@ Deana - Things will start looking up soon! Don't worry!
@ dark_angel2288 - I hope that's a speechless OH and not a horrified OH at my bad writing!
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Chapter 16
Legolas was silent all night. He didn't sleep. He didn't eat. He couldn't stop staring at his hands. He thought they had been strong hands. Hands that could've done anything he wanted. Disconnect the neck of an enemy from its head, protect him from anything that came his way.
Why couldn't they have protected that child? Why couldn't he have saved him.
He wept again as the wagon skidded to a stop. A gang member came around the back and opened some of the bars. He climbed in and pushed the three of them out onto the ground. Legolas had no idea where he was. Tall dark trees surrounded them save for a little dirt path that lead into a creek and disappeared. The night sky could be seen through the bare brambles of branches above them. Dead leaves and grasses decorated the floor with colors of brown mingled with yellow and fiery red. Legolas found himself shivering in the cold of night with nothing but a tunic and leggings on. One of the men beside him started coughing violently and fell to his knees. Someone kicked him and flocked Legolas and the other man off the path.
Soon, they were in a row on their knees with their hands behind their backs. Legolas was at the end of the line. One of the gang members approached the first on the right.
'Where are they?' he said with a solid and threatening tone. The man looked in his eyes, but kept silent. A knife appeared against his neck. 'Where?' asked the gang member. There were still no words from the man's mouth.
The masked man then kicked him hard in the stomach. His knees shot out from under him and he landed on his stomach. The damp dirt stuck to his face when the gang member lifted his head by his blonde hair.
'Where!' he yelled in the man's face. The man tried to look away and kept his eyes shut tight. 'Where!' the blade was pointed directly at the man's chest.
'I'm not telling you!' he cried. The man then plunged the dagger deep into his chest. His eyes popped open and he gasped for breath. The steel was brought out again, covered in blood. The man fell onto the ground, slowly drowning in his own pool of blood.
Legolas looked away as the same was done to the second man. The questions, the threats, the refusal, then the kill. It would happen to him now, hopefully quicker then the others.
'Namarie, Elenest...' he whispered to himself. 'Namarie Ada...' The high boots of the gang member appeared in front of him. The tip of the right toe was stained with blood. Legolas looked up at his face. His eyes were stone, questioning him. As though he was different from the others. Finally, the blade was brought to his neck. Legolas shut his eyes tightly as his heart pounded in his throat. The blade slowly scraped up along his jaw until it reached his ear. The hair covering it was lifted and revealed the pointed tip. The man started laughing.
'Gather, lads!' he cried. The gang members all collected around Legolas. 'For here we have a wonderful gift! This elf will bring us more money then the Wold and the shores of Entwash combined!'
'Why? What worth is he compared to the rest of this filth!' questioned one man, motioning to the other two dead bodies.
'To collect a reward!' cried the man who killed the other two. 'For here before us, bound and helpless, is the almighty Prince of Mirkwood!'
@ dark_angel2288 - I hope that's a speechless OH and not a horrified OH at my bad writing!
.
Chapter 16
Legolas was silent all night. He didn't sleep. He didn't eat. He couldn't stop staring at his hands. He thought they had been strong hands. Hands that could've done anything he wanted. Disconnect the neck of an enemy from its head, protect him from anything that came his way.
Why couldn't they have protected that child? Why couldn't he have saved him.
He wept again as the wagon skidded to a stop. A gang member came around the back and opened some of the bars. He climbed in and pushed the three of them out onto the ground. Legolas had no idea where he was. Tall dark trees surrounded them save for a little dirt path that lead into a creek and disappeared. The night sky could be seen through the bare brambles of branches above them. Dead leaves and grasses decorated the floor with colors of brown mingled with yellow and fiery red. Legolas found himself shivering in the cold of night with nothing but a tunic and leggings on. One of the men beside him started coughing violently and fell to his knees. Someone kicked him and flocked Legolas and the other man off the path.
Soon, they were in a row on their knees with their hands behind their backs. Legolas was at the end of the line. One of the gang members approached the first on the right.
'Where are they?' he said with a solid and threatening tone. The man looked in his eyes, but kept silent. A knife appeared against his neck. 'Where?' asked the gang member. There were still no words from the man's mouth.
The masked man then kicked him hard in the stomach. His knees shot out from under him and he landed on his stomach. The damp dirt stuck to his face when the gang member lifted his head by his blonde hair.
'Where!' he yelled in the man's face. The man tried to look away and kept his eyes shut tight. 'Where!' the blade was pointed directly at the man's chest.
'I'm not telling you!' he cried. The man then plunged the dagger deep into his chest. His eyes popped open and he gasped for breath. The steel was brought out again, covered in blood. The man fell onto the ground, slowly drowning in his own pool of blood.
Legolas looked away as the same was done to the second man. The questions, the threats, the refusal, then the kill. It would happen to him now, hopefully quicker then the others.
'Namarie, Elenest...' he whispered to himself. 'Namarie Ada...' The high boots of the gang member appeared in front of him. The tip of the right toe was stained with blood. Legolas looked up at his face. His eyes were stone, questioning him. As though he was different from the others. Finally, the blade was brought to his neck. Legolas shut his eyes tightly as his heart pounded in his throat. The blade slowly scraped up along his jaw until it reached his ear. The hair covering it was lifted and revealed the pointed tip. The man started laughing.
'Gather, lads!' he cried. The gang members all collected around Legolas. 'For here we have a wonderful gift! This elf will bring us more money then the Wold and the shores of Entwash combined!'
'Why? What worth is he compared to the rest of this filth!' questioned one man, motioning to the other two dead bodies.
'To collect a reward!' cried the man who killed the other two. 'For here before us, bound and helpless, is the almighty Prince of Mirkwood!'