Disclaimer: Unfortunately, none of this is mine!! *sob*
Title: Strike of the Serpent
Rating: R
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Note:: Okay, let me know if I went a bit overboard with this chapter okay? My geography is probably completely wrong and I've irreparably altered Middle Earth but forgive me!! Please?? Just let me know if it's a bit extreme, I just took an idea and ran with it (mostly just to provoke you, Shandrial, you'll see what I mean when you get to it…)
Lastly, this chapter is dedicated to TrinityTheSheDevil for giving me an idea for the first part, to Alice7, who will beat me if I don't get it out soon, and to Shandrial, for always making me laugh!! :) Cheers mates!! Anyway I won't delay you more, hope you enjoy and tell me if it sucks and I should change it!! Huggles, .:Tithen Min:.
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Chapter 6
As they started out the next morning, it quickly became apparent that Legolas' condition had not improved. In fact, he was worse. The Elf was barely conscious and almost unresponsive and Grima was raging.
"What is wrong with him?" He cried, "Elves are not supposed to get sick!"
Aragorn looked disdainfully at their captor. "It is true that the firstborn do not often succumb to illnesses, yet even the strongest Elf would have trouble being well when beaten far beyond their limits and forced to travel for hours without rest."
Grima's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Ah, I see that the Ranger wishes to help the little Elf! You can help him by being as miserable as he is!" He turned to the Uruks, "Get him up!"
Aragorn flinched as his healing wound pulled as the Uruks dragged him up from the ground, tying him firmly to an unyielding tree. Grima advanced towards him, invading his personal space and leaving Aragorn wishing he could pull away. His very presence spoke of the possession of evil.
"How do you expect to be able to help your friend, Ranger?" the worm smirked, "You are pathetic! You come after him only to be taken yourself! You are not even worthy of the title of a Ranger!" He circled the tree, "Tell me, how does it feel to know that he will be my slave for as long as I keep him alive, while you will be locked away, unable to help him, but close enough to hear him scream?"
The Ranger wrenched against his bonds, wishing for his freedom and a sword so he could swiftly make Grima a head shorter.
He crouched beside Aragorn and grasped his chin, directing the other man's gaze towards the half-conscious Elf.
"Look at him. He is magnificent, is he not?" Grima smirked, "Made to be captured and tamed. Oh yes, he will scream before I am done with him."
Aragorn growled, trying to pull his face from the evil man's grip. "He is no longer magnificent! Can you not see it? You are killing him! Elves were not made to be slaves to anyone, be they man or wizard. They were made to be free."
Grima sneered. "They may have been made to be free, but that Elf is no longer. He belongs to me,"
"Legolas will never belong to anyone. He is a free spirit and always has been," Aragorn muttered, "Your chains will kill him as surely as would a sword."
Grima looked like he was getting tired of the discussion. He rolled his eyes, nodding to the two Uruk Hai that stood close by before walking in Legolas' direction and sitting beside him, watching his master's minions as they turned on Aragorn.
The man gasped as an armoured fist caught him in the midsection, knocking the air out of him. As the fists and boots continued to strike him, seemingly unendingly, he tried to curl in on himself, but was unable to, the ropes holding him fast to the tree.
Legolas pulled his fevered mind back to the present as he heard Aragorn's low grunts of pain from across the camp. He opened his eyes and followed the sound, his eyes coming to rest on his friend and the creatures that beat him.
"Stop!" He cried out, his voice hoarse from dehydration caused by the fever, "Please, leave him alone!"
Grima looked down at the Elf, watching him struggle with his ropes as he tried to get free to aid his friend. The former advisor glanced at Aragorn then, seeing him grimace in pain as another blow fell. He scowled.
"Alright, that is enough for now. We need him to be able to walk, unless one of you wishes to carry him?"
The Uruks grumbled, but let the man be, walking over to begin packing up camp. Legolas trembled as he struggled into a sitting position and stared across the camp at Aragorn, trying to determine the extent of his injuries.
Aragorn's head spun disconcertingly as he slumped forward against the ropes that held him to the tree and he groaned softly. Grima watched in detached amusement as Legolas crawled towards him on his hands and knees, as his feet were still bound and he had not the strength to stand.
