Take My Hand

Title: Take My Hand
Author: Noelwing
Email: noelwing@aol.com
Pairing: Haldir/Legolas
Genre: AU, angst, unrequited love
Rating: R
Warnings: None for this chapter, WIP part 4/?
Disclaimer:Middle-earth and all characters and places therein belong to JRR. Tolkien and are only being borrowed for this fic. Any original characters are creations of the author and belong to her
Author’s notes: /words/ denotes thought. Not much is really said about the culture of the Easterlings when it came to them; a lot was left to the imagination. I would like to thank every one for the wonderful emails on my story; please enjoy this next installment.

Part 4: Reconciliation

Celeborn sat upon a settee at the edge of his favorite talan. He looked through a break in the dense canopy of branches and leaves to see the setting sun. A book lay completely forgotten in his lap, the changing color of the sky was too much to ignore and Celeborn found him self enthralled in twilight. The sudden crash of dishes on the floor startled Celeborn. He looked over in the direction of the sound’s origin to see his wife Galadriel behind him. At her feet lay a tray and broken glass from the wine bottle and glass goblets. But what startled Celeborn even more was the look of his wife’s face, her usually pristine eyes were wide and her face was deathly pale. Fearing that she was going to feint, Celeborn leapt from the settee and ran to the aid of his wife.

“My love, what ails you?” He asked her as he guided her to the floor. He placed her head on his shoulder and stroked her golden hair tentatively. He could feel her begin to tremble in his arms and this worried him greatly for she began to faintly sob as well.

“Haldir, Legolas.” She finally managed to squeak out.

“Yes Galadriel, what about them?” He brought her face up to meet his. Galadriel let out a heavy sigh and covered her mouth with her hand.

“Oh, Celeborn I have this feeling in my heart that something awful has happened to them.”

Celeborn didn’t need to be told twice, he had been married to Galadriel far to long to question her intuition, if she felt something was wrong then something probably was wrong. He carried Galadriel over to the settee and made her comfortable. As soon as he was sure she would be fine on her own he summoned Rúmil, who in Haldir’s absence, served as chief of the march- wardens. He knew Haldir had been gone for only a few days but he wasn’t going to take any chances. Once Rumil was present Celeborn would inform him of the situation and they would decide what to do next. Celeborn hoped in his heart that nothing was wrong but a part of him felt otherwise.

********

“You got everything under control over there Sari?” Sari looked up from his task of binding the elf for the journey. His companion scout, Rune, was preparing to go down into the hole and retrieve their other captive.

“I think I hit this one hard enough, he should be out for a while. You go down and get the other one,” Sari said, still feeling great pride as he bound his quarry with rope. This elf looked very strong and Sari knew its strength would be put to good use.

Rune didn’t need to be told twice, he and Sari had been doing this work for quite some time now and had become very good at catching their prey. This had proven to be their most successful catch though, not only had they captured two elves but they also managed to secure their horse as well. Rune was glad that Sari actually waited until the big elf finished securing the rope before they ambushed him; it saved Rune the trouble of having to use rope of their own. He was impressed by the strength of the eleven ropes as he propelled down the walls of the pit. The rope was as thin as string yet it was strong enough to support his weight and it sparkled like it was woven from silver. Rune knew that such a great item would fetch a handsome price but then again he could also keep it for himself as well.

Rune jumped the last few feet and made contact with the earth below him. He looked to see that this elf was much different than the one they had already caught and that Sari was now securing. This elf was smaller and dressed in colors of green and not gray like the other one. But his clothes were grander than the other elf’s clothes and Rune wondered if there was anything special about this elf. Well whether there was or not, it didn’t matter, this elf would be taken back with them all the same. As he stepped closer to the elf he heard the hiss of quickening breath and Rune realized that the elf was still conscious.

Legolas was aroused by the clink of an armored body coming towards him. He knew by the vibrations in the ground that the one coming towards him was not Haldir and he turned his head to see who it was. He saw hovering not too far away from was a man in armor of a dull gold color. The armor was wild and ferocious looking with the knee and shoulder guards covered in metal that looked like spiked fish scales. His head was capped with black hair and his skin was a dark tan color – Legolas knew that the man must be an Easterling. His breath caught in his throat when the man kneeled down next to him.

Rune grasped one of the elf’s arms in his hands and began pinching the arm in a way to determine if there were any broken bones. The elf didn’t flinch at all and he made the same inspection of every other limb. Ten feet was a far distance to fall even for an elf and a slave was no good if it had broken bones. When Rune was satisfied that no limbs were broken he flipped the elf over and began inspecting the elf’s back and Rune hoped that the back was not broken. If it was then the elf would be as good as dead. But it looked as though Rune was in luck, he could find no signs of broken vertebrae and the elf’s state of paralysis was most likely caused by the shock of the fall. Knowing that the elf would recover, Rune picked up the listless captive, flung him over his shoulder and began the difficult climb out of the trap.

