Notes: Elvish translations.
Tua amin amil- mother help me
lar omanya- listen to my voice
Tessa sina. - hold onto this
Na tulca- be strong
La nwalya- no pain
Tatya amin- repeat after me
Yende- daughter
Ada- father
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Chapter 7
The next morning there was a knock at Beriel's door. He opened it and found Jocen at his door.
"There has been a town meeting called for this morning Beriel. Your attendance is required." Without waiting for a response he turned and walked away. Beriel left his house and closed the door behind him. The villagers gathered in the town square. Jocen, the hooded stranger and the town elders were standing on a dais. Beriel made his way through the crowd to stand by the dais. He nodded to Coniel. He had a sick feeling in his stomach.
Jocen raised his hands for silence.
"As you all know, we had two strangers visiting us recently. I am sorry to say they took advantage of our hospitality. They tried to kill our town." There were murmurs from the crowd. Beriel did not like where this was headed. Jocen went on.
"How you ask? They tried to convince our elves, Beriel and Thariel, to leave with them. Unfortunately, one did leave. Thariel ran away with the strangers. They slipped away in the night. Luckily though, we got her back." He gestured off to the side. Beriel looked and saw Legolas and Aragorn being pushed up onto the dais. They both had bruises and cuts all over, and Legolas had a bloody bandage on his shoulder.
"Where's my daughter Jocen," he called out.
"Don't worry Beriel. She's fine," Jocen answered. He pointed again and Beriel saw his daughter being led to the dais. She looked uninjured, but was also bound.
"Why is she bound. What crime has she committed?" Jocen laughed.
"She left the valley Beriel. You know that is forbidden according to the law passed 5 years ago. So now she must be punished." He nodded to the stranger. He tied her to a pole, then uncoiled a whip.
"No," Beriel shouted. "Jocen you can not do this. Why won't you stop him," he cried to the elders. One of them replied.
"He is right Beriel. She broke the law, and must be punished for it. I am sorry." Beriel started to rush the dais. He was stopped by Jocen, who pointed a sword at his throat. "Stop Beriel. I would not want to injure you, nor make it worse for your daughter. Go back down where you were standing. Do it now, or her punishment will be much worse." Beriel slowly walked back to his previous location, flanked by two of Jocen's men holding swords. Jocen told the stranger, "I think 25 lashes will be good enough. After all it is only a first offense."
The man walked over to Thariel. He bent down and whispered to her, "Elf, I am really going to enjoy this." He spoke so softly that only Thariel and Legolas, who was standing nearby heard him. He stood, and backed up.
"Tua amin amil," Thariel said so quietly that again it was only Legolas who heard her. From the crowd Legolas heard some of the villagers wagering on how long it would take her to scream. He felt his anger growing. To whip a child was bad enough, but to make it into a sport was barbaric. He thought for a moment then spoke.
"Thariel lar omanya," he said loud enough for everyone to hear him. " Tessa sina. Na tulca. La nwalya. Tatya amin." Together they repeated it.
"Na tulca. La nwalya." Aragorn joined in with them. He knew that Legolas was trying to give Thariel something to focus on so she wouldn't feel the pain as much.
"Na tulca. La nwalya." Each lash threw her body against the pole, but still she did not scream.
"Na tulca. La nwalya." The man kept brining the whip down. She kept repeating the mantra over and over, but with each lash her voice grew softer and softer. 5..10...15...20.. Until Thariel could take it no more, and she gratefully slipped into unconsciousness. Beriel watched his daughter slump down and could not be restrained. He broke free of his guards and rushed up on the dais, and tackled the man with the whip. Aragorn used the chance, and backed into his guard. He knocked the man down and used his sword to cut his bonds. He picked up his own sword from where it had been carelessly placed by Jocen, and used it to free Legolas. Legolas picked up his bow and knives then whirled suddenly, and Jocen, who was trying to slip away found himself with an arrow at his throat.
"I suggest you stand still, or else I will kill you," Legolas told him in a thinly controlled voice. Aragorn had never heard that tone in his friend's voice before. He went to help Beriel.
