Fading Light

Chapter 9: Just A Pawn

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The dark man watched Legolas fight against the orcs in silence, his dark eyes never leaving the elf. His name was Kanor, he was a being of darkness, he served it and embodied it.

Soon, if all went according to his master's plan, so would the elf.
Legolas was being trained to kill without mercy. He had the natural grace and lethalilty of his people, and was combining it with the strong, savageness of orcs.

The orcs surrounding Legolas continued to attack him, but Legolas continued to kill them all with his sword. One orc managed to knock Legolas' sword out of his hand, leaving him defenseless.

Kanor sighed in frustration as the elf went down. This happened every time Legolas lost his weapons. He was just fine as long as he had them, but the moment he let them go he wouldn't bother trying to fight back.

Kanor let the orcs beat him for just a few more seconds before calling them off. The orcs backed away while Kanor walked towards the fallen elf.

Legolas was on his hands and knees, coughing and fighting to breathe.
"Get up."
Kanor demanded.
Legolas looked up at him in fear, which was exactly what Kanor wanted.

Legolas struggled to his feet. His old, green tunic had been replaced with a black one. Kanor also forbid him from speaking in sindarian, or any other form of elvish.

His master had ordered him to make sure that the elf had no connection to his people. Soon he would forget them, and the only thing he would know was his new master's will.

"Why do you keep failing me?"
Kanor asked glaring at the elf.
"Have I not trained you to defend yourself without weapons?"
Legolas retrived his sword and glanced nervously at Kanor.

"You have."
Legolas' voice shook when he spoke. It sounded unatural to hear the black speech being uttered by an elf, but Kanor didn't let it bother him.

"Then why can you not stay on your feet after you've lost a weapon? Also, why do you continue to lose your weapons?"

Legolas struggled to come up with an answer, but he knew that no matter what he said Kanor would punish him.

"You rely on your weapons too much Legolas."
Kanor grabbed Legolas' sword from his hand.
"From now on you will fight without them."

Legolas' eyes widned in disbelief. Kanor turned his back on the elf and began to walk away.
"How do you expect me to fight without a weapon?"

Legolas wished that he hadn't said anything. Kanor turned around and drilled Legolas with a cold stare.

"Do you believe that it is impossible to fight without a weapon?"
Kanor asked calmly.
Legolas said nothing as Kanor set the sword down and motioned for two orcs to come over.

They grabbed Legolas roughly by the shoulders and forced him to one side of the room. While the orcs held him he watched as two more were tightly binding Kanor's hands behind his back.

Legolas looked at him in confusion as he walked towards the center of the room. Without warning the orcs attacked, and Legolas watched in a mixture of amazement and fear as Kanor fought off the oncoming orcs with no problem.

His bound hands made no difference to him as he used his legs and head to defend himself. He spun out of the way of an oncoming sword and kicked a club out of another orc's hand.

Kanor then allowed an orc to bring its sword down just behind his back, the orc realized its misktake too late just as Kanor's fist connected with its jaw.

Now that his hands were free Kanor easily killed any orc that got near him, one by one they fell at his feet. Legolas couldn't believe the strength that the man possessed, soon the orcs refused to come any closer to him.

Kanor inspected his work and then turned to Legolas.
The man was completely unscathed after the fight.

"Once you learn to do that, and emerge without a scratch, your training will be complete."
Kanor said sharply.

Legolas almost fell over, how was he supposed to do that? He would be killed!

Of course, that would be better than living in this nightmare.

"Do you think that you will escape so easily rat?"
Kanor's voice made Legolas jump. He had suspected that Kanor could hear his thoughts, but he had never been certain until now.

"You already had that chance Legolas. Now if you refuse to do as I say you will suffer in a way that no elf has ever suffered before. You will spend forever living in darkness and pain. There is no escape for you
elfling."

Kanor ordered the orcs to bind Legolas the same wayvhe had been. The elf's eyes flooded with terror as he was dragged forward.

You are my prisoner Legolas.
The darkness has claimed you and there is no escape, nothing can save you now.

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Kanor entered a large, dark room. There was nothing inside but complete blackness.
Something seemed to move in the darkness, it had no definite shape and moved around the room like a shadow.

"How is his progress?"
The voice echoed throughout the room, it was filled with malice and hate, the voice of Kanor's master.

"His skills are improving, but he is still weak."
Kanor didn't bother to hide the annoyance in his tone.
"In my opinion you should have taken his brother, he is much stronger."

"You have forgotten why I have chosen Legolas. The youngest child of Thranduil, and the last descendant of Oropher, is exactly what I need to carry out my plan."

"I have not forgotten, but your plan would get along much faster had you chosen one more adapt to fighting."

"He will overcome his weakness in time. Continue to train him the way you have been."

"But how long do we have? Before long our enemies will have suspected your return and-"

"DO YOU DOUBT ME?"

The darkness seemed to wrap around Kanor, crushing him and bringing him to his knees.

"You are only a pawn Kanor, just as the elf is. I will use you until I have no need of you anymore, and then I will destroy you. One man does not make a difference to me."

Kanor was released and he immediately worked on filling his lungs with air.

"Legolas will serve me in whatever way I decide for him, and after he has fufilled his purpose, I will kill him."