"Let me go! Unhand me right now!"
Frodo banged wildly against the heaving chest of a slightly wounded Orc who had been carrying the panicking Halfling for a day and a half, nearly surviving the constant mad rambling of the one he held. Shooting an almost pleading look to his leader, he was grateful to halt his tracks and set the Hobbit down. Frodo immediately darted to a tree but was caught by bulky Uruk-Hai.
"Just hold him still. We will rest for now - I am sure the Halflings are weary," Legolas barked at the half goblin, half Orc in a loud, hate filled voice. The Uruk-Hai did as he was told, but suffered the consequences of an angry little Ringbearer insistent on saving his friends. He growled forcefully at it, scaring Frodo momentarily, silencing him until he took a mighty swing, drawing his hand back sharply when he felt the hardness of the monster's cheekbone beneath the leathery skin.
Pippin recoiled from an Orc's unwelcome and disturbing touch, shaking with fear; tears of peril rolled freely down his cheeks, his voice caught in his throat so he could not scream. Merry shouted obscenities at the assaulting creature, demanding he let go of his cousin before he would do something terrible to punish him; his words were drowned out in the irrepressible cruel laughter around him. Sam stayed silent and unmoving, his eyes wandering around like a scared animal, several times watching Frodo try to punch out an Uruk-Hai without much success. Looking away from the scene Pippin was attracting, his gaze landed on the one known as Legolas.
Legolas had his back to the tribe of hideous creatures, his deadly bow in his hand in a death grip as if he feared it would shatter if he dared let go. He stood in the direction of Isengard, most likely receiving a mental message from the one he has his allegiance sworn to, Sam thought. But his mind wanderings were incorrect indeed.
Earth shaking screams were ringing relentlessly in his head, attempts to block it all out ineffectual to his memories of the previous days. Half of him told him that he was being a sap, a weak and terrible excuse for an Orc; the other said he was an uttermost idiot to leave his comrades - his lover, his life - in that sort of state of which he created. His mind swam in an endless pool of confusion, hate, and sorrow, a mire more murky and swampy than those in Middle-Earth.
The weight of the knowledge he had committed a serious crime against his oath of the Fellowship, following heedlessly in Sarumon's plans. He proved to be the cull of the Fellowship - irrational, inhumane, and a failure.
A piercing cry brought his instant attention to the Hobbit being heavily assaulted by the other Orcs and Uruk-Hai around him. When he noticed that Pippin was nearly crying his eyes out, he stalked over to ascertain the cause of his outburst. Shoving the others aside gruffly, he roared in disdain at the sight of the nearly raped Hobbit being mauled in the most ungracious manner. Desisting the actions in a single throwing of a body against several others, he further advanced to chastise them in the most terrible way imaginable. Killing many of the guilty party in his gruesome beating, he fought off the other ones who let the thought cross their minds of approaching. Pippin quickly gathered what was left of his clothes and pushed back against a tree, trying to disappear or at least be unnoticed. He curled his body into a small ball, completely found and bare, his stomach turning wild somersaults as an effect.
Once through with his reprimanding of the moment, Legolas turned back to the victim, squatting down on his heels a yard or two away to give him his space. Pippin refused to meet his stare, but only cried harder, calling for Merry desperately as if the world depended on him. Merry was, in turn, shouting for Pippin, cursing wildly at Legolas and the Orc holding him hostage. With a wave of his meaty hand, the Orc released the angered Hobbit who nearly flew to his cousin's side, consoling the frightened little one. Glaring daggers at Legolas, he ran his fingers through the unruly hair a few times, holding the little body to his and rocking him back and forth gently, whispering comforting words into his ear.
Legolas stood, securing his bow into over his quiver. Baring his teeth at the others, he said, "Stay away from the two Halflings, but keep your watch. I do NOT want to see ANY of you within twenty feet of them, do you hear me? If I do, you will be severely punished."
He started to pivot around when an Orc murmured, "Oh, we're scared."
Slowing his movements dramatically, Legolas faced the Orc with an absolutely sickening grin across his face. "Are you really?"
Without giving him a second's chance to respond, he swiftly rid him the burden of his head, holding it up by the hair and cutting it neatly in half before discarding it on the ground. Uruk-Hai and Orcs alike fell silent.
"Do any of you wish to challenge me and end up like the fool who dared to, or will you heed in my commands?"
Dead silence.
Watching with wide-eyed awe, Sam found that he couldn't stop his mouth from moving involuntarily as Legolas brushed by him in haste. "Though you fight against us in combat, you still take caution in our safety."
Stopping in his tracks, Legolas bowed his head and looked over his shoulder at the Halfling. "I do it because my master has given me direct orders to keep all of you in tact." Then looking back at he slender trees, he added quietly, "And I would die of grief to see you lost."
