Title: The Dragon and the Ring
Author: Maeglin Yedi ([email protected])
Website: http://forever-rebel.net/maeglinyedi/
________________________________________________________
The Dragon and the Ring 6
By Maeglin Yedi
Beliar was lying on the large bed that occupied about half of the room he had been staying in the whole afternoon. He had tried to sleep, but his mind wouldn’t give him the rest he so desperately wanted. Instead he had been thinking about Legolas’ words since the Elven Prince had left him a couple of hours ago.
And Beliar told himself time and again that Legolas had been wrong. He didn’t have a heart somewhere hidden inside of himself. He had never had the need for a heart for he had never cared about anything. Beside himself. And his mother.
And thinking about his mother again filled him with pain and he felt like someone was heavily pushing down on his chest. Wasn’t that the place where your heart was supposed to be? But of course he wouldn’t know. He didn’t have a heart. And even if Legolas would be right and his heart was hidden somewhere inside of himself, he wouldn’t go look for it. He had no need for a heart. All he needed were his feelings of hate and his demand for revenge. Those two things would be enough to keep him alive and to help his former enemies destroy the One Ring.
Beliar looked up when someone threw open the door and he saw Glorfindel standing in his doorway. The golden haired Elf looked at him with a face that showed no emotion whatsoever and spoke softly.
"You are expected downstairs for dinner, Morier."
Beliar got up slowly and walked over to the Elf. When he reached the door Glorfindel turned around and without saying a word he walked away into the direction of the large staircase.
Beliar walked behind him and thought about what he could say to upset Glorfindel. Because taunting the Elf would at least be amusing and Beliar was in need of some amusement after spending the entire day alone in his room.
"Don’t worry, Glorfindel. I won’t bother you anymore," Beliar said and watched the other Elf. Glorfindel kept walking and didn’t react to the words the Dark One spoke. Beliar grinned and continued.
"It seems that I have met someone with even more beautiful looks than yours, lirimaer," Beliar said and Glorfindel tried not to react but he couldn’t help squeezing his hands into fists besides his body. But he kept walking and ignored the Dark Elf.
"And you know what the real good part is, melindo? This beautiful young Prince seems to be interested in me as well," Beliar continued and Glorfindel swallowed. But again he said nothing and continued his walk down the stairs.
Beliar sped his pace up a little so that he was now walking only inches behind the other Elf.
"Can you just imagine what that lovely Prince would look like chained naked to my bed? What he would look like when I bury myself in his warmth. What cries of pleasure he must scream when I give him..."
Glorfindel spun around and grabbed Beliar by his throat. The Dark Elf only grinned and watched amused as Glorfindel desperately tried to control his anger.
"You stay away from Legolas, Morier," Glorfindel whispered and narrowed his eyes.
"I am afraid that you are telling this to the wrong Elf, lirimaer. Legolas came to me out of his own free will this afternoon," Beliar said with a smug grin on his face.
Glorfindel stepped back and released the Dark One. Had Legolas not heeded his words of warning? He decided that he would leave Beliar alone for now, because he knew that the Dark One was only trying to upset him. But he also decided that he would have a serious talk with the Prince of Mirkwood after dinner.
"The rest is expecting us, Morier," Glorfindel said and straightened his tunic. He turned around and walked to the main dining room, ignoring the Dark Elf that followed him with a satisfied smile on his face.
They entered the dining room and saw that all the other guests were already seated. Elrond gestured for Glorfindel to take his regular seat next to him and Beliar looked at the other empty chairs. And then he spotted one next to Legolas. He walked over to the Elven Prince and Legolas looked up at him.
"Is this seat taken, my Prince?" Beliar asked politely and Legolas felt his cheeks flush. He looked down at his empty plate and softly spoke.
"No it is not."
"Then I will join you for dinner this evening if that is all right with you," Beliar said and Legolas nodded. He kept staring at his plate and dared not look at the Dark Elf that pulled the chair back and sat down besides him.
Beliar saw Legolas’ reaction and smiled at the knowledge that somehow his presence was enough to make the young Prince blush. He decided not to torture Legolas by saying something else to him and would instead give the Prince some time to get used to the idea that the former enemy of his people was sitting besides him at Elrond’s table. Beliar focused his attention on the other guests and looked at al the Elves that were seated around the table. He didn’t recognize any of them besides Elrond and Glorfindel. He saw Gandalf sitting next to Elrond and the old wizard looked at him with a curious twinkle in his eye. Beliar ignored him and saw the Hobbits sitting on the other side of the large table.
"Perriannath, how nice to see you all again," he said to the Halflings and they all smiled at him.
"How is your little friend doing this evening?" he asked politely and Sam spoke with a warm voice.
"Mister Frodo is doing well, considering the circumstances. He is still sleeping but Elrond had assured us that he will be up within a few days."
"That is good news, little ones. I am sure you must all be relieved that your friend will find his health again," Beliar said and the Hobbits nodded.
