Legolas stood in the centre of the stage, still holding Lenna tightly in his arms. She clung to him, thin arms entwine round his neck, as though afraid that to let go for even a moment would be to lose him.
Below the stage voices were calling out bids, but Legolas had ceased to listen. This crying out for flesh disgusted him. He just held onto Lenna and prayed to the Valar that they would let her stay with him. She'd lost her freedom and her family, she needed someone who was there for her.
Finally someone made the highest bid, and the slavers pushed Legolas down from the stage, Lenna still in his arms. So they were letting her stay with him. Once down, two men stepped up to him, each taking hold of an arm. They wore uniforms similar to the men who had taken Aragorn, except that instead of fire their emblem was of a red rose.
Another man stepped up to Legolas. He had a collar round his neck, the front of which was marked with the same rose symbol. After looking Legolas up and down, he smiled.
"The mistress will be pleased with you," he said, "Come." The two uniformed men didn't give him much choice. Legolas walked awkwardly, hampered by the chains, while Lenna whimpered into his neck.
They walked through city streets. Legolas noted the large number of what seemed to be guards around here. Only a different emblem separated the guards out. They came shortly to a house, surrounded by a high wall, which was guarded as well. He considered trying to run, but with the chains an escape would be difficult. Besides, he had Lenna to think about.
He was taken through the gate and into the house. A woman, richly dressed, stood in the hall. She smiled when she saw Legolas.
"You've done well, Emerin," she said.
"Thank you, mistress," the man with the collar said. Legolas guessed the collar meant he was a slave, because the lady walked up to him holding one.
"If you obey my orders, you will be treated well," she told him, "if not you will be punished harshly. This applies to your daughter as well." Legolas tried not to let his surprise at that comment show on his face.
The mistress held up the collar and Legolas tried to pull away from the men holding him. He couldn't break free though, before she snapped the thing shut around his neck.
"I will forgive you this one transgression," she said, "but any more and you will learn that I do not take disobedience lightly." She turned to Emerin, "Show him where he will sleep and begin instructing him in his duties."
The guards released Legolas, and Emerin touched his arm gently. "This way," he said, and walked into the house. When Legolas didn't move to followed, Emerin looked back, "She means what she says about punishments."
Legolas followed Emerin through a small door and up a narrow staircase. It climbed a long way, probably to the very top of the house. A corridor as narrow as the staircase was at the top, with doors leading off either side. Emerin opened one and let Legolas in. A small, lumpy mattress lay by the back wall and beside it was a lump of wood with a candle on. There was nothing else in the room, which was a good thing since it was crowded enough already.
"This is where you will both sleep. As for your duties, the mistress will expect you to wait on her as a personal slave. You will serve her meals, and be at hand throughout the day for whatever she might need."
"That is all?" Legolas couldn't voice what he'd feared she would ask because of Lenna, but he'd seen the way she'd looked at him and knew that humans would probably find him attractive.
"She considers it beneath her station to ask a slave to perform such duties that others might expect of one with your looks," Emerin said, clearly seeing what Legolas though.
"What duties?" a quiet voice piped up. Legolas lowered Lenna to the ground and knelt in front of her.
"You're too young to be told," he said.
"I'm not little," she protested, "Mama says I'm a big girl."
"Yes, you're a big girl," Legolas said, "but you have to be a very, very big girl to know this."
"You're not a very, very big girl." Legolas heard a soft chuckle from Emerin, and turned to glare at him. "Tell me."
"Valar, protect me from inquisitive children," Legolas muttered under his breath.
Divine intervention didn't seem to be forthcoming though as Lenna asked, "Who's Valar?"
***
Aragorn was strapped down on a wooden bench. He'd been stripped of his shirt, revealing the rather interesting colours his abdomen had changed to. Now he could do nothing but lie there in the dark. Waiting.
At last the door opened and Ackeran entered, followed by a man in the guard uniform. The guard held a knife.
"Now, son of Arathorn," Ackeran said, "It's time you started paying for your father's sins."
"What did he do to you?" Aragorn asked. The guard struck his face, knocking his head back into the bench.
"It's not your place to ask questions."
