Title: "Revenge"
Author: LegolasLover2003 aka Ashley
Category: Book - "The Lord of the Rings"
Genre: Angst/Adventure
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own any right to "The Lord of the Rings" or "The Hobbit". I just adore them to pieces! Legede, Tileng, Morlan, and Morfind are characters of my own invention. However, you may use them, but please ask permission to do so first.

NOTE: This story takes place after "Savior & Destroyer". You MUST read that story first for this one to make sense. It might also help to read "The Breaking Point" first as well as both "Secrets or A Six Year Old's Wisdom" and the Thranduil-centric story, "I Know It's Wrath".


REVENGE


"FIND HIM!"

Turning his head, Legolas looked back toward the cavern's entrance where he could hear Tileng roaring the order. Blue eyes closed for a moment as the prince lamented what he was doing. To leave... his people had to be warned...

As the night wind whipped his hair about his face, Legolas realized he was forsaking Aragorn... leaving his dearest friend in the hands of the enemy... But how was Legolas to fight against Tileng like this? To have his friend's life dangled before him unless he put his blade down...

His father would never sacrifice the kingdom for one man... even if...

Legolas shook himself from his thoughts. His weapons were lost in the cavern... somewhere... It was a virtual labyrinth within. He had to escape... had to go for help... one against so many...

The guilt was eating him alive, and with a cringe toward the pain which shot through his leg, Legolas pushed off the rock and ran, his feet nimbly picking a descent along the steep narrow trail in the moonlight. His wound was bandaged with a bit of cloth... but the bleeding had not stopped... drops dotting the pathway every now and then as he hurried.

Dawn was approaching... he had to be quick.


Chapter VI
Kings Do Not Kneel


He could hear the footfalls long before the cell's other occupant. Blue eyes opened slowly with each step taken beyond. There were magics that had to be worked. Illusions which needed casting once more. Turning his head slightly, the Elvenking grit his teeth in pain as his wounds, new and old, vanished without so much as a single trace. As the door to the cell banged open, Thranduil's gaze remained fixed upon Tileng as the wretched human strode towards him.

"You'll be glad to know, your highness, that the bidding war for your hide has concluded." he grinned, holding up a letter. "Someone..." the man stated, opening the parchment to reveal words in a tongue that made the blond cringe and nearly look away. "Is willing to pay a hefty sum to have you kneel at their feel."

"Erain aldannam na tail." Thranduil spoke coldly.

Irritated, Tileng glanced over to Estel. "What'd he say?"

For a moment the young human hesitated. He knew what would happen if he were to translate... should he lie?

"Well?!"

A nod from the Elf however told the man that the king knew too.

"He said, 'Kings do not kneel'." Aragorn whispered, angered that he was now going to cause his friend's father grief.

Tileng smirked wickedly. "I think you'd kneel to this one. But see, you're still in my hands Elf King... and I want to know..." stepping forward, the man placed a hand against Thranduil's right cheek. "All about you. What makes you tick... how that magic of yours works. There are so many questions I have for you before your son joins us once more." The man's fingers moved down, grasping the king's chin and looking him over. "He does resemble you... fair... thin... those blue eyes that are ever so defiant... How I have dreamt of that gaze..."

Releasing Thranduil, Tileng took a few steps back before turning to Aragorn. "You and that princeling took away a good thing for me. In that village... my men and I could live as kings. Now... we take Orc coin and scour the wilds and villages for suitable... slaves." Laughing, he glanced back towards Thranduil. "I have already accepted payment for you, your highness. Payment to break you... and deliver you to your master."

"Naun almûl." Thranduil spoke up quickly, his expression calm and collected, though the tone of his voice betrayed the arrogance he felt.

But Tileng ignored the king's words and continued. "See... I am rather good at breaking Elves. I broke your son easily enough. I hope you will be more a challenge."

Without warning, the man slammed a knee into the Elvenking's gut. As Thranduil gasped, doubling over as much as the chains would allow, only then did the beating start. Aragorn struggled against his own bonds, but there was little he could do right now as Tileng repeatedly punched the blond over and over again.

When it was over, the older man straightened, breathing a bit hard and clenching and unclenching his fingers into fists. "No blood..." Tileng whispered, looking at his own knuckles and the king's expression, half hidden behind long blond locks.

Thranduil was smirking at him.

Infuriated, Tileng grabbed a handful of hair, pulling the Elf's head to the side and examining his face closely. "Not a single mark..." the man laughed darkly. "I wonder how long it would take to leave a mark... perhaps I shall take my time breaking you... chain you on your knees until you no longer know what standing is. Until your legs have forgotten how to stand... and all you can do is crawl..." he hissed, his face so close that Thranduil could smell the mutton this man had eaten for lunch on his breath. "Or perhaps..." again he took Thranduil's chin in hand, tilting the king's head up slightly. "Perhaps I will break you in the same way as I did your princeling, hmm?" he drew nearer, his lips dangerously close to the Elvenking's throat. "I could make you scream every night... I wonder if you taste the same..." As if lost in a memory, Tileng let his tongue lick up the left side of Thranduil's cheek.

