Disclaimer: As usual, if you care about the disclaimer, see Chapter One.
A/N: I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to review. It means a lot to me to know people are enjoying my story. If you are reading this story and have not reviewed (shame shame!) please take the time to review J .
*************************************************************
Chapter Four
Legolas raised himself off the ground, meeting his tormentors with a steady, composed gaze. Two Orcs came up on either side of him, Merry and Pippin scattering away from the large creatures to avoid being trampled, and grabbed his arms, pushing him away from the others. Legolas turned his head and glanced meaningfully at Aragorn, pointedly shaking his head slowly from side to side. The Orc on his right quickly cuffed him upside the head, making him turn back around as they made their way towards the middle of the camp. A smug looking Trion stared down at the remaining prisoners.
"He looks like a screamer." He jeered before stomping off to join the others. Aragorn propelled himself quickly off the ground to attack the retreating Orc, but Gimli grabbed his tunic and forcefully hauled him back down.
"What are you doing?" Aragorn hissed, enraged. "That Orc bastard cannot get away with this!"
Gimli, looking calmer and wiser than Aragorn had ever seen him, shook his head. "We are surrounded by Orcs, you would not have won. That Orc bastard would have beaten you to within an inch of your life, for the fun of it, Aragorn."
But Aragorn was not ready to concede. "We cannot leave Legolas to suffer at their hands." He moved to rise again and was surprised at the strength Gimli possessed as he held him fast in his seat.
"You saw him, Aragorn, the same as I did. His meaning was clear, he shook his head 'no' to keep us from helping him." The Dwarf looked upon the man with sympathy. "He is my friend too, Aragorn, but you know as well as I that he would not want us to bear injury on his account. They will not kill him, not this night. Do not make his suffering in vain by getting yourself injured as well." Gimli's face became serious. "Leave the lad his honor."
Aragorn sighed heavily, leaning back against the tree in defeat. "They could kill him." He said, as much to himself as to Gimli.
The Dwarf shook his head. "They will not. The Ring is too important to them and they do not yet know which of us has knowledge of its location. They will not kill us until after we reach Isengard."
"I will not stand by if they hurt him too badly." Aragorn said, only slightly conceding to the Dwarf. "If it becomes too much for him to bear, I will step in."
"And get yourself beaten as well." Gimli huffed.
Aragorn looked at him, resolved in his decision. "So be it."
* * * * * * * * * *
Frodo coughed, the movement causing his abused head to pound loudly in his ears. Sam had carried him back to the shore near their discarded boats and had made camp there, a small fire offering a bit of light and heat against the cold darkness of night. Sam was at his side immediately, dark shadows dancing over his worried face.
"Are you well, Mister Frodo?" He asked, his hands straightening the blanket he had draped over the other hobbit hours ago to ward off the chill.
"I am fine Sam." Frodo managed weakly, doing his best to ignore the pain in his head. "I will be good as new in the morning light, do not worry my friend."
Sam nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "I will be glad to see you feeling better." He said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a bit of lembas bread. Breaking it in half, he gave some to Frodo and moved closer to the fire, chewing thoughtfully on his own piece. "What are we to do now, Mister Frodo?"
"I do not know Sam." Frodo answered glumly. "The Ring is lost, the others are in the hands of the Orcs." He sighed. "I am afraid to say that we have failed. Middle Earth is lost, the Shire too I dare think. I suppose we'd best head back to Rivendell and let Lord Elrond decide how best to proceed." He said thoughtfully.
"We could follow them." Sam said quietly, staring at the fire.
"Follow who…the Orcs?"
Sam nodded. "We could follow them and save the others. Maybe they will know where the Ring is and we could take it to Mordor and save the Shire."
"Sam, we are but two small hobbits and you wish us to go up against an army of Orcs? An army that even Aragorn and Legolas fell to? Sam, you must be mad."
"No!" Sam said, standing up quickly. "We could save them, Mister Frodo! We are small, but we could do it. I know we could do it."
"But they have a day's lead on us Sam. How could we catch up?"
"By moving fast, Mister Frodo. Faster than we have ever moved." He fixed Frodo with a determined stare. "We owe it to them. They fought to protect us and now they are in danger themselves. We owe it to them to at least try."
