'You watched her suffer,' answered a voice. 'Could you watch her die also?'
'No - I didn't want to harm her. It was the only way I could-'
'You caused her unnecessary pain. You heard her scream, laughed at her helplessness. A small Halfling. A child!'
'No! I hate myself for it but I could do no other.' Nalmalu woke with a start to find the dark sky growing lighter. She was sweating and shaking.
'Twas but a dream.' she muttered, putting her head in her hands. She stood up and walked to the window. A fresh morning breeze blew her hair back, pleasant on her anxious face. Still the dread and guilt did not cease. Would anybody realise she was doing it to help Flo - unbelievable as it was. She watched a raven fly past her window. It circled and sang to her sympathetically. It was shortly joined by another and another. Soon there were no less than five ravens circling and cawing to her. She reached out to them, hoping it was belief and sympathy they felt for her - and not anger. However, with an angry cry, they flew off into the distance and didn't return. Leaving Nalmalu alone with her guilt and dread.
There was a sudden knock at the door, but Nalmalu did not turn around, nor did she answer, but she heard the door creak softly open and the heavy sound of soldiers boots. Her eyes stayed fixed upon the ravens, now far off.
'Nalmalu?' asked the person who had entered.
Nalmalu looked around slowly and saw before her one of the Rohirrim but dressed as one of Dinius' clan.
'What are you doing here?' she said immediately, 'Who sent you?'
The soldier looked up and said, 'The Lord Ghenbay sent me as a scout ahead. He wished to know whether you and Florrin were still alive, and whether,' his voice dropped a little, 'The plan was in motion.'
Nalmalu looked at him coldly for a second, 'The plan is going ahead. But do not tell Ghenbay that I am alive-or anything. You may tell him that Flo is yet alive. But say naught of me. I do not wish to get his hopes up. You are foolish coming here young soldier, you must go-before they discover you and we are both killed. Go!'
He looked at Nalmalu's hard face and walked out of the room. Nalmalu fell heavily upon her bed-poured herself some water, then heard the sound of the morning bells ringing distantly. She drank the water tightened her belt and then made for Dinius' chamber.
Dinius was sat at the wooden table, looking down at several sheets of paper. A bottle of wine and a cup stood beside him. He looked up as she entered.
'Good morning Lord,' she smiled.
'Good morning, Nalmalu my dear.' he answered. 'Some wine?' he asked, holding up the bottle.
Nalmalu looked at the bottle the wine with a little lust, but turned away, she had to keep her head straight.
'No Lord, I cannot, I had some yesterday and I wish to keep a straight head today.' she answered.
Dinius smiled a little. 'Come now, Nalmalu.' he said, pouring some wine into another cup. 'A little can't harm you and we have much to celebrate.'
Nalmalu sighed. 'As you wish my Lord, but only one.'
He passed Nalmalu the cup of wine and watched her drink some and then pushed some maps towards her. 'Now,' he said, clearing his throat, 'I have already plotted out several routes, but I am not sure which would be the safest and easiest to take. I wonder if you could help me there?'
Nalmalu forced a smile. 'Of course,' she said, sitting down at the table and looked at the maps, drinking a little inbetween. Nalmalu then sighed and frowned a little and shook her head. 'The path through Mirkwood you know we cannot take, neither the road south, if you wish to be ambushed by horse-lords or elves then take those roads-but I doubt that you want that.' she said slowly. 'Of course not - but this road would take longer,' answered Dinius, tracing another route around the Misty Mountains with his finger.
'Yes,' agreed Nalmalu. 'A lot longer, but it may well be safer.'
'Yes.' muttered Dinius. 'And we do not want our plans disrupting and the creature rescuing. However, is there not a shorter route, just as safe?' he asked hopefully.
Nalmalu tapped the table impatiently. 'You choose the route that goes south ten west to the misty Mountains, I suggest we go North and miss the mountains altogether.' she said.
Dinius raised his eyebrows and eventually nodded. 'Well you know these lands more than anyone here. Yes - we will do as you say, Nalmalu.' he smiled.
At that moment the door crashed flung and Melodious comes in looking a little put out.
'Sorry I am late my Lord, there was a disturbance down in the dungeons, but all is sorted now.' he said.
Nalmalu and Dinius both looked at him with interest. 'A disturbance?' asked Dinius. 'All is well I trust?'
'This was found in one of the halfling's cells,' answered Melodius, bringing out a small knife.
'My knife!' exclaimed Nalmalu, without thinking.
Melodius looked at her and grinned. 'You're knife?' he asked, stepping towards her, swaying the knife in his hand.
'Yes-yes, I must have dropped it by accident last night.' answered Nalmalu quickly.
