AN: First real chapter, Hope you like it.
. . . Chapter 2- Gollum . . .
" 'It is the same
outside. Bars, walls
but make the perspective
clear. Deus absconditus!
We ransack the heavens,
the distance between
stars; the last place we look
is in prison, his hideout
in flesh and bone.'
'You believe,
then?'
'The poems
are witness. If his world
contracted, it was to give birth
to the larger vision. Not meadows
empty of him, animal
eyes, impersonal
as glass, communicate
God. On the bare walls
of a cell the oppressor watches
the diminishing of his
human shadow, as
he withdraws from the light.' "
R. S. Thomas, 'The Prisoner'
.~.
A light breeze lifted her pale strands and caressed the bare skin of her arms, raising goose bumps. From her vantage point, she could see the tall trees of the woods like many dark sticks and the shadows within. Her hands gripped the railing of the balcony as she leaned forward. For just an instant, she felt free, like a bird soaring in the sky. Her pale blue nightgown billowed around her, softly sliding against her figure.
With a barely suppressed shiver, she put her arms around herself and took a deep, deep breath. The pure air entered her lungs, replenishing her and giving her strength.
"My Lady?"
Alysae turned around, her hair falling against her face. In the entrance of the balcony, the two foamy curtains flew out of the room as if to free themselves. From where she stood, she could barely make out the door of her chambers, and the maid that stood hesitantly next to them.
"Yes?" she asked, although she knew why the maid was here.
"We need to get you ready for breakfast, my Lady."
With a sight, she reluctantly left her sanctuary, closing the two glass door behind her softly.
Calarel gasped. "My lady! You were out in your nightgown!"
Alysae felt herself blush. "From afar, it would look the same as an evening dress."
Her maid, Calarel, gave her a reproaching look. "All the same, yet you were wearing nothing than your nightgown, and with that breeze you might catch a nasty cold."
"I am sorry."
"Hush, now," said Calarel, "let us get you ready."
The maid guided her to a soft velvet stool in front of a large silver mirror. Alysae caught a glimpse of herself, cheeks flushed and golden locks tangled. What a sight I am, she thought, tugging at a strand that fell against her nose. Humming under her breath, Calarel gently brushed the tangles out with a fine silver brush, adorned with carvings of falling leaves. Then, she plaited her hair into neat braids, that fell down her back in a regal fashion.
After that, she donned a pale purple dress that fell down her figure in waves. Silver stars were embroidered on the collar, the sleeves and the skirt. The only jewellery she had was a simple necklace with a single moonstone that rested just below the curve of her collarbone.
"You look magnificent, my Lady," said Calarel, admiring her work.
"Only because of you," she replied with a smile.
Calarel shook her head. "No, my Lady. You have the looks of an elf."
Alysae blinked, a knot in her throat. There was nothing more than she wanted: to be an elf. And here, she apparently had the looks, but not all the important things that came with it. Like immortality, enhanced hearing, the ability to walk without making a single noise.
She sighted. "Thank you, Calarel. I am afraid I must leave for breakfast; Adar will not be pleased if I am late again."
" 'Twas my pleasure, my Lady," replied the maid.
"You know you can just call me Alysae, right?"
The maid smiled. "I know, my Lady."
Alysae shook her head. It was a lost battle and she knew it.
She left her chambers after thanking Calarel once more, and the soft leather slippers on her feet muffled the sound of her footsteps. The Private Dining Room was not far from the royal quarters, and she was grateful for that. Two guards, long shiny spears in hand, and their armour glinting in the light, stood on either side of the large wooden doors.
"Good morning," she said to them.
"Good morning, Your highness," replied one of the guard. Then, they opened the door for her, and she stepped inside.
Sunlight strengthened along the walls, illuminating the room. A large table stretched out in the center, with silver plates and cutlery, and many piles of food; various fruits, and soft bread like clouds, and sweet cakes and many delicacies; all coloured drinks, juices, milk, hot tea, and soup. A slight breeze entered the room through the open balcony, and gently lifted napkins on the table, like the wings of white butterfly idly flapping about.