Frodo gazed upon his friend, seeing him as if in a new light. "Sam, you do surprise me. You have filled me with new hope! If you have such faith in us, then we dare not fail! We will leave at first light and follow their trail. With luck on our side, we will prevail."
Sam smiled, happy for the first time since the attack had happened. "I know we can do it, Mister Frodo." He said with conviction. "Our quest will not be doomed to fail."
"We will not fail, my friend. But for now, let us rest. We will need every ounce of strength for the morning's journey."
* * * * * * * * * *
Legolas kept his face impassive as the two Orcs pushed him to the middle of the camp. He mentally sent a prayer to the valar that Aragorn had seen his look and understood the message. He would never forgive himself if a foolish, though well meaning, rescue attempt led to torment for any of his friends. There was nothing they could do for him…he was completely at the mercy of the Orcs. Not that he expected any show of mercy from the beasts. Orcs hated Elves above all other creatures and they thrived on causing Elves pain--it was a sport to them, a simple game.
'No,' Legolas thought, 'they will not go easy this night.' He considered only briefly his options of escape. Even if he succeeded in breaking away from the two that held him and made it to the trees, because the Orcs would never catch him in the trees, he could not abandon his friends to the cruel retribution the Orcs would inflict on them as a result of his escape. He would do anything in his power to protect his friends.
Reaching the center of the camp, Legolas suddenly found himself surrounded by the entire Orc army.
'Well, there goes my chance to escape,' Legolas thought. 'Can't take on the entire Orc army, now can I?'
They came to a half near the base of a large tree and Legolas was thrown brutally up against its trunk. Untying his hands briefly, the Orcs stripped him of his shirt and wrapped his arms around either side of the tree so that he was hugging it tightly. Retying his hands together securely at the wrists, the two Orcs stepped back and joined the crowd, leaving Legolas alone in the center. His face was turned to the side, the rough bark of the tree rubbing uncomfortably against his cheek and bare stomach. He tried moving a little, testing his binds, but it proved fruitless. The two had done their job well--he could not budge. Legolas could hear the Orcs behind him, taunting him with their comments and jeers. He ignored them, focusing instead on his friends. He could see them watching him, their faces creased with worry and concern. Aragorn looked to be in the midst of a rage, his eyes cold and calculating. It was a look that sent an icy fear into the Elf's heart--it was the look his friend wore when he was planning something. In this case, something foolish.
'No, Aragorn!' Legolas willed, wishing desperately that the man could hear his message. Aragorn, oblivious to the plea, moved slowly to stand up, obviously thinking that all the Orc attention was on the Elf, and panic surged through Legolas. Aragorn, though, had only managed to stand up a little before Gimli, who hauled him forcefully to the ground, stopped him, much to Legolas's relief. Aragorn turned to face the Dwarf, his face angry and the two argued heatedly before Aragorn leaned heavily against the ground in defeat.
'Good old Gimli.' Legolas thought with relief. With the Dwarf keeping Aragorn in check, Legolas would be able to devote all of his strength to the current situation. A sudden quiet in the camp brought Legolas's attention back to the Orcs. Though he could not see directly behind him, he caught some movement out of the corner of his eye as two creatures joined him in the center of the gathering. One was Trion, of that Legolas was sure. The other he soon realized was Ugluk, the Orc leader. Legolas sighed inwardly. It would have to be the two Orcs with the biggest grudge against him--he would definitely not get off easy.
"You remember this, Elf?" The voice of Trion growled from behind him. Legolas could see the whip he was holding up, the same three-pronged whip he had threatened him with before.
'So it's a whip then.' Legolas thought, resolving himself to his fate. He had wondered what device they would choose…whip, club, knives? It was kind of a relief to know.
A foot shot out and kicked him soundly in the back, pushing him even harder into the tree.
"You will answer!" Ugluk sneered. "He has waited all day for this."
Legolas sighed. "Fine." He said, glaring out of the corner of his eye at Trion. "Yes, I remember it. You did threaten me with it this afternoon."
Another kick came as a result of his sarcasm. Ugluk stared at him, hate in his eyes. "Elves think they are so superior, so smart. You will learn your place."
