The human woke up some time later on a cold stone floor. His eyes opened to meet an inky blackness. His hand moved to the base of his skull where a large bump had appeared. He rubbed it lightly, trying to will away the headache he had. He sat up suddenly as he remembered what happened. �Legolas? Elrohir? Elladan?� �Shut up, human.� Instinctively, Aragorn�s hand flew to his hip where his sword should have been. He groaned when he found that it was not there. �Where is Legolas?� He demanded. �I thought I told you to shut up! Filthy human� the elf is in there with you. Doubt if he�s still alive, though.� Aragorn heard movement, then footsteps fading away, and then a door being slammed. Was he alone now? �Legolas?� He ventured. There was no response, which was both good and bad. It was good because it meant his guard had gone, bad in that Legolas was not responding to him. He felt his way around his confinement. When he reached the end of one wall, he found that it turned into bars. �Great. Damned elf got me a headache AND imprisoned.� His hand fell on flesh, and he startled. �Oh no.� His eyes had grown accustomed to the dark. He saw before him the golden haired elf, with his eyes closed tight, as if fighting pain. Pain� the arrow! It was missing. In its place was a white bandage that had been stained crimson. Why had their captors, the Uruk- hai, removed the arrow? �Legolas, wake up.� �Don�t speak so loud, human. I am awake.� The sentence came as a barely a whisper, but Aragorn heard it. He lowered his own voice, though he had not been talking loud. �Are you all right?� �Never been better.� �Fine, be sarcastic. I was only seeing if I could help.� Legolas was silent for a minute before he responded. �I am sorry. Were you hurt?� �Not really.� �Don�t be bitter. You cannot be mad at me for acting the same way you act.� �Why did you do it?� Legolas did not respond right away. He was trying to see something, anything, in the darkness and interpret Aragorn�s words at the same time. The pain in his body was not helping him. �Why did I do what?� �Take that arrow that was meant for me?� The thought made him sick. Legolas held contempt for him, and yet endangered himself to save him. Why? �You hate me. Why did you risk your life for me?� �You were fighting one already. If I adverted your attention the arrow behind you, the first would have surely killed you. I would not have seen that happen when I could have prevented it.� �Damn noble of you.� �You�re welcome.� Aragorn almost laughed at the sarcastic tone. �Well, thank you, whatever the reason. Are you all right?� �They poisoned me.� �How can you tell?� Legolas smiled to himself. �Lord Elrond told me you were becoming a healer. I would have thought a healer would know that you can feel poison in your own body.� �You were hit with an arrow.� �In my chest. My whole body hurts with an icy sensation, which is not caused by an injury.� �Oh,� Aragorn sighed. �So now what?� Legolas did not have a chance to respond. Two doors were thrown open, and firelight flooded the room. For the first time, Aragorn was able to distinctly see their confinements. It was bigger than he had initially thought, but that made little difference. �It is far too bright�� Aragorn looked down at the elf. �Too bright�?� He examined the prince�s eyes carefully. His eyes were dilated far beyond normal, even for an elf. It was no wonder the soft light seemed harsh to him. �Get them up.� Aragorn stood quickly, but did not leave Legolas� side. An Uruk- hai opened the door of their cell and smiled sinisterly. �It�s time for your friend to face the wargs.� �He cannot stand on his own!� The beast pushed Aragorn aside, and pulled Legolas to his feet. The prince had to fight a wave of nausea, and leaned against the creature for support. �Fond of those drugs, are you?� �This feeling of dizziness is far too familiar. Why is it every time I travel to Rivendell, something bad happens?� �I asked you a question, elf!� Legolas was rewarded for his silence by a swift blow to his stomach. He doubled over, nearly falling of his knees. He heard Aragorn cry out in protest. �Hold your peace,� he choked out in elvish. Before he could regain his composure, he was hauled to his feet again and pushed out of the room. �Where are you taking him?� Aragorn demanded. Legolas had risked his life for the man�s- he was not going to stand back and watch him die. �Wish to come and watch?� Aragorn nodded hesitantly. Maybe he could still do something� He too was shoved out of the room, and followed close behind Legolas. �Are you all right?� He whispered in elvish. Legolas was at the point where any tongue not his own would not register in his mind. �I am trying not to pass out. I can�t even see straight. What is happening?� �I am not sure. They said something about wargs.� Legolas groaned. �I swear this is the last time I come to visit your brothers.� Aragorn laughed lightly. �Speaking of them, where are they?� �I hope they escaped and went to Elrond.� Legolas was again roughly shoved, this time into bright daylight. He shut his eyes immediately, half tempted to just fall to the ground and sleep some more. He felt something pressed into his hand- a blade. His own blade! �Release the wargs!� Despite the agony he knew it would cause, Legolas forced his eyes open. He was in a type of arena, with thousands of evil creatures looking down at him. Wild men, orcs, Uruk-hai� there was no end to them. Suddenly, everything went black. If it had not been for the pain he still felt, he would have thought he had gone unconscious. �Estel!� He called out desperately. �Estel, I cannot see! What is happening?� The man�s voice came from above the prince. �I will help you,� it said calmly in elvish. �They are releasing wargs upon you.� �I cannot fight them! I cannot see!� �Legolas, I will help you. Do you trust me?� �No. What choice do I have now, though?� Legolas wanted to cry out in defeat. His life now rested in the hands of a man. Worse yet, it was a man who hated him. �I will not lead you astray.� Legolas took a deep breath, calming his over-heightened senses. He dropped into a crouch, saving his energy for when it would most definitely be needed. �Behind you, Legolas. They approach from behind you.� The prince turned. He hated this- he was on display like a savage animal. He was yet again being used for the entertainment of perverted beings. �They are advancing.