Me again! You'll probably be glad to know that it's action, action, action from here on! Um, I'm making the assumption that elven horses live longer than ordinary ones!
WARNING - THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENCE!
Ever After - Chapter 4
Arwen walked alone down the stone passageway that lead to the library. There had been much happening in the kingdom lately and she had not had much time to herself. But things were quiet this afternoon and she was looking forward to spending a few peaceful hours in the library. She had almost reached the doors when she became aware of a dark presence behind her. Before she had chance to move, a dark shadow of indefinable shape wrapped itself around her. She tried to scream, but the shadow covered her mouth. Using all her strength she struggled against the being, but to no avail. All her struggles did was to knock her circlet from her head, sending it clattering to the ground. She could only watch in horror as the evil being opened a dark portal in front of her and proceeded to drag her through it. As soon as she was inside of it a great weight crashed down on her senses and she lost consciousness.
"Arwen?!" Aragorn walked around the palace calling his wife. It was getting late and he hadn't seen her since early afternoon. He didn't know where she could have gone. He stopped a couple of guards coming his way. "Have you seen the queen?" He asked. They shook their heads.
"I'm afraid not, your Majesty." Said one. Aragorn frowned. Where was she?
"I see." He replied. "If you do see her, please tell her that I am looking for her."
"Yes your Majesty." The soldiers saluted and walked on.
Aragorn wondered where to go next. He ran his mind over the places he'd looked. "The library!" He cried out loud. She liked to go there to relax, she'd probably been reading and lost track of the time, he decided. Turning on his heels, he headed quickly to the huge room. As he approached his eyes saw something at the edge of the path. Bending, he picked it up - and his blood ran cold. It was Arwen's circlet. "ARWEN!" He cried out and ran to the library, rushing and looking desperately for his wife, clinging to the fading hope that she had somehow dropped the circlet and not noticed. But the library was empty. Terror filled him and the King of Gondor ran like the wind to the first guards he saw. "The Queen is missing!" He told them with barely contained panic. "Organise search parties at once! FIND HER!" The soldiers nodded and ran to do the King's bidding. The order given, Aragorn ran to the stables to get his horse.
Throwing open the doors he grabbed his tack and was just about to place the gear on his mount, when a quiet neigh from the far corner caught his attention. He looked over to see Telpëwen, Legolas' horse. The long-lived elven horse had been a gift to Legolas from Thranduil after Arod had passed away. Telpëwen had not been ridden since Legolas' death, but Aragorn knew that the spirited beast was much faster than his own. Hesitating only for a second, Aragorn moved away from his own mount and over to the elven-horse. Telpëwen was not used to wearing tack, but Aragorn knew she would take it in her stride. He felt no guilt at riding his departed friend's horse, he knew Legolas would have approved. In minutes he was ready and riding out to meet the captain of his guard, who would be leading the search. Desperate determination rose within him. He'd find Arwen. He had to. He couldn't lose anyone else.
When Arwen awoke she found herself chained to a cold stone wall, surrounded by total darkness. But she did not need to see to know that evil was near, she could sense it. "Who is there?!" She called out. "Reveal yourself to me!" A cold laugh was heard in reply. "Who are you?!" She demanded again. Then she froze as she felt a cold hand placed under her chin.
"So defiant." It whispered. "I will enjoy watching this." Nausea ran through Arwen at these words, but she forced herself to remain calm. Whatever this evil was, she would not give it the satisfaction of seeing her fear. But it was an exercise in futility, for the being could sense her emotions. "Yes." It said. "You are right to fear. For you have much to be afraid of." Arwen held her head up high.
"My husband will come for me." She stated in a voice of steel. The being laughed again.
"Oh." It hissed. "I do hope so. It will be greatly enjoyable to see how he handles his grief this time." It ran it's cold finger down the elf-maiden's cheek and then vanished. As soon as it was gone, a dim light slightly penetrated the darkness, giving just enough light to see by. Arwen cast her eyes over her surroundings. She could just make out several forms coming towards her. As they got closer she identified them and icy fear ran through her. Orcs. She was in a den of orcs.
Aragorn rode swiftly though he knew not where he was going. There was no clue as to Arwen's whereabouts, all he knew was that she had been going to the library at some point that day. So he did the only thing he could - He opened his heart and called out for her. "Please, Arwen, help me find you. Please." His hand went to her Evenstar pedant that he still wore around his neck. "I need you."
