Saruman's composure cracked, but he quickly regained his sureness.
Legolas suddenly was restored of his elven glow, his features lit up once
again. Flame kindled to a roaring, hating fire in his bright eyes,
perilous almost to behold.
"What do you think you believe in, little elf," Saruman mocked, seeing how Legolas had redeemed himself. "That you are innocent? That none of this was your fault?" His voice became dangerously soft, always calm and relaxed. "Why, you are almost doing my work for me."
"You are wrong," Legolas snarled menacingly.
"Oh? And when did you decide this?" Saruman paused shortly. "Just now, elfling, just now. You know the truth."
Legolas could feel the magic intertwined in the wizard's words, striving to convince him, trying to make him believe. If he uses such sorcery to merely persuade me of murder, then would it not be false? If it were true, he would need no such magic.
"Gandalf's fall was of your doing. And that, my elf, I commend you for."
Why does he call me his elf? I do not belong to him
"Your skill would be at much better use with me, little elfling."
"Lies."
Saruman laughed. "Oh! Is that what you believe them to be?"
"I know them to be lies. Rid your words of your magic! If you speak the truth, then what is enchantment needed for?" Legolas inwardly congratulated himself, believing he had finally overcome the wizard.
Saruman let a small grin play across his lips. "Perhaps, little elf," he spoke slowly, "you have seen through the darkness.but what I have said still stands. Your skill would be much more useful in the service of Saruman the White." He had lost the battle.but a war was still to be fought.
Legolas spat at the wizard's feet. "Nay. Never."
The smile on Saruman's lips widened. "We shall see.in time, little elf, we shall see." Suddenly his attention was elsewhere, and he was not speaking to Legolas. "I am done here. He is yours." Locking eyes one last time with his prisoner, Saruman laughed quietly, and took leave of the dungeons.
Legolas shifted his weight, now relieved that the wizard had gone. A sense of accomplishment washed over him.it felt like a great burden had been lifted from his heart. He had done nothing to kill Mithrandir. Ai, how foolish he had been, this past while!
Suddenly, he was overcome with guilt. How he had made his friends suffer! Aragorn already had so much on his shoulders already; the last thing he needed was Legolas' problems in addition. Such a self-pitying wreck he had been. Shame washed over the elf. If my father had seen me, he thought, Elbereth! he would dispise me for it.
But he shoved this all into a back corner of his mind. Now he had other problems.
Saruman had openly stated that he wanted Legolas to fight for him. Perhaps he had hoped, that in his previous broken state, he would have complied. He wondered for a moment, what it would be like to battle against all he had been fighting for his whole life.what it would be like to emotionlessly murder his kin and friends. An invisible shudder passed through him. He would never become that brutal monster. No matter how severely pressured, he would not give in.
But that could not have been all Saruman wanted. He would not keep an elf here, merely to attempt to sway him. Not just one. He wanted something else.there was another purpose for his imprisonment. A natural curiosity drew the elf to pondering what use the wizard could have for him, but deep inside, he never really wanted to know.
Slowly, Legolas became aware of a light clinking in the darkness, like that of two things of metal colliding lightly with each other. Also, there were footsteps.heavy footsteps upon the stone floor, and heavy breathing, the occasional harsh word.
No, no, not orcs
He moaned inwardly, recognizing without explanation the clatter of chains and armoured feet. Terror seized him, for he knew little of what orcs would do.what extent their hatred could drive them. But he had already had a taste; he was painfully aware of the healing skin over the arrow wound in his arm being stretched apart, and the stab wound in his stomach as well. What evil would become of him here, if already such wounds had befallen him in merely a days time?
The scuffling footsteps were gradually growing louder. What was taking them so long? Were the dungeons really that extensive? He shuddered, picturing isles and isles of barred chambers, delving deep into the earth.broken, hopeless, lost creatures, slumped against walls, clinging to iron bars, dangling from chains. What if they really were that deep? Or perhaps, it was merely his mind playing tricks on him; for that was the way of thought through fear and anxiety.
