Hello again!
Ok, first things first. I would just like to take this time to thank you all for the wonderfully positive responses that I have been getting for this story! I really do appreciate everyone who reviews and leaves me a comment, so thank you. A few personal responses are at the end of the chapter.
Secondly, the relationship between Estel and Legolas kinda happened a lot sooner then what I expected, but hey, that is what you get when you can not really control the things that come out of your head! Lol. So yes, there is some nice slash this chapter - innocent slash...poor Legolas...cute...poor Legolas...
Ok, I guess that is it. Hope you like this as much as the past chapters.
*****
Extorted
Chapter Three
Encounters after Repercussions
*****
...My head is battling with my heart My logic has been torn apart...
Bic Runga "Sway"
*****
"Can you tell me-" the person hurried by, obviously busy with their own agenda which did not include helping the new slave find his way around.
After switching the jugs of water, Estel had left the room in such a rushed hurry that he had not even asked for directions regarding where he would find his new master. At first he had tried to follow the path that he had been lead through last night by Idis, but soon realized that he could not recall the directions and that all the passageways held far too much of a close resemblance to each other to be able to clearly tell them apart. Now, having come to a large dining room, it occurred to Estel that he did not have the slightest clue as to where he was meant to be taking the meal, let alone where he was himself.
Another man rushed past, his clothes and appearance telling Estel that he was also a slave. Walking after the man, Estel called out to the strangely tall being that seemed intent on ignoring him.
"Excuse me!" Estel yelled as he quickly scooted up to fall into step with the stranger, "can you tell me where-"
"Busy," the man replied in a gruff voice that sounded a lot like that of a cave troll's roar. Quickening his pace and stalking ahead, the man muttered, "can you not see that I am busy?"
Stopping in his tracks, Estel's jaw jutted out in annoyance as his eyes flared with a hidden element of danger. "Busy?" he questioned with a streak of attitude that seemed more befitting a man that was years his junior. "Well, let me tell you something," he began effortlessly, his thoughts and bottled up feelings about his current situation finally breaking to the surface. "I would like to be busy as well if only for the sole purpose of keeping my mind off the situation that I now find myself in. But you know what, I can not because no one seems willing to spare even a moment for the new guy who has NO clue as to where he is going, not to mention the fact that I had a horrific night alone with a spid-"
"Are you quite done?" the man asked as he shoved his face right up next to Estel's. The boy had been so caught up in his rant that he had not even noticed that the man had stopped walking away and had instead turned back to him.
"No, actually," Estel said without even the slightest traces of either fear or intimidation within his tone, "I am only just beginning."
This seemed to shock the man who, as Estel thought, was use to pushing others around and having the advantage of fear hanging over their heads. His eyes seemed to protrude from his head at the impudence of the young man as his mouth dropped open in what seemed to be shock, but, for all Estel know, could have been the starting signs of a heart attack.
"Now that I seemed to have your attention," Estel muttered half to himself, half to the man that still stood there, his mouth open in his gape as he stared at the young man, "All I ask is that you tell me where I am meant to take Lord Legolas' breakfast," Estel said simply and with a sigh. "I have been walking around here for ages now and I would like to get it to him while it is at least still remotely eatable..."
What came next was quite a surprise for the young human. The man in front of him literally threw his head back and let out a roaring and boisterous laugh that seemed to shake the heavy chandeliers upon their chains.
"I am not seeing anything funny about this..." Estel rationalized as the man continued to laugh, his hand now falling onto Estel's shoulder as a brace while his head lolled back in mirth.
"...You...you..." was all that man could stumble out through his rounds of hysteria. Dropping his eyes from the man's face as he found that he was getting a sore neck, Estel looked around him in dismay. Anyone else in the room seemed too stunned or scared to even come near the two that stood in the center near the large oak table or were too quickly hurrying away from the abnormal sight that was displayed before them.
"Look, are you going to help me or not?" Estel demanded, his patience wearing more then thin.
Struggling to gain control of himself, the man looked down at the boy before him and offered Estel a large, toothy grin. "I like you, kid!" he stated while patting Estel firmly on the shoulder.
When it became apparent that the man was not about to say anymore, Estel sighed loudly and looked up at the man, his head straining back against his neck so that he could see.
"I am sure that, given any other circumstances," Estel said with that same sarcastic tone, "I would be glad that you like me and all, but at the moment, all you are worth to me is what is within your head. So, are you going to give me instruction to Lord Legolas' chambers or am I going to have to go and randomly stop others and ask the same questions repetitively until I run out of people to question?"
Laughing again, the tall man leant down even closer to Estel and, offering him yet another toothy grin said. "Listen up, 'cause this can get confusing. First you go to the right at the stairs and then..."
*****
Finally seeing the passage that Lathen, the tall man, had described, Estel let out a sigh of relief and made his way to the third door on the right, after the painting of a house; so, in actual fact, it was the fourth door on the right. Wondering why Lathen could not have just told him 'the fourth door on the right' Estel balanced the tray on one hand and lifted the other to the wood.
Knocking on the door and pressing his ear to the wood to listen, Estel heard a small whimper from inside the room. Knocking again and calling out, Estel received no reply at all; just the haunting sound of what appeared to be an empty room.
Balancing the tray on his raised knee and against the door, he fumbled for the handle, expecting it to be locked. Twisting the knob to the right and lightly pressing against the door, Estel found that it swung open easily and quietly, revealing the dark room within. Gaining a better hold on the tray he carried, he slowly entered the gloomy room; his eyes taking longer then he would have liked to adjust.
Looking around, he saw what he was looking for, and, making his way slowly over to the bed, he was rather surprised to see a large lump under the blankets. The shape stretched from the metal bed head and seemed to curl in on itself at the middle of the large bed while the blankets covered the entire figure. For but a moment, Estel almost entertained the idea of an extremely large rat doing much the same as the scrawny one had in his own blankets.
Pushing such foolish thoughts to the side and telling himself that he knew exactly what it was that was curled up so, Estel moved forward, carrying the serving tray towards the small bedside table.
Placing the tray down on the bench, he moved steadily over towards the lump in the bed, making sure that his footsteps were loud enough to alert the figure of his approach.
"Legolas?" he asked quietly while reaching his hand out towards the covers.
The lump in the bed shifted away from the sound of his voice and, through the large pile of blankets a small voice could be heard. "Go away, Estel!"
"No!" Estel stated firmly while grabbing a hold of part of the quilt that he knew to be the bottom most one. Pulling the blanket back in one swift movement, Estel was completely unable to hide a gasp of shock and horror at what was suddenly displayed.
Legolas, the proud Elf that was his new apparent master lay there, his eyes huge with fear and glittering with unshed tears as he looked up at the human from his compromising position upon the bed. His hands, explaining the reasons behind the strange shape that he had made under the covers, were bound to the bars that made the form of the bed head. The slender wrists were covered in blood and bruises, both from the struggle that he had obviously put up and from what looked like hand marks enclosing the slender structures. A large, dark bruise was forming on the Elf's pale right cheek, spreading from the eye to the corner of his lip and back as far as the base of his leaf-shaped ear. His chest was bare and also spotted with bruises making Estel glad that he had not pulled the blanket right off the Elf.
Almost falling to his knees beside the bed, Estel felt his heart swell for the beaten being who looked up at him with fear in his usually resolute eyes. Hands moving on their own accord, Estel reached up for the thick ropes that kept the Elf in place.
