Deep in the South Mountains, Legolas was just beginning to stir. He felt a bandage on his ankle, but it was crude and his leg throbbed with pain. He looked around, seeing only thick iron bars at first, then his vision cleared. He was in a cave, and goblins and orcs surrounded him. They laughed at him and prodded him with their spears. Driikk yelled at them to get away from Legolas. "I need him alive if I am to ransom him." Legolas shook his head as he tried to remember how he got there. Driikk looked into the cage. "Bring him water and some food. Post a guard and warn me if he tries to escape." Driikk left, and a goblin shoved in a bowl of surprisingly clean water, and some rotting meat and stale bread. Legolas regained his senses. He knew he couldn't escape yet, so he drank the water, but refused the food. An orc opened the cage and got in. Two others also came in, and they grabbed Legolas. The first orc took the meat and bread and forced it down Legolas's throat. Driikk had spiked the food with a sleeping potion, and Legolas fell back into unconsciousness again before he could bring the horrid food back up. Being so far underground, away from the forests and the sea, Legolas couldn't heal and grew weak. He was kept there for a week, where every day he was grabbed and forced to eat. Legolas was kept drugged so he didn't kill himself, and so he didn't kill the guards. One day, a goblin came in with thick iron chains and shackles. Legolas was grabbed, but was shackled and dragged out of the cage rather than fed more drugged food. As they dragged him, Legolas began to regain his senses, which had been dulled by the drugs. They chained Legolas to a rock face that overlooked the Shire. Legolas refused to call out to Terrico. Driikk left him there, telling him he'd be freed if he called Terrico over. Alone and sickly, Legolas pondered if he should call out or let himself die where he hung.
The day after the battle, Terrico woke up. She called out for Legolas, but was stopped by Gandalf. She then remembered the battle. "Easy, Terrico, you must regain your strength. Thranduil is sending archers to help us, and Gimli's folk are coming to help us. In a few days, we are going to rescue Legolas, but not now. Come, lay back down. You're still tired, I can tell." Gandalf gently led her back to the bed. Terrico started to cry. Gimli went and got a bit of food and some relaxing tea for Terrico. She ate but still refused to continue her rest. "He needs me, I can tell. Why didn't I realize Balen would scare him? Why didn't I go right after Driikk? I feel like I've failed him" Terrico started to cry again, and Gandalf hugged her. "Don't worry, we will save him. Legolas is strong, and he will survive. Now, why don't you go back to sleep? You can't help Legolas if you're exhausted. Just rest now. Don't worry about anything." Terrico was too upset and tired to argue. She fell back asleep almost as soon as she was settled back into bed. Gandalf sighed as he closed the door behind him. "Do you really think we can save Legolas?" Gimli was depressed. Gandalf's sagging stance and the sadness in his eyes did nothing to help it. Gandalf shook his head as he sat down at his seat outside of Terrico's room. "I wish I could say I was really as sure as I sounded in there, but I am not." Gandalf put his head down, "As much as I would like to see Legolas out of this alive and well, I know goblins. They have a tendency to torture and kill for no good reason. Terrico knows that there is a good chance they will kill him just to get to her. She is vitally important to their plan, Legolas is merely bait to them." Gimli sank down into his seat. The two looked very grim, and the sight scared Frodo, who was bringing them a bit of dinner. "How is Terrico?" Frodo hoped that all was well with her, the fact that she arrived at Bag End carried by Aragorn had startled him. He had prepared rooms in Bag End for Aragorn, Gandalf, Terrico, and Legolas should they be injured. He had not seen Legolas taken, but heard the news later. Gandalf and Gimli took Frodo's dinner gratefully. Frodo went back and sat by the fire once again. His cat, which he had named Atten, sat near his chair. His sober mood startled Atten. He mewed and then left. The attitude of everyone in Aragorn's camp and in Bag End was depressed. Atten leapt easily down the path. He peeked in Sam's house. Sam was tending some of the potted herbs on his windowsill in the kitchen. Atten continued down the path towards Aragorn's camp. He spotted Aragorn talking with one of his commanders. He looked very sad, and his commander seemed worried. Atten noticed that the rest of the army, reduced quite a bit in number, seemed in just as poor spirits. Some had known Legolas, and knew that his capture rather than death meant that he was going to be used as bait for Terrico, the elven sorceress they had watched decimate the goblins and orcs after they had captured Legolas. Atten watched them mope about the camp for a few moments. He noted that the dragons