A/N: Once again, thanks to my sis LadyArien for her beta skills. And
thanks to Lady Riahanna Dragoneye, I'm now accepting anonymous reviews.
The road was hard packed under the horse's feet making the going much easier than it had been as they left Dol Guldur. It was faster for the horse, but harder on Tinuviel as she held tightly as she could to the horse's mane to keep from falling off. Aldan, for his part, seemed unaffected. He drove the horse fast as the poor beast could carry them, never looking behind.
The landscape as far as Tinuviel could see was a barren wasteland and ahead of them loomed a vast darkness. Even though she did not know where they were going, she new she did not want to go there. It was leagues away, yet she could feel the evil permeating the very soil. What scared her more than the fear of the unknown, though, was the feeling that she was being pulled there. Not for the first time since she had been taken, she could feel the tears begin streaming down her face. "Please don't take me there."
She could feel and hear the malice in Aldan's laughter. "But I must, my dear. You see, I am being very well rewarded."
"Why does he want me?" she sobbed, her ruined voice crying piteously, no longer caring about her pride and wanting nothing more than to curl into a ball and die.
His voice was barely a whisper over her shoulder, and his words chilled her to the very marrow. "Because he wants to tap the power inside you. One way or another."
Slowing the poor horse to a stop beside a trickling stream, Aldan jumped lightly down to the ground and pulled Tinuviel with him. He dragged her to the side of the stream, shoving her roughly down onto a blanket he had taken from the pack. "We can rest here for the night."
The horse drank greedily, panting, sweat frothing on his hide. Even in her abused state, or perhaps because of it, she felt keenly sorry for the misused creature. "Someone should rub the horse down before the cold of night hits. If you don't want to do it, at least let me."
The smile on Aldan's face was cold and it made her cringe back in fear. "The horse will sort itself out." He ran a finger down the side of her face and leaned in close, bringing his lips a hairsbreadth away from hers. "I have other plans for you this evening."
As he took her body, Tinuviel focused her eyes on the stars, willing her soul and spirit to fly to meet Earendil in his flight across the sky. She could almost imagine herself gliding back over the dead ground, into the trees of Mirkwood and finding Legolas laying wakeful, watching.
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Dawn was breaking over the horizon as Legolas led his horse onto the barren plains. There was nothing between he and Tinuviel now but a distance of dead land and he would not stop until Aldan's blood soaked into the dry earth and he held his bride in his arms once again. It was hate and fury that drove him on, and love that kept him steady to his course. No longer did he care how it might change him to kill his cousin, the only thing he cared about was making him pay for the pain he had given Tinuviel. Digging his heels into the horse's side, he pushed the stallion on.
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When Tinuviel awoke that morning, she could sense a change in Aldan. He was quickly packing the horse and when he turned she saw something in his eyes she hadn't seen before. Fear. And that's when she felt it. She knew Legolas was coming after her. A small smile touched her mouth. "Legolas is coming for me," she said softly, her voice still hoarse from the effects of the drug and the gag. "You feel it too."
Setting his face in a mask of stone, Aldan pulled her up roughly by her bound hands. "Legolas is dead, and if by some miracle he is not and he does follow, he will be dead when we meet." But no matter his words, no matter how stern his face, she could still see the fear behind his eyes.
They rode as fast as the horse could carry them, but they were two and their horse was tired and slow. Tinuviel could feel the tension in Aldan as he urged the horse on. It was difficult to stay on the horse as he pushed him faster and faster across the desolate landscape.
As if in some distant dream, she thought she heard the sound of hoofbeats, pounding on the ground behind them. She couldn't turn to look, but she could almost feel Legolas getting closer and her heart began to beat again. Her spirit returned, the fire that Legolas loved so much seemed to have been rekindled and she began to struggle. Between the fatigue of the horse and the nervousness of Aldan, Tinuviel struggled until she pulled loose of Aldan's grasp and jumped from the still moving beast to land in a painful heap on the ground.
