And if the darkness is to keep us apart
And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off
And if your glass heart should crack
Before the second you turn back
Oh no, be strong
Two Months Later
Legolas rode hard; he wanted to reach the city of Fleniar as soon as he could. He had miscalculated the distance and had been traveling for more than two months. He could see the tall buildings and what looked to be a large house on a hill only two miles away. He pulled the mare to a halt and dismounted. He went into the trees and changed into his nicest clothing. If he was to go to a noble's house, then he had to dress the like prince he was.
Legolas had already worked out who he was pretending to be. He would be Duke Nelon. Duke Nelon was a poorer noble, but he had rather large estates in Harad. Legolas knew very little of Duke Nelon except that he never left his home. Legolas was sure that if he went to Lord Nelkoo and claimed to be Duke Nelon then he would be welcomed. Legolas had learned that Lord Nelkoo's daughter needed a husband, and he had decided to play the suitor long enough to find Aragorn and take him home.
He rode the mare up the hill and towards the house, making sure that his hair covered the material that covered his ears. He dismounted and walked up the steps, carrying himself like a human noble. He carried himself so proudly that no servant dared ask what he was doing there.
The door opened and a very shy looking girl around the age of ten allowed Legolas access to the house. She bowed deeply to him. "May I ask your name, sir?"
Legolas smiled warmly at the little girl. "I am Duke Nelon. Please tell Lord Nelkoo I wish to speak with him."
The child bowed before she ran off and Legolas seated himself on a bench to wait.
Aragorn exited the room from his torture session feeling dizzy. He screamed much faster now that his body was one giant welt. The torture he was receiving was so horrific that he was surprised that he had even survived. He no longer wished to live. During every torture session he would try to reach the warm embrace of unconsciousness only to be woken by having saltwater thrown on his wounds.
He walked down the hall and towards the fields. He was no longer the bodyguard to Lady Linari because she had claimed that Aragorn had tried to bed her. He had received the whipping of his life for that and had emerged with a broken arm that was still set in a crudely made cast. Aragorn knew she had only said that because he was a male. If he was female she wouldn't have minded him being around. He sighed and continued to limp down the hall.
When he reached the hall he collided with the door girl. He slowly got to his feet and offered her a hand up. "I am sorry, Aneli," he said to her gently, knowing how a hard voice made her cry. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"
Aneli smiled at him. She liked Estel; he was always kind to her. "I must fetch his lordship; a duke is here to see him."
Aragorn nodded. "Don't let me keep you." He took a deep breath and leaned against the wall to keep from falling.
"Bye, Estel." She ran off quickly.
Aragorn waved to the little girl and walked towards the main entrance. He wanted to take a look at this duke. He wanted to know whether or not to expect more pain from another noble. He walked down the hall but tripped on the rug and tumbled to where the benches were for people to wait. He cursed softly before trying to stand on his shaky feet.
Legolas sprang to his feet when he saw the person trip. He went over to try and help them. He placed his hand on the person's arm only to feel the person pull away.
"No, please," the person whispered.
Legolas frowned - the person sound so much like Aragorn. "Let me help you," Legolas whispered softly.
The person shook his head and managed to get to his feet. When he saw who it was that was trying to help him he collapsed again. "Legolas?"
Legolas looked down at the person and let out a gasp when he saw Aragorn's face. He crouched down next to his friend and looked at him, his eyes full of concern. "Oh Estel, what happened to you?" he asked softly in Elvish.
Aragorn looked up at his friend. His eyes clouded in pain and despair. He had nearly given up hope of ever being rescued. Since his frequent beatings made it hard for him to move quickly, he hadn't made any escape attempts. He was considering allowing Lord Nelkoo to just break him so that he would not be hurt anymore. "I am a slave now, Legolas."
Legolas looked sadly at his friend. "You must get out of here, Estel." He eyed Aragorn's broken arm and the rest of his body. He noted the blood seeping through his tunic and lightly lifted the material to get a better look.
Aragorn pulled away, forgetting it was Legolas who was touching him and expecting another blow. "Please do not touch me."
Legolas frowned in concern. "Let me see, please."
Aragorn nodded shakily and allowed Legolas to take a quick look at his back. "I was lashed."
Legolas nodded sadly. His eyes were betraying the hatred for the person who had done this to his friend, but he quickly masked it. "Oh Estel, you have taken long beatings." He was pained emotionally from the physical pain that he saw written in his friend's eyes. Aragorn looked so haunted and he hurt because he hadn't been able to help his friend. He could feel tears prickling behind his eyes but he refused to let them fall, Aragorn hurt too much and he knew that if he cried he wouldn't help him feel better.
Aragorn nodded. "Every day since I was sold," he said hopelessly. "I figured it would be for the rest of my life if you did not come."
Legolas' heart broke at the sound of hopelessness in his friend's voice. Suddenly the sound of footsteps caused his head to shoot up. "Someone is coming. You must go; I will come for you at night." He kissed his friend's head and opened the door for him. "I will see you soon, mellon-nin."
Aragorn smiled and limped towards the door. It closed behind him just when he heard Lord Nelkoo walk into the room.
