A/N: Hey, it's only been a month since the last time I updated! That's progress, right? I think I'm getting back into the swing of things here, so hopefully we should be wrapping things up soon. And by soon, I mean in the next couple of months. If it's not done by then, I'm leaving for a 6 month backpacking adventure. Sooooo yeah. I'd be very disappointed in myself. Drop me a line if you like how thing are going, or if you have any suggestions! I'll see what I can do :)
"I still say he should be back by now." Elladan's fingers twitched impatiently as he leaned against a nearby pine tree.
"Duly noted, dear brother" Elrohir didn't seem overly concerned as he rooted around in his pack, searching for something with which to break his fast. "I believe he IS old enough to care for himself by this point. He's only been gone a couple of hours, if that."
Elladan's eyes narrowed. "I am not questioning his ability to care for himself, brother. We are, however, in the middle of tracking an Orc hunting party. Or did that little fact slip your mind?"
Elrohir sighed and turned to face his brother, sitting back on his heels. "Patience, brother. I, too, care for Estel. But we must be cautious with how we approach him now- he is wary of us, and I do not believe that galavanting off into the woods after him will endear us to him."
Elrohir hesitated, then continued. "Right now, I think what he needs is some time to himself. Or have you not seen the pain in his eyes? His time with the Rangers haunts him, Elladan. He has seen horrors that I wish we could have spared him. Horrors that remind him of his own mortality. And we... we are elven. Half-elven, but be that as it may. We do not suffer as they do, brother."
Elladan sighed as well and rubbed his hand over his face. "I know this. Truly I do. But yet my heart is still unsettled. I can't help but think..." He trailed off, gazing into the woods intently.
Elrohir tracked his gaze and hissed several colorful curses under his breath.
There, in the distance, far away and rapidly disappearing was a small group of Orcs. Without their elven eyesight, they would have missed them entirely.
There were only three of them, or four at most- likely a scouting parting for a slightly larger group.
Elladan glanced over at Elrohir "If the Orcs are this close..." He began.
"...Perhaps we SHOULD go look for him," finished Elrohir. "I'm right behind you, brother."
They packed up their few belongings and headed off into the trees with the ease of long practice. Grim looks were on both of their faces- they was no time for joking or banter now. Although they didn't know for certain that Aragorn had been taken, the fear weighed heavy on both of their hearts.
They followed Aragorn's tracks until they came upon the spring where Aragorn had stopped to refill his canteen. They both froze at the sight of all the Orcish footprints surrounding Aragorn's human ones, and the signs that a body had been dragged away from this location.
"Oh, Valar" breathed Elrohir. "Elladan, I never-"
Elladan shushed him by putting a hand on his arm and gazing compassionately at him. "I know, Elrohir, I know." His gaze hardened. "We'll find him."
Eyes remorseful, yet determined, Elrohir nodded. He looked at the marks on the ground again and clenched his jaw. He looked back up at Elladan "We have to."
Glaring up at the ceiling of the cave, Aragorn focused on trying to take even, shallow breaths. He wasn't sure if there was a point, though, since he was pretty sure his entire ribcage was on fire. He hissed in pain as a passing Orc stumbled over Aragorn's legs and gave him a kick for good measure on his way to the cave entrance.
Teeth clenched and eyes squeezed shut, Aragorn tried to take stock of his injuries from the last beating the Orcs had given him. He definitely had a least a few broken ribs, possibly a broken collarbone, a sprained ankle from falling while being half-dragged, a gash across his side, various bruising and lacerations, and a concussion.
The concussion was quite possibly his most serious injury. It was making it dangerously hard for Strider to focus and make a plan for his escape. He huffed a pained, quiet laugh. The thought of escape was pretty laughable at this point. Since he'd been unconscious during the entire journey here he had no idea where he was. To make matters worse, he was trussed up like a pig about to be slaughtered and wouldn't be able to run well with a sprained ankle. So he was pretty sure he'd be staying here for the time being.
His thoughts drifted to Elladan and Elrohir. He had no idea how long he'd been unconscious, and therefore no idea if they were looking for him yet. Given his current, slightly strained, relationship with them, he wasn't sure how long they'd wait before going to look for him after he didn't return.
Craning his neck from his vulnerable position on the floor, Aragorn glanced at the cave opening and the Orcs guarding it. With his ribs and collarbone, he wasn't about to try to sit up, but his hands were between his body and the cave wall. He began to try to shimmy his wrists out of the ropes binding them together, but quickly grew frustrated with the lack of motion possible to him.
He sighed in exasperation, but immediately regretted it when his ribs protested the movement. His face contorted in agony, and all thoughts of escape fled while he focused on his breathing again. While he was working through the pain, he heard a commotion at the entrance.
"But Durzol, you only said-"
"I KNOW what I said!" The larger Orc roared into a somewhat smaller one's face. "I also told you the prisoner is MINE."
The smaller Orc- who wasn't really so very small, Aragorn reflected, Durzol was just so very BIG- cowered against the cave wall.
"I, I-" He glanced nervously around, looking for support from his fellow Orcs but receiving none.
Durzol continued his rampage "I am the one responsible for bringing him before the Master! This ranger has valuable information! I will decide how and when we will be getting it out of him, NOT you. The master will be most displeased to hear of your insubordination."
The other Orc looked terrified at this prospect. Aragorn hadn't known that Orcs could turn that particular color before. It was most intriguing.
Durzol didn't pursue the matter any further, however, and after staring straight at Aragorn for a few short moments, he turned and marched out of the cave into the woods. After a beat, the smaller Orc turned and fled into the woods in the oppposite direction.
Aragorn breathed a sigh of relief that no one was going to take their aggression out on him. The bit of news about the supposed "master" was interesting though, Aragorn mused. Apparently he was looking for information that only a ranger could provide. This was something that Strider should definitely investigate more. His vision blurred momentarily. Right after he took a short nap. One that he, himself, was deciding to take. He was definitely not about to pass out again.
