* * * * *

When Legolas returned the next morning, Will, Kai, and Rowan had all arisen and now sat idly around their makeshift camp, tracing shapes in the soil rich with rotten leaves or staring blankly into space. His footsteps fell silent, yet his appearance was noticed and acknowledged with nods or quick glances.

Kai took the more verbal approach, inquiring, “Where were you?”

“Getting food,” was the reply and, to illustrate his words, Legolas tossed a sack of fruit and some breakfast rolls onto the ground in the center of the abstract ring. It’d only taken about two hours to ride into the city, locate their place of residency, and ask after some food from the helpful kitchen maids. Though this took place during the wee hours of the morning, Legolas had still bumped into both Coonto and Lord Thranduil in the halls of the palace, but questions had been kept to a minimum since all parties seemed to be mentally elsewhere.

Now, seeing the way Kai’s eyes grew swollen at the appearance of fresh fruit, it seemed worth it. Rowan feigned apathy towards this offering, but even she couldn’t entirely hide her appreciation when, following Will and Kai’s lead, she allowed herself a taste. Merely the fact that it was edible placed it about a hundred rungs up on the ladder of lavishness, but the fruit being fresh and the bread cooked with yeast nearly sent things over the top.

Will officially broke the silence of the morning by teasing Kai, “Woah there. It’s not going to grow legs and walk away.”

“I just–“

”No more,” Rowan interrupted, reaching over and shoving Kai’s hand away from the pile of fruit. When Kai frowned and tried again, she repeated, more firmly, “No more, Kai; I mean it.”

Legolas glanced between the two and assured her, “We don’t need to ration anything; we can easily retrieve more.” Rowan looked at him hard for a moment, her features set in a decisive glare. Well somebody had led a sheltered life.

“It’s not that. His body isn’t used to food, especially fresh food. He’ll be lucky if just that doesn’t make him sick.” Kai put the fruit back on the sack and just stared longingly.

Rowan seemed to be all about business today and, in order to keep any time from being wasted beating around the bush, asked, “What now?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do we do now? Split up? Stick together? Run off? Follow the maps? Sit around idly while he interprets the journal?” She looked around the circle for answers but everyone seemed rather lost of their next move.

Will was the first to offer any decisions. He reached over and picked the journal up where he’d deposited it earlier after spending a good amount of time flipping through the first couple pages –just information about the boat trip over thus far; Will had hoped it would provide some answers as to how and why the mutineers on his ship had made their way here.

“Well, I know what I’m going to do,” he offered, opening again to the picture of his father. He glanced softly at it, then looked back up. “I’m going to follow those maps, try to figure out why my father and grandfather came here. Maybe I’ll even find a way to get home.” He handed the maps to Rowan at her beckoning and watched her puzzled face as she looked them over.

Legolas, meanwhile, nodded to Will, “I will join you.”

“But your work at the palace–“

”Is dull and tedious and not even my own work. The rest of my group can function without me. You, however, could use a companion; I am tired of the diplomatic life; and there’s a historical mystery that could be solved. I think my companions from Middle-Earth will quite understand my absence.”

“I’m in, too.” Legolas and Will both jerked their eyes to Rowan. “You two can’t just wander around Alrianto; it’s not safe. You’ll be lost, or worse, in a matter of days. No, I’ll go with you, sort of be your guide to the land, the people, whatever we have need for.” Will smiled gratefully, taking her offer at its face-value of generosity, unaware of her ulterior motive. Something about those maps had to do with her. Perhaps it would offer an explanation about her strange tattoo, about her past, about her. She couldn’t just pass up an opportunity like that. And it wasn’t like she really had anywhere else to go.

Kai’s jaw dropped and he quickly added, “I’m going with you, then.”

“No you’re not.”

“Yes I am! You got me out of that place; you can’t just abandon me now,” he insisted.

“I’ll leave you somewhere–“

”And you said it yourself: I’m a great spy. I’ll be your...your...I don’t know what you’d call it, but I’ll be it! I’ll do whatever you need done. But you just can’t abandon me, Rowan.” Rowan paused. Not because he’d touched on some maternal chord in her heart or because he’d waken in her a stream of guilt but because he’d called her ‘Rowan’ again, he’d called her by her name. It wasn’t often that a slave was called by their name. No, she couldn’t abandon him.