� He held his knife in front of him. He could smell the foul breath of the wolves of Isengard. He let his other senses tell him when the beast was about to attack, though he heard Estel too in the background. He felled it quickly. �To your left!� Aragorn shouted above the jeering crowd. He watched as Legolas turned just in time to stab at it. He turned to his captors. �Let me down there! Let me help him!� �It�s your own head, human.� �Let me down there!� And so he was given Legolas� other blade, and thrown into the pit with the prince. �I promised I�d help you.� �Estel, go. You are only fighting to your own death down here.� �I owe you, stupid elf. You saved my life, now I�m kind of obligated to save yours.� Legolas did not respond to the man, instead focusing on the task at hand. He heard stalky footsteps, and thrust his knife forward, until he felt flesh, and then warm blood. �Estel, I�m too tired for much more of this.� �I know. You have to hold on for a little while though, all right?� Nearly an hour later, an angry voice was heard above the crowd. �They�ve killed all the beasts!� Then their captor�s voice rang out. �Take them back to the cell. That was a disappointing game if I�ve ever seen one.� �Truce.� Legolas looked up from his bleeding arm where a warg had bitten him. �What?� Looking up hadn�t actually helped him because he could still not see. �I call a truce,� Aragorn mumbled. His voice was closer now, and Legolas felt him grab his arm. The prince tried not to pull away, though he still flinched. �What calls for the change of heart?� �Well� when others risk their lives for you� it changes a person.� �It is a truce.� Aragorn looked up suddenly. �Really?� Legolas almost laughed. His body was feeling infinitely better since the poison had begun to wear off. �You expected me to say no?� �Well, yes, actually.� He paused, then continued. �Can I ask you a question?� �You can ask.� Aragorn rolled his eyes. �Father seemed� well, odd, when he mentioned Arwen at dinner last night.� Legolas looked at the young man. There was no harm in the question, only sincere curiosity. �We were engaged once.� The human did not think before he responded. �She never mentioned that.� Legolas had pain in his eyes. The statement surprised him, and though he did not want to admit it, he was hurt by it. He said nothing, however. �I�m sorry, I didn�t mean� it was instinct.� �Arwen and I parted ways a long time ago. Long before you were ever dreamed of, I dare say.� Aragorn nodded. He regretted speaking brashly so soon after he had made friends with the elf. �How is your arm?� �It is fine. Are you hurt?� �No. I was able to see during that fiasco.� He teased lightly. �Why are they so intent on harming you, but not me?� �Have you learned nothing in Elrond�s house? Orcs were elves once. They hate elves because they wish they could be what they once were. They despise elves because we have not been perverted like they have.� They sat in silence for a while, enjoying their new found friendship. Aragorn was right- it changes a person when his adversary saves his life. �Nad n� ennas,� Legolas whispered suddenly. �Where, Legolas?� Legolas nodded his head in the direction of the door. Aragorn jumped to his feet, ready to protect his weakened friend. �Sit down, human,� Legolas heard the third party sneer. �My business is not with you.� �Who are you?� �Estel, havo dad.� Legolas surprised himself by saying it. He did not want to admit it, but he needed the man�s help. Aragorn looked down at the elf, but obeyed and sat down against the wall. �Are your injuries better?� Legolas did not respond, nor did he look in the direction of whoever was talking to him. �Answer me.� �Who are you?� Legolas had searched for a sarcastic remark, but none came. �Who are you� was the best he could come up with. �Tsk tsk, so brash for a person in a situation such as yourself.� �You�ll forgive me if I�m a tad irritated.� There was a chuckle from behind him. �Ah, that�s the way I like to hear an elf speaking. Heavy sarcasm, it does you well.� Legolas rolled his eyes. �What do you want with us?� �You�ve asked me two questions now, and yet you still haven�t answered mine. And look at me when you speak, would you?� Legolas rolled his vacant eyes at the statement. He had a notion that his captor intended the cruel irony. He heard the �cage� being opened and felt the third party moving closer to him. He felt too Aragorn�s rising tension. �Dartho i dad,� he warned in elvish. �Dartho.� �That�s a boy, tell him to stay where he is. He wouldn�t be any help to you now, and you know that.� Legolas was now facing the human. Human he knew it was for the smell it gave off. He had pushed himself away from the wall, not wanting to appear weak by leaning on it for support. �What is your business with me?� That very annoying chuckle was again heard. �You are an elf in man�s territory. Well, men and orcs, for that matter. At any rate, if he had been traveling alone, we would have released your friend some time ago. But do you know the laws of this land?� �Would I be here right now if I did?� The man smiled as a cat smiles before pouncing on a mouse. �Elves are not permitted here, under penalty of death.� �You brought him here!� Aragorn spat out. �And to travel with one of his kind,� he said, turning to the young man behind him, �also bears the penalty of death.� Legolas winced as he heard the faint sound of a dagger being unsheathed. He reached into his boot and pulled out the blade he had managed to smuggle in. �Oh, come now. Do you really think you can take me in the state you are in?� �Your own question implies that you believe I could take you in a better state.� He shrugged. �You�re an elf, I won�t deny it.� �Legolas,� Aragorn�s voice had a note of worry in it. Legolas lashed out, using his senses to locate his captor�s body. He sunk his knife into the man�s shoulder unintentionally. He had only wanted to knock him down, not harm it. The man was stunned. It was only by pure luck that his blade had pierced the prince�s stomach. Legolas winced, but did not cry out. His vision returned with a blinding flash of pain. He saw his grandfather standing before him, a cruel smile upon his lips. The smile that did not hide inevitability. Legolas focused his gaze, and his grandfather turned into a man that reminded him of Estel. The man looked at him, then smiled at his good fortune. He held the elf�s eyes as he twisted the blade in his hand. |
| Chapter 3 On to Chapter 4 |