"Do not do that," Legolas said softly as Estel tugged at the tightly bound ties.
Smiling at the Elf, Estel continued his self-appointed work. "We can not leave you like this - do you have a dagger?" he asked absentmindedly, forgetting his place and class.
Legolas' eyes went wide at the question and, on impulse, started to squirm away from the human who looked down at him with a questioning glance.
"To cut the bonds," Estel reassured him after he caught onto the panic in the Elf's eyes. "I would not - will not - hurt you!" Estel said gently while offering the Elf a smile, "I just want to help you, and to do that, we need to find a way to get this cursed ropes off." Reassuring the being in front of him as much as he could with his eyes, Estel saw the first glimmers of trust forming in the ice-blue eyes of the other as if that trust were stars peeking out of the night sky.
"The desk," Legolas said softly, barely above a whisper, "top right compartment."
Looking about himself, Estel caught sight of the dark outline of a desk off to the right. Rising, he walked over and, pulling out the draw, saw the gleaming blade of a medium length dagger. Closing his fingers around the cool metal of the unadorned handle, he pulled it from the compartment, wishing that it were Ruksyn in the bed and not Legolas. Had it been the human lord, Estel did not think that he would have been able to hold back his want to kill the man, or at least see him suffer like he made those around him. But no, it was Legolas and he would do naught against him - could not do anything to him...
Taking the knife over to the bed, he felt Legolas' eyes on him like a hawk. "I shan't hurt you!" Estel offered again as he bent down by the bed and started to saw at the thick ropes. It took a few minutes, but soon enough he was able to pull them from around the archer's wrists and allow Legolas to drop his arms back down.
Taking the knife by the blade, he handed it over to Legolas, hilt facing the Elf. Reaching out slowly, Legolas took the warmed metal into his hand and offered Estel a gracious bow of his head.
"I am going to go get something to put on these," Estel said while motioning to Legolas' wrists. "I will be back."
Staring at the man in shock, Legolas was only just processing the fact that, not only had this slave had had a clear shot at him as well as a weapon in his hands, he had handed the dagger back without a fuss and was now heading out of the room in order to help him.
"You do not have..." Legolas' voice trailed off as the door was silently shut behind the form of Estel, "...to," he finished with a bewildered sigh.
*****
Slipping back into the room, Estel found Legolas sitting up in bed, his once bare chest covered with a white undershirt that, even after being laced at the front, had an open top. Waiting at the door for a few moments, Estel paused to take a good look at the Elf.
He was beautiful; he would not and could not deny that. Legolas' hair was like a waterfall of golden silk or sparkling starlight that tumbled lightly over his back and seemed as if there was no weight to it at all. Even with his head turned downwards as it was, he held a proud, regal manner that could not be mistaken or overlooked. His elegant brow seemed to be constantly fixed into an expression of inner pain and turmoil and Estel, surprising himself, realized that he wanted nothing more then to run his fingers over the tell-tale signs of tension on the Elf's face, smoothing them away. Legolas was visibly shaking, something that Estel, who had been brought up amongst the Elves, found rather disturbing and again he felt that want stir within his heart; to hold the Elf to him, to stroke his hair and tell him that everything would be all right.
Forcing himself to break his stare before Legolas caught onto his presence, Estel walked into the room, trying to get his emotions in line before he came face to face with the Elf once again.
"All right," Estel said quietly as he knelt beside the bed, spreading out the fruits of his search upon the floor. "Let us start with your face, shall we?" he asked gently while looking the Elf right in the eyes.
"You do not have to do-"
"I want to," Estel interrupted with a small smile while mixing a few ground leaves into a paste within the mortar that he had brought with him. Once he was happy with the mixture, he moved closer to the bed and rose himself up so that he was at the same height as the Elf.
"This will be a little cold," Estel informed Legolas as he scooped out a blob with his three middle fingers. "Tell me if I hurt you."
With that said and an affirming nod from the blond archer, he gently placed the majority of the mixture onto the Elf's bruised cheek. Starting from the middle of the blob, he slowly and carefully spread it outwards, gradually coating the entire surface of Legolas' right cheek with the lightly tinged substance.
It was cool and soothing to Legolas' skin, taking the burn out of the painful, angry mark. He could not remember the last time that he had treated any of his wounds sustained through Ruksyn's rage or games and he had never had anyone else help him in that process. It felt nice to have someone there, to be able to just sit there and let them do the work that so pained his heart. At the beginning, he had always treated any injuries that had been inflicted upon him, but, as time went on and his hope dwindled, he had given up on it, feeling more pain with each second that he spent lingering upon the bruises and cuts.
With Estel it seemed different, as if he really did just want to help him. No slave had to do what he was doing in aiding Legolas, especially without being asked. And yet here was Estel, a young human boy so cruelly thrust into such a life treating him with most kindness Legolas had ever received.
"There we go," Estel said as he sat back on his heels to look the covered wound over. "With your healing abilities and this cream, it will be as good as new by the morrow!"
"Thank you," Legolas whispered out as he saw the man turn back to the mortar and add a small pinch of white power.
Smiling up at the Elf as he worked the substances together, Estel felt as if he could not take his eyes from Legolas; he was even more enchanting when he actually smiled.
Forcing himself to look away, he took the bowl into his hands as well as the two silk bandages that he had specially chosen for their softness and moved up onto the bed next to his strange master.
Shooting Legolas a questioning look, he waited for a nod of permission before he reached out and took the closest hand into his. Inspecting the deep rope burns and cuts, he tried to close his mind off to what could have made the Elf struggle to this degree, thus causing such damage. Opting for talking so to stop his mind from wandering, Estel scraped a little of the mixture out of the mortar just as he had done before.
"This," he said, "will stop any bleeding and also help the bruises go down while supplying a thin film so that the bandages will not rub."
As he gently applied the substance to the broken skin, his touch tender and soothing as the cool cream extinguished the fire that licked at Legolas' skin, Legolas found himself wondering about the young human.
Head tipped to the side, Legolas studied the man that was now carefully binding white silk around his wrist. Estel seemed young yet strong and, as he had first thought, wise. None of his age should know what he did about herbs and their healing powers, let alone how to mix them correctly and which ones could be combined.
Legolas was about to question the man on it when Estel got off the bed and came in to sit on the other side. Tenderly taking up Legolas' other hand, he worked with amazing concentration, his brow creased as he made sure not to harm the already damaged skin.
As Estel tied off the last of the bandages that he carefully wrapped around Legolas' bruised and cut wrists, he became painfully aware of Legolas' intense gaze locked onto him. Looking up so that he could gain eye contact, Estel could not bring himself to let go of the delicate hand that he held gently between both of his, enclosing the pale, smooth flesh with his tanned and calloused skin.
Running his fingers along the palm of Legolas' hand, Estel never once broke the haunting gaze of the Elf as he explored the slightly shaking structure. Legolas' fingers were long and graceful with a nimbleness that Estel could have never hoped to obtain and yet they held the promise of great strength and a grip that could act like a vice. Trailing his fingers up the length of Legolas' fingers, he found that the Elf's hand was smaller then his, the tips of his slender fingers only reaching to the top joint of Estel's.
