Be My Voice in This Present Darkness (Legolas x OC)

~Chapter XXXIII~

Vana could feel Sauron's fingers gripping her shoulder as they walked out of the cozy little room where her father was deteriorating. She could feel Sauron staring at her from behind, and she didn't like it.

"If you have something to say, then just say it." She repressed the urge to cover her mouth with her hand. What was said was said.

"That is a good idea, but I don't want to spoil the surprise." Sauron's voice was smooth as silk. He went on. "I am not sure if you'll like it, but I will." This couldn't bode well.

"Why can't I know?"

"Because it's a surprise."

Vana took a deep breath. Asking him again would just make him more taunting, more malicious. She couldn't let him do that. If there was one thing she wanted to keep intact, it was her dignity. Sauron had broken everything else.

Her soulmate bond, her sister, her father's mind... her entire life had been swept away by a man who was the epitome of female affection. In outward appearances, at least.

His soul was like a dirty, rotten, rat. Somehow, the comparison cheered her a little. Sauron was a rat. A small mean one.

And rats? You can crush them under your foot. They hate the world and try to poison it. But the poison eventually gets them. If he was the rat, she would be the cat.

Cats were sneaky and sly, too, but they could give affection. They looked out for their own. They defended their territory. Aragorn was being targeted. Legolas and Gimli would probably be with him.

Frodo, wherever he was, had to be let get to that mountain. He needed to stop all the bloodshed. All her hopes lay on that small hobbit.

His back must be breaking with the weight of that responsibility... She sent a quick prayer up to Eru Ilúvatar for the poor halfling's guidance. Hopefully Sam would help him.

Sam was a good friend. She could do with a friend like that.

So she had to save Aragorn. He was her friend, and it was time to do him a favour. One that evened out the score he had made by being at her side for so many years.

How to escape was the next question, and since Sauron was taking her up to her room; she figured maybe he would leave her there.

He did, leaving her in the middle of the stone room on the red, velvety carpet, turning around with his hand on his hip. But he also locked the door.

"Sorry about that, darling, but if you run off it'll be no fun any more." His voice was clear and piercing, even through the thick door.

"What? What will be no fun if I run off?" Vana started to say. But he'd already left. "Stupid Dark Lord."

"I heard that."

Vana sat down on her bed, ignoring the chuckling coming from the opposite side of the door. It gradually faded.

Now to construct her plan. She already had the basics planned out: Leave the palace and get to Gondor. Now she would need a detailed map, something to tell her which direction was which, patience, and the increased ability to work fast under pressure.

Whatever Sauron decided to do, if it was worse than being locked up, and he thought it would be fun, it was best to get away as quickly as possible.

All she needed was this elusive plan... so she sat down and thought.

An hour later, she was sitting with her head in her hands. This was impossible, without sufficient materials in the room to do so. She had no idea how to get away.