"Friends and foes," Elrond spoke as he got up from his seat and looked at everyone. His gaze stayed on Beliar a few seconds longer than it did on the others and Beliar smiled at him, amused that the Lord had addressed him as a foe.
"It fills my heart with joy to see you all here at my table tonight. I invite you to eat and drink as much as you like and enjoy yourselves. This evening will be filled with tales and laughter and our worries will not bother us for a few hours," the Elven Lord said and raised his wineglass.
"Enjoy your meal," he said and drank from his glass. The others raised their own glasses and also drank. Then Elrond sat down and everyone started putting food on their plates.
Legolas looked at the food in front of him. He had been quite hungry before but now he felt like he wouldn’t be able to eat anything. What was it about the Dark One sitting next to him that made him feel like an immature Elf?
He didn’t want anyone to notice the confusion he was feeling in his heart so he placed food on his plate and forced himself to eat some of it.
Beliar stared at all the food and had to admit that it looked and smelled very good. He was not used to such an abundance of nourishment and he had trouble choosing what he would eat. Finally he decided to take a little of everything and filled his plate until it was no longer visible under the amount of food on top of it.
He started eating quietly and glanced at the Elf sitting next to him. Legolas mindlessly picked at the food on his plate with the fork he was holding and only put tiny bits in his mouth. The Prince didn’t seem to have a big appetite.
Beliar looked at the other people around him again and spotted Strider sitting next to an Elven Lady. He nodded at the Ranger and Aragorn nodded back at him.
"So why do they call you dragon?" Pippin asked the Dark Elf and Beliar looked at the Hobbits.
"Because of a mark I have on my body," Beliar said with a smile and all three Hobbits frowned.
"I believe that your mark is not the only reason, now is it, Beliar," Gandalf said and Beliar looked at the old wizard.
"How foolish of me, Gandalf. My memory must be failing me at my old age. A problem I’m sure you know everything about, old man," Beliar said and looked at the Hobbits again.
"Can you turn yourself into a dragon?" Merry asked and Pippin’s eyes widened at the thought.
"Yes, can you show us?" Pippin asked and Merry nodded.
"I am sorry to say that I am not powerful enough to take on the shape of a dragon. Although I must say that the idea of transforming myself into such a mighty creature is most appealing," Beliar said with a grin and the Hobbits looked a little disappointed.
"Then why? Please tell us," Merry asked pleadingly and Beliar decided that he would better tell them because the Hobbits looked like they were going to burst of sheer curiosity.
"I used to go to battle with a Dragon at my side," he said and the Hobbits’ eyes widened again.
"You had a dragon?" Pippin piped out and dropped his fork.
"Like a pet?" Merry asked and Sam was gasping for air.
"My dragon is my friend and comrade in battle. He is not a pet," Beliar said and the Hobbits were all looking at him with their mouths hanging open.
"You still have him?"
"What’s he called?"
"Can we see him?"
Beliar grinned at the questions the Hobbits were asking him and put his fork down.
"My friend is called Sarquindi and yes, he waits for me somewhere on the Misty Mountains. I do not think that it is a wise idea to show him to you, for I’m sure that Elrond would not appreciate it if my friend would pay a visit to Imladris," Beliar said and Elrond laughed.
"I believe you know me very well, Uruloki. Please do not invite your friend into my land," the Elven Lord said and Beliar grinned.
Legolas was staring at the Dark Elf next to him. This Elf had a dragon? Then he remembered the story Gandalf had told him and that Beliar grew up under Morgoth’s power. And Morgoth was well known for his bond with dragons.
"Why did you name your dragon Sarquindi?" Legolas asked and Beliar looked at him with a smile.
"Sarquindi doesn’t like other dragons very much," the Dark Elf said and Aragorn laughed.
"What does his name mean?" Pippin asked feeling left out of the amusement of Beliar’s answer.
"Cannibal," Aragorn said and Pippin’s mouth dropped open.
"Does your dragon eat other dragons?" Merry asked and Beliar smiled wickedly.
"If given the chance, yes. And he also has quite an appetite for Halflings who ask more questions than they should," he said and the Hobbits went pale.
Aragorn and Beliar laughed loudly at the sight of the scared Hobbits and even Legolas had to smile.
"He’s joking," Pippin said and poked Merry in his arm.
"I knew that," Merry said but couldn’t help letting out a relieved sigh.
"Bilbo, why don’t you tell us about your encounter with the Dragon on the Lonely Mountain?" Gandalf asked the old Hobbit that sat next to him. Bilbo looked up with a smile and started telling the tale of the journey he made many years ago.
Everyone listened while they ate their food and enjoyed the Hobbit’s stories. Even Beliar had to smile when he heard about Bilbo’s encounter with the Trolls and his journey to the Lonely Mountain.
When everyone had finished their food Elrond stood up again.
