Chapter 18 - His Value
It was turning out to be a good day for Alcandir. He was able to sleep in a real bed while the sun made its trek across the sky. The meal that he’d eaten before setting out was both filling and delicious. He was able to refill all of his water skins. Most importantly he knew where his quarry was and the prize was less than two days ride from him.
Riding atop his well-rested horse next to an old friend, Alcandir almost felt more as though he were on holiday than on a job. The sky was clear and the night stars shone brightly to illuminate their path. It seemed as though they were the only two people in the entire desert and Alcandir relished in the peace and quiet.
He had urged Mithril into a light gallop in hopes of reaching Marek sooner than the usual two day estimate. He was well aware of the company that the elf prince was in at the moment and he wouldn’t leave anyone to that fate longer than necessary.
The two had been riding for several hours before the silence was finally breached. "He knows who the elf is." It was a simple statement but the effect it had on Alcandir was ample. He slowed his horse down and looked to the source of the comment, a questioning look in his eyes.
"Lord Kalen knows that he has a prince in his possession." Medero continued. "I did not realize who the golden elf was, but Kalen knew straightaway."
Alcandir listened with interest as the two rode toward Marek. Medero’s eyes glazed over somewhat as he remembered the day he had turned his catch over to their new owner. "Kalen was most pleased. He even paid me double once he received his knew servant. Odd how some lives are valued more than others."
Alcandir pondered this statement for a moment. It seemed true that some were considered of greater worth than others. There were many days when the bounty hunter would pass a beggar on the street and barely register his presence, yet mere minutes afterward a local merchant would cross his path and he would find himself nodding respectfully.
It was then that he noticed that his thoughts had strayed so far that his horse had come to a sand still, awaiting his masters next move. Alcandir glanced over to where his riding companion also sat upon a motionless steed. Medero’s eyes stared questioningly at Alcandir, curiosity and perplexity causing his tanned brow to wrinkle.
Alcandir gave a weak smile. "Aye, we tend to prize those we hold dear, or can be of benefit to us, more than others. I imagine you would find most in Harad know nothing of this Prince and care little of him. Yet in Gondor and Rohan he is held in high esteem and is well loved." Alcandir paused long enough to urge his horse back into a gallop. "Let us hurry Medero, I would like to finish this job as soon as is possible."
The pair rode long after the sun had begun to rise and stopped only when the heat had become unbearable. They rested in the shelter of the tents until they could once again feel a decrease in the temperature and set off again, a lot sooner than was common for the desert land.
Conversation between the two was casual and did not venture to the topic of their journey any more after their initial discussion. There were long moments of comfortable silence where both were lost deep in thought.
Alcandir’s good mood of the night before had vanished and he thought more about his desire to put this job well behind him. He ran scenarios through his head of what would happen once they reached Marek and the more he thought the more he began to realize the odds were stacked against him. King Elessar must truly despise me to send me on such an ill-fated quest. I will be lucky to get myself out of Harad alive.
It wasn’t difficult to see Marek when it appeared on the horizon. The city lights were like a beacon to travelers and they were the only thing for as far as the eye could see. He could sense Medero tense next to him and noticed that he had slowed his horse down slightly.
Stopping his own horse, Alcandir turned to Medero once more. "Will you be all right in there Medero? Neither of us can afford for you to make an error."
Medero reflected for a moment and then turned his eyes to Alcandir. "I will be fine old friend. Let us go in there and retrieve your prey."
Alcandir gave a hesitant smile to his companion and urged his horse toward the gates of Marek.
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Legolas did not feel well. Matter of fact, he felt absolutely horrible. Considering that he hadn’t felt so great before his last visit with the Lord of Marek, this was saying something. Several times since the venom was introduced to his system someone had come to check on the elf, to see if he still lived and to bring water.
Legolas had spent most of this time lying face down to remove the pressure from the new wound. His previous injuries still plagued him and from what he could tell, in his dark cell, had not started to heal properly. His knee still felt inflamed and the dagger wounds to his shoulder and lower back continued to bleed. Various other smaller injuries nagged for his attention as well.
The venom seemed to escalate everything that he felt. There were moments where the pain that he felt would intensify, feeling almost as though a bolt of lightening were shooting through him. His head pounded so loud that he couldn’t hear much over the pulsing, but those sounds that did break through were amplified to the point that it hurt the elf’s ears causing him to wince and shy away from the source of the noise.
The heat of the sweatbox was affecting him constantly now rather than intermittently and his body was caked in mud formed from the dirt off his cell floor and the perspiration he produced.
Not for the first time did Legolas think about giving up. He was alone here now, the others had all gone, there was no one to protect anymore. The pain would go away as well and he could find peace if he just stopped fighting. He could go to the Halls of Waiting and nothing could hurt him again. The idea was so tempting.
He couldn’t hear the rattling outside of his cell this time but the bang of the door opening shook him to the very core. He raised his head and pushed and twisted himself into a sitting position. An unfamiliar face lurked in the tiny doorway and surveyed the Prince. His face was unreadable and Legolas did not know what to expect from this man. Reaching down to his waist, the man grabbed a water skin from his belt and handed it to the golden elf.
With a trembling hand Legolas took the waterskin and slowly pressed the opening to his lips. He took a small drink, all the while watching the man out of the corner of his eye. The water felt miraculous on his lips and tongue. He could feel the coolness as the liquid rolled down his throat. He took several more swallows and then quickly dumped the rest of the water onto the skirt of his robes trying to make it look to be an accident.
