Morning light was just beginning to streak the sky as the slaves made their out of their tents for morning round up. Aragorn was silent as he followed Cabed out of the tent. Talking to the other slaves last night had not gone well. It was as Sircyn had said, they were afraid. Some of them had never been free and although all of them wanted it, it seemed to them a dream either too dangerous, or too impossible to achieve.
To Aragorn's distress, even Cabed had been hesitant. Not that he didn't want to do whatever he could to help Aragorn, but he had his family and his people to think about. If something went wrong... there would be bloodshed and many, many of the slaves would pay with their lives. Not everyone was sure it was worth the risk.
The guards worked their way up the line of slaves, barking orders. Talft and Lur usually gave no more than a cursory glance to see that everyone was there before letting them go about their work, but this morning when they reached the Simbani huts they looked around in disgust.
"Where's the other one?" Talft demanded.
"Sircyn was injured yesterday sir, he'll be able to work again by tomorrow, I'll pull his load 'til then," Cabed explained quietly. This sort of thing was not usually a problem, for Rhuddryn wanted his slaves kept in good health and good condition. Cabed and his people were hard workers and did not shirk their jobs, so most times when they said someone was too ill to work, they were taken at their word. Technically Sircyn should probably have rested even longer than they said, but his family knew to take it one day at a time and see how he was in the evening.
Lur shook his head impatiently. "I know that!" he snapped. "I don't mean him, I mean the other northerner."
"He's not well enough yet," Aragorn spoke up, but tried to keep his voice and his eyes down. "He's still very weak, Master said..."
"The Master is tired of playing nursemaid to worthless slaves." Bypassing Aragorn, Cabed and Mambre, Lur entered the tent behind them, even as Talft spoke.
"He says no more rest for this one, either he pulls his weight or we let the taergs have 'em," Lur did not give the elf a chance to comply willingly, but half dragged, half jerked Legolas out of the tent by his arm and threw him forward, sending the prince sprawling on the ground near Talft's feet.
Legolas sucked his breath in sharply as his injured back hit the ground and curled protectively around his broken ribs. He was better, but he could tell his body was far from fully healed of the very vicious abuse that the two guards had inflicted upon him at Rhuddryn's bidding not so long ago.
"On your feet, lazy scum," Talft kicked Legolas none-too-gently in the stomach and the elf gasped softly as the pain exploded across his battered ribcage.
Aragorn tensed, his hand curling into fists at his side and he started to move forward, but Cabed's warning hand shot out to hold him back. "Adrar!" he whispered firmly when Aragorn almost attempted to push past him. Aragorn getting into trouble would not help Legolas.
Silently Cabed willed the guards to hurt the elf no further, both for Legolas' sake and Aragorn's, because he knew that the young man they called Adrar would not long stand by and see this happen. Aragorn had been visibly changing since his memory returned. He was bolder, no longer so afraid and no longer content to play the part of the subservient slave. While Cabed was glad for Adrar's healed mind, he was gravely worried it was going to get the young northerner into serious trouble.
Legolas pulled himself quickly, if unsteadily, to his feet and for the moment at least the guards left him alone, yelling at the slaves to stop gawking and get on with their jobs.
Aragorn quickly made his way to Legolas' side, steadying his friend and offering the elf his shoulder to lean on if he needed it. Legolas gripped the young ranger's arm tightly for a moment as he gathered his strength, but then eased up and let go, trying to show Aragorn that he was all right and could walk on his own.
"I'll be all right," Legolas still had one arm pressed tightly against his throbbing ribs, but smiled at his friend. "But you'll have to show me what to do."
Aragorn nodded, not entirely convinced, but allowing the elf do as he wished. The ranger tried to keep close to Legolas as they went out to the fields, but had to run ahead when one of the fidgety, wild oliphaunts that had been brought into the tame herd a few days ago nearly broke free of its fencing again, narrowly missing goring Cabed as it had Sircyn the day before.
Aragorn quickly helped the older slave calm the huge creature and shore up the fence. That done he looked around for Legolas, who should have caught up with them by now, even moving as slow as he was.
However, when his searching gaze finally found his friend, a violent red haze obscured the ranger's vision.
"Adrar! No!" Cabed called after him, but the young northerner was already running for the edge of the clearing and the elder Haradrim could not stop him this time.
When Aragorn ran on ahead to help with the oliphaunt, Legolas had increased his speed to catch up, but something shoved between his feet from behind nearly tripped him. Even weakened, his elven reflexes kept him from falling, but he stumbled and wobbled somewhat unsteadily. He heard the guards behind him laugh.
"What's the matter Tyndel?" Talft mocked. "Not so quick on your feet anymore? I wonder why..." the disagreeable man smirked because he knew exactly why and all that had been done to the elf.
