Well peeps, one thing I can say in Sana's defence is don't over estimate her!
As you can see, the story is rapidly approaching halfway point and its yet to unfold. I for once, when writing the chapters after this one felt truly nervous for the characters concerned but I'm guessing that a good thing!
Many thanks for your reviews, they are much needed inspiration and a kick up the ass!
And you guys so totally rock!
Sunmoon, earthsky – well, you'll just have to wait and see how the story unfolds……sorry!
Austin B – that made me laugh right out loud in the middle of the computer room and boy did I get some strange looks…….ever thought about writing comedy?!
Servant Rule Number Twenty:- Your master relies on you to support him in truth and lies, no matter what the answers are, support him for he knows best whatever the outcomes.
"And past this message to Cleborn when you find him!" Legolas yelled at Isil as she closed the door with a casual wave, it was the next day and it was remarkable what a day's worth of rest could do for one's soul. The prince managed to take a bath that morning and was now sitting back in bed, much to his objection and making the staff as usual, run around at his beck and call.
Isil was told to past on a message to Cleborn where she was told she could find him near the guard house. She exited the palace out into the courtyard where the many horses were awaiting their masters to ride off on another scouting mission. Recently, the security of the kingdom have been increased and even the barrels that were collected from the river underwent a check. Keay joked that it was to make sure there was no orcs concealed within the tiny cavity that had trouble holding much of its original contents anyway. But Legolas's explanation was more of a logical side and he claims it was done to prevent anyone from passing on messages and giving away secrets to the enemy.
Thranduil's soldiers were much in force these days and she pasted many crowds of them readying for missions or routine patrols. She headed to the guard quarters where she could hear, even from the courtyard a horrible wailing that made Isil cringe and wonder what some unearthly animal was Thranduil keeping locked up.
"A message for Cleborn!" she had to shout over the wail at the heavily locked door, the guard yelled at her to repeat her request once more and she complied, her voice feeling hoarse for doing so. She waited for the guard to unlock the seven locks on the door then she was shown down the steps where the wailing grew louder, making the stone walls of the prison cells vibrate and echo.
She walked down the dark corridor to see Cleborn staring at something she couldn't see and it wasn't until she reached his side did she see what it was making that truly awful noise.
There, in the middle of the cell, lying on what looked to have been once an elven cloak of a highest quality that was now dirty and tatty, was a small, wrinkled and shrivel creature with grey skin and all bones. It laid on its side, wailing at the walls as its bony fingers clutched at its head in despair. It wore a scrap of material that served as a loincloth and she could see it was hairless and held no identifying mark as to what it was.
"Gollum, he was once a hobbit, a shire folk before the power of the ring took hold of him." Cleborn saw her obvious confusion and thoughtfully informed her.
"Why does he cry so?"
"You tell me, he's been at it since he got here." Cleborn replied, pulling a swab of cotton wool from his ears to block what noise he could to little success. "What can I do for you?"
"I've a message from Legolas, he asked me to pass it on to you." Isil went to hand him the scrolls she had in her hands but it caught Cleborn's fingers and fell to the floor where it bounced between the bars of the cell and joined its habitation with Gollum.
"Aw darn it!" Isil cursed and on her knees along with Cleborn , they slid their arms through the bars to try and reach for the important message that seem to be even more further from their grasp.
"It's no use. Hey! Where's Gollum?" Cleborn looked up to realised that Gollum's wailing have stopped and he moved. Hastily, to not encourage the creature to bite them, they redrew their arms and peered into the cell, they saw Gollum suddenly appear before them, his wide blue eyes peering curiously at Isil as his long, grimy fingers held out the pristine white scroll she had dropped.
Isil blinked with surprised then knelt down, ignoring Cleborn's warnings and reached a hand out for the scroll with a smile, the creature reached out even further, his hand going beyond the bars that confirmed him and dropped the scroll in her hand.
"Thank you." Isil whispered, afraid to scare the creature Gollum, he looked back at her and she saw his gummy smile, despite his parched lips, black tongue and gums and rotten teeth, she saw the simple expression that he liked her.
"Isil, no!" Cleborn objected as she reached her hand out and touched Gollum's skin, it felt cool and rough from the many years he was forced to live under his own madness.
Gollum purred and his eyes closed, she felt his weight shifted against the touch of her hand and she knew that he liked it, a touch that wasn't cruel, malicious or rough.
"He likes you." Cleborn smiled as he reached up and pulled the clumps of cotton wool from his ears, he watched with a sense of disbelief at the scene as Gollum fell asleep against the bars whilst she stroked him.
She pulled her hand away gently and saw the creature slept on, exhausted from his own stress and quietly stood up. Both elves left the prison to be greeted by the guards who stared at Isil with a sense of wonder.
