Here I am, once again I'm torn into pieces,

Can't deny it, Can't pretend, just thought you were the one…

Behind these Hazel Eyes – Kelly Clarkson

To Wander in Darkness

Part 5 – Knives in the Dark

It was late; the moon was full and wisps of clouds strayed past the misty orb in the sky, and other stars twinkled in the vastness of space. A cold wind was about, and it howled eerily in the night. A lone wolf made himself known, and all was calm.

Shadows passed a window, no one noticed as they blended from darkness to light and back again. These shadows paused for a few moments before going on, each as quiet as an Elven whisper. The shadows made their way to a two story window; they looked in. A lump in the bed told them that the room was occupied. One of the shadows brought out a dagger and worked the window open. The window slid open without a sound, and the shadows entered the room.

They stood off to the side for a few moments; they listened to the breathing of the person in the bed. With an invisible signal, the shadows advanced as one and all brought out a dagger. However, what they did not count on was the beds occupant jumping up with a sword in his hands.

Strider was fully dressed and had been waiting for the assassins. He swept his sword at them and knocked away one knife before it could get to him. The three men were surprised and that gave Strider enough time to knock one out.

Gregor leapt to the side just in time as the sword was about to cleave him in half. He watched as Jahan was knocked to the side, the young man did not rise, however, Gregor knew that he was only knocked cold.

"What do you want here?" the Ranger asked.

He did not get an answer as one of the men tackled him from behind. Strider and the second assassin went to the floor and Strider lost hold of his sword. Now he turned on his attacker and hit him in the face, a howl of pain was his reward as Strider jumped to his feet and blocked an on coming knife.

Foot steps in the hallway alerted Strider to people coming up the hall, he hoped they were on his side. Strider, distracted for only a moment, barley ducked a knife, which cut him deep on the cheek.

He hit the older man in the face before taking a few steps back. He saw his sword laying in the light of the full moon and dashed for it. Iskender saw this and followed, but Strider was faster, he swung his sword and got the man in the arm. Iskender barley avoided getting his arm cut off, but he knew that the deep cut would need stitches.

A banging on the door told Iskender that their time was running out. He and Gregor glanced at the door, then as one they took up their wounded companion and jumped out the window. Strider let them go, he had caught glimpses of their faces and knew that if he saw them again that they wouldn't get away.

He lit the lamp and then opened the door to admit an Inn Keeper who had a broom in his hand. "What is this?" Butterbur asked.

"Someone tried to kill me," Strider said.

"Well, they made a mess,"

"Apologies, I'll clean it up,"

"Don't worry about it, let's move you to another room," Butterbur said. Strider gathered his things and Butterbur showed him to another room, this time the window was smaller and there was no ledge below of above for anyone to stand on in order to get admittance into the room.

"Hope you get some sleep tonight," Butterbur said hurriedly before leaving in order to go clean up the room that had been trashed with the fight. Strider bolted the door after him and then sank to the floor. He was tired, but that fight told him one thing. Esmeralda had been telling the truth.

She had left him hours ago, but she said that she would be in contact before morning. Strider sighed and stood, he took off his shirt and then went to the wash stand. The cut on his cheek wasn't bad, but he would need to clean it.

"Well, that was interesting,"

"Jaeda, what were you saying about those Gypsies?" Strider asked, he looked at the ghost who sat on the bed, she was reflected in the mirror and so he did not turn around as he cleaned his cut.

"My mother was a Gypsy; when she married father she was kicked out of her clan," Jaeda explained.

"That does not tell me why they killed you," Strider muttered.

"Why would they need a reason? They did, neither I nor you can change that,"

"I know, but I would feel better in knowing,"

"I can't tell you that, you'll have to ask them," Jaeda sighed. She looked out the window and then back at Strider.

"My time in this world is almost up, I have to go to the other side soon," she said sadly.

"Why have you stayed here this long then?" Strider finally turned to the ghost woman.

"Because, I've been taken by you,"

"What?"

"Hasn't a women ever fallen in love with you?" Jaeda smiled.

