I would like to say a quick thank you to DaHybridQueen and LegolasLover 2003 for their kind reviews, and to LegolasLover and drwhoranger for adding the story to their favourites.

I would also like to thank each and everyone of you who has taken the time to read it. I love to hear from you so please drop me a line even if you think its awful (needy author review plug!)

ILVB - You'll be happy the twins are back, but you may not want to read what happened to Legolas. Hope you don't hate me too much!Trouble magnet is a good term for our poor elf! Glad you are still enjoying the tale and don't suppose you could put some festive praline syrup in that coffee to help things along. ;)

So... on we go with the next installment...

Chapter 35

Darkness, all around is darkness. I float, suspended, no sense of time or place. Something pulls at my mind as a young child tugs a mothers skirts trying to get her attention but if I try to concentrate my thoughts upon it it disappears like smoke blown away by the breeze.

Peaceful, so peaceful. I could rest here in the dark forever , the pain and stress of a former life melting away under its comforting blanket, wrapping around me, keeping me safe. No need to think, no need to run, no need to hide. Just float and let it all wash away.

Something intrudes. A flash of bright light. It does not belong here. I struggle to regain tranquility, then. Pain. A bolt of sharpness that takes my breath. No! I want to shout. No! Not here. Not now. But it increases, now burning, igniting my whole body until it has seared away every last scrap of serenity. Leaving me naked and open to the light now pouring over me like a tidal wave. With one last burst the darkness is gone and I fall, bereft, screaming into the pain and clamour that surrounds me.

His eyes and mouth shoot open at the same time. A loud scream is ripped from his throat as he feels his ankle grabbed and twisted by the huge beast he now sees standing over him.

"Thought that might get his attention boys" a loud burst of laughter greets the words and the large orc grins and gives the ankle another vicious jerk. This time Legolas manages to swallow back the sound building inside, determined that one scream is all he shall give the hated creatures surrounding him.

His mind is racing furiously. How has he come to this? The fog in his mind begins to clear and he remembers being trapped, but he is sure there were no orcs involved. He looks around at the leering faces containing promises of evil intent and shivers.

"Get back, ya mangy lot" the largest orc is obviously used to giving orders "this pointy ear as to be kept alive" he growls as one particularly daring small beast reaches out towards the elf with its claws "'es wanted by the boss fer something important" the circle of orcs retreat slightly and as they do so Legolas notices a dark shape trampled underfoot.

Spider. His memory comes flooding back. It was spiders that caught him. He flinches as he recalls the sticky strands holding him followed by the sharp prick of the sting. The orcs must have come across them before they had a chance to either wrap or eat him as he hung paralyzed between the trees. He grimaces not knowing which is worse to be held by spiders or orcs.

"Can't we just eat a bit of 'im" a whining voice cuts off the elves thoughts abruptly. "Just one leg" he feels something grab his thigh and tries to wriggle away but is still caught and held fast by the sticky strands of web used so effectively by the spiders. An ugly face is brought close to his own and hot, rancid breath turns his stomach as he feels the warm,wetness of a rough tongue slide up his cheek in a long, languid lick. "Mmmm" the orc purrs, "tastes good," then he hisses sharply and looks down as the point of a sharp blade materialises from his chest.

"I've tole yer. He's not fer eatin'!" the small orc crumples to the ground, an expression of terminal surprise etched onto its ugly features, as their leader withdraws the blade he has used to good effect and the rest of the band take a step back. "If yer want meat, eat that one" he gestures to his fallen erstwhile comrade and walks away, there is a moment of complete stillness then Legolas' world is filled with shrieks and a mass of tangled orc limbs as the fight for the body begins.

The twins are moving swiftly through the forest driven both by a sense of urgency instilled by the distraught king and from their own fear for the mortal brother who has seemingly disappeared somewhere in Mirkwoods environs. Alert for danger with swords drawn they need no oral communication, silently slipping into roles long mastered they cover the ground efficiently, each aware of the other and their surroundings, moving as one, ready for anything the forest may throw at them, whilst pondering over the manner of their release.

