Disclaimer: LOTR is not mine!!!!
Author's Note: Again, I am sorry for not posting in so long. Not that anyone reads this story anyway! Oh well. Here's the next chapter:
Hostage
Legolas looked up just in time to see a black cloak disappear behind a tree. He sprang to his feet and sprinted off after it. As he neared, a dark cloaked figure on a jet-black stallion came bursting out in front of him. He quickly unleashed an arrow. Surprisingly, he missed.
The horse leaped forward and began twisting and turning through the trees. Legolas ran after it, shooting off more arrows, until finally, one hit his target.
The sharp tip bore into the rider's flesh, directly between the shoulder blades. They gasped and lurched forward, but remained in the saddle.
Legolas grasped the rider and pulled them off their horse. They went tumbling onto the ground and sprang back up to face Legolas. The elf stared into the black figure's hood and saw only two dim glowing eyes staring back at him. The figure reached back, yanked the arrow from their back, drew a sword from inside its robes and crouched, ready for an attack. Legolas whipped out his knives and advanced upon the wounded and bleeding cloaked figure.
Their swords clashed and clanged, echoing through the trees. The hooded stranger wielded his sword with amazing skill, and frightening malice. Legolas narrowly avoided its sharp blade several times, until somehow the stranger pinned him against a tree. He was about to slit Legolas's throat when Aragorn came running up. He barreled into the figure and they rolled over. Aragorn drew his sword and was about to plunge it into the cloaked monster's robes, when the hood fell back to reveal a young woman. He was somewhat taken aback and hesitated for a moment.
The girl was breathing heavily, gasping desperately for air, and was drenched in sweat. She glared at Aragorn with the utmost hatred. Aragorn looked at her curiously and noticed a little blood begin to trickle from her mouth.
"What is going on?" he asked.
Legolas righted himself and stood next to Aragorn.
"I found Frodo," he explained, "and he said that someone took the Ring. I asked him whom, and he pointed towards this woman who was running off into the shadows. I followed and tried to get the Ring back."
"Did you stab her?" Aragorn asked.
"No," Legolas answered. "I shot her, but she pulled the arrow out."
"Go back and tend to Frodo," said Aragorn curtly. Legolas looked from Aragorn to the girl and back, then turned and left. "Get up," he told the girl. She didn't move, so Aragorn grabbed her arm and dragged her to her feet.
He began marching her back to camp when he noticed that the back of her robes were drenched in blood. That must be where he shot her, he realized. Before he could do anything to help ease the girl's pain, she took off running. Aragorn let out a cry of shock, then went after her. She hadn't gone far, however, when she suddenly collapsed on the ground. Aragorn approached her and rolled her over. She was unconscious, probably from blood loss. He picked her up and carried her back to camp.
At the camp Aragorn attended to the young woman's wound. As he did so he came across something small, round and hard in one of her pockets. For fear of touching the Ring himself, he quickly called Frodo over to fish it out.
When it was light out, and time to leave, Aragorn faced the problem of boats. Where was he going to put this extra body? Eventually, he decided to bind her hands and feet, blindfold her, then switch Sam and Gimli, and stick the girl in the boat with Legolas and Sam. * * * * * Legolas did not like the idea of bringing someone with them who had tried to steal the One Ring. It was dangerous and just plain stupid. It would be better to just kill her, he thought. What was Aragorn thinking?
A few hours into the day, the hostage jerked back to reality and almost toppled the boat.
"Stay still," demanded Legolas.
The girl stiffened at the sound of his voice. As she realized that she was bound tight with sturdy elven rope, she silently cursed herself for getting into herself into this situation.
Being blindfolded made the journey an extremely boring one for the girl, but she sat there the entire time without moving or saying anything. She was unaware of the bandage around her chest and the gaping hole in her back, for she was quite accustomed to pain.
