CHAPTER 12 - Seven Princes
Legolas stared down the length of the black arrow in to the fowl yellow eyes of an orc. The orc stared back, a satisfied smirk on his ugly features. The elven prince gulped and opened his mouth to warn the others, but it was too late.
Dozens of orcs brandishing scimitars, swords, spears and maces looking equally evil and dangerous leapt out of the trees, snarling. Looking up, Legolas saw more orcs lining the trees pointing arrows at himself, his brothers and the twins. The elves didn't stand a chance against them.
"Bind 'em!" yelled the orc pointing the bow and arrow at Legolas, "An' don't let any escape or I'll have ya hides!"
Complying quickly, the orcs brought out rope and made to tie up Astaler first, but the prince pulled out a dagger and slashed at any orc that come near him. Snarling violently, two orcs pounced on him, smothering him. One of the orcs kicked the elf's legs out from underneath him and knocked the prince out with a heavy blow from the butt end of his spear. They picked up the prince and bound his wrists, ankles and neck with a rope, and then moved on to Thellind.
This time, the elf made no attempt to defend himself.
"You!" snarled the first orc, drop the body!"
Oroweth slowly bent down and laid Nilwethion on the ground, keeping his eyes on the vile creatures now turning their attentions on him. As soon as he stood up, thick, stinking rope was tugged and twisted to stop him escaping and he was tied on to a line with the others.
Once the princes were all in a line, tied together by the ropes around their necks, the orcs turned their attentions to the twins. The leader narrowed his eyes, as if making a decision. Elrohir whimpered, still in pain from the spider poison. The orc captain smiled, a red light skinning in his eyes.
"Snarak! That one's as good as dead. Finish it. We keep the other for sport."
He turned away and fired his arrow in to the air. From the distance Legolas heard a dull squawk as the arrow came in contact with a bird and winced. The expression did not go unnoticed and the orcs began to laugh.
"'T'will be fun playing with that one!" laughed one orc. The first orc with the arrow turned around and glared.
"These are not for play yet. I have another . . .holiday . . .in store for them," the new orc bared his teeth, but bowed his head in submission.
"Yes captain Urshak," he muttered. Urshak nodded and turned back to the others.
"Move out!"
Legolas turned his head to see what was happening to the twins. One of them, Elladan, had been dragged away and tied on to the line of princes, fighting feebly to get back to his brother. The other, Elrohir, was being held down by two orcs as another was forcing something down his throat. Poison most likely, thought the prince. A whip viciously lashed at his ankles and the prince gave a yelp as he stumbled, causing the orcs jogging past him to laugh. Oroweth caught his arm, stopping Legolas from falling. In his eyes, Legolas could see a look of despair.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thranduil and his small 'hunting' party slipped through the undergrowth of Mirkwood. They had now been searching for hours and there was still no sign of any of the princes. What at first had been rage was now turning in to a desperate worry in the king's heart. He stopped and turned to Silnan.
"Where would they go?" he asked quietly, "The trees here only sing of danger, but refuse to say what is going on, or if they have seen my sons,"
Silnan nodded quietly.
"I wonder if they know themselves what is happening, or if they have only heard it from others. Is it not around here the princes have their glade?"
The king furrowed his brow. What glade? He really did have to start getting to know his children better.
"I think it is this way," said Silnan. The king nodded.
"We will check there then. Mayhap there will be something,"
The small party moved off again in to the dark shadows.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Calensil gave a small scream, and then covered her hands with her mouth, her eyes wide. The queen, who had finally stopped crying, jumped and looked at her young daughter.
"Calensil? What is it?"
"They are in trouble nana," she whispered through her hands. The queen let a small smile play on her lips, attempting to hide her worry.
"Then that must mean your adar has found them," she said. Calensil shook her head.
"No naneth, real trouble. Really big trouble,"
The queen stared at her daughter, and then reminded herself to breathe. What was the child talking about? Her little ones could not truly be in trouble could they? She dismissed the thought. Calensil must be imagining things. She was good at that. Yes, that was the answer. Imagination.
