A Woman of the Town
Author: simon22cat
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Pairing: No Pairings at this time
Warnings: Bandying about of the word 'Whore'
Summary: Haldir watches a lady of the night and becomes entangled in her life
Time: Before the events of The Lord of the Rings
Feed Back: Always welcomed
Disclaimer: All things from LoTR belong to J. R. R. Tolkien. Any other recognizable characters or situations are inspired by and belong to Victor Hugo. This is just for fun. No profit is made from this venture.
Beta: dragonfly123(a big thanks for wading through my NyQuil induced ramblings)
Chapter Two
At the End of the Day
Considering the noise that the woman, Maegden, had made on her way to the jailhouse, all was relatively quiet as Haldir approached the darkened building. He could hear a faint muffled sound coming from within the building. Stepping through the door, it took a moment for his eyes to become adjusted to the bright light that radiated from the room. Thick heavy curtains blocked the windows, effective not only in stopping sound or light from spilling out into the street, but it also prevented anyone from peering into the room, to see as Constable Stapa worked. The room was crowded with several others that had come in from the street. Lord Baldor and his cronies were on their way out of the door after making a report against the woman. Haldir stepped aside as they left, falling back to a darkened corner, unobserved by the others.
Maegden was cowering in the corner, shivering and damp from being out in the snow. Blood trickled from her mouth as she used the hem of her silk gown to wipe her red-rimmed teary eyes. She reeked of whatever alcoholic beverage she had been drinking. She continued to plead her case to the constable.
"What right did that man have to ruin my only good dress? I was doing nothing wrong. I am a good girl."
"Good girl? Madame you are a whore. You spread your legs for the pleasure of others."
"But that did not give him the right to ruin my dress."
"And that did not give you the right to attack a lord of the town. His family is very powerful in these parts."
"Power," Maegden hissed, "is nothing but an illusion. Power never put food on my table or saved my husband from death."
Tired of the woman's cheek, Stapa moved to strike her. Maegden flinched waiting for the blow that never came. The door opened, snow swirled on the floor as another man entered the room. Haldir raised an eyebrow, recognizing the mayor of the town.
"Constable Stapa! Is it your practice to hit women?" asked the mayor, shaking the snow from his clothing.
"My lord. This woman is a troublemaker and a whore."
"That still does not make it right Stapa."
Nodding his head in show of consideration for the office of the mayor, Stapa returned to his seat at the large desk in the center of the room.
Maegden raised her head at the sound of the newcomer's voice. Squinting her eyes, she recognized the mayor. In her current state of mind, she identified this man as the reason for her suffering. She had been working in his household before she was turned out into the street. The reason that her darling Diore might die.
"You." Maegden rushed towards the mayor. "Tis is your fault my daughter might die."
Her headlong rush was stopped by two of the deputies, each taking ahold of an arm and escorting her back to her corner.
"How is it my fault?" the puzzled mayor asked.
"I was working in your house when I was released from my duty. Working to send money for the care of my child. Then she became sick." At this point Maegden straightened and looked him in the eye. "The man and wife required more money for my Diore's care. Money I did not have." A harsh, hacking cough stopped her diatribe against the mayor.
As Maegden tried to regain her breath a light of recognition flitted across his face. He had thought the woman looked familiar.
"I know your face. You are the girl that my foreman told me he got rid of."
"Got rid of?" she snorted. "He threw me into the street."
Turning to the constable, the mayor told him to release the woman. A filling of guilt washed over him, thinking that trusting the running of his household to another had caused this poor woman grief.
"Give me the woman. I will take her."
"Sir, Mayor. I cannot, she has been sentenced to six months in jail for her crimes." Stapa stood up from his chair and walked around the desk. With a quick nod of his head, the deputies started to march Maegden to the cellblock.
"No! You cannot do this! What of my child?"
"Do you know how many times I have heard such a plea as that? Too many to count. The stories I have been told to reason their wrongdoing. You must think me mad to believe such a tale..."
At this point Haldir stepped from the shadows and spoke.
"I thought the race of Man had more tolerable laws."
The sight of a member of the First Born race quieted all the voices in the room as he continued to speak.
"I saw what happened. She was merely defending herself against the young lord. The hope of Arda rests with a race that does not protect their women against unwarranted attacks? Hope indeed."
Stapa was surprised to see an Elf, rarely did they leave their own borders. In these darker times fewer and fewer traveled abroad. Stapa had grown up with his grandfather's stories of Elves and their majestic grandeur. Of their arrogance and contempt for the race of Man. Stapa stiffened his shoulders before he addressed the tall Elf.
"Sir, what is your name? I have not seen you before."
"Haldir O Lorien. Marchwarden of Lothlorien, Captain of the Galadhrim. I have been to your town before. You have not seen me because I did not wish it."
Stapa could feel a pain developing over his eyebrow. The night had been long and now he had this to deal with. It never ended.
"Those are impressive titles Captain, but they hold no meaning here. The law of this town is no business of yours. I suggest you leave."
Before Haldir could reply to this little self-important man, the mayor spoke up.