Looking directly into Legolas' eyes, Estel was surprised at the depth and wisdom that they seemed to hold. The shining ice-blue colour seemed electrifying and placed a mysterious mesmerizing hold upon Estel who found himself unable to resist searching for more within that gaze. There was a great pain hidden far within those almost glowing eyes that Estel could not quite place but, whatever it was, it seemed to call to him, drawing him closer and closer and telling him to never let go of that hand that he held.
Estel's left hand seemed to tingle; buzz with a feeling that he could not deny, and, as if the hand had a mind and objective of its own, he leant forward, his moves slow and obvious so not to scare the Elf. Seeing that Legolas did not pull away and, if anything, his eyes seemed to light up at the prospect, Estel curled his fingers and ran the back of his hand softly against the pale left cheek of the Elf. Moving his touch up to the golden hairline of the Elf, he tucked a few strands behind Legolas' ear before lightly running his fingers over the Elf's brow, smoothing out the frown of worry that sat upon the fair face.
Once happy with the Elf's now slightly more relaxed expression, Estel changed the direction of his fingers and traced the small hollow near the side of the crystal-like eye. He followed that hollow around to the other side of the eye, mapping the soft skin and the dried line of a tear that had slid over the porcelain like texture of the Elf's flesh.
Wiping at the tear track, Estel smiled brightly at the Elf that watched him with a curious gaze. Legolas did naught to indorse or condemn his actions which worried Estel slightly, but at the same time, he had the feeling that Legolas would have made his distaste at Estel's' touch known had he felt that way.
Allowing his hand free access, Estel let his fingers trail over Legolas' slim lips, savoring the strange buzz that swept through him at the touch. As he moved to cup Legolas' cheek in an effort to keep their gazes locked, his other hand kept working at the Elf's fingers. He massaged them between his own, trying to get Legolas to relax and the shaking to stop while he drew idle circles in the centre of the archer's palm. Intertwining their fingers, he gave the hand in his a light squeeze before slowly bringing up to his lips. Smiling again, he placed a soft kiss on the knuckle of Legolas' index-finger before moving his lips to the centre of the hand where he started a trial of feather-light kisses that ended just above the bandaged wrist.
"Estel..." Legolas finally spoke as the human's lips practically glided over his hand in the softest of actions.
"I will not hurt you," Estel muttered between imperceptible kisses, reassuring the Elf that he had no reason to be afraid of him. Estel knew that; as his lips trailed over the smooth skin, he knew that he could safely promise that he would never do a thing to hurt this Elf and knew that it was a promise that he could easily keep.
"Estel...what are you doing?" Legolas inquired breathlessly, his words more of an exhale of air then formed words as Estel continued brushing his lips against his skin. It was the gentlest action that had ever been bestowed upon him; or at least that he could remember. There was this strange tingling feeling in him that started at his spine and worked its way up, sending his body into light shivers as Estel's lips continued to caress his hand in such a sensual manner. It excited Legolas to a degree and he relished in the notion that Estel was doing this to him, not just using him as a toy like Ruksyn.
"I do not know!" Estel admitted truthfully and yet making no move to stop as he turned the Elf's hand over, exposing the tender skin of Legolas' palm.
The human started with this side by lightly sucking at the ridge that Legolas' thumb made while he held Legolas' hand in his own by twisting his fingers between the Elf's from behind. Eyes lifting to look at Legolas once more, Estel made sure that he did not graze the skin with his teeth as he allowed his tongue to flick momentarily over the now dampened skin. Placing a firm kiss at the ball of Legolas' palm, Estel trailed his way up the hand and along the archer's little finger. Smiling once again, he closed his lips around the tip, half sucking, half kissing the very end of the slim finger.
Legolas sat there transfix to the spot, his mind clouded to such an extent that he could hardly think, let alone fully understand Estel's movements.
It was not until Estel had kissed his way over to Legola' middle finger that a thought hit the Elf, striking his heart as surly as if it had been a dagger.
Mind screaming at him as his panic rose, Legolas felt his eyes grow large involuntarily as memories flooded back to him of a time not that long past. Shaking his head slightly as he watched Estel move his lips to Legolas' next finger, Legolas finally kicked his mind and body into cooperating with what he knew he had to do.
Snatching his hand away from the man before him in a startling quick move, Legolas averted his gaze and looked to the floor, his words babbling out faster then what Estel could fathom. "You must not! Go, you have to go, before he comes! You can not...we just can not..."
Calming himself down and slowing his erratic breathing, Legolas dared a look up at the startled human. Offering Estel an apologetic smile, Legolas' eyes darted towards the door in what was an undeniable request to leave.
"You have to go," Legolas said quietly, refusing to look at the man directly, "please!"
What? Estel could hardly believe his ears. Had he hurt Legolas in some way that he had not known of? Offended him with his careful and gentle touch? Confusion seemed to swallow him like the churning waters of a storm tossed sea as he looked down at the Elf he had just so affectionately treated. Fighting the urge to just lean over and kiss those slightly pouting lips, Estel nodded his head slowly and stood to his feet, still unwilling to leave the Elf alone.
"Are you su-"
"Yes," Legolas intercepted before Estel could even finish his question. Keeping his eyes locked onto the floor, Legolas nodded his head as he repeated the affirming word, not wanting to look up incase his resolve dissolved like sugar in water.
Nodding again, Estel turned slowly and reluctantly on his heels and exited the room, sparing only a quick glance at the Elf as he closed the door behind him.
*****
"You what?" Idis shrieked at the young man, making Estel jump at the frighteningly high tones.
"He needed help," Estel rationalized and yet was not all that sure why he needed to.
"No body just touches him - what in the Valar's name were you thinking?"
"Touches who?" a young man asked as he walked past, the yell of the head 'servant' catching his attention.
"Lord Legolas!"
"Legolas!" Estel and Idis said at the same time with only Idis using the Elf's full title. At the mention of the name, the boy's eyes lit up like stars as he rushed forward and, while practically knocking Idis out of the way offered his hand out to Estel in a form of greeting.
"Milford," the boy exclaimed while grabbing hold of Estel's hand and shaking it profoundly and almost to the point of making Estel's head bob up and down with the intense forced movement of his arm. "How do ya do?" Jumping right to the point he leaned in close to the man and smiled. "So ya touched him, 'ay?"
Slapping Milford's hand away from the young man's, Idis stepped forward again and shoved Milford to the side.
"How can you not realize?" he demanded of Estel who merely offered him a look of mystification at the strange question. "Touch him you mustn't," Idis went on in an attempt to explain himself, his words almost getting muddled in his haste, "touch him; no, no, no, no, no! Bad idea, very bad idea that you must quench - rid yourself of ideas of touching..."
Having moved over to be on the right side of Estel, Milford leant over closer to his ear and, offering Idis a sympathetic shake of his head, whispered; "Don't listen to 'im; he does it all the time."
Nodding slightly in understanding, Estel gave the other a quick glance. He was of the same height as Estel with only a slighter build. He had dark brown hair that bordered on black and the deepest green eyes that Estel had ever seen. Milford would have had to be a good few years younger then Estel, most likely born into a life of slavery, and yet he maintained that essence of innocence that Estel thought would have long since been stripped from him.
"...such thoughts are wrong....improper..." Idis kept muttering while his hands seemed to have a life of their own as the flapped around in an attempt to gain Estel's full attention.
"So, name and woe," Milford asked as he looked intently at the man before him. "What's your story? We all have 'em, just a matter of tellin'!"
