Disclaimer: The song Raye sings is Gollum's Song. It's on the soundtrack and played during the credits.
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'Where once was light
Now darkness falls
Where once was love
Love is no more
Don't say good-bye
Don't say I didn't try
These tears we cry are falling rain
For all the lies you told us
The hurt, the blame
And we will weep
To be so alone
We are lost
We can never go home.
So in the end
I'll be what I will be
No loyal friend
Was ever there for me
Now we say good-bye
We say you didn't try
These tears you cry have come too late
Take back the lies
The hurt, the blame
And you will weep
When you face the end alone
You are lost
You can never go home…' sang a voice. The song drifted through the woods, haunting, sad, yet beautiful.
The voice belonged to a she-Elf, who sat high in a tree. Her legs were stretched comfortably along a branch, with her back resting against the trunk. She was using her dagger to whittle a long slab of wood. In her lap, were some freshly cut arrows. It was obvious she was working on another.
'You can never go home…' she said, softer than before, ending the song.
She sighed and looked up from her whittling. She put the dagger in its small in its hidden sheath. Placing the already made arrows in the quiver on her back, she stood up and looked around.
For as far as she could see, there were trees. The trees themselves were huge, bigger than any trees anywhere else. Well, anywhere but Lothlórien. She smiled slightly, and looked towards the west. Off on the horizon, the trees stopped abruptly. Her smile faded slightly and she shook her head. Her dark brown hair, filled with natural red and blonde highlights, swayed with the movement of her head.
She ran down the branch gracefully, and leapt across a small gap onto another branch. She threw out her arms, catching her balance, and reaching up, she grabbed the branch above her head. She swung herself up and kept running from branch to branch, tree to tree. Occasionally, she would have to climb higher or lower to get to branches that were closer to others on a different tree. She knew where she was going, and threw the trees was one of the fastest ways.
Raye, the she-Elf, jumped from the tree and landed silently on the balls of her feet. She crouched on instinct, before slowly straightening her legs. She was young, for an Elf, just pushing 800 years. She lived with her parents, in a small glade in northern Mirkwood. She wanted to move to Lothlórien when she was older, but also didn't want to leave her parents.
If she did, they would have no one to care for them. She had no siblings, for her older brother had left two years before. He had gone to Lothlórien, wanting to serve Galadriel instead of Thranduil. His decision hadn't sat well with their parents, so one night, when all were asleep, he'd packed his necessary belongings, left Raye a note, and left.
When I'm older, Ecthelion, I will follow you there. Perhaps by then father won't be so loyal to Thranduil. She hated Thranduil. He never did anything to help them. When strange creatures had massacred the small village they had lived in, he hadn't done anything. Her parents had moved to the glade then, she had been barely 200. She had no friends, for the other Elves all looked down on her, saying she was raised like a wild creature and didn't know how to act like a normal, respectable, Elf.
Glancing down at herself, Raye agreed. Instead of wearing fancy gowns, Raye wore well-worn leathers, usually brown. Her shirts weren't much better, being a vibrant green. The design she'd created herself.
The sleeves were long, and flared slightly at the ends. Ties laced up the front, giving the "barbarian" shirt a more elegant look. She smiled at her creation, proud. Most of the Elf maidens wouldn't dream of wearing any of her clothes, and definitely took better care of the ones they did wear.
On top of that, Raye didn't spend hours upon hours being waited on by servants. She couldn't stand the thought of being pampered like she had seen others be. She shuddered at the thought of it even. She braided her own hair each day, and brushed it each night. Sure, although not as prissy about her looks, she did worry about them a little. All females do.
Looking around, Raye stopped. She hadn't realized she'd been walking the whole time. She realized she was in another small glade, about the same size as the one she lived in, but maybe a little smaller. In the center of it, was a large pool of water. Too small to be a lake, yet to big to be a pond.
Walking over to it, she looked at the water. It was so clear! She knelt by the water, and gingerly slipped her hand under the surface. It was like she was sticking her hand into cool air. It felt good compared to the real humid air.