Upon discovering the identity of their rescuer, the two young elves were initially too astonished to move or speak and it was only when Thranduil once again grasped Elladans wrist to pull him into the fresh air that awareness returned and he heard his brother rasp out an oath as he pushed past and grabbed the king by the neck.

"How could you?" Elrohirs features had been a mask of pure fury as he spit the words into Thranduils face "How. Could. You.?" Each word was forced out through clenched teeth and the king had begun to gasp for air as the hold around his throat tightened.

"Roh!" Elladan had shouted urgently "Let go, you'll kill him!" The older twin went to grab at his brothers hand only to find himself at the pointed end of a dagger he had not seen his sibling draw. "Roh!" he had backed off slightly, holding his hands out to show himself to be unarmed,"' tis me gwador, 'tis only me."

"'Dan?" the hold upon the kings neck had lessened slightly as Elladans voice had penetrated through to his brothers overwraught mind. "Stand back and let me deal with this..." Elrohir paused slightly and scanned his hostages face with loathing "this, orc!" He had flung the insult into the face that was now almost white with fear.

"Let him go gwador," Elladans voice had been calm and cool "just let him go and we can find out why he is here."

It had taken further soothing words and phrases to eventually calm his brother down enough for him to loose his hold and looking into Thranduils eyes Elladan saw that the king was very aware of just how close he had come to death.

"I had no choice, I had no other choice" the words, repeated over and over again in an agonised whisper, as Thranduil appeared to sink into himself once Elrohir let go, had etched themselves into Elladans memory. He had begged them to find his son,, avowing the prince was in grave danger, although could not say what or who from and had sworn reparation for all that had befallen Elrond in Rivendel if only they would bring Legolas home safe. The cold, aloof, regal bearing displayed in the throne room was gone, leaving behind only the exposed, raw pain of an anxious and lost father.

The next few hours had passed in a blur of movement and pain. Legolas had watched in horror as the orcs dismembered and consumed their dead comrade, fighting over the least little bit. Shutting his eyes to the gruesome sight did nothing to help as the sounds were almost as bad and he could feel splatters of blood and tissue landing on his face and body. Once the macabre meal was over most of the beasts quickly fell asleep but to the elfs dismay, a couple remained alert, including their large leader, who had not joined in with the rabble, instead prefering to chew on strips of some dried meat the provenance of which the young archer did not wish to dwell upon, whilst keeping his small, beady eyes firmly fixed upon the captive.

Once certain the majority of his grim band were asleep, the large orc had lumbered over to the elf once more and thrust his face close enough for Legolas to see the small hairs protruding from its nostrils. The stench from the beasts breath made the archer gag but as he tried to turn his head away a clawed hand reached out and clutched at his cheeks, holding it in place. "So, pretty one" the creature leered "the boss wants you alive" Legolas held his breath as the face came closer yet stared defiantly into the malevolent eyes. "Don't mean we can't 'ave a little fun first tho', do it?" The elf shivered at the leer spreading over the orcs face then hissed in pain as a claw dragged down his cheek to his throat, drawing a long red line, through which tiny beads of blood welled and sat, like a string of crimson seed pearls upon his alabaster skin.

That had been the beginning. Now as he was being carried through the forest, there was not a part of the archers body free from pain. After that initial intake of breath Legolas had refused to give any further sign of pain or distress and this had driven the beast to distraction, as it tried to get a response. Legolas had been whipped, beaten, kicked, clawed and punched until unconcious, then woken by a dousing of cold water only for the punishment to begin again. He never knew how long he was out for, but each time he came to they were in a different place. He had vague memories of motion between bouts of abuse but coherent thought had long fled and he was hanging on to life by the thin thread of his determination to thwart the beasts pleasure.