The whip cracked against her back for the hundredth time. Her dress was in tatters and her back was raw and bloodied from all the lashings. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. One of the larger orcs gripped her face in his hand. Slowly he raked his nails down her face, causing a line of deep scratches to appear, blood welling up almost instantly. "You're brave she-elf." The beast growled. "But we're only just getting started." Without further warning, he grabbed her arm and bent it viscously back. There was a sickening crack as the bone snapped. The sharp pain that shot through her made her breath catch. Her head swam, she could hardly focus anymore. Laughing, the orc grabbed the injured arm and bent it in the other direction.
She screamed.
The Evenstar glowed brightly catching Aragorn's attention. "Arwen?" He whispered. The pendant seemed to glow brighter in response. "Lead me." A light tugged slightly at his consciousness, telling him which way to go. Pulling Telpëwen round, he galloped in the direction the pendant was pulling him in. He prayed he was not too late.
Arwen whimpered. Her resolve had shattered with her arm, she could no longer hold back the searing pain. She could no longer see, the lead orc had smeared a dark mud-like substance over her eyes some hours ago. It had burned with the intensity of a dying sun before solidifying and fusing her eyelids together. She wondered if she would ever see again and if she'd live long enough to care. "Estel." She whispered. "Where are you?"
He was near. He could feel it. He urged Telpëwen to go even faster and soon the ground was but a blur beneath him. His guards followed as best they could, but they could not keep up with the elven-horse. Aragorn was glad he had kept the animal after Legolas had died - he had very nearly sent it back to Mirkwood. They were close to the hills now, hills that were full of old caves and holes. It wasn't long before a foul stench assailed his nose. "Oh Valar." He breathed in fear. "Orcs."
Following his nose and the glow of the Evenstar he soon came to the crumbling entrance of the den. Now he could hear them, laughing and gloating. He knew without a doubt that his wife was in there. He slid off Telpëwen and drew his sword. His guards then rode up behind him and followed suit. "Follow me." He grated. "Kill all that oppose you." With a loud yell of rage he led his men into the cave.
With an evil sneer, the lead orc raised a knife at the bound and blinded elf-maiden. The knife was coated in the sticky black substance that was morgul poison. There was very little of the stuff left these days, but they had enough for one stab wound. But as he began to bring the knife down towards Arwen's shoulder, there came a shout. "Listen!" Cried an orc near the entrance passage. "Someone's coming!"
"Men!" The leader yelled, sniffing the air. "Arm yourselves!" Dropping the poisoned knife, he grabbed his sword and raced to the entrance.
Aragorn swung his sword in front of him, neatly decapitating an orc that had dared to get in his way. He was deadly in his single-mindedness. Nothing would keep him from Arwen. All around him his men were fighting the orcs, defending their King and praying for their Queen. As the orc ranks thinned, Aragorn pushed his way towards the back of the cave. More orcs blocked his way the deeper in he went, but he cut them down with brutality born of rage and fear. Soon, only the leader remained. Aragorn's eyes blazed as he beheld the last obstacle standing between he and his wife. He snarled and launched himself at the orc. The evil creature dodged, bringing his blade round, striking at Aragorn's side. The King twisted just in time and missed the blades cruel blow. He dropped into a crouch as the orc came round and attacked again. His sword swept at the orcs feet, the razor-sharp metal severing the limbs at the ankle. With a howl of rage and pain the orc fell onto it's back. Aragorn did not hesitate and plunged his sword into the orcs dark heart, killing it. No sooner was this done, than he was running again, seeking his beloved.
He raced into the back of the cave and there he saw her, hanging limply from her chains. "Oh, Ilutivar, no!" His voice broke as he took in the battered and broken body. With a sweep of his sword he cut the chains from her wrists and cradled her in his arms. "Arwen." He whispered brokenly. "Oh, Arwen." Her injuries were heart breaking to see. Her right arm was broken twice, as were all the fingers on that hand. Her left leg had fared little better, being broken twice below the knee. Her back and arms were a mess of ugly welts caused by constant whipping and her eyes - her eyes were obscured by a hard black substance that had stuck to her face. She did not respond as he held her. "Arwen, please." He begged. His hands searched frantically for a pulse. His breathed a small sigh of relief when he found it a moment later. She lived, but barely. Whether she would remain in this world for much longer remained to be seen. "VALAR!" Aragorn cried out in grief. "Why do you allow these things?! Why?! Oh Elbereth! Is there no one who can stop this suffering?!"
The arrow fell from Legolas' hands. All time had frozen. "Legolas!?" Said Haldir in alarm. The prince slowly looked up. "Are you all right?" Haldir asked. Legolas looked at him with eyes full of confusion and pain. "Legolas?" Haldir said again. The prince shook his head.
"I can't take this anymore." He whispered hoarsely. "It's too much! I just can't bear it!" Then, without another word he began to run, heading directly for the Silver City.