'Indeed.' sneered Melodius stopping in front of Nalmalu, smiling slightly. 'You dropped it by accident. I see. You should be more careful - what would we have done if he had taken it into his head to cut the bonds from the female halfling - the halfling you have guided for a long while.' he added, raising his eyebrows.
Nalmalu looked at him for a moment. 'What are you suggesting Melodious?' she shouted angrilly. 'That I dropped it on purpose? It was a mere mistake! I had my fun with the halfling's! Nothing more! It was dark, I was sleepy and maybe I had drank too much. Anyone could make such a mistake.'
'Yes - it would have been a big mistake if he cut through the rope and she escaped.' answered Melodius, still sneeringly.
'She cannot escape from here!' answered Nalmalu in what she hoped sounded sincere. 'It is too heavily guarded!' even so, her hand crept to her sword hilt.
Dinius rose from his seat in anger, glaring at Melodius.
'Melodius! Think what you are saying!' he shouted. 'No harm was done - and if the bonds had been cut, a blade cannot cut through iron chains and bars! You have no call to accuse Nalmalu of such things! Now sit down and hold your tongue before you find yourself on the end of that blade!'
Melodius looked sulkilly at Dinius. 'I do not know why we brought her here. She has no uses.'
Silence! All people in my trust have their uses! She has more uses than you! She knows this land, she knows secrets I dare not ask her to mention to you! Now SILENCE I say!' roared Dinius.
Melodious bowed his head and shrank into a seat, alarmed, but glanced at Nalmalu angrilly. Nalmalu, in order to escape the tension, stood up.
'I am sorry my Lord, I must leave you now, you know my opinion now and I do not wish to be discrimated against any longer, I have things to attend to. We have but five days until the test and I wish for all things to be in place when we do so.' she said quietly.
Dinius turned to Nalmalu and nodded. 'As you wish, Nalmalu.' he said. 'If you wish to speak again, I will be here as usual. I am relying on you to move the arrangements ahead.' he added, staring at Nalmalu over the top of his cup.
She nodded and smiled. 'I will do so my Lord, with all speed given to me.' she then bowed to Dinius. 'My Lord,' she muttered. 'Melodious' she added coldly, nodding. She turned and left the room, closing the door with a bang.
Flo opened her eyes to the sound of Melodius's voice. He was holding a knife and was standing in Terwin's cell. She watched as her brother cowered away from him.
'So - where did you get it?' asked Melodius.
Terwin shrank back and Melodius sighed. He kicked Terwin and Flo winced as Melodius's boot caught Terwin face. He picked him up and shook him and asked him again.
'Nal - Nalmalu.' stuttered Terwin.
Melodius looked at Terwin in interest and then smiled. He hit Terin one more time and turned to the guards. 'I will taker this to Dinius, thank you - it is lucky you found it in time.'
He marched out and the guards sat down. Flo looked at Terwin, who had a bruise forming over his left eye and a rather large gash in his arm. He glanced at her and turned away from her again. Flo felt confused. Why had Nalmalu given him the knife? And he still seemed to believe she was going to die. Flo felt glad of that. Every bone in her body felt crumpled and her head was swimming. She was also terrified, weary and cold. She lay down again and rested her head on her arms.
Another day passed. The guards harmed neither one of them and nobody visited the cells from upstairs. However, the next morning, Flo woke drenched and shivering. She looked up. The guards had apparently thrown a bucketfull of freezing water over her. She backed away to the wall. The guard stooped down and unlocked the chains and pushed her out of the cell. A barrel stood there containing water, judging by the sounds within. Flo looked at it, her stomach dissolving.
Rough hands took her under the arms and lifted her off the ground. She was leaning over the barrel, looking into the dark water. Luckilly, her instincts told her to take a deep breath as a hand pushed her head downwards.
How long he held her there, she didn't know. She wiggled in his arms, trying to raise her head, but he only pushed her further. Then after what seemed a long while, he dragged her back up. She spluttered and gulped in grateful breaths of air.
Giving her hardly any time to catch her breath, he did it again. He did this several times before throwing her onto the ground. Her chest tight, Flo found it difficult to move. She shivered with the cold of the water and the cold draft coming in from somewhere. The guards laughed at her. She sat up and looked at them, her teeth chattering. One of them picked up something from the floor. Flo realised it was her cloak and he fastened it round her. He mockingly patted her head.
'Can't have you freezing to death now can we?' he sneered. 'Don't want to make it any sooner than we want.'
They both burst out laughing at this. As one stood over Flo, the other went over to Terwin's cell and unlocked it. He was brought out and thrown beside Flo. He was not bound by ropes and his hands were free. He looked down, avoiding Flo's eyes. The guard looked at them.
