A/N: Oh how fun! We are almost done, got roughly 3 more chapters to go! And to tell you all, this is one of the longer chapters! A real whopper in my opinion! And watch out, you may want to read the end of the last chapter for reference again just to make sure you don't get confused. J I have had to do that before. Like I am so excited and I like totally like think I miss something, but I don't. But anyway, enough of my blabber. Hey if ya'all are looking for a good book, besides LotR……there is this one I am reading and it is pretty good. It is called The Sword Bearer , it is like a series. I am not going to name all the books though. But anyway, ya so that is enough of my incessant blabber. Shut it Firn!
But anyway, thanks all of you for the wonderful reviews! This has to be the most reviews I have ever gotten. [huggles reviews] I'm so happy! So thanks to all those who reviewed, and thanks to all who read and review in this chapter.
And one thing! Before I forget like I have the last few times. What does "Hugs and Bunnies" mean? I just gotta know. I am sorry I forgot your name who has said it like ever since the first review and I was just kinda curious. And I also wondered what LMAO is? Can someone help me.
And as for the bold print on the authors note, it is not to copy Cassia and Siobhan. I promise. I just like it a lot better than making the print all normal.
And, if you want translations…..I will try and put all of them at the bottom. If I miss one, please….tell me. Um, ya…..so I think that is all.
Please Read and Review! And enjoy the chapter! I kinda went against my word on the Aragorn angst…..sorry. I just had to do it. It is not that much. And I promise that Legolas is worse, mentally and physically.
Ok, anyway, gotta go! Enjoy! Thanks all for the reviews and I will post again when I get the chance. Namarie!
Chapter 5
Avarta
_____________________________
Vultures of Darkness ate the crumbs you left
You got no way to retrace your steps
Just leave it to me
I'll lead you home
- Michael W. Smith
_______________________________
Aragorn moaned as consciousness returned, his head hurt horribly, and not to mention his healing leg burned as if it had been put in a pit full of dwarves, little dwarves.
He felt himself being moved, or rather dragged somewhere, he was sliding backwards and two firm and rough hands had him by the arms. His legs dragging uselessly on the floor. Whoever they were, seemed to have no trouble with him. They appeared strong, but that was a bad sign for him.
He heard voices behind him as he was dragged on, some seemed vaguely familiar. Some of them called to him, others only whined and moaned and some spoke another strange language that seemed oddly recognizable.
"Estel?"
"Is that Estel?"
"Tithen pen?"
Aragorn felt he had no voice to speak, he did not say or utter a sound. He just laid there while the strong arms drug him forcefully backwards, and towards the unknown.
After a while, the man awoke again, noticing he must have fallen asleep. He groaned and experimentally opened one eye.
Panic overwhelmed his senses and he realized that he could not see, all around him was dark erie blackness. He let out a cry and tried to sit up, but he suddenly regretted that action, the blackness around him turned and swayed and bright yellow and blue spots peeped out of the darkness.
"Oh Valar, my head." he gently held his aching head and awaiting the sickening lights to pass.
When it did he rose his head up a bit and looked about, carefully inspecting the cell that he was locked in.
Dark walls surrounded him, mold grew in the cracks and crevices and water leaked from a small crack in the ceiling. On the farthest side from him, a cell door sat, bars lined up in a even vertical row, and in the hall beyond he could hear moans and cries of pain, some inhuman. And in the hall, a small torch was lit, it's green and yellow flames fighting against the darkness, though Aragorn could see just as well, darkness coming from the torch.
He stood up gently and hobbled to the cell door, stumbling as his healing foot got caught in cracks in the concrete floor.
He clung onto the bars for support and looked out, he watched as a guard passed by, a skulking goblin with wide yellow eyes.
The goblin saw him at the chamber entrance and turned to look for a moment, a wicked smile coming over his grotesque features.
"Sleepy head's awake is he?" he snarled, much disfavor in his raspy voice.
Estel did not answer back, only stared at the rancid creature.
The guard growled and leapt forward at Aragorn. The man stumbled back in shock and fell over in a puddle, the murky water splashed about his torn clothes and he looked up in surprise.
"Haw! Teach you to speak when spoken to little twit!" the goblin snickered and walked on, putting the spear her held in his other hand.
The young man scooted back using his good leg, and looked about in fear. This was so confusing. How had this happened, where was Legolas. And Taran, where were they.
While he was pondering these things, as weak yet hoarse voice echoed through the darkness. He looked about, wondering if he had a fever and was delirious again.
"Estel?"
He must be, no one in there right mind heard voices calling their name in deep dark dungeons.
