No hints coming from me this time. Read on to find out what happens next!

Chapter 65

Gwin's POV

I found myself shivering as I huddled under my cloak in the branches. They kept me moderately dry, but some rain was still able to make its way through. I knew I could not stay in this tree forever, but perhaps I had waited long enough for the mystery pursuer to give up...if they even existed in the first place. I could have imagined that someone was watching me, but my instincts were rarely wrong.

Carefully unfolding my legs, I made my way down as quietly as I could, the heavy rain helping to drown out the sound of my movements. Once I reached the ground, I immediately drew my short sword and crouched, casting my eyes around me for any sign of an enemy. I noted there were many large boulders along the riverbank, but they were some distance away. If someone was hiding behind one, they would need to be a good shot to strike me from here.

"Tulkas, if you are listening, guide my steps and make them swift," I prayed, feeling somewhat foolish. Why would a Vala be listening to me? They had much more important things to do. "Noro lim," I whispered to myself, and took off running west, moving a little further away from the river.

I ran full speed as far as I could, but I felt fatigue creeping up on me quicker than I had hoped. A crack of lightning temporarily blinded me, and I slipped, falling to the ground hard on my back. I felt breathless, and rolled myself over so I could shakily stand up. However, before I could fully do so, I felt a thud and a sharp pain in my left shoulder as something implanted itself there. Staggering, I looked and saw a small spear sticking out of it. My watering eyes squinted and made out the familiar form of Gevorch, who was laughing manically, and looking triumphant as he stomped his way towards me.

"You thought you could escape me, didn't you, you filthy Elichthi!" he spat. "You thought you would go unpunished after what you did to me!" As he spoke, I noticed my shoulder had started to feel cold and stiff, and my fingertips were numb. He tore off my cloak, which did not help matters, and threw it on the ground.

"Gevorch," I gasped, finding speech difficult, "I-I am sorry for...for w-what h-happened to...you." I fell to my knees. "I w-wish it had b-been dif...different."

The Dunlending, pulled me back up to my feet by grasping the front of my tunic in his fists, and put his snarling face close to mine. "I do not want your apologies," he growled. "I want you to suffer, just as I have." I felt a flicker of fear at this; did he mean to brand me as well? Part of me realized it would be difficult for him to do that, as we were out in the open in the pouring rain. I was feeling very dizzy and cold now, but the coldness was not natural. It was like I was being slowly surrounded by icy water, and it crept down my body inch by inch. I looked at him fearfully, and he grinned in triumph. "Feeling chilled, Elichthi?" he asked cruelly. "Let us get you somewhere warmer. In fact, it will be much warmer."

My eyes widened, and I tried to fight back as he threw me over his shoulder with more strength than I thought he possessed, and I cried out as it jostled the spear that was still present. He took off running, and I wondered where he meant to go, until I saw a well-hidden, small camp from my upside-down view. I tried to get him to let go of me, but felt weaker and weaker, and I knew I had likely been poisoned.

Once we reached his camp, he set me down more gently than I anticipated, before quickly starting a fire. It was getting harder to breathe, and I tried to remove the spear while he was distracted. Unfortunately, I was too slow, for he turned and caught me. "Oh no, we will leave that right there," he said quietly, but danger simmered under the surface. "I guess I will need to tie those hands together." Before I knew it, he had bound them behind my back with some rope, but my hands were already mostly numb, so I did not feel it as much as I might have normally. "Now, let me get things ready, for you must undergo the shame and punishment I did."

I started trembling, both in terror and due to the cold, because he stuck what was clearly a rod of steel into the fire. I could not believe Gevorch was truly so demented. Having little to lose, I said faintly, "If you do this, I...I promise you and...and your village w-will regret it."

His eyes flew to mine, and I noted some alarm flicker in them briefly before he schooled his expression. "You lie, for nothing has happened to them since I met you on the plains."

