry you to the bed, but you would thrash as they touched you." He then pointed at the little table in the room.
"They brought in breakfast and a very peculiar, large box." Míla was crouched down low as she said, "Hmmm."
She was doing a very complicated balance when Bilbo said, "Oh and the Prince came by too. He didn't try to pick you up though. He left a letter."
Míla slipped and collapsed on the floor and said with surprise, "He did?"
She scrambled to stand and looked at the letter that Bilbo was pointing at. She walked over to the table that it was on and told Bilbo, "I'm not that hungry, Bilbo. By all means, have the breakfast. Please." She heard him incoherently question her, but her mind was focused on the letter before her.
Míla,
My father has been informed of Glànor's atrocious behavior and he has been banished from Mirkwood. Only this morning, did we release him from our prison and sent him away to Rivendell or wherever it is that a mongrel like him will be welcome. I assure you that this was the first time that I had ever regretted the kindness of the elves. The punishment was far too lenient for my taste. My father offers his sincerest apologies and has offered you a gift. I know that no type of endowment could ever amount up to the disgrace that my father and I have mistakenly allowed you to endure during your stay here. Yet, my father hopes that the gift will show to you how regretful he is that something like this happened to you.
I am writing this letter to you to let you know that I did not condone his gift. I will try to get him to realize that you are a respectable person and not some doll to dress. I also do not think it is appropriate for my father to give women clothing. Another thing that I wanted to tell you was that we have a collection of our Lorien cousins that will come with us on our ride today. They are young and known for rowdiness. I hope that it doesn't make you uncomfortable.
I also wanted to thank you for what you showed me yesterday. I had a nice time. That is all that I wished to say.
Sincerely,
Legolas
Míla nibbled on her lips as she placed the letter back on the table. She then looked at the long box that held her present. She lifted the lid to the box and pulled out a long sweeping gown. It was a deep shade of scarlet and it shimmered with every movement that she made. It was beautiful, but she wondered what in the world she would use it for. She also highly doubted that she would fit it, since she was much too short for the dress. It was obviously made for an elf. If she wore it, it would drag on the floor. Bilbo nodded to the dress from his seat at the table and said, "Is that from the Prince?"
Míla blushed and shook her head.
"No. It is from the King, weirdly enough."
Bilbo looked at Míla and said in a matter-of-fact voice, "Well, that does it then."
Míla's head snapped at attention as she said, "What?"
He stood up, forgetting his breakfast on his plate, "You have to convince the King to let Thorin and Company go."
Míla dropped the dress and exclaimed, "Me? Why me?"
He pointed at the dropped dress. "Well, he obviously likes you! He gave you a dress. That means something. That means that this can be our key out of here."
Míla felt her face burn with even more embarrassment. Bilbo obviously didn't understand how her relationship with elves was. He also didn't realized how the elves thought of her.
"I will do anything I can, Bilbo, to help get our friends out of here; but I don't think that this gift is an indication of respect from the King."
Bilbo made a questioning look at her and said, "What do you mean?"
Míla shook her head. "Nothing Bilbo. Nothing."
She then proceeded to do her workout. As she was in a stretching pose, she asked, "Bilbo, how did you appear out of thin air yesterday?"
She heard the uncertainty in his voice as he said, "Well I… uh… Well you see in the caves I…ah…how should I put this?"
While Míla worked out and bathed Bilbo explained to her how he had defeated Gollum in a riddle match. She was happy to hear that Bilbo had escaped out of there alive, but she was also very worried about this Gollum creature. She did not like the sound of a foul creature that lurked in an underground pool and ate Goblins. It was too scary for her taste.
He had reluctantly shown to her the ring that had helped him escape, but she didn't get to touch it. He seemed very possessive about it, so she did not pry. Her sister Serafima acted that same way with her books. Míla got more than a yelling from her if she took one of her romance novels without asking.
The power that the ring had was very interesting to say the least. She was amazed that when he put it on, that he would disappear. She could still hear his footsteps as he walked around, but very faintly.
