Title: Regret
Summery: When you lose a friend to death, it is tragic, but what if you lost them before you got the chance to say, "I'm sorry." Could you live with that?
Note: Well I had a little bit of trouble uploading this chapter, but luckily it worked this time. Thanks to the reviewers and readers for waiting patiently, and hopefully you all like what you read. This one is a long one, like I said it would be in the last chapter, and the next one is already typed and ready to go. No Legolas in this chapter I'm afraid, because, as most of you might agree, he's had enough. Right? Nope? lol Anyway, here you go. Read on……
Chapter seventeen
The man cursed himself as he walked down the dark halls of the rather large manor, that seemed to have sprung from the very mind of it's twisted builder. He wasn't exactly sure where he was going, but all he knew was that he couldn't just sit still, not anymore. He had to do something, the torture and man handling could not continue. Seeing that elf in the bad shape he was in was the final straw. He still could not remember why he had ever joined with Jevinx in the first place. It was a stupid move, and it had made him into someone he hated now. Someone he could not even look in the mirror at. He couldn't recognize himself, and he probably never would again.
"Maybe there is nothing I can do to erase the pain and suffering I've caused," Aleic thought to himself as he passed two men who were on their way outside, to set up the camps around the house. The camps in which most of the men would spend their nights. Jevinx and Ginyc weren't ones to share their accommodation with their fellow men, and that meant that unless you were securing a prisoner, or on duty, you were to remain outside. "But maybe I can at least do something to ease it."
The memory of his conversation with the elven prisoner earlier today kept replaying itself in his mind over and over again until it was as if he were just a bystander watching the whole thing unfold. He could still see the worry in Piong's eyes, when the elf pleaded with him. He could still hear the fair being's words, and they haunted his soul, as he turned another corner in the very direction of where Piong and the other captives were being held.
"You say that it is not your choice, but yet you make the choice to keep us here. To work under someone cruel and ruthless. You give yourself too little credit young man. You have much more power than you lead yourself to believe."
The words were starting to make sense inside the man's head now, and his conscience was pulling at him, as he brushed the brown locks away from his matching eyes. Perhaps he had been using that excuse to hide the truth from getting a little too close. He did have more power than he was using. He could do something, he had proved that just a few hours ago, when he halted anymore abuse coming to the nearly lifeless son of Thranduil. He could do something, he just first had to get up the courage to actually act on his impulse.
"Then do what is right" Piong's words continued as he pulled the ring of keys of out his shirt pocket, and held them tightly in his left hand, as he approached the prison door. "Do what is right."
"You can go now" Aleic spoke to the guard next to the door, who looked at him first for a second, before nodding, and leaving his post. This wasn't unusual behaviour to the other man. With people running in and out, and new prisoners being brought in every day, the schedules were never a certain thing. Besides, Aleic was a trusted one of Jevinx's men, and so he thought nothing of it, when he was told he could leave. For this Aleic was grateful, the last thing he needed was for someone to question his motives or what he was doing. He prayed that Hirid and Gwiryn were no where close, because the two of them were already growing suspicious about his loyalties. No he needed to do this fast, and to think as little as possible. He couldn't let his fear run his life anymore. He had to get these people free. Not only for them, but for himself.
Taking in a deep breath, the man unlocked the door, and slipped in, directing his eyes only on the elf at the end of the row of cells. The flaxen being was sitting on the floor of this cell, back pressed against the wall, his legs crossed neatly beneath him, and his silver eyes immediately meeting the man's gaze, and held tight, until Aleic reached the bars of where he was being kept. The man forced himself to ignore the fact that the other prisoners, had moved themselves up to the bars of their own cells and their breathing was raged and brushing thickly against the back of his neck.
"Rise" he ordered, causing the elf to tilt his head to the side at him, not sure of what to make of the actions put before him. There was a still silence between them, and the first born did not move an inch as Aleic had demanded of him, making the frustration and lack of time cause the man's brow to crease. "I said get up" he demanded again, this time, earning a response from Piong, who could sense the uneasiness and anxiety running through the veins of his capture. Something had changed within this man, he knew it, and so with a nod, he rose to his feet gracefully and approached the bars.
The moment the two cam face to face, Aleic dropped his eyes to the floor, not wanting to look the elf in the eye. He had never felt this guilty about anything before, and he could not understand why this time was any different. Deep inside Aleic knew that nothing he did now, would ever undo the damage he'd already caused, but he was faced now with an opportunity to perhaps give life back to people who still had the right to live it. To maybe gain, if not clemency, then perhaps at least be able to know in his heart that he had not done nothing this time.