Without realising it, Imlammthien shuddered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Halt!"
The orcs came to an abrupt stop and roughly pulled the ropes from their prisoners' necks.
"What do we do with 'em?" asked one orc, his clawed hands wrapped around Nuryavie's hair. Urshak tilted his head and looked at the elves.
"Tie the things to trees. Don't let 'em talk. If they do, rip their throats out," he said. The six elves found themselves being dragged by the hair to six separate trees and bound tightly to the huge trunks. They looked at one another helplessly, not daring to say a word. Two orcs stood on guard at each tree, watching the elves carefully.
Avoiding the glare of the orcs and the pain in his legs from the cruel whips that had slashed his skin on the long march, Legolas looked around at the others. His brothers seemed to be in much the same state as he, blood on their legs after the whips and still panting, trying to draw breathe from the air, but Elladan seemed almost dead. The orcs had treated him worse than the princes, taking every opportunity to whip him or thump him and yelling catcalls at him, telling the unfortunate creature how weak and disgusting he was. The elf hung his head, tresses of dark hair hiding his pale face. Legolas was guessing that Elladan was also suffering from the knowledge his brother was dead, and that he was sinking in to a deep depression that would kill him too - if the orcs didn't first.
Legolas began listening instead to the trees. What he heard worried him. Though the trees were not telling him exactly what was happening, they were whispering of a great danger. Their stiffness was a sign that they were panicking, but what it was about he could not tell. He looked up again and saw Urshak walking towards him. Legolas stiffened and prepared himself for whatever was about to happen.
Urshak stopped, his body only an inch or two away from Legolas. The elven prince could feel the worried stares of his brothers. Elladan had not moved, and was noticing nothing.
The orcs breath was fowl, as if he had never brushed his teeth - which, most likely, he had not. Urshak tipped his head on one side, studying the face of Legolas who was desperately trying not to seem scared. The orc raised his hand and put it gently on Legolas' cheek, his thumb stroking the corner of the elf's mouth. Legolas quivered and tried to turn his head, but Urshak dug his claws in to the soft skin of his cheek. The elven prince bit his lip to stop himself crying out. This only humoured the orc captain.
From where he was standing watching, Thellind clenched his fists, wishing he could pull the orc away from his little brother. The knots, however, held fast, not allowing him to move. One of his guards jabbed him in the leg with a dagger.
"Quite beautiful," the Urshak muttered, "Just as I used to be. I suppose you can sing like a lark, can't you, brat of Thranduil?"
Legolas did not answer, but shut his eyes tightly, wishing the orc would take his scaly hand away. His cheek, where the orc was touching it, felt as though it was burning. A small tear escaped from the corner of his eye.
"Oh look, ickle brother doesn't want to answer," he mocked, "You'll have to answer for 'im then," he said, turning his attention to Thellind. Thellind pressed his shoulder blades in to the tree as the orc stalked over to him. Urshak narrowed his eyes and grabbed hold of Thellind's hair, lifting it to his nose and sniffing it. The orc let the hair fall slowly, strand by stand until only a few remained in his hand. These he ripped out making Thellind let out a small sound of pain.
Growing bored with Thellind, the disgusting captain moved on to the next elf - Oroweth. The elven prince glowered at the orc as though daring it to touch him. Urshak laughed loudly, and then put his claw to Oroweth's chin, making the prince lift his head.
"Let me look at you," hissed the orc, taking in every one of Oroweth's features. The prince held his breath, expecting pain. Pain, however, did not come.
"Little brother," whispered the orc, "My little brother,"
Oroweth narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"You look just as I used to with your dark hair and girly blue eyes," the voice of the orc became bitter as he spoke to Oroweth.
"Are ye' proud of your little brothers?" he hissed. Oroweth said nothing.
"Silent bunch aren't ye'?" sniggered the fowl creature, "Very different to big brother then,"
"What are you talking about?" asked Astaler from the next tree. Urshak clapped his hands together as if in delight.
