The Other

Ch-2

The footsteps stopped and Gimli and Legolas froze. Keeping his bow taught, Legolas listened hard and faintly he heard breathing and turned to his side towards the sound. Then he heard a sharp clang, like metal against metal and in an instant Legolas' arrow streaked across the sky and pierced a soldier, who gave a shout then fell to the ground. Legolas fit another arrow and looked around for another target. Gimli dismounted and held his axe ready.

Out of the darkness, three huge burly men appeared. These men had thick cloaks of rough fur and heavy swords and armor. One of them drew his sword.

"What do you want with us?" Legolas asked.

The men only smiled, that bitter sadistic smile then ran towards the two, swords drawn.

Legolas easily killed two of them, but the pain in his side was coming back and he felt dizzy, he lost hold of his bow as he clenched his side.

Blinded by the pain, Legolas struggled to stay up, he grabbed his dagger and held it tight trying to regain control. He could hear Gimli's axe swinging and the shouts of the soldiers. It seemed to Legolas that there were dozens of them.

All at once Gimli's axe stopped swinging, a silence stung the place but only for a moment as the soldiers grew louder.

Legolas tried to make his horse move but he wouldn't, then he felt a sharp pain in the side of his face, and fell to the ground.

Deep in the unconscious world, Legolas dreamed he was back in Mirkwood, his father and mother were singing happily among the quiet trees. Completely entranced with the scene, Legolas didn't dare move. But something was wrong, his parents stopped singing, they were running, them along with all of Legolas' closest companions. Legolas recognized the force of the disruption, it was the dark riders. Legolas tried to do something to stop the slaughter that was now taking place, but he could do nothing. Seeing his mother, he ran towards her, but a rider was there first, with a strong hand she was pushed over a rocky ledge and impaled on the rocks. Peering over the edge, Legolas saw the spattered blood that stained the once beautiful terrain, and he sank to the ground and wept. He was unable to move as a dark rider galloped towards him, sword drawn high into the air. Everything suddenly went quiet.

He opened his eyes and struggle to get to his feet, but he felt a searing pain on the side of his forehead. He felt his face and realized it was stained with blood. He fell back down, too weak to move.

Hours later Legolas awoke and realizing where he was, made another attempt to get to his feet. It was easier this time, the pain almost non-existent. The dirt from the floor covered his hands and clung to the blood on his face. He looked around and saw he was in a cave with no outside light. The room was rather big with a few dark corners and a large steel gate.

Slowly he walked to the gate and peered out side, there was one guard sitting a few yards away, obviously snoring. He could see a torch burning lightly around the corner of the walkway. Where is Gimli? He thought, straining to see into the other cells, but he couldn't see anything for the darkness.

Sitting back down on the hard dirt floor, he tried to clean his forehead, or to at least wipe the dirt away.

Legolas jumped up as he saw a figure appear out of a dark corner. He went dizzy for a moment from the sudden movement. The figure walked to the gate and picked up a bucket of water, then handed it to Legolas. Uncovering her face, Legolas saw that he was in the presence of an elf. Her hair was dark as night and her skin, very pale. She was dressed in black travel clothes with straps that suggested an archer and belts made for a sword.

"I had heard that all the elves had gone to the sea, why haven't you?" she asked.

"I have an unfinished life here." Legolas said as he dipped a rag into the water and wiped the dirt and blood away.

Before another word was spoken the she-elf returned to her previous place and gestured to Legolas to sit back down.

A moment later footsteps were heard down the hall and three guards approached the gate.

"You, Come with me." The guard pointed to the she-elf but she didn't move, she had covered her face and was now sitting quietly.

"Stubborn woman! Get up!"

She lightly stood and walked to the center of the room.

"If you want me, you will have to come and take me." As she said this her eyes started to fade from brown to a misty white, lined with silver. She looked lightly at Legolas who was surprised at the transformation.

The guards rushed through the gate and grabbed the she-elf. Pulling out a dagger that was hidden inside her cloak, she stabbed one of them in the gut, who fell back against the wall. The other two guards jumped at her but she easily knocked them down, before she could try to kill them more guards came and threw her against the wall then dragged her out into the corridor. The wounded guards staggered out of the cell giving a warning look to Legolas and slammed the gate behind them.

Legolas jumped up and ran to the gate, trying to see where they had taken her. The sleeping guard was now awake and seemingly ticked off at the present interruption to his nap.  

"Guard!" Legolas called, "where have you taken the dwarf?"

The guard looked up and a wide smile spread across his lips. "Oh, I'll bring the dwarf to you, don't you worry little elf."

Legolas was disgusted with the man, he was dirty and by the looks of him, lazy and not very smart. He had long matted hair and brown teeth, Legolas was also angry at being called "little elf". He sat back down, knowing there was nothing he could do.

His mind was finally cleared when he heard a piercing scream and almost instantly the pain returned to his side.