The sun was about an hour from setting when the Fellowship pulled their boats ashore. Legolas led the girl further into the trees, sat her down, and tied her to one of the large trunks. He didn't want her too close to Frodo. He pulled off her blindfold and she glared up at him. Suddenly her eyes widened in a mixture of horror and anger. When she didn't say anything, however, Legolas left. - - - - I've seen those eyes before, thought the girl frantically. Where do I know them from? They are the ones that have haunted me for so long. I must put them out. Then she started to whisper.
"Destroy him," she muttered as Legolas came back with a small piece of lembas bread. As he approached her, he could hear her quietly muttering to herself: "Destroy him, kill him, put out the lights."
This made Legolas quite uneasy. Without giving the girl any bread, he called for Aragorn.
Aragorn appeared through the trees in a second, and asked "What is it?"
"Listen," Legolas instructed.
"Kill him, kill him," the girl continued to mumble.
Legolas looked to Aragorn. "She's mad! She is going to try to kill Frodo! We should get rid of her now. There is no need to endanger the Quest any further."
"We can't do anything yet, Legolas," Aragorn replied. At the mention of Legolas's name, the girl snapped her head up and stared at the Elf with giant, fiery eyes. In attempt to keep her from over-hearing, Aragorn and Legolas began speaking in Elvish.
"We must get rid of her," said Legolas. "She is a danger to Frodo, the Ring, and the entire mission itself."
"I have sent a message to Lord Elrond's errand riders. They will come to take her away," answered Aragorn.
"We cannot wait that long! By the time they reach us she could already have sabotaged the whole quest!"
"Those were Elrond's orders. This is his prisoner. Not ours. We will do as he says."
"This is foolish. You are jeopardizing everything. We must kill her. She tried to take the Ring! She is evil! I did not take you to be so naïve." Legolas shook his head.
"And I did not take Elves to be so bloodthirsty," said a voice that did not belong to Aragorn.
The two companions wheeled around to find the young woman they had captured no longer tied to the tree, but standing directly behind them.
Aragorn drew his sword and grabbed the woman. "Who are you!?" he screamed in frustration. The girl remained silent. "Tell me, or I'll slit your throat," Aragorn threatened. There was a brief moment of silence, then the girl looked at Legolas and said:
"He knows."
Author's Note: Again, I am sorry for not posting in so long. Not that anyone reads this story anyway! Oh well. Here's the next chapter:
Hostage
Legolas looked up just in time to see a black cloak disappear behind a tree. He sprang to his feet and sprinted off after it. As he neared, a dark cloaked figure on a jet-black stallion came bursting out in front of him. He quickly unleashed an arrow. Surprisingly, he missed.
The horse leaped forward and began twisting and turning through the trees. Legolas ran after it, shooting off more arrows, until finally, one hit his target.
The sharp tip bore into the rider's flesh, directly between the shoulder blades. They gasped and lurched forward, but remained in the saddle.
Legolas grasped the rider and pulled them off their horse. They went tumbling onto the ground and sprang back up to face Legolas. The elf stared into the black figure's hood and saw only two dim glowing eyes staring back at him. The figure reached back, yanked the arrow from their back, drew a sword from inside its robes and crouched, ready for an attack. Legolas whipped out his knives and advanced upon the wounded and bleeding cloaked figure.
Their swords clashed and clanged, echoing through the trees. The hooded stranger wielded his sword with amazing skill, and frightening malice. Legolas narrowly avoided its sharp blade several times, until somehow the stranger pinned him against a tree. He was about to slit Legolas's throat when Aragorn came running up. He barreled into the figure and they rolled over. Aragorn drew his sword and was about to plunge it into the cloaked monster's robes, when the hood fell back to reveal a young woman. He was somewhat taken aback and hesitated for a moment.
The girl was breathing heavily, gasping desperately for air, and was drenched in sweat. She glared at Aragorn with the utmost hatred. Aragorn looked at her curiously and noticed a little blood begin to trickle from her mouth.
"What is going on?" he asked.
Legolas righted himself and stood next to Aragorn.
"I found Frodo," he explained, "and he said that someone took the Ring. I asked him whom, and he pointed towards this woman who was running off into the shadows. I followed and tried to get the Ring back."
"Did you stab her?" Aragorn asked.
