A/N This takes place after the Lord of the Rings. All unknown characters
belong to me. Everyone else belongs to the literary genius and dear,
departed JRR Tolkien.
Ten-year-old Sahóra Aear pushed a lock of sweaty, red curls out of her face as she stood to stretch a back sore from a day of weeding. The plants were still young and weeding was a vital, if tasking, job. She shivered slightly as a cool wind caressed her sweaty skin. Sahóra, or Sári as she was more often called, was part of a community that consisted only of women. Men, except for the body slaves of the Mener (leader) and the captives kept for mating purposes, were outlawed. Indeed, young Sári had never seen a man before. Male children were taken away at birth to be either put to work or trained as body-slaves for the Mener. Once those that had been put to work were past puberty, they were put into the Ziebarth, where the women mated. Before that, though, they were kept far away from the rest of the community. Sári's bright emerald eyes gazed into the neighboring forest; she thought she had heard something among the trees. Shrugging, she turned to go home, happy that her day's work was over, when she heard the most beautiful voice singing in the forest. Curious, little Sári wandered into the trees, unaware that Kheti, one of the Mener's top guards, was watching. *^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^* Legolas had watched the little girl while she worked. Pretty now, she would become beautiful as she grew. He began to sing, hoping his voice would attract her. She had worked all day, with no complaint and no adults around. Legolas had had the sudden urge to speak with her. As he had hoped, she followed the sound. She now stood there watching him suspiciously, but not saying anything. She didn't want to interrupt his song. When he finished, Legolas gave the girl a charming smile. "Did you like my song, little one?" Sári didn't know what to think. "What are you?" she blurted out rudely. She had never seen anyone quite like Legolas. You must remember, Sári had never seen a man before, never mind a male Elf. Legolas laughed. "Why child, I am an Elf! Have you never seen an Elf before?" Sári shook her head ashamedly. Legolas softened his tone. "That is quite all right, little one. We are a secretive lot. My name is Legolas Greenleaf. What is yours?" "Sári." "Well Sári, would you like to learn my song?" he asked, outstretching his hand towards her. Sári nodded and reached out to take his hand. A lasso came flying out of nowhere. Sári screamed. Before Legolas could do anything, the lasso tightened around him, pinning his arms to his sides. Kheti came running out of her hiding place and finished tying the Elf with a brisk efficiency. When she finished, she looked over to Sári. "Did he hurt you?" Kheti demanded. "N-no, but, oh Kheti! He was going to teach me his beautiful song!" "That's what he said." Kheti looked at him distrustfully. "That's what I meant!" Legolas interjected angrily. 'How dare this woman?!' he thought. Kheti struck him violently across the face. He reeled backwards from the blow. "Silence!" Sári cowered behind the woman's leg. Rather than skirts, this dark, fighting woman wore breeches for the free use of her legs. Legolas flashed Sári a sympathetic look. "I will be quiet, if only for the child's sake," he said quietly. Kheti eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean?" "You're scaring her!" Kheti looked at Sári, as though she just noticed the girl was clinging to her leg like a burr. "It's all right," Kheti said soothingly. "You can let go now, Sári. He can't hurt you, now." Legolas opened his mouth to protest, but he was cut off by a small voice. "But Kheti, why would Legolas hurt me? He was really so kind. He was going to teach me that lovely song." She looked up at the fighting woman with wide, hopeful eyes. Legolas smiled in spite of himself, but the woman's expression didn't soften in the slightest. "You are young yet, Sári. You'll have to learn. He never meant to teach you his song." Kheti flashed Legolas a hard, unforgiving look. "We'll have to present him to Mener Savarah. I dare say he'll make a fine addition to the Ziebarth, once he learns to hold his tongue." Sári's pale face turned completely white. She and all other children were frightened of the dark, foreboding place. Many women used their men hard, beating them when they weren't fully pleased. The men's screams were heard often. "B-but Kheti! He didn't *do* anything! Please, please! Don't take Legolas there!" The child began to weep silently. "Don't worry about me, child," Legolas said confidently. "I'll be fine. But don't ever forget; whatever they tell you, I would never harm you." Kheti kicked Legolas in the groin to silence him. Sári flinched, but said nothing. Legolas mourned silently. 'She lost a part of her innocence today, all because of me.' They made their way to the Mener's home, Kheti forcing Legolas in front of her.