Piong said not a word, for he knew that the man standing in front of him had come for a reason, and if he waited, that reason would be spoke of. His heart was still aching from the torture it had undergone the past few days. He already knew that Elvomir was dead. He was almost certain that the same fate had come to Morhil, and now, his deepest fear was that death would next come to the royal he had sworn his life to protect. His train of thought was stopped however, when as he guessed, Aleic spoke finally.
Looking up at the elf's eyes, Aleic squeezed the key ring firmly in his hand, causing Piong to glance downwards, so that he now looked upon the ring the man held. He could have easily just reached out and grabbed it at this moment, catching the man off guard, but he knew that that would not be the smartest thing to do. Especially considering he would not get very far. He was surprised when the man spoke and as he did so, willingly tossed the set of keys to him, which he caught despite the surprise the actions caused.
"Take these," the man began with the rest of the captives listening carefully, and the elf at high alert, "in a half hour, you are use them, and get yourself out of here" he continued, as Piong's eyes narrowed, unsure if this was actually happening or not. "Go to the third floor, to the last room at the end of the left hall. There you will find Legolas, find him, and get him out of here. Get him out and never look back do you understand me?"
The elf fiddled with the keys in his hand, unsure how to respond. It could not be that easy, and he knew it, but he could sense a sincere truth in the man's voice and eyes. He wasn't being led astray, that he was almost sure of, but there had to be more to it than just a quick escape without anyone noticing. "The guards will not allow me to this, as you seem be. They will notice I have escaped, and they will know exactly where I am going" he began, as Aleic shook his head and responded.
"I will make sure that no one will stop you. I will create a diversion in exactly a half hour. It must be at that very moment that you are to make the move and help the prince to escape." The elf was hesitant, and so Aleic knew he had to continue and be fast about this. This was the only chance they had, and even though Piong had every right not to trust him, they did not have the time for that to be an issue now. "Listen to me," he started again, in a much more serious and fast paced tone of voice, as his eyebrows' arched. "Legolas is going to die, do you understand? Jevinx is gone, so is Ginyc, and the men are growing bored. Your fiend's in sickly shape, and he's fading fast. I did what I could but he doesn't trust me enough to let me close enough to do much for him. Not that I blame him, or you for not trusting my word, but unfortunately we don't have the luxury of time on our side. It's now, or never. You either go in a half hour or there will be no life to save."
The elf nodded, as he took in what was said to him, he ignored the warnings that this could be a trick, because for one thing, there was nothing the enemy could gain, by giving him the opportunity to escape. He doubted they were that bored. And two, he really wanted this to be a true chance.
"What about the others?" he asked, as he looked at the faces of the others who had found themselves imprisoned. "What about their fates, am I to let them go as well?"
Aleic hesitated, not turning his head in the slightest, keeping eye contact with the fair being, "no, it will arose the men back into the manor. No one can know you've escaped, never mind with the prince until it is too late for them to do anything about it" he said, making the elf's eyes narrow again.
"They'll be slaughtered," he informed the man, "these people are also going to die, not just us. You can't expect me not to help them." This was unacceptable to the advisor of Mirkwood's king. To leave women and children, along with the other men behind to face certain death was not something he could do. No, he wouldn't do that. There had to be a way to get them all out of here, alive and well.
"I will not allow them to be hurt, I swear to you, their lives will be spared" assured the guard.
Piong shook his head, "you will not allow them to be hurt? You who had his hands in taking part in their capture? You will see that their lives are spared?" he questioned a little unsure, as were the others who watched and waited silently.
"Yes" replied Aleic with pride and assurance, "and I will see to it, with the very hands that handed you that set of keys" he continued, causing Piong's hostility to lighten. It was true, the man had risked a lot for them if he was speaking the truth, but then again, should one be offered praise for doing what is right and what is supposed to be expected by someone with even the slightest dash of humanity? Perhaps so. Perhaps he just had to have a little bit of faith that this man would actually come through for them. "Listen, the men will not want to explain their loss of you or the prince to Jevinx when he gets back. They will bend all their energy on finding the two of you once they learn of your escape. Which is why, once your out of here, you must go as quickly and as far away from here as possible. I will use that time to free the rest of the prisoners, and hopefully, by the time anybody notices that I was involved, there will be nothing they can do about it."