"You tamed him? This is the only time he's been this quiet." Said one officer as Cleborn told him what happened.
"Come, I'll escort you back to your master, I need a word with him regarding his message anyway." Cleborn smiled and they walked to Legolas's room, telling each other their own opinions on the feat Isil managed today.
"And he's asleep?" Legolas asked with a note of humour in his voice as Cleborn stood by the bed after relaying the event to him. Isil was fussing to Legolas's right, soothing the blankets and fluffing his pillows as he sat in bed.
"Like a baby." Cleborn smiled, he declined an offer of a glass of wine from Keay but took a seat by Legolas's bedside as the prince smiled, his eyes wandered over to Isil when she exited the room,as he said, "She's quite something."
"Speaking of something, I know its nothing to do with me but is it true that you are thinking of asking Sana's hand in marriage?"
Legolas's expression was an answer enough but his venomous words confirmed that rumours were, as always untrue. "I don't know what's wrong with that elleth but I've made it quite clear that I don't wish for her hand in marriage now or ever. You can go back and tell the court those exact words."
"Oh I will, I was about to warn you of an ill choice if you were to marry her. For every rumour she is to be your wife, there's a rumour that she taken another lord to her bed."
"Sana's is not my concern, only her actions. She's a menace even to herself." Legolas sighed as Estel jumped up to curl upon his lap, Cleborn looked at the cat for a while and petted it, his mind in a turmoil at the news of late.
"You do know that Gandalf have confirmed that the increase of late in the number of attacks from orcs, spiders and other such dark creatures are due to the commands of Sauron. The dark lord is alive. I can feel it as do others."
"I know, I can feel him too with a bitter heart. I have watched this beautiful forest called my home slip deeper into darkness as it slowly crept into the land. And it scares me to even think of what will happen in the future." Legolas voice was but a whisper as he spoke of his concerns, Cleborn nodded and pulled out a slip of paper.
"A messenger arrived from Rivendell, there's to be a council soon, and you're to attend and bring Gollum with you. You'll be needed in about a month according to Lord Elrond."
"So it happens." Was Legolas's faint whisper and Cleborn could see a look upon his friend's face he couldn't pinpoint. "I'll be well within the week so have no worry." Legolas smiled.
"Do me a favour don't rush yourself." Cleborn said with all seriousness, Legolas looked as if he was about to object but he knew he was talking to a lifelong friend who knew him well.
"That I promise." He replied and Cleborn smiled, "I'll take my leave of you to carry out your order and you, get some rest."
He watched Cleborn leave the room and somewhere outside his door, he could hear his voice rise with a note of surprise, "Sana! Come to bid Legolas your well wishes?"
"I've been delayed in doing so of late." Was her softer reply and he heard Cleborn snort, a clear sign he didn't believe her, "I bet!"
there was a moment delay then his door opened to admit Sana, she closed the door behind her and walked towards Legolas who watched her with a distrusting air. "What is it Sana?"
"I've come to see how you are." Was her reply.
"As you can see, I am well, now you can walk yourself back out of this room." Was his rude reply, he saw Arkle enter the room to see Sana and hastily backed out.
Legolas bit back a smile and wished he too could do that.
"But that's not all I came to see you about. You see, I have made a discovery as to who the lady was that bedded you that night in my place."
"How can you be so bold to assume that there was a lady?" Legolas retorted, he sat more upright as she walked round his bed with a carefree way that unnerved him.
"That was I thought at first but I have found out there was a lady by your very own tongue." Sana smiled, her eyes were positively gleaming at his discomfort, his soul stirred with the feeling of sickness as he asked her what did she mean.
"You laid in your bed a day past, the sickness that ailed you clearly befuddled your mind as you mumbled with a delirious tongue. Be fortunate that I heard and not your father."
"What did I say?" Legolas whispered, panic washed over him as his heart thumped with the fear of saying what he feared most.
"You said…" Sana sat down on the side of his bed, her eyes never leaving the discomfort on his face that was so clear to see, "Isil."
His hand snapped out in shock and fastened round her pale, slender neck as he hissed, "You dare make accusations when there wasn't any. Isil is my maid, the one who attended me in my sickness that you so relished over. You are a weak person for believing the words of a ill man lost in his own mind. Do you wish to see Isil with your own eyes and see the maid I talk of?"
Sana couldn't talk, she felt his fingers dig deeper into her windpipe and she could only nod.
"ISIL!" Legolas shouted and a maid ran into the room then halted with surprise at seeing the situation before her.
"This is Isil, the one I spoke of in my delirium. You dare make false accusations against me or my maid regarding matters that sicken me to speak of and I will act upon your words with much venom. There are certain benefits of being a prince I have you know." His threat caused Sana to pale dangerously and Legolas with disgust let her go, his eyes saw the marks he left on her skin and shouted, "Leave before I have you forcibly removed!"
