Despair | Legolas & Hermione

7. Ashes

There they were, the towers of the huge white city, its walls and streets, which were reaching higher than some mountains. Legolas was looking at the city that was once standing for hope and glory and which was now the symbol of ruin and doom. A long time ago he had loved the sight of Minas Tirith, now he just felt hatred and despise.
Despite his feelings and the urge to turn around again, he ran towards the city of kings as quickly as he could. The last minutes that separated him from Hermione felt like ages and being as old as he was, he knew how ages felt like.
Finally he reached the street, where he lived in. He didn't care about the stares witches and wizards were giving him and the names they were shouting at him, while making his way through the crowds at the market place.

He turned around the corner in quick steps and petrified.

Hermione's house should be in front of him, but it was gone, there was nothing but charred wood on the ground and ashes flying around in the wind. It smelled like fire, coal and blood.
Legolas couldn't do anything, he was unable to breathe; his windpipe was cord up. An unbearable ache was stabbing through his thorax, while he felt the notorious lump in his throat grow.

NO! he thought, swallowing his tears. She can't be dead! They couldn't have killed her! I refuse to believe it!

"Well, well, well, what have we got here?"

Legolas immediately recognized the voice of the wizard, standing behind him.
"Decided to come home to work, did we?" Even though the elf didn't see his master Thompson, he knew the sound of his voice when he was grinning wickedly. "Well it's a bit too late for that. We replaced you already."

A woman, probably standing next to the wizard started to laugh.

"Besides we don't want an elf in the house, who messes around with a witch!" Thompson continued. "Poor girl, she probably didn't want you to touch her, and now she had to die because of you! Can you live with that? I'm just happy you didn't abuse our daughter!"

Like he would have ever touched that deranged and spoiled daughter of his masters, that girl was a worthless worm, not even worth looking at.
Anyone standing in front of Legolas, looking at his eyes could have seen the hate and evilness in him. The elf was ready to kill, he didn't care about life or death anymore, he just wanted to take revenge, at no matter what cost.

"Consider it a lesson for you."

That was too much. The wizard should have kept his mouth shut. With one soundless twirl the elf had turned towards his master. The wizards didn't have much time to react to the agile elf, it wasn't for long that they noticed the slave was holding a knife to his master's throat.

"Where is she?" Legolas hissed in the wizard's ear.

The other wizards and witches took a step back.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Thompson said.

"Where is Hermione?"

A murmur went through the bystanders.

"You mean the witch who lived in the house, which is now burned down?"

"Yes I mean her." The elf said impatient, his voice filled with loathing.

"Probably they killed her, with what she did."

Legolas stabbed the knife a little further in Thompson's throat.

"She didn't do anything! Legolas screamed in his master's ear. "She just has her own mind, unlike any of you imbeciles!"

"Yes a revolting mind."