To EmeraldFaith, PrincessEilonwy, moonbunny77, DarkAngelPearl and Sarah
Snape1- I can not thank you enough for your appraisals and you will be
pleased to know that I have finished the story, so will be posting chapters
every few days to keep up the suspense!!!! I will also be thinking up ideas
for my next fic! Thanx again.
A Cold Night's Rest
She was strapped to a wooden table, her arms pinned above her head painfully. She was cold, so cold and her head ached. She clenched her fists and tried to free them but the ropes were too tight. She cried in frustration and turned her head to see that she was in a locked cell. The only light came from a fire in a stone hearth. Suddenly the bolts were drawn back and the door opened. A tall man will long white hair and a beard streaked with dark grey entered. He was dressed in white robes and his knarled hands were clasped together. "Master, I tried!" Elimay said, but the gag muffled her voice. An orc came in behind the old man and closed the door. It went to the fire and put an iron poker in the flames to heat it. Elimay whimpered and looked back at her master with wide eyes. "Please..." "You failed me. You let the prince live even though you had many chances to kill him. I chose you because I thought I could trust you. I thought your family meant the world to you." His voice was grating and deep and filled her mind. Tears of despair filled her eyes and she shook her head. The orc appeared beside her master with the now white hot poker in its claws. "For your disobedience pain is your punishment," the man said, before nodding to the orc. "No... no..." Elimay sobbed as the poker came nearer. The white-hot point touched her thigh and the orc pushed the burning metal into her skin. She screamed loud, her voice filled with pain.
She woke suddenly, sitting bolt upright, still screaming. She found herself on the floor of the healing houses, the sheets tangled around her legs. Her thigh was burning from the memory of her nightmare and she sobbed, letting the tears flow freely. She had to get out of the room; she needed some fresh air. She tired to stand but her leg was unbelievably painful like the poker had been real so she dragged herself over to the door and opened it. A cool draft of air hit her face as she crawled out into the corridor. It was dark and only the moonlight coming through the slit windows gave a little light. She had no idea where she wanted to go or where she was going but she went in the direction the breeze was coming from. Her leg was dragging along the floor limply and the pain kept sweeping over her making her nauseous.
She soon found herself on a balcony, which had been left open, and she leant against the railings, sitting on the cold floor. She could see the flat landscape of Rohan below and heard the call of night birds. She eventually managed to calm down from the intensity of the nightmare and soon found herself drifting back to sleep.
There was something warm touching her cheek. She stroked her skin against the warmth and felt it move to touch her ear. Something cool wafted over her other cheek and she shivered. Her limbs were stiff and she felt disorientated. "Elimay... Elimay?" a voice broke through into her mind. "I've found her!" the same voice called. There was the sound of approaching feet and a relieved sigh. "Elimay, wake up," another voice said. She did not want to go back to reality; she wanted to give into that warm touch on her cheek. What was it anyway? How could just her cheek be warm and the rest of her cold? "Is she okay?" "I don't know. She feels very cold," the first voice said. Ah, that explained it. Someone was holding her cheek. She wanted to know who it was. She tried to open her eyes but found they were glued together by sleep. She reached up a stiff arm and prized them open to see the face of a young man looking at her anxiously. Eomer. "You're awake," he smiled. She raised her head and saw that Legolas stood behind him. When he saw her look at him, he crouched down to her beside Eomer. "We couldn't find you," he said soothingly. Eomer's hand left her cheek and he stood up. "I'll tell the others we've found her," he said, leaving the balcony.
The prince looked back at her and saw that her eyes were red from crying. "What happened?" he asked. "I... I had a nightmare," she muttered. Her voice felt like it hadn't been used in a while. "He... he... I woke up screaming and needed to get out. My leg; it was so painful." "Who's he?" Legolas asked. He prized her hand from the railings and took it in his own to warm it. "My master. I have failed him. He will torture then kill me." "Not if I can help it," he said determinedly. Elimay shook her head. "You don't understand. I don't care if he kills me..." "What do you care about then?" Elimay shook her head and didn't answer. Instead she tried to get to her feet. Legolas instantly took her under the arms to lift her and then put his arm around her waist to support her. "I don't want to go back to my bed," she said. "Are you hungry?" he asked. She nodded and smiled. "Well then I will take you to the breakfast room." "In my nightdress?" He looked down at what she was wearing and smiled. "Lean here a minute." She stood against the wall and watched him jog down the corridor. A few minutes later he reappeared with a long woollen cardigan. He held it as she slipped her arms in the fastened it round the front. "What are you grinning at?" he asked, as he supported her again. "It feels good to be waited on hand and foot," she smiled. "Don't get too used to it," he said. "Once you're better I expect you to cook lots of meals for me." "Pff," she said, laughing. "In your dreams." Legolas grinned and pushed open the door to the mess hall, and led her over to a table so she could sit down. "What do you want to eat?" "Oh, surprise me."
