Chapter Eighteen: Secrets—Thranduil
My anger broiled, barely subdued in the cold chill of the still atmosphere.
Her eyes were a stormy web, clear and yet veiled, grey coming over them as a cloud. Shoulders set and chin held high, she stood, a guard on either side. Her hands were behind her, but I could see the near imperceptible tremble of her shoulders—the unmistakable clench of her jaw.
And in the weakness of her anger would her fault lie.
Earandur stood by the wall, guards near to him. He fidgeted, as was his manner, but here there seemed to be a true object for his uncertainty. His eyes flitted left to right and left again. On the opposite side of the cell, Forven leaned against the wall, a slight hunch to his shoulders. One hand tenderly rested on one of his arms, where I knew a slowly healing wound to be.
I took a step toward Iaewneth, and then another, lifting my chin as my footsteps fell upon the hard ground. With every echo of my footfalls, the sound of impending doom seemed to rise, the steady pound of my heart woven in its rhythm. There was aught that I could say—but scarcely anything that I wished to. Still, my gaze lowered to hers, holding as a dam upon a raging river. The elleth's eyes darkened as I allowed a small smile to creep upon my lips, the glint in her eyes shifting to apprehension more than arrogance.
If there was one thing her capture signified, twas that our suspicions were not in vain. The assassin, Morinaur, had not acted alone. The capture of the elleth and ellon proved that the enemy was not impenetrable—something that we could use to our advantage.
Few traces of the heavens illuminated the expanse in which we stood. Only bare hints of moonlight trickled into the dungeons—vague imitations that could hardly be considered beautiful, for the shadows were too great; the light too small. Still, the shadows were music, tone rising and falling upon the walls, and with a breath of sodden air I spoke. "Did you truly think you could conceal yourself?"—a light chuckle—"Think that you would never slip?—never be found?"
She did not answer. Her lips thinned, despite obvious efforts to remain expressionless.
I continued. "Your name—Iaewneth? Is it truth or lie—another deception in your web or did you perhaps weave some reality into this empty fantasy?" When again she did not answer, my voice lowered as I bent nearer to her. "Your silence does naught for you. I have heard that you had a bountiful lot of words to say to and throughout the rest of the stronghold. What cause have you to silence yourself now?"
By the wall, there was movement—an agitated shrug or a disconcerted tremble. "Yes, that's her name, what else would it be?" Earandur breathed a sigh, full of less exasperation than confusion. Sudden realization seemed to come upon him then, as he belatedly added, "Er, um, your majesty, King, sir. She is my sister—you can believe me."
I might have turned to face him but for the intensity that held the room captively immobile. "Tell me then, can your sister speak? Or does she leave you to spin her tales for her. You've been inside these walls for far longer than she has; you know what she is here for—you're here for the same, aren't you? Is that the truth then?"
Earandur's breath hitched as I spoke. I knew him to be guilty of no charge but naivety. The elleth before me, however—
"No." Iaewneth gave voice to thought.
Gaze cast to the ground, a low rumble emanating from my throat, I raised my chin. "Oh, so that you will say?"
Her voice split the stillness as metal ringing upon itself. "I will say nothing but that which will protect my brother—he knows nothing, leave him be."
"I'd like to believe you; like to imagine that there may be some standing behind what you say. But seeing as you have offered me no cause to trust you now—nor any other information concerning any other matter—that does not seem to be a possibility, does it?"
Iaewneth shifted but her cheek was caught between her teeth, and she seemed to look somewhere distantly behind me. Not following her gaze, trusting the warriors to remain watchful, I began to pace. Anxiety filled me—that I could not deny. Not because of fear of her or uncertainty as to if I could goad her to speak. Nay, I dreaded what I may find once she did speak of her deceits. There was something in the forest—and the elleth's eyes swirled with knowledge of it. "Tell me, Earandur, how long have you known your sister was spying on the stronghold? Slipping secrets to the Shadow; twisting goodness into the lies of her own decrepit mind."
I might have pitied Earandur. He glanced around nervously, unsure, disturbed. "Truly, I swear, I did not know she was here. And please, just—just consider, I don't think she's part of anything. This is—this is just a misunderstanding. It must be."
His words brought a strange humor to the situation. So full of it trust, so willing to believe... For a moment, I could nearly be convinced that the signs were not so blatantly incriminating of the elleth before me. "A misunderstanding, maithor? Claiming to be of Imladris, spying on the kingdom, drawing a weapon on a warrior of the realm—that is a misunderstanding? Do I perceive the issue wrongly then?" Bitterness could not be kept from my voice, rising as a serpent's head.
I heard him swallow.
"Y—yes"—a cough—"ah, yes, sir. See, my sister wouldn't ever—so long as I've been alive—betray anyone, least of all you, Your Majesty. Saes, I beg you"—his voice was gaining confidence—"to believe me. She wouldn't think—" his eyes darted to the side and he seemed to flinch before he hesitantly met my gaze again. "She—she wouldn't.." but the sudden confidence had faded and he seemed shockingly unable to continue, disbelief flooding his countenance.
His brow furrowed.
I waited.
A whisper breathed into the air. "You wouldn't, would you?" Earandur's eyes widened.
