A/N: Sorry guys, hope you don't mind being introduced to all these new
characters! It will move along, though. I have big plans! :) Right well, in
the last chapter Alwyn met Dantir, and he turned out to be a scary,
intimidating sort of person. Legolas seems to be torn between two
women...can it get any more confusing??? Don't worry. It can.
Part 13 - Getting To Know Dantir
As soon as Alwyn opened her bedroom door the next morning, Dantir was standing there. She was somewhat surprised, but also she had been expecting it a little. Last night he had come to see her in the ballroom after the party and they had danced one dance. Alwyn did not like the elf, but she had done it out of the goodness of her heart, seeing as none of the other maidens wanted to dance with him. They had talked a little while about riding, and Alwyn found that at least she did share some things with him, even if they were very small.
"Will you go riding with me this morning?" he asked, in his low monotone. Alwyn shivered uncomfortably.
"I..." His expression was so...so foreboding and grim that she felt she had to say yes or something bad would happen to her. "Yes, alright."
"Excellent," he smiled, for the first time since Alwyn had met him. It was more a twisted sort of sneer, however. Alwyn hugged herself as they walked down the corridor. It always seemed to get colder when he was around.
They made their way out to the stables, to fetch horses, and Alwyn put on her riding gear hastily. Dantir watched her mount the horse, and then got onto his own. "Well then," Alwyn said, with a cheerful smile. "Where shall we be off to?" Dantir made no reply. He simply trotted out of the stable and into the yard. Alwyn gave an exasperated sigh and followed.
He did not talk all the way up the path and into the deep forest, however much Alwyn tried to induce conversation. He simply led her a long way up the path. They walked in silence up towards the dense forest, and Alwyn looked sidelong at the sinister elf. He simply stared straight ahead. Soon they came to a small glade, and Dantir halted his horse. Alwyn followed suit and looked around hesitantly.
"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, her voice faltering a little.
"Get off the horse," Dantir drawled, dismounting his own and standing on the grass resolutely.
Alwyn's stomach lurched. "Why?"
"Just get off the horse and come here."
"Wh...what?"
"GET OFF IT!" his voice rang through the trees, and a small cluster of birds rose twittering into the sky. Alwyn slid, shaking, off her horse and walked slowly towards him. She stopped a little way away from Dantir and folded her arms.
"You...you can't do anything to me. Understand? You won't!" she cried, trying to dissuade him.
Dantir smirked slightly. "I'm not going to...*do* anything to you, not unless you do as I say."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean just that. Do as I tell you, and you will not be hurt. Is that clear?" he replied, his voice malicious.
Alwyn drew in a shaky breath. "And what will you do if I do not do what you say?" she asked.
"Kill you, of course."
Alwyn gave a distressed cry, and stumbled backwards, but in three strides Dantir was holding her wrist, and his face was inches from hers. Alwyn had never been so scared in all her life.
"I have been watching you, Alwyn, for some time. I need an attractive wife, do you see? I have been ridiculed for not snaring a lady. I wish to settle down with someone, but all the girls here despise me. This is the only way...you see? You will marry me, Alwyn, or I shall punish you."
"Wh...what? Marry you?" Alwyn said, her eyes filled with frightened tears.
"Yes, Alwyn. You have no choice really, do you? I mean, come on, there is nothing else you can do."
"I...I will tell the King!"
With a cry, Alwyn was thrown backwards onto the grass. Dantir stood over her, his eyes flashing. "You will do no such thing! For if you do, I shall hunt you down, and it will not be pretty. You will act as my wife and lover, and you will not argue if you value your life. Do you agree to be my wife?" he asked, his expression so poisonous that Alwyn felt sure she would die any second.
"Wh...well...yes," Alwyn whispered, finally realising that she had no other choice in the matter. Tears spilled from her pale blue eyes and she let out a sob as Dantir pulled her up roughly.
"Tidy yourself up, woman, and we shall go back to announce the news."
With that he mounted his horse and sat watching her. Her chances of escape were futile, so she wiped her eyes and got onto her horse. Alwyn was silent the whole journey back to Mirkwood. She knew that if she tried to run away tonight, he would catch her. There was nothing she could do...but marry Dantir. Or die. But she didn't want to die. Not just yet. She needed help, but whom from? Avardo! No...Dantir would find out somehow. What could she do? Her brother would surely tell Thranduil if he knew that something was wrong. She needed to...hint to someone that everything was not as it seemed but, who?
