Chapter 43: Ionwe
The conversation between Maelui and Florien had to end quickly, as soon Florien heard footsteps coming up to the cave. Maelui cleaned the mess up quickly and put Florien back in his cell just in time.
Veassen opened the door only moments after Florien had gotten into his cell. Everything seemed in order, Maelui was cleaning walls and Florien was seated alone in the shadows of his imprisoning cell.
Maelui looked up to see what Veassen had brought with him. Veassen was dragging something behind him, and at first look, it seemed he carried meat carelessly, but it was not so.
Veassen threw what he carried on the floor in front of him, and what he carried made a soft groan, but stayed unconscious, or asleep, whichever it was, it was not clear to Maelui if it even remained alive.
Veassen had brought an elf back, a male elf. He looked young, younger than Florien. The elf was probably in his teens, possibly the equivalent to a 14-year-old human. The boy had long, shiny, silvery hair, probably the same length as Cield's, which was past his waist, though this elf had blood stained in his silver locks.
"Is… Is that elf… Dead?" Maelui asked shyly as he looked down at the elf that lay in front of him. Veassen looked down at the elf and gave it a kick in its side. When the elf made another noise, Veassen was confirmed that it still lived.
"No, it sounds alive to me, it wouldn't make a sound if it had died… All I did was hit it on its head with the hilt of my blade; apparently it was too hard for him. I want you to clean him up, Maelui." Veassen instructed quickly.
Maelui pulled the elf into his arms as Veassen left. Maelui did not find himself to be much of a healer, but he had to do as Veassen had ordered, and he did want to help the young white-haired elf.
Maelui looked at the damage done on the elf's head. It wasn't too bad, but it did create a lot of blood to spill. As Maelui tended to the elf, he did not fail to notice marks on the elf's visible arms, showing that this would not be the elf's first time being captured. Maelui had a feeling this elf had worked for others for much of his life.
Maelui bandaged the elf's head and changed the elf into newer clothing, what the elf was currently clad in was old, ripped and very muddy. Now all that was left was for him to wait patiently for the elf to wake.
Maelui was then ordered to put the elf away in a cell, which he did. Maelui watched the elf as he slept. The elf was very young and actually very pretty, his white scars barely showing. Maelui felt bad that such a young, healthy elf would have to endure this type of cruelty.
In only a few hours, the silver-haired elf was awake and looking around curiously at his new surroundings. The elf did not seem very shocked to have moved places since when he had been conscious, as if it was a very normal thing to have happen.
"You are on the borders of south Mirkwood… You are owned by Master Veassen." Maelui whispered, looking up at the elf as the elf looked back at him. The elf did not say anything to the elf.
"I am Maelui… I am… A slave of Master Veassen's. I do not know what your use here will be." Maelui continued to speak to the elf, which still said nothing. Maelui did not find the elf looked scared… But still, the elf said no words.
"What is your name?"
Again, there was no answer from the silver-haired elf. He did not speak a single word. It was not soon after Maelui asked that question that Veassen entered the room.
"So it has woken up?" Veassen looked at the silver-haired elf, which this time did not look at him.
"Yes… Sir, who is he? He will not speak to me!" Maelui asked Veassen.
"He does not speak to you because he is dumb. He cannot speak… That is what will make him the perfect slave, he cannot argue, and he is well-trained." Veassen explained.
"Can he understand us?
"Of course."
"And what is his name?"
"Ionwe is what his former master told me."
Maelui walked over to the cell and looked in on Ionwe. Ionwe did not seem to find it odd that he was being watched, and sat their quietly as Maelui observed him.
"Is Ionwe… Replacing me?" Maelui asked Veassen.
"I do not know. If you cannot do a good enough job compared to him… Of course he will. For now I will leave him in there, just until I know exactly what to do with him. I will leave you two alone… Don't kill him now, he is worth a lot more then you ever did and ever will be." Veassen said that before he left the room hastily.
Maelui looked at Ionwe, and wished he could figure some way to speak with him. Maelui wanted to know so much about Ionwe and where he came from, but that could never happen if Ionwe was voiceless.
Maelui saw a scrap piece of parchment lying on the table and an idea sprang to mind. Maelui was quick to grab the paper and start writing a short message to the Ionwe.
Maelui passed the message through the bars of Ionwe's cell, and Ionwe looked at it.
The message was very clearly written 'Can you read and write?' and Maelui had left a little bottle of ink and a quill with it so that Ionwe could write back, if he could.
Ionwe picked up the quill and dunk it in the ink after what seemed like reading the message. Ionwe wrote on the paper and soon passed it back.
All that Ionwe had written was 'Yes.'
Maelui smiled, he had established a form of communication with the mute elf.
In Mirkwood, Tonus was spending some time with Faeron. The two where actually in the basement of their home, cleaning, but Faeron was having fun all the time since Tonus fooled around and played with him at the same time.
"Hey what's this?" Faeron had picked up a book and was flipping through pages with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
Tonus smiled and walked over to Faeron, looking over his son's shoulder to see what was the matter. When Tonus saw the pages of the book, he tried to hide a quiet gasp.
The book had belonged to Florien; it was a collection of drawings of Locien and Florien, as well as Tonus and Yáviel. This brought back happy memories and yet at the same time, it broke Tonus' heart to see his sons again, now that he believed they both where dead. It did make Tonus glad though, now knowing he had portraits of both sons he had lost.
"That's just… Some drawings… I did." Tonus lied. Most of them had been by Locien or Florien.
"Who are these elves ada?" Faeron put his finger on Florien's face, smudging it slightly, and another finger on Locien. Tonus lifted the fingers off, not wanting to damage what he had left.
"Just… Elves. They are no one, I was bored one day and drew them just at random."
"Oh. They are nice. They look handsome." Faeron said, Tonus smiling at this.
"Yes… Well why don't you give me that and we can go take a break from cleaning to have some ice cream?" Tonus suggested. Faeron's face brightened and he dropped the book, running to the kitchens.
Tonus picked up the book and smiled, carrying it away with him, planning to hide it and keep it precious.
To Be Continued…
I'm so sorry that I am so slow at updating! I am working on a new chapter of Haldir's Return right now!