Dementia

Chapter Two

Inevitable

"I am hungry." The three words caused Legolas to shake his head as they walked through the improving wastelands that were still called the Desolation of Smaug. They were leaving Erebor and the sun was only just peeking cautiously over the horizon, lifting the evil aura that still seemed to hover over the lands the Wyrm had scarred with fire. First light had not been early enough to leave the caves far behind.

No, wait, Legolas corrected himself scathingly; they were 'the works of many great craftsmen, which meant that they were corridors.' They had spent the night in the Dwarves' vast underground network and it had been just enough time for Legolas and a dwarf to pick a fight with one another.

"I am still hungry," the whiny voice reminded, not so cheerful anymore. A snicker followed that was most certainly Aragorn's.

Legolas finally stopped and turned around, scrutinizing the two friends with a critical eye. Roth grinned sheepishly and then looked mildly annoyed as he realized that they had stopped. "My lord, could you please keep walking? There is a warm breakfast somewhere with my name on it." Legolas merely raised an eyebrow, amused by Rothinzil's straightforwardness this morning. Even when he was in a horribly wicked mood, the warrior never requested that Legolas do anything.

"That's interesting," Legolas commented dryly, nodding to himself. "With your name on it you say?"

Rothinzil glowered grumpily. "Well, if doesn't it should," he mumbled darkly. "I am starving."

"Did you hear that Estel? The poor thing is starving," Legolas said, shaking his head. "How heartless of me."

Aragorn split his amused look between the two Elves. "This is what you get for forcing him to leave without breakfast, mellon nîn. I told you it would be perfectly fine to wait until first light but no, we just couldn't do that."

"He is always insufferable in the morning, ranger. You should know that," Legolas said, watching as Roth glowered at the ground.

"And grumpy enough to forget my place and choke a certain prince, I know," the warrior muttered with a belying grin, raising his face to see Legolas' reaction.

"Yes, you had best watch out, Legolas. He is hungry after all, and might very well eat you afterward," Aragorn warned, stepping away from Rothinzil as though he was a cannibal with the most infamous reputation.

The dark-haired Elf's grin broadened to face-splitting proportions and he shook his head, chuckling. "I don't think that I am quite that hungry, but I might take an interest in human meat, I haven't eaten that in a while."

Aragorn stepped a little further away, eyeing Roth cautiously. Roth seemed friendly, but that might only be a pretence…

"Truly, it has been a while." Legolas picked up the tease, eyeing Aragorn with a pleasant smile.

Aragorn shook his head while trying his best to act serious. "You Elves are always teasing me."

"Feel honoured, because there are plenty of humans that probably would have fallen for it like rocks from a cliff," Rothinzil point out helpfully. "When we reach Lake Town I can demonstrate if you wish."

Suddenly Rothinzil became self-conscious as he realized that both of his friends were staring at him as though he was an evil fiend that had just sprouted two more heads. Turning slowly on his heels he looked behind him, fully expecting to see the biggest monster ever cursed into existence. When he saw nothing he looked back questioningly at them, amused that their wide-eyed, gaping expressions had not changed in the slightest. "Is there something I should know?" he asked cautiously. With these two you could never tell and he swallowed audibly.

"You said that t-that word!" Legolas stammered. "Are you mad?" He was clearly distressed and Roth inclined his head, obviously puzzled.

"My lord?"

"The one word you should never say around Estel and you said it!" his prince persisted.

Roth looked almost frightened, wondering what he had done and he begged, "But what word, my lord?"

"Like rocks from a what?" Aragorn prompted, smiling.

Roth looked genuinely distressed as though he might start wringing his hands. "A cliff," he finished, still confused. Aragorn and Legolas shot him an exasperated glower before he finally grinned with understanding, suddenly feeling very stupid.

"Good job," Aragorn said, patting him on the back. "You see, I seem to have the worst luck with that word," he explained, still looking around as though one might appear out of nowhere and a person would conveniently show up to throw him from it.

Roth frowned suddenly. "I am still hungry."

Legolas and Aragorn exchanged looks and then Legolas smiled impishly. "Doesn't Helluin ever feed you?" He poked at Roth's perfectly flat stomach, which wasn't from lack of food. The Elf simply couldn't put on weight and even though he was a warrior -and a captain at that –you would never know from looking at him.

