Legolas watched Aragorn try to break free, but was still bound to a horse
which refused to obey his commands. Suddenly Aragorn stopped, his eyes
staring blindly. He didn't do anything to stop the man in front of him who
raised a heavy block of wood.
"Aragorn!" Legolas yelled. Aragorn started round towards him, but then the wood struck him over the head and he dropped to his knees. Legolas could do nothing but watch as an almost senseless Aragorn was hauled off somewhere.
Legolas was then hauled from the horse, held tightly by a strong man on either side. Other's surrounded him, too many to fight. He was pushed forwards into a different door from the one Aragorn was taken through. He could hear Gimli's grunts and complaints behind him, and smiled slightly.
"I think these people are as dismayed that they have to look at your face as you are that they have taken you prisoner," Legolas called over his shoulder. A growl of anger came from the dwarf, and to Legolas' surprise there also came a laugh from one of their captors.
He identified the one who had laughed as a young woman, who felt it her duty as a guard to stay as close to Legolas as possible. So close in fact that her hands kept brushing against parts of his body she wished they wouldn't. He made a point to stumble over a loose stone and tread on her toe.
"Getting clumsy in your old age, elf?" Gimli asked, not missing a thing.
"At least I haven't lost my wits like you," Legolas responded.
Legolas' sharp ears caught a low mutter: "Are you sure they're friends?"
They were taken down some stairs into a dark corridor lined with heavy, wooden doors. Legolas heard those holding Gimli stop at one of the doors they passed, but Legolas himself was taken further on to door, much the same as the rest. Once the door opened Legolas saw what was to come: chains. He struggled violently, but several pairs of hands pressed him against the far wall. His hands were freed only to be clamped in the manacles above him.
Then he was left alone.
He strained against the manacles, but the chains were tight, holding him against the wall. He pulled at them until his wrists were bruised and cut and he was forced to admit that it was futile.
After time he let himself fall into the waking dreams of the elves, conserving his strength for whatever was to come. He was startled awake when the door opened. A group of men entered, all chosen for their strength judging from the muscles showing on bare arms. They grabbed his arms before undoing the manacles. He struggled and writhed in their grips, but they hauled him out, those not holding him falling in around as guards.
He was led to the hall and saw the blood that lay on the ground between the posts. He had little doubt it was Aragorn's, and hoped the man was alright. As Legolas was restrained he searched the room with his gaze for any possible way out. Nothing.
"Do you yield to me?" a woman's voice asked, and Legolas turned his head as far as he could, to see the same figure his friends had already done.
"Never," Legolas said. Then the whip began to fall.
***
Pippin was aware of terrible pain when he woke. His back was agony, and his wrists and shoulders sore from the chains. Even his legs ached, and nothing had been done to them. He stood, taking the weight off his wrists, and waited. He had passed out while they were beating him, since he had refused to yield. How long had he been unconscious? And what was happening to the others?
The questions plagued his mind as he remained in the dark cell. He had no way of knowing how much time was passing, and how much had already passed. All he could do was stand there, and wish that the pain in his back would dim. Unfortunately, he had the suspicion that it would increase instead before too long.
Finally, the door opened, and a young woman came in. Someone outside closed the door behind her, and the woman knelt in front of Pippin so they were at the same level. She took out a flask and held it up to Pippin's lips, but Pippin kept his lips firmly pressed together.
"Drink!" she commanded, but Pippin's mouth remained closed. "It's only water," she said. When Pippin continued to refuse, she lifted the flask to her own mouth and drank a little. Pippin opened his mouth and drank. The cool water soothed his dry mouth, and he took several deep gulps before the woman pulled the flask away.
"Slowly now," the woman said, "or you'll choke yourself."
"You sound almost as though you cared," Pippin retorted. The woman flinched as though she'd been struck, and she didn't meet Pippin's gaze as she lifted the flask to his lips again.
"Why are you doing this?" Pippin asked, once he'd emptied the flask.
"Because the Lady Reyalla doesn't want any of you to die."
"What does she want then?"
"I can't tell you that," the woman said, "but I can promise you that it will get better." Pippin gave a snort of laughter devoid of mirth at that statement. "Believe me," the woman went on, "I've been through this." Pippin's eyes went wide in surprise. She must have yielded, and now be made to do such terrible things to others. The thought hardened Pippin's resolve not to give in.
