CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Each to Their Own Battles

"By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice,
they get to be wide apart."

----Confucius

Celebalda was shoved into a small cage with his companion. He was shackled firmly to the wall with his ankles and wrists in heavy manacles. He glared at Calmir and then just set his jaw, refusing to speak to these men that as far as he was concerned he had nothing more to do with.

Calmir just laughed and said, "I have more important things to tend to, like cleaning up the bodies of your little fool warriors. Oh, and killing that little redheaded Elf. Not to mention preparing to annihilate your little prince with my warg."

He smiled as he watched Celebalda's hurt eyes. They were narrow and pain filled, beautifully pain filled he thought. All Elves had beautiful eyes while they were in pain. Celebalda sensed the eyes watching him and he shifted uneasily in his chains. "You have done enough, can't you go ahead and leave me alone?" he asked gruffly under the man's scrutinizing eyes.

"Shut up Elf!" he said angrily and then walked towards the door. Over his shoulder he said, "when I get back, I will teach you what pain is." The he slammed the door blowing out a torch and leaving the room pitch dark.

Celebalda sulked and he whispered to his companion, "Amin n'rangwa edanea (I don't understand these humans) Shaalth, are you well?" He asked.

"I am fine, sir," answered the other. Celebalda heard the shift of chains in the dark and the Elf continued, "sir, are you well yourself?"

"I am fine, thank you," his voice was low and quiet. He sounded anything but fine. He had let his men down so horribly he could never be fit to lead again.

Shaalth said, "with all due respect sir, you don't sound fine at all."

"Are you questioning my honesty, Shaalth?" He shook his head and said, "but I concede I am not well. I have let you all down," he admitted gloomily. He just could not live with himself, not after seeing his dead warrior's faces. They were so pale, so degenerate, so lost and yet at home.

Shaalth sighed and said, "sir, you could not have prevented it."

This was not helping Celebalda's mood and he said, "honesty is the best policy, Shaalth. You shouldn't lie, you know."

"I am sorry sir, but I was being honest," spoke the Elf forthrightly.

Celebalda just sighed and said, "then you are a fool, but I thank you. However, I am not exactly comforted."

Shaalth said, "I wasn't trying to comfort you."

"Now you lie."

Shaalth just grinned in the dark despite these far from happy situations.

>>>>

Rothinzil, Glorfindel and Elméra stood in the back of the room, slowly working their way around men and towards the pit.

It was not a hard task, for the men were too busy making bets with one another and talking amongst themselves they didn't notice the isolated three creeping towards The Pit. It was Glorfindel's sharp eyes who saw Caranfëa in a corner, awaiting his death.

Narrowing his blue orbs, the Gondolin Elf whispered to Rothinzil, "what Elf is that?"

Roth squinted and stared at the little red-head before saying, "I can't say I know him. Should we try to get him out?" It as going against their original mission, but he couldn't very easily leave the little Elf in there to die the death he nearly did. He had been there and felt the frightening sensation of death creeping on him and the pain of the wound. Now he wanted to spare anyone else that pain.

Grimacing he thought of Legolas. They did not have much time. Legolas could be dead. Glorfindel wanted to find Erestor and Celebalda along with Estel. For them time was short as well.

Rothinzil looked at Elméra and at Glorfindel before saying. "I will get him out of there. But there is one thing I want you two to do. …Talk me out of it."

Glorfindel scowled and said, "funny. Can't you ever be serious?"

"Not easily, Lord Glorfindel," came Roth's cool response as he walked closer to the edge of The Pit. Elméra smiled despite the situation and she nearly laughed. Rothinzil had a knack for either making her furious or hysterical with laughter. Either those two or she was frightened out of her mind for his safety.

The dark-haired Elf crept around the gapping hole in the ground and as he did, he saw his own puddle or dried blood, still there and stopped for a moment, shuddering. But he had to push past that, or his friends would suffer the consequences as well as would he. But he felt his wound wreaking havoc throughout his body with horrible pain as it fired up at the memories.

Swallowing hard, he continued to walk towards the corner where the little Elf was resting his chin on his knees in despair. The warrior felt like he had every pair of eyes on his back. It made him feel sick and as he clenched his hands he felt them slick with sweat.

He was over the little Elf's head and he whispered hoarsely, "hey, what are you doing down there?"