"Not used to being on this side of things, are you? Not so tough now that you can't boss us around like we're beneath you, huh? I'll bet one of the oliphaunts steps on him right away," Lur chuckled unpleasantly.
Legolas ignored them, straightening his shoulders and continuing on.
"Hey!" Lur grabbed the elf's arm from behind and spun him around roughly. "Don't you walk away when we're talking to you *slave*! You're as bad at listening as the half-wit! Do none of you northerners have any sense under those bleached hides of yours?"
Legolas tensed, anger and fear chasing themselves around inside him. His memories of the feel of these men's hands on his arms the last time, as they held him on his knees and beat him unconscious, not once, not even just twice... filled his senses and a queasy shiver of dread ran up his spine. Fear was a feeling that Legolas hated, but one he could not deny.
"You know, he hasn't been properly initiated yet Lur. Why, he doesn't have any understanding of what it means to be a slave yet, do you?" Talft taunted as Lur twisted the elf's arm behind his back and dragged him into the shadows of the trees edging the field.
Legolas remembered what Aragorn had said, about how the guards would only abuse the slaves out of sight, where they couldn't be caught at their sport, and started to struggle; but a swift, cruel blow to his already hurting ribs quickly put an end to that.
"No?" Lur smiled evilly. "Well, mister better-than-everyone-else, here's your first lesson, fast and hard." He cuffed the elf upside the head hard and pressed him face-first against the bole of the huge tree, rubbing Legolas' twisted arm roughly into the still healing welts between the prince's bare shoulders.
Legolas gasped and squirmed in pain, his injured body protesting loudly. A swift blow dropped him to his knees. Strong hands held him there. The elf's body panicked and he thrashed against his captors no matter how useless it was. Not again. Not again. He couldn't do this again. He couldn't... fear chased all reason from his mind.
"No!" Aragorn, surprising the guards by his sudden appearance, dropped to his knees protectively behind Legolas, putting himself between his friend and the guards. Aragorn felt the prince's back tremble against his chest, but the elf shook his head. "N-no, Arag-Adrar, go back to work, please." Legolas' voice was ragged and unsteady and Aragorn could hear the raw fear hiding behind the brave words. It made his heart burn. He may not have been able to do anything about what these people had done to Legolas before, but he'd be damned if he was going to let them hurt him again!
Talft jerked Aragorn away from Legolas, growling angrily. "You get in our way ever again and you're food for the taergs, no matter what the boss says, got it Adrar?"
Aragorn could not hide the defiant glimmer in his glance and the guard's eyes narrowed. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but maybe if you have to watch what we do to this one, you'll remember your place a little better!"
Lur shook out his whip, standing behind Legolas to illustrate his partner's words. "You heal quick," he observed the closing cuts and welts they had given the elf last time. "Maybe you need to be freshened up a little."
Legolas tensed and pressed his forehead against the smooth bark of the tree, his hands trembling no matter how hard he tried to be calm. Running was useless, in the shape he was in he would never make it far anyway, but his heart was in his throat and his body was screaming at him that it could not take another beating like this, not again, not so soon.
Aragorn saw the way Legolas was shaking and visibly drawing in on himself and something inside the ranger snapped. His friend hadn't reacted this badly to men since Taradin had mistaken the elf for Hebrilith and he couldn't stand seeing the prince in such fear and pain. Lashing out with unexpected violence for one they considered too dim-witted to put up any planned resistance, Aragorn wrenched free of Talft and yanked the whip out of Lur's hand. The startled guard tried to grab the young ranger, and Aragorn dodged, swinging out automatically and punching Lur in the jaw.
The man stumbled and fell backward, unconscious.
Talft's eyes were huge and quickly filled with rage as they bored into the ranger.
Aragorn stood very still for a moment, looking down at Lur and realizing what he had done. He had committed the worst transgression any slave could ever commit, he had struck an overseer. The part of him that had been trained to think like a slave felt a hot slick of panic pass through his insides, but the other half of him felt stubbornly glad, no matter what was going to happen to him because of this.
Legolas rose unsteadily, touching Aragorn's shoulder lightly as he too looked down at Lur's unconscious form.
For all his bluster, Talft truly was a coward underneath and did not want to have to stand up to the two slaves by himself. Backing up, he glared at them, most of his ire directed at Aragorn. "You're in *so* much trouble boy, you have no idea! I'll be back, and you had better be here or I'll let Cabed or Sircyn take whatever you've got coming!" Turning, he ran off to get some of the other overseers.
Aragorn let his breath out slowly, his knees suddenly feeling like they didn't want to hold him anymore as the initial adrenaline drained out of his body. He eased down onto the grass and knelt with his hands leaning on his thighs. He had really done it this time. It was barely morning and he had already gotten himself into trouble so deep he wasn't sure where it was going to leave him. He knew how Seobryn had dealt with it when he'd struck out at someone over him... but if Talft were just going to beat him, he would have done that already.
