(-)Chapter 4(-)

A week later Aragorn woke to a groan, he mumbled something to himself and turned over, trying to go back to sleep. This failed when he heard the noise again.

He glanced over in the direction of the noise but couldn't see a thing through his blurry eyes in the middle of the night. It was cloudy as well and it blocked out any light there could possibly be from the moon and stars and left the world in a dreary darkness that seemed to devour the land and all in it with it's desirous hands that could annihilate anything it came across with naught but a touch. Aragorn shuddered slightly at the thought of it.

He crawled over to the chained being that seemed to be finally waking, ignoring the slight headache that made itself known at the thought of the elves.

He eyed the dark individual with a nervous look and edged closer slowly, poking at him slightly as if trying to wake him.

The light-haired being's eyes slowly flit open as he woke from his dark world of oblivion.

Aragorn immediately leaped away as the nearly glowing eyes slowly glanced around the camp. He hid himself behind one of the tents, a look of pain on his face.

He leaped a foot with a partial yelp before it was smothered by someone's hand and he froze.

"Calm Ruith, 't is just I."

Aragorn sagged slightly and nodded.

Sardyn cocked his head to the side slightly, "What is it? You looked at though you were in pain."

Aragorn nodded, "He woke."

"Who?"

"Elf," he pointed around the corner, "his eyes... made it hurt more than before... they were... so full of pain..."

Sardyn carefully peaked around the corner and frowned as he turned back, "I see no pain in them... but I have no doubt he still feels said pain."

Aragorn sighed then, "He didn't seem evil."

Sardyn smiled down at him, "Not all elves are evil remember?"

"Just as not all men are," he nodded, ducking automatically as the other made to ruffle his hair again.

Sardyn looked surprised at the reaction and grinned, "Finally learning to think for yourself?"

Aragorn stood in surprise, "I... didn't mean to..."

"It is well! But, remember not to do that with anyone else, they will not look upon in kindly. With me it is fine, you know this."

Aragorn managed a nervous smile.

"Fast reflexes," Sardyn commented in amused surprise.

Aragorn shrugged slightly and yawned.

Sardyn smiled, "Go back to sleep, I'll deal with him, worry not."

"Deal with?" Aragorn found himself worrying slightly.

"Make sure he is all right," Sardyn cocked his head to the side, "you know I would not hurt him."

Aragorn nodded, "I know, sorry."

Sardyn just smiled, "Sleep."

Aragorn smiled slightly and went back to his bed, which was naught but a blanket and a rolled up cloak.

(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

Kelanus circled the newly awoken elf with a smirk, "Finally decided to wake up. Did my men hit you too hard? I'll have to make sure they know not to hit so hard next time."

Legolas glared at the man, still trying to remember how they had been captured.

"Are you not even slightly interested in what I want with you?"

Legolas continued to glare.

"Well, I'll tell you then," he muttered sarcastically, "you see, we're headed to slave sale just past Bree, you can get a good price for an elf there."

Legolas refused to allow the man to see the fear that suddenly sprung up inside him, memories of his last enslavement leaping in front of his eyes.

"Of course, I'd get a better price for a broken elf," he smirked, "so, do you want to do this the easy way... or the hard way?"

Legolas continued to glare at the man, his gaze not wavering in the least, even when the man pulled out a long, barbed whip.

Kelanus glanced up with a wicked grin, still fingering the blood-stained leather, "The last person I used this on, is now my most prized slave. Does everything you ask of him without a second glance. Oh how I hate him."

Legolas felt an odd sense of foreboding but quickly shook it off, knowing what was coming and not being surprised when the cruelly designed torture device dug into his flesh, catching it on the barbs and tearing it painfully as the human jerked it down.

The elf's blood caused the dried blood of the previous torture victim to seem to melt back to it's liquid state and mix with the brighter blood of the elf.

Legolas turned his eyes away in disgust.

It did not take long for the elf to want to scream. He held it back, though, refusing to give the man the 'gift' he was looking for. His wounds felt as though a million irate wargs had raked their claws down his back, sides and chest.

Kelanus growled slightly, then grinned again, "That is fine. A few days and you wont be so strong."

He gripped the ropes that were holding the elf in a position much as Aragorn's had been under a tall tree. Untying the ropes he and another man hoisted the elf off his feet, then Kelanus left the other man to hold the elf up while he retied the ropes.

The other man then simply let go of the elf, causing said elf to fall about a foot before being jerked to a halt nearly two feet above the ground.

Legolas ground his teeth as the rope cut into his wrists, immediately beginning to turn red. His wounds were pulled tight and spasmed in pain.

