Immortal
A Little Fun
Legolas was among those who found the wife of Lord Elrond after her ill-fated attack on the way home from Lothlórien. His investigation of the matter lands him into trouble, not to mention painful, haunting memories. (Heavy on Legolas and Elrond plots, non-slash)
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"Legolas! Legolas, avo diro!1"
Legolas! Legolas, don't look!
He awakened with a start, feeling smothered and heavy. Legolas gasped for air as the female voice in his dream faded away. He heard that voice occasionally in his sleep, rarely in his memories. He always pushed it away. This time was no different. Sitting up in the darkness, the Prince of Mirkwood ran his hand along his cheek, curving to rub his temple. His 'friends' had repaid him with a beating after their little discussion concerning just where he was from. Though it was brutal, he had not given in, not betrayed his origins in the cave dwellings of his people in the mountains to the north. The last thing he wanted was for them to have a target to use him against.
It was dark where he was, thrown in a cell that had no bed—just straw scattered about the floor. Looking at the cell door he saw a faint light coming through the small barred window. Legolas leaned against the cool rock wall and rubbed absently at the flesh of his shoulder, right below a blood-moistened slash. It stung against the soft touch of his tattered shirt, but he did not have the energy or will to bare his arm.
He wondered where Lady Celebrían was. A sweep of the cell told him she was not here with him and he worried she had been dragged away for interrogation or just for the fun the orcs would have in tormenting her. The thought filled him with anger, which renewed his energy. Pushing himself up, Legolas ignored the various aches and pains and stumbled through the dark to the door. He remained silent, first studying what little he could see outside. It was no traditional prison. The rocky room was basically round with a few exceptions and looked as though the dark denizens of the caves had simply beaten holes into the walls with their shovels until cells had been fashioned.
The wooden door was crude, but yielded little in the way of leaks. The Elf smoothed his hand down the grain, identifying a sturdy, hard wood that would not break easily. He exhaled and turned his attention to the lock. It was made of metal and without the proper tools, would not be unlatched anytime soon. He crouched, examining it, then glanced around the floor in case any stray wires had been left. No such luck.
A look at the bolts holding the door, however, proved hopeful. He felt rust along the hinges. Caves were damp places, prone to moisture. The hinges were strong, but with the right amount of pressure could come free. He straightened and peered out the window, his eyes landing on a shadow in the dark. The orc sat back in a wooden chair, arms folded and keen eyes open. He was alert and Legolas sighed inwardly. This band was managed by a particularly intelligent leader, disciplined enough not to fall asleep on the job. Escaping would not be easy.
He stepped back, leaning against the wall as he considered his options. He could goad the beast into anger, force him into the cell for a face-to-face confrontation, but it would be dangerous without knowing where Celebrían was. He could call for her, but would the orc punish him for it? He could guess what the Elf was up to, at any rate and be more attentive to watching. They would never be left alone if they appeared to be conspiring. Legolas frowned at the darkness, cursing his limitations. But then it came to him.
Singing might not appear so suspicious.
Legolas scanned his memory for a sad tune, anything that sounded as if he were lamenting, then began to reform the verses in his mind to suit his purposes. He kept his voice low, pitching it just right for Elven ears so it would not be over-loud to their guardian. He began slow, almost as if his words were an afterthought. "Brennil uin imlad, na le lastannen egor cenannen?" He paused for a moment, looking for some sort of reply as well as searching his thoughts for the next line. "Boe isto lín manadh…" he knit his brow, thinking quickly, "…ai…vín tirith thia far…faeg?" Legolas winced and waited.
Lady of the valley, be you heard or seen? I need to know your fate…ah…our guard appears quite…mean?
Apparently the orc did not care for his style, snapping impatiently, "Shut your mouth, Elf, before I stick my sword in you!" Something very hard impacted against the door.
Frowning, Legolas stretched the fingers of his right hand. The cut on his shoulder throbbed. Of course that was the least of his worries, but it did not help. It would be foolish to attempt escape right now. Lady Celebrían could be anywhere, unconscious or even dead. The thought of it brought back that uncomfortable sinking feeling to his abdomen.
The prince paced across his cell, running his eyes over the stone locking him in. He was accustomed to walls like these, for his own home was made within his father's underground fortress in Northern Mirkwood but this was a far cry from being the same. He could feel his freedom stripped of him already, knew his desire for the song of the trees and the light of the stars would weigh him down. The sadness would get to her as well, even before it claimed him. Time was not on their side.