"Feel free to scream." Trion jeered raising his arm over his head.
Legolas closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself for what was to come. Keeping his breathing even and slow, he worked to keep himself calm. He'd been a captive of Orcs before, when he was younger and had gone out as part of a hunting party…his first hunting party, in fact, and had experienced the same type of torment. Of course, that time he had been part of a larger group of elves and the older elves had protected him, taking the brunt of the Orcs' cruel treatment. Not this time. He waited, eyes still closed, for the first strike to fall across his bare skin. Waiting was the worst. The pain he could handle, but the waiting was what unnerved him the most. He never was one for patience…
The first lash fell across his bare back and Legolas bit down on his lip, squelching the yell in his throat. The three leather prongs cut deep welts across his skin, leaving an angry red trail in their wake. Trion raised his arm once again and the second stroke fell, lower across his waist. Legolas's body flinched involuntarily against the tree, grinding against the harsh bark, as the whip flicked across his skin. He shut his eyes tightly against the pain, trying to block out the Orcs that surrounded him, jeering and laughing at his suffering. Gritting his teeth, Legolas suppressed a groan as the blows fell across his back one after another in quick succession, leaving him no chance to catch his breath. He struggled weakly against the binds around his wrists as the blows kept coming in a never-ending wave of agony. After what seemed like a lifetime to Legolas the blows stopped and he allowed himself to lean heavily against the tree for support.
"Think we're done, do you Elf?" Legolas opened his eyes and was startled to find Ugluk's face only inches from his own, his eyes crazed. Legolas drew back a little, trying to put some distance between himself and the Orc leader, but Ugluk grabbed the back of his head to hold him in place.
Leaning in even closer, Ugluk whispered into Legolas's ear. "I want to hear you scream," he said in an almost too intimate gesture. Legolas stared hard into the Orc's eyes, his face a mask of calm that he did not feel.
"I will not."
The Orc laughed, spitting into Legolas's face. "You are proud, but you will scream." He slowly raked his sharply clawed fingers over the elf's wounded back and Legolas tensed up, gasping at the sudden onslaught of pain.
Ugluk smiled, pleased with the reaction he was getting. "These wounds look like they hurt.
Legolas made no reply.
"Tell me it hurts and I'll order Trion to stop."
Still Legolas said nothing.
Ugluk jammed a finger into a deep cut, tearing the skin open even more, and Legolas bit down hard on his lip to suppress a groan.
"Beg me to stop and I'll stop the pain."
"I will never beg!" Legolas promised through clenched teeth.
Laughing suddenly, Ugluk turned to the gathered crowd. "He says we can't make him beg." The other Orcs roared with laughter, calling out taunts and jeers. Ugluk held up a clawed hand and the Orcs grew silent. "So lets make him beg!" He turned away from the circle, his eyes finally resting on the Fellowship. "Bring me a halfling!"
"No!" Legolas cried, struggling at his binds with renewed energy. Aragorn and Boromir jumped to their feet and stood protectively over Merry and Pippin, who shrank back against the tree trying their best to disappear. Three Orcs stomped over to the group and Aragorn moved to intercept them, his hands still bound tightly behind his back.
"Leave them be, Orc!" he growled, crouching into a fighting stance. The lead Orc backhanded him swiftly across the head, knocking him to the ground. Boromir grappled with the second beast as the remaining Orc grabbed Merry and held a lethal looking dagger to his throat.
"Stop or I will slit his throat." He growled.
Boromir stopped fighting immediately and received a quick kick to his already injured side, causing him to collapse to the ground with a pained cry. The Orc holding Merry carried him, struggling and kicking, to Ugluk.
Legolas glared at the Orc, wishing desperately that his hands weren't bound together so that he could wipe the sadistic grin off his face. "Do not injure that halfling, Orc, or I will kill you the first chance I get. I promise you that."
"It is your choice, Elf." Ugluk smirked. "If you will not scream for us, then we will play with this one. He looks like he could scream."
Legolas looked back toward the Fellowship as Pippin cried out Merry's name in despair, his little face full of anguish and worry.