"Where should I ask questions then?" Aragorn received another blow for that. Somehow he had the feeling this occasion would be worse than his previous encounter with Ackeran.
"I will leave you in Macran's capable hands," Ackeran said, nodding to the guard, now holding the knife menacingly, and turned to leave.
"If you're going to hurt me then do it yourself!" Aragorn yelled. Ackeran didn't turn to him.
"You are not in a position to make demands," he said in a voice that shook. With anger? Or something else? With that he left, and Macran smiled cruelly down at Aragorn. He spun the knife by its hilt and then let it drop.
Aragorn bit back a cry as the knife sliced through the skin of his left side and embedded itself in the wooden surface of the bench. The blade had been dropped skilfully, leaving only a shallow cut in his skin. Either that or Macran had dropped it by accident and Aragorn just been lucky as to where it fell.
Macran tore it free, and again Aragorn had to bite back a cry. He tried to close his mind to the pain as the knife dropped again, slicing his skin like butter and letting his warm blood flow free. He would find a way out of here. He'd be free again.
Somehow.
As Macran cut a gash across Aragorn's already abused stomach, a gasp of pain escaped Aragorn's lips. Macran smiled.
"That's much better. I like it when my subjects aren't too quiet."
"You do this a lot then?" Aragorn asked.
"Oh yes, I'm very good at my job."
Aragorn could well believe as time stretched on and the pain transformed into agony. His chest and sides were adorned with minor cuts, all of which closed to fast for him to lose much blood. That didn't stop them hurting though, as Macran pressed his fingers against them.
Aragorn didn't scream though. He did all he could to remain silent, and prevent Macran having any satisfaction. Macran however seemed to be enjoying himself anyway.
At last he left, and Aragorn allowed his mind to drift off into something between slumber and unconsciousness. He became partially aware as he felt a stinging pain in his side. A thousand needles pressed against his skin.
Instinctively, he tried to pull away from the touch, his eyes still closed in some small hope of sleep. A soothing hand softly brushed his hair from his forehead and a gentle voice close to his ear whispered, "Be calm. Sleep safe tonight, little hope."
***
Author's note: More Lenna cuteness because of popular demand. Please keep up with your reviewing and I'll keep up with my writing.
Below the stage voices were calling out bids, but Legolas had ceased to listen. This crying out for flesh disgusted him. He just held onto Lenna and prayed to the Valar that they would let her stay with him. She'd lost her freedom and her family, she needed someone who was there for her.
Finally someone made the highest bid, and the slavers pushed Legolas down from the stage, Lenna still in his arms. So they were letting her stay with him. Once down, two men stepped up to him, each taking hold of an arm. They wore uniforms similar to the men who had taken Aragorn, except that instead of fire their emblem was of a red rose.
Another man stepped up to Legolas. He had a collar round his neck, the front of which was marked with the same rose symbol. After looking Legolas up and down, he smiled.
"The mistress will be pleased with you," he said, "Come." The two uniformed men didn't give him much choice. Legolas walked awkwardly, hampered by the chains, while Lenna whimpered into his neck.
They walked through city streets. Legolas noted the large number of what seemed to be guards around here. Only a different emblem separated the guards out. They came shortly to a house, surrounded by a high wall, which was guarded as well. He considered trying to run, but with the chains an escape would be difficult. Besides, he had Lenna to think about.
He was taken through the gate and into the house. A woman, richly dressed, stood in the hall. She smiled when she saw Legolas.
"You've done well, Emerin," she said.
"Thank you, mistress," the man with the collar said. Legolas guessed the collar meant he was a slave, because the lady walked up to him holding one.
"If you obey my orders, you will be treated well," she told him, "if not you will be punished harshly. This applies to your daughter as well." Legolas tried not to let his surprise at that comment show on his face.
The mistress held up the collar and Legolas tried to pull away from the men holding him. He couldn't break free though, before she snapped the thing shut around his neck.
"I will forgive you this one transgression," she said, "but any more and you will learn that I do not take disobedience lightly." She turned to Emerin, "Show him where he will sleep and begin instructing him in his duties."
The guards released Legolas, and Emerin touched his arm gently. "This way," he said, and walked into the house. When Legolas didn't move to followed, Emerin looked back, "She means what she says about punishments."
