I know I'm horribly late, but for some reason I just could not write on this story. I couldn't think of anything and the plot bunnies wouldn't help….. Sorry about the long wait!
Chapter 22--Breaking Point
Jaisia could see the dark, crowded and smelly hold that was their prison was finally starting to get to Legolas though he tried to hide it. She knew she had to do something before it got any worse. He fell into a light reverie late that afternoon. That night when Xavier entered with a couple guards, she acted. "He needs to be taken from here," she said as they passed.
Xavier stopped short and looked at her. "What?" he asked.
"He needs to be taken out on the deck or he will fade," Jaisia said.
"What do you mean fade?" Xavier demanded.
"Die, he will die," Jaisia replied.
"Nonsense, it is just a trick," one guard snorted.
"No, it is not! Legolas is a Wood Elf and he cannot bear being imprisoned like this. He needs to be outside every day or he will die and you lose one of your prizes!" Jaisia retorted.
Xavier frowned at that. He still wasn't sure if Jaisia was telling the truth, but he didn't want to take any chances. The Elf was too valuable a prize to waste. "Tomorrow I will come to fetch him," he said and they walked off.
Jaisia let out a sigh of relief. She and Legolas had survived so many things together and she refused to lose him now! She closed her eyes and fell asleep herself.
Footsteps woke Legolas from a restless doze and he blinked, trying to focus. When he could he found Xavier leaning over him, studying him. One of his guards stood next to him. "What do you want?" Legolas demanded.
Xavier calmly gestured to the guard who began unlocking the shackles. "We are going for a little walk," he said.
"I am not going anywhere with you!" Legolas snapped.
Their voices woke Jaisia and she knew immediately what was going on. "It is alright, Legolas. They are just going to take you up on deck for awhile," she soothed.
Legolas gave both men a glare. He didn't trust them, but he did trust Jaisia. He let them pull him to his feet and shackle his wrists then they led him from the hold. The sun was so bright after all the time he had spent in the dark hold that he had to close his eyes. It took him several minutes to adjust and open his eyes again.
Xavier and the guard led him to the railing, but stayed close to make sure he didn't try anything foolish.
A salty breeze blew through Legolas's hair and sent it swirling around him. Never had a cool breeze felt so good to him as it did that moment. He closed his eyes in pleasure and sighed.
Xavier had moved away and was studying the Elf from a distance. His second in command, Salin, came up next to him.
The Elf is a beautiful creature, never have I seen one so fair," Salin remarked.
"Indeed he is, such a beauty should be offered only to the most wealthy of buyers. We will have a special auction with only the wealthiest of all attending. No sense wasting him," Xavier remarked. His eyes were filled with greed as he imagined the gold he was sure the Elf would bring. He frowned at Salin as a thought came to mind. "Prepare one of the extra cabins for a prisoner. He and that Centaur must be kept apart from now on."
Salin nodded. "I will attend to it at once," he said and hurried off.
After a hour Xavier told the guard to bring Legolas and follow him.
It didn't take long for Legolas to realize they were not heading for the hold. He stopped short. "Where are you taking me?" he demanded.
"To your new quarters," Xavier said.
"I was content in the hold and would prefer to return there," Legolas said.
"I do not care what you prefer. You are a slave, a piece of valuable merchandise. You have no say," Xavier said. He gestured to the guard and kept going. The guard dragged Legolas after him though the Elf fought him every step of the way.
They came to a door and Xavier opened it. He nodded to the guard.
Legolas was shoved into the room so hard that he fell. The door closed and there was an ominous click as the door was locked behind him.
This kind of fouls up their escape plan, huh? R/R please!