Chapter 20: Answers Within Madness

Cast of additional characters and aliases

Anborn Faramir's alias

Mattias the eldest son of the witch

Bregus the witch; also called Mother, the shuv'ni (another word for witch) and puri dai (tribe elder)

Bäla Bregus' dead husband, a former shuv'ni and puri dai

Kattica Mattias' wife and a shuv'ni apprentice

Yulli one of Mattias' cousins; a young, male teen in the camp

Something cool touched Legolas' battered skin and he winced as it washed over him, pain emanating from every inch of his head and torso even though his flesh was barely skimmed in the careful ministrations. A ringing sound in his ears persisted abating only slightly from what it had been. Legolas tried to focus. He realized he must have been unconscious for someone was now before him and he did not remember his or her approach. Whether he had been adrift only minutes or hours, he did not know. He only knew a cold cloth was pushed to his face and a fiery explosion of pain came to meet it. He cried out.

"Hush," came a soft voice. It was a woman. Quiet and kind. He had not the strength at the moment to look up, and even if he had he doubted he could see her. Her stooped body before him was a blurry haze. But her voice was soothing and he gave in to it. "Hush. This will hurt, but I must cleanse these wounds."

His brow furrowed in confusion over whose voice he might be hearing. "Kattica?" he wondered aloud.

There was a hesitant pause, and then she answered, "Yes, Legolas, it is I."

He tried to look up but he was unable to do so. Instead his brow screwed up as he tried to pull his head away from the slight brush of her touches. "Don't" he whispered.

"I must," she replied. "You are covered in blood, and I know not how bad this really is. I cannot leave it be."

He hissed in pain as she touched him again, but it was anger that made him grit out between clenched teeth, "Do not touch me!"

She leaned away and he heard her sigh a shuddering breath. Then she leaned back in, whispering lightly near his ear, "I am sorry, Legolas. Truly, I am sorry."

Gentle fingers scrubbed his tender skin, and Legolas bit down on his lip as his head rolled back. Again the world became a roiling whirl and he helplessly lost himself to it. His eyes shut of their own volition as he found himself falling adrift again.

****

She was fighting back her tears as she finished cleansing and binding the Elf's wounds. Inborn emotion ate away at her as she aided him, though she tried to remain impassive. It was pointless. The tears flowed on their own.

Upon completion, she grabbed the medicine bowl and cloths and hastily took them back into Bregus' wagon, trying to ignore the expression of suffering that rolled out of her. Her face was heavily streaked but she pretended the tears did not exist. A part of her was mournful, but it was not the choice of her mind to be this way. Stubbornly she reminded herself that she had made her decision to move past this. She could not change it. To her stoic mind, that should override everything writhing within her soul. After what she had done, and recognizing the terrible horror of it, she had pledged she would do no more harm onto others. And now she was even trying to help. Her thinking was sound and she could justify her decision fully. Her conclusions should be praised. She was sure she was right.

Still the tears came.

She rationalized her actions. The facts were clear: what Kattica had done was inexcusable. With a lump in her throat, she reviewed it. She felt dirty. The power of manipulating others through means of magic was tantalizing and great and at the same time perverse. It was exciting and rejuvenating and sinful. It was wrong. She knew that. She had known that. And yet somehow she had managed to be swayed by it anyway. The ugliness in black sorcery was capable of bringing out the basest elements in her soul and that had truly startled her. That was what made her want to turn away. She could not risk finding that part of herself again, for she was unsure she really could stop it from winning over her mind and soul if she allowed it access. Better to know this was something wrong and leave it at that. Try not to even think on it, for dwelling there was not helping her situation. She shrugged the memory of what she had done away. Gone.

Still she longed for it. Her hands shook in her denial of what her soul craved. It was maddening. How to quell this desire without giving in to the craven part of her spirit was something her mind fought to resolve. She closed her eyes, resigning herself to her deprivation. The look on Mattias' face should be enough. This decision must stand, no matter how great her wants otherwise.