"Estel," Estel supplied the boy with a friendly smile, "and captured at night whilst traveling alone."
"Ah," the boy let out an all-knowing sigh as he looked the man up and down, "born and breed here," he said, abruptly telling his own story of how he came to be here. "Never been outside the walls, seen the open roads or forests. But 'ay, we might be all dead soon, if the savages get to us'll, that is."
Not really knowing what to say to such a gloomy statement, Estel chose to turn his attention back to Idis who, unsurprisingly, was still prattling on as if there was no tomorrow.
"Not the smartest of the bunch, no, not at all," Idis blathered on, his eyes darting to cover every aspect of Estel's face. "Kan was smart, Kan was good, but no, Kan got tempted, Kan fell to ideas, notions, thoughts of touching. Touching bad, not good for health, not good for Kan...poor, poor Kan, such a nice fellow, nice fellow indeed..."
"Kan?" Estel whispered over to Milford, knowing that it was about as likely that he would get a straight answer from Idis as it was that he would wake up and find this all a bad dream.
"Kan was the last one t'be punished for touchin' the Elf," Milford supplemented with a bow of his head. "Nice fellow, well, *was* a nice fellow I should say."
"Punished? Was?" Estel asked, utterly flabbergasted.
"Oh," Milford said with a small smile, "nuttin' bad. He was hung from the walls by his neck - that is, after Lord Ruksyn 'ad his hands amputated."
Choking as he gulped, Estel doubled over as his tried to regain breath into his lungs. Amputated? Just for touching Legolas? Horrible scenarios flashed past his eyes like lightening in a savage storm. He saw his hands lying out in front of him, a look of glee on Lord Ruksyn's face as he leered down at the human while pulling Legolas up close, his hand forming dark bruises upon the pale skin. He could see Legolas looking down on him as he squirmed in pain, blood flowing from his wrists. Legolas seemed sad, sorry that this had happened - no, or was that a flash of hidden mirth within his eyes. Was he happy that Estel had come to such an end? Was he...?
"Fool, fool, fool, fool, fool!" the constant droning of Idis's voice snapped Estel back to the present and reminded him that his horrifying had not yet come to pass - and would, most likely, not even happen.
"Fist day! First day and you succumb!" Idis kept going, hardly aware that Estel was gasping for air and that Milford was too busy lost in whatever thoughts were upon his mind to even acknowledge his words.
"Was his hair as soft as silk?" Milford interrupted with a wistful air to both his composure and voice as Estel righted himself, his shock momentarily defeated.
"Softer," Estel informed him off to the side before once again turning his attention upon Idis. "Look, nothing happened," he lied, not wanting to expose the feelings that had churned within him as he had silently worshiped the Elf or the actions that had brought him such reactions. "He was hurt - what was I supposed to do, just leave him there like that?"
"...Oh t' touch such hair..." Milford sighed out as his eyes seemed to glaze over.
"Yes, that would have been the wise thing to do, but no; no, no, no, no, no! You had to go do the unwise thing - the stupid thing. Fool you are! A fool, you hear!"
"Was his skin truly like marble?" Milford asked, not paying an ounce of attention to the ramblings of the stooped servant and interjecting before Estel could reply to Idis.
"Fine porcelain," Estel corrected absentmindedly while rubbing his hands together slowly in an effort to savor the feel of Legolas' skin upon his.
Sighing and stamping his right foot in anger, Milford turned on his heels, his head hanging low as he complained about 'some people having all the luck in the world.'
Looking after the young man, Estel almost envied him; at least he could easily walk away from the almost hysterical Idis who, much to Estel's dismay was still talking. Sighing and leaning back against the table to get comfortable, Estel could not help but wonder if everyone in this house was a little insane.
"Fool! I have not known one as you - one so foolish. Knock me down, I swear; knock me down before I must meet another akin to you. Knock me down, down, down, down, down! A far better fate, far, far, far better, I say!"
*****
Tbc...
*sigh* Kan was such a nice fellow...
I really want Idis to come across as eccentric (don't really know why, just thought that it would be fun to do) but yeah, if Middle-Earth had elevators he would be sitting in the corner muttering about the ups and downs of life. You know, that kind of crazy! Lol.
Umm, as I said, Estel would not do as I told him - he just refused to *just* help Legolas and had to get things moving quicker then I intended, but hey, it was a kinda cute scene!
Response to reviews:
To all: Once again thank you for you wonderful responses! And to all those that are wondering about Legolas' position there (slave, not slave) I am glad that you are thinking. Let me tell you that he is not really a 'slave' in the direct sense of the word - anything else you will just have to wait and find out! Also, why did no one ask about the switching of the water? Just curious about that! And remember, take note of even the slightest things as you know when my crazed mind will bring them back in - as it is, the spider gets another appearance! Lol.
Goddess of Death: thank you, I do try to put a bit of humor in it, no matter how dry or 'black' as it tends to break everything else down and relieve some of the tension!
Jedi Cosmos: I am glad that you are thinking on the Legolas/Ruksyn part of the story! *evil smile* keep going!
Tenshiamanda: I am really, really glad to see you asking these questions so do not think that you are asking too many! Lol, the catch, I am not going to answer any of them! Sorry, but that would ruin the surprise!
LittleSpacedemon : the spider thing was drawn from real life as I have this MASSIVE spider somewhere in my room (am currently sleeping in my office on the couch! Lol) and I needed something to make it slightly funny, so I started prattling on about a spider and then BOOM Estel became scared of them. It was completely out of my control! Lol.
Vana Everyoung: Hello! I was starting to think that you had dropped off the face of the earth! Yes, I am sorry about the new story thing, I am really trying to be good and finish off some of my others - I swear! And from now on I am not putting any more up until I finish at least two (I have the first few chapters of the really kick-ass assassin story but I am staying to my word and it is not going up yet!) Lol, full slash writer - wait until you read the assassin story! LOL! Minka kinda grew up!
On another note, I hope that you return to your usual high spirits soon. I do not know what you are going through, but I can tell you that you are not alone with problems (god, do not get me started! Lol) but yes, I hope you are feeling better about them soon.
Thank you for you complements, though I am not convinced that I am a "gift unto my own" or anyone's "treasure", but thank you. I myself was having a shitful day the day that you sent this, and well, you lifted my spirits greatly. So thank YOU! Oh, and "Hi" to your muses!
Artemisa: I am glad that you are enjoying this and find it interesting! I hope this chapter made you wonder even more... and Happy Spring Equinox to you also!
Stasia: Wow, I am not really sure hoe to reply to your wonderful review, other then with a very be THANK YOU! I am glad that you think I have gotten inside the characters minds as it is actually a really hard thing to try and do given the circumstances of this story. Yes, I feel that Legolas is someone that we should be able to relate to and I MAY help him out - or Estel will. I think they shall save each other! I love to hate Ruksyn and he is my own character. It is that perfect, creepy and unpredictable evil, isn't he? And yes, I think schizo sums him up nicely! Lol. Oh, I liked that quote too! It had a very profound meaning to it - well, it does if you are like me and know what is about to happen! Lol, is this soon enough for you? Sadly, no answers yet, but they will slowly start to unfold.
Well, that is me finally gone. I am sorry for those that I did not get to personally thank, but a thank you and a half out to you also!
As always, please review and tell me what you think.
