Out of the Safety of the Woods

Title: Out of the Safety of the Wood

Authors: No Tears, with a considerable amount of help from Dollrandir

Summary: Making their way back into Mirkwood, Legolas and Naruhitu are
attacked, and Legolas is taken captive while Naruhitu is left for
death.

Rating: NC-17 in later chapters

Warning: Violence/torture, bdsm, rape, and all that good stuff. I've
decided to go further into this fic and explore the realm where
Legolas is in a non-consensual Master/Slave relationship. Eventual
slash!

Pairing: *Eventually* Legolas/others (all OCs)

Disclaimer: We don't own anything made by Tolkien! Naruhitu, however,
belongs to Dollrandir. All the other icky bad guys are mine!

Dollrandir's Notes: Numerous apologues for the delay! But school's
now out for both I and Avalon, so we'll have plenty of time to work
on this story. Also, the rating will be raised to NC-17 sometime in
the next two chapters!

Part 5: Piece by Piece

Naruhitu awoke to the feeling of tugging at his hair. He let out a
soft groan, mostly from the weariness of waking. It felt like he had
slept for days. Suddenly he remembered what had occurred to lead him
here, and would have bolted himself upright had he the energy. He was
not in as much pain as he had been, and he wondered just how long his
body had been in the state of Elven healing sleep.

The small jerking movement he made served to startle whatever had
been pulling at his hair, and he could hear the soft patter of tiny
feet as whatever it was began to chatter angrily at him. He guessed
it was a squirrel of some sort, and this was confirmed when a small
furry creature with a long bushy tail began to take shape in his line
of vision. The little rodent had taken to the safety of the trees and
now seemed to be giving him a firm reprimanding for startling it.

His eyes clearing, the raven haired Elf began to observe his
surroundings. He was not in the clearing where the men had left him,
but somewhere in a copse of trees. There was a dying fire nearby, and
next to it lay a cloth of some sort, upon which was what looked like
cooked nuts and other plant-like items. The scent of food reached his
nose, and he was then aware of how hungry he was. As his eyes
continued to scan the area, he caught sight of something moving in
the woods.
r clr clenched his heart and he tensed up. Who had found him? Were
they friend or foe? It was then he realized that he was no longer
bound, and would be free to run should he wish it. But he doubted
that he would be able to escape any captor in his condition, and so
he could only wait in silent apprehension as the figure drew closer.
The squirrel that previously had been squeaking non-stop was now
deathly silent.

Finally, the being stepped into clear view, and Naruhitu felt relief
soar when he recognized it as another Elf. Whoever it was, was softly
singing, and through the voice the raven haired Elf could discern it
as a male. Most everything else was hidden from him, as the stranger
was carefully concealed in a dark green cloak that matched the leaves
of the trees in the forest. Naruhitu began to shift subconsciously on
the ground and then winced when he realized his movements would be
heard by the other Elf and signal him to his consciousness. Even
though it was another Elf that did not mean Naruhitu did not need to
be wary.

As predicted, the cloaked Elf's head turned towards the dark haired
Elf. Naruhitu froze, his blue eyes wide as they were met with another
pair of fierce hazel. Wavy brown hair tinged with gold flowed freely
down the stranger's face, the length reaching to where Naruhitu
guessed was the small of the Elf's back. After a few seconds the
green-brown eyes softened, and the Elf resumed to walk around the
camp to the spot where the nuts and plants lay.

The squirrel that had been cursing at Naruhitu before gave a small
squeak of delight and quickly scurried down from its perch on the
tree. With effortless ease it climbed up the back of the hooded
newcomer and began squeaking animatedly into his ear. A soft chuckle
sounded from the brown haired Elf.

"Aren't you quite the impatient one." he stated.

Naruhitu watched as the newcomer kneeled down next to the pile of
nuts and spoke once more to the squirrel. "All right, you may choose
whichever one you'd like. But I warn you, these are cooked."

The squirrel did not seem to mind, and with a final squeak jumped
down and all but disappeared into the pile of nuts as it searched for
the perfect one to consume. The brown haired Elf watched the
squirrel's antics with amusement, reaching out and gently pinching
the exposed bushy tail. The little creature gave a squeak from where
it stood underneath the pile, but soon resumed its search. Naruhitu
could not help but smile at the scene.

"How are you feeling?"

The question caught Naruhitu off-guard, being the first time the
other Elf had spoken directly to him since arriving. The young Elf
looked at the other uncertainly, his mind frantically trying to
remember how to speak. Finally he managed a reply.

