Disclaimer: If I don't own anything from the world of Tolkien, I hope at least to own your attention. ;o)
Author's note: This chapter appeared to be a bit longer than I had expected. Your comments will be much appreciated. :o) Thank you.
Deana: (waving my hand) Enjoy. :o)
Ara, Goddess of the broken:I blushed. It rarely happens to me. :o) Thanks for your review, it's heart-warming.
x-jacqui-x After such a praise how can I quit?
:o) Thank you very much.
Blackrosemystic: Not much of angst in this chapter, but I promise you plenty of it later. It's always pleasant to hear from you. :o)
Chapter seven.
New faces.
The feeling of cold metal so close to her bare skin nauseated Rexia. She was paradoxically glad that the grip of her captor appeared to be so strong – or else she would have simply sat on the floor, because her legs were sinking under her.
She had enough of quick wits not to twitch. The blade was so well sharpened that any movement could result in nothing but a cut throat, and she was definitely not ready to say good-bye to her life.
When the sickening green fog of first consternation fell from her eyes, she saw that the room was crowded with elves. Legolas occupied his usual chair. Four elves – slim and supple like withes – were gazing at her with unalloyed animosity in their lucid eyes, each holding a gleaming poniard. Next to Legolas settled another person, with his legs crossed and with the expression of mild irony on his regular-featured face. He seemed sincerely amused by the scene performed.
She ventured to look back and got a hard glance in return.
"What's the matter?" questioned Legolas anxiously, "What is it there?"
"I caught a spy, my Prince," told him the tower of an elf, not loosening his clutch. Rexia already heard her vertebrae crackle before breaking into tiny splinters.
"I'm not a spy," croaked she with absolutely an alien voice, "I'm a healer."
Legolas gave a start and leapt up, his brows frowned with anger.
"Let her go. Now." ordered he in a tone allowing no appeal.
Strong fingers around her neck relaxed, but just a bit, and she managed to take a sip of air. The smirk on the lips of the sitting one became even more apparent.
"She was eavesdropping," obstinately said the captor.
Under the cheek-bones of the elven Prince swelled knots of muscles. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to express whatever he was going to, because the only person in the room who found it all funny suddenly made himself heard.
"The thing is not that she was overhearing," he was lazily prolonging sounds, "The thing is how much she managed to overhear."
"I was not overhearing!" rejoined Rexia, gaining back her voice, "I just wanted to come in…"
"Lie," snapped back the stubborn guard, "she was standing there for some time."
"Even if I did hear, it doesn't mean I understood. I don't know your language," yielded she to the irrefutable evidence of her guilt.
By the distrustful looks of the elves Rexia tardily concluded that she made a mistake. The smile of the accuser sent goose-pimples down her strained spine.
"I would be glad to believe you, milady," drawled he, "but if it is so, how come that we speak Sindarin, and you answer with little trouble?"
"Milady" took a sharp breath and closed her eyes in defeat. Imbecilic slip… She rarely had any chance to practice deceiving and each time she dared somebody caught her red-handed. She always forgot her lies. But, honestly, this time it was even worse than that.
And she chose the only way of acting she knew when at bay. She got into a fury. A fury so wild that it became difficult to breathe. Why should she make excuses? Whatever she did it was her right. Why should she efface herself in front of this upstart?
"Go on," seethed she through clenched teeth, "press this piece of iron harder and your Prince will rot here as a blinkered and hobbled horse."
The elf behind her hesitated, his hands slightly trembling.
"Is he still holding you!" exclaimed Legolas. With rare satisfaction the girl noted that she would be very frightened if that dreadful note of menace in his question were intended for her.
"No, he has left me alone," lied she, this time perfectly smoothly.
"Then come here. Come to me," commanded the Prince. Under any other circumstances Rexia wouldn't bear any directions, but then…
She gave a sweet smile to the guard and without further hindrance released herself from his grasp to step closer to her patient. Legolas slowly returned in his chair, not letting her get an inch away from him. She was surprised, but suddenly appreciative when he made her sit on the elbow-rest near him and pointedly put his arm around her waist in a protective gesture. Having wavered for a time she relaxed, allowing him to guard her in that strange way.
"That's highly touching," commented the mocker, observing the picture with his eyes of an odd colour – withered green with brown specks dispersed around the pupils. His hair was also uncharacteristic of an elf. It was uncharacteristic even of a human - bluish grey waves, which fell on his straightened shoulders and finished with uneven strands.
"So," continued he, "now I see that you really are the healer of his. Forgive my suspicion, milady. I just expected something more … refined."
The arm around her strained. She narrowed her eyes. Even through the pane of her anger she saw that the elf was trying to sting – but not her. He aimed at Legolas, for some reason having assumed that she was his sensitive point and checking out the correctness of this assumption.
"I'm not sure I should understand your insinuation," said she coldly. Let him think she didn't see his real intentions and was mortally offended. Let him get bogged down in the empty wrangle with a blistering village maiden, instead of going on hurting Legolas.
However he didn't… He just smiled once more and gallantly nodded to her. Under his piercing glance Rexia felt not only obvious, but completely naked and transparent.
"Loyal, aren't you?" his tone was rather that of affirmative than questioning, "Very laudable. Though it's quite common for young girls."