"It can't be that easy" Piong insisted, knowing that an escape would not be a walk in the park, despite Aleic's assurance that it would be.
"Well it will have to be, or you're all dead, and me too for trying to help you," began the man again, as he backed up and took steps towards the door. Piong moved to stop him from leaving but he needn't not even try. Aleic stopped and turned back to him with a frightened look on his face. "Remember, in a half hour, you go."
"You have done, terrible things in your lifetime young man" began the elf, catching the human a little off guard, but he dared not turn back to the immortal creature. "But you have shown to me now that you are not like the others here. You do not need a leader anymore, and for that, you can be assured that even though all of your sins may not yet be forgiven, you helped me today. And you have possibly saved the young prince's life."
The younger man could not smile despite how good it felt to hear the words spoken by someone other than himself. He felt before as if he were only trying to convince himself of something, to make his conscience ease up on him, but now, he truly knew that doing the right thing could make him happy. Perhaps he could change his life around, and this time, in the right direction.
"A half hour." he whispered, as he exited the room, and shut the door behind him, leaving the elf to himself again, as he looked down at the key ring he'd been passed.
"So be it."
~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~
The daylight was warm upon Aragorn's face as he followed after the man who led the way to the small encampment where he was certain that Legolas and the others were being held. It was hours after noon, and the ranger was glad to have left the cave behind him. Though his dislike of caves were not as strong as those of the elven folk, he did not take to well to the feeling of being closed in. It had taken his eyes a little bit to adjust to the light they had been starved of for almost two days, but now, they were back to working perfectly, and he took in every detail of the forest they walked through.
The thin white birch trees surrounded them on all sides, and their bark was giving off a small glow as the sun rays shone through and around them, and onto the mossy floor below their feet. Rocks were scattered about, and Aragorn spotted a few holes here and there that he knew to be homes of some of the wildlife that ran about the woods. Aragorn couldn't help but let a small sigh escape his lips as the sound of birds chirping echoed in his ears from the tree tops far above his head. He looked up in hopes to spot one, and let the soft cool breeze caress his stressed features, as he walked still, envious of the creatures of the wooded areas of the world.
It brought some clarity and comfort to his heart to know that even though there was great evil at work in this world, and that there was still a lot more that had yet to show it's head, that there were still some who could escape it, and leave it all behind. He envied the birds, and the fact that they could fly away, and never look back. They were truly free, and that was the only way to be.
The thought of freedom, brought his mind once again, to the elf that had occupied his almost every thought since the two had parted five days ago. It had been one of the hardest weeks of his young life, and he longed for the hurt and guilt to end. He had so much regret inside of him that he felt as if his heart would give out on him before they even reached Plemith. The ranger prayed silently, as he did often, that they would reach their destination soon, and that he could find the friend he so longed to see again.
He missed the elf, and the way he could always bring a smile to his face. Legolas had grown up with little to no contact with humans, and the fact that the crown prince had so willingly and quickly offered the heir of Gondor his friendship, surprised the man, and brought a joy to his heart he knew would never fade. Aragorn had the idea that Legolas befriended him first because of the fact that Elrond insisted, and that he was the elven lord's adopted son. But Aragorn knew now, that Legolas cared about him, dearly, and the brotherly affection was truly returned, despite the way, he had acted, and treated the Mirkwood royal.
As if an answer to his prayers, Jevinx finally broke the silence that had formed and said something that made Estel's heart beat quicken. The man pointed in the direction to their left, which by aid of the sun, Aragorn was able to tell to be south, as he informed him of their progress. "Well" he began, with Aragorn's full attention, "we should be arriving within the hour."
The ranger couldn't help but grin, this was the first good news he had gotten in quite some time now. "I'm almost there" he thought to himself, as they cut through a small arbour that the branches of two trees had formed. "This will all be over soon" he continued silently, when his thoughts were halted and Jevinx spoke again, and the words he did, were not at all welcomed, despite how Aragorn hid this from the man.
"Tell me something, Mardin, what did you have against the ranger Strider anyway? When I came across the two of you, you looked just about ready to kill him."
The look on Jevinx's face was not one that looked untrusting, but Aragorn could tell that he had to be careful. The little game he had set up could go sour with the slightest mistake, and he knew that that could not happen, not if he and the other two that were following somewhere behind, were going to be successful in rescuing the prince. He hesitated for a moment, pausing his step for less than a second before continuing and giving his companion an answer.
