With Hope and Without Hope

Chapter 17: Lessons

Aragorn's face froze into stone as the orcs dropped Legolas in a nearby clearing. He attempted to gather some pride, for clearly Legolas had fought viciously for his freedom. But they now had as much likelihood of escaping as they did of retrieving the waxing moon sinking behind the western mountains. They were surely headed for Isengard.

Aragorn tried not to wince as an orc kicked Legolas, but he became alarmed when the elf did not stir. After several more sharp kicks, he began to wake, but Aragorn's relief was short-lived.

"Get up, you lazy elf! We didn't hit you that hard!" The orc grabbed Legolas and hauled him up to face a scowling Uglúk. Legolas blinked then flinched as his eyes flew open. Aragorn dreaded what would come next.

Uglúk stepped toward Legolas with narrowed eyes. He chuckled slowly. "Thought you'd make a run for it, eh? Had no problem leaving your friends behind, didn't ya? Not so stupid as I thought. But stupid enough to need a lesson!" The uruk playfully slapped the beast beside him, snickering gleefully.

Aragorn prayed that the Valar would give Legolas strength now, but he had no misconceptions of his own strength. He closed his eyes to the scene, resting his head on his knees.

Suddenly, strong hands clamped onto Aragorn's shoulders and dragged him to his feet, as another orc did the same to Gimli. They brought the two to Uglúk, where Legolas kneeled limply at his side, a stub of a black arrow still embedded in his bloody thigh.

Two more torches had been brought to the area, shedding light on Legolas's vacant expression. If they had knocked him unconscious, the beating must have been severe. Combined with blood loss, he might be going into shock.

"Oh, I do love teaching lessons!" The orc glared at Aragorn and Gimli, and his tone turned hostile. "Especially to bloody mortals we must keep alive!" He looked back at Legolas. "And now for your first lesson! Do your work, Machlhug!"

A hand struck Aragorn across the face, the sting vying with Aragorn's shock. Then came a punch to his side. He heard a grunt and glanced at Gimli. How clever the orcs were. He had expected them to force Gimli and him to watch Legolas beaten in punishment. Somehow, they had discerned that Legolas would suffer more to watch Aragorn and Gimli beaten.

Aragorn worried briefly over the intelligence the uruks displayed. But a kick to the head, followed by a strike to his injured leg cleared those thoughts from his mind.

Once the orcs tired of the lesson, Aragorn lay still, waiting for the world about him to stop spinning and the white lights before his eyes to fade. Soon he made out Gimli's figure not far from him, catching his breath as he lay on the ground. And further on was Legolas, still held in place by the orc, his eyes squeezed shut. Now the orcs that had abused them turned to Legolas.

Uglúk smiled then. "Maybe you've learned your lesson, huh?" He grabbed Legolas by the hair and forced the elf to stand on his one good leg and face him. "Have ya? You think you've learned your lesson about escaping?" Legolas returned only a stony stare, and Uglúk let out a bark of laughter. "Perhaps you haven't. I think you need more teaching!"

Aragorn's stomach turned, not knowing what would come now. His head still swam, and he was uncertain how much more he could endure before unconsciousness overtook him.

But Aragorn was not the one in danger. Uglúk threw the elf to the ground, his shackles clinking. The uruk took a deep breath through his nostrils. "Do you smell that boys? Huh? That's the sweet smell of fear! You couldn't get that with all your knives and whips, but mess with his fellows and there it be. Ah!"

He took another deep breath. "Almost makes all the work worthwhile! But in the end, it's still work!" His smile upturned suddenly into a frown. "I don't look for extra work! So it seems like we got to teach you a lesson well and good."