Legolas woke up slowly. His head pounding. He blinked a few times, trying
to focus, but it was too dark for even an elf to see his hand in front of
his face. For a moment he thought that perhaps he had gone blind. But soon
his eyes focused and he was able to see a little in the dark. He moved
around a bit only to realize that his hands were bound tightly behind his
back. He found a wall and used it to pull himself up to a sitting position.
He leaned against it to pull himself to his feet. He felt dizzy and
nauseated. He looked down and noticed his knives had been taken. And his
bow and quiver were no where to be found.
"Neithas." He whispered. "Neithas, are you here?" He stumbled around what he realized to be a room. 'Stumbling?' he thought. 'I have never stumbled before. Most unnatural.' His stumbling turned back into graceful walking after a few moments, but he still felt dizzy and nauseated. He walked until he kicked something in the middle of the room that grunted. He knelt down.
"Neithas." He whispered to the elf, but received no reply. Assuming he was still unconscious, Legolas sat down next to his friend. He looked around the room and noticed that they were completely surrounded by stone walls with no windows. 'A stone prison. No nature. I cannot hear the whisper of the trees nor can I look at the stars for comfort or guidance.' Thought Legolas. 'This is no place for wood elves.'
Legolas looked down when he heard a stir next to him. Neithas moaned softly. His head was spinning and throbbed with pain.
"Neithas." He whispered as he bent down next to the figure.
"My. . .Lord?" answered Neithas. "Are you here, my Lord?"
"I am here, Neithas. Are your hands tied? Can you sit up?"
"Yes, my hands are tied. I think I can sit up." Neithas pulled himself to a sitting position next to Legolas.
"Are you well, Neithas?" asked Legolas.
"Yes my. . ."
"Just Legolas, Neithas. You know not to call me your Lord. I am your friend."
"Yes, I just, forget sometimes." Legolas smiled. He helped Neithas to his feet while standing up himself.
"Do you know where we are, Legolas?" asked Neithas as he looked around the room after his head stopped spinning.
"No. I'm afraid I don't."
"Why are we here? I don't understand. We have committed no crimes. And men are very much aware that the magic elves use is not for evil deeds."
"We are not here because we committed crimes of any sort, Neithas."
"Then why are we here?"
"They hate us."
"Hate us? Why? What have we done?"
"I don't know, Neithas. But when I looked into Beldor's eyes, all I saw was hate. It controls him. It controls all of them. What events or reasons that have led to their hate for elves I cannot say. But I can say that they do hate us."
"Legolas, do you believe they will...kill us?"
"I don't know. I don't have all the answers." Neithas felt his heart sink as fear took over him again. Legolas was also filled with fear, but knew he had to be strong for Neithas. Neithas was a few years younger than he and knew he would probably start to loose hope soon. After all, no one knew where they were. Legolas eyed the room carefully. His nausea and dizziness finally leaving him. He searched the room for any possible escape and became frustrated when he found nothing.
After a while they heard a door opening. They looked over to see a light forming in the darkness. The light stopped at their door and they could see figures standing next to it.
"The prisoners are awake, My Lord." Said the one holding the light. The man was slightly smaller than the other, both in height and weight.
"Thank you, Feldim. Open the door." Neithas recognized the voice as Beldor. He looked at Legolas who remained staring at the figures darkly. Beldor walked into the dark room with Feldim behind him, bringing light into the dark room.
"I'm glad to see you two finally awake." Said Beldor. The two elves silently stared at him. He came closer to them, smiling evilly at them. The kind of smile that cut into their very souls and sent shivers up their spines. Without warning, Beldor drew up his hand and back- handed Neithas across the face, sending the unexpected elf to the ground. It took all of Legolas' strength to keep himself from attacking Beldor, but knowing it would do them no good, he refrained himself. Beldor bent down and punched Neithas in the face and then once more. Neithas struggled with the man, but could not move.
"Enough!" cried Legolas. "That's enough!" Beldor bent back, with his fist landing in Legolas' gut. Legolas doubled over and received another blow to his back. He fell to the ground on his already hurting stomach. Then sat up to his knees. He coughed, trying to catch his breath after having the wind knocked out of him.
"You will do well to keep your mouth shut, elf!" yelled Beldor.
"And you will do well to show him respect." Said Neithas from the ground, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. Legolas hoped that Neithas would not say what he thought he was going to say. "For he is Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood." Legolas flinched at the mention of him being a prince. He put himself into the man's mind. Bringing so called justice to an elven prince would have far more worth than bringing justice to a normal elf. He felt Beldor's cold eyes on him and looked up to see them gleaming with delight. "A prince is he? Look here, Feldim. We have an elven prince. Imagine the fun we could have with him." Said Beldor, another evil smile forming on his lips. Neithas closed his eyes and mentally cursed himself, realizing the mistake that he made.
"Yes, my Lord. We could have great fun with a prince." Feldim moved closer to Legolas, running his dirty hand through the elf's long blond hair. Legolas jerked his head back away from the man's hand, earning him a smack across the face from Beldor. Legolas could taste the salty blood that ran into his mouth from the cut on his lip. Neithas gave Legolas an apologetic look. Legolas looked at him, their eyes meeting. The look that Neithas received let him know that Legolas was not angry with him and that he was forgiven for his mistake.
"Behave, my prince." Said Beldor coldly.
"If I may be so bold, what are your intentions? What is it that you plan to do with us? Kill us?" asked Legolas. Beldor leaned in so close that Legolas could feel his icy, rancid breath on his neck. The stench of his breath almost made Legolas sick as did the sight of the man's dark yellow teeth.
"No, my dear prince. We do not plan to kill you. Although you will probably beg for death before the end."
