The Captured

A/N: Hey! This is one of my first LoTR fanfics that I dug up out of my computer. I wrote LoTR before Lost, but I haven't put up my LoTR ones on FFnet yet. Most of them either need editing or need to be finished. Lol. Anyway, as this is one of my first fics, it might not be so hot in your point of view, so I apologize. Lol. Anyway, this is just a fic about Merry and Pippin's capturing and snip-bits of Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli trying to rescue them.

This is a slightly altered version. So in the reviews, please don't tell me "No, that's not how it happened." I know how it happened, trust me. I just like to mess around with the possibilities.

Merry gasped as a second arrow plunged into Boromir's heart. The mighty warrior flinched in pain as the arrow came to meet the first one. The man of Gondor still had his sword in hand, and was willing to do anything to save the Hobbits.

Merry tried to race to Boromir's side, but was grabbed by a hairy arm and tossed violently to the ground. He heard Boromir yell in anger and a sword meet the Uruk-Hai's stomach.

Merry rolled onto his back and gasped as an Uruk tightened its filthy hands around his neck and arms. He struggled wildly, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Pippin being knocked to the ground and Boromir franticly trying to help him.

Another arrow soared into Boromir. The brave man's body was pushed away by an Uruk as the horrible beast ceased Pippin and knocked him over the head.

Merry wouldn't give up so easily. He scurried out of the arms of his captor and ran to Boromir's side. Before he was ceased again, he was able to speak with Boromir for the last time.

"Boromir!"

"Merry? I am so sorry," he answered weakly. He tried to reach for his sword to manage one last fight but the blade was quickly stepped on by a tall, dark, grinning Uruk.

Merry was grabbed again from behind. He screamed and began to struggle wilder than before. Boromir lay there helplessly, watching the Hobbit's being carted away against their will.

Some time later, Aragorn jumped through the trees, killing the last group of Uruks and kneeling down to the remains of Boromir's broken body.

"Boromir? Boromir!" Aragorn cried, sitting Boromir up against a tree.

"Aragorn?" He answered weakly. "They took them…took the Halflings."

"Boromir…" Aragorn said as he reached for an arrow on Boromir's chest to pull up.

"Leave it! Save them, Aragorn…leave me here and save them!"

"I swear on the crown of Gondor I will save them, Boromir."

Boromir nodded wearily as Aragorn bent down and kissed his forehead.

"Boromir? Did they take all the Hobbits? Was Frodo part of it?"

But Aragorn could get no answer, Boromir faded away in his arms like a star when the sun rises.

"I swear I will find them…"

"Merry? MERRY!" Pippin screamed loudly, not knowing what serious danger he was in. He learnt too quick that what was happening to him and his cousin was dead serious as a whip dug into his back. The young Hobbit screamed in pain.

He was lying down, several yards away from Merry who lay weakly and not moving. The Uruk hissed loudly and kicked Pippin's side.

"YOU! Don't bring attention to your pitiful little self. Hear?"

Pippin began to cry…with fear and pain. The Uruk smirked at the emotional and physical breakdown he had caused and marched away. Pippin began to shiver violently as the wound on his back seemed to overtake his whole body.

"Pip! Don't cry!" A harsh whisper demanded. "They only enjoy seeing your pain."

"Merry!"

"Shush! Yes, of course it's me. Can you move at all?"

"Yes…but when I do it hurts," Pippin said, trying to roll onto his side to face Merry.

"If it hurts than don't move! Lay still! I can manage to move a little, but not much and not far with these tight bindings."

"Merry…I'm scared. Where are you, I can't see anything!"

"Pip, its pitch black and I am terrified too. I do wish I could see around me, but I can't so I'll manage…like I said before."

"But where are you?"

"I moved a little closer to you, they can't catch me when its dark like this. Listen, I want you to stay put, ok? I know your scared, but who wouldn't be? Shh! Here they come."

"You miserable little rats best not be talking! You won't speak to one another…yes…no speech!" An Uruk who had approached them demanded furiously. He kicked Pippin in the jaw…a warning that the Uruk could break his jaw and could cause the poor youngster possibly not have the gift of speech.

Pippin gasped in pain as his teeth clamped down on his tongue and blood squirted from his lips and mouth. The Uruk stamped off.

Merry bristled with anger, but restrained himself from yelling out and getting both of them in trouble. If any one had to be kicked in the jaw, it should have been him; he started the conversation. But it was obvious they were fiery mad at Pippin for calling Merry's name at the top of his lungs, and wouldn't hesitate to give him more punishment than just a whip on his back.

Meanwhile, Aragorn had met back up with Legolas and Gimli. He told them of the news and the fact that he didn't know which Hobbits were captured, and realized that all four of them could be in the arms of the Uruks.