"Estel?"
There it was again.
The boy crawled from the puddle, the dirt water dripping from his soggy, torn clothes, to the dusty rock floor. His eyes seeking through the darkness, trying to penetrate the solid shield that held all from his eyes.
"Estel? Is that you?"
Finally, his voice caught in his throat. "Y-yes, 'tis I." he croaked, fearful tears finding their mark in his subconscious. "Who is calling me? And why do you summon me now?" he asked inquisitively.
The being that he could not see took a moment and did not speak. Then the voice was quiet and surprisingly hurt. As if the one had taken a hard blow in the gut.
"Estel, do you not recognize my voice. 'Tis I, Galanion."
Aragorn almost choked a sob, his young body begging for rest, but he crawled on. Desperately trying to find this one person he could connect with, who could give him comfort.
"Galanion? Where are you?" The man stopped and waited for the voice to continue. It seemed that he had been left in one of the largest cells, it was hard for him because of his leg. But he kept going.
"Over here." the whisper was barely hearable. "In the next chamber…..there is a block missing. I can see you."
The man smiled as his silvery eyes fixed on a pair of hopeful shimmering blue eyes, but what stopped the man was that the eyes were so weary and pain glazed them over.
"I see you!"
Galanion carefully stuck an arm through the wall and grabbed Estel's arm, pulling him gently closer.
"Estel…..you know not how wonderful it is to see another kind man such as yourself! If I may say so, I have not seen a healthy elf for so long…..nor man." he whispered.
Aragorn shivered as the cold water began to freeze in the chill air that flowed in.
"Are you alright Estel?" Galanion asked as he pulled his arm back through.
"J-just cold…." he shivered again.
The eldar layed sympathetic eyes on the young man, and disappeared a moment.
"Gal?"
"One moment Estel."
Aragorn could hear the elf walked about. Galanion reappeared a few moments later.
"Here." he pushed a small, yet warm item through the hole and smiled sadly.
"It is a little small, but it is all I can do. I am sorry."
The man unwrapped the thing and found out it was a undersized blanket. He tried to give it back, but Galanion shoved it back through.
"You need it more than I. Besides, we are friends. And friends help friends."
Aragorn barely had the heart to take it, but he did not know what else to do, so he wrapped them around his shivering frame and as the shaking became less, his mind began to plea for answers.
"Gal? Have you seen Legolas?" he asked the question that most hung on his heart first, afraid of the answer. Afraid that the elf did not know. His heart hammered in his torso and he breathed deeply.
Galanion felt the change and hurriedly assured the man. "Estel, he is in the cell across from yours."
"What?"
"They put him in the one that is opposite of your own. But he is in bad shape Mellon nin. I watched them bring him in, he put up quite a fight. Even with his ankle as bad as it was. They lost at least two goblins and he injured the one dwarf pretty bad." Galanion looked out to the stain that was all over the rough cave floor. "But he paid dearly for it. I tried to calm him, but they only slapped me back.
The hairs on Estel's neck rose and he looked to the elf's eyes for more answers.
"Who are our captors? And what do they want?"
"Well," the elf bit his lip in thought. "From what I have gathered, they are holding us as slaves."
"Oh, no sacrifices or anything?" Aragorn could not help but laugh, and shook his head.
"Well, I don't know what they will do with you?" he glanced sidelong at the man. "They spoke in that horrible language, with all the rough syllables." the elf shivered.
The man's eyes widened at this comment. "Can you imitate it?"
"No. I forgot most of the sounds, by now. My mind is not what it used to be Estel." Aragorn swore he saw a tears slide down the elf's cheek. "You have no idea what has been done to make me obey them."
"Obey who?" the question pierced through the darkness.
Legolas swam through the mist, it curled about his body making it even harder for him to breath. He coughed and moaned as the painful haze enveloped his senses and sent him spiraling downward.
Consciousness began to return with a vengeance and he curled into a ball, pain overwhelming all his senses.
It hurt to do everything, to look, to smell, to hear. And most of all to feel, that was what all this was. He felt the harsh stone as his lacerated back, the chilling howling wind crashing against his delicate ears.
He felt warm water trickling down his back, realization finally came to him that it was not water. But blood. His own immortal blood.
The elf moaned as a lance of unforgiving pain shot up his ankle.
"Oh Eru." it was barely a whisper. And he let hot tears fall from his eyes.
"Legolas?"
The elf opened his eyes and searched the darkness, just beyond the murky mist, he saw a barely seeable, torchlight flickered on the hard stone walls.