End Chapter 4
Need I say it? To be continued!
WARNING - THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENCE!
Ever After - Chapter 4
Arwen walked alone down the stone passageway that lead to the library. There had been much happening in the kingdom lately and she had not had much time to herself. But things were quiet this afternoon and she was looking forward to spending a few peaceful hours in the library. She had almost reached the doors when she became aware of a dark presence behind her. Before she had chance to move, a dark shadow of indefinable shape wrapped itself around her. She tried to scream, but the shadow covered her mouth. Using all her strength she struggled against the being, but to no avail. All her struggles did was to knock her circlet from her head, sending it clattering to the ground. She could only watch in horror as the evil being opened a dark portal in front of her and proceeded to drag her through it. As soon as she was inside of it a great weight crashed down on her senses and she lost consciousness.
"Arwen?!" Aragorn walked around the palace calling his wife. It was getting late and he hadn't seen her since early afternoon. He didn't know where she could have gone. He stopped a couple of guards coming his way. "Have you seen the queen?" He asked. They shook their heads.
"I'm afraid not, your Majesty." Said one. Aragorn frowned. Where was she?
"I see." He replied. "If you do see her, please tell her that I am looking for her."
"Yes your Majesty." The soldiers saluted and walked on.
Aragorn wondered where to go next. He ran his mind over the places he'd looked. "The library!" He cried out loud. She liked to go there to relax, she'd probably been reading and lost track of the time, he decided. Turning on his heels, he headed quickly to the huge room. As he approached his eyes saw something at the edge of the path. Bending, he picked it up - and his blood ran cold. It was Arwen's circlet. "ARWEN!" He cried out and ran to the library, rushing and looking desperately for his wife, clinging to the fading hope that she had somehow dropped the circlet and not noticed. But the library was empty. Terror filled him and the King of Gondor ran like the wind to the first guards he saw. "The Queen is missing!" He told them with barely contained panic. "Organise search parties at once! FIND HER!" The soldiers nodded and ran to do the King's bidding. The order given, Aragorn ran to the stables to get his horse.
Throwing open the doors he grabbed his tack and was just about to place the gear on his mount, when a quiet neigh from the far corner caught his attention. He looked over to see Telpëwen, Legolas' horse. The long-lived elven horse had been a gift to Legolas from Thranduil after Arod had passed away. Telpëwen had not been ridden since Legolas' death, but Aragorn knew that the spirited beast was much faster than his own. Hesitating only for a second, Aragorn moved away from his own mount and over to the elven-horse. Telpëwen was not used to wearing tack, but Aragorn knew she would take it in her stride. He felt no guilt at riding his departed friend's horse, he knew Legolas would have approved. In minutes he was ready and riding out to meet the captain of his guard, who would be leading the search. Desperate determination rose within him. He'd find Arwen. He had to. He couldn't lose anyone else.
When Arwen awoke she found herself chained to a cold stone wall, surrounded by total darkness. But she did not need to see to know that evil was near, she could sense it. "Who is there?!" She called out. "Reveal yourself to me!" A cold laugh was heard in reply. "Who are you?!" She demanded again. Then she froze as she felt a cold hand placed under her chin.
"So defiant." It whispered. "I will enjoy watching this." Nausea ran through Arwen at these words, but she forced herself to remain calm. Whatever this evil was, she would not give it the satisfaction of seeing her fear. But it was an exercise in futility, for the being could sense her emotions. "Yes." It said. "You are right to fear. For you have much to be afraid of." Arwen held her head up high.
"My husband will come for me." She stated in a voice of steel. The being laughed again.
"Oh." It hissed. "I do hope so. It will be greatly enjoyable to see how he handles his grief this time." It ran it's cold finger down the elf-maiden's cheek and then vanished. As soon as it was gone, a dim light slightly penetrated the darkness, giving just enough light to see by. Arwen cast her eyes over her surroundings. She could just make out several forms coming towards her. As they got closer she identified them and icy fear ran through her. Orcs. She was in a den of orcs.
Aragorn rode swiftly though he knew not where he was going. There was no clue as to Arwen's whereabouts, all he knew was that she had been going to the library at some point that day. So he did the only thing he could - He opened his heart and called out for her. "Please, Arwen, help me find you. Please." His hand went to her Evenstar pedant that he still wore around his neck. "I need you."
The whip cracked against her back for the hundredth time. Her dress was in tatters and her back was raw and bloodied from all the lashings. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. One of the larger orcs gripped her face in his hand. Slowly he raked his nails down her face, causing a line of deep scratches to appear, blood welling up almost instantly. "You're brave she-elf." The beast growled. "But we're only just getting started." Without further warning, he grabbed her arm and bent it viscously back. There was a sickening crack as the bone snapped. The sharp pain that shot through her made her breath catch. Her head swam, she could hardly focus anymore. Laughing, the orc grabbed the injured arm and bent it in the other direction.
