Tanya raced through the halls of Rivendell in a state of blind panic. She
practically flew across the carpeted tiles ignoring, for once, the
beautiful tapestries and flowers that she had always adored. Tanya skidded
around a corner and had to grab hold of a pillar to stay upright. She
couldn't think straight. She was confused and tired, and her head was
beginning to pound with the beginnings of a horrible headache. Without
warning, Tanya collided with something solid and for a split second
returned her attention to the present. She had run into a servant. She
barely registered the broken pitcher or the curses being thrown at her, and
ran right on without an apology. The broken shards of glass tore painfully
through her velvet slippers and cut the soles of her feet, yet she couldn't
feel anything. She was blind, deaf, and she felt as if she tried to talk,
she would discover herself mute too.
'What have I done?' Tanya asked herself in horror.
She kept on running and looked down at her hands where blood was already beginning to dry under her fingernails. She could taste blood. She could smell it, feel it pounding in her ears. She was drowning.
Tanya burst through the door of her bedroom and flopped ungracefully onto her bed. She looked at her hands again. She felt almost surprised to see the sticky red streaks dripping down her forearms.
'You killed her.' The accusing words rang sharp and painful in her head. Tanya shook her head slowly, her mouth agape. The voice came again. 'You killed Sarah.' Tanya could feel her eyes watering. 'I didn't!' she screamed at the voice inside her head, the part of her that would always be governed by logic, never emotion. 'I didn't!' But the part of her mind couldn't be tricked. 'You're hands are covered in her blood.' 'No!' Tanya didn't want to believe, but icy logic was cooling the wildfire of emotions in her head. 'I didn't kill Sarah!'
"I didn't!" she screamed aloud. "Sarah!"
Her hollers echoed deadly off the marble walls, and in the burning mayhem of her mind, the voice whispered. 'You did.' A maniacal laugh filled her skull, piercing down into the dark corners of her sub-consciousness. Tanya gripped her head in both hands, covering her ears, but she could still hear it! It was inside her. The laughter sent shivers down her spine. She hadn't thought it possible to fill something with such malice, but hearing the laugh inside her own head made her want to scream. It brought into her mind's eye a terrible picture of a black-cloaked figure. A thing with burning red embers for eyes.
The eyes cut through the cloud of her confusion and she realized in growing horror that she had murdered her best friend. She had no recollection as to how, but she didn't intend to go back to see Sarah's body, that was assuming she hadn't hidden it or--Tanya's heart skipped a beat--worse. She knew she had done it. The blood on her hands was proof enough. Proof. The truth sank in. She was a murderer. A killer. A criminal. Not even the princess of Rivendell could get away with such an act. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't even the true heir. She was merely a substitute daughter until Lord Elrond had children of his own. She was there only to make sure that if he were to die before that day came, the inheritance would belong to someone, and not be squandered by the other high ranking elves in the city. It wasn't a law, but Lord Elrond had insisted upon it when he became ruler. He had said that until he had a child, (if it was a girl he was intent on the name Arwen) he wanted to be certain "that his legacy was in good hands."
The cruel irony sank in as Tanya stared at the dried blood on her hands. She got up, walked over to the wash basin, and began scrubbing the evidence off herself. When she was finally clean she lifted the heavy stone basin from the stand and emptied the pink water into the rose garden underneath her window. She had no time to lose. How long until someone found Sarah's dead body? How long until Rivendell was searched from oaken beamed top to marble tiled bottom? Tanya only took the time to grab her heavy riding cloak, and a large pouch of gold. She tried to look calm as she walked under the large main arch.
There was no telling who would watch her now, and then, when the body was found, would remember how guilty she had looked. Tanya wished in desperation that she had had time to sneak some food out of the kitchen, but every second counted. Moreover, she was just waiting to hear the telltale scream of whoever discovered Sarah. She stepped calmly through the stable doors and breathed in deep. She loved the smell that always greeted her here, the sweet scent of the hay. Tanya watched dust motes float through patches of sunlight, and began walking to the other end. She could feel sweat beading on her forehead. Something was wrong. The horses shied away from her and whinnied nervously when she approached. She wondered if they could smell the traces of blood on her hands, if they could sense the darkness in what she had done. At last, she reached the very last stall on her right hand side. She looked into the gloom, and her horse, Midnight stared back at her. She could feel his almond eyes boring into her, accusing her, but that was it. There was no nervousness in his eyes, and Tanya knew that he trusted her.
"Can I help you miss?"
Tanya had to use all her self-control to keep herself from jumping. She turned to meet the gaze of a stable-hand, a child not older than twelve. She smiled at him and he smiled back.
"Saddle Midnight for me please."
The boy went straight to work and Tanya could only hope that she looked calm when he handed her the reins. She gave him a coin from her purse and walked Midnight out the stable doors. She strode gracefully across the cobblestones, but as soon as she was out of the line of sight from the windows, she jumped into the worn leather saddle and galloped out of the valley. Tanya took one last look at Rivendell, her home since she was born, and remembered with horror the blankness of her mind while she knew she had been murdering her best friend. She still couldn't believe what she had done. She was incapable of murder, let alone the murder of a friend!
