Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I'm glad someone understands how it is to pour our whole heart into a story and have no one read. The dream sequence is one that I had a few nights ago, it was terrifying.

There is a seed of courage hidden....

waiting for some final and desperate danger

to make it grow. ~Tom Bombadil to Frodo~

The great city of Mark loomed over us, casting a great shadow on the ground. We were fast approaching the golden gates. When we were about fifty meters from them, Rathnocane, the boy's father stopped us.

"Natheild, let her walk now."

"Yes, father." The boy slid off the horse and helped me down. He did this in a gentle way, but in such a way that it didn't look gentle.

"Smiley, tie her hands. Make sure no harm comes of her, or you will pay the cost." With that Rathnocane turned his mount and headed to the south.

"Come on, you. Let's get movin'. Hurry up, market ain't waitin' for us." We entered the majestic city. I think I would have enjoyed being there if it had been under different circumstances. Strange sounds and smells assaulted me as we walked through the open-air market. I gawked at the people we passed, I didn't care. No one stared back though. It took us a good half-hour till we finally reached the market area. There were many people there, but I didn't get to see much. The men handed me over to a grimy looking man who cut the bonds that held my hands, and took me down a long row of cells till we reached a holding block. There were other elves there too. It did my heart good for but a moment to see some of my people. One of them turned my way; I smiled at him, and received a dour look for my reward. Obviously they had been in slavery for so many years they were past the point of caring.

A man came down and took a couple up the stairs to the platform, it was horrible to watch. A mother was separated from her son. The woman didn't seem to care, but the little boy screamed. It was a horrible heart-breaking scream. How could she walk away to her new master and leave her son to the mercy of these... monsters?

"Ah, who's this pretty from?" Asked the big burly man who came and got slaves to be sold.

"Rathnocane and his gang brought her in this morning. Seems the elves of Lorien are slacken' off. Caught her and some young one unaware. Rathnocane wouldn't let his men take the youngen' though." The man who had first spoken grabbed my arm and pulled me up the stairs.

When we reached the top I blinked a few times. The bright sunlight hurt my eyes, I had been in the darkness for too long. When I could finally see clearly the sight took my sight away. I hadn't known so many mortals existed in Arda, never the least in Mark alone. As I stood up there in front of the many people a man started rattling off numbers, I wondered what they meant; then I noticed that when ever someone in the crowd raised their hand he went up one. They were bidding on me. The thought stuck me so suddenly that it took my breath away. I am actually a slave. It was a bad dream coming true.

The bidding had stopped, and I was pushed down a flight of stairs. They bound my arms together behind me. The ropes cut into my arms, the pain was horrifying. My mouth was parched; I needed a drink badly. I attempted to moisten my lips with my tongue, but they cracked and blood poured into my mouth. Someone was coming. I stiffened, not wanting to be surprised. The man was fair-haired, but he had a grim look about him. He pulled my up by the ropes tied to my arms. He started to walk off, and I was hard pressed to follow. His great strides took us away from the market place quickly. The ropes were begging to cut off the circulation in my arms, I could feel the blood as it began to trickle down my arms. As we hurried along the streets a rock cut through my shoe, tearing the bottom of my foot wide open. I tried to go on, but I couldn't hold back the tears. I gave up and let them run freely down my face. My new master new slowed his pace, we just kept on going. The cut on my foot began to throb, I tripped again. This time I could not stop the cry of pain from escaping my lips.

He turned around and started towards me. Fear. 'Tis a common word, but one never knows the extent of it till one truly feels it. It paralyzed me, I watched, helpless as he came nearer. He bent down to my level. I was weary, my legs would not obey my command to push backwards, for my hands had no use. I tried, but my body collapsed. The man came closer and examined my foot. He gently brushed the cut, I flinched in pain.

"It's all right, little one, I won't hurt you." Much to my surprise he lifted me up with his strong arms. I could feel the muscles of his arms work, from under his torso. I was ridged and stiff as he carried me. It's amazing how fast I had learned not to trust men. Involuntarily I shivered, I hadn't realized how cold I was till now. "Relax, I won't hurt you. Sleep, the morning is fast approaching." His voice seemed to calm my nerves. Ever so softly he began to sing, in some tongue which I have no knowledge. I felt my nerves begin to settle down and somehow I fell asleep.

As I drifted into slumber faces floated before me. They were ghoulish faces, they frightened me. There was a gigantic bone-eating monster that stood before me. He was fastened to the floor by a strong metal chain, many people stood in front of him and watched as a man made him eat bones of dead people. The people shouted and laughed as the man made fun of the monster. The monster became angry as the people made mean jokes about him. He roared, a terrible sound, the whole place shook, the people were frightened, but the man in charge them not to fear for the monster was chained to the floor and could not break loose. This settled the people down and they began to pick bones up off the floor and throw them at the monster, this enraged him so that he lunged at one of the boys throwing bones. The chain snapped. There was dead silence for just a second, then the people began screaming and running for their lives. My feet seemed to be concreted to the floor, I could not move. He came at me, slobbering as he ran. I closed my eyes in fear. I couldn't do anything, nothing came to my mind, I opened my eyes. Pure terror over took me as I watched him raise the bone as a club above my head.