She screamed.
The Evenstar glowed brightly catching Aragorn's attention. "Arwen?" He whispered. The pendant seemed to glow brighter in response. "Lead me." A light tugged slightly at his consciousness, telling him which way to go. Pulling Telpëwen round, he galloped in the direction the pendant was pulling him in. He prayed he was not too late.
Arwen whimpered. Her resolve had shattered with her arm, she could no longer hold back the searing pain. She could no longer see, the lead orc had smeared a dark mud-like substance over her eyes some hours ago. It had burned with the intensity of a dying sun before solidifying and fusing her eyelids together. She wondered if she would ever see again and if she'd live long enough to care. "Estel." She whispered. "Where are you?"
He was near. He could feel it. He urged Telpëwen to go even faster and soon the ground was but a blur beneath him. His guards followed as best they could, but they could not keep up with the elven-horse. Aragorn was glad he had kept the animal after Legolas had died - he had very nearly sent it back to Mirkwood. They were close to the hills now, hills that were full of old caves and holes. It wasn't long before a foul stench assailed his nose. "Oh Valar." He breathed in fear. "Orcs."
Following his nose and the glow of the Evenstar he soon came to the crumbling entrance of the den. Now he could hear them, laughing and gloating. He knew without a doubt that his wife was in there. He slid off Telpëwen and drew his sword. His guards then rode up behind him and followed suit. "Follow me." He grated. "Kill all that oppose you." With a loud yell of rage he led his men into the cave.
With an evil sneer, the lead orc raised a knife at the bound and blinded elf-maiden. The knife was coated in the sticky black substance that was morgul poison. There was very little of the stuff left these days, but they had enough for one stab wound. But as he began to bring the knife down towards Arwen's shoulder, there came a shout. "Listen!" Cried an orc near the entrance passage. "Someone's coming!"
"Men!" The leader yelled, sniffing the air. "Arm yourselves!" Dropping the poisoned knife, he grabbed his sword and raced to the entrance.
Aragorn swung his sword in front of him, neatly decapitating an orc that had dared to get in his way. He was deadly in his single-mindedness. Nothing would keep him from Arwen. All around him his men were fighting the orcs, defending their King and praying for their Queen. As the orc ranks thinned, Aragorn pushed his way towards the back of the cave. More orcs blocked his way the deeper in he went, but he cut them down with brutality born of rage and fear. Soon, only the leader remained. Aragorn's eyes blazed as he beheld the last obstacle standing between he and his wife. He snarled and launched himself at the orc. The evil creature dodged, bringing his blade round, striking at Aragorn's side. The King twisted just in time and missed the blades cruel blow. He dropped into a crouch as the orc came round and attacked again. His sword swept at the orcs feet, the razor-sharp metal severing the limbs at the ankle. With a howl of rage and pain the orc fell onto it's back. Aragorn did not hesitate and plunged his sword into the orcs dark heart, killing it. No sooner was this done, than he was running again, seeking his beloved.
He raced into the back of the cave and there he saw her, hanging limply from her chains. "Oh, Ilutivar, no!" His voice broke as he took in the battered and broken body. With a sweep of his sword he cut the chains from her wrists and cradled her in his arms. "Arwen." He whispered brokenly. "Oh, Arwen." Her injuries were heart breaking to see. Her right arm was broken twice, as were all the fingers on that hand. Her left leg had fared little better, being broken twice below the knee. Her back and arms were a mess of ugly welts caused by constant whipping and her eyes - her eyes were obscured by a hard black substance that had stuck to her face. She did not respond as he held her. "Arwen, please." He begged. His hands searched frantically for a pulse. His breathed a small sigh of relief when he found it a moment later. She lived, but barely. Whether she would remain in this world for much longer remained to be seen. "VALAR!" Aragorn cried out in grief. "Why do you allow these things?! Why?! Oh Elbereth! Is there no one who can stop this suffering?!"
The arrow fell from Legolas' hands. All time had frozen. "Legolas!?" Said Haldir in alarm. The prince slowly looked up. "Are you all right?" Haldir asked. Legolas looked at him with eyes full of confusion and pain. "Legolas?" Haldir said again. The prince shook his head.
"I can't take this anymore." He whispered hoarsely. "It's too much! I just can't bear it!" Then, without another word he began to run, heading directly for the Silver City.
End Chapter 4
Need I say it? To be continued!