Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own anything that Tolkien created.
A/N: I am soooo sorry that this was updated like three weeks late!!! My teachers have been piling loads of homework on my agenda. I haven't had any time to think of my next idea let alone type it. I am actually supposed to be researching for my report due tomorrow, but I felt so guilty that I haven't updated so I decided to type this thing quick.
My statement still stands: if I don't get at least 7 reviews, I'm going to have to stop my story from progressing. I don't want to be mean or threatening or anything, but those reviews are like a living water to me. I need them! So please, please, please review!!
I also would like to know if you guys want slash or not. I know I've already hinted it here and there, but I need to make sure. I'll be counting the votes, or whatever you want to call it, and the majority will win. If you do review, but don't specify, I will count it as a person who wants slash. Is that ok with everyone??
A special thanks to my beta reader: Sirith. Thanks a lot!!!
Now, on with the chapter.
Legolas' breath quickened as he realized the situation he was in. Being buried alive wasn't the sort of predicament he wanted to find himself in. Legolas remembered the time he and Aragorn had been caught in a rockslide when they were traveling through the Misty Mountains together. The rocks had formed a large and impossibly strong wall that sealed up the opening of the cave they had made camp in. But to Legolas, this coffin was so much worse. At least in the cave it was cool and air would find its way through cracks in the boulders.
The wood allowed no oxygen in or out. The air quickly grew hot and stuffy, which resulted in the Elf's heavy breathing to become even heavier and more erratic. Sheets of cold perspiration broke out all over Legolas' body as he began to shiver. The sweat quickly soaked through the blooded robe he had on, making the wood underneath him feel sticky, yet slippery. Legolas knew he couldn't handle this much longer. Elves were naturally uncomfortable in dark, closed spaces, but he had freaked in the cave, and he could feel his panic rising a couple notches higher than it had ever been. Legolas soon grew desperate. He did the only thing he could do: the Elf swallowed his pride and began to call for help.
"Help!! Can anybody hear me? HELP!" Legolas pounded and scratched on the wood above, but to no avail. The wood was simply too rough and too thick. His fingernails and long since been scraped away and the skin had torn, leaving blood streaking down his long slender hands. "Help please, help me! I'll do anything" he said weakly.
Legolas slowly lowered his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes. He hadn't cried since his mother had died, but know the floodgates of sorrow broke open in his mind and his eyes welled up with long forgotten tears of dreary memories. Everything seemed to slam into him with tripled force as he sobbed quietly. How could everything in his life be just another horrible memory? Legolas relived everything that had happened to him in vivid detail, but something was wrong with the way it happened. All the happy moments seemed to speed up so that they only lasted about half the time. All his sad memories seemed to slow down. Each time a new remembrance replaced another, a pounding in his head grew. Legolas lifted a hand to his head and rubbed it, willing the headache to go away.
That's when his heard it. Above him, he heard soft digging and loud voices. Hurry up he thought please, just get me out of here. Ai Elbereth Gilthoniel, tua amin! [Elbereth, help me] As the digging grew louder, the headache grew fiercer. The pain shifted right in between his eyes. He clenched his eyes shut, wishing the pounding would stop. Then he fell into a world of darkness.
"Riders! Halt!"
The Mirkwood Army stopped for a fifteen-minute breather. They had been riding hard all night and well into the next morning. The hot late morning sun beat down upon the Elven Company, reflecting off the metal chain mail and other armor they carried, blinding them as they rode. The wind blew warm sand and dust across the desert. The particles were sucked into the immortals' mouths' as they breathed, and stuck to their throats, making them incredibly thirsty. But despite all the obstacles they had faced, including their emotionally unstable King, the Army was only about 17 leagues from the royal city.
They had already passed several minor cities and villages, but because they were in such a hurry, they did not attack. Instead they rode through in such haste the hooves of their horses kicked up a cloud of sand, shielding them from the villagers.
Now, Lumlier and Falacas and Mandolin sat with their King, trying to soothe him. He had nearly had a heart attack when the soldiers told him the horses needed to rest. All of them refused to go any further until their horses had had time regain their strength. Only an Elven horse would have enough stubbornness to keep going even thought they were past the stage of exhaustion.
"My liege, with all do respect, but this is folly! The Haradrim are leading us into a trap! Legolas is dead! To return home will be our best hope of surviving this rising threat," Mandolin said, trying to reason with the King.
"Mandolin, you may be my advisor, but that does not mean you rule my personal life!" Thranduil growled. "Get out of my sight before I ring your neck!" Mandolin looked sadly at the older Elf before walking away to get his horse ready.
Falacas sighed and rubbed his neck. "Your Majesty, I mean no disrespect for you or Prince Legolas, but Mandolin is right. We had little hope when we began this crusade. Now it is trickling away like your son's life. It will fade before we reach the palace. Your son has no hope and no chance of surviving.
"You know the Haradrim are cruel, very cruel. Gondor has had many wars with them. And each time the Haradrim return home with more prisoners than before. And each time, those innocent people die at their hands. My Lord, Legolas is dead."
Thranduil snapped his head up at those words. "Tell the Army we ride in two minutes. Anybody who is not ready, we leave behind."
" But my Lord—" said Lumlier.
"I said NOW!!" roared Thranduil, the vein in his temple pulsing dangerously fast.
