Chapter Twenty Two

“You are going to pay for this!” The words reverberated around the stone vault. “Do you hear me, Ricard? When I get out of here, and I will get out, you are going to pay dearly for what you have done!” The woman pounded on the metal door, as she yelled the threat at him.

Utter darkness surrounded her, but Allaura paid no attention to it. She was not afraid of the dark. Perhaps it had inhabited her soul for so long that it held no power to instill fear in her. All she could think of was her traitorous husband.

When there was no answer from Ricard and no further sound outside in the passageway that she could detect, Allaura turned and faced the blackness that matched her mood.

“He thinks that he and that ranger can rescue the elf and escape from me. Well, he is sadly mistaken,” the woman muttered aloud. “He thinks he has suffered thus far? He does not yet have a clue what real pain is.”

Furious, Allaura took several deep breaths to calm down. She needed to think, and the only way to do that rationally was to be calm and clear-headed.

Once she was under control, Allaura began to figure out how she was going to get out of this mess she found herself in, thanks to Ricard, her simmering hatred reminded her.

She paced, unaware that her hands, which were down by her sides, were balled into tight fists. It seemed that her body wasn’t as calm as she believed. Her mind, however, was quickly clearing, and it didn’t take long for the answer to come to her.

After they were married, Ricard had been anxious to show Allaura every part of Ravenlore top to bottom, and that had included the dungeon.

He told her of a time when he was twelve, and he had come down here to the dungeon to explore, something his father had strictly forbidden him to do. But since the family held no prisoners, the doors on the lower levels were never kept locked.

Ricard had wandered in and out of the various vaults and then, pretending to be a captive, he had slammed the door to one of the cells closed behind him.

The boy had nearly panicked when he tried to open the door and found that it had somehow locked itself.

In desperation, Ricard had taken a small metal punch he had on him after a class in leather working, inserted it in the lock and began manipulating it all around the inside. After trying and failing a number of times, he finally got the lock to pop open.

Ricard never told anyone what he had done, so it was easy for him to sneak off and play in the dungeons, never fearing that he would be trapped again. He had never been caught, so no one else, to his knowledge, learned the secret of the lock trick.

No one that is, until the day Ricad related the story to his new wife. He had reassured her that the doors to the dungeons would be kept locked so that their future children wouldn’t get trapped the way he had been.

The man had not known then that having children was out of the question for Allaura, though she never told him that until he was firmly in her control. She had no time for sniveling little brats that would be constantly under foot and demanding her attention. It was a fact she delighted in telling Ricard on one occasion, when he was feeling particularly rebellious. She had smiled wickedly to see the crestfallen look in his eyes.

Turning her thoughts back to the situation at hand, she grimaced. How could she have forgotten about the secret to unlocking the door?

Allalura’s grimace turned to a smile. Evidently Ricard had also forgotten about the secret way to open the locks, or he never would have told the ranger to put her down here.

Manipulating the lock in the dark would not be too difficult. After all, you couldn’t look into the lock while working the tiny tumblers no matter how much light was available. It was all done by feel.

Pulling a long, straight hair pin out of her hair, Allaura inserted it into the lock and began the task of freeing herself. Once that was done, she would plan how best to rid herself of Ricard and the ranger, who she no longer cared to keep. In her mind, she considered him a traitor, too, even though he had never been loyal to her to begin with.

Then she would find the elf and get the necklace from him. Whether or not he would be worth keeping after that, she would have to determine, when she found him.

*~*~*~*

Treco stood just on the edge of the tree line, staring out across the manicured lawn toward Ravenlore. He knew that anyone looking out of any of the windows on this side of the house could easily see him. However, he didn’t think he had much of a choice. The trees in the woods surrounding the stone structure were too close together to provide him with a landing site.

It also didn’t help any that everything around him was green, and he was a brilliant red. He stuck out too plainly, and that didn’t sit well with him.

It wasn’t for the first time that he cursed the human and the elf, who he held directly responsible for his being here. They were the ones that caused him to have this inconvenient and most prickly conscience. He was quite sure he hadn’t had one before he met them. He didn’t stop to think that maybe it just hadn’t had the right reason to make itself known.

The dragon snorted, and black smoke rolled out of his nostrils.

Treco shook his head. He was not going to stay out here and expose himself to that evil witch’s magic. But where to hide that was close? He had already been forced to discount the forest.

Looking back at Ravenlore, Treco realized that there was only one place where he could be close to whatever might happen at the house and yet remain hidden from curious inhabitants. “Of course.” The dragon almost laughed, as he lifted into the air.

A minute later he landed on the roof. As long as he stayed on the same side as the sun, he wouldn’t cast a shadow onto the ground that could be seen from a window. And if he was still, he wouldn’t make any noise that could be detected by anyone on the top floor.

Pleased with himself, the huge creature settled down to wait. Just what he was waiting for, he had no idea, but wait he would. He was sure that when the time came to move, he would know it.

His wings folded, he closed his eyes and turned his face to the sun, soaking up its warming rays. Even to a casual observer, he looked oblivious to the world. What no one could see was that his ears were on high alert.

*~*~*~*

Aragorn stared into the blue-gray eyes of his life-long friend. He tried desperately to determine the state of Legolas’s mind now that the elf was conscious. The man dreaded the thought that he might have to further harm the elven archer to save himself. That was not the way it normally worked, he thought. The two friends went to great lengths to save the other from harm. But the ranger knew he couldn’t help Legolas, if he himself became injured.

Ricard also watched the elf closely, ready to use his crutch again, if the elf showed even the slightest sign of impending violence and the need arose for action. Like the ranger, he didn’t want to hurt this Firstborn, but if he couldn’t be controlled any other way...

Legolas was looking as intently at Aragorn, as the man was looking at him. Then one word left his lips. “Estel?”