"It speaks!" he cried, in mock joviality, "It speaks,"
He paced across the clearing to the new elf, who was now wishing he had kept his mouth shut.
"Did daddy never tell you?" crooned the orc captain, "Oroweth ain't the first son. Ye do know that . . .don't you? Oh ye don't!" he cried, registering the look of confusion on the faces of the princes, "I din't think daddy would tell ya, but I'm surprised mama din't. I trusted ya mama. My mama. Yes, little elves, I'm ye brother,"
Astaler shook his head.
"You lie. We have no other brothers,"
At this, the orc laughed loudly, attracting the attention of the other orcs.
"Arshin! They don't believe me! Din't I tell ye!"
One of the orcs shrugged his shoulders.
"Show 'em then," he called back, "Show 'em the ring!"
Urshak clicked his claws, as if remembering, and then pulled a ring off his finger and thrust it in Astalers face. Astaler focused on the ring and gasped. Again, Urshak laughed.
"Go on, little brother, tell the nice elves what the ring is,"
"It . . .it is a ring of the house of Oropher," he muttered, "With the symbol of our house,"
"Now read the inscription,"
Astaler bit his lip and shook slightly, trying desperately not to believe what the orc was telling him.
"Read it!"
"Prince Neldoreth Thranduilion of Mirkwood," he muttered
"Louder! They can't hear ye!"
"Prince Neldoreth Thranduilion of Mirkwood," cried Astaler, unable to bear it. The orc tossed the ring in to the air and caught it, slipping it back on to his thick, claw-like finger laughing.
"You still refuse to believe me," he sang. The orc turned his attentions back to Legolas, small rebellious tears running down his fair elven face.
"Now then little brother," he crooned, "We can't have tears. No orcs cry,"
Legolas stared at Urshak - or, as it appeared to be - Neldoreth.
"I am not an orc," he whispered, fearing the answer. He was right to.
"Yet. Why d'ye think ye still alive?" asked the orc, still crooning, "We've plans f' yew. Ye'll make great captains, like me. Ye daddy did tell ye how orcs were first made din't he? Or is that another secret he kept from ye?"
Legolas bit his tongue. Thranduil had not told any of them how orcs were created. That was one of the servants a few years ago when her brother had been snatched away by orcs on a border raid. The young prince trembled.
"Kept ye all very well protected din't he? Scared 'cos' he din't want to loose any more of his precious babies. Well let me tell ye all somethin'. He won't come a lookin' for ye. He din't send anyone after me, an' he won't send anyone after yew."
He put his mouth by Legolas' ear, loudly whispering his short speech. Legolas moaned and tried to wriggle away, but the orc clamped his arms to the tree with his strong claws. He carried on.
"They tortured me for so long. The hours turned in to days, the days turned in to weeks and the weeks dragged out in to months and months and months! So I hear, at least. Time ain't got no meaning when ye locked away in cold, dark dungeon with no light, stale food and where your only company are your screams of agony. They captured me when I was out scouting with nine others. We were betrayed, ye see, else we coulda fought back. As it was, we din't stand a chance. Much like yew. Now, like me, my little brothers are gonna be turned in to bitter orcs."
"No," moaned Legolas, "'Tis not true. You lie. You lie!"
The lips of his captor turned upwards at the corners.
"We're gonna have a little fun with ye friend now. Rest while ye can, dear brother, you will have no rest at all soon enough,"
The orc planted a kiss on Legolas' forehead, just as the queen had done when all the princes were smaller when they were sent off to bed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When the elven 'hunting' party entered the glade that the princes had claimed for their own, a shock awaited them. On the ground lay two forms. Nilwethion and Elrohir.
"Ai dear Valar," moaned Thranduil, rushing to the side of his son. Silnan looked to Elrohir and the other twelve elves stood gaping for a few moments, before going to help the leaders.
Elrohir was clutching at his stomach, writhing on the ground in pain, moaning and crying out. Captain Silnan wondered if the Imladris elf even knew they were there.