and their hobbit riders were not as depressed, but still moped about a bit. After a few minutes, he turned and went down the path into the forest. He came upon the cave where the goblin had hid Legolas. He silently slipped into the shadows, using a spell no one knew he had to take the color of the shadows. This made it easier to sneak about and spy on the goblins. He spotted Driikk, who wore long mage's robes rather than the normal goblin armor, putting a strange powder on a small plate of food. Atten's sensitive nose crinkled when it caught the scent of the food. "Not even a DOG would eat that rotten mess!" Atten thought. One of the other goblins took the food and walked down a dark passage that led deeper into the cave systems. Atten slipped around the outside of the cavern, using his now deep black fur to hide his movements. No one noticed him. He followed the goblin deep into the caves. "If Legolas is this deep into the mountains, there is no way he can heal." Atten thought, noting the distance and direction he had walked. The tunnel finally opened up into a small cavern. It was dimly lit by a tiny fire. Atten shuttered when he saw the cage. Legolas was starting to wake up, but he could not stand, or even kneel, because of his leg. It was snapped just above his ankle. The wires from the snare were still wrapped around his twisted ankle. The goblin snapped to the two orc guards, "Grab him! I have more food." The orcs opened the cage. They grabbed Legolas and forced him to kneel in front of the goblin. The goblin forced the food down Legolas's throat. Atten arched his back, then relaxed. It was a natural reflex of his. He watched as Legolas slumped over in the guards' arms. "That powder must have been a sleeping potion. At least he isn't feeling his leg and he isn't being tortured." Atten moved silently behind the cage. He settled down in the shadows. He planned to watch and see what information he could glean from the guards. Legolas was tossed carelessly back into the cage. The next morning Legolas once again began to stir. This time, Driikk himself came to his cage. He ordered that the orcs chain Legolas with the chains he had brought. He then ordered them to carry him out. Atten followed silently. The orcs chained Legolas to a rock face that looked down upon the hobbit's village. Even from the shadows, Atten could tell what they were planning. When Terrico came out of Bag End and looked at the mountains, she'd see Legolas. Her first instinct would be to go to him. Driikk planned to ambush her, and then offer Legolas's freedom to her, at the cost of her own. Atten watched as Driikk went back into the caves. After he knew there were no more orcs or goblins near, Atten slipped out of the shadows. The sunlight broke his dark-fur spell. Atten carefully climbed down onto a tiny ledge that jutted out of the rock just next to Legolas's head. Atten mewed softly to get his attention. "Who are you?" Legolas was still dazed from the sleeping potion and the sudden burst of sunlight. "I am Atten. I live with Frodo. He thinks that I am only a housecat, but I am more. I am actually a Guardian Beast. I took this guise to gain his trust. I have been sent to protect Frodo against any retaliation." Atten purred a bit, and Legolas felt like he was in the middle of the forest that he looked down upon. He felt his leg begin to heal. The pain in his ankle subsided. His vision and mind cleared of the effects of Driikk's potion. "If you're not really a cat, what are you?" Legolas turned his head to Atten. "I am a Panterror, a creature that is half panther, half elf. We serve as guardians for elf-friends. For the most part, we live in the guises of cats. Most of the guarded ones never know that they are guarded." Legolas nodded. Atten lifted one of his front paws. Very long, sharp claws shot out. He swung his paw, and for a second Legolas thought he was going to hurt him. Instead, he heard a metallic clang and felt the arm closest to Atten become loose. The chain that held it had been slashed. Atten put his paw down, but did not retract the claws. "Grab a hold of the rock as best you can." Legolas did so, and Atten leapt up, clawing around him on the rock. Seconds later, Legolas was free of the chains. Atten gave a long, loud "Reow!" A dragon flew up out of the forest and Legolas dropped onto its back. Atten retracted his claws and landed neatly in front of Legolas. "Hurry! Fly down!" The dragon almost dropped like a stone. He flapped a bit above the trees and glided in smoothly for a perfect landing. Legolas climbed down and thanked the dragon. Atten stood before him. "You must stay here for a time, Legolas. I know it will be hard for you, but you must hide. I want Driikk to think that he still has you. Only then will he leave himself open for attack." Atten leapt down the path towards the village before Legolas could object. When he tried to follow Atten, the dragon snarled and made it obvious he was to stay there. Legolas sighed and sat down in the dragon's cave.