Trigger Warning. Attempted Sexual Assault
Patsy stayed back. He held Undómë's mane nervously. The horse was strange a source of calm. He would even loosen his grip to stroke the softness of it before he held on again. Even under all that silk and face paint he was scared of being recognized. "What's takin him so long? It should be just a simple matter of paying the fare." Undómë snorted and shook his head a bit. Patsy looked into the eye of the horse and sighed. "Yeah you're right. It's never simple." He smacked himself in the forehead. "Stop talking to the horse, damn it stop talking to yourself." He winced and grumbled.
"You do know he can understand you and he is probably talking back. You just can't hear it." Patsy looked to Moravar who was grinning as he approached. He patted Undómë on the neck. "Most elves can speak to their horses in a way but Undómë here is a meara and He speaks quite clearly."
Patsy just looked at the two of them and the horse snickered. "Hey whatever that was I feel like it was less than nice." He held up his hands a bit and shook his head. "What about the passage?"
"We leave in half an hour, it's the fastest thing heading up stream though it makes a few stops. We should catch up to the big barge before it docks at the Entwash Delta." Moravar sighed softly and began to whisper to Undómë in elvish before he began to lead the meara towards the barge. No bridle or lead required. The barge men watched as the elf lead the beautiful horse onto the deck. Other animals being transported were balking and struggling but not the elvish horse.
Moravar crouched down after settling Undómë in his open air stall there on the deck. "Here," he said as he opened up his pack. "Set this up here. We will be staying on deck. The rooms where full." He pulled out a canvas and some rope.
Patsy stood there staring at the canvas as if it were a handful of snakes. "Camping on deck? I need to change. I don't want to be a woman the whole trip." His voice cracked and he pulled at the silks.
Moravar chuckled and lifted his hands to calm his companion down. "You can once we are heading up the river. You have access to the bath though it wont be luxury."
He wasn't kidding. Patsy stood in the humid room. a large wooden barrel turned into a small tub sat there filled with steaming water. He was given a thread bare towel and wash cloth, the soap smelled as if it were made of lye. There were no oils that smelled of exotic flowers or spices. It was like bathing back home.
He dropped his bag on the stool and began to peel away the layers of silk he was draped in. He had to admit they were comfortable and were probably worth something. He took care in folding them up and tucking them away in his bag.
His flesh was red and stung after he had scrubbed with the harsh soap. At least he was clean and cosmetic free. We with the exception of his nails. They still bore the red coloring. Thankfully the somewhat fancy clothing that The Serpent had given him had pockets in the breeches. He figured he would just shove his hands in his pockets most of the time.
Moravar sat with his back against one of the railing posts to the stall. The shade cast from the canvas was pleasant on such a warm day. He thought of Julian. Kidnapping was not something he would resort to unless he were desperate. The slave trade in the north was poor. It was outlawed and if you were caught the penalties were high. There had to be another reason.
He held a small leather strap in his hands and he was working on making a knot in it. His thoughts delving deeper into the mystery. 'It has to be because of her breeding. Someone must know but why the jewel too?' He sighs and looks at the mess he had made of the knot and he began to untie it.
"Fucking Julian." He growled lowly.
"Woe be to this Julian guy if you are cursing them." Patsy said as he dropped his bag and plopped down in the shade. "Who is Julian?"
Moravar rolled his eyes. "You told me the name of your other partner. Jewels as in precious gems. You were wrong. It was Jules as in Julian."
Patsy nodded and pulled an apple from his bag. He offered it to Moravar who took it. He then got one for himself. He was polishing it on his sleeve as he spoke. "Sounds like you know him."
"What was your true impression of him?" Moravar leveled his gaze on Patsy.
Patsy realized that he actually valued his opinion. He blinked relaxed before taking a bite of his apple. He chewed a few times then swallowed. "First off his mannerisms. He really makes you think he doesn't care so much for the fairer sex," He was picking and choosing his words carefully. "But when it came to the girl. He told all of us if we laid one more unseemly hand upon her fair flesh we would loose that hand. You can buy that because I felt it after he said it. He meant it. So he has to care about them some what even if its morally."
Moravar chuckled. "Go on." He now bit into his apple.
"He did not seem to quite fit in. Though he was at ease where ever we went and knew how to handle a rowdy crowd. Right after we took the blue rock, we went to this really rough tavern along the pass near the Lebennin. The other guys all had whores and were off getting their jollies and I was sitting there getting piss drunk with Jules. This fellow kept staring at Jules from the bar. He was big and had the look of one of them Northern Rangers." He paused then to take a bite if his apple. "Jules seemed to not care until this big man walked up on him. I swear I aint never seen someone draw a sword that quick. I didn't even see him draw. All a saw was it appeared with the point at the man's heart." Moravar lifted his hand and Undómë began to eat it. "Luckily it didn't end up in a blood bath and they just went off to talk but I realized then that Jules was the real deal. He was a cold blooded killer if he needed to be."