The first thing she was aware of when she could think again, was the pain shooting through her shoulder and back. As she painfully pushed herself up into a seated position, she saw Aldan circling back, anger and fury etched on his face. Scrambling up, she tried to run only to be dragged down by the heavy, torn skirts of her dress. When she couldn't run, she crawled, futile though it was.
She had not gotten far when she was jerked up hard by her hair. The pain shot through her head, neck, and shoulder so intensely that she thought she might pass out, and wished she would. But she was not to be given even that comfort. Tears welled in her eyes, hot, angry tears that marked her pain and frustration.
Through a thunder of hoofbeats, Tinuviel heard a voice she had never hoped to hear again but had prayed for against hope. Just the sound of it turned her tears to tears of joy. "LET HER GO, ALDAN!"
Snatching Tinuviel up against him, using her as a shield between himself and Legolas, Aldan sneered at his cousin. "Ah, so you've come for your 'virginal' human bride?" A nasty smirk crossed his face and he ran a finger down Tinuviel's tear stained face. "Well, not quite so virginal now." He gripped her chin tightly in his fingers and turned her face to him, kissing her hard on the mouth. When he released her, Tinuviel spat angrily in his face, wincing in pain when he jerked her bound arms roughly behind her. "Much like a rose, this one. Sweet but thorny."
Anger, rage, and pain coursed through Legolas' veins and he found he was glad he did not have his bow and arrows. He wanted to feel Aldan die, wanted to feel his blood on his hands. His voice was calm when he spoke, but fire flashed in his eyes. "Release her, Aldan."
"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Legolas. You see, I have made a deal with someone. He wants this girl, and I am going to be well rewarded for delivering her." The tall, dark Elf shrugged. "So it appears we are at an impasse." He pulled a silver dagger, which matched the one Legolas carried, from his boot. "But I believe I do have the advantage." He pressed the tip of the blade to her throat sending a small rivulet of blood running down her pale skin. "If you try to stop me again, Legolas, I will have no choice but to kill her."
Legolas kept his hands to his sides, fists clenched hard enough to make his arms shake, it was the only thing that betrayed he was fast losing control. "And what of your new 'friend'?" he sneered at the word. "If he wants Tinuviel, would he not be angry with you for harming her?"
Aldan laughed, the sound cold and cruel and made Tinuviel shudder. "You do not understand, Legolas, my orders are to bring her to him but if I cannot then I am to kill her." He started backing away from Legolas and moved to put the horse and Tinuviel between them as he loaded her onto the beast and climbed on himself.
"You know I cannot let you leave with her Aldan." Legolas edged around, pulling the dagger from his boot as his cousin climbed onto the poor beast he had been riding.
"I am afraid you have no choice, my dear cousin. I am sorry I'll not be able to see you die, but such is the way of life." Turning the horse back toward Mordor, Aldan made the mistake of baring his back to Legolas. In that split second, Legolas let fly the dagger, feeling a great deal of satisfaction when the silver blade buried itself to the hilt in his cousin's back.
Aldan's face held a look of surprise as he fell from the horse, taking Tinuviel with him. Falling off the horse for a second time jarred Tinuviel's already painful shoulder, and Aldan's blade had left a bleeding line from her throat down to her breast, but she didn't care. Fighting her body's desire to go unconscious, she pulled herself away from the dying elf.
Legolas ran to her, dropping down onto his knees next to her and pulling her into his arms. She did not even heed the pain that shot through her. "I didn't think you would find me," she sobbed into his shoulder, gripping his tunic with her still bound hands.
"Shhh," Legolas stroked her tangled hair with his strong hand, his voice strained with emotion. "I'm going to take you somewhere safe." He looked over at the prone form of his cousin. "He'll not hurt you anymore." He was almost relieved when she fell into unconsciousness. Pulling the dagger from Aldan's back and gathering up the matching one his cousin had at one time carried, he left the body to the carrion birds. He felt somehow cheated that he had not been able to feel the life steal from Aldan's body, but at the same time he was relieved. It was enough that Aldan was dead and Tinuviel was safe once more. Gently lifting Tinuviel onto the horse, he cradled her in his arms as they slowly made their way to the river and Lothlorien.
