Back at the camp, Legolas paced as he waited for the Men to recover. It was
now morning and they were still in the grips of whatever it was that the
Shadow creatures had used. Then Aragorn coughed and sat up, shaking his
head. The other Men were showing signs of waking also.
"Thank the Valar you're awake Aragorn! Quickly, they took Brianna, we have to go after them!" Legolas shook his friend by the shoulders. "Come on, wake up! We've got to go!"
"Legolas, stop shaking me. What's going on?" Aragorn asked blearily. Legolas rolled his eyes at his friend's stupidity. The other Men were getting up and staggering to their water skins or the stream for a drink. "Oh fuck, I need a drink of something." Legolas snorted in exasperation, and passed Aragorn his water skin.
"Here, drink, drink and then let's go! The longer we hesitate, the more time that they have to get away with Brianna." Legolas leapt to his feet and strode to his horse. Thankfully, he had killed the Orc that had been going to scatter the horses. Suddenly a cold weight settled into his stomach. A glimpse of why Sauron may want Brianna flashed into his mind. "Oh sweet Elbereth, I think I know why Brianna was kidnapped, and why they fought so hard to regain her. Aragorn, you know how Orcs are degraded Elves, twisted by the Dark Lord?" He whirled around to face Aragorn with a look of horrified realization on his face.
"Aye, so what of it?" Aragorn frowned with confusion.
"We have already fought the Uruk'hai, made by Sarumon the White. Imagine what could come of a race bred from a woman bearing both Elven and human blood? Imagine what would happen to Brianna, and what monsters she would have bred from her?" Aragorn's face whitened as he realized the implications. "The things may not live as long, but they'll probably breed faster, grow faster and greatly increase the Dark Lord's armies. They would probably be able to withstand sunlight, may pass for Men or Elves in bad light if they kept their natures hidden." Legolas continued urgently. Aragorn's face hardened and he turned to face his Men.
"Men, mount up! We ride to rescue the girl Brianna." Quickly the party ran to their belongings and re-saddled their horses. They rode out, Legolas at their head, tracking the trail of the Orcs. His face was set like stone and his eyes glimmered with rage and pain. Damn them for knowing an Elf so well, knowing that he would stay with his incapacitated companions, over one girl. They galloped after the Orcs. Legolas could see that they were gaining on them, the Orcs being on foot and the company on horseback. He could see the hoof prints of the Ring Wraith's horse still with the prints of the Orcs, good that meant that Brianna was still within reach.
Then they came upon the glade where the Orcs had rested. Legolas dropped off his horse, sick to his stomach. One of the Men vomited noisily, leaning over his horse. Brianna's borrowed pants fluttered in the morning breeze, shredded almost beyond recognition. Spots of blood dotted the ground, centered around a small pool, mixed with midnight black Orcish sperm. Legolas' face grew colder as he raged inside. No one deserved such torment. The smell of the rutting Orcs offended his nostrils, and he could smell Brianna's pain and fear. He bent down and picked up her pants, not feeling the material.
"Legolas, my friend, I am so sorry." Aragorn cantered his horse up next to where Legolas stood.
"They went that way about two hours ago." Legolas said calmly, as he pointed to where the tracks lead off. Speckles of blood continued along the trail of the Orcs. He remounted his horse. "Let's go."
"Thank the Valar you're awake Aragorn! Quickly, they took Brianna, we have to go after them!" Legolas shook his friend by the shoulders. "Come on, wake up! We've got to go!"
"Legolas, stop shaking me. What's going on?" Aragorn asked blearily. Legolas rolled his eyes at his friend's stupidity. The other Men were getting up and staggering to their water skins or the stream for a drink. "Oh fuck, I need a drink of something." Legolas snorted in exasperation, and passed Aragorn his water skin.
"Here, drink, drink and then let's go! The longer we hesitate, the more time that they have to get away with Brianna." Legolas leapt to his feet and strode to his horse. Thankfully, he had killed the Orc that had been going to scatter the horses. Suddenly a cold weight settled into his stomach. A glimpse of why Sauron may want Brianna flashed into his mind. "Oh sweet Elbereth, I think I know why Brianna was kidnapped, and why they fought so hard to regain her. Aragorn, you know how Orcs are degraded Elves, twisted by the Dark Lord?" He whirled around to face Aragorn with a look of horrified realization on his face.
"Aye, so what of it?" Aragorn frowned with confusion.
"We have already fought the Uruk'hai, made by Sarumon the White. Imagine what could come of a race bred from a woman bearing both Elven and human blood? Imagine what would happen to Brianna, and what monsters she would have bred from her?" Aragorn's face whitened as he realized the implications. "The things may not live as long, but they'll probably breed faster, grow faster and greatly increase the Dark Lord's armies. They would probably be able to withstand sunlight, may pass for Men or Elves in bad light if they kept their natures hidden." Legolas continued urgently. Aragorn's face hardened and he turned to face his Men.
"Men, mount up! We ride to rescue the girl Brianna." Quickly the party ran to their belongings and re-saddled their horses. They rode out, Legolas at their head, tracking the trail of the Orcs. His face was set like stone and his eyes glimmered with rage and pain. Damn them for knowing an Elf so well, knowing that he would stay with his incapacitated companions, over one girl. They galloped after the Orcs. Legolas could see that they were gaining on them, the Orcs being on foot and the company on horseback. He could see the hoof prints of the Ring Wraith's horse still with the prints of the Orcs, good that meant that Brianna was still within reach.
Then they came upon the glade where the Orcs had rested. Legolas dropped off his horse, sick to his stomach. One of the Men vomited noisily, leaning over his horse. Brianna's borrowed pants fluttered in the morning breeze, shredded almost beyond recognition. Spots of blood dotted the ground, centered around a small pool, mixed with midnight black Orcish sperm. Legolas' face grew colder as he raged inside. No one deserved such torment. The smell of the rutting Orcs offended his nostrils, and he could smell Brianna's pain and fear. He bent down and picked up her pants, not feeling the material.
"Legolas, my friend, I am so sorry." Aragorn cantered his horse up next to where Legolas stood.
"They went that way about two hours ago." Legolas said calmly, as he pointed to where the tracks lead off. Speckles of blood continued along the trail of the Orcs. He remounted his horse. "Let's go."
