Chapter 28: Rumil's Lover
(This should truly be about Florien's date, but that chapter is on my grandmother's computer and I won't be going there until Saturday earliest so… Enjoy this until then!)
The elf was still blindfolded and his wrists and ankles bound behind him, but he sounded shocked as he spoke.
"Take my blindfold off." The elf ordered, though he knew he had no power over whoever this was who captured him.
"No. Answer my question." Veassen gave his new prisoner a light kick in his stomach, making the elf gasp and fall over on his side.
"Unbound my hands then, at least!" The elf begged.
"No. Answer me now or I will take out my knife…" Veassen sneered.
"…Will you answer a question I have, if I answer yours?" The elf asked softly.
"That depends… Now, answer my question or else." Veassen said angrily.
"…I first need to know what your mother's name was." The elf asked gently.
"My mother's name was Ammoniel… She resided in Lorien for most of her life and fell in love with you, Rumil, and was still in love with you even after marrying my father, Tiryn, who was a man." Veassen stated. The elf, which was Rumil, needed not to think.
"I recall Ammoniel. I loved her so much, I still do. Ammoniel was the fairest she-elf I have ever known, I do hope she is well, with her husband, how lucky he is! I would love to be in his place, but I think your mother would be angry that you are imprisoning me… Could you take off this blindfold, so I could see her?" Rumil said sadly.
"See her? A lot wish they could. But she is dead. Now tell me, did you or did you not have an affair with my mother?" Veassen gave Rumil another kick.
"Ammoniel is dead? No! I always dreamed of being with her, she cannot die-
"ANSWER MY BLOODY QUESTION!" Veassen pulled out his knife and rammed it in Rumil's shoulder.
"Ai!" Rumil screamed as he felt the blood run down his arm and soak his tunic. "Just tell me what you mean by 'affair'?" Rumil asked quietly.
"I mean, have you ever brought my mother home to your talan and had your way in bed with her?" Veassen was full of anger now, Rumil was not answering properly and the subject of his mother always upset him.
"No! I'm an elf, and your mother was one too! Elves don't do such things at random!" Rumil said angrily. "But if I could have, I would have, when I had the chance. When she was alive… What befell her?" Rumil asked nervously.
"Her husband was abusive and when her husband took one of their sons away, she took the one she had left and left Lorien with him to get him to safety. She died in Mirkwood in grief, poverty and whilst caring for the only child she had left." Veassen said, turning to leave.
"No! I have… one more question!" Rumil cried out.
"What?"
"…Do you have my brothers captured?" Rumil asked quietly.
"Hm…" Veassen thought. He did not have Orophin and Haldir captured as he wanted, but if he pretended Rumil would have to listen to him or he could threaten to kill one of his brothers, even if he really would not.
"Yes. So you best listen or I will take off one of their heads." Veassen said as he left the cell.
"Maelui! Go clean up his arm." Veassen said, giving Maelui the key to the cell.
Maelui bent down beside Rumil, who thrashed around.
"Stay away from me you monster!" Rumil screamed. All Maelui did was try to hush him gently.
"Don't worry, calm down. He's gone now. I'm just his… servant… I'm here to clean your wound. Be at ease, I am not going to hurt you, good, calm down, lean against the wall and be at ease whilst I take off your tunic and unbind your hands and legs." Maelui whispered, untying Rumil's bound hands and then taking off the rope around Rumil's ankles. Maelui slowly removed Rumil's blindfold and took off the elf's tunic.
"Why are you nice?" Rumil asked as Maelui put Rumil's arm in a better position, being very careful.
"I don't know, I just am, I suppose. I am going to wash the cut, it will sting." Maelui said as he rinsed Rumil's arm. Rumil hissed as the water touched the gash.
"But you're not like him at all… Why do you work for him, then? Is the pay well?" Rumil asked, gasping as Maelui splashed a few drops of alcohol on the wound.
"I do not get paid…" Maelui muttered.
"But then, you must be… A slave… You are a slave?" Rumil looked at the elf with shock. Maelui simply nodded his head.
"I am. Now hold still whilst I bind your wound." Maelui said, taking bandages and wrapping Rumil's arm tightly.
"Thank you…" Rumil muttered as he looked at the well-bound arm. "Do you know what he will do to me, your master?" Rumil asked.
"I don't know. He could hold you for ransom, or keep you as his slave. I doubt he would kill you though, or he would have done it strait away." Maelui said as he locked the cell door, leaving Rumil to go see Veassen and find out what would befall Rumil. Maelui was starting to like Rumil, Rumil seemed kind, young and gentle, and unlike Veassen who was the only person Maelui knew at the moment.
"Sir, can I talk to you?" Maelui peaked his head into the dining halls. Much food was on the table and Veassen was eating, by himself. Judging by the potion of food Veassen had on his plate, much of the food on the table would be going to waste.
"Certainly. Here, pull up and chair and eat, there is a plate right over there." Veassen pointed to an empty plate. Maelui took the plate and took a chair near the fireplace and obeyed Veassen, pulling the chair up to the dinning table. Maelui looked at Veassen as the elf ate with his fingers, slowly nibbling a piece of steak.
