I'm quite happy with this story, the way it's turning out! ^_^ Ah joy!!! I'm sorry for the shortness of the last chapter; I wanted to give you another chapter. Yeah, it was just a gap filler... I'm looking now, not sure how many chapters are left but trust me, the end will be good... =) *pats Angst Muse on head* You wonderful little thing...
Deana; Owie yes indeedy! Y'know, my cure for everything is Lemsip, maybe we should give Leggy that... gotta headache? Have Lemsip! Gotta cold? Have Lemsip! Gotta bad throat? Have Lemsip!!! Right, I'm gonna stop before I sound like an advert... =P
Gwyn; ^.^ Sorry about the shortness! Thanks for reviewing!
XM6; Oops! ^_^' Sorry!!! Hope you can hear that; make sure you take your earplugs out!!! ^_^
elfmage; You ask a lot of questions, don't you? ^_^ LOL! All will be answered in time... Ooh, lembas and miruvor!!! My faves!!! ^_^ You are a very nice person! *munches happily on the lembas as I continue chapter...*
randomramblings; Lol, yup, I'm a blackmailer!!! =) Thanks!
Razeer; Thank you very much!!!
Darcy Took; YOU!!! UPDATE FORGIVE AND FORGET NOW!!! *ahem* Sorry about that but I really, really, really want you to update it!!! ^_^ Thanks for the review!
Sirithiliel; Thank you very much!!!
Anarya; Something up with my huggles?!?! ^.^ Obviously... Lol, I'm only kidding you!!! Thanks for reviewing!!!
Alida-Fruit; Ah, speaking of young Mr Faramir... actually, I won't give that away... don't think he's just made a quick appearance and that will be it... oh no... =) Thanks!
lotrjunkie19; Thanks!
The joyous pumpkin; Wow, that is a compliment! Ulgh, I know what you mean- Homework is what teachers have introduced to torture us after corporal punishment was banned...
Well, you all seem to have thought the previous chapter was to build up suspense... now let's see what our poor dears are up to now, hmmm? **WARNING** Slight torture ahead! It's not much though... it could be worse... hey, there's an idea! *scribbles down "do worse torture" on ideas page* =)
.:Chapter 12:.
He just reached the top of the hill when all of a sudden, Brego whinnied loudly and bucked. Aragorn, unable to keep his grip on the rearing horse, slipped from the saddle and fell with a thud onto the floor.
"Brego!" he cried, jumping up. He ran around to face the panicking steed, taking hold of the reins and trying to calm it with soothing words. "Tampa... dina mellonamin, dina..." [Stop... silence my friend, silence...]
Brego gradually stopped kicking and quieted. Aragorn stroked the soft black mane. "You stay here," he told the horse. Brego obeyed, remaining in the same spot as the King approached the mouth of the cave.
Haunting memories of the Paths of the Dead returned to him. There was naught but bare rock around; it was what was inside that terrified him. It almost felt like the ominous darkness was coming from the deep inside of the cavern was silently stalking out to him, stopping him from entering, his heart frozen with fear.
Aragorn shook his head. "No, go in, for Arwen... for the baby."
He inhaled sharply before disappearing into the darkness...
~*~*~*~
The caverns were tall, great natural columns of stone rising up to touch the lofty ceiling. The torches burned on their wooden stakes in the black metal holders on the walls, the only source of light.
Arwen sat there, alone in the dark, with only her Orc guard for company. The others had left a short while ago; why, she did not know. She glanced again at her guard. It was a huge beast, bigger than the rest of its kind, with leering yellow eyes and sharp rotten teeth. He kept turning to face her at intervals, and each time he spied her fearful face, he grinned viciously, delighting in it.
But she was not alone. The baby kicked again, reminding her that it was there. A lonely tear ran down her cheek and landed on her dress, a little way from where the infant had moved.
"I won't let him get you my sweet. I promise," she thought silently...
