Faramir Fiction Archive

Darkness and Light (NC-17)

Written by Sairalinde and Anorienbean

11 August 2009 | 145537 words

Chapter 10

A few days passed before Dorvane sent for both of them again after Faramir’s ordeal with the drug that Haldir refused to let him feel guilty about the bruises and soreness. The guards arrived before the sun had fully cleared the horizon that morning.

They were led past the rooms they had been to before, to a room at the far end of the hallway. It wasn’t one Faramir had been to before, and he couldn’t be certain if Haldir had or not.

They stood in the center of the room holding hands and staring at the only two things in the room. A thick sturdy post was driven into the ground with a heavy metal ring at the top, which was about waist high.

The other item, taking up most of the other side of the room was a large what looked to be water wheel; only there was curiously no water. Faramir had seen things like this before in other prisons.

They were used purely for torture though he’d never seen any of them used before, he had only heard it described. The wheel could be used with water to slowly drown a victim or used with a rope around the victim’s neck to slowly choke them to death. He swallowed hard and squeezed Haldir’s hand unsure what would happen here or if these things would even be used that way.

Haldir’s eight years as Dorvane’s prisoner had been horrific enough, but they were nothing compared to the fear and horror of the few weeks since he’d met and fallen in love with Faramir. He could take the pain himself, but watching Faramir suffer was a far, far worse fate than any he had ever known before in his long life. As he looked around the room – one he had never been in before either – he swallowed the lump in his throat and squeezed his lover’s hand in return. He could well imagine what the wheel was to be used for and felt sick to his stomach, though he knew pleading with Dorvane would only make matters worse. Not him. Take me. Please not Faramir.

The guards were silent, not taunting them like normal when Dorvane entered the room. Faramir felt his stomach flip. The man looked angry and pleased with himself at the same time.

“Elf, this is punishment,” he said as black eyes seemed to bore through them both. “You refused me.” Referring to the day that Haldir refused to use the string of balls on Faramir. “In all the years you’ve been here you have never once refused me. I believe this man is a bad influence on you… so if you can save him, then he can stay, if not… he’ll die and it will be your fault for refusing me and your fault for not being able to save him,” he said turning to address the guards then, “Tie them up.” Dorvane was certain he’d found the way to finally break the Elf after all these years.

Haldir felt as if he’d been kicked in the stomach and the submission ring had been turned up to it’s highest level, and worst of all, as if someone had ripped his heart out of his chest with their bare hand. He stood in front of Faramir, and glared at Dorvane. He knew what he was about to do would likely get his brothers killed, but at least they stood a chance of not getting captured, while what Dorvane proposed to do to Faramir left him with almost not chance at all. “You pathetic bastard,” he growled, low and deep in his chest his entire body shaking with both rage and fear. “You know I could kill you with one hand tied behind my back… and it seems you are too much of a coward to put me in danger. Put me on that wheel or fuck me – I will spread my legs for you right here and right now, but don’t do this to an innocent man who has never harmed you in any way. I won’t refuse you again, just… don’t do this…” His fear suddenly overcame his rage and he swallowed the last bit of pride he possessed. “Please. Don’t do this to him.”

Faramir startled as Haldir grabbed himself beside him, knowing the ring was being used and his hands automatically moved to help support him. He was stunned by the rage in Haldir’s voice and was as surprised by Haldir’s words as Dorvane seemed to be. Dorvane was faster to recover than Faramir though and stepped forward. “You will spread your legs for me, as always Elf. Do you really think you ever had a choice in the matter?” with that Dorvane smiled evilly. “But you are so protective of this man aren’t you? This Ranger from Gondor? We’ll see just how much you’ll fight for him,” he snapped, using Faramir’s submission ring to incapacitate the man and make sure he couldn’t and wouldn’t fight as the guards drug him to the wheel.

Faramir bit back a cry of pain as he felt as if his groin had been stomped on and his legs felt like water as the guards dragged him away from Haldir. I am only making things worse for Haldir.

