Misplaced Trust
Author: Legolas Fanatic
Rating: T (PG-13)
Disclaimer: (See chapter one)
A/N: Thank you for all the reviews thus far! They are beyond appreciated and I hope that this chapter serves as a thankyou present for the moment. To all you lurkers out there, thanks for reading, though don't be scared to review. I don't bite......much.
Chapter Ten: Impulses
Legolas pressed his back against the tree; using all of the stealth and agility he possessed to remain undiscovered. He risked a look around the stump; the orcs were no longer there.
He had been surprised that he had managed to sneak away from Laythil and Aragorn. He thought that, with his injuries, Laythil's sharp ears would have picked him up almost instantly. He was glad to know that he could still move silently, no matter how much it agonized him.
He was now back in the previous clearing, waiting for the opportune moment to retrieve his weapons. He cursed himself for not doing so before. Now, he was back where he started.
His twin elven blades shone brightly in the sliver of light that hit them. Next to them lay his, Laythil's and Aragorn's bows and quivers along with the ranger's sword and Laythil's scimitar. Raaen's weapons were not present, Oliner must have left them behind when he had captured the warrior. He also saw, beside the weapons, his tattered tunic Oliner had removed. It had several tears but, overall, it was wearable. He silently thanked the Valar that they were still here and that the orcs had not moved them into their new camp yet.
Legolas looked around again and saw no orcs in the immediate vicinity. He could, however, hear their heavy footfalls close by. He would need to act fast. That would be hard to achieve due to his wounds, he groaned inwardly. Why was everything always hard when concerning him and Estel?
The prince took a step forward, listening sharply for orcs before leaping towards the weapons in an acrobatic spin and reefing them from the ground. As soon as he straightened up again he feel to his knees and hissed in pain as he felt his back start to bleed again. It was joined by his forearm and shoulder wounds.
The archer closed his eyes and willed the pain to be ignored. Quickly, he reefed his tunic over his head and strapped his bow and quiver to his back before donning his shoulder scabbard and sheathing his blades. He grabbed the other weapons and stood up again.
Legolas knew that the bows and quivers would be useless without arrows. They had used all their arrows in the fight, but he wasn't about to leave them there. He'd take what he could get. Besides, he didn't feel comfortable without his bow, his most trusted weapon.
Legolas made his way back into the trees, his ears alert to any change the orcs made. He knew how stupid his actions were, but his father was in danger. He had temporarily lost the ability to think rationally.
Another worry nagging at the elf's mind was Aragorn. He knew how cruel he had been, sneaking off without a word. The ranger would either worry for Legolas' safety, or he would try and aid the elf in his foolish quest. Neither option sounded comforting to Legolas. He didn't want to endanger the human any further, but he also knew that Aragorn was just as stubborn as he was.
Legolas continued through the trees as stealthily as he could, making sure to stay out of the orcs line of sight. He made sure to avoid getting too close to Oliner's camp. He now needed to get over the other side of the clearing, where his father was. Easier said than done, he thought to himself.
The archer pulled out one of his twin white knives incase he found himself in a sticky situation. In the other hand he cradled the two bows and quivers that belonged to Laythil and Aragorn. The elf had strapped the sword and scimitar around his waist with their belts. He would get them back to his companions soon enough. He continued forward, circling around the camp silently whilst making sure to avoid ruffling leaves. His biggest threat was the orcs smelling his blood. The foul creatures were drawn to the scent of blood.
He heard a twig crack south of his position and he stopped immediately, preparing to scale the tree, no matter how painful the task would be. He heard the footsteps of an orc getting closer to him, approaching the camp. Legolas rushed to move out of the way.
"We got everythin' we need from the other camp!" The orc called across the clearing to Oliner who was scolding another orc. The elf looked up as the orc entered.
"Good, it's about time," Oliner scowled at the orc.
"Sorry, sir, we had more stuff than we first thought." The orc looked anything but sorry.
