Frodo's Late Night Visit

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legolas was the last member of the meeting to enter. He shut the doors behind him, and the first person he noticed, was Aredhrel.
"There you are Legolas." Gandalf smiled "Now we can start."
Legolas saw that from his position the orc had now been taken away. It puzzled him. Surely Aredhrel had a right to know what her fea's killer looked like.

She looked horrible. Her hair was disgruntled, and her eyes red, and nose stuffy. Even though elves don't get sick, she looked ill. Legolas hoped that this would help her find peace.
"Goheno nin" She began sniffing "But why am I here?" She directed the question Elrond and Gandalf.
"I was told that you had some information on Aldon's murderer, but we all know who did it."
"No, my dear," Gandalf answered "We were wrong. So wrong."
"What? You mean to tell me she didn't kill Aldon?"

Legolas found himself annoyed, defending her.

"Her name is Raina!" Aragorn placed a hand to steady him.

'Why did I do that?' He asked himself.

"We have evidence we think you should see before you make up your mind." Gandalf informed her, and then nodded to Elrond.

He clapped his hands loudly, and two guards walked in dragging a shrivelled, spitting, cursing orc.
"We found him just outside Rivedendell." Aragorn said "He was spying on us."

Aredhrel walked up to him, all the emotions from the past two days resurfacing. The orc was thrown in front of a pillar. She knelt down next to it.
"Did you murder Aldon?" She asked gravely. When he didn't answer she grabbed his armour between her fists. She was in no mood for insolence.

"If you refuse me the courtesy of answering I will skin you alive!" She threatened, eyes blazing "Did you murder an elf yesterday?!"
Skinner spat at her. Convulsions racked her throat. Calmly, she wiped the spit off. Unsheathing a dagger she always kept hidden at her leg, she asked him one more time.
"Last chance," she placed the tip at his neck "Did you murder my fea?"

The silence was killing Skinner. Saruman would not be pleased he was discovered. And even if he somehow made it back unscathed, the punishment inflicted by the wizard would be far worse than any that the people here could do. Maybe it was better to end it here.

"Yes." He breathed "Yes I did."
Aredhrel was wounded. She was furious, because this foul creature was responsible for more pain than she had ever felt before, emotional because his confession brought back memories of times of old with Aldon, and ashamed because she had threatened and tried to murder an innocent woman. She did not know what to make of herself now.
"I killed him, all right." Skinner added, gaining traction in his speech.

In that moment, Aredhrel didn't know what she was doing. She was in a trance. All she could do was see Aldon's hollow eyes, his blood stained shirt, dagger protruding out, and she screamed.

A loud hurtful scream, and plunged the dagger into his chest.

Silence fell. Everyone was shocked to the core, including the hobbits, who, up until this point, had never seen anyone killed before. Skinner was crying and writhing in agony, the dagger sticking out of his chest.

"Aredhrel!" Shouted Elrond "You had no right!"
She whipped round.
"I missed, Lord Elrond." She smiled mirthlessly, before she turned back to Skinner who was struggling to breathe "I'm don't want to give this fool any mercy. I want to bleed him dry." Her fingers grip the knife and Skinner winces and groans "I want to torture him until he begs for mercy. And just when he finds peace, just when he's got relief, I want to rip his brains out! With me, he'll die a very painful death."

She conceded, and wrenched out her dagger out, causing Skinner more distress. She dropped it onto the floor with a clang, blood staining the floor.
"But..." She sighed "I know the law. And Aldon respected it. He's all yours." And she walked out, before anyone could see her cry.

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