"I dearly hope Frodo isn't part of all this. He has the Ring, and this is the enemy," Aragorn told them.

They examined the camp that had been deserted. Two packs were gone from the pile – Frodo and Sam's. Aragorn smiled.

"Frodo must have gone with Sam in the boat that is missing!" Aragorn said, waving his hand towards the shore where only two boats remained. "They are for certain not with the Uruks."

He smiled again, for a brief moment, before frowning gravely. "Then that means…"

"…The younger ones…" Legolas finished for him.

Aragorn nodded sadly. "We won't follow Frodo. I care for the lad, but as far as we know he is safe for the time being. We know for certain Meriadoc and Peregrin are not. I won't let them suffer, or worse…die."

Legolas nodded quickly, and Gimli followed his example. "Which way did they go?" The dwarf asked.

"South, as far as I can tell," Aragorn answered.

"Isengard!" Legolas cried.

"Saruman…" Aragorn whispered angrily.

Merry felt his body being seized roughly. He didn't cry out, nor did he let himself weep with agony. He was too weak to do anything. He was starving, dehydrated, but most off all scared…scared for Pippin, scared for Frodo, scared for the Fellowship.

His captor stood him up on his weak feet. His legs gave out and he collapsed near Pippin who was curled up in his cloak. Several of the Uruks snorted with laughter and amusement as Ugluk (the leader) kicked Merry in the gut, propped him up against a boulder-there were many in the land- and forced a stinging, burning liquid down his throat.

Merry screamed and kicked as the brown liquid eased down his throat, making him gag and cough most of it up. Ugluk scowled, cursing under his breath and shoving more down the struggling Hobbit's throat.

Pippin watched, horrified, as they finished with Merry and approached him. He tried to inch away from them, creating a riot of laughter. Ugluk ceased him and shoved the flask down his throat. And as Merry had done, Pippin gagged and coughed, and if he spat out any of the liquid, Ugluk would replace it with twice as more.

Stale bread was given to them. Pippin ate it hungrily, for he hadn't eaten for two days at the most. Merry crawled over to Pippin, looking a little stronger due to the orc liquor.

"Pip? Here, have the bread they gave me. You look famished."

"No! I already had some. If you don't eat something you'll starve!"

"I'll be ok, Pippin. You're still very young, and need a lot of energy."

"But you…"

"Please, just eat it," Merry whispered, shoving the bread in his hand and crawling away as the Uruks approached them again.

"Get up, SCUMS!" An Uruk said, pulling them up by their hair.

Pippin felt stronger, due to the orc drink and two small pieces of bread. It was better than nothing. But Merry, he noticed, was only doing a little better. He was still weak, tired, and hungry. While Pippin was not being looked over by the Uruks, he quietly stumbled over to his cousin.

"Are you going to be ok, Merry?" He asked, looking Merry up and down. His arms were bruised badly, his face dirty but a smile spread across his face.

"Just worry about yourself," he said simply.

"We're not that far behind them. See…they ran for awhile here before resting or collapsing…" Aragorn said sadly, kneeling down to the ground to examine the tracks.

"Only half a day ahead of us, I'll suppose," Legolas said, standing next to Aragorn.

"Poor lads must be worn and beaten," Gimli growled. "Curse those wretched creatures!"

The orc drink was wearing off. Merry collapsed. Several Uruks ran past him, not even noticing. Pippin came up behind him, dropping to the ground and touching his cousin's face with his bound hands.

"Oh please no…Merry, please get up. Just a little further until they let themselves rest…and when they rest we rest. We've been running for a long time, and surely they are tired. Merry, come on lad. Please…" Pippin thought as he tried to get his cousin up by tapping his cheek gently with what he could of his hand.

The Uruks stopped now, forming a circle around the two Hobbits.

"Get up! Get up now!" Ugluk cried, shoving Pippin away and grabbing Merry's shoulders and shaking him violently. He threw the Hobbit to the ground and rose up his whip.

Ugluk threw him off, and Grishnakh, an Orc, ran at the Hobbit with a whip. He hit him once on his side, and then on his face and neck, as well as other various places on his body.

Merry laid there, his eyes closed tight and his body trembling. Pippin's screams of pain only made him hurt more.

"Please…l-leave him alone…" Merry said quietly, choking on his own breath.

Grishnakh laughed, and hit Pippin two times more. "Can't handle the pressure? Ah, perhaps it would hurt you a lot more if the whip met your flesh?" He raised the whip above Merry.

"That'll be enough!" Ugluk stated, grabbing Grishnakh's wrist. "We need to move on!"

