Don't hate me for this chapter. I promise things will get better between them! I also created a discord for the story! (Technically Vanill created it. thanks!) /k44kus4z9X come join us!
I followed Tar-Mairon in a daze of whirling thoughts, confusion, and even more than a little fear. My thumb was hurting a lot, but my mind was focused on the obvious rage in Gothmog and his threats for Haldamire.
"I can sense you wish you speak. Speak freely" Tar-Mairon said glancing back at me with flames dancing in his eyes and a strange sense of relaxation in his tone. I could feel my breathing ease up minutely at his words and the strange effect.
"Will Haldamire really be tortured in madness?" I asked my throat feeling painfully tight with held back sobs.
"Highly unlikely. A far too valuable commodity. Rage fuels him on occasion, but he is far from a fool. Things would be, perhaps, much easier if he was" Tar-Mairon said with honey lacing his voice still. It was almost like I could just fall into it and be assured that Tar-Mairon would take care of everything. I shook my head to clear it a bit.
"You want something from me? Knowledge?" I asked feeling braver with Tar-Mairon than with Gothmog.
"Naturally, I desire knowledge. Yet it was not my main purpose in taking you from him." Tar-Mairon stopped and turned towards me then "Airawende, you disappoint me a great deal. Much too incompetent. Even with the help I sent you through Haldamire. Too little and too late"
I felt myself go pale at his words and the flames sparking even brighter in his golden eyes. His calming tone had vanished into something much sterner and darker. Tar-Mairon was someone I wanted to disappoint even less then Gothmog. I apologized almost instinctively and despite Tae-Mairon turning around to lead us on, I felt the danger had not passed.
"Where are we going?" I asked after a long moment of stretched out silence trying to shut down the fear that was spiraling through me.
"To test your competence" Tar-Mairon said with a note finality in voice. I could feel my eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
"competence in what?" I asked feeling many different emotions overpower the fear.
"Bring me any knowledge. Any new knowledge and you pass" Tar-Mairon said with both sweetness and darkness tinging his melodic voice.
"Where are we going exactly" my voice sounded breathless and I struggled to squirm when he glanced back over at me.
"To see a friend of yours" was his only reply and I kept my silence this time as we descended somewhere painstakingly familiar. The dungeons. Where I was found and where he was. I felt my face flush remembering what he had told me last time. Still just as confusing a maze of passageways as it always was. I couldn't help but wonder if the passages changed just to confuse me or if the turns were really as endless as they appeared.
I shivered and sped up the get closer to Tar-Mairon's warmth. He emanated less heat than Gothmog, but enough to stave off the worst of the chill as we got farther down.
"Go on Airawende. The door will open for you when you get to the right one. I'll send someone to bring you to my study afterwards. I do hope you pass. The results of failure would not be to your liking" Tar-Mairon stopped nearly causing me to bump into him due to my proximity.
I shivered from the cold, fear, and even hurt. I couldn't forget what transpired the last time I saw Maedhros.
"What's a mortal?" I asked before I could stop myself still unable to figure out the word. Tar-Mairon laughed and his golden voice filled the hallway.
"Death is mortality Airawende. You are no mortal anymore or have you so quickly forgotten my words that death is no longer yours and Haldamire's" He ran a finger lightly down my cheek.
"what are we then? What am I?" I asked.
"If you succeed then I may tell you. Or I may not. Information is never free unless it gains someone else something. What would you give me to know?" He smiled brightly at me and then left. I stared after him and jerked quickly in shock. I was holding a torch for light. How did I not notice?
A sour taste of discontent at my lack of awareness and knowledge filled my mouth as I trudged forward after watching Tar-Mairon vanish into the gloom. Had he been glowing? He wasn't holding any fire. Best not to think about these things or I'll only get more stressed.
I jumped at the noise of rusted hinges and turned to look at a dungeon door as it swung open. It echoed so loudly in the silence, but I knew it couldn't have been that loud. Tar-Mairon has frightening magic to open doors so far away. He truly didn't leave me far from it.