"I invite you all over for a glass of wine on the terrace outside the dining room. The evening is still young and I’m sure we all have more tales to share," the Elven Lord said and they all followed hem out on the secluded terrace. Legolas walked over to the side and looked at the star filled sky. It calmed him and he listened to the wind blowing through the trees that surrounded the terrace. For a moment he felt like himself again but then he heard the Hobbits starting to ask Beliar more questions. And only the mention of the Dark One’s name was enough to send a shiver up his spine and make his stomach twitch. He turned around and saw Beliar sitting in one of the many chairs and the three Hobbits were standing in front of him.
"So, you’re a wizard?" Sam asked softly and Beliar grinned.
"Warlock," he said and Pippin was whispering something in Merry’s ear. The two Hobbits looked at each other and then turned their attention back at Beliar.
"Can you show us some magic?" Merry asked and Pippin nodded.
"Yes, Gandalf only shows us fireworks," Pip said and now Merry nodded. Sam was looking a little worried but he also had to admit that he was curious to see what kind of magic Beliar could perform.
"Fireworks?" Beliar asked with a smile and looked at Gandalf. The old wizard smiled back at him and the Dark One shook his head.
He stretched out his arm with his hand in a fist.
"If you want to see fire, I can help you," Beliar said and opened his hand. Just above his palm floated a small ball of fire, burning bright in the darkness of the evening.
"Wow," all three Hobbits said and Beliar smiled.
He softly blew at the ball of fire and in a second it turned into ice and fell in the palm of his hand.
"Open your hands, Pippin," Beliar said and the Hobbit stretched out his own hands with his palms up. Beliar placed the ball of ice in the Hobbit’s hands.
Pippin stared at it with wide eyes and Beliar winked at the other two Hobbits, before he whispered some soft words.
The ball of ice melted within a second and a splash of water fell off Pippins hands onto his bare feet. The young Hobbit jumped back and everyone else laughed.
Legolas turned around again to seek some peace in darkness of the evening. He lost himself in the words that the trees whispered to him. He closed his eyes for what he thought was only a few seconds but when he heard a voice besides him he realized that it must have been longer than that.
"What are you doing, young Prince?" Beliar asked him softly and Legolas turned his head to the side to look at the Dark Elf.
Beliar was looking at him with a curious twinkle in his deep brown eyes and Legolas felt his cheeks flush again.
"I was listening to the trees," the Prince said in a soft voice and Beliar frowned.
"The trees speak to you?" he asked surprised and Legolas smiled.
"Yes and I speak to them as well. Don’t you speak with trees?" he asked the Dark One and Beliar laughed softly.
"No, I must say that I have never had a conversation with a tree before. Give me a herd of Orcs and I can carry on a pretty decent conversation but trees, no," the Dark Elf said and Legolas laughed.
Beliar looked a little offended and Legolas quickly explained himself.
"It is common for Elves to speak with all things nature surrounds us with," he said and Beliar grinned.
"Well, that just proves that I am not a common Elf," the Dark Elf said and Legolas lowered his gaze.
"I believe that it does, yes," he whispered and Beliar stared into the darkness, enjoying the company of the young Prince.
"It is soothing, is it not?" he asked and Legolas looked up at him again.
"What is?" he asked and Beliar kept staring into the night.
"The darkness. It takes away all your pain and worries and gives you peace like nothing else can," the Dark Elf whispered and Legolas smiled.
"It does," he agreed and Beliar looked at him again. But before he could say something he felt a bunch of tiny hands pulling at his tunic.
"Beliar, you must tell us more about your dragon," Merry said and Beliar turned around and looked at the three pleading Hobbit faces. The Dark One had to smile at their innocent looks and their somewhat blunt behavior.
"All right little ones, why don’t we sit down and I will tell you whatever you want to know," he said and the Hobbits practically dragged him towards some empty chairs.
Legolas looked at him and felt torn apart. Part of him felt relieved that the Dark One was no longer standing besides him but another part of him wanted nothing more then to talk with Beliar. And perhaps do even more than just talking. Legolas felt shocked by those thoughts and tried to shake them off.
"Did you not heed my words, Legolas?" Glorfindel asked him and Legolas spun around on his feet to see the Elven Lord stand behind him.
"What do you mean, Glorfindel?" Legolas asked innocently but he knew what the Elven Lord had meant. He just didn’t want to admit it.
"The warning I gave you about Morier. I heard that you went up to his chambers this afternoon. That is not a very wise thing to do, Legolas," Glorfindel said and Legolas narrowed his eyes.
"I respect your advice, my Lord, but I am old enough to make my own decisions. I do not need your words to tell me how to live my own life," the Elven Prince said and Glorfindel pursed his lips.
"Fine, my Prince. You do what you think is right. But remember that Morier is evil and nothing else," Glorfindel said and walked away.
Legolas sighed and suddenly felt tired. He walked over to Lord Elrond and excused himself. Elrond looked at him with a smile and wished him a good night. Legolas quickly made his way up to his chambers and dropped himself on the bed. He wanted to rest, wanted to sleep but somehow he couldn’t get those deep brown eyes and those soft words about darkness out of his mind.