"Oh, Pip!" Merry cried softly as the Uruks and Orcs debated on their direction. He opened his eyes to look at his bloodied cousin, who lay there sobbing and shaking.

"I-I'm so sorry…" Merry whispered, taking his cousin's bloody and torn hand.

Pippin didn't understand how evil the world really was, didn't know what laid beyond his happy home, the Shire. He was so good hearted, and didn't know about hate and killing. He wasn't supposed to know, not yet.

"I told you not to worry about me, you'll only hurt yourself more!"

Pippin scooted closer to Merry, still breathing sharp breaths between sobs.

"Where are they, Merry, where are they?' Pippin said, in between sobs.

"Who, Pip?" Merry asked softly and soothingly.

"Strider, a-and the others," Pippin asked softly, his tears ceasing for the moment.

"I'm sure they haven't forgotten us, Pippin," Merry said quietly, although he felt that they had.

Pippin smiled. "You think they are coming?"

"I know they are coming," Merry said, feeling bad for lying…but Pippin needed to smile.

"Get them on their feet!" Ugluk ordered. "We're going south!"

There were mutters of disagreement as Merry and Pippin were forced onto their feet. Merry glanced at Pippin, his frail trembling body that threatened to cause him to fall any second and his scared green eyes were wide with unbelievable angst. They met each other's glance for a moment.

"He can't run!" Merry cried. "He's too weak!"

Pippin gave Merry a terrified glance.

Ugluk laughed. "Too weak? My boys can make him weaker!"

Pippin sobbed silently and edged closer to Merry.

Merry shook his head urgently with fear and whispered quietly to Pippin. "Pip, just try to run. I'll be right behind you, ok?"

Pippin nodded slightly, trying not to hurt his wounds.

Merry gave Pippin's hand a comforting squeeze with what he could of his hand and took a place behind Pippin.

Surprisingly, the Uruk-Hai did not separate the two cousins as they usually did. Merry was able to remain behind Pippin and help him if he were to slightly stumble.

The Elf, Man, and Dwarf were resting. At least trying to. Gimli was in an uneasy sleep. Aragron was nodding off, but Legolas was still standing and pacing, scanning the land for any sign of the Hobbits or the band of orcs.

"Rest, Master Elf," Gimli demanded, waking from his unstable sleep.

"NO!" Legolas snapped, bolting around and causing his friends to jump.

"All right! All right!" Gimli grumbled, rolling away and cocooning himself in his blankets.

Aragorn stood and put a hand on Legolas' shoulder. "Please, my friend, you must rest."

"Why should I rest if they do not?" Legolas demanded sharply, scowling as Gimli fell asleep yet again.

"I don't think they would want us to run like we do, they would want us to rest so we could gather strength and catch up with the band of orcs," Aragorn said softly.

Legolas snorted loudly, causing Gimli to take a hasty inhale in his sleep.

"Legolas? You sleep, I'll keep watch, all right?" Aragorn said, softly but with demand.

"NO!" Legolas cried, gathering his belongings and racing across the hills of Rohan.

Aragorn sighed with confusion and hatred to these creatures that not only drove Meriadoc and Peregrin, but also drove his friend, Legolas. Drove him mad. Aragorn wakened Gimli and started after Legolas.

They made camp. Finally. Merry and Pippin were laid near to each other. Pippin's blood had dried, and was flaking off. Tender scabs were forming in thin, long strips where the whip had left its mark.

Merry began to gently pick off the dried blood as Pippin slept peacefully…and normally for once. Being near to his elder cousin made him feel safer.

Without realizing it, Merry began to pick at a scab that had not fully established its shield around the wound. Pippin cried out softly in his sleep.

"No…no no no no! Help…help me…"

"Shhh…" Merry said softly, drawing his hand hastily away from Pippin. "Its just me, I didn't mean to hurt you, little cousin."

Pippin nodded, his eyes still closed, his lips slightly parted. Despite the forming scabs and dried blood, Pippin's face was still fair, flawless, and tender.

Merry quickly, but not trying to draw attention to himself, turned away from Pippin as the Uruk-Hai turned to face them, mumbling words to each other. Some of those words Merry caught:

"They have been causing us trouble…"

"The little maggots!"

"They ought to be punished! Let us have some fun, The Questioner won't mind!"

Merry began to tremble as more than half of the camp agreed. He drew Pippin near to him as the camp approached, Ugluk in the lead.

"Agh, my boys want to have a bit of fun, but you shan't die. Not yet anyhow. After The Questioner sees what your worth, then your fate will be decided, if you are to have a fate at all. Sit up!" Ugluk demanded.

Merry bolted up as quickly as he could, hesitantly letting go of his cousin.

"He's yours for the night, boys, do what you like with him as long as it IS NOT life treating," Ugluk stated as hands began to grab at Merry and pull at him from all directions.

