Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. Thanks goes especially to my dear friend Littlefish for her kind reviews and continued support through all these years. I would also like to thank my beta reader Larael for her fantastic attention to detail. Now, on to the story.
All reviews are greatly appreciated.
Chapter 2 - Introductions
The slight breeze blew stray wisps of hair into Legolas's face, further obscuring his tear-blurred vision. The pain of his brothers' rejection overwhelmed him, making him oblivious to his surroundings until, with a thrill of panic, he realized his captor was leading him out of the forest. Legolas stopped dead in his tracks at Greenwood's edge, unwilling to leave his beloved home without a fight. The slaver turned to him angrily at the sudden resistance.
"Get moving, Elf. I don't have time for this."
Legolas stared at him with hard eyes, even taking a few steps back.
"So," mused the man, his voice becoming chillingly calm, "It seems our little Elf doesn't want to leave his forest. How touching."
With a sudden jerk, he pulled Legolas forward, a black leather whip appearing in his other hand. Legolas grabbed the lead chain as best as he could with manacled hands, struggling to wrest it from his captor's grasp while remaining clear of the whip. However, the slaver was prepared for the Elf's rebellion and with a shrill whistle he began lashing Legolas repeatedly across the chest and arms. Chained as he was, Legolas still managed to avoid half the blows while taking a few steps back into the forest. Suddenly, with a heave on the chain and a flick that wrapped the whip around the Elf's knees, the man sent Legolas crashing to the ground. Just then, two horses thundered up and slid to a halt next to the struggling pair.
"Helgar, Burnad," called his captor with a feral grin, "I would like to introduce you to our newest guest."
Legolas tried to scramble away from the humans' touch, but the slavers quickly surrounded him. Amidst many kicks and curses at his struggles, another lead chain was attached to Legolas's collar. The human who had first captured Legolas shoved him to the ground while the other two mounted their horses, each holding one of the lead chains. The man bent over Legolas, smiling at his wide eyes as the Elf realized what was about to happen.
"Since you seem to have so much energy, we're going to let you run back to camp."
The man vaulted up behind one of the henchmen as the horses sprang forward. The chains jerked Legolas along as he scrambled to keep his footing.
Legolas managed to keep up until the horses were at a dead run. By the time the men reached their camp, Legolas was nearly unconscious, lying in a crumpled heap even after the horses had stopped and the riders dismounted.
The slaver called Helgar sauntered over to the shaking, bleeding Elf, calling back to his leader, "Hey, Saleros, what you want me to do with him. You want to start his training now?"
Saleros walked over to Legolas, knelt down, and grabbed the bloodied collar, forcing Legolas to look at him.
"My dear Helgar, can't you see this poor youth is a mighty Elf? Elves are special, superior creatures." Raucous laughter broke out among the surrounding slavers. Saleros smile froze the blood in Legolas's veins. "They must be handled delicately."
Legolas barely had time to register the blow that plunged him into darkness.
*****
Benoni glanced inquisitively at the circle of guards. The distress call earlier probably meant a new slave had been captured, although how that had happened in this deserted area he could not imagine. Still, that should not have caused the stir currently going on. Coarse jeers brought him back from his musings. Sweat trickled down through his short dark brown beard mottled with gray, as he turned hazel eyes filled with caution on the approaching guards. His breath seemed to flee his body as he caught sight of the limp figure being hauled by the guards.
'An Elf! Saleros captured one of the Firstborn. Valar have mercy on us.'
Dropping the Elf next to a wooden post, the guards secured his chain to the post's metal ring. Helgar noticed Benoni tending the nearby cooking pot and called to him.
"Hey you, Slave. Come take care of this Elf. Saleros don't want to lose valuable merchandise."
Benoni warily approached the prone figure as the guards left. Despite the many cuts and bruises, the Elf was the most beautiful being he had ever seen. Tears sprang up in Benoni's eyes at the sight of the cruel iron collar around the creature's throat. The thought of such beauty ensnared by such evil broke his heart.
Fetching a basin of warm water, a clean rag, and some bandages, Benoni went to work. A jagged gash on the Elf's arm and a deep cut made by the sharp edge of the collar were the worst injuries, and he started with those. Benoni had just finished bandaging the cut on the Elf's arm and was starting to cleanse the one on his neck when the being woke. With a cry, the Elf knocked Benoni out of the way and rolled into a defensive crouch.
With arms out to the side and palms open, Benoni advanced, trying to show he meant no harm. "Forgive me, Master Elf, but I was just trying to clean your . . ."
"Do not touch me, filthy human," snarled Legolas at the wretched being before him. A slight accent betrayed his lack of familiarity with the Common Tongue.
