Thanks to all of you for R&R!
Part Three cont.
Come Find Me!
Past...
The elf looked back and forth, from orc to ranger. The human was dying and he knew it. The prince was not so broken he had no emotion left, his heart was bleeding for the mortal about to taste his hereditary fate. He wanted to help, yet he was to scared of the orcs. The orcs scowled and mocked the elf that stood with frustration between them and the ranger. Legolas's blue eyes flashed. He felt an old fire that had been slumbering awaken. He did not know this human, but he was going to help.
The elf went to the human and bent down by him. He shifted the man's hair away from his pale face with a gentle touch. His hand brushed against the human's brow and felt the fire of a growing fever. He felt the ranger's breath hitch as the poison began to effect his lungs and breathing. Legolas did not know what to do. "Where are you hurt human?" he whispered so soft the ranger could barely hear it.
Aragorn hissed as a bolt of pain went through his body. "I was stabbed in the back Legolas."
The prince furrowed his brow in confusion. Legolas? The name was familiar and yet not so. Ignoring the name, he whispered gently, "Human, you are going to have to lay still on your chest or else I cannot see the wound." Legolas felt something pull in his stomach and a tickle in the back of his throat. He felt something warm come out of the corner of his mouth and he drew his hand across it, wiping away a thin river of blood. The elf prince helped to ease the ranger over and then he saw the wound. It was small, barely bleeding, yet the wound was turning deadly. It had a toxin in it.
The elf knew it and sighed with frustration. He could not remember what to do for it. The orc blade had pierced clean through the cloak and tunic, ripping those apart. Swallowing more of his own blood, the prince listened to the orcs leaving the two alone. He waited until they were gone before looking back to the human.
"Legolas...?" breathed the injured man with a cough. The blonde elf looked at the mortal.
"What edain?" (what human?) Legolas did not know why the human continued to call him that name. The man's body heaved as another shock wave of pain went through him. Legolas had an idea. The orcs had actually given him clean water for a time, to bring back his vigor so he could be a more useful slave. Going over to the corner of his cell, the prince had saved some of the water, for fear it may quit coming and he would go thirsty. He had it in an old barrel he had fond in his prison and cupping his hands, the elf dipped out a handful of water. His heaving manacles clinked on the stone as the prince shuffled over to where the dying man lay. Maybe if he could flush the poison out of the ranger's system he would only get sick, not die.
Putting his hands to the human's lips he said gingerly, "drink it." Aragorn looked at the elf with a look that clearly said he thought the immortal was insane. The man's eyes sparkled with old memories of what their friend ship had once been.
"Are you kidding? How do I know where its been? We are in an orc pit!" croaked the man.
Something about the stubbornness of the mortal made Legolas's mind pull at old thoughts that he did not recollect. The elf smiled a knowing smile. "it is clean. I swear it edain." He pushed his slender cupped hands to the human's parched lips, indicating the ranger to take a sip. Legolas shrugged and out it to his own lips and drank some. "See? I have been living off it now for a long time." He put it to the man's mouth again.
Aragorn took a small sip. The water tasted clean enough. He drew a long drought and drained the prince's hands. Legolas smiled a smile of victory. He rose and went back to the barrel, getting more water, he shuffled back to the ranger. Aragorn continued to drink the water down, until he felt quite full with it.
The man's head was clearing and he felt better. The elf frowned and fell over, clutching at his stomach. It hurt. Some more blood trickled out of the elf's mouth. Aragorn was alarmed. He summoned all the strength he could and crawled over the elf.
Aragorn instantly recognized the effects of starvation, Legolas's body was shutting itself down, and he was starving to death. Aragorn reached his hand into his pockets and pulled out a strip of jerky venison, he went tot he elf and struggled to get his arm beneath the fair being's head to prop the elf up. Legolas looked at Aragorn and tried to squirm away; realizing with alarm he was too weak to get out of the human's grasp. Aragorn scowled and thought glumly, 'well, he is still as mule headed as ever.' He handed the meat to the elf.
Legolas looked repulsed. "Where did this come from?...It wasn't from them...was it?" He meant the orcs. If they had killed it, he would not eat it. He did not trust them not to feed him the flesh of a foul beast or a person.
