Author's Notes – Ah... the curse of the muse has struck and, after posting the last chapter, I decided to go on a major rewrite of all the future chapters that I had written and change the ending. The good news is that it's going to be a much better story. Hopefully, I can still keep on my weekly schedule.

Also, since it came up and I know it is a sensitive subject for some readers, so I would like to address it openly:

There will NO rape involved with any character in this story. Some innuendo and harassment will likely happen, because the bad people are, well, bad and their badness does affect our storyline, but I'm trying to keep this at a "T" rating. :)

xxx

Kili bumped his head again, as the cart bounced along. His arms hurt from being bound so long and his legs ached from being tied together. He was hungry, thirsty, and too uncomfortable to even sleep. He assumed that his two companions in the other wagon were doing no better. From what he'd seen, they had Tauriel bound even more tightly than he had been.

He was alone in the cart, aside from the driver, unless you counted old blankets and used clothing, which filled the rest of the broken-down vehicle. Unfortunately, none of the goods could be used to aid him in his endeavor to escape. For the first few hours of the journey, he seethed in anger, but eventually realized that it was a waste of his energy. There would be an opportunity, at some point, and he needed to be calm and ready when it came.

He shifted again, trying to find a way to loosen his binds. They refused to budge, but it gave him something to do during the long, uncomfortable journey east. When he could manage, he sat up and peered out a small gap between the slats, hoping to see or hear something useful but his wagon was far from where the leaders rode but the only information that he caught was that they were about three days from their destination.

They were clearly eager to get to that destination quickly. The vagabonds didn't even stop for meals. Arnos or one of the others simply rode back with food for the driver, and checked to ensure that he was still tied securely to the iron rings inside the cart, like a piece of cargo.

When they finally stopped for the night, Kili could barely move from the stiffness and pain in his arms and legs. Ognar didn't seem to mind, nor did any of the others. Kili was hauled from the wagon, and he tried to stand, attempting to give no indication of discomfort, but failed miserably. As soon as he took a step, the lack of circulation in his legs caused him to stumble.

They laughed, and he snarled at them.

"He is a feisty one, isn't he?" Ognar said loudly to his companions. He turned to Kili, leaning in close with a sneer. "Agara will have a grand time taming you. She likes your sort. Eats them for breakfast."

Agara. A leader of theirs? Or a customer. They were slavers. The very idea that such people existed made him sick, and he vowed that they were going to pay.

For the first time since the capture, he saw his two companions. Janis looked worse for wear, the side of his face scratched, and his blond hair dark with dirt and blood – apparently, he'd put up a struggle during his capture. Then, he looked at Tauriel and his breath caught at the sight of the she-elf. Her clothing was torn, her face dirty, and her beautiful red hair tangled and matted. She was half-dragged out of the cart, her eyes unfocused. They'd continued to poison her, to keep her compliant, and limit her ability to fight back. One thing brightened his spirits, though - he saw the fire, anger and fight in those unfocused eyes. The moment that she had a chance, just like he, she was going to rip them to pieces. He fought back a wicked smile at the thought of it.

The three were lined up on their knees, near enough the fire that they were in sight of their captors, but not so close that they could make contact.

"No making trouble now," the wretched leader said, pointing a dagger at the three of them. "If any of you make a move, I'll cut one of the others. Nothing too damaging, of course, since it would affect your value, and Agara likes you to be pretty, at least until the sale, but I guarantee to make it hurt. Understand?"

As soon as he left, the three looked at each other, silently giving each other indication that the were overall in good health after the day's journey. Janis was clearly favoring his right arm. It had healed enough, but not entirely. Tauriel was between the two, clearly dizzy and having difficulty staying upright, but she fought it stubbornly. Kili felt her lean against him, just slightly, just so that she wouldn't fall over, and he felt a protective urge flow through him like never before.

His legs were numb from staying in the kneeling position before the camp was finally settled in. Ognar then let them relax a bit.

Bringing over bowls of broth, Arnos sat on a log in front of them. "I brought you all some nice supper. Not much, mind you, but can't have you all fading away on us," he said with a false smile.

