Companions

Companions
Chapter Two

The sun was just beginning to set when the two reached their destination. The
woman was weary from walking, while the man was angry at having to journey so far out of his way. The only thought that soothed this anger was that of the
money he would receive for the slave.

They approached a great house, one whose walls looked to have seen many years and been scarred badly by the winds of time. To her delight, the elf saw that the home was surrounded by a great many trees, and had a beautiful garden to the sides. She was startled out of her thoughts by her master's tug on the rope around her neck. He had placed it there as further "precaution", and had found it amusing to pull on it at different times during their journey.

The man reached for the door and was surprised when it opened. A human girl
stood framed in the doorway. Bowing her head slightly, she moved aside so as
to allow them to pass. 'A servant,' the elf thought to herself as she followed her master inside.

The stepped into a great hall lit by many candles and lamps. Paintings lined the walls, depicting scenes from history, a few that the elf remembered hearing of from her father.

The sound of footsteps caught her attention and she turned to face the set of stairs that stood at the end of the hall. A middle-aged man with dark hair and eyes walked towards them, followed by a boy who looked to be near the age of twenty. Both moved with a grace akin to that of the elves and were dressed in shades of dark blue and black. The elf studied them, taking in all she could with the few glances curiosity allowed. Just as her eyes were wandering to the boy, taking in his dark hair and striking grey eyes, she was pushed down to her knees.

"Show respect for your new masters elf!" Speaking to the man and boy he said, "It'll be no trouble to you, but if ever it is, force has always been a good tool on slaves."

"I know all about the methods used on slaves, Herresh," Lord Raklend replied in a cool voice laced with power. "Here is your payment. Now be on your way, for I am sure you would rather to be in town ere full dark sets in."

Herresh looked suspiciously at the lord for a few moments before grabbing the offered purse. Turning to go, he gave one last hard kick to his former slave, sending her to the floor, then dashed out the door.

Lord Raklend sighed deeply, shaking his head as he closed the door behind Herresh. He walked over to where the elf still lay. He reached down and put his hand to her shoulder, but quickly pulled it back when he felt her flinch at his touch. Hesitantly he knelt down beside her, beckoning his son over in the process.

"This is my son, Aragorn," he told her. "He will show you where you can clean up. After that, we'll have a look at your injuries, alright?"

Slowly she raised her head to look at the man, then his son. In a voice that was so low that they almost didn't hear it she asked, "Why?"

Raklend reached out his hand and helped her to her feet saying, "I have always had a deep respect for the elven people and as long as you are here no harm will befall you. I had hoped that you could provide companionship for my son. Our home is so far away from the towns that he is often left on his own whilst I am away. Do you think you could manage that?"

The elf looked at him in awe. 'Can this be true? Have I truly found someplace where I will not be punished for what I am?' She searched their faces for some sign, but upon finding none she gazed at the room around her. It didn't seem to be possible that these kind of people who bought slaves could really treat them well. 'It must be a trick they play,' she decided. 'They lead you to believe that you will be safe, and then prove themselves false.'

She sighed, nodding, and the two men smiled warmly. The younger, Aragorn, beckoned her forward. Placing his hand at the small of her back, he led her up the stairway and through another hallway to a large bathing room. He handed her a package saying, "I hope that this fits. We had to guess what size you would be, but I think we came fairly close. Everything you need is already there. When you are finished, come down to the main room. There is a hall next to the stairs. The second door on the right leads to the library, you'll find me there, and we'll see what we can do for you."

He turned to leave, but stopped after a moment, facing her once again. "One more thing. What is your name?"

The elf looked at him for a second, then cast her gaze to the floor. She struggled with her memory to produce the name that she had bore for so many years, but finally been forced to leave behind. Finally it resurfaced along with many memories of family and childhood friends. She pushed the memories back, knowing that they would only cause more pain if brought forth now.

Aragorn studied the elf and waited for her to answer his question. So long was she in thought that he wondered if perhaps she had forgotten him. He was just about to ask her again when he heard her reply. A smile once again crept onto his face as he heard the beautiful voice speak her name, and it did not leave him for a long while after he left the room as the word echoed in his mind.

"Arwen."