Into the Labyrinth
Author: Amorous
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: In chapter one.
*Chapter 8: Into the Labyrinth*
"I'm frightened by what I see,
But somehow I know
That there's much more to come.
Immobilized by my fear,
I seem to be blinded by tears."
-Evanescence
**
Legolas' face was set as he pulled the two knives off his back with a metallic ring. Although he would rather avoid a fight, he'd had enough of running and hiding and it was time for Aragorn and himself to get out of this place and back to Isorfinduil and the twins. Aragorn's sword was already drawn and the young man stood at the ready, with a hard gleam in his silver-blue eyes. The ring of golden sashed guards around them began to draw in, becoming ever thicker as it did so. Legolas searched fervently for a weakness in the circle but found none. These men seemed highly trained and practiced in what they did, and it was not hard to see that this particular procedure had been done many times before.
"We'll make a break to our right. Stay close to the building and perhaps we can make it through." Legolas said quietly, keeping his bright eyes always trained on the ring of guards. Several green shirts came foreword as though to challenge them and others from behind stepped up, taking their place in the circle.
They made a dash to the right. The men who'd just entered the ring gave chase and the guards who controlled the right side rushed forward to meet them and noises of clashing metal filled the clearing. Much to the young human and Elf's dismay, the line held fast, despite their bold attempts to break through. Being sufficiently delayed in their escape, the other guards quickly caught up with them and the friends were trapped between two lines. However they fought furiously and pressed ever forward towards the safety of the trees that always remained just out of reach.
Legolas noticed as he ducked under an intentionally weak swing toward his neck that these green-shirted men still did not aim to kill, but to detain or capture. This gave him an uneasy feeling to no end, but he forced his mind away from that thought and onto the current situation. Which was clearly not a good situation. These guards refused to give up an inch, however hard the friends pressed.
Legolas' hopes rose for an instant when his current opponent's attention was diverted to someone or something behind the Elf. The Prince swung his foot up and caught the man in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. But before he could press his advantage, Legolas heard a startled cry behind him and spun around to find a huge man towering there, with a struggling Aragorn in his muscled arms.
From the look of it, the man had stepped up behind the young man and wrapped his arms around Aragorn's torso, heaving him into the air. The guards all around the clearing gave a cheer for their large comrade, who threw Aragorn to the ground and promptly kicked the young man in the ribs. Aragorn rolled over and staggered to his feet with one arm around his middle and the other clutching his sword. Guards converged on the dazed ranger and he was lost from Legolas' view.
Legolas started forward, but felt strong arms encircling his chest and pulling him back. The Elf saw the huge man stalking towards him and desperately jabbed his elbow back into his unseen captor's gut, but the grip held. Legolas struggled forward, but only when he smashed his heel down on the guard's foot and knocked him in the stomach again did the arms loosen enough for the lithe being to slip free.
Risking a glance around, he saw Aragorn fighting off several green shirts at once but could tell nothing more, for the large man stepped in his line of view and leaned down to make a grab. The blonde Elf leaped backward, narrowly missing the swipe of the guard's arm and felt the wall of The Labyrinth hit his back with a thud. His black hat slipped a bit and he quickly pulled it down again, hearing the calls of the many golden sashed guards that were encouraging their huge crony. Legolas ducked under another swing and dodged away from the large man.
"Legolas!" Aragorn's voice suddenly echoed in the fire-lit clearing and Legolas saw the young ranger running towards him, concern written on his face. The Wood-Elf started forward, but was jerked back as a rope dropped over his shoulders and cinched tight, pinning his arms to his sides. He looked back in shock to see a grim-faced guard tightly gripping the other end of the rope. He tried to swing his knife up but another rope closed around his chest and yanked him in the other direction, throwing off his swing. Both guards heaved back, pulling their ropes taut and Legolas staggered to keep his balance in the middle. Then his eyes widened as the huge guard barreled towards him with a wild fury, lowered a shoulder, and savagely slammed the young Elf Prince into the building, shaking its walls.
*
Aragorn had just rendered a guard unconscious with a punch to the head when he heard the throng of green shirts near The Labyrinth raise a cheer. He searched franticly for Legolas and saw him duck under the large guard's thrust. But another movement caught his eye – two men standing on either side were swinging looped ropes over their heads, watching the nimble being closely, waiting for their chance. The chance came instantly as Legolas dodged away from the gigantic man and Aragorn dashed forward.