Ten-year-old Sahóra Aear pushed a lock of sweaty, red curls out of her face as she stood to stretch a back sore from a day of weeding. The plants were still young and weeding was a vital, if tasking, job. She shivered slightly as a cool wind caressed her sweaty skin. Sahóra, or Sári as she was more often called, was part of a community that consisted only of women. Men, except for the body slaves of the Mener (leader) and the captives kept for mating purposes, were outlawed. Indeed, young Sári had never seen a man before. Male children were taken away at birth to be either put to work or trained as body-slaves for the Mener. Once those that had been put to work were past puberty, they were put into the Ziebarth, where the women mated. Before that, though, they were kept far away from the rest of the community. Sári's bright emerald eyes gazed into the neighboring forest; she thought she had heard something among the trees. Shrugging, she turned to go home, happy that her day's work was over, when she heard the most beautiful voice singing in the forest. Curious, little Sári wandered into the trees, unaware that Kheti, one of the Mener's top guards, was watching. *^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^* Legolas had watched the little girl while she worked. Pretty now, she would become beautiful as she grew. He began to sing, hoping his voice would attract her. She had worked all day, with no complaint and no adults around. Legolas had had the sudden urge to speak with her. As he had hoped, she followed the sound. She now stood there watching him suspiciously, but not saying anything. She didn't want to interrupt his song. When he finished, Legolas gave the girl a charming smile. "Did you like my song, little one?" Sári didn't know what to think. "What are you?" she blurted out rudely. She had never seen anyone quite like Legolas. You must remember, Sári had never seen a man before, never mind a male Elf. Legolas laughed. "Why child, I am an Elf! Have you never seen an Elf before?" Sári shook her head ashamedly. Legolas softened his tone. "That is quite all right, little one. We are a secretive lot. My name is Legolas Greenleaf. What is yours?" "Sári." "Well Sári, would you like to learn my song?" he asked, outstretching his hand towards her. Sári nodded and reached out to take his hand. A lasso came flying out of nowhere. Sári screamed. Before Legolas could do anything, the lasso tightened around him, pinning his arms to his sides. Kheti came running out of her hiding place and finished tying the Elf with a brisk efficiency. When she finished, she looked over to Sári. "Did he hurt you?" Kheti demanded. "N-no, but, oh Kheti! He was going to teach me his beautiful song!" "That's what he said." Kheti looked at him distrustfully. "That's what I meant!" Legolas interjected angrily. 'How dare this woman?!' he thought. Kheti struck him violently across the face. He reeled backwards from the blow. "Silence!" Sári cowered behind the woman's leg. Rather than skirts, this dark, fighting woman wore breeches for the free use of her legs. Legolas flashed Sári a sympathetic look. "I will be quiet, if only for the child's sake," he said quietly. Kheti eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean?" "You're scaring her!" Kheti looked at Sári, as though she just noticed the girl was clinging to her leg like a burr. "It's all right," Kheti said soothingly. "You can let go now, Sári. He can't hurt you, now." Legolas opened his mouth to protest, but he was cut off by a small voice. "But Kheti, why would Legolas hurt me? He was really so kind. He was going to teach me that lovely song." She looked up at the fighting woman with wide, hopeful eyes. Legolas smiled in spite of himself, but the woman's expression didn't soften in the slightest. "You are young yet, Sári. You'll have to learn. He never meant to teach you his song." Kheti flashed Legolas a hard, unforgiving look. "We'll have to present him to Mener Savarah. I dare say he'll make a fine addition to the Ziebarth, once he learns to hold his tongue." Sári's pale face turned completely white. She and all other children were frightened of the dark, foreboding place. Many women used their men hard, beating them when they weren't fully pleased. The men's screams were heard often. "B-but Kheti! He didn't *do* anything! Please, please! Don't take Legolas there!" The child began to weep silently. "Don't worry about me, child," Legolas said confidently. "I'll be fine. But don't ever forget; whatever they tell you, I would never harm you." Kheti kicked Legolas in the groin to silence him. Sári flinched, but said nothing. Legolas mourned silently. 'She lost a part of her innocence today, all because of me.' They made their way to the Mener's home, Kheti forcing Legolas in front of her.