~*~* A/N: All right, I may have to stop writing so fast eventually, my hands are getting tired! lol! :-D *~*~
The two women sat at the head of the table, and the men sat around the rest of it. The Hobbits quickly helped themselves to heaping plates of vegetables and meat, of bread and cheese. Rinatarien shook her head softly. They would need to ask for more rations the next day, if the little ones continued to eat so swiftly.
After their dinner, the men retired to their rooms, and the women were once again left to speak alone.
"Listen to me, Ringathradiel," said Rinatarien with a low voice. "Say what you will in this hut, but be careful. Many will think you seek to commit treason, or start a rebellion."
"Perhaps I do," said Ringathradiel softly, her expression thoughtful. "Perhaps I do."
The next morning, Ringathradiel snuck out of the hut, a hood over her head. She approached the prison slowly, hiding behind the corner several times when a Lhunwilyaiel appeared. She nodded to the prison guard, and then entered it.
The prison was dark and damp, dirty and dusty. Ringathradiel walked quickly, to the last room. She opened the door, and stepped in, removing her hood.
In the corner, a young male elf looked up, his eyes adjusting to the light that flooded in through the open door. She closed it quickly, and approached him, looking down upon him with sadness.
"Baranmundoion," she said softly, kneeling at his side.
"Ringathradiel?" he asked, as though he thought this was a mirage. "I had feared you would not come."
"Nae, my love," she replied, and caressed his face softly. "I have brought you food." She dug into a pocket in her hood, retreiving a small loaf of bread and a flask of wine. He looked up at her, his eyes wide, full of hunger, but also full of wear.
She broke the bread, and fed him, wishing that his hands were free. Alas, he was chained to the corner. She gave him drink, and then they sat in silence.
"I have missed you," he said quietly, looking at her with only love and adoration in his eyes.
"I have missed you as well," she responded, then became angry for a moment. "Damn this society, damn the Saurlhachein!" she exclaimed, and Baranmundoion nodded, his eyes sad.
"You can change it, Ringathradiel," he said softly, pressing his forehead against hers. "You can change it, if you want to enough."
She felt her eyes become wet with tears.
"I do," she insisted, a tear falling slowly down her cheek. "I do want to change it."
"Then you shall," he replied, and kissed her softly. She returned it, longing for more, but unable to allow herself it.
She broke from him after a few moments, and kissed his cheek.
"Things are changing," he said wisely. "There is a new presence among us. A big change is upon us."
She nodded, and stood. "I must go," she said with a sigh.
"I love you," he said, longing and pain in his voice.
"I love you, my dear Baranmundoion," she responded, then turned and left quickly, practically running home. A plan was forming in her mind; a plan that would require the aid of the Fellowship.
As she entered the hut, she could see Rinatarien waiting for her.
"You visited the prison," she said, her tone accusing.
"Yes," responded Ringathradiel, removing her hooded cloak.
"Do you seek trouble?" asked her friend, taking hold of her arm for emphasis. "Taking men into your home, loving a slave. Are you a fool?"
"Nae," replied Ringathradiel, shaking her head, a thoughtful look in her eye. "I am perhaps the only person who is not a fool within this entire city."
Rinatarien shook her head sadly, and sighed. "You will die," she said quietly. "You will be put to death if you continue such folly."
"I am already dead," the other girl replied, glaring into her friend's eyes. "I am already dead, within my heart. Rinatarien, you cannot possibly be happy here, not within such a society."
Rinatarien looked down, a sigh escaping her. "My happiness matters not. I wish to remain alive, so I will obey the laws set before us."
"Then you are a fool," replied Ringathradiel. "I would rather be dead than this miserable."
The two women sat at the head of the table, and the men sat around the rest of it. The Hobbits quickly helped themselves to heaping plates of vegetables and meat, of bread and cheese. Rinatarien shook her head softly. They would need to ask for more rations the next day, if the little ones continued to eat so swiftly.
After their dinner, the men retired to their rooms, and the women were once again left to speak alone.
"Listen to me, Ringathradiel," said Rinatarien with a low voice. "Say what you will in this hut, but be careful. Many will think you seek to commit treason, or start a rebellion."
"Perhaps I do," said Ringathradiel softly, her expression thoughtful. "Perhaps I do."
The next morning, Ringathradiel snuck out of the hut, a hood over her head. She approached the prison slowly, hiding behind the corner several times when a Lhunwilyaiel appeared. She nodded to the prison guard, and then entered it.
The prison was dark and damp, dirty and dusty. Ringathradiel walked quickly, to the last room. She opened the door, and stepped in, removing her hood.
In the corner, a young male elf looked up, his eyes adjusting to the light that flooded in through the open door. She closed it quickly, and approached him, looking down upon him with sadness.
"Baranmundoion," she said softly, kneeling at his side.
"Ringathradiel?" he asked, as though he thought this was a mirage. "I had feared you would not come."
"Nae, my love," she replied, and caressed his face softly. "I have brought you food." She dug into a pocket in her hood, retreiving a small loaf of bread and a flask of wine. He looked up at her, his eyes wide, full of hunger, but also full of wear.
She broke the bread, and fed him, wishing that his hands were free. Alas, he was chained to the corner. She gave him drink, and then they sat in silence.
"I have missed you," he said quietly, looking at her with only love and adoration in his eyes.
"I have missed you as well," she responded, then became angry for a moment. "Damn this society, damn the Saurlhachein!" she exclaimed, and Baranmundoion nodded, his eyes sad.
"You can change it, Ringathradiel," he said softly, pressing his forehead against hers. "You can change it, if you want to enough."
She felt her eyes become wet with tears.
"I do," she insisted, a tear falling slowly down her cheek. "I do want to change it."
"Then you shall," he replied, and kissed her softly. She returned it, longing for more, but unable to allow herself it.
She broke from him after a few moments, and kissed his cheek.
"Things are changing," he said wisely. "There is a new presence among us. A big change is upon us."
She nodded, and stood. "I must go," she said with a sigh.
"I love you," he said, longing and pain in his voice.
"I love you, my dear Baranmundoion," she responded, then turned and left quickly, practically running home. A plan was forming in her mind; a plan that would require the aid of the Fellowship.
As she entered the hut, she could see Rinatarien waiting for her.
"You visited the prison," she said, her tone accusing.
"Yes," responded Ringathradiel, removing her hooded cloak.
"Do you seek trouble?" asked her friend, taking hold of her arm for emphasis. "Taking men into your home, loving a slave. Are you a fool?"
"Nae," replied Ringathradiel, shaking her head, a thoughtful look in her eye. "I am perhaps the only person who is not a fool within this entire city."
Rinatarien shook her head sadly, and sighed. "You will die," she said quietly. "You will be put to death if you continue such folly."
"I am already dead," the other girl replied, glaring into her friend's eyes. "I am already dead, within my heart. Rinatarien, you cannot possibly be happy here, not within such a society."
Rinatarien looked down, a sigh escaping her. "My happiness matters not. I wish to remain alive, so I will obey the laws set before us."
"Then you are a fool," replied Ringathradiel. "I would rather be dead than this miserable."