After the Kitchen Talk

[Armandeus]

[As the title says, this takes places directly after the events in Kitchen Talk]

By the time Armandeus had stalked across the back lawn to the piece of cornered off land that had been designated as a makeshift archery field his frustration had come to a boiling point. He was barely in range of the targets - hay-filled burlap sacks that had been badly constructed to resemble a humanoid torso, before the first dagger was thrown. The second dagger was readied almost immediately, but before it could leave his fingers there was a whoosh as something flew past his ear. Grasping the dagger in a defensive position, he whirled to face whatever was behind him, only to come face to face with the tip of an arrow.

"You missed."

"Valar, Elessar! You could have shot me!"

"I wouldn't have hit you, you did not turn in time for me to."

"How did you know where to find me?"

"There was, how do they say it, 'a disturbance in the force'."

"You've been watching too much of those mortal television shows again."

"It is from a movie and who was it that came running to the room one night saying 'You have to come see this! You'll never believe it!'? What is wrong? It is rare that I am able to sneak upon you like this."

"Everything is fine Elessar."

"Your skills with the targets is better than your lying. Is something wrong with De'Ryanna?"

"It is not up for discussion nor is it my place to discuss it."

"I'll find out somehow, you know I will."

"In the same way I found out why you were so far from the Inn that her henchmen were able to capture you? You can only feign amnesia for so long Elessar."

"That is a different thing! And I have already told you that I do not remember what happened."

"And is that the reason you still barely show yourself about our home when nearly a year has passed by this realm's standards? I know you know Elessar. I can hear you talk about it when you sleep."

"I do not wish to speak of it." Elessar's jaw clenched tightly as he turned away . . .

[Armandeus]

"Daro! That is not good enough Elessar! You never want to talk about it!" Armandeus' voice had changed, turning away from the common speak to the flow of Elvish; a clear sign he had switched to full-out anger. "You think you're alone in what they did, but how easily you forget that I was there as well! I was there before you even! I remember the beatings, the 'experiments', the poisonings! There is nothing they could have done in five months that they did not do in two hundred years."

It was hard to tell which was clenched harder, Elessar's jaw or fists, but he stuck to his silence. The words stung, but he wasn't going to rise to the bait. He wasn't.

Armandeus let out a frustrated breath and tossed another dagger, only to growl when it clear it's target by nearly a mile. He didn't want to fight with his friend, but Valar there seemed no way of getting through the other's thick skull! When he spoke again his words were slightly less harsh, but there still lay a glittering dagger sharp edge underneath. "I can forgive you to an extent. It is not easy going through that alone, especially when you have been together as long as we have, but by Eru Elessar, you must snap out of it! Nearly a year has passed here and more so has passed there! It is time to start living life again or is there no choice but to Fade. You cannot have it both ways Elessar, a choice must be made."

Silence.

When met with his silence for the second time Armandeus had enough. He would stand a better chance at talking to the tea kettle at this rate and started back towards his kitchen. "If you do decide to live you should seek to apologize to those you have hurt by your actions these past months. You owe it to Elvellon, De'Ryanna, and Dr. Blake, and last of all, me. They cared about you, and how did you repay them? Think about that." And he was gone, slamming the back door behind him.

When the back door slammed shut Elessar slowly loosened his death grip on his bow, letting the weapon fall soundlessly to the ground. What was he going to do? Leaping straight up, he landed onto the branches of a tree, darting across it and into the forest beyond. He needed to think.