I screamed. Someone was shaking me awake. No, no, no! It would be that horrible monster. I couldn't bear to face it again. I lay still, barely breathing, not wanting to alert it to my presence. "It's all right. You're fine." A voice broke the tension in the air. "Nothing is going to hurt you. I'm here. See?" I let my eyes focus then breathed a sigh of relief, it was the man who now owned me, not the horrible monster. I sat up and looked around. I was in a little stucco building, there was a fire in the hearth, and a light burning at the table.

"Papa, is she gonna be all right?" I looked over to the right, a little boy of maybe five or six stood next to the bed.

"Yes, Stanton, she will be fine."

"She's pretty, papa. What's your name? I'm Stanton, I'm five and one half."

"Stanton, don't bother her with questions. It's not polite. She is still tired and needs her rest. You can talk latter.

I propped myself up on my elbow and smiled at the little boy. "Oh, I don't mind. He can talk to me if he would like." In all truth I was sorely missing Arwen. Though she was twelve in elvish years she and the boy would be just right for companions.

"I'll let you talk, but if he starts to wear you out don't hesitate to tell me. Stanton, don't be ruff. You have to go to bed soon anyways."

Stanton's father left us and went though a small door at the opposite end of the room. "Are you really an elf?" Asked Stanton in wide-eyed amazement.

"As a matter of fact I am. You seem to be a smart little guy. Have you started to learn your letters or numbers yet?"

"Uh huh, Momma is teaching me, but I have to muck out the stables before we can start. Next year I get to be a page for our Lord. I will learn to ride and stuff like that."

"Oh, that sounds very exciting. You said you are five and a half, oh my, that is awfully grown up sounding. I have a little nice who is about your age."

"You do? Is she a sissy like most girls? I don't like Miranda 'cause she's mean to me. She always wants to play house and icky stuff like that. Do you ever play house? What's your nieces name? Can I meet her?"

I laughed silently to myself. How good it is to be around a child again. Hum, sounds like his father isn't my new master. Maybe he has children. I do hope so, it would make being a slave so much easier to bear. "Arwen is very much a tomboy, but she does like to have tea parties with her dolls. I think that she would love to meet you, but unfortunately that is just not possible."

"Why? I want to meet her."

"Because...." How am I suppose to explain to a child that I am not free to do anything I like, that his Lord owns me and makes me do his will? "Because she lives a very long ways away and I live here now."

"Oh. Why do you live here? Didn't you like where you lived before? I wish I was an elf. Then my Papa and Momma wouldn't have to work for Lord Algerian. I hate it. I wish we were free, and not just peasants. I'm gonna grow up and free all the serfs. Are you a serf too?"

I closed my eyes. This poor child. He will never know what true freedom is. He will have to walk one step behind him his whole life. "Why are you crying, lady?"

I opened my eyes, tears poured down my face. "Lathtobeth, my name's Lathtobeth. I miss....", I grabbed the boy and hugged his to my chest. Tears ran down my face all my sorrows came pouring out.

"I'm sorry you're sad. I hope you get happy soon." Stanton looked up at me. He gently pushed my hair back from my eyes. "Don't cry, I'll be here for you."

Flashback

"Hush, don't cry, Lathtobeth. It's going to be all right."

"I don't want you to go, Ada. I need you, you can't leave me." Lathtobeth held onto her father's hand and wept.

"Don't cry little one. I'll always be here for you." Finrod pushed his daughter hair back from her face. She's so sweet and innocent. She shouldn't have to go through this. She needs me. I can't give up now. "Lathtobeth, you must go to bed now. You have your studies to do tomorrow."

"I don't want you to leave me. I want to be here with you, Ada." She clung to Finrod's arm. "Please, let me sleep here with you."

"Oh, all right. Come on up." The little elf climbed up the bed and snuggled under the bedclothes next to her Atar. Finrod gently put his arm around the little elf.

"I love you, Ada." The little elf sighed and drifted off to sleep.

"I love you to, Lathtobeth." Finrod went to sleep never to wake again. Around three o'clock in the morning Lathtobeth awoke. Ada was cold. She sat up and turned around to cover him up. She looked over at Finrod's sleeping form. He wasn't breathing.

"Ada, Ada, are you awake?" Lathtobeth whispered to Finrod. "Ada, Ada! No, Ada! Wake up, wake up! You can't leave me, no, Ada!" Lathtobeth flung herself over Finrod's body. "Ada, come back, I need you."

Back to Now

"Thank you," whispered Lathtobeth to Stanton. "I needed that hug. I think your Ada said it was time..."

"My what? 'Ada,' what's that?"

I looked down at my hands. "It's the elvish word for 'papa.'"

"Do you miss your papa and momma? I haven't ever been away from mine."

"I never knew my mother. My father's sister raised me as her own. I never knew who my real father was anyways." With that Elkton, the boys father, walked in.

"Time to get ready for bed, son. You have a big day head of you tomorrow."

"Yes, Ada." I grimaced at the word. It felt me feeling bitter inside. I laid back down and forced myself to fall asleep. Just as soon as I was asleep there came an insistent tugging at my arm.

"Lathtobeth, no!"

A/N: I'm not sure how Finrod died, but that is my version. My mom lost my copy of the Similiarion, and now I can't find it. I don't know why I wrote this chapter the way I did, but I did. Actually, it kind of wrote its self, you know how that is. The dream thing, yeah, it was scary. I wasn't able to move because it was so realistic. It was Gollum, only bigger than he was suppose to be. It was freaky. I still don't like to go into a dark room alone. Well, here it is, the next chapter. I hope you liked it. Please tell me what you think. Don't worry about being too harsh.