Disclaimer: See previous chapters

A/N: I thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I greatly appreciate them.

Though here at journey's end I lie

in darkness buried deep,

beyond all towers strong and high,

beyond all mountains steep,

above all shadows rides the Sun

and the stars forever dwell:

I will not say the Day is done,

nor bid the Stars farewell.

- Samwise Gamgee

Chapter Two

Just before I passed out from the pain I heard someone shout: "No! Stop! You have to stop him, he'll kill her!"

The pain washed over came me and I slipped into a state of unconsciousness; it gave me no comfort, for strange dreams haunted me. I could see images of my family, they were weeping for me. I wanted to touch out and hold poor little Arwen, she didn't understand. I saw Elrond ride up and try to comfort his little girl, but she ran away. This gave me a fiendish delight and provided temporary comfort.

I finally feel into an uneasy sleep. My back felt as if it was on fire, then it burned like ice. I struggled to get away from this horrible pain, but I couldn't escape. I felt trapped, I couldn't breath, everything was closing in on me. Everything came into focus, I was awake.

"Get up, Elfie. Come on, gets you on them feet of yours. Thanks to the gods that you are finally awake. Have a nice little sleep there?" He dragged me up and pushed me towards the river. When we reached the river he pushed me part of the way in, to where about a foot of my skirt was wet. I stooped down and cupped my hands, the water was cool and refreshing. I enjoyed my drink. I paid no attention to my guard, as he stood on the bank. I couldn't help myself, I waded deeper into the water, it was so refreshing, and revived all my senses. You can't imagine how good it felt to be clean again. I lifted my eyes skyward, the sight they meet with was incredible, it was the Argonath. The images of the Kings of Gondor. Well now, I suppose they would be the Kings of Old, but then it had only been a few hundred years after the Last Alliance. I wondered if one day the descendants of Elendil would ever look upon their sires of old and be filled with the wonder and joy I felt. It gave me a strange hope, that maybe all men aren't evil.

"Come on! Let us gets ta movin'. We ain't gots all day, ya know. Gots to getcha ta market taday or won't nobody buy ya. Wouldn' dat be sham'." Smiley's bad grammar was getting to me. My back still stung from the horrible beating I had received, though I tried not to show it.

When we finally got back to the rest of the group they were packed and ready to go. I didn't know if I could make it one more step, how would I travel all day then fix them lunch and dinner? I felt a depression subtlety settling over me.

"Father?" Asked the young boy. Poor child he would never know a different life than the slave trade.

"Yes, my son?"

"Could I, uh, ah..."

"Speak up, my child. You have no reason to fear."

The boy took his time, not sure what to do. Finally he lighted upon his decision. "Father, I request the Lathtobeth ride with me. After the whipping she received at the hand of Smiley," he glared at Smiley, "I don't want her to drop dead on the way to market."

"That is very wise, my son." He was obviously ignoring the use of my proper name. "I agree, it would be a pity to waste such a beautiful creature on such a foolish thing as thus. You have my consent." Smiley gave me a slight push towards the boy. I mounted the horse, which is not an easy thing to do in dress that is saturated. We started off at a slow pace, it felt good to be on a horse, I missed my daily rides through Laurelindórinan, the old name for Lorien, on my faithful horse Envásaiel. I had time to think now that I wasn't forced to walk. I thought of my family and wondered what they would be doing right then. I ran down a mental list of people. Galadriel, Celeborn, Arwen.... And there my thoughts stopped.

Ah, little one, how are you? Have you yet begun to talk, or does me being gone only make the pain grow worse? You are such a sweet little thing, it pains me to thing of you suffering. Elrond has probably... My thoughts turned to bitterness as I thought of Elrond. He was cut of the same cloth of these men. I had never been fond of the mortal race, and this experience didn't endear me to them.

I felt the horse gather its self for a jump and hung on with my knees, and leaned forwards, as did the boy. He was a very good rider and kept his seat well. The wind blew against my face, it revived my spirit somewhat, but not entirely. We picked up some speed and raced across a great plain. The boy's hair whipped back and I got sight of his ears, pointed! Not as pointed as an Elf's, but enough for him to be a half-elven, such as El.... Well, you know who. I observed his ears for quiet some time. The boy's mother must have had some elvish blood in her. This also explained why he was so kind to me, he could feel something akin, though he probably knew not what for. I was so consumed in my thoughts that I didn't realize that we were fast approaching a city. What I saw was a magnificent sight.

(Excerpt from the Two Towers)

Before us stood the mountains of the South: white tipped and streaked with black. The grass-lands rolled against the hills that clustered at their feet, and flowed up into many valleys still dim and dark, untouched by the light of dawn, and winding their way into the heart of the great mountains. Immediately before us the widest of the glens opened like a long gulf among the hills. Far inward we glimpsed a tumble of mountain-mass with one tall peak; at the north of the vale there stood like a sentinel a lonely height. About its feet there flowed, as a thread of silver, the stream that issued from the dale; upon its brow we caught, still far away, a glint in the rising sun, a glimmer of gold. With my elvish eye sight I could see a white stream the came down from the snows. Then it issued from the shadow of the vale a green hill rising in the east. A dike, a mighty wall, and a thorny fence encircled it. Within these rose the roofs of houses; and in the midst, set upon a green terrace, there stood aloft a great hall of Men. It seemed to my eyes that it was thatched with gold. They light of it shines far over the land. Golden, too were the post of its doors. There were men in bright mail standing; but all else within the courts were yet asleep.

I assumed that this was Rohan, and that the golden courts were the Edoras. As a young elfling I had never work very hard on my geography, Celebrian had always been better at that than I. I could not help wonder what the King was like. As we approached the gates there were mounds to our left. I remembered hearing something about them bearing their dead kings in such mounds, I shivered at the thought. Up until now I had not noticed how cold I had become. We entered the city, it was huge.

A/N: Yes, I know this chapter isn't very long. This is an emotionally hard story to write, it takes a toll on the author. I have poured my soul into this story. This is so far the, what I consider, to be my best story so far. This is the story that I relish all my pent up anger and sadness out on. It seems to be the best, in content, and in grammar and spelling. I want this to be the best it can be. If you have any idea's or suggestion I would love to hear them. Don't worry I don't get mad if you say you don't like it. Please, if you read, just drop a short review in the review box. *hint* it's the purple button *hint*