Roth's frown dissolved as he withdrew slightly, suppressing a childish giggle as Legolas seemed to have accidentally discovered one of his more ticklish spots, "Of course. Actually, I was hoping that we could go home for breakfast."

Aragorn smiled, chuckling quietly and Legolas just grinned at nothing. Roth was only recently married, after all, and his wife was pregnant, so it was natural that he would want to spend a lot of time at home around her. Both Aragorn and the prince had been forced to put up with his pining for the past two days and at moments he seemed intolerable with loneliness. "I think we can manage that," Legolas agreed, and Aragorn nodded.

Neither of them could claim to having suffered through any of Helluin's cooking. It was one of her many talents.

Roth's elven glow expanded, giving him a cheery aura that brightened the early dawn, as the three started out again.

It wasn't long before they had to cross the river by way of a large bridge. Then Legolas frowned. What bridge? The river had swelled and the water had overcome the causeway, making crossing it impossible. If the water wasn't flowing so fast in such a deceptively calm manner they might have risked swimming it, but as insane as the three of them could be from time to time, they were definitely not stupid.

Aragorn just looked gravely at Legolas. "It seems that we shall be stuck here."

Legolas scowled, not appreciating the notion at all, and Roth visibly pouted, shooting the water a vengeful glare.

Suddenly Aragorn stepped away from them, causing both of the Elves to follow his movements with a distracted interest. Roth cocked his head and asked curtly, "Strider, what ever are you doing?"

Aragorn shook his head. And here he had thought Wood-Elves were trackers. "Someone else crossed here, recently."

Observing the ground more closely both of the Elves could see that Aragorn was right, but if they had not seen it with their own eyes, they would have never believed it. It was simply too slippery with mud and the water was too fast. Horses could break their legs or throw their riders.

"It must have been before the water had overcome this bridge," Legolas suggested quietly, still staring at the tracks of the horses. There were skid marks and deep rents where the animals' feet had nearly slipped out from under them on the unstable embankment.

Aragorn nodded and Roth just looked around nervously, thoughts of the missing Elves coming to mind. This was the perfect scenario for something to leap out and try to eat you, he reminded himself rather inappropriately, still thinking of food and devouring a scrumptious breakfast.

"It must have been some time late last night," Aragorn commented, still considering the imprints. There had been at least six horses and several people on foot. A miniature army came to mind, one lead by a tenacious leader who was not about to let a little washed out bridge water down any of his plans. This was lovely. And here they were trapped because they could not get across.

Legolas and Roth both seemed to read his thoughts and sighed simultaneously. Roth's eyes darted to the surrounding foliage of the brush and trees, staring at it suspiciously. This had been strategically planned by a military genius, his years of warrior training screamed at him, a genius who could incorporate the weather into his plans with perfection –or he had incomparable luck. The thought unnerved him and he looked to his prince, but Legolas didn't look any less distressed.

All three were thinking along the same lines: For how long had they been under the watchful eyes of an unknown group?

"I don't like this," Roth muttered to himself.

"I don't think any of us like this, Roth, except for Legolas but he is insane after all," Aragorn said jestingly, giving the prince a scathing look.

Legolas' response was sarcastic. "Oh yes, I absolutely love it when maniacs are out for my blood. It is such good exercise and fun, but you should know."

He reached for his bow, knowing full well that although they could not see or hear those men and to all appearance the woods were safe; they were lurking out there. Roth was still enraptured by the foliage, searching it for any moving figures that might be trying to duck inconspicuously behind a tree or shrubbery. He knew that they were out there… somewhere… and the thought frustrated him.

Aragorn's hand lingered uncertainly over his sword hilt, waiting for the first sign of attack. "Maybe we can cross further down the river," he offered hopefully to his two companions.

"Unless there are more of them further down the river," Legolas muttered darkly, warily inspecting further down stream with his long-seeing Elven eyes. He couldn't see anything, but he was experienced enough to know that meant nothing and wasn't to be trusted. "Besides, the river is deep and treacherous in both directions."

