Time Enough for Love
by Elfscribe, elfscribe5@yahoo.com
Characters: Legolas/OC (Elwin), Elrond/Glorfindel, Lindir/OC
Overall Rating: NC-17, this chapter R
Disclaimers, see chapter 1
Warning: violence, implied sexual violence


Chapter 10 - Captives

The orc stared at Legolas and Glorfindel as they lay helplessly bound on the
floor of the cave. The creature was uncommonly large and strong with a potbelly,
a grotesquely bulbous nose, and serrated teeth. His long black hair was greasy
and unkempt. He licked his leathery lips and then cocked his head with a
lizard-like jerk. "Ergluk," he snarled, "come and take a look at these." He
gestured with his knife. "Are they your phantoms?"

Legolas craned his neck to look at another orc, who emerged from the shadows
pushing his way through the crowd of slavering uruks. He was a little shorter
than the first one, but powerfully built. His face had a cunning, weaselly
look, with a long nose, yellow eyes, and a blue tattoo on one cheek. He was
armed with several knives stuck in his belt, including a ugly-looking scimitar.


The orc shook his head. "Not them," he said. His voice had a soft, slithery
quality, which shivered down Legolas's spine. This is the mastermind of the
group, the prince thought. The one to fear.

"Are you sure? These two look similar enough to me," the other uruk said.

"I'm sure of it, Grutznaga. They had black hair," Ergluk said. "And they were
exactly alike, not just close, like these two."

Legolas and Glorfindel's eyes met. They must be talking about the twins!
Legolas almost smiled. So Elrond's sons had gained a reputation among their
prey.

Grutznaga handed the elves' knives to Ergluk. "Two different hilt decorations,"
the larger orc said. "What do you make of it?"

Ergluk took the knives and examined them. "One is from Rivendell, the other
Mirkwood," he concluded. "Looks like an unhealthy alliance to me." He pitched
the knives across the cave as if he couldn't bear their touch.

Grutznaga growled, "East and west together. Very dangerous." He knelt clumsily
next to Legolas and grabbed his chin. "How long you been tracking us, Elf?"

Legolas jerked his chin away and spat at him.

Ergluk laughed. He stood over the prince, straddling his legs."You'll be
talking freely enough once we start working on you. Let me tell you a little of
what's coming, just so you know what to look forward to. First we'll strip you
both naked and pass you around for a while."

Grutznaga seized either side of Legolas's jerkin and ripped it open, then
pitched forward and licked a broad swipe along the prince's face, down his neck
and over his chest, swirling his tongue around one exposed nipple. Disgusting!
Legolas couldn't suppress a violent shudder. The orc bit down and Legolas
ground his teeth to keep silent.

"Hmm, he tastes sweet," Grutznaga laughed. "I can't wait."

Ergluk walked slowly around them in a half-circle. He pulled one of his knives
from his belt and ran a thumb across the edge. "Then when we're sated, we'll
start cutting off anything that's soft, and eating it before your eyes, as long
as you still have them. You'll wish you had more to tell us before the end." He
bent and stuck the knife into an object near the fire, then held it up. A human
skull. He put his other hand through the enlarged hole at the base and wriggled
his claws through the eye sockets. "This one spent the last three hours of his
life screaming," he chortled.

Legolas experienced a ripple of fear. He drew in a sharp breath.

That certainly sounds amusing," Glorfindel said calmly. "But we may be worth
more to you . . . intact."

Grutznaga guffawed but Ergluk looked at the elves shrewdly. "Go on," he said.

"Our friends, the twins of whom you spoke, were traveling with us. They should
be along any time now. And they won't be happy to find that you've hurt us.
Not at all. You need to keep us around and whole to use as a bargaining chip."

Picking up on the ruse, Legolas added grimly, "I wouldn't give a warg's tooth
for your skins if they discover you've damaged us."

All the orcs looked discomfitted. Several went to the cave's mouth and peered
out as if expecting the elves to appear suddenly. Ergluk scowled.

"There were just you four, then?" Grutznaga asked.

"No, there were a dozen of us, all told," Glorfindel replied with a shrug.

"How did you get separated from them?" Grutznaga asked.

"We were scouting ahead," Glorfindel said. "But they aren't too far behind."

