* Warning: this chapter may contain some inappropriate language *
Krystal didn't look up as a pair of well worn boots stomped into the clearing and stood next to her. Continuing to plot ways to get a hold of that soup, that delicious, creamy, warm soup, she eyed the bowl eagerly. Following her gaze, his face stony and impassive, Annore frowned. In a exceedingly sluggish way, to make sure she was watching, he kicked the bowl of stew over. It's warm broth disappeared into the ground within seconds, and Krystal felt her heart drop, her only distraction from this man evaporating before her eyes. Finally, she glanced up at him, not bothering to hide her disdain in her expressive eyes.
"Yes?" She spat.
His face contorted at her saucy tone, and he swiftly swooped down, and revealing a knife, slashed her bonds. She glared at him, puzzled, and instantly stood up and took several steps backward, rubbing her wrists frantically. She glanced towards the woods and he saw her gaze and yanked at her arm, shaking his head with disgust.
He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her in front of him, shoving her towards his cabin, the nearest one. The little boy followed behind curiously.
She fell into the warm light of the cottage, stumbling over her own weary feet. He slammed the door with a bang behind her, and watched her with cruel eyes as she struggled to get her feet under her again.
"Don't move," he warned threateningly as she latched her gaze onto the door. His voice dripped with danger and unwilling, and a chill ran up her spine. There was something about this man that made the hairs at the back of her neck stand up.
Nonetheless, she struggled to her feet. Cursing, he crossed the room and shoved her back down. "I said, Don't move," he hissed. "What didn't you understand, bitch?!"
Leaning back warily against the walls of the cottage, she kept her eyes on his every movement. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, clutching them to her, but her eyes never loss the spark of defiance.
He paced the room anxiously. "Where are they? How'd they escape?!" he asked, preparing to begin in inquisition, his voice overly loud. She said nothing, but kept her eyes on him. "Dammit, you little--"He broke off as he couldn't even think of evil enough terms for the young little lying thing cowered in house and his brows furrowed.
"Why didn't you go with them?" he asked suddenly, watching her reaction intensely. Betrayal flashed across her face quickly, and almost immediately she coughed to cover it up. But he had seen it and he raised an eyebrow.
"They left you here?" he questioned, his voice getting softer, lower for the first time, as he imagined her fear. He stopped pacing and stared at her. From the way the elf had defended her in the clearing, he would have sooner seen him sacrificing his life instead of leaving her here alone, and he was shock.
She said nothing, but her eyes became a little more daring and her body stiffened under his piercing gaze.
"They did, didn't they?"
Nothing.
"Are they coming back for you?"
Her mind raced frantically. She truly didn't believe they would come back, but if they did, the humans mustn't' be prepared for it otherwise the whole affair could be thrown in jeopardy. She had to find a way to gain this man's trust and trick him into the thinking she had been abandoned. Which she wasn't sure she hadn't been. And even if she wasn't, it would be nice to be able to breath freely around this guy - and right now seemed the perfect time. His voice betrayed his feelings and she could tell he was puzzled by this whole affair and felt even something somewhat like sympathy. Finally, making a descion, she met his eyes and carefully shrugged.
"I don't know," she answered quietly.
He stared, shocked that she answered, even more shocked at the truth behind her words. Had they truly deserted her?
"What do you mean you don't know?" he questioned further, his voice growing harder when he took a step back, trying to build an immunity to the pleading undertone and vulnerability of her eyes.
But Krystal wasn't fooled and she knew she could win this battle with him. "I don't know," she repeated. "How hard is that to understand?"
Her words were sharp, but her voice lacked the pointed tone of her words in the clearing earlier this afternoon. Annore's eyes narrowed.
"They got up and left?" he questioned, and she nodded. "They didn't say anything to you?"
She paused for a moment. "Legolas said goodbye."
Annore's eyes remained dark. "That's all?"
She nodded again. "Are you sure?" he pressed.
No, she thought wryly. "Yes," she said softly.
