It had been four days since Legolas and Neithas were captured. Every day,
they received more "lessons" from the men. On the second day, men brought a
wreath of thorns and needles to place around Legolas' head. "A crown for
the prince," they told him. They had pushed the needles painfully deep into
his head, causing blood to run down his face. They would put the painful
crown on his head for each beating. Each day the beatings were harder and
longer than the one before.
Legolas was barely able to open his eyes on the fourth day. Some of the men had just decided to use their fists instead of instruments to beat them and his face was badly bruised and bloody. He opened his eyes to only see blurry visions of everything he was, by now, used to waking up to. He did his best to pull himself into a sitting position. But all his effort only resorted in him falling back to the ground in pain. The burns on his side and the lashes on his back and chest were turning black. And he was certain he had broken a few ribs. Neithas woke up next to him.
"What's the use, Legolas? We're never going to get out of here. We'll be dead before anyone finds us." Whispered Neithas. He was no more better than Legolas, only they had spared him the use of the hot pokers, but his wrist was broken after having his feet kicked out from underneath him and was caught harshly in the iron cuffs. It was deformed and swollen. "Hope, Neithas. Do not lose hope."
"There is no hope, Legolas. Why can't you see that?"
"Because I have not lost my hope." Legolas closed his eyes as he desperately drifted into a dream. He dreamt of home. Riding horses with friends, talking to the trees and animals, and his father. Playing with his father when he was an elfling, hunting with him, and talking to him. The memories that had been hidden in the dark while they were being beaten were now playing in his mind and they let him forget about the pain and he could sleep peacefully.
Celeborn, Thranduil, Mufias, and several Lothlorien warriors followed Rairnol and Trilith to the brook where their masters once stood. Immediately, the three elven lords jumped off their horses to examine the area. The grass had been trampled by many horses. Celeborn turned to Trilith.
"Is this where you lost your masters?" he asked the horse in elvish. Trilith nodded vigorously. The elf lord nodded to the horse before turning to Thranduil and Mufias.
"Orcs do not ride horses. They must have been taken by men." He told them.
"The Verdihir?" asked Thranduil.
"Yes. But we will get to them. They dwell in the Caves of Thurr."
"Then we must go there. Quickly." Said Mufias.
"The Caves of Thurr are very difficult to travel through. It is naught but a riddle of stone mazes with very few possibilities of escape if we are greatly outnumbered." Said Celeborn.
"We must find them. You told me they torture elves. They are torturing our sons. We have to help them, Lord Celeborn. Their lives depend on it." Said Thranduil. Celeborn looked deep into the eyes of Thranduil and Mufias. And in them he saw determination, hope, worry, and love for their sons.
"Very well. Cada!" yelled Celeborn. Cada jumped off his horse and ran to the elven lords. He bowed before them.
"Yes, my Lord?" he asked Celeborn.
"The Caves of Thurr. You have been there and you will lead us there." asked Celeborn. The elf closed his eyes and nodded.
"Yes, my Lord. They are not too far from here, actually."
"How is it that you know where they are?" asked Mufias.
"Because, my Lord. I was once taken by the men. But I was able to escape through an opening in the cell where they kept me." Said Cada.
"So it was you who was taken. Can you find the entrance into the caves?" asked Thranduil.
"Yes. I know where the opening is. But I must tell you; it is a dark labyrinth that will be infested with men. It will not be easy to get them out." Said Cada.
"We will try nonetheless." Said Mufias. Cada nodded and hopped back on his horse. Celeborn, Thranduil, and Mufias also returned to their seated positions atop their horses.
"Lead the way, Cada." Said Celeborn. The elf nodded before starting off into the forest. The other elves following quickly behind him.
Legolas was barely able to open his eyes on the fourth day. Some of the men had just decided to use their fists instead of instruments to beat them and his face was badly bruised and bloody. He opened his eyes to only see blurry visions of everything he was, by now, used to waking up to. He did his best to pull himself into a sitting position. But all his effort only resorted in him falling back to the ground in pain. The burns on his side and the lashes on his back and chest were turning black. And he was certain he had broken a few ribs. Neithas woke up next to him.
"What's the use, Legolas? We're never going to get out of here. We'll be dead before anyone finds us." Whispered Neithas. He was no more better than Legolas, only they had spared him the use of the hot pokers, but his wrist was broken after having his feet kicked out from underneath him and was caught harshly in the iron cuffs. It was deformed and swollen. "Hope, Neithas. Do not lose hope."
"There is no hope, Legolas. Why can't you see that?"
"Because I have not lost my hope." Legolas closed his eyes as he desperately drifted into a dream. He dreamt of home. Riding horses with friends, talking to the trees and animals, and his father. Playing with his father when he was an elfling, hunting with him, and talking to him. The memories that had been hidden in the dark while they were being beaten were now playing in his mind and they let him forget about the pain and he could sleep peacefully.
Celeborn, Thranduil, Mufias, and several Lothlorien warriors followed Rairnol and Trilith to the brook where their masters once stood. Immediately, the three elven lords jumped off their horses to examine the area. The grass had been trampled by many horses. Celeborn turned to Trilith.
"Is this where you lost your masters?" he asked the horse in elvish. Trilith nodded vigorously. The elf lord nodded to the horse before turning to Thranduil and Mufias.
"Orcs do not ride horses. They must have been taken by men." He told them.
"The Verdihir?" asked Thranduil.
"Yes. But we will get to them. They dwell in the Caves of Thurr."
"Then we must go there. Quickly." Said Mufias.
"The Caves of Thurr are very difficult to travel through. It is naught but a riddle of stone mazes with very few possibilities of escape if we are greatly outnumbered." Said Celeborn.
"We must find them. You told me they torture elves. They are torturing our sons. We have to help them, Lord Celeborn. Their lives depend on it." Said Thranduil. Celeborn looked deep into the eyes of Thranduil and Mufias. And in them he saw determination, hope, worry, and love for their sons.
"Very well. Cada!" yelled Celeborn. Cada jumped off his horse and ran to the elven lords. He bowed before them.
"Yes, my Lord?" he asked Celeborn.
"The Caves of Thurr. You have been there and you will lead us there." asked Celeborn. The elf closed his eyes and nodded.
"Yes, my Lord. They are not too far from here, actually."
"How is it that you know where they are?" asked Mufias.
"Because, my Lord. I was once taken by the men. But I was able to escape through an opening in the cell where they kept me." Said Cada.
"So it was you who was taken. Can you find the entrance into the caves?" asked Thranduil.
"Yes. I know where the opening is. But I must tell you; it is a dark labyrinth that will be infested with men. It will not be easy to get them out." Said Cada.
"We will try nonetheless." Said Mufias. Cada nodded and hopped back on his horse. Celeborn, Thranduil, and Mufias also returned to their seated positions atop their horses.
"Lead the way, Cada." Said Celeborn. The elf nodded before starting off into the forest. The other elves following quickly behind him.