Sari had just finished wrapping the elf he had rendered unconscious in a gray blanket and was about to wrap the remainder of the fabric around the elf’s head when he heard Rune scuffling up out of the trap. Sari came just in time to relieve Rune of his burden and he dropped the other elf on the ground before he helped Rune out of the trap. The elf lay limp on the ground and made no sound. “I think the fall really put this one out of shape. He should be fine for a few minutes, come help me reset the trap.” Said Rune and the two men went about with leaves and twigs to camouflage the trap completely oblivious to the elf in green that lay still on the ground.

Legolas could feel the warm earth below his face and he was glad to be out of that trap but what was happening and where was Haldir? Legolas still felt numb from the fall but he willed himself to open his eyes and survey his surroundings. He wearily lifted his head to see two men struggling with forest debris to reset the trap that he had been pulled from but there was no sign of Haldir. Legolas heard a faint neigh from his horse and he turned over onto his stomach. It took every bit of self-control to suppress the nausea that threatened his system but he managed to prop himself up on his elbows and that’s when he saw his traveling companion. Haldir’s body was wrapped in a blanket and Legolas could see where he had been tied with rope. But worst of all was the injury to the back of his head; Legolas could see blood staining Haldir’s silver hair. Haldir’s face was pale and Legolas couldn’t tell if he was even still alive. Using strength he didn’t even know he had, Legolas literally began to drag himself over to Haldir.

Sari had just laid down the last of the camouflage over the top of the trap when he noticed the little elf trying to scuffle over to the bigger one. “Hey rune, look at this.” He chided to his friend. Rune looked to where Sari pointed and laughed slightly as the little elf in green pathetically tried to crawl to the aid of his friend who was already bound. “Oh, we can’t have this,” Sari said nonchalantly as he reached into a pouch that hung from his belt and retrieved a small piece of cloth and a phial of clear liquid. Rune took the silent cue and slowly approached the little elf to restrain him as Sari poured some of the phial’s contents onto the cloth.

Legolas could feel the men approach him but all he cared about was getting to Haldir. His head was spinning and he could taste the bile from his stomach in the back of his throat; but despite all of that he kept going. He was only an arms length from Haldir and he extended his right arm as far as he could and his hand gently brushed Haldir’s face.

“Oh no you don’t!” Exclaimed a gruff voice and Legolas could feel rough hands on his ankles pulling him away from Haldir. The next thing he knew an arm was reaching under his chest and his upper torso was lifted off of the ground and up against an armored body. Legolas opened his mouth to protest but a damp cloth was suddenly clamped over his mouth and a fowl smelling vapor filled his mouth and nostrils. He couldn’t see the man standing behind him and the vapor from the cloth made his eyes water and his vision blur. Legolas had nothing left to fight with, his vision became enveloped by darkness and the last thing he could see before he slipped away completely was Haldir’s still figure on the ground. /Haldir, I’m sorry; this is my entire fault/ He thought as he lost himself to oblivion.

Sari could feel the elf go limp in his arms and he promptly lowered the drugged elf to the ground. “Success, this stuff Brodda makes sure comes in handy.” He said as he admired the drug concocted by his leader.

“We better hurry and get these two back to base. Brodda will meet us and you can tell him how well his sleep potion works on elves.” Rune said as he went to go and fetch their horses.

“Alright, the big elf just needs to have his head wrapped. By the time you come back with the horses I will have the little one ready to go.” Rune nodded and went off while Sari began to tie up the second elf and then wrapped him in a blanket. Once he was finished with that he made sure that the elven horse that he and Rune had caught as well was made ready for the return trip to their base.

Rune returned with their horses and he and Sari each flung the blanketed body of an elf over a horse before they mounted as well. They set off with the captive horse in tow through the woods to their settlement deep in the brown lands.

Still wounded and weary, Haldir’s horse limped on his injured hoof waiting patiently for its master to return.

********

An armored figure waited patiently in the shelter of several large boulders. A gold colored helmet adorned his head and a black scarf covered his face. The only facial feature that was allowed to show were his dark brown eyes which were touched by a thin line of brown eye make-up, a look commonly practiced by the men of the Easterlings. The figure was adjusting the scarf on his face when he became aware of the thudding of hooves. The figure became fully alert, grasped his spear tightly and waited for the riders to come into view.

Sari recognized the cluster of boulders and let out a shrill whistle to alert the one he knew would be waiting for him and rune. He was rewarded by another whistle in response to the signal and an armored figure emerged from the boulders. “Ah so there you are Brodda!” Sari called fondly to the only one whom he would ever recognize as his leader.

Brodda pulled off the black scarf to reveal his face to his two countrymen. Brodda was a tall man in the prime of his years with a strong physic. His face was stern but the dark tone of his skin gave him a touch of exoticness and his wavy black hair flowed passed his shoulders and was accented by several tiny gold jewels. Brodda was of the Easterling royal house and Sari and Rune were his most reliable and dutiful subordinates.