Legolas knelt by his friend's side. He wanted to tell the young human that he should not have done it, but he knew he would have done no different if their positions had been reversed. "I'm sorry," his blue eyes sought the grey ones next to him. "I'm so sorry." He felt this was all his fault.
"It's not your fault Legolas, and I don't regret it, you hear? I *don't*!" the ranger's soft voice was fierce as he squeezed his friend's hand where it rested against his shoulder.
Cabed and Mambre, with Kidrin tagging close behind as always, reached the spot a few moments later, taking in the scene, and the still unconscious Lur, understanding what must have happened. Cabed's eyes searched between Legolas and Aragorn. It was Aragorn who sighed and looked away.
"Oh Adrar..." Mambre murmured, pain filling her deep, dark eyes. Cabed knelt opposite Legolas on the other side of the young man that he had taken into his home as part of his family.
"You do this Adrar?" he nodded dispassionately towards Lur.
Aragorn nodded. "They were beating Legolas again, they wanted to make me watch... I'm sorry Cabed. I just couldn't do it. Talft told me to wait here," he said softly. Aragorn knew that if he did not obey, either his little family, or some other hapless slave would pay for this, and he wouldn't see that happen.
Mambre and Cabed exchanged anguished looks. Neither of them knew exactly what would be done, because nothing like this had ever happened to them before, but they knew it would not be good, or easy.
"What? What's going on? Is he dead? I hope he's dead. I don't like him. He's mean. Is something bad gonna happen to Adrar?" Kidrin's eyes were large as he poked at Lur's still body and tried to understand his parent's concern.
"Shh, hush child. He's not dead, unfortunately," Mambre muttered the last part under her breath. "Go on back, help your sister now, all right? There's a good boy." She sent the child away, turning back to Aragorn once the little boy had reluctantly taken his leave.
She checked Lur, and found that he was indeed fine, although he would doubtless have a killer headache, which she hoped he would feel for a very long time.
Cabed was talking quietly to Aragorn.
Loud, angry voices reached them and they looked up to see Talft and several of the other guards approaching quickly.
Aragorn rose to his feet. Cabed and Mambre both gave him an encouraging hug. "Be brave Adrar," Mambre whispered, not wanting to release him. The two Haradrim backed off a little, but Legolas did not move, staying by Aragorn's side, his hand resting on the young human's shoulder.
"Him," Talft nodded his head towards Aragorn and several of the other guards quickly took the young slave by the arms. At his side, Legolas tensed. "See, there he is, poor Lur! I told you boss, that half-wit attacked us!"
Rhuddryn himself was there and frowned deeply. The master rarely came out to the fields in person, so this was obviously a serious occasion.
"I doubt very much that his actions were completely unprovoked," Rhuddryn's voice was dry as he leveled his underling with an even stare. "HOWEVER, there is nothing that justifies striking one of your betters, even you should understand that Adrar," the slave owner turned his gaze on Aragorn, and the young man dropped his eyes, knowing he could not let Rhuddryn see the change that had been working in him.
Rhuddryn turned his gaze on the elf next to Adrar, his eyes narrowed. "You, I think are going to be more trouble than you're worth. I blame you for this Tyndel, the boy's not all there upstairs and you're the one that got him into trouble. Not that that excuses him, but it implicates you. So you can both share the penalty. Talft," he turned back to the guard. "You and some of the others take these two out to the salt flats. Give them no water and make sure they put in a full day's work. Understood? All right then-"
Cabed and Mambre had both stiffened. "If it please you sir," Cabed spoke up quietly, something he would never have dreamed of doing if he weren't so distressed. "Adrar's never been conditioned to working out there... he could die. I've done it before. Let me go in his place."
Mambre gripped his arm tightly, but Cabed let his offer stand. The salt flats were a harsh, unforgiving desert. Temperatures there routinely soared far above what the human body could safely handle and slaves had to be gradually exposed and worked up to it to be able to work in those conditions. Throwing two people in there cold, with no conditioning at all, was a nearly certain death sentence.
Rhuddryn glared at the slave. "If they die then they are an even better example for the rest of you. Don't you start giving me trouble too Cabed. I am in no mood to be trifled with any further." The master's eyes were dangerous. "What is everyone standing around for? Back to work unless you all want to be mining salt today! Talft, get those two troublemakers moving, *now*!"
Everyone obeyed and Aragorn and Legolas were tied up, hands strung in front of them on lead-lines, and moved out. Mambre buried her face on her husband's shoulder and Cabed wrapped his arm around her as they moved numbly back to work. Whatever would they tell Sircyn?
