The next chapter is finally here... and its a longer one! Sorry it took so long...
-Part 4-
Cry of The Wolf
The pair awoke with a jolt as a loud scraping sound assaulted their senses; the human sized portal began to quake. Four large cloaked figures soon appeared at the opposite end of the room. The elf looked down at the ranger in his arms and worry filled his eyes as a feverish gaze was returned. The man's wounds were infected and Aragorn was not well at all. Legolas held tighter to his friend as the guards approached them cautiously.
"You are needed. The master summons thee." The taller of the four rasped from under his hood. Two of the guards started toward Aragorn. Legolas stood up, ready to defend his friend, but with speed greater than any elf possessed, the other two hooded beings lunged at his arms, gripping them in a bone crushing hold. No matter how fiercely the elf struggled he could not break free.
"Legolas, where are they taking me?" confusion and fear were evident in the rangers tone. Legolas movements became more frantic at his friends cries. The hooded figures grasped Aragorn, who had slumped against the wall, by the arms and started dragging him away. He dug his boot heels into the stone, but to no avail for the fever had weakened his body. The ranger hung his head in defeat and simply watched as Legolas thrashed violently against his captors.
"Legolas, be still..." Aragorn whispered quietly. To the ranger, it seemed pointless to even try to break free, where would they run to?
"Strider!" The elf cried. All he could do was strain against his captors as Aragorn was taken through the archway and swallowed by darkness. The two figures holding the elf suddenly threw the fair being into the wall and with terrible swiftness passed through the door. Before Legolas even began to move toward the door, he heard the crash of metal upon stone. The elf collapsed to his knees. Aragorn was gone.
Legolas sat staring blankly at the wall for hours, his knees drawn up to his chest. He was waiting, just hoping and waiting. Finally, his silent prayers were answered. The door slid open and Aragorn was roughly shoved in. The ranger turned around sharply and glared back, but the door had already shut. Legolas rushed over to his friend, and pulled the human to a tight hug. The human did not return the gesture. The elf looked at Aragorn, worried that he had aggravated one of the rangers injuries.
"Are you alright?" He asked cautiously, taking in his friend's physical state, he looked better than he had ever seen him before. Something was not right.
"Yes, all is well. It's strange Legolas, I remember being thrown into a dark room. After that it's a blur, but I have never felt this way before. I feel so full of energy." As Aragorn lifted his arm to brush back a stray lock of hair something bright caught the wood elf's eye. He quickly grasped the ranger's wrist and glared suspiciously at a silver bracer. Delicate carvings of a strange language encircling a moon were etched on the gleaming polished surface. A matching one resided on his other wrist.
"Where did you get those?" The elf inquired, worry evident in his voice.
"I told you... I don't remember..." Aragorn said flatly as he stared at his wrists trying, but failing to recall anything that had happened before entering the room. "I should though, I wasn't gone long."
"No my friend, you were. The sun has faded considerably." Legolas said, concern etched on his face.
"You worry too much my eldar friend, we are fine." Aragorn said matter-of-factly; Legolas' fair mouth nearly hit the floor.
"Strider, are you crazy, what's the matter with you?" He shouted using the man's ranger name incase someone was dropping eaves.
"Legolas, when have we ever been in any trouble that we couldn't get out of? Whoever is keeping us here gave me these, how bad could he really be?" He questioned, defiance and anger were evident in his voice.
"Aragorn..." Legolas whispered in disbelief, "You are not well my friend. What they did to you I do not know, but it ails you and turns you against me. Think, what did they give to you? What did it smell like? Remember!" Legolas pleaded with the young ranger but he saw only a stranger before him. Aragorn did look different. His face bore an almost wild appearance, more rugged than he had ever seen the man before. And that was when it happened, Aragorn's eyes, once the most unique and beautiful the prince had ever seen turned a sickeningly bright shade of yellow. When he looked at the ranger they glowed as a dogs does in the moonlight.
"Strider, it's the bracers, take them off!" Legolas shouted, watching Aragorn's every move. The ranger's head snapped to the elf, eying him as one does its prey.
"Why? You want them for yourself, don't you? The fact a pathetic human might be equal or even superior to an immortal, like yourself scares you doesn't it? DOESN'T IT?!" The ranger shouted madly, his yellow eyes glowing terribly in the light of the setting sun.
Legolas, though he knew that it was not truly Aragorn, could not help the sting of the words that poured from the ranger's mouth. If that was how the human truly felt then they would have to talk about it, but for now the fair being needed to focus on getting his friend back to reality.
"Estel, forgive me." He whispered as he dove for the human, but the ranger was too fast for the elf. He dodged Legolas and his fist came in contact with the fair being's flesh. Legolas staggered, but recovered quickly. This was madness, the elf thought to himself as they circled each other. Their sparring matches back home were never anything like this. His friend was trying to hurt, trying to break bone, trying to kill. Legolas attempted to plead with his friend again.
"Strider, Estel, listen..." He never finished. Aragorn took another swing at his friend's face only this time he missed, and much to his surprise he was shoved forcefully away. Legolas didn't want to hurt him, he just needed to get close enough to get a good hold on him. Aragorn grinned, laughing maliciously as he came at the elf again, feigning a punch, and landing a clean and precise kick to Legolas' side. With a sickening crack, Legolas staggered back. His breathing was labored as he grasped his side and winced in pain. Aragorn was a formidable opponent without the bracers, but this was ridiculous. He stopped backing up as he hit the wall. The cool stone gave the elf an idea. Aragorn stalked toward the elf, his eyes flashing dangerously. He swung at the elf again, but this time Legolas was ready. Despite the fire he felt in his ribs, he grasped Aragorn's forearm, pulling it behind the ranger's back and slammed him into the wall. Legolas held fast as the human thrashed violently against the rough treatment.
