Hey everyone! Thanks SO MUCH for your awesome reviews! :) Here's the chapter that you've all been waiting for, lol! ;)
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Hours passed before the orc leader finally called a halt, and Aragorn quickly laid Legolas on the ground, ripping a strip of cloth from his cloak and wiping at the blood on his friend's head as he tried to see the wound.
The twins—arms tied behind their backs—could do nothing but sit and watch.
"How bad is it?" Elladan asked, trying to loosen his bonds without the orcs seeing him.
Aragorn shook his head, trying to get a clear look through the blood.
"Could we have some water over here?!" Elrohir yelled.
A waterskin suddenly flew in their direction, and it bounced off Aragorn's head.
Orc laughter echoed through the air, but Aragorn ignored them as he grabbed it and poured the water over the wound, attempting to clean it. Once he could finally see the injury, he frowned worriedly. "It is very deep…he must have a serious concussion."
Both twins sighed.
"It needs to be stitched," Aragorn said, holding the cloth over the wound and agonizing over the fact that his pack of healing supplies had been lost.
"He will not be soon in waking," said Elrohir.
Aragorn shook his head with a sigh. "No."
The orcs stayed put for an hour, which was plenty of time for Aragorn to see to all of Legolas' injuries.
The Elven-Prince's face was covered in cuts and bruises, the skin around his left eye black and swollen. The cut on his forehead that he'd received in the first orc attack had started to heal, but the more recent head wound was bound to take much longer. The gash on his shoulder was no longer bleeding, and Aragorn was shocked and relieved to see that the stitches in Legolas' midsection from the mishap of a week ago were miraculously still in place. Despite the bruises adorning the elf's torso, the foul creatures' fists had thankfully missed the old wound.
The only injury that Aragorn was unable to see to was Legolas' broken arm. It was wrapped so well that Aragorn didn't want to undo the splint, in case he was unable to properly wrap it again before the orcs set out once more.
"Let's go!" they suddenly heard.
Sighing, Aragorn gathered Legolas into his arms, and they again started walking.
It was a few hours later when the circumstances drastically changed.
Aragorn was growing tired, having carried Legolas all day. The elf was very light, but the human's arms were aching fiercely.
Looking down at his friend, a chill went down the human's spine to see Legolas still completely motionless...his eyes closed, seemingly lifeless.
The orcs were talking quietly amongst themselves, and suddenly stopped walking.
The leader of the group walked slightly away from them, surveying the scenery intently. "There are elves nearby!" he growled.
Aragorn and the twins shot surprised looks at each other.
Suddenly looking at the prisoners, the orc walked towards them. "You made a very fast recovery from your 'illness', human!"
Aragorn automatically took a step back, aware that he had to protect Legolas.
"A recovery much too swift," the orc continued. "It was a trick, yes? A ploy to let the elves catch up to us!"
Aragorn shook his head, still moving away from the orc.
The twins watched, distressed. It was obvious that the orc wanted to abuse their brother, and Elladan frantically pulled at his bonds, still attempting to get loose.
The orc grew annoyed at Aragorn's attempt at evasion. "Grab him!"
A few of the orcs obeyed, latching onto the human's arms.
Elladan finally pulled his hands free and he ran towards his brother, quickly pulling Legolas into his own arms. He knew that there was no way to save his brother from the orc's punishment, but he would do whatever he could to protect their injured friend.
A hard punch struck Aragorn in the face, and it would've knocked him to the ground had the orcs not held onto him so tightly. He closed his eyes against the pain, but before he had a chance to reopen them, he was backhanded on the other side.
The orc was very angry, knowing that they could never beat an army of elves, and he growled as he punched the human in the stomach.
Aragorn's breath left his body in a rush, and he gasped, going limp between the two orcs. Another blow quickly followed the first one, and he choked, desperately trying to inhale.
Elladan and Elrohir felt despair well up within themselves, at their inability to help their brother.
Another punch impacted with Aragorn's jaw, and he braced himself for the next blow.
However, none came.
A swoosh filled the air, and an arrow suddenly planted itself in the orc leader's chest with a loud thunk
The orc looked down at it, seeming unsurprised as it dropped to the ground, dead.
The twins turned around to see a group of elves running out of the woods—with their father in the lead.
Arrows continued to fly through the air, and the two orcs released Aragorn, pulling out their weapons.
Elladan backed away from the fighting, trying to find a direction to go in which to keep Legolas safe. "Elrohir! Estel! Come!"
A group of elves suddenly surrounded them, having been told by Elrond to protect his sons and Legolas rather than participate in the fight. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder, raising their bows and shooting any creature that came near.
Two of them crouched beside Aragorn, who had sat up with a wince. Another untied Elrohir, and when Elladan saw that they were finally safe, he laid Legolas on the ground and quickly checked for a pulse.
From where Aragorn sat, he watched his father fight. It was a sight that he hadn't ever seen before—to this degree—and while he was afraid for his father's life, he was also amazed at his skill.
Elrond's expression was one of rage, as he fought the creatures that dared to harm his children—of which Legolas was included. He swung his sword at the orc before him, succeeding in cutting a deep gash in the creature's side.
The injury didn't seem to deter the orc very much, and it brought up its own sword to decapitate the elf, but Elrond countered the blow, resulting in the two swords clashing loudly over his head. Unfortunately, it also served to throw Elrond off balance, as the orc was taller and stronger.
The creature took advantage of the situation and pushed his sword forward, knocking Elrond to the muddy ground.
Elrond hit the ground hard, but quickly rolled, avoiding the sword tip that thudded into the grass beside him.
The orc growled as Elrond regained his footing, and the creature gave a loud yell as it charged at him.
Elrond took a deep breath, bringing up his sword to block the creature's blow.
Suddenly Aragorn's voice filled the air. "ADA!"
Reacting instantly, Elrond threw himself to the ground. A sharp pain shot through his arm before he landed, and he realized that an orc had come up behind him and would've ended his life had his son not warned him.
The twins looked up when they heard Aragorn's shout, and saw their father fall. Before the ring of archers had a chance to stop them, the twins ran into the fray, each grabbing a sword from a dead orc.
Elrond heard the thud of arrows hit his two enemies, and he sat up, ignoring his pain. He heard two familiar voices shout an elvish battle cry, and saw his twin sons rushing into the battle, making their way towards him.
"No!" Elrond exclaimed. His joy at having found them alive turned into terror at the thought that they still had a chance to be killed…
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LOL oh boy, will the cliffies ever stop? LOL ;)