Legolas sighed as he watched his friend walk away. He would give anything to stay with Aragorn, but he knew it would be a bad idea to snatch his friend away at that moment. He could tell that Aragorn was in so much pain, and it tore him apart. A child should not be in so much pain! he thought fiercely. He looked up to see a middle-aged man, only a few inches shorter that he was, walk into the room.
"Duke Nelon?" Lord Nelkoo asked.
Legolas nodded. "I am he."
Lord Nelkoo looks suspiciously at Legolas. "None of my slaves are for sale."
Legolas shrugged. "I do not wish to buy one of your slaves. I came for your daughter."
At the mention of his daughter Lord Nelkoo's eyes lit up. "You can meet her later. She is out riding at the moment."
Legolas nodded. "Oh, well, I guess I will wait." He would give anything to not meet Lady Linari; he had heard how much of a pain she was. "Perhaps you could show me around?"
Lord Nelkoo shook his head regretfully. "I can't, but I will have one of the guards show you around the lands."
Legolas faked interest. "Yes, that would be wonderful."
Lord Nelkoo nodded and beckoned to one of the guards. "Show the duke around the lands. You might want to start with the fields since they are the farthest away. Work your way towards the house."
The guard bowed his head and looked at Legolas. "Follow me, Your Grace."
Legolas followed the guard out of the house and down a long dirt path. "Who works in the fields?"
The guard turned to look at Legolas. "Oh, mostly the slaves, and people from the city get hired on as well."
Legolas nodded. He could see people working in the field and was trying to find Aragorn so that he could keep an eye on his friend. "What are they working on?"
The guard shrugged. "I don't know or care. I just make sure they don't try to escape."
Legolas looked at the guard with interest. "What happens when they do escape?"
The guard smiled cruelly. "Then they get lashed." He took his whip from his belt and cracked it in the air. Most of the slaves that were nearby, jumped. "Stupid people," he muttered.
Legolas felt his blood boil. He was a prince so he didn't mind servants, but slaves? Slaves were just too much. Servants were free and received pay and they worked because it was a duty they enjoyed. They got to do as they wanted – to an extent. Slaves were owned and we not allowed to do anything they wanted. He couldn't understand how people felt that by owning someone else it made them powerful and wealthy. He looked at the guard with a pleasant smile. "How many slaves work here?"
The guard thought for a minute. "Around fifty…perhaps." He shrugged. "I really don't know."
Legolas nodded and looked around. He spotted Aragorn working next to a dark haired man who looked to be around the same age as his twenty-six year-old friend. He noticed that Aragorn was moving stiffly and seemed to be in pain. He was happy to note that the young man next to him was trying to help.
"Estel, they will notice that you aren't doing well and come beat you!" Ceslon whispered urgently, trying to help Aragorn with his load. He had become friends with his fellow slave.
Aragorn nodded and forced his pained body to work harder. He pushed his tired muscles until the wounds from the lash began to bleed. His broken arm was getting in the way and his back was aching from the lashing. "I…need…to…lie down," he wheezed.
"Estel, you can't! If you sit down they will whip you! Your body can't take anymore! Please, just try!" Ceslon pleaded.
Estel nodded and pushed his body as far as he could to make it work. It hurt so much and he wanted nothing more than to lie on the ground and fall asleep. His entire body was covered in layers of bruises and he couldn't tell which part hurt the most. It felt like one giant wound that would not go away. Legolas, mellon-nin I wish you were here! he thought to himself. He knew his friend was close, but he wanted his comfort before he fell to darkness's cold embrace.
Legolas and the guard walked by where Aragorn and Ceslon were working. He watched as his friend struggled just to stay on his feet.
"Lazy slave," the guard muttered before walking over to where Aragorn was.
Legolas' eyes widened. He knew what the guard was going to do to Aragorn and he didn't want to witness it. He walked quickly after the guard, hoping to save his friend from a beating.
"Come here, Estel!" the guard demanded.
Legolas watched as his friend tensed and began to shake slightly. He doubted that Aragorn would be able to remain conscious through this torture session. He looked into Aragorn's eyes and saw defiance. Legolas smiled slightly to himself; they had not broken his best friend yet.
Aragorn walked over to the guard. He knew he was about to be beaten for not working fast enough. He looked back at Ceslon, who was averting his eyes and trying to work as fast as possible. Aragorn turned his gaze to Legolas and locked eyes with his friend. Do not interfere, Legolas. It will not help me, or you, he silently willed his friend. Hoping the elf would understand.
Legolas looked deep into Aragorn's eyes and read the message his friend was trying to give him silently. He wanted so much to strike down the guard and take his friend out of there. He stayed silent, however, and bit his tongue when Aragorn was shoved the floor and forced to his knees.
The guard smiled sadistically and unclipped the whip from his belt. He turned to Legolas and held the offending item towards the elf-prince. "Would you like to teach him a lesson?"
Aragorn shivered at the cold tone of the guard's voice and wished he would just hurry up. He knew Legolas would not take the whip from the guard, knowing his friend hated what was happening.
Legolas shook his head. "No, thank you," he said politely.