He caught her eyes in a stare down before looking a way and letting out an exasperating sigh. His eyes hardened and his posture stiffened, Krystal noticed with a falling heart. She had thought he believed her.
But when he turned his eyes back on her, his words weren't harsh - neither were his eyes.
"How old are you?" he asked softly.
She stared at him, thrown off her guard. He wasn't supposed to ask personal questions, personal things were bad. She didn't answer and he rolled his eyes.
"I bet I can guess..I'd say..about 20?" he tried with a ghost of a smile as he stared at her. The smile frightened her into silence, but finally she answered truthfully, "18."
"Young," he observed quietly.
She shrugged.
The light from the fire cast dark shadows, and she couldn't see his eyes as he turned away from her, but some sixth sense shot fear through her veins and she closed her eyes unconsciously.
"How'd you wind up here?" he questioned slowly, his back turned to her now. She shrugged, her eyes still closed. "I don't really know," she answered, thinking he meant Middle Earth, not into his captivity.
He glanced back, surprised. "What do you mean?"
She realized her mistake then, and quickly shrugged, trying to play it off. She opened her eyes cautiously. "Nothing."
He regarded her in silence then, but eventually nodded. "Fine."
He walked over to the window, and his eyes became unfocused as he stared out at the stars and trees.
"I think they'll be back," he said aloud, not to her, but more to himself. "That stupid elf wouldn't just leave you."
"He's not stupid," she said immediately, then shook her head. Why was she still defending Elladan? He *left* her there!
"No," Annore acknowledged. "I suppose he's not."
"No, they'll be back," he mused, thinking aloud again. "He didn't say much in the clearing, but I could see his face..he wouldn't leave you.."
Krystal raised her eyebrows. Elladan had been the only one who *had* really spoke in the clearing. What was he babbling about?
"Excuse me?"
He glanced at her, still huddled in the corner, surprised. "Yes, well, even though he didn't leap to your defense like the dark haired elf, I knew I'd prolly hurt him more than you."
Krystal furrowed her brow. "I'm sorry, who're we talking about?"
He stared at her. "The blonde elf?"
Krystal gaped back, her eyes wide. "What?"
"The blonde one..he..oh, never mind." He muttered.
The blonde elf? Legolas? She almost giggled at the sheer irony of it.
"Legolas - the blonde one - hates me," she informed him pointedly. "I doubt he's coming back."
Annore stared at her. "Is that so.." he muttered, turning away and ignoring her.
She rolled her eyes behind his back, but he saw it in the reflection of her in the window, yet said nothing.
Momentarily calmed, Krystal leaned back against the wall and let her eyes roam around the dusty little bungalow. It was one room, with a muddy floor of solid, hard dirt and thick wood walls to keep out the chill. A grubby little fireplace provided warmth from the corner, and a small cluster of plates and things on the table in the middle of the cottage supplied a makeshift kitchen. A huddle of pillows and sheets in the far corner offered, she guessed, a soiled little bed.
In her minds eye, she compared this room to her chambers at Rivendell, with it's plush silks sheets and intricately designed woodwork, the feather beds and down pillows, the spectacular views and large interiors and suddenly began to understand why Annore resented the elves so much.
"This is why," she muttered to herself, unaware she was speaking out loud. Startled out of his reverie, he glanced at her. "Pardon?" he said roughly.
She flushed involuntarily and an amused twinkle came into the mans eye. "Nothing," she muttered, but her eyes continued to search the cottage.
"No, what did you say?" He pressed, turning back towards her.
She frowned. "Nothing."
He scowled at her and she imeaditely saw he was losing his patience as he took a menacing step towards her.
"Okay, okay," she relented. "I was just wondering why you and the elves hate each other so much. I guess this is why," she finished, glancing around the cabin.
He rolled his eyes, following her glance. "I'm sorry if it's not up to your standards," he said dryly.
She shrugged. "Not really. But it's better than being outside."
He stared in shock at the sheer boldness of her statement, then unwillingly burst out laughing.
She eyed him warily. "You ok?"
He managed to hide his grin. "Exceptional."
