I had every intention to have this chapter up by Thursday, but oh Valar something was against me! I had the whole, wonderful torture scene written out, that chapter done, and then I lost my notebook! I couldn't find it! Anywhere! I am hoping a teacher didn't find it, it had some rather incrimination torture scenes in there! –sees reviewers doing happy dance- oh, you guys LIKE torture? Never would have guessed….Anyways, after I lost it I had this very down time where I didn't want to write. I had NO creativity! It was horrible. But enough whining, here's your chapter.
Legolas leaned against the carved wood of a door, he had been sitting in this same hallway for nearly ten minutes, waiting.
Legolas was horrible at waiting.
He did not like not knowing, and not knowing seemed to go hand in hand with waiting, especially now. He did not know how his friend faired, and he did not know what lies Godéad might have told the man.
What lies the young human might have believed.
The long hallway in which he stood seemed endless, the polished marble glowing in the dim light two short torches provided. It was night; he could just barely see through a window far ahead the dark sky and the small glowing pinpricks of light.
He tried to imagine what state Aragorn would be in, would he be dead, or dying? Was he delirious or in pain? Would the elf be able to do anything to ease him?
He sighed and kicked his toe against the sturdy walls, a hollow sound rang out causing the blonde figure to frown; he knelt beside the stone, gently tapping it. Hollow noises sounded for a good six feet.
He didn't get much more time to ponder it however as a man appeared in the door.
"What are you doing you witless elf, get up!" Ambyre said in disgust. Legolas was up and before the man and he just as quickly hid any emotion behind a stoic mask he had long ago perfected.
The elegantly carved door that led into Godéad's study depicted a young woman holding a babe in the crook of her arm, the child's face was alight with joy, but the woman's was more somber. They were surrounded by floating flowers, and in a quick glance Legolas thought he could make out a waterfall.
The carpet in Godéad's study was the same boring red; but as Legolas watched it he thought it seemed more like blood.
Albeit, very fuzzy blood.
In the corner stood the black box, its rough edges screaming anger. The only difference on it was the silver hinges, glowing orange in the soft light provided by a merry fire. How anything could appear merry in this house that was shrouded in permanent gloom was beyond the prince.
Godéad appeared out of a side door Legolas had not yet seen, this door was also carved, but on it was only the woman, her eyes soft and sad.
Godéad moved closer to the box and Legolas' eyes moved with him. The man opened the box slowly, as though savoring the moment.
Aragorn fell to the floor through the open box door.
"Estel?" Legolas said tentatively
"Get away from me," the man hissed, holding up a hand in front of his eyes
"Get away from me, lyg. I hate you."
A look of sheer incredulity and utter pain spread across Legolas' face.
"Estel, why?" he murmured, trying to get near his friend.
One of the overseers shoved him roughly backwards.
"He told you to get away, elf. Or are your pointed ears not working today?"
As the overseer dragged Legolas off, he called, "Estel! Estel! Please forgive me!" Aragorn looked up, his grey eyes cold and cruel. "Never," he whispered. "Never."
Legolas watched the human with horror-struck eyes, ignoring the fact that he had been pulled into the hallway. As he rounded the corner he saw Godéad place his hand on the human's shoulder and smile. Legolas closed his eyes against the sight.
He didn't even notice that the two humans had chained him to the wall.
A few minutes later Ambyre returned with Cairdor and another.
Legolas tried to see the other man; it was difficult however, for he kept his face in the shadows. When he did finally recognize the man he felt his heart drop, it was Aragorn.
"Hello elf," Cairdor said conversationally.
"Hello hên orch," Legolas replied with a smile, he almost could have sworn he saw Aragorn smile briefly.
"What did he call me?" the man turned to Aragorn with narrow eyes.
"He called you child of an orc," the ranger replied.
If possible Cairdor's face darkened, and Legolas was beginning to wonder if he could get it to black, he decided there was no harm in trying.
"Ion o Mordor, hen mor!" he growled, enjoying the near black look upon his opponents face. When he saw the hand he tried to duck, but the chains held him tightly, and Cairdor hit him soundly in the cheek.
Legolas watched him with unwavering eyes, not bothering to turn away or flinch.
Cairdor smile, "I, like them hard to break, elf," he said. He walked across the room and Legolas counted his steps. Fifteen in all, he would have five to kill Ambyre and the other, five to get rid of Cairdor and five to freedom.
He only hoped his freedom would be with Estel.
The elf turned his eyes to Aragorn; it was useless watching Cairdor and he really didn't want to know what the red-haired twin was getting. The Ranger stood in the corner, neither participating in nor preventing Cairdor's treatment of the prince.
As Cairdor walked back over to the prince his black eyes glittered with amusement. Legolas grimaced at him, the man was sick.