"He must lie strait," said one of the elves - a healer as well as a warrior, "If he stays scrunched up like this he will die faster. 'Tis a miracle he still lives,"
The seven elves around Elrohir attempted to pin the elf down strait, lying on his back but the young creature kicked and thrashed in his agony. Silnan fell back as the elf, as if possessed; hit him in the eye with flailing fists.
"This is no good," he cried, "We must get them both back to the palace. My lord, does your son still live? My lord?" Silnan turned to see King Thranduil stare at him with sad, hopeless eyes and a face showing the same amount of pain he had only ever seen once before.
When Thranduil had lost Neldoreth.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Awww, poor princes. Thranduil really should have told them about Neldoreth though. Thank you so much for all the review I got for the last chapter! I love you all!
PERSONAL REVIEW THINGY
FIREANGEL ~~ yay, long review! You can pity Thellind even MORE now. I think that being busted is a nice prospect than being turned in to an orc. They've escaped the spiders, but now they just have to escape the orcs. Hehe, this is going to be fun.
SKIBUM ~~ sorry, I think Aliela beat you to it.
ANGEL 1 ~~ wow, that's a lot of reviews! Glad you like it so much.
DOT ~~ hehe, I doubt Elrond and Celebrian will want to come back either, but their sons might just drag them back. They get on so well with the princes. I don't think that Thranduil meant for his sons to turn out like hooligans, but they did anyway.
LEXIE ~~ I have no idea how long this is going to be. Déjà vu was only going to be about 11 or 12 chapters and look how many that's got!
MAVERICK GIRL ~~ there is a third option for how they get away, and I'm still contemplating it, but right now torturing them will be a bit more fun. Being Calensil might not seem so attractive soon.
ORODRUIN ~~ he's not going to be angry with them for a while, but he's going to be really emotionally hurt by them. I'm not sure if the adults ever will find out why they went out, because they'll be too glad to see them alive again.
IMBEFANIEL ~~ nah, Legolas isn't bad. He's just a bit of hooligan at the moment, as Dot said.
DAW THE MINSTREL ~~ all the children get in deep trouble at some point in the fic. Thranduil is always impressive, whatever he does.
Legolas stared down the length of the black arrow in to the fowl yellow eyes of an orc. The orc stared back, a satisfied smirk on his ugly features. The elven prince gulped and opened his mouth to warn the others, but it was too late.
Dozens of orcs brandishing scimitars, swords, spears and maces looking equally evil and dangerous leapt out of the trees, snarling. Looking up, Legolas saw more orcs lining the trees pointing arrows at himself, his brothers and the twins. The elves didn't stand a chance against them.
"Bind 'em!" yelled the orc pointing the bow and arrow at Legolas, "An' don't let any escape or I'll have ya hides!"
Complying quickly, the orcs brought out rope and made to tie up Astaler first, but the prince pulled out a dagger and slashed at any orc that come near him. Snarling violently, two orcs pounced on him, smothering him. One of the orcs kicked the elf's legs out from underneath him and knocked the prince out with a heavy blow from the butt end of his spear. They picked up the prince and bound his wrists, ankles and neck with a rope, and then moved on to Thellind.
This time, the elf made no attempt to defend himself.
"You!" snarled the first orc, drop the body!"
Oroweth slowly bent down and laid Nilwethion on the ground, keeping his eyes on the vile creatures now turning their attentions on him. As soon as he stood up, thick, stinking rope was tugged and twisted to stop him escaping and he was tied on to a line with the others.
Once the princes were all in a line, tied together by the ropes around their necks, the orcs turned their attentions to the twins. The leader narrowed his eyes, as if making a decision. Elrohir whimpered, still in pain from the spider poison. The orc captain smiled, a red light skinning in his eyes.
"Snarak! That one's as good as dead. Finish it. We keep the other for sport."
He turned away and fired his arrow in to the air. From the distance Legolas heard a dull squawk as the arrow came in contact with a bird and winced. The expression did not go unnoticed and the orcs began to laugh.
"'T'will be fun playing with that one!" laughed one orc. The first orc with the arrow turned around and glared.
