neck
passionately. Wrapping her arms around him, she began kissing him along his
neck and nibbling at his earlobe. Forgetting himself in the moment, he allowed
her to continue working up his ear until she slid her fingers through his sandy
hair, removing the headband that hid his secret.
Seeing the pointed tips to his ears, Arla recoiled
with a scream of fright and clutched her chemise to her chest. She backed away
quickly and stumbled to the door. Yori sat stunned, not knowing what to say. He
knew why she was upset, but he had no idea how to calm her.
The girl began to scream as she flung open the
door and proceeded, undressed, into the streets. “Help me!” she cried, her
throat raspy with terror. “Someone, please! He’s tried to rape me! An elf! A Wild Elf!”
Yori’s eyes went wide with fear. He stood frozen
in the doorway, holding his breath and staring at the young woman. Another
woman came running over to her and helped her wrap the chemise around her body
to cover her nakedness.
Pointing at Yori, Arla cried, “He’s an elf! He
tried to force himself on me! An elf!”
A small crowd began to gather as they heard the
commotion. Two guards approached and grabbed Yori’s arms. One of them punched
him in the stomach, forcing the air from his lungs. He offered no resistance,
for fear they might kill him on the spot. His messy hair barely covered his ear
tips, and he could not possibly deny the crime of being an elf.
The guards dragged him to the palace dungeons as
half the citizens in the marketplace watched. Tossing him roughly inside a
stone cell, the guard slammed the iron door shut and turned the key. Yori sat
on the damp stone floor and buried his head in his hands. He was certain they
would execute him. An elf could not expect a fair trial in Na’zora.
His mind swam with the possibility of being
tortured before he was killed. Tears began to flow as he wished with all his
heart that he had departed the palace district immediately, rather than wasting
time around town. If only he could change that one moment, he would be free to
return home to his family. He thought of little Meladee and how sad she would
be when he did not return. The best he could hope for was a swift execution,
but he knew that was unlikely. In the cramped stone cell he would find no
comfort, only despair.
Chapter 11
F or two days
Yori languished in the cramped cell. He was given a few bread crusts and just
enough water to make him feel constantly thirsty. No one had spoken a word to
him since he arrived. The only sounds in the dungeon were the footsteps of the
guards, the dripping of water, and the occasional cries of a fellow prisoner.
A pale torchlight illuminated the darkness in the
hallway. Someone was approaching his cell, but his eyes were blinded by the
sudden light. The footsteps indicated that two men were coming his direction.
Fearing they would take him to his execution, Yori began to breathe heavily and
closed his eyes.
“You’re tall for an elf,” a voice commented. “For
a male, anyway.”
Yori looked up at the man standing outside his
cell. He wore fine boots and a brocade tunic. Behind him was a younger man, who
glanced nervously from side to side.
“I never would have guessed you were an elf. You
hid it well, my friend,” the first man said, moving closer to the bars and
lowering the torch slightly.
The face revealed by the light stunned Yori. His
heart missed a beat as he recognized the face of none other than Prince Aelryk.
“I believe it’s customary to stand when your
prince approaches,” he said.
Yori scrambled to his feet, still in a state of
shock. “Forgive me, Your Highness,” he said, stammering. His balance was poor
from sitting so long in one position, and he leaned a hand against the bars to
steady himself.
“You have been accused of attempted rape,” the
prince began. “Are you guilty?”
“No, my lord,” Yori replied.
“Then the girl is a liar?”
“I think she was
passionately. Wrapping her arms around him, she began kissing him along his
neck and nibbling at his earlobe. Forgetting himself in the moment, he allowed
her to continue working up his ear until she slid her fingers through his sandy
hair, removing the headband that hid his secret.
Seeing the pointed tips to his ears, Arla recoiled
with a scream of fright and clutched her chemise to her chest. She backed away
quickly and stumbled to the door. Yori sat stunned, not knowing what to say. He
knew why she was upset, but he had no idea how to calm her.
The girl began to scream as she flung open the
door and proceeded, undressed, into the streets. “Help me!” she cried, her
throat raspy with terror. “Someone, please! He’s tried to rape me! An elf! A Wild Elf!”
Yori’s eyes went wide with fear. He stood frozen
in the doorway, holding his breath and staring at the young woman. Another
woman came running over to her and helped her wrap the chemise around her body
to cover her nakedness.
Pointing at Yori, Arla cried, “He’s an elf! He
tried to force himself on me! An elf!”
A small crowd began to gather as they heard the
commotion. Two guards approached and grabbed Yori’s arms. One of them punched
him in the stomach, forcing the air from his lungs. He offered no resistance,
for fear they might kill him on the spot. His messy hair barely covered his ear
tips, and he could not possibly deny the crime of being an elf.
The guards dragged him to the palace dungeons as
half the citizens in the marketplace watched. Tossing him roughly inside a
stone cell, the guard slammed the iron door shut and turned the key. Yori sat
on the damp stone floor and buried his head in his hands. He was certain they
would execute him. An elf could not expect a fair trial in Na’zora.
His mind swam with the possibility of being
tortured before he was killed. Tears began to flow as he wished with all his
heart that he had departed the palace district immediately, rather than wasting
time around town. If only he could change that one moment, he would be free to
return home to his family. He thought of little Meladee and how sad she would
be when he did not return. The best he could hope for was a swift execution,
but he knew that was unlikely. In the cramped stone cell he would find no
comfort, only despair.
Chapter 11
F or two days
Yori languished in the cramped cell. He was given a few bread crusts and just
enough water to make him feel constantly thirsty. No one had spoken a word to
him since he arrived. The only sounds in the dungeon were the footsteps of the
guards, the dripping of water, and the occasional cries of a fellow prisoner.
A pale torchlight illuminated the darkness in the
hallway. Someone was approaching his cell, but his eyes were blinded by the
sudden light. The footsteps indicated that two men were coming his direction.
Fearing they would take him to his execution, Yori began to breathe heavily and
closed his eyes.
“You’re tall for an elf,” a voice commented. “For
a male, anyway.”
Yori looked up at the man standing outside his
cell. He wore fine boots and a brocade tunic. Behind him was a younger man, who
glanced nervously from side to side.
“I never would have guessed you were an elf. You
hid it well, my friend,” the first man said, moving closer to the bars and
lowering the torch slightly.
The face revealed by the light stunned Yori. His
heart missed a beat as he recognized the face of none other than Prince Aelryk.
“I believe it’s customary to stand when your
prince approaches,” he said.
Yori scrambled to his feet, still in a state of
shock. “Forgive me, Your Highness,” he said, stammering. His balance was poor
from sitting so long in one position, and he leaned a hand against the bars to
steady himself.
“You have been accused of attempted rape,” the
prince began. “Are you guilty?”
“No, my lord,” Yori replied.
“Then the girl is a liar?”
“I think she was
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