Not So Long
~
Elrohir let out a sigh of relief before sitting opposite of Valora and Vittorio.
Vittorio smiled as he looked up at Elrohir, then suddenly it faded. Elrohir looked into Vittorio's stunned eyes. Vittorio's arms dropped from their place around Valora and Valora looked up, "Vittorio, what is wrong?"
"You-" Vittorio pointed at Elrohir, "Your ears-"
Elrohir's hands flew to his ears, his hair had been pushed behind his ears during their little skirmish and were now revealing his elven ears.
"Vittorio, do not be alarmed!" Valora's soft voice called out.
"I meant to tell you earlier. I am an elf." Elrohir looked at Vittorio.
"I-" Vittorio wasn't sure what to say, "You're really an elf?"
"Yes, he's Lord Elrond's son!" Valora suddenly exclaimed.
Vittorio sat in shock for a moment, "I though there was something different about you." Vittorio finally said after a few moments.
"Come now, we can talk in the morning. You need some rest." Valora lightly touched a forming bruise on Vittorio's chest.
"You're right." Vittorio nodded and lie back onto his mattress, not bothering to change his clothes. He fell asleep after a few moments.
Valora moved over to her mattress and took her place next to Elrohir.
"Thank you." Valora quietly whispered as she fell into sleep.
Elrohir blew out the candle and drifted into dreams himself.
~
Elrohir was awaken the next morning by angry shouts from downstairs.
"Elrohir!" Valora tapped Elrohir on the arm and called his name again.
"What? What is it?" Elrohir sat up and looked out the window at the barely risen sun.
"It's Lel, he's downstairs. He must be angry about Vittorio's disappearance." Valora ran to the door and tried to hear the angry words. Elrohir's eyes strayed to where Vittorio lie still sleeping peacefully.
"Can you hear them?" Valora asked. Elrohir nodded and moved towards the door. He could hear their voices clearly, they were in the kitchen.
"I want that boy back out in the stable by this evening!"
"You should have watched him better! I am not going to be running around returning your lost property!"
"He's your property more than he is mine! I want him returned!"
"You let him escape, you find him!"
"Fine! He was not my gold anyways!"
A door slammed and the voices stopped.
"Lel is very upset Vittorio 'ran away'. Those men must have not told what really happen." Elrohir turned towards Valora.
"Because they weren't supposed to be touching me." Vittorio answered, he had woken only a few seconds before.
"What are we going to do with you?" Elrohir asked.
"Giolla probably won't mind that Vittorio is back." Valora suggested.
"What if Lel returns and sees Vittorio?" Elrohir questioned.
"I think Lord Cyril wouldn't be happy if he found out Giolla sent him to the stables." Valora pointed out, "We'd better get down there." Valora opened the door to see Giolla standing outside with a very angry look on her face. Both Elrohir and Vittorio froze at the sight of her.
Giolla's chest heaved from the deep breaths she was sucking in from her excursion up the stairs. "What do you think you are doing!?" Giolla demanded in a very malicious tone.
"You evil woman! You think you can just send Vittorio out to the stable like that!? You knew those men out there would try and hurt him! If it wasn't for us he might be close to death now! You heinous-" Valora was cut off when Giolla slapped Valora sharply across the face.
"How dare you talk to me like that!" Giolla spat.
"Don't touch her!" Vittorio stood suddenly, bruises visible on his chest and arms from the previous night.
"I will do what I please!" Giolla narrowed her eyes are Vittorio and raised her hand once again towards Valora.
Elrohir grabbed her hand before she had a chance to bring it down upon Valora's face, "You do not hit women." Elrohir said in a calmed tone.
"I should have you all flogged for this!" Giolla threatened.
"Only if Lord Cyril would allow that!" Valora countered.
"Do not speak of the Lord in such a manner, he is your master and you do not know him other than in service!" Giolla shouted, her face reddening with anger.
"You're just jealous he doesn't love you the way you love him! He hates you and this town and the people, and the slavery, and everything here! He hates it all! You are nothing more than a master to him and everyone here! He would gladly rid himself of you any day!" Valora busted out, all her pent up anger from years past flowing out of her into those few powerful words.
Giolla's eyes suddenly flared with anger. She whipped her hand away from Elrohir and shoved Valora towards the stairs. Both Elrohir and Vittorio went to follow but Giolla slammed the door and shoved the key into the outside lock. Vittorio and Elrohir tried in vain to open the door but the heavy wood and iron wouldn't allow.
Giolla dragged Valora down the stairs by her dark hair, her face set in a deep frown and anger coursing through her veins.