Outside the cabin the night was unsually dark, without even the moon to give light. It had disappeared behind some clouds, and with a stab of fear, Krystal wondered if Elrohir, Elladan, Legolas and Aragorn would be able to make it back to Rivendell okay. Cursing under her breath, she sighed. Why did she even care? They didn't care about her.
But with a miserable look in her eye, Krystal realized she did care. A lot. They may not care what happened to her, but as for her wishes for them? She could only pray that got all the best.
I'll prolly never see them again, she thought with a sigh.
'That's not your fault,' a little voice in her head answered. She rolled her eyes. Great, now she was hearing voices. *Perfect*.
'Then whose is it?' Another voice countered in a nasty snarl. 'After all, it wasn't there fault that your cold. It isn't there fault that no one wants to get close to you. It isn't there fault that your just so completely unlovable. Its your fault they left you here.'
Great, Krystal mused. Now the voices are arguing. But the little nagging voice didn't stop, it echoed throughout her mind. 'it's your fault,' it whispered. 'you'll be alone, abandoned your whole life and it'll be your fault..'
She rolled her eyes in defiance at the nagging voice, but it was beginning to get to her. Annore, studying her, could see she was getting uncomfortable.
"Look," he began frankly, jerking her out of her thoughts. He shot her an odd look, then shrugged and continued.
"I think you know by now I'm not gunna hurt you unless I have a reason to. I don't know if there coming back, and maybe if you were an elf I'd feel different, but I'm going to keep you here until you want to go home and then I'll have an escort take you there. Where were you from before the elves kidnapped you?"
She stared at him. "Kidnapped me?"
He frowned. "That's what I assumed. I mean, they did leave you here in hostile terrority, and I've never seen an maiden traveling with elves before, even if you do have some sort of affection for your captors."
She burst out laughing, then smiled as she looked him in the eye. "Alright, Annore or whoever you are. I was kidnapped. But it doesn't matter, because I don't know how to get home."
"Have you lost you memory?" his voice dropped low in sympathy as he regarded her.
She smirked. "Not quite."
Krystal didn't look up as a pair of well worn boots stomped into the clearing and stood next to her. Continuing to plot ways to get a hold of that soup, that delicious, creamy, warm soup, she eyed the bowl eagerly. Following her gaze, his face stony and impassive, Annore frowned. In a exceedingly sluggish way, to make sure she was watching, he kicked the bowl of stew over. It's warm broth disappeared into the ground within seconds, and Krystal felt her heart drop, her only distraction from this man evaporating before her eyes. Finally, she glanced up at him, not bothering to hide her disdain in her expressive eyes.
"Yes?" She spat.
His face contorted at her saucy tone, and he swiftly swooped down, and revealing a knife, slashed her bonds. She glared at him, puzzled, and instantly stood up and took several steps backward, rubbing her wrists frantically. She glanced towards the woods and he saw her gaze and yanked at her arm, shaking his head with disgust.
He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her in front of him, shoving her towards his cabin, the nearest one. The little boy followed behind curiously.
She fell into the warm light of the cottage, stumbling over her own weary feet. He slammed the door with a bang behind her, and watched her with cruel eyes as she struggled to get her feet under her again.
"Don't move," he warned threateningly as she latched her gaze onto the door. His voice dripped with danger and unwilling, and a chill ran up her spine. There was something about this man that made the hairs at the back of her neck stand up.
Nonetheless, she struggled to her feet. Cursing, he crossed the room and shoved her back down. "I said, Don't move," he hissed. "What didn't you understand, bitch?!"
Leaning back warily against the walls of the cottage, she kept her eyes on his every movement. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, clutching them to her, but her eyes never loss the spark of defiance.
He paced the room anxiously. "Where are they? How'd they escape?!" he asked, preparing to begin in inquisition, his voice overly loud. She said nothing, but kept her eyes on him. "Dammit, you little--"He broke off as he couldn't even think of evil enough terms for the young little lying thing cowered in house and his brows furrowed.
