A/N) I had hoped to have this chapter posted by last Friday, but was unable to complete as my work is getting heavier. Hopefully this will pass soon. I am hoping to have this story finished by February, but knowing my luck it will not happen. I'll try my best to get Chapter 5 up as soon as possible.



The Forge of Friendship

Chapter 4

In the Men's Camp



Even before the camp came into view a group of twenty men surrounded them. Aragorn halted Legolas and took hold of his right arm so it looked like that he had a secure grip on the elf from the men's point of view.

The same man that Aragorn recognised as Doyni stepped forward holding a sword in his left hand. His eyes ran over Aragorn's face and then to the elf standing by him. "It cannot be." he whispered.

Doyni turned his sharp gaze back at Aragorn. "Who are you?"

"I am a Ranger of the North. I have heard of your little operation with the Wood-elves and decided to help you. Rumor says that you search for the Prince of Mirkwood. If I'm not mistaken he is the one."

Doyni stepped forward and looked at Legolas before confirming. "He is. May I inquire as to why you know about this? And how you caught this elf?"

"I travelled here with the wizard known as Gandalf. He told me that he wanted my aid in stopping you lot from attacking the wood-elves. When I heard the situation I decided to join with you. I heard that you were searching for the Prince and I was acquainted with him. I just knocked him out when his back was turned and brought him here."

Doyni frowned if he didn't believe a word the man said. However this Ranger had brought the elf to them they wanted. Even if this was a plan to bring them down, they still had time. Yes, that is what he would do. He would watch the Ranger, and make sure that he toed the line.

"Very well." Doyni said. "If you follow me then I will take you to the camp."

The man turned away. Aragorn followed and roughly pushed Legolas ahead. "Move!" he commanded.

Legolas stumbled as Aragorn pushed him, but he kept his cool. The small group of men fanned out behind them.

The camp soon came into view. More then thirty men roamed the camp. Altogether there were fifty men in the camp. Seeing this made Aragorn realise that this plan was quickly going down hill.

Another man stepped out of a tent and looked over at the company of men. His gaze hardened when he saw the Elf and Ranger in their midst. He stalked over to Doyni. "Who are they?"

Doyni pulled his brother away so that they were out of range. "That, Hayner, is the Ranger who came with the Wizard. He has brought the elf that we need. I do suspect that this is some plan to drive us back, but they were alone. No one else in sight. The elf is bound securely and they've tried nothing since we've caught them."

Hayner's eyes round over the Ranger and the elf. "Besides," he whispered, pulling his brother close. "Even if the Ranger is planning something it will be easy to dispose of him. A little poison in his food or drink...." Hayner said grinning. "We will see where his loyalties lie. I have a feeling he will betray us anyway. Keep an eye on him."

Unbeknownst to them, both of Aragorn and Legolas had heard what they had said.



*****



Aragorn had been given a tent to rest in, however Legolas had been tied to a pole inside another tent on the other side of the camp. Aragorn did not dare to follow through with his plan yet, not until he knew the strength and weaknesses of his opponents. He needed to analyze them.

It was nearly midday when a man came for him and asked him to come and meet with Hayner. He was taken to another tent erected in the middle of the camp, and inside this tent was Hayner and Doyni and to Aragorn's surprise was Legolas, tied securely to a pole. He was glaring daggers at his captors.

Legolas did not look at him.

"My captain?" Aragorn asked.

Hayner turned and walked towards him. "Tell me, Ranger, you name."

Aragorn responded: "Estel."

Hayner's eyes slitted. "Estel? That sounds too elvish for me. Why does an ordinary man such as yourself have an elven name?"

"I was raised in Rivendell, an elven refuge in the far North, the son of a powerful Lord. My parents had been killed by a raiding band of Orcs. Gandalf - the wizard I travelled with - took me to Rivendell, and left me there, instead of taking me to a village of man. My childhood was one of misery and agony. I was hurt by the elves. They made me their slave, and I vowed to myself that any elf that I came across would pay dearly for what they've done to me!"

Throughout this whole speech Aragorn's voice had risen and his eyes had flashed angrily. His anger was directed to Deollyn the man who had hurt him, but to make his hatred believable to the men he stood before now, he needed to make them assume that elves had been the ones to hurt him.

It seemed that it worked.

