Legolas let out a small groan as his eyes flickered open. At once, he was aware of the sickening, jumpy movement beneath him.
"Awake, elf?" a voice growled. Legolas jolted, trying to sit upright and snapped his eyes open. At once, he saw the ground beneath him, flying past. His mouth opened in a soundless shout of shock and fear, and he struggled to pull himself upright.
In a moment, he realized that his wrists were tied behind him, and he was lying across the warg, in front of the orc who had captured him. Legolas closed his eyes as the warg's movement (and his situation) made him feel sick. Without seeing the sky, Legolas had no idea what time it was – or for how long they had been riding. If he knew, then he could perhaps learn of their destination – and how to escape.
"Why take me?" Legolas groaned, trying to ignore the systematic pounding in his skull.
"The Necromancer wants you," Bolg growled.
"The – the Necromancer?" Legolas breathed, his voice trembling due to his pain and terror.
"In Dol Guldur there rises a force long forgotten. All flee. All die. He needs an elf, elf."
In Dol Guldur? Legolas shuddered. He had long believed the ruins to be abandoned. However, as Tauriel had said, the spiders came from there. Evil magic resided in its walls. Death lied within and spilled into the forests of Mirkwood, killing the firstborn and bringing terror to their hearts. Too many of the Eldar had died because of it.
"Why does he need an elf?" Legolas breathed. Bolg laughed, quietly at first, but then louder, until the laughter echoed over the plains and seemed to surround them.
"You will find out, elf, and then you will wish to not know."
Legolas groaned again as the warg caused a particularly powerful jerk.
"The others will save me," he breathed. "I will be freed."
"And who will free you?" Bolg snarled. "Certainly not your she-elf! You called for her, did you not? You called – but she stayed with the dwarves. And the dwarves are now dead." Legolas froze. Tauriel… was dead.
No, she couldn't be. She was a skilled fighter. Tauriel could not be defeated by mere orcs.
"You don't believe me, elf? She was distracted – trying to save her little dwarf friend from his wound," the orc growled. "She betrayed you, did she not? Why do you care that she is dead?"
"She – she was protecting him?" Legolas whispered.
"Oh, yes, elf. She was fierce, but two lives are too many to protect in battle. She was weak. She could have saved herself, but instead, she failed and all are dead."
"Tauriel is not a fool! She is experienced in battle! She could not have been defeated because of such folly," Legolas protested.
"I grow tired of your denial, elf, and I grow tired of your voice. I do not wish to hear you speak again – until you are screaming and begging for mercy."
"Vá!"(I will not!) Legolas exclaimed. "I will never break. I will never fall. You may have put my physical being at your mercy, but my mind is free, and you will never take that from me."
"Never is a strong word for such a weak being, my delusional elf. We'll see how long your defiance lasts. The Necromancer has plans, great plans, terrible plans, and you, little elf, are in the middle of them."
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Tauriel shook the orc.
"What do you mean?" she snapped. "Tell me!" The orc chuckled, then groaned as Tauriel grasped his shoulders and pulled him upright. His eyes rolled backwards, and he went limp in Tauriel's arms.
"Tell me!" she demanded again, seeming to not see the unconscious orc as worry for her friend increased.
"Tauriel!" Fili said quietly. "This will not help Legolas. We know where they are heading. They left on warg. We need to leave quickly." Tauriel turned to the small dwarf. Fili saw that her eyes were filled with pain and hate. He knew that she blamed herself.
In the sheerest moment, Tauriel hid everything caught in her eyes. Aloof, she asked,
"When did it become 'we,' master dwarf?"
"When you saved my brother from shadows and death. By my axe, we will rescue your friend from Dol Guldur, and he will be alive," Fili said.
"You plan to leave your brother," Tauriel asked, surprised. Fili frowned, not wanting to leave his brother.
"I- if I must, my lady. I do not wish to leave him."
"I see that in you. You care for him… as do I. I would not feel right forcing you to abandon your kin in order to help Legolas."
"Neither would I feel right allowing you to set off alone, Tauriel. If that orc was telling the truth, this mission will be hard with even a thousand troops."
"Yet, I must try, master dwarf. Legolas cannot be expected to escape. And he must escape, of that I am sure."
"Do you love him, if I may ask, my lady?" Fili questioned. He had seen her with Kili, and he knew Kili was attracted to her. Fili had to ask if his brother's attraction was unrequited.
"I do not know, master dwarf, but I do know we will never be more than friends. His father has promised me that," Tauriel said. She turned her head away from Fili as she spoke.
"Can he not make his own decisions? Must his father control who he loves and who loves him?" Fili asked. He had only seen the elf – Legolas – when he was angry or fighting. He was skilled – Fili had to grant him that. Legolas had also seemed stubborn and narrow-minded. He had made it very clear that he disliked – even hated – dwarves.
"Legolas can make his own decisions!" Tauriel defended. "King Thranduil only reminds him that he is choosing the next queen, too. I am not worthy of such a position." Fili froze. Suddenly, he thought of Thorin's anger at the Elvenking. He remembered stories of the elves only watching as Smaug stole Erebor and killed dwarves and men alike.
King Thranduil was hated by every homeless, wandering dwarf cast out of their unforgotten home. He was Legolas' father.
"Legolas is King Thranduil's son? He – he is the prince?"
"Yes," Tauriel said. "He is the prince, and the realm could fall if he were to be lost."
"Why would the realm fall?" Fili asked. He felt foolish to ask that, but he truly did not understand. Tauriel sighed.
"You must understand – you have only seen Legolas as he appears to an enemy. Legolas is kind when King Thranduil is cold. He is calm when King Thranduil is angry. He protects our borders when King Thranduil only orders that the enemies must be kept out. Legolas is loved by Mirkwood, and he is loved by King Thranduil. The King has already lost his wife and eldest son. Must he also lose Legolas?"
Fili thought, silent, unmoving. Legolas was certainly different than he had acted towards the dwarves. With his clear disrespect and hate, Fili would have never believed he was capable of great kindness or goodness.
However, Tauriel said he was, and she certainly knew the elvish prince better than he did. Legolas had treated them as an enemy. Of course he would treat them differently than his people.
"If he is important to his people, then all the more must he be rescued. Why do you not find other elves to help save him?" Fili asked. "If they think much of him, then they would be willing to help."
"Of course," Tauriel said. "Many would be willing, but Thranduil would be blinded by rage. He would imprison me – of that I know. Legolas has kept him from imprisoning many over slight folly."
"He would imprison you and keep you from helping his son?" Fili questioned. That didn't make sense to him. After all, it was clear Tauriel cared, and another elf to help their party would be greatly appreciated.
"Fili, you must understand that I was never allowed to leave to help Kili. Legolas left in pursuit of me, to get me back before his father's anger would ensure I lost my position as captain of the guards."
"So he would blame you," Fili concluded. "We cannot do that, but I also believe we need more than two in order to rescue him."
"I believe so also, but we need to leave now – or else we will be too late. Who knows where they are now?"
"I do not know who else we could bring. Ӧin and Bofur would be the obvious, but we would have to bring Kili, and we have no weapons."
"Kili will sleep for a day – at least. The poison is still being flushed out of his body. If there is no other option, then we can bring him. We would need horses. Can that human help you again?"
"I do not know," Fili said. "He was angry with our quest and did not know our intentions when he assisted us."
"We must try," Tauriel said. "I will try to save Legolas, no matter what happens. But – help would be appreciated."
"I will also try," Fili promised. "No matter if we find help or not."
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Hey, everyone! Another chapter finished! Hope you guys like it!
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Thanks to all my reviewers and readers!
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