A/N: Warning for language.
A/N: Thoughts will be in italics.
A/N: I established in another story, that in times of extreme emotional stress, Anayah can shake things up a bit. Melian the Maia, Queen of Doriath, and wife of Thingol, is one of her ancestresses, and through Melian, and with Gandalf's tutelage, she can do certain things - shake rooms, blow things up, start fires and pick locks. I know Tolkien purists are shaking their heads but anybody who has even a rudimentary knowledge of genetics knows that certain genetic traits can be passed on but may not show up for generations until all of a sudden … whoops, there it is! This is an AU story not to mention that it is mine! So to forestall arguments this time around … loosen your girdles and have a little fun!
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"In sharing, in loving all and everything, one people naturally found a due portion of the thing they sought, while in fearing, the other found need of conquest." Chief Luther Standing Bear, SIOUX
Chapter 21
Legolas
By the time the sun had begun to set, Anayah was almost fully prepared for her part in the upcoming events. Her hair had been dyed blonde, a fact she was still not totally comfortable with. Being familiar with the twins' as well as Aragorn's practice of dying each other's hair with dyes that would not wash out, she had made a point of telling the twins that if the dye did not wash out on her first attempt, that Imladris would be blessed with the presence of bald twins, the first since the "Great Awakening." Though both twins had once more promised her that the dye would be gone with the first wash, Anayah was still apprehensive.
The second thing that really bothered her was her costume. As she stood in front of her Captain to show him the full effect of her "disguise," she pulled and tugged at various parts of the fabric, especially the parts that did little to hide her fuller figure.
"Rahan, my thingies are showing! What am I going to do if someone tries to 'handle the merchandise?'"
The big Captain tried not to laugh outright as Anayah jumped up and down and jiggled her ample bosoms, trying to settle them deeper into the bodice of the dancer's costume the twins had procured for her.
"Anayah, I am quite sure that if anyone lays a hand on any part of you that you will find a variety of suitable ways for them to die."
Anayah looked up at her Captain then sighed deeply.
"I don't think I have been this nervous in … like forever! Rahan, I have ridden against the Ulaire and have not been this nervous."
He laid a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.
"You will do just fine, Anayah. I have faith in you."
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Two hours later, the sun had set and people were beginning to gather for the feast. On the knoll looking out over the Palace grounds, Anayah, Rahan and Súrion lay in concealment, watching the people entering the Palace. Finally, they knew the time had come, and after receiving a hug from both Guards, Anayah walked forward and fell into step with the others.
When Rahan looked over at Súrion, he could see the apprehension on the Silvan Guard's face.
"She will do fine, Súrion. Besides, she will not be alone."
"I know, Boss Man. I still can't help worrying about her though."
"Aye. Neither can I, my friend."
Together the two stood and after raising their hoods, walked forward to mingle with the crowd.
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After entering the Palace, and because the other entertainers were walking among the crowd, laughing, talking and feasting, Anayah decided to circulate as well. She counted all the entrances and exits, the positions of the guards and gathered various other logistics information to take back to the others at the end of the night. At one point, she felt as if someone was staring at her intently but when she began to cast furtive glance among those in the crowd, she could not see anyone staring - many were leering - but nobody was staring. Anayah decided to ignore the feeling for the moment as she continued to make her way to the dais where the High Chieftain was sitting.
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He had been casually leaning against one of the massive stone pillars, watching the crowd as the people milled about, talking and eating some of the many delicacies that were on the serving platters various slaves were carrying as they circulated among the people. It was the same crowd - the same faces - always the same faces and not for the first time, he asked himself why he stayed in Hoth instead of moving on. Once again, he came up with the same answer - where would he go?
Suddenly the atmosphere of the room subtly changed - someone was there who should not be. It was not a bad feeling he got - just a curious one and he scanned the crowd, looking for anybody or anything that seemed or acted like they didn't belong there.
Then his eyes fell on one of the dancers. It was not so much what she did that drew his attention - it was what she didn't do. She didn't lower her eyes or walk slouched over like many slave girls did - it was almost as if she was studying the people in the room. This one, he wanted to watch closely.
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A hand was suddenly laid on her shoulder and it took every bit of control she could muster at that moment, not to scream and jump away. She casually turned to find one of the Palace guards standing at her shoulder.
"It's your turn to entertain." He said bluntly before turning and walking away.
Taking off her cloak and throwing it over a nearby empty table, she walked to where the musicians for the night were sitting and spoke to the leader of the group.
"I want drums only. Do you know the rhythm of the war drums of the Haradhrim?"
With a nod, the leader turned to those who were sitting at the large drums and nodded his head. They began … and Anayah began to dance.
She felt the vibration of the drums in her mind and her skin started to tingle in response to the call to war that the drums emoted. Her body whirled, her legs stomped the beat and her hands made the motions of a warrior's sword and spear. The drums were tribal and they spoke to her heart.
As she made her way across the part of the floor reserved specifically for the dancers, she saw him. He was sitting near the feet of the High Chieftain, the leader of the Wainrider people. The woman was not even paying attention to the entertainment and specifically, Anayah, so she took the opportunity to dance closer to the dais. She wanted to get a closer look at Legolas and the High Bitch that was keeping him as her slave.
