Lanbriel stood by the other chosen slaves, patient. The slave-picking was over, and now Ekatran would start choosing the hunters. The last slave chosen was a male who she had never heard of.
She looked around at the other slaves. Some were completely horrified, mostly those who had their life run a little better than most slaves, and were suddenly put into this dangerous situation. Others stood proudly, facing all the overseers and other slaves. She was one of them. Standing boldly, straightening her back as much as she could. She felt quite strange there; standing with the others, in front of thousands of people.
She shivered at all those people. The slaves especially; all the ones that didn't get chosen were relieved, but at the same time, jealous. Although she needed to be in the hunt, she hadn't really realized quite how lucky she was to have been chosen.
She had a chance to escape. She, out of the thousands of others who could have been chosen. This was a grand chance - her only chance at freedom, to get back to her village, see the others. Maybe even find her mother, if she disappeared not from death, but for some other reason.
This was the only way. She had to succeed.
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The world was young, the mountains green. No stain yet on the moon was seen. No words were laid on stream or stone, When Durin woke and walked alone...
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