Areanne awoke a short time later. To her relief, she found that Cale was still out cold.
A searing pain raided her mouth, and she felt blood trickling down her chin. She reached her hand to her throbbing head and found that it, too, had a large gash on it. She struggled to her feet, only to collapse back down again. She attempted this a few more times to no avail.
"Curse it," she gritted. She resignedly crawled away from the area near Cale, knowing that he was likely to come to any minute. She dragged herself on Eownwe's trail, earsing the marks with her dragging body as she went. She had to be sure the slave was safe, no matter how badly her head nagged.
A simple thought kept her going: I owe it to Eomer. I owe it to him. I have to get her back.

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My heart lies with the sea, the only place it shall be~

Nesselde was on the trail of the slave woman. She had passed the two uncontious people on the trail and was nearing the slave. She could hear her ahead.

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Married the Tenth Doctor 2/26/12

Oldin was trying to tie the man to a tree. That wasn't working too well by himself, so he motioned for Logan to come help him. The two EYES managed to finish the job. When the man came to, Oldin had a few questions for him.

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Areanne coughed as she arrived at the slave's resting site.
"Are you okay?" she croaked, finally bringing her struggle to a close.
"The two others are taking care of him. Who was he, anyway? Who are they? Who are you?"
Areanne's head whirled with questions.

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My heart lies with the sea, the only place it shall be~

Eonwe jumped and backed away. "I...he...I can't tell you! I'm sorry...but he'll kill me! Please..." she begged, her emerald eyes wide.

Cale groaned, pain radiating through his body. He growled in frustration as he realized he couldn't move.

Areanne coughed.
"No- no, it's okay. As long as you're okay. I owe it to your father, Eomer."
She rubbed her aching head, clenching her teeth against the creeping darkness that edged her vision.

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My heart lies with the sea, the only place it shall be~

"I can't go back! I need to go back to work...I can't...not Rohan..." she gasped, panic lacing her voice.

Areanne shook her head.
"And why not? Knowing Eomer, he would dearly like you back. And I know of your brother. He sold you into slavery, yes? And that man back there helped him? I'd soon as ever go with you back to Rohan. I cannot let you get back to slavery- I will not. Not while I have a debt to pay."
Areanne felt her senses stabilizing, and so struggled to her feet. She stood up, thought not very tall, and glared at Eonwe.
"Just you try and sell yourself back into slavery. Do you know how many beatings you'll get? Enough to make your memory haunt me for ages. If I let you go back, the most I can do is go back to Eomer and tell him that you got sold into slavery to someone I don't know in the middle of nowhere."

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My heart lies with the sea, the only place it shall be~

Eonwe rose up. "Do not tell me what I should or should not do! I will not go back to Rohan! As for beatings?" she turned and lowered the back of her dress. Her back was lashed with so many scars one could not count them. "I can handle a few more."

Areanne stood firm.
"If you think I'll even consider letting you go back and possibly get killed by a cruel master who beats his slaves, you're bloody daft. What is so bad about returning to your father? Eomer is not cruel. And if you want so badly to stay in slavery, why did you run away in the first place?"
Areanne's jaw locked in defiance, and her dark eyes glittered with challenge.

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My heart lies with the sea, the only place it shall be~

"I didn't run away! I was sent to the market by my master, I was suppose to be back before it got dark but the market was crowded! I couldn't make it and I got lost in the woods. I am going back." Eonwe said, harshly. she turned her heel and began walking in the general direction of her master's.

Oldin saw he man waking up. He drew his sword and held the flat under the man's chin, forcing his head up. "Now, you are going to answer some questions for me. First of all, what is your name and where are you from?"

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Areanne growled. Why were these Men so defiant?
"If you think I'm going to give up my honor so easily, you're sick in the head!"
She dashed in front of the woman, drawing her knives. "You're not going back if I have to knock you out and drag you to Rohan myself! You are trying to tell me that I just attacked a man twice my size and strangth, got knocked out, and dragged my woozy self over here so that you could do the very thing to yourself that he was going to do to you?!" Her eyes lit up with fury.
"Listen, mortal, I may be young to your eyes, but I am three hundred twenty-seven years old, and I know many things, including that I am no fool. If your master beats you, he is cruel. If you didn't have so many scars I'd make do with telling your father where you were. But how considerate is it to walk into a royal hall and tell the king that his daughter is being beaten by a merciless wretch in the middle of who-knows-where, and I couldn't even say who the master was!"
Areanne's voice rose in fury.

_________________
My heart lies with the sea, the only place it shall be~

Cale snarled. "None of your business."

Eonwe scowled. "I refuse to go back there! You are as bad as the master if you force me against my will. I didn't ask you to fight! I will not go back, and if I do not go back, he will send his hounds and men after me, which will be ten times worse!" she scooted around the woman and began sprinting.

The elf girl snarled.
"Fine," she growled after her, "But I'm still going to Rohan. And if your father is there, I'm telling him exactly where you are, I give you my word of honor!" She sprinted back to Oldin and Cale.
When she arrived, she grinned to see Cale tied up.
"I've got good news and bad news. The good news is, the slave is free. The bad news is, she went right back to her master. And he beats her." She eyed Cale.
"But I can't say I'm terribly grieved to see this little scene. Allow me to introduce myself, so we can all get to know each other. I'm Areanne, of Mirkwood, at your service." She gave a mock bow and prowled up to Cale, drawing one of her own daggers. She slid it under his chin.
"And what is your name?"

_________________
My heart lies with the sea, the only place it shall be~

Eonwe didn't even hear her, and kept running.

Cale snorted. "You think I'm afraid of a a puny knife? Go to hell." he snarled, not even bothered.