King Thranduil was sat in a great wooden chair that resembled a throne, with its high backrest and many carvings, at the head of the table. No crown sat open his brow but a silver circlet adorned with tiny diamonds, like a dusting of stars. At his right, sat Legolas, who winked at her when he caught a glimpse of her.
"We were just about to commence," said Thranduil, looking up.
"Good thing I am on time, is that not so, Adar?" she replied with a smile. His blue eyes twinkled in response.
Like every morning, she crossed the room to plant a soft kiss, first on her Adar's cheek, then on Legolas'. Then, she sat down, at Thranduil's left, so that she was right across Legolas.
"You look great," her brother said. "No twigs in your hair this time." He laughed at the blush that had covered her face.
"That is hardly fair," she huffed, drawing the napking in front of her on her lap. "I am not the one who got drunk and was found asleep in the kitchens, in nothing more than his underclothes!"
It was Legolas' turn to blush. "We said we would never mention it again!"
Thranduil laughed. "Well, I'm glad my daughter is not one to get intoxicated, or snore loudly. Very loudly," he added pointedly. Like all times the King called her 'his daughter', she felt her heart flutter with love for her adar.
Legolas glared at them both. "No mentioning it."
"Did I mention you snored very loudly?" the King leaned forward.
"That is it, enough!" huffed Legolas.
Both Thranduil and Alysae laughed at his expression. "It suits you well, dear brother of mine," she laughed, "when you frown your eyebrows in this way, and your cheeks flush. I am sure all the elleth in the Kingdom would pay dear gold to catch a sight of the Mighty Prince of Mirkwood blushing!"
"You were a lot more agreeable when you were younger," her brother said, pursing his lips.
"I love you too, gwador."
"Don't you gwador me!" He reached for a piece of soft bread irritably. "I love you too, gwathel tithel," he added, expression softening.
"As much as I enjoy seeing you admit your love for each other, I believe we have other important matters to discuss," said Thranduil, buttering a slice of bread with a silver knife.
Alysae frowned. "What important matters?"
Legolas shifted in his chair. "Gollum escaped," he admitted reluctantly.
"What?" Her eyes widened. "That- that wretched creature… escaped?"
He nodded.
She couldn't think clearly. The task of keeping Gollum safe had been given by Aragorn, an old friend of her brother. At first, she had been curious. What type of creature could possibly be so important that it needed to be locked in Mirkwood? She had even asked her brother to see it once.
She had come to see him, one day. "Lego?"
"Don't call me that," he had said, just like he always did.
"I want to see the creature you call Gollum."
He had frowned. "That is not a good idea."
"Please?" she had pleaded.
"Fine," he had conceded. "But you cannot say I did not warn you."
He had taken her to the deepest, darkest cell in the dungeons. There, in the dripping humidity and the suffocating darkness, she had first seen the infamous Gollum. By the flickering light of the torches, she had approached its cell. Through the metal bars, in the far corner of the tiny room, a hunched figure lay on the cold ground.
"It hurtsssss, it hurtssssssss," it hissed.
"Gollum?"
"Wantess precioussssssss," it whimpered.
Her heart had broken. A creature, a person was hurting. She wanted to do something about it. "Legolas, it's hurt."
A look of disgust had crossed his face. "He deserves it."
"You can't say that!" she had said in disbelief. "Please let it out, it's a… a person. Would you like to be locked down, unable to see the sky?"
"We already let it out for an hour each day." At least that was something, she thought.
Then, Gollum whimpered again. "Please Legolas, let me in, please," she pleaded. Her eyes filled with tears. "Please Legolas," she added when she saw the look of inner turmoil on her brother's face.
"Fine," he finally said. "But please, be careful," he had added, gripping her wrist in his hand. "We do not know what that creature can do."
She nodded and freed herself from his grasp. He gestured to a nearby guard to open the cell. The key clicked against the metal when the guard twisted it. The door swung open. She took a breath and stepped inside, looking back once to see Legolas staring at her, his hand on the knife at his belt.
"Gollum?" she called.
There was another whimper. She stepped closer, heart pounding. It's just a poor wounded creature, she reminded herself. There is no need to be scared.
When she stepped closer though, her heart stopped beating. A sickly-looking creature was curled into a ball, frail arms around its body. She could count its ribs and saw many white scars on its back and arms. The creature was filthy with just barely any clothes to cover its dignity.