Ergluk grabbed the larger orc by the arm and dragged him toward the back of the
cave. There they spoke together in whispers but Legolas could still hear what
was said.

"I told you the Elfwraiths were following us," Ergluk hissed. "But no, you
wouldn't listen."

"Who knows if they are telling the truth," Grutznaga replied.

"Do you want to take that chance?" Ergluk spat back.

"Then I say we kill them quickly and be off as soon as it's dark. They'll slow
us down if we try to take them with us. We've been delayed one night already by
the cursed rain."

"Fool! Tell me, what're we going to do when the Dark Ones come on us in the
night? I've seen what they're capable of. We need to be smart about this. I
think these two might be more useful to us alive than dead. Think of them as
bait."

"Bait. You want to stake them out and see what comes?"

"Something like that," Ergluk said with a smirk. "We can win this little game
and have the whole lot of the scunning elves to play with. Hours of fun and we
get rid of our elf problem at the same time. Remember there's a huge reward for
anyone who brings our King the heads of the Elfwraiths. We have a rare
opportunity here."

"Uh, maybe you're right," Grutznaga grunted.

"In the meantime," Ergluk continued, raising his hand to his eyes as he looked
towards the cave entrance, "it's getting brighter out and I'm knackered after
last night's little party. I'd suggest you put some guards on ‘em. Ones that'll
be more alert than Gorluck was. Then get some winks. We'll have a long night
ahead, I'll wager."

Grutznaga came back into the front of the cave and roughly tapped several orcs
on the shoulder. "You and you, at the doorway. You see any elfsign or any
movement out there, you shout, loud. You and you there, Penglun, watch these
two. Wake up replacements every three hours. If I catch any of you maggots
falling asleep, I'll send you out in the daylight to look for our elf ‘friends.'
Got it?"

The guards nodded vigorously. Grutznaga came and stood by the two elves and
looked them over thoroughly, moving his head with that same reptilian jerk. Then
he knelt next to Legolas. Holding the elf firmly, he again ran his tongue down
Legolas's face, then sank his teeth into the prince's shoulder while at the same
time grabbing him by the crotch and squeezing hard. The prince let out a pained
gasp.

"Ah, my sweet one. Don't think you've escaped my pleasure," the orc laughed,
licking his fangs. He raised his ponderous bulk carefully and Legolas turned
his head to watch as the orc moved to the darkest part of the cave where he
threw himself down on a pile of skins. Shortly thereafter he began snoring.

Legolas felt himself flush hot with murderous fury. If I had my weapons and my
hands free, that ugly brute would be in several pieces by now, he thought. He
desperately wanted a bath to rid himself of the slimy feel of the orc's tongue.
However, it would be more prudent to think of escape tactics rather than his
discomfort. He thrashed a little, looking to either side as he tried to assess
where all his enemies stood. To get a better view, he wriggled backwards and
pushed himself into a sitting position against the wall. Glorfindel did the
same. He looked at Legolas and gave him a reassuring nod. The prince had to
admire the seneschal's calm manner.

The bonds were cutting into the prince's wrists. He moved them, attempting to
relieve the pressure, and felt a sharp projection at the back of the cave snick
along his arm. Ai, hope! He turned to Glorfindel and raised his eyebrows, then
moved his arms back and forth slightly in a sawing motion. Glorfindel gave a
barely perceptible nod, and leaned forward across the prince's chest to hide the
movement. Legolas then began working his wrists ever so slightly up and down
against the sharp rock.

******************
It was late afternoon. The orcs had hung a curtain across the cave's entrance to
dim the light. Locusts were singing in the trees outside, a steady drone.
Legolas noticed their guards' heads drooping. For a time he had ceased sawing
at his reluctant bonds because the guards had been watching them, but now it
looked as if he had an opportunity to try it again. He hurt. The bonds were
cutting off his circulation, the sharp edge of the rock dug into his wrist, and
his neck and chest throbbed where the orc had bitten him. With a sense of
detached curiosity, he wondered if orc bites were poisonous.

Glorfindel was propped next to him, their shoulders and thighs pressed together.
The prince found the seneschal's touch comforting. His beautiful face was
impassive and once again, as their glances met, Legolas noticed the white light
flickering in his clear blue eyes. Glorfindel nudged him with his elbow and then
began humming, a low sing-song murmur. The sound vibrated pleasantly in
Legolas's chest.