'Your child needs comforting - will you not do it?' he asked.
Terwin looked at Flo. 'She is not my child, but my sister. You are making this pain harder to bear. I will not comfort her because I can't take it away.' he said bravely. 'I will not.' he added, half to himself.
Terwin turned completely away from Flo who stared at him. Tears hung in her eyes again. She had thought maybe this may have brought him back to her. But he still offered no comfort. She felt angry at him too, but knew she shouldn't. He was just making the pain lighter on himself. For the first time in many years, Flo suddenly felt she needed her parents there. She was, after all, still only a child of her race. Then she reminded herself that perhaps she would meet with them again soon. The guards read her thoughts immediately and laughed.
'Your death may be near, little one, but they will see to it you suffer. A long and painful death will be brought upon you - it will seem like years before it is over.' said one guard, smiling.
They went and sat down at their table again, leaving Terwin and Flo where they were. Terwin moved away and sat alone and Flo leaned against the wall. She was out of the cell, but there was no point in running. The guards watched her and she stood no chance of getting out alive until they needed her.
At the end of that day, they were put back in their cells and chained again. The following days, Flo could remember not too well, which was perhaps a blessing on her part. But she remembered them being days of dread and fear. Pain was the thing she grew to accept and live with. Terwin was left alone. He hated hearing his sister's cries and screams, but he could not bring himself to get close to her once again. It would make it too hard to bear.
The next five days passed like five months for both Flo and Nalmalu. Nalmalu set to the ordering of the journey ahead, everywhere was suddenly buzzing with activity. Stores and supplies were being brought in from far and wide, and the clangs and bangs from the armouries down below could be heard clearly up above.
'All is going to plan,' she said to Dinius on the last day, kneeling in front of him on his high seat.
'That is well,' Dinius replied and a light came into his eyes, 'For if it were not, we might have to revert to old times and old punishments, mightn't we Nalmalu? And you don't want that do you?'
'No Lord I do not,' said Nalmalu going pale.
'But maybe you need a little reminder, no?' Dinius stood up and kicked her in the stomach, she fell sprawling to the floor; she backed away and Melodious stood smirking in the corner. Dinius advanced and placed his heel on Nalmalu's hand, which was splayed on the ground, and twsited his boot, Nalmalu cried out in pain. Dinius turned away and sat back down, 'Ah that is better,' he said to himself, 'Now you know Nalmalu, just because I am older does not mean that you can take advantage of me. But I believe you have no ill intentions, you are trustworthy. But should this fail...' he looked at her with raised eyebrows, 'You know what will happen.'
Nalmalu got to her feet and clenched her fist, trying to hide the pain.
'Now come,' said Dinius and he stood up again, and filled three glasses with red wine, 'Let us be merry! And celebrate!'
So Dinius, Melodious and Nalmalu drank to victory. And Nalmalu smiled grimly to herself, for all was going to her plan and soon it would all be over. Though hope inside herself had almost died, she still prayed that Terwin would carry out the plan. She rebuked herself for letting Terwin have the knife, it had almost been her downfall, but all was fine now and Dinius did not suspect a thing.
'To the Lord Dinius!' said Nalmalu, 'Lord of Lords! Most powerful of men! And to whom we are all indebted, for this great achievment!' And she and Melodious raised their glasses to him and drank to his honour. Dinius smiled and bowed, then refilled his own glass and drank it all.
'Alright then,' he said, 'Tomorrow is the big day, the final test and then we shall be on our way! And Nalmalu, then you shall recieve your reward. Now sleep in peace both of you. Goodnight.'
Melodious and Nalmalu left the room. Melodious turned away right and headed for his chamber, but Nalmalu headed for the outside door. Once out she turned north and climbed the lowerslopes of the Iron Hills. Looking south she saw the last rays of sunlight recede backwards until they were completely gone. She felt worn out, more so than she had even felt before, but still she stood and gazed south. Slowly the land turned dark and stars began to appear in the night sky. Nalmalu felt that once this was over then she would never be the same again, in heart or soul.
She cast herself upon the ground and she fell into a deep sleep. She passed the night away out in the open and as the sun crept over the top of the trees, she stirred and awoke. She sat up and looked around her, as if of one who has never seen the rising sun above the hill before. A grin lit up her face.
'Father! Come look at-' she stopped in mid-sentece, remember where she was and who she was. She fell to the earth and curled up into a ball. And she wept. Her whole body shook, tears streaming down her face and agony in her eyes. Finally she stood up and woping her cheeks, she looked southwest. She thought she saw a dark edge on the horizon that had not been there before. She passed a hand across her eyes and shook her head. Then turned west she walked down the long slope and entered the Halls of Dinius, one last time.