Moravar smirked and laughed softly. "You are pretty spot on Patsy. You are a good read of people, but did he give you the impression he was the type that would beat up old men and kidnap young girls to sell them into slavery?"
"Nope." He shook his head. "I was surprised that was to be our next job. I never got the feeling she was for that. She was treated rather roughly by Buster and Scar. In the beginning, that was when he told us he would have our hands if he touched her in an unseemly manner. Which was one of the reasons Scar wanted to split, I did my job and was paid as well. He was fair with the pay."
Moravar nodded and looked out over the deck. "Here lies the conundrum, how do I deal with Julian?"
She sat in the corner of the cabin. Her back to the wall and she looked rather bored and sullen. Julian sat at the table. The light from the round windows poured in with the breeze and he was writing something in a book. He glanced up at her and smiled as he put the quill in its holder. "Come here darling you look as if you might die any moment of boredom."
She sighs and pushes herself up. "I am bored." She admitted easily enough and he pat the chair beside him. "Come and sit and we will begin your lessons now." She sat down and he pushed a book from his bag to her. She just stared down at the leather cover. "Read the Title to me."
"The," she began and hesitated. His, History of," she paused again and narrowed her eyes at the word. "Numen, Numenor." She said proudly at the end.
"Very good now keep reading. Read it to me." He said and picked up his quill and dipped it in the ink. She opened the book to the first page and inhaled deeply. She started to read aloud though very broken and slowly.
"To und, to understand the history of Numenor you must first now, no it's know the story of it's first king. His n, name was El-ros." He glanced at her as she chewed on the words. "Elros was the son of Ear no that's not it, Eär yen.."
"Eärendil," Julian said and she looked up to him. "That is how it is pronounced darling, Eärendil, go on." He said then his attention turned to the door as Buster entered.
"Oy, it's hot today. I was sweatin like well run horse out there." Buster looked at her sitting with the book and grinned. The thoughts he was having then were less than pure. "If you mean to eat you better get a leg on it mate before it's all gone."
"It is late isn't it. I will be right back darling I will bring you some lunch as well." Julian said as he rose. "Read to yourself until I get back then you will read it again out loud." He left the cabin and closed the door and she continued to read.
A few minutes passed by and she was engrossed in the lineage of Elros and of his twin Elrond. That was name she knew. He was the ruler of Imladris. "Whacha reading." Buster said and snatched the book up. "Numenor eh?" She rose up and tried to take the book back but Buster jerked it away quickly and began to move about the room. "Come on Buster I am supposed to be reading it." She protests.
"Lot of good reading this will do ya." He leered at her and licked his lips. "I tell ya what you should be taught," He grinned then. "You should be taught how to move those hips and how to moan prettily. That will do ya more good than reading."
Her eyes narrowed then and she stepped back. "You're disgusting." She spat out and frowned at him.
"Oh yeah?" The smile on his lips faded as he tossed the book to the side and was on her pushing her to the ground. He straddled her and pinned her arms with one hand around her wrists. His other hand delivered a vicious back hand across her face, making her head snap to the side and she saw stars. She cried out but his hand was over her lips and pressing hard as he leaned in. "I'm gunna teach you a real lesson little girl. One you will never forget." He released her arms and began to tear at her tunic. She heard the lacey fabric give way and rip. His hands on her breast, pinching and mauling her flesh. He back handed her again when she began to struggle more. This time things went dark for a moment.
Her eyes were opening as he lifted up on one hand and held one over her mouth, then he collapsed down on her and rolled away. Something warm splattered over her face. He was screaming in agony . She looked over slowly and saw his severed hand on the floor beside her. Julian lowered down over Buster, a bloodied sword in his hand. His free hand pressed over Buster's mouth just as he had done to her.
"Shh now, I am going to teach you a lesson you wont forget." He hissed as he slowly ran the blade across Busters throat. His eyes never left Busters as the life began to drain from him and their color began to change.
She drifted away again it wasn't long before he was there. Lifting her from the floor. "I should have known better." He was whispering to her as he carried her towards the bed and lay her down. She was beginning to wake up. "I am sorry my darling. I thought he had taken my warning seriously but I can see he was not even half as bright as I had hoped." He was pressing and cool damp cloth to her face which was now swelling. She tried to look towards where she had been on the floor but he would not allow it. "There is no need for your eyes to see the violence I have done. Sleep darling and it will be all well when you awaken." He leaned in close so that his lips brushed her small ear and whispered. "lor-olui losta-sídheb." She began to feel very sleepy and she could swear she felt him kiss her forehead.