In their hearts they feared that they had learned to love only to lose again. Adrar was strong... but could he and his friend possibly survive the harsh and deadly heat of the flats? They didn't know. All they could do was hope.
Aragorn and Legolas were hitched up behind a flatbed wagon which Talft and another guard drove. A snap of the reins started the mule team moving and so began the first leg of their arduous journey and they had a feeling things were only going to get worse.
Aragorn looked across at Legolas and sighed. "Well, this is just like old times, isn't it?"
Legolas almost smiled. "At least you have old times to remember again," he said quietly, talking too soft for the guards in the front of the wagon to hear him.
The young human nodded, twisting his wrists slightly in their bonds in an effort to ease the tension a little. "Yes, I do... and do you want to tell me why it is that most of them I have with you in them involve situations like this?"
Despite everything, Legolas was glad to see that old familiar glint in Aragorn's eyes once more. He had missed his friend's spark and odd sense of humor more than he could say.
"That, Strider, may remain a mystery forever," he smiled gently. "Let's just try to survive this one, all right?"
The trip out to the salt flats was not a short one and it was already mid-morning by the time they reached them. Dry, cracked earth, a blindingly shimmering white, stretched out for miles in each direction. There were no trees here, no cover whatsoever, just acre upon acre of flat, salt-crusted earth. Once upon a time there must have been a large body of water here, but it had long ago dried up, leaving behind only its sediments and a dry, scorching desert.
The signs of previous mining were evident in the lines, furrows and ridges carved into the flat earth here and there, however there were no other slaves out here right now. Salt mining was usually done in the early morning or late evenings, or during the cooler months of the year. Only as punishment were slaves ever forced to work in midday heat.
Heat rose in shimmering waves off of the baked earth; the bleached, white salt flats intensifying the sun's rays as it reflected them, so that the extreme warmth was not only coming from above, but below as well. The bright glare hurt their eyes and both Aragorn and Legolas had to squint, and put their hands in front of their faces before they could become adjusted to it.
Talft and Nalb, the other overseer, cut the slaves' hands free and prodded them further out into the flats. Flat-ended hoes and shovels were given them, along with a wheeled barrow and they were instructed to remove the top layer of earth and salt crystals into the barrow, which was then emptied into many large wooden crates that formed a line some distance away. Later the crates would be carted off and the salty earth processed and distilled by some means that Legolas and Aragorn were unfamiliar with as their captors had not seen fit to speak to them unless absolutely necessary. Some of the finished product was used in the feed given the Oliphaunts, Aragorn knew, having mixed the stuff often enough. It was also essential for the livelihood of cattle, and although Rhuddryn raised none himself, he sold his excess salt product to those who did.
After delivering their instructions in a short and terse manner, the two overseers retreated to the shade of a small sheltered canopy, erected for just such a purpose, on the far northern edge of the field. The two Haradrim could not take the heat of the flats and had no intention of frying with the slaves they guarded. From the shade under the canopy, they could watch the slaves well enough, and see that they did not attempt to escape; although such a notion would have been sheer foolishness, for making a break out here would only mean certain death in the desert.
Left with the strict warning that slacking on the job would result in harsh punishment, Legolas and Aragorn had nothing to do but take the tools given them and go to work.
The sun crawled slowly and torturously across the sky. By the time it was near the waning hours of the most intense midday heat the two slaves' situation had become unbearable.
Aragorn felt as if the heat were an actual, physical enemy that was trying to overcome him. Unfortunately, it was winning. The hot air and scorching sun made them perspire heavily, and with no water to replace what was lost, both friends were feeling the effects of the dehydration.
As an elf, the extreme heat in and of itself did not affect Legolas as severely as Aragorn, but the prince's still healing injuries made him weaker than usual, and on top of that, his fair, un-weathered skin did not take well to the harsh glare. Over the past several months Aragorn's skin had bronzed and built up a protection to the sun, but Legolas' had not had that opportunity, and his exposed face, arms, chest and back began to let him know it. It took him far longer to burn than it would have for a human, but by this point in the day his healing back had begun to throb mercilessly once again, and his own perspiration stung his arms and chest.
Legolas watched Aragorn with concern. The young human's face was flushed and he had become increasingly sluggish in his movements and disoriented in his actions. Covering his dark hair with his hands for a moment, Aragorn tried to ease the intensity of the sun for a brief respite. His head was swimming and he felt ill.
"Aragorn!" Legolas said his name in alarm when the ranger fell suddenly to his knees.
Becoming ill in a reaction to the intolerable conditions, Aragorn's insides heaved and his stomach emptied without his consent.
Legolas stood behind his friend, letting his shadow fall across the human and holding Aragorn's shoulders gently as the young man retched miserably. Legolas knew his friend couldn't help his body's actions, but he was alarmed, because he knew that the Dùnadan could ill afford to lose anymore moisture.
