Into the Mines
By: Max Pilote
Chapter Eight - Falter
The camp's occupants had retired hours after Estel started watching them. Only two would notice him if he weren't careful: the guards standing beside their recaptured prisoner. Fortunately, they were bored. Both thought it pointless to watch over an unconscious prisoner, but the elf had proved once before that he was more than a handful for them. They didn't want to make the same mistake twice.
Estel lowered a rope down behind the two orcs, knowing they weren't paying attention. Slowly and quietly, he came down the rope. With swift movement, the human slew the orcs with his sword. Then, he turned and knelt down beside his elven friend.
"Legolas," he whispered, sure only the elf would hear if he were awake, "I've come to rescue you."
"I thought it was a suicide," responded Legolas sarcastically, but a small hint of seriousness was hidden in his voice. "Leave now, I can escape later."
The human smiled and helped the elf to his feet. There was nothing that needed to be said. Besides, any response he would have given would have only succeeded in striking up an argument with the prince. He reminds me more and more of my brother, thought Estel.
"You can't escape later. They'll drag you further into this hellhole to torture you, kill you, and then leave your body to rot," he argued. "You can either come with me now, or you'll die!"
"Both of you are going to die."
Legolas clenched his fists, seeing red at the sound of that voice. Even when his luck was looking up, there was always that bastard to pull it back down again. The rope dropped and fell limply at the friends' feet. Then, he dropped something down the hole. It must have been a vase he had taken from Rivendell. This elf was far too careful. Almost every moved seemed planned out. He must have sense this was coming.
Orcs came out of their tents and resting states, rudely awoken by the large clatter. Alertness spread through the encampment, then anger as they saw their prisoner attempting another escape.
"I would have loved to have had the pleasure of killing you myself," said Ryldor in his usual sarcastic tone, "but sadly, I have more important matters. How about the eldest son of Elrond? I do believe he had a hand in my defeat ten years ago."
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Elladan frowned. He had been waiting for hours now. Ada was not pleased when he returned home with the news. What in the world had possessed him to let Estel leave off on his own? To go rescue the prince of Mirkwood from the orcs?! What was he thinking?
Of course, it wasn't unusual for the older twin to go rushing off to save the two. It had been those two that had saved his life on more than one occasion as well.
"I'm going to get gray hairs," muttered Elladan as he started his small journey through the small forest. He followed the path Estel had showed him earlier. Unfortunately, so was Ryldor.
He had no intention of attacking the elf-lord's oldest son. It was just a little something to enrage his enemy, or rather cause him to worry. Lost in his deep thoughts, Ryldor had almost been seen by Elladan. He was able to pull himself and hide in the foliage of the lower branches.
"Did I take a wrong turn?" asked Elladan as he stood, looking around. "Maybe I just don't recognize this place because it's night."
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Legolas frowned as the orcs started to advance on them. It would have been easier to do something had he been alone, but he didn't want to endanger Estel's life. Then again, Estel was in better shape than he was.
"I need a weapon," muttered Legolas, reaching his hand out to Estel. The human nodded and handed him a dagger. "We'll fight back to back, agreed?"
Estel nodded and braced himself for the fight. Seconds later, the orcs were upon them swinging their blades and fists. It was hard for the prince to fight with the injuries to his arm and shoulders. He and the human fought back to back as they had agreed. Both knew it was almost pointless to actually fight the orcs, but they had to at least try to get away. If they were to die, they were going to take down as many enemies as they could.
A misplaced blow to an orc's shoulder found Legolas at a loss when the beast countered with a hit to his chest. Luckily, he was able to block most of the blade with his arm guards. The last of the strike cut across his chest, leaving a minor gash.
His human companion dodged two blades and dug his sword into the chest of an orc getting ready to attack him. Another orc attempted to clean Estel in half. Legolas stopped the attack unintentionally when an orc he had slain fell on top of the one attack Estel.
A searing pain shot through the human's back. Out of the corner of his eye, the elf saw the human go down. He knelt down and grabbed Estel's arm, still fighting off the orcs. It was difficult, but he managed to pull the boy out of the fight while still dodging and blocking the blades of his enemies.
"Wake up," whispered Legolas, "I can't do this for much longer." He had said this in the grey tongue as to keep the orcs from thinking he was tiring.
That was not the only thing that would have given it away. In fact, the orcs could see it in his movements. He had given up altogether on actually killing them. The prince would injure them when the opportunity arose. Sometimes, luck would serve him well and he could kill one.
"Estel! Legolas! Are you alive?"
He didn't bother to look up, "Elladan? Can I get a little help down here?" Legolas blocked one blade and took another in the side. It wasn't a deep cut, but it hurt a lot.
Elladan dropped down into the hole, his blade already drawn. Three orcs were dead within a minute. The eldest son of Elrond was attempting to fight his way towards the prince. He could see the Mirkwood elf starting to slow down.
Legolas dug his blade into an orc's chest, but it didn't come out again. He turned just in time to block an attempt to cut him in half. A second blow cut across his lower back. Elladan quickly rushed to his friend's aid, cutting down several orcs in his path.
"Don't move!" commanded an orc, causing the two to turn. He was holding the unconscious human against him, a knife to his throat.
"ESTEL!" cried the two in unison.
"Don't hurt him!" cried Legolas.
"If you do, I swear I'll kill every last one of you monsters!" threatened Elladan.
"You can't do anything at the moment," jeered the orc. The elves were bound by their wrists and pinned violently to the ground. "Take their weapons and separate them. Their escape attempts are getting pathetic and tedious."