~
~
Elrohir let out a sigh of relief before sitting opposite of Valora and Vittorio.
Vittorio smiled as he looked up at Elrohir, then suddenly it faded. Elrohir looked into Vittorio's stunned eyes. Vittorio's arms dropped from their place around Valora and Valora looked up, "Vittorio, what is wrong?"
"You-" Vittorio pointed at Elrohir, "Your ears-"
Elrohir's hands flew to his ears, his hair had been pushed behind his ears during their little skirmish and were now revealing his elven ears.
"Vittorio, do not be alarmed!" Valora's soft voice called out.
"I meant to tell you earlier. I am an elf." Elrohir looked at Vittorio.
"I-" Vittorio wasn't sure what to say, "You're really an elf?"
"Yes, he's Lord Elrond's son!" Valora suddenly exclaimed.
Vittorio sat in shock for a moment, "I though there was something different about you." Vittorio finally said after a few moments.
"Come now, we can talk in the morning. You need some rest." Valora lightly touched a forming bruise on Vittorio's chest.
"You're right." Vittorio nodded and lie back onto his mattress, not bothering to change his clothes. He fell asleep after a few moments.
Valora moved over to her mattress and took her place next to Elrohir.
"Thank you." Valora quietly whispered as she fell into sleep.
Elrohir blew out the candle and drifted into dreams himself.
~
Elrohir was awaken the next morning by angry shouts from downstairs.
"Elrohir!" Valora tapped Elrohir on the arm and called his name again.
"What? What is it?" Elrohir sat up and looked out the window at the barely risen sun.
"It's Lel, he's downstairs. He must be angry about Vittorio's disappearance." Valora ran to the door and tried to hear the angry words. Elrohir's eyes strayed to where Vittorio lie still sleeping peacefully.
"Can you hear them?" Valora asked. Elrohir nodded and moved towards the door. He could hear their voices clearly, they were in the kitchen.
"I want that boy back out in the stable by this evening!"
"You should have watched him better! I am not going to be running around returning your lost property!"
"He's your property more than he is mine! I want him returned!"
"You let him escape, you find him!"
"Fine! He was not my gold anyways!"
A door slammed and the voices stopped.
"Lel is very upset Vittorio 'ran away'. Those men must have not told what really happen." Elrohir turned towards Valora.
"Because they weren't supposed to be touching me." Vittorio answered, he had woken only a few seconds before.
"What are we going to do with you?" Elrohir asked.
"Giolla probably won't mind that Vittorio is back." Valora suggested.
"What if Lel returns and sees Vittorio?" Elrohir questioned.
"I think Lord Cyril wouldn't be happy if he found out Giolla sent him to the stables." Valora pointed out, "We'd better get down there." Valora opened the door to see Giolla standing outside with a very angry look on her face. Both Elrohir and Vittorio froze at the sight of her.
Giolla's chest heaved from the deep breaths she was sucking in from her excursion up the stairs. "What do you think you are doing!?" Giolla demanded in a very malicious tone.
"You evil woman! You think you can just send Vittorio out to the stable like that!? You knew those men out there would try and hurt him! If it wasn't for us he might be close to death now! You heinous-" Valora was cut off when Giolla slapped Valora sharply across the face.
"How dare you talk to me like that!" Giolla spat.
"Don't touch her!" Vittorio stood suddenly, bruises visible on his chest and arms from the previous night.
"I will do what I please!" Giolla narrowed her eyes are Vittorio and raised her hand once again towards Valora.
Elrohir grabbed her hand before she had a chance to bring it down upon Valora's face, "You do not hit women." Elrohir said in a calmed tone.
"I should have you all flogged for this!" Giolla threatened.
"Only if Lord Cyril would allow that!" Valora countered.
"Do not speak of the Lord in such a manner, he is your master and you do not know him other than in service!" Giolla shouted, her face reddening with anger.
"You're just jealous he doesn't love you the way you love him! He hates you and this town and the people, and the slavery, and everything here! He hates it all! You are nothing more than a master to him and everyone here! He would gladly rid himself of you any day!" Valora busted out, all her pent up anger from years past flowing out of her into those few powerful words.
Giolla's eyes suddenly flared with anger. She whipped her hand away from Elrohir and shoved Valora towards the stairs. Both Elrohir and Vittorio went to follow but Giolla slammed the door and shoved the key into the outside lock. Vittorio and Elrohir tried in vain to open the door but the heavy wood and iron wouldn't allow.
Giolla dragged Valora down the stairs by her dark hair, her face set in a deep frown and anger coursing through her veins.
~