"Not that I know of," Strider looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Well, we ghost's have feelings too you know!"

"My apologies, my Lady, I did not mean to offend," Strider said.

"I know," Jaeda stood and floated over to Strider. She lifted a hand and gently traced the mans jaw bone.

"You will make a women happy one day, be that woman elf or human,"

The two were quiet for a moment, Jaeda sighed before lowering her hand.

"I will visit you one more time, by then I hope you have some answers for me," she said, and then she gently kissed him on the lips before disappearing into a bank of mist.

Strider did not know what to make of this ghost woman being infatuated with him. It was strange, but he hadn't felt loved in a very long time, and so found that his heart warmed at the prospect of someone caring for him. He wished he could care for Jaeda like that, but since she was a ghost, well, how was he supposed to hold a ghost?

Strider decided that he had better go to bed. He didn't think that anyone would try to kill him again this night. He crawled into bed and in moments was asleep.

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Nauggil was a beefy man, not that he was particularly fat, but he had a rounded gut and a long dirty black beard while his head was bald. He had dull blue eyes and he stank like an Orc. He loved to chase after women, bur since no woman would go near him, well, he was better experienced at a distance, so to say.

"He moved," a young man with dark blond hair said as he hopped off of the roof into the alley where Nauggil and other burly men were waiting. Most of them were dirty and drunk, but they were cheap to pay off and they needed the muscle.

"Rhûndal, what did you find?" Nauggil asked.

"The Ranger was moved from his old room, there is no way into the new one, not by the window or door, well, we could go through the door, but we'd be asking for trouble," Rhûndal

"Most people here don't care what we do as long as we don't bother them," Nauggil scoffed.

"But we're supposed to do this quietly, make it look like an accident," Rhûndal said.

"How are we supposed to make it look like an accident when we can't even get to him?" Lómgrad came into then. He wore a dark hood that covered his own blond locks. He was Rhûndal's younger brother.

"It doesn't matter how we kill that blasted Ranger as long as it gets done by morning," Nauggil muttered.

"Alright then, let my brother and I take care of the Ranger," Rhûndal looked imploringly at the man.

"Why should I?"

"Because we have been trained in matters such as these," Lómgrad rolled his eyes.

"Fine, you go in and take care of the Ranger, but if you fail…" Nauggil trailed off.

"We know, we know, you'll have our heads," Lómgrad rolled his eyes a second time. Rhûndal glared at his Twin.

"Fine, be quick about it then," Nauggil said. Rhûndal and Lómgrad took their leave of the man and the ruffians. They disappeared into the night at made their way through the twisting streets till they reached the Prancing Pony Inn.

"Did you have to do that? How many times have I told you to keep you mouth shut?" Rhûndal turned on his Twin.

"About a thousand, this would it one-thousand-and-two though," Lómgrad grinned cheekily at his brother.

"We aren't cut out to do this, we were sent here to find out where all those slaves have gone, not get caught up in some damn infernal war!" Rhûndal shook his head in exasperation.

"I know, but this Ranger may know something, the least we can do is ask him before we kill him," Lómgrad said.

"We can't kill him," Rhûndal glared at his Twin.

"What? Why not?"

"He is innocent in our matters, he is only looking into the murders of the farmers about this area, he knows nothing of what we seek,"

"Yes, your right, I guess we can't; but I promised, what do we do now?"

"The least we can do is get him out of here, he'll get himself killed otherwise," Rhûndal rolled his eyes.

"Rhûndal, he's a Ranger!"

"I know, but he still knows nothing important about the slave ring, I am pretty sure that it's based here though," Rhûndal sighed.

"We have to do something though, the Slaver's are getting much more bold in their efforts to enslave the people of Arda,"

"I know, and look on the bright side, if we help the Ranger out, he may help us," Rhûndal smiled.

"Very well, shall we then, brother?" Lómgrad bowed his Brother before him.

"Why, thank you brother," Rhûndal replied and the two made their way inside the Inn.