She danced in front of Legolas and was shocked, for he was horribly thin and badly bruised from beatings as well as from the horrid slave collar he wore around his neck and from what she saw, the fire seemed to have been beat out of him as well, as he sat listlessly staring at the floor. His clothes were ragged and filthy and were much too large for his slender frame. Anayah felt her heart began to beat faster in her anger and she knew she had to get Legolas out the Palace as quickly as possible.
Then she danced closer to the High Chieftain. Seeing the woman from a distance didn't do justice to her true size and aura of power. Yes, she was all of six feet tall, but as Anayah looked at her carefully, she could see that she was solid muscle, her bare arms corded and developed like a man's, her hands large and looking like they would love being around someone's throat. Her first thought was that this leader was a woman trapped in a man's body or the other way around … Anayah told herself that either way, it didn't matter - if she ever had to fight the High Chieftain, she would be in deep trouble!
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Legolas glanced up as the slave girl danced by in front of him, leaping then bending and twisting, subtly stomping out the beat of war as her whole body moved in the same rhythm as the deep bass voices of the drums. He didn't know what had made him look at the dancer … for a moment, it had almost felt as if she was familiar to him. He once more lowered his eyes to the floor. It wasn't possible that the slave girl was someone he knew … it just couldn't be possible.
He let his mind wander back to Mirkwood and he remembered the beautiful trees and how they looked at sunrise when they were dappled with both dew and the sunlight of a new day. It was in remembering these things that his spirit felt more at ease for he truly missed his home, his family, and he missed Aragorn. A tear rolled down his cheek and he wiped it away before the guards could see it for the guards always made fun of him when they caught him crying.
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Anayah was frustrated by the fact that she couldn't get Legolas to look at her for even though she knew she couldn't get him out of the Palace that night, she wanted to at least be able to give him a measure of hope. The poor thing looked so humiliated and diminished as he sat at the feet of his Master like a dog on a leash.
She also took note of the personality of the High Chieftain. Rahan had told her that the Wainriders were vicious and from what she was seeing, the word cruel was a word well suited to these people as well. Ostara was extremely aggressive and Anayah could tell that she was not one who respected a timid person and in that respect resembled the alpha female of a wolf pack. Like the alpha female, if she saw weakness, she would go for the throat, for there was no place in her world for the weak.
As Anayah danced by the dais where Ostara was sitting, she noticed that the High Chieftain was totally ignoring her - not that it mattered. She was arguing with someone that Anayah guessed was a minor Chieftain and the timid man, in his attempt to defend himself was making the High Chieftain extremely angry. As Ostara argued, she strode up and down the dais with grand flourishes of her arm to emphasize whatever point she was trying to make.
Movement from her left caught her attention and she slightly turned her head just in time to see one of the guards aim a blow at Legolas's head. The elf cringed and ducked away from his tormentor and when the guard missed, the human glanced at the High Chieftain and seeing that her attention was elsewhere, kicked Legolas hard on his leg. When the guard saw him rubbing his leg to ease the pain, he bent over and whispered something to him then lewdly licked his sensitive ear. Legolas covered the ear with his hand and tried to push the guard away from him. Just as the guard raised his fist for another blow as punishment for the elf's impertinent behavior, the present entertainment, a blonde slave girl from somewhere to the south, accidentally danced into him and knocked him down then without missing a beat, quickly danced in another direction.
The diversion had been enough and the dull-witted guard forgot about tormenting the prisoner and walked away toward the refreshment table to get himself another fermented drink.
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In the back of the large room, deep within the shadows, stood two hooded and dark cloaked figures. The largest of the two watched as the dancer "accidentally" danced into the guard then shook his head as he turned to his friend.
"That young elf is going to send me to an early grave one of these days."
Although the second figure remained silent, there was no mistaking the shoulders that shook with silent laughter.
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Anayah's attention was once more drawn to the argument between the High Chieftain and her guest.
"But Ostara, that territory has been in my family for generations - it once belonged to my father's father."
The big woman walked up to the much shorter man and glared down at him.
"Need I explain to you, little man, that if I say that piece of dirt you call 'yours' belongs to me … that it belongs to me?"
The smaller man was clutching the armrests of his chair as if he believed that they alone could protect him from his angry leader.
"Please, High Chieftain. If I give you that territory then I will only have a small parcel left and it won't be enough for my people to support themselves on."
Ostara continued to stride up and down on the dais.
"You are greatly mistaken if you think that your concerns for your people are mine as well. If you truly believe that 'gifting' me with this parcel of land is going to be so terribly hard on you and yours then perhaps you should leave Hoth altogether and find somewhere else where you can support your people. But then you would no longer be under the protection of your leader so if you don't want to ally yourself with us then go!"
The man rose from his ornately carved chair and walked until he was in front of the High Chieftain.
"Ostara, I am not leaving and if you want my territory, then you are going to have to move me from it physically."
