Oh, and MAJOR cliffie warning. As in the cliffie to end all cliffies...if you thought some of my other ones were bad, they're nothing compared to this one.
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Terror and Shadow
Estel fought the urge to leap to his feet and run. He was shocked...but inside he felt he should have expected this. He could not believe he had trusted the man this far...only to be betrayed into the hands of the person who seemed bent on making Legolas suffer.
To his surprise, though, Corben merely laughed. "The boy? Do you really think he matters now?"
"You don't understand...he plans to rescue the elf!"
"Does he?" Corben stepped closer to Eliam. "Let him try. He is of no consequence to us any longer."
"B-but," Eliam's eyes had grown wide, "I thought you wanted him to ensure the elf's cooperation?"
"I have found another method," Corben answered coolly, sending a shiver down Estel's spine.
Eliam's eyes were darting back and forth in fright, and in one last desperate attempt to escape he tried to lunge past Corben only to be caught with Corben's knife buried in his stomach.
"Death to all traitors," Corben spat, shoving the other man to the ground.
Horrified, Estel turned his gaze to Legolas' pale figure, swallowing back a mouthful of bile as he heard Eliam's dying gasp as another of the men ended his life. He forced himself to push away the violence he'd just seen in light of his friend's condition, concerned by the weakness he saw there.
"Was he lying?" Corben suddenly called. "Are you out there, Boy?"
Estel bit back a snort, wondering if Corben really expected him to stand up and surrender himself after seeing Eliam's death.
"I can assure you we mean you no harm," Corben continued. "Eliam was a traitor...but you have been innocent in all of this. We will not hold your escape against you."
He refused to answer, knowing Corben truly did not know if he had been following Eliam or if the man had been bluffing in an attempt to save his own life.
Corben scanned the brush, his eyes darkening in anger. "If promises will not bring you forth, perhaps the threat to your friend will," he suddenly snarled, taking a step toward Legolas and backhanding the elf with enough force to send him to his knees. "I have beaten him once, do not make me do so again!"
When Estel still did not answer, Corben growled in anger and yanked the rope away from the man who had been holding it. Holding it near Legolas' bound hands, he brought the loose end across Legolas' back with a sharp crack.
The elf seemed to buckle, curling slightly as he struggled to keep from collapsing completely.
Corben struck him twice more with the rope. "Do you enjoy seeing your friend suffer like this?" he called, knocking Legolas to the ground and kicking him viciously in the side.
Estel could barely breathe, and as Corben shoved Legolas over onto his back and pressed him against the ground with one booted foot, eliciting a sharp cry of pain from the prince, he began to crawl forward.
A hand clamped over his mouth from behind, and he was silently dragged further into the underbrush. Estel tried to fight but another arm wrapped around him, the weight of a body pressing on top of him effectively pinning him.
He stopped struggling when a familiar voice whispered in his ear, and nearly collapsed in relief.
It was Elrohir. He had hoped that his brother would be following...surely Elrohir would be able to figure out a way to save the prince.
Corben seemed completely unaware of the struggle in the underbrush as he finally stood away from Legolas. "Either your friend is not out there or he is the most cold-hearted boy I have ever seen," he sneered. "We move!"
"What of the traitor's body?" one of the men asked.
"I care not. Burn it."
Estel's eyes widened as two of the men gathered dried brush and piled it around the blanket-wrapped body. Elrohir stood to a crouch, gently pulling Estel up to his knees. "They will not hear us now," he murmured in the young human's ear, helping him crawl through the brush to the denser part of the forest beyond the path.
Once they were far enough from the path to stand, Estel clung to his brother, shaking in fear and horror of what he'd seen as Elrohir's arms encircled him. "L-legolas..."
"I saw," Elrohir replied softly, pulling away and crouching down to be on eye level with Estel. "Are you all right?" he asked, brushing a lock of hair out of his brother's face.
Estel nodded, noticing tears standing in Elrohir's eyes. "I'm sorry."
"I know," Elrohir managed a smile. "You should not worry me like that...for all I knew we had been followed and you had been kidnapped again."
"I had to...he knew where Carmian was going."
"I know, but do not think this is the end of it," the elf warned. "Ada will hear of this."
Estel nodded again, frowning as he glanced back toward the path. "We have to save him."
"No, you have to go back to the village. I will do what I can."
He shook his head. "There is no time."
"I cannot put you in danger like this."
"There is no time!" Estel pulled away from his brother's touch and looked him in the eye. "You need my help."
Elrohir sighed, shaking his head. "Stay close to me," he finally replied, dropping to one knee and fishing a small dagger out of his boot. "I need you to free Legolas and get away as fast as you can."
Estel took the dagger, straightening his shoulders. "What will you do?"
"Do not worry about me...free Legolas and get to safety."
The crackle of fire filled the air, and Estel nearly gagged as the scent of burning flesh met his nose. "The body..."
"I do not think they will wait," Elrohir stood, motioning for Estel to follow him. "We can trail them through the wood."
Estel followed, ignoring the pain that was growing in his leg. Even though he knew he could not be much help to his brother in his condition, at least now he was doing something instead of running or hiding like a coward.
He could only pray that Legolas could hold on for just a little while longer.