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TAP….TAP…..TAP…

Strider groaned, he did not want to getup. He was having a wonderful dream about Arwen; they were making out and everything. Why couldn't he just be left to his dreams?

TAP….TAP…..TAP…..

There was the blasted sound again. Strider decided that he would ignore it. He wanted to sleep, it wasn't even light outside yet. Heck it felt as if he had just gone to bed no more than five moments ago. Oh well, Strider sighed, he may as well see who it was. Valor would know if his visitors would stop their insistent sound making!

Strider stumbled out of bed and to the door. He sighed as the TAP-ing sound came to him again. It made him think that his visitors did not want to be found out. Oh, I wonder why? Strider asked himself, he was not amused and he was beginning to feel grumpy. When a Ranger was grumpy it was best to stay out of their way.

"Who is it?" Strider asked.

"I'narr en gothrim glinuva nuin I'anor," came the soft elvish reply, but it was also a very important greeting. It was a greeting that only one Ranger would give to another. Strider opened the door ad admitted the two men.

Both men had blond hair and dark blue eyes, their clothes were as used as Strider's own and they had the look about them that spoke of Rangers.

"Amin sinta lle?" Strider asked.

"I am Rhûndal, and this is my Twin brother Lómgrad, we are Rangers from the West," Rhûndal introduced himself and his brother.

"Well met, I am Strider,"

"We know, I have to admit, we were sent here to kill you, but know that we shall not harm you, a fellow Ranger," Lómgrad said.

"It seems that there are a lot of people out to do away withy me, tell me, was it the Gypsy Noor Sameera who sent you?" Strider asked.

"No, it was the March Warden and his men," Rhûndal replied.

"Taniith, I should have know," Strider rolled his eyes.

"He seemed intent to have you head on a spike, but the plan was thwarted when those other assassin's tried to do you away this evening," Lómgrad grinned. He reminded Strider eerily of Elrohir.

"In deed, Nauggil was not happy about that!" Rhûndal grinned. Strider decided that the older of the Twin Ranger's reminded him of Elladan.

"I am so glad that you find some humor in this situation," Strider said.

"We are amuse, but we have been in a few situations like this ourselves and know of which you feel," Rhûndal informed.

"In deed?"

"In deed, now, tell us, what have you found out so far?" Lómgrad asked.

"Well, besides the fact that the Gypsies and Taniith want to kill me for no particular reason? Well, there seems to be a dispute in land," Strider said.

"People burned to death in their homes, others hanging themselves because the pain is too great for them to bare,"

"We know, it isn't easy to just let them go about their killing," Lómgrad sighed.

The three men, took seats, Strider took a chair while Rhûndal and Lómgrad sat on the bed. There was silence in the room, each deep in their own thoughts. Strider felt homesickness swell in his chest; the Twin Rangers before him reminded him of his Elven brothers. Strider fixed that thought, x-Elven brothers; he wasn't welcome in the home of Elrond anymore. That thought hurt Strider the most, he was no longer Estel and he would no longer be called that.

"I guess this means that we're going to be in trouble," Lómgrad said.

"What? Why?" Strider asked.

"We are supposed to kill you, remember?" Rhûndal raised an eyebrow at the younger Ranger.

"Oh, I forgot," Strider shrugged helplessly.

"I think it is going to be amusing to work with you Strider," Lómgrad laughed.

"And I to work with you," Strider smiled. He hadn't smiled so openly in months and Strider reveled in the feeling of being happy, even for a short amount of time.

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ELVISH TRANSLATIONS

Amin sinta lle? ---- Do I know you?

I'narr en gothrim glinuva nuin I'anor ---- The bones of our foes will gleam under the sun

A/N – Okay, I hope you all like this chapter. It was quite fun to write once I got into it! I couldn't help but make Rhûndal and Lómgrad twins. It just hit me and I liked it and I couldn't come up with any other reason as to why they'd be together and stuff, so…there you have it! The Ranger Twins are a couple years older than Aragorn. They are close in age though but I will be referring to Rhûndal as the oldest Ranger. Don't worry, you will learn more of them in the next chapter.