Finally, Legolas could begin to make out silhouettes in the torchlight. Relief claimed half his mind: the suspense and waiting had been killing him. Yet still more prominent was that undeniable terror and knowledge; knowing what awaited him, and not being able to do a thing about it.
"Looksee here, an elf.all alone." the raspy voice drifted on harsh breathe from the shadows. Laughter followed of several others. Their voices! Legolas pondered. It sounds as if their throats have been torn! Were these creatures born so, born so ugly and so cruel from the beginning?
Legolas counted the orcs coming into the firelight.1, 2, 3, 4.5 of them. He willed his eyes away from their hands; from their weapons, and his eyes were drawn to their distorted faces. Pity almost wrapped its away about his thoughts.
"Wonder what it'll take for his screams."
All traces of pity vanished.
The accent of the Black tongue was thick in their words, the common speech still abundant with gruff, harsh sounds. Yellow teeth bore in sinister grins; the five orcs came in disorder before him.
"What say Goralûk strike first?" one, particularly hunched, spoke. Grudgingly, the others seemed to comply.
The one called Goralûk stepped forward, grinning uncontrollably with his rotten fangs. "Only too grateful to oblige, Bôrmazh." Goralûk must be their leader, thought Legolas. Bôrmazh likely a grovelling minion.
Goralûk made his way behind the shackled elf. Legolas could hear his unravelling the thick tether. "Only too long it has been since last I tasted elven blood."
CRACK!
Callous laughter resounded with sick mirth in the dungeons. Legolas felt, as if in slow motion, the whip rip through his tunic, and drag ruthlessly across his flesh. It had come so fast; he only just barely restrained himself from crying out. And now the other four joined their ringleader, each with their own weapon. He could feel, as lash upon lash was blown across his fair skin, some of the welts give way under the pressure to blood. The first to break was his shoulder, where many a stray thrashings had landed. Then the beating on that side subsided for a moment, but a worse shame came to follow.
Goralûk stepped forward, the hilarity on his face sickly glowing. "Little, little droplets.dark, dark crimson." He came close to Legolas' strained shoulders. His mouth opened, and he licked away the trickle of blood. "Such tasty flavour."
He starred up menacingly with his bright green eyes into Legolas' blue- grey orbs. Legolas stared back, struck with horror at what the orc had just done. He felt contaminated; dirty. But he could do nothing, for Goralûk stepped away, brandished his tether, and flung it across the elf's shoulder blades.
When will they stop?
CRACK. Laughter.
Will they stop at all?
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
If this is merely one day.
CRACK. CRACK. Laughter.
what will eternity be like.?
* * *
Legolas' mind began to clear. He opened his eyes just a slit, hoping not to be noticed. At first he thought he had gone blind, but the memory of the previous darkness of the dungeons told him otherwise.
Searing pains wracked his delicate frame. How long had he been unconscious? Where the orcs even still there? Slowly, he dared to open his eyes wider, in hopes that he could see more, but to no such avail. Though he could not see, he was numbly aware of a distant sound. His mind was still foggy and he couldn't make it out clearly.
However, the orcs were wide awake.their eyes lumininous in the dark.with perfect vision.
Footsteps. "The elf's awake."
Scuffle scuffle scuffle.
"Back off, Thraksnik. I gets him first." Goralûk shoved the one called Thraksnik out of his way. He held his hands behind his back, and a new, unknowing fear took Legolas. What did he hold? What possible evil device could he be clutching?
"Finally awake, eh, elf?" He stared up into Legolas' hard eyes that portrayed naught of his inner turmoil. Then, almost talking to himself, he said: "He's stronger than some."
Why is he saying this? It is nearly encouragement
".he will last longer."
Why me
Goralûk shifted his hands. Jangle, jangle.
"There was use of the lash elsewhere."
Jingle, jingle.
"I had to find a substitute." He drew the item from secrecy.
A chain.
At first, the other orcs flogged the feircly, merely leather tethers. Merely laughter. Merely all that had come once before.
CLASH.
Legolas' body jolted with the blow. He retained his cry with great effort.
CLASH.
Jolt.
The chain hit his body again and again. It struck him hard across his torso; hard across his ribs; hard across his chest.
