Remember How I Love You (Sequel to 'Through Fire and Water')

I Can Just Take It

Ana's P.O.V.

I don't fall asleep tonight, daren't even close my eyes for any longer than it takes to blink. Even though I locked the door, if Hellebore wanted to come in all it would take would be one decent shove and he could break it down.

I don't know what to do. I can't escape, since I can't even walk without the crutches I doubt I'd make it far at all. And that's if I even got out, he'd probably hear and stop me before I even got near the front door. I briefly consider smashing the window and lowering myself out of it and escaping that way, but he'd hear that too and he'd be in here before I was even out the window.

But I can't stay. I can't. I don't know why he's keeping me here but it's not good. I need to get home. Wherever that is, I was unconscious most of the way here, I could go for days in the wrong direction and not know.

By the time morning rolls around I still don't have a plan, all I have is a growing sense of despair and the sentence 'I have to get away' going round and round in my head.

There's a noise in the main room, footsteps and then what sounds like someone unlocking the front door. That means Hellebore's gone outside, probably to get some firewood from his store shed. I don't hesitate, jumping straight off the bed where I'm sat and onto my crutches, ignoring the brief jarring in my ankle as it hits the floor. I'm in the living room in a matter of seconds, knowing that he'll have locked the door behind him but hoping upon hope that I can hit him with one of my crutches and maybe, just maybe, get away.

There's a scrabbling noise as he unlocks the door and I'm already swinging my crutch when the door opens just enough to let him through. But Hellebore's expecting it, blocking my weak swing effortlessly and shoving me back. I fall to the floor, crying out as my ankle twists and undoes all the healing it had done. Hellebore locks the door calmly and hauls me up, positioning me back on my crutches without a word.

"Why won't you let me leave?" I ask, wanting to scream it at him but failing to create more than a tense whisper.

"I told you, Ana, I can't" he replies with unsettling calm.

"Why? I'm just a burden on you"

"You're not a burden, Ana. You see, you were wrong yesterday, you are a prize"

"Let. Me. Go"

"You're not in a position to be making demands" he says with a cold smile, stroking a sickeningly gentle finger across my cheek. His eyes lock onto mine, daring me to move away.

"What do you want with me?" I ask, trying to sound strong but only succeeding in sounding weak and scared.

"I haven't decided yet" he purrs.

"Don't lie to me, Hellebore. What do you want?" I ask. I glare at him, summoning up some kind of defiance. Hellebore doesn't like that, his face goes from unreadable to all-too-clear. He's angry.

"I don't need to tell you what I want, Ana. I can just take it"

He moves forwards, grabbing me and pulling me onto his lips. Once we've connected he forces me backwards, pushing me up against the wall. I don't do anything for a moment, frozen in shock, and by the time I've regained the ability to respond he's pinned my arms behind me with one of his and has a handful of my hair in his other hand.

He's still kissing me, rough and forceful, and I do the only thing I can think to do. I bite his lower lip, hard. Hellebore pulls away, releasing my hair but not my arms and putting his free hand to his lip which is now bloody.

"Well that was stupid of you" he says.

"Why?"

"Because I can do this" he replies, hooking his foot around one of my crutches and kicking it sharply from my grasp. I try to stop him snatching the other away but he's still got my arms pinned, I'm only leaning on it because it's lodged under my arm and I'm in no position to resist as he pulls it out and drops it to the floor. The only thing giving me any support now is his arm, still pinning me to the wall. He come back in and kisses me slowly and gently, like you'd kiss a lover, and that is so much worse than before.

The next thing I know there's a sharp pain in the shin of my good leg as he kicks it, releasing me just in time for me to crumple to the floor.

He leans down next to me and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, kissing my cheek and then whispering in my ear "Where's your husband now, Ana?"

He's so busy looking at my face that he doesn't notice my hand reaching out and wrapping around the crutch next to me. I lean close to his ear, trying to keep his attention on my face and only my face as I secure my grip on the crutch and prepare my next move.

"What makes you think I need him?" I whisper before the crutch handle smacks against the back of his head.

Hellebore crumples, dazed but not unconscious as I role away and onto my knees, ignoring the pain in my ankle as I try to get to a position where I can access as much physical power as possible. Hellebore barely has a chance to register what's happened before the heavy wooden arm rest comes crashing down onto his head, knocking him out cold.

In a terrified daze I scramble in his pocket for the door key, unlocking the door and grabbing the other crutch. I briefly consider taking them both, but the one I hit Hellebore with has his blood on it and the idea of bringing that with me makes me feel sick.

One will do.

I hobble as fast as I can away from that house but that's not very fast. Eventually I can't walk anymore so I drop to my knees and crawl, and eventually even that is too much and I just curl up in the dirt, finally letting the terror take hold. Slowly, everything fades out and all I know is the dirt beneath me and the sick feeling in my stomach.

..........................................

"Lady Ariana? Is that you, my lady?" asks a voice. I'm shut too far into myself to respond but a small part of my brain tells me it's Hellebore, come back for me. "My Lady?"

Someone touches my arm and I flinch away, screaming, but then my eyes settle on the man before me. He looks youthful but strong, kind and concerned. He's definitely not Hellebore, in fact he's not even an elf. On his front is a large picture of a tree, the tree of Gondor.

"Lady Ariana?"

"Y-yes"

The man smiles when I finally respond. "My name's Halbarad, I'm here with your father. You're safe now"

*******************

Hi Guys!

Soooo about the last few chapters... About Legolas... I'm Sorry! I had to do it! Please don't hate me!

But I thought I should just let you know that Remember How I Love You is nearly finished, there's maybe 4 chapters left, give or take. So yeah, nearly done!

Sorry again!

Hope you all have a great day!

CrazyElfPrincess :-):-)