Brodda could tell by the pride that radiated from his two soldiers that Sari and Rune had brought him no ordinary catch and he also noticed a third horse in tow. He waited as they dismounted from their horses and then they removed the bundles that held their prisoners. Brodda looked upon Sari and Rune with great pride, he had trained the two of them himself and if they were capable of catching two elves then his efforts to train them had not been wasted. So when Sari and Rune asked if they could keep some of the possessions of the captured elves Brodda found himself unable to refuse them.

And so the two unconscious elves were spoiled of their weapons and belongings. The men took the bows and arrows from both elves; Sari took from the bigger elf the sword that it carried while Rune brandish the two daggers that the little elf had carried. After that was done the riding party made its way back to base.

For many years, the Easterlings had been trying to raise capitol to start a war campaign against their greatest enemy, the kingdom of Gondor. But the lands that they inhabited were almost depleted of natural resources and so they were forced to look elsewhere to establish mines for material and used slave labor to work them.

Brodda had participated in the operation of this particular mine in the Brown lands for close to five years now but what frustrated Brodda was the fact that management of the mine was supposed to be the duty of his older brother, Nanook. Nanook was the crown prince of the Easterlings, held many honors as a hunter and a warrior among his people and was the pride and joy of the Easterling king. Nanook was the one charged with the overseeing of the mine but Nanook paid little interest to the mine’s operation and when Brodda came in; he had no choice but to take it over. When he did; it took him months to reorganize everything from the tally of workers to the schedule of shipments; but his efforts were never enough for the demanding empire and worst of all; he went without credit.

Nanook also enjoyed hand to hand combat mixed with gambling and often used prisoners in his fight rings. This was problematic because not many of the prisoners put in the rings could hold their own against Easterling troops and did not last long. Once one prisoner was beaten beyond repair, another was brought in to take his place and so on. This only made more work for Brodda and operation of the mine slower.

Brodda was so different from his brother; he lacked Nanook’s physical might and prowess with weaponry. He also lacked the gift of using powerful words to sway armies to his will. But Brodda was in possession of a sharp mind and clever intellect. Brodda was responsible for the creation of the routes used to get troops to and back from the mines in secret. Brodda was also an alchemist and specialized in the making of potions that served many purposes and Brodda had good research skills as well. But intellect and resourcefulness were not often skills prized by his people and so Brodda was left with his frustration.

Rune and Sari were glad that it had been Brodda to greet them at the pass and not his older brother Nanook. Had it been Nanook he most certainly wouldn’t have let them keep any of the elf weapons as spoils for he probably would’ve taken them for himself. But Brodda proved him self a gracious prince once again and rewarded his two subordinates well. Sari and Rune were lower in the ranks of the other soldiers and didn’t take well to Nanook or his group of soldiers. They were a lot like Brodda in a way, they were frustrated at being stuck in the mines were they certainly would not find honor and glory and where any efforts amounted to little more then the dust that the slaves were covered in.

The three riders came to a small bundle of rocks and hills. They guided their horses carefully into a ravine that led to the entrance of the mine. At the entrance of the mine they dismounted and Rune led the horses to a make-shift stable area inside the mine and Brodda and Sari carried the new slaves to their cells. They would be good enough to let the elves rest and recover for one day, after that they would grant no other mercies and disobedience would not be tolerated.

********
Legolas felt the most awful head ache; he could feel his brain pounding in his skull. His mind was foggy and he couldn’t move his limbs just yet. What was wrong with him; why couldn’t he move? He took a deep breath but it did not help much. The air was stagnant and foul, not good and refreshing like a deep breath in the woods. His head became clearer and so he focused on remembering all that he could.

Images of lying paralyzed in a deep hole, the armored man hoisting him out; Haldir lying bound and bleeding on the ground. /Oh no, Haldir/ Legolas fought against the nausea in his body and forced his eyes open. But it was so dark he thought he had been blinded or something. His elf eyes adjusted and he realized he was looking at the ceiling of a cave. He rested for a few more minutes before raising his body off of the ground. Instantly a wave of dizziness washed over him and he felt like he would be sick. The stifling air did little to help him and he balanced himself on his hands and knees.

Haldir was vaguely aware of somebody stirring next to him. He himself had woken up sometime ago. Exactly how long, he wasn’t sure. The place he and Legolas were in had no windows or anything of the sort to allow the entrance of natural light. The only light was coming from a weakly burning torch at the entrance to what was obviously a cell block.

The block contained three cells embedded into the walls of the cave, two of which Legolas and Haldir occupied. The cell that Legolas and Haldir occupied was divided by iron bars that were planted deep into the earth and extended all the way to the roof of the cell. The cells were finished with a gate whose iron bars made any attempt of escape impossible.

The nausea in Legolas’ body finally subsided and Legolas tried to stand up but he almost couldn’t; the roof of the cell was so low that he almost bumped his head on the stone. He looked around to see that the cell was not very wide either, only enough space to stretch out but too comfortably.

