Hi guys! I'm sorry I left you at such a terrible cliffy, but here is the next post! Please don't hurt me!!! *cowers* Oh, and BTW, there is some Sindarin in here. I put the translations right next to them. The translations aren't always exactly word for word, as you can't always find word for word, but it's the basic idea. I hope this post is good!
*****
Revenhal waited a few minutes to be sure the elf wasn't bluffing, and then carefully went inside, followed by several of his men. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he glanced around. In the center of the cave, near the back, there was a small elf maiden lying on her side, facing away from him. On the floor in front of him, were two of the swords that had been thrown…neither were his own.
He heard harsh, labored breathing, and quickly looked to his right. There, on his knees, was another elf. His face was turned towards the floor, and his hair covered his face. Protruding from his left thigh, buried to the hilt and sticking out the other side, dripping blood, was Revenhal's sword. The elf's bow lay next to him, and his nimble fingers were weakly wrapped around the handle of the sword. With a smirk, Revenhal made his way over and moved the elf's hand away. The elf looked up into his face, pain evident in all his features, but his face set grimly. Revenhal tore his sword out of the wound, pulling up and twisting as he did so, in order to make it more painful.
The elf's spine arched, and he gasped audibly, but other than that, he made no sound. His hands were clenched, but his entire body sagged when the metal left his body as blood began to pour out of the wound. Intense pain was going through him in waves, but he did not allow himself to make any sound, so that his sister would not hear and know he was wounded. She would know eventually, of course, but he wanted to hold that off as long as possible.
Two men came and hauled him up to his feet, and he bit his lip as the pain intensified as he was forced to stand. Revenhal grinned at him. "Hello, elf." He sneered.
He did not give him the satisfaction of an answer as he turned to look towards his sister, who was being hauled to her feet as well. In her case, however, she could not stand at all, and so was merely sagging in their grip, crying from the pain. Legolas jerked against his captor's grip, wanting to go to his sister. One of the men punched him hard in the kidney, and Legolas couldn't help the soft surprised cry of pain that came as he doubled over, as he had not been expecting the blow.
Luminal heard this, and slowly her head came up. She saw her brother being held, blood streaming down his leg, his face contorted in a wince. "Las!" She cried. She was struck across her left temple, and she moaned softly as she fell into unconciousness.
"Luma!" Legolas cried back, again pulling desperately at the restricting hands at his arms.
Revenhal smiled and came closer, grabbing the elf's chin firmly, digging his finger into the skin until he knew there would be a bruise. "Worried about your little elf friend?" He asked mockingly, and looked over to the unconscious Luminal, being held in the arms of one of his men. He looked back and analyzed Legolas' face. "You two look alike. Siblings perhaps? Aww." He smirked, and jerked his hand away, throwing Legolas' head to the side.
Legolas glared at him from the corner of his eye as Revenhal turned and left the cave, quickly followed by the man holding his sister. The men holding him dragged him unceremoniously after him. Once outside, he blinked against the sudden barrage of light. When he could see, he became aware that Verald was staring right at him and crying hard at seeing his wound. Legolas wanted to go to him, to assure him that it wasn't his fault, that he had done his best, and that everything would be all right, even if he himself didn't believe it.
Revenhal stormed to his son. "As you can see, your effort to hide them did nothing." He said sternly, and Verald merely looked away, trying to stop his tears. Revenhal walked forward and grabbed his son by the back of the neck, ready, it seemed, to drag him all the way home. "Let's go back. I'm sure everyone will be eager to see our catch." He grinned back at Legolas, who was being held while another Tur tied his hands behind his back.
*****
Legolas lay on his side, breathing quietly and listening for any sound. The Turs had taken much enjoyment from mocking and tormenting him, and Legolas was only glad his sister hadn't be awake to see it, or worse, to suffer the same. Bruises were spread all over his fair skin, and his lip was split and bleeding. He hadn't uttered a sound the entire time, though, even when they had mocked him for being an elf and spit in his face. Eventually, they had tired of him, and left him bound hand and foot next to his unconscious sister, outside of Revenhal's home.
Luminal moaned slightly, and Legolas turned his head wearily to look towards her. She seemed disoriented for a moment, and then looked around in sudden terror. "Las? Legolas? Legolas?!! Brother?!!!" She cried, looking back and forth and not seeing him, even though he only sat a few feet away. Legolas tried to answer, but didn't want to wake anyone up who might decide to harm the younger of the two elves more, and so was overridden by her cries.