Caranfëa looked up and said, "waiting to die and what are you doing up there?" he questioned back. His tone was depressed and accepting. It broke Roth's heart to hear an Elf with that diminished of a spirit.

"Give me your hand, I can save you," he hissed in a murmur. Extending a hand, he closed it and opened it pointedly. "Reach," he called down in a hushed voice.

"You would want to save me?" asked Caranfëa in a surprised and yet quiet voice. "But you can't! Now if you excuse me, I am waiting to die, of course if you would be really kind, speed up the process."

"Why would I do that when I can save you?" asked Roth with his heart in the question. He couldn't believe what he was being asked to do. It was too much. Withdrawing his hand he whispered, "please, I want to save you. You can still live. Now take my hand!" He reached down again and Caranfëa just stared up at his face.

"I know you, you are the one Legolas rescued. Now I can see you are insane!" he finished. Roth just stared down with a pleading face that said plainly he was never going to give up. The red-haired Elf found the look annoying. "What is with you?" he asked with a stab of irritant.

"Everyone has the right to life, hope and happiness. I know what it is like to be without them. Now take my hand," he added at the end, hoping to feel the little Elf's hand in his. He looked into a hard staring pair of green eyes.

"Sorry," said Caranfëa astringently and he looked straight ahead. Drawing a deep breath, he refused to look at the Elf above him. What would happen if he were pulled out. It wouldn't change anything. He was going to die eventually here. There was no escape. You could avoid the men for a time, but he knew that you could never fully escape.

Roth plead firmly and adamantly, "I know you really want to be saved and I can pull you out. We can't get Legolas out alone. You owe at least that much to him, even if you don't give an orc's behind about your own life!" The dark-haired Elf scowled and spoke slowly, "now give me your hand!"

More men were coming in. So far they had not taken notice, but if Roth heard the conversation right earlier once the warg was brought in to devour the little Elf, then they would pay attention and was only a matter of moments.

Glorfindel and Elméra watched anxiously. "He is going to get caught," whispered the maiden fearfully and she bit her lips so hard the bruise broke and it began to bleed anew. Glorfindel put his strong hand on her thin shoulder.

"You are going to have to learn that with love comes the responsibility of knowing when to let go and when to hold on." The Gondolin Elf smiled and said wisely, "Rothinzil is a warrior and not only that, he is the captain of warriors. You can't protect him and if anything, he will die protecting you." He nodded his head, "it is out of our control now."

The woman felt her eyes growing wide as she watched Roth continue to talk with the little Elf in hushed tones. Glorfindel just looked at the ground with narrowed eyes and a knitted brow. He hated feeling this helpless and it bothered him that Erestor was still missing along with Aragorn. He knew what had befallen Celebalda and Thalionril along with Shaalth, even though that didn't make it any easier to accept.

"Please," begged Rothinzil as he felt his patience growing thinner than he ever expected it could. His eyes narrowed and his eyebrows came together in anger and frustration.

"I can't," answered the red-haired immortal with a sorrowful tone. He now realized that Roth really wanted to save him and that he only had moments to get out.

"Valar! Why not?" Rothinzil nearly shouted at the other Elf in his exasperation.

"I-I-I…broke my wrist," explained the little being with much hesitation. For once he had failed and it hurt his pride, deeply. "And I have some other internal wounds besides."

"Give me your good hand and I will pull you up," said Roth. "I promise not to drop you." He reached further down so Caranfëa could get a good grip.

Skeptically, the other grabbed Roth's outstretched hand and then clutched it tightly. The Mirkwood warrior gripped the smaller Elf's hand back and began to pull. He felt his own wound stretching and a great pain blazed throughout his insides.

Caranfëa was gradually being pulled out and Glorfindel came up behind Rothinzil to support the other Elf. He gripped the dark-haired Elf's shoulders and Elméra kept watch over the warriors carefully, incase some might try and stop them. The maiden bit her nail and inwardly smacked herself as she realized she was doing such a horrid habit.

Once Caranfëa was out, he as certainly capable of walking on his own and demanded to be let go.

Elméra beckoned them quickly to come back to the corner of the room with her. All three Elves quickly followed and the companions ducked behind an accumulation of discarded and broken barrels. Caranfëa glared out at the men with calculating eyes as he took in the atmosphere of the room.