"These are not for play yet. I have another . . .holiday . . .in store for them," the new orc bared his teeth, but bowed his head in submission.
"Yes captain Urshak," he muttered. Urshak nodded and turned back to the others.
"Move out!"
Legolas turned his head to see what was happening to the twins. One of them, Elladan, had been dragged away and tied on to the line of princes, fighting feebly to get back to his brother. The other, Elrohir, was being held down by two orcs as another was forcing something down his throat. Poison most likely, thought the prince. A whip viciously lashed at his ankles and the prince gave a yelp as he stumbled, causing the orcs jogging past him to laugh. Oroweth caught his arm, stopping Legolas from falling. In his eyes, Legolas could see a look of despair.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thranduil and his small 'hunting' party slipped through the undergrowth of Mirkwood. They had now been searching for hours and there was still no sign of any of the princes. What at first had been rage was now turning in to a desperate worry in the king's heart. He stopped and turned to Silnan.
"Where would they go?" he asked quietly, "The trees here only sing of danger, but refuse to say what is going on, or if they have seen my sons,"
Silnan nodded quietly.
"I wonder if they know themselves what is happening, or if they have only heard it from others. Is it not around here the princes have their glade?"
The king furrowed his brow. What glade? He really did have to start getting to know his children better.
"I think it is this way," said Silnan. The king nodded.
"We will check there then. Mayhap there will be something,"
The small party moved off again in to the dark shadows.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Calensil gave a small scream, and then covered her hands with her mouth, her eyes wide. The queen, who had finally stopped crying, jumped and looked at her young daughter.
"Calensil? What is it?"
"They are in trouble nana," she whispered through her hands. The queen let a small smile play on her lips, attempting to hide her worry.
"Then that must mean your adar has found them," she said. Calensil shook her head.
"No naneth, real trouble. Really big trouble,"
The queen stared at her daughter, and then reminded herself to breathe. What was the child talking about? Her little ones could not truly be in trouble could they? She dismissed the thought. Calensil must be imagining things. She was good at that. Yes, that was the answer. Imagination.
Without realising it, Imlammthien shuddered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Halt!"
The orcs came to an abrupt stop and roughly pulled the ropes from their prisoners' necks.
"What do we do with 'em?" asked one orc, his clawed hands wrapped around Nuryavie's hair. Urshak tilted his head and looked at the elves.
"Tie the things to trees. Don't let 'em talk. If they do, rip their throats out," he said. The six elves found themselves being dragged by the hair to six separate trees and bound tightly to the huge trunks. They looked at one another helplessly, not daring to say a word. Two orcs stood on guard at each tree, watching the elves carefully.
Avoiding the glare of the orcs and the pain in his legs from the cruel whips that had slashed his skin on the long march, Legolas looked around at the others. His brothers seemed to be in much the same state as he, blood on their legs after the whips and still panting, trying to draw breathe from the air, but Elladan seemed almost dead. The orcs had treated him worse than the princes, taking every opportunity to whip him or thump him and yelling catcalls at him, telling the unfortunate creature how weak and disgusting he was. The elf hung his head, tresses of dark hair hiding his pale face. Legolas was guessing that Elladan was also suffering from the knowledge his brother was dead, and that he was sinking in to a deep depression that would kill him too - if the orcs didn't first.
Legolas began listening instead to the trees. What he heard worried him. Though the trees were not telling him exactly what was happening, they were whispering of a great danger. Their stiffness was a sign that they were panicking, but what it was about he could not tell. He looked up again and saw Urshak walking towards him. Legolas stiffened and prepared himself for whatever was about to happen.
Urshak stopped, his body only an inch or two away from Legolas. The elven prince could feel the worried stares of his brothers. Elladan had not moved, and was noticing nothing.
The orcs breath was fowl, as if he had never brushed his teeth - which, most likely, he had not. Urshak tipped his head on one side, studying the face of Legolas who was desperately trying not to seem scared. The orc raised his hand and put it gently on Legolas' cheek, his thumb stroking the corner of the elf's mouth. Legolas quivered and tried to turn his head, but Urshak dug his claws in to the soft skin of his cheek. The elven prince bit his lip to stop himself crying out. This only humoured the orc captain.