Sana's legs shook uneasily beneath her then in a mad scramble to the door, she left in a torrent of hiccupping coughs as she clutched her throat. The slam of the door echoed over that stunned moment and Legolas in unbridled anger climbed out of bed, and with a yell of sheer fury, his hands upturned everything that was standing in the room.
Tables crashed, pottery and glasses smashed and inks spilled as he yelled like some wild animal that made Isil think of Gollum.
She watched Legolas, frightened for him as he grabbed the balcony doors and snapped to her, "Don't disturb me!" then the doors closed with a resonating sound that made Isil sink to her knees and cry with the fear that came too close to them.
"So the fact that Sana came into his room caused him to go mad?" Cleborn asked, Isil looked up from the draught board they were playing, to nod.
They were in the prison at Cleborn's suggestion, the guards found that Gollum's wailing ceased whenever she was near him and today Gollum sat against the bars watching the game, occasionally he would reach out and move the small black pieces that were Isil's, causing Cleborn to lose the last two games. Despite it being dingy and dark, the light of day gave them much illumination to play as it shone through the barred windows high above each cells.
Isil stared glumly at the board, not really thinking of her moves and she absently moved a piece for Gollum's hand to reach out and stop her, "No! Here!" he hissed and indicated to another piece and moved it for Cleborn to curse as he lost three pieces on one go.
"Thank you." Isil smiled sadly.
"Master not happy?" Gollum asked and Isil smiled, she had found out that the creature was more human that she thought and have managed to talk a conversation with him.
"No I'm not but don't worry." Isil patted his hand as he watched the sign of affection and gave her a gummy smile.
"It hurts us to see you sad." He hissed and Isil had to grin at that, another thing about Gollum is that he states the obvious and he refers to himself as us, making Isil conclude that his mental well-being wasn't intact.
"Here Gollum, have some meat." Cleborn slid the bowl of raw meat between the bars that Gollum cautiously approached, clearly not trusting the male elf.
The elf returned his attention to the maid who looked out of sorts with her usual self. She sat with a glum air about her and her aura confirmed it, a sickly yellow that signalled she was deep in troubled thoughts and he was guessing it was to do with Legolas.
Rumours told him that Rowan came to see Isil to find her crying in Legolas's room that looked as if a band of orcs have been let loose.
The damage have been extensive so much that Legolas have been moved to a temporary accommodation whilst the cleaners sort his room. Also to make the situation more interesting, Sana have ordered her staff to pack as she came to her room in tears and red marks round her neck. She left the palace early that morning and was now back at her old family home near the palace.
"What was said?" Cleborn asked, Isil looked up at him and with a reluctant sign replied, "I didn't catch all of what was said, I was called in and from what I did see and hear, Sana made an untrue accusation and a threat against Legolas that he didn't take too kindly to."
"Served her right, you don't make threats against Legolas, everyone knows that." Cleborn snorted, apparently at Sana's idiotic plot.
Isil didn't reply, prompting Cleborn to ask another question, "How is he?"
"I don't know, I haven't seen him." Isil shrugged, it was the truth. She haven't seen him since he told her….no, ordered her not to disturb him.
She since have purposely avoided him, scared at what she seen in him, a violent side that was uncontrolled and she couldn't guess what he was thinking right now. she taken on chores in other areas of the palace that didn't bring him near her and saw Sana leaving that morning with a sense of guilt that the lady have guessed right in her and Legolas's relationship but have paid a terrible consequence because of the truth she been forced to reject.
She didn't know what to do, yes she still loved Legolas but his outburst made her view their relationship as now a destructive one unless it was harnessed properly.
Somewhere behind them they heard the heavy door open and Cleborn stood up, "I think that someone coming to relief me."
"I best head back, I got chores to do and a prince to avoid." Isil smiled as she too, rose to her feet, she heard Gollum noisily ate his food and knew he wouldn't miss her presence for a while.
"Give Legolas time, he'll calm down and if he……" Cleborn broke off as he stared at something over Isil's shoulder, his eyes hardened as his lips formed a grim line. Isil, out of curiosity looked to see Legolas slowly coming the stairs, his face impassive but his eyes told them he heard every word so far.
He was wearing his guard attire and his hand was upon a large knife that hung from his belt. His other hand was holding a large bowl of raw meat that was Gollum's food. His booted feet made no noise as he stepped down the last few steps.
"I'll take up my part of the watch." He said, an air of authority that dared them to deny him.
"Are you sure? Don't you think you're pushing it?" Cleborn asked slowly as he watched Legolas's eyes glistened dangerously at the implied words that he wasn't up for such a simple task of watching the creature Gollum.