Frodo banged wildly against the heaving chest of a slightly wounded Orc who had been carrying the panicking Halfling for a day and a half, nearly surviving the constant mad rambling of the one he held. Shooting an almost pleading look to his leader, he was grateful to halt his tracks and set the Hobbit down. Frodo immediately darted to a tree but was caught by bulky Uruk-Hai.
"Just hold him still. We will rest for now - I am sure the Halflings are weary," Legolas barked at the half goblin, half Orc in a loud, hate filled voice. The Uruk-Hai did as he was told, but suffered the consequences of an angry little Ringbearer insistent on saving his friends. He growled forcefully at it, scaring Frodo momentarily, silencing him until he took a mighty swing, drawing his hand back sharply when he felt the hardness of the monster's cheekbone beneath the leathery skin.
Pippin recoiled from an Orc's unwelcome and disturbing touch, shaking with fear; tears of peril rolled freely down his cheeks, his voice caught in his throat so he could not scream. Merry shouted obscenities at the assaulting creature, demanding he let go of his cousin before he would do something terrible to punish him; his words were drowned out in the irrepressible cruel laughter around him. Sam stayed silent and unmoving, his eyes wandering around like a scared animal, several times watching Frodo try to punch out an Uruk-Hai without much success. Looking away from the scene Pippin was attracting, his gaze landed on the one known as Legolas.
Legolas had his back to the tribe of hideous creatures, his deadly bow in his hand in a death grip as if he feared it would shatter if he dared let go. He stood in the direction of Isengard, most likely receiving a mental message from the one he has his allegiance sworn to, Sam thought. But his mind wanderings were incorrect indeed.
Earth shaking screams were ringing relentlessly in his head, attempts to block it all out ineffectual to his memories of the previous days. Half of him told him that he was being a sap, a weak and terrible excuse for an Orc; the other said he was an uttermost idiot to leave his comrades - his lover, his life - in that sort of state of which he created. His mind swam in an endless pool of confusion, hate, and sorrow, a mire more murky and swampy than those in Middle-Earth.
The weight of the knowledge he had committed a serious crime against his oath of the Fellowship, following heedlessly in Sarumon's plans. He proved to be the cull of the Fellowship - irrational, inhumane, and a failure.
A piercing cry brought his instant attention to the Hobbit being heavily assaulted by the other Orcs and Uruk-Hai around him. When he noticed that Pippin was nearly crying his eyes out, he stalked over to ascertain the cause of his outburst. Shoving the others aside gruffly, he roared in disdain at the sight of the nearly raped Hobbit being mauled in the most ungracious manner. Desisting the actions in a single throwing of a body against several others, he further advanced to chastise them in the most terrible way imaginable. Killing many of the guilty party in his gruesome beating, he fought off the other ones who let the thought cross their minds of approaching. Pippin quickly gathered what was left of his clothes and pushed back against a tree, trying to disappear or at least be unnoticed. He curled his body into a small ball, completely found and bare, his stomach turning wild somersaults as an effect.
Once through with his reprimanding of the moment, Legolas turned back to the victim, squatting down on his heels a yard or two away to give him his space. Pippin refused to meet his stare, but only cried harder, calling for Merry desperately as if the world depended on him. Merry was, in turn, shouting for Pippin, cursing wildly at Legolas and the Orc holding him hostage. With a wave of his meaty hand, the Orc released the angered Hobbit who nearly flew to his cousin's side, consoling the frightened little one. Glaring daggers at Legolas, he ran his fingers through the unruly hair a few times, holding the little body to his and rocking him back and forth gently, whispering comforting words into his ear.
Legolas stood, securing his bow into over his quiver. Baring his teeth at the others, he said, "Stay away from the two Halflings, but keep your watch. I do NOT want to see ANY of you within twenty feet of them, do you hear me? If I do, you will be severely punished."
He started to pivot around when an Orc murmured, "Oh, we're scared."
Slowing his movements dramatically, Legolas faced the Orc with an absolutely sickening grin across his face. "Are you really?"
Without giving him a second's chance to respond, he swiftly rid him the burden of his head, holding it up by the hair and cutting it neatly in half before discarding it on the ground. Uruk-Hai and Orcs alike fell silent.
"Do any of you wish to challenge me and end up like the fool who dared to, or will you heed in my commands?"
Dead silence.
Watching with wide-eyed awe, Sam found that he couldn't stop his mouth from moving involuntarily as Legolas brushed by him in haste. "Though you fight against us in combat, you still take caution in our safety."
Stopping in his tracks, Legolas bowed his head and looked over his shoulder at the Halfling. "I do it because my master has given me direct orders to keep all of you in tact." Then looking back at he slender trees, he added quietly, "And I would die of grief to see you lost."