Hi peoples! I was going to post this earlier, but things got in my way, like the computer breaking down and messing up.
Disclaimer: Not Tolkin, too bad
Thank you Anayra for being my beta!
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Elladan soon found the place where his two brothers had disappeared. There
was a hole there just like they had said. Elladan got out his elvish rope
and tied it to a nearby stump. Then he went down into the darkness of the
cave. His torch cast an orange glow on the wall. The drop wasn't far and he
reached the bottom quickly.
As Elladan traveled small pinprick of light became noticeable from the sea
of endless black. The light became stronger until finally he came to some
stairs. He climbed the stairs and soon came up to the top. He blinked as the
bright light hit his eyes. The one thing he failed to notice was a man
waiting on the overhang. The last thing he knew was a pain in the back of
his head.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Aragorn dodged the sword right as the captain plunged it downward. The glass
tore up his back and he could feel warm blood trickle down it. He
noticed that the torch was within his arm's reach and a plan formed in his
head. He grabbed the torch and jumped up. Then he swung it forward and into
the captain s face. The captain stepped back and blocked his face with his
hands. This gave Aragorn time enough to pick up his sword. Now he was
fighting with both his sword and the torch. The captain had put out the fire (----------What fire? You mean the torch?----------)
and now came at Aragon enraged. Aragorn was easily able to counter the lunge. But he was so concentrated on fighting that he failed to notice that the torch had caught some boxes on
fire until the scream of the drunk alerted him. He looked around just in
time for a box filled with wine to explode in his face. The light temporally
blinded him. When he got his sight back he looked for the captain. Then he
saw him. He was on the floor.
Glass from the exploding bottles had driven into his face and blood poured from
the various wounds. Aragorn turned from the gruesome picture. Already the straw and debris on the floor had caught on fire and
it was spreading. He ran to the door. Luckily it opened easily and Aragorn
was able to escape from the inferno. His only thought was to get Legolas and
get out of the caves. He looked back. Where the door had been there was now
smoke and the straw on the ground had caught on fire and was like a fuse
crawling forward towards more fuel. Aragorn looked into every door along his
way, when something caught his eye.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Legolas awoke when a pail of cold water was poured on his head.
"Estel!" He said, forgetting where he was and supposing it was his friend
who had poured the water on his head.
"No, sorry chap, not him. He had a little problem with one of our wolves. He
didn't make it." Dûrlhug laughed.
"NO!" Everything was coming back to him. He tried to rise but found that
impossible.
"Yes, I am sorry, but all our meat had maggots in it and I just couldn't
feed my main attraction maggoty meat." The man clicked his tongue in
disgust.
"But that problem will soon be rectified, seeing we now have a new main
attraction. An elf will bring in enough money for me to live pretty the rest
of my life." Dûrlhug smiled, anticipating the money he would make from this
blonde haired elf.
"Now, what is your name, lad?"
Legolas was silent.
"I asked your name, elf. You best answer me or else."
Before Legolas could give an answer someone came in and whispered something
in Dûrlhug's ear. The man smiled.
"Well bring him in then," He said to the attendant. Soon two larger men came
in holding between them a struggling elf. They pushed him in and stood
waiting.
Elladan was shoved into a cell. He saw an elf lying on the floor. Wet blonde
hair fell over his face, but there was no mistaking who it was.
"Legolas!" He called out to his friend.
The elf did not respond and Elladan rushed over to him.
Legolas?" he questioned again, this time softer. Legolas turned his head
and looked at Elladan.
"What happened, Mellon nin? The raven-haired elf questioned softly, using
his native tongue. Just then a voice broke it.
"So you know each other. Good." He said.
Elladan shivered at the pure darkness in the voice. "What did you do to him?
He questioned, turning to the human.
"Oh, nothing permanent." The human replied. "But now that I have you
here..." He left off at that.
"First though I must tell you why I am here. I dislike ill-informed guests."
