For Disclaimer and other notes see prologue
Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait between updates. I have been so busy and so has Shelby. Speaking of which its Shelby's birthday! HAPPY BIRHTDAY MELLON NIN! Thank you guys for all your wonderful reviews. Welcome any new readers.
Heres the next chapter. Now dont forget to review….
Thank you so much to Gwenneth for betaing this chapter and we hope your hand gets better soon!
Strangers in Shadows
By Amanda & Shelby
Chapter 2
Caught
A loud cry rent the air, hardly noticeable through the splattering rain, as Legolas hit the wall of the trap and landed on the ground with a silent splash. He was surrounded by a net and his arms were trapped within its heavy weaving.
He quickly moved to look at his throbbing ankle and saw darkness. He couldn't see around him. Legolas untangled his fingers from the net and felt around. His hands hit a wall. He moved and turned around in the other direction and found nothing different. He looked up and saw nothing but the darkness of the sky and the rain paltering down.
He was trapped.
The walls of the cave-like hole were too deep, he wouldn't be able to jump out, or even climb with his now damaged leg, and the net that held him down had incredible weight.
The prince began to panic. Then he noticed that his friend wasn't with him. Thaladirith was still up there. Open. Vulnerable. Who would build such a trap here? And why? His mind pondered this as he tried to stretch out, but the net would not allow him to make such movements, and the hole was too narrow.
He tried to gain to his feet , but his injured leg gave way, and he fell back down, becoming more tangled in the encumbering net. He winced in pain as he landed in the pool of icy water at the bottom of the hole.
Legolas transferred his hands to his pained ankle, and could feel it was deep in the depths of a metal trap. His fingers navigated around it; he felt the jaws of the steel that dug deep into his skin and he realized that this was a trap that must have been made by humans.
Elves didn't make these kind of traps. What was it doing here in Mirkwood, and what was this big hole doing here? This was for sure built for a propose, not just to capture animals, but it seemed like beings. Or more precisely - Elves.
He moved one hand to each side of the trap and tried to pry the mouth apart. It wouldn't budge. He tried from a different approach and the teeth moved a bit, but the rain caused the metal to slip out of his grasp and fall back into place around his ankle, causing the teeth to dig deeper.
Curse those humans. Do all humans always have to be so dimwitted? Legolas shook his head in annoyance. The Prince reached for his knives to cut the net that was in his way, but his hands felt air. He panicked when he remembered his knives were back at the remains of the spider's nest. All he had with him were his bow and quiver, which only had a few arrows left, most having been lost as he fell.
What would his father think if he saw him here? He almost laughed out loud at the thought. Prince of Mirkwood trapped in a human's pitfall with no means of escape.
Light flickered and faded into the deep hole that Legolas was enveloped in, bouncing off the walls causing shadows of trees and himself to reflect.
Legolas let the rain splatter down upon him, causing mud to splatter him relentlessly. Why was it always he that seemed to get into trouble? The Prince wrapped his cloak around his shoulders as well as he could navigate it with the net still hampering his movement.
It seemed like hours before the rain slowed to a stop allowing the clouds to rest and the darkness of night to cover the forest.
Legolas moved his back and head against the muddied wall, and released another wince as the sharp pain in his leg throbbed, making it feel like it was on fire. He closed his eyes to let his hurt orbs take a rest from all the sight they had seen.
Soaked rain, with the sorrowful color of blood intermingled with the clear water, the prince drifted off into a light sleep as the moon moved out away from its protection of the clouds, allowing its presence to be known once more.
He dreamt of a light, peaceful color as it mixed in with the atmosphere, the light was blinding and hypnotizing and swirled like the water in a pool, its rapids soft and smooth. The most beautiful thing he has seen. Away from all the evil the world was consumed in.
0-0-0-0-
Light leaked from the sky as the sun rose over the trees. Chirping birds welcomed in the new day. Legolas hadn't realized he had dozed off. He tired once more to remove himself from the net to attend to his wounded leg. Mud was everywhere and his whole body was bathed in it.
He began to grow frustrated at the net got in the way at another spot as he moved it from one. His ankle screamed, crying to be free, and Legolas' mind cried to be free from this trap.
He stopped his rash movements quickly as the sound of approaching footsteps squishing in the mud came from the ground above.
The elf picked up his head as the sound came closer, and his body tensed when it showed no intention to move in another direction or stop. The noises were too loud to be made by an elf. Silent whisperings could be heard escaping mouths.
Legolas moved his eyes to glance up through the many holes in the net, but all his eyes could catch were the tips of the branches hanging over the top of the hole being pushed around by the silent sound of the breeze and the clouds decorating the sky with their gray color.
The prince gave a slight jump as an intrusion suddenly blocked most light coming into the opening. The head was that of a man, his black hair went down to his chin and his curious face turned into a big smile. He turned his head back in the direction of the other men. "Frimond! Looks like we finally caught one!"
The man called Frimond appeared. He had brown, wavy hair that was barely touching the tops of his shoulders. "Well, well, well, we did did, didn't we? Great job Amrin." His voice was deep and rumbled like the thunder as his face turned from an evil smirk to an expression of disgust. "I finally caught one of you pathetic creatures. Now, I will show you due respect!"
Legolas gave him a sour face and Frimond merely chuckled. "Pull him up!" His voice echoed.
Before Legolas could understand what they were doing the net was pulled upwards by a long rope, causing him to fall back, onto his back as he rose from the depths of the trap's mouth.
He let out a sudden cry of surprise as the net opened and dropped him down about three feet, causing his wound and trapped leg to buckle under his weight, blood to spill from the injury and pain erupt once again .
The mist that covered the muddy ground corkscrewed away and what he saw ripped his heart from his chest; Thaladirith lay covered in the mud and blood laying on the wet grass.
Unmoving.
Amrin saw what caught his gaze and he followed it to the body of another blond haired elf that lay on the ground. "What about him?" He asked in a timid voice.
Legolas watched wide eyed as Frimond moved over to Thaladirith and kicked him in the side, causing him to roll onto his back, then kicked him again. "He is dead. We have no use for him, leave him."
Legolas starred horror struck at the upturned body of his friend and sorrow began to build up in his eyes, threatening to spill over as tears. The distant sound a sword being drawn could be heard , and pain suddenly seared though the back of the prince's head.
And he saw no more.
Wow! That chapter took us forever to write… I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please review! Have a great Easter everyone! Eat lots of chocolate eggs!
Review Responses
Elf771- Yay! A new reviewer! Welcome! Thank you so much for reviewing! Your the reader here…give us all the advise you want! Accually we beg you to give advice. I ask the readers opinion all time because they usually see the story in a different way. Oh! You will see what happens to Thaladirith (rubs hands together) hehe! Mellyn nin is plural mellon nin isnt! Thanks for the words of encouragement!
Legolass Q- Haha! Shelby wrote that line too! Hehe she's good at that kinda thing! And no, poor legolas is always getting into trouble… what will he ever do. poor elf. Thank you for the review!
Zammy - Thanks for the review! I hope the updates aren't too long for you! The next one should be up sooner. I hope.
Slayer3- YAY! Another new reviewer! Im glad you like the story! We have been working hard! Thank you for the reveiw!
MorierBlackleaf- Hehe. Thanks. It is kinda sad, isn't it. lol.! You seem pretty happy about Legolas being hurt! Thank you for the review!
Deana- Im happy to hear from you again! Hope your liked this chapter!
Namarie, for now!