Haldir should have expected the pain from the ring, but it caught him off guard, and before he knew it, Faramir was being drug away by the guards and was crying out as his own ring was obviously being used on him as well. The struggling Elf was tied to the ring on the post across the room from the wheel as Faramir was tied to the wheel itself. The agony between his legs was now a dull ache and he realized that Dorvane was going to keep the ring active while he had to find a way to free Faramir. Gods… he wasn’t sure he could even move, let alone free himself and his lover, but he would be damned if he wasn’t going to try. His eyes darkened with hatred and he vowed that if Faramir died today, then Dorvane would die as well, no matter what the consequences.

As the last restraint was fastened, Haldir tried to ignore the pain in his groin and took a deep breath, looking across the room and focusing on the man he loved. He loved his brothers, yes, but this… this was different. This was the man he wanted to spend his life with. His eyes grew kinder, gentler, and he knew Faramir could see how much he loved him if he could manage to meet his gaze despite the odd position they’d tied him in on the wheel. “I will not let you die, guren” he said softly, knowing the guards could hear him, but not caring. “Remember the moonlight until I get to you, guren. Remember the moonlight.”

Faramir’s entire body hurt from the submission ring but Dorvane began to ease back on it as he was tied to the wheel. It was decidedly uncomfortable, the wood biting into his back as he was stretched over it, his arms were tied down along the long spokes of it. Once he was secure they slipped a noose around his neck, the rope lose for the moment as it was tied to a ring on the wall behind him. As the wheel slowly would ease forward the noose would tighten inch by inch and would either suffocate him or break his neck. He tried to seek out Haldir’s gaze, looking to the side, unable to look down his body toward where his lover was tied. “I will remember… always,” he said softly in return.

Haldir was doing his best to stay calm, but he was on the verge of panic as he saw the noose tied around Faramir’s neck. He was seated on the floor with his hands tied up and over his head, secured to the heavy metal ring above him. The ring of submission was still pulsing out a steady dose of pain, but he’d felt much, much worse. His body wanted to simply curl up and wait for the pain to pass, but his mind and the image of his lover before him kept him focused and able to somewhat adjust to, if not ignore, the pain between his legs. The thick, coarse rope was tied snugly around his thighs and ankles as well, and as the guard secured the last knot, he thought he saw something that looked like sympathy in the man’s dark eyes. No matter. He would die as well as Dorvane and everyone else in the room if Faramir was killed.

Faramir was careful not to struggle, not to move on the wheel and make matters worse or end things and himself too quickly. He took a shallow breath as the pain of the ring pulsed through him, his body wanting to curl up but unable to the way he was tied of course. Dorvane crossed the room to him and took Faramir’s face in his hand. “It’ll be a pity to see one so fair die…” Dorvane said looking back at Haldir as his hand traveled down Faramir’s body lewdly. He grasped Faramir’s lax sex and squeezed it hard making the man yelp before drawing away again and heading toward the door. “I’d love to stay and watch but I have duties to attend to…” he turned to a guard near the door. “Notify me as soon as the man is dead.”

Already struggling in his bonds as Dorvane made his way across the room, Haldir’s hatred of the man grew tenfold as his filthy hand touched Faramir’s sex. The Elf growled, but was helpless as Faramir cried out, but then thankfully, Dorvane was gone. One look at the guards told him he would get no assistance from them. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and tried to imagine the knots that bound his wrists. He followed each twist and turn with his fingertips but the knots were too tight, and wouldn’t budge. After a few moments, he resorted to simply pulling at his restraints, causing his frequently restrained wrists to bleed and become raw almost at once. “Hold on, Faramir,” he managed, gritting his teeth as he pulled again at his bonds. “Don’t you dare give up on me.”

Faramir felt the wheel begin to tick forward slowly just as Dorvane shut the door and though the rope wasn’t tight yet it would be soon enough. He wasn’t sure what to think anymore; maybe it would be better for them both if he died here today? He took a shallow breath and tried to focus on not wiggling to keep the wheel from turning too much. “I’m not giving up, love,” he said softly. “But just know… if… if you can’t get to me in time, that I love you and that I know you will have tried everything,” his words were soft in the room but they seemed loud it was so quiet only the sound of Haldir struggling and his own shallow breaths.

