"You're very bold for an Edain child," he mused, still looking down at Cassidy who slowly rose to her feet. She remained silent, waiting for him to continue his speech. "So what is it... that gives you the intrepidity to summon me to my own Woods?"
Cassidy took a deep breath. She had a lot of time to think things over and consider her options. In those days of waiting, that white hot rage that bubbled before fading out, leaving behind weariness and frustration. She reminded herself that the elves were likely as confused as her, and being unknowledgeable at her world, were easily fooled by Lucius' silver tongue. She was trying her best to not hold it against them.
"I would have happily asked for an audience in your home, but I was denied access."
"My warriors disallowed you to come armed."
"I'm not one inclined to give up my wand so easily. Cassidy Oleander, from somewhere... very far away. Nice to meet you."
"I have heard of you, I have seen your sorcery," his tone was icy as he spoke.
"Oh... ya... the howler," Cassidy chewed on her bottom lip at bit. If she was being honest with herself... that was a bit of a hasty move. "My apologies for the disturbance, I was a bit impatient to meet with you."
"And so you hold a guest of my realm hostage?" One eyebrow arched expectantly, forcing Cassidy to look down towards Lucius, still tied and silenced at her feet.
"Now he's the reason why I wanted to talk to you," she inhaled deeply, drawing on her patience. "Whatever this man has told you, it's a lie. He's from my world and he's an incredibly dark wizard... evil to his core and the follower of a very powerful, very mad wizard who will so whatever it takes to rule my world. He's slaughtered and tortured hundreds of innocents and he is an expert liar."
"And how do we know that it isn't you who is evil?" Legolas interjected from beside the King.
Cassidy thought it over. Lucius was many things... but a liar was near the list. He fought on Voldemort's side in the first Wizarding War and somehow came out with his position still intact. He rubbed elbows with his high society Pure Bloods, Death Eaters, and Ministry officials, never batting an eye at the lies he wove. There was one thing however... that would be undeniable.
"You all have magic within you... it's small, but you're creatures of it."
"Take care with how you speak of the Eldar, witch!" The King hissed his words in anger.
"You hold the same contempt for me." She pointed out before reaching down to grasp one of Lucius' arms. She drew back the sleeve to reveal his Dark Mark. The elves around her made an audible sound as they saw the stark black lines of a skull with a snake creeping out. She then lifted her arm, ignoring how the elves around her tensed and grasped their bows and swords tighter. "What I'm about to show you is the symbol of his 'Lord,' the one who he follows. He's known as a Death Eater, and this is what they do each time they kill someone and want to brand the corpse like some sick trophy."
Cassidy closed her eyes. She hated to do this, she hated that she knew the words to the evils spell... but she had been on enough Death Eater raids to pick up on a thing or two. Summoning her strength, she ignored the frantic struggles of Lucius as she placed the tip of her wand to his forearm and spoke the words with that grating hiss of dark magic.
"Morsmordre."
At her words, a dark plume of green smoke rose up from where her want met Lucius' forearm. The smoke swirled up and a horrifying hissing sound filled the air as it grew in height, glittering specks of green like the stars of some twisted constellation merged with he smoke to form a massive skull, snake slithering from the open mouth. The entire forest seemed to grow darker as the sickly green light of the Dark Mark outshined the sun.
All around her, the elves cringed as if in pain. Many hands fled from their weapons and instead pressed against their foreheads like they struck by some sudden migraine. The King himself flinched under the light of the mark, his own hand gripping the side of his face as he clenched his teeth. Legolas beside him looked like he would be ill, and Aragorn, a regular muggle, seemed more unsettled than ill. Nonetheless, it was clear to everyone what sort of darkness the Mark meant.
The King was the first to recover.
"What foul evil do you dare bring into my realm?!"
"It's his magic, his dark brand," Cassidy then lifted the silencio that she had on Lucius, allowing him to speak again. "Let him explain."
The elf King looked down his nose at the thoroughly disheveled wizard kneeling beside Cassidy. She maintained a firm grip on the back of his robes and held her wand ready... just in case. The elf's glare was withering and even the usually proud and pompous Lucius seemed to be stricken by his cool rage.
"I... I- it's a deception. She is... she is the caster of darkness-"
"That brand itself is foul. I can feel the evil in in." The King seemed decently unimpressed by Lucius' excuses.
"It was forced on me!" He blurted out, obviously in a panic. "The- the Dark Lord... he's evil and dangerous. He threatened me- and my family. I had no choice but to take the Mark!"
Cassidy's lip curled in disgust. One thing that made her truly and utterly despise Malfoy was his cowardice. He picked the side that fitted most with his twisted ideals of superiority, but when it came down to the wire, he would shirk and whimper for pity as if he had not been a Death Eater leading raids on muggles for the fun of it. But, whenever his precious Lord called again... he would slink back to his side like the worm that he was.
The elven King however, to his credit, didn't seem to buy Lucius' story one bit. He looked even more disgusted then before as he spoke again.
"Take care with the lies you spread. I hold little tolerance for such in my Kingdom."
"I'm not-"
"You may silence him again if you wish," the King waved his hadn't lightly and Cassidy obligingly replaced the silenceo.