"That might be true Constable but it is my business. This woman needs a healer not a jail."
"But Mayor she has been sentenced to..."
"Yes, I know, but as the town Mayor I have the right to revoke any sentences as I see fit."
Maegden perked up at hearing this, there might be a chance for her yet. Hope for Diore, her sweet innocent child. If she could only get out of this she might be able to make enough money for her poor child. Any thoughts of hate she might have had for the mayor fled as he argued for her freedom.
"Right?" questioned Constable Stapa.
"Check the township laws. Article 46, section 12, gives the elected Mayor the right to review any and all criminal cases. At his discretion the mayor may agree to or refuse the sentencing of the law. And I do so now. Set her free"
Haldir watched the conversation between the two men with interest, each one strong in their convictions, each believing they were right. He had little idea of how this tug-of-war would turn out but he was determined to find out. This woman had done no wrong and she needed the medical attention of a healer. Her cough had gotten worse while the mayor and constable argued, the wet snow shoved down her dress obliviously had not helped matters. There was a rattle that emitted from her chest that did not sound good and she looked ready to collapse.
Having heard 'Set her free', Maegden was edging her way towards the door, hoping to slip out unnoticed and escape to the street. She had almost made it when she was stopped by one of the hateful deputies. He dragged her back to the center of the room, coming to a stop in front of Stapa. She swayed unsteadily on her feet. Haldir stepped closer to her in case she required extra support. The two men continued to argue over the woman, neither one willing to bow to the others wishes. Haldir was about to speak up when Maegden's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed. Haldir caught her before she could hit the floor. Sweeping her into his arms he strode towards the door intent on taking her with him. He had reached the threshold of the doorway when the constable's voice stopped him.
"Where are you going with my prisoner?"
"She is no longer your prisoner. By the sound of it the mayor has invoked his right given to him by the law and has set this woman free. You are now holding her here against her will. We are leaving."
Stapa raised an eyebrow at the arrogance of this Elf as he stepped through the doorway and out into the night. What right did this creature have to come in here and dictate his job to him? And to take his prisoner with him! Stapa moved to follow the Elf when the mayor stopped him.
"Let it go Stapa. There is nothing more for you to do here. I have pardoned her and there is not anything you can do about it. If you continue along this path I will have you removed from office. It is also in my power to do so."
Without another word the mayor turned and followed the Eldar out into the snowy street.
XXXXXXXX
The Elf left no footprints in the snow, even burdened with the limp body of Maegden. The mayor had a hard time trying to find where he had gone. He spotted the Elf standing in a circle with more of his fellow Elves. Each one as tall as the next, all with long braided hair. They were speaking in their own tongue, the sound unfamiliar to him. Listening to the lilting language, the only words he could understand was the name 'Maegden'. The one named Haldir turned as he approached.
"Mayor."
"Marchwarden," bowing his head before he continued, "I give my thanks to you. I do not think the good Constable Stapa would have let her go."
Haldir looked down at the woman in his arms, the pale shadowed planes of her face had became more announced during the evening.
"My brothers and I are trying to find somewhere to take her. We are not familiar with the residents of this town. She needs a healer and fast."
"Follow me."
Turning, the Elf fired off something to his brothers in the a language that was not understandable to the mayor. Facing the mayor, Haldir followed him down the street.
They had gone two streets over before the mayor stopped at the darkened doorstep of an indescribable house. Knocking on the door, the mayor turned and looked at Haldir and the burden he carried. When there was no answer he knocked again. This time sound could be heard as whoever was inside made their way to the door.
"Eh, what do ya want at this time of night?" was heard from behind the closed door.
"Open up. We have a sick woman in need of care."
The door was wrenched opened and before them stood a toothless crone. The old woman eyed the intruders on her doorstep with suspicion.
"The mayor and an Elf darken my doorstep with a woman. Woman indeed. She is a woman of the town more like it."
"She is in need of care. Can you help?" Haldir asked the old healer.
"Bring her in. Bring her in. Let me see what I can do." The old woman motioned for Haldir to follow her up the steps and into the house. She had him take Maegden up the stairs to the second floor of the house. After he had placed her on the bed, the old woman shooed him out of the room.
"This is the healer for your town?" Haldir asked the mayor as he made his way back down the stairs.
"I know, not much to look at. The younger healer was killed recently and has yet to be replaced."
After that there was no more conversation until the older woman came down the stairs.
XXXXXXXX
She came back down the stairs, wiping her hands on a cloth hanging from her apron. Stopping in front of the two, she gravely spoke.
"The girl has a infection of the lungs. It has settled deeply on her I fear."
"Is there any hope for recovery?" one of them asked.
"It does not look good for her. She keeps calling for her child. If either one of you know where the child is you need to get her."
At the shake of the mayor's head, she continued, "Someone will need to stay with her tonight until I can get some help in here."
"I will stay. I need less rest then a Man does."
"Good, sir Elf. If you will follow me."
Haldir settled in for a long night, keeping watch over Maegden as she slept.