She finally sighed, “Fine. But only because you’re bound to get yourself killed unless I can be there to keep you out of trouble.”

“You keep me out of trouble? The other way around, isn’t it?” Rowan rolled her eyes.

With at least that part of the question answered, Will leaned back against a tree and slapped his hand against his leg. “So it’s settled, then. We’ll follow the maps. And when will we leave?”

“I must tell my companions that I am leaving. And we must get hold of those pages the Royal Bureau has from the journal –they may prove important. We’ll also need to equip ourselves with some food and–“

”I could use a weapon,” Rowan interrupted.

“All right. We’ll need to gather these things, then, before we can leave.”

“Where will you get the stuff, though?”

“Kirsoden.”

“Here’s what we’ll do, then,” Rowan took control –after all, somebody had to. “You two,” she pointed at Will and Legolas, “go to your little castle and get whatever stuff you think we need. Me and Kai will run a couple errands in town and we’ll meet back here before nightfall, sooner if you’ve nothing else to do. Deal?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Will nodded.

There. Rowan could sit easy, now. They had a plan. A good one. She stood and, taking one final glance around to make sure she could find the spot again, motioned for Kai to rise with her. “Until tonight, then.” That said, she grabbed Kai’s arm and they set off for the city.

* * * * *
Legolas and Will

“You sure they’ll be back?” Will drawled after Rowan and Kai had disappeared from view. Legolas glanced up to follow his eyes to the path they’d taken up the edge of the valley towards the city of Kirsoden and thought a moment before replying confidently:

“They will. She might be bold and aggressive but I take it that her word is her word. She doesn’t seem one to go back on it.”

“Good. I’ll trust your instincts, then. And we might as well get a start on our own part, as well, right?” Legolas nodded and the two set about to clean up camp, then hid everything except the journal and maps in the nook of a rather hollow tree. Of the horses, they decided to take two for themselves and trusted the third to keep its spot tied to a tree –not that it seemed to mind, instead content to graze and rest. All this accomplished, they turned their sights to Kirsoden.

The giant city had awoken more fully since Legolas’ earlier visit and the hustle-bustle among the platforms could be heard half a mile away in sharp contrast to the otherwise silent valley.

Will shook his head as they neared and commented, “It’s such a strange looking place, the way it’s built on platforms like that. I’d be afraid of falling off all the time.”

“Yes. In Middle-Earth we have cities on mountains and up mountains or in trees or underground, but none that I’ve seen built like this,” Legolas agreed.

“Well all the towns where I come from are built on the ground normal-like.”

Will and Legolas paid little attention to the inhabitants of the city, instead focused on the large palace positioned on the uppermost platform in order to overlook the city. Their mounted position made travel through the inhabitants easier and they reached the massive columns and pointed arches in a matter of minutes. Legolas led the way around to the side where stables had been erected on their own platform and the two horses were left here in the capable hands of Oosala the head royal stable hand whom Legolas had befriended after many hours spent among the equines.

The hallways inside were understandably more active than in the early morning, and greetings, inquiries of health, and other polite comments were directed and Legolas and Will during their sojourn to their rooms located near the back of the structure. Legolas’ was nearer and had his personal things (whereas anything personal of Will’s was back on his wrecked ship) so they ducked inside for Legolas to grab the things he wished to take with him: as many arrows as would fit in his quiver (this and his bow had been taken on the trip the previous night), his knives, money, a bottle of some light red liquid, and his cloak.

“I don’t know the weather of this land, but it would be well if we could manage a cloak for you,” Legolas commented once equipped.

Will shrugged, “For Rowan and Kai, as well, and both of them are barefoot.”