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Elrohir held a hand up, stopping Estel in his tracks. The elf lowered himself to a crouch, eyeing the underbrush around them in concern.
"What is it?" Estel finally whispered.
"I thought I heard footsteps," Elrohir murmured. They had been following Legolas' captors for nearly an hour, having had to detour several times to avoid obstacles and stay out of sight. They were finally close enough that Estel could hear Corben taunting Legolas again, but now he wondered if someone had been following them.
The elf grimaced and shook his head, focusing his gaze back on the path. "I must be hearing things."
The sharp crack of a whip whistled through the air, and Estel flinched. "Legolas..."
"Follow me," Elrohir hissed, his voice sharpening in anger. "We can no—" his voice broke off as a familiar birdcall filled the air.
Estel looked up. "Elladan?"
Elrohir did not reply, straightening up and echoing the call.
The bushes to one side parted and a cloaked figure stepped through, flipping his hood back. "Estel?"
"It is a long tale," Elrohir commented dryly, greeting his twin. "Is Palandil with you?"
"He went on ahead, following Legolas. He waits only for my signal to attack."
"How did you find us?" Estel asked.
"We found Thilator's trail through the forest. There were slight signs that Legolas was with him, so we risked following. It proved to be the right trail, thankfully."
"We have to hurry," Elrohir said. "Corben has beaten Legolas at least once...I fear the prince may be dreadfully wounded."
"Corben?"
"Yes. One of the men who followed Thilator...he killed him a ways back and has now become the leader...and he is maddened with grief."
"With grief?"
"Thilator killed his brother," Estel explained in a low voice as they made their way toward the trail, fighting to ignore the sounds of the party ahead. "I think...I believe that has made Corben all the more dangerous."
"We saw the blood," Elladan appeared relieved at his brothers' news. "I was afraid...Legolas is still alive?"
The whistle of the whip split the air again. "We must hurry," Elrohir drew his sword. "You will understand all too soon...signal Palandil!"
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Legolas bit back his cry of pain to a whimper as the sting of the whip faded slightly. He lay half-curled on the ground, but was hauled to his feet by his tunic to face Corben's furious eyes.
"I have had enough of your insolent comments!" the man roared, shaking the prince and flinging him against the trunk of a nearby tree. "After all of this...why would we listen to your promises? Do you think I am so stupid as to believe that you would truly tell your father we did nothing to you...that you would let us go free after this?"
He did not answer, but cursed himself for flinching when Corben kicked in his direction, stirring up dust from the road.
"Perhaps you should gag him," one of the men suggested.
Corben's eyes took on a sudden, dangerous glint. "No...I know of a more permanent solution."
The man backhanded Legolas again, pinning him to the tree with one hand while fishing for his knife with the other. "Hold his head, Joren."
The other man slipped around behind the tree, anchoring Legolas' head in place. The elf realized the man's intent and tried to break free, freezing with a groan as Corben's knee ground into his ribcage.
"I will keep your tongue as a trophy, Elf," Corben sneered, trying to pry Legolas' mouth open. "It will be a fine thing to stand upon my brother's grave."
Legolas flinched away as a sharp, familiar whoosh split the air near his ear, followed by Corben's piercing scream. He looked up to see the man staggering back, the shaft of an arrow buried in his shoulder.
"Do not let them take the elf!" Corben screamed as three cloaked figures broke through the underbrush.
Joren's grip shifted, and Legolas was hauled to his feet with a blade against his throat. "Tell them to cease or I will kill you," the man growled.
Legolas was growing tired of death threats. Rallying what little strength he had remaining, he slammed his head back into Joren's face, slipping down a little as the man's grip faltered.
It was not enough to work himself free, however, and he was steeling himself to meet his death when Joren suddenly jerked back with a cry of pain.
Then he was again lying on the forest floor, a familiar voice calling to him and asking him if he was all right. Legolas flinched back as a knife appeared in his line of vision, but settled when it merely slit through the ropes.
He forced his eyes to focus on the dark head in front of him. Could it be? "Estel?"
The young human looked up at the soft question, his face grim yet suspiciously tear-stained. "I have to get you away from here," he replied, finally casting aside the bloody ropes that had been binding the elf's wrists. "The twins and Palandil will take care of these men."
"Palandil?" Legolas' mind was hazy with confusion. What did the captain of his escort have to do with anything?
"Let me help you," Estel gently pulled him to a sitting position, stopping when the elf moaned in pain. "Take your time...the battle will continue for a while."
Legolas nodded, casting a glance up to see the three cloaked figures battling with the remaining men. He now recognized Elladan and Elrohir, and Palandil's distinctive style. Biting his lip, he surged to his feet with Estel's help and leaned heavily on the young human. He managed to hobble a few painful steps, stumbling and nearly falling to his knees as even his slight weight nearly proved too much for the human's injured leg.
"Just a little further," Estel murmured.
The elf grimaced, wrapping his free arm around his ribcage and stumbling another few steps.
He was suddenly knocked off his feet as Estel was shoved away, and Legolas fought to regain his balance as he was pulled back into a strangely familiar headlock. He tried to break free, but his abused body no longer had the strength to fight.
"We meet again, Prince," a voice straight from his darkest fears sneered into his ear. "May this time be our last."
Legolas' mind blanked in sudden panic.
It was Thilator.
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