A/N Well, most of you guessed that Leoglas' idea to take down the orcs wouldn't end well... Anyhoo, on with the story.

Disclaimer: not mine.

Chapter Three

Aragorn felt his heart stop.

The orc's dying screech had brought every head around towards them, but the human had eyes only for the arrow. Legolas was here, and ready to fight the impossible odds to reach his friend. Once they got out of this mess, he wasn't sure whether to hug the elf, or have his brains checked for taking on a whole army of orcs alone.

Everything was perfectly still as all stared at the dead orc.

Another arrow streaked through the trees as a missile of death and the orc closest to Aragorn squealed and scrambled back. It did not move quickly enough, and it became the second casualty as Legolas' arrow priced its throat.

The orcs went wild, screeching, screaming and yelling as they scrambled for their weapons, turning the once well-functioning camp into a nest of out of control wasps. Arrows were now raining down on the terrified orcs and they scrambled for cover, trampling each other in their panic.

Legolas was brilliant, if a little insane. Aragorn couldn't help but thinking, grinning broadly through his bloody nose. He wrenched himself to his feet and slammed his head into the nearest orc's chest, toppling it. Brining his bound hands low, Aragorn jumped high enough to bring his hand under his feet and in front of him.

An arrow streaked over his head and slammed into a running orc. Ramming his fist sharply into an orc's lungs, Aragorn wrenched its scimitar free, before running it through.

Now swinging his weapon, Aragorn struck down any orc that dared to get inyto his radius. Steady, he moved back, trying to get closer to Legolas. The orcs screams filled the air and drowned out all other sound.

They had never expected an attack there, in their home, and it confused their small brains. This made theme easy targets and for a moment, Aragorn believe that he and Legolas might just make it out of there.s

By now the arrows had stopped falling from the sky, but that meant nothing. Orcs where streaming past him, their weapons in their hands, and there was only one person to attack around here besides Aragorn. The elf had more than likely abounded his bow in exchange for his twin knives.

Freeing yet another orc of its head, Aragorn twirled around, looking for his next victim, scanning the heaving mass of dark creatures for Legolas as well.

Pain erupted through his head and he hardly had time to gasp before his buckling legs where kicked harshly out from under him. He hit the ground hard and was unable to keep his grip on his weapon as he thrust out his hands to catch his fall. A second hit to his head from behind and Aragorn crumpled fully to the ground.

"Knew I would find a use for you, human." A soft, but brutal, voice whispered in Aragorn's ear and then the man was hauled back onto his feet by his hair. The human gritted his teeth to keep from crying out and slowly rotated his head until he could see who was holding him. The orc leader smiled back at him, and Aragorn felt as if he had just been punched in the gut.

"I'm not. In fact if you ask my friends or family, they will tell you exactly how useless I am," Aragorn breathed out bravely, trying to distract the orc. The black creature only laughed, a short bark of cruelty that sent shivers up and down the human's skin.

Still holding Aragorn by the hair, it yanked him forward roughly, dragging him across the ground like a rag doll.

"Let me go!" Aragorn snarled, ineffectively trying to wrench himself free. The orc only laughed again and tighten his grip in the man's hair until the human was half-blinded by his watering eyes. The orc began to move uphill and Aragorn violently through his weight back, trying to use gravity to his advantage.

They crested the top, and the orc stopped and swung around, bringing the human with him. For a moment, Aragorn was able to see the battle below, and he couldn't help but smile grimly as he caught sight of the orcs scattering under Legolas' wrath. The elf was a blur of movement, his knives swinging from one orc to another faster than the eye could follow and his path into the orc encampment was strewn knee high with the blood and bodies of orcs.

The smile quickly vanished off his face as his head was jerked harshly back, exposing his throat. A wicked looking blade was pressed against his skin and the human caught his breath, praying that Legolas would run in the opposite direction as fast as he could.

