Disclaimer: Don't own the story, but am hoping to own the extended version
DVD soon!!! I just got a job, so there's actually a chance of that happening!
Summary: AU. In a world where elves are hunted by men and taken as slaves,
one man must learn to overcome what he has been taught and see things as they
truly are, with the help of two extraordinary people.
A/N: And here it is, what you've all been waiting for! LOL.
I wanna thank elvinprincess for helping force this outta me! I couldn't have
done it without you, and credit much of this to you!
Companions
Chapter Nine
It was nearly a three hours' ride to the nearest town that played host to the
travelling slave traders. No others could be found along the rode Aragorn
took, so the trip was silent except for the natural sounds and soft thud of
his horse's hooves against the ground.
With nothing else to occupy his thoughts, the young man began recalling the
various conversations he had held with the elven lady. She had become too
weak to leave her bed, so they had placed her in a room at the center of the
house, where she could be heard easily were she to call out for one of them.
It was a spacious room, with a great fireplace to help keep the area warm. No
windows were in the room, another reason they had put her there. Light seemed
to bother her, so only a small number of candles were used to light the room,
casting great shadows into every corner. Yet, she seemed not to mind that. As
she put it, "Darkness is no stranger in my life. I have faced it many times,
and still I am here before you."
He could list a hundred times when she had made reference to her past, and
each was more shrouded in mystery than the one before. She would tell him of
the history of Middle-earth, things never mentioned in the books written by
Men of recent years, for they all included the elves; if ever he had heard
it, the version was twisted to make her race seem like terrible creatures who
were feared by all. As she told it, Men and Elves were companions in life,
helping each other through hardships and celebrating each other's successes.
That was, until a group of Men took matters into their own hands. They felt
the Elves were too proud, too powerful to remain as they were. So, they
destroyed the cities the elven people had built long ago and sculpted into
beauty, never once taking into consideration that the elves had always made
it known that members of all races were welcome in their homes, so long as
their intentions were not of ill will.
Aragorn remembered every word she spoke, and after thinking over them, he
realized she had never once mentioned her family or their position in all of
this. It made him wonder; was it just too painful for her to speak of people
she loved but had not seen for years, or was there something about them she
did not wish for others to know? If so, what was it?
One of their earlier conversations leapt into his mind, taking him back to
that day not too long ago...
* * *
It was late morning when Aragorn arrived at Arwen's bedchamber, carrying a
tray of light food and fresh water. She had been unable to eat much at all
since the onset of this illness, but both he and his father persisted in
their efforts of getting her to eat at least a little.
He knocked softly on the elegant wooden door to her chamber, not knowing if
she was awake. Not hearing any response, he opened the door slightly,
tentatively calling out, "Lady Arwen?"
In the dim light provided by the fire across the room, which they had finally
convinced her to allow them to light (she had protested that she did not need
it, nor was she worth the firewood that would be used), Aragorn could see a
faint outline of a figure in the bed. Stepping closer, trying his hardest to
be completely silent (and failing miserably), he saw that she appeared to be
sleeping peacefully. Her long dark hair fanned out against the white bedding,
causing her pale skin to seem even more so.
He moved past slowly, walking carefully towards the small table next to the
bed. Setting the tray down, he winced at the "click" it made, praying she had
not noticed it. His prayers were not answered.
A soft moan escaped her lips as she drifted back from slumber, feeling the
cold aching in her old bones. She had found that in the days since she had
arrived at her master's home she had begun to feel her age, a thing that
elves were not supposed to suffer through, at least not until it was their
time to sail to the Undying Lands. For it to occur any earlier would risk
that person's sanity, as well as their sanity.
It was just another thing to add to her growing list of problems...
Movement caught her eye, and she turned her head to see the younger of
her masters standing by her bedside. Holding back a grimace as she quickly
pulled herself into a sitting position, she stopped the instinctive action to
bow. Both Men had expressed that they did not wish her to do to them,
that she was not their slave, merely a guest in their home. That recent
statement had nearly been her downfall... How could she not have hope
when she had apparently been set free from her life as another person's
property?
Because it had happened to her before. Decades before, one of her master's
had decided to trick a few of his slaves, herself included, into thinking
theywere free. They had prepared to leave, wishing to return to their
homelands and the other elves they knew ere out there somewhere. However,
before they had even made it off the property, they were confronted by the
guards, accused of trying to escape, and dragged back to the house, where
they were met with the evil laugh that belonged to only their master. That
night was one of the most horrible she had experienced, filled with pain and
blood...
"How are you today?" His tone was so sincere, she had a difficult time
finding the strength to doubt him. She watched as he pulled a chair from
the larger table across the room and sat beside her.
"I am better than yesterday. I feel more than strong enough to do work."
In truth she was still weak, terribly so, and she wasn't even sure she
could walk, let alone spend hours working, but she was not about to
admit that her masters' healing skills had accomplished nothing. She
had learned in the past that you never tell your master when they have
done something wrong.
Aragorn murmured quietly to himself, studying her features before
replying, "You may be, but I still think you should rest. Besides,
have we not already told you that you are indeed a guest in this house,
and therefore not required to work?"