Aragorn leaned weakly back against Legolas' legs. "I don't feel so good," he murmured. It was a massive understatement.
"I know," Legolas held Aragorn lightly against him, his shadow providing the only shade there was as he attempted to shield his friend from the sun's merciless rays. He wished there was something more he could do. "I know you don't."
"I wish I was an elf..." the ranger whispered somewhat hoarsely. He tried to smile, but his parched lips did not fully cooperate with him. "This is always happening to me... sun, snow, burning, freezing... and you're always stuck trying to deal with my weaknesses... I'm sorry Legolas, I'm always such a burden to you, I wish..." he wasn't making a lot of sense, even to himself, but Legolas squeezed his shoulders tightly.
"I wouldn't have you be anything other than what you are my friend. Your strengths and your weaknesses alike are dear to me Aragorn, by now you must know that. You have never been a burden to me and you never will be, anymore than you consider me to have been to you. We'll make it through this like we have everything else. Evening will come, this can't last forever Aragorn, it will be all right," the elf soothed gently.
Aragorn nodded with difficulty, but his body was telling him otherwise. "I-I can't breathe Legolas... the air is so thick..." he held his chest, leaning forward. Suddenly Legolas felt his friend's body go slack against him and caught the young man before he toppled limply sideways.
"Aragorn! Aragorn, stay with me," Legolas eased the ranger gently to the blisteringly hot earth, wishing desperately for some single bit of shade or coolness to offer his friend.
"Legolas..." Aragorn murmured his name. "Legolas..."
Overturning the barrow and propping it up on the shovel handle, the elf tried to create a little protection for his friend. At this point he did not care if they got in trouble for not working. He had to do something or Aragorn was not going to make it.
Kneeling by his friend's side, and using his own body to shield the rest of the sun away, the prince ran his fingers swiftly through the ranger's dark, tangled locks, trying to cool the human's head somewhat. Aragorn's thick tresses were so hot they nearly burnt the elf's hand.
Aragorn's heart was racing and it was hard for him to breathe. His pounding heart demanded more oxygen, but the scorching, heavy air burned his lungs, making him pant helplessly as the heat wreaked havoc with his body.
Legolas felt Aragorn's pulse hammering beneath his fingertips when he held the human's wrist. Too fast, much too fast. Deep concern lined Legolas' face as he touched his friend's cheek. It was hot and flushed, but Aragorn was no longer perspiring. Legolas knew that when humans became so hot they stopped perspiring, they usually died.
Gently, Legolas laid his palm over his friend's racing heart. "Slowly Aragorn, breathe slowly," he soothed quietly in Elvish.
Aragorn had been trying to do just that, but Legolas' soft touch seemed to help and the elf's closeness calmed his body. However the very air itself continued to burn him like fire and his chest ached with the heat and need for oxygen.
Firmly but carefully, Legolas pressed his thumb down and a little up against the lower part of the ranger's sternum. Whether it actually did something useful, or just because it gave the human's overwrought body something else to think about, the contact, combined with the limited shade, seemed to ease Aragorn's breathing a little.
However, Legolas knew it was a battle against time, because if he could not bring Aragorn's body temperature down soon and get some fluids into him, severe and even fatal internal injury could result.
Removing the ranger's perspiration drenched shirt, Legolas whipped it rapidly around and around in a circle until it was as cool as anything could get out in the middle of this desert. He dabbed Aragorn's flushed face and pressed the cooled cloth against the base of his armpits, where the larger blood vessels were nearest to the surface, attempting to bring down the human's soaring temperature. The elf alternated between fanning Aragorn with the shirt, and spinning it to cool it off and using it that way. It was all he could do. He could only hope it would help.
Back under the canopy near the edge of the field, Nalb glanced over at Talft as he fanned himself with a large ananab leaf. Even in the shade the heat was oppressive out here, and the two overseers hated their job. "Talft, they stopped working. Should we do something?"
Talft wasn't even watching but was lying on the ground, his eyes closed, almost asleep. "And have to go all the way out there in this heat? In the full sun? You can if you want to. They're probably just dead anyway. I don't see how anything could survive these conditions."
Nalb nodded and went back to trying to keep cool. So long as the slaves weren't trying to get away, or doing anything else that would get them into trouble with their boss, they really didn't care what happened out there.
It seemed like ages that Legolas struggled to keep Aragorn's temperature below critical, and the ranger had long ago lapsed into unconsciousness, despite his friend's attempts to keep him awake and talking, but finally the sun did begin to ride down the western sky and the air began to cool at least a little.
The elf continued to kneel by his friend, so run-out that he did not hear the guards approach until Talft grabbed him roughly by the shoulder from behind and spun him partway round. Slapping Legolas hard across the face the overseer knocked the prince to the earth on his side. "If you're not dead, why aren't you working?" the Haradrim snapped harshly.
