Fall From Grace
Chapter Four
Twilight had fallen on Mirkwood Forest, the moon casting soft beams of light through tree branches. Two figures worked quickly amongst a group of rocks, while a smaller, stouter one kept watch nearby.
Aragorn carefully slipped a large, flat rock over Tadrien's foot, which the elf had slipped into a crack between two larger rocks, to make it appear as though he had misstepped and was now quite firmly stuck. "That should do it. How does it feel?"
He nodded. "It's alright. Best take cover, if those Orcs are within earshot, I shall get their attention."
The Man nodded and patted his shoulder. "And we shall be right behind you." A beckoning wave brought Gimli over. "Everthing is in place."
Gimli nodded and murmured a few words of luck to the Elf, before following Aragorn into the cover of thick undergrowth.
Several moments later, Tadrien cupped his hands around his mouth and started hollering loudly for help.
Hours had passed with cries echoing loudly thoughout the forest and Aragorn and Gimli were starting to question the logic in their plan. Afterall, the Orcs might not even be in the area. They were rewarded, though, when the Elf's yells stopped and they could hear a soft rustling nearby.
He swallowed hesitantly and called out, "is someone out there?" Nerves were starting to get to him and he found himself questioning the wisdom of this grand plan.
About half a dozen Orcs burst onto the path and sneered at the helpless young Elf. One notched an arrow and in thickly accented Westron said, "weapons down!"
Tadrien nodded slowly and made a deliberate show of casting aside his short sword, bow and quiver. He held his hands up in a sign of surrender and did his best to look afraid. "Do not hurt me," he said quietly. "I shall cooperate. You've my word..."
The Orcs smirked at each other and one moved swiftly to bind his arms behind his back, while a second pulled the rock away and jerked his foot free, snorting with laughter. "Stupid Elf!"
He scowled and stumbled forward as he was pushed from behind with a growl of, "move!" Though he tried his best to remain passive as he walked. *Stupid Elves, indeed,* he thought. *Stupid Orcs is more like it.*
Aragorn touched Gimli's shoulder as he watched the Orcs lead their newfound companion away. "Let's go." He whispered.
****
The young prince of Mirkwood had been unconscious again. This time, however, he awoke to a foul taste in his mouth and his throat feeling as though it were on fire. He choked, causing pain to shoot through his chest, as more liquid dribbled into his mouth, he turned his head and spat it out, vaguely aware of another presence in the room.
"Poor Elf," a harsh voice muttered. A clumsy hand landed heavily on the Elf's head, causing him to wince. "Drink. Is good."
Legolas pursed his lips and muttered. "Leave me..." He forced his eyes to focus and saw that it was an Orc bent over his prone and beaten form. "I do not wish for liquid..." That was a lie. He would've given nearly anything for a drink of fresh, clean, water. But whatever it was the Orc insisted he drink was certainly a far cry from thirst-quenching.
The Orc frowned. "Was once pretty Elf, too."
"I care not," he whispered. Another lie. It terrified him that this hideous beast could have once been one of his kinsmen. It terrified him further to think he might end up the same way. "Tell me..." he implored softly, the ache in his face was further aggravated with his attempts to speak, "why is this happening? Who is behind it? I must know..."
The Orc shrugged its large shoulders. "Radagast take over Middle-Earth. Need Orcs. Elves make Orcs."
He pondered that for several long moments. *Radagast... but he's supposed to be one of the Maia emissaries-*
The door flung open and the wizard pointed an accusing finger at the Orc. "You've interfered... with my plans... for the last time!" The Orc hadn't time to reply, for it was flying through the air, and hit the wall outside the cell with the sickening snap of its neck breaking. He turned on Legolas and the Elf could tell, fear wrapping an icy hand around his heart, whatever had happened to the Maia who had lived near Mirkwood and loved nature one thing was clear. He was getting stronger.
"I know who you are!" Legolas cried, trying to ignore the pain in his broken jaw.
"Who I was... Does not matter..." Radagast rasped. "I... shall break you yet..." He chanted again in the strange tongue the Elf didn't recognize and again, Legolas screamed in agony as every nerve trembled with more pain than he had ever experienced in over two thousand years of exsistence. "You shall never see... The sun, your home... or your friends again!"
The words seemed to have more impact on him than he thought possible. He tried to convince himself that the wizard was lying admist his howls of pain, but a great despair was settling over him. Perhaps this man was right. Perhaps he would falter here. No escape. No way out. He didn't want to be an Orc! A broken creature of evil and darkness, doomed to never be kissed by sweet sunlight again!
He thought of the others that had been taken. Had they succumbed? A hissed affirmative echoed through his mind. "No..." he howled through his screams. Through mind-numbing agony that was sapping his strength and will. "Please..."
"Please what?" Radagast sneered and let his chant quiet some. He wanted to be able to hear this.
"Stop it..." the pain, much to Legolas's surprise, had started to fade. Very slightly. *Elbereth,* He pleaded in his mind, *I do not wish to turn into one of them... I cannot stand this any longer... just let me die...* "I beg of you..." the last words seemed to slip out of their own will, addressing his tormentor instead of the Ainur.
The wizard smiled a dark an evil smile, and stopped the spell. "I knew you would... see things my way..."
Tears rolled down the beaten Elf's cheeks, turning dried blood red again, as he wept bitterly at his own weakness. He turned away from his captor, who began to chant again as Elven tears hit the dirt floor.
Black dirt turned a filthy yellow colour and began to bubble around him, thick disgusting looking muck that was starting to cover the now struggling Legolas and effectively suffocating his protests and denials.
Radagast slipped from the cell, his prisoner now fully embedded in a sort of coccoon, and smirked at the Orcs standing guard. "It is done."