Her eyes were on her hands as she spoke. "Yes, my lord, you have. I
just wish to repay you for your generous hospitality." Arwen chose
her words carefully, praying they would not offend him.
The Man forced himself to take deep, calming breaths. He wanted to
reach out and shake this woman! She just didn't seem to understand
that they had truly set her free, that she was no longer a slave! It
was as if all those filthy vermin who had dared to believe they could
own another life had erased all her free will and left her with this...
shell of a being. If only he could find some way to break though that
barrier...
"No payment is needed, my Lady, nor is one wished for. My father
and I are only doing what is right. Now, I brought this for you." He
gestured towards the tray of food, asking, "Are you hungry?"
A slight nod, and the next thing she knew the tray had been
expertly positioned within her reach. It balanced across her lap,
short legs coming out from the bottom to rest of either side of
her, bringing it close enough to where she would not have to bend
over complely to reach the food.
Aragorn stood from his chair. "If you do not object, my Lady, I
would dine with you, for I myself have not eaten yet this day."
Gripping the edges of the tray lightly so it would slip, she sat up
straighter. "I would never object to your companionship, my Lord.
I would be a fool to do so."
With a quick bow of the head and a promise to return momentarily,
he strode out of the room. Walking briskly to the kitchens, he bade
the cook prepare another tray, knowing the older woman would
skin him alive should he try to do so himself.
"How fares the Lady Elf?"
He watched her quickly arrange a meal fit for kings on the small
tray, answering, "She claims to be well, though her looks betray
her. If anything she has is worse than before."
Handing the tray to the younger master of the house, she informed
him, "All of us servants worry for 'er. She seems so sad. You would
think she would be 'appy, finally bein' free 'nd all."
"She has yet to believe either my father or myself on that. I think
she has been tricked with such in the past, and is fearful of
trusting again. However, we hope to remedy that soon. Thank
you for the tray." With that he exited the warm room that always
smelled of fresh bread and other good things. It had always been
one of his favorite places in the house, even if it often was one of
the busiest.
A/N: Well, I just got to writing, and the next thing I knew this thing was
pages long! I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer - this chapter
still has a long ways to go! - so I decided to post it in two parts!
Please review and let me know what you think!
Oh yeah! If you're a fan of Harry Potter fanfiction, and like the
Hermione/Snape pairing, check out "I Will Remember You" by elvinprincess !
(you can get to her page through my favorite authors) It promises to be a
great fic!
Until Next Time! (which should be VERY soon!)
Nathronoelei
"Weaver of Dreams"
January 3, 2002
DVD soon!!! I just got a job, so there's actually a chance of that happening!
Summary: AU. In a world where elves are hunted by men and taken as slaves,
one man must learn to overcome what he has been taught and see things as they
truly are, with the help of two extraordinary people.
A/N: And here it is, what you've all been waiting for! LOL.
I wanna thank elvinprincess for helping force this outta me! I couldn't have
done it without you, and credit much of this to you!
Companions
Chapter Nine
It was nearly a three hours' ride to the nearest town that played host to the
travelling slave traders. No others could be found along the rode Aragorn
took, so the trip was silent except for the natural sounds and soft thud of
his horse's hooves against the ground.
With nothing else to occupy his thoughts, the young man began recalling the
various conversations he had held with the elven lady. She had become too
weak to leave her bed, so they had placed her in a room at the center of the
house, where she could be heard easily were she to call out for one of them.
It was a spacious room, with a great fireplace to help keep the area warm. No
windows were in the room, another reason they had put her there. Light seemed
to bother her, so only a small number of candles were used to light the room,
casting great shadows into every corner. Yet, she seemed not to mind that. As
she put it, "Darkness is no stranger in my life. I have faced it many times,
and still I am here before you."
He could list a hundred times when she had made reference to her past, and
each was more shrouded in mystery than the one before. She would tell him of
the history of Middle-earth, things never mentioned in the books written by
Men of recent years, for they all included the elves; if ever he had heard
it, the version was twisted to make her race seem like terrible creatures who
were feared by all. As she told it, Men and Elves were companions in life,
helping each other through hardships and celebrating each other's successes.
That was, until a group of Men took matters into their own hands. They felt
the Elves were too proud, too powerful to remain as they were. So, they
destroyed the cities the elven people had built long ago and sculpted into
beauty, never once taking into consideration that the elves had always made
it known that members of all races were welcome in their homes, so long as
their intentions were not of ill will.
Aragorn remembered every word she spoke, and after thinking over them, he
realized she had never once mentioned her family or their position in all of
this. It made him wonder; was it just too painful for her to speak of people
she loved but had not seen for years, or was there something about them she
did not wish for others to know? If so, what was it?
One of their earlier conversations leapt into his mind, taking him back to
that day not too long ago...
* * *
It was late morning when Aragorn arrived at Arwen's bedchamber, carrying a
tray of light food and fresh water. She had been unable to eat much at all
since the onset of this illness, but both he and his father persisted in
their efforts of getting her to eat at least a little.