"It is from Rivendell Legolas, now eat." Legolas's face went dark.
"I am not Legolas! I am nothing! I am theirs!" The blonde elf struggled to get up. He did not like what he was feeling. Memories were tugging at his mind, making the life he knew now seem so miserable he wanted to die. They reminded him of the life he left behind.
"No. You are Legolas Greenleaf, my friend! Don't you know me?" Aragorn was still weak from his wound and could not hold the prince for long and Legolas tore away.
"Aragorn stop it!" he yelled at the human in fear. "Leave me alone!" Suddenly Legolas halted and passed a weary hand over his brow. Aragorn?
The ranger's jaw had dropped. Legolas had said his name. Was he remembering? He stared at the elf that was looking confused and sick. Legolas looked at the ranger and suddenly fell to he ground and lay still. Aragorn went as quickly as possible to the seemingly dead elf's side and rolled the prince over. Legolas's face was white as newly fallen snow, yet he was not dead. Aragorn could feel the elf's ragged breath on his hand. He slide his arm beneath the prince and brushed some of his loose blonde hair away from his eyes. Legolas's eyes suddenly fluttered open.
They shone bright blue and with a new fire. Aragorn smiled and looked at his friend. Legolas looked dumbly up at the ranger and he furrowed his brow. Where were they? What was going on? He saw hot tears in the ranger's eyes and stared into the gray pools. "Estel?' asked the elf groggily. His eyes swirled as he looked around. "How long have I been sleeping?"
Aragorn nearly laughed with relief at his friend's old voice, unafraid and stronger. "Sleeping?"
"Yes." Legolas winced and shut his eyes then opened them with a snap. "Why are you crying?" He reached his hand up and brushed away the ranger's hot tears.
"It seems like ages my friend." Legolas was truly puzzled now. Aragorn smiled and replied, "don't you remember Legolas?"
"No." That was to be expected of course, although the ranger could never have prepared himself for it.
Aragorn sighed. "I thought I had lost you mellon nin." Then the ranger's face darkened as he realized that he could loose the elf prince again. The man from Harad-the slave driver. He shuddered. Did Legolas know? He looked at the elf with a look of intense sorrow. What were they going to do to the prince, his closest friend?
Legolas tried to get up and winced. His back raged with a fire that streamed from the lashes he had received. For the first time since his 'return', the prince realized he was shirtless and had been beaten and starved. His breath hitched and he sat up to cough. More blood came forth. Aragorn eased Legolas back down and held out the piece of jerky to the prince. Legolas did not feel hungry. He shook his head in protest. Aragorn rolled his eyes. "Legolas, you will starve to death if you don't eat something," said the man, his voice thick with concern.
"I could not handle it anyway mellon nin," responded the obstinate elf. Aragorn felt a pang of joy go through him. The elf had not called him that for a long while. Still, their situation was grave.
"Legolas you must eat," persisted the ranger. His gray eyes became like set steel.
"No. You eat it."
"Legolas-"
"Strider, I will not let you starve for me." Legolas knew that was exactly what the human would do. All his memories were flooding back and he laughed as he recalled times the ranger had been as obstinate as he was being now.
"I may not starve if we can get out of here quick enough. But we cannot very well go anyplace with you on the verge of death!" snorted the ranger. "If you don't eat you will be too weak to escape!" The man's voice sank into a whisper. "And you don't have much time."
Legolas's sharp elven ears picked up the last uttering and he gazed in shock at the ranger. Aragorn regretted what he had said. "What did you say?" asked the elf in a voice that echoed the dread he felt inside.
"It's nothing," lied the man. "Now eat." Aragorn handed the meat to the elf.
Legolas looked the meat over, carefully inspecting it. Satisfied, he bit into it, tearing off a chunk. Aragorn smiled and relaxed. Legolas chewed thoughtfully and then stared at the ranger. Aragorn turned his eyes away. He had just lied to his friend. He could never look in his friend's big blue eyes again. "You are lying."