She severely blushed and lowered her gaze, boiling with anger and desire to be swallowed up by the earth. Eru, was it so evident? Why can't she hold her tongue when it is appropriate?
"Well, since we know we can trust you completely, I think there will be no harm in enlightening you about the matter of our predicament," uttered her opponent almost civilly, "No doubt you race was surprised, to put it mildly, when we came back?"
Rexia slowly nodded her approval, pondering over the hidden motive of his wish to confide her something of manifest importance. She did not doubt for a moment that his aim was not a noble one.
"We returned in a search of someone. Of a very significant person. You heard of Valar, didn't you?"
And once more she had to express her agreement. Satisfied, the elf went on and didn't stop anymore.
"It happened so that Eru, may his name be glorified, decided that the Valar of the present need fresh blood. A new creature - gifted and blessed. A new Vala in a human flesh. He loves you, mortals," chucked he, but his eyes remained serious, "But… There are no people either in Valinor, or in his sacred halls, and all he could do was to breathe that sublime soul into one of those, who were born in Arda. However even the Valar themselves were not to know into whom exactly embodied their follower. They sent us to find the child and take it to Valinor, for a divine creature ought not to live among hardships and grief of your world. A feeling of being not like the others irritates and a feeling of being stronger than the others depraves. This creature is quite able to grow contemptuous towards the world and the souls of those, who live near him. It can become power-thirsty and cruel. And even Morgoth the Cursed did not cause such harm as this person might cause."
"But we were too late," said Legolas suddenly, "The child had already been brought into the world. And now we are looking for it, loosing the precious time. We began to think this new Vala knew that we had come and why we had. He seems to be hiding, though we always feel his presence… Everywhere…"
"Pray tell me, milady," the grey-haired bent forward; she unconsciously pricked up her ears, "Can you name anyone less normal than the others? Anyone … aside from people… Anyone with whom one is awkward, feeling that he is somehow different?"
"If you were not speaking to me, I would think that it's me you're speaking about," muttered Rexia thoughtfully, "Is it me?"
The elves exchanged derisive glances and almost simultaneously burst out laughing, sending the silvery notes through the air. It seemed to her that even Legolas slightly turned the corners of his mouth upwards. Not that she felt ashamed, but it gave her a very unpleasant after-taste.
"No, milady," responded the story-teller, "We know for sure that it is a man, not a woman. Besides you are too young. Of course, you gift is incontestable. But to be a healer doesn't mean to be a Vala. We have wonderful healers of our own, and still they are hardly different from each of us. And… by the way, how soon shall we have pleasure to see Prince Legolas in good health?"
The change-over was so sudden, that for a moment Rexia just stared at him, his words flying about her comprehension but not reaching it.
"Soon," answered she concisely.
"I don't see any betterments."
"To see the betterments is my duty," Rexia told him as peacefully as she could, "You have … a wonderful business of your own. Go on searching and let me go on healing."
The glitter blazing up in the green eyes testified that he didn't like her having a dig at him.
"Prince Legolas would be of a great help in our search. We are interested in his well-being."
"Edwen, it's quite enough," remarked Legolas.
"As far as I can judge you really are," she exaggeratedly glanced over the room.
"I think you either protract the cure on purpose, or, being a fraud, try to conceal your inability to do something helpful."
"And I think you undertake too much."
The elf stood up – so did she. Hostility arose over them, sharp and unmasked… For some time they were looking at each other, and then all of a sudden a smile as a poisonous snake crept upon his lips.
"Oh, now I see," grinned he, "Decided to use his advice and fall near, little lady? Doing all in order to be caught eagerly? Funny you are. This ring is not for your finger."
Rexia lost her gift of speech. The elf bowed and beckoned the others to leave.
"Don't lay yourself out so obviously," said he already in the doorway, "Even I don't believe he is credulous enough to pay any attention to it. Good day."
The door closed with a bang.
"The blueblood!" she spat out, quite enraged.
Sure, it was too late to say the final words. Besides, Rexia was so exasperated that it could take her at least two days to make up a smart retort. Such wicked calumny… And what is worst – that Edwen had good reasons to think of her the way he did. He was absolutely right about what was concerned with a cause of her behaviour. Just … he gave it a wrong interpretation, arrogating to her the motives which had little in common with her person.
"Who was he?" asked she, a little more calm.
"My uncle," replied the elf, nervously fingering the edge of his tunic, "My mother's brother. I'm sorry, but what did he mean by saying about my advice and your falling near?"
"It doesn't matter," she decided not to remind him about that accident on the day of their arrival, "He mistook me for somebody else. I hope you realize it," accentuated she not without the ulterior thought.
"I certainly do. I'm ashamed for him," Legolas told her quietly. He was very pale.
"And what else is left for you?" suddenly snarled the girl, "Though I know what. Try and recover as soon as you can so that I didn't have to associate with any of your relatives again!"
She immediately regretted her outbreak. It was not his fault that she had found an adversary over her head. She just couldn't see that bitterness in the corners of his lips and that shadow over his face. Call it stupidity, but she had to surrender.
"I'm sorry," said she almost in a whisper, "I didn't want to offend you. Let's forget it."
Legolas frowned with utter distrust. Then his features softened, and he smiled at her, which made her heart skip a beat. Either of her former denial, or of a new, strange pleasure… She chose not to get too deep into it…
"And what else is left for me?" questioned the elf softly.