"STOP!" the orc bellowed over the sounds of clashing steel and the screams of dying or wounded orcs. "Stop now or I slit it's throat!" The words were accompanied by a sharp sting and Aragorn felt the hot trickle of blood as the skin on his throat was broken open.

He could no longer see Legolas, but he could tell the second that the elf headed the orc's orders.

No, Legolas he wanted to scream. Get out while you still can! But he doubted that Legolas would have listened to him even if he had been able to say the words. The elf was too self-sacrificing for his own good.

"And what happens if I choose to continue to slaughter your army?" Legolas voice rang out cold and clear, carrying the message that he was angry and prepared to just about anything. Aragorn closed his eyes in despair.

…Stupid Elf…

"He dies," the orc answered gleefully, tipping Aragorn's head back a little further for emphasis. "If you surrender, though, he lives. And so do you, at least of a little while."

"Whoever said that I was part of the bargain? I could simply walk out of here," Legolas mocked. Aragorn knew right away that he had said the wrong thing as the pressure on the knife at his throat increased. His skin broke open further, and the future king of men couldn't help the small groan that escaped his throat.

"I'd kill him before you could take a step away, you filthy scum!" the orc roared.

He wants Legolas. Aragorn realized with sudden clarity. His mind flashed back to when he when the orc had reacted so violently to the fact that he was not an elf and his stomach churned uncomfortably. Run, Legolas! Please run! He pleaded in his mind once more.

Of course the elf didn't, and a cheer erupted from the orcs. Aragorn could only guess that Legolas had thrown down his weapons in defeat. The orc leader laughed, and the blade was removed for the man's throat before he was thrown to the ground. Reaching up hesitantly with his bond hands, the man dabbed at the bleeding wound.

The cheers quickly turned to jeers and the man scowled. The crowd of celebrating orcs slowly parted, and Aragorn glanced up, watching as Legolas was shoved roughly from one orc to another as he was manhandled up the hill. Once they reached the top, the orc holding the silently defiant elf kicked him harshly in the back of the knees and forced his head down in a mock bow.

Legolas turned his head towards Aragorn and gave him a worried look. "Are you alright, Estel?" he asked in elvish. The orc holding him growled at the beautiful language and grabbed the elf by the neck, slamming his face into the earth.

"Don't hurt him!" Aragorn yelled, lunging forward. Two sneering orcs rushed forward and grabbed the human by the arms, pinning him to their sides.

"You were a nice surprise, scum. I am so happy to welcome you back to our humble abode." The orc leader jeered, leaning down and running its grubby paws though Legolas' silky hair. The elf's face tightened at the rough movement, but otherwise he didn't react. "Yes, I didn't think to see your pretty face again, captain. Did you miss me? Did you come back so that we could have more fun?" the hand in the elf's hair suddenly jerked upwards, snapping Legolas' head up with it. The elf's face was smeared with dirt and blood, but he didn't look any less a prince to Aragorn.

"Go to the pits of darkness, monster." He sneered, earning a vicious slap. As he turned his face back to meet the orc's, it stepped forward, grabbing Legolas by the chin and lowering it's ugly face towards the elf's.

"I would be good, now, if I were you," It hissed, twisting Legolas' head to the side so that he could see Aragorn. "We both know what happens if you disobey me." His fingers squeezed, almost crushing the elf's face. Fear flashed through the elf's eyes as he stared at Aragorn, and the man lurched forward as much as his captors would allow, trying to get to the prince's side.

The orc brought Legolas' face back around to meet his, hissing something out in the black tongue before slapping the elf once more for good measure. Turning away, he commanded,

"Bind the prisoners. Keep guard over them. No one touches them, you hear, except for me!"

Several orcs converged on Aragorn and Legolas, and the two friends were dragged back to the end of camp, where they were deposited roughly on the ground. Legolas' wrist and feet were bound in the same, coarse rope that tied Aragorn, but after that the two were left alone.

