Hey everyone! Thanks so much for your awesome reviews! I love each and every one of them! (Including the 11 for chap 5 that ff.net ATE and never let me read, LOL! *whine*) Here's chap 7! It includes a little bit of twin angst! Not a whole lot, but some! (Wow, I actually hurt someone other than Legolas?) LOL ;)

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"What are they waiting for?" Elrohir whispered, watching the orcs.

Elladan looked at his brother. "You would ask such a question?! Do you wish for them to torture us?"

Elrohir shot an annoyed look back. Before he could say anything, Aragorn spoke.

"I understand what he means…why have we stopped? The rain cannot be the reason, for we will all be wet whether we walk on or not."

The three of them watched the orcs as they talked amongst themselves, before suddenly hearing a few of the voices become louder.

"They argue," said Elladan.

Elrohir groaned. "Over us!"

Suddenly an orc broke away from the group, walking over to them with a grin.

Aragorn and the twins said nothing, staring up at him defiantly.

"Elves," the orc said, menacingly.

Elladan heard his brother give another barely audible groan, knowing what was coming. Suddenly his hair was grabbed and pulled hard, making him gasp as he was roughly forced to his knees. He saw that the same was done to Elrohir, but before he could protest, he was suddenly backhanded across the face hard enough to send him to the ground.

Something landed on his back and a flash of anxiety shot through him, before he realized that it was his brother, who had been likewise struck.

"Stop it!" said Aragorn, trying to interfere, forgetting what he'd told the twins only a short time ago.

The orcs laughed and one of them pushed him, making Aragorn land on his back, on top of his tied hands.

Elladan and his brother braced themselves for the orcs' next action, which was to yank them up and backhand them on the other side. Before they had a chance to recover from the blows, the orcs again took them by the hair and dragged them through the mud.

"Did we get the elves all dirty?" one of the orcs sneered.

The other creatures laughed, and the twins found themselves released from their clutches.

"Are you all right?" they heard Aragorn ask, who'd crawled over to them.

Both twins nodded as they sat up.

"Well, we know who won the argument!" said Elrohir, wishing that his hands were untied so that he could rub his aching face. "I'm shocked that that's all they did to us."

Aragorn sighed. "It looks like they compromised. They didn't hurt you badly, they simply toyed with you."

Elladan echoed the sigh. "They intend to save us until they reach whatever they consider their 'home'."

Aragorn nodded. "But obviously, some of them couldn't wait."

"This is good," Elladan continued. "If they manage to leave us alone until then, we should be relatively unhurt by the time we escape."

"Especially Estel," said Elrohir, smirking, but relived at the thought.

Aragorn shrugged. It was well known that orcs despised elves, and their captors were so eager to inflict pain on the twins that they didn't even bother with the human…yet.

"Especially Estel unless he does again what he told us not to do!" said Elladan.

Aragorn frowned, before realizing what he meant.

"He is right; do not try to stop them again, Estel," said Elrohir. "We could not bear it if you were hurt in our place."

Aragorn smiled slightly, at their words.

Further talk was interrupted when the orcs marched over again, grabbing the three and yanking them to their feet. They each received a hard blow to the face—including Aragorn this time—that dazed them long enough to be again slung over an orc's shoulder as they moved on once more.

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Legolas stopped for a minute, leaning against a tree. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes against the pain in his broken arm, which had grown worse.

The tree sensed his pain and tried to comfort him.

Legolas smiled. Hannon le, I am all right.

The tree didn't believe him. Why do you wander in the rain, alone and injured?

I am looking for my friends, he explained. Did orcs pass this way with two elves and a human?

Yes, the tree told him. Not long ago.

Legolas was slightly surprised at that. Looking up at the sun, he realized that Aragorn's punch hadn't rendered him unconscious for very long, thankfully.

If you continue in this direction, said the tree, you shall find them.

Legolas nodded, before suddenly thinking of a new question. Do you know if any of them were injured?

The tree was silent for a moment. I saw no sign of injury. They seemed merely restrained.

Legolas sighed with relief, closing his eyes again and slumping against the tree. He sensed the tree's concern at his action, and opened his eyes. I am well. Thank you for your help.

The tree somehow gave off a pleasant emotion, making the elf almost imagine a smile on its trunk.

Feeling mentally restored—knowing that his friends were alive a mere hour or so ago—Legolas straightened and patted the tree before setting off again.

The rain had slowed slightly, the thunder and lightning thankfully having passed. The tracks left by the orcs had all but faded, so Legolas was now relying on information from the tree.

Sighing, Legolas tried to distract himself from the agony shooting through his arm. Think…plan…when I reach them, how will I make possible their escape? Orcs will be abundant, guarding them…and I cannot shoot my bow…

Abruptly stopping, despair welled within him at the realization. He had no real way of rescuing his friends! Why did my arm have to be broken? Why now, of all times! As horrible as the notion was, he knew that it was a useless thought, as there was nothing to be done about it.

Sighing once again, Legolas continued on, having no choice but to play the situation by ear.

Time passed slowly; the rain continued to fall, making Legolas feel cold despite his elven nature. He walked as fast as he could, using all of his elven senses in an effort to try to detect the presence of orcs. He sensed nothing, but he wondered if the ever-growing pain in his arm was hindering him.

Lightning suddenly flashed, and Legolas inwardly cringed, fearing a repeat of the previous storm's incident. The rain's intensity increased, but the thunder wasn't overly loud, leading him to believe that this storm would not be as severe.

Wiping the rain from his eyes, he sighed at the futile action as he walked carefully, now coming to an area of steep embankments.

The orc tracks were fewer now, as the heavy rain washed them all away, but Legolas was not deterred; he was determined to save his friends…somehow.