Minka.
Ok, first things first. I would just like to take this time to thank you all for the wonderfully positive responses that I have been getting for this story! I really do appreciate everyone who reviews and leaves me a comment, so thank you. A few personal responses are at the end of the chapter.
Secondly, the relationship between Estel and Legolas kinda happened a lot sooner then what I expected, but hey, that is what you get when you can not really control the things that come out of your head! Lol. So yes, there is some nice slash this chapter - innocent slash...poor Legolas...cute...poor Legolas...
Ok, I guess that is it. Hope you like this as much as the past chapters.
*****
Extorted
Chapter Three
Encounters after Repercussions
*****
...My head is battling with my heart My logic has been torn apart...
Bic Runga "Sway"
*****
"Can you tell me-" the person hurried by, obviously busy with their own agenda which did not include helping the new slave find his way around.
After switching the jugs of water, Estel had left the room in such a rushed hurry that he had not even asked for directions regarding where he would find his new master. At first he had tried to follow the path that he had been lead through last night by Idis, but soon realized that he could not recall the directions and that all the passageways held far too much of a close resemblance to each other to be able to clearly tell them apart. Now, having come to a large dining room, it occurred to Estel that he did not have the slightest clue as to where he was meant to be taking the meal, let alone where he was himself.
Another man rushed past, his clothes and appearance telling Estel that he was also a slave. Walking after the man, Estel called out to the strangely tall being that seemed intent on ignoring him.
"Excuse me!" Estel yelled as he quickly scooted up to fall into step with the stranger, "can you tell me where-"
"Busy," the man replied in a gruff voice that sounded a lot like that of a cave troll's roar. Quickening his pace and stalking ahead, the man muttered, "can you not see that I am busy?"
Stopping in his tracks, Estel's jaw jutted out in annoyance as his eyes flared with a hidden element of danger. "Busy?" he questioned with a streak of attitude that seemed more befitting a man that was years his junior. "Well, let me tell you something," he began effortlessly, his thoughts and bottled up feelings about his current situation finally breaking to the surface. "I would like to be busy as well if only for the sole purpose of keeping my mind off the situation that I now find myself in. But you know what, I can not because no one seems willing to spare even a moment for the new guy who has NO clue as to where he is going, not to mention the fact that I had a horrific night alone with a spid-"
"Are you quite done?" the man asked as he shoved his face right up next to Estel's. The boy had been so caught up in his rant that he had not even noticed that the man had stopped walking away and had instead turned back to him.
"No, actually," Estel said without even the slightest traces of either fear or intimidation within his tone, "I am only just beginning."
This seemed to shock the man who, as Estel thought, was use to pushing others around and having the advantage of fear hanging over their heads. His eyes seemed to protrude from his head at the impudence of the young man as his mouth dropped open in what seemed to be shock, but, for all Estel know, could have been the starting signs of a heart attack.
"Now that I seemed to have your attention," Estel muttered half to himself, half to the man that still stood there, his mouth open in his gape as he stared at the young man, "All I ask is that you tell me where I am meant to take Lord Legolas' breakfast," Estel said simply and with a sigh. "I have been walking around here for ages now and I would like to get it to him while it is at least still remotely eatable..."
What came next was quite a surprise for the young human. The man in front of him literally threw his head back and let out a roaring and boisterous laugh that seemed to shake the heavy chandeliers upon their chains.
"I am not seeing anything funny about this..." Estel rationalized as the man continued to laugh, his hand now falling onto Estel's shoulder as a brace while his head lolled back in mirth.
"...You...you..." was all that man could stumble out through his rounds of hysteria. Dropping his eyes from the man's face as he found that he was getting a sore neck, Estel looked around him in dismay. Anyone else in the room seemed too stunned or scared to even come near the two that stood in the center near the large oak table or were too quickly hurrying away from the abnormal sight that was displayed before them.
"Look, are you going to help me or not?" Estel demanded, his patience wearing more then thin.
Struggling to gain control of himself, the man looked down at the boy before him and offered Estel a large, toothy grin. "I like you, kid!" he stated while patting Estel firmly on the shoulder.
When it became apparent that the man was not about to say anymore, Estel sighed loudly and looked up at the man, his head straining back against his neck so that he could see.
"I am sure that, given any other circumstances," Estel said with that same sarcastic tone, "I would be glad that you like me and all, but at the moment, all you are worth to me is what is within your head. So, are you going to give me instruction to Lord Legolas' chambers or am I going to have to go and randomly stop others and ask the same questions repetitively until I run out of people to question?"
Laughing again, the tall man leant down even closer to Estel and, offering him yet another toothy grin said. "Listen up, 'cause this can get confusing. First you go to the right at the stairs and then..."
*****
Finally seeing the passage that Lathen, the tall man, had described, Estel let out a sigh of relief and made his way to the third door on the right, after the painting of a house; so, in actual fact, it was the fourth door on the right. Wondering why Lathen could not have just told him 'the fourth door on the right' Estel balanced the tray on one hand and lifted the other to the wood.
Knocking on the door and pressing his ear to the wood to listen, Estel heard a small whimper from inside the room. Knocking again and calling out, Estel received no reply at all; just the haunting sound of what appeared to be an empty room.
Balancing the tray on his raised knee and against the door, he fumbled for the handle, expecting it to be locked. Twisting the knob to the right and lightly pressing against the door, Estel found that it swung open easily and quietly, revealing the dark room within. Gaining a better hold on the tray he carried, he slowly entered the gloomy room; his eyes taking longer then he would have liked to adjust.
Looking around, he saw what he was looking for, and, making his way slowly over to the bed, he was rather surprised to see a large lump under the blankets. The shape stretched from the metal bed head and seemed to curl in on itself at the middle of the large bed while the blankets covered the entire figure. For but a moment, Estel almost entertained the idea of an extremely large rat doing much the same as the scrawny one had in his own blankets.
Pushing such foolish thoughts to the side and telling himself that he knew exactly what it was that was curled up so, Estel moved forward, carrying the serving tray towards the small bedside table.
Placing the tray down on the bench, he moved steadily over towards the lump in the bed, making sure that his footsteps were loud enough to alert the figure of his approach.
"Legolas?" he asked quietly while reaching his hand out towards the covers.
The lump in the bed shifted away from the sound of his voice and, through the large pile of blankets a small voice could be heard. "Go away, Estel!"
"No!" Estel stated firmly while grabbing a hold of part of the quilt that he knew to be the bottom most one. Pulling the blanket back in one swift movement, Estel was completely unable to hide a gasp of shock and horror at what was suddenly displayed.
Legolas, the proud Elf that was his new apparent master lay there, his eyes huge with fear and glittering with unshed tears as he looked up at the human from his compromising position upon the bed. His hands, explaining the reasons behind the strange shape that he had made under the covers, were bound to the bars that made the form of the bed head. The slender wrists were covered in blood and bruises, both from the struggle that he had obviously put up and from what looked like hand marks enclosing the slender structures. A large, dark bruise was forming on the Elf's pale right cheek, spreading from the eye to the corner of his lip and back as far as the base of his leaf-shaped ear. His chest was bare and also spotted with bruises making Estel glad that he had not pulled the blanket right off the Elf.
Almost falling to his knees beside the bed, Estel felt his heart swell for the beaten being who looked up at him with fear in his usually resolute eyes. Hands moving on their own accord, Estel reached up for the thick ropes that kept the Elf in place.