"He hurt a friend of mine" he lied, using a flat tone as if he wished not to speak of the matter that was being questioned. He brushed past the other man, and could feel him pause when he did. He knew he had caught Jevinx's attention, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "No one, hurts someone I care about without answering to me. You hurt them, you get me on your doorstep. I'd kill for the people I love, and that is a guarantee" he finished, speaking like he was being theoretical, but at the same time, letting a warning slip through his lips which brought more comfort to his easing heart.
Jevinx nodded, and continued after the other man, who had taken the lead despite the fact that he had no clue as to where he was going, and subtly leaving a trail that he knew his elven brother would pick up. "You and I are more alike then than I thought" he responded, making Aragorn's brow narrow, as he fought back the urge to punch the man for making that assumption. He was nothing like Jevinx, and he never would be.
"How is that?" he asked, through gritted teeth, then adding, "besides the fact that you obviously had a problem with the ranger yourself. Or you would not have dealt him that blow sending him over the cliff. What pray tell, did the young ranger of the north do to you that makes us similar?"
Jevinx laughed, "it is not what the ranger did that links us, my friend" he began, but paused, and let a memory drift past his eyes. "My father was killed, a long time ago, when I was still a boy" he started again, with Aragorn listening intently, rolling his eyes, knowing he was now going to hear a long sob story about how hard this man's life has been, and why he now thought it okay to savagely murder innocent people. "He was shot down, by an elf whose pride and arrogance, made him think it was okay to make an example of my father. He killed him in cold blood, and ever since that day, I have vowed to seek vengeance upon the elf that took him from me. For like you feel, no one gets away with hurting my loved ones either."
Estel nodded, looking interested, and sympathetic, "but what does Strider have to do with that? Surely, you saw for yourself, that he was no elf" he responded, playing dumb.
The laughter came out once more, making Aragorn roll his eyes again, not sure about how much more of this he could take. "I know that Mardin," Jevinx replied, smiling only now. "But knowledge has come to me, that Strider is a close friend of my means to seeking vengeance. I have worked too hard, to let some human son of an elf ruin everything. By tomorrow, my father's life will be avenged, and the elf, I have in my possession will have his blood spilt, and covering my very hands. I'll strangle the life right out of him, if my men have not already done so. And now, thanks to you, the threat of Strider is abolished. Thank the Valar that my boss was able to inform me of his existence before he became too much of a problem."
This confused Aragorn, and he pushed back the anger boiling within him, from hearing about Legolas being in their captivity, and what was being planned or had already been dealt to him. He took in a deep breath and asked the question that was now plaguing his mind.
"Your boss?" he questioned making eye contact with the son of Halrinx, and coming to a pause. "I thought you were the leader. That is what you've said before."
An embarrassed look crossed Jevinx's face when his companion said what he did. He let out a groan, and shoved past Aragorn, hard, obviously angered by the thought of it. "I am the leader" he assured, with a shrug of his shoulders, hiking up his pack, as Aragorn followed closely behind. "He just shows up from time to time, pulling rank, thinking he's somebody special, when in actuality, all he is, is some rouge ranger, whose on a power trip" he answered causing a knot to form in the son of Arathorn's stomach.
"A rouge ranger" he questioned, not liking the sound of this at all.
"Yeah," replied his companion, with a shake of his auburn head, "but you wouldn't know him."
Aragorn knew better than to push the subject, and even though he wanted to probe further about this, he didn't want to make Jevinx suspicious. Whoever this person, that his *new employer* was speaking of, he knew that he had to find out the name. Having a traitor as a ranger wasn't a safe thing, and he knew that in time he would end that problem as well. But for now, one problem at a time, and right now, the solution he hoped for, was not only a mile and a half away.
~~~~~~*****~~~~~~
"Don't you think we should be following closer to them?" Kip asked, still confused as to why the elf had insisted that they remain inside the cave for a little bit longer. The young ranger, knew like everyone else that elves didn't do well confined within stone walls, so the Rivendell lord's behaviour was much a mystery to him. "Besides, Strider and Jevinx left the tunnels an hour ago. Why are we still sitting here?" he continued, as he sat restlessly, next to a giant boulder, while the elf, stood, sharpening his sword with a flat rock he found.