“You’re awake.” Legolas knew that voice, he turned to see Haldir sitting on the floor of his cell. Legolas kneeled down and supported himself on the iron bars that separated the two of them. Legolas could see Haldir in the adjoining cell. Gone were his weapons and his gray cloak leaving him only in his gray, black sleeved tunic and black leggings. Legolas noticed that things had been taken from him as well. His green tunic, his twin knives, his precious bow and arrows he had acquired from Galadriel herself and his boots were gone as well. That explained why his feet were so cold. Legolas was thinking that the men who captured them must’ve stolen their belongings when a hitched breath from Haldir caught his attention.

“Haldir are you all right?” Legolas called out softly. Haldir simply nodded his response but his body language betrayed him. Legolas could tell that something was wrong for Haldir did not look well at all. He was huddled in the middle of his cell with his knees pulled to his chest but what Legolas noticed most of all was that Haldir’s fists were tightly clenched. He looked like he was very nervous about something and his breathing was a bit labored. Also, the hair at the back of his neck was stained with blood, it was clear that Haldir had been subdued by a blow to the head. Legolas felt a stab of guilt in the pit of his stomach as he looked at Haldir. He was reminded of when he saw Haldir lying bound on the forest floor and now, Haldir looked no better. /This is all my fault, it’s my fault we are here/ Legolas thought to himself as he stared blankly at Haldir.

Haldir could feel the eyes of the prince still upon him “Can you please not stare at me.” He was very cross. “I told you already, I am fine so just leave me alone.” Legolas had no other choice but to conclude that Haldir was fine just like he said. After all, his cold temperament was intact. Legolas sighed and slumped down back into his cell.

“Those men were Easterlings, I could tell by there armor, Lord Celeborn described them to me once.” Legolas didn’t know why he was speaking exactly. Was he trying to get Haldir to speak to him, was he trying to comfort himself in the silence that was all around them or was he speaking just for the sake of speaking? “I wonder what kind of place this is and why Easterling troops would be here so far away from there own lands. Furthermore, what do they want with us, we are just two travelers, nothing special.” Legolas’ voice echoed slightly in the cave and it was mixed with the sound of Haldir’s breath. Haldir said nothing nor did he make any kind of motion whatsoever; it looked as if Legolas would only have his voice and the echo it caused to comfort him.

Legolas was simply mumbling about things he had learned in Lothlórien when suddenly he got a response but it was not from Haldir. “My goodness do you ever shut-up! I liked it better when you were out cold.” The words had no grace and the voice that spoke them was gruff and weathered. It was coming from the cell across the way from the one that held the elves; so they were not alone in this cell block.

“Who’s there?” Legolas called out. He was relieved to find that there was other life besides him and Haldir (his guardian now turned cell mate) in this dark hole of a prison.

“Over here.” Legolas looked at the other cell to see a stout, somewhat bulky figure stirring. The light was very dim but Legolas was able to make out the hairy head of a dwarf in the other cell. The dwarf’s face was nearly buried by his red hair and beard and he was clothed in worn out dwarf garments that were covered in dirt and thread bearing. “Elves are strange creatures.” The dwarf said to Legolas. “Your friend there has done nothing but cower and here you are talking to the shadows.”

Legolas pretended not to hear the irate grunt coming from Haldir and concentrated on the dwarf. He asked what was going on and why they had been captured. The dwarf only answered by saying that they would learn soon enough. His voice was hollow like one who lacked feelings.

“What’s your name?” Legolas asked. The dwarf looked surprised and Legolas wondered if it was because he, being and elf, was actually showing interest in a dwarf when the hostility between the two people’s was legendary. It was either that or perhaps the dwarf had been in captivity for so long that maybe he forgot his name.

“My given name is Gimli,” He said reminiscently. “But names have no purpose here and your life before this place doesn’t matter so you best forget it. You better get some rest while you still can.” The dwarf sank back into the darkness of his cell.

Legolas was beginning to feel scared. Legolas had heard tales of the cruelty of the Easterlings towards there prisoners from histories and those of his kin who were unfortunate enough to have of had dealings with them. He feared that whatever happened to the dwarf would happen to him or did fate have something far worse in mind for him? He kept trying to tell himself that he was not a scared child but a prince of Mirkwood and that he should face the situation without fear. But Legolas did not want to face it alone but at the time it looked as though he had no choice.

Legolas looked through the bars into Haldir’s cell; by all appearances he looked to be asleep /that’s funny, Haldir never seemed the type to take a dwarf’s advice/ the thought didn’t humor him as much as he would’ve liked it to but it was better then nothing. Legolas curled up in the middle of his cell and tried to rest. It wasn’t long before sleep began to numb his body and he relaxed in spite of the fact that he still feared what tomorrow might bring.

********

A whole day and a night had passed since Galadriel had had her attack. She had recovered from it but Celeborn wasn’t going to leave anything up to chance. As soon as he could he prepared to send a message to king Thranduil in Mirkwood informing him of the situation via carrier falcon. He knew that a trained falcon would reach the king far faster than a messenger on horse back. Celeborn hoped that nothing was really wrong; Legolas’ safety was his responsibility as lord of the golden wood after all. But ever since Galadriel’s collapse he too had had and overwhelming feeling of dread that not only Legolas but Haldir were in dire need. He hoped that it would not be too long before the king responded so they could decide there next course of action.