Slowly the guards' eyes closed and their heads lolled. Relieved, Legolas
renewed his actions even more vigorously. Finally, he felt the thongs starting
to give way. He jerked his wrists and the cords parted, causing the prince's
elbows to snap outward. He nodded at Glorfindel.

"Excellent," Glorfindel said in the barest of whispers. He shifted around to
push his bound hands up close. Then he loosely refastened the thongs about
Legolas's wrists so they still appeared to be tied. When Glorfindel finished,
the prince began working on the seneschal's bonds with his fingers. Glorfindel
resumed his humming.

Just as Legolas managed to loosen Glorfindel's ties, one of the guards fell over
in his sleep and suddenly woke up. The elves froze.

The guard came over and shoved Glorfindel with his foot. "Scunning elf! You'll
have plenty opportunity to make noise later. Mmm, I can't wait to hear you both
scream while we plunder your tight little holes." He ran a rough hand along
Glorfindel's face, then settled down next to Legolas and began pawing him, his
claws passing near the gold armband hidden under the prince's sleeve.

Ah, just perhaps! Legolas thought as an idea struck him. "If you let us go you
will be rewarded," he whispered.

The orc paused for a moment, his eyes gleaming in the half-light. "How?" he
hissed.

"I've a gold band on my arm," Legolas breathed. "Feel it, if you don't believe
me."

The orc groped the prince's arms and his back straightened when he detected the
metal band on the prince's upper left arm. "What of it?" the orc whispered.
"We'll get everything from you, soon enough."

"Do you think your leaders will share it?" Glorfindel asked softly.

The orc looked around furtively. The other guard raised his head. "What are you
doing, Harlik?" he growled.

"Nothing," the orc replied. He stood up, his glance lingering on Legolas's arm.

"It's a rare piece. You could be rich," Glorfindel said, looking up at him with
a sly smile.

"Quiet!" The orc gave the seneschal a savage blow on the cheek. Glorfindel's
face shot to the side with the force of it. Slowly, he moved his head back to
center, a bright red mark blossoming on his cheekbone. Legolas's anger boiled
up to lie simmering under a placid surface. How good it would feel to cleave
that beast's head from his shoulders!

**********************
Elwin kicked at a small pile of cold ashes found under a rock alcove. The
feeling of danger had been growing on him all afternoon. The sun had just set.
He could see small patches of gold-touched clouds between the trees. He looked
up at Thornan who stood surveying the area. "They could have spent the night
here," Elwin said.

"Perhaps," Thornan said uncertainly. He crouched down. "It looks like two
individuals sat next to this fire for quite some time."

Elwin slid into the alcove. He breathed in deeply and thought he detected a hint
of Legolas's sandalwood scent. But he couldn't be sure of it. For the first
time in his life he wished he had spent his time learning how to track rather
than playing music. Then he saw a faint imprint in the dirt. "Thornan, look at
this," he said.

Thornan examined it carefully. "A hand print," he concluded.

Yes, Elwin could see it faintly in the soft dirt. Long, slender fingers. It
looked like an elf's. Again, he couldn't be sure.

"And here, light footprints," Thornan said as he bent close to the dirt. "Elwin,
these boots are elven make!" He sighted along the prints and then looked off in
the distance trying to assess which direction they had gone.

"You're sure? It must be them," Elwin said in relief. Suddenly he heard it
again . . . the faint crunching of a stick underfoot. Someone had been
following them for a while now, and none too carefully either. Elwin's mare
rumbled a greeting. Another horse must be near.

Thornan sprang up, pulled his bow off his shoulder, and notched an arrow. Elwin
drew his sword. The Mirkwood guard motioned at him and then sped off at an angle
to intercept the intruder. There was flurry in the bushes and the sound of
pounding feet, then he heard Thornan call out. "Halt! Don't move or I'll shoot!"


Moments later, Thornan appeared, hauling Cade by the arm. "Here's our little
shadow," he said. Cade's horse followed along behind him.

"Curse of Mandos, Cade!" Elwin said. "What are you doing here?"

Cade clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture. "Please, Master Elwin.
Don't send me off."

"This is not a pleasure trip, Cade. Your father will be after my head for this.
You must go home immediately!"

"If you send me off, I'll just turn around and follow you again."

