Impurities

Chapter Ten: Unconvincing

She focused on his many bandaged bruises and cuts before looking to his face. Apart from minor scratches, his face was unscathed. His appearance told he was older, but not significantly. Conscious but yet to open his eyes, the man recalled where he was and sensed he was being observed.  "As the king, you should have better things to do than to watch me sleep", he spoke assuming Thranduil was the one beside him. When he opened his eyes and rotated his head, he found himself mistaken. "Oh. Hello", he gave as he returned Annawrete's stare. When nothing was said in response, he continued, " 'Hello' is as simple as Mannish gets...you must not understand any Mannish at all". Annawrete watched his lips attentively as he spoke and when he stopped, she shot her blue eyes back to his brown ones. Her next action was to slip him a folded paper.  Sitting up, he shifted his glance to her outstretched hand and took it. Holding her stare he unfolds the note, then looks down upon it.

Grammatically incorrect, Annawrete had written in Mannish, 'Annawrete my name'. She had gotten the Mannish words from an Elvish-Mannish dictionary found in the kingdom's library. He understood what she was trying to communicate and in looking back up to find her staring at him expectantly, he knew he had to say something. He allows the paper to fall against his body and motions to himself by placing both hands to his chest, "Ezra". Annawrete repeats his name to be certain that she got it. Ezra nods at her pronunciation before picking up her paper and gesturing for a pen. The young woman collects the quill and ink from a nearby desk. Setting the writing materials on the nightstand, she eyed his actions as he leaned over for the feather and brought it to parchment just under her own calligraphy.

His print rough and blotchy, but he managed to write down a few lines for her to research.  Ezra fanned the paper to dry the ink and handed it back to Annawrete, just as several footsteps were heard approaching. Annawrete panicked knowing Thranduil was among the elves coming. She was not supposed to be there. Sensing she was about to take flight, Ezra reached out his arm, "No, stay". He missed grabbing her barely and Annawrete was free to slip out the window.

A nurse came forward to change his bandages. "Are you ready to be cooperative?" Thranduil asked from the doorway. "Everything that I've told you before is true, you will not learn anything new from probing me", the man said stiffly. The Elvin king rolled his eyes before revealing something from behind his back. "We discovered this near the area you were found", he dangled an emerald necklace. The young man hid his surprise at the sight of it. "So there is another in our forests?" Thranduil assumed, taking several strides forward. As a man used to lying, Ezra thought quickly, "There is no one else in the forests. The woman that you keep---that is her necklace. She was wearing it when she found me". The Elvin king lowered the necklace with jaded eyes before addressing anyone beside him, "Bring Annawrete here". 

Annawrete had returned to the library. No one was within it, but she still felt the need to hurry. She found the dictionary in the same spot on the shelf.  Sitting at one of the stationary desks, she opens the book on its spine. Taking out the paper she had used to communicate with Ezra, she flipped the pages to where she would find the first word he wrote: You. She scribbled the Elvish translation under the Mannish word on the paper and proceeded to the next. "Annawrete, are you in here?" She heard someone call. She quickly closed the book with the note within it and placed the text on the closest shelf to her. "I'm here", she answered, pulling out a random book as a guard appeared.

Ezra caught her eye upon her entry before Thranduil obstructed their views of each other with his tall, slender body. Annawrete bent her neck, forcing herself to look up at the king. The emerald was placed before her face and as reaction, she reached out to touch it. "So this is your necklace and you were wearing it when you found the man?" Thranduil asked as he allowed her to grab a hold of the necklace. "Does this man speak truth or lies?" Thranduil questioned as he stepped away, revealing Ezra who held her stare. Annawrete was silent for some time before giving the necklace back to Thranduil. With the jewel handed back to him, the Elvin king grinned wickedly at the man, "You think yourself so clever".

Annawrete then surprises Thranduil when she turned her back and picks up her hair. "Help me place it back on", she said quietly. "This belongs to you?" The Elvin king asks in disbelieve. Annawrete looks over her shoulder to him and says convincingly, "Yes. Now help me wear it again". Thranduil hesitates but he soon unlatches it and brings it around her neck. Fastening it and allowing it to fall against her bosom, he turns her around for a look. He had admired countless pieces of jewelry on her, but not this one. His eyes fall to the stone against her chest before he looks her in the eyes, "Return to what it was that you were doing".