"So that is what we will do, Bilbo, every night you can come to my room to sleep and eat. I will make sure to bring food in here. Do you want me to bring books up from the Library? I will also request more water for bathing…"
Míla went on listing the different things that she would do to make Bilbo's stay in her room more comfortable.
Her back was to Bilbo so she didn't see him read the letter from the Prince.
After Míla had bathed and said goodbye to Bilbo, the guards escorted her down to the stables.
She felt a little diffident as she entered. She was instantly met by the smell of hay, horseflesh, catered food, expensive perfumes and the sound of laughter and chatter. Before her was an escort of elves tacking up their horses and inspecting their gear. The smell of the food was from the stuffed picnic baskets that were securely tied to some of the horses.
Her stomach began to twist in knots as she looked at the people gathered before her. To Míla's surprise, not all of the elves were dressed in "riding garb." Some had elegant robes and flowing day gowns. She inspected the elves that were wearing such finery on this outing and realized that the elves in the stables were segregated into two groups. The smaller of the two were the elves that were slathered in expensive clothes and jewelry—jewelry that sparkled too perfectly to be costume. It seemed like they were going out for an elegant party, rather than a ride. The other was practically larger and was made up of elves that were red-haired. They were armored to the brim with bows and arrows slung across their backs. The thing that both groups had in common was that they were all confident, smiling, and wildly beautiful.
One female elf caught Míla's eye. She had blonde curly hair and her blue eyes sparkled with mirth. She had a cohort of male elves around her. All of them were enamored with every word that she said. Míla gasped when the female elf's blue eyes glanced her way. She said something to her male companions and left their company. Their eyes never left her figure as she made her way across the room.
She sauntered to where Míla now stood. The dazzling woman offered a graceful, soft, well-manicured hand to Míla.
"You must be Loenien, the King's special guest."
The female elf flashed Míla a perfect smile. The smile was charming, just like the face, but as Míla's gaze lingered on the she-elf's canines there was only one thought that popped into Míla's head.
Predator.
Míla held the Lady's hand and gave the she-elf a very respectful bow, indicating her extreme respect.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my Lady. May I have the gratification of knowing your name?"
There was a twinkle in the she-elf's eyes as she said, "You may call me Elrania."
Míla stayed silent and tucked her head in even more, showing the Lady extreme subservience. When Míla stood up straight and looked into Elrania's eyes, she glimpsed extreme satisfaction.
Míla resisted the urge to wink as she thought, It's so easy to please these people.
A change shifted throughout the stables as a new set of people entered. The room got a smidgen quieter and the animals shrank from their restlessness. The women all hushed and the men stood a little bit taller.
Míla looked up from Elrania and saw Legolas striding toward the pair with determination and a deep scowl on his face. Míla held in a sigh as she marveled that even in his bad mood and demeanor, he still looked like the most handsome man she had ever seen.
As their eyes locked, he said nothing and came towards her with intensity and fierceness that would scare the bravest of enemies. It wasn't until he grabbed her right wrist and enfolded her into his arms, did she realize that he had chains in his hands. Without asking for permission, he wrapped the chain around her hips. Trying to hide her embarrassment at his closeness, Míla inspected the metal. The chains weren't dark and clunky, but light and ethereal. Twisting them around and inspecting them through the light showed that they twinkled a little as they reflected the light. They were obviously made from some type of metal, but they moved and were bendable enough to be mistaken for rope.
Míla was interrupted from her thoughts as Legolas said in a gruff voice, "No objections?"
Míla snapped her face up to look into the prince's eyes. They were hard and cold, and Míla almost gasped because they were full of anger.
Anger? Towards me?
She saw frustration, anger, contempt, annoyance and a smidge of… was that guilt?
Míla slowly shook her head, still dazed at the confusion she was experiencing.
"Why haven't you tacked up a horse yet?"
Míla blushed and glanced at Elrania and said, "I'm making friends."