The Elven soldiers jumped to their feet and sounded the call. They knew their King was very close to chopping someone's head off to calm his own nerves. The Army was ready in less a minute. The immortals galloped toward the palace, their leader had a set face of extreme anger, hatred, and determination.
"Legolas, wake up. Come, my child, open your eyes," a voice said gently.
Legolas groaned. "Naneth?" [mother] "Is that you?"
"Yes, my dear greenleaf, 'tis I," the voice said again.
"Where am I? It's so dark," Legolas said.
"You are in your mind. You must open your eyes, or you shall be stuck like this forever. Your Father is coming to help you. You must open your eyes and fight the darkness closing over you." The voice continued to tell Legolas to open his eyes as it faded into the blackness.
Streams of pale light hit Legolas' bright blue orbs as he slowly opened them. A small yelp came from somewhere in the room as a large form hurtled toward him. The being enveloped him in the biggest hug imaginable. "I can't breathe," he gasped as the person hugged the Elf tighter.
"Oh, sorry!" The person pulled back so Legolas was able to see his face. To his surprise, it was Aragorn. His eyes were bright with unspilt tears. Love and warmth was all they held.
"Estel?" Legolas whispered, believing it might be another illusion like the voice of his deceased mother. "Is it truly you?
"Aye. I though you dead. It took about an hour for them to dig you out of the ground. I was so scared that I had lost you," Aragorn hugged Legolas again just to be sure he was alive.
But the potion makes him hideously mean. Why is he acting nice, like myfriend? Legolas thought. "Estel do you remember anything?
"No. Just that I woke up in here with a bloody gash over my eyebrow and you chained to the bed."
Chained? Thought Legolas. Then he tried to lift his hands. Just as Aragorn had said, he was indeed chained. "Estel, see if you can get these off me."
"Oh no, my sweet consort. Aragorn would never disobey his Prince." Aragorn turned away from Legolas as Damean walked in the room followed by six guards. They lined up against the wall as the Man walked forward. He lifted a finger to Legolas' face and traced the path his tears took when he had been buried.
"I didn't know I could make an Elf such as yourself cry like you did. You have a beautiful voice, especially when you're weak. I love you like that, Legolas," Damean said.
"How did you know I cried?" Legolas asked, almost fearful of the answer. Damean ran his forefinger down the Elf's slender neck to rest at the base of his neck. He lifted a small, bright green jewel that Legolas wore around his neck.
"This lovely device worked perfectly. An old wizard by the name of Gandalf magicked this necklace, so that I could here every sound you made through this trinket," he said while hold up his other hand to show Legolas an identical bracelet he wore. "Fortunately for you, only Aragorn and myself heard you weep."
At the sound of his name, Aragorn turned back and faced Legolas. The Elf once again felt the evil radiate from the Human; his gray eyes almost coal black with hatred and lust directed at Legolas. "You tricked me! I believed you, and you stabbed me in the back again!" Legolas gasped.
Aragorn smiled evilly, but did not respond to the outraged Elf. Instead he turned his attention back to Damean and said, "When you have defeated the Elves of Mirkwood, hurry up and break this one. I can't wait to try him out." With that said he bent down and kissed Legolas gently on the cheek.
A breathless squire ran in the room at that moment. "My Lord," he panted, while he bowed. "The Elves are coming. They are only five leagues from the palace."
"Thank you Geoffrey. Would you be so kind as to alert the Haradrim Army for me?" The boy nodded and left quickly to finish the task the Prince had given him.
Damean turned to the guards that had stood silently against the wall for the entire time. "Gather as many men that can be spared, and thrash this Elf within an inch of his life. Each of you will be highly rewarded if the job is well done." The head guard nodded, showing he understood. Damean and Aragorn strode out of the room as the men began to gladly administer the beating.
A/N: *yawn* Wow, that took me forever! Well, I hope all of you are happy with this chapter!! Oh and please make sure you tell me whether or not you want slash!!!!
Responses to Reviews:
Black Hawk: Is that tense in a good way, or a bad way?? Lol, I hope you liked this chapter!
Lady Cassandra Skywalker: Yeah, I hate Damean too. But of course, nobody can resist an evil person picking on our pretty Elf. It's just way too much fun! Lol, I was thinking of Aragorn torture, but it really depends on who wins the battle, the Elves or the Haradrim. I don't decide that, my muse, JuicyJuice, does. So if you prefer one over the other, tell me in a review and I relay the message to my muse!!
Tamara: Lol, here's the next chapter! Hope you liked it!!
Sirith: I am SOOO sorry!!! I lost you e-mail address and I tried going to your author's page thingy, but my computer froze every time I did. Lol, so I guess you definitely want slash right???
Toby Keith Fanatic: Of course Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw are WAY hotter than Toby, but he is still definitely in my top ten favorite!! I hope you liked this chapter!!
ElizabethBlack4: Omg, girl, calm down!!! He ain't dead yet. No worries!!! Lol.
MoroTheWolfGod: Here's more!!
Child_of_the_Stars1: I'm glad you liked it!!
Anonymous: I don't know if that was a flame, but I'll tell you right know, if you read the later chapters, I told everybody that I thought it would be in R, but for now it's PG13. It might go up, but because I'm not sure, I'm just gonna leave it how it is, ok??