"Legolas!" He called out in warning as the first guard launched the rope, but it was too late; the loop pulled tight around his startled friend and Aragorn's mind cried out in dismay. In his moment of distraction, he did not hear the guard running towards him and was suddenly and violently diverted from his path, landing on the ground with a golden sashed man on top of him. The Ranger's sword was knocked out of his reach and the guard socked the younger man in the eye, then again in the jaw. Aragorn's vision tunneled dangerously and he felt himself being pulled to his feet. He struggled to clear his vision and ignore the throbbing of his face.
When he managed to uncloud his mind, he found two guards tying his arms behind his back. He pulled weakly against them, but his ribs still ached from where he'd been kicked and his head was throbbing. He looked up and watched fearfully as the giant man smashed Legolas into the building and held him there.
Legolas fought to get a breath, his body protesting the abuse it was receiving. The guard pressed him hard into the wall and, not being able to move, the Elf panicked. He was suddenly aware that green shirts were crowding around and babbling orders to each other and he felt the ropes around his chest loosen. His arms instantly shot out, pushing vainly against the weight, but to no avail. Then, in a blink of an eye, the huge man grabbed him roughly and turned him, smashing him into the wall again face first. The somewhat stunned Prince's arms were dragged down behind his back and tied there, then more loosely at the elbows.
Aragorn battled his own emotions as he felt a mixture of fear and shame rise within him. What had he done? Legolas had warned him against continuing on but he had not listened, thinking the Elf was being overcautious. Now they both stood with their arms bound behind them. He remembered what the blonde warrior had told him about his fears of being captured and the young Ranger suddenly found himself blinking back tears at his own selfish ways. It frightened him to see his long-time friend taken prisoner as such and he knew it was because of him that they had been here in the first place. And what disheartened him even more was the thought that it was likely that the worst was still to come.
Questions swirled around his head as the guards pulled open the large, grinding double doors. He wondered what would happen to them, whether they would be killed or simply kept inside The Labyrinth. What would his brothers do when he did not return tonight? What about Isorfinduil? They would have no idea where to begin looking.
Ahead of him, Legolas jerked on the guards and the ropes that bound him and even managed to give a good kick to a man that had passed too close in front of him. Aragorn resisted as well when the green shirts began to lead them towards the door, but a sharp crack on the side of his head stilled his struggles and brought stars dancing in front of him. His face throbbed seemingly all over and he could feel his right eye begin to swell.
Legolas tilted his head to glance at the stars, unwilling to leave their quiet beauty. The Elf's gentle luminescence was all but undetectable in the flickering light of the torches and his lungs burned inside from lack of oxygen. He thanked the Valar that his black hat had not fallen off during the struggle and he could only pray that they would not take it from him.
His stomach felt constricted as a guard from somewhere behind him lowered a black cloth over his eyes and tied it behind his head. In any other circumstance he would have fought it off, but he knew that it would only bring them to use force and he would not risk the loss of his hat. He heard no struggle coming from Aragorn either and Legolas hoped the young Ranger was not seriously injured, for he had not gotten more than a glimpse of his friend since the warning.
He could not deny the feeling of dread that had been with him for some time. It only grew when they were pulled inside the doorway, now properly blindfolded. However, despite his fears and the ache deep in his chest that came with inhaling, Legolas cleared his mind to remain focused and alert. He had to be ready for whatever came next.
**
Elrohir shook out his long dark hair and threw the faded blue-grey cloth down next to him on his bed. Elladan strode back and forth in front of him, his eyes distant and deep in thought. He had not even taken off his hat or overcoat. Isorfinduil sat quietly on his own bed, which was directly across from Elrohir's, his overcoat draped next to him but his head-scarf still on. His deep blue eyes followed Elladan from side to side.
The town of Rahma had settled in and was now peacefully quiet. All pubs had closed for the night and most of the inhabitants had stumbled their way home. After being kicked out of several places and pushed away by others, the three Elves dejectedly returned to their room at The Stone Troll to discuss their next course of action.
"Will you stop pacing? It is distracting." Isorfinduil finally muttered, looking away.
"No, I will not." Elladan replied quickly. "I can think better this way."
"That's too bad. You must have to pace often." Isorfinduil returned sarcastically. His worry for Legolas caused his constant annoyance of Elladan to multiply tenfold. "Or perhaps you just don't think very much, for this is the first time I've seen you do such a thing as this."
"At least I'm trying to think of a plan." Elladan glared at the younger Elf for a moment as he passed by. "And this is certainly not the first time you've seen me pace."
"Really? Please, fill me in."
"Oh, I don't know…the Dimrill Dale? And your scouting party? It doesn't matter anyhow; that's not what I should be concentrating on."