“Yes. Rowan will have thought of that if it’s important, I believe. Perhaps that’s one of their errands. Right now, though, we have our own agenda. I’ll go mention to my companions my absence –leaving as many details out as possible,” he quickly interposed, seeing Will’s look of concern. “Meanwhile, you go to the kitchens, just follow that hall until it ends and then turn right; you can ask a servant to lead you should you get lost. We’ll meet up again at the library. Should you get lost–“

”Ask a servant; I know. I’ll be fine,” Will assured him. The two parted company and Will, as was his habit, watched Legolas round a corner before turning and following his own path. Finding the kitchens wasn’t that difficult, though Legolas had left out that the long hall actually ended before the final kitchen hall was reached and one had to go down two flights of stairs. Nonetheless, Will found it all right, mostly thanks to the servants he was able to quietly follow as they carried remaining breakfast dishes back to be washed. Through the arched stone entrance, a clutter of metal and clay pots and bowls and utensils such as Will had never heard thundered, enough so that he really didn’t want to venture inside. Luckily, an elderly woman servant noticed him standing awkwardly at the entrance and approached.

“Greetings, dear; is there something you desire?” she croaked out, squinting her narrow eyes even further causing them to almost disappear entirely in the mass of wrinkles that made up her face. In anticipation of his reply, she kneaded her bony but work-roughed hands alternately with smoothing her frazzled blue hair.

Will fumbled over his reply, “I...hm...need provisions for–“

”Oh, yes! That darling Etrienan boy came here this morning and mentioned he or a friend might stop by later. I’ve already got it all thrown together. You wait right here and I’ll go find it.” She didn’t pause for a word from Will before gathering her stained and floury skirts up into her fists and disappearing into the chaos of the kitchens.

Will chose to blend into the shadows in a corner beside the archway entrance and just observe the comings and goings as he waited. For the most part it was just servants, but two arrived after a couple minutes that caught his attention more for one’s obviously angry stance than anything else. Both dressed in obviously upper-class clothing, and the angry one carried a gold-tipped cane to help him along, the click-click resounding off the stone floor through his hissing to the other man. What they said was done so too quietly for Will to pick up except a couple scattered phrases that, without any context, made little sense. He continued to watch them, though, as they shoved past a male servant (causing the silver tray her carried to topple to the floor with its contents of fine silver and several intricately-designed glasses which then shattered into millions of tiny fragments).

The old lady emerged some time later, her narrowed eyes now widened, her wrinkles even more pronounced with worry.

“Here, dear, and you’d best hurry away,” she warned in a whisper, shoving two large sacks into his arms.

“Why? That man who–“

”Aye, aye, that man. That horrible, evil man. Warian. It seems as though two of his poor slaves have escaped –how I cannot even begin to guess, as they say his plantation is a living death for those there– and he’s going mad to find them. If he does...aye, the Valar themselves won’t be able to save them, I fear. I don’t see how the two poor souls can elude him, though. He has the entire slave police combing the city and all around here. Aye, death be kind to them, but death is the least of their worries.” All this was said with the utmost sympathy for the escaped slaves and each word made Will’s heart drop further and further. Obviously Warian was not a man to mess with. Obviously he was even worse than he had imagined. Obviously they needed to get away –and fast– with or without all the preparations they desired.

“Thank you for everything,” Will rushed out, then turned and fled from the kitchens, almost plowing directly into the poor servant just finished picking up the shattered remains of what he’d carried. Will threw an apology over his shoulder, then thought hard to remember his way back to Legolas’ room. From there he easily found the library.

Unfortunately, Legolas hadn’t arrived yet. Will worried. Hopefully Legolas had said as little of the details as possible –as in none– and hopefully nobody found it slightly odd that just as two slaves had disappeared from the nearby plantation, Legolas and Will were venturing off on an unknown journey. Hopefully. Will preferred knowing to hoping.

The next couple minutes felt like hours as he bounced impatiently on his feet, straining his eyes and ears for any sign that Legolas was coming. There was none. What if Warian had found out he and Legolas helped Rowan and Kai escape the night before? What if he had already gotten hold of Legolas? Worse things to fear than death...it couldn’t be! Still no sign of Legolas, though. Will decided the best thing to do was go ahead and snab the pages they needed. Then, should Legolas show up, they could go ahead and run for it. If not...well, he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

As casually as the current scenario would allow, Will strolled into the library and left the two sacks of food in a corner by the doorway in the hopes that nobody would disturb them. Only a couple people currently occupied the library, two perusing the shelves, and one sitting, reading at the table precisely beside where the desired papers rest. Will groaned inwardly. This meant he wouldn’t be able to just stroll up, snatch them, and leave. The two perusing people would present no problem, but that third needed to be gotten rid of somehow. Perhaps a...a...a distraction!