"Do not do that," Legolas said softly as Estel tugged at the tightly bound ties.
Smiling at the Elf, Estel continued his self-appointed work. "We can not leave you like this - do you have a dagger?" he asked absentmindedly, forgetting his place and class.
Legolas' eyes went wide at the question and, on impulse, started to squirm away from the human who looked down at him with a questioning glance.
"To cut the bonds," Estel reassured him after he caught onto the panic in the Elf's eyes. "I would not - will not - hurt you!" Estel said gently while offering the Elf a smile, "I just want to help you, and to do that, we need to find a way to get this cursed ropes off." Reassuring the being in front of him as much as he could with his eyes, Estel saw the first glimmers of trust forming in the ice-blue eyes of the other as if that trust were stars peeking out of the night sky.
"The desk," Legolas said softly, barely above a whisper, "top right compartment."
Looking about himself, Estel caught sight of the dark outline of a desk off to the right. Rising, he walked over and, pulling out the draw, saw the gleaming blade of a medium length dagger. Closing his fingers around the cool metal of the unadorned handle, he pulled it from the compartment, wishing that it were Ruksyn in the bed and not Legolas. Had it been the human lord, Estel did not think that he would have been able to hold back his want to kill the man, or at least see him suffer like he made those around him. But no, it was Legolas and he would do naught against him - could not do anything to him...
Taking the knife over to the bed, he felt Legolas' eyes on him like a hawk. "I shan't hurt you!" Estel offered again as he bent down by the bed and started to saw at the thick ropes. It took a few minutes, but soon enough he was able to pull them from around the archer's wrists and allow Legolas to drop his arms back down.
Taking the knife by the blade, he handed it over to Legolas, hilt facing the Elf. Reaching out slowly, Legolas took the warmed metal into his hand and offered Estel a gracious bow of his head.
"I am going to go get something to put on these," Estel said while motioning to Legolas' wrists. "I will be back."
Staring at the man in shock, Legolas was only just processing the fact that, not only had this slave had had a clear shot at him as well as a weapon in his hands, he had handed the dagger back without a fuss and was now heading out of the room in order to help him.
"You do not have..." Legolas' voice trailed off as the door was silently shut behind the form of Estel, "...to," he finished with a bewildered sigh.
*****
Slipping back into the room, Estel found Legolas sitting up in bed, his once bare chest covered with a white undershirt that, even after being laced at the front, had an open top. Waiting at the door for a few moments, Estel paused to take a good look at the Elf.
He was beautiful; he would not and could not deny that. Legolas' hair was like a waterfall of golden silk or sparkling starlight that tumbled lightly over his back and seemed as if there was no weight to it at all. Even with his head turned downwards as it was, he held a proud, regal manner that could not be mistaken or overlooked. His elegant brow seemed to be constantly fixed into an expression of inner pain and turmoil and Estel, surprising himself, realized that he wanted nothing more then to run his fingers over the tell-tale signs of tension on the Elf's face, smoothing them away. Legolas was visibly shaking, something that Estel, who had been brought up amongst the Elves, found rather disturbing and again he felt that want stir within his heart; to hold the Elf to him, to stroke his hair and tell him that everything would be all right.
Forcing himself to break his stare before Legolas caught onto his presence, Estel walked into the room, trying to get his emotions in line before he came face to face with the Elf once again.
"All right," Estel said quietly as he knelt beside the bed, spreading out the fruits of his search upon the floor. "Let us start with your face, shall we?" he asked gently while looking the Elf right in the eyes.
"You do not have to do-"
"I want to," Estel interrupted with a small smile while mixing a few ground leaves into a paste within the mortar that he had brought with him. Once he was happy with the mixture, he moved closer to the bed and rose himself up so that he was at the same height as the Elf.
"This will be a little cold," Estel informed Legolas as he scooped out a blob with his three middle fingers. "Tell me if I hurt you."
With that said and an affirming nod from the blond archer, he gently placed the majority of the mixture onto the Elf's bruised cheek. Starting from the middle of the blob, he slowly and carefully spread it outwards, gradually coating the entire surface of Legolas' right cheek with the lightly tinged substance.
It was cool and soothing to Legolas' skin, taking the burn out of the painful, angry mark. He could not remember the last time that he had treated any of his wounds sustained through Ruksyn's rage or games and he had never had anyone else help him in that process. It felt nice to have someone there, to be able to just sit there and let them do the work that so pained his heart. At the beginning, he had always treated any injuries that had been inflicted upon him, but, as time went on and his hope dwindled, he had given up on it, feeling more pain with each second that he spent lingering upon the bruises and cuts.
With Estel it seemed different, as if he really did just want to help him. No slave had to do what he was doing in aiding Legolas, especially without being asked. And yet here was Estel, a young human boy so cruelly thrust into such a life treating him with most kindness Legolas had ever received.
"There we go," Estel said as he sat back on his heels to look the covered wound over. "With your healing abilities and this cream, it will be as good as new by the morrow!"
"Thank you," Legolas whispered out as he saw the man turn back to the mortar and add a small pinch of white power.
Smiling up at the Elf as he worked the substances together, Estel felt as if he could not take his eyes from Legolas; he was even more enchanting when he actually smiled.
Forcing himself to look away, he took the bowl into his hands as well as the two silk bandages that he had specially chosen for their softness and moved up onto the bed next to his strange master.
Shooting Legolas a questioning look, he waited for a nod of permission before he reached out and took the closest hand into his. Inspecting the deep rope burns and cuts, he tried to close his mind off to what could have made the Elf struggle to this degree, thus causing such damage. Opting for talking so to stop his mind from wandering, Estel scraped a little of the mixture out of the mortar just as he had done before.
"This," he said, "will stop any bleeding and also help the bruises go down while supplying a thin film so that the bandages will not rub."
As he gently applied the substance to the broken skin, his touch tender and soothing as the cool cream extinguished the fire that licked at Legolas' skin, Legolas found himself wondering about the young human.
Head tipped to the side, Legolas studied the man that was now carefully binding white silk around his wrist. Estel seemed young yet strong and, as he had first thought, wise. None of his age should know what he did about herbs and their healing powers, let alone how to mix them correctly and which ones could be combined.
Legolas was about to question the man on it when Estel got off the bed and came in to sit on the other side. Tenderly taking up Legolas' other hand, he worked with amazing concentration, his brow creased as he made sure not to harm the already damaged skin.
As Estel tied off the last of the bandages that he carefully wrapped around Legolas' bruised and cut wrists, he became painfully aware of Legolas' intense gaze locked onto him. Looking up so that he could gain eye contact, Estel could not bring himself to let go of the delicate hand that he held gently between both of his, enclosing the pale, smooth flesh with his tanned and calloused skin.
Running his fingers along the palm of Legolas' hand, Estel never once broke the haunting gaze of the Elf as he explored the slightly shaking structure. Legolas' fingers were long and graceful with a nimbleness that Estel could have never hoped to obtain and yet they held the promise of great strength and a grip that could act like a vice. Trailing his fingers up the length of Legolas' fingers, he found that the Elf's hand was smaller then his, the tips of his slender fingers only reaching to the top joint of Estel's.