"You are no friend of mine... you are a traitor... first born scum!" The human spat maliciously. Legolas, using his body weight and strength managed to hold the ranger while he undid the first bracer, but Aragorn would not give in so easily. The ranger smashed the back of his head into the elf's face, breaking free from the fair being's grip. The ranger staggered away. He seemed slower and disoriented. Legolas had a split lip and bloody nose, but he refused to surrender. He would not lose his friend to the darkness. He held the silver bracer victoriously in his hand. Aragorn let out a wolf like howl and ran towards the elf. Legolas grasped Aragorn by the shoulder and threw him into the wall; once again using his body weight he forcefully removed the other bracer. Aragorn, finally freed from the tainted objects, collapsed to the ground. Legolas leaned against the wall and winced in pain as he slowly slid his battered body to the ground next to his friend.
They were both too exhausted to move, but only several moments later the elf heard soft sobs coming from the man. Despite his own wounds he softly put his hand on the rangers back as he trembled. He had been in his place only a day before, he knew the feeling and it was one that he would not wish on even his most hated enemy.
"Legolas, I am so sorry... I feel so used." He choked out, the last sentence was barely a whisper that even Legolas had to strain to hear. The elf rubbed the rangers back in soothing circles.
"All is well Aragorn, did I hurt you?" Legolas asked as the young man sat up swiping at his eyes, feeling a little embarrassed but very guilty. He winced when he saw Legolas.
"You are better at sparring than I thought you were." Legolas ground out through gritted teeth as Aragorn brushed the elf's side with his hands trying to assess the damage he had done.
Aragorn gave a weak smile to the elf and muttered some more apologies under his breath. Legolas heard everyone of them and despite his need of medical attention grasped the human's hands and held both of them in his own, stilling Aragorn's movements. The humans wrists were bloody where the silver had bit into his skin so Legolas slackened his hold afraid to cause him anymore pain.
"Know this, I will never fear your greatness. In fact, one day I know that you will exceed some of my own talents. And I will never, no matter what you may think in that stubborn human mind of yours," the elf laughed softly, "ever think of you as inferior. From the first day we met you showed me that you were never anything less than my equal. And that is how I still see you now." Legolas paused and smiled, "Now fix my nose, I do believe you have a horrible habit of breaking them, your brother can attest to that."
Aragorn smiled and nodded wiping at his eyes for a second time. He then turned his attention to Legolas' wounds. And one by one he worked to restore the elf's health.
"Finished." He said sighing as he leaned his back on the cool stone wall behind him.
"No we are not! What about you?" Legolas said, his strength was returning and he was ready for a friendly argument.
"What about me? I am fine my friend." The ranger replied sliding his wrists a little further up his sleeves.
"I am sure that your forearms feel fantastic after wearing those oppressive things," He said as he nodded toward the silver bracers that lay in mock innocence across the room where the elf had thrown them. "I have already seen them Estel, just let me help you." Legolas stated, it was more of a demand then a request.
The ranger quietly surrendered to the elf, and as he gingerly pulled up his tunic sleeves, Legolas winced. Dark bruises and dried blood coated Aragorn's arms from his wrists to a little more than half way up his forearms. The two had no water, so the elf was forced to wipe away the dirt with pieces of their own clothes and cloaks. With every stroke of Legolas' hand, Aragorn resisted the urge to pull away. The ranger grit his teeth and hissed when Legolas accidentally reopened one of the deeper lacerations.
"I am sorry my friend," Legolas apologized, his voice full of sympathy. Dusk was upon them again and the elf was growing very tired.
"Legolas," Aragorn said, "I can't do this anymore." Legolas stopped his ministrations and replied.
"I am sorry Aragorn. I promise I will be more careful, but it has to be done..." Aragorn shook his head as the elf replied.
"That is not what I meant. We need to get out of here Legolas. Whoever is keeping us is trying to tear us apart." Tears threatened to spill from the silver orbs. Legolas dropped the blood stained rag and pulled the ranger into a tight embrace.
"All is well, Estel. We have survived many tests before, and we shall live to do it again. We just need to fight it with all of our strength, and we will prevail." Legolas picked up a clean strip of cloth and wrapped them around Aragorn's wrists tying the two ends in a small knot, securing the bandages. Aragorn pulled his leather coat on that had remained untouched and forgotten since the day before.
"Now sleep, It does not matter who they come for tomorrow, if they come at all. We are more than friends, we are brothers. You cannot destroy that Estel, not with any army or spell." Legolas said firmly as the ranger leaned his head against the elf's shoulder.
"Legolas, sing me a song, please." Aragorn asked the elf softly. The ranger felt so lost; the elf was the only thing keeping him sane. The fair being threw Aragorn's cloak over both of them, and Legolas' clear voice soon filled the chamber with a sweet soothing melody.
"I know this song. Ada used to sing it to me." Aragorn whispered quietly. Legolas stopped singing, not wanting to upset the ranger.
"Please, don't stop Legolas... I was just thinking of home." Aragorn continued, his mind however, was far away from the large stone room. The elf smiled softly and resumed singing as the ranger drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
Mysterious... I know, but you will soon find out who or what is doing this to our beloved heros ; ) Reviews please... especially if there are any mistakes! Hope you enjoyed it!