Beriel was wrestling with the man. He grabbed him by the head. The man was able to twist away, but not before his hood was removed. Beriel, along with the rest of the crowd gasped. The man was an elf, but was unlike any elf they had ever seen. He had dark skin and pure white hair. His dark eyes held no expression whatsoever.
"Drow," Beriel hissed, and before the creature could get his bearings, Beriel smashed his hand into the drow's face. The drow fell to the ground, and lay still. Beriel turned to his daughter.
"Aragorn, help me." He held Thariel as Aragorn cut the ropes holding her.
"Thariel, yende," he said gently. She blinked her eyes.
"Ada," she said in a voice filled with pain. Beriel rocked her.
"Shhh Thariel. No one will hurt you again. I promise." He walked over to where Legolas was watching Jocen.
"Legolas, Aragorn will you please take Thariel back home and tend to her. I wish to speak with my friend here." He handed her to Aragorn, then kissed her on the forehead. "I love you my daughter."
"Did you betray Numendale to the Drow," Beriel asked Jocen in a steely voice.
"I…I," he stammered., then yelped as Beriel grabbed his shoulder.
"I ask you again Jocen. Did you betray the elves to the Drow?" He started to close his hand around Jocen's shoulder. Jocen winced in pain.
"Alright, alright. I did it. I met him in the forest one day. He promised me gold if I would tell him how to find the elf city. I told him he had to leave at least one elf alive to save our city, and he agreed. I let him know when you were coming into the city. I gave him a sign and they attacked Numendale."
"And why have you done what you've done to Thariel?"
"I contacted him after the prophecy had been found, to let him know of it, and to let him know that two elves lived instead of one. We made a plan. If I could force the two of you to leave, the he could kill you and the Drow would take care of the city. I knew that making Thariel miserable would be the only way to get you to leave. I wanted you gone, because I knew that it would only be a matter of time before you figured out what I had done. I did not know that you had friends elsewhere that would help you." Beriel threw Jocen to the ground in disgust. He looked out into the crowd and saw that Aragorn and Legolas had reached the edge of the square. He knew his daughter was safe, so he turned back to Jocen. Neither noticed that the Drow was stirring.
At the edge of the square, Thariel asked Aragorn to stop.
"I want to wait for my father," she told him. He stopped and they turned to watch the dais. They saw Beriel throw Jocen to the ground. They heard him say, "So for greed's sake you betrayed two cities." Aragorn felt Thariel shudder in his arms and heard her cry out, "Father," as the Drow jumped up and plunged his sword into his back. As Beriel collapsed to the ground, Aragorn heard the twang of a bow and saw an arrow imbed itself into the drow's head. They raced back to the dais.
Aragorn put Thariel down and she knelt by her father. Aragorn examined him then looked up at Legolas and shook his head. Thariel held her father's hand.
"Father, wake up please. I don't want to lose you." He slowly opened his eyes and focused on her.
"Thariel, my beloved daughter. You will never lose me. Your mother and I will always be with you, watching over you. I am very proud of you." He coughed.
"I can't do this alone. Please don't leave me." He brushed her hair.
"Thariel, you are stronger than you think, and you are free to find your own path. Go to Rivendell. There's nothing to stop you now. Aragorn and Legolas will look after you. Always remember that I love you." He looked at Legolas and Aragorn.
"Protect my daughter." His eyes closed and his chest did not rise again. She looked up at Legolas and Aragorn.
"My father." Two tears rolled down her cheeks and hit the ground as she laid her head on her father's chest. A ray of sun broke through the clouds and bathed her in it's light.
She raised her head and stood up. She stared at the crowd and in a voice that was not hers said, "It is over. The pact is null. The prophecy has been fulfilled." She turned to face Jocen.
"Jocen, you have brought ruin to your people and your city. As the perpetrator of this great evil you are cursed. All shall know of your actions, and never shall you prosper, nor find happiness or acceptance until you truly repent of and atone for the evil you have brought to both man and elf." She shook her head and staggered. Legolas caught her before she fell. She looked at him with so much pain, confusion, and misery in her eyes that it broke his heart.
"I want my father," she whimpered as tears began to stream down her face. He held her as she cried