"Already I have you crawling, my Elf." He cackled. Legolas grit his teeth and continued on, his pride cast aside in his need to help the Ranger.
"Strider?" Legolas murmured softly as he reached the Human's side. He pushed his own weight against him, taking Aragorn's weight and taking the strain off the man's bound arms. Aragorn flinched slightly at his touch, then raised his eyes to the Elf prince's face.
"Legolas?"
"Ssh, Estel, it is alright now. They will not harm you again," 'At least for now,' Legolas added silently.
Aragorn's head still swum nauseatingly and he was having trouble staying focussed on Legolas' face. "Legolas, you are not well. You should not be up,"
Legolas chuckled softly. "Oh, and I suppose you would deem yourself well after what you have just experienced?"
"This is different," Aragorn grumbled, flinching as he felt the unnatural heat that was coming from his friend.
"How so, Master Ranger? You would— " He stopped as Grima approached from behind them, watching closely.
"I suppose I should thank you, Ranger, for finally wakening this lazy being. He has slept for far too long!" Grima sneered, prodding Legolas with his foot. "It is time to move on, so get up, both of you!"
Legolas turned on him. "How do you expect him to rise?" He snapped, "He is bound so tightly that he is almost part of the tree!"
Grima grabbed his chin in a bruising grip, bringing their faces close together. "You have a smart mouth, Elf. I shall have to find some other uses for it." Legolas stiffened, his fury and indignation evident on his flushed face. "But for now," Grima continued, "I will have to keep it quiet."
He produced the filthy piece of cloth and pushed it once more into the Elf's mouth, tying it tighter than before. Legolas grunted in discomfort, but was unable to do anything about it.
The Uruks cut Aragorn free as Legolas and Grima mounted, ready to move on once more. Aragorn's hands were re-bound in front of him and the Uruk Hai leader grabbed his arm to get him going, making the man flinch as the dull pain of a bruise flared at the un-gentle touch. Legolas cast an apologetic look over his shoulder before Grima spurred the horse into motion and Aragorn was left behind with the Uruk Hai.
Their progress was slow, due to the state of the two captives, and Grima's temper grew short as the day wore on. Finally, completely frustrated and enraged, he halted their progress and ordered the Uruks to set up camp for the night. They grumbled as usual about having to follow his orders, but they obeyed, moving off to make camp and leaving Aragorn in a panting heap on the ground.
He lifted his head in time to see their captor give Legolas a venomous kick to the ribs. The Elf doubled over and groaned faintly through the painful gag, dropping to his knees weakly and unable to defend himself.
Aragorn attempted to struggle to his feet to aid his old friend, but a passing Uruk shoved him roughly back down, growling at him in the black speech. Aragorn made a face, but reluctantly held his position, recognising his own weakness. He could never help Legolas like this. It would likely get them both punished, and Legolas was weak enough as it was. He also had to admit that he was not in top condition himself.
He watched as Grima grabbed Legolas by the back of the neck and hauled him over to where he was sitting, dropping him at his friend's side before leaving them alone. The Elf was doubled forward over his damaged ribs as he struggled to take in air through the cloth in his mouth.
Aragorn reached out towards the knot at the back of his friend's head, pulling relentlessly at it until it came loose, letting the cruel restraint drop from Legolas' mouth. The prince groaned softly as his breathing began to return to normal.
"What is it, Legolas?" Aragorn asked, looking into Legolas' face.
"Hurts…" Legolas gasped, even the small effort of talking seemed to pain him.
The man felt completely helpless. He had never seen Legolas this bad before, and they had been friends a long time. The two companions fell into a weary silence, too worn out to speak. Aragorn felt his exhausted body pulling him down into sleep and, after a while, he could no longer resist. He was weary beyond what he had ever been before.
He was suddenly jerked into wakefulness however, when Legolas stumbled to his feet unsteadily, swaying slightly as he straightened up.
"Legolas!" Aragorn hissed, "What are you doing?"
He looked up at Legolas' face and drew his breath in sharply. Legolas' eyes were half lidded and unfocused and his face expressionless. If he had not known better, Aragorn would have sworn his friend was asleep. Aragorn's bound hands shot out and grabbed the hem of the prince's tunic.
