Sorry I couldn't get it up the other day! My computer has a virus and I
won't bea able to update for the next five days! I'll be away at camp and
am hoping it will be fixed by the time I get back!
Chapter 7
The Stockades
The dark pressed against the elf and human. The stairs suddenly ended as a faint light followed them as they dashed down a slightly disquieted hallway. When Estel looked to one side he could see glaring eyes. He heard chains jangle and foreign curses crawling from scratchy throats.
'Ignore them.' said Legolas, his voice still dry and quiet. They turned a corner and kept running. Estel began to feel his chest cramp and started to pant for air. He had no idea how fast he was going or where they were headed to.
Finally, when the human's chest was about to burst, they stopped. Legolas was breathing hard too but Estel knew that it wasn't from running. He saw the glimmer of a tear fall from his face.
'There was nothing you could do.' he said trying to comfort the prince. Legolas nodded then shook his head. He looked so desperate.
'I can't believe they're gone.' he whispered. 'All of them... Anlamras... Gildaen... everyone.' he choked. 'They died.' The clattering voices of the orcs echoed down the tunnels, announcing their arrival in the stockades.
'Legolas, what are we going to do?' he asked. Legolas was shaking from head to toe. He sat down, leaning against the wall.
'I don't know anymore! I don't! Everything's wrong! Why are they gone?' Estel sucked air through his teeth as the Orcs drew closer.
'Please Legolas, listen to me!'
'Why?' snapped the elf. 'There's nothing anymore! Let them take us! I don't care anymore! I don't!' Estel watched silent tears cascade down his smoothly carved cheeks. The blabbering grew so close that he didn't think he could take it.
'Legolas, you have everything to live for! You can't give up!'
'Yes I can! My mother is gone and so is Evlyana! I was meant to die this way, so I will!'
'Meant to die...?' Estel suddenly felt as though he was caught between two worlds: one with the concern of Orcs about to leap on them and the other trying to understand the despair of his best friend.
'The orcs burned the palace to the ground! Father and I escaped but Mother and Evlyana are dead! I lost them! I could've helped them, but I didn't! I've lost my mother and my sister! Just the way I've lost everyone else!' Estel suddenly understood. That was why he would stare at the flames of the campfires. That was why he was yelling at the orcs when they attacked in the forest. They killed his family.
'Legolas, there are more elves in Mirkwood that need your help!' said Estel, now completely unaware that the orcs were growing so close. The flames of torches licked the ceiling. 'You need to survive this to help your future throne recover from this tragedy!'
'How?' he asked. 'How can I help them if I can't help my fellow recruits here; my friends?'
'It's not your fault!' insisted Estel, now kneeling face-to-face with the elf. 'You couldn't have stopped these happenings even if you tried!' Legolas looked up at him, his eyes glistened.
'I wanted to.' he replied.
'Who wouldn't?' said Estel with an innocent smile. 'Don't blame yourself! It'll drive you to the ground just like it's doing now!' Legolas's eyes widened in shock. The Orc's cries seemed just feet away and the tunnel was almost fully lit with their firelight. 'Legolas, we have to go!' The elf simply stared at him, his face expressionless. Estel stood up lifted his sword. 'Now! Your kingdom needs you!' The same expression haunted Estel's mind at that moment. Estel looked to the hall, now seeing the shadows of the enemy against the opposite wall. He looked back to Legolas, then to the tunnel.
He took off into the tunnel. The Orcs were silenced with surprise. They human and the beasts stared at one another for a moment. An orc at the front developed a twisted grin, revealing sickening black gums and yellowed teeth. With a cry the orcs rushed at him. Estel swung his sword at the first three, slashing them all in the stomach. He dashed into the mob, cutting, stabbing and slicing. A bittersweet smell soon filled the air. It wasn't long before Estel was struck by the spear butt of one orc and stumbled. He ducked the blow of one and let its blade slice the neck of the attacker behind him. Swipe after swipe, the orcs were felled one-by-one. Estel felt a glimmer of hope as he made his way towards the narrow staircase. Torches fell onto the ground and the roots smoldered. Smoke began to cloud the upper part of the tunnel and Estel made his attacks lower.
