Disclaimer: See... Er. Whatever page has a proper disclaimer.
A/N: I apologize to all Maeglin lovers out there... But it was too tempting to resist... Sorry!
*
The first day at Gondolin had been a tiring one, yet Ren could not bring herself to sleep. Sighing, she got up from her chair where she had tried to read something that one of her friends had passed to her and decided to go for a walk. There had not been any restrictions set upon her, due to the fact that there were no fell things in Gondolin that could possibly harm them. Grabbing one of her penknives and slipping it into her back pocket, she slipped out of her room and out of the house of the Golden Flower. Nobody stirred. She had been walking for barely a minute when she saw a dark figure slip towards her. She recognized it immediately as the dark elf that she had seen seated by Turgon. It could only be.... Maeglin.
I will not do anything to him... I will not.
Maeglin came closer and closer. It became evident he knew she was out that night and wished to talk to her. Ren watched silently from where she stood. Ren burned with concealed hate, her fists clenched behind her back. Maeglin came forward.
'Sirithbrethil. I have heard of your coming.'
Through gritted teeth, Ren responded, her mouth forced upwards in a smile.
'Maeglin.'
If the dark elf looked shocked that she knew his name, he did not show it. He was not too tall, standing less than a few centimetres taller than Ren, who stood at a measly 160 cm tall. His head was held proud, his black hair streaming unbound behind his back. His eyes glittered, and in them Ren could see a sly undertone of sorts. His features were sculpted coldly and without remorse, and he walked with the air of one superior.
'For what foresight I have in me, young one, I can tell you know much of the outcome of this city. Would you say?'
Say? Say and tell you that I know your snivelling form is going to turn this city into a couple of pillars of ash, dust and fire? And that more than you can fathom I know, and that you will die? And that many who live now will perish to your greed? You wish. Beeping beep of a beep you beeping.... *Breathe*
'As I have said before, much I know, lord, but nothing I can say.'
Maeglin suddenly took on a caring, wheedling tone. Ren felt like slapping him.
'Come now. I am harmless. All I want is to know the prosperity of my city in times to come.'
Liar! You bloody friggin' liar!
Ren kept her face straight and steely, her gaze cold and hard towards the elf. Her voiced was strained to remain neutral.
'I know not.'
Maeglin stepped closer so that they were eye to eye.
'I can give you riches beyond your imagination! Just tell me what you crave, and I will give it to you as long as you tell me what you know...'
Ren sneered and laughed cynically.
'You are trading me for jewels and gold? Tell me, son of Eol, what use do I have with gold?! I do not desire materialistic wealth as do you, I do not seek figures of such magnificence! Greed does not run in my veins as it does in yours!'
Ren hissed out her reply, her hands trembling in barely concealed rage behind her back as she fought to keep in the obscenities dying to be released from her tongue. Maeglin showed a look of what seemed as shock that one would not be such tempted by greed, but it left as quickly as it came.
'Then whatever you want, I will give, be it wealth or something else. Tell me, and I will deliver. Surely a maiden as such as you desires something!'
Ren decided it was high time that Maeglin learnt a lesson about respect towards his youngers. Disregarding her, she could stand. But calling her a maiden and trying to get her to betray what she knew was over the line. She put on a conspiring smile of such that would have seemed wrong in her time, leaning forward slightly with a glint of craving in her eyes. Maeglin looked satisfied with what he saw. The human was in his hands. Ren leaned forward so that she could whisper in his ear. Maeglin waited in bated breath. She was his! She would not be able to betray his plans to the Gondolindrim at this rate, not while she was in his grasp. His foresight, however, seemed to him clouded, but he cared not. Ren whispered into his ear.
'You know what I desire?'
Maeglin shook his head. Ren grinned evilly, drawing suddenly back and punching Maeglin in this nose. She laughed as the elf stumbled backwards slightly, not expecting such a physical *desire* from the young human. Ren did not stop there. She elbowed him in the stomach, and as he doubled up in pain, kneed him soundly in the jaw before kicking him backwards as her foot connected with his head that was bent low. Snarling as she bent low to speak to his crippled form, she sneered into his face.
'That is what I desire. That felt so good.'
Maeglin suddenly pulled her down as he sprang back up, punching her across the face. Screeching, he pinned her down and scratched her across the face, drawing blood from her cheek.
'You idiotic-'
'Watch your language, elf!'
'You shall pay, you-'
'I told you to watch your language!'
Ren stared up at him, unafraid, though slightly dazed at the punch. Maeglin stood up and released her, looking ready to murder her. He was about to draw a dagger when Ren's voice startled him. The human had not moved from her position on the floor, as one normally would. Nonchalantly, she looked up at the stars above, commenting idly.
'You know, my older brother and me once play fought on the bed. There were two important rules that I learnt from him. Firstly, the floor is never a good place to land. Secondly, never, ever expose your legs unguarded.'
With a swift move, her leg hooked across Maeglin's ankle and pulled him down. The elf crashed down to the ground. Ren snarled and kicked him in a place... well let us just say between the legs as a polite way of putting it. Maeglin crumpled to the ground, stricken and paralysed. Ren snarled at him again.