The prince's stomach clenched when he saw what the man carried. It was a long metal pole with a black metal circle at the top of it. On the circle was the raised pattern of a C with a ship inside of it, as the man came closer Legolas counted, it had eight sails. The object was a brad, something used to claim ownership. And that was what scared the prince; he wanted to be owned by no one, especially not this man.
The elf desperately tried to remain stoic, he couldn't show emotion. Be it fear or betrayal.
"I like my slaves to know exactly where their place is, below me. They have no life or freedom, my will is theirs and their will matters naught. It is time you learned that lesson. Strider, if you would be so kind?" the man asked nodding in Aragorn's direction and handing him the brand. Aragorn walked into the back of the room and stuck the brand in the fire rotating it slowly so that the heat was even. He then handed the brand back to Cairdor.
Cairdor smiled at the elf and moved closer, he held the brand just above the smooth skin of Legolas' stomach so that the elf could just barely feel the heat.
Then he pressed.
Legolas bit his lip and closed his eyes to keep tears of pain firmly inside his lids. His breathing was rapid an irregular as his body tried to deal with the extreme pain caused by the burning brand.
Cairdor pulled the brand away and set it down with a smile. The man made a great show of examining the burn on the elf's stomach.
"Excellent. Strider, the knife?" he asked.
The range again moved towards the back of the room and stuck his hand into a small case. He withdrew a long knife with an intricate handle. For an instant Legolas was sure it was his own, but it wasn't. The knife was of Lorien make.
Legolas watched, slightly fascinated as the human dipped it into a small vase containing a clear concoction. He withdrew the blade and held it up for a moment appearing to wait. Soon the poison that coated the knife was a faint blue color.
Cairdor took the knife from Aragorn and moved so that he was directly in front of the elf. He raised the blade and held it so that it barely touched the porcelain cheek. His eyes met Legolas', black pools filled to the brim with utter loathing for the elf before him. Legolas met the other's eyes with his own ice cold. Cairdor held his gaze for a moment than dropped it. Angered by his failure he pressed the knife into Legolas' cheek, leaving a thin red line.
The process was repeated on his other cheek, making the prince's face look vaguely symmetrical. Shallow cuts were made trailing down his arms and over his chest and stomach, though Cairdor avoided the burn made by the brand.
Probably doesn't want to ruin his mark on me…Legolas thought wryly.
Cairdor stopped his shallow, symmetrical cuts at the back of Legolas' hands. In the smooth skin he carved two C's. Legolas dimly noted that his hand slipped a bit on one of them, making the one on his left hand much deeper than the one on his right.
It was just a stinging sensation that the shallow cuts caused nothing too painful. It was akin to having quite a few paper cuts placed in perfect symmetry all over your body. The overall effect was…annoying.
"It stings a bit now doesn't it?" Cairdor asked.
Legolas didn't bother to answer, it was a rhetorical question.
"Well, let's just say it's about to do a bit more than sting…" he took the blue bladed knife and ran his finger gently over it, coating it with a think paste. Then, with a sickening smile he slammed it through Legolas' shoulder.
Legolas hadn't expected the blow and he let a short cry of pain escape his lips before cutting it off. In a few seconds his whole body was on fire, it hurt, a lot. He grimaced.
"What-" he breathed.
"What is this?" the man asked with a smile, holding up the knife.
"Yes…"
"This…is poison. It won't kill you, but it will cause quite a bit of pain."
"I…hadn't…guessed…" Legolas forced out through gritted teeth. Cairdor chuckled and watched Legolas writhe in his bonds for a few minutes before a bored expression came upon his face.
"Cut him from his bonds and lock him in here. Then join me," Cairdor said calmly. Aragorn nodded and Cairdor left.
Aragorn cut down Legolas' bonds.
"Estel…forgive me…" the elf whispered quietly. Aragorn's eyes widened in the dimness; the Elf before him was lying very still, still as death. The only sign off life was his begging tone. Soundlessly he shook his head and laid the elf on the floor. Legolas watched in horror as his best friend slammed the door shut in his face.
Oh wow…it IS Thrusday. Again, I'm sorry about the length and everything, the original was longer. But…I don't HAVE the original. And I'm not feeling very creative.
To give credit. AiH contributed THIS to the chapter, correctly guessing (okay, so KNOWING my age. Cheater!) Aragorn fell to the floor through the open box door.
"Estel?" Legolas said tentatively
"Get away from me," the man hissed, holding up a hand in front of his eyes
"Get away from me, lyg. I hate you."
A look of sheer incredulity and utter pain spread across Legolas' face.
"Estel, why?" he murmured, trying to get near his friend.
One of the overseers shoved him roughly backwards.
"He told you to get away, elf. Or are your pointed ears not working today?"
As the overseer dragged Legolas off, he called, "Estel! Estel! Please forgive me!" Aragorn looked up, his grey eyes cold and cruel. "Never," he whispered. "Never."
And Elithraniel wrote this: Aragorn's eyes widened in the dimness; the Elf before him was lying very still, still as death.