Nearly inaudible curses floated to the top of the trees, where a young elf remained perfectly still. There was no need for him to run, for he would not be found if he could remain silent. He watched through the foliage as his hunter passed by, their eyes ever watchful. �This is not funny, Master Greenleaf!� An exasperated call of frustration came from below. The young elf began laughing lightly, hinting at his singing abilities. The elf below stopped and looked towards the treetops. �When your father hears of this, young sir-� A second later, Legolas Greenleaf dropped gracefully from the tree. �Lovely day, isn�t it? Oh, and Father would be so upset if heard the things you said�� With that greeting, the elf began walking towards the castle, leaving one of his father�s servants very irritated. The prince just smiled with mild satisfaction. That�s how it was when he was young. His father�s servants would tell the king how �impossible� his son was, and how he had no regard for his caretakers. It was true, in some way. He respected his father immensely, but other than the king, only one had the prince�s respect. Legolas looked now across the treetops to his betrothed. He was a century her senior, but he held her in the highest regard. She caught his gaze, her emerald eyes clouded with fear. He nodded to her, his own eyes telling her to stay quiet. This was simply another game of cat and mouse to him; a game he so loved as a child. Only today, it was no game. His predator was not one of the castle servants, but instead a soldier of a human domain. Being quiet and staying out of sight was no longer amusing, but his life depended on it. Her life depended on it. He decided long ago, when the wild chase first started, that if either of them made an obvious noise, he would sacrifice himself for her. She knew naught of his decision, but that was for the better, for she would never consent to it. Their predator apparently did not know that he was chasing more than one elf, for he had only seen her, from behind, and even that was only a brief glimpse. He was thankful that he had not seen that she was, in fact, female, and had probably paid no attention to details such as her hair color. The race of men often figured that if they had seen one elf, they had seen them all. �Come out from your hiding spot, elf. I won�t hurt you.� The voice sent shivers down the girl�s spine. Legolas noticed this, giving her a warning with his gaze. �Stay still, Arwen.� She understood the message his face portrayed quite well. �Not much, anyway.� A second voice added to the first. The prince�s shoulders fell a little; he had only known of one man on their trail. Now, there was no telling how many men were in the forest. He hid his disappointed look from Arwen. �Honestly, Captain. The elf won�t come down if we call to him.� It was the second man�s voice. Legolas� theory had been proved� they had no idea they had actually seen a female. There was a pause before the captain responded. �Come down,� he repeated softly. �Mithnien, I do believe you are more intelligent than I thought.� Legolas waited tensely to hear what was becoming of this conversation, though he had his suspicions. �Men!� The loud cry from the captain echoed through the forest. �Search the trees!� Arwen gave a panicked look to Legolas, who held a hand out to keep her still. He would wait for the perfect moment, then they would escape. He was cursing inwardly. Directly beneath him, a man started to rustle the leaves of the tree he was in. As soon as the soldier�s head appeared, Legolas made his move. He jumped, landing gracefully on the forest floor. He called out to his betrothed in elvish, words the men could not understand. He hoped they would think he was yelling at them rather than another elf. They all cried out with rage, running towards the prince. He dodged every one of their blows while fleeing from them. He hated fleeing from his enemies, but he had no choice. He dared not look back to see if they had all abandoned the trees that surrounded his own. He only prayed that Arwen was still safe in her hiding spot. The chase lasted for a long while. The men grew weary, swearing at the elf. The elf prince gracefully evaded all of them, one long knife ready in his hand. Legolas made a sharp turn to avoid being hit by one man�s blade, but unknowingly ended up in the path of the Captain. The prince was knocked to the ground by the man�s brutal strength, and though he fought hard, other men soon arrived. As he struggled against them, the captain pinned Legolas� hand to the ground, grinding his heel into the elf�s wrist. Legolas kept from crying out, but his hand opened, and the elven blade fell from his fingertips. Another man ripped his bow from his back and snapped it in two. Legolas cringed just then, not because of his bow, but because of the heavy boot that collided with his stomach. The force was met by another in his back. Legolas bit his lip to keep from screaming in pain. �The king better appreciate this. Boy�s more trouble than he�s worth,� one of the men mumbled as they tied the prince�s hands behind his back. �Get up, boy,� the captain hissed, yanking the elf to his feet. �The king is awaiting your arrival.� Legolas was thrown into the human king�s great hall. His hands were now released, but three men heavily guarded him. The king looked him over, seemingly ignorant the blood on his tunic. �Who are you?� Legolas said nothing, but his mind was spinning. He certainly could not give his true name. If this king knew he had royalty in his possession, he could use that against Thranduil� if they had any knowledge of the elven king. �Answer me, boy!� The prince felt a sharp pain in his back as he was hit again. The blow forced him to his knees. �I am Cemendur of Mirkwood.