Legolas then turned to Elrania nodded his head briefly and said, "Lady Elrania, it is nice to see you. Please excuse us while we find a horse for Míla."
Míla looked at Elrania's face and for an instant she deciphered a scowl. It was quickly masked by a pleasant smile as she said, "It is nice to see you, Prin—"
Míla then felt a tug on the chain at her hip and she was pulled farther into the stables. Míla was shocked that Legolas had rudely ignored Elrania. Míla tried to slow him down with a tug and a, "Hey!" but he wasn't listening, and her pulling seemed to have no effect. When Legolas and Míla passed two stalls, they stood in front of a stall that held a white horse with a very nice temperament. As Míla reached her hand up and patted the horse's nose, Legolas opened the stall door, went inside and busied himself with preparing the horse.
Legolas still had the long chain in his hands as Míla asked cheerfully, "So is this who I am riding today?"
Still severly angry Legolas answered, "No this is my horse."
Míla walked into the stall door and bit her lip. She was surprised at his haughtiness and barely restrained temper.
She meekly began, "Is everything o—"
Míla was suddenly tugged by her hips and fully into the stall as Legolas pulled the chain with surprising strength. She sucked in her breath as her back collided with the opposite side of the stall. In a flash Legolas's face was inches from hers and his hands were tightly clenching her arms.
In an angered whisper he said, "No! Everything is not ok. And why is it that a girl, who is totally alone in this whole world—with no family or familiarity around her—and who is imprisoned against her will; asks her captor if everything is ok? How can you possibly ask if everything is ok? Nothing is ok!"
The grip that he had on her arms was starting to get painful, but Míla completely ignored it. He was so close to her. She was in euphoria as she felt his breath, warm from his lips. She licked her own imagining she could taste him if only she inched her face a bit forward. That wasn't the only part of her that wanted to move forward. She wanted to get rid of the small gap that was in between them by sliding her legs around his hips and—
She clamped her thoughts down and reminded herself of who he was and more importantly of what he was.
She looked deep into his eyes and said, "So it is me who you're mad at."
His hands slackened on her arms as he let out a breath, looked up at the ceiling and said, "No.. I'm not—look I…"
In an instant, his hands left her arms and he faced away from her.
"Hello Father."
Míla looked up and saw King Thranduil at the door of the stall. He was dressed up in his finery. His crown of berries nicely matched his green robe.
His eyes kept glancing in between the two as he said, "My son, have you found Loenien a horse yet?"
"No, not yet father. We were just—"
"Ah! I see my son has put you into those chains. Have you seen any like them Loenien?"
Míla looked down at the long chain that was pooled up on the floor and said, "No, Your Highness. I must say, they are the finest looking chains that I have ever seen."
The King then chuckled and said, "They were specially made. There is none in any of all of Middle Earth. You see, I designed them."
He bent over to pick up the end of the chain. "I made them light and flexible. But they are stronger than any type of metal you have come across, I assure you. They will hold true through anything!"
Míla nodded and smiled, "I do not doubt that, Your Majesty. I believe anything that you have created would be as beautiful and strong as these."
She glanced at Legolas and saw that his face had returned to the passive state that all elves entered: no emotion. She was about to scratch her head in confusion at his behavior when the King said, "Legolas, please choose a horse for Loenien."
Legolas abruptly left the stall without a backward glance. He came to the stall next to them and opened the door. The King looked back at Míla in an apologetic way.
"Because of your…predicament we have deemed it wise to chain you to another rider, while we ride out today. "
It was at this moment that Legolas had brought Míla's horse out of its stall and had paused at the door.
The King then added, "It is the reason for his strange behavior Loenien. Don't judge him too harshly. My son, in his concern, has refused to let any one else but himself take this burden." The King nodded and Míla bowed.
Hmmm. Interesting. He apologizes for his son's behavior, rather than having me chained up. Ofcourse.
Legolas's hand was still on the stall door. After the King left, Legolas slammed the stall shut with such a force that Míla and all the horses in the stable jumped and yelped in fright.