His sharp ears caught a sound behind. It was trying to sneak up on him, walking silently if one could term the footsteps of an orc silent. The uneven, moist breathing of the beast was not masked by any means and just as the creature came to the door, likely peering through the window on the cell door, Legolas said, "Will your leader praise you or rebuke you, I wonder."
The orc snarled and jammed a key into the lock, giving it a hard twist. "For what?"
Despite the situation, Legolas showed no fear as he turned towards the dark creature. He knew what was coming. "For what you are about to do."
A sneer formed across the beast's black face as it approached, dagger drawn. "Don't you worry your pretty head over that, boy. Just gonna have a little fun s'all."
Legolas tensed, preparing himself for the inevitable fight. The creature was eager, very eager to have his taste of blood. It struck out first, slashing with its blade and growling when the Elf dodged fairly easily. The Prince of Mirkwood did not smile in triumph or do anything to goad the beast on, throwing himself into full concentration. The orc thrust out, then leapt towards the Elf in agitation. Legolas threw himself to the side to evade and hit his arm against the wall, increasing his pain. He gasped out, but knew there was no time to lament. Pushing himself away just in time, he saw a clean path for the door and took it.
"Good, Elf," the orc purred, entering the prison slowly. Legolas slid to a halt in front of the exit—a large wooden door with a lock on it. "You just give me a reason to hurt you more. Escape attempts are frowned upon here and there's no way out."
The Prince of Mirkwood turned, hunkering down in preparation for the next round. "So it comes to killing you," he said, keeping his midnight eyes fixed on the orc's hands. "Very well."
His enemy barked a laugh at that, lashing out again. "Yeah, you try, Elf."
Without warning the orc darted for him and won, knocking Legolas to the floor. He wasted no time stabbing downwards indiscriminately, hoping to injure his prey. The prince shoved at the heavy beast on him, extending his hands to block himself from the would-be killing blows that the orc was making. The dagger's edge caught his hand, peeling down the tender flesh of his palm, and Legolas groaned out in pain.
The orc laughed in amusement at this, dragging the bloody blade along his tongue with hungry eyes. "You're gonna end up a meal, boy. Count on it."
Knitting his brow, Legolas shoved hard and won his freedom long enough to stumble to his feet, only to have the creature slam into his legs, knocking him back to the stone floor. He fell hard against his knee, but managed to scramble away from getting pinned again. His foe was growling his frustration, fighting its way up to attack again. The Elf turned on him and kicked before the orc could get up, landing his foot directly in the other's jaw. The dagger went flying.
Falling back, the orc gave an enraged shout as Legolas threw himself towards the fallen blade. His fingers curled around the hilt just as the fell beast behind him took a hold of his ankle, jerking him to his stomach. "You're gonna regret being born," it rasped, dragging the Elf towards his vicious attack.
Legolas rolled to his back and thrust the orc dagger, aiming for the open space directly to the creature's right side. In its haste to conquer, the orc guard did not notice this apparent miscalculation and swiped at his arm, only to direct it into the Elf's true target, his stomach. Legolas watched those fell, glittery eyes widen in realization, then dim as sudden death took hold. The orc gasped, then fell upon him.
Groaning in disgust, the Elf shoved the burden from him and felt around for a set of keys. There were none. His knit his brow, looking around the dark room. The light of the single torch near the exit illuminated the single key in the face of his cell door and he cursed his luck. They had locked the beast in here with him, likely intent on leaving him here until his shift was over. There would be no way out unless someone from the outside unlocked the large exit door.
Legolas retrieved the blade from the dead orc's flesh and got to his feet, then checked each cell for Celebrían. Unsuccessful, Legolas retreated then to his own, knowing there was nothing he could do but wait. He cradled his bloody hand to his chest, feeling its sting acutely now that the adrenaline rush was over. What they were going to do to escape, he could not even fathom right now, but he would not give up.
Leaning against the wall, the Prince of Mirkwood slid down it and hit the floor, resting and conserving his strength. The real fighting had not even begun.
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Author: Ruse – jedinineofninehotmail.com
Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings isn't mine and nor is Elrond, unfortunately, nor Legolas or Aragorn. No infringement intended.
A/N: Thanks again for the lovely reviews! I should do romance, eh? It's a interesting thought…I used to do it in other fandoms. Hmm. ;) Anyway, glad you liked the fluffies before…and I hope that singing scene up there wasn't too obnoxious. ;D