"But look...look at what has h-happened to you..." I countered. "Do...do you w-wish more doom t-to come u-upon you?" Gevorch looked worried now, and I noted he seemed unsure what to do. I decided to use this to my advantage. "If...if you let me go, I w-will spare their lives. I d-do not wish to...to harm them."

His worry turned to anger. "If I end your worthless life, you won't be able to do anything."

"D-do not be sure of t-that," I gasped. "Curses...curses live o-on, even after the...the caster is d-dead." I was making it up as I went along, praying to anyone who was listening that he would be convinced enough to spare me. My energy was nearly spent, and the bone-chilling cold and numbness was all over my body now. Even if he did let me go, I doubted I would be able to survive much longer without aid.

However, I had no intention of being murdered in cold blood by Gevorch, nor branded.

"Your fate is already sealed, Elichthi," he replied stubbornly, but I knew he was afraid now. "The poison will eventually kill you, but it will be an agonizing death, and will take a long time." He gave me another terrifying grin. "I am patient. I will wait." He walked over to the fire and picked up the brand with a satisfied expression. "In the mean-time, will you not allow me to give you a tattoo? It will...warm you right up."

"N-no, stop!" I shouted, somehow finding the energy to scuttle backwards as far as I could, but I knew it would do no good. "You will regret this!" He ripped the tunic from my shoulder, and I used all the air I had left in my lungs to scream as loud as I could, bracing myself for the searing pain that was sure to come...

...but it never did.

Candaith's POV

We rode hard, and Elrohir called a halt when he noted blood and a torn cloak on the ground. Elladan almost threw himself off of his horse in his haste to get closer, and he clenched the fabric in his hands tightly. It was not a familiar cloak, but I felt dread creep upon me. In my heart, I knew it had to be Gwin's. I looked at Elrohir, and saw the naked fear in his eyes that was likely in mine. "Gwin! Gwin, where are you?" I cried, desperately looking around the area to find out where she might be.

Lothrandir had dismounted and said, "Look! There is a trail of blood and footprints on the ground!" Sure enough, the rain had not yet washed away signs of someone moving with a heavy gait, blood splattering the ground alongside it. "We must be just behind them!" All of us froze for just a moment, before mounting up once more and following the trail left by our quarry. I had felt such terror only twice in my life before today, when I thought Gwin was about to die. Images of her torture in the Lone Lands and her face as she fell off the cliff at Zudrugund flashed in my mind, and it spurred me on all the more. I never wanted to see such a look on her face again, if I could help it.

The rain had lessened somewhat, and still impacted our visibility, but not enough to hinder the skilled trackers of the Dunedain. I could see what looked like a camp as we approached a small copse of trees, but felt my blood freeze in my veins as I heard who I knew to be Gwin screaming in terror. Elrohir jumped off his horse and sprinted full speed towards the campfire, his bow in his hand, and let an arrow fly at something...which turned out to be a someone when I heard a grunt and a dull thud as a body hit the ground.

Elladan was next, and I followed close behind as we rushed into the small camp. Elrohir had a restraining foot on the chest of a Dunlending man, who was bleeding profusely from an arrow wound. I gasped as I caught sight of Gwin, being quickly untied by Elladan. She looked on the brink of death; her left shoulder was sluggishly bleeding, a spear sticking out of it. Her skin was pale as snow, and she was shivering uncontrollably, in an almost jerky fashion.

I rushed to her side, and took her face in my hands, putting our foreheads together. I almost gasped at the icy coldness of her skin, and knew something was terribly wrong. Her eyes found mine, and they filled with tears. "C...Candaith?" she whispered. "Is this a dream?" Her voice was raspy and weak.

"No, meleth nin, it is no dream," I managed to choke out, unable to prevent myself from crying. The joy I felt at finding her was warring with the fear in my heart at her condition. The guilt was overwhelming. "I am sorry...I should have found you sooner. This never should have happened." Gwin tried to raise her hand to my face, but apparently was unable to, for her arm limply fell back to the ground. I took it in mine and put it against my cheek, holding it tightly.

