I don't own any of Tolkien's characters or places, I only own my own.
Chapter 10: Reunited
Taraancaiel followed the group of dwarves that continued to drag her through the dimly lit forest. She stared at the ground as she walked, her emerald eyes devoid of any emotion. Every now and then, the dwarf that held the rope that was tied around her wrists would give a sharp tug that told her to speed up. The image of Cuephel writhing in a pool of deep red blood was haunting her mind, and even though it was his fault that she and her sister were captives, and even though she had despised him, she could not help but feel sorry for him. Taraancaiel quietly looked behind her at her sister, Aralondwen. The young blonde maiden was shaking slightly, and tears clouded her green eyes. Taraancaiel turned back around, a new hatred burning in her eyes. She did not care what happened to herself, but she would not let anything happen to her sister.
A few hours later, the dwarves finally halted. One of them came and tied Taraancaiel and Aralondwen tightly to a tree, smirking evilly at them as he did. He left them once they were secured, but first he ripped off both of their jeweled headbands, symbols of their status, undoubtedly to be used for proof of their capture to King Thranduil. As soon as he had left, Aralondwen began to weep silently. Taraancaiel looked over at her sister, sorrow in her own eyes.
"Do not cry, sister," she said softly. "Do not despair yet, not all hope is gone. I promise I will get you out of here somehow."
Aralondwen looked up into her sisters eyes. "How can you promise such a thing?" she asked through her tears. "Did you not see what these monsters did to Cuephel? They are going to do the same to us as soon as they lure Father and King Thranduil here; they are going to destroy everything!" Aralondwen continued to weep bitterly, gaining some attention from the dwarves.
"Aralondwen, calm yourself," Taraancaiel whispered urgently. "You must stay calm, the dwarves will hear you."
Aralondwen paid no attention to her sisters warning. "I care not if they hear me," she spat angrily, "They are horrible, revolting creatures! Because of them and their greed I shall never again see Father or Encirthion again.." She broke down and began to cry hysterically, causing one of the dwarves to come over to them.
"Shut up, you worthless elf-wench!" the dwarf shouted angrily, glaring down at Aralondwen. "Shut up or I will give you something to really cry about!" Aralondwen either could not stop crying or didn't try to, but either way the dwarf was still angered. "I warned you," he growled before he raised his thick fist and slapped her across the face. Aralondwen shrieked in pain, but did not stop her weeping. She closed her eyes tightly and shook with suppressed sobs as the dwarf scowled down at her. He glanced over at Taraancaiel who was glaring up at the dwarf murderously. "Let that be a lesson to you," he snarled, "Do as we say or face the consequences." He bent over and put his face right into Taraancaiel's, so that when he spoke she could smell his putrid breath. "Do I make myself clear, elf?" Taraancaiel did not answer right away, but instead spit in his face. The dwarf cursed loudly in rage as he backed away and wiped the phlegm out of his eye.
"Yes, you make yourself quite clear, Master Dwarf," Taraancaiel growled, her eyes narrowed in hate. "Dwarves must be weaker creatures than I thought, kidnapping women to ransom them because they're too scared to fight themselves. Does it make you feel strong to beat up on defenseless women, too?" The dwarf snarled in rage and grabbed Taraancaiel by the neck.
"I should cut your throat for that, you dirty little wench.."he spat, his beard twitching in anger.
"Then why don't you?" she asked, surprised by her own daring. "Are you too afraid?" Before she realized what had happened, many things happened at once. The dwarf unsheathed a long, bloody dagger, intending to slice Taraancaiel's throat, but before it could touch her neck, the dwarf screamed in pain and fell over, clutching his shoulder. Taraancaiel looked up, now released from the dwarf's grasp, and much to her surprise, saw an arrow sticking out of his side. She looked up, now released from the dwarf's grasp, and tried to see who had shot the arrow, and soon her eyes fell upon him.
It was Legolas. He had jumped into the clearing and his bow was singing. Dwarf after dwarf fell dead with an arrow planted somewhere in his body. Taraancaiel watched him in awe, just as she had when he had defended her from the spiders days ago. It was not long before all the dwarves were either dead or had fled, and those that had been smart enough to run, Legolas had let go.
Legolas turned and looked at Taraancaiel from where he stood and she was shocked to see fear in his blue eyes. He ran to her, cutting her and Aralondwen's bonds, then wrapped his arms around her so tightly that she feared she might burst. Tears ran down her face as she held him, but she let them flow freely without shame, and she was surprised to see that glistening tears streamed from his own eyes as well.
"Taraancaiel.." He whispered, not letting go of her still, "Ai, my love...forgive me..."
"There is nothing to forgive," she whispered back, placing a hand on his face. "It is I who should be asking for your forgiveness.."
"Nay, I should not have left you," he said, running a hand through her long dark hair, "Because of my foolishness you were almost..almost." He hung his head in shame but Taraancaiel placed a hand under his chin and tilted his head to look into his eyes.
"Do not dare blame yourself," she said, almost sternly. "If not for you my sister and I would both be dead." Legolas sighed but smiled slightly. He leaned in slowly and kissed Taraancaiel slowly and passionately.
"I love you, Taraancaiel," he whispered.
"And I you, Prince Legolas," she replied dreamily. They stood in each others arms for a while until a shrill scream woke them from their daze. They turned around to see Aralondwen, her face pale and her eyes wide in terror.
"What is it, Lady Aralondwen?" Legolas asked, looking at her with concern.
Aralondwen's hand slowly rose until she was pointing into the forest, where hundreds of bright yellow eyes were peering at them. Taraancaiel gasped and Legolas instantly readied his bow as they watched the eyes get closer.
Sorry about not updating in FOREVER but I've been really busy. I'll try to be better at updating, I promise. Ok, please review or email me at demoness33@hotmail.com, thanks!