Ai, Elbereth.
CLASH.
why me.
* * *
TBC
A/N: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA! Hehe, that was fun to write. I was gonna add in another thing, but it's a bit of a more complicated thing. I'm gonna save it for later. But again, tell me if my torture is too bland, to blech, too whatever, or if it's okay. Review!
Merrylyn: *also hugs plushies * We should start our own production agency! Produce (male) elf plushies! Hah! That'd be the coolest! And thanks, I was kind of apprehensive to writing Aragorn, he has lost of different sides to him.
Torture_the_elf: Kill him, you say? *thinks * I actually have a long plot line for this story. It'll go a long time. But, hey, you can always hope. You never know what may happen!
Imirie: *dreaming * Rain seems to make lots of people hotter, doesn't it seem that way?
Little_lost_one: Yes, I did write Legolas' song in chapter 5.
Goblz: Yeah, I think review history was a good addition. You can find stories when you have no room left in your favourites.
Kaimelieamin: Still trying to learn to type ur name fast and still spell it right.But I should go buy shin pads, maybe.
Kate: Haldir rules, doesn't he? I almost screamed when he *sniff * died. I know Peter Jackson's a genius, but I'm gonna send death threats. Especially if he leaves out Elladen and Elrohir in ROTK. Rrrrrrrrrrrr. And yes, Orophin is Haldir's brother, right? Well, anyways, I think he is, as far as I know, and he looks like a she-male in the movie. Celeborn has a cool accent though. But that's all.
Princess-yumin: I thank you very much for the review! I enjoy thorough reviews as much as I like writing them! And actually, I hadn't though of your philosophy of Saruman's falsety. I just decided he could feel the magic in the wizard's tongue. Good idea, though. I believe Legolas is really strong inside. But, in the movie, I think they made a mistake. In the books, he's really hyper and stuff. He's always singing and running around. It would SO INCREDIBLY COOL if they made him sing in ROTK! OMG! *dies *
* * *
Once again, thanks for reviewing! And, in the next chapter: an actual torture device that was used in the middle ages. Very evil. Pain. Lots of pain. (think a Knight's Tale here)
"What do you think you believe in, little elf," Saruman mocked, seeing how Legolas had redeemed himself. "That you are innocent? That none of this was your fault?" His voice became dangerously soft, always calm and relaxed. "Why, you are almost doing my work for me."
"You are wrong," Legolas snarled menacingly.
"Oh? And when did you decide this?" Saruman paused shortly. "Just now, elfling, just now. You know the truth."
Legolas could feel the magic intertwined in the wizard's words, striving to convince him, trying to make him believe. If he uses such sorcery to merely persuade me of murder, then would it not be false? If it were true, he would need no such magic.
"Gandalf's fall was of your doing. And that, my elf, I commend you for."
Why does he call me his elf? I do not belong to him
"Your skill would be at much better use with me, little elfling."
"Lies."
Saruman laughed. "Oh! Is that what you believe them to be?"
"I know them to be lies. Rid your words of your magic! If you speak the truth, then what is enchantment needed for?" Legolas inwardly congratulated himself, believing he had finally overcome the wizard.
Saruman let a small grin play across his lips. "Perhaps, little elf," he spoke slowly, "you have seen through the darkness.but what I have said still stands. Your skill would be much more useful in the service of Saruman the White." He had lost the battle.but a war was still to be fought.
Legolas spat at the wizard's feet. "Nay. Never."
The smile on Saruman's lips widened. "We shall see.in time, little elf, we shall see." Suddenly his attention was elsewhere, and he was not speaking to Legolas. "I am done here. He is yours." Locking eyes one last time with his prisoner, Saruman laughed quietly, and took leave of the dungeons.
Legolas shifted his weight, now relieved that the wizard had gone. A sense of accomplishment washed over him.it felt like a great burden had been lifted from his heart. He had done nothing to kill Mithrandir. Ai, how foolish he had been, this past while!