"I...I knew you would find me," Gwin whispered, smiling through her pain.

"Always," I replied fiercely. "I am going to save you, meleth."

Her smile turned sad, and I took more notice of her difficulty breathing. "You already have," she managed to say, as she struggled to fill her lungs with air.

I looked to Elrohir and Elladan in alarm, "Do something! You must save her!" I begged.

Elladan's face was white, but he looked determined. Taking Gwinthilnel from my arms, he laid her down gently on her side, on a blanket he had found. Elrohir was interrogating the man. "What is your name?" he barked.

Calenglad, who had joined the group, spat, "It is Gevorch."

Levra was furious, and stalked over to the Dundlending man. "Have you no honor?" she hissed. "You would attack and capture an innocent Elichthi out of revenge?"

Gevorch, who looked seriously injured, still had a fire in his eyes and replied, "She is no innocent! She is a witch who deserved what she got!" In response, Levra kicked him, and I felt grim satisfaction at his grunt of pain.

I held Gwin's hand tightly as Elladan carefully removed the spear from her shoulder, my heart breaking at her whimper of pain. He handed it off to Elrohir before rifling through his supplies for some athelas salve, and slathered it over the wound.

Elrohir continued, "What is the poison on this spear point?" I glanced at it and could see a purple substance mixed with the blood from Gwin's shoulder.

"It is jubulgeth," Levra said grimly.

"What is that?" I asked. Even Elrohir seemed confused.

"Jubulgeth is a poisonous flower found in some areas of Enedwaith. It is safe in its normal state, but when pulverized, it releases a dangerous substance that can be applied to weapons," Levra explained. She was looking murderously at Gevorch, who flinched at her gaze.

"What is the antidote?" Elrohir asked urgently. "How can it be found?" At this, Levra looked downcast. "Levra, please...what must we do?" Elrohir asked, desperation in his voice.

"It is difficult to make...and would take too long to do so, considering her current state," she said sadly.

"We must try!" I burst out, feeling agony with each pitiful moan my love made as she lay there in pain and suffering.

Elrohir, his eyes blazing with a dangerous fire that would have put fear into the heart of any man, put his face right in front of Gevorch's. "I will ease your passing, if you tell me where the antidote is."

"Muindor, what do you mean?" Elladan asked, confused.

"He must have it!" Elrohir exclaimed. "He would not have risked using such a poison without an antidote close at hand, in case he ended up being injured by it."

I looked closely at Gevorch's expression, and could tell Elrohir was on to something. The Dunlending's eyes flicked to his tent very briefly, and I do not think he meant for us to see it, but the Dunedain and the Firstborn are observant, and Lothrandir scrambled into the tent to search. Elladan and I stayed with Gwin, who was getting weaker and weaker, while Elrohir kept Gevorch in place.

"Levra, help me!" Lothrandir called, and without hesitation, she ducked inside.

I tore my eyes away from the tent when I felt Gwin lightly tugging on my sleeve, and my blue eyes found her green ones, which were full of tears. She motioned for me to come closer, and I put my face close to hers. "Candaith, meleth nin," she whispered.

"Do not speak," I replied softly, "Save your strength."

She shook her head, "I must say this." Giving her my full attention, she haltingly continued, "I...I never thought I would find such a love as this, especially in a scruffy ranger of the North." She smiled a little, and I did my best to return it. "You have brought me such joy, and..." she took another rattling breath. "I do not have the words to fully tell you how much I love you. How did I get so lucky? Our...our short time together has made my life complete." She started to shake, either with cold or with something worse, and her teeth rattled. Something in her tone made me pause; it almost sounded like...

...she was saying goodbye?

Uh oh, things are not looking good. I certainly want to give Gevorch a good punch in the face, for good measure. At least I can trust Elrohir to keep him in check! Sorry (not sorry haha) to leave it on a cliff-hanger. Also sorry to post this late; I have been very busy this week. Hope it was worth the wait! Write a review if you have a moment; I love reading them!