"I do not know my real name. They gave me that name when I came to Rivendell. It is the only one I have. It reminds me always of what I've had to go through. Only when all the elves have perished from this world will I be able to live in a world of harmony. My name reminds me of what I've still got to go through." Aragorn said.

"Then it seems we have something in common." Hayner said.

Aragorn waited for more information.

Hayner turned and walked around the tent, picked up something, and then kicked Legolas, doubling the Prince over, before stopping in front of Aragorn. In his hand he held a small picture, that was drawn on a rough piece of parchment.

"This, Estel, is my family. Two years ago a group of elves came to our town and killed our parents for a reason we do not know of. My brother and I vowed to find who these elves were and kill all of them. But then word came to us of evil stirring in this land, and somehow we knew that these elves were related to this same evil. We came here to find out what has been going on in this land. The elves know something or their King does. The Prince is the one who will make him tell us what has been going on!"

These words had a profound effect on Legolas.

The Prince pulled against his bonds but could not stand up. "We know nothing!" he demanded.

Hayner twisted round and lashed out at the Prince; his fist connecting with the cheek of the elf, sending Legolas backwards so his head connected with the pole. "Don't you dare speak out like that again! You don't know anything! We've had to suffer because of your people! We'll make sure that we get what we want! Unless your precious father wants you back bit by bit!"

"You would only get the wrath of the elves brought down upon you if I was killed. And so help my father, he will hunt you down and kill you, and it will be painful for you!" Legolas bit back, not caring what punishment it brought him.

"Very well," Hayner said. He turned to Aragorn, "Ranger! Do you wish to participate in our sport?"

"No." Aragorn said, though his insides squirmed when he saw Doyni pick up a whip and hand it to his brother.

Hayner nodded and turned back to the elf. Doyni had forced the Prince round, and rose his arm, bringing the whip down. Legolas jerked and steeled his teeth, preventing himself from crying out.

Aragorn could only watch, no matter how badly he wanted to stop it, he knew he could not.

Shortly he left the tent not wishing to be there any longer.



*****



Aragorn approached Hayner and Doyni as they exited the tent, a blood-stained whip held in Doyni's hand.

"Is he still alive?" Aragorn asked.

"He is." Hayner said, smiling.

"Does he need any medical attention because I know how to keep elves alive even when they are on the brink of death. You may have hurt him badly enough so that he could die. I can treat him if you let me."

Hayner glanced at Doyni and nodded. "I have full confidence in you."

Aragorn entered the tent and went over to the limp form of the elf tied to the pole. Legolas' braided hair was hanging loose over his shoulders.

"Legolas! Legolas! Wake up!" he whispered urgently in elvish.

The elf Prince woke, groaning whispering softly in his beautiful, ancient language: "Aragorn?"

"I'm here. I'm here." Aragorn soothed.

Legolas opened his eyes fully. "You didn't run?"

"No, I did not." Aragorn murmured. "I could not bear to see you hurt. I know it would make me relive the past. A past that I've always wanted to forget. I would never abandon you. After all you are the only elf so far who's made an effort to understand me."

Legolas coughed. "I only tried to understand you because Gandalf bade me to. I wanted nothing to do with you. I'm sorry I ever made that stupid promise but killing you if left alone with you. You, Aragorn, are the only man who I know cares for the welfare of elves, and that, young one, is something I never thought I would ever see."

Aragorn allowed a gentle smile to cross his lips. "I guess I was brought up well."

"Yes," the Prince murmured, "Lord Elrond did a wonderful job with you."

"Shhh, I need to wash your wounds and I don't want you calling out." Aragorn had brought with him a small cloth and his water bottle that was hanging around his waist. Carefully, the Ranger emptied a bit of water onto the cloth.

Legolas rolled over onto his stomach and let Aragorn clean his wounds. When the procedure was down, Aragorn helped the Prince sit up, and gave him a bit of water to drink. "What now?"

"I'm waiting for midnight. When everyone is asleep we will free all the other elves here. There is at least two more. I do not know where they are being kept. We will escape from the camp and warn your father of the threat there is to your people."

Legolas nodded. "Then what?"

"We wait."



TBC



In The Next Chapter: Aragorn and Legolas make their escape, while Gandalf speaks urgently to Thranduil. Chapter 5 should be posted next weekend, possibly before, but I'm not sure. Look out for it.