Disclaimer- LotR does not belong to me, nor will it ever.
A/N- Legolas is wounded in this chapter! And he'll get even more wounded later on, so just wait:)
Chapter 12- Death is Just the Beginning
Legolas wiped the sticky dripping crimson blood off his shoulder and onto the gray stone floor.
"Legolas…" Tirnen whispered, his voice dry and cracked, "I do not think that I will live out tonight…"
"Please, Tirnen, do not speak of such things." Legolas wiped the little drop of red blood off Tirnen's nose and also smeared it on the stone floor.
Tirnen weakly shook his head. "No, I barely even have enough strength to speak with you."
"Then do not talk; rest." Legolas looked down to his friend whilst fighting back the stinging tears that threatened to fall.
Tirnen got as comfortable as he could in Legolas' caring arms and silently fell into a light sleep.
"Sleep well, mellon-nin." Legolas repositioned his arm to better support Tirnen's dark head.
A few peaceful moments existed until Tirnen roughly awoke and began coughing violently. "W-water…" He sat up and put his hand over his mouth, trying to stifle the coughs as best as he could.
Legolas quickly snatched the tanned water flask and handed it to his friend.
Tirnen grasped the flask and took a draught of the water. After his coughs died down, Tirnen set the flask down and breathed heavily. "Hannon-le, Legolas."
Legolas nodded and helped the younger Elf lie back down in his lap. "Are you alright, now?" The blonde-haired Elf looked down with care upon his friend.
Tirnen nodded, being extremely weak now from the coughing and the extreme amount of blood-loss. He got comfortable again, and soon he was asleep once more.
Hours passed, and the two Elves stayed silently in the dark, foul room. Legolas checked Tirnen's pulse every so often to see how he fared in his condition.
But when Legolas checked Tirnen's pulse again at the end of the hour, the weak, fading beat of the young Elf's heart was gone. Legolas hoped that he just misplaced his fingers, so he put his acute Elven ear to Tirnen's chest. But still, no beat could be heard.
Legolas forcefully closed his eyes and let his head drop heavily to his chest. He is gone… Legolas could feel the tears begin to sting his eyes. Gone… forever… Legolas could soon feel himself embracing Tirnen's dead body close to his chest, wishing hopelessly that the dead Elf would spring back to life. "Tirnen…" He cried, "Tirnen… why?" He broke down and sobbed uncontrollably over his dead friend.
The two Elves' master heard Legolas' cries and opened the door to their room. "Finally died, huh?" The man said without any remorse in his voice. "Well, you know where it goes." He pointed to the pile of rotting bodies in the corner. "I'll clean that up later."
Legolas embraced Tirnen's body harder, not planning to let the young Elf's body be disgraced further. "I will do no such thing."
The gruff man walked swiftly up to Legolas and knocked him onto his back with a harsh punch. He took Tirnen's body in his arms when Legolas' grip was loosened.
Without any sympathy in his actions, the man tossed the young Sindarin Elf on top of the pile of bodies. "Now, you. Don't even think of getting that stupid Elf back." He addressed Legolas whilst he spoke.
Legolas, lost in blind fury, was unable to control himself anymore. He leapt up and sprinted at the man, tackling him down to the cold gray ground. He gripped the man's throat and shook it furiously. "Die, damn you! Die!" He tightened his grip even further, causing the man to choke for breath. "Damn it! Die!" Legolas unleashed all of his pent up anger upon the man.
The man kneed Legolas in-between his legs with all of his remaining strength. Legolas quickly dropped the man's throat and fell to his knees, trying desperately not to be overcome by the pain.
The Elf's master breathed heavily, recovering his strength. He got up and pulled Legolas to his feet by his hair. Legolas gasped, the pain from the earlier attack still resided, and now pain in his head also accompanied the attack's. "You need to be taught a lesson." Legolas' owner growled, none to happy with his slave's behavior.
.oOo.
Ascarlún landed on the soft grass, nearly fainting from the heat that his muscles gave off. He was drowsy and delusional, so he did not see the trap set in front of him. He stepped right on it, tripping the pin that held the trap set. The trap snapped shut on Ascarlún's right front leg. He cried and jerked his foot away out of instinct, but that only made the metal teeth cut deeper into the Elvish nayona's flesh.