"Legolas?"
"Thirsty," Legolas mumbled uncertainly, shaking off the Ranger's hands and walking unsteadily towards the campfire.
Aragorn cringed inwardly as Grima looked up from his meal, his gaze falling on his wayward captive. As the other man rose to his feet and moved towards Legolas, Aragorn eased himself up to a crouch, knowing the foul mood Grima had been in and getting ready to defend his weakened companion. However, Grima's mood seemed to have softened.
Aragorn watched in amazement as he came up behind Legolas and slid his arms around the Elf's waist, drawing him to a stop, and kissed his shoulder almost tenderly.
"Going somewhere, my fair one?" He inquired mildly, looking slightly suspicious.
"Thirsty," Legolas repeated quietly, not reacting at all to the man's proximity.
Aragorn sat back down heavily. What in all Arda was wrong with Legolas? Why was he acting like that? He watched as their captor took a water skin from his belt and held it to Legolas' lips. The Elf obediently drank what he was given, turning his head away slightly when he was finished. Grima tossed the container aside and gave Legolas' a small push in Aragorn's direction.
"Go and sit down now, my Elf. We shall speak later,"
Legolas nodded dumbly, making his way back over to Aragorn and sitting by him, seemingly not noticing his questioning looks. Aragorn swung around to face Grima.
"What is wrong with him?!"
"Hold your tongue, Ranger," Grima sneered, "Saruman is merely playing with his mind." He cackled, before adding, as if to himself; "His hold is getting stronger,"
* * * * * * * * * *
Gimli almost fell from the back of the speeding horse as Gandalf gave a sudden, involuntary shudder. Shadowfax slowed marginally to accommodate his riders.
"Gandalf?" Gimli called out, suddenly worried, "Gandalf what is the matter?!"
The Istar did not answer for a moment, but turned slightly to face the Dwarf. "Saruman," He muttered, "He is trying to take hold of one of them, I can feel his power…we are getting closer to them, but I fear we may not be fast enough."
"Blast it all, Gandalf!" Gimli exploded, "Talk sense for a change!"
"Saruman knows that the captives are on their way," Gandalf muttered "And as they draw closer to Orthanc, his power over them grows…one of them is weakened, he is getting in."
Gimli's eyes widened. "Who? Who is weakening?"
"I cannot tell which of them, yet I fear for them. We must hurry,"
* * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, Aragorn watched as Legolas was once more pulled up in front of Grima on his mount's back as they set off, following the banks of the river Isen towards Orthanc.
Aragorn cast a worried look at the Elf. Legolas had been very disturbed when he had come out of his trance-like state and been told what he had done. He had refused rest, even though he clearly needed it, and had insisted to Aragorn that nothing was wrong. He looked terrible this morning, pale and unsteady, and the fever still gripped him, sapping what little strength he had left.
Aragorn looked over at their captor's horse and saw Legolas swaying alarmingly in his seat. Grima had turned aside to speak with one of the Uruks and he was paying little heed to his Elf's discomfort.
As Grima raised his hand to point ahead, Aragorn watched in horror as Legolas' eyes rolled back in his head and he toppled from the mount's back. Aragorn let out a yell as his friend plunged into the icy waters of the river Isen.
Grima turned in time to see Legolas' head disappear beneath the raging waters and he let out a yell of his own. "Get him out!" He hollered at the Uruk Hai, "Get him on land now or your master will string you up for losing his precious captive!"
Two Uruks dived in after the captive as Aragorn looked on anxiously, struggling in vain against his captors to get to the river's edge and see what was happening. The current was pulling Legolas further upstream, away from them, and they had to run to catch up.
Aragorn watched with wide eyes as the two creatures dragged Legolas out of the river's grip and back onto dry land. The prince's extremities were an alarming shade of blue, as were his lips.
"He is not breathing," One of the beasts snarled, smirking slightly.
"Then make him breathe!!" Grima screamed, but the Uruk shook its head.
"I cannot,"
The Ranger finally managed to wrench away from the hybrid's grips, running over to the prone form of Legolas and dropping to his knees beside him.