� Legolas had chosen his false identity with care. In elvish, it meant �a servant of the earth.� It was a name he had often been called by as a child, since he answered to the calls of the earth more than those of his advisors. The king nodded. �Very well. And the girl with whom you travel?� �I travel with no one.� �Indeed. Says her name is Arwen.� �A servant of the king�s house, as I myself am.� The king chuckled. �So there was another.� Legolas scowled. If he didn�t have her, how did he know? �Funny, though, how Arwen is the name of your prince�s betrothed. Or so I hear from messengers of Mirkwood.� It was so simple a statement that Legolas was thrown mentally off balance. He quickly devised a new alibi. �Yes. She is the princess of Rivendell. She was on her way to Mirkwood, to prepare for her wedding. I am, was, her escort.� Legolas silently prayed that Arwen had managed to find a way back to her father. �Where is she?� Legolas asked. The king avoided his question. �She is quite pretty, isn�t she?� Legolas told himself to keep his temper. The king was goading him; he needn�t give into him. From what he had gathered, the king didn�t even have Arwen in his grasp� how should he know of her beauty? �She will make a pretty trophy to show.� Legolas tried to fight the tensing of his body. �Arwen is not here,� he told himself. The king smiled a little. �Perhaps she will sleep in my chambers tonight.� Legolas had heard enough of the king�s mocking tone. He sprang forward, out of the reach of his guards. The king had been purposefully taunting the elf, but he was taken off guard by the coming attack. Several men were leaping out from the shadows, all fighting to beat the elf to the ground before he could reach the king. Legolas fought with all his might, but there were simply too many men. He fought the urge to scream as the Captain kicked his side. He would not let them have the satisfaction of his pain. �Leave him,� The king said after a few minutes of horrible pain for the elf. He looked at the creature, whose shoulders had not yet slumped in pain. �He holds his pride well,� �You seem to care a lot about this girl.� �I swore to protect her,� Legolas said through gritted teeth. �I care not so deeply for her, but for my king and my loyalty to his family.� There was some truth in the statement. His father was his king, and he was loyal to his king. But he did care deeply for Aragorn. �It is out of your hands now. Her life, as well as yours, are in my hands.� Legolas fought to stand up and face the king. He would not let them see him beaten. �My life belongs to no one, and neither does hers.� �You are a stubborn one, indeed. It is no matter, we will soon break you of that.� Legolas made no response. �Oh, and worry not. I have men at every border of my land. They will find her.� �So you admit you do not have her captive?� �We have both let important information slip this meeting. I wouldn�t worry about it. Either way, you will probably never see her again. Take him to the dungeons.� �Wait, at least let me know of my captor�s name.� He king smiled. �Not that you will ever speak it, but I am King Tarduain. Master, to you.� �No one is my master.� �We will yet see.� Legolas cringed as a swift kick woke him and reminded him where he was. �Get up, boy. I don�t have all day.� As Legolas stood, his body screamed at him, and he nearly collapsed back to the ground. The guard continued to watch with an amused expression as the elf reached out to steady himself. �Get a move on, boy.� He would have forced the elf to move, but it would not have done him any good. He would have most like just fallen over and wasted even more time. Legolas fought the nausea that was growing steadily worse. He was dizzy, and, for the moment, couldn�t see straight. He hated this feeling of helplessness. He gained as much of his balance as his body would allow, and slowly walked out of his cage, as he called it. The guard almost took pity on the prisoner. Almost. �We�ll walk slowly so you can compose yourself. You�ll need your composure.� Legolas didn�t like the sound of that. He took a deep breath. �We needn�t move slowly.� Legolas kicked himself. �Damn your pride, you need to walk slowly,� he chided himself. His pride would not help him here, and he knew it. The guard raised an eyebrow, but did not say anything. His pace quickened, but he still went slower than he normally would have. �What took so long?� The king demanded upon their arrival. The guard looked at Legolas. He didn�t need any more torture added to what he was about to get. �I couldn�t find the right key. They are thousands down there.� Legolas did not know the guard had lied to help him. �See that it doesn�t happen again. You may leave now.� The guard turned his heels, marching out the door. Legolas watched him go, almost wishing he would stay. He didn�t want to be here, alone with the king. He was more scared that he would admit to himself. The man walked up to Legolas, placing a hand under the elf�s chin, redirecting his attention. �So.� Legolas had the urge to say, �So,� in response, but he kept his mouth shut. �So, here we are.� The king was searching Legolas� face for something, but the elf held his head high, and stared straight ahead. �What to do with you.� Somehow, Legolas didn�t think being sent home was an option. �You see, I don�t yet trust you enough to have you around other slaves. You might cause a revolt. But I must start breaking you� This is difficult indeed.� Still, Legolas said nothing. �I�ve got it. You will serve dinner tonight, to my family and me. You will not misbehave, or I will have you beaten to within an inch of your life. Am I understood?� Legolas still remained quiet, and was rewarded with a hard punch in the stomach. He doubled over, trying to catch the breath that had been knocked out of him. �I said, am I understood?