Legolas was still contemplating all of this and cursing their luck in multiple languages (wondering if this had possibly anything to do with Roth saying the forbidden word) when something slammed into him hard enough to send him to his knees. Whirling his head around, he glared at his assailant and reached for his knives, about to teach the attacker all about why you didn't shove Elves.

And arrow suddenly embedded it self up to the feathers in the mud behind the Elf, telling Legolas two very important things: first, that he had nearly died and secondly, that the bow was very powerful. The shot would have certainly gone clean through him and exited into the Forest River while killing him more thoroughly than a door-nail. "I guess we know where they are now," he muttered characteristically as he remained low to the ground and skilfully nocked an arrow into the bow he already held in his hands.

He would have to remember to thank Rothinzil, who was just behind him, glowering at the forest as he pinpointed where the shot had come from. If not for the shove Legolas was sure that he wouldn't be in this world. This was one of the rare occasions where Roth's collision with Legolas had been deliberate. Normally it was merely a case of his feet forgetting which one was left and which one was right.

In seconds all three friends were left wondering how a forest could possibly hide so many men for so long, as their attackers poured out into the open. It was at least five to every one of them.

Roth and Legolas took out men with their own bows but soon many more –nearly thirty -emerged to support their companions and the three friends were thrown into battle.Within minutes they were separated.

As Roth stood fighting back to back with Legolas the prince ground out, "I want you to find Aragorn. I want you to look after him, am I understood?" There was a pause as both of the Elves were forced to duck or lose their heads.

Roth looked troubled by the request, but he didn't want to break Legolas' concentration by arguing and perhaps cost both of them their lives. However he ardently disagreed with his prince's decision. He couldn't leave his lord to fight alone against these odds, but he would have to.

"Yes, my lord," he replied as quickly as he was able, forcing himself not to find the words a distraction.

Legolas smiled thinly at his friend's loyalty even as he caught a man across the face with his knife, dodging what easily could have been a lethal thrust at his abdomen. "Good, go NOW!"

Roth quickly complied, fighting his way through the humans that were so heavily assailing them. These men were like ones he had never seen before, though he supposed that they were Easterlings. All the same, he couldn't understand why there were here of all places.

It didn't take him long to find Aragorn and he stabbed his way through the surrounding humans until he could put his back against the ranger's. "How are you doing here?" he gasped around a quick inhalation of air as his body called for more oxygen.

Aragorn smiled grimly at the feeling of his friend at his back and the sound of Roth's sword clashing with his many different assailants'. "Better since your arrival, where is Legolas?"

Roth frowned; unnerved by the reminder that Legolas was by himself. Not that he doubted Legolas' fighting abilities in the least, but all it took was one mistake and if no one was around to help you, you were dead.

"He is somewhere fighting, he sent me to make sure that you were alright," the warrior admitted as his sword collided with another's and his arms trembled with the strength he was forced to expend in order to repel the weapon which was still pressing against his own. Using his feet, he kicked the human back before delivering a finishing blow.

Aragorn was having just as much trouble fighting off his assailants. The human was finding it difficult to concentrate as he couldn't help but gape at the sight of all of these attackers and ask himself the question of where in all of Arda they had all come from?

Roth was about to ask Aragorn how he was holding up when he heard the ranger cry out. Distracted by the human's cry of pain the Elf whirled around, inwardly whining that this was simply not his day and that the Valar never played fair. He couldn't see the injury, which he was only half-way grateful about considering he had seen more than enough blood already that morning, but the ranger's colour tone had turned an unhealthy shade of grey or white. "Strider!" he yelled just as something heavy slammed into his shoulder, causing his feet to catch one another and him to bowl over, rolling a few feet before reflexively springing up, sword in hand.

It was when he sprang to his feet that he realized Legolas was nowhere to be seen and that his surroundings were exceptionally different. The battle had pushed them further downstream than he had thought and he and Legolas were totally separated with no means to even yell to each other. Feeling a hot, coursing anger barrelling through his chest, the Elf-warrior raised his sword and his lips curled in an angry grimace that could have been mistaken as a very wicked smile. Instantly the humans were reminded of a cat cornered by dogs, but they didn't like that analogy too much because that meant that they were the dogs.

Seconds after staring hypnotically at Roth's churning eyes, someone remembered that they were in possession of crossbows and he pointed it suggestively at warrior. "It would be intelligent of you to drop your weapons, Elf!"