A Cold Night's Rest
She was strapped to a wooden table, her arms pinned above her head painfully. She was cold, so cold and her head ached. She clenched her fists and tried to free them but the ropes were too tight. She cried in frustration and turned her head to see that she was in a locked cell. The only light came from a fire in a stone hearth. Suddenly the bolts were drawn back and the door opened. A tall man will long white hair and a beard streaked with dark grey entered. He was dressed in white robes and his knarled hands were clasped together. "Master, I tried!" Elimay said, but the gag muffled her voice. An orc came in behind the old man and closed the door. It went to the fire and put an iron poker in the flames to heat it. Elimay whimpered and looked back at her master with wide eyes. "Please..." "You failed me. You let the prince live even though you had many chances to kill him. I chose you because I thought I could trust you. I thought your family meant the world to you." His voice was grating and deep and filled her mind. Tears of despair filled her eyes and she shook her head. The orc appeared beside her master with the now white hot poker in its claws. "For your disobedience pain is your punishment," the man said, before nodding to the orc. "No... no..." Elimay sobbed as the poker came nearer. The white-hot point touched her thigh and the orc pushed the burning metal into her skin. She screamed loud, her voice filled with pain.
She woke suddenly, sitting bolt upright, still screaming. She found herself on the floor of the healing houses, the sheets tangled around her legs. Her thigh was burning from the memory of her nightmare and she sobbed, letting the tears flow freely. She had to get out of the room; she needed some fresh air. She tired to stand but her leg was unbelievably painful like the poker had been real so she dragged herself over to the door and opened it. A cool draft of air hit her face as she crawled out into the corridor. It was dark and only the moonlight coming through the slit windows gave a little light. She had no idea where she wanted to go or where she was going but she went in the direction the breeze was coming from. Her leg was dragging along the floor limply and the pain kept sweeping over her making her nauseous.
She soon found herself on a balcony, which had been left open, and she leant against the railings, sitting on the cold floor. She could see the flat landscape of Rohan below and heard the call of night birds. She eventually managed to calm down from the intensity of the nightmare and soon found herself drifting back to sleep.
There was something warm touching her cheek. She stroked her skin against the warmth and felt it move to touch her ear. Something cool wafted over her other cheek and she shivered. Her limbs were stiff and she felt disorientated. "Elimay... Elimay?" a voice broke through into her mind. "I've found her!" the same voice called. There was the sound of approaching feet and a relieved sigh. "Elimay, wake up," another voice said. She did not want to go back to reality; she wanted to give into that warm touch on her cheek. What was it anyway? How could just her cheek be warm and the rest of her cold? "Is she okay?" "I don't know. She feels very cold," the first voice said. Ah, that explained it. Someone was holding her cheek. She wanted to know who it was. She tried to open her eyes but found they were glued together by sleep. She reached up a stiff arm and prized them open to see the face of a young man looking at her anxiously. Eomer. "You're awake," he smiled. She raised her head and saw that Legolas stood behind him. When he saw her look at him, he crouched down to her beside Eomer. "We couldn't find you," he said soothingly. Eomer's hand left her cheek and he stood up. "I'll tell the others we've found her," he said, leaving the balcony.
The prince looked back at her and saw that her eyes were red from crying. "What happened?" he asked. "I... I had a nightmare," she muttered. Her voice felt like it hadn't been used in a while. "He... he... I woke up screaming and needed to get out. My leg; it was so painful." "Who's he?" Legolas asked. He prized her hand from the railings and took it in his own to warm it. "My master. I have failed him. He will torture then kill me." "Not if I can help it," he said determinedly. Elimay shook her head. "You don't understand. I don't care if he kills me..." "What do you care about then?" Elimay shook her head and didn't answer. Instead she tried to get to her feet. Legolas instantly took her under the arms to lift her and then put his arm around her waist to support her. "I don't want to go back to my bed," she said. "Are you hungry?" he asked. She nodded and smiled. "Well then I will take you to the breakfast room." "In my nightdress?" He looked down at what she was wearing and smiled. "Lean here a minute." She stood against the wall and watched him jog down the corridor. A few minutes later he reappeared with a long woollen cardigan. He held it as she slipped her arms in the fastened it round the front. "What are you grinning at?" he asked, as he supported her again. "It feels good to be waited on hand and foot," she smiled. "Don't get too used to it," he said. "Once you're better I expect you to cook lots of meals for me." "Pff," she said, laughing. "In your dreams." Legolas grinned and pushed open the door to the mess hall, and led her over to a table so she could sit down. "What do you want to eat?" "Oh, surprise me."