Aragorn did not reply. He felt hot tears in his eyes. How could he explain to his friend that he was in for a lifetime of slavery; an eternity, since he was an elf? It was impossible. "Eat Legolas."
Legolas sat up and got roughly to his feet. "What are you keeping from me?" He did not know or understand.
"Legolas...a Haradrim man came to ...to take you to Mordor," the ranger choked out the words as though they burned his tongue and left a repulsive taste in his mouth.
"What?" gasped the prince. His face contorted with a twinge of fear.
"The orcs are selling you to Sauron." Aragorn would never forgive himself for saying this to his best friend. He felt his heart break. He knew what the orcs of Mordor did the elves. They were crueler to them than any in Middle Earth. Legolas knew this and the ranger knew he must be mortally terrified.
Legolas felt his breath accelerate and he reeled against the bars of his prison. The elf gripped them. He felt weak and fear clutched at his immortal soul. The food slid from his hand and fell to the floor. Golden hair cascaded into the elf's face to hide his paling features. He rested his head against the cool iron bars and closed his eyes with horror. He could not believe what was happening. Aragorn rose and placed a trembling hand on Legolas's shoulder, trying to comfort the elf.
"I won't let them hurt you Legolas-not again." Legolas wanted to sob, but they had not got him yet. He would be strong. "I will free you before you reach Mordor mellon nin." Aragorn felt his blood pressure rising as he felt anger stirring in his heart. He was not going to leave the prince at the mercy of evil beings again. His will was set and by death alone could it falter.
"No Aragorn, you can't!" said Legolas firmly.
"Yes I can and will," responded the ranger aggressively.
"No, you do not understand," persisted the elf prince. "It is impossible. You will only endanger yourself and in vain. If they think my rescue is near, they will kill me rather than allow me to escape," said the elf sadly. He suddenly thought that death even seemed welcoming.
"Mellon nin, how long have you known me?" asked the human.
Legolas looked at him. "Years."
"Then you know I will never break a promise, I promised you I would get you free, and I will. But it is your role to believe." Legolas shook his head sorrowfully. He knew it was impossible. But if it would help his friend to cope with it by believing that he could be freed, Legolas would do it for Aragorn's sake.
Aragorn had an idea. He had to make the prince's spirits rise, elves could die of a broken heart-or a weary one. Pushing all thoughts of death out of his mind, the ranger searched his memory; for tales of their life as friends before this horrible twist of fate. He recalled many, but they were not that interesting. Then he remembered the time that he and Legolas had fallen out of a tree because Elrohir had thrown an apple at him when they raiding orchard of Thranduil's around the back of the palace in the gardens. The apple had struck the elf prince in the face and he had fallen headfirst into the water lily pond and come up spluttering with a water lily on his head. At the time, it had been bad, because Legolas had gotten in big trouble along with Elrohir, he also had wounded his elven pride. The ranger still could not help but laugh. Legolas turned a fierce gaze on him. "What is so funny about this?"
The man caught himself and said between chuckles. "I'm sorry Legolas...I was just remembering old times." The human shook his head and looked into Legolas's eyes. "Do you recall the apple that-"
"Hit me square in the face?" Legolas rolled his eyes and laughed softly to himself. He would never forget and he still had yet to get his retribution on Elrohir. He had forever to think of something perfectly horrible to put the elf through. Aragorn laughed even harder, he was glad, Legolas was forgetting his troubles.
Aragorn winced as he saw the prince shiver. Elves never got cold and this was a disturbing sign. The ranger took his cloak and unclasped it. He draped it gently over Legolas's shoulders. Legolas pulled the warming material around him and looked at Aragorn with gratitude reflecting on his face. "Thank you my friend." Aragorn nodded.
Legolas's face suddenly lit up. "Do you recall the time that you went ballistic because you saw a dead spider in your boot?"
"Yes, and I still have my suspicions on how exactly it got there!" He gave the prince an accusing look. Legolas just grinned like a fool. Aragorn made like he was going to punch the elf in the arm and quit half way. Legolas pretended to be terrified, all though that did not take much skill at acting since he really was fearing the future. Feeling suddenly weak, the elf slid down to the ground. He banged his head back against the iron bars and winced. Aragorn sank down beside his friend. He was worried. At this rate, Legolas would never survive a trip to Mordor if he was driven like a dog.