Roth arched a brows lightly, impressed, but his coutenance remained cold. He couldn't see a way out of this, and he had promised to protect Aragorn, which would be a difficult thing to accomplish if he was dead. However, he couldn't bring himself to surrender to these men, not only because he didn't trust them as far as he could throw a sack of bricks, but he wasn't stupid and he knew a lot of details about Mirkwood and her defences that people of this sort might find very interesting. He wouldn't tell them anything of course, but he didn't want to undergo any form of …encouragement.

He looked for Aragorn and inwardly moaned with dismay when he saw the human. The wound was evident now and he could distinctly make out the arrow that had sunken deeply in Aragorn's sword arm, up near the top. There was enough blood flowing from the injury to paint a house a literal bloody red. He would be lucky if the bones were not broken and the Elf winced with sympathy.

"Would you rather that we kill your friend, hm?" one of the men with a crossbow asked, turning his bow upon the ranger.

It took Roth a couple of minutes to resign himself to their situation and even then, he was still reluctant to lower his weapon much less let go of it completely. These people wanted him alive, which was not a pleasant thought at all and in fact it made him feel slightly sick.

"Your weapons, Elf?"

Hesitantly Roth lowered his sword, doubting his Elven reflexes would do him any good if these people actually knew how to use their crossbows properly, which was likely the case. People normally didn't go around carrying weapons for no reason and without knowing their functions. His weapon dropped into the mud and he held his hands up, palms turned towards the humans.

Roth didn't think that Aragorn could have gone whiter, but when a number of men closed in on the Elf, he did.

Aragorn could feel his strength draining with the blood that was oozing around the… arrow… in his arm. Yes, the thing that was causing him so much pain was an arrow, he realized detachedly and somehow it had managed to delve itself right into his arm, though he couldn't tell if it had avoided the bones or hewn through them. Looking at his sword lying uselessly on the ground he idly wondered when he had dropped it and decided somewhat hazily that it was probably when he was shot. He tried to move his fingers but realized he had to look to see if they were still there. It felt numb.

Roth stared hard at Aragorn, warning the ranger to be quiet as the humans closed around him and cut off all paths of escape. Capture was as inevitable as summer following spring.

He wanted to call for Legolas but there were simply too many men here and the last thing that he wanted was to get his prince captured too. That would be disastrous and he would rather die (which seemed likely), than let that happen, but at the same time they needed help. He couldn't very easily get Aragorn free, as a matter of fact; he couldn't do anything at all –not without getting them both killed.

The thought briefly crossed his mind that the reason he was unable to locate Legolas was that the prince was already dead or had somehow been subdued. However, he wasn't given time to dwell on this as a man impatiently shouldered his way through the others, holding a length of rather itchy looking rope in his hands. Roth stepped back instinctively, not liking the thought of being bound in any fashion whatsoever by these people. However, he didn't have much of a choice and he resisted the urge to wince in alarm as he felt himself back into two or three men behind him. They immediately grabbed his upper arms and held him in place.

"Put your hands together, Elf, and I mean now, unless you want your friend to pay for your stupidity," the human advised smoothly, stretching the rope and running his fingers edgily along its length.

Roth might have complied but at that moment there was a snapping sound like a small branch breaking and then Aragorn gave a strangled sort of half scream. Frantically following the sound of the noise, Roth whirled around just in time to see the men coercing Aragorn into being bound while one of them discarded the broken, bloodied arrow that had apparently been wrenched from the human's arm after the head was snapped off.

He opened his mouth to protest as Aragorn's arms were wrenched behind his back with little effort to stop the bleeding of his wound, but at that moment his captor's voice interrupted his train of thought. "So, what is it going to be Elf?"

Roth then stared straight at the man before him, who was, to the Elf's odd satisfaction, slightly shorter. This man was the captain of these men or he was a fool. He was a captain in Mirkwood's regiments, after all, and he recognized the symptoms, if you will, of being a captain, particularly the slump (or rather the lack of it) in the shoulders. "These are your men," he stated tartly. He had no idea what he hoped to accomplish by saying that too, he realized seconds later.