When he heard his elven name, the ranger almost collapsed from sheer relief. Legolas recognized him and knew who he was!

“Yes, mellon nin. It’s me.” The smile that spread across the man’s face was short-lived.

“I need the necklace,” was all the elf said, but those words brought on incredible sorrow. Aragorn noted that Legolas hadn’t used the word ‘want’; he had said ‘need’.

“No, Legolas, you don’t need it. It’s evil and will only enslave you and lead to your destruction.”

The elf sat up slowly and rubbed his head. “I...I have to have it, Estel. You do not understand. It is part of me now. Please, I must have it back.”

Aragorn almost cried. Part of him? That couldn’t be, could it? It could, he concluded. So the evil power of the blue stone had indeed entered the elf’s soul, just as Ricard had said. He looked up at the man, standing behind him and leaning on his crutch.

Ricard confirmed what Aragorn feared. “It is as I thought. The stone has done more than take hold of him. It has ingrained itself in his very being. It is now, as he said, a part of him.”

Turning back to the elven warrior, Aragorn laid a slightly shaking hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You must fight it, Legolas, You must break the stone’s hold on you.”

Legolas shook his head. “I cannot.” There was defeat in the elf’s eyes, and his voice was soft, as he begged. “Please, Estel, give it to me.”

“I cannot,” the ranger said, echoing the elf’s own words. “We’ll work together, as we always have, and we’ll get through this, Legolas. Please believe that we can do it.”

Legolas merely stared at Aragorn, and it was obvious he didn’t believe the man’s words.

Aragorn would actually prefer to see Legolas angry and ready to fight. That was easier to take than the hopeless resignation he now saw in the elf’s eyes.

Suddenly, in a lightning fast move, Legolas reached out and rammed his hand into Aragorn’s tunic and into the pocket where the necklace had been before.

Aragorn didn’t move, letting the elf discover for himself that the stone he sought was no longer there.

Legolas stared at his empty hand and moaned pitifully. “Where is it?”

Sadly, the ranger said, “I’ve hidden it, Legolas. I won’t let it take you again.”

The eyes of the two friends met and held each other. “You just do not understand, Estel. Keeping me from the necklace will not free me, as you think. It will only cause me pain.”

Aragorn didn’t think he could feel any worse, but he was not going to give up on this beloved friend he had known since childhood. He never would, just as Legolas had never given up on him, no matter the circumstance. But to be honest, Aragorn didn’t understand. No one not under the influence of an addiction or an overwhelming obsession ever could. Yet, the ranger’s mind was set, and he refused to change it.

Then Legolas said the worst thing of all. “I will die without it.” The words were simple and spoken softly, but a dagger to the heart couldn’t have wounded Aragorn more.

In one graceful motion, Legolas stood up. Without warning, he jumped on the pile of rocks in the center of the room. Leaping up to grab the edge of the hole in the ceiling, he swung himself up through the open space and disappeared.

Aragorn yelled the elf’s name over and over until Ricard put his hand on the man’s arm. “He will not answer you, and neither one of us can reach the upper chamber, even from the top of these rocks the way he just did.”

“I won’t lose him,” Aragorn stated flatly. “I have to find him again. I know you can’t move fast enough.” He smiled at the other man sadly. “Thank you for you help, Ricard, but I must go from here alone.”

Ricard nodded. “Go. I will make my way upstairs slowly but surely. I will aid you and Legolas more, if I am able.”

In a flash, Aragorn was out the door and running down the passageway. He knew that the upper level tunnel was the one that Treco had escaped from, and it led directly outside. He would have to find another way out.

Ricard sighed, silently wishing the ranger good luck. He then made his way out of the ruined vault and started down the passageway, hoping to catch up to the other man in time to help him deal with the elf.

The vault door he was passing suddenly flew open, and Allaura walked out in front of him. Seeing his wife surprised him so much, he froze.

Allaura was likewise surprised, but she recovered quickly. “There you are, you rat.”

“Allaura. How...?” Ricard didn’t finish the question, because he instantly knew exactly how she had escaped. “You picked the lock.”

“Yes, my dear, I did. I thank you so much for telling me about your youthful adventure.” Her smile chilled the man’s blood.

They stared at each other, and then Allaura lunged at her husband, reaching for his throat. He managed to put his hand up just in time and instead of being choked, he was forcefully pushed backward. His head hit the stone wall, and Ricard fell in a heap.

A smear of blood on the stone indicated the force with which Ricard’s head had hit. To her consternation, she saw that he was breathing. It would be so easy to take his crutch and beat him to death with it, ridding herself of his presence and making him pay for his betrayal.

She shook her head, knowing that time was of the essence, and she couldn’t waste a second of it right now. Of utmost importance was finding the elf and getting her necklace back. Then she would return and deal with her husband. Looking at him now, Allaura didn’t think he would be going anywhere.

Turning down the passageway, Allaura began her search for the elf and her necklace.

*~*~*~*

As he ran, Aragorn couldn’t help but ask himself if Legolas would head for the forest. Could the elf even hear his beloved trees any longer? Could they offer him solace and help him forget the blue stone? How sad that he even had to ask such questions about a wood-elf.

Without even slowing down, Legolas ran across the huge chamber that had held Treco. He barely glanced at the four guards lying sprawled out on the floor near the double doors. He didn’t stop to see if they were alive or not. They weren’t moving, and that’s all he cared about.

The elf sprinted down the huge tunnel and out of the house. Normally, he would have breathed deeply of the fresh air and savored the feel of the sun on his face much as the hidden dragon was doing far above him. Then he would have headed straight for the trees.

He cared not for any of it. All he wanted was the necklace. He had a plan for getting it back, and he didn’t even feel guilty for the way he was going to go about accomplishing that.

TBC