The Daughter of the Moon Volume III

Chapter 7 : Horror and comfort

A scream of pain. A blinding light. Screams. His own? The unpleasant sensation of an enemy hand tearing off the armor's flaps without gentleness. At one point, they brought a white-hot blade to the elf's belly.

She struggled, screamed but they held her back. A sensation of tearing and then hot fluid flowing over the cold stone table where she lay. Blood... her wound had reopened.

Tears were beading at the corners of her eyes. Voices echoed around her. They approached the blade of the wound which bled abundantly. She struggled, but they held her so tightly that she thought her limbs would break. One of them pushed a piece of leather into her mouth. The blade made contact with her skin and she screamed with all her might.

Her wound was burning and the muscle tissue must have started to turn black. The pain was so great that Elenwë would rather die than experience it. The intense heat made her feel as if she was burning from the inside out. The screams of pain echoed through the room, but she didn't even know it was her screaming anymore.

When the pain was too great, a reddish veil covered her eyes and Elenwë, overcome by pain, fell once again into unconsciousness.

When Elenwë opened her eyes, it was dark. Where was she? What had happened? Her thoughts and mind were confused and it took her some time to think. She remembered that the battle was over and that she had been caught by an orc. Her throat hurt like hell and her poor head seemed to be assaulted by a severe headache.

She listened for the faint sound of water droplets falling from the ceiling and hitting the ground gently. Her eyes could hardly make out her surroundings. But where was she?

A stabbing pain was coming from her side. She didn't dare look at it. She looked down at her body. She was wearing a kind of long white dress, if you could call it a dress. A few red spots were witnesses to Elenwë's wounds. She wanted to bring her hand to her side but when she moved her arm, the sound of metal chains could be heard. She was chained to the wall.

Gently and carefully she lifted her dress and looked at her side. She sighed as she thought she would keep a nice sized scar.

She went back to sleep, weak and exhausted. When she awoke again she wondered how many hours had passed. Anyway. It doesn't matter now. She closed her eyes and caught a glimpse in her mind of Legolas' smiling face. He was holding out his hand to her.

"Don't give up. I am waiting for you."

Elenwë opened her eyes again and her determination returned stronger than before. She could not stay here. She did not know what happened, but a light seemed to pass through her and suddenly she put her hands through her chains. Fascinated, she walked to the gate that closed her cell. She passed through it.

Elenwë moved forward without realizing that her speed was such that no one could see her. Thus, in a short time, she found herself in a forest. Although she did not know it, she was close to Minas Tirith. But the journey on what seemed to be a moonbeam had drained her of strength.

Trembling, she curled up against the roots of a tree and cried for a while before finally falling into a restless sleep.

Shortly before daybreak, a wolf appeared in the forest beside the sleeping Elleth. She pressed her muzzle against Elenwë's cheek and she opened her eyes with difficulty.

"Thank you for coming to get me. Ebony."

The she-wolf gently licked the young elf's cheek and lay down beside her so that she could climb on her back. After much effort, she managed to do so, but lost consciousness almost immediately.

The beautiful she-wolf carefully carried the elf back to the city.

***

Five days... five days since Elenwë was taken. Legolas, worried sick, wanted to go to Mordor right away to get her. Elladan and Elrohir, anxious for their young sister, tried to calm Legolas down, but their instincts told them to go and rescue her.

That morning, Legolas entered his room after a sleepless night.

But as he lay on the bed and closed his eyes, Elrohir entered his room without even bothering to knock.

He said nothing, his eyes shining and his long brown hair matted. One look and they understood each other. Legolas rushed to the entrance of the city, followed by Elrohir. Legolas climbed on Hasufel and Elladan and Elrohir climbed on their horses. The long serpentine path was raced down before the four of them reached the gates of the city, miraculously still standing.

On the back of the she-wolf, Elenwë lay, her dress bloodied. Legolas, with a beating heart, rushed to her and laid her on the ground. He bent his ear over her lips and felt a slight trickle of air tickle him. Unconvinced of her condition, he took her in his arms, hoisted her onto Hasufel, climbing behind her and sending a guard to urgently warn Mithrandir and Aragorn.

Elenwë, still half unconscious, felt Legolas' presence beside her. She let out a soft moan and Legolas held her close.

-Hush. Pan mae... (It's all right...) You're back.

She was unaware of what happened next.