The road was hard packed under the horse's feet making the going much easier than it had been as they left Dol Guldur. It was faster for the horse, but harder on Tinuviel as she held tightly as she could to the horse's mane to keep from falling off. Aldan, for his part, seemed unaffected. He drove the horse fast as the poor beast could carry them, never looking behind.
The landscape as far as Tinuviel could see was a barren wasteland and ahead of them loomed a vast darkness. Even though she did not know where they were going, she new she did not want to go there. It was leagues away, yet she could feel the evil permeating the very soil. What scared her more than the fear of the unknown, though, was the feeling that she was being pulled there. Not for the first time since she had been taken, she could feel the tears begin streaming down her face. "Please don't take me there."
She could feel and hear the malice in Aldan's laughter. "But I must, my dear. You see, I am being very well rewarded."
"Why does he want me?" she sobbed, her ruined voice crying piteously, no longer caring about her pride and wanting nothing more than to curl into a ball and die.
His voice was barely a whisper over her shoulder, and his words chilled her to the very marrow. "Because he wants to tap the power inside you. One way or another."
Slowing the poor horse to a stop beside a trickling stream, Aldan jumped lightly down to the ground and pulled Tinuviel with him. He dragged her to the side of the stream, shoving her roughly down onto a blanket he had taken from the pack. "We can rest here for the night."
The horse drank greedily, panting, sweat frothing on his hide. Even in her abused state, or perhaps because of it, she felt keenly sorry for the misused creature. "Someone should rub the horse down before the cold of night hits. If you don't want to do it, at least let me."
The smile on Aldan's face was cold and it made her cringe back in fear. "The horse will sort itself out." He ran a finger down the side of her face and leaned in close, bringing his lips a hairsbreadth away from hers. "I have other plans for you this evening."
As he took her body, Tinuviel focused her eyes on the stars, willing her soul and spirit to fly to meet Earendil in his flight across the sky. She could almost imagine herself gliding back over the dead ground, into the trees of Mirkwood and finding Legolas laying wakeful, watching.
**********************************
Dawn was breaking over the horizon as Legolas led his horse onto the barren plains. There was nothing between he and Tinuviel now but a distance of dead land and he would not stop until Aldan's blood soaked into the dry earth and he held his bride in his arms once again. It was hate and fury that drove him on, and love that kept him steady to his course. No longer did he care how it might change him to kill his cousin, the only thing he cared about was making him pay for the pain he had given Tinuviel. Digging his heels into the horse's side, he pushed the stallion on.
****************************
When Tinuviel awoke that morning, she could sense a change in Aldan. He was quickly packing the horse and when he turned she saw something in his eyes she hadn't seen before. Fear. And that's when she felt it. She knew Legolas was coming after her. A small smile touched her mouth. "Legolas is coming for me," she said softly, her voice still hoarse from the effects of the drug and the gag. "You feel it too."
Setting his face in a mask of stone, Aldan pulled her up roughly by her bound hands. "Legolas is dead, and if by some miracle he is not and he does follow, he will be dead when we meet." But no matter his words, no matter how stern his face, she could still see the fear behind his eyes.
They rode as fast as the horse could carry them, but they were two and their horse was tired and slow. Tinuviel could feel the tension in Aldan as he urged the horse on. It was difficult to stay on the horse as he pushed him faster and faster across the desolate landscape.
As if in some distant dream, she thought she heard the sound of hoofbeats, pounding on the ground behind them. She couldn't turn to look, but she could almost feel Legolas getting closer and her heart began to beat again. Her spirit returned, the fire that Legolas loved so much seemed to have been rekindled and she began to struggle. Between the fatigue of the horse and the nervousness of Aldan, Tinuviel struggled until she pulled loose of Aldan's grasp and jumped from the still moving beast to land in a painful heap on the ground.
The first thing she was aware of when she could think again, was the pain shooting through her shoulder and back. As she painfully pushed herself up into a seated position, she saw Aldan circling back, anger and fury etched on his face. Scrambling up, she tried to run only to be dragged down by the heavy, torn skirts of her dress. When she couldn't run, she crawled, futile though it was.