He lifted a bowl to Tauriel first. "Drink."

She turned her head away, refusing.

"Not hungry enough yet? Ognar says you must eat or I'll make you."

She looked at him with pure loathing. "It is tainted."

He smiled. "Of course it is. Can't have you at full strength, now. Not until we get you back to the lands, where we can put that fire to good use." He held up the bowl again, but when he lifted the bowl again, he got close to her. Kili saw a malicious smile come to her lips just before she whipped her head forward, knocking the bowl loose and hitting him soundly in the nose. Blood poured from the injury and he cursed loudly.

"Trouble?" Osgar said, moving from his seat.

"None yet, but there will be."

Osgar motioned to the bowl, still half full after it had fallen. "Drink it, or one of you will pay."

She sucked in a breath, ready to refuse, when Arnos moved behind Janis, taking his not-fully-healed arm and twisting it viciously. To his credit, Janis tried not to cry out, but his face paled and tears of pain filled his eyes.

"I will drink it."

"Tauriel, no," Kili ordered, although he had no authority over her.

She ignored him and took the laced broth, almost immediately becoming more disoriented. She slouched, leaning heavily against Kili, although still fighting to keep from falling to the ground. Ognar laughed in satisfaction.

"You like her, boy," Ognar said with evil intent. "Don't think I haven't noticed that you can't stop staring at her." He paused, looking over the elf carefully. "Once we get across the river, and join the others, maybe you'll get to see more of her."

More. The word sounded ominous, and Kili wanted to tear the eyes out of the horrid little man so he could never look at her again. Fury boiled in his blood, but he fought it down, knowing that losing his temper would only hurt their chances of getting out of this situation.

"She's here! A voice called from the other side of camp, causing Ognar to smile even more.

"Time's up, boy," he said with malice, then got up to greet the newcomer.

x

Kili turned his head, resting his chin on the top of his elf's head for just a moment, wishing he could say or do more. It was a small action, intending to give her comfort. He couldn't tell if she appreciated the gesture, but it made him feel better.

But the brief moment of privacy ended too soon.

Ognar returned with three women - strong, powerfully built women, wearing armor and carrying weapons, as if ready for battle. The other slavers stood at attention when they arrived, showing profound respect, and possibly even fear. Kili watched the actions closely, taking in every detail, in the hope that it might help him later.

She was almost attractive, in a brutal way. Her body was large, but muscular, showing a strong feminine shape under her leather armor. Her face was hard, however - angular and sharp, both in features and expression. Tattoos covered one side of her face, and her long dark hair was pulled back tightly, falling back in a long ponytail. She was, in a word, exotic.

She smiled when she saw the three of them. "Never had an elf before," she remarked, looking them over.

"Do you think she'll fetch the right price?" he asked.

The woman, Agara, stepped closer, grabbing Tauriel by the chin and turning her head to study her face more closely, and Tauriel gave no resistance, proving that draught had done its work. "The king asked for blond, but I'm sure she'll do."

"King?" Janis asked.

Agara looked at the young man, as if she'd just noticed that he was there, then smiled wickedly. "King Wulf the second, of the newly established kingdom of Dunmar by the sea. He has been asking for an elf for some time."

"I don't care for the sea," Kili informed them, his eyes fiery with anger.

She responded by hitting him across the face, hard enough that he saw stars. "Only speak when we ask for a response," she ordered. "But your preference does not matter. She will go to the sea. You will go to whoever pays the highest price, but..." she said, looking at his build appraisingly, "You could also be sent to the hills for heavy labor."

Kili glowered, and if not for Tauriel depending on him to remain upright, he might have tried to struggle to strike her.

His reaction only seemed to please her more. She turned to Ognar. "You picked a pretty bunch. I might be tempted to keep one for myself."

"Ah, so you got a good catch from the other group?" he asked.

"Almost thirty," she said with pride. "Even enough to spare for goblin fodder if we need."