"You pathetic creatures have hardly any possessions," Oliner snapped "You just dawdled. Lazy brutes."
The orc frowned darkly but didn't respond, only moved off to continue with other tasks.
Legolas released a silent sigh of relief, ignoring the pain it had caused to move away so quickly. He continued forward, heading for the other side of the clearing.
Aragorn looked up at Laythil who was perched in the tree Legolas had vacated. "Can you see him?"
"No," Laythil whispered.
"Damn that stubborn, hard-headed, persistent, crazy elf!" Aragorn cursed. He knew Legolas had gone to try and save Thranduil somehow. He should have kept a closer eye on his friend.
"We'll find him." Laythil landed on the ground next to Aragorn.
"Before or after he gets captured." Aragorn turned back to the orc camp, searching the other side of the surrounding forest for any sign of his friend. Of course, looking for an elf who didn't want to be found was a pointless task. Even injured, Legolas could still be as inconspicuous as he liked.
Laythil shook his head. "Prince Legolas is no fool, he has probably returned to the weapons."
Aragorn nodded. "Yes, but I doubt he will return here before he tries to rescue his father."
"Let's move around and meet him on the other side of the clearing."
The human nodded thoughtfully. That didn't sound like a terrible idea. He just hoped that they could make it before Legolas tried anything that would fail. "Let's go."
Laythil picked up Raaen and the three of them continued in an anti-clockwise direction around the camp. The orcs were snarling and cursing as their shelters were erected to filter out what little sunlight infiltrated the clearing. The clearing was large, fitting all the orcs. Aragorn couldn't count the foul brutes but he guessed that there were easily eight hundred or more.
"I don't see him yet," Laythil muttered.
"He's a stealthy elf," the ranger muttered in return.
The elven warrior chuckled shortly but stopped the sound before it could get any louder. "He is injured; hopefully I'll see him before he reaches the king. We need to come up with a plan to save King Thranduil or else Prince Legolas won't listen to us."
Aragorn nodded. Without an alternative, they wouldn't be able to hold Legolas back without knocking him out. The ranger really didn't want to do that. "Any ideas?"
"No. If we try to untie him, the chances of the orcs and Oliner seeing us will be high. If we do nothing, Oliner will either hunt us down or find a way to bring us to him. Also, the king will suffer greatly the longer he is in Oliner's custody."
"Indeed." Aragorn increased his pace. "We could create a diversion. Make the orcs switch their attention from King Thranduil to something else so we could rescue him. Still, I don't know how we could make a big enough distraction."
"We have nothing to use." Laythil paused mid-stride.
"What is it?" Aragorn stopped and turned to the warrior who looked thoughtful.
Laythil looked at Aragorn. "We may be able to create a diversion, although it may not last long and it may not be enough to attract all the orcs."
"Anything is better than nothing." Aragorn moved closer to Laythil, lowering his voice.
Laythil gulped visibly before placing Raaen on the ground, propped up against a tree. "I could lead a few of the orcs away from here. I have more energy than you and I know that at least some of the orcs would follow."
"No." Aragorn did not even need to think about it. He was not going to let Laythil give up his own life.
"The king's life is more important than my own and I see no other alternative," Laythil said, his facial expression neutral. Aragorn could tell that the elf was hiding the fear he felt.
"There must be another way," the ranger growled. "I don't see how it'll work anyway, there are too many orcs."
"Saes [Please], Estel," Laythil whispered, "let me save my king."
"Laythil, what if it doesn't work?" Aragorn could see the elf was intent on this plan of action.
"We won't know if we don't try." The warrior gave Aragorn a piercing look, as if trying to melt the ranger into the ground so that he could not interfere.
"I cannot carry Raaen," Aragorn shot, his last excuse. He looked at the unconscious warrior sadly. Raaen would die if he did not receive medical attention soon and the way things were progressing, time was not on their side. It was likely that Raaen would die out here unless their luck changed drastically. His superior elven healing was the only thing that had prevented him from dying thus far and yet, it was not helping. If his wound healed with the shaft still embedded, it would not make matters easier.