There was a gentle song being hummed near by. The tone a bit baritone and dropping into bass and words she could not understand being sung softly. When she tried to move she was sore and it ached. She let out a small gasp and the gentle song faded.
"Move gently darling. You have had quite the knock about." His voice flowed as smoothly as silk.
"Buster, he was on top of me." She croaked out and her body began to seize as she wretched. He was careful as he helped her roll to her side. Her stomach emptied into a bucket.
He sighs and smooths her hair from her face and pats her back. "I know what he did darling. You don't have to tell me."
She struggled to sit up and Julian helped her do so but slowly. Her feet touched the floor. She was in a night gown and there was no blood on her. She looked around the room. Everything was in place and clean. There was the hint of that coppery scent that blood gives off but there was also pungent herbs burning in a brass dish.
"You have been asleep for hours. Don't worry about a thing. Everything has been cleaned up and disposed of. It is amazing what a good story and some coins can do."
"Did you clean me up?" She asked softly.
"Yes darling, I did not think you would want to wake up like that."
"Thank you."
He leaned forward and wrung a cloth out over a bowl. He pressed the cool cloth to her cheek. "You and I need to have a heart to heart chat darling. I know the manner of our meeting was a bit brute but I feel we have come to a crossroads on our journey and I must come clean."
She held the cloth to her face now as he sat back and looked at her. His arms crossed over his chest for a moment as he just stared at her and she back at him. "I suppose we should start with what I am." He loosened the tie that keeps his hair loosely tied back and parted the thick mane of dark locks and pulled it back over his ear to reveal the point. She gasped and he released his hair. "You're an elf." She whispered.
"I am darling and you are going to help me right a wrong I should have never allowed to continue."
It smelled like sex, cheap perfume and booze inside the large tent at the edge of Tent City. The establishment was a small city within it's self. The main tent was enormous. It was made of brightly painted canvas and at night with it lit up within the whole tent was a glow with color.
Kal walked beside Gouble, Ermit having taken a few others to inspect the smaller tents where a lot of their work was performed. Within the large tent a song bird was on stage singing about unrequited love. She was a pretty thing with large breast that were spilling out of her gown. She was obviously of age. Those seated near the stage stared and drooled drunkenly at her curves.
He grinned from the shadows of his alcove. The beaded curtain pushed aside he strolled from dark corner and towards them. "Welcome dear lady." He addressed her first and took her hand. He graciously placed a kiss to her knuckles but still held her hand as he looked to Gouble. "Welcome to my entertainment emporium." He smiled to Gouble and finally released Kal's hand.
His hand then swept to the side as if he were opening the gates for them. "Please enjoy yourselves. What ever you desire is on the house for you tonight." He eyes shifted to look at Kal once again. "I do have a lovely selection of males should you wish to partake of all the activities provided."
Kal arched a brow and smirked behind her veils. "Thank you for your generosity Strong-Nor but I think I will pass. I just want to watch the show." She was smiling pleasantly then. Though the veil shrouded her features.
"Well then my lady." He offered his hand to her. "You should join me. I have the best seats in the house." She took his hand and bid Gouble to have fun and watch everything.
Within the alcove she lounged on a bed of cushions around a low table. Lamps were lit in the corners which made the dim light a little brighter. The air was acrid with the smoke from his hookah. He settled in his place behind the table and watched as her nose curled at the smell of the smoke.
"Opium?" She asked flatly.
"No it's hemp. A special hemp who's flowers have a euphoric affect but not like opium." He chuckled.
Now she laughed. "I am familiar would you smoke with me?"
He smiled and almost looked pleased as he called for another coal placed on top. He held out the mouthpiece to her and she took it. The long silk covered hose dangled between them and she puffed casually at it, the mouth piece sliding with ease under her veil.
"Now tell me where you smoked Hookah?"
Kal smiles as smoke drifts from the veil. "Firstly back home before the raid. It was common practice at the end of the day."
"I see." He lifted along mouthpiece from it's cradle and puffed away as well.
Her eyes began to take on that squinty tired look as she leaned back into the softness around her and relaxed. She figured she was safe enough. He wouldn't be so bold as to try anything when they were so publicly here. Would he?