"Why didn't you go with them?" he asked suddenly, watching her reaction intensely. Betrayal flashed across her face quickly, and almost immediately she coughed to cover it up. But he had seen it and he raised an eyebrow.
"They left you here?" he questioned, his voice getting softer, lower for the first time, as he imagined her fear. He stopped pacing and stared at her. From the way the elf had defended her in the clearing, he would have sooner seen him sacrificing his life instead of leaving her here alone, and he was shock.
She said nothing, but her eyes became a little more daring and her body stiffened under his piercing gaze.
"They did, didn't they?"
Nothing.
"Are they coming back for you?"
Her mind raced frantically. She truly didn't believe they would come back, but if they did, the humans mustn't' be prepared for it otherwise the whole affair could be thrown in jeopardy. She had to find a way to gain this man's trust and trick him into the thinking she had been abandoned. Which she wasn't sure she hadn't been. And even if she wasn't, it would be nice to be able to breath freely around this guy - and right now seemed the perfect time. His voice betrayed his feelings and she could tell he was puzzled by this whole affair and felt even something somewhat like sympathy. Finally, making a descion, she met his eyes and carefully shrugged.
"I don't know," she answered quietly.
He stared, shocked that she answered, even more shocked at the truth behind her words. Had they truly deserted her?
"What do you mean you don't know?" he questioned further, his voice growing harder when he took a step back, trying to build an immunity to the pleading undertone and vulnerability of her eyes.
But Krystal wasn't fooled and she knew she could win this battle with him. "I don't know," she repeated. "How hard is that to understand?"
Her words were sharp, but her voice lacked the pointed tone of her words in the clearing earlier this afternoon. Annore's eyes narrowed.
"They got up and left?" he questioned, and she nodded. "They didn't say anything to you?"
She paused for a moment. "Legolas said goodbye."
Annore's eyes remained dark. "That's all?"
She nodded again. "Are you sure?" he pressed.
No, she thought wryly. "Yes," she said softly.
He caught her eyes in a stare down before looking a way and letting out an exasperating sigh. His eyes hardened and his posture stiffened, Krystal noticed with a falling heart. She had thought he believed her.
But when he turned his eyes back on her, his words weren't harsh - neither were his eyes.
"How old are you?" he asked softly.
She stared at him, thrown off her guard. He wasn't supposed to ask personal questions, personal things were bad. She didn't answer and he rolled his eyes.
"I bet I can guess..I'd say..about 20?" he tried with a ghost of a smile as he stared at her. The smile frightened her into silence, but finally she answered truthfully, "18."
"Young," he observed quietly.
She shrugged.
The light from the fire cast dark shadows, and she couldn't see his eyes as he turned away from her, but some sixth sense shot fear through her veins and she closed her eyes unconsciously.
"How'd you wind up here?" he questioned slowly, his back turned to her now. She shrugged, her eyes still closed. "I don't really know," she answered, thinking he meant Middle Earth, not into his captivity.
He glanced back, surprised. "What do you mean?"
She realized her mistake then, and quickly shrugged, trying to play it off. She opened her eyes cautiously. "Nothing."
He regarded her in silence then, but eventually nodded. "Fine."
He walked over to the window, and his eyes became unfocused as he stared out at the stars and trees.
"I think they'll be back," he said aloud, not to her, but more to himself. "That stupid elf wouldn't just leave you."
"He's not stupid," she said immediately, then shook her head. Why was she still defending Elladan? He *left* her there!
"No," Annore acknowledged. "I suppose he's not."
"No, they'll be back," he mused, thinking aloud again. "He didn't say much in the clearing, but I could see his face..he wouldn't leave you.."
Krystal raised her eyebrows. Elladan had been the only one who *had* really spoke in the clearing. What was he babbling about?
"Excuse me?"
He glanced at her, still huddled in the corner, surprised. "Yes, well, even though he didn't leap to your defense like the dark haired elf, I knew I'd prolly hurt him more than you."
Krystal furrowed her brow. "I'm sorry, who're we talking about?"
He stared at her. "The blonde elf?"