Raye stood up and glanced around. It appeared as if no one came to the glade, for there weren't any footsteps. Smiling happily, she quickly stripped herself of her clothing, dropping it on the ground behind a rock, and dove under the surface.
The water was just as refreshingly cool when it touched her entire body. Her hair streamed behind her, as she streaked through the liquid. Finally she slowed, and opened her eyes. A smile appeared as she saw a small fish swimming around her left hand. She held very still, and the little fish swam right up to her nose. She blew out bubbles at it and it tore away faster than a lightning bolt. Laughing out bubbles of air, Raye swam to the surface for more air.
As her head broke the surface, she heard cruel, harsh laughter. Looking around, she felt her heart almost stop. There, at the edge of the pool, stood a band of men. Instead of the friendly looking men she'd seen days before, these closely resembled Orcs. Mutilated, ugly, filthy, then laughed at her. One nudged forth a younger man, still young enough that he hadn't acquired the ugly looks of his elders, and ripped off the shirt as the youth stumbled into the water.
'Fetch the she-Elf, David,' the leader snarled.
The youth, David, looked at her, and started to wade towards her. For a brief instant, she saw sorrow in his eyes, but it passed. Raye backed away from the boy, trying to get to the other side. She didn't need the men to find her naked. To her dismay, the men had already surrounded the small pool. The boy continued towards her, as if uncaring. He stretched his hand towards her and roughly grabbed her wrist.
'I'm sorry.' She heard him whisper.
He began to drag her back to shore, ignoring the fact his band would surely rape the Elf maiden before night fell. He sighed to himself and pulled her out of the water.
'Good boy,' the leader said, pushing David away from the Elf. David stumbled and fell into the group. They pushed him back amongst the others.
The leader walked straight up to the naked Elf, and circled her like a wolf. Raye flinched as he reached out and rubbed a rough finger over her nipple. Her reaction drew a smirk of satisfaction from the man, who turned back to the others.
'She's a virgin, lads!' he said, getting himself a roar of approval from his men. He turned back to the her, 'You won't be by the end of tonight.'
Raye shivered, but didn't say anything. She'd expected as much from the way the man had circled. 'Your name?' she inquired.
The leader raised his hand as if to smack her, but then lowered it. 'Gowain,' he growled.
Her eyes flashed, "That's a name of honour. What are you doing with it?"
Gowain's eyes flashed and she knew she was in for it. She saw stars as his hand connected with her cheek. She barely caught herself as she fell towards the ground.
Unknown to her, David lunged to help her, but the grown men held him back.
Raye stood up, and watched the man warily, defiance in her eyes.
'It would've been easier if you hadn't done tha'," he said, sighing mockingly.
That was the last thing she saw as his fist connected with her head, knocking her unconscious.
David watched as his tribe knocked the Elf maiden unconscious. Sighing softly, he wished he could help. Maybe, when he was older and stronger, he'd rescue her from them and they could escape together.
'You, and you! Bind her, and strap her to a horse. We're moving out!' shouted Gowain.
Getting an idea, David stepped forward. 'She can ride on my horse with me.'
Gowain laughed, "Of course, probably the best. Her nakedness can arouse you, but you can't do anything about it yet. Very well, David, bind her and strap her to your horse.'
The men chuckled as David rushed to do that. He didn't tie her extremely tight, mainly because he knew Gowain wouldn't like having to wrestle with the knots later on when the raping started. Also it wouldn't cut off the circulation. Gagging her so she wouldn't scream, David hauled her unconscious body up onto his horse, and crawled up behind her.
'Easy, Belle,' he cooed to his horse. True, the horse's true name was Belladonna, but he felt it didn't fit the mare's gentle disposition.
As the rest of the men started off, on the backs of their own horses, David glanced back at the pool. Then he whispered, his mouth barely touching the point of the Elf's ear, 'Someday, someday, I will rescue you, and we will escape together,' he swore.
Raye didn't know it, she couldn't hear. But somewhere, in the depths of her unconsciousness, she felt a ray of hope.