"Now do you believe me?" Cassidy asked after a significant pause had passed. The King's eyes were glaring into her and she swore that she could feel the tension emanating from Aragorn behind her. The King's eyes then skirted over Cassidy and Lucius, landing on Cassidy's new friend.
"And so tell me then, Son of Arathorn- yes I knew your father once. The resemblance is striking," the King had the most peculiar way of speaking. It was as if he was constantly bored and indifferent with who he was addressing, and yet at the same time he maintained a high level of intensity. "But tell me, what is a Ranger doing with a Witch in my land?"
"Your Majesty," he bowed once again. "I come on an errand from Mithrandir. There is a creature who he wished for you to treat and hold prisoner until it may no longer be a threat."
"Then the dungeons of the Woodland Realm will hold two new prisoners this day. Hand the liar over to my guards and we will take care of him from here," as he spoke he was already held turned to leave, but Cassidy stopped him.
"Wait!" Cassidy paused to breath deeply. Her temper was flaring at the arrogance of this King. "What of me and why should I listen to you? I will not surrender my wand and he's a criminal from my world, it was my people he slaughtered."
The King cocked his head sharply to the side, in the manner that a hawk might as it considers its prey. Cassidy was once more startled by the reminder that these elves were far from human. There was something not just faintly magical, but strongly animalistic about them.
"Legolas, do you trust this Son of Arathorn?" He asked the elf still standing to his side.
"We traveled together amongst the Rangers. He is a good an honorable man whose actions have saved my life several times over. I trust him," Legolas spoke calmly and clearly, all the weight of an important decision heavy in his tone.
"And you, Son of Arathorn, do you trust this Witch?" The King's voice betrayed no emotion and Cassidy resisted the urge to fidget where she stood.
"Your Majesty," Aragorn spoke, "though this child is strange indeed, she saved my life when she had no cause to, she wears a broach of Lothlorien, and speaks the Grey Tongue as well as any elf-friend. I have never sensed darkness in her."
The King's icy glare fixated on Cassidy once more as he scanned her up and down. She refused to flinch or fidget under his gaze and maintained eye contact with him throughout his inspection.
"I will allow you to enter my Halls. The liar can be imprisoned in my dungeons until you choose his sentence. His transgressions against your kin seem greater than his transgressions against mine. Prince Legolas will see to the prisoners and escort you to your rooms."
The King turned to leave and Cassidy raised an eyebrow to Aragorn in question. He simply nodded his head as if to indicate that the word of the elves could be trusted. Hesitating for only a moment longer, Cassidy lowered her shield charm and reluctantly handed Lucius over to a wary looking guard. Legolas then walked over and embraced Aragorn who handed over the squirming sack to him, warning the elf that the creature did bite.
Legolas merely nodded and gestured for them to follow him. Luckily, Cassidy was able to quickly pack up their camp with a simple charm and had everything loaded on Gwedel who seemed rather happy to be finally going someplace. As they walked, several of the elven guards faded into the trees above them and were likely following them from up high. A few remained alongside Legolas who stood at the front, his bow ready as they walked. Now Cassidy new that elves have sharp ears, but she just couldn't help herself as she whispered at a volume that she was certain that the elves would hear.
"So... he's a prince?" She asked Aragorn.
"Yes."
"I suppose that means I should stop calling him Blondie then?" She asked. A smirk spread across her face when she saw how Legolas' spine stiffened slightly. There was no doubt that he had heard her.
"Such would not be the most appropriate address for him."
"He's your friend?"
"We've journeyed much together. He is like a brother to me."
"Then why aren't you catching up right now?"
"He is on duty, as captain of the patrol it is his task to scan for threats for these woods are dangerous. We will have plenty of time to speak once safe in his father's Halls."
"But really?" She pressed. "He's your friend? Even with that massive stick up his ass?"
Cassidy couldn't help but notice how Legolas' hand clenched his bow. His knuckles were nearly white and she saw the slightest tremble in his spine. He was obviously angry, but trying to hide the fact that he could hear their whispered conversation.
"You know how sharp the ears of the Eldar are, don't you?" He asked, turning sharply towards Cassidy with an expression that was somewhere between amused and annoyed.
"Why yes, of course I do. How much farther ahead, Blondie?" She called out the last part loudly.
"We will be arriving at the Halls of King Thranduil in a few hours," he spoke stiffly. "I will scout ahead."
Before any of his guards could comment, he took off like a rocket through the trees. The other elves exchanged middle confused glances before they continued to walk. Cassidy assumed that the rest of them didn't speak common as they seemed to have entirely missed Cassidy's comments.
"Do you think it was something I said?" She asked Aragorn with a smile feigning innocence.
He merely chuckled lightly and shook his head.
They still had a few hours to go, so Cassidy took the time to comb her fingers through Gwedel's mane. The horse seemed far more at ease when surrounded by the watchful elves and Cassidy's heart was fluttering with each step that she took, closing in on this elven kingdom. The King was leaving the decision of Lucius' fate to her hands. While she had fought alongside the Order many times... she had never taken prisoners, never made judgments on others.
Lucius was a monster, he was willing to kill and torture any who stood against his twisted agenda. She should kill him, end his life and prevent him from ever harming another again. Yet... could she really? Could she kill someone not in the heat of battle, not in the defense of the innocent, but in cold blood as they laid bound before her?
She really wasn't sure.