Kelanus smirked, "I suppose I'll speak to you again in a couple days."

Legolas glared at the man again.

One man made his way over to his leader, "The dark-haired elves woke up."

"I'll deal with them when I'm done with this one, one at a time. Besides, allowing them to watch this one being tortured while they go unharmed will only hurt them all the more."

"Of course sir."

"Bodruith!" he called suddenly.

Aragorn immediately leaped up from where he sat, glancing over at the elf who was hung from a tree, his back facing them, he jerked at the pain that shot through his head and immediately turned back to Kelanus, his eyes lowered, "Yes master?"

"Go with Sardyn and catch something for lunch will you?"

Aragorn nodded.

Sardyn stood, "Should he be given a weapon? He will not be of any help if he cannot hunt."

"Fine. Give him a dagger."

Sardyn nodded and the two left.

Aragorn glanced over at the man as soon as they were out of sight, "Why did he hurt the elf?" he sounded shocked.

Sardyn sighed, he had known this question was coming, "Well... he wants the elf to be a slave too."

Aragorn frowned, "But the elf isn't a slave... he is free."

"Kelanus does not wish him to be."

"But that is unfair! Master should not take those who do not wish to be enslaved."

Sardyn glanced over at him oddly, "Of course not, but no slave wishes to be a slave."

"I don't really mind it... I mean... it isn't fun but... I don't know what it's like not to be one."

"You used to know what it was like to be free."

Aragorn's eyes widened slightly, a look of fascination entering his eyes, "Did you like me before?"

Sardyn bit his lip, "I... I did not know you well before."

"How come?"

"You did not speak to anyone... you simply wished to be... free."

"Oh," his eyes seemed to dim slightly, "then why did he keep me?"

"He wanted to break you."

Aragorn's eyes widened, "He beat me? That is where the wounds came from?"

Sardyn nodded reluctantly, not wishing to tell him too much.

Aragorn noticed the hooded man's uneasiness and dropped the subject reluctantly, "Let's hunt then."

(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

Sardyn smiled slightly as he entered the camp again.

Kelanus glanced up from his spot by the fire, "A deer? Very good Sardyn."

"But it was not I who caught sir, it was Ruith who did so."

Kelanus frowned unhappily, "Bodruith," he corrected.

"Does it matter sir? That name seems to be too dignified for one of his stature."

Kelanus narrowed his eyes and growled but shook his head, "Fine."

Sardyn smirked under the cover of his hood at his small victory.

Kelanus called over a couple men, "Clean it and cook it," he grumbled.

The two immediately did as asked.

Sardyn smiled at Aragorn approvingly, "Good catch," he whispered, with a wink he knew the man couldn't see.

A/N

Elven Kitten: Muaha! Free from the evilness that is bindings!

Elf Side: I let you free...

E.K.: What's your point?

E.S.: Why do you insist on asking that acursed question!

E.K.: I dunno...

E.S.: Twitches and approaches threateningly with crazed look

E.K.: Uh oh...

Jocelyn Elrondion - lol, oh yes... Brandishes branch wickedly hehehehe... Whack... :P lol, Everyone loves Legolas and the twins! Who wouldn't:P :) Thank you for the compliments! And it'll be a fairly long one, not long compared to some... but I'm hoping it'll be my longest one yet. I've written way ahead of myself and there are already 21 chapters done... lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter:P

Aranna Undomiel - Lol, painful... XP heh, poor elves... it'll be pretty hard for them I'm sure. I'm glad you enjoyed that part :P but it's going to be a while before there will be more happiness... XP lol hope you liked the chapter!

IwishChan - Nopeses, they would of course be looking, but they wont find them either way... :). I'm glad you enjoyed that little bit of happiness. :P

MicroChips - lol, right, of course... lol, goes to check nope... not there... lol, oh yesh... rather... EVIL! Muahahaha... XP lol, hyper is fun... hyper is good... fun and good... good and fun... :D:D:D:D:D

horsiegurl - Yupses, two being his brother's and one is his closest friend! At least he's not alone :)

Nessa Ar-Feiniel - Oh yes, they will be... eventually anyhow... XP

E.K.: Is hanging upside down from a tree and attempting to look as though nothing is wrong

Ranger Side: Appears out of no where anywho, since spring break is almost over CRY! we've decided to post a new chapter every day... 'till Saturday... possibly Sunday but it's unlikely... but anyhow, here's Thursday's! (Yes when this was written and posted it was Thursday... though 10:30... w/e... XP)

E.S.: Seems normal again So, we'll see you tomorrow then! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and we can't wait for your reviews!

R.S.: Namarie!

Elenmeoi