Raye sat, finally conscious, with her back tied to a tree. She glared across the way at the band of men who were eating around a fire. David, the youth, glanced up at her, momentarily. She noticed a look of relief cross his young features before he turned back to his food. She groaned, feeling her limbs falling asleep, and struggled to move them. It attracted the unwanted attention from Gowain.
'Not yet, Elf,' he chuckled wickedly. 'I know you want it, but it's not time for you to lose that precious virginity of yours.'
Her eyes flashed, but she dropped her head, helplessness and sadness overwhelming her. There would be no way to stop the big man from stealing her, no way of escape. She was theirs until they decided to get rid of her. A tear of hopelessness rolled its way down her cheek, and she fought to bite back more.
David noticed the tear, and started to wrack his mind, thinking of a way to help her. He frowned, concentrating. He didn't notice one of the men steal the rest of his food. Nor did he particularly care; it wasn't exactly what he would call food. Suddenly a thought occurred to him.
Whipping out his small sword, one he'd stolen from a soldier they'd killed, he pointed it at Gowain's chest.
'The Elf is mine…' he growled, trying to be as intimidating as he could muster.
Gowain laughed, but it was cut off as the sword pushed its sharpened point into his chest. He glared at the boy, annoyed, yet deciding to humour him. 'What do you mean by that, boy?'
'Her virginity is mine to take. I get her body,' he answered, the same deadliness in his voice as before.
'Yer not old enough!' Gowain protested, getting the point dug deeper into his skin.
'Then she's mine to take until I am.' He frowned.
'She's not good for anything else!' Gowain growled, getting embarrassed that his men were seeing him being beaten by a young boy.
'Do you know that for certain?' David asked. He looked over at the she-Elf, noting the hatred burning in her eyes as she watched him. 'Oy! Elf! Are you good for anything besides pleasure?'
Raye glared at him. Great, so he rescued her for the time being. But in the end, she'd still get raped. Hopefully, depending on how old they deemed 'old enough', she would be gone. Playing along, she replied, "I'm good with the bow, meaning I'm good at hunting. Plus I'm a fairly good cook.'
David shot her a brief smile, then looked back at Gowain, who was trying to back away from the sharp sword a point. 'See?'
'Fine, boy. You win. But, that doesn't mean we aren't going to beat her…now git!' Gowain shouted, shoving the boy away.
David sheathed his sword and walked over to kneel before the Elf. 'I tried…I'm sorry…' he said, sympathy in his eyes.
Raye fought the urge to spit at him. She sighed, 'Aye, and I'm eternally in your debt. Thank you.' She smiled softly.
David felt himself drawn into her beauty, and nodded, in awe. 'No problem. What's your name?'
'Raye…' she said softly, looking away from his face.
He could feel that she was looking at the men over his shoulder. He sighed. 'I'm David, as you've surely heard.'
She shook her head. 'Nay, you're Elrohir.'
He frowned, 'What?'
'It means "David" in my natural tongue,' she said, smiling.
'Oh, I see…' he frowned still, confused.
Suddenly a thought occurred to her. 'How old are you going to have to be before you rape me?'
He glanced around and whispered, "Seventeen, but I don't plan on still being here. I'm going to run away, and take you with me.'
Hope sparkled in her eyes, 'Thank you. How old are you now?'
He sighed, 'Thirteen, but I'll be fourteen in three days.'
She nodded, 'Ok. Go back, the men will hurt me more the more they think we get along. Go.'
David stood and calmly walked back to sit down among the others. He ignored her the rest of the night and forced himself to sleep through her beatings.
Wincing, Raye opened her eyes. David was bent over her. Putting a hand to her neck, she bit her lip to keep from crying out. A huge bruise was growing where some of Gowain's men had held her down, strangling her. Sitting up, she winced as the new scabs along her back stretched. Who would have thought Gowain had a whip used for flogging.
David, having woken up early to inspect her wounds, looked at her with sympathy in his eyes.
'You're to go hunting. It's better if I wake you up now, than if they do it when they're ready. Just lie here until they come.' He stood up and walked off.
Raye lay back down, wincing, and pretended to be asleep.
It was going to be a long 3 years.