"I'm fine and I will have Isil with me in case I should feel unwell." Legolas retorted but he realised the severity of his voice and dropped a note as he added, "I just wish to talk to her."
"Talk is all you will do, no words of ill temper will be spoken Legolas." Cleborn warned and Legolas for one moment looked as if he was to rebuke his friend but nodded when he realised he had no right.
He watched Cleborn cast a look at Isil and smiled, "I'll see you later and take care."
He left them staring at each other as he ascended the stairs and left the prison. For several moments the didn't say a word and Isil, impatient of his eyes that bored into her soul took a step forward towards the stairs as if to leave but his arm shot out and his fingers gently halted her, then slid up to her chin and made her look at him.
"Forgive me." He whispered, his fingers now caressing the curves that softly sculptured her face he so loved.
"What happened?" Isil asked as she pulled her face from his touch, she wanted to keep things uncomplicated and she feared by his touching her, it would throw her off balance. She saw his eyes darken with pain at her abrupt gesture then he walked to the seats where the game of draught was abandoned.
He sat down and placed the bowl upon the floor and rearranged the game, putting the pieces back into their awaiting battle plans that were to be for-told. She seated herself across from him and watched his slender finger move forward his piece in a single gesture of attack. She counter attacked by moving out a piece to greet him in battle.
"Sana heard me in my delirium of my illness say your name. She knew that a woman took her place at the studding and figured it was you." Legolas softly said, his eyes watched Isil's confident sweep of her fingers halted as they moved a counter, her eyes were wide with fear.
"She made a threat against me and I didn't take it well, you could say fear overcame me for I denied such allegations most dishonourably and in a way that will haunt me for a long time." Legolas moved another piece and watched Isil, cautiously moved her piece forward, already seeing his battle strategy.
"She for too long have haunted my shadows, putting words out into the court and standing back to watch them take effect in the most vile of ways. She is cunning and I have been blind for a long time till of late. she made herself to be the fool out of her own actions and she wants me to pay for it." Legolas' voice rose in anger and Isil moved her fingers forward to caress his fingers as they sharply jerked a counter to its square.
His anger evaporated as he forgot the game and looked up at Isil who weakly smiled, her fingers holding his across the battle field that was silently put on hold in black and white.
"Don't call yourself a fool, your arrivals and departures from the court means that you don't hear the daily gossip so how could you see Sana's destruction?" Isil rationally pointed out, he nodded and cast a troubled eye over Gollum who was pawing at the bowl full of meat upon the ground. With a booted foot, Legolas moved the bowl between the bars and watched Gollum fall into it like a starved creature, despite there was four empty bowls in the cell.
"Why did you….touch Sana in the way I saw?" Isil asked, her mind filled with the image of the white faced Sana beneath Legolas' firm grip that only grew tighter till she could barely gasp.
Those marks!
Those awful red marks!
"I don't know but all I do remember that I wanted to hurt her as she hurt you. I didn't mean for it to happen but she put me in a spot where I didn't know what to do." Legolas flexed his hands, his eyes stared at his fingers full of shame that those weapon wielding digits, that held many an arrow or a woman's breast were used in the lowest of ways.
"Much of the court are unaware of what truly happened to Sana, and be thankful for that. No one but the inhabitant of that room, that day will know what happened." Isil said, Legolas looked up, his eyes were brewing like a dark storm haloed by the illness that left twin dark rings round his eyes and Isil was mesmerized by his lethal beauty.
"So what happens now Isil?" He asked, his lips moved as her eyes watched his face like a living piece of work, unrivalled by all artisan's hands.
"That is up to you Legolas." Isil smiled as he rolled his eyes, the gesture looking remarkably relaxed and silly on his fair face as he smiled, "Valar! I love you."
"I know." Isil moved a draught counter and Legolas looked down to see that Isil have conquered his pieces just as she conquered his heart.
He smiled, he should have known that, haven't everything she done so far made him love her more than he thought possible?
He knew that he should speak to his father to see if he could sway the law that barred him from being with Isil but he couldn't risk it. He swore to the Valar that if he was forcibly parted from the maid that sat across from him right now with a goofy smile upon her face as she waved a counter under his nose, he would go weak in the head and forced to howl at the moon and fade without her love, and that couldn't possibly do could it?
"Alright, just because you won that round doesn't mean you win the others does it?" Legolas challenged and Isil rose an eyebrow at his words before moving the pieces to start the game once more.
"Bring it on!" she smiled with a wicked smile and Legolas's mind echoed with that taunt.
Later………. He inwardly smiled, feeling his body stir at the things he would do to her that he knew would make her whimper his name and beg him for her release. He saw Isil move her counter forward and moved his, his smile growing on his face as the game progressed and she conquered him once more.