And as for Bregus? Kattica sighed despondently. What Bregus had done was beyond the girl's reach, beyond anyone's reach, really. And yes, it too was wrong. The girl could not help how the old woman's mind worked and she would not try now to influence the morality issues in the elder. Especially when her own were so much in doubt. The time for that was long gone, if indeed it had ever been there. Kattica had been witness to it for years. Never had Bregus shown any reservations in getting what she desired. Besides, tradition told Kattica it was inappropriate for a youth to reprimand or counter an elder. No. This decision to stay uninvolved was what was right for Kattica. She would do as she was beckoned to do. Nothing more, nothing less, and she would try to find satisfaction in that. Yet, hadn't she just been aiding the Elf. "Ai! I cannot think! There are too many conflicts and I know not which way to turn!" she exclaimed to herself.

She allowed herself to breathe a moment, clearing her mind before setting a course for her actions. And then she returned to her prior stance. If she were to survive, this is what she must do, for surely anything else meant the demise of her family. There really was no other choice. It was all clearly spelled out. It was all so plain to see. Leave the strangers be. Do as Bregus required.

So why did it feel so very wrong?

The girl felt the wetness on her cheeks and the burning in her eyes. She was alone, and she was glad for that. The old woman was not about, instead off searching in the wilds for special herbs she had muttered about after completing her torment on the man. She had taken her mortar and pestle with her, along with a canteen of water and a few other liquids in her apothecary kit, so there was no telling how long the old woman might be gone. Kattica recalled the crazed look in the woman's eyes at her departure, but knew it was futile to give it greater thought. There was great weariness there, and Bregus could do with some sleep, but there was more than that. With retrospect Kattica could see telltale signs of madness, but at the time, the girl had been too caught up in her own sense of shock upon witnessing all she had seen to even consider offering aid to the elder. And even if she had been able to give it, it was unlikely the girl would have done anything to question or stop the elder.

Strangely, it wasn't until after Bregus had been gone that the full force of that assault had sunk in for the girl. And that's when the tears had begun to flow. That's when Kattica had found the flaw in her decision and Bregus' mental capacity in question.

That would have to wait. Now that Kattica was alone, hidden in the confines of the wagon, she could afford to let loose her own agony and free herself of her mental anguish. Except she did not feel it. Oddly enough she felt nothing, empty, which in itself was rather peculiar given that her body was reacting as if she were enormously burdened.

Crossing the small interior space, she put back the tools where they belonged. A small movement in the corner of the wagon caught her attention. The owl looked up at her, lifting its head from its curved wing and staring blankly into her face. She wondered what it thought of all this and then corrected herself. She had heard Bregus talk to the bird before as if in conversation, but Kattica had never really believed true discourse occurred between them. She had little reason to believe animals comprehended anything beyond rudimentary commands. That was, until she had seen Legolas calm the dogs with a few Elven words. How had he done that? Obviously, the dogs had not been raised among Elves so they could not know his commands. Had they merely been responding to his tone and commanding presence, or did they truly understand him? Kattica shook her head at the thought.

She heard a low moan, and it frightened her for a brief moment. It was the Elf outside the wagon. The sound of his voice reached through the floorboards of the vardo. She had not expected to hear him. His cry was soft, barely audible, but loud enough to catch the girl's attention carrying well within the space. She realized Bregus had selected to tie him there so she might keep close tabs on her hostage. "Darodaro" he said weakly, words slowly muttered, as if in dream. The laziness of his enunciation indicated as much. That was a blessing. Were he awake, his pain would be much. She considered giving him the tea she had brewed earlier. It would ease his pain and drive him to sleep. But he was already sleeping and she had earlier opted to hold off in order to see how he might recover when he next awoke. She held to that.

She grimaced as she thought of the beating. The harm had been grievous, gruesome to behold, though not fatal. He was strong and she doubted he would linger long in rehabilitating his wounds. Yet he was pained now. She had watched as he had taken the full brunt of the assault. The worst wound was a blow to his head, the one delivered with a fisted rock. She shuddered as she thought of it. The hollow sound of it echoed in her memory. It had been an ugly wound. It was an ugly memory. She had tried to be kind to him afterward, somehow hoping that would make up for the harm they had done though she doubted that would be enough.

