Author's Note: Sorry I've been taking so long to post updates.  I have time to write today since there is a whole lot of snow outside my window. I hope you enjoy, please, please, please, please REVIEW!!! Reviews truly make my day, and inspire to write quicker. Thank you……..review.

Chapter Two: Capture and Revelations 

Aragorn sat watch during the cold night.  He wished to take the watch because he knew he would not be able to sleep.  Thoughts of the passing of his long time friend haunted his mind and would not allow him to sleep.  The others needed rest more than he, the strain upon the normally peaceful Hobbits was beginning to show.

            Then he paused.  The exiled king thought he heard something moving in the darkness.  There it was again, maybe it was just a forest animal, for it wasn't very clear. 

            The Uruk-hai waited near the Fellowship.  His army of Orcs was just beyond in the darkness.  The evil leader could not believe how vulnerable grief had made the company meant to guard the one ring.

            Aragorn suddenly knew he heard something.  He stood and was just about the raise the alarm to waken his friends when the attack came.  An Uruk-hai jumped from the bushes at a proximity that was disturbing and freightening.  How could the enemy have gotten this close?  A savage battle cry was heard for a great distance.  Following the leader, Orcs began to appear out of the night like a cruel nightmare.

            "Awaken! We are under siege!" Aragorn unsheathed his sword and began fighting the onslaught.  The others quickly readied their weapons to join in the battle and the struggle of the freed peoples of Middle Earth.

            Gimli hacked through Orcs like a hot knife through butter.  Boromir's sword quickly began red with the blood of the enemy.  The Hobbits fought well, Sting glowing a bright and magical blue. 

            "We are overwhelmed!" Gimli knew that the enemy had the advantage.  They had obtained the measure of surprise, which was invaluable.  They could not keep up this enemy level of fighting for very long, and the sea of Orcs seemed endless.

            "We must try to retreat to better grounds!" Boromir began backing out of their camp, hoping for an avanue of escape, but their enemy saw their intentions.  More of the hideous creatures swung around them, cutting off all ways of departure.  The battle was not fairing very well.  In a short amount of time, the Hobbits were stripped of their weapons.  In that moment, Frodo had one final and desperate thought.  One way he might be able to keep the ring safe for a moment longer.  He quickly pulled the ring off of the chain that hung around his neck.  With haste, he swallowed it, hoping that would give them some time to find a way out of this hopeless situation. 

            Luckily, the Orcs did not see this move, or else they surely would have gutted the poor halfling right there in order to retrieve the precious object of fate.

            "Surrender!" The low, husky voice of the Uruk-hai pierced the sounds of battle. 

            Aragorn knew they could never win this fight in their present condition.  He glanced at Frodo, who gave him a slight nod.  The man knew his companion must have done something with the one ring to seem to be willing to give in at this point.  Where the all important ring was, the ranger could only guess.  He would have to remain in the dark as long as there were Orcs all around them.

            "Put down your weapons!" Aragon's commanding tone stopping all swords from clashing.

            "What are you saying?" Boromir could not believe what he had heard.  Quietly, the man repeated himself.

            "They win this round."

            The other did what they were told, surrendering themselves to the forces of darkness.  One of the Orcs approached the Hobbits.

            "Where is it?" He snarled.

            "Where is what?" Sam answered, hoping to distract the beasts from Frodo.

            "What, what?" Merry joined in. "I have some tomatoes here."

            "Stop!" The leader yelled.  "They are for Saruman. We will torture and punish them later.  For now, we must deliver them to our master, unspoiled as he asked."

            The Orcs picked up the Fellowships weapons as spoils of war, hoping to fetch some great fame by showing off the prizes.  The army of evil began to lead the company into the night and towards the waiting Saruman.

            The company stayed together as they walked, surrounded by the hissing Orcs.  Every now and then one would take a swing at one of them, hoping to trip one and cause further humiliation.  The Uruk-hai laughed to himself, then spoke aloud.

            "To think, we never would have captured them if it weren't for the death of that Elf. What a wonderful plan to trap him in the darkness like that."

            "You trapped us just to kill Legolas?"

            "Legolas? Legolas of Mirkwood? So, that Elf was the Prince of Mirkwood. What a wonderful surprise."

            Gimli realized his mistake by revealing the identity of his friend.

            "Mirkwood will be in despair when they learn of the death of their fair, young prince.  He was quite popular in his homeland if my memory serves me right.  We will finally be able to overrun the ones who have for so long resisted us.  Grief for Elves is most crippling.  To answer your question, Dwarf, yes.  We knew what that entrapment in the cave would do to that Elf.  We know many ways of destroying Elves."

            Depression washed over the Fellowship.  They had failed.  They were captured.  The ring, wherever it was, was in the company of evil.  Two members of the Fellowship were dead, and the rest would join them shortly, and their deaths would be most painful and drawn out.

            Gimli sighed to himself as he was being taken off into the hands of the most sinister of enemies.  As he walked, he stared up to the sky, to the stars.

            'Lucky Elf.' He thought to himself as he thought of his future.

            A being walked quietly through the woods, on the trail of something far off, distant.  It would not quit until it found what it was looking for.  Suddenly, as it was walking through some woods, it noticed something off to the side of the path.  Something hidden, and it would not have noticed had it not stopped for a moment to rest.  It was a creature, laying off in a clearing.  When it got closer to this mystery, it knew immediately what it was looking at.  The identity of this creature could never be mistaken, by its eyes were closed, which was very unusual.  When the being inspected the still form closer, it became very quite saddened, for the magical creature it was looking at appeared to be dead.

            "Poor creature. It is indeed a sad time when one of your innocent kind is killed."

            It lowered its head in mourning, and prayed all hope was not lost.