[Imladris]

"Assaulting me was not the smartest thing you could have done, boy," the merchant said pleasantly. "You wouldn't want to be known as a murderous thief now, would you?"

"I didn't try to murder you," said Aeron tartly. He glowered sullenly at the horse's mane. "I was trying to get away so I wouldn't languish in jail for the rest of my short life."

"Well, maybe you will learn," the merchant hissed softly, "not to go stealing other people's jewels."

"One must survive," Aeron said hotly.

"Better to die in the dirt then than to take up a life of thievery."

Aeron wanted to shout at him, tell the merchant that such nobleness was viewed a bit differently on the other side of the fence, that he wouldn't feel like that if he saw his sister miserable with hunger.

But the merchant would not understand. None of them understood.