"I'm sure your resourceful brain will think of something," Laythil whispered before turning and sprinting into the forest. Aragorn took a step forward but the elf was faster than him and he had less injuries. Aragorn wasn't even sure if the elf had any injuries.
"Laythil!" Aragorn cursed softly into the air. He knew that the chances of the warrior living were low. Now that he was out of options he watched the camp intently. He knew that if the orcs started to chase Laythil he would have to act fast and run down to Thranduil. The only downside was that he would have to leave Raaen alone in the bushes. He cursed their bad luck, not for the first time that day.
"Hurry up!" Oliner struck out at an orc. "I want to have some fun with our latest guests and you're all over the clearing like a pack of headless wargs! Get organized."
The orcs hurried, flashing looks of hate at the captain but not daring to defy him. The one who had been struck straightened, glared at Oliner and took off towards a pack of orcs stacking the dead elf bodies.
"You will fail."
Oliner turned towards Thranduil, glad that the king had finally decided to speak. "Legolas said that. But look, my plan went smoothly enough and now I have you. Of course, I did not anticipate his escape."
"He outwitted you," Thranduil sneered at his former captain, hate lacing his voice.
"Outwitted me? My dear king, everyone's been outwitted except me. Do not worry; you will soon help Mirkwood fall. Mirkwood and dear little Legolas." Oliner chuckled lightly though the noise sounded strained.
"I think not!" The elven king spat at Oliner's feet, emphasizing his defiance and disgust.
"Oh, but I think so. You are their king, Thranduil. Without you, they have no leader. Of course, you have advisors and such that will keep order in your absence, but ultimately they will fall. All I have to do is take your broken, bleeding body back and they will do anything I say to keep you alive. They need you to make their decisions, but they will make their own decision on whether to keep you alive so that you can make their decisions. I hope that's not too complicated for you to understand?"
Thranduil scowled. "Mirkwood is not worth the life of one elf!"
"It is if that elf is the king. Don't you understand? They have no leader to object to my terms. You will be too unconscious to order them not to. They'll do it for your sake!" Oliner had a mad gleam in his eye.
"You will fail."
"I thought Legolas was stupid. Looks like it runs in the family," Oliner sighed sadly.
"Don't speak his name!" Thranduil pulled against the bindings.
"Oh, did I hit a nerve?" Oliner moved forward and ran the back of his hand gently across Thranduil's cheekbone.
"You are insane." Thranduil jerked his head away from the hand.
"You are so much like your son. I'm getting a sense of déjà vu. Our little conversation sounded a lot like this one."
Thranduil glared at Oliner angrily, hating the way he was being taunted with his own son. He felt concern and worry come flooding back for the wellbeing of his child.
Oliner continued to stroke Thranduil's cheek, following the jerking head with his hand. "So much defiance. So fun to break."
Almost instantly an orc cried out in pain, causing Oliner to swirl around. He found himself looking at a mass of black, disfigured bodies swarming into the forest. He grabbed the nearest orc and whirled it around to face him. "What is the meaning of this?"
"We saw an elf, sir, in the forest," the orc chuckled darkly. "It was that other one, not the prince, the warrior. He killed an orc before fleeing. We was gonna go chase 'im down."
"If he's here, that means Legolas isn't far," Oliner muttered. "I want some of you to stay here!" He yelled to the orcs, satisfied when some broke off to remain.
"Well, my king, looks like your son has come to me." Oliner grinned before turning and yelling out orders to the orcs in their own foul tongue.
Thranduil felt the urge to wince as the black speech was shouted back and forth but forced himself to remain still. He felt panic swell in his gut. If the orcs were right and Legolas was nearby, then they would most likely find him. The orcs numbered so many.