"Gollum," she whispered. She reached forward with her hand, to gently touch its shivering arm.
"Alysae," Legolas warned her, from behind.
"It's fine," she muttered. Slowly exhaling a breath through her mouth, she reached once more. The moment her fingertips lightly touched Gollum's filth-covered skin, he stilled. Alysae could feel Legolas tense up. "Gollum?" she asked uncertainly.
"Don't hurt usss! Don't hurt Ssssméagol!" it cried.
"I won't hurt you," she said softly. She gently patted its arm, careful not to hurt it. It or him? She didn't know how to describe it… him. Its head snapped up suddenly, making her take a step back. Two huge eyes stared at her, shining with a sickly pale light in the dark like a cat's. She took another step back when Gollum uncovered his broken teeth, showing a crooked mouth.
"Prettttty gurl," it hissed in a feral grin. "Tell ussss, where is preciousssss?" Gollum cackled and crawled forward, sharp claws gripping the stone floor.
There was something in the way it looked at her that made her shudder. It shifted, scuttling closer. "We likes your dresssss," it said, tilting its head and glaring at her with wide eyes. "But we likesssss what's under it more, yessss, precioussss."
Her eyes widened. "Legolas, I want to get out!" she cried. Alysae took a step backwards slowly. Very slowly.
Gollum hissed and grabbed her arm with such strength that it hurt. "Stay, precioussssss, Gollum wantssss to eat, wantssss preciousssss."
Her foot slipped on the wet stone, her arms whipped the air as she tried to regain her balance. A shape hurtled itself at her, smacking her to the ground. All the air left her lungs and she coughed.
Gollum's face was inches from hers, his rotten breath warm on her face. She gagged. It raised its claws, as if to strike her. Then, his weight was off her and a shriek filled the air. She shakily raised herself to a sitting position, and blinked drowsily. Legolas had slammed Gollum onto the wall, holding it by its neck.
"Don't hurt! Don't hurt," it cried, scrambling at his hands.
Legolas sneered. "Don't you dare touch her! You filthy creature, you should not be allowed to live!" Alysae had never seen her brother look so enraged before. A hand gently touched her shoulder and she jumped. The guard who had let them in was staring at her. "Come on," he said, offering a hand. She gratefully took it and got to her feet.
She was dazed. I'm so stupid, she thought. I thought I could help it, or cure it. I am no healer. So stupid.
"Let's go," repeated the guard. She realised she had been staring at the scene unfolding in front of her. She let herself be led by the guard until they were outside of the cell. All the while, his hand had stayed on her shoulder, and she was grateful because it made her feel safe.
"Legolas," she said softly knowing very well he could hear her with his elven ears. Through the bars, she could see him push Gollum brutally to the floor where it curled into a ball, whimpering. The look of rage did not leave Legolas' face, but it softened a little when he stopped next to her.
"Are you all right?" he gazed into her eyes. She nodded not trusting her voice to speak. He took her hand and pulled her along, out of the dark suffocating dungeons, and she let herself be led, not speaking. Her feet pulled her along instinctively, she was lost in her swirling thoughts. She blinked, realising they had stopped walking. They were in Legolas' chambers, in his living room.
"Forgive me," he choked out. She glanced up to see Legolas looking crushed, his eyes not leaving her face. He opened his arms and she buried herself in the familiar comforting embrace.
"I am fine, gwador," she whispered against his tunic. "You were there. You saved me. Thank you."
She clutched at his shirt, her fists gripping tightly at the soft fabric just like she used to when she was a child. She breathed in at his familiar scent, a smell like crushed pine needles and warm golden sunlight with a tint of honey.
He smoothed out the curls at the top of her head. "He will be severely punished for this." Even though she had seen for herself how corrupted Gollum was, she couldn't bring herself to be the cause of pain of the whimpering creature. She couldn't help but remember how frail and skinny he had been, how his scrawny body had been covered in scars and marks of torture.
"Please don't hurt him," the words left her mouth before she could stop them.
His hand stilled in her hair. "You think we would torture him? We're not monsters, Alys. He just won't be going outside for a few days."