Will pretended to browse a shelf of books in some language he didn’t understand while instead surveying the layout of the library. He could...and then...as long as...well hopefully... He nodded to himself. It was messy and loud and might backfire, but it might work, and it was all he currently had to go on. A couple minutes passed before Will was positive nobody was looking. Once sure, though, there was no time to lose. He quietly slipped towards the far end of the library, making sure he was still unobserved, threw his weight against one of the tall shelves. It creaked, but didn’t move. He threw himself again. It shook and sort of leaned, but righted itself. He put some distance between himself and the shelf, got a running start, and once again hurled towards the bookshelf. Third time proved the charm. The shelf creaked and leaned this time, but didn’t right itself. Instead, with a horrible couple seconds of pregnant silence, the towering shelf finally toppled over with a loud groan, sending dust flying everywhere, right into the shelf behind it. This, too, gave under the pressure and fell onto the shelf behind it, which also fell into another shelf, and another, and another. There were no more shelves to knock down, so after a good half-dozen shelves had fallen, the last one merely slammed into the wall with a resounding wham!, but the damage had been done. Dust thickened the air, books and loose papers went flying every which way, and the thundering echoed through the library and halls. The desired effect was achieved. Will managed to barely slip away as the three readers, their solitude disturbed, came running to see what had happened. As calmly but quickly as possible, Will strode to the front entrance, his hand shooting out and snatching up the papers on his way past the table. The sacks of food were barely retrieved and Will left the library seconds before several more people came hurriedly down the corridors to see what the loud noise had been. Will went unnoticed.

He quickly fled the scene, not wanting to be linked to the literary disaster inside, and, after a couple minutes of fast walking, was forced to stop to catch his breath, adrenaline pumping, and readjust the bags not exactly packed for running with. The bulky food was hard to hold in conjunction with the papers he was doing his best not to crinkle.

“Will–“

Will coughed and jumped nearly out of his skin.

Legolas gave him a concerned look and inquired, “I found you a cloak. What is everyone–“

”We have to go. Now,” Will replied shortly. “We have to find Rowan and Kai and get away from here.”

“Why–“

”Let’s go!” Will shoved one of the bags into Legolas’ chest and took off walking as quickly as he could without raising suspicion from anybody. Legolas followed, accepting Will’s encouragement for speed and not asking any questions. After all, he was quite an expert at covert operations. Though still unaware of the whole situation, Legolas asked Will whether time would permit them to retrieve their horses, even if they didn’t ride them through the city so as not to draw attention. After all, they might need to make a fast break and two horses could travel much faster than four runners. Will conceded and, after thanking Oosala, the two disappeared into the hubbub of the city below.

* * * * *
Rowan and Kai

Rowan hadn’t been in Kirsoden for many, many years, and many things had changed on the main streets of the city. It was not the main streets, however, that Rowan and Kai ventured to, but the back streets, and these are always the same in every city every where.

Kai didn’t like the way the buildings seemed to crowd in and tower over him. He didn’t like the way the people all walked hunched over, hands clutching weapons hidden under thick cloaks, staring at him suspiciously. And he especially didn’t like the way Rowan stuck out, seeming to draw attention to herself, walking chin held high and shoulders back. He thought she looked oddly beautiful in comparison with the dirt and shadow, and he was proud to be companion to such a creature obviously in control, unafraid, strong. But he still thought it would be smarter to fit in with the surroundings.

“Rowan, we sort of stand out. Shouldn’t we–“

Rowan cut him off, “Come in here, chicken.” She stepped through the doorway of one of the smaller buildings, snuggled into a corner of the back ways and lit from within against the dark atmosphere outside, sun blocked by high buildings and dense smoky air. Kai followed, sticking close.