********

Legolas could hear the sound of faint foot steps scuffling outside of his cell. He thought he was dreaming at first but then he felt a presence and opened his eyes. It was still as dark as it had been when he closed them and his body was stiff from sleeping on the dirt floor. Though his muscles protested, he turned around to see a figure looming out side of his cell. As his elven vision cleared he was able to make out the form outside of his cell; it was that of a human girl.

She was clad in a two layered, baggy and very dirty dress. The top layer was black and only went to her knees but it was completed by a white (or used to be white because it was so dirty) under layer that ended at her ankles. Both fabrics of the dress were worn out and the threads were showing. The girl herself was very thin and looked as wore out as the dress she wore. Her brown hair flowed past her shoulders but it was so matted and tangled that Legolas couldn’t tell how long it really was. Her face was gaunt and pale, her grey eyes stared blankly from their red rimmed sockets and when she used her hands to push in the tray of food; Legolas could see that her hands had many cuts and scratches. She was a sad sight, she was so young still and Legolas wondered how long she had been in this Valar forsaken place.

“Hello there.” He said in a friendly voice. But the girl seemed uninterested in his words and distributed the trays of food she was carrying. “Thank you, say, what’s your name little girl?” He put on a cute face and everything but it was to no avail, the girl didn’t even look at him as she dashed out of the cell block.

“Her name is Namel,” Gimli said to Legolas. “She has been her just as long as I have. Nice girl but she doesn’t really speak much anymore, I only know her name because she told it to me before she went silent. That feel likes a lifetime ago.” He picked up the chunk of bread that would serve as his first meal of the day. By this time, Haldir had awakened as well and was just as disconnected as the day before but he ate his food. Legolas figured he may as well eat because for all he knew it might be a while before he was fed again. Using every shred of his will power (and every muscle in his chaws) Legolas crunched the rock hard bread and gulped the bland water down.

“How long have you been here Gimli?” Legolas asked. His voice betrayed his uneasiness.

“I really don’t know, I haven’t seen the sun since the day I was captured but I know it’s been several years. I know because I have aged and Namel has grown.”

“Several years, you’ve really been here for that long?” Legolas felt the air go out of his lungs. Was this to be his fate, to spend the rest of his life in this dark place all alone? The dwarf simply looked at him.

“Yes several years and it looks like I will be here for many more. You better get used to it little elf because you are going to be here a long time.”

“You best listen to him little one because he’s right.” The voice came from the entrance of the cell block; it was an Easterling guard. He had a ring of keys in one hand and a deadly looking club in the other. “That’s right elf…” The man said snidely as he noticed the elf looking at his weapon. “Try anything funny and I beat your brains out.” The guard wasted no time opening the cells and ushering out the three prisoners. Gimli led the way followed by Legolas with Haldir bringing up the rear.

The three of them were taken to the main center of the mine and as they got closer, a symphony of rocks breaking, tools clanging and people shouting filled the ears of the two elves. The main center of the mine was like a gapping hole in the earth. All along the walls, platforms were built to support the workers (men and women alike) as they chiseled away at the stone walls to mine for the iron ore. But what caught Legolas’ attention was the fast flowing underground river that flowed through the center of the mine. Legolas couldn’t really tell its source for it was obvious that the tunnels and chamber in which they were in now were only a small part of a much larger cave system.

Legolas’ musings were interrupted when the man with club stepped in front of him. “I hope you had a good rest and recovered your strength elf! Because today you can put it to good use, I hope for your sake that it does not fail you.” The man’s voice was cold and full of Malice as he instructed Legolas in their tasks. Gimli was led away and Legolas wondered what it was that Gimli was made to do. At least Haldir was still with him but Legolas wondered if that was really such a good thing. Legolas was still angry for the harsh words that Haldir had given to him, he hated the fact that Haldir thought him a whore (or that is what he believed anyway) but he still couldn’t let go of his feelings for Haldir. But Legolas was truly worried about Haldir’s well being. He noticed that Haldir didn’t look any better from yesterday; in fact he looked worse. Haldir was really pale and sweating a little as well; like he was really nervous about something. Legolas would’ve liked to of thought more on the matter but it was not long before the guards set him to his work in the mine.

********
Haldir was soon hard at work of lifting heavy boulders and clearing a path for a new mine shaft. It was very difficult, especially since he still had a head ache from his injury. But it was more than just his head that was bothering him; he hated the way the caves seemed to shrink around him, like they wanted to crush him alive. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he tried to concentrate on other things. Legolas was in the same dank tunnel as he was and doing the same work; he seemed to be taking to it very well.

Haldir had noticed when he awoke that many of Legolas’ clothes had been taken from him including his boots. The cave floor was covered in sharp rocks and loose rubble; if Legolas was in any discomfort, he hid it very well. Haldir suddenly found himself wondering why he even cared, if that royal brat hadn’t of run off in the first place then he probably wouldn’t have fallen into that trap and the two of them wouldn’t be here now. But then again, if he had not of been so cruel to the prince in the first place, Legolas wouldn’t have run off then.