She closed her eyes in relief. "Thank you."
That had been the last she had heard of Gollum, although the thought of that pale sickly-looking creature had sometimes crossed her mind when she zoned out.
Now, she stared at Legolas in shock. "How? How did it escape?"
Legolas sneered. "Orcs."
"But there have never been any Orcs so close to the woods before," she said furrowing her brow.
Thranduil sighed and placed his glass back on the table. "The darkness grows stronger in those trying times."
"What happened?" she whispered, almost dreading the answer.
"Two guards were taking it for its daily walk," began Legolas. "It always had a leash around its neck, long enough so that he could climb trees. The week before, he refused to get down from the tallest tree. No matter how much the guards threatened, it would not go down. One of the guard sent for me and other elves to get it down." He reached to fill himself a drink. "When we came back, the guard had been slayed and Gollum had disappeared. There were about twenty Orcs in the clearing. There was no time for us to try to get Gollum back. It was too late," he said bitterly. Alysae had noticed how his voice had tightened imperceivably when he had said that the guard had been killed.
"Who was it?" she asked softly.
"A young recruit, had barely commenced his career. His name was Orijor," his voice was tight. Legolas was Captain of the Archers and as such felt responsible of each and every warrior. It was common in those dark times to lose the lives of elves, although it was still painful every time it happened. But a young elf? Alysae felt her hands shake with anger.
"This cannot keep on going!" the words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them. "First the spiders, now the Orcs. What else?"
Thranduil chuckled although there was no humour behind it. "Your patience runs thin, Alysae. It will cause you harm one day." She forced the anger down; she knew her father was right, but patience was not her best trait.
"Legolas," the King continued, "you shall leave tomorrow for Imladris and bear the message of Gollum's escape to the Lord Elrond, and Mithrandir -if he is there- with all his travels, there is a chance he might be staying with the Half-Elves."
Her brother nodded.
"Adar," pleaded Alysae, "can I go with Legolas please?"
Thranduil stayed silent for a few seconds, gaze never straying from the open balcony, and the towering trees behind.
"It has been an eternity since I last encountered the twins," she continued. "Besides I have a book I need to return to Arwen. Please Adar."
"It is too dangerous," he said.
"Legolas is the best archer of Mirkwood, and possibly of the whole of Middle Earth. We can take guards with us." Legolas smiled at the praise, but his serious eyes stayed fixed on his father's.
"Orcs are roaming free," said the King, not looking at her.
"We could take guards," replied Alysae. She wanted so badly to leave Greenwood, and see the mighty waterfalls of Imladris again. She looked at her father with large, blue-gray eyes; he took in her hopeful, pleading face.
Thranduil sighted. "I wish I could say no, but you would resent me for it." He sighed again, conceding defeat. "You may go."
"Thank you Adar!" She jumped to her feet, a wide smile on her face, to throw her arms around her father. For a second, he looked surprised, mouth open in shock, before relaxing in the embrace. He placed a kiss against her brow, the human girl he considered his daughter.
"What about me?" Legolas fake-pouted.
"Come here." Thranduil gestured at him to come join the hug. A moment later Legolas had joined them, his blonde hair mingling with Alysae's, his a pale silver and hers a dark gold. Thranduil stared at his beautiful children with a smile that only they saw. He knew it was going to be dangerous, Orcs roamed the land of Middle Earth, but he knew that his daughter could not be contained. He clutched them tighter against his chest, and he thought, If only you could be there to see it, Bereneth.
-xxx-
Later that day, when the sun had long gone down and it seemed like all souls on earth were long asleep, a pale figure was hunched over, long golden hair falling on her face. Alysae clutched at her chest with numb fingers, her legs trembling. She took rapid shallow breaths as the pain in her chest intensified and tried to take small steps towards her bed. Her knees gave out, hitting the floor with a painful thud.
It had been a few months since the last time it had happened, she had almost thought it was gone. Foolish of her to hope so. Her blurry vision focused on her hands, which swam in and out of view. She could have sworn that she could see the floorboards through her hands.
I just need to wait for it to pass, she thought before she passed out.
-xxx-
Translations:
gwathel- sister
gwador- brother
tithel- little
Edited as of 14/08/2024