"My name is Rasarl," the woman said, with an encouraging smile. Then she left, and Pippin remained in the cell, feeling more alone than before now that the momentary companionship was gone.
After some time the door opened again, and two women entered, neither Rasarl. As they released Pippin's arms, he struggled, but the movement caused waves of agony to fill his body. They didn't bother binding him, since there was no way he could break the grips they held on his arms, as they led him out.
He soon found himself back in the hall he had been in when they whipped him. Another figure was chained between the posts, red lines showing through his torn shirt. His back was to the door Pippin was brought through, but Pippin recognised him anyway. Merry.
Lady Reyalla stood in front of Merry, but her gaze was fixed on Pippin. "Since you care nothing for your own skin, we will have to try alternative means of persuasion," she said. Pippin stared at Merry's back, the wounds already left by the whip. They would beat him until Pippin gave in, he had no doubt of that, but he couldn't give in to her. Whatever she was doing must be evil if she would do things like this.
"Do you yield?" she asked Pippin.
Pippin hesitated. "No," he said. "I'm sorry, Merry." One of the women holding Pippin let go, and picked up the whip, the other kept her hands gripping Pippin's arms. She obviously wasn't expecting much resistance. When the whip fell and Merry gave a sharp cry of pain, desperation filled Pippin. He somehow tore from the one holding him, and hit the one of the whip, with some feeble hope of stopping her.
She tossed Pippin aside easily, and he fell to the hard ground to land agonisingly on his back. He couldn't keep back the cry of pain.
"Pippin!" Merry shouted, as hands hauled Pippin from the ground, pressing painfully into the whip welts. "Let him go," Merry shouted, "Let him go." A fist struck Pippin in his stomach, and he instinctively doubled over, tearing open the cuts on his back. Another cry escaped his lips.
"Let him go, please," Merry begged. Pippin was held, struggling, off the ground, and could see Lady Reyalla approach Merry.
"Do you yield?" she asked Merry.
"Merry don't!" Pippin yelled, only to receive another punch.
"Yes," Pippin heard Merry whisper, "just don't hurt him."
"No! Merry!" Pippin shouted, but was carried out, unable to see what would happen next.
***
Author's note: I didn't think I needed to describe everyone getting beaten or you might get bored. Please review.
"Aragorn!" Legolas yelled. Aragorn started round towards him, but then the wood struck him over the head and he dropped to his knees. Legolas could do nothing but watch as an almost senseless Aragorn was hauled off somewhere.
Legolas was then hauled from the horse, held tightly by a strong man on either side. Other's surrounded him, too many to fight. He was pushed forwards into a different door from the one Aragorn was taken through. He could hear Gimli's grunts and complaints behind him, and smiled slightly.
"I think these people are as dismayed that they have to look at your face as you are that they have taken you prisoner," Legolas called over his shoulder. A growl of anger came from the dwarf, and to Legolas' surprise there also came a laugh from one of their captors.
He identified the one who had laughed as a young woman, who felt it her duty as a guard to stay as close to Legolas as possible. So close in fact that her hands kept brushing against parts of his body she wished they wouldn't. He made a point to stumble over a loose stone and tread on her toe.
"Getting clumsy in your old age, elf?" Gimli asked, not missing a thing.
"At least I haven't lost my wits like you," Legolas responded.
Legolas' sharp ears caught a low mutter: "Are you sure they're friends?"
They were taken down some stairs into a dark corridor lined with heavy, wooden doors. Legolas heard those holding Gimli stop at one of the doors they passed, but Legolas himself was taken further on to door, much the same as the rest. Once the door opened Legolas saw what was to come: chains. He struggled violently, but several pairs of hands pressed him against the far wall. His hands were freed only to be clamped in the manacles above him.
Then he was left alone.
He strained against the manacles, but the chains were tight, holding him against the wall. He pulled at them until his wrists were bruised and cut and he was forced to admit that it was futile.
After time he let himself fall into the waking dreams of the elves, conserving his strength for whatever was to come. He was startled awake when the door opened. A group of men entered, all chosen for their strength judging from the muscles showing on bare arms. They grabbed his arms before undoing the manacles. He struggled and writhed in their grips, but they hauled him out, those not holding him falling in around as guards.
