Chapter 3

Warnings

When the first breath of winter

Through the flowers is icing

And you look to the north

And a pale moon id rising

And it seems like all is dying

And would leave the world to mourn

In the distance hear her laughter

It's the last unicorn

I'm alive….I'm alive

Pain! That was all that registered with Aragorn's beaten, broken, and bruised body. His chest burned like fire each time he took a breath, his ribs hurt when he even flinched, and his back, well that was the only thing that hurt mercilessly. Black and blue bruises entwined with lacerations decorated the young rangers back, blood slid down inflicting pain on all the other lash marks and more bruises decorated his torso sending him into pain overload.

But the worst part of it all was, those demons that had done all this, were still there, watching his every move and somehow finding it funny, laughing.

'I bet they wouldn't be laughing if it were them up here.' Estel mused as he sucked back another whimper that had come into his mouth.

"Oh come on this ain't no fun, I want to see him scream, cry, whimper. Something!" Malanack growled. "Oron, get our friend here a special drink."

"Aye aye boss." the fat smaller man shot up and ran towards a tent to grab something.

Aragorn was thirsty, but it would be foolish to take from these annoying men, 'Well I could think of a better word for them.' he mused once more before Oron came back with a skin that seemed to be full of some type of liquid from the way it sloshed about.

"Her ya go." he said and handed the skin to Malanack.

The leader took the skin and walked quietly up to Aragorn a menacing smile decorated his face

"What did you get Oron?" Malanack turned and asked the little plump man.

"Troll wine, sir!"

"Ah! Very good!" he smiled back at Strider.

'Do trolls even drink wine?' the young ranger would leave that another question for Elrond. 'I highly doubt they do, they have always seemed like the type to drink beer to me.'

Aragorn's thought were cut short when Malanack shoved the drink at Aragorn's face, he tried to shrink away, but failed.

"One of you idiots hold him!"

Two strong burly men ran over and grabbed the ranger's arms painfully, holding him still so that Malanack could tip his head back and pour some of the brew down his throat.

"That's it!" Malanack smiled devilishly. "Drink it all up."

Estel tried to squirm away, but the men at his sides were to strong, if he would have been at full strength he could have possibly wrenched free, but at his current state it was not possible.

The liquid was poured and as it went down he felt his throat actually burning, it continued down into his stomach and made that also burn, he felt absolutely dreadful now, like any minute he might vomit. He could not hold it back any longer, he whimpered in pain as he felt someone slam a fist into his already churning stomach, he could not breath and that only made him suck the stuff down into his now burning lungs.

All his last failing senses saw, heard, smelt, and tasted were those horrid men, their camp, their liquid burning down his throat, and their laughter. And then all failed him and darkness came into play.

~

Legolas was at the moment having a bad day, to start all off, two days ago he had left Mirkwood to go see the twins in Imladris, He knew that the young human known as Estel would most likely not be there. And then all had gone bad, he had found a feasting pack of wargs and it so happened that some of them had not yet eaten, 'wait no rephrase that most of them. They had attacked his horse, and now he was horseless, then he had run into orcs. Fallen into a lake, and lost his supplies, all except his weapons. Things were defiantly not going his way.

He was walking trying hard to keep his hair behind his shoulder, which had been tangled and matted in the water of that stupid pond. But now he had noticed that everything had gotten really quiet, too quiet! He stopped and unsung his bow and took up his last arrow, notched it and waited.

As he watched, a white horse came through the clearing, no it was a "Unicorn." he whispered softly putting down his bow and walking slowly to meet the creature. She was so beautiful, he quietly walked nearer. He was amazed at how the beast did not run, for she had blood stained on her, but when he got closer it was not her blood.

She was not wounded, he thought a moment, she seemed like she wanted him to follow her, he ran back picked up his bow and ran back after her, she led him through endless trees and bushes, always making sure that he still followed.

Finally she stopped, he walked forward and looked at her with a curious eye. He walked to her side and questioned her in elvish. "Man?" She shot soft gray eyes on him and nudged him closer. He went a little farther then stopped dead in his tracks, he felt a trickle of tears as he looked, and his hands unconsciously balled into fists, his teeth clenched and he growled softly with rage.

Before him Aragorn hung limply against bonds, whimpering softly and shivering with cold that was not present, blood dripped from his back and his whole torso was black and blue, his wrists were bleeding, and he had one now painfully swollen black eye, it looked quite recent to Legolas. The elf prince looked over to see a camp of men sitting round a fire laughing about the days events and talking about what they were going to do to the ranger next time he woke.

Legolas had plans of his own, they would not touch his friend again, not until he had no more life within his own body.

TBC

~

Thank you so much for the reviews, I hope this chapter was to everyone's liking.

eep! poor Estel! poor unicorn!! That was a really touching scene between the two! you must update! I wanna know what happens! *grins* If you can demand I update, I can demand that you update! So, UPDATE!@!! *grins*
Great story though
Namaarie,
~Arwen
Aka
Vanaondoiel

I think it is good! I don't care if unicorns don't live in Middle-earth or not! Uppdate uppdate uppdate! -Maniac

Nice. Interesting mix with Lord of the Rings and unicorns. Good start. I think more dialogue would make it more exciting. -Sillybee