Salkiethia |
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Iell-daughter-of-elves |
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Nimeneth |
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elflyn |
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Iell-daughter-of-elves |
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Salkiethia |
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elflyn |
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Nimeneth |
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Salkiethia |
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dreamdancer |
RE: Ever After (Keeper!) on: January 09, 2007 07:02
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(yaah, here it is!)
Bellas had gone to Neth’s chambers upon hearing of trouble there… he’d not expected to find Glyndr and Arato (or the eavesdroppers) there, but he’d *really* not expected the elleth to react to his presence the way that she did!
Neth's eyes opened wide. "Bellas!" The elleth ran to him and buried her face in his neck, sobbing horribly. "One of them tried to come in here and take me away, Bellas. I am not safe without someone to protect me." She sobbed harder and whispered hoarsely, "Will you protect me, Bellas? Do you care enough about me to do that?"
The smith’s strong arms closed around her as if on instinct, as soon as she ran to him. Having her crying on him so made his heart ache, and upon hearing that someone had come to steal her away, he became angry. How dare anyone try to hurt her after what she’d already been through? It didn’t occur to him that she was acting so out-of-character. The Captain’s voice made him look up from Neth’s tear-streaked face.
“Bellas”, Glyndr said as he swept across the room towards the door, “ Do as she asks…” the Captain paused beside them in the doorway, his ice blue eyes again fixed on Neth as once again his brave she-warrior succumbed to uncharacteristic tears, “Protect her, the one who dared to try to take her back may be stupid enough to try again, I shall set extra guards on watch around the walls…Let the wretch try again”.
Glyndr lifted his chin in his arrogant manner, his eyes never leaving Neth, “ I would like nothing more than to take one of them prisoner”, he smiled an almost evil half smile, “ He and I would have so much to discuss, I am sure I could ‘persuade’ him to tell me all about the camp, their leader and their plans”.
Turning sharply, Glyndr strode past them and out of the door, “ OUT of my way brats!”
He nodded at the command, continuing to hold the elleth of his heart close to that same heart. As if he needed to be told! He’d been foolish enough already, not treating Neth right when she’d come to him that day that now seemed ages passed- the day he believed had sent her away, and into the evil fate that had befallen her. Only after had he realized what lay in his heart… and he swore to himself that he’d never let anyone harm her, ever again. Bellas felt a shiver run through her and his embrace tightened just a bit.
"Oh, Bellas...please come sit with me." She held tightly to him as she walked him to her bed. "They took my weapons, Bellas. They treated me so horribly. The one of them, a Captain Morgai, he...he..." She began sobbing again, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Please promise me you won't leave me, Bellas. I..I need you. I want you to be here with me." She brushed her lips against his and then whispered, "Please, Bellas, don't go anywhere. Hold me and don't let me go."
Bellas was so caught up in his heartache for Neth and anger at this ‘Morgia’ character, and the way Neth was holding onto him… so many thoughts and emotions were swirling through his head. Then, she kissed him- a kiss which his lips yielded to without hesitation, but that left him feeling surprised.
“I won’t,” he answered to her whispered plea, cradling her against him, “I’ll watch over you, always!”
A moment later, there was a brisk knock, the door reopened, and Captain Glyndr strode back into the room, looking fierce.
The look on Glyndr’s face unsettled Bellas, and he wondered what was going on.
"Nethraueth",he snarled, his ice cold glare fixed on her, "Don't try to play games with me elleth".
The Captain strode forward and gripped her chin in his gold ringed fingers ignoring Bellas as if he did not exist.
" You have faced me in combat..I know your strength", the ice boring deep into her eyes.
" These tears", the Captain flicked her head back, the ice sharp in those , oh so cold eyes, "They are not the tears of the she -warrior that is under my command....I want answers, and I want them now!"
"
Bellas’s brow was furrowed, and he was about to shout at Glyndr and tell him this was not the time (obviously with no regard to his own safety), when Neth began speaking. He released his hold and sat back, listening to her words with an expression of disblief on his face that quickly became one of horror.
Neth was startled and gave a cry as Glyndr squeezed her chin and demanded answers. She fought the urge to punch the Captain in the face and instead blurted out, "I am not the same warrior you faced before!" She shoved his hand away, and stood up, shaking with rage. "Their leader had me beaten and abused, six of them on me at once, beating me with their fists, their feet, the hilts of their swords! I was abused for days, and gagged so that I could not scream, tied up so I could not escape!" The words were rushing out now, too fast for her to stop. "I had to listen to the screams of their other prisoners, I had to listen to the chaos that ensued when those prisoners escaped, and no one knew I was there, so there was no chance of my being rescued as well! How do you think that made me feel? To be abandoned there? Then their leader came to me with Captain Morgai, the one who captured me in the first place, and he told me that once they destroyed Imladris, Captain Morgai would be given me as a gift! A present for a Man who only wants one thing from me! He came to me and told me as his hands slid down my arms that he would have me, that he was going to ta-take me even if it meant my death, even though he had heard that an elf would die from such a thing. He would make me his and then watch the light flicker out of my eyes, just so he could say he had been with an elf!" She had started crying again, and bit her lip. "Then after he left, Ondet told me that if something happened to Morgai, that I would be his instead. So you see, Captain, I am afraid. I have never been afraid in my entire life, but now I am. I'm sorry if you think it inappropriate for me to cry, but think of your wife and answer me this. How would she react to such treatment? We are both female, you know. I am not that dissimilar from her, even if I am a warrior."
