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WARNING : Elf torture in progress! Read it or leave it.

(Legolas was sulking at the corner. "If you keep up with this, I'll lodge a complain to the human…err…elf rights! Will you at least increase my payroll?"

I glared daggers at him. He ran away and hide, waiting for my face to return from purple to its normal color.)

It was already noon the next day when Legolas regained consciousness. He woke up from the dreamless oblivion into a new kind of living nightmare. The prince found himself lying spread eagle on his back, his hands and feet bound to the stakes on the ground. He was stripped to the waist; his bruised body lay exposed to the hot sun. Overwhelmed with panic, he struggled in earnest to free himself but to no avail.

He whipped his head about and saw that the villagers were surrounding him. They were staring at his vulnerable body in such fascination and interest that Legolas can't help feeling great shame and humiliation. "Set me free!" he yelled. "Curse you all! I demand you to set me free!!!!"

Bregus appeared in his line of vision then. "Tsk, tsk. Such commanding words," the man looked down at Legolas and sneered. "You are a murderer, about to be punished for your crime. You have no right to demand freedom."

"I have a right for a trial at least!"

"This is neither your place nor your people, elf. A trial would not make any difference. You are still guilty." Bregus then turned to his fellow villagers. "This elf here had killed my brother! For that, he must be taught a lesson." He paused for dramatic effect. "He is to be stoned to death!"

Legolas eyes widened while the villagers erupted in a volley of murmurs and exclamations. Stoned to death? Is this human mad? "You can't do this, Bregus!" Legolas cried out, struggling against his bonds once more.

"Oh, yes I can! I'm the chief of the village. My words are the law!" Bregus then ordered the village people to collect every stone and rock that they could find and gathered around the helpless elf. He crouched down near Legolas's head and grabbed a fistful of the elf's hair. "My brother's death will be avenged today. I'm going to send you to him so he can have a piece of you!" Taking something out of his pocket, Bregus showed it to Legolas. "Recognize this?"

Legolas saw the shining stone attached to the silver chain. He can't remember its significance in his life but he knew that the stone meant a great deal. It was a part of his soul. "Give that back!"

Bregus chuckled. "You're going to die, elf. You won't be needing this. This magnificent jewel would make great trinket for my woman!"

Straightening up, Bregus stared at the faces of the villagers. Some of them were very excited to do his biddings; their heart filled with twisted lust to see the ethereal and aloof being hurt and crumble. While some others were quite unsure and reluctant; they hated Bregus but by disagreeing his orders would only put them in big trouble later. They all waited in anticipation for Bregus's signal that would send the elf to his doom…

**************

The great white tiger crouched low behind the bushes, surveying the area in front of him. His sharp eyes saw the humans crowding around in the courtyard. Something pricked at his animal senses. He was getting near to his goal…

*************

"Hang on, Gertha. Hang on. We're almost there," Hasmon said to his wife. Gertha hugged her husband's waist tighter, holding on for dear life on the wildest horse ride that she'd ever experienced. Never had Hasmon rode this fast.

The minute that Hasmon had regained his consciousness that morning, he instantly wanted to ride to the village. But he was so wobbly on his feet that he had to take a few moments to steady himself, and reluctantly let Gertha poured a medicated tea down his throat.

Hasmon wanted to go alone but Gertha insisted to come along as well. "They've taken my child! I'm not going to stay here, twiddling my thumbs!"

And so, the two husband and wife rode together on top of the only horse they have; a mare that had seen better years but can still moved fast when the need arisen.

*************

Keldarion halted his troop as his superior sense picked on something. Linden came near. "I sense it too, your highness. Who do you think it is?"

The prince put up a hand, telling the guard commander to be alert to the approaching stranger. They had reached the fish trap half an hour ago, and examined the human tracks there more closely before they decided to follow them. The tracks had led the Mirkwood elves to a small dwelling in the woods, but the dwelling stood empty. No sign of its occupant. But they were lots of horse tracks covering the earth; and they all looked new, only overnight.

They'd resumed to follow the horse tracks then. Keldarion didn't know if the horse tracks would lead them to Legolas but he was sure something would come out sooner or later.

The stranger appeared before their eyes then; riding on a stallion through the woods. "Gandalf!" Keldarion gasped. The maia was equally surprised to see the elves. "Keldarion? Fancy meeting you here. What brought you all into the human land?"

"Legolas is missing." Keldarion told the wizard everything that had happened. Gandalf became very thoughtful as he listened. Then he spoke, "I've just returned from Rivendell. The mad tiger never reached their woods, so I believe it still roams the forest between Mirkwood and this village. I came here to warn the people. Never had I thought that I would stumble into this latest development." He sighed before continuing, "You are sure your brother is here somewhere?"

"The truth is, Gandalf, we are not sure at all. But we decided to ask around when we reach the village."

"I'll come with you then."

The elves and the wizard proceeded to press forward on their mounts. Keldarion can't stop feeling that he was already too late…even though he didn't even know what he was late for.

*************

Legolas grunted in pain as the first stone hit him on the forehead. The next one hit his cheek, then another, and many more. They came like rain now, hitting him everywhere. Legolas had neither power nor the means to protect himself. His bound hands and feet disabled his effort to curl into a ball. He was fully exposed to the cruel punishment.

"…stop…please, no more…Valar, stop…" Legolas was not aware that he'd mumbled those words, pleading pitifully for mercy. All he wanted to do was scream in agony but he had no strength left. He heard the deafening noise of the excited crowd; the laughter, the jeers, the cries of madness. The humans were in frenzy, hitting him repeatedly with stones and small rocks. They were loving this, while he lay there helpless and slowly fading.

Blood poured freely from his many cuts, flowing down his body and turning the earth beneath him into red. As is from afar, he heard the familiar voices of Hasmon and Gertha, crying and begging to the people to stop the cruelties.

Tears fell from Legolas's eyes then, trailing down his dirty cheeks. He was touched by the husband and wife's ever kindness and empathy, but he knew even they could do nothing about the terrible fate that had befallen him. He let his mind succumbed to the pain, slowly willing himself to die…but jerked back to awareness when a fierce roar broke through all the racket.

The crowd cried out in terror. They hastily moved out of the way when a huge white tiger burst into the courtyard from among the bushes. The animal roared at the people in fury, scaring the villagers, causing them to run and hide. Hasmon grabbed Gertha's hand and tried to drag her away from the mad beast, but she resisted. "Hasmon, look!" Gertha pointed at the tiger that was silently approaching the elf. "The tiger is going to kill Legolas!"

Hasmon didn't think so, though. He stared in amazement as the tiger crouched down and gently nudged Legolas's head. But the elf did not respond; he was either dead or unconscious. The beast started to lick Legolas's bleeding cheek, growling deep in his throat, as if trying to wake him up.

The villagers had cautiously returned. They were armed with more stones now and started to throw them at the beast. The tiger roared, now in pain as well as anger, but he stoically stood over Legolas, shielding the elf as best as he could from the flying missiles. Legolas was totally lost to the world. The minute he saw the fierce looking tiger coming towards him, he fainted dead away. He was oblivious to the madness around him. He didn't even hear the sound of hoof beats approaching the courtyard from the woods…

TBC…

OK, that one was too cruel, I know. Any comments?