Holding his wrist still close to his stomach, the little Elf said, "they will bring out the warg soon. But when they discover I am gone, we had better be as good as gone." He licked his dry lips and hissed, "the warg comes hither."

The creature was huge. Her hair was ruff and bristled and her little yellow eyes, like amber beads, glared at everyone in the room, as she was lead on her chain leash. She snapped at anyone who came too close and then sniffed the air. Rothinzil shivered and he wondered if she could smell them and was searching for them with her roving eyes.

Elméra held her breath without even realizing she was doing so. Her mouth was open and she just gaped as she took in the mass and strength of the she-warg. For it was obvious it was a female by its less long hair and shinier pelt. Her nose wrinkled as she seemed to see right through Elméra and the maiden shivered. Roth put his arm about her and pulled her close as they crouched behind the barrels.

Caranfëa noticed and wrinkled his own nose. It was unfit that any immortal should be with a mortal thus. Did Rothinzil not know the cost of such a thing? He wasn't about to ask. The red-haired Elf simply sniffed and then watched with dark-green eyes as Calmir came swaggering behind the starving female warg.

"We have lingered here too long," said the shorter Elf to Rothinzil. "We shan't get away if we don't leave, now!" He drew a quick breath and said, "there is a small passageway to the left. We would have to cross the room, but once we get in it, I think we can plan something there."

Roth nodded and looked at him and then glanced over at Glorfindel, who was watching the situation with a stony and grim expression carved into his features. The Gondolin Elf just returned the glance with his eyes, not shifting his head. "I think it's smells us."

Elméra blanched and said, "we can't fight it without getting captured. We are going to have to slip past it." As she shifted her skirts made a noise and the creature snarled at their direction. She held stock-still and her breath was taken away in rigid fear.

Calmir was standing talking with some men and bragging, most likely, about Valar knew what.

Now was their chance.

>>>>>>>>

Legolas stumbled up and nearly fell over again. His head was spinning and he had very little time to react before he was jerked aside by King and pressed against the wall. He had never seen such wrath in the man's eyes before and Legolas began to feel like he was melting inside.

"Elf, I want you to go and stand outside the cell," growled King in a thick voice. "Do exactly as you are told, or it is your friend who will suffer the consequences. Am I clear?" Legolas looked at Aragorn out of the corner of his widened eyes and he shook his head as the ranger told him to not give in.

"As you say," answered the blonde Elf contemptuously. He observed as King stood back and gestured to the door with a swing of his arm. Legolas carefully slinked past the man and looked to see Aragorn watching abomination, as King followed behind and shut the door.

Legolas went and stood just a few feet out and King whispered to Aragorn in a threatening voice, "if things go poorly with him, I am going to come back and you won't be around to see his mangled body return."

He slammed the metal door shut and going over to Legolas shoved him forward. The Elf walked nimbly but slowly out to where he was certain he was going to die.

Erestor's sharp Elven hearing caught all that was said and he watched with calculating eyes, as Legolas was lead out. Now he knew what had happened to all those Elves who had mysteriously disappeared and it made him sick. He knew it wasn't his fault. However, he could not help but feel some guilt.

His wound was throbbing, though the bleeding had stopped and he grimaced as he lay back against the cold wall. His fair face was contorted in emotional pain and physical agony. The dark-haired adviser tried not to look at his abdomen, for it was covered in his blood and the sight was enough to make him sick.

He closed his eyes as he heard the door shut and then he called out, "Estel?"

Aragorn heard the soft and tormented voice of the Elf-lord and called back, "Erestor, are you doing well? How badly are you wounded?" he asked hurriedly.

The counselor said promptly in return, "yes. I am fine. The wound hurts but it isn't deep."

Aragorn smiled as he realized the counselor may claim to be different, but was every bit like Glorfindel. "I should still like to see it to make sure."

"Thank the Valar for the prison bars," teased Erestor grimly. It was meant to be a jest, but he was in no mood for it and it came out all wrong.

Aragorn knew it and muttered, "you have been around Glorfindel way too much."

The response was to be expected. "No, that troublesome rogue follows me, not the other way around. Remember that," he added at the end to make sure his point came across.

>>>>>>>>

The shriek emitted by Calmir when he discovered Caranfëa was no longer waiting to be his next victim would have put a Nazgul to shame. Elméra, Rothinzil, Caranfëa and Glorfindel were all in the small, musty, dank, dark, ominous passageway as they listened to the chaos the red-haired Elf's disappearance was making.