'Pride be damned!' he thought, struggling to overcome his persistent need for dignity.
Ugluk watched his internal battle with interest. "We will try this again. And this time, I want to hear you beg us to stop."
Legolas took a deep breath as Trion raised his arm back. When the first lash fell across his abused skin he allowed a small groan to escape his lips. The Orcs cheered, encouraged by the noise. The second blow fell and Legolas groaned again, his back seemingly on fire.
"I want to hear more!" Ugluk growled.
Trion let the whip come down even harder and Legolas heard himself cry out in anguish, the sound foreign and unpleasant to his ears.
"Harder!" Ugluk yelled to Trion, who let the lash fall yet again, spurred on by his leader's order. Legolas struggled against his binds, his cries becoming louder as the whip fell repeatedly across his back, each stroke harder than the one before it.
"Beg us to stop!" Ugluk roared loudly into his ear. Legolas closed his eyes, doing his best to block the Orc leader out.
"Beg us or we will beat the halfling!"
"Stop." It came out as a whisper. The whip fell across his back again with a loud crack.
"Louder!"
"Please stop." Legolas said, his voice raising a little. Having to beg pained him more than the whip that cut his back, but he was doing it for his friend.
Ugluk smirked. "Again."
"I beg you to stop." He hung his head in defeat. He had never begged another for anything in his entire life.
Ugluk raised his hand and the blows ceased. Legolas sank back against the tree, his breathing ragged, as a sudden weariness fell over him.
"Cut him down." Ugluk ordered and an ax bit into the tree, severing the binds that held Legolas's wrists. Without the support, Legolas fell backwards onto the ground in an exhausted heap and landed squarely on his injured back. He cried out in surprise and rolled quickly unto his side to alleviate the pain.
"Tie the halfling to the tree."
Legolas looked up sharply. "No." He struggled to stand, his legs refusing to cooperate. Rough Orc hands grabbed him and yanked him to his feet, holding him in place. He fought against them as Trion grabbed Merry and threw him against the tree, ripping off his tunic and binding him to the tree where Legolas had been only moments before.
Merry struggled against his binds but found the gesture to be pointless. He was stuck. He watched Legolas battle the Orcs that held him, trying desperately to help him and Merry felt a surge of pride for the elf. Even in his own pain he would always do his best to help his friends. He silently vowed to take the beating as honorably as Legolas had, though he did not feel the calm that the elf had portrayed. He had to admit that he was scared out of his mind…he'd never been beaten before.
Ugluk leered at the hobbit. "Do it." he said to Trion, who raised his wicked strap and let it fall harshly against the halfling's fair skin. Merry yelped in shock, surprised at how much the whip hurt! It bit into his skin, leaving a burning line of fire across his back. Clenching his hands into tight fists, he waited for the second inevitable blow, which came only seconds later, leaving an equally painful set of cuts.
"That's enough!" Legolas cried. "You said you wouldn't hurt him!"
"I lied." Ugluk sneered. The lash kissed the hobbit's skin again with a snap and Merry cried out, unable to suppress the sound. Enraged by his friend's sob, Legolas snapped his head back, solidly connecting with the face of the Orc that held him and he was rewarded with a satisfying 'crack' as the Orc's nose broke. Bellowing in pain, the Orc released his hold on the elf and grabbed at his bleeding nose, falling to the ground in shock. Legolas took advantage of his newfound freedom and launched himself at Trion, grabbing the hand that held the whip, preventing it from striking the helpless hobbit again. Trion growled as he whirled around to face the elf, his free hand swinging around to deliver a sharp blow to Legolas's head. Legolas saw the move coming and ducked, avoiding the blow as he kicked out with his foot, hitting the Orc square in the stomach. Trion let out a grunt as his eyes glazed over and he stumbled back, dropping the whip. Legolas allowed himself a small smile of triumph as the large Orc went down in a heap. Caught up in his victory, he failed to see Ugluk rushing towards him before it was too late, a massive club swinging down in a smooth arc, connecting firmly with his head. His eyes dazed over with pain as darkness welcomed him.
* * * * * * * * * *
Morning arrived and with it came new hope for Frodo and Sam. Waking at the very brink of the new day, they quickly ate and packed for their journey.