By: Max Pilote
Chapter Eight - Falter
The camp's occupants had retired hours after Estel started watching them. Only two would notice him if he weren't careful: the guards standing beside their recaptured prisoner. Fortunately, they were bored. Both thought it pointless to watch over an unconscious prisoner, but the elf had proved once before that he was more than a handful for them. They didn't want to make the same mistake twice.
Estel lowered a rope down behind the two orcs, knowing they weren't paying attention. Slowly and quietly, he came down the rope. With swift movement, the human slew the orcs with his sword. Then, he turned and knelt down beside his elven friend.
"Legolas," he whispered, sure only the elf would hear if he were awake, "I've come to rescue you."
"I thought it was a suicide," responded Legolas sarcastically, but a small hint of seriousness was hidden in his voice. "Leave now, I can escape later."
The human smiled and helped the elf to his feet. There was nothing that needed to be said. Besides, any response he would have given would have only succeeded in striking up an argument with the prince. He reminds me more and more of my brother, thought Estel.
"You can't escape later. They'll drag you further into this hellhole to torture you, kill you, and then leave your body to rot," he argued. "You can either come with me now, or you'll die!"
"Both of you are going to die."
Legolas clenched his fists, seeing red at the sound of that voice. Even when his luck was looking up, there was always that bastard to pull it back down again. The rope dropped and fell limply at the friends' feet. Then, he dropped something down the hole. It must have been a vase he had taken from Rivendell. This elf was far too careful. Almost every moved seemed planned out. He must have sense this was coming.
Orcs came out of their tents and resting states, rudely awoken by the large clatter. Alertness spread through the encampment, then anger as they saw their prisoner attempting another escape.
"I would have loved to have had the pleasure of killing you myself," said Ryldor in his usual sarcastic tone, "but sadly, I have more important matters. How about the eldest son of Elrond? I do believe he had a hand in my defeat ten years ago."
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Elladan frowned. He had been waiting for hours now. Ada was not pleased when he returned home with the news. What in the world had possessed him to let Estel leave off on his own? To go rescue the prince of Mirkwood from the orcs?! What was he thinking?
Of course, it wasn't unusual for the older twin to go rushing off to save the two. It had been those two that had saved his life on more than one occasion as well.
"I'm going to get gray hairs," muttered Elladan as he started his small journey through the small forest. He followed the path Estel had showed him earlier. Unfortunately, so was Ryldor.
He had no intention of attacking the elf-lord's oldest son. It was just a little something to enrage his enemy, or rather cause him to worry. Lost in his deep thoughts, Ryldor had almost been seen by Elladan. He was able to pull himself and hide in the foliage of the lower branches.
"Did I take a wrong turn?" asked Elladan as he stood, looking around. "Maybe I just don't recognize this place because it's night."
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Legolas frowned as the orcs started to advance on them. It would have been easier to do something had he been alone, but he didn't want to endanger Estel's life. Then again, Estel was in better shape than he was.
"I need a weapon," muttered Legolas, reaching his hand out to Estel. The human nodded and handed him a dagger. "We'll fight back to back, agreed?"
Estel nodded and braced himself for the fight. Seconds later, the orcs were upon them swinging their blades and fists. It was hard for the prince to fight with the injuries to his arm and shoulders. He and the human fought back to back as they had agreed. Both knew it was almost pointless to actually fight the orcs, but they had to at least try to get away. If they were to die, they were going to take down as many enemies as they could.
A misplaced blow to an orc's shoulder found Legolas at a loss when the beast countered with a hit to his chest. Luckily, he was able to block most of the blade with his arm guards. The last of the strike cut across his chest, leaving a minor gash.
His human companion dodged two blades and dug his sword into the chest of an orc getting ready to attack him. Another orc attempted to clean Estel in half. Legolas stopped the attack unintentionally when an orc he had slain fell on top of the one attack Estel.
A searing pain shot through the human's back. Out of the corner of his eye, the elf saw the human go down. He knelt down and grabbed Estel's arm, still fighting off the orcs. It was difficult, but he managed to pull the boy out of the fight while still dodging and blocking the blades of his enemies.
"Wake up," whispered Legolas, "I can't do this for much longer." He had said this in the grey tongue as to keep the orcs from thinking he was tiring.
That was not the only thing that would have given it away. In fact, the orcs could see it in his movements. He had given up altogether on actually killing them. The prince would injure them when the opportunity arose. Sometimes, luck would serve him well and he could kill one.
"Estel! Legolas! Are you alive?"
He didn't bother to look up, "Elladan? Can I get a little help down here?" Legolas blocked one blade and took another in the side. It wasn't a deep cut, but it hurt a lot.
Elladan dropped down into the hole, his blade already drawn. Three orcs were dead within a minute. The eldest son of Elrond was attempting to fight his way towards the prince. He could see the Mirkwood elf starting to slow down.
Legolas dug his blade into an orc's chest, but it didn't come out again. He turned just in time to block an attempt to cut him in half. A second blow cut across his lower back. Elladan quickly rushed to his friend's aid, cutting down several orcs in his path.
"Don't move!" commanded an orc, causing the two to turn. He was holding the unconscious human against him, a knife to his throat.
"ESTEL!" cried the two in unison.
"Don't hurt him!" cried Legolas.
"If you do, I swear I'll kill every last one of you monsters!" threatened Elladan.
"You can't do anything at the moment," jeered the orc. The elves were bound by their wrists and pinned violently to the ground. "Take their weapons and separate them. Their escape attempts are getting pathetic and tedious."