The man motioned to the guards that brought Elladan and they immediately
grabbed him. Elladan tried to struggle but when the human took out his sword
and placed it at Legolas' throat he quit. The men clasped his arms in irons
and threaded a chain through them and then up through a ring hanging from
the low ceiling. This forced the elf's arms up and left his body exposed.
Elladan particularly hated that position. As a young elf he had been taught
always to have his arms protecting his body because if not it would leave
his vital organs open for attack. He had learned that lesson
quite well when one day when Elrohir and he were practicing and his brother
had accidentally stabbed him in the gut. Luckily the blow had not pierced
anything vital, but Elladan had had to spend a week in his bed recovering
and the scar still marred the otherwise perfect skin of his torso.
"So, human, why have you brought us here?" Elladan sneered.
"Tsk tsk, elves are so lacking in pleasantries. I am Dûrlhug and the two
wonderful escorts who brought you here were Sanor and Jarek. And I take it
your name is Elladan. Nice, but we will have to get that fixed. It sounds too
elvish." Dûrlhug smiled before continuing. "Sorry you have to be strung up
like that. We can't give you the stuff your friend has because we
accidentally got the dosage wrong and he almost died. Though it would
probably be for the better, we cannot allow that to happen again. Marianna
is mad enough already." The last part he said quietly but Elladan's
sensitive ears picked it up.
Dûrlhug continued, but Elladan tuned it out and concentrated on finding out
what was wrong with Legolas. The elf just lay there. He had turned his eyes
to the other elf's and looked at him with his cobalt blue eyes. He wished he
had the telepathic ability of his grandmother to know what Legolas was
thinking. But his only ability in that area was when his brother was there
with him adding the twin's spark of insight to his own and making an
insight just great enough to know what the person had gone through so that
they could find a cure to the person's illness. Maybe he could though,
thought Elladan. If he could only reach for his brother's spirit though the
connection they shared as twins maybe he could see what was wrong with
Legolas. The elf closed his eyes to concentrate on locating his brother, but
before he could even start a hand on his shoulder pulled him back to his
currant situation.
It was Dûrlhug's voice that came to him after he was back.
"You weren't listening were you?" the man questioned.
" I don't like repeating myself so I guess you will be in the dark about most of the
stuff, but some of it I shall go over one more time and I suggest you listen
closely." The man walked in front of him and crossed his arms behind his
back.
"I hate to have ill-informed guests." He said, sighing.
"Yes, so you have told me.''
"But it can not be helped with rude elves that do not listen. The fabled
courtesy of the elves must only be a fable I suppose."
"Maybe I would be more 'courteous' if I were not hanging in shackles in a
cave," Elladan snapped.
"Tsk tsk. Elves have such tempers. Why I even keep them...." He trailed off
but then started again. "I bet you are wondering that too. I did tell you if
you were only listening, but it appears you weren't or you would have also
heard that I detest people talking back to me," he said with a smile. "But
that can always be rectified. Now where was I? Oh yes, I was telling you
about why you are here. You are here to be trained for a Circus. I trust you
know what that is? Well, I shall refresh you memory yet again. It is a
traveling zoo of sorts with the animals performing tricks. I am prided in
having the biggest one in my region. So now have you guessed your part,
little elves?" He asked them. When realization came to Elladan's face he
went on.
"That is right, you are going to be Circus performers. This is just our training site, but as soon as you are trained you shall go all over middle earth."
"I will not be paraded around like some prize horse or dog," Elladan said.
"But you will, after the training. So why don't we begin that now? I have
spent time to learn about elves, like I have with all my animals and the one
thing I learned is that they don't care about their own pain, but a pain of
a loved one almost kills them. So I shall use that to train you. But first
because you are already tied up I shall train the blonde elf."
He drew a knife from its sheath on his hip and cut away Elladan's tunic,
leaving his pale skin bare. He then motioned to the two guards who then tied
Legolas none too gently to some rings on the wall. After that they brought
a whip and the human snapped it.