"Eat Maelui, whatever you want you may eat, unless it is on the plate I am eating from." Veassen said. Maelui took a little scrap of meat and some vegetables and fruits. Maelui was curious to know who made this food, he had not seen anyone else aside from Veassen and Rumil actually enter the cave.
"Sir, what is going to happen with Rumil? Are you… killing him?" Maelui ask timidly. Veassen groaned.
"Maelui, I have many prisoners. It may not seem that way at the moment, for now all I have is Rumil and yourself, but I get many different ones, not usually at the same time. You will learn, eventually, not to become close with prisoners. They die… fast. But as for Rumil, I am certain his brothers would send me a hefty amount for their precious little brother to be back in one piece. If they cannot pay up, I will sell him as a slave, he'd make a nice slave. He is very strong and talented but not only that but being a young elf, he's quite the handsome one. You recall the men who brought Rumil here? I'm sure they would offer a good price for Rumil. I'm sure they would buy you too if they could, but you I plan on keeping for myself. And as far as money and Rumil goes, Rumil's elder brother, Haldir, has a very close relationship with princess Illiendal, of Mirkwood. I'm sure he will attempt to get his hands on her father's money to save Rumil. Who knows! Maybe Haldir could even get Thranduil to offer Mirkwood to me!" Veassen smiled, noticing how uneasy Maelui became about Veassen's taking over Mirkwood plot.
"Eat up Maelui. You are a bony little thing." Veassen aid, though Veassen too was just as bony, his skin practically sticking to his ribs.
"Yes sir." Maelui said. The food was not delicious, but Veassen was eating it and it was better than what any other slave would get.
During the meal, Maelui and Veassen talked very much. Veassen avoided talking to Maelui about troubling things, such as Rumil's imprisonment and especially Maelui's enslavement. Maelui actually enjoyed this meal with Veassen, it was the only meal he had eaten since the day before, at home with Yàviel, and all that he had eaten then was a orange wedge.
Veassen had actually joked with Maelui; they spoke of things just randomly, nothing concerning each other of course. It was a nice break for Maelui, a wondrous break from slave work.
After the meal, Maelui was sad to leave the table to get back to work. But he knew he had to behave still. Veassen only seemed to treat him well at supper, any other time he would get hit for talking so much. But all he had to do after supper was feed Rumil the remains of their supper, fill a bowl with water for Rumil to drink, bathe Rumil and then bathe himself before coming to bed.
When he arrived in the bedroom he saw Veassen sitting at a desk, apparently drawing. Veassen turned to face Maelui.
"You may sleep Maelui." Veassen said. Maelui nodded and curled up on the edge of the bed. Maelui's eyes slowly shut and later Veassen put his quill, ink and parchment down to doze as well.
Veassen looked down at the sleeping elf, almost in a loving way.
"Maelui, you are so pale, so appealing. You remind me of my dreams of Naneth, you have her eyes and nose. We both have Ada's hair, but you are the fairer of us two. You do not have such a scarred up body like I… You were lucky to know Naneth more than I did. You are so fortunate never to have met ada, as well. He was a monster. I'm glad I killed him." Veassen muttered as he looked down at Maelui, before getting beneath his blankets and soon falling asleep.
But Veassen was unaware that Maelui had been awake when he said those things.
To be continued…
I'm considering making a story just about Veassen, but it's only consideration…
Aranna Undomiel: It's Rumil! Do you know what Maelui means? I'd love to know what you think it means.
Haldir's heart and soul: Ah, no, it's not our beloved March Warden, but he will make an appearance when he's attempting to save his brother.
Miss Telcontar: Ah, but is it weird in a good way or in a bad way?
Bberry06: Good job Bberry! Here, have a yummy cracker. Oh, and you know our strange role-playing game that's going on? Well, what is it that Galion said to Cield screaming "Daddy! Galion wont clean my room"? The board is not loading so I'm going to have to ask you myself!
CapriceAnn: Haldir will be there, trying to pay a very big ransom. He'll have to go to Mirkwood and see if his lady will pay for him. Cliffhangers are fun!
Here comes the hockey puck: Power!
Karone Evertree: Florien is a gentle elf… It meant son of your elf mother. I meant to say she-elf, but I decided to put elf, so I think I should have kept she-elf. Veassen's father was a man… A mortal man, and his mother was an elf from Lorien. So, even after poor Veassen being beaten up by his ada, you still say he's evil? Usually the elfling beatings make everyone who screams DAMN VEASSEN! I'LL MOP THE FLOOR WITH HIM! Say 'Oh the poor dear! Kissy kissy bla bla!'… It was like that, sort of, with Cield… Well Veassen is pretty evil… I see your point…
Mistopurr: What does Maelui mean? I want to know if the right image is in your mind or not, don't want you confused now! If you'd prefer you can e-mail me the word's translation, but it's your choice, whatever's easier for you? Yea, Veassen is very pitiable now; I like writing a background on him…