"Legolas!" He cried, shaking him gently, "Legolas, answer me!"
He put his head to Legolas' chest, filled with relief when he heard a faint heartbeat. But why was he not breathing?
The man laced the fingers of his bound hands and pressed the heel of his palm below Legolas' sternum and pushed upwards sharply. Legolas' body convulsed slightly, but it made no difference, his chest remained still.
Desperately, Aragorn repeated the motion over and over, tears streaming down his face. He could not lose his friend, not now! Finally, as he was about to give up, the Elf's body heaved beneath him and he swiftly turned him onto his side as water spewed from Legolas' mouth and he took a gasp of air.
Legolas' grey eyes were wide with fear and panic and it took him a moment to recognise his friend as he struggled to bring his breathing under control.
"Es--Estel..." He choked out, shivering violently. He was soaked through with the icy water. Aragorn turned to Grima, who was standing behind them, calm now that his future slave was safe.
"Remove my cloak," Aragorn said.
Grima's eyes narrowed and the Ranger continued. "Remove my cloak and wrap him in it! Can you not see? He is frozen through!"
"It matters little to me, as long as he can still travel. We have wasted enough time on his account already."
"'It matters little'?! He could die! He is weak enough already!" Aragorn yelled.
A pale hand tangled in Aragorn's tunic, redirecting his attention. "Do not antagonise him, Estel," Legolas murmured weakly, "It is of no matter, I am alright."
"We must have strict words about your views of 'alright', my dear friend." Aragorn muttered.
Legolas chuckled softly, but broke off into a coughing fit as deep shudders ran through his lithe body. Aragorn immediately sobered, gently pulling his friend up into a sitting position, careful of his still painful ribs. He fumbled with the catch of his cloak, finally managing to remove the article and drape it over the Elf's shoulders.
"No, Estel, you will freeze to death out here!" Legolas tried to return the cloak to Aragorn, but the Human would have none of it.
"It is alright, Legolas. Keep it until you warm up a bit," He whispered to his distressed friend.
Legolas just nodded, too worn out to argue with him. Aragorn was worried that his rash words were coming true and that this captivity and the one that lay before him was slowly killing the prince.
Legolas reached out and gently smoothed the worry lines from the Ranger's forehead. "What troubles you, Estel? Tell me, I wish to help."
Aragorn almost laughed. Legolas was suffering more than he undoubtedly had in his entire Elven lifetime and he still put Aragorn's needs before his own. Legolas saw this sudden attack of mirth reflected in his friend's eyes and immediately his face grew concerned.
"Estel? Are you alright? Talk to me, mellon nìn!"
Aragorn hastily held up his hands to hush the panicked Elf. "Be calm, Legolas. I am well," Legolas looked at him quizzically and he continued, "You are truly an amazing creature, my prince. You are bound and hurting, yet you would care for me before yourself. I do not know how I deserve you,"
Legolas shook his head with a faint smile, "Estel, you have done many things in the past and will do many great things in the future to deserve friends who are loyal, who would do anything for you." He dropped his voice and switched to Elvish, meeting the man's eyes full on, "You will make a great ruler,"
Aragorn nodded, tears in his eyes. "And I shall give you Ithilien, to restore and rule as you will, so we will never be far from each other." He pulled the slender Elf into his arms and embraced him tightly, "Promise me you will try to hold on. Do not let this defeat you,"
Legolas clung to him tightly, "I promise. For you, Estel."
"How sweet," A sarcastic voice spoke from behind them and they broke apart. Grima was standing a few feet away, glowering at them. "Come," He growled, "We must move on. We are almost there. You two have delayed me enough. No further rest until we reach the tower!"
Legolas struggled to his feet, aided by Aragorn, and reluctantly took his place in front of Grima once again. He cast his eyes towards the dark tower of Orthanc and a spike of evil shot through his consciousness as he gazed upon it. He turned his eyes worriedly to Aragorn.
No good could come of this.
TBC… DON'T HURT ME!! ;)
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ROTFL! When I was typing the line 'you will make a great ruler', all I could think of was a plastic straight ruler that you draw lines with and I couldn't stop laughing!!!!! :D Okay…on to the reviews!