"Are you going to grow up? We're not playing a game here," Elwin cried.

The young man hung his head. "Please, I want to come back with you to Imladris.
I can't go home. Me and Dad, we had a fight. A bad 'un. I told him how I feel
about you. Told him it weren't your fault, that I come to it on my own. I said
that you didn't lay a hand on me, nor invite anything improper."

"And what did he say?"

"He said I should just get all that nonsense outta my head, that I was talking
about an unnatural kind of love and wasn't old enough to even have thoughts like
that. Well, it just went to the worse from there and I ended up cussing at him
and he told me to get outta his sight." Cade ventured a glance up at Elwin's
face. "Is he right, Master Elwin, is it unnatural?"

The elf put his hands on Cade's shoulders and bent his head to look into the
boy's eyes. "No, not at all. How can love ever be unnatural? It is my
experience that love expressed between two males is similar to that between male
and female. Well, with certain . . . physical differences," he chuckled. Cade
smiled.

"However," Elwin said, "this is a problem that you need to work out with your
father. I don't have time for it, now. You must go home. Promise me you will."

The boy looked up with sorrowful eyes. "Then, I won't see you, ever again?"

"I didn't say that. I hope to patch the rift with your father. We'll return some
day, but now I *must* find my lover. Do you understand?"

The boy nodded. "Master Elwin, I can help," he said eagerly. "I've hunted in the
Chetwood many a time. I know ‘em like the back of my hand."

Elwin hesitated. Would Cade be able to help them? He looked at Thornan, who
shook his head.

"I am unsure what has happened to Legolas and Glorfindel, but something does not
feel right to me," Elwin said. "I would be happier if you were back home."

"I can't go now," Cade said stubbornly. "It's getting dark out."

Elwin took the young man gently by the arm and led him to his horse, then
lightly boosted him up into the saddle. "All the more reason to move along
quickly now," Elwin said. "You're only about an hour and a half out from the
house if you ride at a good clip."

The boy plucked at his horse's mane. Elwin sternly pointed in the direction of
the farm. Cade sighed. Suddenly he bent down and landed a kiss on the corner of
Elwin's mouth. "I'll always love you," he said breathlessly. Then he turned his
horse around and rode off into the darkening trees.

Elwin noticed Thornan grinning at him. "That boy has been seriously smitten,"
Thornan said.

"Not something I want," Elwin said, frowning. "I have no desire to repeat that
mistake through the generations."

"Just reconcile yourself to being a heart-breaker." Thornan winked at him, much
to Elwin's consternation. "Come on." He clapped Elwin on the arm. "My best guess
from the marks is that they headed in this direction." He pointed toward the
northeast, where the forest seemed less dense. "Let's see if we can find them
before it gets dark."

**********************
There was movement around him. Legolas's head jerked up. He'd actually dozed off
for a while. Someone had removed the covering over the cave's entrance and the
light outside was dim. Twilight. He turned and his eyes met Glorfindel's. "Now
what?" Legolas mouthed.

"We're going, I think," Glorfindel whispered. "Watch for an opportunity."

Grutznaga was striding about shouting directions and the orcs were loading up
packs and hefting them to their shoulders. Ergluk followed in his leader's
wake, reinforcing the orders with a cuff here and a blow there.

"What about them?" Harlik asked as Grutznaga passed by. "Do we carry them?"

"Too heavy for a long haul. They can hoof it," Grutznaga growled. "Free their
feet."

Harlik drew his knife and sawed through Legolas and Glorfindel's foot bonds and
Grutznaga savagely pulled Legolas to his feet by the hair. The prince's legs
nearly buckled under him as the blood rushed back to his ankles. Grutznaga
laughed and turned to his band. "I want four of you surrounding them at all
times," he shouted. "It's your heads if anything goes amiss, understand?" There
was a roar of assenting voices.

Harlik took up a position at Legolas's left side. Gripping the elf's arm, his
clawed fingers squeezed possessively around the gold band. Legolas silently
thanked Elwin for this gift that, with luck, would buy them their lives.They
moved out of the cave into the deepening twilight.

The orcs jostled each other, growling, as they poured out of the cave and set
off through the trees, heading southwest. Legolas felt scorn at their noise and
lack of discipline. No party of elvish warriors ever moved like this.
Nevertheless the orcs were fast. Legolas and Glorfindel ran easily between their
captors, who occasionally gave them a hard shove. The prince was becoming
increasingly uneasy as they appeared to be heading in the direction of the
Rushlights' farm. It grew dark.