The memories would not go away. The look of hatred that had filled the eyes of the attackers could never really leave her thoughts. These were her people that had done this. This was her family. She thought she had known them so well and yet they had shown an unquenchable desire to hurt. Is this what she had looked like too? Was this what the wave of dark magic that had possessed her revealed itself to be to the outside world? If so, it was hideous to behold, and it gave Kattica incentive further to turn away from that route. No wonder the Elf had not wanted her to touch him. Would she want any different in his place? She could not blame him his feelings.

Still her memory lingered over it. And the most heinous part about was that the hideous brutal blow done with the stone had come from Yulli. Yulli! Sweet Yulli. He was just a boy! He was not old enough to know hate! Not like that. The corruption was sickening.

Then there had been the man. Anborn, she reminded herself, giving him a name. She had considered going to him after she had helped Legolas, but she reconsidered after looking upon him. His injury was to the psyche only and Kattica knew for that there was little she could offer to sooth him. Besides, he was nearly unconscious on his own, driven by a mind unable to grasp the depravity of what had been done to him. His body was left limp, exhausted and disoriented from his struggle against the puri dai's attack. No doubt, that attack had been savage. In fact, it had been awful! Brutal, wicked and cruel, tainted with malicious primacy of immoral emotion! Kattica could not even imagine inflicting such a thing upon another living being. She could not! Not like that! Never! But the thought of the delicious feelings of dark magic interrupted her denial. While she wanted to refuse her involvement in anything like what Bregus had done, she knew that to be an untruth. In her heart, Kattica knew she was fully capable of committing a like crime.

Suddenly, Kattica's legs felt very heavy and her mouth felt very dry. She pulled out the chair and found herself plopping into it without much pre-thought on the action. Something was wrong. Her chest felt horribly constricted. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, and she felt something akin to panic rising up in her throat. And then it came out. A cry. Rich and deep and heartfelt, it was a cry of suffering and horror. It was a cry of sadness and grief and terrible, terrible shame. It was a cry of repentance. And now, like a tremendous rush of feeling she felt it. She felt it all!

Great gushing sobs wracked her chest. She bent forward, curling over herself as the tears flowed out of her eyes. Her girth restricted her, and she felt the baby stir around inside her as she crouched inward. "Please forgive me," she wailed softly. "Please forgive me"

After a long while, her tears tapered off. She remained still for some time, lost in thought. And when she arose, she realized she was emancipated . The guilt, shame and anger that had been riding her were gone, all left behind in the quiet solitude of the wagon. Her frayed nerves felt soothed though she knew now what to do. She understood herself now that her tears had brought her recovery. She could look out on the camp and recognize the actions of the others were not truly theirs. Those had been Bregus' motivations. Kattica could not she would not judge the others on that. Nor would she judge herself. Not on the past, but on the future. That was hers to claim.

She had discovered something about herself that she did not like knowing but had to accept. She was capable of harm. She was capable of it and she could enjoy it. That was a very scary thing to acknowledge. And knowing that made it even more critical for Kattica to maintain what she had earlier thought, that she would do no harm again. Beyond that, Kattica was pained to admit she could do little. Bregus was an entity all her own and difficult to predict. She still had no full understanding of what the old woman intended to do or why, only vague clues. Yet she knew time was closing in, and if she were to do something beyond playing an aloof part in this game, it would have to come soon.

She began to step from the wagon, but heard something approaching. She stiffened as she recognized the sound of Bregus' steps but then realized she had no reason to be fearful for being caught there. Kattica was returning the tools. That had been real. And yet would the old woman realize now that Kattica was free of her influence and that she was ready to fight again? That the girl was not sure of, for she was not sure if the old woman could see into her mind.

Kattica chastised herself. If Bregus were that omnipotent she would know of Kattica's presence already. Nonsense thoughts these were and Kattica realized she attributed Bregus with too much. She reached the curtain to depart but then stopped as she heard the elder move towards Legolas. New fright made Kattica freeze in her place when she heard what the old woman was saying.