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Review replies::
MoroTheWolfGod: Eep!! Well…heh…I didn't really hurry, did I? I tried to hurry, but you know me, things got in the way and there was this little incident when I wrote myself into a corner and refused to even look at the story for nearly a week… *sigh* Did this chapter answer your question?? *evil cackle* Legolas doesn't sound healed does he? ;) Hope you liked!!! =)
DXPrincess: Creepy?? Good that's what I was aiming for!! ;) *giggle* Sorry for making you wait so long but me and the story had issues. I'm sure you know what I mean… Grr stubborn plot bunnies… ;) Anyway hope you still like it after me horrific lapse in geographical skills! =)
Lefty: You see my problem! Both WIPs and I'm trying to get both out as quick as possible! I keep getting the plot lines mixed up!! Patient?? Grima??? I don't think that's built into his mechanisms somehow… ;) I'm glad you liked the idea though! Legolas is a good guy! :) Not much of Gimli and Gandalf in this one though. Maybe the next one! Hope this one wasn't too geographically incorrect or anything! Hope ya liked! ;)
Sirith: 0_0 You didn't send people did you?! I can explain!! … Actually…no I can't! I'm sorry!! Don't send them after me I'll be good!! Pitchfork? Pitchfork?!?! Eep!! *running away!!* *runs back to keyboard to finish reply* Sorry about that! Hope I did good this time too! (ie, good enuf for you not to come after me with your fork!!!) ;) More in the works!! =)
Alice7: Of course you did!! I don't doubt you for a second! *cough* Nah it's FF.net's fault the review alerts and the author alerts were all messed up! You've grown fond of Legless?? *gasp* You can have a turn with Grima in the ring too, but don't kill him yet cos everyone else wants a piece of him too!! Eep!! Top quality manflesh?? Sounds like a rather raunchy ad for something or other… ;) I know I'm in a random mood tonite just ignore me… Hope you liked!! =)
Shandrial: I love that word too! Use it all the time! I'm a bum too if it helps!! ;) Did I see what I meant about provoking you?? Wet Elves ring a bell? Although wet Orc probably put a bit of a damper on the image… *shudder* Do you know if I messed up the geography?? I have no idea where the river Isen is the only maps I have don't name the river… Grr! V annoying!! I actually didn't put much Gandalf and Gimli in this one did I? Hmmm… Have to fix that! Hope you liked your wet Elf anyway!! *huggles* :)
itarilde-elenastar: I don't know about that but you're good at making me go red!! My ego is expanding to dangerous proportions…pretty soon I won't be able to move from the keyboard for its size…I see your plan!! ;) Thank you for lovely compliments they are always appreciated!! :) Did the move go okay?? Hope you're all settled down and comfy now! I only moved a year ago myself so I know your pain!! *huggles* ;) Hope you liked!! =)
Black Hawk: If you read the little note at the end you'll see why I can relate so much to your flight of mirth the other day! The Miss Piggy thing was a lot funnier though!! ;) hehehehe!! It's fun to go a bit mad sometimes!! I'm glad you like the fics! I love yours too! At least the one I've read so far!! :) I hope this chapt wasn't as bad as I thought!! Sorry for the delay! I'll get more out as soon as I can!! *huggles* =)
Tears of Eternity: OMG you definitely outlaughed him!! Hehehe!! You can have Grima too if you like! That is, as soon as I find the little blighter…I think you scared him off! ;) I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Maybe he shouldn't have kissed Legolas though, everyone hates him more now!! Hehehe! Your reviews always put a smile on my face! Hope you liked this chappie too!! :)
randomramblings: Eep!! I'm sorry!! But you know me by now I love a good cliffie or three… *rolls eyes innocently* This one didn't have a cliffie, did it?? 0_0 Strange how I can't tell anymore… ;) Hehe!! Hope you liked it!!