The guard chuckled and turned to Aragorn. "Remove your shirt, Slave."
Aragorn whimpered slightly but removed his shirt.
Legolas hissed in sympathy when he saw his friend's back. It was decorated in dark green and yellow tinged bruises. His entire back was covered in purple welts and had a red tinge to the wounds. Legolas could see that the lash marks continued past his friend's waist and disappeared beneath his breeches. He was sure that if Aragorn removed his breeches he would have bruises on his legs.
The guard raised the whip above his head and let it land on Aragorn's back. The lash drew blood on the second lick and Aragorn cried out hoarsely by the tenth fall. "Stupid, lazy slave!" the guard muttered while he whipped Aragorn.
Legolas' heart wrenched at every crack of the lash and at every moan, whimper, and cry that escaped Aragorn's lips. He couldn't stand to watch a person being tortured, especially if that person was his friend. He looked away and wiped the tears out of his eyes. He couldn't watch this!
Aragorn tried hard not to let the screams erupt from his throat; he didn't want his friend to think he was weak. He couldn't help crying out though; it was just so painful on his already shredded back. He felt the touch of unconsciousness and quickly fell into its embrace.
The guard stopped as soon as Aragorn had passed out and clipped his whip back on his belt. He heard someone yelling and snapped his head around to see a guard running towards him. He looked at Legolas. "Excuse me, Your Grace. I must return inside. One of the slaves will walk you back to the house - they have to take this worthless one inside anyway," he said apologetically.
Legolas nodded tightly and watched as the guard ran off. He hated the guard for what he had done to his friend. He hated seeing his friend in so much pain. It just wasn't fair to Aragorn! His friend was so young; he didn't need to be exposed to the horrors in the world.
Ceslon had watched the whipping and now that the guard was gone he hesitantly walked to Aragorn's side. He would take his friend inside and put him to bed; he would be safe in the house.
Legolas went over to Aragorn's side and looked at Ceslon who lowered his gaze. "I mean you no harm," Legolas whispered.
Ceslon backed up. "Please, I didn't do anything; just let me take Estel inside."
Legolas shook his head. "No, let me look at him first."
Ceslon glared. "Why? So you can laugh at what the guards do to us?"
Legolas was taken aback by the anger. "No, I…"
Aragorn moaned and stirred. His eyes opened slowly and focused on Legolas. "I want to go home, mellon-nin," he whispered in Elvish before passing out again.
Legolas closed his eyes tightly to keep from shedding the tears that wanted to fall. He had been reunited with his friend, but at what cost?
Reviewer Responses:
DreaminofLorien: Oh yes. Legolas sure would be unhappy. I know I wouldn't be thrilled to learn of my friend being sold into slavery. Thank you, I am happy you think this is great writing. I'm trying! Ooo wouldn't you like to know what I have in store for our dear Ranger. ::grin::
Wolf Jade: Thank you, I am happy you liked the chapter. Oh I know! Poor Aragorn and Legolas. They both have to suffer so much! Ahh, but I think your hopes are in vain. Heehee.
Shadowfaxgal7: Oh I know! Poor Estel! I would love to kill Lord Nelkoo as well. Oh of course there will be more twins! I love the twins! Don't worry. You will see them again! I know. It's weird that there weren't any author alerts. I had to go check out my favorite authors and see what they had written. I found quite a lot actually. Tell your friend that they are brilliant!
Mornflower: Hm…are you new to my reviewing circle? It seems that you are, for I don't remember you. ::smile:: I am happy you like the story! YAY for Legolas and Aragorn!!! I know, poor Estel!
Elana: Heehee, I am happy you like this chapter. Hm…your pit is close…but not close enough. Maybe this chapter will clear things up?
Lindahoyland: Heehee, I hope you continue to enjoy it. I am sorry that the warning made it worse. ::grin:: ok…not too sorry. I hope you continue to enjoy the fic!
Iluvia negra: Heehee! I am so happy you are enjoying it! I hope you continue to like it! Here is the update you so want!
Nietta: I know! Stupid ::grumbles angrily:: Heehee. I think your idea might just be correct. ::grin::
Grumpy: Oh I know! Estel needs to leave and NOW! Legolas better think of something quick!
Beling: LOL! I loved your comments on the swampland. It really made me laugh. Yes, I was tired of the regular twisted villain and I decided to invent Lord Nelkoo. Oh he is twisted, but he is different. More like a real slave owner in my opinion. (Not that I know what a slave owner is like, but…oh I think you understand!)
Catmint: Heehee! I am happy you have forgotten! It makes the reading even better for you! Don't worry about the twins. Soon they will appear and things will be better for them! I promise! Here is the update you and so many others crave!
Linuvial Greenleaf: Now you, mellon-nin. Where do I start? I know you love my fic (you tell me on IM all the tim). But still…you are a smeejee. ::grin:: I loved hearing about your fugitive. ::sniggles:: Trust you to give me your wrong address. ::sighs:: Good thing you didn't! Heehee. I just thought it was funny that you are capable of it. I hope you can finish that tree soon! Oh, and dont hurt the mail lady too badly!
A/n Read and review! I know you want to!