****

Bregus prodded the Elf with her kosh, balancing a bowl in the crook of her arm as she did so. Her body was tired, aching from muscles long underused and now pressed with greater need. She scowled, her temper shortened by weariness. She was determined to see the Elf alert. "Wake up!" she ordered. He did not stir. She prodded harder but he remained still. Yet in her mind she saw the corners of his mouth turn up in smile. His head was bowed, lolling forward on his chest but she was certain he was awake. He was mocking her. "I know you can hear me! Look on me!" Still, the Elf remained prone, listless, and in a fit of rage she lifted the kosh prepared to swing it down upon the unmoving body. A hand behind her grabbed her wrist, effectively stopping the staff before it could begin its downward descent.

Enraged she flung around, eyes fierce and ready to send whoever was depriving her of this pleasure into a misery from which they might never recover. But the answering face made her withdraw immediately, dropping the kosh as if frightened by it.

"Bäla," she uttered, completely awed by his presence before her.

He smiled at her, glancing down at the thickness of wood now lying on the ground then looked back into her eyes. He laughed, "You nearly killed him in your rage, Bregus. You are not thinking clearly it seems. You may have destroyed our plans single-handedly with just one blow."

Bregus looked back to where the Elf lay, his form unmoved from before. "He he was taunting me," she stammered.

"He was unconscious," Bäla admonished.

"I thought I saw himthere look at him now. He arises!" she exclaimed, and there again in her mind she saw the Elf gaze up, a gleam of malice filling his eyes. And simultaneously he remained unchanged, head lowered.

"You made the potion, didn't you? Think you the possibility that you may be affected by it?" Bäla said with a chiding voice looking at the contents within the mortar.

"I was going to show him what I did. I was going to show him how I planned to get his friend to tell me what he knows," she said, lifting the pestle. A globule of a creamy grey substance drifted down the grinding tool. She bent forward, certain the Elf was attempting to fool her while she ignored the substance slipping between her fingers. She knelt to where the Elf lie prone. She knew his eyes were following her. "He will pay for distracting his friend from my attentions before." Disappointingly, the Elf was paying her little attention. He remained still. But she would not be ignored!

She arose quickly, ignoring the pain of stiffening muscles. She moved away, deciding to act immediately. She rounded the vardo, seeing the man, Anborn, now stirring uncomfortably against the tree. She leered at him, remembering with greedy thoughts how she had made him cry out. Yet he had not been entirely forthcoming with her. The information she wanted for the sake of her own comfort was still missing. "I was not able to get what I wanted entirely from you. The Elf distracted you. Now he will see the new torment I have devised." She approached him, bowl in hand, the grinding tool dripping the liniment, a smile gleaming off ragged teeth. The man's eyes grew wide with fear and anticipation.

"Bregus!" Bäla screamed, and the fright of his words made her fling the pasty substance on the pestle aside, dropping the bowl and splattering the contents to the ground. Anborn swept his legs away agilely despite his kept position. Most of the substance fell to the ground. Immediately the globules in the dirt disappeared without a trace.

Bäla rounded on her, and she looked at him with fright. He pointed to the pestle in her hand. "How many times must you be reminded not to touch it with bare hands? Fool! Now you will be wrapped up in its spell."

She had been careless she realized. She was too worn from exhaustion to take more careful steps. Apathetically she thought that perhaps it did not matter. She stared at the creamy substance disappearing into the tips of her fingers and then looked up at him. Her pupils were largely dilated. "Nay," she answered. "I am too powerful for it have the effect it might have on these paeans."

He sighed with resignation. It was too late to do anything else. "I suppose he got a dose of it as well," he said, watching to see if any droplets were fading away into his clothing.

