(Hope you're all enjoying the fic so far, even though nothing has really
happened yet. But it starts to get better in this chapter. Enjoy!)
~ Flashback ~
The remaining company ran out of the mines of Moria. The hobbits fell and sobbed on the boulders just out side the exit of the mines. Gimli tried to rush back in but was held back by Boromir. Aragorn stood shell shocked, not believing what had just happened. Legolas hid his feelings from the others, though his heart was filled with much grief. Frodo walked away from the others as tears ran down his dirty face.
Frodo looked around at the remaining company. His fellow hobbits he saw crying. Aragorn cleaning his sword as a tear ran down his cheek and Gimli and Boromir struggling to face reality.
And then there was Legolas. The elf that had spoken no more than two words to him throughout the entire journey. His face was blank and his eyes were distant. Frodo didn't trust the elf. He found Legolas to be closed off from the rest of the fellowship and he kept mostly to himself. He spoke very little, and when he did it was mostly in elvish and to Aragorn or Gandalf. He was either scouting in front of the group or guarding in the back. He saw an uneasy darkness in the elf's eyes throughout Moria. But he did not fear the elf because he trusted Aragorn and Gandalf to protect him from Legolas if it needed to be done. But now Gandalf was gone and Aragorn would not be there to protect him all the time. So now, Frodo feared Legolas and had less trust for him now than he did when they first started the journey.
~ End Flashback ~
Frodo's thoughts were interrupted by a voice.
"Do not fret, Frodo." Said Neithas noticing Frodo's contrite stare at Legolas. "He is a very strong elf and he would not want you to worry over him." Frodo nodded numbly and stared again at Legolas. This time he noticed something he had not noticed before. Amongst the open slashes on the elf's back, there were scars that were very similar to the open wounds. Then, it hit Frodo.
"He has been whipped before?" he asked Neithas, a little shocked. Neithas looked up from Frodo's back and onto Legolas' and then his eyes met Frodo's.
"Yes." He said with a hint of sadness. "He has endured whips before today."
"How? When?"
"I do not believe it is my place to tell you. But I can tell you that it happened near Moria."
"Moria? That would explain why his eyes were so dark and why he was so uneasy in Moria. But surely dwarves did not do that to him."
"No. Not dwarves. Men, my dear hobbit. Men. Many, many years ago. Before your very great-grandparents were a light in their parents' eyes. Nearly three hundred years it has been."
"Men?! I have never heard of men ever hurting an elf. Please tell me about it. So that I may know more of the elf who has sworn to protect me. I fear he would not tell me on his own. Nor if I asked him."
"If he wants you to know then it would be for him to tell you. I am sorry, Frodo. But I cannot tell you."
Frodo nodded in understanding as Neithas continued his work on Frodo's back. Frodo finished the herbal drink Hertho gave him earlier and put the cup on a table near him. Then, he sat quietly as his thoughts once again drifted back to earlier that day.
~ Flashback ~
The remaining company ran out of the mines of Moria. The hobbits fell and sobbed on the boulders just out side the exit of the mines. Gimli tried to rush back in but was held back by Boromir. Aragorn stood shell shocked, not believing what had just happened. Legolas hid his feelings from the others, though his heart was filled with much grief. Frodo walked away from the others as tears ran down his dirty face.
Frodo looked around at the remaining company. His fellow hobbits he saw crying. Aragorn cleaning his sword as a tear ran down his cheek and Gimli and Boromir struggling to face reality.
And then there was Legolas. The elf that had spoken no more than two words to him throughout the entire journey. His face was blank and his eyes were distant. Frodo didn't trust the elf. He found Legolas to be closed off from the rest of the fellowship and he kept mostly to himself. He spoke very little, and when he did it was mostly in elvish and to Aragorn or Gandalf. He was either scouting in front of the group or guarding in the back. He saw an uneasy darkness in the elf's eyes throughout Moria. But he did not fear the elf because he trusted Aragorn and Gandalf to protect him from Legolas if it needed to be done. But now Gandalf was gone and Aragorn would not be there to protect him all the time. So now, Frodo feared Legolas and had less trust for him now than he did when they first started the journey.
~ End Flashback ~
Frodo's thoughts were interrupted by a voice.
"Do not fret, Frodo." Said Neithas noticing Frodo's contrite stare at Legolas. "He is a very strong elf and he would not want you to worry over him." Frodo nodded numbly and stared again at Legolas. This time he noticed something he had not noticed before. Amongst the open slashes on the elf's back, there were scars that were very similar to the open wounds. Then, it hit Frodo.
"He has been whipped before?" he asked Neithas, a little shocked. Neithas looked up from Frodo's back and onto Legolas' and then his eyes met Frodo's.
"Yes." He said with a hint of sadness. "He has endured whips before today."
"How? When?"
"I do not believe it is my place to tell you. But I can tell you that it happened near Moria."
"Moria? That would explain why his eyes were so dark and why he was so uneasy in Moria. But surely dwarves did not do that to him."
"No. Not dwarves. Men, my dear hobbit. Men. Many, many years ago. Before your very great-grandparents were a light in their parents' eyes. Nearly three hundred years it has been."
"Men?! I have never heard of men ever hurting an elf. Please tell me about it. So that I may know more of the elf who has sworn to protect me. I fear he would not tell me on his own. Nor if I asked him."
"If he wants you to know then it would be for him to tell you. I am sorry, Frodo. But I cannot tell you."
Frodo nodded in understanding as Neithas continued his work on Frodo's back. Frodo finished the herbal drink Hertho gave him earlier and put the cup on a table near him. Then, he sat quietly as his thoughts once again drifted back to earlier that day.