Elrohir looked up from what he was doing, and met the questioning eyes of the young man a meter or so away from him. He understood why Kip was confused, because to anybody else his actions would seem off, but what the ranger was forgetting was the fact the twins and Lord Elrond had known Aragorn since he was a small boy. They prided themselves on having taught him everything he knew, and one of those things happened to be, knowing how to leave a barely noticeable trail behind, which only ones who knew his behaviours well could see.
"We will not have trouble finding them, I assure you, young one" Elrohir said comfortingly, as he focused back upon his weapon, but continued speaking, knowing that the human was still unconvinced. "Estel is smart, and we will be able to track his movements with great ease. Besides," he added, while a threat was becoming evident in the back of his mind, "we should not be so close when they enter the camp. We could be spotted."
"We could be spotted anyway," Kip cut in as he raised his eyebrow at the elf that now had a smile form across his thin lips. "And what if they find out he's not who he says he is? He could be in as much danger as that friend of his" he continued, but was cut off, as the elf spoke again.
"If that should happen, than we will be there to help him," Elrohir started, the threat growing, "but a part of my heart tells me that we will be successful. As if we are getting help, from someone or something we did not even add into the equation. Hope grows somewhere, but where exactly, I am not sure. Listen, You have nothing to worry about…." his words trailed off, when the sounds of clamping and loud, hard footsteps, echoed in both his and Kip's ears. The man stood to his feet, and drew his blade, while Elrohir sheathed his, and took out the bow in which he was minding for Legolas and readied an arrow to it's shaft.
"You were saying" Kip jested, as the two friends caught sight as to what had made the noises they heard. It was another regiment of orcs and goblins, each armed with deadly weapons which they thrashed violently at the beings they spotted and charged towards. The elf let out a faint laugh as they quickly had to back up, down a long corridor, and onto what looked like a long narrow wooden bridge, that hung over a large gauge in the earth, that fell for what looked like miles. Not the ideal place for a battle, but apparently they had not other choice.
"Oh shut up" the younger of Elrond's twins shot back, as he released one of his projectiles, nailing one of their foes in the forehead, causing it to fall to the ground, dieing on impact. The other dark creatures, who looked to be about fifteen, by count, all let out annoyed and angered cries, as their pace quickened, and the battle came to a start. The beasts broke down upon the two companions hard, and Elrohir was forced to abandon the bow for his sword, for closer combat.
Kip let out a disgusted groan as he brought up his blade letting it slide easily through one of the orc's necks, and with another twist of his arm, decapitated the creature, as Elrohir took down another two. The friends were given no other choice, and despite their reluctance to do so, they were eventually pushed backwards, and onto the wooden bridge that did not look the most safe for them to board. It wobbled slightly as their weight was put upon it, as well as that of the dark minions who were no reduced to seven or eight.
"Run" exclaimed the elf, as he caught the ranger's attention. Kip looked to him, with question, not sure as to why that would help them. Besides, putting too much pressure on the bridge wasn't a smart idea, it could give way, and that would not be pleasant. "Get to the other side, and I can use Legolas' bow to take the rest of them down" Elrohir explained seeing the confusion in the man's features.
The idea made sense, and so in unison, the two beings ran with all speed down the flimsy bridge, making sure not to trip themselves of each other. It was to their good fortune that none of the orcs or goblins had bows of their own, or they would have found themselves being the pawns in target practice. Grunts could be heard behind them as they ran, and Kip felt his own legs failing on him. He was in no way agile and graceful as the elf next to him, and the commotion behind them, sent the bridge into a shaking motion, eventually leading to the young man loosing his footing as one went through one of the wooden planks, and sent him down, right through the bridge, and left him dangling in the middle of it, holding on for his dear life.
"Elrohir" he screamed, as the elf turned to him with panic in his blue eyes. The enemy was drawing closer, and their head start was beginning to fade quickly on them. Immediately, he grabbed hold of the young man's hands, and tried to pull him up, but the unsteady platform did not help to either of them. Kip fell lower, and Elrohir found himself laying on his stomach now, arms outstretched, holding a firm grip on the young man's arm, as Kip struggled to keep a hold on the plank as well. "Help me" he shouted, as the beasts got closer, "get me up!"
"I'm trying" the elf responded rashly, his own worry growing. The orcs were almost on top of them now, and he knew that unless he got up and defended them, they'd be killed here and now. But he also knew that if he were to let go, the life of the young ranger would be short lived. The foul creatures got closer, too close.