"Then what are you going to do with us?"
"You will find out soon enough." Beldor got up and turned to Feldim. "Bring them."
"Yes, my Lord." Said Feldim. The man pulled the two elves up on to their feet. He pushed them in the direction that Beldor went.
"Neithas." He whispered. "Neithas, are you here?" He stumbled around what he realized to be a room. 'Stumbling?' he thought. 'I have never stumbled before. Most unnatural.' His stumbling turned back into graceful walking after a few moments, but he still felt dizzy and nauseated. He walked until he kicked something in the middle of the room that grunted. He knelt down.
"Neithas." He whispered to the elf, but received no reply. Assuming he was still unconscious, Legolas sat down next to his friend. He looked around the room and noticed that they were completely surrounded by stone walls with no windows. 'A stone prison. No nature. I cannot hear the whisper of the trees nor can I look at the stars for comfort or guidance.' Thought Legolas. 'This is no place for wood elves.'
Legolas looked down when he heard a stir next to him. Neithas moaned softly. His head was spinning and throbbed with pain.
"Neithas." He whispered as he bent down next to the figure.
"My. . .Lord?" answered Neithas. "Are you here, my Lord?"
"I am here, Neithas. Are your hands tied? Can you sit up?"
"Yes, my hands are tied. I think I can sit up." Neithas pulled himself to a sitting position next to Legolas.
"Are you well, Neithas?" asked Legolas.
"Yes my. . ."
"Just Legolas, Neithas. You know not to call me your Lord. I am your friend."
"Yes, I just, forget sometimes." Legolas smiled. He helped Neithas to his feet while standing up himself.
"Do you know where we are, Legolas?" asked Neithas as he looked around the room after his head stopped spinning.
"No. I'm afraid I don't."
"Why are we here? I don't understand. We have committed no crimes. And men are very much aware that the magic elves use is not for evil deeds."
"We are not here because we committed crimes of any sort, Neithas."
"Then why are we here?"
"They hate us."
"Hate us? Why? What have we done?"
"I don't know, Neithas. But when I looked into Beldor's eyes, all I saw was hate. It controls him. It controls all of them. What events or reasons that have led to their hate for elves I cannot say. But I can say that they do hate us."
"Legolas, do you believe they will...kill us?"
"I don't know. I don't have all the answers." Neithas felt his heart sink as fear took over him again. Legolas was also filled with fear, but knew he had to be strong for Neithas. Neithas was a few years younger than he and knew he would probably start to loose hope soon. After all, no one knew where they were. Legolas eyed the room carefully. His nausea and dizziness finally leaving him. He searched the room for any possible escape and became frustrated when he found nothing.
After a while they heard a door opening. They looked over to see a light forming in the darkness. The light stopped at their door and they could see figures standing next to it.
"The prisoners are awake, My Lord." Said the one holding the light. The man was slightly smaller than the other, both in height and weight.
"Thank you, Feldim. Open the door." Neithas recognized the voice as Beldor. He looked at Legolas who remained staring at the figures darkly. Beldor walked into the dark room with Feldim behind him, bringing light into the dark room.
"I'm glad to see you two finally awake." Said Beldor. The two elves silently stared at him. He came closer to them, smiling evilly at them. The kind of smile that cut into their very souls and sent shivers up their spines. Without warning, Beldor drew up his hand and back- handed Neithas across the face, sending the unexpected elf to the ground. It took all of Legolas' strength to keep himself from attacking Beldor, but knowing it would do them no good, he refrained himself. Beldor bent down and punched Neithas in the face and then once more. Neithas struggled with the man, but could not move.
"Enough!" cried Legolas. "That's enough!" Beldor bent back, with his fist landing in Legolas' gut. Legolas doubled over and received another blow to his back. He fell to the ground on his already hurting stomach. Then sat up to his knees. He coughed, trying to catch his breath after having the wind knocked out of him.
"You will do well to keep your mouth shut, elf!" yelled Beldor.
"And you will do well to show him respect." Said Neithas from the ground, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. Legolas hoped that Neithas would not say what he thought he was going to say. "For he is Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood." Legolas flinched at the mention of him being a prince. He put himself into the man's mind. Bringing so called justice to an elven prince would have far more worth than bringing justice to a normal elf. He felt Beldor's cold eyes on him and looked up to see them gleaming with delight. "A prince is he? Look here, Feldim. We have an elven prince. Imagine the fun we could have with him." Said Beldor, another evil smile forming on his lips. Neithas closed his eyes and mentally cursed himself, realizing the mistake that he made.
"Yes, my Lord. We could have great fun with a prince." Feldim moved closer to Legolas, running his dirty hand through the elf's long blond hair. Legolas jerked his head back away from the man's hand, earning him a smack across the face from Beldor. Legolas could taste the salty blood that ran into his mouth from the cut on his lip. Neithas gave Legolas an apologetic look. Legolas looked at him, their eyes meeting. The look that Neithas received let him know that Legolas was not angry with him and that he was forgiven for his mistake.
"Behave, my prince." Said Beldor coldly.
"If I may be so bold, what are your intentions? What is it that you plan to do with us? Kill us?" asked Legolas. Beldor leaned in so close that Legolas could feel his icy, rancid breath on his neck. The stench of his breath almost made Legolas sick as did the sight of the man's dark yellow teeth.
"No, my dear prince. We do not plan to kill you. Although you will probably beg for death before the end."
"Then what are you going to do with us?"
"You will find out soon enough." Beldor got up and turned to Feldim. "Bring them."
"Yes, my Lord." Said Feldim. The man pulled the two elves up on to their feet. He pushed them in the direction that Beldor went.