He knocked softly on the elegant wooden door to her chamber, not knowing if
she was awake. Not hearing any response, he opened the door slightly,
tentatively calling out, "Lady Arwen?"
In the dim light provided by the fire across the room, which they had finally
convinced her to allow them to light (she had protested that she did not need
it, nor was she worth the firewood that would be used), Aragorn could see a
faint outline of a figure in the bed. Stepping closer, trying his hardest to
be completely silent (and failing miserably), he saw that she appeared to be
sleeping peacefully. Her long dark hair fanned out against the white bedding,
causing her pale skin to seem even more so.
He moved past slowly, walking carefully towards the small table next to the
bed. Setting the tray down, he winced at the "click" it made, praying she had
not noticed it. His prayers were not answered.
A soft moan escaped her lips as she drifted back from slumber, feeling the
cold aching in her old bones. She had found that in the days since she had
arrived at her master's home she had begun to feel her age, a thing that
elves were not supposed to suffer through, at least not until it was their
time to sail to the Undying Lands. For it to occur any earlier would risk
that person's sanity, as well as their sanity.
It was just another thing to add to her growing list of problems...
Movement caught her eye, and she turned her head to see the younger of
her masters standing by her bedside. Holding back a grimace as she quickly
pulled herself into a sitting position, she stopped the instinctive action to
bow. Both Men had expressed that they did not wish her to do to them,
that she was not their slave, merely a guest in their home. That recent
statement had nearly been her downfall... How could she not have hope
when she had apparently been set free from her life as another person's
property?
Because it had happened to her before. Decades before, one of her master's
had decided to trick a few of his slaves, herself included, into thinking
theywere free. They had prepared to leave, wishing to return to their
homelands and the other elves they knew ere out there somewhere. However,
before they had even made it off the property, they were confronted by the
guards, accused of trying to escape, and dragged back to the house, where
they were met with the evil laugh that belonged to only their master. That
night was one of the most horrible she had experienced, filled with pain and
blood...
"How are you today?" His tone was so sincere, she had a difficult time
finding the strength to doubt him. She watched as he pulled a chair from
the larger table across the room and sat beside her.
"I am better than yesterday. I feel more than strong enough to do work."
In truth she was still weak, terribly so, and she wasn't even sure she
could walk, let alone spend hours working, but she was not about to
admit that her masters' healing skills had accomplished nothing. She
had learned in the past that you never tell your master when they have
done something wrong.
Aragorn murmured quietly to himself, studying her features before
replying, "You may be, but I still think you should rest. Besides,
have we not already told you that you are indeed a guest in this house,
and therefore not required to work?"
Her eyes were on her hands as she spoke. "Yes, my lord, you have. I
just wish to repay you for your generous hospitality." Arwen chose
her words carefully, praying they would not offend him.
The Man forced himself to take deep, calming breaths. He wanted to
reach out and shake this woman! She just didn't seem to understand
that they had truly set her free, that she was no longer a slave! It
was as if all those filthy vermin who had dared to believe they could
own another life had erased all her free will and left her with this...
shell of a being. If only he could find some way to break though that
barrier...
"No payment is needed, my Lady, nor is one wished for. My father
and I are only doing what is right. Now, I brought this for you." He
gestured towards the tray of food, asking, "Are you hungry?"
A slight nod, and the next thing she knew the tray had been
expertly positioned within her reach. It balanced across her lap,
short legs coming out from the bottom to rest of either side of
her, bringing it close enough to where she would not have to bend
over complely to reach the food.
Aragorn stood from his chair. "If you do not object, my Lady, I
would dine with you, for I myself have not eaten yet this day."
Gripping the edges of the tray lightly so it would slip, she sat up
straighter. "I would never object to your companionship, my Lord.
I would be a fool to do so."
With a quick bow of the head and a promise to return momentarily,
he strode out of the room. Walking briskly to the kitchens, he bade
the cook prepare another tray, knowing the older woman would
skin him alive should he try to do so himself.
"How fares the Lady Elf?"
He watched her quickly arrange a meal fit for kings on the small
tray, answering, "She claims to be well, though her looks betray
her. If anything she has is worse than before."
Handing the tray to the younger master of the house, she informed
him, "All of us servants worry for 'er. She seems so sad. You would
think she would be 'appy, finally bein' free 'nd all."
"She has yet to believe either my father or myself on that. I think
she has been tricked with such in the past, and is fearful of
trusting again. However, we hope to remedy that soon. Thank
you for the tray." With that he exited the warm room that always
smelled of fresh bread and other good things. It had always been
one of his favorite places in the house, even if it often was one of
the busiest.
A/N: Well, I just got to writing, and the next thing I knew this thing was
pages long! I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer - this chapter
still has a long ways to go! - so I decided to post it in two parts!
Please review and let me know what you think!
Oh yeah! If you're a fan of Harry Potter fanfiction, and like the
Hermione/Snape pairing, check out "I Will Remember You" by elvinprincess !
(you can get to her page through my favorite authors) It promises to be a
great fic!
Until Next Time! (which should be VERY soon!)
Nathronoelei
"Weaver of Dreams"
January 3, 2002