From where he was standing watching, Thellind clenched his fists, wishing he could pull the orc away from his little brother. The knots, however, held fast, not allowing him to move. One of his guards jabbed him in the leg with a dagger.
"Quite beautiful," the Urshak muttered, "Just as I used to be. I suppose you can sing like a lark, can't you, brat of Thranduil?"
Legolas did not answer, but shut his eyes tightly, wishing the orc would take his scaly hand away. His cheek, where the orc was touching it, felt as though it was burning. A small tear escaped from the corner of his eye.
"Oh look, ickle brother doesn't want to answer," he mocked, "You'll have to answer for 'im then," he said, turning his attention to Thellind. Thellind pressed his shoulder blades in to the tree as the orc stalked over to him. Urshak narrowed his eyes and grabbed hold of Thellind's hair, lifting it to his nose and sniffing it. The orc let the hair fall slowly, strand by stand until only a few remained in his hand. These he ripped out making Thellind let out a small sound of pain.
Growing bored with Thellind, the disgusting captain moved on to the next elf - Oroweth. The elven prince glowered at the orc as though daring it to touch him. Urshak laughed loudly, and then put his claw to Oroweth's chin, making the prince lift his head.
"Let me look at you," hissed the orc, taking in every one of Oroweth's features. The prince held his breath, expecting pain. Pain, however, did not come.
"Little brother," whispered the orc, "My little brother,"
Oroweth narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"You look just as I used to with your dark hair and girly blue eyes," the voice of the orc became bitter as he spoke to Oroweth.
"Are ye' proud of your little brothers?" he hissed. Oroweth said nothing.
"Silent bunch aren't ye'?" sniggered the fowl creature, "Very different to big brother then,"
"What are you talking about?" asked Astaler from the next tree. Urshak clapped his hands together as if in delight.
"It speaks!" he cried, in mock joviality, "It speaks,"
He paced across the clearing to the new elf, who was now wishing he had kept his mouth shut.
"Did daddy never tell you?" crooned the orc captain, "Oroweth ain't the first son. Ye do know that . . .don't you? Oh ye don't!" he cried, registering the look of confusion on the faces of the princes, "I din't think daddy would tell ya, but I'm surprised mama din't. I trusted ya mama. My mama. Yes, little elves, I'm ye brother,"
Astaler shook his head.
"You lie. We have no other brothers,"
At this, the orc laughed loudly, attracting the attention of the other orcs.
"Arshin! They don't believe me! Din't I tell ye!"
One of the orcs shrugged his shoulders.
"Show 'em then," he called back, "Show 'em the ring!"
Urshak clicked his claws, as if remembering, and then pulled a ring off his finger and thrust it in Astalers face. Astaler focused on the ring and gasped. Again, Urshak laughed.
"Go on, little brother, tell the nice elves what the ring is,"
"It . . .it is a ring of the house of Oropher," he muttered, "With the symbol of our house,"
"Now read the inscription,"
Astaler bit his lip and shook slightly, trying desperately not to believe what the orc was telling him.
"Read it!"
"Prince Neldoreth Thranduilion of Mirkwood," he muttered
"Louder! They can't hear ye!"
"Prince Neldoreth Thranduilion of Mirkwood," cried Astaler, unable to bear it. The orc tossed the ring in to the air and caught it, slipping it back on to his thick, claw-like finger laughing.
"You still refuse to believe me," he sang. The orc turned his attentions back to Legolas, small rebellious tears running down his fair elven face.
"Now then little brother," he crooned, "We can't have tears. No orcs cry,"
Legolas stared at Urshak - or, as it appeared to be - Neldoreth.
"I am not an orc," he whispered, fearing the answer. He was right to.
"Yet. Why d'ye think ye still alive?" asked the orc, still crooning, "We've plans f' yew. Ye'll make great captains, like me. Ye daddy did tell ye how orcs were first made din't he? Or is that another secret he kept from ye?"