"I-" Naruhitu winced at his dry, raspy voice and swallowed before
trying again. "I feel better than I did before waking."

The strange Elf did not look at him as he spoke. "I found you in a
clearing." he said, answering one of Naruhitu's unspoken
questions. "You were badly injured. I tended to you as best I could,
but your own body did a greater job healing itself."

Naruhitu's brow furrowed and he dropped his gaze to the ground as he
tried to force his mind to work. After a moment he glanced back up at
the other Elf, who had removed the hood of his cloak and was now
currently sitting back on his heels as he studied the other.

The squirrel finally found the nut it wanted, and pulled its way out
of the pile. Holding the nut up to its face, it took one gigantic
bite out of the nut. The strange Elf let out a sound of surprise.

"Steady yourself, little one!" he admonished the small creature. "If
you eat the entire nut, then naught shall be left for you to keep
yourself well through the winter!"

The squirrel glanced quizzically up at the brown haired Elf, before
letting out a small squeak and began to take tiny bites of the nut,
steadily stuffing the food into its cheeks piece by piece.

"There you go," the other Elf said, nodding in approval. "Just be
patient."

As Naruhitu watched the squirrel slowly eat the rest of the nut, he
realized that the air around him was cold. The squirrel was going to
need to store food for the months it snowed, though it looked as if
it would be able to get all the sustenance it needed from this
strange Elf. After it finished the nut its cheeks were slightly plump
from the filling. The squirrel glanced at the brown haired Elf one
last time, before turning and scurrying away like a galloping horse.

Naruhitu's eyes widened as yet another memory made its presence
known. "Horses!" he gasped suddenly.

The other Elf gave him a puzzled look and tilted his head. "Pardon?"

Naruhitu blushed slightly before answering. "Horses. I remember
seeing horses with me."

The strange Elf continued to stare at him for a moment, before
throwing his head back and letting out a light laugh that was echoed
in the trees. "Horses! Of course...how could I forget? It was how I
found you in the first place."

"I remember a stallion with a dark coat."

"Aye, that was Maethor. He is the leader of the h" A" A small smile
appeared on the strange Elf's face. "It was a good thing he found you
when he did."

"Where are we now?"

"Near the eastern borders of Mirkwood. Do you believe yourself to be
recovered enough to make it back to your home?"

The younger Elf didn't bother asking how the other knew he was from
Mirkwood; it was clear on the garb he wore.

Naruhitu braced himself and made an attempt to rise. His limbs quaked
under the strain, but he managed to get himself into a sitting
position. It did, however, take more effort than he had anticipated.

"I'll need to rest for a while longer if I am to make the journey."
the young Elf answered truthfully with a grin. "Oh, and, my name is
Naruhitu." he added, feeling it safe enough to give his true name to
this Elf.

At this, an almost imperceptible light of sorrow entered the other
Elf's eyes, before he smiled once more. "I am known as Rainraw." he
said softly, placing his hand to the right side of his chest in a
polite greeting. "Mayhap, while you are regaining your strength, you
will be able to tell me the tale of how it is you ended up in such
condition. I gather however you did, it was not pleasant."

Naruhitu's eyes widened, his mind screaming at him for even
momentarily forgetting what had happened to Legolas. He struggled to
his feet, and would have fallen because of his unresponsive limbs if
it weren't for Rainraw hurrying to his side to support him.

"Calm yourself, Elfling!" the brown haired Elf gasped as Naruhitu
tried to wrench from his grasp.

"Legolas!" Naruhitu cried. "I have to get to the king! I must speak
with him as soon as possible! I have to..." Sobs choked him and he
hung limply in the older Elf's arms.

"What is it you know that is so urgent to alert the king of?" Rainraw
asked, concern etched in his large, hazel eyes as he gently placed
the weak Elf onto the ground.

Naruhitu was beyond responding, his grief having taken over. He
curled up on the forest floor, burying his face in his arms as sobs
wracked him. Legolas had been taken by men, to be used for whatever
evil purposes they wished of him. That was, if the prince was still
alive.

*********

Legolas moaned miserably, a sound that was quickly swallowed up by
the walls surrounding him. How long it had been since he had been
placed in this horrible imprisonment, he knew not. It was far too
long for his liking, and he could no longer control the occasional
panic attacks resulting from claustrophobia. Sweat continued to break
out on his forehead, sticking the hood to his face. His muscles were
extremely cramped, for even though he was lithe, his body was not
used to withstanding pressure on all sides as such.