A wandering Ranger heard the cry and ran to help the creature.
But when he did see what made the noise minutes later, he froze, paralyzed with fear. He shook himself out of it and walked cautiously up to Ascarlún. "It's alright…" He held out his shaking right hand to calm the stressed creature. "I'm here to help you." He knelt down to the trap and opened it with difficulty.
Ascarlún quickly withdrew his foot from the sharp metal trap and lay down on the grass, nursing his wound.
"Here. Let me help you." The Ranger took out some salve and bandages. He smeared the icy white cream into the Elvish nayona's gash. Following that, he wrapped the bandages snugly around the wounded leg. "There, finished." The Ranger said with a little pride. "Does that feel better?" Ascarlún nuzzled the man's cheek as a sign of gratitude.
"Where is your Elf?" The Ranger didn't know much of Elvish nayonas, for the Elves kept them well hidden. But he did know a little of them.
Ascarlún dropped his head and growled softly.
The Ranger put his hand on Ascarlún's neck and compassionately stroked his neck. "I'm sorry…"
Ascarlún stood up on the three of his good legs and motioned to his back.
"You want to give me a ride?" The Ranger, unsure of what was to happen, slowly mounted Ascarlún's back. Ascarlún ran on the three of his non-wounded legs and spread his wings, soaring high into the sky.
.oOo.
Legolas was dragged into a stone room; the same horrid room that Tirnen was tortured in. "Up against that wall!" The man pushed Legolas into the blood covered stone wall and stripped the prince of his royally embroidered shirt. "This'll fetch a high price in the market… no use in ruining it…" After saying that, he shackled Legolas' hands high above his head.
Legolas' master walked to the back of the room, set the shirt down, and picked up a long switch. He then walked back to Legolas and quickly and skillfully hit the flexible wood against Legolas' bare back.
The prince stood trembling, now knowing what kind of pain that his dear friend suffered through. He could feel the blood on his back trickle over his skin and drop to the floor.
The man decided to do something different. He walked to the back of the room again and dropped the switch on the floor, but whilst he picked up a knife, he chortled softly to himself.
He walked over to the trembling form standing against the wall, blood dripping freely from its back. He took the knife and stuck it deep into the Elf's lower back, slicing the flesh as he dragged the knife up alongside the Elf's spine. Then he took the same knife and stuck it in the wound that he just inflicted. But instead of pulling it out, he left it there while he walked back to the end of the room once again.
Legolas screamed and thrashed madly in the shackles. The flesh on his wrists began to chafe, and blood began to dribble over the tops of the shackles, dripping freely to the stone ground.
The armory shop owner laughed at the Elf's feeble attempts to get the knife out. He loosened a large stone from the floor and threw it at Legolas' head.
Legolas' vision went black and he fell limp in the blood stained shackles.
The Elf's master walked over to the unconscious Elf and unlocked him, letting his body fall into the pool of crimson blood on the stone ground. His golden hair mingled with the crimson blood, and soon his golden hair was a bloody red color.
The man dragged Legolas out of the room, leaving a trail of red blood behind wherever he dragged his slave. He put him back into the room that Tirnen died in and left him there with some fresh bandages and water. "I can't have you die on me just yet… I don't have enough money to buy a new slave… but when I do, I'll personally kill you off myself…" He said, knowing that his slave couldn't hear him anyway. And with that, he left the Elf alone to fend for himself with the knife still protruding from his back.
Tbc…
A/N- This is not the end of the Legolas torture… there's more later on…
Responds to Reviews-
JediGollum- Yes, but Legolas is hurt now…
XxelfxX- Thanks for the comment! And sadly, that's what happened to Legolas and Tirnen… poor Tirnen…
Kestrel of Valinor- Alright, if I get the time, I'll try and read your story:)
Saerwen- Yes, that's where the whip came from… horrid, isn't it? Well, there you go:D Legolas is now hurt badly!
Ilaaris- Thank you!
faeriekittie306 animelover- shrugs