The man took the skin from Legolas and then scooted back out the doorway, sealing and locking the door behind him. As soon as the door was closed and the light was gone Legolas pulled his soaked robe and tore several long, wet strips. Moving quickly before the strips could dry, the elf began to cleanse his wounds. The cool, dampness was therapeutic in itself.
The process of cleaning and bandaging what wounds he could reach was grueling and long, the wounds to his back were difficult to tend to and the strain in reaching and twisting tired the elf out quickly. But with every new application of care Legolas found himself being refreshed enough to tend to the next injury.
He took the remaining strips, save one, and bound them tightly around his knee. Leaning back into a corner, he rested his head against the wall and lay the final strip across his brow. He would not quit fighting. It was not in him to give up. He had never given up on anything and he wasn’t about to start now.
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Alcandir was calm, he wasn’t pretending. He could tell the difference between one with confidence and one who was acting and he expected no less from the Lord of Marek. Kalen was no scholar, but he was no fool either. He was worldly and suspicious and those two traits had gotten him far indeed.
Walking up the stairs of the palace, Alcandir told himself again why he was here. He glanced quickly over to Medero and could tell he was doing the same thing. Medero looked nervous and he had reason to be. If this mission failed then he would have to face the King of Gondor, if it succeeded Kalen would order all of Marek’s guards to hunt him down.
Alcandir was not quite so nervous, he did not plan to come back to Harad after this trip and he knew that Kalen could not send his men into Gondor. None of that mattered though because Alcandir had no intention of going home empty handed. He would not stand in front of his King and his Steward and all of the elves left in Middle Earth and tell them he had failed. It was not an option.
Entering the great hall, Kalen stood out in the crowd. Alcandir had never seen a man so large and gaudy in his entire existence. His robe was a shade of purple that practically glowed due to its brightness and the man had more jewelry adorning his body than a dwarf had in his caverns. Oddly enough, there was a long cut on the side of Kalen’s face and Alcandir smiled to himself as he imagined who may have gifted the Lord with such a unique trait.
"So soon you return to my great city Medero, were you not pleased with your payment?" Kalen had a tinge of laughter in his voice as though he dared Medero to voice displeasure.
"Nay my Lord." Medero answered with a slight bow. "I thought you might be interested in making a little money yourself."
Kalen looked interested now. He raised his eyebrows as an invitation for Medero to continue.
"I would like to present to you Alcandir. He has a business proposition for you." Medero paused to see if Kalen would accept his guest and then motioned for Alcandir to proceed.
Alcandir stepped forward and bowed deeply. "My compliments my Lord, for you have a truly great city and a great city most definitely has a great and just Lord."
Kalen’s smile deepened and Alcandir continued. "However, you are too scholarly to be fooled by trivial compliments so I will get straight to the meaning of my visit today." Kalen seemed to press his shoulders back and stand a little taller at Alcandir’s remarks and the bounty hunter knew he had done well.
"Medero here has informed me that you recently made a rather large purchase from him. I am quite interested in purchasing one of the creatures from you and I am willing to pay you rather well." Alcandir paused to survey the result of his offer.
Kalen dipped his chin and cleared his throat. "It seems that Medero has been generous with his knowledge." He lifted his chin and looked to Medero, waiting until the slave runner dropped his eyes to the floor, then turned his attention to Alcandir. "I do not know you, why would you be so bold as to assume that I would do any type of business with you?"
"Because you are a shrewd businessman and would welcome the chance to make extra money." Alcandir’s response came quickly, he had no desire to show any type of hesitation in Kalen’s presence.
"I feel as though you have me at a disadvantage Alcandir, you seem to know more of me than I do of you. I suppose Medero has detailed to you of those that I own?"
Alcandir held his expression flat and unreadable. "Yes my Lord. He has told me of their physical appearance. Although I would be most interested in purchasing all of them from you, I do not think that you would agree. Medero has informed me of a golden elf in your possession. I would give you the price of all four for just that one."
Kalen seemed to ponder this offer closely and it was obvious that the large man was weighing the pros and cons of such a deal. "Why do you not just pay Medero to retrieve some for you?"
Alcandir had prepared himself for such a question and hoped that his answer would satisfy the Lord of Marek. "It is a lengthy endeavor and I need one now for work that cannot wait."
Kalen held the bounty hunter’s gaze for a brief moment then turned and walked over to one of his guards. A homely, dark man with narrowed eyes, the two exchanged whispered words and the guard nodded his head several times. The large Lord of Marek then turned back to his guests and with his head lowered and shaking back and forth, walked toward them.
"I am sorry to inform you that you are too late. I have just been informed that the golden elf you seek has passed. Early this evening in fact. One of my guards went to take him food and water and found him unmoving in his quarters. The other three elves did not agree with the work requested and succumbed to the stress earlier in the week, so it looks as though you have traveled to my fair city for naught."
Alcandir’s face fell and he held Kalen’s eyes for a long moment. "If that is the case my Lord, than I apologize for this interruption and take my leave. Medero and I have much business to discuss and we need to find shelter from the sun." Without so much as a pause for breath, Alcandir turned on his heel and with Medero obediently in tow, exited the palace.
As soon as the pair was out of earshot, Kalen motioned to Nolir, "Follow them and when you are well out of the city, kill them."