A/N: All right. Please do not kill the author!!!! *Peeks out from hiding spot* I only…. I'm only trying to write a story.
Hehe. Yes Ymmas Sirron, more and more and more! Thanks!
Yes Aragorn, listen to Linwen. Rest! You WILL need it!
Do you like this story Alexis? :s Hope so!!! Don't worry, things will get better, but not in this chapter. *Wicked grin*
NO!!!! Burn the evil flame!!! Makes Newmoon drop flame and stomps on it* *pants* Phew!!! Thanks!! I am glad it is too good to flame!!! *grins* Thanks! And no fear, I do not plan to give up this anytime soon!!!!!
I did Mellaithwen-ElvenMaiden!! See update!!!!
Yes Deanna, mind control!!!! EEK!
Ok, so No flames!! Please R&R!!! Thanks all!!! B-bye!!!!
Chapter 10
You don't even know who I am anymore,
You're a million miles away,
Though I see you every day,
And I've been waiting right here,
Oh, for all these years,
And sometimes I get so lonely,
I need to know you love me,
But do you even know me anymore?
-Mark Shultz (Stories and Songs)
The noonday sun beat down mercilessly on all the men and woman that were toiling over the dirt-encrusted fields.
Some slipped and fell, while others struggled to stay erect.
Estel sucked in a breath as he continued to pull the plow along with the others. His head had begun to hurt again and his sight was starting to fade to darkness.
Things as such had been happening for the past week, ever since he had been smacked in the face with the stinging black powder.
He would be fine, but all the sudden things before him would fade and leave him to a world of darkness, luckily it was only temporary. After a while, his sight would return to normal and he would work just as hard as all the other slaves.
He knew what the consequences of slacking off were; he knew what it meant to stop. And they would not believe him if he told them that he could not see. They would just cuff him upside the head and push him forward, or else bring out the lash.
"Hey you, no slacking!"
Aragorn turned his head at the familiar voice of Donolea, his eyes seeking out the elf behind him.
"No stragglers! Now get a movin' or you get a taste of Tarpen's lash. Clear?"
A hard weight dropped in the young man's heart; he remembered what Legolas had looked like a week before when he had been stuck hanging in the tree.
He had seen the look in the prince's silver-blue eyes. The look of pure torture, but he did not understand. Legolas would never allow these elves to rule over him.
"What?" he turned back to look the red haired elf in the eyes, which was another reason why the elf slapped him.
"Don't look me in the eyes scum!"
Undaunted by the cruel blow he turned his eyes back to the ground and continued his questioning.
"What do you mean, Tarpen?!"
He saw a slight smirk come over the elf's face when he chanced a look up.
"I was mighty hoping you'd ask." he glanced round him and let out a slight whistle.
Estel looked behind Donolea, and stopped, his breath catching in his throat. He choked at the sight, the sight that frightened him most.
Legolas stopped right beside his lord, eyes set and dark. He looked at the human before him, but to Aragorn's surprise, his face changed little. Save an odd grin, that was slowly appearing on his face.
"You want me to take this one?" he turned to Donolea, the elf nodded. "But nothing' to hard, I don't want to waste to many bandages on him, but I don't want him dead."
"Yes sir." the elf prince saluted and took a step forward, but stopped, his eyes on Estel's shaking form.
Something inside him was yelling, screaming even.
'No.' it yelled and seemed to hit against his brain. 'Don't do it!'
The grin disappeared and he starred at the man for a few moments, he could not go on. He did not want to hurt this child.
But another part of him did, what had this one ever done to him.
"Tarpen?!"
As quickly as they came, the thoughts disappeared into the darkness of his shadowed mind.
Slowly the elf took another step forward, and Aragorn one back.
"Please." the young mortal whispered painfully. 'I can not see.' his mind tried to help him along, but when he opened his mouth to say the words. He could not; he could hardly dare to breathe.
"Well namarie, for now. I must see to some pressing business. You understand. Once you are done Tarpen, please come back to the main headquarters and see me."
The next words surprised Strider, and he almost stumbled back at the unbearable ache in his heart.
"Yes master." the words that came from his friend's mouth were almost too much to hear.
A brick fell into the young human's stomach, he gulped and slid back on his back, using his elbows. He backed away from the steadily advancing blonde elf, all the while panting as thoughts of confusion and pain snapped in his head.
"Legolas, it is I. Strider! Mellon nin?"
No change, the elven words had not the effect that they should have, in truth, the elf seemed to grow even angrier. A fire lit deep behind his eyes and he growled.
Inside, Legolas knew this was not right. Something about this man was different. A faint glimmer of reluctance snapped inside and he stopped a moment, but not before the voice had continued.
'Just a sick little edan! Nothing more! Teach him the meaning of punishment Tarpen!'
"Legolas?" the man whimpered and tears began to fill his eyes. Befuddled tears, tears that were not normally shed.
"Who is Legolas?!" the elf's white teeth snapped like a hungry dog and he snarled at Aragorn. "I am Tarpen, the warrior! I let no little edan get in my way!"
Those words did the most harm of all, Estel's throat shut letting off air and making a soft harsh sob come from deep within. He turned his eyes away, he did not understand at all. What in Eru's name was Legolas talking about.
"Bow to me spineless rat!"
With a shake of his head, Aragorn sat up on his haunches and looked into the eyes of his friend, or rather the elf that once called him friend.
"But Legolas, you told me in the cave's that I never need bow to you?" he questioned, hoping the words would remind his lost friend.
"Why would I ever say such trash human!" he spat the word as if it were spoiled milk he had just tasted. "Everyone must bow to me, you most of all! Save my lords, Donolea and Tranol! I obey them and them alone!"