'Le orqu!' [You orc!]
Leaning down, she withdrew her penknife from her pocket and lowered it to his neck. Maeglin, helpless in his pain, looked terrified, but his fear was unfounded as the human cut the cloak from across his shoulders. Muttering rather obscene curses under her breath, she shredded it in two long pieces, and tied Maeglin's hands behind his back, yanking hard and tying a dead know, while she used the other piece to truss his legs up. Heaving the tied and humiliated elf upright, she snatched away the dagger from his belt, and pulled him against a tree. Forcing him upright, she forced his arms up, then jammed the dagger between the bond, narrowly missing his hand, resulting in the dagger being to deeply embedded to yank out either by grabbing or by pushing force. She grabbed the clasp of the cloak that had dropped unheeded on the floor, then jammed it next to the dagger so that Maeglin could not saw his way out. Satisfied, she stepped back and admired her handiwork. Deciding she missed something, Ren took up a badly shredded piece of cloak and stuffed it into Maeglin's mouth, gagging him. Grinning, she leaned close to his face.
'Now you know, no, heru? Do not underestimate young *maidens*.'
Wiping the blood from her bruised face, she smiled at him before walking back to the House of the Golden Flower, happily tossing her penknife up and down as she went. She managed to sleep well that night. Who cares if she got killed the next day? The bruises on her face were pardon enough.
*
'SIRITHBRETHIL!'
Nice wake up call, Glor.
Groaning at her aching face and back, Ren pulled herself out of bed just as Glorfindel charged into her room. Rubbing her eyes, she said,
'What?'
The chief of the Golden Flower nearly shouted as he spoke to her.
'What? You have the courage to tell me *what* after what *occured* last night?'
'What did I do?'
The look of anger on Glorfindel's face did not fade as he thrust a notice into Ren's hands. Ren passed it back as she stretched her back.
'I can't read Quenya.'
Glorfindel looked ready to murder.
'Well, then, do you *happen* to know *anything* about the morning guard finding the lord Maeglin *trussed* up against a tree near my house like a *chicken* with several bruises *and* with a dagger between his hands?'
'Well, about he being a chicken, he is a chicken, but beyond that, no.'
Glorfindel's hands shot out as his long fingers grabbed hold of Ren's chin and turned it forcefully to the left as he surveyed her bruised and bleeding chin.
'I suppose it has *nothing* to do with this?'
'Nope.'
Glorfindel took deep breaths as he yanked Ren upwards and towards the main sitting room of his house, where several of the chieftains of the various houses were, along with a very battered Maeglin. Ren grinned when she saw him, as he avoided her eyes. Inez and Shu Wen burst in minutes later, with Diana in tow. Diana stopped short as Inez gaped and Shu Wen choked. Ren tugged her arm out of Glorfindel's grasp and leaned over to Diana, conversing with her in soft tones. Diana started to grin too as she leaned over to Shu Wen and Inez. Glorfindel forced Ren into a chair.
'What is the meaning of this?!'
'Maeglin approached me last night.'
'What?! You were out last night?'
'Nobody said I *couldn't* be out.'
'And?'
'Ask him.'
Maeglin refused to speak. Ren sighed, shaking her head as if she were a wise sage accepting the known inevitable truth.
'Such a coward. Hitting a child and nearly stabbing me too. Tsk tsk.'
Glorfindel's eyes widened as he stared at Maeglin. He immediately began to massage his temples. He was not prepared for this. Ecthelion of the Fountain walked over to Ren.
'That cut may be infected.'
'Unless he doesn't wash his hands, I doubt it.'
Maeglin shot a fiery glare of hate at Ren. The girl only smiled humourlessly back at him. Glorfindel waited impatiently for her to continue. Ren tapped her head as if forgetting.
'Hmm... Let's see. Yakity yak, tell me the future, yak yabber, I can bribe you! Yabber blah, what do you want? Blahdiblah, give you anything! Yayay, anything! Well, OK, now, let's see, what about a nice punch in the face, no? Arghyarg, you punched me you *bleep*, knife, kill, yadda yadda, what else was I to do? I'm just a kid for crying out loud!'
By then, Glorfindel was trying to ignore the various snorts that were coming from Ren's friends in the background. Why was the world so cruel on him? Maeglin and Ren were engaged in a staring competition. Ecthelion broke it when he walked up and tried to help Ren with the wound, only to get pushed away. In the end, Glorfindel had to force her head to the side in order to allow Ecthelion to clean the scratch. After a few more minutes of discussion, they decided to keep the matter secret, thus dismissing everybody. When Maeglin stood up, though, even Glorfindel had to stop himself from snorting. Ecthelion had a sudden bout of coughing whereas Ren placed her feet on her table and crossed her arms, a smug look of superiority written on her face. On Maeglin's back was a piece of paper with a picture of him crying and wailing, with the words "I want my mummy!' Written on them. Beneath the picture was:
"Wonder Elf: The Ability to get Beaten
By a Twelve Year Old Mortal"