"Legolas, you need to rest. I bet you have not got a got sleep in a long time." Aragorn watched as Legolas lifted his head from its resting-place to say;
"Aragorn, you sound like Ada." The ranger rolled his eyes and sighed with relief when he saw the prince shut his. Although he had to admit that Legolas shutting his eyes should be a provoking thing as well. Presently Legolas's breathing evened out and his eyelids half lulled open, letting the ranger see a hint of the crystal blue beyond, as a sign of deep sleep.
Aragorn laid down on the stone of the cell, resting his head on his outstretched arm. He could not sleep. He kept thinking of Legolas and seeing his friend being driven like a dog. His wound throbbed and he still felt a more than a little nauseous from the poison he had received. What would happen to the elf? He had promised to save him, yet he felt a feeling of dread that he would fail the fair being. The ranger stared into the darkness beyond, waiting for sleep to fall upon him. Tomorrow would be a new day-or at least, he hoped it would.
Present...
Legolas opened his bleary eyes. A cold sweat chilled him as he remembered things from the past that now seemed so near to him-so very near. The former was now seeming to haunt him in the latter. Things that were so familiar to him were beginning to take over, old fears and identical yet reversed situations. He could hear gruff voices talking in whispers. Then he realized they were shouting.
He must have moaned in his dreaming slumber because Elrohir was shaking him gently. When the prince was looking at him, the twin held a finger to his lips. "Wha...what?" stuttered the prince in bewilderment.
"Shhhhhh..." hissed Elrohir desperately. "Listen." Elrohir went silent and Legolas realized that the orcs were arguing about what was to be done with the 'bloody elves'.
"That dark-haired ones got a busted leg! We can't keep something like that!" they heard one orc shriek. "What good is he!" Legolas looked at the Noldor twin to see what his expression was and found out his face was calculatingly dead of facial cast.
"We can use it against the human," suggested another. "I'll bet that would be fun for all," it purred with perverted pleasure.
"Aye, but what of the blonde one?" asked a jaded voice menacingly. Legolas could not help but shudder.
"Is that not the one that the human keeps talking about. Wasn't that the one that was supposedly killed?" growled the first.
"Yes...It would be interesting to see what would happen if the human saw him again wouldn't it?" said the second orc thoughtfully, if it is possible for orcs to be thoughtful.
"Very," hissed the first, "especially if he were in...shall we say rather...unpleasant circumstances." The second laughed a chilling laugh that sent thrills of panic into Legolas's heart. Elrohir put a comforting hand onto the elf prince's arm, as if to say, 'I'm here with you and it will all be okay.'
"What of the other, the busted one?" snorted the second, clearly meaning Elrohir.
There was a long silence that made both of the elves hearts go up into their throats. "Do yer want 'em?"
"Will he give good sport?" asked the second hopefully. Elrohir felt himself kick into a state of near panic. Legolas looked at him and saw the twin's face had paled slightly. Elrohir was remembering what had happened to his mother.
"It is likely. Do you not recall the other elves captured in the past? They may be more resilient, but that makes the show a little more interesting."
"Yah, they think they're so high 'n mighty but they figure out pretty quick where their place is," cackled the other creature. "I want 'em now!"
"Wait until we are finished with the blonde one, then you can torment the human as well while he watches the dark one suffer and after that you can play with what is left of Sunshine." Both of them cackled wildly, this was going to be a lovely morning.
Both of the elves made their faces expressionless as they saw the orcs coming to them out of the mists that announced morning was coming. The larger one came over and peered down at the captive firstborn. "Good morning my pretties! Did we have a nice sleep?"
Legolas could feel his breathing accelerating and tried to hold it in check. But, as his heart pumped quicker, it craved more oxygen. The orc heard the rapid breaths of both of the elves and grinned. Reaching down, he snarled his huge paw in the prince's golden tresses. "Come on Sunshine, time to play." Legolas stifled a moan.