Aragorn didn't waste his breath on pleasantries.

"Was that him?" he asked in whispered, inching towards the elf on his belly, and looking with distress into the prince's rapidly swelling face. A dark bruise the size of a fist crested his high cheek bones, and the man could only believe that more would form.

Legolas turned partially away from Aragorn, working himself onto his knees. His hands were clenched tight enough to cut off circulation before the ropes had a chance too and Aragorn frowned. That was answer enough alone to his question.

"Are you alright? Your care cannot have been pleasant," Legolas asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence as he raised his head. The man noted that he hadn't asked his question, but took the hint.

"Actually, I've had nice time. Fine meals, pleasant company," Aragorn said sarcastically. Legolas scoffed, his eyes darting from orc to orc.

"Right," he said, "But really Estel. Did they hurt you? You are covered in blood." His tone grew dark and a shadow passed over his face. Aragorn shook his head, though he could tell that the elf didn't believe him.

"I'm fine. They didn't do anything terrible to me. I swear to the Valar that I am alright." Moving to a sitting position as well, he leaned over and lightly bumped the elf's shoulder with his own, trying to convince him of the truth. "They didn't want me. They wanted an elf," he revealed in a low tone, glancing around to make sure none of the orcs where paying them any attention.

"So you where the bait? A pawn in the endless battle of the orcs and the elves?" Legolas asked bitterly, looking away from the man's suddenly sharp and concerned look.

Aragorn resisted the urge to say the words that were on the tip of his tongue and instead inched over until their shoulders were touching once more. He leaned his head against the elf's with a heavy sigh. It was comforting, somehow, to have the physical touch, signifying that one wasn't alone.

Legolas had been in no mood to hear what he had had to say before when he had sat the elf down to talk with him. He was sure that now was not the time either. The truth was that Legolas needed a break, a long vacation. He had been fighting the darkness for far too long and with hardly any break to rest and recovery, mentally as well as physically. The need was manifested by the despair and anger he could sometimes feel radiating off the elf in moments just like this. The despair at times seems almost heavy enough to crush his friend.

"The orcs who caught me thought I was an elf. I was a complete surprise," he murmured instead, his tone light as he structured his features accordingly.

"I think I should feel offended," Legolas said with a wane smiling that did not reach his eyes. "How a filthy human like you could be mistaken for elf is beyond me. What did they do with you when they discovered that you were, in fact, not an elf."

To his surprise, Aragorn snorted loudly, causing the nearest orcs to look in their direction with mistrust. "I had an orc shoved in my face. I swear that that was the closest anyone has ever been to me. In fact, I don't think I would even want…" Aragorn suddenly trailed off, blushing furiously.

Legolas sat up straighter, a real smiling lighting his eyes as he grinned so widely that Aragorn thought his face would crack in half.

"That couldn't be Lady Arwen now, could it? Hmm." Legolas teased, watching with amusement as Aragorn's face deepened in color.

"Shut up, Legolas," he grumped, jostling the elf's shoulder good naturedly. Legolas only smiled. A fool could have caught and discerned what the tender expression that appeared in Aragorn's eyes or on his face at the mere mention of the Lady's name meant.

"I'll tell her that you don't want her to come anywhere close to your face anymore," Legolas continued. The teasing helped push the fear and darkness that was threatening to overwhelm him down. He could almost pretend that it was just him and Aragorn, out in the wild somewhere without so much of a care.

"What? No –I! That was not what I meant!" Aragorn spluttered, shifting self-consciously as he shook his head to attempt to get some of his unruly hair out of his eyes.

Legolas just grinned, settling back against the stump. Aragorn rested his head once more against the elf's and they trailed off into silence. The grin slowly faded from the elf's face, and he resumed his anxious watching of the orcs. Aragorn meanwhile watched him in quiet concern, forebode growing in his mind.