And just beyond that, in a cell athwart his own, he saw a man. His back was against the bars and his dark unruly hair shifted as he breathed. A blanket was wrapped around his lithe frame.
Legolas breathed deep and tried to get up, but a sharp breath was exerted when he felt his ankle give way, even beneath his light weight.
He dragged his body across the cold stone, the jabbing rocks cutting into his delicate skin and making his life a living hell.
As he came closer to the bars, he smiled sadly.
It was Aragorn. He looked as though he was asleep and his frame was shaking slightly as cols air filtered through a shaft above.
Footsteps down the hall alerted him of an oncoming guard and he quickly dropped himself to the floor, the rancid puddle beneath him splashed all over him as he dropped.
He bit back the urge to moan as ice cold water splashed over his hurting body.
"Hey maggot!" he almost stilled his breathing as the skulking voice cut through the still night air.
Legolas winced inwardly as he heard a cry of pain from the man across from him. The sound of dagger finding flesh flew to his ears and he growled as he heard the pain. But, he knew that it would be folly, he lay on the cold floor and did not move.
"That'll teach you to disrespect me!"
Legolas listened with horror as the young man gasped.
"I did not-"
"Shut your trap maggot! You don't got a hair on your head that is worth my time! You are scum!"
A sickening crack came next, followed closely by a gasp and a thud.
The elven prince could take no more of this horrible insanity. He opened his eyes and looked up at the insignificant goblin that stood near Aragorn's cell. His eyes scanning the still darkness. He held in one hand, a bloody dagger and a large club, and he was smiling devilishly.
Legolas's fear dissipated, and he snarled at the foul beast.
"How dare you do that!" he hissed with malice coating his voice and bitter horror etched over his features.
The goblin's eyes turned on the elf, and he smiled with an evil passion.
"Hey worm! Awake are we? Sleep well my pretty little fairy? Hmmm." Legolas's brows knitted with hatred and he struggled to his feet, grasping the bars for support.
"Listen here, Dungeon scum!" the elf's eyes flashed and the goblin almost stepped away in fear. "If you ever hurt my friend again, I swear by all of Varda. You will not live to see another day!"
Realizing that the elf was not going to hurt him, the goblin, Grignaz, stepped forward.
"How you gonna' do that elf. Hmmm? And besides, your friend is all mine. Bought him me-self with me own money. My very own to play with all I want until his little worthless life is spent. Since I can't have one of you pretties, I settled for 'im."
Fury burned in the blonde elf's chest and he growled deep. "His life is worth more than you and the lives of all the elves, goblins, and dwarves put together!"
"Be careful what you say 'little fairy'." Grignaz warned spinning the dagger in his hand. "We got special jobs for trouble makers. Ask that one over there." he pointed with the bloody dagger to where Galanion stood. His eyes on Legolas.
The elven prince took in the gaunt, once proud form of the elf. His elven uniform was in taters that covered little on his body. His eyes were dark and had tears in their blue depths.
"Just let it go Legolas." he whispered in the graceful tongue.
"Hey you old crusty worm! You want me to find my little friend and let 'er play on your back!" Grignaz pulled a three-pronged whip from his belt and waved it for Galanion to see.
Legolas watched as the elf slowly cowered away, shaking his head.
"No. Please…no."
Grignaz put the lash away and smiled wickedly at Legolas. "You behave young one!"
With those last maddening words, the goblin started down the hall, finally, his crouched frame disappearing into the darkness.
Legolas did not care, he pressed into the bars until their rough steel bit into his pale skin. He tried to spy out the other elf.
But when he could not see him and no sounds came from within, he decided it would be better just to leave the warrior to himself.
Legolas looked down at the bars that lay across from his own cell. On the floor, breathing heavily and seemingly unconscious was Aragorn.
"Estel?" he whispered tiredly as he watched the man. He spied the torn clothes, and sure enough blood was slowly staining the tunic near the ribs, the man's fingers were spread over the wounded area, but Legolas could easily see that he was injured.
"Estel?" Legolas tried again, this time more urgent. He knew that Aragorn had just recently been deemed healed and he also knew that if Lord Elrond found out about this, he would be one of those elves that died very young.
The young human moaned softly, proving to the elf that he was inching towards consciousness, and for that Legolas was ever thankful to Eru.
"Mellon nin? "
The elven words had a better impact. Aragorn's eyes fluttered open slowly and he looked up into the dark cavern ceiling.
"Legolas?" he whispered, half surprised and half unbelieving that his friend was in this retched place with him. He could not rightly remember.
Legolas looked down the hall to make sure no one was coming. He smiled and once he was sure that they were alone he reached out his hand through the bars.