Ognar grinned. "A worthwhile trip." The seedy merchant turned to Kili, and told him with malice. "All the more reason to behave," he told him. "I hear what the goblins do is worse than death."

A small sound came out of Janis that distinctly sounded like a whimper. Kili was also hyper-aware of Tauriel's shallow breathing as she slumped against him, barely conscious. He looked down at her and swore under his breath. Both were his responsibility. Both were in trouble now because he'd made the foolish choice to travel with Ognar. He'd been reckless because he'd wanted to rush into travel, rather than waiting for the right situation. The guilt swept over him like a wave.

Ognar pulled out a sword that Kili recognized as his own, pulling him away from his dark thoughts and firing his anger once again. The slaver swung the weapon experimentally, although awkwardly because the weapon was too heavy for him then handed the weapon to Agara and pointed at Kili, "You'll take special interest in that one."

She admired the blade, lifting it and testing its weight and balance. "Impressive," she said.

She seemed pleased with the weapon, until Ognar pointed to a mark stamped at the hilt of the sword, and the red ties decorating the grip. Then, her eyes widened in recognition and anger. She turned her furious gaze at Kili and growled a single word, "No!"

Leaning toward the bound young man, she asked him with venom practically dripping in her voice, "This is your sword?"

He glared at her in return, unaffected by her anger, since it matched his own. "For as long as I can remember," he answered vaguely, his voice a low growl.

"And how long can you remember?" she demanded.

He said nothing, pleased to have annoyed her. Instead, Ognar answered, "Five years."

Before hiring them, Ognar had asked about him around the merchant town, and likely some knew of him from Callid's company and were willing to share the information. That knowledge was now being used against him and Kili hated that this piece of filth knew so much.

"He wields it well?" she asked.

"I've only seen him use it in practice, but it appears that he was born to wield it."

They knew something more – Kili could tell from the way they spoke and the recognition of the sword. He tried to keep the confusion and the burning desire to ask from his face, not wanting them to know that he desperately wanted to know what the mark meant. He'd never considered the meaning of the small symbol, thinking it was just a maker's mark from when the sword had been fashioned.

In the end, it didn't matter because she answered anyway. She turned to Kili, the venom still lacing the tone of her voice. "This mark shows that you fought for the kingdom of Rohan. It is a mark of honor, for those who fought bravely in defending Helm's Deep."

He felt his heart beating faster, his breath quickened. An answer. He finally had an answer.

He said nothing. His momentary joy was tempered an instant later when she struck him across the face a second time. "My husband, my father, and many of my kin died there," she stated coldly.

x

It was a cold night. The heat of the day had dropped quickly in the dry summer air and Kili found himself huddling closer to his companions for warmth as the fire died and the camp settled in to sleep.

Their captors were from Dunland, all of them. The barbaric tribesmen had been at odds with the kingdom of Rohan for centuries and the Dunlandlings participation in the Battle of Hornsburg, at Helm's Deep, had only deepened the bitter hatred. Those from Dunland who had survived the battle had been taken prisoner and were being forced to rebuild the damaged stronghold at Helm's Deep.

Three guards were posted on each watch, making certain that there was no possibility of escape, although there was almost no chance that they would get far with Tauriel in her current condition.

It was hard on both men to see the elf so subdued. She offered little resistance, even when Ognar cruelly ran his fingers along her cheek, before attempting to grope her breast. He didn't get a chance to complete the action, however. Even bound, Kili threw himself at the man, knocking him off his feet, forcing him to release his grip on the elf. His action earned him a hard kick to his stomach and ribs.

Fortunately, they weren't looking to damage him too badly. His worth was in being healthy and able. Kili tried to work out of his binds again and Janis appeared to be doing the same, but every time they moved too much, the guard would come by and give him a hard kick. Eventually, both men gave up the struggle, favoring staying healthy in case a better opportunity arose later.

He watched as Janis eventually fell asleep. Tauriel was unconscious and lying at an odd angle, looking most uncomfortable, so he shifted, nudging her until she fell against him, her head resting against his chest.