Then, the elf prince then snarled, "don't touch me!" The orc just chuckled.
"Still fighting my love?" his voice was without mercy. "I'm sure your playmate can't wait to see you on this fine morning!"
Legolas's eyes were edged with a look of jaded ice and he snapped. "Drop me!"
"Later," said the creature.
Elrohir suddenly said, "leave us alone spawn of Sauron!"
The second orc glared down at the mouthy elf. "Do you want the fun to begin right now?" Elrohir's gaze remained defiantly cold. The beast bent down and grabbed Elrohir by the collar, yanking him up. The elf wheezed as his windpipe was constricted by the orc's massive grip on his throat. The creature released his hold on the raven-haired elf's collar, holding him up only by his neck. Taking his free hand he backhanded Elrohir, drawing blood from the right corner of the twin's mouth. Elrohir tried to breathe sharply, but the chokehold on his throat prevented it. The orc then smacked him openhanded across the face and backhanded him again, until blood ran from Elrond's Son's nose. The raven-haired being was craving oxygen that he could not have and the world was dimming. Elrohir tried to squirm out of the creature's grasp, but the lack of critical oxygen had weakened him and he found it near impossible.
Legolas saw the glassy look coming over his friend's eyes and screamed, "stop it! Leave him alone! Please!" Legolas hated begging from orcs, but it was his best friend's brother he was dealing with, not himself. The orc had dragged the prince to his feet and had a knife to his throat to control him. Legolas could feel the cold steel bite into him slightly.
"For everything you say, your little friend here will suffer more," he gestured to Elrohir with a twist of his head cast in the twin's direction. "And I will make sure you are alive to watch," whispered the beast into the blonde-haired elf's ear. Legolas jerked his head away sharply, much to the orc's delight. It grinned and began to lead the elf prince away, or more like drag him away. Legolas kicked, but it was hard with bound feet. The knife dug into his soft flesh beneath his chin and caused him to wince.
The orc that held Elrohir dropped the elf to the ground and said, "soon my little pretty you will know what the meaning of pain really is." He looked pointedly at Elrohir's broken leg that was lying at an odd angle. It was a weak point to fester for sure. Elrohir lay on the ground and didn't move. He was thinking of an escape plan. Even if he could not save himself, he would get Legolas and Aragorn out of there. "First you will get to hear the screams of Sunshine as Raksi deals with him," purred the orc happily. Elrohir was hardly listening; he was concentrating on their plan to freedom. The orc added one last remark that sent trills of ice down the raven-haired elf's spine. "You elves are not unbreakable you know."
TBC...He-he! Not a so evil cliffie huh? Yet a cliffie still. The cat (elf/ranger killer) came just as we were finishing it up! Muahahahahahahaha! He was too late! Foiled! Ouch-I (we) don't think he is too happy.
Elerrina Amanya Ack! What? We are not mischievous, are we? grins Who are you kidding? LOL The cat is actually male. He-he! He felt so insulted being called a female. LOL You want to kill him? Good luck! That is something the valar would have trouble doing! (because he's sooooooo cute and he's Celeb's baby even if he is an elfranger killer!)Yah, don't think any rescue will be coming from Elrohir. Hmmmmmm...
Deana Legolas is not dying! He's just...sleeping! Kind of...we guess. Don't ya just wanna cry? Poor wittle elfy! He deserves some hugs ((((()))))...getting off track here...hmmmmmmm...
Strider's Girl We totally object! We are not breaking him, are we? pokes unconscious ranger Oops! Aragorn isn't moving! grins passively He's sleeping too! But you don't want us to stop? Do you? Glad you like our sad short line! It means a lot when people tell us things like that! Thank you soooooo much! Oh-sorry, I (we) have to write past now and only a little present, but more present to come, I (we) promise!
Shadowed Flames Yah, he-he! Every body is gett'n caught by somebody! We are mean that way.
Joee 1 Yah, breaks are definitely too much for the prince to hope for LOL. Glad you liked the chapter.
Someone Reading He-he! But we must listen to the cat! Yah, everybody is getting it hard! Poor Glorfy! Poor everybody! Yes...the kitty does work for Sauron!