She straightened, seeming more sure of herself for all her uncertainty. She glanced at Anborn, watching his eyes for signs of the drugs effect. His expression was confused and he did his best to back away from her, but there was nothing to indicate the drug taking affect. She looked back up at Bäla scowling. "He seems free of it, yet I can remedy that. I have questions I might ask him." She reached down to brush her hand along Anborn's face while the other hand reached out the distance to take the bowl laying on the near ground. Remnants of the potion clung to the side of the mortar and she felt confident there was enough there to fully anoint him. With her touch, she pried at his mind, and he tried to pull his head away while she laughed. She enjoyed reaching inside to his thoughts.

But Bäla grimaced, grasping her hand tightly and pulling her up. The bowl remained on the ground while his fingers pinched her hand together in his strong fist. "Like this I suppose?" he asked. She watched his face perceiving small jealousy over the attentions she was doting upon the man, or so she supposed. A slight smile crept up on her face for that small triumph. But Bäla ignored it, his face reddening at her interpretation. He flung her hand down and turned away in fury. "So caught up in the petty details are you, Bregus! I told you to let this go! Do you not realize time moves on and instead you play games choosing uneven weapons that cannot be wielded with precision. You are having too much fun in the preparation, you forget the task! So typical of you! And now it has caught you instead! You and your potionsI should have known! Your mind will be affected by this! You shan't think clearly. Look at you! Your mind already is befuddled from lack of sleep. Now you add this to the mix? What of the Protected Place? We need to take the Protected Place! Now!"

Bregus listened to his anger and swallowed, taking it in. Normally she would have shrunk away from him, but with the drug's influence and her own temper riled, she found the strength to unleash venomous retaliation. Her fury let loose, lashing out in response to his tirade. "And what is it you think I am trying to do?! The Protected Place is useless to us if we cannot know how much is needed to gain it!"

Bäla looked at her with an expression of genuine disappointment. "You need only have entered it to gain admission," he said with a raspy breath, pointing down at Anborn. "You have them as hostages. You could have used that as your vantage to gain access. You still can."

"No, you do not see! There are elements we do not know! We could be defeated easily if we are not certain!" she replied in haste.

Bäla sneered, "You make a poor leader, Bregus. This is the hour when risks were meant to be taken and you cower, looking for answers in the heads of these tormented souls. They will not tell you what you want to know." He bent down to look at Anborn, staring into the face of the man. The resemblance between them was remarkable. Bäla had an almost sympathetic look on his face as he said, "They have already fought you valiantly, and now you use ritual medicines to find your answers? I should have never put my faith in you. You will fail us."

Dejected misery crept into her heart, but before she could respond and attempt to make him see that what she did was right, an even voice spoke behind her from the other side of the wagon. "You shall never take it," the voice calmly called out, and she rounded the corner to see the Elf smiling at her as she had imagined he had before. His eyes had an eerie shine to them and she felt a shiver slide down her spine in response to his gaze.

But she regained herself almost instantly. "I shall take it once I know what I need to know. Tell me, and it will all be that much easier," she coaxed, sidling over to him.

"Fool, Bregus! You talk to an unconscious being. Look at him! He is not awake!" Bäla scorned, and for a split second Bregus saw the Elf still laying unaware. But then she blinked again, and the Elf was beaming at her in a taunting manner.

"Nay, it is your ploy to try have me act rashly in your favor, Bäla! And I am too frightened of what might happen should I act rash in this. I have worked too hard to gain this much," she cried, turning away from him and focusing on the Elf.

"But what if we do not reach the Protected Place in time?" Bäla lamented with an angry voice from behind her.

"I I know not. I will have to work without it, I suppose," she shrugged.

"THE SPELL WILL NOT WORK WITHOUT IT!" he shrieked, and she flinched at the ferocity of his words.

Not wishing to back down from her decision, she glowered at the Elf. "How many are there in your party? What weapons do they hold? Tell me! Tell me now!"

The strange creature smiled up at her, completely unmoved by her emotion. "Too many to count," he answered serenely. His face shone in great joy as he said his part and he seemed to relish every word and the effect it had on her. "Our cave is a fortress and we have multiple entrances and exits into and out of the place. We span the hills and valleys here, and our lair is an underground world you could never imagine. The Elves are immense and powerful with weapons of magical potency. When they realize our disappearance, they shall come, seeking us out. And when they find us they will smite you down in a wave of great force the likes of which you could never match. You shall be destroyed and forgotten, left to rile in the charring depth of damnation for all eternity."