"No," Legolas answered. "I shot her, but she pulled the arrow out."
"Go back and tend to Frodo," said Aragorn curtly. Legolas looked from Aragorn to the girl and back, then turned and left. "Get up," he told the girl. She didn't move, so Aragorn grabbed her arm and dragged her to her feet.
He began marching her back to camp when he noticed that the back of her robes were drenched in blood. That must be where he shot her, he realized. Before he could do anything to help ease the girl's pain, she took off running. Aragorn let out a cry of shock, then went after her. She hadn't gone far, however, when she suddenly collapsed on the ground. Aragorn approached her and rolled her over. She was unconscious, probably from blood loss. He picked her up and carried her back to camp.
At the camp Aragorn attended to the young woman's wound. As he did so he came across something small, round and hard in one of her pockets. For fear of touching the Ring himself, he quickly called Frodo over to fish it out.
When it was light out, and time to leave, Aragorn faced the problem of boats. Where was he going to put this extra body? Eventually, he decided to bind her hands and feet, blindfold her, then switch Sam and Gimli, and stick the girl in the boat with Legolas and Sam. * * * * * Legolas did not like the idea of bringing someone with them who had tried to steal the One Ring. It was dangerous and just plain stupid. It would be better to just kill her, he thought. What was Aragorn thinking?
A few hours into the day, the hostage jerked back to reality and almost toppled the boat.
"Stay still," demanded Legolas.
The girl stiffened at the sound of his voice. As she realized that she was bound tight with sturdy elven rope, she silently cursed herself for getting into herself into this situation.
Being blindfolded made the journey an extremely boring one for the girl, but she sat there the entire time without moving or saying anything. She was unaware of the bandage around her chest and the gaping hole in her back, for she was quite accustomed to pain.
The sun was about an hour from setting when the Fellowship pulled their boats ashore. Legolas led the girl further into the trees, sat her down, and tied her to one of the large trunks. He didn't want her too close to Frodo. He pulled off her blindfold and she glared up at him. Suddenly her eyes widened in a mixture of horror and anger. When she didn't say anything, however, Legolas left. - - - - I've seen those eyes before, thought the girl frantically. Where do I know them from? They are the ones that have haunted me for so long. I must put them out. Then she started to whisper.
"Destroy him," she muttered as Legolas came back with a small piece of lembas bread. As he approached her, he could hear her quietly muttering to herself: "Destroy him, kill him, put out the lights."
This made Legolas quite uneasy. Without giving the girl any bread, he called for Aragorn.
Aragorn appeared through the trees in a second, and asked "What is it?"
"Listen," Legolas instructed.
"Kill him, kill him," the girl continued to mumble.
Legolas looked to Aragorn. "She's mad! She is going to try to kill Frodo! We should get rid of her now. There is no need to endanger the Quest any further."
"We can't do anything yet, Legolas," Aragorn replied. At the mention of Legolas's name, the girl snapped her head up and stared at the Elf with giant, fiery eyes. In attempt to keep her from over-hearing, Aragorn and Legolas began speaking in Elvish.
"We must get rid of her," said Legolas. "She is a danger to Frodo, the Ring, and the entire mission itself."
"I have sent a message to Lord Elrond's errand riders. They will come to take her away," answered Aragorn.
"We cannot wait that long! By the time they reach us she could already have sabotaged the whole quest!"
"Those were Elrond's orders. This is his prisoner. Not ours. We will do as he says."
"This is foolish. You are jeopardizing everything. We must kill her. She tried to take the Ring! She is evil! I did not take you to be so naïve." Legolas shook his head.
"And I did not take Elves to be so bloodthirsty," said a voice that did not belong to Aragorn.
The two companions wheeled around to find the young woman they had captured no longer tied to the tree, but standing directly behind them.
Aragorn drew his sword and grabbed the woman. "Who are you!?" he screamed in frustration. The girl remained silent. "Tell me, or I'll slit your throat," Aragorn threatened. There was a brief moment of silence, then the girl looked at Legolas and said:
"He knows."