While the hunting party calmed down their steeds, Legolas tacked up Míla's horse. Without a word, he then stormed over to Míla and lifted her into his arms. She would've protested, except for the fact that she was hypnotized by the security and sheer joy she felt by being held by him. She closed her eyes and wanted more than anything to reach up and thread her fingers through his hair.
She then felt embarrassed as he carried her over to her horse and unceremoniously plopped her into the saddle. He brought the chain around, tied it to his wrist and grabbed the reigns of both his horse and hers and led them both out of the stables.
XXX
As always, the air in Mirkwood was stale and stiff as the company rode through the trees. To Legolas's chagrin the company was large, twenty in total. With the horses, people, and food arrangements it was hard to keep the company quiet. Legolas cringed as the company of elves zigzagged their way through the forest. He looked up at the canopy of trees trying his best to get a glimpse the blue of the sky. Because of the fall season, frost bit into the tops of the trees and unforgivably lay ice onto their leaves. Soon the leaves would fall, leaving the trees naked and make Mirkwood a collection of crowded, shivering skeletons.
To his right, Míla shifted slightly in her saddle. Legolas flicked his eyes towards her. As she shifted, the chains twinkled and he watched as her slender legs flexed around her horse. He had tied his end of the chain to his pommel at the beginning of their ride and started to regret it. He had ended up tying the chain around it so many times because of his annoyance and his precaution. He was also concerned that he had tied the chain around her hips too tight. When he had tied them he had been surprised that her hips flared out so much.
Voicing his concern he said, "Do you need more slack?"
Her eyes flicked to his in naked surprise. They then softened and she sheepishly said, "I am fine. Thank you. "
He could feel his heartbeat quicken as she smiled at him. He turned his head away, violently breaking their gaze.
How can she smile at me? I don't deserve it.
He felt his nostrils flare as he thought of his father's idea to have her in chains. In more than one sense of the word, Míla had become a pet to his father. The King kept her in a cage, dressed her up, fed her, and now he was adding a leash to the list. Legolas then thought of earlier that day and his mind could barely focus. When his father spoke to Míla about the chains with nonchalance and ignored the fact that she was in obvious bondage, Legolas had barely restrained himself from punching something.
And what did he mean about her "predicament"? The only predicament she is in is that she is the most beautiful..
He distracted himself with more hateful thoughts instead of thinking about her. Legolas ground his teeth as he remembered how his father had also said that she was a burden to him. Legolas checked himself and couldn't believe that he was seething. His horse started to get agitated as it sensed his anger. Legolas took a deep breath to calm his heart and his mind.
Truth be told, this whole party is what's the burden!
Legolas didn't understand his father's wishes to have a riding party and then a dinner when the Spawn of Ungoliant were growing more restless and increasing in numbers. Thinking of the Giant Spiders reminded him of Míla and he immediately looked in her direction.
He watched Míla as her eyes darted back and forth from tree to tree, searching for an unseen enemy. She was—afraid. His heart plummeted with guilt as the realization dawned on him. He watched her even closer as her small figure shivered slightly as she looked behind them at the never ending darkness that they left behind. He wanted, no, needed to comfort her and let her know that nothing could hurt her while he was around. More than anything, he wanted to stop his horse, pull her onto his lap and soothe away her worries by—
Aim. Release. Bull's-eye. Aim. Release. Bull's-eye.
When he was back to himself, he scolded himself for his irrational yearnings and inexplicable emotions. Míla was a prisoner of Mirkwood. She also wasn't just some normal prisoner. She was dangerous. He felt the soreness in his body from the strenuous session that they had had the night before. As much as he loathed his father's chains, he knew that they were needed. They actually might need even more to constrain her, if she ever tried to escape.
Legolas grimaced and scowled as the commotion from the party escalated. He looked ahead and watched Lady Elrania and the elves that surrounded her. It seemed that the men in her company were trying to out compete each other in every other little subject. At first it was who could get their horse to run the fastest, the next thing was who caught the most game, and now they were trying to see who had the best singing voice. Legolas ground his teeth even harder as he glared at the visitors from Lorien.