The man smiled in a deceptively friendly manner but his voice was scathing. "Indeed, how perceptive of you Elf. And I will let you in on a little secret: they will do exactly as I say, when I say it. If you want your ranger friend alive, then I suggest you comply instantly with everything I tell you." He held up the rope demonstratively. "Your hands, please, Master Elf."

Roth hesitated, keeping his arms at his sides even though he knew that he didn't have a chance.

Aragorn watched from where two men gripped him tightly, fearing for the Elf. He could tell that Roth was very frightened, but he could also tell that the Elf was very, very angry as well as very, very confused. He wouldn't mind if Roth broke free, even if he himself was killed but there was no way possible that the warrior could defeat this many foes alone.

He sighed with a twisted sense of relief when the dark-haired Elf stuck his hands together and held out his wrists in a manner that clearly said he held nothing but contempt for these people. Apparently the feeling was at the least mutual. But his outstretched hands were not bound in front, which showed that these people had some intelligence. An Elf with his hands bound in front was almost as dangerous as a free one. Wrenching Roth's arms behind him so that the joints of his shoulders groaned in dissent, the humans proceeded to wrap the cords around his wrists so tightly that the Elf's face scrunched up ever so slightly with annoyance at the small amount of pain the biting rope caused.

"The last Elves I had, gave me a great deal of trouble, resulting in very unpleasant consequences for them," the man informed rather dryly as he drew the cords even tighter and tied off the knot. The captain stared intently at Roth's face, causing the Elf to feel a sense of cold, dark nausea that was something akin to a sense of fear. "I am hoping that you can be smarter than that."

Roth cocked his head to the side and forced himself to stare the shorter being down. "So it was you."

The man raised his brows and looked at his prisoner as though waiting for Roth to complete his accusation. "What was me, Master Elf?"

"You captured them and killed them, didn't you?" Roth questioned acidly, suddenly feeling very numb with anger.

The man suddenly smiled, as though it was something that he was very proud of. "Yes, yes I did. It was rather a difficult accomplishment too, but they really didn't know how to fight."

A dangerous glimmer came into Roth's eyes, as though some fire had ignited from within them, and his voice was calculatingly low and thick with vengeance. "Of course they didn't know how to fight! They weren't warriors! They probably weren't even armed!" In all likelihood they had probably walked right up to the men, being as young as they were. They had been trusting and Roth felt his heart bleed for them anew.

The man before him merely quirked a brow at the livid Elf and then shrugged rather heartlessly. "Oh, they were armed, but it really didn't matter in the end. They were young and they were stupid."

"Well let me tell you something, lhûg," Roth hissed venomously as he was pushed towards Aragorn. "Compared to me, you are young. Very young and you are also stupid. You will regret the day that you chose to capture them. I may not live to see it, but you will pay for the innocent lives you have taken."

"A very interesting theory Elf, but if indeed I am so…'stupid' as you say, then why did I manage to trap you, your prince and your little ranger friend? We both know the truth," he said, watching with cruel amusement as the Elf was shoved nearly into the ranger.

But Roth was no longer paying any attention to his captors and had devoted himself to seeing to Aragorn. There was a glazed, faraway look in the human's eyes and Roth felt his dark nausea tie his stomach into knots as he realized that he didn't know what to do. "Strider?" he asked quietly.

Aragorn worked to focus his eyes and some of the pain-induced film on their glassy surface receded, allowing Roth to see into the dulled orbs. "Roth… don't worry," he murmured tiredly. "I will be fine." He smiled encouragingly at the sight of his friend's paled and frightened face but it didn't seem to change. "Legolas is going to kill us."

Roth nodded solemnly. "That he will."

Just then their conversation was interrupted by the remainder of the men hurrying towards their leader. It was obvious that they were trying to avoid eye contact with the captain and Roth smiled grimly as he realized that he didn't see Legolas among them. Of course this could mean that Legolas had been killed, if even by accident, but being the eternal optimist, Roth told himself emphatically that Legolas had managed to escape. To his horror, a darker portion of Roth's mind seemed to be gaining more control by the second, reminding him that Legolas' past record left much to be desired in these regards.

"Captain Ulrad," addressed the unfortunate lieutenant assigned to deliver the unfavourable news, "he…well he evaded us…" the white-faced man's voice trailed off uncertainly and Roth noticed that his swallowing became compulsive.