"Valar help us" whispered the firstborn, "help us both."
~~~~~~*****~~~~~~
"Well lets hope this works" Aleic prayed, as he unhooked the gate of the pen in which the horses, that had been found or stolen resided in. He had been lucky enough to have snuck into the stables without notice, and in doing so, he had seen that both Hirid and Gwiryn were both sitting next to one of the fire pits, chatting up conversation with some others in their group. Aleic was glad that they were occupied, because Hirid most of all was the one he feared getting a hand on any of the prisoners. The man was a vicious type, and had little to no mercy at all.
The horses would cause an uproar within the camp, that he knew because none of Ginyc's men would want to face the music of answering why all his steed got away. No this would keep them busy for quite some time, and give Piong enough time to find Legolas and get him out of this place before anyone thought to check on them again. The man could sense that the animals within the pen were ready and anxious to be set loose, mostly because they were usually poorly treated here. They wouldn't make it easy for the wildmen to catch them, and that was exactly what Aleic hoped for.
"Away you go" he laughed as he swung the pen open, and released the horses, who took the opportunity immediately, and all charged out, and into the until now, still camp, causing the men to all jump to their feet, cursing and shouting about what had happened. This brought a smile to Aleic's face, because he knew that he had helped, and done his part. It was exactly a half hour since he had spoken with Piong, and he hoped that the elf would listen and move now.
His smile grew as he ran out the back and then out to where all the action was happening. He couldn't help but laugh slightly at the sight he saw before him. The steeds seemed to be teasing the men, and were continuing to run around the camp. Going back on their hind legs, and nearly charging right over men who dived out of the way to avoid being kicked or trampled. Four horses in particular had stayed in the boundaries of Plemith, and one of them, Aleic recognized to be the mare that Legolas had been riding when they first attacked them.
"Go Piong" the man whispered, "get the prince and get as far away as possible. While you still can."
~~~~~~*****~~~~~
It was time, and the sounds of a scuffle out side told the elf that Aleic had fulfilled his promise to create diversion, that would prevent anything from hindering his escape. And so with a nod of his fine head, he removed the keys from his tunic pocket, and unlocked his cell door. He freed himself fairly easily, but he knew that would not be the hard part of this. The hard part he knew would be having to leave these people behind. He knew they were scared, he could see it in their eyes. The way they shook and clung to the bars of their cages, begging him silently to take them with him.
"Please" cried the dark haired man, who reached out and grabbed hold of Piong's sleeve, causing the elf to stop and turn to him sympathetically. "Please, just take my son, take him with you. Please don't leave him here to die" he begged causing heart break to fill the elf's soul as he looked down at the young child hugging his father's leg, afraid, but at the same time, not sure as to why.
The fair haired being looked straight into the begging man's teary eyes, and gripped hold on his hands as he spoke to him. "I swear to you, I will come back for you, and your son. I will see that you are freed. All of you" he added, as he turned to the others in the room. "But first, I must see that my prince lives past this day. I must get him away from here before Jevinx kills him. Once I have got him to safety, I will return, and it shall be then, that your time as prisoners will end. I swear to you, that it will be over soon."
There was a silent pause for a few seconds, each person not sure as to what they could say. They all trusted this elf, and he seemed to be telling the truth, but they had suffered so much, and some had been kept here for months now. Such promises were hard to believe, and hard to accept. However one person did believe, and trust the elf's word for what it was. Sincere.
"Then go and free him" said the man with the son, who went by the name of Pal, "the quicker you do that, the quicker my son and I can return to his mother. It has been weeks since I've last slept in my own bed."
"Sleep there you shall" Piong responded with a smile, as he gripped the man on the shoulders, and let a small smile cross his face to match the one of the man before him. "Keep him out of trouble" he added jokingly, as he patted the small boy on the head, before he headed for the door. "I shall be back, you have my word" he promised once more, before he left, and closed the door behind him, leaving the prisoners with a new found hope. Perhaps it would be over soon.
The second that Piong stepped outside the door of where the captives were being held, he noted that no one was in sight. The guards that should have been posted by the door, were no longer there, and he let a smile cross his lips again as he turned down the hall and made for the stairs at the end of it, silently praising Aleic for his help. This was the first time in days that he had hope of getting out of here, and now all he had to do was find the prince. He remembered that Aleic had said he was being kept on the third floor and so that is exactly where he went.