The other guests seated on the dais, held their breaths and looked from the smaller man to the larger woman, hoping that their High Chieftain would not perceive the smaller Chieftain's words as a challenge for if she did, their would be an extremely short fight and the whole evening would be ruined.
Unfortunately, Ostara did recognize the man's words as a threat and responded to it appropriately.
"Little man, if I want that property, you will gladly gift it to me for if you do not, I will raise arms against you whether you have allies or not - it is your choice.
The smaller Chieftain, hoping that the witnesses to the argument would have a tendency to calm his leader somewhat, began to bluster.
"You wouldn't dare raise arms against me. Your people know that we have always been your loyal allies so what would they think of you if you attacked my family?"
Ostara whirled on the Chieftain, her eyes boring into his and without thinking, the man backed up two steps.
"Do you really think that is of any concern to me? You stand between me and something I want, little man, and if I have to come and get it, you will give it to me and you will scream while I take it."
The shorter man shoved his hands deep inside his colorful robes so that the others could not see the trembling of his hands.
"Ostara, please. I know that you can't be serious about raising arms against me. I'm sure that we can make some kind of deal for I have always been one of your staunchest allies - we have been through much together."
"I'm not serious?"
The big woman drew her dagger and the other Chieftain knew that he had made a poor choice of words."
"You don't think I'm serious - that I won't do exactly what I say I am going to do? Let me show you just how serious I really am."
Taking the few short steps to where Legolas sat, she calmly reached down and drove the dagger straight through his hand and deep into the leg beneath it. With no regard for the wounded elf, she viciously withdrew the dagger and ignoring his scream, she kicked him onto his side then turned and walked back to the Chieftain she had been arguing with. Looking into the Chieftain's eyes, she wiped the knife on the man's robes.
"Next time, little man, that will be you."
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Anayah had quit dancing, the music had stopped and everyone in the room was staring at the drama that was occurring on the dais. Her breathing quickened as she tried to quell the fury she was beginning to feel inside of her as she wondered at the black heart that was so cold that she who bore it could stab a person then just leave them bleeding and in pain. Her eyes moved to Legolas as he sat near the High Chieftain's chair, holding his hand to his chest and rocking back and forth as he tried to comfort himself. Tears streaked his dirty face as they made their way down his cheeks.
For a moment, she tried to imagine what it would be like to kill Ostara and just what she could do to cause her the same physical and emotional pain that she had caused her friend to feel. Anayah shook her head, for in truth, Ostara probably did not have the capacity inside of her to feel fear or pain and in that respect was a true automaton.
It was at that time that the room began to shake and the people began to mill about, frightened at the movement of their surroundings. Then Anayah felt the mental touch and heard the soft thoughts of her Captain.
"Pull it back, young one. Now is not the time."
Acquiescing to her Captain's wishes as well as his good sense, Anayah closed her eyes then concentrated to withdraw the energy she had unconsciously turned loose that had made the room shake. Within moments, everything was still once more.
After a few more moments, the people seemed to get over their fear and returned to their feasting and partying.
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The grey eyes continued to watch Anayah from the shadows. He was puzzled for he had felt the power emanating from the blonde slave girl but didn't understand how this could be. Who was she? Yes, she would indeed have to be watched very closely.
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CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: I am so glad you are enjoying the story and it is my sincerest hope that you continue to be entertained. Thank you so much for your review.
Kukumalu: The last horse I worked with was a wonderful animal with a kind yet sensitive disposition. He was scared to death of men and was quite unmanageable. The poor thing just didn't understand what was expected of him and once I made sure he understood, he was fine. A week after I started working with him, I had the owner's 2-year-old daughter on him, riding by herself. Horses are not stupid but their thought processes are just a little more "basic" than a humans and we cannot treat them as subservient beings, but must treat them as partners.
(Is Legolas crying out for...his ADA?) Remember Thranduil's nightmare? Who can explain elven magic, intervention by a divine power (aka the Valar) or even a bond of the heart between a father and a son? The proud Prince of Mirkwood is being held as a slave by a brutal Master or in this case a brutal Mistress. He is a wood elf and is being kept in a dark cell with no windows. Not being able to see the stars in addition to the brutal treatment is receiving is beating down his spirit.
The Guards told Aragorn that Legolas was dead because they knew there was a close relationship between the two and used the fact of Legolas's alleged death as psychological torture - and Aragorn fell for it - poor Ranger.
Unfortunately, Ostara, the "man with breasts" is a female. Anayah is an elf, and a young one at that, but unlike the older, more disciplined and reserved elves, she often wears her emotions on her sleeve, so-to-speak, especially in the case of someone she doesn't respect - and she doesn't respect Ostara. If someone like Ostara lived in our world in 2005, doctors might suspect either steroid use or hormone problems. But in the mythical world of Middle Earth, Ostara is just a "BBB." (Big Boned Bitch)
As to the balloons …I was Raquel Welch for Halloween one year and wore balloons under my shirt. The costume worked well until a friend of mine popped one of the balloons. Then I had to wear the costume with only one boob sitting in the middle of my chest!
Vera Cd: Welcome! Thank you very much for your review. I'm in the process of bringing my story lines together so there will be a lot happening in the coming chapters. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.