Finally, he dragged himself over by falling to the ground and using his elbows, despite the pain it caused as his leg began bleeding again. When he reached her ear, he whispered into her ear. "Nin si, gwathel. Nin si. Car al achas." He said softly in Sindarin. **Translation: I'm here, sister. I'm here. Do not fear.**
Luminal looked up at him. "Legolas?" She whispered. "Thou gwathra…man neitha ah thou?" **Legolas? You're dim. What's wrong with you?** She asked.
Legolas frowned. "Idh, Luma. Idh." **Rest, Luma. Rest* He whispered, not answering her question. He kissed her forehead, then jerking back as he felt how hot it was. Her wound had become infected. His eyes grew dark with worry as she obediently nodded and shut her eyes. Elves only slept with their eyes shut when severely injured. If Luminal did not get treatment very soon, she would die. Legolas had not doubt of that.
He leaned back, pulling himself back up to sit, and, though he tried not to, wept silently. She would get no help here; he knew that. Luminal was going to die…because he did not make her go home. Because he was not careful enough.
The sound of footsteps reached Legolas' ears, and quickly, he looked up, wiping his eyes on the shoulder of his tunic as best as he could. He looked around for the source of the sound, and finally, Verald came into view. He shuffled his feet as he met Legolas' gaze, and there was a long moment of silence. "I'm sorry." He finally whispered.
Legolas shook his head. "Don't be." He said. "You did more than you should have. If I had known you're father would hurt you because of you're trying to help us, than I never would have let you." He frowned.
Verald bit his lip. "Yeah. That's why I didn't tell you." He muttered.
Legolas thought a moment. "Why does your father treat you like that, Verald?" He finally asked.
The boy looked away into the night for a moment. "Because he's not my father." At seeing Legolas' expression, he sighed. "He's my stepfather. He hates me, and so whenever my mother worries for me, he beats me. I actually got off pretty light this time." He looked at Legolas out of the corner of his eyes, and the elf understood. Because of the Turs wanting to beat him, the attention had been taken away from Verald.
"I see. I'm sorry." Legolas said softly, looking away. His gaze went to his sister.
Verald followed his eyes. "Is she going to…" He started, trailing off.
Legolas felt tears coming again, but he angrily pushed them away. He would not cry in front of Verald. "If she does not get help soon, she will." He admitted in answer to the unfinished question.
*****
Ooh! Evil me! Oh, and BTW, about Verald. I felt really bad having his stepfather beat him, but it is important to the story, and also, it kind of shows what the Turs are like. Sorry to anyone that was emotionally scarred by the child abuse!! Forgive me? *puppy eyes*
*****
Revenhal waited a few minutes to be sure the elf wasn't bluffing, and then carefully went inside, followed by several of his men. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he glanced around. In the center of the cave, near the back, there was a small elf maiden lying on her side, facing away from him. On the floor in front of him, were two of the swords that had been thrown…neither were his own.
He heard harsh, labored breathing, and quickly looked to his right. There, on his knees, was another elf. His face was turned towards the floor, and his hair covered his face. Protruding from his left thigh, buried to the hilt and sticking out the other side, dripping blood, was Revenhal's sword. The elf's bow lay next to him, and his nimble fingers were weakly wrapped around the handle of the sword. With a smirk, Revenhal made his way over and moved the elf's hand away. The elf looked up into his face, pain evident in all his features, but his face set grimly. Revenhal tore his sword out of the wound, pulling up and twisting as he did so, in order to make it more painful.
The elf's spine arched, and he gasped audibly, but other than that, he made no sound. His hands were clenched, but his entire body sagged when the metal left his body as blood began to pour out of the wound. Intense pain was going through him in waves, but he did not allow himself to make any sound, so that his sister would not hear and know he was wounded. She would know eventually, of course, but he wanted to hold that off as long as possible.
Two men came and hauled him up to his feet, and he bit his lip as the pain intensified as he was forced to stand. Revenhal grinned at him. "Hello, elf." He sneered.
He did not give him the satisfaction of an answer as he turned to look towards his sister, who was being hauled to her feet as well. In her case, however, she could not stand at all, and so was merely sagging in their grip, crying from the pain. Legolas jerked against his captor's grip, wanting to go to his sister. One of the men punched him hard in the kidney, and Legolas couldn't help the soft surprised cry of pain that came as he doubled over, as he had not been expecting the blow.
Luminal heard this, and slowly her head came up. She saw her brother being held, blood streaming down his leg, his face contorted in a wince. "Las!" She cried. She was struck across her left temple, and she moaned softly as she fell into unconciousness.
"Luma!" Legolas cried back, again pulling desperately at the restricting hands at his arms.