Looking directly into Legolas' eyes, Estel was surprised at the depth and wisdom that they seemed to hold. The shining ice-blue colour seemed electrifying and placed a mysterious mesmerizing hold upon Estel who found himself unable to resist searching for more within that gaze. There was a great pain hidden far within those almost glowing eyes that Estel could not quite place but, whatever it was, it seemed to call to him, drawing him closer and closer and telling him to never let go of that hand that he held.
Estel's left hand seemed to tingle; buzz with a feeling that he could not deny, and, as if the hand had a mind and objective of its own, he leant forward, his moves slow and obvious so not to scare the Elf. Seeing that Legolas did not pull away and, if anything, his eyes seemed to light up at the prospect, Estel curled his fingers and ran the back of his hand softly against the pale left cheek of the Elf. Moving his touch up to the golden hairline of the Elf, he tucked a few strands behind Legolas' ear before lightly running his fingers over the Elf's brow, smoothing out the frown of worry that sat upon the fair face.
Once happy with the Elf's now slightly more relaxed expression, Estel changed the direction of his fingers and traced the small hollow near the side of the crystal-like eye. He followed that hollow around to the other side of the eye, mapping the soft skin and the dried line of a tear that had slid over the porcelain like texture of the Elf's flesh.
Wiping at the tear track, Estel smiled brightly at the Elf that watched him with a curious gaze. Legolas did naught to indorse or condemn his actions which worried Estel slightly, but at the same time, he had the feeling that Legolas would have made his distaste at Estel's' touch known had he felt that way.
Allowing his hand free access, Estel let his fingers trail over Legolas' slim lips, savoring the strange buzz that swept through him at the touch. As he moved to cup Legolas' cheek in an effort to keep their gazes locked, his other hand kept working at the Elf's fingers. He massaged them between his own, trying to get Legolas to relax and the shaking to stop while he drew idle circles in the centre of the archer's palm. Intertwining their fingers, he gave the hand in his a light squeeze before slowly bringing up to his lips. Smiling again, he placed a soft kiss on the knuckle of Legolas' index-finger before moving his lips to the centre of the hand where he started a trial of feather-light kisses that ended just above the bandaged wrist.
"Estel..." Legolas finally spoke as the human's lips practically glided over his hand in the softest of actions.
"I will not hurt you," Estel muttered between imperceptible kisses, reassuring the Elf that he had no reason to be afraid of him. Estel knew that; as his lips trailed over the smooth skin, he knew that he could safely promise that he would never do a thing to hurt this Elf and knew that it was a promise that he could easily keep.
"Estel...what are you doing?" Legolas inquired breathlessly, his words more of an exhale of air then formed words as Estel continued brushing his lips against his skin. It was the gentlest action that had ever been bestowed upon him; or at least that he could remember. There was this strange tingling feeling in him that started at his spine and worked its way up, sending his body into light shivers as Estel's lips continued to caress his hand in such a sensual manner. It excited Legolas to a degree and he relished in the notion that Estel was doing this to him, not just using him as a toy like Ruksyn.
"I do not know!" Estel admitted truthfully and yet making no move to stop as he turned the Elf's hand over, exposing the tender skin of Legolas' palm.
The human started with this side by lightly sucking at the ridge that Legolas' thumb made while he held Legolas' hand in his own by twisting his fingers between the Elf's from behind. Eyes lifting to look at Legolas once more, Estel made sure that he did not graze the skin with his teeth as he allowed his tongue to flick momentarily over the now dampened skin. Placing a firm kiss at the ball of Legolas' palm, Estel trailed his way up the hand and along the archer's little finger. Smiling once again, he closed his lips around the tip, half sucking, half kissing the very end of the slim finger.
Legolas sat there transfix to the spot, his mind clouded to such an extent that he could hardly think, let alone fully understand Estel's movements.
It was not until Estel had kissed his way over to Legola' middle finger that a thought hit the Elf, striking his heart as surly as if it had been a dagger.
Mind screaming at him as his panic rose, Legolas felt his eyes grow large involuntarily as memories flooded back to him of a time not that long past. Shaking his head slightly as he watched Estel move his lips to Legolas' next finger, Legolas finally kicked his mind and body into cooperating with what he knew he had to do.
Snatching his hand away from the man before him in a startling quick move, Legolas averted his gaze and looked to the floor, his words babbling out faster then what Estel could fathom. "You must not! Go, you have to go, before he comes! You can not...we just can not..."
Calming himself down and slowing his erratic breathing, Legolas dared a look up at the startled human. Offering Estel an apologetic smile, Legolas' eyes darted towards the door in what was an undeniable request to leave.
"You have to go," Legolas said quietly, refusing to look at the man directly, "please!"
What? Estel could hardly believe his ears. Had he hurt Legolas in some way that he had not known of? Offended him with his careful and gentle touch? Confusion seemed to swallow him like the churning waters of a storm tossed sea as he looked down at the Elf he had just so affectionately treated. Fighting the urge to just lean over and kiss those slightly pouting lips, Estel nodded his head slowly and stood to his feet, still unwilling to leave the Elf alone.
"Are you su-"
"Yes," Legolas intercepted before Estel could even finish his question. Keeping his eyes locked onto the floor, Legolas nodded his head as he repeated the affirming word, not wanting to look up incase his resolve dissolved like sugar in water.
Nodding again, Estel turned slowly and reluctantly on his heels and exited the room, sparing only a quick glance at the Elf as he closed the door behind him.
*****
"You what?" Idis shrieked at the young man, making Estel jump at the frighteningly high tones.
"He needed help," Estel rationalized and yet was not all that sure why he needed to.
"No body just touches him - what in the Valar's name were you thinking?"
"Touches who?" a young man asked as he walked past, the yell of the head 'servant' catching his attention.
"Lord Legolas!"
"Legolas!" Estel and Idis said at the same time with only Idis using the Elf's full title. At the mention of the name, the boy's eyes lit up like stars as he rushed forward and, while practically knocking Idis out of the way offered his hand out to Estel in a form of greeting.
"Milford," the boy exclaimed while grabbing hold of Estel's hand and shaking it profoundly and almost to the point of making Estel's head bob up and down with the intense forced movement of his arm. "How do ya do?" Jumping right to the point he leaned in close to the man and smiled. "So ya touched him, 'ay?"
Slapping Milford's hand away from the young man's, Idis stepped forward again and shoved Milford to the side.
"How can you not realize?" he demanded of Estel who merely offered him a look of mystification at the strange question. "Touch him you mustn't," Idis went on in an attempt to explain himself, his words almost getting muddled in his haste, "touch him; no, no, no, no, no! Bad idea, very bad idea that you must quench - rid yourself of ideas of touching..."
Having moved over to be on the right side of Estel, Milford leant over closer to his ear and, offering Idis a sympathetic shake of his head, whispered; "Don't listen to 'im; he does it all the time."
Nodding slightly in understanding, Estel gave the other a quick glance. He was of the same height as Estel with only a slighter build. He had dark brown hair that bordered on black and the deepest green eyes that Estel had ever seen. Milford would have had to be a good few years younger then Estel, most likely born into a life of slavery, and yet he maintained that essence of innocence that Estel thought would have long since been stripped from him.
"...such thoughts are wrong....improper..." Idis kept muttering while his hands seemed to have a life of their own as the flapped around in an attempt to gain Estel's full attention.
"So, name and woe," Milford asked as he looked intently at the man before him. "What's your story? We all have 'em, just a matter of tellin'!"