He closed his eyes tight, as Pippin was drug away from the commotion and laid down to rest by a boulder. He felt like his arms were about to be torn off as Uruk-Hai pulled at them and drove sharp objects into his hands, wrists and arms. Nails groped at his neck and face and laughter surrounded him, try as he might to tune out everything: the pain, the noise the damage…he couldn't.

Things got too far when swords began to come into view as well as whips. Ugluk seemed not to care as swords flew past Merry's face mockingly and whiplashes surrounded him but never landed on his flesh. But then, something did happen.

While a sword flew by Merry's face, it's blade fell upon another Uruk, purely by accident. Merry relaxed a bit as the commotion paused and attention drifted away from him.

Ugluk jumped up, glaring down at the dead Uruk-Hai. An even sterner glare fell upon the Uruk that had killed the other.

Ugluk yelled a few words in his own speech before drawing out a blade and hacking at every Uruk-Hai in sight. Merry let out a few screams as Ugluk's blade came dangerously close to him at times.

After about two minutes, Ugluk stopped, panting. About twenty Uruk-Hai remained, a few from the group that had been harassing Merry and some of the group that had remained off to the side, against such a torture afraid that they would be blamed if anything were to happen to the precious halfling.

To Merry's surprise, he was led back to Pippin who sat, wide-eyed. He had been watching the whole thing. Merry swallowed hard as he was roughly placed next to his cousin

"Merry. Merry, they were hurting you," Pippin said, partly in a daze.

Merry nodded. "I'm sorry you had to see that, little cousin. Don't worry…I can handle it," he smiled - despite himself. Pippin didn't smile back.

Merry's smile faded and he looked down. Pippin allowed his cousin to lean against him and slowly fall into a deep, troubled sleep.

It was dark out. He had slept! Pippin cursed himself and sobbed silently. He had slept…he hadn't been looking out for Merry. To his relief, he felt the warmth of his cousin by his side.

He rolled onto his side, unable to keep still for another moment. He held his breath, suddenly. He could feel the orcs near him. He hated that feeling. He shut his eyes as tight as he could and tried to hear their softened words.

"They ought to be tak-"

"No!"

"It would take care of them, instead of US having to drag them across this country kicking and screaming!"

"And then IT would take MY credit!"

Pippin noticed these voices to be Grishnakh and Ugluk. But what was this 'it' they were speaking of? He shuddered, trying not to think about it. During this time, he felt strong arms sit him up and a firm hand clapped over his mouth, strangling any cry he had left.

He let out a muffled "No!" Whoever or whatever was grabbing him could only hear it.

The grip tensed and he was pulled up against what seemed to be the chest of his captor. Hot breath echoed in his ears. "It's all right now…"

Pippin relaxed and gripped the hand that scooped him up. Strider.

The Hobbit felt Legolas near him as the Elf murmured some words to the Ranger. Aragorn nodded as he moved Pippin into a cradled position and gripped him tightly as if the Hobbit were a treasure that he had been longing to find.

A huge grunt came from Merry who Legolas had in his arm. The Elf gasped and a hushed voice said: "He was asleep!"

Ugluk growled viciously and Grishnakh, in a broken voice, said: "They're GONE!"

"I heard one over there!"

Soon, the whole camp was in an uproar.

Legolas threw a hand over Merry's mouth and darted after Aragorn who was in the lead. Pippin, feeling safe despite the screams of anger behind him, fell asleep.

"Pippin!" Merry cried. He was wrapped up in a cloak and he could see nothing. He struggled, the cloak loosened. The Hobbit sat up, panicked. He was taken aback…the cloak he had been wrapped in was a Lorien cloak.

He felt strong arms wrap him back up from behind and light lips kiss the top of his head. His voice was strangled, but he managed to get out Strider's name.

Aragorn nodded. "Yes, Merry, its me."

"Pippin? Where is Peregrin?" Merry cried. "Oh, Strider, where is he!"

"Near you, Meriadoc, resting," The Ranger answered softly.

Merry nodded, extremely relieved. The Hobbit turned his head, and saw Peregrin lying motionless next to him. His face was soft, his eyelids fluttered slightly until they flung open, staring around him nervously.

Merry smiled down at his cousin. "Hullo there, Pippin. Glad to see you're ok."

Pippin sat up jerkily, his hands flying towards Merry as if he was in panic. Merry, eyes wide, embraced him.

"Merry! You're all right!"

Merry nodded. "I'm fine!"

Pippin's glittering eyes danced slightly, welling up with salty tears. "Strider– he saved us…"

Merry nodded. "Obviously!" The Hobbit gestured towards Strider who sat, grinning at them.