Inside, Rowan paused beside a low table in the middle of the room and yelled out, “Gany! Let’s go!” Some shuffling came from a dark doorway in the far wall and after a couple moments, a short figure emerged. Kai’s face contorted into a mixture of curiosity and amusement at this appearance as he stepped into the light at Rowan’s calling. The man –for it was definitely a male– couldn’t have been taller than three feet at full height, but he stood crouched over so horribly that his back had taken on a hunched appearance and his shoulders weren’t level with each other. He looked young and old at the same time, hobbling like an elder but talking with a fairly childish voice and with a sort of vigor alien to his body. His face, perhaps, was oddest of all. One eye was blue and the other was brown, but both were so far too large for his face that they gave him a rather bug-like appearance, or as if he was always surprised, the latter idea helped by his thick, chapped lips that remained curled into an ‘O’ at all times, barely moving even as he spoke.

“Ah, Hecilewen,” Gany greeted, bobbing his head several times (this meant rocking his entire body back and forth since his short neck didn’t allow for much free movement of his head). “You’ve come.”

“Of course I’ve come,” she retorted. Kai didn’t understand any of this –if she was a slave, why would this man, or whatever he was, have expected her? Slaves didn’t have freedom of movement!

Gany glanced sideways at Kai, giving him the odd feeling of being visually dissected, his insides being splayed out for all to see through those gargantuan eyes. His gaze remained trained on Kai for a moment longer before flitting back to Rowan as he asked, “And what gift can I grant thee?”

“Cloaks. For him and myself. Boots for him–“

”I don’t have many clothes on me,” Gany interrupted. “Cloaks, yes, boots, yes, but anything further–“

”I know. Just those two things. And a sword. And a dagger.”

“What about me?” Kai cut in. “I need a weapon, too.”

Gany waved his hands in the air for Rowan to stop listing things and sighed, “There, that’s it. Let me see what I can do with that.” He turned and hobbled off back through the dark door in which he had entered. Rowan turned a glare to Kai.

“What? I can’t be defenseless!” he insisted. She rolled her eyes.

Gany returned some minutes later lugging a full load which he directly dumped onto the low table. He watched patiently as Rowan sifted through and tossed a cloak to Kai, helped him fasten it, then put on her own. The sword and sheath she slid onto a provided belt that fastened around her waist, but she opted to hide the dagger down the front of her dress. This left Kai with the smaller sword, though he still felt rather clumsy with it having never actually used a weapon before. He mimicked Rowan in belting it around his waist, but the sword was longer than his legs so that he had to hold the sheath up when he walked else he’d trip. The boots were wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. Sure, his feet felt a little confined in them having bare for the whole of their existence, but it still felt strangely comfortable to walk around and not feel the pebbles and cracks in the ground but the padded interior of a shoe.

Aside from all this, Gany slipped Rowan something that Kai didn’t get a very detailed glimpse of, but it looked like some sort of whistle or flute. She smiled at it, the softest smile Kai had ever seen of her, and tucked it away into the folds of her dress.

“That’s all I have for you,” Gany offered after this transaction had taken place. “May it be good to you.”

Rowan nodded her appreciation, “Yes. Thank you a million times over, Gany. As always.”

“As always, your welcome. And remember, if you ever need anything else, you know where to find me. A stone’s throw from the main row, and two hops past the last shops.”

Rowan and Kai left Gany’s little building and forced their way back onto the street outside, Kai still curious at what an odd fellow Gany was and wondering how exactly Rowan knew him. He pressed tightly into Rowan’s side as a thick group of enormously tall and wide people crowded by, then backed off, asking, “What now?”

“We’ll see if we can find me something a little less– No!” she interrupted herself mid-sentence with a hiss. She grabbed Kai’s arm roughly and pulled him up against the wall into a little nook between two shops and behind a crowd of chatting people. They looked affronted by the eavesdroppers and glared at them haughtily before shuffling off to a new secluded spot a little ways further down the street, but they at least remained blocking the view long enough for the soldiers to overlook Rowan and Kai. Rowan glared at their uniformed backs as they moved along, four side-by-side, all decked out in identical black tunics with shiny gold buttons and a gold ‘X’ stitched into the back and on the right upper arm.

