Chapter 22

A Prisoner Once More

Tari gazed over the city of Minas Tirith from her balcony. The armies would march for Durthang tomorrow, and she would fight by their side, disguised. She needed to get inside the fortress, and get Estellia before Arya knew she had even approached it. All in all, it was going to be far from easy...

Asfaloth skillfully dodged the uruks, as his mistress sliced them apart from atop. Her helm impaired her vision slightly, so it was hard to see everything that was coming. But she whirled her blade, feeling it connect with the many heads of orcs.

Tari's breath came short in her chest when she saw the White Rider, leading the armies against the uruks. His white staff held aloft, emitting a bright light that blinded the creatures.

Tari steered Asfaloth far from him, knowing that the wizard would know the elven steedif he saw him. The fortress wasn't far now...

Asfaloth reared up to avoid a spear being thrust towards him, causing Tari to lose her seat, and fall to the ground. Immediately, at least four orcs set upon her, trying to drive their blades into her chest. She parried their blows, knocking the scrimtars from their hands, and slicing their grotesque heads from their shoulders.

She ran. The door to the fortress was only a few yards away... Tari let out a cry of intense pain, as an arrow lodged in her shoulder. She felt her knees hit the ground, as her hands fumbled to the shaft of the arrow. Her fingers wrapped around the misshapen wood. She drew in a deep breath, and pulled the arrow from her body with a scream. The arrow's blunt tip was covered in her blood, and poison. But she didn't care. As long as she had strength, she needed to find Estellia.

She forced herself to her feet, and sprinted the last few yards to the doors, throwing them wide and running inside the fortress that she hadn't entered for the last 634 years. Everything was the same... The hall that lead to the torture chambers and dungeons was still to her immediate left. The grand staircase before her that led to the upper levels...

Tari shook her head to clear her mind of the horrible memories invading her conscience. Her feet ran swiftly up the stairs, as her elven ears attuned to a faint crying that she heard.

Down the corridors, a left, a right, a door... The crying grew louder as she came to a deserted corridor. Her fingers fell upon the handle of the door the cries emitted from, and she opened it.

Upon the bed was Estellia, weeping. A gag was in her mouth, and her hands were tied behind her back. Fear was in her eyes as she saw the soldier. Tari realized this, and removed her helm, her long hair cascading down her back as she ran to Estellia's side.

Estellia shook her head frantically, the fear still clearly evident in her eyes. "No...!" was her muffled cry, "go! Sheez 'ehind oo!" (A/N: Translation: She's behind you!)

"What?" Tari whispered, seeing Estellia's gaze fall over her shoulder. Tari turned sharply as the door closed with a snap.

Arya sneered at her, as she clapped her hands. "Well done, Tari, well done indeed." she cackled.

Tari shielded Estellia behind her as Arya approached.

"My dear Tari, you are so very predictable. I knew you would come gallivanting off to war to save her, even though your dear husband told you to stay. No, Tari doesn't listen to anyone. Tari does what she wants, without thinking of others. Tari is a foolish little elleth who thinks she can defeat me..." Arya said, walking sedately over to her.

"Let-us-go, Arya." Tari said harshly.

"You see!" Arya sneered again, "There you go again! Do you honestly think that just by saying that in a cold tone of voice, I'll let you just waltz out of here? No, little princess. I have better plans for you. Only one of you is going to walk out of this castle alive. And the decision of who it is, shall rest solely upon your husband's shoulders."

Arya clicked her fingers, and immediately, six orcs came into the room with ropes and chains. Tari drew her sword against them, but it shot out of her hand and into Arya's grasp. The orcs fell upon her, binding her wrists and legs, and gagging her. One wrenched her wedding band from her finger, and brought it to Arya, who twirled it enviously around her own finger. They kicked her in the stomach, the head, her legs, her back...

"Atara!" (mother) Estellia shouted, having wriggled free of her gag, tears falling like rain down her flushed cheeks as she cried out to her mother.

"Put her in the deepest, darkest chamber in the fortress!" Arya shouted at the orcs as they dragged a beaten Tari out of the room. "We'll see if we can't break this elleth of her spirit..." Arya reached down and yanked Tari's head up by her hair, whispering close to her ear, "Welcome back, slave..."

Meep! Tari's captured! sighs Again. If there is even to be a rescue, I warn you that it shall be much more complicated, mind boggling, and probably get a couple people mad. A big thank you to everyone who reviews my story! You all get invisible cookies! Let me know when you find them, because I lost mine. scratches head I have the box, it's just that there isn't any cookies in it. Hmm... REVIEW PLEASE!