Chapter 5

Legolas continued to carefully make his way through the maze of halls that was Mordor. Furious at Boromir he vowed to escape and teach him a lesson once he'd caught up with him. However his plans of escape quickly evaporated when Orcs suddenly surrounded him. He fought fiercely but there were too many of them and he had no hope of beating them all. Eventually they subdued him and took him to the interrogation room where he was forced into a chair and shackled to it. A mean looking Orc stood over him.

"Ok elf, we know you know something that we don't and one way or another we'll get it out of you. It would be less unpleasant for you if you co-operate with us" the Orc snarled at him.

"Auta miqual amin sundo" (Go kiss my butt) Legolas growled, in no mood for questions.

The Orc turned away from him for a split second then turned back, backhanding Legolas across the face. Legolas' head snapped back and he tasted his own blood.

"Amin feuya ten' lle." (You disgust me.) Legolas snapped.

The Orc began beating him and demanding that he talk but Legolas remained silent. The Orc gestured to another who unshackled Legolas and dragged him over to a post in the corner of the room. He was half unconscious from the beating he'd been given so put up no resistance. The Orc shackled him to the post then tore his jacket and shirt off and then the first Orc asked him again to talk.

Legolas remained silent determined not to give in. He heard a whistling noise and then pain flooded across his bare shoulders. The Orc was using a whip to try to get him to talk! Legolas remained silent despite the pain so the Orcs retired for a conference.

Over the next few days Legolas endured many ways of making prisoners talk but remained silent throughout. Finally they gave up trying to make him talk so they threw him back in his cell. Naked, bleeding and in great pain he crawled into the corner of the cell drawing on thoughts of Manquárë to keep him from going crazy from the pain.

While all this had been going on the fellowship had been resting at Lothlorian and recuperating from the wounds suffered in the fights leading up to their arrival there. Manquárë had constantly thought about Legolas and wondered if she'd ever see him again. Boromir constantly wanted to start a relationship with her but she pushed him away. One day he came to her as usual and asked her to start a relationship with him.

"You know I could never love you after what you did to Legolas" she snarled at him, her eyes flashing with anger.

Boromir caught her arm and pinned her down on her bed.

"Shut up and don't fight me or I'll kill you" he snarled.

Manquárë hissed and lifting her knee rammed it into his groin. His eyes opened wide and he fell off her with a thud, groaning and clutching at his groin. Manquárë grabbed one of her knives and held it out in front of her.

"I won't warn you again you k'sh uuvanimo."(evil monster), Manquárë snarled flipping the knife dangerously from hand to hand. "Get out or I'll kill you and I won't hesitate this time" Boromir just stood there as if to dare her to do so. Angrily she threw her knife at him but missed. He strode forward as she reached for her other knife and grabbed her preventing her from doing so. She screamed and struggled against him but he was too strong. However several Lothlorian elves had heard her scream and a few minutes later burst into her room. Boromir had pinned her down on the bed and was moving his hand toward the clasps of her dress. The elves quickly pulled Boromir off her and took him away. A female elf stayed with her to counsel her.

Legolas was slowly recovering from his harsh treatment by the Orcs. He began planning to escape and late one night managed to get out of his cell. He cautiously made his way to the nearest room looking for clothes, as he'd been naked ever since the Orcs had stripped his garments from him during one of their sessions with him. Inside the nearest room he found some Orc garments and weapons including bows and quivers full of arrows. Quickly dressing he grabbed an Orc bow and a quiver and hurried back into the hallway determined to find the way out. Looking right and left he made up his mind and hurried the way he'd chosen. An Orc leapt out at him and he coolly put an arrow in its forehead and then ran past it and on down the hallway. He became more and more desperate to find the way out as he ran along what seemed to be one corridor after another. Finally he felt a cool breeze on his face and deduced he couldn't be far away from the entrance. After what seemed like another 10 minutes but was probably only a few minutes Legolas quite suddenly found the way out. However there were 3 Orc guards to get past. Legolas carefully shot one with his bow then used two arrows to stab the remaining two. Yanking his arrows out of their corpses and retrieving the other arrow from the third Orcs corpse Legolas ran like the wind to the nearby forest then began making his way to Lothlorian.

After 3 weeks travel Legolas finally arrived in Lothlorian and found that the fellowship was still there recovering from the wounds they had suffered in the battle with Orcs they had had before reaching there. His immediate concern was to see if Manquárë was ok so he asked after her and was directed to her quarters. Hurrying there he found her in a state of upset being counseled by another female elf.