The captain didn't move from where he was standing by his captives and merely inclined head to the side in a manner that was deceptively calm. "Evaded, you say?"

The other man avoided eye contact with his superior and nodded somewhat clumsily. "Yes sir." He suddenly found an unexplainable fascination with his boots and the gritty soil beneath them.

"Tell me, why did he evade us?"

"He is an excellent fighter, sir –and fast!" Valar, he had not seen a faster being in his whole life. "One moment he was stabbing someone, the next a man fell from one of his arrows. This all happened in less than a few seconds."

Roth smiled inwardly at the agreeable description of his friend.

Ulrad smiled too, but it held nothing but contempt and an ill sense of humour. It was the kind of smile that created balls of ice in one's stomach and Roth felt himself shiver slightly. Aragorn tensed at his side, able to detect the malice despite his agonized state. "He cannot be allowed to escape, lieutenant. It will undo everything."

The other man only nodded vigorously. "Of course, sir!" Roth half-way expected him to give an overemphasized salute and was impressed when the human's hands remained clenched at his sides.

"Lieutenant, go and find Captain Unferth, tell him to report to me, at this spot at once! He should be lingering around the wounded somewhere!"

'And killing them,' the man wanted to add as he watched the other man stagger hastily away to do his bidding. Captain Unferth was…effective but uncontrollable as well as merciless. Wounded men caused problems and slowed progress, therefore they made a liability that he had no qualms about eliminating. No one ever interfered, not wanting to be seen as insubordinate, which resulted in the ultimate punishment –death, and perhaps torment first. As for Ulrad, he truly didn't care one way or the other as long as he didn't have to watch.

Roth stared at the surrounding men and then looked sorrowfully at Aragorn, "I will try to help you as soon as I can, just please stay with me," he begged in whispered Elvish, staring intently at Aragorn's face. He didn't like to admit it, but he was afraid, very afraid.

Aragorn opened one eye, hardly realizing that he had squeezed them shut against the fire that was engulfing his entire arm. It spread up his shoulder and neck at a slow, but definitely steady pace. Forcing a weak, obviously fake smile, he rationalized, "And why would I leave you to have all the fun?"

Roth grinned with relief, ignoring the confused look that Captain Ulrad was shooting him. He knew full well that this was not a situation that called for grins, but all the same he couldn't help himself. After all, he reminded himself (feeling more than a bit guilty about his accusations), he wasn't a depressed, boring Elf like Legolas.

"Captain Ulrad!" an annoyed, cold voice bellowed, clearly unhappy.

"Yes, Captain Unferth, I am here," responded Ulrad coolly. He regarded the other with a hard, serious stare. "I am putting these prisoners in your charge as I am going to stay and assume the responsibility of making sure that the prince is tracked, and taken."

A gleeful smile pulled back the other man's lips, which were halfway hidden by an ugly, dark beard of wiry hair. True to his promise to Legolas, Roth put himself protectively in front of Aragorn, hiding the wounded man from view, but he deeply wished that some one would hide him from view. The heavy sadism that smouldered in the man's smile was enough to make him taste vomit in the back of his throat.

"Good idea," Unferth said obligingly. He knew the real reason Ulrad wanted to stay, and it had long dark hair and finely chiselled face –as well as a husband, he added with an inward sneer.

"Glad you agree, Captain," Ulrad muttered scathingly, somehow retaining a pleasant expression.

Roth turned and gave Aragorn a confused glance and then stared back at his human captors, wondering how two people could have such animosity for each other and possibly be on the same side. Erestor and Glorfindel enjoyed each other's company more and that was saying something after all. Aragorn shook his head inwardly, reading Roth's thoughts.

Wrapped up in their inner musings and anxieties, the two were taken by surprised when the surrounding men grabbed Roth's upper arms and shoulders, steering him towards a horse.

Roth didn't even flinch in protest, too numb-struck at the turn of events. His face was a detrimental shade of white, as though he was sick and his eyes were wide with a mixture of emotions churning in their hazel depths. Despite his shock-induced acquiescence, the Elf's captors struck at his face with their fists or open hands, Aragorn noted anxiously, creating what would eventually be dark bruises.