Chapter 10: Reunited
Taraancaiel followed the group of dwarves that continued to drag her through the dimly lit forest. She stared at the ground as she walked, her emerald eyes devoid of any emotion. Every now and then, the dwarf that held the rope that was tied around her wrists would give a sharp tug that told her to speed up. The image of Cuephel writhing in a pool of deep red blood was haunting her mind, and even though it was his fault that she and her sister were captives, and even though she had despised him, she could not help but feel sorry for him. Taraancaiel quietly looked behind her at her sister, Aralondwen. The young blonde maiden was shaking slightly, and tears clouded her green eyes. Taraancaiel turned back around, a new hatred burning in her eyes. She did not care what happened to herself, but she would not let anything happen to her sister.
A few hours later, the dwarves finally halted. One of them came and tied Taraancaiel and Aralondwen tightly to a tree, smirking evilly at them as he did. He left them once they were secured, but first he ripped off both of their jeweled headbands, symbols of their status, undoubtedly to be used for proof of their capture to King Thranduil. As soon as he had left, Aralondwen began to weep silently. Taraancaiel looked over at her sister, sorrow in her own eyes.
"Do not cry, sister," she said softly. "Do not despair yet, not all hope is gone. I promise I will get you out of here somehow."
Aralondwen looked up into her sisters eyes. "How can you promise such a thing?" she asked through her tears. "Did you not see what these monsters did to Cuephel? They are going to do the same to us as soon as they lure Father and King Thranduil here; they are going to destroy everything!" Aralondwen continued to weep bitterly, gaining some attention from the dwarves.
"Aralondwen, calm yourself," Taraancaiel whispered urgently. "You must stay calm, the dwarves will hear you."
Aralondwen paid no attention to her sisters warning. "I care not if they hear me," she spat angrily, "They are horrible, revolting creatures! Because of them and their greed I shall never again see Father or Encirthion again.." She broke down and began to cry hysterically, causing one of the dwarves to come over to them.
"Shut up, you worthless elf-wench!" the dwarf shouted angrily, glaring down at Aralondwen. "Shut up or I will give you something to really cry about!" Aralondwen either could not stop crying or didn't try to, but either way the dwarf was still angered. "I warned you," he growled before he raised his thick fist and slapped her across the face. Aralondwen shrieked in pain, but did not stop her weeping. She closed her eyes tightly and shook with suppressed sobs as the dwarf scowled down at her. He glanced over at Taraancaiel who was glaring up at the dwarf murderously. "Let that be a lesson to you," he snarled, "Do as we say or face the consequences." He bent over and put his face right into Taraancaiel's, so that when he spoke she could smell his putrid breath. "Do I make myself clear, elf?" Taraancaiel did not answer right away, but instead spit in his face. The dwarf cursed loudly in rage as he backed away and wiped the phlegm out of his eye.
"Yes, you make yourself quite clear, Master Dwarf," Taraancaiel growled, her eyes narrowed in hate. "Dwarves must be weaker creatures than I thought, kidnapping women to ransom them because they're too scared to fight themselves. Does it make you feel strong to beat up on defenseless women, too?" The dwarf snarled in rage and grabbed Taraancaiel by the neck.
"I should cut your throat for that, you dirty little wench.."he spat, his beard twitching in anger.
"Then why don't you?" she asked, surprised by her own daring. "Are you too afraid?" Before she realized what had happened, many things happened at once. The dwarf unsheathed a long, bloody dagger, intending to slice Taraancaiel's throat, but before it could touch her neck, the dwarf screamed in pain and fell over, clutching his shoulder. Taraancaiel looked up, now released from the dwarf's grasp, and much to her surprise, saw an arrow sticking out of his side. She looked up, now released from the dwarf's grasp, and tried to see who had shot the arrow, and soon her eyes fell upon him.
It was Legolas. He had jumped into the clearing and his bow was singing. Dwarf after dwarf fell dead with an arrow planted somewhere in his body. Taraancaiel watched him in awe, just as she had when he had defended her from the spiders days ago. It was not long before all the dwarves were either dead or had fled, and those that had been smart enough to run, Legolas had let go.
Legolas turned and looked at Taraancaiel from where he stood and she was shocked to see fear in his blue eyes. He ran to her, cutting her and Aralondwen's bonds, then wrapped his arms around her so tightly that she feared she might burst. Tears ran down her face as she held him, but she let them flow freely without shame, and she was surprised to see that glistening tears streamed from his own eyes as well.
"Taraancaiel.." He whispered, not letting go of her still, "Ai, my love...forgive me..."
"There is nothing to forgive," she whispered back, placing a hand on his face. "It is I who should be asking for your forgiveness.."
"Nay, I should not have left you," he said, running a hand through her long dark hair, "Because of my foolishness you were almost..almost." He hung his head in shame but Taraancaiel placed a hand under his chin and tilted his head to look into his eyes.
"Do not dare blame yourself," she said, almost sternly. "If not for you my sister and I would both be dead." Legolas sighed but smiled slightly. He leaned in slowly and kissed Taraancaiel slowly and passionately.
"I love you, Taraancaiel," he whispered.
"And I you, Prince Legolas," she replied dreamily. They stood in each others arms for a while until a shrill scream woke them from their daze. They turned around to see Aralondwen, her face pale and her eyes wide in terror.
"What is it, Lady Aralondwen?" Legolas asked, looking at her with concern.
Aralondwen's hand slowly rose until she was pointing into the forest, where hundreds of bright yellow eyes were peering at them. Taraancaiel gasped and Legolas instantly readied his bow as they watched the eyes get closer.
Sorry about not updating in FOREVER but I've been really busy. I'll try to be better at updating, I promise. Ok, please review or email me at demoness33@hotmail.com, thanks!