Haldir’s face, flushed from exertion, paled at Faramir’s words. “Don’t you even think that,” he chided, catching his bottom lip with his teeth as he pulled on the ropes again. “I will get to you. Or by the Valar, I will die trying.” With that, he stopped struggling and wrenched his body up as much as he could; twisting so hard he almost dislocated his shoulder. He could at least see the knots this way, and see that they were too secure to untie in such a short time. Holding one hand with the other, he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out and squeezed hard, pushing his thumb out of its socket, making his hand much smaller. It was enough so that the next time he pulled at his now injured hand, it moved back from its bonds just a bit, though the pain almost made his dizzy as the ropes pushed down on this dislocated digit.

Faramir could just see Haldir out of the corner of his eye as he struggled and winced when he heard the low pop of a dislocated bone. It brought tears to his eyes but he knew that if their roles were reversed he’d practically chew off his own arm to get to Haldir. With that thought the wheel ticked forward again, the rope tightening around his neck and stretching him uncomfortably as it pushed just against his throat and underside of his jaw. He had trouble swallowing against the pressure and knew with the next movement of the wheel he was going to start to choke and by the next one he would be choking for certain. He closed his eyes and began to pray every prayer he knew.

Haldir’s skin was wet with sweat and the blood that ran down his arms as he struggled with his bonds. Some of the guards looked bored, while others frankly gaped at his tenacity. Several began to fear for their lives if whatever Dorvane was holding over the Elf were ever to go away. Clenching his teeth so hard his jaws almost locked, Haldir jerked his hand from the restraints, crying out as excruciating pain raced from his hand up to his shoulder. He saw stars for a moment and swayed on his feet. It hurt, Gods, it hurt, but at least his hand was free, and a moment later he was working the other one free as well. “Almost, guren,” he managed as he finally had both hands out of the ropes and simply pushed the other restraints down his thighs, rubbing the pale skin of his legs raw as he did so, causing them to bleed almost as badly as his wrists. The moment he was free, he raced across the room, trying to see how Faramir was tied and how to best free him without causing more pressure on his neck.

Faramir felt his heart break when Haldir cried out, tears running from his eyes and down into his hair. He wanted to struggle but he knew he couldn’t, doing so would only end him more quickly so he stayed as still as he could even though his body shook from tears. The wheel ticked forward again and suddenly he couldn’t breathe, he gasped and almost started to struggle, his hands twisting against the rough ropes holding him. His vision was dimming even as he saw Haldir’s panicked face leaning over him. Faramir opened his mouth to speak but no words could come out, his throat was slowly being crushed by the rope that held him and his own weight pulling him downward as the angle of the wheel changed.

Reaching out with his injured hand to try and hold the wheel, Haldir managed to at least keep it in place, if not push it back. His thumb hung uselessly alongside, but his fingers curled beneath one of the paddles on the wheel, and he used every ounce of his strength to keep it from moving forward again. The noose around Faramir’s neck was tied up over a beam above them, and then to a round metal ring embedded in the wall beside the wheel. The wood was old, like everything else at Dorvane’s ‘farm’ and Haldir knew he only had one chance. Pushing his shoulder against the wheel to keep it from turning, he used both hands and called upon the strength of the first-born. His fingers tightened around the ring in the wall and he twisted with enough force to easily break a man’s neck – a fact
that every guard in the room noticed immediately. The ring held solid for several precious seconds, seconds when he was sure he had failed, then finally gave way, twisting free of the wood and leaving Haldir holding the other end of Faramir’s noose. Fumbling a bit because his hands were sore and swollen, he finally managed to tug the noose from around Faramir’s from around Faramir’s neck, blue eyes gazing at his face, which was all too pale and still. Gods… he had been too late. He had let his lover die.

Faramir’s vision dimmed completely and he was certain that he was going to never wake from this. Then he felt the pressure release from his neck and for a moment his body refused to react then suddenly he tired to take a gasping breath, coughing and choking as he did so. His eyes opened briefly to look up into worried and frightened blue eyes, seeing a fear there that broke Faramir’s heart completely. “You did it, love,” he whispered so softly he wasn’t sure his words had been heard before he was forced to cough again. He’d been so close to dying from strangulation that he was still hardly able to breathe even now.