The ranger watched the harsh treatment of his friend silently, for fear of causing more trouble for the Elf, which didn't mean that he wasn't angry. He was floating somewhere above livid. And what made it worse was that every time small hints of pain flittered across Roth's chalky face, Unferth would smile in a gleefully amused way.

Coercing Roth onto the horse took a bit more effort by then, because Roth had realized just how much he really didn't want to go with these people. But his efforts were in vain unless getting clipped in the mouth and tasting blood counted as a success. Wiping his stinging mouth on his shoulder, leaving a crimson smear, the Elf found brief interest in the horse's shaggy main, which looked a little worse for wear.

"Stop!" he croaked through his tightened throat as he realized they were going to treat Aragorn in the same fashion. Unferth just speared the warrior with a calculating glance, amused that this Elf had resisted as much as he had. The others certainly had not.

He shook his head when he realized that the Elf seated on the horse was still stammering protests and fighting his bonds angrily. Aragorn was forced up onto a horse beside the Elf, which satisfied Roth enough to quiet his yelling, which had been wholly obnoxious.

"Leave a contingent to hide the wounded," Unferth commanded almost happily, getting into the spirit of things. "The rest of you mount. We ride East."

And once the men were mounted, with one of them behind Aragorn and Roth to keep them on the horses, they did just that.

:0Ї0:

Legolas perched lightly on the thick branch he had chosen as his temporary refuge. His knives were still in his hands, stained with drying, red blood and he clenched his fingers around their smooth, decorative handles. Scanning the surrounding forest floor for any of the humans that he knew were seeking him, he was annoyed when he saw several still stalking beneath the trees -calling to him as though he would be more than happy to jump down and became their humble prisoner. Ha! And here they thought that he was insane?

Smiling as they took a completely wrong turn, Legolas looked distastefully at his knives before deciding that there was nothing left but to wipe the grime and blood from them onto his pants' leg and then sheathe them. Grumbling inwardly about this, he looked ruefully at the crimson stain before sliding his knives into their cases on his back. A bow was more appropriate for this scenario.

When he looked up again the humans were gone, to his minor disappointment, and he scowled. Well as long as they were not standing under his tree, looking at him with smirks on their faces, he knew that he shouldn't be too upset.

Shaking his head, he wondered where these people had come from. He knew what Easterlings looked like, and these people most definitely fell into that category. But there had been at least forty or more of them…how did one hide a force like that? Puzzled, the Elf decided that he wasn't going to distract his mind from survival by giving himself a pounding headache.

He could hear horses galloping and then everything grew silent, very silent. Even the birds were quiet. Feeling the effects of the battle wearing off, Legolas felt himself slipping into a tired sort of void. Leaning against the trunk of the tree, he sat down and stretched out his legs along the branch's length. Distractedly, he gazed up past the leaves and at the speckles of bright light that filtered through them, creating warm patches on his face.

Sighing under his breath, he knew that he was going to be up in the tree for quite some time. The humans may not be visible at the moment, but he knew that they were there and he was not going to walk into their trap.

While sitting there, he wondered idly where Roth and Aragorn were. He knew that the battle had separated them a great deal so it would take them time to find each other, but all the same he was feeling rather anxious and…lonely. It was rather boring having an inner monologue when you were too tired and distressed to even listen to yourself. Aragorn would have said something hilarious and Roth would most certainly have done something to inspire Aragorn's hilarious comment. The warrior didn't have very good balancing skills and remaining in a tree, even while standing still, was definitely not his forte.

Legolas looked around, able to picture them quite vividly and Aragorn chastising him for being so stubborn and getting them into this sort of trouble. Waiting for the unknown would be so much easier if he weren't all alone.

TBC...Muahahahahahahahaha! And so the regime of evil cliffies starts anew! LOL Poor Roth, but we had to do it. Legolas and Aragorn had been having all the fun lately after all and we must be fair...which means EVERYBODY gets hurt. LOL

Please review! And thank you so much for all the reviews you sent us for the first chapter! We loved them all! They were so nice! Please don't stop! LOL Thanks!

Oh, and one quick note, we won't be updating next Friday, sorry, and we usually do update once a week on Fridays, but I am leaving Friday and I just decided I might as well update now. LOL Geez...you guys started out lucky with early updates... :D