"No! Demon! You speak only to frighten me! Your words are false!" she screamed, reviled.

"The falsity is in your mind. I am only a hallucination constructed by you," the Elf retorted, his expression never changing.

Her face went rigid in fright before she relinquished herself to her spite. "You shall see! You shall see! I will take your heart and you shall see what mocking me brings you! You of them all are my key! I will live forever once I have it, and I will be forever young! You will see then not to mock me! And Bäla will take Anborn's body and he shall be with me as well! Tell him! Tell him, Bäla!"

The Elf laughed merrily, as if a great joke had been told. "He can tell me nothing for he is not here. Your memory perpetuates his existence, but it is skewed. This is not what Bäla was."

Frightened, she backed away from his words as if they were a weapon.

"You have made him into something he never was," the Elf said, still laughing.

Flinging around to face Bäla she raced into his arms, crying, "Tell him he is wrong! Tell him how powerful and fearsome you are! Tell him of your bravery and strength! Tell him how willfully you will rule upon your return!"

But the male shuv'ni only smiled, then gave a slight shrug. Behind her, the Elf's voice echoed on, "How can he tell you anything when he too is only a figment of your mind?"

Appalled she whipped her head around, staring down at the Elf. "Nay! He is real!"

Cocking his head slightly, he said, "Have you not noticed? Bäla only appears to you in your dreams. Yet he appears now in full light of day while you still walk and function."

She looked back to Bäla, mouth agape. He was walking around to stand next to the Elf. He smiled in a pleasant way and said in a neutral voice, "It appears obvious to me, Bregus, that you have gone mad."

Rage fired out of the elder in pent frustration and confusion. "How dare you say this to me! After all I have done for you! After all I have yet to do for us both!" Swooping down to pick up the fallen kosh, she raised it again, ready to strike though she was uncertain which one she wanted to hurt most. Both carried the same smug expression of knowing more than she did. All her earlier years of frustration waiting for her rightful position of power to come exploded into a despairing wave of hatred at being made to feel so helpless and inept by these two males. She gritted her teeth and lunged forward, taking aim first at the Elf.

A voice broke the spell as a cool hand came to rest upon her upraised arm, gently pulling down the hand holding the stick. "Calm now, my dear. All is well." Bregus blinked. They were gone. They had been there smiling at her, mocking her, and instantly they were gone. Instead, the Elf laid before her, hands still tied to the wagon wheel, body unmoved from where it had been before, slumped forward in an unconscious state. And Bäla? Where was he?

"Drink this, Bregus. All will be right again if you drink this." A tin cup of a ruddy brown liquid wavered in front of her eyes before it found its way to her lips. She took the cup, considering it, but hesitated to drink. She looked up to see Kattica watching her carefully.

"No! You mean to fool me too!" She threw the cup aside. Then a hand at her shoulder gently spun her around and she looked up to see Mattias' face.

"I would not fool you, Mother. Will you trust me?" he said, his face so like his fathers, but kinder, gentler.

Almost instantly her mood changed. Tenderly she smiled at him, a maternal expression settling on her face. He said to her, "Come this way, Mother. I will take you someplace where you might rest."

She smiled lightly at the suggestion. She was tired. Sleep would be welcomed though she could not allow it. Panic fired up in her as memory of what needed to take place returned to her and she took a step away. "No! No sleep! There is still much to do. I need to know their numbers! I need to know their weapons! How might I fight them if I do not know. We have to act now. Today! Sundown tonight. And tomorrow is almost too late! The moon will not be right if we wait much longer!" she ranted.

Kattica stepped forward, hushing gently like one approaching a feverish child. "There now. There is time. The day only draws near the noon hour. A few hours rest, that is all you need. Just a few hours will replenish you and you will be able to move more soundly. The sun does not set until late in the day. When you awake, together we will work to tackle these tasks," the girl said, looking first at the elder, then toward the man who was guiding her.