They came out into a wide clearing with two oak trees in the center, a place
Legolas recognized as they had passed it that morning. Up ahead, Grutznaga held
up a fist and the band halted, sliding into one another and milling about in
confusion.

Harlik took that moment to haul Legolas behind a large tree. A knife flashed in
the dim light as he cut the elf's sleeve open and sought to wrest the gold band
off his arm. While the orc's attention was distracted, the prince snapped his
loosely bound wrists apart with a pop and struck his captor hard in the nose
with the flat of his hand. Stunned, Harlik staggered backward and Legolas
whirled around and kicked him in the head, knocking him to the ground. Before
the creature had time to cry out, the prince scooped up the knife and pounced on
him, slicing swiftly across the orc's jugular. With a rush of satisfaction, he
thought, that's one less of you miserable creatures!

Legolas stood as he heard a guttural shout. "Hola you maggots! Where's the other
one?"

He peered around the tree and saw Glorfindel, his hair gleaming silver in the
starlight, two dozen feet away, surrounded by the hulking shadows of the orcs.
Without stopping to think if he was doing the right thing, he seized a short
sword out of the dead orc's belt and flew at the group yelling, "Gurth a chyth
nîn!"

He had the advantage of surprise and two orcs fell screaming as he sliced his
way two-handed to Glorfindel. The orcs surrounding the seneschal gave way before
Legolas's onslaught. Glorfindel dropped to the ground and rolled and two other
orcs tripped over him. Legolas reached him and hauled him to his feet. With a
quick jerk, he cut Glorfindel's bonds.

They ran.

Behind him he heard orcs bellowing and above the din, heard Grutznaga's deep
rumble, "There they go!" Arrows whistled and whined past them. Suddenly
Glorfindel stumbled to his knees with a pained cry. Legolas looked down and saw
a long, black feathered arrow protruding from the seneschal's shoulder.
Glorfindel attempted to rise and Legolas took hold of his arm to help him. A
dozen black shapes crashed through the underbrush toward them.

"Go! Now, Prince! Nothing is served by both our deaths."

"My Lord, no!" Legolas cried.

"Legolas," the seneschal said fiercely, "they are heading toward the farm. You
must get help before they hurt anyone else. Go!" He shoved Legolas hard.
Anguished, the prince fled, just as the orcs surrounded Glorfindel and brought
him to the ground.

***************************
Glorfindel felt himself being dragged. He gasped in agony every time the orcs
jostled the arrow in his shoulder. The pain was spreading with fiery fingers
from his shoulder towards his heart. The orcs reached the clearing and threw him
onto the ground before their leader.

Grutznaga's fury was something to behold. He grabbed one of his band by the
throat and squeezed. "How could you let the other one escape?" he howled. The
orc struggled and clawed at Grutznaga's hands. He made choking sounds.

"Don't kill him yet, Grutznaga." That was Ergluk's smoothly malevolent voice.
"We'll need every lad we've got, if I'm not mistaken." He looked around
nervously.

Grutznaga let the orc go. The creature sucked in a deep breath before rasping
out, "Lugotz Leader, I've never seen anyone run that fast. We couldn't catch him
. . . ."

"So, he's gone, probably to get his cohorts. We need to salvage this situation
before they show up," Ergluk interrupted. He pointed at several orcs. "Gather
wood and build a fire right near those two trees. A nice big one. Then wait for
further orders. The rest of you," he waved at the band, "fan out along the edge
of this clearing, hide and watch for whatever comes. Keep within sight of one
another. Stay sharp or you're dead! And you," he knelt next to Glorfindel,
"you're elf bait." He grasped the shaft of the arrow and jerked it through
Glorfindel's shoulder. Red sparks roared through the seneschal's vision.
"Elbereth!" he swore. Or was it a prayer?

Ergluk laughed. Glorfindel felt his jerkin and tunic being ripped away and the
cloth pressed to his shoulder in an effort to staunch the flow of blood. He felt
his consciousness waver and then flow outward. Another name rose to his lips,
"Elrond!"

***************************
Gurth a chyth nîn! ..... Death to my foes!

tbc