The staircase was narrow and awkward to climb, but his elven grace and agility allowed him to glide up them with little effort at all. He could think only of making sure that Thranduil's son was safe, and alive. It had been his job to watch out for the heir, while his father could not, and now he knew was the time when Legolas needed him most. Aleic had said that he was in bad shape, and the thought horrified him. As did the thought of him being to late to aid the prince. But he brushed all ill thoughts out of his mind. He had to be positive, he had to believe that they still had a chance.
He came to a sudden halt, as he heard the footsteps of an unknown man coming down the stairs towards him. Piong's first thought, was that it was Aleic, but that wasn't the case. He found that out as the scruffy middle aged character came into view. The man had shoulder length black hair, that had obviously not been combed or cleaned in days, possibly weeks, and he wore a sheath around his waist, that instantly caught Piong's eye.
The man let out a call, to alert others of the prisoner's escape, but before he even had the chance to reach for his weapon, the elf stepped into action, and quieted the man with one swift pinch to the side of the neck, which caused his eyes to roll into the back of his head as his body fell to the stairs and then down them, but not before Piong quickly relieved him of his sword, swinging the sheath around his own slender waist instead, as he shot the unconscious man a smug smile, and continued up the stairs.
Unfortunately this path only took him to the second floor, which wasn't too pleasing for him. However, he had not the time to waste on worrying about it, no instead he had to concentrate on finding the next staircase that would lead him to the appropriate floor, where the prince could be found. He turned the corner and ran down the hall knowing that whatever diversion Aleic had caused could not go on forever, and that once he found Legolas, he still needed to get the two of them out of this place and into the safety of the woods.
It was because of this train of thought however, that he did not hear the foot steps coming up from behind him, and it was the voice that called out to him, that finally caused him to pause. He recognized the voice, and a flash of hatred shot up his spine as another form, one he did not recognize stepped out in front of him, a few metres away as the one behind him continued speaking.
"Well look it what we have here, Gwiryn" began Hirid with an evil laugh, as Piong turned around so that he came face to face with the man who because of Legolas, now had to wear an eye patch over his left eye. Piong was glad that Legolas had accomplished that, because this man indeed deserved to suffer, with all the amounts of pain he had inflicted upon others he had helped to torture and kill. Three of them, being ones that Piong knew and cared about. "Where do you think you're going there little elf? Huh?" he mocked, causing the elf's anger to grow extensively, "to find that pretty friend of yours perhaps?" he laughed, as Gwiryn shook his head, equally amused. "Well you're too late, we already did away with him."
The words the man spoke caused fear to rush through Piong's body, and the thought of Legolas having been killed by the hands of these two men was an unthinkable thought. His rage grew yet again, as Hirid continued to mock and tease him. "It took some time," he started, with a tilt of his head as he remembered the fun he had had whipping and tormenting the fair creature. "But eventually we did get him to scream. In fact, I think we even got a few tears out of him before he blacked out."
"You will die for what you've done" Piong promised in elvish, not caring that his enemies could not understand him. He hated these people, and he wanted them all to die. They didn't deserve to live, and he would see to it, that each and every single one of them paid highly for the crimes they'd committed. He took a step in the direction of Hirid, but was stopped, when the man spoke once again.
"Take another step, and I'll kill you" he warned, "and after that, I'll go and pay your precious prince another visit. How would you like that?" he spat, as the elf's eyes narrowed on him.
The thought that Aleic had lied to him, passed through the elf's mind as he stood there, his sword drawn, facing not one but two foes, on either side of him. He had to get to the young royal, and his time was running short. He didn't have the time for this. Legolas didn't have time for this, but Hirid and Gwiryn were giving him no other choice. It was either kill or be killed now, and even though he knew his chances were slim, he knew he had to take them. Despite the fact that if he died now, all chance for his and the prince's survival were gone. Calling out an elven battle cry, Piong rose his weapon higher, and charged towards the man, who smiled upon seeing this.
"Fine," Hirid laughed, "have it your way. We'll just kill you."
* To Be Continued……*
Well, I'm sorry to leave you with two cliffies, but hey, at least it'll make the waiting for the next chapter all the more fun right? Either that, or I just made you all mad at me. Either way, I hope you liked this chapter, it's my longest to date, and took me a while to write, so I hope it was entertaining for you to read. The next chapter will be up soon, and until then, I'd love to hear what you think, so please review, because I enjoy hearing what you guys think. Thanks again. Adios.