Feeling incredible fatigue, Bregus did not know if she could resist the suggestion. Her eyelids began to droop, but she swung her head up, shaking it off. She looked past the girl to the unconscious Elf and beyond that to the man they called Anborn. He was awake and watching her, trepidation in his eyes along with confusion. She knew now was the time to act with him, to anoint him with the creamy potion if she could, but her exhaustion was too great to wield any power over him. Maybe after a few hours sleep she could do it. And if not, she could show Kattica. The creamy concoction she had mixed would have lasting power. It would still be potent to use later.

Bregus turned, looking about the camp, then raised her arm with quick drama. Instantly the dogs came out of their resting places beneath the wagons, scurrying to settle before her, laying at her feet. Silently she commanded them, and just as quickly as they had come, they disbursed.

Then she turned to Mattias and said, "Lead me away, my son. I am tired and will take rest now." She leaned into his shoulder, letting him bare the bulk of her weight.

She saw him look back at Kattica as he said, "I will take you to our tent where you can sleep in peace. There is too much activity here for anyone to rest comfortably." And though she would have preferred her own vardo, she did not have the energy to fight him and so instead allowed him to lead her away.

****

Eowyn knew it was too early to start worrying. The day was still young and there was no reason to panic over Faramir and Legolas. She was simply feeling edgy. Gimli had been hurt, and Arwen and Aragorn had gone to help hours ago. Surely Faramir and Legolas would return sometime soon to offer their aid. But trepidation plagued her. She tried to stop the feelings from coming. With silent assurances she reminded herself that they could have traveled miles in their pursuit of the hunt, and that if they had snagged a stag, they would likely have a heavy burden to haul. That would easily slow them. Most likely that was what had happened. At any time they would return, and if not, within the next hour or two.

Besides, they had only left at dawn. There were many hours in a day to hunt and they had carried a ration of food and full waterskins each with them. Surely that meant they expected to be gone long hours. Anxiety was unnecessary with logic such as this. So Eowyn knew it was too early to start worrying.

If only they would return her fears could be put aside. Her heart thudded in her chest as she climbed the stairs to the upper ledge reminding her again and again of what Aragorn had said. Premonitions of evil in the wood echoed in her mind and her hiding place below was doing nothing to distance her from that myth. If she looked out on a green world, perhaps her fears might abate. Besides, she could watch for their return from this perch. It would give her something to do while she did wait. The confinement of being locked away under solid rock was beginning to get to her. The freshness of the breeze would do her good.

But what of Aragorn and Arwen? Surely they would have returned if all went well? There must be serious harm to Gimli if they could not leave his side. But Eowyn's logic pushed that scrutiny aside. If there had been serious harm, Arwen would have come back seeking further supplies or even help from the soldiers. Perhaps the climb into the hole was a difficult one and had slowed their aid to the Dwarf. Or it might be that they had to seek other means to get the Dwarf out. Once again, Eowyn chided herself for jumping too far ahead. She could think of dozens of possibilities for why she was standing alone on this ledge awaiting some indication to what happened to her loved ones. But since nothing was forthcoming at the moment, Eowyn knew she would have to wait. For she knew it was too early to start worrying.

****

Behind her, as Bregus walked away, a perplexed expression danced across Kattica's face. The girl warily eyed the dogs circling the entire camp. For a moment she had thought there might be a chance for freedom. But then the elder had called the dogs to post guard, and any chance of flight was forfeited.

Kattica frowned. Bregus' behavior was startling, beyond anything the girl had ever witnessed of the old woman. And while she had listened and then eventually watched, Kattica had grown fearful. While the conversation was one sided, it revealed enough of Bregus' plan for Kattica to finally put all of it together and know now with growing certainty what was going to happen. What was mystery to Kattica was why the shuv'ni had grown so erratic so quickly. Unless

She walked to where Anborn sat and the bowl had fallen at his side, then lifted and sniffed the remnants of the contents within. Quickly assessing and recognizing the medicine, she held it an arm's length away from her body, afraid of getting too near it. She would have to dispose of it somehow before the elder awoke and tried to use it again. This was a dangerous medicine.