Caranfëa had a smug expression on his face and he smiled a thin smile as he said, "if it weren't for the difficult situation are in, I might be able to enjoy this." Rothinzil chuckled, knowing full well what the little Elf meant and Elméra just grinned.

To be honest, she was enjoying this as well.

Glorfindel was the only one who remained serious. He frowned as a voice out in the other room screeched, "now we have two Elves roaming free!"

Turning to his companions from he had his pointy ear against the door, the Elf said quickly and indisputably, "they will be looking for us, we cannot linger." His eyes were narrowed into bright blue slits and he said, "lets look at things, shall we? We are trapped in here, Celebalda and his men are captured or killed, Legolas is going to be forced to fight, Erestor and Aragorn are most likely captured as well."

"What a cheerful evaluation you present us with!" snapped Rothinzil with a glare. Caranfëa said nothing.

"Well it's the truth, take it or leave it, Rothinzil!" growled the Gondolin Elf back with anger lacing his voice. He normally would have been much more reserved, but he was worried for Erestor's life.

"I will take it," answered the dark-haired Elf slowly. "But what do we do about it?" he asked with a raised brow in question.

"We obviously cannot venture outside of this room until that fight is over. Otherwise that would be about as dangerous as going to a dragon and trying to convey the finer points of eating Elf!" asserted Glorfindel pessimistically. His cynical mood was far from appreciated. However, no one was about to dare argue with him. "How long do these fights usually last, I wonder?" asked the golden-haired Elf to half to himself.

Caranfëa answered bitterly, "until one dies or is injured and weary to the point of surrender." His eyes flashed as he remembered the harsh treatment he had often received. His hands clenched and unclenched simultaneously at his sides as he struggled to get a grip on his last shreds of patience and sanity.

Glorfindel's glare deepened much to everyone's surprise, because it had seemed to be an impossible feat. "Now who is being morbid?" he asked in an irritated way that normally would have struck fear into the heart of anyone considering contradicting him. Right now however…

Caranfëa's state of mood was anyone's guess (most would say 'insane')and he said, "I was being honest and if you wouldn't have asked, I would have not of told you."

A roar suddenly split through the stuffy air of the room through the thick wooden door and they knew that the fight was about to start. Caranfëa shivered as he thought of the numerous times beyond count he had found himself fighting for his life and honor in the gapping hole.

Legolas winced as the cloak Aragorn had given him was torn from him and he was shoved over the edge of The Pit, landing softly and gracefully into the straw below. He glared up at King as he felt the cold rush through his awareness and his eyes conveyed nothing but animosity. King looked all too smug and said, "and losing will not only cost you your life, but your ranger friend's as well and trust me when I say he will not go easily."

Legolas snapped, "that is so low."

King shrugged. "You had better concentrate, Elf. Unless of course you really don't care about those who came to rescue you."

Legolas narrowed his eyes further and one wold have been surprised that he could still see out of them at all. His eyebrows furrowed and he growled, "I would die for them as some of them have for me. You will pay for what you have done, one way or another."

Legolas heard a low and threatening growl before he bothered to turn his attention to the warg that was crouched at the opposite end of The Pit, hackles raised and yellow fangs bared in a way that seemed more from routine than anything else. The beast knew her business, obviously by heart.

Legolas realized he was weapon less and he felt fear grip him in a cold hard fist. Crouching down low himself, the blonde being waited for the warg to make her first move. She seemed to grin a toothy and taunting grin of enjoyment. Her tongue licked her lips and she flexed her claws with bright black eyes flickering.

Then, she leaped and Legolas felt his eyes grow considerably wider as he saw the flurry of hair and sharp teeth plus claws hurl itself at him. Then, at the last second, he ran beneath her bulk and appeared on the other side of her. The crowd of men roared and whistled, hoping to see a real show.

Legolas saw Calmir smirking at him and rocking back on his heels. The Elf glared back and then turned his attention fully upon survival.

The warg snarled in anger and stalked up to Legolas. The Elf jumped upon her back and was about to make a leap off when he bucked-there was no other word for the strange movement- and sent him to slam back and head first in the hard dirt wall.

Dazed, he had no time to recover. His reflexes and health were too weary and ill or else he might have beaten her in a weaponless battle. Now, however, he was too weak from hunger, torment and frigid temperatures.

