Hello again! Two chapters in one day! The first one, Chloe POV, was a little bit short so I tried to make it up here. Enjoy!
I sighed deeply pausing in my pacing to peak out the door again before resuming agitatedly. Airawende was gone when I woke up and there was no trace of anyone or anything. I know I should call her Chloe and refuse them the pleasure of erasing our names, but I think it is simply too dangerous to keep doing. One slip up could cause irreparable damage. I kicked the wall cursing at the pain in my toe. What flimsy shoes. The way the teacher did our hair is not flimsy like these shoes at all. It still feels pretty well maintained except for escaping strands. I paused in my pacing again hearing an odd walk come down the hall. No way its Tar-Mairon. He walks so you cannot even hear him. I bolted to where I had woken up laying and crouched down trying to hide. What if it was another of those horror creatures from in front the big room? I closed my eyes trembling. What if it was orcs wanting revenge?
A bizarre sort of sniffing and panting noise approached closer and I forced my eyes open trying to peer over without being seen. I slapped a hand over my mouth and the horrified choking noise I let out caused it to instantly turn its amber gaze toward me. It was a huge black furred wolf with a white sock on the back left leg. As big as a pony or even a small horse. Oh lord help me it's coming nearer! I inched slowly back towards the wall as it prowled closer to me. I closed my eyes waiting to be ripped apart as my back hit the wall. I felt its nose touch my ankle and start sniffing me. I couldn't stop the tears from pouring out. I let out a terrified sob and squealed as its tongue darted out across my face.
"Master Mairon sent me to fetch you" it said with its tongue lolling out. I tried not to gape at the wolf as the words issued forth. I shook my head closing my eyes.
"Wolves don't speak" I muttered to myself rocking back and forth into the wall and off the wall. Whatever he did to me made me insane! This is an illusion of confusion.
"I can speak quite well. Now come. He does not like waiting overly much" he said nudging my shoulder gently with his nose. I felt a shiver go through my body and reached out a trembling hand. With wide eyes I very gently poked one finger into the fur. I bit my lip nervously. He wasn't my imagination. His head cocked sideways in a very funny manner and if I wasn't so distressed by his presence and speaking ability I might have laughed.
"Such a strange little girl. You know, I was sent because I am the least violent" He said almost conversationally with pride like we were peers.
"The least violent?" I asked standing up slowly. He turned towards the entry way and I followed him out.
"Well, I do enjoy killing and the hunt, but I have much more control over my instincts then some of my brethren" he seemed quite pleased by this fact.
"Are there many of you?" I asked beginning to lose some of my initial horror and wiping away the wet remnants of tears off my cheeks and eyes.
"Oh yes, many of us. Master Mairon gave us intelligence and many other gifts. He is our lord." He turned to look at me still trotting forward.
"Could you slow down a bit? How did he give you intelligence?" I asked nearly running to keep up with his lengthened bounds.
"Such a slow creature. I do not know exactly, but Master Mairon is very powerful" He explained slowing down. This wolf is the nicest creature I have met since coming here and he admitted he likes to kill. What a place for me and Airawende to be trapped in. I felt my chest tighten at the thought where she might be. Hopefully Tar-Mairon took her, but I am inclined to believe it is not so.
"do you know if Airawende is with Tar-Mairon now?" I asked trying not to sniffle.
"I would not have the authority to know if he had her. You're a slave and he lets you call him Tar-Mairon instead of Master?" His ears pricked up and I guess that's a wolf sign of curiosity.
"He just told us to call him Tar-Mairon. Are you a slave? Is that why you call him master?" I asked curiously, but instantly regretted it at the resulting snarl.
"I am not a slave. What an insolent question. As if a wolf would be enslaved here. We call him master because he made us and is our lord". His pace increased.
"I'm sorry" I panted trying to keep up "I didn't mean to offend you. I truly did not know. Please slow down" I finally halted leaning against the wall breathing hard. I am clearly out of shape.
"Truly so weak. Come we will get there faster if I bear you" He said crouching down.
"Excuse me?" I asked horrified. Ride a giant wolf. I'm going to fall right off.
"We have wasted much time with your slow pace and lingering in these halls is unwise even for someone favored. You are small and the weight shall be nothing for me even if it is undignified to carry a slave." I bristled slightly at the word slave, but tried to keep a lid on my reaction. He didn't seem to notice, but surely Tar-Mairon would have. I frowned thinking about him deeper. Nothing seemed to get past him at all. Even at times he wasn't present. I reached out a grabbed a handful of fur. It was pretty slick. I really hope I don't fall off. Even with the wolf crouching, I struggled to get my leg over him.
I screamed as he rose and bolted forward before I had a chance to get balanced. I swayed dangerously over one side and with strength borne of terror managed to get a solid grip on the other side. I closed my eyes tightly and leaned in as close as I could to the fur when I heard loud shouts and screams in the distance get closer. I felt something brush past my arm and resolutely kept my eyes tightly shut not daring to peek. I took the teachers advice of not looking to heart. I know she just mentioned the throne room, but they obviously do not stay in the throne room all of the time. I don't want to see anything in the halls. I will be too terrified to leave our room, even to bathe, if I see something scary. I know that I will.
I had no idea how long he had run with me on him when he slowed down and finally stopped.