"Estel," Estel supplied the boy with a friendly smile, "and captured at night whilst traveling alone."
"Ah," the boy let out an all-knowing sigh as he looked the man up and down, "born and breed here," he said, abruptly telling his own story of how he came to be here. "Never been outside the walls, seen the open roads or forests. But 'ay, we might be all dead soon, if the savages get to us'll, that is."
Not really knowing what to say to such a gloomy statement, Estel chose to turn his attention back to Idis who, unsurprisingly, was still prattling on as if there was no tomorrow.
"Not the smartest of the bunch, no, not at all," Idis blathered on, his eyes darting to cover every aspect of Estel's face. "Kan was smart, Kan was good, but no, Kan got tempted, Kan fell to ideas, notions, thoughts of touching. Touching bad, not good for health, not good for Kan...poor, poor Kan, such a nice fellow, nice fellow indeed..."
"Kan?" Estel whispered over to Milford, knowing that it was about as likely that he would get a straight answer from Idis as it was that he would wake up and find this all a bad dream.
"Kan was the last one t'be punished for touchin' the Elf," Milford supplemented with a bow of his head. "Nice fellow, well, *was* a nice fellow I should say."
"Punished? Was?" Estel asked, utterly flabbergasted.
"Oh," Milford said with a small smile, "nuttin' bad. He was hung from the walls by his neck - that is, after Lord Ruksyn 'ad his hands amputated."
Choking as he gulped, Estel doubled over as his tried to regain breath into his lungs. Amputated? Just for touching Legolas? Horrible scenarios flashed past his eyes like lightening in a savage storm. He saw his hands lying out in front of him, a look of glee on Lord Ruksyn's face as he leered down at the human while pulling Legolas up close, his hand forming dark bruises upon the pale skin. He could see Legolas looking down on him as he squirmed in pain, blood flowing from his wrists. Legolas seemed sad, sorry that this had happened - no, or was that a flash of hidden mirth within his eyes. Was he happy that Estel had come to such an end? Was he...?
"Fool, fool, fool, fool, fool!" the constant droning of Idis's voice snapped Estel back to the present and reminded him that his horrifying had not yet come to pass - and would, most likely, not even happen.
"Fist day! First day and you succumb!" Idis kept going, hardly aware that Estel was gasping for air and that Milford was too busy lost in whatever thoughts were upon his mind to even acknowledge his words.
"Was his hair as soft as silk?" Milford interrupted with a wistful air to both his composure and voice as Estel righted himself, his shock momentarily defeated.
"Softer," Estel informed him off to the side before once again turning his attention upon Idis. "Look, nothing happened," he lied, not wanting to expose the feelings that had churned within him as he had silently worshiped the Elf or the actions that had brought him such reactions. "He was hurt - what was I supposed to do, just leave him there like that?"
"...Oh t' touch such hair..." Milford sighed out as his eyes seemed to glaze over.
"Yes, that would have been the wise thing to do, but no; no, no, no, no, no! You had to go do the unwise thing - the stupid thing. Fool you are! A fool, you hear!"
"Was his skin truly like marble?" Milford asked, not paying an ounce of attention to the ramblings of the stooped servant and interjecting before Estel could reply to Idis.
"Fine porcelain," Estel corrected absentmindedly while rubbing his hands together slowly in an effort to savor the feel of Legolas' skin upon his.
Sighing and stamping his right foot in anger, Milford turned on his heels, his head hanging low as he complained about 'some people having all the luck in the world.'
Looking after the young man, Estel almost envied him; at least he could easily walk away from the almost hysterical Idis who, much to Estel's dismay was still talking. Sighing and leaning back against the table to get comfortable, Estel could not help but wonder if everyone in this house was a little insane.
"Fool! I have not known one as you - one so foolish. Knock me down, I swear; knock me down before I must meet another akin to you. Knock me down, down, down, down, down! A far better fate, far, far, far better, I say!"
*****
Tbc...
*sigh* Kan was such a nice fellow...
I really want Idis to come across as eccentric (don't really know why, just thought that it would be fun to do) but yeah, if Middle-Earth had elevators he would be sitting in the corner muttering about the ups and downs of life. You know, that kind of crazy! Lol.
Umm, as I said, Estel would not do as I told him - he just refused to *just* help Legolas and had to get things moving quicker then I intended, but hey, it was a kinda cute scene!
Response to reviews:
To all: Once again thank you for you wonderful responses! And to all those that are wondering about Legolas' position there (slave, not slave) I am glad that you are thinking. Let me tell you that he is not really a 'slave' in the direct sense of the word - anything else you will just have to wait and find out! Also, why did no one ask about the switching of the water? Just curious about that! And remember, take note of even the slightest things as you know when my crazed mind will bring them back in - as it is, the spider gets another appearance! Lol.
Goddess of Death: thank you, I do try to put a bit of humor in it, no matter how dry or 'black' as it tends to break everything else down and relieve some of the tension!
Jedi Cosmos: I am glad that you are thinking on the Legolas/Ruksyn part of the story! *evil smile* keep going!
Tenshiamanda: I am really, really glad to see you asking these questions so do not think that you are asking too many! Lol, the catch, I am not going to answer any of them! Sorry, but that would ruin the surprise!
LittleSpacedemon : the spider thing was drawn from real life as I have this MASSIVE spider somewhere in my room (am currently sleeping in my office on the couch! Lol) and I needed something to make it slightly funny, so I started prattling on about a spider and then BOOM Estel became scared of them. It was completely out of my control! Lol.
Vana Everyoung: Hello! I was starting to think that you had dropped off the face of the earth! Yes, I am sorry about the new story thing, I am really trying to be good and finish off some of my others - I swear! And from now on I am not putting any more up until I finish at least two (I have the first few chapters of the really kick-ass assassin story but I am staying to my word and it is not going up yet!) Lol, full slash writer - wait until you read the assassin story! LOL! Minka kinda grew up!
On another note, I hope that you return to your usual high spirits soon. I do not know what you are going through, but I can tell you that you are not alone with problems (god, do not get me started! Lol) but yes, I hope you are feeling better about them soon.
Thank you for you complements, though I am not convinced that I am a "gift unto my own" or anyone's "treasure", but thank you. I myself was having a shitful day the day that you sent this, and well, you lifted my spirits greatly. So thank YOU! Oh, and "Hi" to your muses!
Artemisa: I am glad that you are enjoying this and find it interesting! I hope this chapter made you wonder even more... and Happy Spring Equinox to you also!
Stasia: Wow, I am not really sure hoe to reply to your wonderful review, other then with a very be THANK YOU! I am glad that you think I have gotten inside the characters minds as it is actually a really hard thing to try and do given the circumstances of this story. Yes, I feel that Legolas is someone that we should be able to relate to and I MAY help him out - or Estel will. I think they shall save each other! I love to hate Ruksyn and he is my own character. It is that perfect, creepy and unpredictable evil, isn't he? And yes, I think schizo sums him up nicely! Lol. Oh, I liked that quote too! It had a very profound meaning to it - well, it does if you are like me and know what is about to happen! Lol, is this soon enough for you? Sadly, no answers yet, but they will slowly start to unfold.
Well, that is me finally gone. I am sorry for those that I did not get to personally thank, but a thank you and a half out to you also!
As always, please review and tell me what you think.
Minka.