� Legolas nodded. �Yes, what?� Legolas looked up at the man before him. He assessed the king; he could take him. He dared not move, however, because he knew there were men in the shadows, waiting for him to do just that. �What do you mean, �yes what�?� �You�re a slave. There�s a certain amount of respect you would show your master� calling him what he is. Let�s try again. Am I understood?� �Calling you what you are to me?� Legolas asked, thinking carefully. The king nodded slowly. It seemed as though the elf was coming around. He hadn�t expected it so soon, but he wasn�t about to object. �Am I understood?� He repeated. Legolas knew he would pay dearly for his response, but it was well worth it. The king set himself up for it. �Yes, rat.� If he weren�t in such a serious circumstance, Legolas would have laughed at the look on the king�s face. �What did you say to me?� Legolas couldn�t help the smile that tugged at his lips. �You heard me well enough.� Rage contorted the man�s features. He wanted to lunge at Legolas, and the elf certainly seemed to be ready for him to do so, but he knew better. He had already seen the agility the elf had, and he remembered how long it took 40 of his men to catch him in the woods. No, he would wait until he had the upper hand. Legolas waited patiently for the king�s next move. He knew he was going to have to fight hard to get out of this- but the king never went for him. Legolas knitted his brows in confusion when the king simply clapped twice. The doors to the hall were thrown open, and the man that had led Legolas there appeared again. �Yes, my lord?� �Take him back to his cell.� �Yes, my lord.� �Chain him.� The guard stopped dead. �Excuse me?� The king looked very impatient at this point. �Chain him.� Legolas let the conversation go on, looking to see if he had a chance of escape. There were guards lining the wall outside the hall� he had no hope of it now. He would wait for the perfect moment. He could do that; he could wait. �In his cell?� �No!� The king spat. �In the kitchen! Yes, in his cell. Where else? Where else would I have you chain him? Honestly, Mithnien.� �I�m sorry my lord.� Mithnien. Legolas sighed. He had been there in the woods when he was caught. �Come on,� the guard said to Legolas, catching his arm. Legolas didn�t fight. He didn�t need another excuse for the king to harm him when the time came. Once they were a safe distance from the great hall, the guard spoke softly to the prisoner. �So what did you do to deserve the chains?� Legolas narrowed his eyes at the man. The guard just chuckled at the look he received from the elf. �I�m just asking. You�re in for a rough day, that�s for sure.� Legolas said nothing, but continued to walk with his head held high. The king entered the dungeons sometime later with a lazy walk. He unlocked the cell door, a slight smiled played upon his features. �Miss me?� Legolas didn�t bother to look up. �It�s official,� he thought. �The man�s insane.� The king looked Legolas over quickly. He arms were stretched apart, each hand chained to a pole that had been driven into the ground. They effectively made the prince defenseless. He was forced onto his knees, for the chains were not long enough to allowing sitting or standing. The king could see bruises on the elf�s features even in the dim light. He shook his head. �You had to fight them, didn�t you? How many did it finally take?� 9. It had taken nine of the king�s guards to secure him there, but Legolas kept the number to himself. Of course he had fought. Anyone with dignity would. The king wasn�t looking for an answer, but it angered him just the same when he didn�t receive one. �Calm yourself,� he chided mentally. �The boy�s only been here a day.� He moved closer to his captive, kneeling to his level, placing a hand under his chin. Legolas pulled his head away from the touch, but it was a move the king expected. He tightened his grip around the elf�s jaw. Legolas could do nothing now but stare coldly at the man. �How old are you? Eighteen, by our standards� but you things age differently, don�t you?� �Eighteen?� Legolas resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The king sighed impatiently. �How old are you?� 1,892. But he didn�t say it. There was nothing this man could do that would make Legolas speak. �Answer me.� His voice was dangerously soft. �Damn your pride.� It was not the first time Legolas said those words to himself. They were accompanied by a blow to his already injured ribs. �It will not do you any good to disobey me. That is a lesson you would do well to learn.� Defiance flashed in the elf�s eyes, and the king narrowed his. �Captain?� A guard appeared at the king�s side. Legolas scowled- it was the same man who had initiated his capture in the woods. �Yes, my lord?� �He�s all yours. Don�t be easy on him.� The king flashed a wicked smile at his prisoner, then turned to exit the dungeon. �Coward,� Legolas said quietly, but the king heard. The man spun around. �You�re not very good at keeping your mouth shut, are you, boy? Take care of him Captain.� Legolas had pushed his luck this far; it was time to see just how far he could go. �Afraid you can�t handle me on your own?� �I would advise you to hold your tongue.� �Going to make somebody else do your dirty work? Going to let any blood be on their head rather than your own?� The king stalked back towards the elf. He roughly grabbed his jaw, holding the prince�s attention. �Believe me, elf, you don�t want me doing my own dirty work.� �You will never break me. You know it as well as I do.� �We will see.� The king slapped Legolas across the cheek, snapping his head to one side. �We will see.� |
| Part One |