Lord Of The Rings Fan Fiction ❯ Legolas and the Rangers ❯ Torture and Rescues ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter 9

 

Torture and Rescues

 

Blaen moaned in agony; his back was on fire and his head reeling.

 

For hours he had been subject to their ruthless torturing. Worst of all, the fresh wounds covering his back were laid over old. Some had faded but most were still there from previous beatings. Some were even weeks old. He couldn't remember exactly but it vaguely felt like it had been a month since they had began what they liked to call, “having a little sport.”

 

The beatings were always the same except when something went wrong for the clan. Then the beatings usually lasted much longer and they were twice as vicious, just as they had been tonight.

 

Blaen could only summarise that there had been another skirmish with the goblins, of which the orcs had apparently lost.

 

The whip fell again and Blaen let lose a hoarse yell. He struggled not to let the tears burning his eyes fall. They had taken everything from him: his hope, his courage, his strength and his will to fight back but he would not let them take his pride.

 

He was one of the Dunedin, however young he may be and he had a heritage and a people to live up to. He would not cry because to cry meant to bring shame upon himself and all that he stood for.

 

Why couldn't he die? No one was coming to save him so why was he still living? Perhaps death was too kind for him. Legolas had perished while he had not.

 

It felt like his life was over when it had barely even begun. There would be no adventures, no mysteries to be solved, no one to love and be loved in return. There was simply no more hope left. There was only pain and despair.

 

* * *

 

`Elladan!'

 

The cry came from somewhere up ahead and Elladan hurried his dawdle to a quick jog.

 

`What is it Elrohir?' he asked coming over a rise in the path. The younger twin stood poised, his whole body listening to something.

 

`Shush Elladan,' warned Elrohir quickly.

 

Coming up beside his brother, Elladan's ears quickly picked up what his brother was hearing. `Yrch,' he muttered grimly. `Either them or goblins,' agreed Elrohir darkly.

 

`It would be best to avoid them,' said Elladan. Elrohir shook his head stubbornly. `We passed that old orc ambush some ways back, the one near the woodcutter's cottage remember? There used to be an elderly man there with a daughter and son. Besides, I found this,' said Elrohir showing his brother something long and black.

 

Elladan's breathe hissed slightly as he laid eyes on the vicious looking bolt. `The shaft has blood on it, see?' said Elrohir indicating a rusty brown patch. `The tip also looks like it may have had some sort of drug coating it and the blood is too old to tell if it's elvish or human.' `So it could have been either of them or someone else entirely different,' murmured Elladan, worry creeping into his voice. `Precisely,' answered Elrohir grimly, `and no poor soul deserves to be left in the hands of those beasts whatever their crimes in life may have been.'

 

Elladan sighed, `very well. I suppose we had better go and have a look.'

 

* * *

 

Cautiously Elladan peered a little further out from his hiding place. It was just past dawn and now he and his brother were trying to assess the situation before them.

 

The glade had emptied of orcs leaving only refuse and the remains of last nights dinner behind.

 

The twins waited silently, neither wanting to venture in and stumble into one of the black horde as they left their cave for one particular reason or another. The minutes ticked away and Elladan found himself growing impatient but he kept his irritation at bay and waited.

 

Eventually even Elrohir, who was more cautious, suggested that Elladan scout out the premises while he covered his brother from the safety of the woods.

 

Elladan rose and moved forth, barely stirring the leaves of the woodland floor. He wrinkled his nose at the stench of decay as he moved into the glade and had to force his hands to remain on his weapons rather than bring them up to block the stench from his nose.

 

Elrohir waited nervously as he watched his brother move ever closer to the cave where no doubt the yrch slept. He didn't like the situation at all but Elladan was the better choice. He was much more skilled in close combat and his instincts almost unmatched. Elrohir was the better marksman and he often noticed things a second or so before Elladan which in some cases, a few seconds could make a remarkable difference.

 

Elladan narrowed his eyes slightly in order to see more clearly as he caught sight of what looked like a familiar situation. Two trees with ropes between them and many footmarks and blood on the forest floor indicated where a victim had been tied up and beaten for sport. He had seen such a thing only once before and even now; it still sent shivers down his spine.

 

Moving closer, he noted that the victim was most likely male as he spotted a dirty and tatty tunic nearby. He had probably been unconscious when he'd finally been freed because it looked as if the victim had fallen limply forward to lay sprawled in the dirt.

 

He ripped his gaze away from the scene as the sound of labored breathing reach his ears. Several metres behind the two trees near what Elladan guessed the orcs used as a lavatory was a large peg in the ground with a single long, heavy chain snaking away from it.

 

Lying in a heap at the end of the chain was a body. Forgetting himself momentarily, Elladan rushed forward. He stopped only a metre away as he gazed upon the terrible lacerations covering the person's back. Long dark hair spilled in all directions: dirty and tangled. Elladan caught sight of a dirty bandage around the left calf and guessed that this must have been the victim of the drugged bolt.

 

Sheathing his sword, Elladan kneeled and gently pulled back the hair. He winced in sympathy as he recognised Blaen's face. The human was pale beneath the filth and his frame gaunt.

 

`Oh Blaen,' he whispered softly. `I would gladly kill every creature that had a hand in this.'

 

* * *

 

Hogel grunted and sat up. It was no good. When you had to go you had to go. Pleased that he didn't have to climb over any of his companions because he'd slept near the entrance to the cave mouth, he was just about to step rather grudgingly into the sunlight when he spotted something that made him freeze.

 

He growled as he caught the scent of an elf, his gaze turning dark with hate as he realised that one of the fair folk was actually trying to free the ranger. They'd only had him just over a month and he was the best entertainment they'd had in a long time. He was currently their longest living captive too and if the elf spawn thought he was going to take him away then he had another thing coming.

 

Grabbing a blade, Hogel stalked as quietly as possible towards his prey. He was not five paces away when the elf rose and turned. Everything about his fair face repelled the orc and he couldn't help but show his revulsion, his face twisting into a disgusted mask.

 

`Don't even think about drawing your puny stick elf spawn,' growled Hogel.

 

There was a sharp hiss and for a moment Hogel didn't understand what was happening. Before understanding even came though, the orc fell forward, dead; Elrohir's arrow producing from it's back.

 

`I wasn't going to bother,' muttered Elladan coldly at the dead orc.

 

`Come on Elladan!' interrupted Elrohir in a fierce whisper.

 

Turning back to the ranger, Elladan picked up a nearby rock and smashed it against the rusty lock chaining Blaen to the ground. The lock held however and it took several more hits before it cracked and released its captive.

 

Careful of his charge's back, Elladan easily scooped the ranger into his arms and hurried back across the glade.

 

Elrohir was waiting anxiously where Elladan had left him.

 

`Is he alright?' asked Elrohir with worry as he watched Blaen's face for any signs of consciousness. `He will be for now,' answered the elder twin grimly. `First let's get him away from here before we're caught.' `Alright,' agreed Elrohir as he turned and led the way.