Hiro Hyn Hîdh Ab 'Wanath: Let Them Find Peace After Death



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Chapter 10: Death Does Not Come Quickly



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"LEGOLAS!"

Aragorn's cry rang within the hollow cavern as he struggled against the sticky substance holding him on his stomach to the ground. The man could barely see his friend, yet he was clearly witnessing the spider's assault.

Surprisingly, no scream issued from the Elf's lips. He gasped in shock and horror as the sting of Ungoliant's bite numbed him. It was just like his dream. Valar, it was all happening like he had foreseen.

"Al....." Legolas whispered as he lost feeling in every part of his body. ~*[No...]*~

Ungoliant backed away, her fangs dripping with the prince's blood. Two medium sized holes had been torn into Legolas' neck, both of which were allowing his blood to seep down into the top of the prince's tunic and the webbing holding him to the wall. However, a dark black liquid had begun to fall freely from the Elf's neck.

The spider's venom

"Legolas! Legolas, can you hear me?!" Aragorn called out, trying to get his friend to make some sort of response.

Ungoliant laughed, "He cannot hear you, human. There is so much of my venom running free through his veins, that all he can see if that which I wish him to see. Your words do not reach him now."

The Elf however, spoke. Though his words were pained and slow, the king could still hear them.

"Estel... tulu nin. Im u-pul thuio... Tulu nin..." ~*[Estel... help me. I cannot breathe... Help me...]*~

Aragorn's heart shattered. Legolas was calling for him, and there was nothing the human could do to help. He then caught sight of a strange white substance coming from the prince's mouth as the Elf suddenly gasped. His features were turning pale, far more so than the king had ever seen before. Was death taking his dearest friend?

"You are killing him!" The man cried, struggling once more.

Ungoliant turned, "Yes... He will die. My spawn were not graced with the same venom as I am capable of. The stingers of their tails can paralyze and numb, but my fangs... My fangs will slow the heart, the lungs, the blood of his body. Then, when I begin to feed, he will feel everything. Every prick of the skin, every sense of agony. He will feel death and know that he is powerless to stop it. As my venom courses through his body, the awareness will be unmatched by any the Elf has ever felt before. When I am finished with him and his life hangs by but a thread, the poison will finish it's work and crush his heart... but not before driving him mad."

"Al... Al, Estel! Ha u-ru nin! Le garo estelio nin! Nalmet gwedyr a im u-gweriathon le! ~*[No... No, Estel! It was not me! You have to trust me! We are brothers and I would never betray you!]*~

Legolas was crying out, about what the king knew not. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. The prince thrashed in his bonds, but made no headway. He was not fully conscious of what was happening, of that Aragorn was certain. But the words which fell from the Elf's mouth pained the king. They were directed at him, as if something awful were about to happen between the two friends and Legolas was desperately trying to do anything to stop it.

"Legolas! Legolas! I am here! You have not betrayed me!" Aragorn called out, trying to calm his friend. The king's gaze landed once again on the monestrous spider. "What have you done..." he whispered.

With a laugh, Ungoliant made her way closer to Legolas. She reached out with one pointed leg, gently running it down the prince's cheek.

"Poor Elfling..."

Unconsciously, Legolas' body shuddered at the spider's touch. He attempted to pull away, as if some part of him could hear the evil words, and yet could do nothing.

"Does your mind play tricks with you?" Ungoliant continued, "Do you see your precious Aragorn as he tries to murder you?"

The king's eyes widened. "What?... I would never, EVER, do such a horrid thing! You are making him see the impossible!"

"I know." the spider almost appeared to be smiling. "The sooner his mind shatters, the sooner I can fully drink in his light. As long as he can resist me... as long as this pathetic Elf refuses to succumb... I am without my long awaited meal."

Aragorn rested his head against the ground in defeat. He could do nothing to help Legolas and simply watching him within the grasp of such a hideous evil was nearly unbearable.

A scream came from the archer, causing Aragorn to look up and wish he had not.

"ESTEL!" Legolas cried as a black leg protruded from the prince's right shoulder.

As Ungoliant withdrew her limb, she laughed. Leaning on the wall, the spider put her gaping maw close to the Elf's new wound. Aragorn was nearly sick when he noticed that Ungoliant was now feeding from Legolas' physical body. The prince moaned and cried out in pain as the spider's teeth slowly tore at his flesh.

"Im u-pul thuio... Estel, Im u-pul thuio..." The Elf whispered. ~*[I cannot breathe... Estel, I cannot breathe...]*~

'Ungoliant had been right,' Aragorn thought, 'Legolas can feel everything that is being done to him...'

The Elf spoke again, pleading for someone, anyone. "Tulu... Pen garo tulu nin... Garo..." ~*[Help... Somebody please (must) help me... Please (must)...]*~

As if to add the final touch to her newest torture, the spider pumped some of her venom into the Elf's wound. She did not stop until it flowed freely from his shoulder.

Legolas' scream echoed through the chamber. Before the venom had numbed him... now it burned like the fires of Mt. Doom itself. The Elf writhed in agony, constantly shaking, as his shoulder was assaulted yet again by Ungoliant's probing leg.