"You mean to tell me dear lady, that you just smoked that and you have no desire to enjoy one of the males?" She looked upside down at him as he asked his question. She laughed and sat up. "None at all. Sex is not at all important to me. If I need that I can take care of it myself and I surely will never need to pay for it." She was grinning at her honesty which showed in her eyes.
"Oh you don't have to pay for it. There are men that would be glad to scratch your itches."
"Who? Someone like You?" She smirked and lifted the mouthpiece under her veils again.
"Oh no no lady I am speak of the king." He smiled back at her.
Her smile faded. "There is no relationship there Strong-Nor." Her tone became plain quickly.
"No?" He shook his head. "I hear you have taken dinner there a few times. Even had luncheon."
"Oh so because the king dines with delegates and council members he must be courting them? I wonder how well that is going with the elves and the dwarves." She laughed at the absurdity of his accusation.
"Nice try lady. You dine more with him than you do in your own tent. He does not do that with all of the council." She began to go quiet because he was making sense.
"It is a bold move for power and one I can not take because I am not so fair." She glared at him then. " You could be Queen."
She snarled and got to her feet. "There is no such move. All I am doing it trying to ease our integration into the daily life of Dale."
"Oh sit down dear lady and hear me out." She lowered back down. "That is the logical conclusion to his attempts to get closer to you. You are not so daft to not notice his interest. If I noticed it others have too. They will begin to look for your replacement rather quickly and you will be booted from your position. I apologize for taking my digs at you but I couldn't help it. You can be so annoying but you are interesting."
She grumbled then and slumped down. "I have noticed some increased interest yes. I do not see how me spending time with the king on a personal level will hurt my standing on the council."
"If you were a man it would not but you are female. Things are a little different for you. Men will only back you as long as you continue to hide your beauty behind veils and behave like you are a prude."
She scowled. If looks could kill he would be finished. "My business is totally legal. your goons will figure that out. Your concerns about the ages of my employees will be null. I will continue on and become very rich in Dale. The amount of power I will wield will be close to that of the king. There is something for you to chew on. Now which side of that do you wish to be on? Because here is where your people will be."
She had enough and got to her feet one more time. She would simply nod to him as she left the alcove and found Gouble waiting for her near the exit. He couldn't miss the look on her face as she approached him. He coughed a bit and asked. "Was he that delightful?" She rolled her eyes and just kept walking out. She needed a bath to feel clean again.
Upon making it home she found Muta sitting outside around a fire and drinking with the neighbors. She just shook her head as she passed him by and walked into the tent. Within her own alcove she began to pull off her golden baubles and outer robes.
"Well, it seems like you have a smashing time with the Lord of Lust." Muta collapsed onto her bed as she sat on the bench before her mirror.
"Muta what do the people say about the King and I? On the streets?" She turned to look at him.
The sun was rising and the sky was clearing of it's haze. Haldir was in the Barracks that the younger elves occupied. He was looking for one ellon in particular. When the young ones noticed the commander they all dropped what they were doing to stand at attention. Haldir motioned for them to go back to preparing.
Callon was in a back corner. His bunk made and neat. The motion of his bunk mate standing straight up made him look to see his commander standing there at his bunk. He choked and stumbled around finally coming to attention.
Haldir arched a brow and exhaled a deep breath. "Callon, You and you're bunk mate are to come with me today." He turned towards the rest. "You all are late." The barracks erupted into the sound of thundering boots. Leaving just the 3 of them inside. "You look weary Callon."
The young ellon looked up at him and nodded. "A bit commander. I have been having trouble sleeping ever since the battle."
"It's understandable, it's something that never really leaves you but you learn to handle it better."
He turned to the other ellon, "and you Borgil have looked miserable for days now."
"I have been having the same trouble commander." He answered softly then looked to Callon. They seemed to be sharing in their misery as friends often did.
He lead them from the barracks to the palace. They had never been inside the palace before. It was a flurry of activity. The humans going here and there while the spoke loudly to each other. The children were running around with Bertha and Hilda trying to round them up. The 2 young ellons were left in the hall while Haldir went to help Hilda.
Claressa left the privy with Pebble in her arms. She paused when she saw the young elves standing there. Her eyes quickly went down and she whispers "excuse me." As she passes them. Callon's eyes followed her every step until Borgil elbowed him in the ribs. Haldir returned and they thankfully moved to a quieter part of the palace. The ballroom doors wide open and there in the center of the floor was wooden planks and slate tiles.
Haldir stood between them. His hands on their shoulders. "You task for today is to make a slate wall for the classroom. I am sure you can both figure it out." He pat their shoulders and turned to leave. "Commander, what do we do if we need something that is not provided here?" Callon asked as he turned.
"You figure it out." Was all he said as he left them to their task.