"You can get off now" He shook his fur like a dog and with a yelp I slipped over one side hitting the floor hard with my elbow. I struggled to push myself up without giving him an accusing glare. No need to make the only semi friendly creature in this place I know, besides Airawende and the teacher, more angry with me. Well, I guess, as a wolf, he probably would have eaten me if Tar-Mairon had not told him not to. Or maybe as a sentient wolf he doesn't eat people and by kill he means just animals. Only animals I hope.
"When you said you liked the hunt and killing, what is it you hunt and kill" I asked dusting off my ceremonial outfit which had wolf fur all over it. His tongue lolled out of his mouth for a moment as he turned his head sideways again. Is that a wolf quirk or a him quirk? I should ask his name next.
"I hunt what I want to hunt and sometimes Master Mairon has us hunt rebellious slaves for sport and insubordinates." He sniffed the air. "I wonder if I will hunt you in the future". Okay, not friendly at all. Not friendly. Is there no one is this place with any kindness?
"You want to hunt me?" I asked quietly. He shook his fur and trotted off again.
"I am curious to take a bite of your flesh and taste it, but you make interesting speech. I wish not to permanently kill you" I found myself mouthing the word permanent several times in confused consideration and trying to willfully ignore the part about eating a piece of me for flavor testing.
"What's your name?" I asked trying to forget the hunting, killing and tasting Haldamire.
"Ungo in Quenya. We are almost there, I can hear Tar-Mairon speaking to an orcish captain." I shivered when he said orcish captain, but tried just to think about Tar-Mairon. Maybe he could tell me about Airawende's whereabouts.
"Quenya?" I asked puzzled. Is that the language we know or does his name just happen to mean something in the language we are speaking, but it really means something else in another language?
"You are a strange one to not know the name of the language you speak" I felt my face burn with a blush thinking that the teacher might have mentioned a Quenya early on in our lessons. I probably was not proficient to realize it was the name of our language.
"Do you speak other languages?" I asked feeling slightly embarrassed and irritated at the same time.
"Of course" He wagged his tail back and forth with energy. Why does he, and Tar-Mairon to an extent, never elaborate without another question? Do they think we know this stuff or something? He let out a bark or a wolf yip or something that was not quite a howl as we approached a large door. Not anywhere near a fraction of the size of the throne room door, but perhaps twice as large as Airawende's and my room door. It opened and an orc walked through it. I lowered my gaze trying very hard not to make eye contact with it, but it strode past me like I wasn't there.
"Come in, little one" Tar-Mairon's voice sounded from inside the room. I looked at Ungo, who had stopped a few paces back and was sitting on his haunches. I turned back forward and steeled myself entering. I do not know what I was expecting from Tar-Mairon's room, but it wasn't this. Books lined the wall and shelves with oddly shaped jars with contents that were who knows what. Four tables were set out symmetrically separated with enough space to walk between all of them with another person comfortably and various tools on top of them. I looked at Tar-Mairon standing by a desk seating in the back. I felt strangely reminded of a classroom parody by this setup despite knowing that Tar-Mairon was the one using all of the tables and not teaching. He beckoned me closer with his fingers and turned opening another door into an adjacent room. I hadn't even noticed there was another door in here.
This room was much nicer then the first room and so much more comfortable looking then Airawende's and my room. Not that our bed and room is not comfortable, but it doesn't look this comfortable. I tried not to stare at the naked luxury all around the room in the embroidered rich fabrics and solid wood furniture. Before stepping into this room I would have believed it not possible to exist here. Tar-Mairon laughed at my expression and I stared up at him. Even in laughter his eyes are so penetrating and very ominous to gaze into. Like eternal flames dancing in the background of them it somehow both terrifies and draws one in.
"Come sit with me" He motioned towards a couch and a couple of chairs arranged around a small table in part of the room. I followed obediently and took a careful seat across from him on the couch. He stared at me for a long moment as if in contemplation. "Tell me Haldamire, do you feel any different?"
"Different? Different how?" I said desperately trying to figure out what he meant and terrified my confusion would anger him.
"That is enough of an answer. Now tell me Haldamire, where did you come from?" He smiled at me and I felt my body releasing some of its tension. I shifted back into the couch more comfortably put slightly at east by his relaxed tone and smile.
"It is kind of difficult to explain. I am not sure I have the correct words for…." I trailed off turning to look back into the office science room as a knock sounded. I glanced back at Tar-Mairon to see if I had permission to continue or if he was going to go answer the door. His frown had all of my previous tension returning as if a spell was suddenly broken. I swallowed this time leaning into the couch out of fear instead of comfort. He stood suddenly and I felt my terror increase at the sudden unpredictability of his motions.
"Haldamire. You are tired. Go through the second door and go to sleep. We will speak of your origins when you awaken again" I felt my head start spinning as he finished his sentence and I stumbled up in the direction in he pointed to. More doors. He has many rooms. I fell into the door slightly trying to blearily keep my eyes from closing. How odd to be this sleepy after waking up from the injection not even half a day ago. This is too much of a puzzle for to think about now. My eyes and mind just need some extra rest. I yawned finally managing to yank open the door and when I looked back before entering, Tar-Mairon was gone.
I felt a brief flash of excitement penetrate the encroaching haze of darkness at the warm looking blankets and cushions. I flopped onto and let myself be once again swallowed away from here.