I had seen it, thought that perhaps Earandur had not. In the corner of my vision, barely visible, Iaewneth had watched her brother speak, still, frigid, unmoving; then there was measure taken, a nearly imperceptible shake of her head... and he had stopped, pulling the cornerstone from an already crumbling tower.
I bit my tongue, swiveling to face the elleth once again. "Do you deign to answer him?"
Her jaw ticked, eyes clouding as she continued to slowly shake her head back and forth again. She did not look at me, instead turned towards Earandur. "No... no, it is a misunderstanding. You don't know what's going on—why I'm here. I had to do this—for you, muindor, for us—I didn't think you would be here, thought you might be spared from the attack, but ai, ai, ai, goheno-nin, they'll come and you're going to die and it will be all my fault..."
"Who is going to attack?"
Iaewneth flinched, as if just recalling that I was speaking to her. She pursed her lips. Her cheeks flushed. She didn't blink. One small, shaky, trembling breath entered her lungs. "I can't tell you."
"Oh, but that's not quite true, is it?" I looked over my shoulder, nodding towards two of the guards. They bowed sharply, ducking out of the cell.
Earandur sputtered. "What—what's going on? You mean—you're really—?"
"Well, of course she is," I bit back at him, forgetting all sense of subtlety. "And she knows precisely who is going to attack, when the attack is coming, and why." I paused as the cell door opened again, creaking alongside muffled protests. The guards reentered, a dark figure in tow. His footsteps shuffled on the smooth floor, frantic and defiant. As the guards drew nearer, they pushed down on his shoulders, forcing him to the floor in one stumbling motion. "This is Morinaur. I assume you know each other?"
Morinaur stared at Iaewneth, disbelief shining in his eyes. "You allowed yourself to be caught?!" An unbridled fury ran through his words.
Iaewneth stared at him indicatively. "Well it seems that you did as well."
"I was in an entirely different situation than you—all you had to do was smile and look pretty. Pinch a word here or there. How—"
"Oh, daro, the both of you. Truly, you might have thought this through more thoroughly. You're like children arguing." And gazing at their countenance, I could see that they were not much more than that. They were hardly old enough to make decisions. They were youths fighting for their elders cause, minds lost and spirits troubled.
Iaewneth and Morinaur both looked up at me, glares clashing against my own. "You know not of what you speak."
I chuckled, low and deep. "Too many a prisoner has said that to me, and yet, somehow, I've never once believed them. Do not think me so naïve as to believe you. Now tell me," I bent near to his face. "Who. Will. Attack."
"We won't tell you. You had best settle with that." Morinaur's voice was adamant. Contrarily, however, Iaewneth's eyes darted to the side, doubt swirling upon her countenance.
She was cracking.
On the corner of my vision, Forven moved, crossing his arms over his chest, a dark look entering his eyes. He prowled in wait. I had nearly—not entirely—forgotten that he was in the room—but his presence only heightened my determination. "You have come into my kingdom. Spied on our dealings. Hurt my warriors, injured my son's lieutenant, threatened the prince's life—and yet you say settle? I tell you this, until I can ensure the safety of this realm in its entirety, I will pursue every one of you—defeat you, and you will be helpless to resist it."
"Duvainor," a soft voice said.
I stiffened. My shoulders straightened. I turned an eye on Iaewneth. "Who?" My breath was like frost escaping from my mouth, lips frozen.
"Duvainor," she said again, breathing heavily. "He's mounted an assault. He hoped to—to kill you, or the prince, but... but we—
"Ai, Valar, Iaewneth stop—" Morinaur's eyes were closed, a slow shake to his head. He bit his lip harshly.
She ignored Morinaur. "—we did not succeed. I know not if—when he attacks, only that he waits in the heart of the forest—watching as he has been. Yes, I was to spy, Morinaur was to kill, but that matters little now that we have failed. Duvainor will not rest until you are dead, and the forest alongside you. Now, I swear, that is all I know, saes allow my brother to flee."
I tilted my head, feeling a crushing weight fall upon my shoulders. "I believe you." Robe swishing behind me, I left, casting over my shoulder, "Lock them in a cell, and do not let them see the light of day." Angry shouts sounded behind me, all of which I discarded.
A thousand emotions cascaded over me, one after the other in a never-ending flow. It wasn't possible—had to be a lie. But too much conviction had laced her voice.
As I stepped outside the cell, Imrathon fell in beside me, silent. I knew he had heard. There was little that we could say. We both knew what this revelation meant. Destruction—threat—death—all may come to be in only few short days.
"Aran-nin!" Forven called from behind me. I slowed my pace, waiting. "What does she speak of? Who is that—who is coming?"
Stopping by a window, I looked out toward the forest. A gloom had settled amid the eaves, sun absent from the sky. Bright leaves were dull, brown, lifeless. "Someone who I believed to be long since dead has returned."
"And is he in the forest now? With Legolas?"
My chest was tight. "Aye. Legolas faces a threat for greater than himself—we all do." And as I faced the darkening forest, I could not suppress the shudder that ran through my body. Should Legolas meet Duvainor, I feared what damage may be wrought—
And if my son would return to me alive.
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To be continued...
Oh my, oh my, oh my.. Whatever will Thranduil do? (and let's hope our injured Forven doesn't go off into the woods! Trouble may await him there...)
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