It was strange; who would’ve thought that lifting heavy boulders could help someone come to grips with their faults. Haldir began to get it through his head that he was as much at fault here as Legolas (if blame really needed to be placed) but most of all he realized that he couldn’t forget who he was, he was the captain of the guard of Lothlórien, selected by Galadriel herself to guard the prince. Whatever happened he couldn’t fail at his mission, he didn’t want to reflect poorly on Galadriel; he would have to find a way to get Legolas out of here. He needed to come up with a plan to escape but it was hard for him to concentrate logically for he still felt the walls of the cave beckoning to him.

Finally, after many hours of toil, the guards came through and the tired workers were taken back to their cellblocks. Legolas and Haldir were returned to their cells and locked up for the night; or day or whatever; for they had no idea of telling what time it really was. Legolas and Haldir were both covered in dirt and sweat from their first day of work in the mine. As soon as Legolas entered his cell he collapsed to the ground, he was so tired and Haldir was no better off.

It was not long before Gimli was returned as well and he was soon followed by Namel who brought them more rations. The three prisoners ate in total silence and as soon as they were finished they lay down and awaited rest. Legolas had a hard time sleeping the night before but now he was so tired that even the dirt floor seemed comfortable. Haldir tried to rest but the pain in his head was now accompanied by a terrible ache in his stomach. He curled up into a ball and tried to think of the talan where he lived, of the birds that were always there; anything to keep from feeling like the walls were closing in all about him.

********

Brodda sat amongst a pile of scrolls and pieces of parchment. They were all records of ore production and the demand needs of the empire. As usual, this month’s shipment of ore was not enough to meet the demand for weapon manufacturing. Brodda slammed the scroll on the table and sighed; it was all he could do to vent his frustration at the time.

“Ill news from the home-front I take it.” Brodda peered up from his desk to see a man a little taller than himself but with similar features; it was his brother Nanook. He made no effort to answer his brother and went back to the record scrolls. He really did not want to have to deal with the likes of Nanook at this time. Nanook knew what game his younger brother was playing at but he knew how to counter it. “I have been keeping up with messages from our sire the king; as I understand it he is not pleased with how slow things have become.” He said flatly. “What do you intend to do about it I wonder?”

“Production of ore would not take so long if you would just stop killing all of the stronger slaves in your petty fight rings!” Brodda snapped. “If the king ever new that gambling was all you ever did here then you would be the one-” In an instant, Nanook grabbed Brodda by the collar and dragged him from behind the desk. Brodda choked as his collar was tightened by the fist holding it. He clawed at Nanook’s hands trying to free himself but he wasn’t strong enough. With a huff, he surrendered to his brother’s torment.

“But how can I be blamed for the lack of progress around here when you are the one in charge?” He said in a matter of fact tone. Brodda’s heart froze in his chest and his face paled. Nanook could tell right away that he had Brodda right where he wanted him. “Oh yes brother; that would be all our father the king would have to hear. That you insisted on taking over everything regardless of what I had to say and that it was your harsh treatment of the slaves that slowed progress. I suggest that you do not cross me ever again.” He slammed Brodda back down into the chair. “You will never get out of here.” He walked away looking as arrogant as ever.

Brodda waited until he could no longer hear his brother’s footsteps and then he slammed his fist among the desk. He knew what his brother meant. When the empire had taken everything it needed from the mine, Nanook would take all the credit leaving him with absolutely nothing and if he ever tried to defy his brother; Nanook would see to it that blame for the slow progress would be placed on him. Either way, Nanook would see to it that he never got out of the mine; how ironic this all was, that the one in charge of these mines was just as much a prisoner as the ones who were kept to work it.

********

There was nothing but darkness all around and the only sound Haldir could hear was the thudding of his heart. There was nothing for him to see and the darkness seemed to go on forever and Haldir had never felt so alone before.

“Haldir.” A gentle voice called softly. Haldir looked but he couldn’t determine where the voice was coming from but it sounded strangely familiar to him. “Haldir.” There it was again and Haldir was positive that it was a woman that was calling to him. F
Focusing on the point where he believed the voice was coming from; he headed over in that direction.

The single voice soon became two, there were now two voices calling to him. The second voice was deeper than the voice but it was no less gentle but it was obviously a male voice. “Whose there? Who calls me?” Haldir cried out into the darkness.

A bright light suddenly appeared before him and he had to shield his eyes for a second but when he looked again he was no longer in the darkness, he was in a beautiful wood surrounded by trees. He was no longer alone as well for in the distance he spied two elves, a male and a female, standing together in a shaft of light the penetrated through the forest’s thick canopy. The two elves turned to face Haldir and his heart skipped a beat when he realized who it was he was looking at; it was his mother and his father.

Haldir’s breath caught in his throat as he beheld his parents, they looked just as he remembered them. His mother was as beautiful as ever with her silver hair and crystal blue eyes. Her hair was bound in one long braid and his father was tying flowers into it. His father had hair of gold and gray eyes and he was a strong elf but he was fair of heart and mind. He had powerful looking hands but they worked gently to tie a single blossom into the many strands of his wife’s hair. When the two elves faced each other, there was nothing but love and adoration in their eyes.