Legolas slowly wiped the blood from his mouth with the side of his hand, not bothering to try to answer such a stupid question. He wasn't sure he would have had the strength to formulate a reply anyway. Fortunately, one was not required and the overseers seemed interested only in getting out of there as quickly as they could.
Nalb was checking Aragorn.
"Is he dead?" Talft asked dispassionately, walking over and peering down at the unconscious northerner.
"Not yet," Nalb shook his head.
"You, carry him back to the cart," Talft commanded Legolas and it was one demand with which the elf was glad to comply. Scooping Aragorn up in his arms, Legolas made his way unsteadily back to the wagon that had brought them here, lying his friend carefully in the back and leaning heavily against the side.
Talft bound Legolas' hands once more, but didn't bother with Aragorn since he obviously was in no shape to go anywhere. Pushing Legolas away from Aragorn, Talft looped the other end of the elf's lead rope through the rear bar of the cart's frame as it had been on the way down. Legolas sank to his knees in exhaustion, his head spinning.
"You walk back. And if you fall, I'm not gonna stop, you understand?" Talft jerked the ropes tighter.
All Legolas could do was nod wearily. He knew Talft hated him, but he couldn't even muster up enough energy to hate the man back at the moment. He was spent and every spare shred of anything he had left in him had to go towards survival at this point.
Nalb looked a little unsure, the elf appeared ready to drop. "Talft... can't he just ride back with the other one?"
"I said no!" Talft snapped, rounding on his subordinate in irritation. "They didn't even put in a full day's work out there, so if he's still conscious then he is going to pull his own weight. Now come on, I want to get back before nightfall."
The journey back was a nightmare for Legolas. Dehydrated, hurting and exhausted, his only saving grace was that the cumbersome cart could not go too fast. He was glad that Aragorn was unconscious. The elf kept his eyes on his friend's still face as the wagon jostled and shook the limp ranger; refusing to let his mind take him back to the last time he had been bound and forced to follow human riders while in this much pain. That was a very long time ago, and those wounds were thankfully healed. He had to think of Aragorn now. Aragorn still needed him. Someone had to help the ranger when they got back. Fixing his friend as his goal to fight for, Legolas pushed himself on when his body wanted to quit.
Darkness was falling when they pulled back into the main estate and stopped. Legolas fell to his knees again as soon as they stopped moving. The nighttime air was cool and the elf shivered. The change from hot to cold, combined with the over-sensitivity of his sunburn was hard for his reeling body to deal with. Nalb cut Legolas free and Talft dumped Aragorn off the back of the wagon.
"You'd better hurry. You don't want to get caught out after curfew," Talft advised with a mocking smile as he and Nalb got back in the cart and rode off. "See you tomorrow!" he called back and the cruel humor in his voice was clear.
"What a pleasant thought," Legolas thought dryly, too parched and tired to speak aloud. Picking Aragorn up with effort, the elf made his way haltingly back to the Simbani family tent. His friend's weight was almost too much for him by this point, but somehow he made it.
Stumbling wearily through the tent door, he fell to his knees again and couldn't rise this time. The other slaves were all there and Legolas was barely aware of them taking Aragorn out of his arms. They were talking, but he couldn't hear their words. He could barely see their faces. His vision wavered uncertainly and he blinked several times to clear it. When he could see again Cabed was holding Aragorn and Mambre was sponging the young man's flushed face, while several other relatives were trying to keep Sircyn from jumping up and reopening the mending gash in his side.
"H-he needs water, they wouldn't give us any," Legolas forced out with effort, his voice hoarse and thick. "He was t-too hot, but it's cool n-now, he should be a-all right if he..." the prince suddenly found that his voice wasn't going to work anymore, but he couldn't think straight enough to finish his own sentence anyway, so it hardly mattered. He started to fall sideways, but strong, gentle hands caught him and he was lowered carefully onto a soft blanket. His head was lifted and a water gourd was put to his lips, which he accepted gratefully, once he had seen that the same was being done for Aragorn. His dry, swollen throat hurt to swallow, but the cool liquid was deliciously refreshing.
Mambre left Aragorn's side for a moment and came over to Legolas, laying the back of her cool hand against his cheek. The elf's normally fair skin was singed a painful shade of pink. He had a nasty sunburn and that was going to need some care.
Aragorn stirred in Cabed's arms and moaned softly. Legolas caught Mambre's wrist gently in his hand, his eyes finding hers for a moment. "Please," he whispered, his eyes going to Aragorn who was starting to wake up. "I'm all right. See to him first."
Mambre doubted very much that the elf was anywhere near all right, but she nodded and moved back to her husband and the young man they had adopted as another son.
