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Many thanks to my anonymous reviewers: hansbmd, Aruvaile, anonymous and NebraskaFan!
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-Chapter 7-
He would rather have been unconscious, Legolas decided groggily as his awareness gradually returned.
He lifted his head slighty and immediately regretted it as a throbbing headache ensued, like a troll repeatedly clubbing his head against a very hard wall.
He tried to lick his lips, unsuccessfully. The action sent the crusted blood flaking onto his body, where it blended easily with the dried blood now covering much of his body. After a few more tries, he eventually managed to get his lips at least a little wet, though he now could taste metallic blood in his mouth.
A door creaked somewhere, and he tensed immediately, glancing up. He was afraid that Tisdal would return, more than he was prone to admit, and he was deeply ashamed of it. The action made his head spin and he groaned without thinking.
It was not his door opening, however, and he dropped his head back onto his chest, exhaling quietly, relieved.
He regulated his breathing carefully…in, hold, out…in, hold, out…It seemed less painful to hold the breath in for a few seconds before exhaling again. He held himself straight up as best he could as he exhaled, as it stressed his bruised or broken ribs less.
He blinked a few times and found that even this hurt. Blood stuck even to his eyelashes. He blinked more rapidly, trying to get his eyes to tear up and hopefully wash away some of the red crust. The swelling, at least, seemed to be going down a little. At least he could see something now.
In, hold, out. The pain was increasing. He straightened as much as he could and focused on breathing, trying to block out the pain.
In, out.
A thousand images were filtering through his mind.
The changed Aragorn, coming towards him with a smile.
The hand on his hair clenching suddenly, forcefully pushing him to the ground.
The reflection of his own terrified face in the eyes of the other, only just beginning to comprehend his friend's betrayal, too late.
In, out.
He could not have fathomed the pain of betrayal before this. He could not have known the crushing weight of knowing his demise was at the hands of one he called mellon, friend.
Ai! Would that it were not so!
Legolas's heart beat a sorrowful tune, mourning for all the Dunedán could have been.
He knew the young Ranger was truly Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Isildur's Heir. He was well-versed and well-educated. He was painfully aware that this man should some day have been the King of Gondor. His heart clenched at the thought of this warped human ever ruling over others. A chill washed over him as he realized that the traitor's fate was unchanged, that he was still destined to become the sovreign of Gondor and Arnor. It was a long time in coming, but even the thought frightened the elf. If he were capable of this much evil now, how much more could he do with armies of thousands at his command?
Sometimes, fleetingly, doubt would rise within him that it actually was true Ranger hurting him. Surely, Hope's tiny voice cried, surely it could not be Aragorn? But then the great snake of certainty rose within him and crushed Hope overwhelmingly. Images of Aragorn rose unbidden in his mind, and once again he was forced to accept the devastating truth: his friend was gone.
I shall be slain here, he thought numbly. Aragorn's intention are not that I shall live.
And Legolas feared death. He was an elf, immortal, fair and unchanging. Elves were never intended to die. Legolas had never really entertained the possibility. Certainly, he had been close to death more times than he could count, but each time he had been certain he would survive. This time, though…this time he would die. Held captive at the hands of the one who knew him best, who knew elves, who knew his weaknesses…held fast with chains and burdened by a heavy heart, Legolas did not doubt he would never leave this place.
He could not fathom death. Death was to elves as flying was to humans. It simply did not happen, except by great chance of accident. He wondered briefly if it would hurt.
In, out.
More than he feared Death though he longed for the chance to tell his father all that had transpired. Every day, as Legolas saw it, Thranduil was being drawn closer and closer to danger. With each rise and fall of the sun Aragorn drew closer to succeeding.
More than for himself Legolas feared for his father. He had seen what into what darkness Thranduil had plunged after the horrific death of his wife, Legolas's mother. It had nearly destroyed him. Legolas was deathly afraid of what might happen if Thranduil lost his only son, too, just after the wounds left by Silana's death were beginning to heal. He shivered. In his darkest of thoughts, he knew what would happen. Thranduil would be driven mad with grief, fleeing to the Havens or perhaps just wandering aimlessly until hunger or wild beasts took his life. Without her king or prince Mirkwood would be weak, susceptible to any evil which might creep upon her.
In, out.
The pain was dizzying, but was nothing compared to the emotional battle ravaging his heart.
A low sob broke from his throat.
Mirkwood would be destroyed from the inside out, and he was completely helpless to to save her.
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I KNOW this is stupidly short...but it just won't come. I wrote and rewrote it so many times and finally decided to just post it. It's so frustrating! I know what I want to happen, I just can't...make it. It's not writer's block, exactly, but perhaps a distant cousin...anyway...
I was left a review by 'tttttt' that said something I assume is very rude…I had never heard of the word 'wang'. Is it foreign slang? Anyway, whoever 'tttttt' is acted completely irrational and provided no reasons for his/her opinion. I therefore have no choice but to completely disregard it…(shakes head)…if you don't like it, fine. But you might as well tell me why. Anyway…does anyone else have thoughts on this?? I am going to remove the review after Chapter 8 is posted.
Everyone else, PLEASE review, even if it's short. Chapter 8 is already begun and will be MUCH longer, I promise. What I have written is already twice as long as this chapter, and I'm not nearly finished with it. (puppy eyes) I am actually begging for reviews here...
-TRS-
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