Part 13 - Getting To Know Dantir
As soon as Alwyn opened her bedroom door the next morning, Dantir was standing there. She was somewhat surprised, but also she had been expecting it a little. Last night he had come to see her in the ballroom after the party and they had danced one dance. Alwyn did not like the elf, but she had done it out of the goodness of her heart, seeing as none of the other maidens wanted to dance with him. They had talked a little while about riding, and Alwyn found that at least she did share some things with him, even if they were very small.
"Will you go riding with me this morning?" he asked, in his low monotone. Alwyn shivered uncomfortably.
"I..." His expression was so...so foreboding and grim that she felt she had to say yes or something bad would happen to her. "Yes, alright."
"Excellent," he smiled, for the first time since Alwyn had met him. It was more a twisted sort of sneer, however. Alwyn hugged herself as they walked down the corridor. It always seemed to get colder when he was around.
They made their way out to the stables, to fetch horses, and Alwyn put on her riding gear hastily. Dantir watched her mount the horse, and then got onto his own. "Well then," Alwyn said, with a cheerful smile. "Where shall we be off to?" Dantir made no reply. He simply trotted out of the stable and into the yard. Alwyn gave an exasperated sigh and followed.
He did not talk all the way up the path and into the deep forest, however much Alwyn tried to induce conversation. He simply led her a long way up the path. They walked in silence up towards the dense forest, and Alwyn looked sidelong at the sinister elf. He simply stared straight ahead. Soon they came to a small glade, and Dantir halted his horse. Alwyn followed suit and looked around hesitantly.
"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, her voice faltering a little.
"Get off the horse," Dantir drawled, dismounting his own and standing on the grass resolutely.
Alwyn's stomach lurched. "Why?"
"Just get off the horse and come here."
"Wh...what?"
"GET OFF IT!" his voice rang through the trees, and a small cluster of birds rose twittering into the sky. Alwyn slid, shaking, off her horse and walked slowly towards him. She stopped a little way away from Dantir and folded her arms.
"You...you can't do anything to me. Understand? You won't!" she cried, trying to dissuade him.
Dantir smirked slightly. "I'm not going to...*do* anything to you, not unless you do as I say."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean just that. Do as I tell you, and you will not be hurt. Is that clear?" he replied, his voice malicious.
Alwyn drew in a shaky breath. "And what will you do if I do not do what you say?" she asked.
"Kill you, of course."
Alwyn gave a distressed cry, and stumbled backwards, but in three strides Dantir was holding her wrist, and his face was inches from hers. Alwyn had never been so scared in all her life.
"I have been watching you, Alwyn, for some time. I need an attractive wife, do you see? I have been ridiculed for not snaring a lady. I wish to settle down with someone, but all the girls here despise me. This is the only way...you see? You will marry me, Alwyn, or I shall punish you."
"Wh...what? Marry you?" Alwyn said, her eyes filled with frightened tears.
"Yes, Alwyn. You have no choice really, do you? I mean, come on, there is nothing else you can do."
"I...I will tell the King!"
With a cry, Alwyn was thrown backwards onto the grass. Dantir stood over her, his eyes flashing. "You will do no such thing! For if you do, I shall hunt you down, and it will not be pretty. You will act as my wife and lover, and you will not argue if you value your life. Do you agree to be my wife?" he asked, his expression so poisonous that Alwyn felt sure she would die any second.
"Wh...well...yes," Alwyn whispered, finally realising that she had no other choice in the matter. Tears spilled from her pale blue eyes and she let out a sob as Dantir pulled her up roughly.
"Tidy yourself up, woman, and we shall go back to announce the news."
With that he mounted his horse and sat watching her. Her chances of escape were futile, so she wiped her eyes and got onto her horse. Alwyn was silent the whole journey back to Mirkwood. She knew that if she tried to run away tonight, he would catch her. There was nothing she could do...but marry Dantir. Or die. But she didn't want to die. Not just yet. She needed help, but whom from? Avardo! No...Dantir would find out somehow. What could she do? Her brother would surely tell Thranduil if he knew that something was wrong. She needed to...hint to someone that everything was not as it seemed but, who?