Without another hesitation, Legolas brought forth a cruel three-pronged whip at his belt and lifted the lash in his hands, ready to bring it down.
Again, a hesitation sat between him and beating all the blood from this young human. He did not at all understand why?
He drew a ragged breath and replaced the confusion in his eyes with a look of pure malice.
He let the whip slash the boy's chest, but nothing more.
He quickly roped it back to his belt and looked down angrily, growling.
"Well young one! I feel rather tired today, so be grateful! Now get along, do you work!"
Even though, the shapes before him were slowly turning to a darker shade and other unimportant shapes faded, Estel raised himself to his feet and stepped back, turning fast on his heels and running with speed that no other blind man could posses.
Thought he was not entirely blind, it still felt as if he had not sight. Nothing seemed important any longer, Legolas had given up. And he was an elf,
"Whoa!"
His body hit something and he flew forward, panting and coughing as dirt welled up inside his lungs.
He whimpered and crawled away as a tall shape came forward, reaching down.
"Easy Strider." it calmed and he felt a weight lift from heart as strong hands helped him up and steadied him. "What happened?"
He felt a gaze on him and looked up as the mist cleared into Toso's bright eyes.
The older man touched his bleeding chest tenderly and winced.
"Who done this lad?" he asked, anger welling up in his own heart as he saw the poor boy.
"No one." he countered a bit to quickly for the other man's liking, but he ignored it and let him continue. "I slipped and fell on some masonry."
Toso smiled and rubbed the lad's back in soothing circles to stave off the fear he saw.
"Well, let's have marm take a look at that there incision."
"It is not an incision. Just a wee' cut."
The elder man laughed lightly and pushed the boy forward.
"A cut? Whatever you say lad. Whatever you say."
Aragorn staggered forward, worry and fear clutching his heart, he could hardly be joyful. He could not stand it; he needed to find out what was wrong with Legolas. And sooner than later.
~_~
A gentle smile graced Tranol's old face as he watched the young prince enter and bow deep to him.
"Milords?" he bowed also to Donolea who sat to the side in an overstuffed chair, drinking from a flagon and wiping his face when the beer dripped down.
"What did you request my presence for? What would a humble servant as myself need for so wonderful a crowd?"
Tranol did not miss the deep grin that marred his friend's now slightly bearded face.
"Dear Tarpen, You are a treasure among warriors. Havo dad mellon nin."
Obediently, the elf prince walked to a small mahogany chair and placed himself straight upon the edge, a confident smile on his face.
"Now we may speak of such issues!" declared Donolea and rose from his seat chucking the empty beer pitcher into a corner where it shattered noisily.
Legolas winced, but easily focused once again on the red haired being.
"I thought you were an elf?" the question was rather abrupt and Legolas was surprised when he heard the question louder in his own head. He slapped himself mentally.
Donolea only starred a moment, but a grin spread across his red-bearded face and he nodded.
"My Tarpen. I thought I told you, well now would be the best time for a history lesson I assume." He looked to Tranol. "May I my friend?"
The white haired being nodded and watched with fascination as Donolea circled the prince.
"Alright, you well know that elves are immortal, is this true Tarpen?"
After a nod from the blonde, Donolea continued.
"Well, it seems that I look elf-like, and I once did hold an immortal life. But! It was taken from me, something that does not happen often. Only when one is loved by another, another that is of a different race."
Noting the way the red-haired elf's eyes darkened Legolas followed his story.
"I once had a true love, but we will get to that! First…" he clenched his fists. "Let us speak of my forefathers, and mothers. As you might have guess, I do not enjoy the choices of my mother and father all that much, in truth you might say that their decision dampened my growth a bit." he motioned through the length of his body, which at that moment Legolas noticed was not very tall. He was even a little shorter than a normal mortal man.
"My grandfather was a dwarf. And one of the runts I might add. Anyhow, while on a trip to The Shire, he met a lovely halfling maiden. Her name was Issabell, and she was very kind to him. He loved her and returned with her as his wife to the mountains where his family dwelt. It did not settle with them that he had wed her. So! They banished both of them. And so it came on that they bore a child, they named him Dono. Well on the eve of his twentieth birthday he had been sent out to the woods to bring home his first meal alone." he sighed and shook his head. "He came a across a scuffle between a group of wargs and the most lovely maiden he had ever seen. Her hair was pale gold and he eyes were bright as the stars." he thought a moment and waved his hand. "To a make and unbearably long story short, the two married and had a little child, a boy. The elf maiden's name was Lea. And no one knew for years, but we later learned of her human heritage. So basically, I am a dwarf/hobbit/human/elf. Make since?"
With a reluctant nod, the strange being continued.
"So! One day, I was riding my horse through the woods and I stopped to see the most beautiful sight I had ever laid eyes upon.
A young girl with the darkest locks and the shiniest eyes sitting on the side, weeping, I asked her what the matter was and she told me her husband had left her. So I took her for a ride, and we had a jolly old time. Well, months past and years wore on, and I could not think of living forever, as she grew old and frail. So, I married her and sold my blessed immortality. The little I had left. And so here I am, years later, telling you more than you need to know."
With a nod, Legolas stood, and his eyes came to rest on Tranol.
"What about him?"
Tranol was about to speak, but Donolea stepped forward and interrupted.
"Long and boring! Don't let him start!"
The prince sat back down and shrugged.
"So what does this have to do with me?" he asked, blue eyes piercing and slightly perplexed.
Tranol smiled and steepled his fingers, leaning on them.
"Well as you see, Donolea and I are getting beyond our years, and we can find no elf who can lead fairly enough. So, we were considering you leading this after our time is up."
TBC~
Hey all, hope you liked it. I know, scary thought. Please don't kill me!!!! *Runs off at hyper speed*