I really hope he didn't accidentally try to strangle me this time. I paused outside the door nervously. I could cry thinking about last time. So mean. I tried to peer into the cell, but my torch didn't light far enough into it with me standing here.
"By all means, my lady, please enter. Though I may not be able to host you properly" his words were edged with a dark sarcasm and disdain. I could feel myself getting angry at his spite and I stormed in.
"I don't like you anymore" I hissed glaring.
"A true tragedy" He sighed closing his eyes against the sudden brightness of the torch. The cell door swung closed and I jumped with a surprised yelp.
"Why are you like this?" I snapped letting out my frustration from everything.
"Like what?" he asked blandly opening his silvery eyes and staring at me.
"Like a..like a…" I frowned trying to think of a suitable word "Like a word that I don't know in this language!" I finally settled on, thinking with resentment that I didn't know any swear words in this language.
"Shall I instruct you in language then?" his mouth twitched with amusement and I felt the bite of his words.
"You're as crueler than Tar-Mairon" I said sulkily sitting down with huff. I glanced up at him and felt a faint feeling of satisfaction at the shocked eyes.
"then dare I say that you haven't seen the real Mairon yet" he scoffed with derision.
"Real enough to save me from Gothmog" I muttered in response.
"Think he saved you from his goodwill?" He asked without looking at me "You're still just as much a fool as you were the last time."
"doing better then you" I muttered resentfully avoiding his silver gaze. I didn't want to stare at him and let him know I thought he was as beautiful as Tar-Mairon despite being in chains and looking dirty.
"The little pet of maia. Doing better then me. How impressive" His tone sounded genuinely amused without the stinging sarcasm but his words still infuriated me.
"I am not a pet!" I spat glaring harder at the floor so I didn't cry.
"A fallen maia's whore then" he returned without any real inflection.
"I am not a whore either!" I could not help the tears this time. I tried to stop them, but failed. I did not want him to see me cry. He apparently did not want to either because he muttered a word I didn't recognize and leaned his back with a frustrated sound.
"I am not so foolish as to fall into this trap. Your tears won't change anything" he said darkly. I didn't look at him.
"I am NOT a trap" I choked out feeling distraught. I wanted Haldamire and I wanted to go home.
"You are a trap whether you know it or not" He sighed sounding tired.
"I just want to go home. I shouldn't be here" I whimpered saying it out loud.
"there is no escape from this place. I wish to go home as well, but it is barred from me whether I am in here or out there" he sounded unhappy as well. I mean, obviously, since he was in chains and very clearly beaten, but more unhappy than usual.
"Barred?" I asked tentatively lifting up my face and locking eyes with him.
"You do not know of the Kinslaying?" he asked studying me intently.
"Kinslaying" I said puzzling out the word before shaking my head "I don't really know anything about the world here except what Tar-Mairon had the Teacher tell us."
"The world here?" he repeated sounding the words out slowly "Were you born here? In The Hells of Iron?" he asked his silverly eyes seeming to pierce into my mind.
"No, I was born somewhere else" I muttered scowling "a nice place. Much more beautiful than here. Though I think anywhere is better then here"
"How did you come to be in Angband. How did you come to be in my cell?" He sounded suddenly furious.
"I don't know" I said into the burning silence. "I don't know how I got here in Angband and I don't know how I got into your cell. I was at home and I woke up there. It was so frightening and you saved me" I answered lowering my eyes from his furious and almost mad looking gaze.
"You are either a great servant of the enemy with illusions or being greatly fooled in your very mind" he sounded pitying "I almost do not know which is worse."
"I am with them and I am not being fooled!" I snapped feeling more anger rise up "I really did just appear from my home and woke up here!"
He shook his head at me looking mocking "Silly little child. How old are you?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" I hissed glaring at him and then looking at the wall. I couldn't take his mocking gaze.
"Go now child. They are here for you. Mayhap you will be saved from my cruelty if you bow and submit to your maia masters" He was gazing at the door as it began to swing open once again. I bit my tongue and resisted the urge to kick him. He was already in such poor looking shape. I might snap at people viciously too if I was in his position. Then I cursed myself mentally in my own language. I completely forgot to get something new to tell Tar-Mairon!