As he felt his energy slowly seeping from him he decided he would have to finish this later while he could still run. With one last swipe he turned and sprinted down the corridor. Legolas was nowhere in sight. Estel ran to the end of the tunnel and turned right at the fork. The Orcs split up and went into the other direction. He continued to turn in different directions and let the Orcs split up different ways, creating shrinking mob just behind him. When it would be reduced small enough, he would attack, then escape back up the stairwell and pray not to get lost in the tunnels.
As he roughly recorded his last turn he emerged into a lit circular room. There were phials of starlight in rings all around that gave it a strong silver-white glow. There were shrouded openings all around that lead into the same room. He looked behind him to see the Orcs emerge from the same tunnel. Not even a second later another band appeared from another opening, then another... and another.
In moments all the Orcs had reappeared and surrounded him. Estel held his sword tightly, ready to keep them at bay. Soon, the orcs had filed into an organized ring and were yelling at the top of their longs. Estel noticed some of them had been bloodied or burned. He glared at them, ready to attack at any given moment.
However the orcs stayed where they were. Estel eyed their faces, expecting an impatient glare. They smiled back at them. Some laughed.
'You are not an elf.' grunted one as it stepped up from the ring of beasts. 'Though you do not quite look like a man.' he smiled. 'You are the prince's little friends, aren't you?' he asked. Estel glared at him. He laughed loudly. The others cackled, their noise echoing around the silver room. The crowd seemed to press closer as though waiting for a command. The orcs grinning at him yelled out a word Estel didn't understand and the Orcs moved in.
Estel fought more valiantly then before. His slashes hit their targets and many orcs were slain before one finally caught him from behind. His arm was around Estel's neck and squeezing tightly. Estel was on his toes as the orcs around him laughed and the injured wept in pain.
It was over.
.
.
cliffie? heehee...
Chapter 7
The Stockades
The dark pressed against the elf and human. The stairs suddenly ended as a faint light followed them as they dashed down a slightly disquieted hallway. When Estel looked to one side he could see glaring eyes. He heard chains jangle and foreign curses crawling from scratchy throats.
'Ignore them.' said Legolas, his voice still dry and quiet. They turned a corner and kept running. Estel began to feel his chest cramp and started to pant for air. He had no idea how fast he was going or where they were headed to.
Finally, when the human's chest was about to burst, they stopped. Legolas was breathing hard too but Estel knew that it wasn't from running. He saw the glimmer of a tear fall from his face.
'There was nothing you could do.' he said trying to comfort the prince. Legolas nodded then shook his head. He looked so desperate.
'I can't believe they're gone.' he whispered. 'All of them... Anlamras... Gildaen... everyone.' he choked. 'They died.' The clattering voices of the orcs echoed down the tunnels, announcing their arrival in the stockades.
'Legolas, what are we going to do?' he asked. Legolas was shaking from head to toe. He sat down, leaning against the wall.
'I don't know anymore! I don't! Everything's wrong! Why are they gone?' Estel sucked air through his teeth as the Orcs drew closer.
'Please Legolas, listen to me!'
'Why?' snapped the elf. 'There's nothing anymore! Let them take us! I don't care anymore! I don't!' Estel watched silent tears cascade down his smoothly carved cheeks. The blabbering grew so close that he didn't think he could take it.
'Legolas, you have everything to live for! You can't give up!'
'Yes I can! My mother is gone and so is Evlyana! I was meant to die this way, so I will!'
'Meant to die...?' Estel suddenly felt as though he was caught between two worlds: one with the concern of Orcs about to leap on them and the other trying to understand the despair of his best friend.