Suddenly, he was overcome with guilt. How he had made his friends suffer! Aragorn already had so much on his shoulders already; the last thing he needed was Legolas' problems in addition. Such a self-pitying wreck he had been. Shame washed over the elf. If my father had seen me, he thought, Elbereth! he would dispise me for it.
But he shoved this all into a back corner of his mind. Now he had other problems.
Saruman had openly stated that he wanted Legolas to fight for him. Perhaps he had hoped, that in his previous broken state, he would have complied. He wondered for a moment, what it would be like to battle against all he had been fighting for his whole life.what it would be like to emotionlessly murder his kin and friends. An invisible shudder passed through him. He would never become that brutal monster. No matter how severely pressured, he would not give in.
But that could not have been all Saruman wanted. He would not keep an elf here, merely to attempt to sway him. Not just one. He wanted something else.there was another purpose for his imprisonment. A natural curiosity drew the elf to pondering what use the wizard could have for him, but deep inside, he never really wanted to know.
Slowly, Legolas became aware of a light clinking in the darkness, like that of two things of metal colliding lightly with each other. Also, there were footsteps.heavy footsteps upon the stone floor, and heavy breathing, the occasional harsh word.
No, no, not orcs
He moaned inwardly, recognizing without explanation the clatter of chains and armoured feet. Terror seized him, for he knew little of what orcs would do.what extent their hatred could drive them. But he had already had a taste; he was painfully aware of the healing skin over the arrow wound in his arm being stretched apart, and the stab wound in his stomach as well. What evil would become of him here, if already such wounds had befallen him in merely a days time?
The scuffling footsteps were gradually growing louder. What was taking them so long? Were the dungeons really that extensive? He shuddered, picturing isles and isles of barred chambers, delving deep into the earth.broken, hopeless, lost creatures, slumped against walls, clinging to iron bars, dangling from chains. What if they really were that deep? Or perhaps, it was merely his mind playing tricks on him; for that was the way of thought through fear and anxiety.
Finally, Legolas could begin to make out silhouettes in the torchlight. Relief claimed half his mind: the suspense and waiting had been killing him. Yet still more prominent was that undeniable terror and knowledge; knowing what awaited him, and not being able to do a thing about it.
"Looksee here, an elf.all alone." the raspy voice drifted on harsh breathe from the shadows. Laughter followed of several others. Their voices! Legolas pondered. It sounds as if their throats have been torn! Were these creatures born so, born so ugly and so cruel from the beginning?
Legolas counted the orcs coming into the firelight.1, 2, 3, 4.5 of them. He willed his eyes away from their hands; from their weapons, and his eyes were drawn to their distorted faces. Pity almost wrapped its away about his thoughts.
"Wonder what it'll take for his screams."
All traces of pity vanished.
The accent of the Black tongue was thick in their words, the common speech still abundant with gruff, harsh sounds. Yellow teeth bore in sinister grins; the five orcs came in disorder before him.
"What say Goralûk strike first?" one, particularly hunched, spoke. Grudgingly, the others seemed to comply.
The one called Goralûk stepped forward, grinning uncontrollably with his rotten fangs. "Only too grateful to oblige, Bôrmazh." Goralûk must be their leader, thought Legolas. Bôrmazh likely a grovelling minion.
Goralûk made his way behind the shackled elf. Legolas could hear his unravelling the thick tether. "Only too long it has been since last I tasted elven blood."
CRACK!
Callous laughter resounded with sick mirth in the dungeons. Legolas felt, as if in slow motion, the whip rip through his tunic, and drag ruthlessly across his flesh. It had come so fast; he only just barely restrained himself from crying out. And now the other four joined their ringleader, each with their own weapon. He could feel, as lash upon lash was blown across his fair skin, some of the welts give way under the pressure to blood. The first to break was his shoulder, where many a stray thrashings had landed. Then the beating on that side subsided for a moment, but a worse shame came to follow.
Goralûk stepped forward, the hilarity on his face sickly glowing. "Little, little droplets.dark, dark crimson." He came close to Legolas' strained shoulders. His mouth opened, and he licked away the trickle of blood. "Such tasty flavour."
