Slave, page 2

Suddenly, and so fast that it startled me, my captor seemed to fall from the sky, landing on his feet as lightly as a cat. I realized that he had been up in a tree nearby. I breathed a sigh of relief, but noticed the concerned expression on his face.
"Wh-what's wrong?" I whispered, struggling to stand.
He walked over to me and grabbed my rope, jerking me to my feet. "Quiet." He threw me over his shoulder and with incredible ease, he held onto me with one hand and climbed back up the tree. He left me on a strong branch and climbed higher. "There's a kodiak bear roaming around. You're lucky I brought you up here in time."
I laughed. "A kodiak bear? That's all?" He frowned at me, jumping down to my branch and staring right into my eyes.
"What are you talking about?" he hissed.
"I am a druid," I stated indignantly. "I do not fear simple bears."
He bared his teeth. "How dare you mock me!" He slapped me across the face, but not too hard. I ignored the burning in my cheeks and smiled sickeningly sweetly.
Growling, he said, "I should drop you out of this tree onto your brainless little head!"
I sighed. "Look, let's just go. You won't get hurt by animals while I am around."
He snorted. "Yeah, and I'm supposed to believe that?"
"Well, yes, because it's true."
Muttering some words in his native tongue, he eventually said, "Fine. But if something goes wrong. . ." He trailed off, but his expression made his threat perfectly clear.
He helped me out of the tree and loosened the ropes on my ankles so that I could walk. He inspected the raw, red rope burn on my skin and for a second he almost looked like he felt sorry for me. Hesitating for a moment, he pulled his canteen from his belt and trickled the cool water over my wounds. I tried not to look grateful, no matter how good the water felt as it cooled my burning flesh. I knew he'd feel bad if I thanked him for the equivalent of being weak.
When he stood up, he pulled firmly on my rope, as if to make up for being kind to me.

We walked for over three hours, not speaking, my captor leading me by my rope like a dog on a leash.
When we finally stopped, we sat down on large rocks that framed a small river. My captor filled his canteen in the rushing stream and poured the contents onto my wounds which had worsened with the long walk. He refilled his canteen and took a drink, smiling with the refreshment of the crisp, cool liquid. Pouring the rest of it over his face, he shook his head and the water flew from his hair in a myriad of droplets. Smiling a boyish grin, he walked over to me and made a face.
"You're filthy," he commented. "Come bathe in the river."
I shook my head, remaining still on the cold granite boulder that I was perched atop of. "No, I do not want to get my clothes wet."
He laughed. Nobody bathes with their clothes on."
When I realized that he expected me to be naked in front of him, I became a bit nervous. Firstly, I was embarrassed to be naked in front of anybody, especially a strange man. Secondly, I was a little worried that he would take advantage of me, though I doubted it. He hated wood elves like me enough not to stoop low enough to have sex with one. I also realized that if I took off my clothes, he would have to untie me, giving me a chance to escape or at least hurt him.
He must have noticed my hesitation because he grinned and said, "A little shy, are we?"
"Hmm, I guess so." I stood up with his help and he removed the ropes on my hands, warning me beforehand by saying, "Remember that I am much stronger than you. Even if you strike first, you will not be able to bring me down." I just nodded, hoping that my hasty agreement would bring his guard down.
He gently slipped my nightgown up over my head, placing it gingerly upon the rock that I had been sitting on. Turning back to me, he looked me up and down, not trying to hide where his gaze was travelling. He looked right into my fearful green eyes with his large azure ones, saying, "Not bad for a lightie," and grinning with a tooth-filled mouth. Grabbing my hand firmly, he led me to the water. I crouched down until only my head and shoulders were above the water, which felt surprisingly good against my skin.
I noticed the dark elf beginning to remove his clothing, and I blushed and turned away when I realized exactly how much clothing he was removing. Completely naked, he joined me in the water. I tried not to look at him as he bathed, but I soon noticed that he didn't seem to care. I found it a little odd that modesty was not one of his major values, but I also had to remember that he was from a completely different culture than myself.