hello hello! This is a dramatic and unexpected chapter (or it should be).
I shivered despite suddenly feeling overly warm. I never left my cell but Gothmog did for about 5 minutes before returning with 2 orcs carrying chairs. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that I might regret this. I was not really expecting him to want to talk immediately. I had not even thought about what I can say or how to translate things about her that may not exist here. He was regarding me with his piercing blood red eyes.
He had tried to give me a cup of water that one of the orcs brought and my throat had ached in excitement. But, alas, the water had all turned into hissing steam the moment he took the cup. I looked at the cup forlornly as the orc left with it.
I swallowed nervously waiting for him to speak first. I certainly was not going to test his idea of disrespect and talk first. He seemed to content to just analyze me. He spoke something in that horrid language and the other orc bowed and left. I stared at the open door in amazement surprised the orc did not lock us in.
"think you could get past me?" Gothmog said sardonically and I looked towards him. I shook my head mutely and I thought I could see a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "use your words Haldamire. You will need them"
"no" I answered meekly blinking as the torches flared bright at his power for a moment. The heat washed over me and breathed deeply. The memory of the cold, not even an hour old, was very present in my mind and body. I could still physically feel the cold if I thought about it, but that is certainly not what I was thinking about looking into his red gaze. I shifted uncomfortably and clutched my hands together. At least he gave me a chair to sit on and face him.
"no, indeed not. Let us begin." He said leaning back expectantly. I stared at him wondering what to say or how to start. I thought he would ask me questions. I shifted around more.
"Airawende likes purple. It her favorite color" I finally blurted out. Silence, of the worst sort, descended once again.
"Why would I care about that?" Gothmog finally said after a moment narrowing his eyes at me.
"You, you, you um, wanted to know things about Airawende" I said feeling faint.
"I said I wanted you to tell me how to make her adore me like you adore Mairon. Not tell me mundane things the Children are so fond of" he snapped as the torches flared brighter again. I could feel myself whiten as the blood left my face in panic.
"But, things like that" I said faintly "will make her like you." I finished weakly.
"Me knowing her favorite color is going to make her like me?" He said disdainfully looking at me.
"I mean if you give her things she likes" I said soothingly letting panic take over my voice for a moment "then she will be more inclined to like you. Its normal for people who like each other to give each other stuff"
"Stuff" he echoed his eyes boring into mine intimidatingly.
"yea, like Tar-Mairon gave me baby fluffy" I whispered looking down.
"baby fluffy" he said drawing out the words slowly "you mean the wolf pup he allowed you to raise. I think you mistake his intention." I shifted feeling danger. "You are, essentially, telling me to give Airawende presents and that will make her adore me."
"It will at least give her something of her own and be happier around you" I said closing my eyes with a shiver. Gothmog made a faint humming noise before speaking "Tell me about her traits of the Children"
"of the Children?" I asked wondering what exactly he meant by that and trying to think if Tar-Mairon had mentioned it before. I opened my eyes hopefully letting the confusion be translated to him without words. It sounded somewhat familiar.
"I didn't realize this conversation would be so infuriating" Gothmog said and the torches flared bright lighting up the room in a wash of oranges and reds.
"Sorry, please, I'm just nervous with you" I sputtered in terror shrinking into my chair.
"Most are" Gothmog said as the torches reduced in fire and brightness "tell me of Airawende before you came then."
"Oh, um, well Airawende and I were students before coming" I said trying to recall distant memories. Some of what I remember is clear as water, but for whatever reason, it seemed quite a lot of my memories of Earth were fading. I guess that I didn't really have so much time to think about and consider my old life.
"students" Gothmog said musingly before nodding at me.
"yes, I studied" I began ready to tell him about the science I enjoyed studying.
"I don't care what you studied." He interrupted "Just tell me of Airawende." I nodded going blank for a moment as I desperately searched my memories for Airawende's focus.
"Well, we weren't very far in our studies" I explained "but she was doing some kind of engineering studies I think."
"Engineering" He looked at me searchingly for a moment and tapped his long fingers on the arm his chair.
"She also had a boyfriend" I said thoughtlessly before instant regret washed over me and my eyes widened. Gothmog leaned forward and the room seemed to suddenly heat about 10 degrees.
"What is a boyfriend?" He asked probingly.
"It, uh, nothing really. Just a person of the opposite sex, who happens to be good friends with you. Nothing really exceptional" I said floundering and trying not to say anything that would piss off the fire demon.
"Doesn't sound like it" He said challengingly and then softly "do you know what happens to those who try and deceive me? In any way." I swallowed in terror and found my voice was trapped in my throat. He could hurt me badly right now. What if he killed me? Would Tar-Mairon care? Would he mourn? I shook my head at him as little whimpers escaped.
"It's not the same for us" I choked out trying to ignore the threat.
"Not the same?" he demanded in a way that wasn't a question, but a command. A command to tell him everything I knew.
"Relationships, with romance, are very common and some of us have many of them" I said looking down still feeling the terror clog my throat a bit. I could feel sweat starting to form on my body as the air heated even more.
"How ridiculous. Children indeed" Gothmog said sounding pissed. I refused to look up.
"Don't worry, they only slept together once" I said trying to diffuse his anger. Silence descended and I realized that I had just made things for us very, very bad. "I think. I could be wrong. I don't really remember too much. Honestly. Maybe nothing happened and I'm just remembering things that are normal where we are from."
"Airawende is not pure?" His voice sounded distorted and far away. I was so scared that I couldn't even think straight.
"It doesn't matter for us" I whimpered feeling dizzy as I kept looking down.
"Doesn't matter for you does it?" he asked rhetorically. I blinked and looked up as the voice sounded much closer and realized he was standing right in front of me looking down.
"I didn't mean that it doesn't matter. I just meant that I don't remember, but if she did then it doesn't mean anything" I said rapidly trying to find a way out of this situation.
"Well if it doesn't matter, then I can just take you right here" He just gripping my arms. I jerked trying to get away but made nothing happen.
"No, it will matter. Please. That's not what I…" I struggled to find words and expiations.
"It doesn't matter for you whether we do anything or not" he threw the words back at me and I shivered trying to wiggle out of his grasp.
"No! stop!" I screamed as he swept my legs out from under me and lowered me to the ground. I tried to push up, but he was already leaning over me. He made a scoffing noise as he suddenly ripped the fabric across my stomach open. He released and stood up.
"How pathetic you Children are. It doesn't matter for us" He snapped "I will find Airawende myself and see for myself what matters"
I watched him leave without moving a single muscle. He was only gone for a second when the door clanged shut and I heard the lock click. I stayed where I was trying to straighten out my thinking and too terrified he would come back at some point to move. Why did I say that? What the hell had I just done?