Krystal gaped back, her eyes wide. "What?"
"The blonde one..he..oh, never mind." He muttered.
The blonde elf? Legolas? She almost giggled at the sheer irony of it.
"Legolas - the blonde one - hates me," she informed him pointedly. "I doubt he's coming back."
Annore stared at her. "Is that so.." he muttered, turning away and ignoring her.
She rolled her eyes behind his back, but he saw it in the reflection of her in the window, yet said nothing.
Momentarily calmed, Krystal leaned back against the wall and let her eyes roam around the dusty little bungalow. It was one room, with a muddy floor of solid, hard dirt and thick wood walls to keep out the chill. A grubby little fireplace provided warmth from the corner, and a small cluster of plates and things on the table in the middle of the cottage supplied a makeshift kitchen. A huddle of pillows and sheets in the far corner offered, she guessed, a soiled little bed.
In her minds eye, she compared this room to her chambers at Rivendell, with it's plush silks sheets and intricately designed woodwork, the feather beds and down pillows, the spectacular views and large interiors and suddenly began to understand why Annore resented the elves so much.
"This is why," she muttered to herself, unaware she was speaking out loud. Startled out of his reverie, he glanced at her. "Pardon?" he said roughly.
She flushed involuntarily and an amused twinkle came into the mans eye. "Nothing," she muttered, but her eyes continued to search the cottage.
"No, what did you say?" He pressed, turning back towards her.
She frowned. "Nothing."
He scowled at her and she imeaditely saw he was losing his patience as he took a menacing step towards her.
"Okay, okay," she relented. "I was just wondering why you and the elves hate each other so much. I guess this is why," she finished, glancing around the cabin.
He rolled his eyes, following her glance. "I'm sorry if it's not up to your standards," he said dryly.
She shrugged. "Not really. But it's better than being outside."
He stared in shock at the sheer boldness of her statement, then unwillingly burst out laughing.
She eyed him warily. "You ok?"
He managed to hide his grin. "Exceptional."
Outside the cabin the night was unsually dark, without even the moon to give light. It had disappeared behind some clouds, and with a stab of fear, Krystal wondered if Elrohir, Elladan, Legolas and Aragorn would be able to make it back to Rivendell okay. Cursing under her breath, she sighed. Why did she even care? They didn't care about her.
But with a miserable look in her eye, Krystal realized she did care. A lot. They may not care what happened to her, but as for her wishes for them? She could only pray that got all the best.
I'll prolly never see them again, she thought with a sigh.
'That's not your fault,' a little voice in her head answered. She rolled her eyes. Great, now she was hearing voices. *Perfect*.
'Then whose is it?' Another voice countered in a nasty snarl. 'After all, it wasn't there fault that your cold. It isn't there fault that no one wants to get close to you. It isn't there fault that your just so completely unlovable. Its your fault they left you here.'
Great, Krystal mused. Now the voices are arguing. But the little nagging voice didn't stop, it echoed throughout her mind. 'it's your fault,' it whispered. 'you'll be alone, abandoned your whole life and it'll be your fault..'
She rolled her eyes in defiance at the nagging voice, but it was beginning to get to her. Annore, studying her, could see she was getting uncomfortable.
"Look," he began frankly, jerking her out of her thoughts. He shot her an odd look, then shrugged and continued.
"I think you know by now I'm not gunna hurt you unless I have a reason to. I don't know if there coming back, and maybe if you were an elf I'd feel different, but I'm going to keep you here until you want to go home and then I'll have an escort take you there. Where were you from before the elves kidnapped you?"
She stared at him. "Kidnapped me?"
He frowned. "That's what I assumed. I mean, they did leave you here in hostile terrority, and I've never seen an maiden traveling with elves before, even if you do have some sort of affection for your captors."
She burst out laughing, then smiled as she looked him in the eye. "Alright, Annore or whoever you are. I was kidnapped. But it doesn't matter, because I don't know how to get home."
"Have you lost you memory?" his voice dropped low in sympathy as he regarded her.
She smirked. "Not quite."