"Manquárë, mani marte?" (Manquárë, what happened?) He asked.

Manquárë's head shot up.

"Legolas? Is it really you melamin?"

"Yes it is I a'maelamin" Legolas said moving to sit beside her on the bed.

"Oh Legolas Boromir tried to… tried to…"

"Tried to what?" Legolas asked.

"Do what he was going to do the first time you stopped him" Manquárë sobbed.

Legolas' blood boiled to hear this but his first concern was to calm Manquárë down. The female elf realizing that the two of them were obviously a couple from their conversation had quietly excused herself. Legolas had wrapped his arms around Manquárë and was letting her cuddle into him. This calmed her down and once she was calm Legolas asked her to tell him what happened. Manquárë took a deep breath and launched into what had happened. Legolas heard her out then told her he wouldn't let it happen again.

"Oh melamin I'm so glad to hear you say that. I missed you terribly and thought that…thought that…thought that you were dead.

"Well unluckily for Boromir I'm still here" Legolas said.

He dropped his head finding Manquárë's lips with his own and the two of them shared the first kiss they had had in some weeks.

"You don't know how good it feels to be holding you and kissing you a'maelamin," Legolas said gently caressing her hair.

Just then Boromir walked into the room intent on finishing what he had started. The elves had eventually let him go after he'd promised to leave Manquárë alone. Of course he had no intention of keeping his promise. Suddenly the blood drained from his face as he saw who was sitting with her.

"You weren't supposed to come back elf," Boromir growled.

Legolas' head shot up at the sound of Boromir's voice and his eyes flashed with anger.

"You caused me to be captured by the Orcs, to suffer great pain and then I find out that you are still trying to hurt Manquárë. Well it ends here Boromir"

"That it does Legolas…with you dead!" Boromir snarled pulling a knife and launching himself at Legolas.

Legolas, fuelled by anger grabbed his arm, forced him to drop the knife then slammed him back against the wall. Boromir was stunned and the next thing Manquárë knew, Legolas had loaded his bow and fired!

Boromir fell dead to the floor, Legolas' arrow protruding from his forehead.

"Good riddance to that andodulin (Gate bird (slain enemy)) Legolas growled, striding over to Boromir and yanking the arrow from his forehead.

"Legolas! Did you have to kill him?" Manquárë asked in some shock at what had happened.

"Yes I did, I got the distinct impression that he had come back to finish what he started. It was in defense of you and also to be honest I had sworn to kill him for what he did to me that day we were fleeing the Orcs to here. Besides which he would have killed me or at least tried to if I hadn't killed him first so it was also self defense"

"Oh Legolas thank you for stopping him from hurting me again" Manquárë said.

"It's no problem melamin and anyway he had it coming to him. I'd had as much as I could take from him"

Several elves had heard the arrow being fired and had come to the room. Seeing Boromir dead they enquired as to what had happened. Legolas told them the truth and they told him that they would have to inform Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. Legolas nodded understanding and they left.

"I too must leave you for now" Legolas told Manquárë, "I must take a bath and change into garments more befitting an elf of my status"

"Ok Legolas I'll wait here for you" Manquárë said.

Legolas left the room and a short while later returned clad in a silver tunic and breeches. His hair was wet and clinging in clumps and he was carrying a comb with him.

"Could you comb my hair for me melamin?" Legolas asked her.

"Of course maelamin" Manquárë said taking the comb from him. He sat down on a chair and she began carefully combing the knots out of his hair.

"Legolas, I was wondering, what did the Orcs do to you anyway?" Manquárë asked.

"You don't want to know melamin," Legolas said.

"Please, I have to know" Manquárë said.

Reluctantly Legolas reiterated the events that had befell him from the time Boromir had punched him until he'd arrived in her room at Lothlorian. Manquárë was horrified.

"I'm glad you killed him. He deserved it doing that to you" Manquárë said vehemently.

Once Manquárë had combed his hair and it was knot free she asked him if he wanted anything else done with it.

"Could you braid it for me so it doesn't get in my face. That's why I keep the front braided you know"

Manquárë gently gathered the front of his hair and began braiding it.

"You know Legolas, you look so much nicer with your hair all loose" she murmured in his ear.