Even now, the guards kept their distance, watching with grudging respect as Haldir simply rested his forehead against Faramir’s shoulder for a moment and his body shook with silent sobs. He wanted only to be alone with his lover, however, and quickly gathered himself, somehow managing to untie the bonds around Faramir’s arms and legs with still shaking and swollen fingers. As the last knot was untied, the Elf opened his arms to Faramir and gently pulled him away from the wheel, holding him carefully as he continued to cough and gasp for air. He easily scooped the young man up against his chest and headed for the door. “We’re going back to our rooms now,” he said in a tone that left no room for argument. “You have all had enough fun for one day.”

Faramir was still weak from not being able to breathe as Haldir scooped him into his arms. All he could do was rest his forehead against Haldir’s shoulder and let himself be carried. The guards did not protest when Haldir spoke to them, instead they simply stood back and one opened the door for them. The same one followed behind them to their rooms, not speaking, simply making sure they returned where they were supposed to do. When the door to their room opened, Faramir coughed again and looked up at his lover as he felt color finally starting to return to his face again. “You’re hurt,” he said simply. “Give me a minute…” He coughed again and shook his head. “Give me a minute to catch my breath and I’ll take care of you.”

“You will do no such thing,” Haldir said softly, sitting down on the chair nearest the door and simply holding his lover against him, ignoring the blood and even the still throbbing pain from the submission ring that Dorvane had failed to turn off. “You are going to just rest against me and let me hear you breathe, guren.” When Faramir started to protest, Haldir put one finger over his lips and shook his head. “Please, love. Do this for me. I just need to hear you breathe. “

Faramir started to argue that Haldir was bleeding and obviously in pain. He was fine now that he could breathe other than the lingering pain from the submission ring Dorvane had used on him earlier. He sighed though, unable to argue when Haldir looked at him like that. “I’m fine,” he whispered. “Because you saved me.” He rested his head against Haldir’s shoulder again and managed a deep breath. His neck was raw where the rope rubbed against him and throat hurt but he was going to be fine.

Not wanting Faramir to focus on his hands at the moment, Haldir pressed a kiss to his lover’s temple and shook his head. “He wanted to break me, and he finally found a way to do it,” he said softly. “I will never forgive myself for putting you in that situation, and I will never again give him a reason to use you against me, guren. I am just so sorry it took this to make me realize how far he will go to get what he wants.”

“He didn’t break you,” Faramir argued shaking his head. “He used compassion and love against you but that is not breaking someone…” he whispered softly. Dorvane wanted complete submission from them both though and now he knew the way to achieve it, by using each against the other. Toying with them or even threatening until the other submitted to whatever the sadistic man wanted. “We have to find a way out of here, Haldir… there has to be a way.”

Haldir swallowed the lump in his throat, then nodded. “Aye,” he agreed softly. “I am sure there is a way. We just need to figure it out.” He knew exactly how to free Faramir, though the price would be his complete and total submission for the rest of Dorvane’s life… and probably the lifetimes of all his predecessors as well. He truly believed Saruman could not catch his brothers, for surely they had sailed now, or surely they would be safe in the Golden Wood. But now there was more than his brothers to consider. Gods, if only they could escape together and live together and make love under the stars and the moonlight and… No. Best not to dream of that now. His fingers slowly moved over the bruises on his lover’s neck. “For now, though, some salve would stop that from burning, and bring down the swelling a bit.”

Faramir couldn’t help but wince as Haldir touched his neck. His lover’s wrists were bleeding and he could see one hand was swollen; obviously the popping sound he’d heard was his thumb. “Only if you’ll allow me to put some of it on you as well?” Faramir said stubbornly.

The golden Elf started to argue, but could tell from the look in Faramir’s eyes that there was absolutely no point. “Very well, guren,” he said with an exaggerated sigh, though in truth he was thrilled that Faramir felt well enough to argue with him. “You win… as always. We will tend to each other.”