"Let the fun begin.".
Dûrlhug circled Elladan once before whipping him on the back. Elladan
tensed, but he showed no other sign of feeling the bite of pain the whip
produced. Welts quickly rose on his back as the evil man whipped him.
Legolas watched, his eyes growing wide.
"Please.... please stop." he pleaded, but Dûrlhug did not stop, but instead
redoubled his efforts. Soon blood was pouring down Elladan's back. The elf
felt as if his back was on fire, but kept his face passive. Then the
beating stopped. Dûrlhug stepped back to admire his handiwork and smiled.
"I did a nice job, wouldn't you say, Blondie?" He questioned.
"But then again, I think it needs a little touching up." He grabbed his
knife and started back towards Elladan. This time the elf could not keep
from trying to draw away as Dûrlhug approached him.
"No, no more please." Legolas begged.
"But you would want me to finish this piece of art, wouldn't you? It would
be horrible just to leave it there." Dûrlhug walked closer.
"Now if we just take the knife and do this." The human cut Elladan's back
with the knife. Blood spurted everywhere. This time Elladan couldn't help
but let out a small gasp as the knife bid in. "And then cut here." The human
cut again.
"Then I should be finished." He smiled and turned back to Legolas. "Unless
you want me to do more. That can always be arranged."
Legolas shook his head vigorously.
"That is what I thought." The human said. A servant came in.
"Permission to speak sir?" he asked
"Yes, what is it?"
"Sir, we have a problem, I suggest you come see this."
"I shall come after I finish with them."
"It is rather important sir." The servant looked around nervously.
Dûrlhug sighed. Well then, I shall come. But if this is not less then vital
to the operation of this thing I shall see heads roll."
"Ye-yes sir."
"Ok elves, you stay here and I shall go see to my business."
"Elladan turned back to his friend. "What happened to Estel?!" He asked.
"According to Dûrlhug he was eaten by a wild dog." Legolas said, his eyes
filling with tears.
"No! He must be wrong. Estel is not dead. I can't lose him. Especially when
I just got him back." Elladan slumped against his chains.
Then his ears picked up a sound he never thought he would hear again.
"Legolas! Where are you? We have to get out of here." It was Aragorn.
"I am here! And Elladan is with me!" Legolas called back. He wondered
what Aragorn would be so foolish as to call him when there were guards and
such. Aragorn looked into their cell.
"Thank the Valar you are alive!" He said. Let me go get some keys and we will be
out of here in a jiffy. The man was breathing hard, but Legolas only knew
one thing. His friend was alive!
A/N: If Dl(5g shows up it is supposed to be Dûrlhug but my computer messed it up after I had already got it betad. I think I got them all though.
Replies to Reviewers
Deana: Ok, I let him live, for now. Sorry for the long wait
Mornflower: ducks wine bottle Hey, death isn't always permanent
jacquelinestel and wackoranger: I write small.
K Dog: Easily
Moonyasha: Ok, I'll help Leggy.
Anarya: I plan on driving you crazy. Mwahahaha! Thanks for the review. I like the ones that don't make sense.
LiLCwick: Ok, I wrote more.
Hyperactive Forever: COME BACK WITH THOSE COOKIES!
I listened to some of their music. It sounded very nice. My brother is looking into them so maybe he will buy one of their cd's. I hurt 'Dan. Poor Elladan, I think he got hurt the most graphically. You asked for it. He was going to come out unscathed, well except for losing the other half of him, aka his brother, but you asked me to hurt him.
Shauna: Witch one do you think I am going to kill? It is pretty clear now, but I might surprise you still.
Washow: Since you asked so nicely, here it is. I was going to post it about three days after your review, but my computer crashed. Bad computer.
DriggerWhiteTiger: But killing them is so fun! Only when you are doing the killing though. Ok, here it is.
Thank you so much everyone who reviewed! Y'all are the reason I write, so keep reviewing! The offer for cookies still stands.
Namarie, Astievia