The first long moments of being placed in here he had attempted to
move to ease the discomfort. It had only heightened his sense of the
walls around him and gave him the impression that they were closing
in on him. He had panicked then, giving a scream that was effectively
suppressed by the large gag in his mouth. Legolas had used his legs
to push against the wall behind him with his back, as if trying to
move the very stone of the walls themselves to give him more room.
This had proved useless, and he had stopped moving, making whimpering
sounds that would go unheard.

How much longer was he to be kept in here? Had they forgotten about
him and left him to die?

The thoughts made him whimper again, and he tried to shift in the
cramped area once more. His arms were still bound behind him, crushed
between his back and the wall. At least, he believed they were. They
had long since lost all feeling.

He was also terribly thirsty, having lost much of what little water
he consumed through perspiration. His mouth and throat were dry
around the ball gag, and his tongue felt swollen. His jaws were also
aching fiercely from being forced open for so long. Legolas had been
afraid that if he went into Elven sleep to escape the pain, that he
wouldn't wake up again. He had to focus on breathing. Unfortunately,
even this was restrained because of the hood over his head. Each time
he would inhale, the fabric would press against his nose, preventing
him from taking too great a breath.

He once more made the futile effort to shift himself into a more
comfortable position. His eyes began to well up with tears of
frustration and fear, and he shut his eyes tightly behind the hood.

That was when he heard it.

Voices!

Since the time he'd been imprisoned down here, not once had he been
able to detect any sound of indication that others were around. That
had been the final factor in his misery, that had sent the poor
prince over the edge.

Now was his first sign since coming down here of other life besides
himself, and his heart flared in hope as he held his breath. If they
left him down here any longer, he was sure he'd succumb completely to
madness.

Footsteps approached, and the sound of sliding could be heard. He
felt a waft of cool air hit his body, and nearly wept with relief.

"My young prince, are you ready to be released?" It was the voice of
Faregon. Under any other circumstances, he would have reacted with
defiance.

But not now. He felt his rebellious spirit frantically struggle to
break free, but it was ultimately overcome by his fear of spending
any more time in the hellish kennel. The Elf could only whimper in
response, being restrained of all other communication. He just wanted
to be taken out of this Valar forsaken place, to be able to bre
f
freely and stretch tired and cramped muscles. And his thirst seemed
to be growing by the minute.

It happened faster than he'd expected. The pressure of the wall on
his left side abruptly vanished, and he fell onto his side. He had
not the strength to move; his limbs needed circulation to return
before he could even try. He found that the cold stone beneath him
was soothing against his burning skin.

Then hands were grabbing at him, pulling him up so he was kneeling.
His legs protested, but he trembled with weakness and had no energy
to fight the men. The hood on his head was removed, allowing
Legolas's eyes to once more see in something other than pitch black.
Soon after the gag was loosened from his mouth. After it was pulled
out, he found that trying to close his jaw caused him too much pain;
the joints had been badly strained.

As his eyes focused, the prince could see the figure of Faregon
standing over him, a triumphant smirk. The man kneeled before him,
and reached out to touch his face. Much to his shame, Legolas found
himself flinching back from the fingers before he stopped himself.
Faregon's hands touched his still open mouth and then, to the Elf's
surprise, began massaging the pained joints of his jaw.

"How is my little Elf faring?" the man asked. "It seems you did not
like the three days you spent in the kennel."

Three days?! Legolas managed to furrow his brow in incredulity as
he gazed at the man. Faregon was, however, correct in that the Elf
had no pleasure whatsoever in being kept in that cramped space.

The man continued to soothe the joints of Legolas's jaw, and
eventually the Elf found he could close his mouth again. Faregon
tussled the prince's hair before standing once more.

"Take the prince to his new living quarters and have the servants
give him a proper bathing." the man ordered the guards. "Do not feed
him. Do not water him."

The Elf only stared up at Faregon, as if not understanding. He was
pulled up by the arms, and gave a startled cry as his legs crumpled
beneath him. Circulation was beginning to return, and with it the
terrible pain that gave him the distinct feeling of being jabbed with
thousands of needles. Legolas's breath caught, and he shut his eyes
as he waited impatiently for it to be over. When he found the
strength to easteast support himself with the aid of the men, they
began to lead him away, holding him firmly up even as he stumbled.

Faregon watched the men take his new, prized slave away. He turned to
the kennel and shut it once more. The man knew that the prince's
seeming submission at the moment was not to last. Still, Faregon knew
he'd started with the correct steps. Legolas was on his way to
becoming a well trained slave, just like the rest of them. When the
Elf would recover enough, he'd continue with the training. Fareg smi smirked. This time, it would be more hands on.