Impurities

Chapter Eleven: Unwise

Thranduil had always been distrusting of strangers that it came as no surprise to Legolas that he was still hounding the man. "Ada, you've been questioning him for a week", the prince said. With each passing day, security had tightened and Ezra's interrogations had grown more frequent but less effective. "He does not appear to be harmful", Legolas continued. Thranduil turned his face from the window to his son, "Your inexperience has made it that you will trust anyone". Legolas shifted slightly at his father's statement before Thranduil returned to staring out the window. He was looking down at a guard training session and a tiny emerald flicker kept drawing his eye. "This man clearly wishes to be in control", He said as the sun continued to cause the irritable flickering. "Let us give him some freedom that will allow him to think he has us fooled. He will become careless once he grows comfortable".

Three guards were already within the room when Thranduil and Legolas entered. Out of habit, Ezra sat up to be quizzed again. The prince paused at the door but the Elvin king continued forward until he reached the man's bedside. "I grow impatient of your insubordination", Thranduil said as he stared coldly at the deceitful man. He spoke untruthfully himself this time, for he had all the time in the world. "Your wounds should be fully healed in three months time. I expect you then to depart from my realm on your own with no trouble", Thranduil deepened his glance. Turning to the guards in the room, he instructed, "This man has access to any public place as long as he's under the watch of a guard". The sound of certain liberties struck Ezra as good and he sat up a bit straighter, "What about a translator should I wish to converse with others in my time here?" The Elvin king answered him with the return of his icy stare, "None will be provided for you".

Annawrete held her bag over her shoulder as she walked with the new friends she made since joining the guards. Upon entering the dining hall, she was alarmed to find Ezra eating at one of the tables. Eye contact was made and when she had stopped moving, her friends came to a still as well. "That's the human everyone's been talking about", Thalion said. He was blonde haired elf, tall, and skillful with the sword, "They have released him". "Not quite", Charlotte uttered. She was an archer, barely taller than Annawrete. Her hair was an almond brown and her eyes a gentle blue. Her father, a war hero, fought in the last alliance with Men, thus explaining why she was given a Mannish name. "There is a guard standing off to the left of him", she revealed.

"He stares at you", Thalion directed to Annawrete. Annawrete had since looked away, "He stares because I am a woman". Charlotte lets out a gentle scuff, "Men! I do not know why my father found them so intriguing". She touched Annawrete on the shoulder, "Come now, let us receive food for ourselves before the kitchen is closed". Annawrete looked back at Ezra to find that he was still staring. "Go ahead without me," she responded as she pulled a book out from within her bag, "I'm going to the library". Annawrete walked out of the dining with her head down and continued into the hall. Due to the security that had been stationed in his unit in the healer's quarters, she had not been able to see Ezra since she had lied about the necklace for him. She still wore it around her neck and as she made her way towards the library, she hoped he picked up from her book where she was going.

Ezra stood up from the table he had been dining at after Annawrete had left with a book in her hand. Like expected, the guard that supervised him came forth. "Relax", Ezra stressed, "I'm only through eating and seek the disposal". The guard pointed him into the correct direction and when he had returned to the table, Ezra asked casually, "Where is the library?"

The Library was quiet, not a soul within it apart from Thranduil thumbing through texts on the second floor. He was researching some of the more recent things Ezra had spun in a lie to him. There was only one way in and one way out of the library and it gave into making a sound when the passage way was opened. From where he stood, the Elvin king witnessed Annawrete enter listening and looking about. It was clear that she had not seen him, so he kept his movement to a still. Oddly enough she just stood there not far from the door as if she were awaiting someone. Time passed and when she did not move from the spot, he was ready to make himself known from the second floor by asking her who she was expecting. Before he could open his mouth, the door creaked. Ezra appeared before her without a guard, which Thranduil assumed was positioned outside the door since it was the only way both in and out. Thranduil eased his way backwards into the shadows so he could observe the two humans interact.

At seeing him, Annawrete immediately took her hands to the emerald necklace ready to return it. Ezra held her from taking it off, signifying that he wanted her to keep it. In his note he had written his gratitude for finding him in the forest as well as his thoughts about her beauty, which made Annawrete hesitant. She eventually came to accept the necklace before pulling him in the direction of the Elvish-Mannish dictionary. Fortunately for them the location was out of Thranduil's range of sight from the second floor, yet they were not safe for what he had seen supplied him with enough to destroy them.