[maikafanawen]

*Reflection on Gilbereth's Fate*

After just five days in the Cage, Ihwesta began to tire. She hadn't anticipated this weakness during her imprisonment and was dismayed to realize its presence. The two meal a day policy wasn't affecting the tracker and she was doing fine with only a few bites from the breakfast meal. The living quarters were very rough and dirty. She hardly slept and spent a lot of her time helping the others in the Cage. Her effort was very fruitless however and only those most recently incarcerated were saved.

Among them were Rydian, Thillersk, and Dorienne. Rydian was the youngest son of Greenwood's most talented archer. He was plain looking for an elf with chin-length flaxen colored hair. He also harbored his father's skills. Despite his admirable skill, he was only nearing his seven hundredth year. For this, Ihwesta commiserated with him and contributed a lot to his recovery. Thillersk was his older brother who was quite the opposite and she couldn't spare one without the other.

Dorienne was a strikingly handsome noblewoman who was obtained in an ambush shortly after the fellowship departed on their mission. It was unnerving to discover that elf apprehension didn't diminish during their journey. At this Ihwesta cursed and made another round checking the well being of the elves who had been most recently apprehended. Their will was much weaker than Dorienne and so they had all been easily overcome by the enigmatic Darkness that settled over their minds.

On the seventh day there was a problem in the stone cutting station where Taurëwen worked. Rhtalk discovered that the healer was working for others in her group and killed one of the weaker women. Ihwesta had evaded retching and returned silently to her work. Things were getting worse very quickly. She prayed for Eru to grant her sane companions strength. They needed it still.

The next day Ihwesta was confronted about her idleness. "Why don't you do anything tracker?" one she-elf, who worked in the construction of catapults with the tracker, asked as she loosened the bolts on the frame. Ihwesta didn't answer and turned her attention to rubbing the leniency out of the leather strips so that they'd fray and snap quicker. Why did the orcs trust them with such labor? "Answer me she-elf!" the woman demanded. Her eyes blazed and her face was a thundercloud.

"Bide your time," Ihwesta whispered between clenched teeth. "There are six able bodied elves plus the two hunters who can help with escape!" The elf's interrogator lost it then and made a run for the walls. Ihwesta watched helplessly not wanting to risk calling out for her. Perhaps she'd make it through unnoticed. She was very fast.

Hope was snuffed when din rocked the hill and out of the Tower doors glided a wraith. Elves who were overcome screamed and moaned in his presence and in two impossibly long strides he was at the elf's side and he sunk a wicked looking blade into her side. She shouted in agony, and gripped where the weapon has pierced her body. The wraith backed up then and commanded in a raspy voice for two orcs to drag the body into the tower.

Tears welled in Ihwesta's eyes as she watched the monstrosity take place. She knew she couldn't act. Dorienne had said that they were to wait. Returning to her work she quickened her pace so that she'd have time to finish the catapult by that evening. The other three in her group worked steadily though inefficiently and Ihwesta had to go very quickly to get it all done. The tracker did do her very best to make changes that would make the weapon very useless on the field. Hopefully, they wouldn't test them too meticulously.

It was nearing noon, of the ninth day when the orcs were very dormant in their actions and the elves were kept to their confined prisons that Dorienne and Ihwesta had their argument.

"That was very strong of you to stay silent when the Nazgûl came out last night," the noblewoman commented. Ihwesta whirled around to face her and whispered in hushed angry tones so that the watchers mightn't overhear.

"Strong? Keeping my mouth shut as that wraith murdered an innocent elf? I'm missing the part where that was keen of me. On the contrary, I'm so distressed by all this waiting and keeping silent that I’m beginning to think that you don’t really have a clue what you're talking about!" Dorienne tilted her head, her eyes full of pity and understanding.

"Come here," she whispered. Ihwesta obeyed and sat cross-legged before the ancient woman. Dorienne took Ihwesta's hands in hers and looked intently into her sorrowful face. "It's time."

"That one evaded me my Lady," the tracker admitted. "Time for what?"

"Bring all the sane together. We'll call 'council' for the few hours we have to ourselves. We'll decide how to get out of this hell taking as many with us as is possible." Ihwesta beamed.

In a matter of gestures and a few softly spoken words, all those capable of comprehending Elvish speech were gathered in a haphazard bundle huddled in a far corner ready to hear the words of Dorienne and Ceros.

[ October 01, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]