'The orcs burned the palace to the ground! Father and I escaped but Mother and Evlyana are dead! I lost them! I could've helped them, but I didn't! I've lost my mother and my sister! Just the way I've lost everyone else!' Estel suddenly understood. That was why he would stare at the flames of the campfires. That was why he was yelling at the orcs when they attacked in the forest. They killed his family.
'Legolas, there are more elves in Mirkwood that need your help!' said Estel, now completely unaware that the orcs were growing so close. The flames of torches licked the ceiling. 'You need to survive this to help your future throne recover from this tragedy!'
'How?' he asked. 'How can I help them if I can't help my fellow recruits here; my friends?'
'It's not your fault!' insisted Estel, now kneeling face-to-face with the elf. 'You couldn't have stopped these happenings even if you tried!' Legolas looked up at him, his eyes glistened.
'I wanted to.' he replied.
'Who wouldn't?' said Estel with an innocent smile. 'Don't blame yourself! It'll drive you to the ground just like it's doing now!' Legolas's eyes widened in shock. The Orc's cries seemed just feet away and the tunnel was almost fully lit with their firelight. 'Legolas, we have to go!' The elf simply stared at him, his face expressionless. Estel stood up lifted his sword. 'Now! Your kingdom needs you!' The same expression haunted Estel's mind at that moment. Estel looked to the hall, now seeing the shadows of the enemy against the opposite wall. He looked back to Legolas, then to the tunnel.
He took off into the tunnel. The Orcs were silenced with surprise. They human and the beasts stared at one another for a moment. An orc at the front developed a twisted grin, revealing sickening black gums and yellowed teeth. With a cry the orcs rushed at him. Estel swung his sword at the first three, slashing them all in the stomach. He dashed into the mob, cutting, stabbing and slicing. A bittersweet smell soon filled the air. It wasn't long before Estel was struck by the spear butt of one orc and stumbled. He ducked the blow of one and let its blade slice the neck of the attacker behind him. Swipe after swipe, the orcs were felled one-by-one. Estel felt a glimmer of hope as he made his way towards the narrow staircase. Torches fell onto the ground and the roots smoldered. Smoke began to cloud the upper part of the tunnel and Estel made his attacks lower.
As he felt his energy slowly seeping from him he decided he would have to finish this later while he could still run. With one last swipe he turned and sprinted down the corridor. Legolas was nowhere in sight. Estel ran to the end of the tunnel and turned right at the fork. The Orcs split up and went into the other direction. He continued to turn in different directions and let the Orcs split up different ways, creating shrinking mob just behind him. When it would be reduced small enough, he would attack, then escape back up the stairwell and pray not to get lost in the tunnels.
As he roughly recorded his last turn he emerged into a lit circular room. There were phials of starlight in rings all around that gave it a strong silver-white glow. There were shrouded openings all around that lead into the same room. He looked behind him to see the Orcs emerge from the same tunnel. Not even a second later another band appeared from another opening, then another... and another.
In moments all the Orcs had reappeared and surrounded him. Estel held his sword tightly, ready to keep them at bay. Soon, the orcs had filed into an organized ring and were yelling at the top of their longs. Estel noticed some of them had been bloodied or burned. He glared at them, ready to attack at any given moment.
However the orcs stayed where they were. Estel eyed their faces, expecting an impatient glare. They smiled back at them. Some laughed.
'You are not an elf.' grunted one as it stepped up from the ring of beasts. 'Though you do not quite look like a man.' he smiled. 'You are the prince's little friends, aren't you?' he asked. Estel glared at him. He laughed loudly. The others cackled, their noise echoing around the silver room. The crowd seemed to press closer as though waiting for a command. The orcs grinning at him yelled out a word Estel didn't understand and the Orcs moved in.
Estel fought more valiantly then before. His slashes hit their targets and many orcs were slain before one finally caught him from behind. His arm was around Estel's neck and squeezing tightly. Estel was on his toes as the orcs around him laughed and the injured wept in pain.
It was over.
.
.
cliffie? heehee...