"Daro... Garo daro... Garo, Estel..." Tears fell freely from Legolas' closed eyes. ~*[Stop... Please (must) stop... Please (must), Estel...]*~



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"Estel, I think this may be the wrong way." Legolas said with a smile. "To think that your skills as a Ranger have failed. 'Tis a sad day indeed, mellon nin."

The sun was shining brightly as the two friends wound their way through the woods south of Rivendell. Legolas had believed his friend knew the way to their destination, which at the time was Bree, but apparently Aragorn had gotten lost somehow. It bothered the Elf little however, for it was a fine afternoon and he was spending it with his closest companion.

The Ranger shook his head, "No. I know where I am going."

But Legolas laughed. "Aragorn, Bree lies to the west. We have traveled far south. I do not mind the detour, but if we are to arrive in Bree on time, we should at least head in that direction."

Suddenly, Aragorn whirled to face him. "We are not going to Bree." he replied, suddenly striking out at Legolas.

The man's fist connected with the Elf's jaw, sending him tumbling to the ground. Legolas looked up at his friend in shock and silence, unable to comprehend the human's action.

"Estel..."

"I simply told you that to get you away from Rivendell." Aragorn spat, glaring at the Elf before him. "I am going to finish this here and now."

"Estel, what are you saying? Have you gone mad? I have done nothing to anger you, at least in my knowledge." Legolas replied, standing to his feet.

However, the man was not going to give the prince the chance and quickly punched him a second time. As the Elf looked up from the flat of his back, he watched his friend's expression change.

"You knew... you let him know... How could you betray me like that, Legolas?" Aragorn said, tears forming in his eyes. "I will kill you for it." As he spoke, the human drew his dagger from his belt.

Legolas' eyes widened, "Told who? I have not betrayed you, Estel. I swear it!"

"You knew about Arwen... you told, ada! You told him my feelings! You told him everything! Now he hates me and worse, he has exiled me from my home!" Aragorn leaned over the prince, pinning him to the ground by sitting on him. "I will never again see my brothers, my father, or my beloved! And it is all your fault! I trusted you, Legolas and you betrayed me!"

Struggling to get the human off of him, Legolas shook his head. "No... No, Estel! It was not me! You have to trust me! We are brothers and I would never betray you!"

"YOU LIE!" Aragorn cried, suddenly thrusting his dagger deep into the Elf's shoulder.

Legolas screamed as a fiery pain enveloped his arm, sending his body into complete shock.

"ESTEL!"

The man released the knife, only to wrap his hands around the Elf's neck.

"You did this to me! It is your fault! Curse you!" Aragorn cried, choking the prince.

Legolas' eyes widened as he fought with his only free hand. He clawed at the man, trying in vain to pry his fingers from his neck. The prince could feel his blood rushing to his head, hear his heart pounding. He was suffocating, his air blocked by the human's hands.

"Im u-pul thuio..." Legolas gasped as his entire world spun before him. "Estel, Im u-pul thuio..." ~*[I cannot breathe... Estel, I cannot breathe...]*~

As the darkness began to overtake him, he switched to Elvish. The prince watched as Aragorn's features hardened. His fingers tightened around the Elf's neck, and Legolas wished that he could call out to calm his friend.

"Tulu... Pen garo tulu nin... Garo..." ~*[Help... Somebody please (must) help me... Please (must)...]*~

But Aragorn continued to choke the life from his closest companion. Tears fell freely from Legolas' eyes as he realized that the human was acting out in anger and blindness. Some part of the prince knew that Estel would never try to kill him, however... With the accusations Aragorn had made earlier, Legolas knew that he was fulled by rage. Not just fulled... consumed by it.

Aragorn used one of his elbows to push down upon the dagger in the Elf's shoulder. This only caused Legolas to scream, though his lungs were so starved for air that it was hardly a whisper.

"Daro... Garo daro... Garo, Estel..." ~*[Stop... Please stop... Please, Estel...]*~



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The king laid his head down once more, tears escaping his own eyes as he attempted to stop the wave of nausea that had overcome him at the sights and sounds of his friend's torment. He could not stand to hear Legolas scream. However, the sound of that pain filled cry, Aragorn knew, would be forever etched into his memory.

Why did Ungoliant simply toy with them? Why had she not completely devoured Legolas yet? Surely she had not been forced to wait during Morgoth's attack of Valinor... had she?

Unless...

"You are weak!" The king said, raising his head and locking eyes with the giant spider. "You must break your victims, a task which could take days. You no longer have Morgoth to aid you in your quest for food." Ungoliant hissed at him in anger but did not take her eyes from the Elf before her.

Aragorn pressed on. "When you attacked Valinor, the horror and shock of seeing Morgoth and the darkness which covered the land, frightened the Elves. You destroyed the trees which gave light to their world, and they were plunged into what they believed an unending darkness. But now... now you must break your victims without the aid of such a great fear. You must prey upon their own weaknesses and exploit them, forcing them to see things which do not exist. You are nothing but a shell of your former self... and you know it."