He watched her for a while, worried for her, although he and Janis were in an equally dangerous predicament. Even disheveled, her hair knotted and unkept, she was lovely, and he felt a strong urge to defend her against whatever their captors intended.

He was exhausted, and the bruises on his ribs ached, but he found himself unable to sleep now that he had something in his head to puzzle over.

"So, thirty were in the other caravan?" Ognar asked eagerly.

"Twenty nine survived," she said with pride.

"You traveled slowly. We nearly caught up with you," Ognar remarked with amusement.

"It was a large party. You saw us leave. Families with carts loaded – and most returning to Rohan. The price from their wares will double our take."

Ognar laughed. "I expected you to be too busy with that bunch to ride out to meet me."

She barked out a harsh laugh. "When your scouts told me that you had an elf, I had to come out and see for myself. Wulf will be pleased. I don't think he expected us to ever find any, much less a female."

The scruffy man's grin widened. "It was pure luck. I never thought we'd cross paths with one, much less find a way to capture it." He prodded at the fire thoughtfully. "Why do you think he wants one?"

"Who knows?" she replied, then grinned with malice. "Maybe he just wants to play."

Ognar's eyes narrowed. "Will he pay?"

"Rumor has it that he emptied the stash from one of the goblin kingdoms when they left to fight for Mordor. His coffers are full and the kingdom is growing. He needs strong backs to build it, and too many of our own are still captives of Rohan."

"Is your brother still there? You could make a trade."

She glared over at the captives, and Kili quickly closed his eyes, hoping she didn't notice that he was awake and listening. "No," she said. "They will tell others. It's best if they are never seen from again."

"Fine. We will head north again after the trading is done. There's good quality metal in their scrap and we may be lucky enough to pick up another few travelers on my journey back."

"Don't get too eager. If someone notices that your southbound companions are never seen again, you'll be ruined."

"I'm careful," he said with pride. "These three were wanderers. No one knew much of them and no one will miss them. Your group, on the other hand..." he said, shaking his head. "Thirty is a large goup, and many were quite well known, especially the leader."

"Yes, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up. Besides, after I deliver these goods to Wulf, I hope to be staying there for a while."

Ognar chuckled harshly. "You have aspirations then."

"A growing city will need defense. I expect the delivery of the elf will buy me favor."

"Just remember your friends..."

She clapped Ognar heartily on the back. "You know I will."

"I know. As long as I continue to profit from the venture, you and Wulf can do whatever you want," he said, tossing the stick he was using to prod the fire into the flames. "I'm turning in. I'll give you first watch. Keep an eye on the elf – we've had to use four times the normal dose to get the effect, and it begins to wear off after only a few hours."

"It's not her I'm worried about. Rohan has been awake and listening to us the whole time," Agara said. "Probably just as well. He'll be too tired to put up a fuss tomorrow. Although, I'm looking forward to when he sees his friends again."

Kili started, not bothering to hide his surprise.

There was a look of malicious pleasure on her face. "Who's company did you think we'd captured, Rohan?" she asked, enjoying the look of panic on his face. "I noticed you and your group when you arrived at the Brandywine with Callid - everyone makes it their business to gossip about newcomers in such a small place," she said, her voice dropping with mockery. "After you left, Callid was looking to hire and we were only too happy to offer our services. It was a rare opportunity to come across such a large group with so little experience on the road south."

She paused long enough to enjoy the look of utter pain and defeat on his face before marching off toward her bedroll.

X

A/N – Wow, this chapter felt short, but it's well over my 3000 word average. I know you want something to happen - it will. Gotta let the nasty hatred of these people build a bit first. It is important.

Yes, she's calling Kili by the name "Rohan" because she hates him and won't give him the dignity of even bothering to know his real name, much less call him by it.

Surprised that Callid and company might be coming back?

To my lovely reviewers:

Sorrelkaren - You got that right. I'll say no more. :)

guest - I try to publish on Fridays, though, if I really feel I'm ahead, I'll publish sooner. But thanks for the nudge. :)