"I know a'maelamin but it obstructs my vision especially during a fight" Legolas said

Manquárë finished braiding his hair and secured it then he turned to face her.

"Manquárë, during all the horrible things they did the only thing that kept me going insane from the pain was thoughts of you. I love you Manquárë and I've realized that I want us to spend eternity together. Will you marry me and come to the Undying Lands with me when it is time to go?"

"Yes yes yes" Manquárë screamed happily.

Legolas hugged her and kissed her tenderly then drawing back from her slipped off the ring he was wearing on his right ring finger.

"Manquárë, I'm giving this ring to you to symbolize that we plan to marry. It is the custom of Mirkwood elves and my father gave my mother this ring when they decided to marry then she passed it on to me do the same.

"I'd be honored to wear your ring a'maelamin" Manquárë said.

Legolas smiled at her then taking her left hand in his slipped the ring onto her left ring finger. Then he drew her close and kissed her intently. When he broke the kiss, Manquárë smiled at him.

The two of them went down to a communal area and found the rest of the fellowship there relaxing and socializing with some Lothlorian elves. Everyone wanted to know what had happened to Legolas so he briefly elaborated.

"Um Legolas, care to tell me what happened to Boromir?" Aragorn said.

"I killed him," Legolas said simply.

"So it is true. He was harassing Manquárë again wasn't he?"

"Yes he was. He tried to hurt her again shall we say. Secondly, he caused me a lot of suffering at the hands of the Orcs. Suffice to say I was very angry with him and had sworn to kill him if he touched Manquárë again. Oh and he tried to kill me as well"

"That makes two of us," Aragorn said. I'm glad you killed him as it saved me from having to do it.

"I'm glad I saved you the bother," Legolas said.

"So what happened after that?" Aragorn asked.

"Legolas asked me to marry him!" Manquárë burst out!

Everyone's head swung around hearing this, as they couldn't believe it.

"Way to go Leggy" The hobbits burst out.

Legolas smiled.

"We aren't getting married until Frodo has completed the task entrusted to him," Legolas said.

"I'm pleased for the pair of you as you make a great couple," Aragorn said.

That night the elves of Lothlorian threw a banquet followed by a dance to celebrate Legolas and Manquárë's betrothal. Manquárë wore a beautiful silver gown, which took Legolas' breath away. He wore his silver tunic, which went well with her dress. The meal was a traditional elven meal and they enjoyed it tremendously especially Legolas who had not tasted such food in some time. Celeborn and Galadriel wished Legolas and Manquárë a happy future together and promised that they would attend their wedding. Legolas nodded and told them that his father, King Thranduil would be honored to have them stay in Mirkwood for as long as they liked.

"Please thank your father for his kind offer and tell him we will be glad to take it up," Celeborn said.

"I will Legolas said.

"Thank you Prince Legolas of Mirkwood" Celeborn said.

Later that night Celeborn took him aside for a private chat.

"Legolas, about what happened this morning in Manquárë's room. Galadriel and I were aware that Boromir had been making unwelcome advances towards your intended and we knew of his treachery during the fellowship's flight from the Orcs. We aren't going to say anymore about it other than to say that we understand why you did what you did"

"That's a relief," Legolas said,

"Ok we'll say no more. Return to your lovely wife to be and enjoy your evening" Celeborn said.

Legolas shook hands with him then returned to Manquárë who was talking with some other female elves.

"Manquárë, melamin would you care for a dance?" Legolas asked.

"I'd love to" Manquárë said.

Legolas led her onto the dance floor and the two of them cuddled up and danced to the music playing.

Later that night the two of them went for a stroll.

"Manquárë, you are so precious to me that I'd hate for anything to happen to you so I was hoping that maybe you'd consent to staying here whilst the fellowship completes its task in assisting Frodo. Also I think there is going to be a war between the free peoples and the Orcs and I'd like to fight in it as I have a few scores to settle with the Orcs who tormented me whilst I was held captive in Mordor.
"Oh gosh Legolas do you have to? What if you're killed in battle? I'd die if I had to live without you"

"Oh melamin" I know. I know. I would feel exactly the same way" Legolas said, "but we must win this battle if Frodo is to have any chance of succeeding in this quest. I promise I will return to you and then we will return to my family in Mirkwood and become husband and wife.

"Oh Legolas, go if you must I can't stop you but please come back"

"I will come back I promise" Legolas said kissing her head.

Chapter 6