Enraged, the spider positioned one of her pointed legs just below Legolas' quivering chin. "Speak another word and I will kill him."

But the King would not be stopped. "Legolas will not give in to you because he holds hope. He holds onto hope harder than anyone I have ever seen. He is an Elf, one of the First Born, the Silven and Sindarin Prince of Eryn Lasgallen. He will not be broken. He cannot be broken, least of all by you."

Ungoliant sprung, jumping from her position before the Elf to right in front of Aragorn. She gripped the man by the neck and forcefully pulled him up, webbing and all. Bringing the human to her own eye level, she glared at him.

"Choose your next words carefully... for they will be your last." she hissed, exposing her fangs.

Aragorn could not suppress the shudder nor the look of terror in his eyes as he stared death in the face.

Suddenly, a bright white light flooded the room. Ungoliant shrieked, dropping Aragorn and shielding her eyes as best she could. Turning to face her foe, the spider forgot about the man and the Elf.

The King of Gondor was equally surprised as a glowing figure entered the chamber. All of the spider's brood scurried to find the cover of darkness, but few cracks or crevices were not filled with the brilliance of this figure's light.

"Release them... and face your destruction, fallen Maia."

Aragorn immediately recognized the voice and a renewed hope sprung up within him.

"GANDALF!"



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Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1 for this.



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Reviews:

Dha-Gal: That was random... *hugs Legolas* It's okay... I won't let her eat you... completely anyway. *smirks* I hope you like this update as well, and I hope it wasn't confusing either.

Sparrow Greenleaf: "Sux on ice"? Whoops... I think I did torture Leggy badly... It actually hurt me to write this chapter... now all my muses are mad at me too.

Deana: Well... yeah... kinda... Course maybe things will take a turn for the better now?

Larien Lindorenan: Thanks. I have to have some sort of comic relief here, right? BTW, if you read my other stories, there are little conversations in them as well.

Mellaithwen-ElvenMaiden: Most definitely an evil spider. *shudders* Just look at what she's done to poor Leggy!

Enelya: I can always make it more depressing. *indicates this chapter* Never underestimate the power... Oh there will still be friendship... perhaps only one sided... but it's still there. Whoops, I'd better not give anything away for coming chapters. And no... Legolas doesn't taste good except to spiders and no he doesn't taste like chicken.

Lady of the Forest1: How does this cliffhanger grab you? *laughs at the bad pun* But Gandalf has arrived... but can he save them? Can he win? You'll have to wait to see.

Midnight Midlight: Hehehehehe Thanks! I like to be told I do a good job on them. So... for that comment... here's your update!



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Author's Note:

You know... I have like... 5 posters, a door poster, and two mini posters with Legolas on them. Not counting the glossy photo I have sitting on my desk. Aside from that, there's two Orlando posters, five magazines, a POTC poster with cast, a Will cardboard standup, and a Ned Kelly poster with Joe and Ned, not including the Orli autographed Ned Kelly pic or the many little pics taped to my computer screen of Orli... and I think they are all about to attack me to avenge Legolas.

Legolas: I hope that they do. You deserve to be severely punished after putting me through this.

But you know I love you.

Legolas: Do I? You torture me every chance you get. It's all that new movie's fault!

Aragorn: I have to agree. Your much too into this whole spider thing now that you have seen Shelob twice.

And don't forget I'm going tomorrow too.

Legolas: See! That is what I mean! Valar, when will it end?

But you did look really cute, Legolas.

Legolas: I did?

Aragorn: Do not listen to her, mellon nin. She is just trying to get on your good side.

Truly! You were so incredibly handsome that you stole my breath. When I saw you come through that doorway near the end... I almost cried from the beauty.

Legolas: ...

Aragorn: He has been lost...

And then... Valar, that circlet upon your head! Legolas, you were gorgeous! You looked every bit the Prince of Mirkwood. Your hair was woven, no longer in it's warrior braids, and the smile upon your face beamed with warmth and joy. I nearly fainted!

Legolas: Nearly fainted?

Aragorn: *sigh* He is doomed.

I nearly fainted. My heart skipped a beat and all time stopped. The woman beside me just shouted, "God bless!" because you were so stunning. Absolutely stunning.

*Legolas takes Nil's arm in his and they walk off talking.*

Aragorn: Great... he has succumbed to her flattery. Prissy Elf.

Thranduil: My son does not listen to very much of his praise. Yet sometimes... sometimes I think he takes it to heart.

Aragorn: You have returned. Of course, your return was ill timed.

Thranduil: As I can see... let us go and see if we can pry the two off of each other... shall we?

Aragorn: It would be my pleasure.



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Preview of the Next Chapter:...



Gandalf has come... but is he too late?

Legolas has already been tormented far beyond anything he could every have imagined. Now, as the White Wizard battles with an ancient fallen Maia... who will win?

If Gandalf wins, can Legolas be healed.

If Ungoliant wins... Then all of Arda is doomed.



Until Next Time!

Laters!