Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Caution: This is where it starts to earn its rating.
It was as if Mother knew, Vasha thought with more than a small amount of terror. Of course, Mother, being Mother, always knew. Especially when Vasha was bad. There was no hiding, no trying to get out of it. For Mother would have none of it.
She had barely stepped through the door when Mother was there, grabbing her. Then the screaming began as she was slammed against the doorframe, first one side, then the other. But it wasn't Vasha screaming, for she knew better. Make no sound; it might make Mother even angrier. Mother was the one screaming, yelling at Vasha.
"You worthless piece of trash! Where have you been? Running off through your damned doors like that? You think I took you in out of charity, you think it's nice to do shit like that?" Mother threw Vasha against a far wall, and Vasha hit with a thud, her world growing hazy. Mother stormed after her, was on her in what seemed an instant, kicking her, picking her up and slamming her against the wall again, and again, before throwing her into another wall.
Elrond stepped back, horrified, the scene taking a moment to fully register. Even on the fields of battle he had never seen such brutality. Especially not directed at one so small, so defenseless.
At his movement, his three sons leapt forward, Elladan and Elrohir with the speed and grace of the elves, Estel with the speed born of alarm. He had been closest to the door and the first to move, so he reached the woman first. Elladan joined him in pulling her away from the child, struggling with her, as Elrohir knelt to see how badly Vasha was injured.
She had slid to the floor, eyes open and staring up at him, but there was no light there. She was not seeing him. He checked and found that her heart did beat, but it was faint, growing fainter, and her breathing was sharp, spasmodic, beginning to cease. He took her in his arms as carefully as he could, given the circumstances, and bore her back through the door to Imladris.
Father, There was pain in his voice, fear, She is dying.
Authors Note: Sorry to leave you hanging- wait, nope. I'm not. Really. Well, maybe a little. But until I see a few reviews I'm holding the next chapter hostage (oh yes, it's already written, precious)
TBC (I'm not THAT heartless...)