She had not gotten far when she was jerked up hard by her hair. The pain shot through her head, neck, and shoulder so intensely that she thought she might pass out, and wished she would. But she was not to be given even that comfort. Tears welled in her eyes, hot, angry tears that marked her pain and frustration.
Through a thunder of hoofbeats, Tinuviel heard a voice she had never hoped to hear again but had prayed for against hope. Just the sound of it turned her tears to tears of joy. "LET HER GO, ALDAN!"
Snatching Tinuviel up against him, using her as a shield between himself and Legolas, Aldan sneered at his cousin. "Ah, so you've come for your 'virginal' human bride?" A nasty smirk crossed his face and he ran a finger down Tinuviel's tear stained face. "Well, not quite so virginal now." He gripped her chin tightly in his fingers and turned her face to him, kissing her hard on the mouth. When he released her, Tinuviel spat angrily in his face, wincing in pain when he jerked her bound arms roughly behind her. "Much like a rose, this one. Sweet but thorny."
Anger, rage, and pain coursed through Legolas' veins and he found he was glad he did not have his bow and arrows. He wanted to feel Aldan die, wanted to feel his blood on his hands. His voice was calm when he spoke, but fire flashed in his eyes. "Release her, Aldan."
"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Legolas. You see, I have made a deal with someone. He wants this girl, and I am going to be well rewarded for delivering her." The tall, dark Elf shrugged. "So it appears we are at an impasse." He pulled a silver dagger, which matched the one Legolas carried, from his boot. "But I believe I do have the advantage." He pressed the tip of the blade to her throat sending a small rivulet of blood running down her pale skin. "If you try to stop me again, Legolas, I will have no choice but to kill her."
Legolas kept his hands to his sides, fists clenched hard enough to make his arms shake, it was the only thing that betrayed he was fast losing control. "And what of your new 'friend'?" he sneered at the word. "If he wants Tinuviel, would he not be angry with you for harming her?"
Aldan laughed, the sound cold and cruel and made Tinuviel shudder. "You do not understand, Legolas, my orders are to bring her to him but if I cannot then I am to kill her." He started backing away from Legolas and moved to put the horse and Tinuviel between them as he loaded her onto the beast and climbed on himself.
"You know I cannot let you leave with her Aldan." Legolas edged around, pulling the dagger from his boot as his cousin climbed onto the poor beast he had been riding.
"I am afraid you have no choice, my dear cousin. I am sorry I'll not be able to see you die, but such is the way of life." Turning the horse back toward Mordor, Aldan made the mistake of baring his back to Legolas. In that split second, Legolas let fly the dagger, feeling a great deal of satisfaction when the silver blade buried itself to the hilt in his cousin's back.
Aldan's face held a look of surprise as he fell from the horse, taking Tinuviel with him. Falling off the horse for a second time jarred Tinuviel's already painful shoulder, and Aldan's blade had left a bleeding line from her throat down to her breast, but she didn't care. Fighting her body's desire to go unconscious, she pulled herself away from the dying elf.
Legolas ran to her, dropping down onto his knees next to her and pulling her into his arms. She did not even heed the pain that shot through her. "I didn't think you would find me," she sobbed into his shoulder, gripping his tunic with her still bound hands.
"Shhh," Legolas stroked her tangled hair with his strong hand, his voice strained with emotion. "I'm going to take you somewhere safe." He looked over at the prone form of his cousin. "He'll not hurt you anymore." He was almost relieved when she fell into unconsciousness. Pulling the dagger from Aldan's back and gathering up the matching one his cousin had at one time carried, he left the body to the carrion birds. He felt somehow cheated that he had not been able to feel the life steal from Aldan's body, but at the same time he was relieved. It was enough that Aldan was dead and Tinuviel was safe once more. Gently lifting Tinuviel onto the horse, he cradled her in his arms as they slowly made their way to the river and Lothlorien.