“Who– those people in black?” Kai whispered, feeling that Rowan’s clenched hand meant urgency and secrecy. She nodded. “Who are they?”

“Slave catchers. Warian’s sent them out looking for us. No doubt the city’s crawling with them now that he’s realized we’re gone.”

“What happens if they catch us?” Rowan didn’t answer. Kai gulped.

“We need to get out of the city and away from here. Now,” she ordered instead.

“What about Will and–“

”With or without them. Let’s go.” She dragged him out of their little hiding spot, but almost just as quickly jerked him back. Another row of four slave catchers strode past. Rowan checked again, decided it was now or never, and hauled Kai after her in her mad dash across the street. So far so good. Unfortunately, the nook on this side of the street wasn’t an alleyway that went through to the main streets of the city, meaning they’d have to go along the street to the next alley some yards away.

Rowan didn’t count on this being as difficult as it actually was. After all, she’d done missions of stealth before, evaded capture. But never before had she been clean and in new clothes. Kai was right: she stuck out. Rowan’s plan for them to just casually stroll along in the crowds and hope Warian’s description hadn’t been very detailed worked. For about two minutes. It was then that someone yelled out, ‘Hey! It’s those two slaves!’

Kai’s heart stopped but Rowan’s merely pumped with adrenaline. She knew this scenario. She’d seen it before. She tightened her grip to the breaking point on Kai’s arm and took off in a sprint. They raced along the busy street as best they could, between groups of bystanders, around street vendors, under arches, over crates of goods. Rowan dove into an alley, hoping with all she had in her that it went through, and it did! They emerged on the other side into the sunlit main streets.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t necessarily a positive thing. Though it slowed the soldiers in the back streets down for a moment, it didn’t ultimately hinder them, and it brought Rowan and Kai to even more catchers’ attention. There was no time to gloat. Now it seemed a good dozen soldiers had picked up their sent, like a group of vultures having spotted a corpse and circling overhead, slowly and slowly winding their way downwards to mutilate.

The more they ran, the more tired Kai grew. Even with all the physically taxing work he’d grown up executing, running flat out for so long was something new. He felt himself slowing down, but Rowan continued, un-phased. He knew he was hindering her, knew that without him she would have already gotten clear of the city. Just as he was about to wrench his arm from her grasp and insist she go on alone, insist he sacrifice himself in some brave display of heroics that he didn’t have nearly enough courage for, somebody grabbed him underneath his arms and jerked him upwards.

This was it. They’d been caught. Warian was going to kill them. Kai felt like crying about it all until someone ordered in his ear, “Swing your leg over.”

That voice was familiar!

“Will!” Kai cried in utter relief. He quickly complied and, glancing over, saw Rowan mounted behind Legolas on the other horse ahead of them. Rowan nodded to him, then the four took off.

Rowan’s main concern was if the soldiers had gotten a good look at her and Kai’s saviors; if so, Legolas’ companions would have lots and lots of questions to answer, and it could ultimately ruin whatever they’d come so far to achieve. Chances were that they hadn’t, though –hopefully– since even Rowan hadn’t seen them until mere seconds before Will scooped Kai up.

The catchers hadn’t counted on that, obviously, hadn’t considered that Rowan and Kai had not only had help, but had transportation other than their two feet. Most of the catchers were on foot and those that were mounted had been positioned either on the top platform to overlook the city or in the back streets, but this effectively also put them at a great disadvantage. They had to go through all the platforms to reach the runaways which took time, even with all the yelling at citizens and trampling anyone who got in their w ay, or they had to find a crossway big enough for the horses to move between the back streets and the main streets, pretty near impossible since most alleys were blockaded with boxes, bystanders, or vendors. They were useless. Warian had messed up, thinking the slaves would head for the palace or not chance running out onto the main road.

By the time the mounted slave catchers reached the route Rowan, Legolas, Will, and Kai had taken away from the city, the four were long gone, disappeared into the wild, and by the time the alert would be raised to the catchers combing the country side, there would be hardly a trace of them in the area.

Rowan smiled to feel the wind in her hair.

Chapter Seven || Main || Chapter Nine