Caught (a legolas fanfiction)

Rescue

Chapter 12

Thranduil's heart was racing. He was almost there, almost there! How had he not known that the man would bring Legolas back to the same place as before?

Aragorn and Gimli had finally begun to run on their own, without him dragging them. They were sprinting a ways behind him, but he could not afford to slow down and wait.

He felt frantically for any sign of his son in the part of his heart where he was supposed to be. There was nothing. It made him run all the faster.

About ten minutes later, he was very close. Aragorn and Gimli had caught up, and the ranger now grabbed the king's arm and held him back.

"Thranduil," he said, whispering. They were too close to risk being heard. "We must think of a plan. We can't just go barging in there."

"I can't feel him, Estel!" the king said in a panicky voice. "I can't feel him at all!"

Aragorn swallowed thickly, knowing what this probably meant, but he kept true to his name and tried to stay hopeful.

"All the more reason to get in there as soon as possible. Now, here's what we need to do..."

Legolas had a serene smile on his face as he died.

'This is it,' he thought. 'Finally...'

He drifted through the blackness, not cold but warm, like a blanket. It enveloped him and he welcomed the feeling of freedom. There was no more pain, no more torture, no more darkness, just...nothing.

"—Stupid elf! Wake up!"

A voice came, stifled by the blanket. A light appeared far away, destroying the comfort in the darkness, and pulling him toward it.

No, no, no, no, no! he thought, as he was dragged toward it against his will. Everything was too bright, too bright! He couldn't see!

At the suddenness of being able to feel and breathe and think again, Legolas gasped. A scream escaped his mouth as he realized that he was back in the cold, unforgiving darkness. Not the beautiful kind, the horrible kind.

Why would you do this to me? he thought. I was so close!

However, he kept the vow of silence he had made with himself and remained silent. He became suddenly aware of hands on his shoulders. They dropped, and there was some shuffling sounds until the door finally opened by a hand from the inside.

"Ah princeling," said Cyras. "Don't worry. Today will be the last day. I have had my fun with you. It is time to get this over with so I can return to my home and build a life."

Legolas didn't say anything. It seems Cyras had not realized that he was almost dead, not asleep. He wouldn't have been able to tell, either, in the blackness that had greeted him upon his awakening.

"Come on," Cyras said, and he grabbed the leash. Legolas tried to get up, but as a wave of agony washed over him, he cried out and fell back to the ground. He didn't care if Cyras laughed. He himself would be dead soon, anyways.

"My, my, elf. You are weaker than I thought."

Cyras sighed and grabbed the leash once more. Not bothering to see if his captive was conscious or even alive, he dragged the elf by the collar into the courtyard. He was aware of the three pairs of eyes watching from the surrounding trees, and he smiled softly.

'Oh my, it seems you have travelled thus far for nothing, for the elf will die today, no matter what you do.'

Gimli couldn't help the rage that filled him as the elf was dragged into the courtyard. His normally silvery golden hair was so gray and dirtied that it was barely recognizable, and his clothes were torn and covered in bloodstains, especially on his back. He was completely limp, laying prone on the ground as he was dragged, and he didn't even seem to notice. Maybe he was unconscious.