I'm sorry for the long delay in updating! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this
chapter, and please review!
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The elven warrior's fair face had long been shadowed in darkness, and Legolas could not find any sign of decency, only cruel enjoyment of the task at hand.
The warrior came closer and held out a piece of parchment. Legolas glanced at it quickly, not even really seeing it, and kept eye contact with his torturer. He was not about to be taken by surprise. He wanted to speak, say that he wasn't scared, anything to make himself feel a little braver, but he kept his determined silence and proud, steady eye contact.
To Legolas's surprise, the warrior laughed. It was the worse laugh Legolas had ever heard; it was devoid of any joy. "I will not attack you off your guard, my Prince." The warrior said, "That would be mercy. Nay, for when I attack, you will be fully alert."
Legolas was terrified inside at the way the warrior seemed to read his very thoughts. Would his only defense - his ability to slip away into pleasant memories, ones that included his family, home, and his love - now be his greatest weakness? Would he betray in his thoughts all he held dear to himself?
"Look at this parchment, Prince Legolas." The warrior said, but suddenly lowered it. "Wait for a moment. I haven't introduced myself. How rude of myself."
No, Legolas thought. No, names will make this real. Please let me die without having to know the name of the Elf that betrayed his people.
" I grew up in the Mirkwood Forest, you know, among those lovingly tended trees and flowers. My father was not of a high rank like yours. We struggled and worked for what we wanted. We did not sit in the lap of luxury, as they say. "
Legolas wanted to speak, wanted to respond and defend, to say that no one in Mirkwood could be struggling, because his father, the king would not allow it...
"Your father is not perfect, Prince. Is that what you think? That your precious ada would not let an Elf starve? Well my father would not eat so his family could. My little sisters would cry at night for hunger and make my father feel he had not done enough. But you don't care about that. Where were we? Oh, yes, my name. " He smiled. "Eruheru. But I have wasted much of our precious time."
Legolas felt like he had already been beaten. His father, his strong and loving father whom he had turned to for good and bad, this image was crumbling and he saw his father now as a true king, having to make hard decisions and equally hard demands.
"Look at the parchment." Eruheru said suddenly, as if remembering something he had forgotten.
Legolas looked down while tensing his body for any attack. On the parchment was a rough sketch of what had to be an elven maiden. Something about the eyes tugged at his heart. Other than that faint emotion the sketch was just too rough to recognize.
"Her name." Eruheru said slowly, "Is Sarie."
Legolas fought against emotion.
"Do you know this maiden?" The torturer said softly.
What will they do, Legolas thought, if I say yes? Will they kill her slowly, hurt her, in front of me? That I will never be able to live through. They will have all the information they need, Mirkwood will be doomed, and I would not even be able to hold my love as I die.
"I do not know this maiden." Legolas said evenly, managing not to betray himself with his own voice.
"Then you will not mind if she helps us with an experiment?" Eruheru said coldly.
"What experiment?" Legolas managed through clenched teeth.
"Nothing important. Just methods of making prisoners talk." The torturer was staring with dead eyes. Eyes that had no feeling.
Eyes are the windows to one's soul, Legolas thought. He has no soul. Legolas shivered involuntarily. Finally through that one shiver, Legolas felt like he was no longer numb.
"No!" Legolas shouted. I no longer care about myself, he realized. Let me die and let Sarie live. "You will not kill this innocent maiden. I know her and love her. I will die for her."
"Very well, my prince. Very well. The torture has only just begun, however. It is not wise to be rash at this point." Eruheru turned. "The lovers will be reunited. However, it will not be in this world. Are you ready to meet your love in death?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The elven warrior's fair face had long been shadowed in darkness, and Legolas could not find any sign of decency, only cruel enjoyment of the task at hand.
The warrior came closer and held out a piece of parchment. Legolas glanced at it quickly, not even really seeing it, and kept eye contact with his torturer. He was not about to be taken by surprise. He wanted to speak, say that he wasn't scared, anything to make himself feel a little braver, but he kept his determined silence and proud, steady eye contact.
To Legolas's surprise, the warrior laughed. It was the worse laugh Legolas had ever heard; it was devoid of any joy. "I will not attack you off your guard, my Prince." The warrior said, "That would be mercy. Nay, for when I attack, you will be fully alert."
Legolas was terrified inside at the way the warrior seemed to read his very thoughts. Would his only defense - his ability to slip away into pleasant memories, ones that included his family, home, and his love - now be his greatest weakness? Would he betray in his thoughts all he held dear to himself?
"Look at this parchment, Prince Legolas." The warrior said, but suddenly lowered it. "Wait for a moment. I haven't introduced myself. How rude of myself."
No, Legolas thought. No, names will make this real. Please let me die without having to know the name of the Elf that betrayed his people.
" I grew up in the Mirkwood Forest, you know, among those lovingly tended trees and flowers. My father was not of a high rank like yours. We struggled and worked for what we wanted. We did not sit in the lap of luxury, as they say. "
Legolas wanted to speak, wanted to respond and defend, to say that no one in Mirkwood could be struggling, because his father, the king would not allow it...
"Your father is not perfect, Prince. Is that what you think? That your precious ada would not let an Elf starve? Well my father would not eat so his family could. My little sisters would cry at night for hunger and make my father feel he had not done enough. But you don't care about that. Where were we? Oh, yes, my name. " He smiled. "Eruheru. But I have wasted much of our precious time."
Legolas felt like he had already been beaten. His father, his strong and loving father whom he had turned to for good and bad, this image was crumbling and he saw his father now as a true king, having to make hard decisions and equally hard demands.
"Look at the parchment." Eruheru said suddenly, as if remembering something he had forgotten.
Legolas looked down while tensing his body for any attack. On the parchment was a rough sketch of what had to be an elven maiden. Something about the eyes tugged at his heart. Other than that faint emotion the sketch was just too rough to recognize.
"Her name." Eruheru said slowly, "Is Sarie."
Legolas fought against emotion.
"Do you know this maiden?" The torturer said softly.
What will they do, Legolas thought, if I say yes? Will they kill her slowly, hurt her, in front of me? That I will never be able to live through. They will have all the information they need, Mirkwood will be doomed, and I would not even be able to hold my love as I die.
"I do not know this maiden." Legolas said evenly, managing not to betray himself with his own voice.
"Then you will not mind if she helps us with an experiment?" Eruheru said coldly.
"What experiment?" Legolas managed through clenched teeth.
"Nothing important. Just methods of making prisoners talk." The torturer was staring with dead eyes. Eyes that had no feeling.
Eyes are the windows to one's soul, Legolas thought. He has no soul. Legolas shivered involuntarily. Finally through that one shiver, Legolas felt like he was no longer numb.
"No!" Legolas shouted. I no longer care about myself, he realized. Let me die and let Sarie live. "You will not kill this innocent maiden. I know her and love her. I will die for her."
"Very well, my prince. Very well. The torture has only just begun, however. It is not wise to be rash at this point." Eruheru turned. "The lovers will be reunited. However, it will not be in this world. Are you ready to meet your love in death?"