Haldir wanted to call to them but he could not find the words and he stood right where he was and did not make a move. As if reading his mind; Haldir’s mother and father extended there hands to him and they gestured for him to come to them. They both smiled brightly and the light of the forest was within there eyes. “Haldir, where have you been we’ve been waiting for you.” His mother said; her voice like the sweet chime of a bell. Haldir could feel tears brim into his eyes and like a lost child, he ran to the waiting arms of his parents.

He only had a few strides left to go when the sweet vision was suddenly shaken violently by a rumbling in the earth. Haldir stopped in his tracks as a large chunk of rock suddenly fell out of the sky and landed right in front of him. Alarmed, he quickly looked to see if his parents were alright. He could see them, they were so close and he tried to make it to them again but the ground began to shake tremendously. The forest became dark, cold and gray like a cave. More chunks of rock began to fall and Haldir had to maneuver carefully to avoid them. He kept his eyes on his parents; they looked frightened and there sweet calls for him to join them turned into pleas for help.

Haldir kept pushing to get to them but the closer he got to them, the further they seemed to move away. “Mother, father I am coming just hang on!” Haldir cried with frustration and fear in his heart. He dodged another falling rock and for a brief second; he had a clear view of his parents. “Here, take my hand!” His parents moved their hands but not to take his hand; instead they raised there hands above their heads to protect themselves. Haldir kept reaching but to his horror; several large boulders fell from the darkness and buried his mother and father. Haldir watched as the darkness swallowed them both and he could clearly see fear and agony etched on their faces as they were buried in the rubble.

Haldir’s heart wrenched in his chest and he carelessly plowed through the falling rock to try and make it to his parents, he prayed that he was not too late to save them. But it just kept getting darker and darker and he suddenly couldn’t move. The rocks began to pile at his feet and larger chunks were falling all around him. The darkness was fast approaching and Haldir realized with terror that just like his parents; he too would be buried alive. Using every last breath in his body; Haldir screamed into the waiting darkness.

Legolas was awakened by the sound of scuffling and rampant breathing. His body was still terribly sore from working in the mine and it screamed for him to go back to sleep but Legolas had to know what was going on. Slowly he lifted his weary body from the dirt covered cell floor and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. A single torch at the entrance to their cell block provided meager light but Legolas’ elf eyes were able to compensate. The noise was very close and he looked behind him to see Haldir lying on the floor of his cell gasping for breath.

Gimli sat up in his cell across the way. The dwarf rubbed his eyes; apparently he had been awakened by the commotion as well. He looked to see his two elf cell mates awake as well. One was curled in the middle of his cell and looked like he was having some kind of attack. “What’s going on over there?”

“I don’t know!” Legolas stated. He pressed himself up against the divider bars to try and get a better look at Haldir. “Haldir what is it? Talk to me please.” But there was nothing, Haldir began to convulse, his breathing was ragged and his fists were tightly clenched. Legolas kept trying to call to Haldir but his pleas went unanswered. Haldir kept shaking and mumbled inaudible words; Legolas became even more frightened and all he could do was keep calling to Haldir.

Brodda was making his usual rounds when a sudden commotion caught his attention. It wasn’t the usual agonized cries coming from miserable workers or the ones that had been beaten in the fight rings. No, these cries were more like pleas desperate for response; they were coming from the cell block that contained the two elves. Normally, Brodda wouldn’t have cared about such things but given the fact that both elves had proven themselves to handle great work loads; he didn’t want to loose them right away. If he wanted those elves to last he thought it best that he investigate.

When Brodda entered the block he came upon a most disturbing sight; one of the elves looked like he was having some kind of attack while the other elf was calling to him desperately. The little one was really making a fuss and Brodda felt like kicking the bars to silence him; the hour was too late for all of this. But Brodda was then met by the elf’s eyes and he could see the fear and worry in them and he found himself speaking words he never thought he’d say. “What’s wrong here, what is happening?”

Legolas was quick to respond and he didn’t care who he was talking to. “I do not know he has been like this for some time. Please, let me go to him, I have to see if I can calm him down.” Legolas pleaded; he didn’t know what was happening to Haldir but he believed that he might be able to help if he could just get to him.

Brodda had the keys. It would be simple enough to let the little one of his cell so that he could join his companion in the other; but Brodda was no idiot. “Why should I help, how do I know that this is not an act so that you might attempt escape.”

“This is no act, I swear! Please let me go to him I will not try to fight you, I promise.” Brodda clutched the keys in his hands, his better judgment was telling him to forget the elves and finish his rounds so he could get some rest. But when he looked at the hope of aid in the elf’s eyes he caved in.

“Try anything and I will have you flogged elf!” He let Legolas out of his cell and into Haldir’s.