Legolas followed Emerin through a small door and up a narrow staircase. It climbed a long way, probably to the very top of the house. A corridor as narrow as the staircase was at the top, with doors leading off either side. Emerin opened one and let Legolas in. A small, lumpy mattress lay by the back wall and beside it was a lump of wood with a candle on. There was nothing else in the room, which was a good thing since it was crowded enough already.
"This is where you will both sleep. As for your duties, the mistress will expect you to wait on her as a personal slave. You will serve her meals, and be at hand throughout the day for whatever she might need."
"That is all?" Legolas couldn't voice what he'd feared she would ask because of Lenna, but he'd seen the way she'd looked at him and knew that humans would probably find him attractive.
"She considers it beneath her station to ask a slave to perform such duties that others might expect of one with your looks," Emerin said, clearly seeing what Legolas though.
"What duties?" a quiet voice piped up. Legolas lowered Lenna to the ground and knelt in front of her.
"You're too young to be told," he said.
"I'm not little," she protested, "Mama says I'm a big girl."
"Yes, you're a big girl," Legolas said, "but you have to be a very, very big girl to know this."
"You're not a very, very big girl." Legolas heard a soft chuckle from Emerin, and turned to glare at him. "Tell me."
"Valar, protect me from inquisitive children," Legolas muttered under his breath.
Divine intervention didn't seem to be forthcoming though as Lenna asked, "Who's Valar?"
***
Aragorn was strapped down on a wooden bench. He'd been stripped of his shirt, revealing the rather interesting colours his abdomen had changed to. Now he could do nothing but lie there in the dark. Waiting.
At last the door opened and Ackeran entered, followed by a man in the guard uniform. The guard held a knife.
"Now, son of Arathorn," Ackeran said, "It's time you started paying for your father's sins."
"What did he do to you?" Aragorn asked. The guard struck his face, knocking his head back into the bench.
"It's not your place to ask questions."
"Where should I ask questions then?" Aragorn received another blow for that. Somehow he had the feeling this occasion would be worse than his previous encounter with Ackeran.
"I will leave you in Macran's capable hands," Ackeran said, nodding to the guard, now holding the knife menacingly, and turned to leave.
"If you're going to hurt me then do it yourself!" Aragorn yelled. Ackeran didn't turn to him.
"You are not in a position to make demands," he said in a voice that shook. With anger? Or something else? With that he left, and Macran smiled cruelly down at Aragorn. He spun the knife by its hilt and then let it drop.
Aragorn bit back a cry as the knife sliced through the skin of his left side and embedded itself in the wooden surface of the bench. The blade had been dropped skilfully, leaving only a shallow cut in his skin. Either that or Macran had dropped it by accident and Aragorn just been lucky as to where it fell.
Macran tore it free, and again Aragorn had to bite back a cry. He tried to close his mind to the pain as the knife dropped again, slicing his skin like butter and letting his warm blood flow free. He would find a way out of here. He'd be free again.
Somehow.
As Macran cut a gash across Aragorn's already abused stomach, a gasp of pain escaped Aragorn's lips. Macran smiled.
"That's much better. I like it when my subjects aren't too quiet."
"You do this a lot then?" Aragorn asked.
"Oh yes, I'm very good at my job."
Aragorn could well believe as time stretched on and the pain transformed into agony. His chest and sides were adorned with minor cuts, all of which closed to fast for him to lose much blood. That didn't stop them hurting though, as Macran pressed his fingers against them.
Aragorn didn't scream though. He did all he could to remain silent, and prevent Macran having any satisfaction. Macran however seemed to be enjoying himself anyway.
At last he left, and Aragorn allowed his mind to drift off into something between slumber and unconsciousness. He became partially aware as he felt a stinging pain in his side. A thousand needles pressed against his skin.
Instinctively, he tried to pull away from the touch, his eyes still closed in some small hope of sleep. A soothing hand softly brushed his hair from his forehead and a gentle voice close to his ear whispered, "Be calm. Sleep safe tonight, little hope."
***
Author's note: More Lenna cuteness because of popular demand. Please keep up with your reviewing and I'll keep up with my writing.