~*~*~*~
"What's that ahead?" asked Gimli. Legolas looked forward, and groaned.
"That, Gimli, is Brego... alone," the Elf told him. Gimli sighed as well.
"So we're too late?" he asked. Legolas shook his head.
"No, not yet. I know that at the moment, although he is in a place of danger, Aragorn is alright. We're not giving up yet."
With that, Arod burst into an even faster gallop. They didn't have much time, and they were already running out of it...
~*~*~*~
The Orcs watched Aragorn enter from their hiding places. Many had their arrows trained on him, the bow strings taught. Their leader, however, stopped them.
"Not yet," he hissed.
Aragorn took a few more tentative steps. He didn't like this place at all. It was far too quiet...
Whoosh!
Aragorn dropped to the ground as a black arrow whizzed past his head, barely missing him. Another three stuck into the ground next to him, and he rolled out of the way just in time to avoid being impaled.
Leaping up, he drew Andúril from its sheath and parried, deflecting some more arrows. And then they came.
Swarms of Orcs flocked down from the high walls and murky shadows. Aragorn could do nothing but look on in terror as they came straight for him.
He relieved one of the weight of its head first; the released appendage rolling across the floor. Swinging his sword, he killed two more, before driving the weapon into the barrel chest of another.
There were too many for him though. As he plunged his sword into the gut of another hideous Mordor inhabitant, one grabbed him from behind, placing a burly arm around his neck, choking him slightly. His right arm, still holding the re-forged sword, was bent behind his back, the painful twisting caused him to drop the weapon. He struggled hard against the capturers as they roughly tied his hands behind his back with a thick coarse rope, but to no avail.
He was pushed roughly to his knees to the floor, and before he knew it, one particularly mean Orc pushed its way through the crowd and launched a fierce kick in his face. Aragorn cried out as he hit the floor hard, the taste of warm coppery blood filling his mouth. Another swift kick caught him in the stomach, and he curled up in pain.
"This is it..." he thought. Orcs did not usually take prisoners; it was usually a case of escape or die.
"Stop!" called a voice. The Orc halted his activities. Aragorn opened his eyes blearily to see a tall, gaunt man standing over him. Even though this stranger had called an end to the beating, he had a nasty feeling inside that this man wasn't a friend...
The new arrival laughed; a chillingly soft laugh, barely audible. His eyes flashed darkly and dangerously as he stared at his prisoner.
"So, the great King Elessar, captured by Orcs in a Mordorian cave. How very tragic," He stepped closer to Aragorn, gripping the King's hair and yanking his head up to stare deeply in his eyes. He frowned. "A strong spirit I see... that won't help you now, Aragorn, son of Arathorn..."
Aragorn's eyes widened. How did this person know who he was?!
The man laughed again. "I know much about you. Now, if you don't mind..."
Aragorn felt himself slipping away as a hard object hit him on the back of the head. The last thing he saw was his captor grinning evilly.
"...you shall be joining us, whether by your will or not..."
~*~*~*~
Legolas' head snapped up suddenly. Now he knew there was something wrong.
Gimli noticed this. "Legolas, are you alright? Your stomach's not hurting again, is it?"
Legolas shook his head. "No, no I'm fine..." He turned slightly on the horse's back, and the Dwarf saw that his friend's eyes were wide with fear.
"It's Aragorn..."
~*~*~*~
As two Orcs dragged the unconscious King less than gently down the second passageway, the man turned to the rest of his legion of Orcs.
"Head for Minas Tirith. Take it from the inside..."
~*~*~*~
Ack, Aragorn! =( I feel quite evil for writing that now! My poor little Ranger...
ARAGORN: You made the decision. Don't try to cover it up...
=S Aragorn. How could you accuse me of that?!
ARAGORN: You really don't make it that hard Star...
=P Who cares what you think, Ranger Boy?! I care about what the reviewers think though... tell me through a review! ^_^
ARAGORN: Ahem... I happen to be a King Boy now... get it right...
Shut up...