"I am sorry, Sir, but I must tend to your wounds," persisted Benoni coming nearer. "I am not going to . . ."
"I can attend myself. The thought of human touch sickens me worse than any wounds."
"No," pleaded the man, hurt more than he cared to show at the Elf's derisive tone. "I am not among those that captured you. I too am a slave."
At this last statement, Legolas struck the man to the ground. "If humans wish to enslave the refuse of their own kind, that is none of my business, but I am no slave. I am of royal blood, and my father's wrath will descend like a solstice blizzard for what you have done. I will not remain in this revolting camp long."
Keeping his eyes downcast, Benoni nodded and backed away from the glaring Elf. As Benoni turned away, he glanced back, whispering softly into the wind, "I pray it will be so."
*****
Legolas sat quietly with his back against the post and gazed at the darkening sky. The sting of his healing injuries was nothing compared to the pain of longing in his heart. Legolas had never been away from Greenwood before, and the absence of the trees' comforting presence clawed at him like a raging beast. As the evening breeze picked up, he realized he could catch whispers of the trees' song. Their song tonight was one of mourning for their lost brother.
"No!" shouted Legolas, springing to his feet and startling the nearby humans. "I am not lost, and I never will be! We will sing together yet."
Benoni watched the Elf in awe from the where he sat chained in with the long line of slumbering slaves. The beautiful words the Elf spoke stirred his heart, though he did not understand them. Somehow the Elf seemed to glow as he stood there in the moonlight. However, as Benoni continued to watch the ethereal being, a new feeling came over him. Although the glowing figure stood in defiance and anger, sorrow and pain also seemed to be in his stance. A passing cloud hid the moon's light, and Benoni gasped at how young the Elf suddenly looked-- how lost and alone.
Memories stirred within Benoni of the torment he had endured as a new slave. The despair of all he had lost had nearly overwhelmed him. Benoni vowed to do all he could to ease the Elf's anguish-- if the Elf would let him.
*****
The sun singed the horizon's edge in the morning twilight as Saleros marched up to his new captive. Legolas's hate-filled stare balked the following guards, but Saleros merely smiled at his captive's defiance.
"Come, little Snaga, it is time we properly met," began Saleros.
Legolas froze as the human addressed him by the Orc name for slave.
"I have a name, Human," hissed Legolas.
"All you have is whatever I chose to give you, Snaga, including your name."
Legolas went from rigid stillness to blinding motion and lunged at the waiting human. The force of Legolas's momentum nearly jerked him off his feet as the chain reached its end just shy of Saleros. Quick as a swooping hawk, Legolas recovered and rolled into a defensive crouch.
Saleros threw his head back and laughed. "Rather over-confident in yourself, aren't you?" he taunted.
Legolas went cold with rage but remained still. Saleros grinned down at him while loosing a black whip from its coil on his belt.
"It seems I have done the great Elf King a favor by removing such a brash youth from his forces."
Legolas leapt forward, extending his legs to knock a guard into Saleros. The other guard moved in to aid his companions, but found himself sprawled on the ground before he knew what had happened. Legolas hissed as the whip bit deep along his cheek. Jerking and spinning with all his training as an Elven warrior, he fought. More guards joined the fray. However, Legolas fought a losing battle, and eventually he was dragged to the ground. Saleros stepped on the chain connecting Legolas's manacled wrists to his collar, pinning the elf to the ground.
"A futile effort, Snaga. Let me introduce myself. I am your new master," emphasized Saleros in a low voice filled with triumph, bending close to the prostrate elf.
Legolas spit at the human, defying his statement and challenging him in Sindarin. "No man is my master, nor will you ever be."
Saleros calmly straightened, wiped the spit off his face, and began lashing the Elf's exposed back. Saleros was no novice with the whip and used all his expertise to inflict the most pain he could. Legolas was breathing raggedly by the time his captor finally stopped. Still ruthlessly calm, the slaver turned away, coiling his whip, and called to his second in command.
"Helgar, see if you can teach this slave some manners. The rest of you, start breaking up camp, I want to be on the move before noon."
The men saluted their leader and rushed to their duties, shouting and kicking at any slave that did not move fast enough for their taste.
Benoni watched the "lesson" in apprehensive sorrow. The Elf was not going to handle captivity well. Moreover, a nagging worry clouded his heart as he was forced away to help prepare the camp for departure. As bad as the morning's ordeal had been, Saleros had deviated from his normal initiation. This unusual behavior troubled Benoni, and fear for the young Elf welled in his heart.
Helgar turned away from the activity of the camp to grin wickedly at his charge. "First lesson, Slave, never talk back."