The two were left alone for a few hours, but they were both aware that this peace wasn't going to last for long. The orcs edged ever closer, leering at the elf and man with an ever growing hunger for blood. They made excuses to pass the prisoners and their eyes constantly flickered back to them.

At last, their self restraint broke, and a particular disfigured orc stepped forward, cuffing Aragorn hard across the mouth,

"I don't care what Uglk says about them!" it snarled, licking its lips hungrily as Aragorn's lip began to bleed. "We have them here, why not have a little fun!" Several of the orcs began to gather around, nodding eagerly. "We won't kill 'hem, after all." The orc, seeming to be boyed up by the others agreement, snagged Aragorn by the shirt, yanking him up before dragging him a few feet away and depositing him roughly to the ground.

Aragorn's eyes grew wide, and his muscle's tensed, preparing himself for what to come as he glared up at the orcs. He was scared, Legolas could see it. And he would be crazy not to be, Legolas reflected. His own fear was bubbling up and he felt petrified, rooted to the spot, useless and weak.

You know what you have to do. He told himself, his breathing rate picking up as the orcs began to circle around Aragorn, examining him like a lion would his prey. Don't think, just do.

"You cowards! You filthy cowards!" Legolas yelled out in elvish, now straining against his own bonds as the first sound of flesh against flesh rang through the air, making him feel like he was going to be violently ill.

Aragorn looked up sharply from his doubled over position, gasping for air.

"Be quiet, elf!" he rasped, trying to get his lungs to remember how to draw in air. He widened his eyes pointedly at his friend, but Legolas paid them no mind.

"Beating a human when an elf is available," Legolas taunted, attempting to get under the orc's skin. The orc growled, but didn't turn, putting his anger into a series of punches straight to Aragorn's midriff. The human doubled over once again, once more gasping for air as he opened and shut his mouth soundlessly.

"You are nothing more than cowards!" Legolas jeered again, a panicked edge to his voice that caused it to be pitched slightly higher than normal. "Just because some big shot tells you can't do something, you are going to follow him. You must be idiotic."

This seemed to strike a nerve, and the orc half-turned, snapping something to the other orcs in his own tongue. One of the orcs moved forward and slapped a grubby hand over the elf's mouth. The orcs holding Aragorn laughed.

The one whom had originally started it all pulled out his knife, grinning sadistically and Aragorn closed his eyes.

"How much can a human bleed and still live?" it asked, running the knife along the human's face with a loving caresses.

A screech of pain filed the air and the orc whipped around, accidently slashing Aragorn across the face as he did so. The orc keeping Legolas silent was hoping up and down, clutching its hand as it howled in misery. "It bit me!" it snarled, gnashing its teeth in Legolas' direction. It obviously wanted nothing more than to sink its own teeth in the elf's skin

Legolas scowled back, spitting black blood onto the ground with disgust.

"Legolas! Daro!" Aragorn begged thickly, his eyes snapping open, a pained look in his eyes for his friend. "Seas, Legolas." The elf wasn't paying him any attention.

"You are nothing. You can't even beat a defenseless elf that is bound. It is no wonder that the elves-" The prince never had a chance to finish the sentence. The orc whom he had bitten swung around struck out savagely, hitting Legolas across the head. The elf crumpled to the ground, but no sound of pain was given. The fire was stilling burning bright in his eyes as he struggled to pull himself up right with his still bound hands.

Aragorn groaned inside himself. He knew that look, it meant that Legolas was about to do something incredibly idiotic.

TBC...

Leoglas...I really don't think that this is a good idea... maybe you should listen to Aragorn...

As always, feel free to tell me the good and the bad, or if there is anything I can improve upon. I swear I don't bite. :)

Review Replies:

Guest (2): haha, yea, it isn't going to end well, I can tell you that much. I think the orcs scored higher than even they could realize. :) Poor Legolas should have turned back when he had the chance. Thanks a lot!

Guest (1): Fridays are the best day of the week. :) I bet you liked this eneding even better... Thanks so much!