Chapter Four
Twilight had fallen on Mirkwood Forest, the moon casting soft beams of light through tree branches. Two figures worked quickly amongst a group of rocks, while a smaller, stouter one kept watch nearby.
Aragorn carefully slipped a large, flat rock over Tadrien's foot, which the elf had slipped into a crack between two larger rocks, to make it appear as though he had misstepped and was now quite firmly stuck. "That should do it. How does it feel?"
He nodded. "It's alright. Best take cover, if those Orcs are within earshot, I shall get their attention."
The Man nodded and patted his shoulder. "And we shall be right behind you." A beckoning wave brought Gimli over. "Everthing is in place."
Gimli nodded and murmured a few words of luck to the Elf, before following Aragorn into the cover of thick undergrowth.
Several moments later, Tadrien cupped his hands around his mouth and started hollering loudly for help.
Hours had passed with cries echoing loudly thoughout the forest and Aragorn and Gimli were starting to question the logic in their plan. Afterall, the Orcs might not even be in the area. They were rewarded, though, when the Elf's yells stopped and they could hear a soft rustling nearby.
He swallowed hesitantly and called out, "is someone out there?" Nerves were starting to get to him and he found himself questioning the wisdom of this grand plan.
About half a dozen Orcs burst onto the path and sneered at the helpless young Elf. One notched an arrow and in thickly accented Westron said, "weapons down!"
Tadrien nodded slowly and made a deliberate show of casting aside his short sword, bow and quiver. He held his hands up in a sign of surrender and did his best to look afraid. "Do not hurt me," he said quietly. "I shall cooperate. You've my word..."
The Orcs smirked at each other and one moved swiftly to bind his arms behind his back, while a second pulled the rock away and jerked his foot free, snorting with laughter. "Stupid Elf!"
He scowled and stumbled forward as he was pushed from behind with a growl of, "move!" Though he tried his best to remain passive as he walked. *Stupid Elves, indeed,* he thought. *Stupid Orcs is more like it.*
Aragorn touched Gimli's shoulder as he watched the Orcs lead their newfound companion away. "Let's go." He whispered.
****
The young prince of Mirkwood had been unconscious again. This time, however, he awoke to a foul taste in his mouth and his throat feeling as though it were on fire. He choked, causing pain to shoot through his chest, as more liquid dribbled into his mouth, he turned his head and spat it out, vaguely aware of another presence in the room.
"Poor Elf," a harsh voice muttered. A clumsy hand landed heavily on the Elf's head, causing him to wince. "Drink. Is good."
Legolas pursed his lips and muttered. "Leave me..." He forced his eyes to focus and saw that it was an Orc bent over his prone and beaten form. "I do not wish for liquid..." That was a lie. He would've given nearly anything for a drink of fresh, clean, water. But whatever it was the Orc insisted he drink was certainly a far cry from thirst-quenching.
The Orc frowned. "Was once pretty Elf, too."
"I care not," he whispered. Another lie. It terrified him that this hideous beast could have once been one of his kinsmen. It terrified him further to think he might end up the same way. "Tell me..." he implored softly, the ache in his face was further aggravated with his attempts to speak, "why is this happening? Who is behind it? I must know..."
The Orc shrugged its large shoulders. "Radagast take over Middle-Earth. Need Orcs. Elves make Orcs."
He pondered that for several long moments. *Radagast... but he's supposed to be one of the Maia emissaries-*
The door flung open and the wizard pointed an accusing finger at the Orc. "You've interfered... with my plans... for the last time!" The Orc hadn't time to reply, for it was flying through the air, and hit the wall outside the cell with the sickening snap of its neck breaking. He turned on Legolas and the Elf could tell, fear wrapping an icy hand around his heart, whatever had happened to the Maia who had lived near Mirkwood and loved nature one thing was clear. He was getting stronger.
"I know who you are!" Legolas cried, trying to ignore the pain in his broken jaw.
"Who I was... Does not matter..." Radagast rasped. "I... shall break you yet..." He chanted again in the strange tongue the Elf didn't recognize and again, Legolas screamed in agony as every nerve trembled with more pain than he had ever experienced in over two thousand years of exsistence. "You shall never see... The sun, your home... or your friends again!"
The words seemed to have more impact on him than he thought possible. He tried to convince himself that the wizard was lying admist his howls of pain, but a great despair was settling over him. Perhaps this man was right. Perhaps he would falter here. No escape. No way out. He didn't want to be an Orc! A broken creature of evil and darkness, doomed to never be kissed by sweet sunlight again!
He thought of the others that had been taken. Had they succumbed? A hissed affirmative echoed through his mind. "No..." he howled through his screams. Through mind-numbing agony that was sapping his strength and will. "Please..."
"Please what?" Radagast sneered and let his chant quiet some. He wanted to be able to hear this.
"Stop it..." the pain, much to Legolas's surprise, had started to fade. Very slightly. *Elbereth,* He pleaded in his mind, *I do not wish to turn into one of them... I cannot stand this any longer... just let me die...* "I beg of you..." the last words seemed to slip out of their own will, addressing his tormentor instead of the Ainur.
The wizard smiled a dark an evil smile, and stopped the spell. "I knew you would... see things my way..."
Tears rolled down the beaten Elf's cheeks, turning dried blood red again, as he wept bitterly at his own weakness. He turned away from his captor, who began to chant again as Elven tears hit the dirt floor.
Black dirt turned a filthy yellow colour and began to bubble around him, thick disgusting looking muck that was starting to cover the now struggling Legolas and effectively suffocating his protests and denials.
Radagast slipped from the cell, his prisoner now fully embedded in a sort of coccoon, and smirked at the Orcs standing guard. "It is done."