Legolas ignored the harsh threat and entered Haldir’s cell. He kneeled down and pulled Haldir into his arms. Haldir looked awful, he was soaked with sweat, he was convulsing and his fists were so tightly clenched that his knuckles were pure white. He was speaking broken sentences and he hyperventilating as well. Legolas listened to the broken words. “Let me out…the walls...it’s so dark…” Legolas didn’t know what to do exactly, he wasn’t a healer but he knew he had to try something before Haldir did anything to hurt himself. So he did the only thing he could do, he held on to Haldir as tightly as possible and whispered soothing words to him. He talked about Lothlórien, the giant trees and all the wonders therein. As he spoke, Haldir’s breathing stabilized and his body settled.

Haldir was aware of arms grasping him and he tried to fight them but he was met with equal resistance. A voice came to him once again but it wasn’t his father or his mother; it was someone else entirely. The voice spoke of Lothlórien and the grand canopy of golden trees and the glow of the shining silver lamps. The description of his home subdued his mood and he relaxed into the arms that held him. His facial features relaxed and he opened his eyes to find that it was Legolas he rested against but he was too tired to care. He focused on his breathing and even let the prince stroke his hair.

Legolas felt his own heart calm when Haldir responded to his ministrations; he didn’t even object to him stroking his hair. It was a mess though, his braid was in complete disarray and it needed to be redone. Legolas shifted Haldir’s body around so he could work on redoing the braid; Haldir seemed to acknowledge what Legolas was doing and held still while Legolas undid the braid. Legolas unraveled what was left of the elaborate fish-tail braid and combed his fingers through the silver tresses. He smiled, bitterly; he had always wanted to know how it would feel to run his fingers through Haldir’s hair just like he was doing now. It’s just that he imagined doing it under better circumstances.

Haldir focused his senses on the fingers running through his hair; the sensation evoked old memories from long ago and the words just came out of him. “My mother used to do this to me. Whenever I fell asleep in her lap or was hurt she would calm me down by running her fingers through my hair. She also loved to braid it.” His voice buckled under the threat of tears. “I had a dream about her and my father. I dreamed about how they died and I couldn’t do anything to save them.” He broke into sobs.

Legolas could feel Haldir’s body tremble by the onslaught of his tears and he reinforced his grip on his body; he was worried that another attack might be coming on. Haldir felt the arms around him tighten in an effort to calm him, or restrain him, he wasn’t sure. He wasn’t used to being touched like this and he tried to fight the arms but they were strong and he soon gave up. Now he felt embarrassed and he cried even harder.
“Haldir please do not cry; all will be well-”

“No it’s not that,” he cut Legolas off, “I fear nothing more than closed places, small places,” he worked back a sob, “If I am in them too long I get like this…no one has ever seen me like this.” His breathing suddenly became erratic again.

Legolas saw that Haldir was lapsing back into the same kind of behavior that he displayed during the attack. His firsts were clenched and the knuckles were turning white again. “Take my hand.” He said softly as he grasped one of Haldir’s hands in his own. “It’s alright, I’m afraid too.” It took some effort but he was able to get Haldir to unclench his fist and Legolas made a disturbing discovery. Haldir had clenched his fist so hard that his fingernails had cut into the flesh of his palm and the cuts bled slightly. The flesh around the cuts was red from irritation so Legolas blew cooling breaths on the cuts to soothe them.

Haldir could feel cool wisps of air being directed into his hot and aching hand, it was a different sensation but it made him relax. Legolas really was only trying to help him and in that moment; Haldir came to grips with how terribly he had misjudged the prince that was now so gingerly watching over him. “I am sorry I hurt your feelings…that time when you said that you loved me”, he felt Legolas’ grip on his wounded hand tremble and he squeezed the prince’s hand a little. “No one had ever said anything like that to me and I did not know how to react. Oh my prince can you ever forgive me?”

Legolas felt like he was on the verge of tears as he listened to Haldir’s pleas for forgiveness. But he set his own feelings aside; those issues would have to wait. “Oh Haldir none of that even matters anymore, just try and get some rest and recover your strength.

“What about you?”

“I will watch over you, please do not worry about me.” He started to stroke Haldir’s hair again and eventually, the action lulled Haldir into sleep. Once Haldir was out, Legolas shifted their bodies so that he spooned behind Haldir and all the while he grasped Haldir’s hand. Legolas knew the severity of the situation they were in but in truth, at this very moment, he had never been happier. Haldir had finally opened up to him; they could get through this together.

The two elves rested together in the same cell and Gimli was glad to have the peace returned. He had listened to the two elves through out their narrative. He wasn’t clear exactly as to what their stories were but it would appear that whatever problem they had in the past had been reconciled between the two of them. /What strange creature’s elves are/ thought Gimli before he went back to sleep.

Brodda leaned up against the rock just outside of the cell block that contained the elves. It had been quiet for some time now and he knew that the two elves must be asleep by now. He would let them rest together for now but tomorrow he would put the little one back in his own cell. Brodda could feel the tug of fatigue at his being and he headed off to his own chamber but one thing still plagued his mind; he could swear that he heard that sick elf call the other one “prince”. Brodda wondered if he heard right.

TBC in part 5
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