Revenhal smiled and came closer, grabbing the elf's chin firmly, digging his finger into the skin until he knew there would be a bruise. "Worried about your little elf friend?" He asked mockingly, and looked over to the unconscious Luminal, being held in the arms of one of his men. He looked back and analyzed Legolas' face. "You two look alike. Siblings perhaps? Aww." He smirked, and jerked his hand away, throwing Legolas' head to the side.
Legolas glared at him from the corner of his eye as Revenhal turned and left the cave, quickly followed by the man holding his sister. The men holding him dragged him unceremoniously after him. Once outside, he blinked against the sudden barrage of light. When he could see, he became aware that Verald was staring right at him and crying hard at seeing his wound. Legolas wanted to go to him, to assure him that it wasn't his fault, that he had done his best, and that everything would be all right, even if he himself didn't believe it.
Revenhal stormed to his son. "As you can see, your effort to hide them did nothing." He said sternly, and Verald merely looked away, trying to stop his tears. Revenhal walked forward and grabbed his son by the back of the neck, ready, it seemed, to drag him all the way home. "Let's go back. I'm sure everyone will be eager to see our catch." He grinned back at Legolas, who was being held while another Tur tied his hands behind his back.
*****
Legolas lay on his side, breathing quietly and listening for any sound. The Turs had taken much enjoyment from mocking and tormenting him, and Legolas was only glad his sister hadn't be awake to see it, or worse, to suffer the same. Bruises were spread all over his fair skin, and his lip was split and bleeding. He hadn't uttered a sound the entire time, though, even when they had mocked him for being an elf and spit in his face. Eventually, they had tired of him, and left him bound hand and foot next to his unconscious sister, outside of Revenhal's home.
Luminal moaned slightly, and Legolas turned his head wearily to look towards her. She seemed disoriented for a moment, and then looked around in sudden terror. "Las? Legolas? Legolas?!! Brother?!!!" She cried, looking back and forth and not seeing him, even though he only sat a few feet away. Legolas tried to answer, but didn't want to wake anyone up who might decide to harm the younger of the two elves more, and so was overridden by her cries.
Finally, he dragged himself over by falling to the ground and using his elbows, despite the pain it caused as his leg began bleeding again. When he reached her ear, he whispered into her ear. "Nin si, gwathel. Nin si. Car al achas." He said softly in Sindarin. **Translation: I'm here, sister. I'm here. Do not fear.**
Luminal looked up at him. "Legolas?" She whispered. "Thou gwathra…man neitha ah thou?" **Legolas? You're dim. What's wrong with you?** She asked.
Legolas frowned. "Idh, Luma. Idh." **Rest, Luma. Rest* He whispered, not answering her question. He kissed her forehead, then jerking back as he felt how hot it was. Her wound had become infected. His eyes grew dark with worry as she obediently nodded and shut her eyes. Elves only slept with their eyes shut when severely injured. If Luminal did not get treatment very soon, she would die. Legolas had not doubt of that.
He leaned back, pulling himself back up to sit, and, though he tried not to, wept silently. She would get no help here; he knew that. Luminal was going to die…because he did not make her go home. Because he was not careful enough.
The sound of footsteps reached Legolas' ears, and quickly, he looked up, wiping his eyes on the shoulder of his tunic as best as he could. He looked around for the source of the sound, and finally, Verald came into view. He shuffled his feet as he met Legolas' gaze, and there was a long moment of silence. "I'm sorry." He finally whispered.
Legolas shook his head. "Don't be." He said. "You did more than you should have. If I had known you're father would hurt you because of you're trying to help us, than I never would have let you." He frowned.
Verald bit his lip. "Yeah. That's why I didn't tell you." He muttered.
Legolas thought a moment. "Why does your father treat you like that, Verald?" He finally asked.
The boy looked away into the night for a moment. "Because he's not my father." At seeing Legolas' expression, he sighed. "He's my stepfather. He hates me, and so whenever my mother worries for me, he beats me. I actually got off pretty light this time." He looked at Legolas out of the corner of his eyes, and the elf understood. Because of the Turs wanting to beat him, the attention had been taken away from Verald.
"I see. I'm sorry." Legolas said softly, looking away. His gaze went to his sister.
Verald followed his eyes. "Is she going to…" He started, trailing off.
Legolas felt tears coming again, but he angrily pushed them away. He would not cry in front of Verald. "If she does not get help soon, she will." He admitted in answer to the unfinished question.
*****
Ooh! Evil me! Oh, and BTW, about Verald. I felt really bad having his stepfather beat him, but it is important to the story, and also, it kind of shows what the Turs are like. Sorry to anyone that was emotionally scarred by the child abuse!! Forgive me? *puppy eyes*