"Do not make a noise, Ada."
Thranduil started at the whisper in his ear but he quickly defined the voice of his son and the use of the word father. He didn't make a noise, even though he felt like embracing his son and not letting him leave the palace ever again. He was thrilled beyond words to know that Legolas was at least still alive, and moving.
The king felt his ropes cut before they fell to the ground useless. He stood forward and turned around only to see thin air. He stifled a cry of dismay at finding Legolas gone before looking over and seeing the golden-haired archer supporting an unconscious Aluer. Thranduil rushed to help, limping slightly due to his injury.
As Thranduil approached he realized that his son was only barely standing. He couldn't make out the full extent of his wounds but he saw bandages on the younger elf's left forearm and right shoulder. Oliner had also mentioned hurting Legolas' back. The king wordlessly shifted Aluer's weight onto his own shoulders, not wanting to strain Legolas further. "Ion nin."
Legolas smiled slightly at his father, overjoyed to see him again. He had felt so worried, knowing what might have happened to the king. He also felt saddened by Laythil's sacrifice. He had heard the orcs and now blamed himself for the elf's death. It was done as a distraction to allow him time to rescue the king. Another immortal life extinguished because of him.
No doubt, Laythil viewed the king's life as more important but it still didn't stop Legolas from considering alternatives to what had happened. If he had not snuck off, maybe Laythil wouldn't have used himself as bait. "We must hurry Ada, before Oliner sees us," Legolas whispered hastily before turning back to the forest.
"I'm afraid it's far too late for that, princeling."
Aragorn studied the camp closely, awaiting Laythil's distraction. The elf would no doubt attack and then run, which wouldn't last long. Even with Laythil being uninjured, the elf was still weary from the captivity. The chase would not last long unless a miracle happened for Laythil. The possibilities were unlikely.
Aragorn watched as Oliner approached Thranduil. The captain's lips were moving but Aragorn's human hearing could not hear what was being said. It mustn't have been good as soon Thranduil started thrashing in his bonds, glowering furiously.
Oliner continued to goad the king, moving closer and rubbing his cheek. Aragorn felt angry at the disrespect for Legolas' father. He knew that Oliner was trying to get to the king but it made him angry to see the methods the sadistic elf was using.
A moment later an orc shrieked and then chaos erupted. Oliner turned and orcs were parading across the clearing, heading into the forest after Laythil. The ranger knew it had to be Laythil for there was no other explanation. Oliner shouted something and a few orcs stopped and returned to their duties.
Aragorn's attention was immediately drawn back to Thranduil as a lithe, golden-haired figure emerged from the trees. Legolas. Aragorn felt immense joy at seeing his friend cut the ropes holding Thranduil before moving on to Aluer.
The ranger moved forward through the trees, temporarily leaving Raaen to see if Legolas needed some help. He saw Thranduil grab Aluer but continued, wanting to severely hug and scold his friend.
Aragorn stopped as something caught his eye, Oliner. The elf was stalking back towards Legolas, Thranduil and Aluer, a large grin on his face. The three unsuspecting elves continued to stand there, unaware of the approaching danger. The captain raised the bow in his hands, stopped a short distance away before calling out to the elves. Aragorn was close enough to hear the shout.
"I'm afraid it's far too late for that, princeling," Oliner smiled wickedly, pulling back the arrow and aiming it for Legolas.
"Sweet Eru, NO!" Thranduil moved forward but a second later the bow sang, releasing the projectile. Almost instantly, Legolas staggered backwards before dropping to his knees and releasing a cry of pain.
TBC
A/N: Oh, wow, does that count as a cliffhanger? Mwahahaha! Poor Legolas, maybe I hurt him too much…..*thinks about it* Nah! Hehe, want to find out what happened to poor Legolas? Sorry, but you'll have to wait an estimate of two days. I'm planning to update on Sunday to maintain the two day routine. In the meantime, you could always review. Just a suggestion……… :)