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Before Arondir could make any attempt at an escape, he knew he would need to learn how to resist the urge to obey Adar. Even the least hesitation would mean failure and punishment. Being familiar with the side effects of disobeying Adar’s commands would help Arondir push them aside when the time came.
However, both fortunately and unfortunately, Adar rarely compelled Arondir to do anything. Adar had duties he tended to around the village during the day; he was fine with letting the omega have his space. And at night…Arondir wouldn’t say Adar was necessarily content with merely lying in the same bed together. Arondir could sense that the alpha wanted more from him, but it seemed Adar was resolved to wait until Arondir’s next heat. Perhaps, there was some part of the fallen elf that was still capable of guilt. Or perhaps Adar just wanted the illusion of consent. Regardless, it made Arondir’s life easier. Usually. But it left him with few commands to practice disobeying.
To attack an uruk or Adar or to attempt to leave would surely lead to a much harsher punishment than Arondir was prepared to deal with just yet, so he ultimately decided that to remain out at night was the best option. It was a small enough command that Arondir doubted Adar would truly mind. The alpha would undoubtedly send an uruk to fetch him, to drag him home if necessary. Adar would think Arondir merely didn’t want to see him, or perhaps that the omega was testing the limits of his freedom. It was likely Arondir would face some punishment, even if it was just to prove that the alpha’s commands were not to be taken lightly. But Arondir didn’t think Adar would realize Arondir’s true purpose in disobeying him, and he didn’t think the punishment would be unbearable.
So when the evening approached and the light visible through the cloudy air began to dim, Arondir headed toward the west end of the village. A pine tree still stood there, singed, weakened, but still alive. Arondir liked it there, as it was one of the few places in the village where nature prevailed. He sat on the ground, leaned back against the tree’s trunk, and waited.
The feeling crept up on him insidiously. It started with mere discomfort, the feeling that he would be much happier on a chair or in bed…on any surface, really, as long as it was in the cabin he and Adar shared. It was quickly joined by a feeling of guilt, as though he’d done something wrong. Finally, after it was well and truly dark and the only lights were the torches the uruks carried as they milled about, it morphed into a longing, the way one might long for shelter when caught outside in a deluge of rain.
It wasn’t pleasant, but Arondir was a soldier. He had endured worse. He was resolved to wait as long as he could.
The village was quieter at night, but still fairly busy. Now that the air was often clouded enough that the sun was dimmed, uruks had begun to adapt to working during the day and sleeping at night, but some still kept late hours out of habit. They glanced at Arondir as they moved about, but none approached him. He sat there for several hours, the discomfort slowly fading into the background of his mind, before he was disturbed.
It was Waldreg who approached him. The man trudged through the village with a lantern held in front of him. He peered at the ground cautiously, his eyesight not as well-adjusted to the dark as the eyes of an uruk or an elf would be.
“The lord father said to tell you it’s time to go home for the night.” Waldreg spat out. He looked thoroughly annoyed. Clearly, he considered message-running beneath him.
Arondir wasn’t sure why, but it annoyed him that Adar had sent Waldreg out to fetch him, as though Arondir was some disobedient child. Perhaps it was that he still hated Waldreg, and he got the impression that this feeling was mutual. But their paths rarely crossed anymore. Waldreg stayed by Adar’s side during the day, doing whatever the alpha told him to do. Since Arondir often avoided Adar, he seldom saw Waldreg except in passing. The elf would have preferred not to see the man now.
Arondir smiled thinly. “Tell him I’m staying out tonight.”
Waldreg snorted at this, a sneer spreading across his face. “It’s not your choice, elf. ‘e told me to bring you to ‘im.”
“Well, then he’ll be sorely disappointed.”
Waldreg’s grin faltered as he realized that Arondir had no intention of following after him like a dog would its master. “Look ‘ere. When the lord father tells you to do somethin’, you’re supposed to do it. ‘e’ll be angry if you don’.”
“That’s my business, not yours.”
Anger flashed in Waldreg’s eyes. “Jus’ because you’re Adar’s whore doesn’t-“
Before Waldreg could finish the sentence Arondir had leapt up and lunged forward. It felt good to feel his fist connect with Waldreg’s jaw and even better to see the man stumble backward with fear in his eyes. It was one thing for Waldreg to feel strong when beating restrained prisoners at Adar’s behest, knowing full well that if one broke free, there’d always be uruks around to pull the human back. But when faced with someone who could fight back, Waldreg wasn’t so brave.
Arondir half expected the uruks to intervene. Instead they looked on placidly. Some even laughed.
“You can’t…” Waldreg began as he retreated, his voice taking on almost a whiny edge.
Arondir didn’t follow him. “Go on.” He ordered. “Go tell Adar what I did, and tell him that if he wants me to come back, he can fetch me himself.”
Waldreg didn’t hesitate to scurry off. Arondir stood there and watched the man go until he was out of sight. Then, he sat back down against the tree and sighed.
He hadn’t meant to go so far tonight. In all fairness, Adar had only ordered Arondir not to harm the uruks. Waldreg hadn’t been mentioned. Even so, Arondir doubted Adar would be pleased the omega had hurt any of his followers.
Arondir expected Adar to send uruks next to drag him home. He decided it would be better to go with them without a fight. It felt wrong to injure an uruk merely as a test. Besides, he was still no where near ready to attempt an escape, and harming Adar’s children would only heighten Adar’s guard.
But to Arondir’s surprise it was Adar who came. About fifteen minutes after Waldreg had left, the omega could sense the other elf heading in his direction and then saw him approaching.
When Adar stood in front of him, Arondir had to fight the urge to get to his feet to go to the alpha. Instead, Arondir cocked his head to the side. “Good evening.”
The alpha’s face was inscrutable, and Arondir couldn’t sense if he was angry. “It’s late. Midnight, at least. You should come home.”
“I’d rather stay out here.”
“Why? You can’t possibly be comfortable out here.”
Arondir shrugged. “Do I need a reason?”
The alpha surveyed him for a moment. He looked as though he was turning something over in his mind. Arondir prepared for Adar to either grab him to drag him back or compel him to return to the cabin. He wondered if a fresh command, given face to face, would be harder to resist.
With a sigh, Adar dropped down next to him. “So stubborn.”
“And what of it?” Arondir snapped back.
“Nothing. But it’s pointless for you to stay out here all night just to spite me.”
Arondir decided not to correct the assumption. Let the alpha attribute this to malice; if Adar realized the truth, he had no doubt the alpha would make Arondir’s path more difficult. “I’m fine out here. I like it.”
Adar shrugged. “If you say so.”
Arondir waited for Adar to bring up Waldreg or give him a new order. But the alpha didn’t. Instead, the two sat in silence until daylight came.