"That's right, the almighty and ever-resourceful Elladan must think of a plan, for we have appointed him leader."
"Will you shut your mouth so I can focus?" Elladan shot back rather severely. "You say Legolas is your close friend, I would think you would want to find him. Even if he weren't, he's your Prince."
"I do want to find him, unlike you I can think and talk at the same time. And I don't have to pace."
"Well have you thought of a plan then?"
"There is only one logical plan, Elladan. All we can do for a 'plan' is look for them, as we have been. What I was thinking of is what might have happened to them."
"And?"
"You mean you haven't thought of anything? After all that pacing?"
"Stop it, please." Elrohir said. He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. "This is not helping anything. You two are going to have to learn to work together if we're going to get anywhere."
Elladan gave Isorfinduil a final stare and resumed his pacing.
"Isorfinduil, tell us what you have been thinking." Elrohir prompted with a nod.
"I cannot speak for your younger brother," the golden haired Elf began. "But Legolas has been highly trained. As I said earlier, he would return to this room unless he is unable to do so. Since he has not, it could mean that he is either injured so that it prevents him from traveling, a companion of his is injured and he is unable to carry him," – at this point, the twins glanced at each other – "Or he is either unconscious or being held against his will."
"Those are our options?" Elladan asked darkly.
"Or a situation has arisen where it is better for him to remain where he is."
"That does not help us figure out where they are."
"Yes it does." Isorfinduil said somewhat quietly. "We know that is it not likely that only one would be injured, for the other would come get help. So if injury is the problem, it must be affecting them both. And if this is the case, they would not be near any of the bars we searched, for they would have tried to signal us."
"And if they could not?" Elladan had finally sat down on his bed.
Isorfinduil gave a small shrug. "Then they'd be unconscious. Or at least Legolas would be."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means I hardly know Aragorn and do not know how he would react to such a situation."
"He would try to signal us as well. Surely you do not think him so foolish as to let us pass him by."
"No, I think Aragorn seems to be a very skilled young Ranger. But as I said, I hardly know him."
"Elladan," Elrohir got up to move towards the window and changed the subject. "What have you been thinking?"
"Yes Elladan, what has all this pacing brought to your mind?" Isorfinduil quipped.
Elladan didn't even look at Isorfinduil, but shifted on the bed so that he was sitting cross-legged. "Estel probably found something to do with the investigation. He was eager to begin as it was."
"You have no way of knowing that!" Isorfinduil broke in.
"He would have returned by now even if he had." Elrohir pointed out.
"Or," Elladan continued somewhat defensively. "Someone just felt like picking a fight with one or both of them. It would not be the first time." He paused and they were quiet for a few moments. Then he suddenly stood up. "This is ridiculous! They're out there, injured or dying or Valar knows what, and we're sitting in here doing nothing! We should be searching for them!"
"We can't do anything, Elladan!" Elrohir responded, frustrated. "We've searched every pub on the west side of the town and all we've gotten are vague answers. And now they've all closed for the night. If Estel and Legolas were out there, then we would have found them already."
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
"We have to wait until morning, when the town begins to wake up again. Then we can look and ask around again. Remember that we came here to investigate the fighting ring and we must hold to that. Anyhow, who's to say that their disappearance isn't related somehow?"
**
Happy Fourth of July!! Yay! I'm sitting here, listening to fireworks rumbling in the distance. I hope everyone had a good day!
On to reviews:
Roz – Thank you very much, and I know what you mean about reading unfinished fics. At first I didn't deal with them at all either, but then it got so hard to find a finished one that I just sort of began reading all the unfinished ones out there and just got hooked. But yes, definitely keep your grades up! Thank you again for the nice stuff you said, I look forward to getting this done so you can review all the chapters! J
Trin – Haha, you're very funny. I'm glad you're enjoying!
ASL – yes, that nickname works wonderfully! I know, I think this is the first cliffhanger I've ever done. Although I haven't done much, so…haha, sorry about that, though. But yeah, I bet the Elves are either amused or annoyed when people call them 'son', 'kid', or 'young man', depending on their personalities. Thank you thank you!
Nurnoleiel – Hmm…you're just gonna have to wait and see who Jase is. Hehehe…ahem. But yes, thank you, you have gotten just the feeling I hoped people would get about the town having that feeling of underlying fear and dread. Thanks!
Key – yes, I'm hoping that the summer will let me get this chapters out quicker. I'm glad you're liking it! Thank you so much!
Well, that's it for now. I hope to hear from you all again! And thank you very much! I'm not sure if this could be considered a cliffie, but…hehe, sorry if it is. J Later!