Faramir smiled then at how Haldir gave in to him even though he made it seem grudgingly. “We both win then,” he whispered. His own hand reached out and cupped Haldir’s injured one. “This must be very painful…” he whispered. Shifting just a bit in Haldir’s lap he brushed a kiss against his cheek, even though it hurt to stretch like that. He started to get up, now that he was getting enough oxygen to the rest of his body he was feeling better, but Haldir still held him close.

“Do all Rangers squirm this much, or is it just my Ranger?” Haldir groused, refusing to let his lover go just yet. He knew he would never get the image of Faramir’s too pale face or the sound of him gasping for air out of his mind, and he couldn’t seem to make himself let go just yet.

Smiling, Faramir relaxed back against his lover. “We are trained in many things… archery, woodsman skills, tracking… and… squirming,” he teased, enjoying seeing a light back in Haldir’s eyes that seemed to have been erased earlier.

Haldir laughed, marveling as always that Faramir could make him laugh even after such a trying ordeal. “Then I expect you must have excelled in that particular lesson,” he growled, reaching between them with his less injured hand and tugging lightly on his lover’s nipple. “Now kiss me first, and I will let you up… and do not even try that thing you do with your eyes when you want your way. It will not work because I’m not looking. Just kiss me.” Closing his eyes as tightly as an Elfling who thought he was hiding from his parents by simply choosing not to see them, Haldir bit back a smile and waited to be kissed, determined not to let Faramir move until he did so.

Faramir laughed softly, despite the pain he was still in and certain that Haldir was in as well. If they did not have these moments of laughter in their lives these past weeks it would have been unbearable to live the way they had without going mad. Still smiling he leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against his lover’s, brushing sweetly against them until the kiss deepened. This time Faramir was breathless for an entirely different reason as he opened himself to his lover and let him feel how much he loved him and appreciated all that he’d done for him. Not just today.

Using just his arms, Haldir pulled Faramir against him, sighing softly into his mouth as their kiss went from sweet to passionate and loving in almost no time at all. He had almost grown immune to the pain in his hands and low level ache in his genitals, and certainly the kiss made soreness seem even further away. They kissed until they were both lightheaded from the lack of oxygen and when they finally pulled away, Haldir looked at his lover with dark, almost dream-like eyes that softened the usual stern look he’d learned to wear around the guards. “Do all Rangers kiss this well too?” he whispered, nibbling lightly on his lover’s lip. “Or just mine?”

Faramir smiled as they drew apart again, breathless and for the moment not thinking about anything but his lover. “I have never kissed another Ranger so I do not know… and I don’t think I like the idea of you kissing any others just to find out so I suppose we’ll both never know will we?” Faramir teased softly as he brushed hair back from Haldir’s cheek and tucked it behind a pointed ear. For now they were just two lovers sharing sweet kisses and teasing one another, not prisoners of Saruman and Dorvane.

Haldir laughed softly. “Like I would ever want to kiss any other Ranger… or any other Man, Elf, Dwarf or Hobbit,” he teased. “No, all my kisses, for the rest of my days will belong exclusively to you, my love. As does my heart.”

Faramir sobered for a moment when Haldir spoke and he nodded. “As do all of my kisses, love. And my heart, all of me, belongs to you…” he whispered seriously. “Today… when… when I thought… all I could think of was you and how my being here has made life harder for you.”

“Only when I have to see you suffer, or worry what they will do to you next,” Haldir admitted. “But, Gods, Faramir, I was so close to giving up, especially recently, just before you came. If we ignore the bad times, and think of the good times… I think we would live happily ever after had we met outside of this prison.” He sighed and rested his cheek on top of Faramir’s head. “I would give anything if you were still free, and had never been captured, but there are times when we are together like this that I forget where we are and think that I am the happiest, luckiest Elf to ever have lived to be able to hold and love and laugh with you.”

Faramir frowned when Haldir said he had been close to giving up before he was captured. “I think we would live happily ever after when we escape this place. You have to have faith in that dream, Haldir,” he whispered. “And we are lucky to have found one another, despite the circumstances I would not change it… well there are a few things I’d love to change but they have nothing to do with you,” he said softly as his fingers slid down Haldir’s arm toward his still bloody wrist. “We need to take care of this.”