"Pack lightly." Frodo advised. "We must not be weighted down by unnecessary items if we hope to catch the others."
Sam's eyes strayed to the metal cooking pots he was stuffing into his knapsack. "I suppose we could do without pots." He sighed, removing them and tossing them to the side.
"That's the idea, Sam. We will take only the lembas bread for food. It is light and more nourishing than anything we could hope to cook in those pots."
"Lembas bread is tasty." Sam offered, his ever-present smile returning.
Frodo smiled in return. "That is what I like about you Sam. You are forever optimistic." He flung his sack over his shoulders and checked to make sure Sting was secure. "We must leave now." He looked around, uncertain. "Though I fear I am not sure of the way."
"I saw them leave, Mister Frodo." Sam offered helpfully, donning his own heavy pack. "But I can only tell the way from where I saw them go. We must go back to the clearing."
"That's as good an idea as any, Sam. Let us begin there."
Together they entered the forest, slowly making their way back up the hill. Frodo thought it ironic that they followed the same route he had taken just the day before, when his foolish desire to be alone had resulted in such disaster.
'If not for Sam, I would be completely alone.' he thought darkly. 'Though I would not find the solitude as welcome as I did yesterday. Some Ringbearer I turned out to be.' Although he could no longer call himself a Ringbearer, having lost that right when he had lost the Ring. Oddly enough though, Frodo had to admit, albeit only to himself, that he felt almost relieved to no longer bear the burden of the Ring. As of late, it had been causing him such strain and had ironically been the very reason Frodo had sought solitude. Too late he realized that the Ring had probably led him right to the Orc party, its evil intention to fall into immoral hands and thus be returned to Sauron. And he had blindly followed the path it had laid out for him, betraying his friends to their precarious fate. Yes, he was almost glad to be rid of the blasted thing. In the new day, with the sun shining above, Frodo felt as if a large weight had been lifted away. If not for the dire need to save his friends, he would have felt like his old, carefree self.
"Mister Frodo," Sam said softly, drawing the other hobbit from his thoughts. "Would you look at that."
Frodo looked down at the fallen tree where Sam pointed and it was immediately evident what had caught Sam's eye.
"That looks like blood." Frodo said. "I wonder whose."
"I did not observe Legolas to be injured." Sam said.
"That does not look like Elf blood, Sam." Frodo observed. "It looks like Orc blood."
"Where is its owner, do you think?" Sam wondered, eyeing around them fearfully.
"If our elf friend found him, my guess is that he is dead. I'll bet this came from the Orc who stole my ring."
"But if Legolas caught him, then Legolas must have the ring."
Frodo nodded grimly. "And the Orcs now have Legolas. Come Sam, our need to rescue our friends has become even greater. The ring must be retrieved."
"Coming Mister Frodo…ouch!" Sam cursed loudly. "This pesky bird is pecking at my head!"
Frodo laughed, raising his eyes skyward. "That must be her nest up there. We disturb her by being so near it. Let's leave this area so she can have peace."
The pair reached the clearing where the previous day's battle had occurred and gaped at the devastation that surrounded them. The Orcs had not buried their dead, instead they chose to leave them as they had fallen, strewn about the clearing and in the woods.
"The others did well." Sam observed, looking around. "Many Orc soldiers fell here yesterday." He wrinkled his nose up slightly as the wind blew in their direction. "They are beginning to stink."
"Well," Frodo said, "it will not be our burden to bury them. Let whatever wild animals come near feast on them!" He glanced around. "Now, which way do we go, Sam?"
"To the right, down the hill that way." Sam pointed. "Ouch!" He cried suddenly, flailing his arms in the air. "That blasted bird is attacking me again! We are nowhere near your next, madam bird! Kindly quit pecking me!"
Frodo laughed at his companion. "The bird seems to have it in for you, Sam. We will leave quickly and hope that she will see fit to let you remain in one piece!" Clasping his friend on the back, Frodo led the way out of the clearing, each step bringing them closer to their friends.
************************************************************************
Well, what did you think? I hope you liked it--I had a blast writing it J Please be kind and leave me a review. Did I mention how much I love reviews?