Estel Baggins: I tend to do that sometimes don't I? Let my plots get all complicated and all! *shakes head* Silly me… Ah the guessing adds to the suspense and you know how much I love suspense!! How's studies going? Good I hope! :) I hope I'm not driving up your stress levels or anything!! ;) And I'll email you as soon as I put this up! Hope you like it okay! =)
ivorybrowneyes: Um…yeah…heh…would this be considered updating 'soon'?? Don't hurt me!! I tried! I really did! It's all Grima's fault!! Glad you liked the last chapter and hope this one's incredible rushed-ness and strange geography didn't put you off or anything!! =)
TrinityTheSheDevil: Thanks for the wonderful idea of Aragorn torture!! I know it wasn't really torture per se, but it served its purpose, got me started on this chapter! Thank you!! =) Hehe!! I should make Grima a bit nicer I think everyone wants to kill him…he's gonna be lynched as soon as the story's over… Eep!! Anyway hope you liked it!! *huggles* ;)
tamara: I feel bad for them too! I think they all deserve a break from my torturous mind… after Grudge and TNM and now this I think they're ready to quit on me… Sorry for taking so long but you know what I'm like!! *giggle* Hope you liked though!! ;)
LOTRFaith: Indeed I did I love your story!! :) You write really well! Sorry this took so long but you know how life can get sometimes! You can have Grima for a while, but others are waiting for him too! Don't think he likes me too much at the moment!! ;) I'm glad you liked it so much and I hope this one wasn't as bad as I thought it was!! =)
wispykitty: Eep! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make you forget what the story was about!! Does this chapter help? Maybe I should put a summary at the beginning of each one so everyone remembers what's going on!!! And thank you for keeping it caged!! ;) I hope you liked this one as much as the last one! (awesome?? **Blush**) And don't unleash it!! Please!! =)
Celtic Bard: Really? I'm glad you liked it alright! :) Sorry for making you wait to see what happens, I'll try to get them out faster in future! Hope you liked!! ;)
Jedi Cosmos: Ah I'm sure the evil wizard has his reasons!! ;) I'm sorry this took so long I'll try to be better in future!! I have two college assignments coming up and when I'm supposed to be concentrating on work I always get bitten by plot bunnies so that's a good sign!! It's in the works already and sorry for the delay! Hope you liked!! :)
Irish QT: Is it nice in Derry? Dublin's all full of traffic fumes! *cough* And LUAS works! Grr… I'm glad you're liking the story so much so far and sorry about the long wait! The Irish education system was weighing me down!! I hope you liked this one too and don't kill me for taking so long! Hehehe!! ;)
Fishton: Awh thank you!! I'm glad you're enjoying it so much! Sorry for the long wait though it wasn't intentional!! :) Hope you liked this one as much as the last and I'm working on more I promise!! ;)
Amber Eyed Goddess: Here's more!! It's just a little *ahem* later than it should be!! 0_0 Sorry!! Hope it was okay though and I've more in the works I promise!! :)
Symian: Hehe! It's good that you like cliffies cos I tend to do that quite often or so I'm told!! ;) Thanks for the lovely compliments!! :) I don't deserve them!! Hope you liked this chapter even though it was a bit rushed and I'll have more up as soon as I can!! ;)
Ravenwing4: Yeah I love Legolas torture too! Wonder why… Oh well! ;) Sorry for the long wait I tend to do that sometimes! It wasn't on purpose! Yeah Grima is a slime isn't he! He creeped me out bigtime in TTT *shiver*, so I thought I'd write about him! :) Glad to have gotten your interest and hope you're still enjoying my incredibly late story!! Sorry!! =)
Kourin Lucrece: I'd love to be able to answer your questions, but I'm not even entirely sure myself yet!! Eep!! The story controls me, even though it's meant to be the other way around… It was a horrible place to leave off I whole heartedly agree!! I do that sometimes! ;) I'm just evil that way… Hope you liked what came next after the *cough* long wait! Working on more right now! =)
Alivyan: Eep!! Here's more and sorry it's late!! I have reasons but I can't remember right now!! Hope it was okay!! :)
Lillybeth1: Ahem…I took a bit longer than I thought!! Sorry!! The bomb?? No one's ever said that before!! Thank you!! :) *blush* I'm glad you liked it!! Hope this one was okay too and sorry bout the long wait! I am a terrible person! Thanks for the lovely compliments too!! ;)