He was led to the hall and saw the blood that lay on the ground between the posts. He had little doubt it was Aragorn's, and hoped the man was alright. As Legolas was restrained he searched the room with his gaze for any possible way out. Nothing.
"Do you yield to me?" a woman's voice asked, and Legolas turned his head as far as he could, to see the same figure his friends had already done.
"Never," Legolas said. Then the whip began to fall.
***
Pippin was aware of terrible pain when he woke. His back was agony, and his wrists and shoulders sore from the chains. Even his legs ached, and nothing had been done to them. He stood, taking the weight off his wrists, and waited. He had passed out while they were beating him, since he had refused to yield. How long had he been unconscious? And what was happening to the others?
The questions plagued his mind as he remained in the dark cell. He had no way of knowing how much time was passing, and how much had already passed. All he could do was stand there, and wish that the pain in his back would dim. Unfortunately, he had the suspicion that it would increase instead before too long.
Finally, the door opened, and a young woman came in. Someone outside closed the door behind her, and the woman knelt in front of Pippin so they were at the same level. She took out a flask and held it up to Pippin's lips, but Pippin kept his lips firmly pressed together.
"Drink!" she commanded, but Pippin's mouth remained closed. "It's only water," she said. When Pippin continued to refuse, she lifted the flask to her own mouth and drank a little. Pippin opened his mouth and drank. The cool water soothed his dry mouth, and he took several deep gulps before the woman pulled the flask away.
"Slowly now," the woman said, "or you'll choke yourself."
"You sound almost as though you cared," Pippin retorted. The woman flinched as though she'd been struck, and she didn't meet Pippin's gaze as she lifted the flask to his lips again.
"Why are you doing this?" Pippin asked, once he'd emptied the flask.
"Because the Lady Reyalla doesn't want any of you to die."
"What does she want then?"
"I can't tell you that," the woman said, "but I can promise you that it will get better." Pippin gave a snort of laughter devoid of mirth at that statement. "Believe me," the woman went on, "I've been through this." Pippin's eyes went wide in surprise. She must have yielded, and now be made to do such terrible things to others. The thought hardened Pippin's resolve not to give in.
"My name is Rasarl," the woman said, with an encouraging smile. Then she left, and Pippin remained in the cell, feeling more alone than before now that the momentary companionship was gone.
After some time the door opened again, and two women entered, neither Rasarl. As they released Pippin's arms, he struggled, but the movement caused waves of agony to fill his body. They didn't bother binding him, since there was no way he could break the grips they held on his arms, as they led him out.
He soon found himself back in the hall he had been in when they whipped him. Another figure was chained between the posts, red lines showing through his torn shirt. His back was to the door Pippin was brought through, but Pippin recognised him anyway. Merry.
Lady Reyalla stood in front of Merry, but her gaze was fixed on Pippin. "Since you care nothing for your own skin, we will have to try alternative means of persuasion," she said. Pippin stared at Merry's back, the wounds already left by the whip. They would beat him until Pippin gave in, he had no doubt of that, but he couldn't give in to her. Whatever she was doing must be evil if she would do things like this.
"Do you yield?" she asked Pippin.
Pippin hesitated. "No," he said. "I'm sorry, Merry." One of the women holding Pippin let go, and picked up the whip, the other kept her hands gripping Pippin's arms. She obviously wasn't expecting much resistance. When the whip fell and Merry gave a sharp cry of pain, desperation filled Pippin. He somehow tore from the one holding him, and hit the one of the whip, with some feeble hope of stopping her.
She tossed Pippin aside easily, and he fell to the hard ground to land agonisingly on his back. He couldn't keep back the cry of pain.
"Pippin!" Merry shouted, as hands hauled Pippin from the ground, pressing painfully into the whip welts. "Let him go," Merry shouted, "Let him go." A fist struck Pippin in his stomach, and he instinctively doubled over, tearing open the cuts on his back. Another cry escaped his lips.
"Let him go, please," Merry begged. Pippin was held, struggling, off the ground, and could see Lady Reyalla approach Merry.
"Do you yield?" she asked Merry.
"Merry don't!" Pippin yelled, only to receive another punch.
"Yes," Pippin heard Merry whisper, "just don't hurt him."
"No! Merry!" Pippin shouted, but was carried out, unable to see what would happen next.
***
Author's note: I didn't think I needed to describe everyone getting beaten or you might get bored. Please review.