Her jaws closed in on his leg, not biting down hard enough to crunch it, but enough to get a grip and pierce the skin, before she flipped him up into the air like a cat might a mouse, then dropped him to the ground, placing a large, hairy forepaw on his chest and pressing down.

Legolas could feel his ribs compromising and his lungs beginning to empty of air without his consent. Fear gripped him and remembering the cost of losing, he struggled madly. But it was no use.

Using her other paw, she smacked him full across the face, leaving scratches that were not too deep, but more like scrapes, raw and painful. He cried out in agony as her nails hit his already sore and lacerated jaw that the relentless chain had cut into.

She seemed to feed off his pain and her grin broadened and as he saw his face contort in fear s rumbling began in her chest as she purred with pleasure. Legolas struggled still, pressing his booted feet against her horrible mass to no apparent avail. Still kicking, the Elf hissed in his native tongue, "get off me you foul creature! If you value your hide, you will let me go!"

She obviously was no intimidated and she moved her paw up closer to his throat so her claws were on his jugular vein, where she meant to strike. Legolas kicked her hard again and she gave a cry as one of his feet found a soft spot to strike. Leaping back in the astonishment that his little half-starved Elf could hurt her thus, the she-warg snarled and her hair raised all around so that she appeared to be many times as big as she was.

Legolas had just enough wits left to scramble out of the way, so rolling onto his stomach, he started to get up when she grabbed him by his leg and began to pull him backwards in a sliding motion. Legolas was not going to let her eat him, not yet anyway and he kicked with his free foot at her nose.

She shrieked and bit down harder on his leg before letting go and giving him a chance to leap up and face her. He knew he should have taken that opportunity to run but his more insane part of mind didn't permit it so when her paw struck out and caught him on his right side of his ribs, he was far from surprised.

He was slammed into the wall and slammed his head against it hard. Stars danced before his eyes and he swayed, falling to the ground and with relief he felt himself sliding into nothingness.

He did not here the crowds roar and then the cries die down as they realized the fight was over. Legolas had lost and Aragorn was in big trouble.

TBC……OH-HO! Evil Cliffie! Well it's about time! Er...bad us, bad!

Please review. Those are so much fun to read. You didn't seem to take Thalionril's cold blooded death half as bad as we expected. Though we never knew that he actually had some...fans.

Here are some review responses. Thank you so much for these delightful reviews!

Deana: Yes, poorElf and there are still chapters to go! Thanks for the review.

elitenschwein: Thank you for the interesting review! You thought last chapter was evil. -Authors glance over recent chapter- well, now. Wonder what you think of this particular one. Shame on us? What? Well now! We have news for you! He asked us to let him go! It isn't our fault he got in the way and died. And yes, Legolas does wish we had never started writing fan fiction, but that is just too bad now isn't it? LOL Yes, well, just hold your horses. Aragorn angst to come. Aghh! A what was that? Nagul-horse? Hmmmm sounds...slightly threatening... Thank for the warning...we think...

Shadowfox8: You reviewed once or twice on did you not? Hopefully or we are imagining things. We try to not to make people wait too long but it is really quite hopeless. Thanks for the review.

lil Cwick: Thank you for that encouraging review.

Astievia: Uh-oh! -both cringe- another Thalionril fan! Well, we got in the way. Umm...he is in a better place, remember that when you consider all the evil plans that are running through your mind. Hopefully not? Scary how we are all three thinking alojng the same cruel lines... Thanks for the frightening review. LOL

Marie Delcore: You fear for our little redhead's safety? Why? LOL Hehehhehehe. your obsession? We have it for years, just chose to hide it until the opportune moment. LOL Erestor greatly appreciates your sympathy. LOL Thanks for the review mellon nin!

Galadryal: Virus ridden? Ouch! Hope that you got that all cleared up. That has to suck! Hehehehe, we totally sympathize...really. Thanks for the 'flying review'. LOL

Snow Glory: Oh yes, we can tell he is enjoying this little escapade so much. LOL Really, the little Wood-Elf looks so pleased with his circumstances right now. Yes, well all three of them are idiots and insane andin dire need of a pro. therapist to set right. LOL But they will never get that of course. Not as long as they are in our fics. When Celebalda and that curious little Elf meet it will be very strange, that's for sure. Thanks for the review.