"Now will you believe me?!" Sircyn glared fiercely at his father who would not return his son's angry gaze. "Maybe when we have lost these also, maybe that will be enough to make you listen! What will it take? The master's taergs are better cared for than we!" He was nearly shouting, but his anger was not directed solely at the occupants of the tent nor did it stem from them.
Mambre glanced at her son sorrowfully as he lowered his voice, emotions choking off his words as he spoke, "How many must we loose? Will they be like Sinar and Jabek and all the others the masters have take from us in order to make examples for us and to teach us? What will you do when it is Kidrin or Syna or myself? Must it go that far?" He swallowed hard, finally dropping his gaze to the floor; "I for one cannot let another one go. You made me accept Adrar as a kindred. Why? So I could lose him, watch him die slowly? It is time we stopped being slaves and acted as the people we are. Adrar is no slave. His friend has told me who he is. They will help us take the compound back as we told you; we have a plan, a good one. It can work. But we need your help." When he looked up once more there were tears in his eyes and Cabed was watching him intensely.
Legolas hardly dared to breathe in the still quiet of the tent that followed Sircyn's emotional outburst. It was up to Cabed now. Either he would help them or he and Aragorn would have to find another way to survive and escape their imprisonment.
"Please." Sircyn begged.
Shifting slightly on the blanket he lay on the elf turned his attention back to the elder. Aragorn stirred lightly, falling in and out of consciousness, drawing Cabed's gaze back to the young man. Shakily he brushed the hair from the northerner's flushed cheeks and stared down into the silver eyes that opened slowly.
"Cabed?" Aragorn tried to speak but the words would not come. He mouthed the man's name, barely whispering.
"He has a father." Sircyn's voice drew his elder's eyes back up to focus on him. "So do I. Don't I?"
"Yes. Yes you do." Cabed answered as Aragorn lost consciousness once more, his head falling gently against the older man's chest. "And you are right. Our people were not always slaves. We were once a proud people." The elder's voice was soft and remorseful, his thoughts focused far in the past to the stories he had heard about the way his people used to live.
Free...
"And you can be again." Legolas whispered, his voice rough and soft from the abuse of the heat. "Let us help you. Your son is right, you do not deserve to lose any more of your people. You are not goods or beasts to be worked and owned, you are people, just as much as anyone else. You should be free Cabed." Although soft, Legolas' tone was intense. He knew what it was to be owned, to be a treated as a thing and made to know how little you mattered... this wasn't his first experience with slavery and the months he had spent here watching all that went on had only confirmed his dislike of the despicable practice.
"You need to conserve your strength young one." Mambre knelt back next to the elf, as Syna passed her several large, thick leaves from what appeared to be a succulent plant. She rubbed the stems briskly in her dark hands.
The elf tried to smile at the woman, her choice of words warming his heart, but his lips hurt and they cracked when he moved them too much.
"They can figure out their problems without bothering the two of you. Much more out of either of you and it won't matter what you think. You won't be with us long, you understand me?" She was leaning over the prone elf, staring hard into his blue eyes, the tinges of a smile twitching the corners of her mouth.
With a simple nod Legolas acquiesced. He eyed the leaves she held, the soothing scent of their freshly broken stems just barely noticeable to his heightened senses.
Seeing his curiosity she held one of the fat, long leaves up so he could see it better. The skin of the leaf was tough and thick and the edges were covered in small, dark blunted barbs.
"Aerovala." She stated simply as she squeezed the plant. It oozed a thick green substance onto her fingers that she gently began spreading over Legolas' burned chest and arms as she explained, "We discovered it in the south mûmakil fields. Them creatures were breaking them open one day rubbing their tough hides against the broken stems. We found it is good for burns, it will help take the sting out."
The elf breathed in deeply, closing his eyes, and held his breath as the cooling gel from the plant soothed the unrelenting pain that had set in from his burned skinned. He'd had worse burns than this before; much worse, but the amount of skin that was affected this time had an undesirable effect on his nervous system. Legolas found himself shivering slightly as the evening breezes found their way in near the gaps under the bottom of the tent were it was pegged to the floor.
"I would rather you used this on Aragorn." Legolas spoke quietly to Mambre. "He is much worse than I."
"Hmph, so you have said. Cabed!" Mambre called back to her husband, interrupting his conversation with Sircyn. She did not bother turning to look at the man but kept a steady glare on the elf, her look somewhere between irritation and humor, "You bring Adrar over right now. I can get no cooperation out of this one when he is constantly worried about that boy."
"Mama we're planning out tomorrow what we need..." Sircyn answered, his protest cut off as his mother turned and glanced at him warningly.
"I don't care none what you be planning. You plan all you like, but you'll do what I say if you want your brother and his friend to survive." She snapped at the boy. "Syna go out and fetch more water and see if Tanani's clan has anymore Aerovala, take Dena with you and be careful, don't you be getting caught. I canna handle no more hurt children. Off with you now, quickly."