Aragorn turned his aching head to see this and wearily did the same, they clasped hands and Legolas tightened his grip forcing some of his elven strength into the man without him even knowing it.
"We will make it mellon nin. Together we will show the world, that no force, be evil or wrong can break our friendship."
Estel smiled. "You did not say anything about my father?" the man tried to jest.
Legolas smiled and saw the mirth in his friends eyes. "Well. That is because father's can break anything."
The elf lightened up when he heard the faint but audible laugh of his friend.
Aragorn coughed as the cold air rushed in, he shivered slightly.
"Shhh." Legolas smiled and nodded down the hall. "You want him to come back."
Estel's wide eyes made the elf laugh and he let go of Aragorn's hand, his eyes searched the wounds that marred the man's young frame.
"I am sorry." The elf prince looked up as Aragorn struggled to sit up, Legolas did not miss that he still leaned against the bars.
"What ever for mellon nin" Legolas asked as he grabbed up his blanket, that lay in a puddle on the floor. The elf tore some long strips and handed them through the bars to his friend.
Carefully, and quietly Aragorn wrapped them around his ribs, wincing as they screamed at him. But he pushed the pain aside and looked at Legolas.
The prince faired no better, he was paler than usual, and his eyes were deep pits of blue and silver pain. Aragorn looked to his ankle looking for the wound that Galanion had told him of.
His eyes came across a blood stained spot on the green leggings and on top of the light elven boots that he wore.
"I am sorry I was not there to help you." Aragorn weakly pointed at the ankle wound, but when the elf saw what he was so concerned of, he moved the ankle underneath himself so he sat on his knees. He bit back a cry as the swollen and infected ankle throbbed mercilessly and ugly bodily fluids drained from it.
"'Tis nothing." he snapped more forcibly than he meant to. He smiled hopefully at his friend, trying to show him hope and love. No pain. They did not need anymore of that.
But the man would have none of that. He frowned and looked to his own feet in worry. He knew well what might happen if Legolas's ankle became horribly infected. It would prove critical in the prince's warrior skills. He could loose it forever.
Aragorn looked up, his eyes burning defiantly. And it made the elf prince happy to see his friend so bold. He had been worried for the man's spirit. For while it was true that Estel was mortal, he had lived among elves almost all his life. He had picked up their strengths, as well as weaknesses.
Aragorn was more of an elf than he thought could be possible.
"You know that you lie to yourself Legolas!" he sighed and slammed balled fists again the splintering bars. "We can linger here no longer! I must get you home!"
"You Estel! You can hardly walk yourself! And you expect to Stride right out of this whole in the ground! Let's face it, we are both disabled for a time. We are stuck."
"No Legolas! We will get out!" the man's voice was harsher than The elven prince had heard In a long while.
"Fine then, what plans have you made…hmm?" the elf raised his blonde brows in question.
"Well…" Estel looked up at the crumbling ceiling in thought and growled as small unimportant pieces fell into his silver eyes. Wiping the crumbs out of his eyes until the pain subsided he grinned sheepishly. "Well, none yet-"
Legolas groaned softly and let himself drop heavily to the ground.
"But remember!" Aragorn sat down just a seriously as his friend had and locked eyes with the elf once more, and for the first time in days. Legolas saw the smiling young man that he knew and loved. The boy that jumped waterfalls, that climbed mountains, that killed trolls. The boy that would one day be a great ruler. And the silvery depths did not lie. "I have been living around 'Dan and 'Ro for fourteen years! If there is a champion for stupidest and most desperate plans in all of Middle-Earth, they share the title." he smiled wickedly and the silver eyes glinted with truth and mirth.
Legolas laughed, his mood had lightened ever since he had met the edan, and to tell the truth….if he had not saved Aragorn's life. He knew that he would indeed be the daft and selfish elf that Estel always spoke of.
"Just leave it to me master elf." Aragorn scooted back into the darkness till his figure was little more than a pale outline that contrasted with the thick darkness.
"If you say so mellon nin. If you say so." Legolas whispered as he scooted away from the bars and layed down on the cold floor.
What was left of his shrouded blanket he pulled up against his body. And that is how he lat until finally, he fell into the dark mists of sleep.
TBC~
Hey all! How you? Hope you're good! Um, ok. Let's see! Elvish is below!
Tithen pen- Little one
Mellon nin- My friend
Avarta- Abandonment [Well, roughly. It actually mean abandon]
Ok, ya. So there are the translations. And I will hopefully get done with this next chapter soon! J Gotta go! Clean dishes are callin'! Namarie! [Goodbye]