He starred up menacingly with his bright green eyes into Legolas' blue- grey orbs. Legolas stared back, struck with horror at what the orc had just done. He felt contaminated; dirty. But he could do nothing, for Goralûk stepped away, brandished his tether, and flung it across the elf's shoulder blades.
When will they stop?
CRACK. Laughter.
Will they stop at all?
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
If this is merely one day.
CRACK. CRACK. Laughter.
what will eternity be like.?
* * *
Legolas' mind began to clear. He opened his eyes just a slit, hoping not to be noticed. At first he thought he had gone blind, but the memory of the previous darkness of the dungeons told him otherwise.
Searing pains wracked his delicate frame. How long had he been unconscious? Where the orcs even still there? Slowly, he dared to open his eyes wider, in hopes that he could see more, but to no such avail. Though he could not see, he was numbly aware of a distant sound. His mind was still foggy and he couldn't make it out clearly.
However, the orcs were wide awake.their eyes lumininous in the dark.with perfect vision.
Footsteps. "The elf's awake."
Scuffle scuffle scuffle.
"Back off, Thraksnik. I gets him first." Goralûk shoved the one called Thraksnik out of his way. He held his hands behind his back, and a new, unknowing fear took Legolas. What did he hold? What possible evil device could he be clutching?
"Finally awake, eh, elf?" He stared up into Legolas' hard eyes that portrayed naught of his inner turmoil. Then, almost talking to himself, he said: "He's stronger than some."
Why is he saying this? It is nearly encouragement
".he will last longer."
Why me
Goralûk shifted his hands. Jangle, jangle.
"There was use of the lash elsewhere."
Jingle, jingle.
"I had to find a substitute." He drew the item from secrecy.
A chain.
At first, the other orcs flogged the feircly, merely leather tethers. Merely laughter. Merely all that had come once before.
CLASH.
Legolas' body jolted with the blow. He retained his cry with great effort.
CLASH.
Jolt.
The chain hit his body again and again. It struck him hard across his torso; hard across his ribs; hard across his chest.
Ai, Elbereth.
CLASH.
why me.
* * *
TBC
A/N: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA! Hehe, that was fun to write. I was gonna add in another thing, but it's a bit of a more complicated thing. I'm gonna save it for later. But again, tell me if my torture is too bland, to blech, too whatever, or if it's okay. Review!
Merrylyn: *also hugs plushies * We should start our own production agency! Produce (male) elf plushies! Hah! That'd be the coolest! And thanks, I was kind of apprehensive to writing Aragorn, he has lost of different sides to him.
Torture_the_elf: Kill him, you say? *thinks * I actually have a long plot line for this story. It'll go a long time. But, hey, you can always hope. You never know what may happen!
Imirie: *dreaming * Rain seems to make lots of people hotter, doesn't it seem that way?
Little_lost_one: Yes, I did write Legolas' song in chapter 5.
Goblz: Yeah, I think review history was a good addition. You can find stories when you have no room left in your favourites.
Kaimelieamin: Still trying to learn to type ur name fast and still spell it right.But I should go buy shin pads, maybe.
Kate: Haldir rules, doesn't he? I almost screamed when he *sniff * died. I know Peter Jackson's a genius, but I'm gonna send death threats. Especially if he leaves out Elladen and Elrohir in ROTK. Rrrrrrrrrrrr. And yes, Orophin is Haldir's brother, right? Well, anyways, I think he is, as far as I know, and he looks like a she-male in the movie. Celeborn has a cool accent though. But that's all.
Princess-yumin: I thank you very much for the review! I enjoy thorough reviews as much as I like writing them! And actually, I hadn't though of your philosophy of Saruman's falsety. I just decided he could feel the magic in the wizard's tongue. Good idea, though. I believe Legolas is really strong inside. But, in the movie, I think they made a mistake. In the books, he's really hyper and stuff. He's always singing and running around. It would SO INCREDIBLY COOL if they made him sing in ROTK! OMG! *dies *
* * *
Once again, thanks for reviewing! And, in the next chapter: an actual torture device that was used in the middle ages. Very evil. Pain. Lots of pain. (think a Knight's Tale here)