Cabed stood, carefully holding the ranger as Syna and her sister snuck out into the dark night. He walked Aragorn around the newly stoked fire, moving off towards the far wall of the tent away from the heat where Mambre was tending Legolas. Blankets were quickly spread out to receive the ranger as the family members gave up their sleeping spaces for the wounded.
"So we will go together tomorrow and defeat them?" Sircyn's soft voice broke in. The injured slave had ignored the others protests and picked up his bed, following his father and laying his blanket down on the other side of Legolas, slowly easing down onto it. "Tomorrow I will be well enough to go out with you. We can harvest all the nandani we need to drug the guards once the master is gone. The root is plentiful near the watering hole we will not be seen there. I know for certain that Nenil's clan will aid us. The master has been allowing them to oversee his wine cellars. And you know how the guards cannot stay out of them when he is gone. Nenil says if we supply them with enough nandani they will see to it that we will have no troubles from Talft and his men." Sircyn leaned over Legolas and touched Aragorn lightly as the ranger gained consciousness once more; the jostling of moving him from one place to another had woken him. "Adrar?"
The northerner watched the Haradrim blearily, his gaze roaming between Legolas and Sircyn. "I am dreaming?"
"No. You are not Estel." Legolas touched him very lightly; afraid of aggravating any burns the human may have sustained.
A small smile touched the ranger's lips; "You look awful."
Legolas rolled his eyes, trying to smile with cracked, dry lips, "I wouldn't be talking if I were you, human." He teased lightly.
"I wouldn't be talking at all if I were either of you. Now rest or I'll separate you again." Mambre chided, lifting Legolas head and touching a water gourd gently to his lips once more.
"Sircyn, tomorrow the Simbani will join you to overthrow the masters." Cabed's voice was soft and held the slightest tinge of resignation as he sat down next to Aragorn.
The silver-eyed human watched him carefully; "You should be free."
With a smile Cabed motioned with his head towards Legolas, "Your friend, he says the same thing."
"Well he's right." Aragorn spoke quietly, his voice just a whisper from the day's aggravation left under the merciless sun. The water they were forcing in him slowly was doing the trick and away from the heat of the fire his body was slowly cooling down. He noticed Legolas shivering and reached out to the elf shakily.
The prince carefully laid his palm in the upturned one offered him. Aragorn could feel the heat from the elf's burned skin and held Legolas' hand up to the dim light of the fire behind them.
"Legolas you are sunburned, badly." His brow furrowed in concern as he concentrated on the words he wanted to say.
"Is that your professional opinion?" The elf murmured softly, with a light chuckle. "Do not concern yourself." He was finally safe, Aragorn was conscious and they were in good hands. The burning from his abused skin had begun to subside and he allowed himself to calm down enough to rest. "The burn I got outside Eowioriand was much worse, this is nothing."
"Nothing?!" Aragorn spoke slowly, the word slurred as he glanced up at Mambre when she leaned over Legolas. Gently she took the elf's hand from her adopted son's and lathed it in the green, sticky ointment she squeezed from the prickly leaf before laying it back in the ranger's waiting hand. With a small smile the young northerner closed his eyes and relaxed, falling deeply into a much-needed sleep. His body was worn out beyond anything he could remember and his mind, unable to even form words anymore, sought release. The coolness of evening had finally descended just like Legolas had promised and the quiet darkness was a soothing comfort. He sighed deeply as sleep stole his thoughts away.
"Estel? Estel!" Legolas struggled weakly against Mambre but she held him gently down.
"You leave that one alone now," She chided, "He's only resting and he needs his sleep he does. His body is finally cooling off." She gently pressed the backs of her fingers against Aragorn's cheek, nodding to herself, pleased with the fact that his skin was not as hot as it had been. "He'll be down for a few days. You'll have plenty of time to talk with him then." She silenced the elf's arguments with a soft smile.
A cool hand lay gently on Legolas forehead and stilled his attempts to rise. It was Sircyn. "You are in no better shape, relax. Mambre knows what to do. Unfortunately being over come by the heat is something we are very familiar with." He smiled at the elf as he rested on his side, propped up on his elbow. "Besides Adrar would have my hide if I let you hurt yourself." He quickly moved into a sitting position and grabbed the edges of a lightweight sheet that Mambre unfurled, shaking it out over the elf's prone body. Between the two of them they lay the soft cotton carefully across Legolas' chest to keep him from cooling too much in the cold of the desert night. "Now you rest. He won't go anywhere in the night and I'll be right here. Mambre will take care of him."
The young slave lay down next to the elf, facing Legolas so the new slave would not be startled or afraid during the night, his bright eyes watching as the prince slowly allowed sleep to steal over his weary, abused body.