Corruption
By iced1
A/N: it's been almost three months since my last update. If I've managed to keep the interest of any of my old reviewers, then I thank you for your patience, and for waiting so long. I don't have a very good excuse, especially now that I'm into the fourth week of my summer vacation. I do not blame anyone if they wish to shoot my head off. This is a miserable update. I'm home alone and I have more than thirty minutes of time on the computer without my parents here to keep kicking me off so I can go do a variety of chores or do something 'more productive'. It's not fun…
Anyway, I'm just saying that I know that this is a miserable update, but I finally really have plans for the next chapter. Stay your anger, and hopefully the next chapter will come out in less than two weeks this time.
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Chapter V
Aragorn opened his eyes to a breathtaking sunset, the stench of death, disease and orc. He snapped his eyes shut before slowly, tentatively opening one eye so that he could see through he small slit between his lids. He knew he was being carried at a fast pace by two brutes - most likely lackeys of his former friend and co-mentor (the other had been his adoptive father). That was obvious; were they in his position, any being of any race could find such knowledge simply by the jostling of their body, the loss of feeling and circulation in his arms, the sunlight and shadow battling over his face, and the way that his eyesight attempted to fool his brain into thinking that the clouds above were running in the wrong direction.
'Well you're out of the forest, that's for sure,' said a voice in his head as he shut his eyes to stare at the flickering dark red hue that stood at the back of his eyelids once more, 'though I don't know why that would be any sort of good news. Is not Gandalf currently in command of Dol Guldur?'
Aragorn willed that voice to cease its seemingly incessant talk. More confusion was the very last ingredient to a mental breakdown, something he did not want to experience any time soon. His budding headache was enough to deal with when there was no means of ebbing it.
'What on Arda had happened?' The voice in his head had returned.
Swirling mud and foliage … the water could contain something foul … a stream – no, an enchanted stream … Legolas on the ground and Gimli slowly collapsing into the fair elven body … I will step into the water first, and you will see that I will not fall asleep.
Those were the typically wise words of Legolas, but this time, he had been wrong. Legolas?
Legolas and Gimli! Where were they? Were they alright? The questions that his mind has been subconsciously asking had finally hit home.
"This one's awake."
Aragorn cursed himself mentally for not taking precautions to allow his awareness to remain unnoticed by the orcs holding him. His thoughts were silenced as the pounding of feet rang in his ears, and a clock on the head sent him spiraling into blackness.
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The distinct sound of a blade digging and scratching its way into material sounded close to the elf's right ear. Legolas' eyes flew open and he twisted his head to find an orc-blade working its way through his cloak, cutting off the elven scripture embroidery. It was a sign of Lasgalen Royalty, and no elf outside of the royal household had ever been able to produce a copy of it.
Legolas' hands made to fly to the hilt of one of his twin daggers, but bonds holding his wrists together, pressed to his back, stopped his hand. His head jerked violently, trying to shoo the dagger and the ugly hand away from his precious garments like a common fly.
"Keep still, elf, or your midget-friend dies." The orc cutting Legolas' cloak kicked the elven head so that it faced the dwarf, who had on a mask of defiant terror as another orc pressed a blade into his neck. Legolas immediately ceased his frantic struggling and grimaced as the orc held up the embroidery and waved it in front of the elven face. All thoughts of vengeance rushed to the back of his head as he twisted his face into stony impassiveness. The orc leaned down and grinned in his face, blowing its foul breath into his face. Legolas reared his head back and struck the offending orc, clashing their two foreheads together with so much force that the orc toppled over, grasping the cloth tightly in its unsightly gnarled fingers.
"Búdreg! By Incánus, what is going on here?"
"The elf pushed me over, Ashgûl."
"That is Captain to you, Búdreg. What lies stream through your teeth now? You always were a clumsy weakling subject to tormenting from our prisoners. But you have gone too far. The elf cannot have pushed you over, unless your knots are useless. Is that what it is? Your knots are useless?"
"No, no, Captain, it is not so."
"Then what is it? Should I send you off to our Lord so he can suck the truth out of you?"
"No, Captain, there is no need. I… merely tripped over my feet. I seem to be doing that very often these days, don't I." The orc called Búdreg sounded nervous and fearful.
"Good orcling, Búdreg. Now go send that piece of trash to the messengers, lest I run you through with my sword." The orc called Ashgûl unsheathed his sword menacingly, glared at the lesser orc and stumped away.
"Good orcling, Búdreg. I'd like to run him through with my own sword. I want to gouge his eyes out with my fingers and feed them to his pet warg…" the rant faded as he ran towards a group of orcs.
The orc's bloodied dagger shone merrily and seductively in the grass where the orc had fallen over.
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A/N: Well, true to my words, it was a miserable update. I tried.
In other words, I know that Aragorn would have struggled, but really, what would you expect to happen if his friends weren't around, he was surrounded by orcs and he couldn't even reach his sword, let alone bend his limbs?
Also, I'm slowly drifting away from canon. I know. But I'm getting very rusty on my meager Lord of the Rings facts. Review and tell me if I went way too far.
If it's something to do with the characters, don't bother, because this is how I have always viewed the characters. My opinions can be very strange. Trust me, I'm well aware of that.
No notes this chapter, because I've forgotten who reviewed in between. Slap me, someone.
Thanks for bearing with me all the way through this chapter. Hah.
kindly review.