Legolas bit his tongue. Thranduil had not told any of them how orcs were created. That was one of the servants a few years ago when her brother had been snatched away by orcs on a border raid. The young prince trembled.
"Kept ye all very well protected din't he? Scared 'cos' he din't want to loose any more of his precious babies. Well let me tell ye all somethin'. He won't come a lookin' for ye. He din't send anyone after me, an' he won't send anyone after yew."
He put his mouth by Legolas' ear, loudly whispering his short speech. Legolas moaned and tried to wriggle away, but the orc clamped his arms to the tree with his strong claws. He carried on.
"They tortured me for so long. The hours turned in to days, the days turned in to weeks and the weeks dragged out in to months and months and months! So I hear, at least. Time ain't got no meaning when ye locked away in cold, dark dungeon with no light, stale food and where your only company are your screams of agony. They captured me when I was out scouting with nine others. We were betrayed, ye see, else we coulda fought back. As it was, we din't stand a chance. Much like yew. Now, like me, my little brothers are gonna be turned in to bitter orcs."
"No," moaned Legolas, "'Tis not true. You lie. You lie!"
The lips of his captor turned upwards at the corners.
"We're gonna have a little fun with ye friend now. Rest while ye can, dear brother, you will have no rest at all soon enough,"
The orc planted a kiss on Legolas' forehead, just as the queen had done when all the princes were smaller when they were sent off to bed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When the elven 'hunting' party entered the glade that the princes had claimed for their own, a shock awaited them. On the ground lay two forms. Nilwethion and Elrohir.
"Ai dear Valar," moaned Thranduil, rushing to the side of his son. Silnan looked to Elrohir and the other twelve elves stood gaping for a few moments, before going to help the leaders.
Elrohir was clutching at his stomach, writhing on the ground in pain, moaning and crying out. Captain Silnan wondered if the Imladris elf even knew they were there.
"He must lie strait," said one of the elves - a healer as well as a warrior, "If he stays scrunched up like this he will die faster. 'Tis a miracle he still lives,"
The seven elves around Elrohir attempted to pin the elf down strait, lying on his back but the young creature kicked and thrashed in his agony. Silnan fell back as the elf, as if possessed; hit him in the eye with flailing fists.
"This is no good," he cried, "We must get them both back to the palace. My lord, does your son still live? My lord?" Silnan turned to see King Thranduil stare at him with sad, hopeless eyes and a face showing the same amount of pain he had only ever seen once before.
When Thranduil had lost Neldoreth.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Awww, poor princes. Thranduil really should have told them about Neldoreth though. Thank you so much for all the review I got for the last chapter! I love you all!
PERSONAL REVIEW THINGY
FIREANGEL ~~ yay, long review! You can pity Thellind even MORE now. I think that being busted is a nice prospect than being turned in to an orc. They've escaped the spiders, but now they just have to escape the orcs. Hehe, this is going to be fun.
SKIBUM ~~ sorry, I think Aliela beat you to it.
ANGEL 1 ~~ wow, that's a lot of reviews! Glad you like it so much.
DOT ~~ hehe, I doubt Elrond and Celebrian will want to come back either, but their sons might just drag them back. They get on so well with the princes. I don't think that Thranduil meant for his sons to turn out like hooligans, but they did anyway.
LEXIE ~~ I have no idea how long this is going to be. Déjà vu was only going to be about 11 or 12 chapters and look how many that's got!
MAVERICK GIRL ~~ there is a third option for how they get away, and I'm still contemplating it, but right now torturing them will be a bit more fun. Being Calensil might not seem so attractive soon.
ORODRUIN ~~ he's not going to be angry with them for a while, but he's going to be really emotionally hurt by them. I'm not sure if the adults ever will find out why they went out, because they'll be too glad to see them alive again.
IMBEFANIEL ~~ nah, Legolas isn't bad. He's just a bit of hooligan at the moment, as Dot said.
DAW THE MINSTREL ~~ all the children get in deep trouble at some point in the fic. Thranduil is always impressive, whatever he does.