Until that tongue suddenly felt something... that was not exactly skin...

Pulling back, Tileng released Thranduil's hair and took a step back. The king's enchantments had faded and the visage that looked back at him was the stuff of nightmares.

"Do you not like what you see?" Thranduil spoke in the common tongue, lifting his head and letting the man get a good look.

It took a few moments for the mercenary to gather his wits at the horrendous burn marks. But his gaze noticed the cuts and bruises, the blood and the now broken nose.

"Looks like I can hurt you after all." he grinned before glancing over his shoulder. "Guards!" As the door opened, Tileng instructed his men to take the Elf King from the cell. He turned, about to leave, when the sounds of the scuffle behind him turned his attention back to the prisoners.

One of the three was already dead. A second had been relieved of his weapon and was having his throat slit with it. The third...

Tileng was moving almost instantly. He took a few steps, dagger drawn and grabbed Aragorn, using him as both a shield and as leverage.

"Put the dagger down, your highness. Or I kill him." Tileng spoke, his voice cold and yet slightly amused.

Thranduil paused, his blue gaze fixed upon the two humans. Could he do that? Could he forfeit his own life for this human... this man... this Elf-friend...?

As if to emphasize his point, Tileng pressed the dagger closer to Aragorn's jugular. "Choice is yours. Your son almost died for this Ranger. What about you?"

Again, Thranduil paused. He was a king. Who was more important for the survival of his people? His blue gaze locked onto Aragorn's own and as he looked into the grey eyes of the young man who had become so deeply ingrained in the life of his son...

The clatter of a blade echoed through the chamber as Thranduil tossed down the knife which he had stolen from one of the dead captors.

Tileng smirked wickedly. "On your knees." he spoke, letting his blade bite into the ranger's skin, sanguine liquid soon dripping slowly down the shimmering blade. When the Elf did not move, the man ordered him again. "On your knees!"

An arrogant rage was easily conveyed upon the king's face. Aragorn soundlessly whispered no... he did not wish to see what would soon come to the proud monarch. But Thranduil knelt, and the one guard left besides Tileng quickly grabbed his arms, forcing them behind the blond and binding them tightly with rope. The bandit pushed, shoving Thranduil down onto the dirt, a knee in the king's back.

Laughing, Tileng released Aragorn and stepped forward. "See... I knew you could kneel..." he smirked before motioning to the other man. "Get him up and take him into the other room. Let us see how long it takes to break him, hmm?"

"STOP!" Aragorn shouted as the two men hauled the king to his feet and pushed him out of the chamber, leaving the ranger... once more... alone in the dark.


TBC...


TRANSLATIONS:

Erain aldannam na tail. = Kings do not kneel. (Kings do not fall at the feet.)
Naun almûl. = I am no slave.


SINDARIN SENTENCE BREAKDOWNS:

Erain aldannam na tail. = Kings do not kneel. (Kings do not fall at the feet.)
Erain = Kings (plural of Aran)
Tail = Feet (plural of Foot)
Al = Do not
Dannam (present, first person, plural of To Fall / Danna-)
Na = At

Naun almûl. = I am no slave.
Naun = I am (present, first person, singluar of To Be / Naw-)
Al = Not
Mûl = Slave / Thrall


AUTHOR'S NOTES:
- Anything I use for Elvish comes directly from "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien or from one of the following sources; David Salo's book "A Gateway to Sindarin" (ISBN #0874808006), the online dictionary "Parf Edhellen", the downloaded dictionary "Dragonflame", Ruth S. Noe;'s book "The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-earth" (ISBN #0395291305), the extended edition trilogy movie dialogues cataloged online by "The Elvish Linguistic Fellowship", and the LOTR complete recordings lyrics cataloged online by "A Magpie's Nest".

- I know it's not a super long chapter, but I kind of felt it was contained and so I stopped there.


MUSE MOMENTS:
Nil sighed, closing her eyes as she laid there.
"She's been there for two days..." Paris whispered, glancing at Legolas. "Do you think she is dying?"
The prince smirked, "No... she had food poisoning... and on a holiday weekend at that. She is most unlucky."
"I can hear you two... shut up..." Nil groaned, glaring at the Elf and Trojan.
Paris sighed slightly, "Well at least you have spent these two days productively... watching Tolkien films..."
"Yes and tormenting my father..." Legolas added, pointing to the newest chapter of 'Revenge'. "He will murder you, you know."
"I know." she replied, closing her eyes. "But just wait... it's gonna get better..."
"Or worse for us I think..." the Elf added, knowing just how well, or unwell, the woman's mind worked sometimes.
Laughing, Nil grinned at them both. "Not my fault my villains want to break Thranduil. Take it up with them."
To that, the pair could only sigh.