This is the wrong way to ride.
"They are pretty loud for a party of elves."
Legolas's eyes snapped toward Míla as her lovely voice reached his ears. She was staring at the party from Lorien with her eyebrows raised and her shoulders shrugged.
Her shoulders slumped as she said, "I'm pretty sure that most of them don't really care about the monsters that lurk in this forest."
Legolas then remembered his decorum and responded, "Ah. Yes. You have astutely comprehended the problem that we Wood-elves have with our cousins from Lorien. They forget to be serious when we ride out in Mirkwood."
Míla's head tilted to the side and some loose hair fell around her face. He watched the hair and observed that it curled slightly at the ends. He noticed that she had a single dark freckle next to her left eye.
She's lovely.
Coming out of his ridiculous thoughts about Míla, he said, "I think that this whole dilemma all falls to the fault of the very pretty Lady Elrania."
Legolas saw a flash of insecurity and uncertainty grace her face, but she quickly hid it. "I agree she is very pretty. It makes absolute sense how the men are acting."
His brows drew together in a frown. The smile that she just gave him was the saddest smile that he had ever seen.
Wait.
Did she like one of the men in the group that was fawning over Elrania?
He glanced back and forth between Míla and the Lorien group to see which elf her eyes lingered the most on.
Who is it? Who would she—
He stopped his thoughts and scolded himself for being a complete idiot. Who was he to care who she wanted? She was in no way his. She belonged to herself and no one else. She could be in love with any elf that came her way. And of course that said elf would fall in love, instantly, with her.
Anyone would.
Legolas kept telling himself not to care. He kept telling himself that it didn't matter to him who she wanted, but all the while those last two words kept echoing in his mind.
XXX
Míla breathed through her nose deeply to take in the fresh air. After riding around through the forest, the company had come to a clearing. It was actually a nice bright sunny day and the cold autumn breeze was refreshing compared to the dark, still and suffocating forest that they had left behind.
During their trip, they had begun to ascend a steep hill and that gradually gave way to an opening in the trees. In the middle of the trees was a large gorge that gave way to a steep cliff with a little valley at the bottom. Most of the party had congregated on the left side of the gorge, the rowdy Lorien group included. They were settled against an expanse of trees that dangled off the ledge of the gorge. It was a beautiful little area that gave way to light and open sky. Legolas had led Mila around the deep gorge to the right side. They were secluded from the party, but in plain view, with only the expanse of the cliff keeping them apart.
Míla looked up from her meal at the Prince leaning against a tree with his arms folded across his chest. His face was in shadow, but she could still see his piercing blue eyes glaring at the party across from them. As she looked at him, his eyes snapped to hers with annoyance. One of his eyebrows raised in question and impatience.
Oh. He wants to know why I'm staring.
She cleared her throat, lifted her plate and said, "Uh… Are you going to eat anything?"
He rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the Lorien elves. "I'm not hungry."
Míla felt her face flush in embarrassment and she flicked her eyes to the blanket beneath her.
He must like Elrania. That's why he's so angry. But I thought he liked Tauriel.
She had foolishly gotten excited when the Prince decided to keep him and her secluded from the rest of the group. He had dismounted, led their horses away, brought out a blanket, settled it on the floor, brought out the food, tugged the chain to sit her down on the blanket, and tied the chain to a branch. He then leaned up against the tree and had not left that very spot since they had arrived. He had not even glanced at her while she ate and slurped some of the wine. All of his attention was on the party.
Getting uncomfortable with the silence, Míla decided to ask another question.
"Why are we far away from the group?"
His glaring blue eyes never left the other side of the gorge as he said, "We aren't far away. They are right there. See?"
"Yes, but—"
"Besides you can hear all of those young ones for miles, you really aren't missing out on anything."
Míla bit her lip and said, "I suppose."