She looked at Anborn as she crouched nearby. She had not seen the elder touch him with the concoction though she knew she had intentions to use it on him. He was awake and in full possession of himself though Kattica worried that the shuv'ni had somehow dosed him with the strong ritual drug.

He watched her as she scrutinized the bowl's contents and then turned to look at him. He snarled at her gaze, spitting out vexing words in counter to her concern, "Have you not had joy enough tormenting my friend? Have you come to seek pleasure with me as well? Will you finish off where Bregus started? Nothing you can do to me will match the vile recklessness she wrought before." He turned his eyes away, effectively dismissing her presence. It was strange the power his words had over her and she saw about him an aura she had not noticed before. She felt small in his presence, as if she were not worthy of him. But she pressed forward.

"I have not come to do harm, only to help. How do you feel? May I be of aid to you?" she timidly asked attempting to look into his eyes. They seemed clear from this position, and she assumed he was well physically, even if his mind was still reeling from the elder's earlier treatment.

But before she could close the short distance between them a dog rushed forward, blocking her way to his side and growling a low snarl at her in warning. The man smirked. "You are of untrustworthy character to everyone it seems." Then looking her squarely in the eye, he grew serious as he said, "If you wish to be of aid, free us. We have been your friends and have done nothing to your people to deserve this treatment."

"It is not punishment for which you are held, but for Bregus' own gains I fear. Anborn, I would help you if I could, and doubt not that I will try, but as you see, even I am not allowed near you," Kattica answered, swallowing as the dog growled again when she did not back away.

He shook his head as if uncertain whether he should believe her. Looking at her, his gazed softened a minute amount as he sadly said, "You offer little of aid to me."

"I am sorry," she said regretfully, feeling small and helpless as she turned away. Some satisfaction came to the dog and it moved away just as she did.

"But there is one thing you can offer," he called out a moment later as she parted from his sight.

She turned and looked back to him.

"Help my friend," he said, and Kattica saw the fear revealed in his eyes. She understood. He too had heard Bregus' words and had put it together. He knew the dire future the elder had in store for the Elf if Legolas did not find a way to escape her.

Kattica's hand floated down to her belly as she realized her future was also tied to the Elf, and if they did not work together, they could possibly both die. She could see that Mattias and Anborn were extras in this puzzle. They would come only after Bregus had attained her goal. Youth and immortality were what she sought. And though the elder claimed she desired Bäla's return as well, Kattica was also certain the old woman feared him and would help him only after she had helped herself. Kattica understood now. Mattias and Anborn were not in as great of danger as she and Legolas were. And even Kattica could be replaced. The old woman had said there was a substitute, another woman with child. Or perhaps that was yet another deception. With the dawning of these thoughts, Kattica realized the old woman had revealed everything in her fit of madness when she had screamed at the Elf. He was the key. He was the thing of which she only had one known source. And knowing that, Kattica realized how terribly she had been duped. There was no threat at all if there was no Elf to take. And yet Kattica had helped to guide him to the camp. Kattica had been blind to it. A pang of new guilt lurched up into Kattica's heart as she realized she could have prevented everything that had come to pass these few days. If only she had known

She bowed away from Anborn, nodding agreement. She knew what she must do. She must reach Legolas and help him. She must break the spell the elder held over his legs and aid him somehow in taking flight. He had to get away. He had to flee! And if she were to do it, she must do it now, while Bregus slept! It was critical to her own safety as well as that of Mattias, Anborn and an unborn child.

But she stopped short. As she rounded the corner of the wagon, she found a male figure kneeling before the Elf. The cool eyes of the observer took the prone creature in, pondering his form. Careful not to seem surprised, she watched as the man tested the bonds that held Legolas secured. She supposed he was assuring himself that the captivity forced upon the Elf was maintained and she was disappointed that she would be diverted from her efforts while he was present. But that feeling was nothing compared to what she met next, for nothing could have prepared her for what she saw when he turned his gaze upon her.