When she’d finished, he was writhing inwardly over her words- but he looked back to Glyndr, his own eyes demanding to know if the Captain had gotten the “answers” he came for. It was obvious that her words had made an impact on the icy captain, though.
“Lalaith”, the Captain whispered as Neth’s last words drove deep, a colder fear in his heart as he imagined his beautiful, precious Lalaith faced with those same atrocities.
“No Nethraueth”, Glyndr stepped back further, “No, I understand the reason behind your tears now…. only too well”, he nodded a bow as he backed towards the door.
“Bellas, protect her”, he said again as he halted briefly in the doorway.
Giving a deep sigh, the smith shook his head and pulled Neth back into his embrace. There were many things he longed to say to her, but he couldn’t bring himself to form the words… so, he soon gave her a comforting smile and squeezed her hands.
“You should try to sleep,” he said softly, raising his fingers roughened from hard work to gently touch her cheek, “Have no fear… I’ll stay here and watch over you. Anyone will have to kill me to get to you- and I promise you, my lovely Nethraueth, that won’t be easy.”
Unable to help himself, he leaned forward and kissed her softly, his cheeks flaming now that they were alone, and in the silence of her chamber. Standing, he gestured toward her pillow.
“Sleep, Neth, and let no evils haunt your dreams. I’m here.”
The smith moved to stand next to the window, where he looked out silently. His thoughts were roving all over the place, his heart pulled in different directions… but, Bellas was sure of one thing. He would protect her, no matter what, even if it cost his life.
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Narmion had so-needed comfort, after what he’d experienced…especially now…and so he’d asked for it in the simplest way, by resting his heavy head on Amata’s slender shoulder. When she didn’t move away from him, his heart lifted. When her arm went around him, his heart flew. He smiled quietly to himself, drawing inner strength from her warmth and comfort. She was so beautiful, he thought, so special in so many ways. He’d been fond of her ever since their first meeting… and now… now the feelings in his heart had gone beyond fondness. He’d realized that much when he’d opened his eyes and seen her sitting beside his sickbed.
For several minutes they sat thus, the elf resting against her, without any words. Eventually, though, she spoke…
“I’m sorry I didn’t come back sooner than this. I’ve been thinking, and I wish I’d never left at all. I could have made a difference.” She paused.
Narmion’s heart thumped uncomfortably. Did she think her not being here had anything to do with his being captured by the enemy?
“At any rate, I’ll start making a difference from now on.” She turned her gaze to the ground. “I’m going to find Glyndr and offer my services to him as a fighter.”
He cringed at that, and slowly sat up, looking at her silently. A wan smile came to his lips. She was so brave! He thought…. So brave, to offer her service now, when their forces were so diminished. But, he didn’t want her to fight… he didn’t want to think of her being hurt. But, better to go down fighting than otherwise, right? He wasn’t quite sure what to believe anymore… all of his old ideals about valor and nobility seemed less important, after what had happened.
But, he found her hand with his and squeezed it gently, intertwining his fingers with hers without breaking their gaze.
“It would be enough,” he said quietly, “Just to have you here, without your joining the ranks. Just having you here, Amata, means so much. Don’t be upset with yourself that you left… what happened to me…” and here he gulped, the memory still very close and painful, “I was captured because of my own brashness. If anything were to happen to you, I don’t know what I would do.”
His dark eyes wandered to her lips, and he found himself desiring to kiss her… but, he sighed again and looked away, up at the sky.
“The hours have gone quickly… perhaps I should go back to resting. But… thank-you, for everything, Amata. I do believe your presence itself has a healing effect on me.”
The dark-haired ellon was blushing as he accepted her help to stand again, and turned to head back to his room in the healing halls- feeling more lighthearted than he had in what seemed months.
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Lalaith had managed to keep herself busy, but she was anxious for Glyndr to come back to her. All day she’d had the horrible feeling of foreboding, as if all of Imladris were holding its breath and simply waiting for the hammer-stroke to fall. She had no gift of foresight, but she just knew something was going to happen soon, and she feared that whatever it was, it would take her beloved Glyndr from her. She worried for all of her friends, of course- she’d hate to lose any of them… but, she didn’t know how she would go on without her lifemate, the One who held her heart. Now she sat in the silence of their chambers, her hands busy with the making of infant’s clothing, but her mind busy with fretting. More than anything she longed to feel the safety she always felt in the circle of her husband’s arms.
(hope this is all ok… poke me if not)
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elflyn |
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Nimeneth |
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Salkiethia |
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Nimeneth |
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Salkiethia |
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Nimeneth |
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dreamdancer |
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Iell-daughter-of-elves |
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elflyn |
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Salkiethia |
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Nimeneth |
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Salkiethia |
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Nimeneth |
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Salkiethia |
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dreamdancer |
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Nimeneth |
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Iell-daughter-of-elves |
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elflyn |
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Salkiethia |
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Iell-daughter-of-elves |
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dreamdancer |
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