She watched the party and gasped in full alert as she watched what some of the males were doing. They had been trying to compete with each other the whole day and the steep cliffs of the beautiful gorge gave them ample opportunity to impress Elrania. They were climbing up a tree that was hanging very precariously off the side of the cliff.
They were trying to see who would reach the top first. The tree snapped and groaned beneath them. Some of its branches broke and snapped from the unwelcome weight and tumbled down to the jagged rocks of the ravine below.
Míla stated to Legolas, "I don't think that that tree can hold them all. What they are doing is very dangerous."
Legolas brows were furrowed as he said, "And stupid." Legolas muttered a curse as they watched one of the elves slip, catch himself against the tree and laugh.
He sighed in clear annoyance and said, "I will be right back."
He yelled something at them from across the gorge and meandered his way towards the elf congregation. Míla stood up and glanced at the chain that Legolas had tied to the branch. Her eyes went back to the climbing elves as Míla heard a whoop for joy as a nimble and younger looking elf reached the top of the dangling tree. He then yelled in fright as the branch he was standing on gave way and he dangled precariously from his hands on a branch over the ledge. Míla's breath quickened and she grabbed the chain in her hands. She checked the knot that Legolas had tied, making sure it was secure. The tree that the elves were in groaned. The young elf shouted in fright. There was a sharp snap of branch, one last plea for help, and Míla took off, sprinting across the autumn grass before she launched herself across the gorge and into the void.
The wind tore at her, but Míla kept her focus on the young elf who was falling so fast through the air, so far from her outreached hands. The party shouted across the gorge, their yelling almost distracting her and the glare from the sun slightly blinding her. But there he was, just a hand's breadth from her fingers, his brown eyes wide, his arms flailing and his mouth opened in horror. She grimaced as she glimpsed at his pointed ears.
Why did he have to be an elf?
In a second, her arms were around his middle, and she slammed into him so hard that her breath was knocked from her chest. She wrapped her legs around his bottom as, together, they plummeted down and arced toward the opposing tree that she was tied to. As the chain was about to become taut from their weight she embraced him with her arms and legs with all the strength she could muster. She then felt the binding impact as the chain cut into her hips saving both of their lives. She tightened her muscles even more, willing her limbs to not let go. She ignored the searing pain from the chain and the sudden stickiness and wetness of her blood as they careened towards the jagged wall. She had enough sense to fold her head into the young elf's neck to brace herself from the impact. She yelped as she felt the sharp rocks bite into her back and shoulders. She held tight to him still keeping her focus on her arm and leg muscles. As they hung there she finally let out the breath that she had been holding. They both were panting as they hung there, against the cliff wall.
Míla heard the group around them as they ran towards the tree that she and Legolas had secluded themselves. Just as the King had said, the chain proved true and didn't break.
"My Lady," They young elf said, gasping for breath. He pressed his face into her hair and said, "Thank you." She felt wetness in her hair and heard him sniffle.
He's crying!
Míla's arms and legs trembled violently and she tried to comfort him as she said, "My name is Míla. What is yours?"
She looked into his warm brown eyes as he said, "Celorfiwyn."
She winced as the chain started to ascend up the cliff. They were pulling them up.
"Well Celorfiwyn, could you help me a little bit and hang onto me. You are quite heavy."
His eyes widened in embarrassment and he said, "I apologize My Lady!" His knees knocked into her butt as he endeavored to hoist his weight off of her onto the chain above them. With his arms securely holding his place above them, she lowered her legs from around his waist. They finally reached the lip of the cliff and he was pulled up first. When she was brought over the cliff, Legolas grabbed her arms and laid her down on the blanket. Celorfiwyn came rushing towards her, but stopped in a heartbeat at the warning glare from the Prince.
Legolas then turned his full attention on Míla. His eyes were full of panic and worry as he roughly grasped her hair and face, checking for injury. Slightly out of breath, she propped herself up on her elbows and said, "It's ok."