Haldir nodded, and tried to push away thoughts of the dream he knew was unreachable. “Aye. But first your neck…” He started to move forward on the chair, still holding Faramir against him. When his lover’s weight shifted, he was reminded quickly of the pain the submission ring was still sending through him, Faramir’s weight pressing down on him having eased the ache somewhat and distracting him with more… pleasant thoughts. He hissed in pain and held on to Faramir a little tighter for a moment, then slowly got to his feet, letting Faramir’s feet slide to the floor as well. It was on its lowest setting, but still enough to make him want to scream. “Can he not turn this damnable thing off now that our little “test” is over?”

Faramir frowned when Haldir hissed in pain and he looked up into his face, obviously tight with the pain. “The ring is still causing you pain?” he was surprised, Dorvane was no longer controlling his, but he was purposefully continuing to hurt Haldir. “We will try to come up with a way to make it stop hurting as badly,” he whispered as Haldir carried him to the bed. He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the jar of salve as Haldir sat beside him. “Let me do this,” he whispered as he opened it and began to spread the thick salve onto Haldir’s wrist.

Murmuring softly in agreement, Haldir let his lover tend to his hand even as he eyed the raw skin and bruises around his neck. More than likely Dorvane had simply forgotten to turn off his ring… either that, or he’d been furious to find that Haldir actually had saved Faramir’s life. He had the distinct feeling that Dorvane didn’t know yet, but that Haldir would know the minute he did.

When Faramir reached for Haldir’s other hand he frowned at the discoloration around his thumb and the way it fell uselessly to the side. “You dislocated your thumb to get out of the ropes,” he said it as a statement not a question and looked up at his lover with a compassionate look in his eyes. “We’ll need to put it back in place, love,” he whispered sadly as his fingers moved to put the salve on. “Maybe do it last thing so you can rest afterwards.”

“It was the only way I could get to you.” As he spoke, Haldir leaned up and with his already treated hand began applying the salve to Faramir’s neck. “I know it’s early, but we’ve both been through a lot today… I think we could both use a rest.”

Faramir hissed just a little as the salve stung at raw skin, it hurt worse on scrapes than it did on open wounds but soon it cooled and he sighed. “I think you are right, we both need rest,” he agreed. Once Haldir was done, Faramir looked up at him. “Crawl in bed beside me and give me your hand. I’ll hold it steady as you apply the pressure you need. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Haldir took a deep breath and did as Faramir instructed, knowing it would hurt even more going back in than it had coming out of place, especially now that it was so swollen. He felt his lover’s gentle fingers steadying his hand and just as he was about to move, he felt the tale-tale tingling of the ring around his cock and balls. Dorvane had found out… and wasn’t happy. Before he could even dread the feeling, his testicles felt as if they were on fire. He felt the pain race through his groin, from the tip of his sex, down through his legs, and up his spine. The pain centered in his groin however, and he had just the presence of mind to push his hand hard against Faramir’s popping his thumb back in place. The pain was nothing compared to the agony of the ring and he could do nothing more than curl up on the bed, whimpering in pain as the ring was set and kept at it’s highest level for what seemed an eternity. Finally, the pain became too much, and despite doing his best to overcome it, Haldir knew he was close to passing out. He reached up and grabbed Faramir’s arm, pulling him down alongside him and practically burrowed beneath him as the room grew dark and finally, blessedly, the pain began to fade as he lost consciousness.

Faramir held steady to Haldir’s hand and waited as he began to push against him to put his thumb in place. Suddenly though Haldir’s face went pale even before he began and he knew the way that he was gritting his teeth that the ring was being used on him. He could do nothing but watch in sympathy as his lover forced his thumb back into socket and then collapsed on the bed in agony. Even as Haldir reached out, Faramir was moving closer, pulling Haldir into his arms and trying to soothe him, knowing just how painful the ring could be. Before he could say a word he felt the tension leave Haldir’s body and saw his eyes close as he slipped away in unconsciousness. Faramir closed his own eyes and brushed sweet kisses against Haldir’s sweat covered brow. “I love you… and I promise you… we will find a way out of here.” The events of the day soon began to catch up to him as well and soon after he followed Haldir into sleep.

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