Midnight galloped on and she remembered the horrible red eyes of the figure in black. A startling thought surfaced in the bubbling turmoil of her mind. Was it possible that someone had murdered Sarah through her? The echoes of the horrible laugh reverberated in her ears and an icy fist clenched her stomach. Something was telling her that it was indeed quite possible.
'What have I done?' Tanya asked herself in horror.
She kept on running and looked down at her hands where blood was already beginning to dry under her fingernails. She could taste blood. She could smell it, feel it pounding in her ears. She was drowning.
Tanya burst through the door of her bedroom and flopped ungracefully onto her bed. She looked at her hands again. She felt almost surprised to see the sticky red streaks dripping down her forearms.
'You killed her.' The accusing words rang sharp and painful in her head. Tanya shook her head slowly, her mouth agape. The voice came again. 'You killed Sarah.' Tanya could feel her eyes watering. 'I didn't!' she screamed at the voice inside her head, the part of her that would always be governed by logic, never emotion. 'I didn't!' But the part of her mind couldn't be tricked. 'You're hands are covered in her blood.' 'No!' Tanya didn't want to believe, but icy logic was cooling the wildfire of emotions in her head. 'I didn't kill Sarah!'
"I didn't!" she screamed aloud. "Sarah!"
Her hollers echoed deadly off the marble walls, and in the burning mayhem of her mind, the voice whispered. 'You did.' A maniacal laugh filled her skull, piercing down into the dark corners of her sub-consciousness. Tanya gripped her head in both hands, covering her ears, but she could still hear it! It was inside her. The laughter sent shivers down her spine. She hadn't thought it possible to fill something with such malice, but hearing the laugh inside her own head made her want to scream. It brought into her mind's eye a terrible picture of a black-cloaked figure. A thing with burning red embers for eyes.
The eyes cut through the cloud of her confusion and she realized in growing horror that she had murdered her best friend. She had no recollection as to how, but she didn't intend to go back to see Sarah's body, that was assuming she hadn't hidden it or--Tanya's heart skipped a beat--worse. She knew she had done it. The blood on her hands was proof enough. Proof. The truth sank in. She was a murderer. A killer. A criminal. Not even the princess of Rivendell could get away with such an act. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't even the true heir. She was merely a substitute daughter until Lord Elrond had children of his own. She was there only to make sure that if he were to die before that day came, the inheritance would belong to someone, and not be squandered by the other high ranking elves in the city. It wasn't a law, but Lord Elrond had insisted upon it when he became ruler. He had said that until he had a child, (if it was a girl he was intent on the name Arwen) he wanted to be certain "that his legacy was in good hands."
The cruel irony sank in as Tanya stared at the dried blood on her hands. She got up, walked over to the wash basin, and began scrubbing the evidence off herself. When she was finally clean she lifted the heavy stone basin from the stand and emptied the pink water into the rose garden underneath her window. She had no time to lose. How long until someone found Sarah's dead body? How long until Rivendell was searched from oaken beamed top to marble tiled bottom? Tanya only took the time to grab her heavy riding cloak, and a large pouch of gold. She tried to look calm as she walked under the large main arch.
There was no telling who would watch her now, and then, when the body was found, would remember how guilty she had looked. Tanya wished in desperation that she had had time to sneak some food out of the kitchen, but every second counted. Moreover, she was just waiting to hear the telltale scream of whoever discovered Sarah. She stepped calmly through the stable doors and breathed in deep. She loved the smell that always greeted her here, the sweet scent of the hay. Tanya watched dust motes float through patches of sunlight, and began walking to the other end. She could feel sweat beading on her forehead. Something was wrong. The horses shied away from her and whinnied nervously when she approached. She wondered if they could smell the traces of blood on her hands, if they could sense the darkness in what she had done. At last, she reached the very last stall on her right hand side. She looked into the gloom, and her horse, Midnight stared back at her. She could feel his almond eyes boring into her, accusing her, but that was it. There was no nervousness in his eyes, and Tanya knew that he trusted her.
"Can I help you miss?"
Tanya had to use all her self-control to keep herself from jumping. She turned to meet the gaze of a stable-hand, a child not older than twelve. She smiled at him and he smiled back.
"Saddle Midnight for me please."
The boy went straight to work and Tanya could only hope that she looked calm when he handed her the reins. She gave him a coin from her purse and walked Midnight out the stable doors. She strode gracefully across the cobblestones, but as soon as she was out of the line of sight from the windows, she jumped into the worn leather saddle and galloped out of the valley. Tanya took one last look at Rivendell, her home since she was born, and remembered with horror the blankness of her mind while she knew she had been murdering her best friend. She still couldn't believe what she had done. She was incapable of murder, let alone the murder of a friend!
Midnight galloped on and she remembered the horrible red eyes of the figure in black. A startling thought surfaced in the bubbling turmoil of her mind. Was it possible that someone had murdered Sarah through her? The echoes of the horrible laugh reverberated in her ears and an icy fist clenched her stomach. Something was telling her that it was indeed quite possible.