Ignoring her, his hands then roamed down her sides and halted when they came to her hips. Her shirt was saturated in blood. She hissed as he lifted her shirt slightly. The elves around them gasped and some said, "Ai!" as they saw that the chain had bit deeply into the skin at her hips. It was a deep cut, but luckily her hip bones had prevented her from completely being cut in half.
Legolas was silent and she saw horror in his eyes. His eyes then snapped to hers and she watched as his face transformed from horror to complete anger.
All Míla did was bite her lip, shrug apologetically at the Prince and say, "I'm…sorry?"
Can I just mention this: I AM SORRY that it took me so long to update. Life happened and well let's just say that it kind of messed up my focus on this story. But I love you guys that are still reading and reviewing! You guys are awesome! I luv you!
So I have a few questions for you guys:
1. About the Hobbit and Legolas= Where do you guys think that he will end up during the third movie? I think that he will be in Laketown, but he ran off after Bolg at the end... so yeah.
2. Do you guys think that Tauriel will live or die at the end of the Hobbit movie? My friends have had debates on whether or not she will live because she is Peter Jackson's original character etc. What are your thoughts?
3. Somebody asked if one of Míla's brothers will be part of this harem and also how Legolas would react knowing that her brothers could possibly be love interests. If that were to happen, I am curious to know, after this chapter which brother you guys would prefer. Jaxion or Nephelion? or neither.. I would like to know.
XXX
Ok so here are my responses to you, my lovely friends... Haha. I hope you are still out there. :)
Yes: HEY! So thank you for being the first to review...again. Also! You are absolutely adorable. When I saw your second review on my email, I locked my butt down and typed even faster! I wiped my tears of joy away and said, "I am going to get this chapter out as soon as I can now, just for Yes!" You're so nice and it makes me feel so special! So you thought 19 was my best chapter so far eh? What did you think about this one? :) I haven't thought about Glorfindel! We will see what happens! Since you are so nice, he has snuck into the future of this story in my mind. (Just for you!)
ilovepink: Thank you! I think that Míla will be amazing with Bard's kids. I just can't wait til the story develops to Laketown. :) I don't know that I will make Bard romantically interested in Míla however. I don't know. :)Thank you so much for reviewing.
stranger: Hey there! I agree with you! I cannot wait for Míla's other suitors to meet Legolas. It is going to be a fun time for us. ;) I assure you! Thank you for reviewing!
Guest who had that long review on feb 8 on the subject about cliché bad girls: Lol! Thank you for noticing that! I don't know how many books and fanfics of female heroines that I have read, that always make other women (besides the main character) jealous bimbos. I always wonder if girls will always be universally jealous of each other. In my opinion, I think that women should stick together and have each other's backs instead of always trying to cut each other's throats. Why be envious of someone's success or luck? If a girl is beautiful and has a lot of guys, money, whatever, be happy for them! So thank you, truly, for noticing that. :)
I love mila: Can I just say...I love your name. :) It's awesome! And it made me squeal when I first saw it. So Glànor's violence was maybe an overreaction, but I've actually seen this happen in real life. Guys can sometimes be ...butts. And I know he's an elf, but yeah the elves in my story are a little different. Tauriel was probably scared because she was probably surprised(just like you) that he hit her. Thank you so much for reviewing!
Guest from Feb 10 who asked about Míla's brothers being in the harem: If I were to include one of the brother's in the harem, which one do you think would be the most interesting to read about? :) Thank you for reviewing!
Mistake questioning guest: I know isn't Míla ridiculous thinking that she made a mistake at all. She didn't. Thank you for reviewing! :)
Guest who asked about legolas finding out she could marry her brother: We will have to see! ;) Answer my number three and we will see what happens. :) I am also excited for Bard and Elladan! :) Thank you so much for reviewing!
yay: Welcome to this crazy story! I hope you liked this chapter!
juti: Here! haha. :)
punky warhammer: Welcome to the crazy story of Míla. Thank you for reviewing and woahing! :)