A/N: now that my Arwen/Legolas one is finished, I can focus on this one. After I finish this, I'll focus on my OTHER LotR story, Loved and Lossed, and I have another LotR plot idea, so WOW! I'm swamped!!

ARWEN

We traveled, guided by Radona, looking for both Naligor and Gondolin. I felt the tension between Aragorn and her growing and wished that they would stop being in each other's throats.

His distrust for her was radiating off of him. Everything Aragorn did somehow displeased her, and I can't be sure that he did it by accident. It made me uneasy and cautious. I'd never trust Radona with my life, but I still hadn't thought too lowly of her. When Aragorn told me ~Watch her closely,~ Radona exploded.

"You think I don't speak elvish???" she demanded. "You think I can't hear just fine? Excuse me, Lady Arwen, but I believe you should worry more of him than I."

That made me angry but I said nothing. I did not want to get into a fight with her, so I kept silent.

As we wandered, we found something lying on the ground in the distance. "What is that?" Ohtar asked. We rushed forward, but when I got there, I wished I could erase it from my memory. It was a skeleton. A bloody, fresh skeleton, and near it lay a pile of something that looked like torn up shreds of skin. It was the most horrible sight I'd ever had to see- bones covered with blood, all organs still in place.

I almost screamed, but did not. Instead, I let out a muffled sort of yell that I'm not sure how to describe. Aragorn placed his hand on mine, but for the first time, I could not be comforted by him. It is hard to be comforted by someone who is just as, if not, more, disturbed as yourself.

"Who… what is it?" Ohtar asked quietly. That's when I noticed the note that Legolas picked up. Drops of blood here and there were scattered on the paper.

"Here lies Naligor the Man," he read. "All elves will soon share his fate. Kah minu a mah si codomu dimi, bidur mo caka yu. Awartha sen dor."

"Awartha sen dor," I whispered. "Elvish. Abandon this place." I realized I was trembling and could no longer hold the tears in my eyes threatening to fall. I began to cry fiercely and Aragorn wrapped me in his arms, but said no words of comfort to me. Perhaps he could not find any.

I had known Naligor almost as long as I'd known Aragorn. To my surprise, even Legolas and Ohtar (who had not known him) shed at least a few tears. Radona looked a little sad or disappointed, but nothing more. I wondered about her heartlessness.

"The Kerlil?" Legolas asked after a little bit of crying.

Radona nodded. "It is something they would do."

"We must turn back," Ohtar said. "Or it will be us next."

"No!" Aragorn said, his hands rolled into fists. "Now it is more important than ever that we find these monsters and destroy them!"

"You cannot simply "destroy" the Kerlil," Radona said. "Each of them are twelve feet tall! They have weapons that you've only seen in your worst nightmares. Their skin is as sharp as needles, that will make you bleed with one touch, don't you understand? We must escape while we can!"

"To where?" Aragorn challenged. "Do you think that we can simply go back to Rivendell and not do a thing, while all over elves are sharing Naligor's fate?"

After a bit of silence, I realized everyone was looking at me, wondering what we should do. I didn't like having to choose between Aragorn and Radona, so finally, I said, "What do you think, Legolas?"

Legolas looked to the ground. I suppose he, too, did not want to have to pick sides. "Ohtar?"

Radona's eyes widened. "We are leaving our fate to a CHILD?"

"His choice is as good as any," I said. "If you are both right, he will have a good answer. If you are both wrong, then his answer is as bad as mine or Legolas's."

"What if one of us is right and one, wrong?"

"It is not that way. You both have our best interests at heart."

"We… we cannot return defeated," Ohtar said finally. "We will return victorious or not return at all."

I looked to Radona. "There you have it. We will not leave until our business here is done."

Radona scowled. "Fine, then. Let's go-"

"Where? Gondolin?" Aragorn said mockingly. "You've been leading us in circles and I know it! So wherever you're taking us, I suggest you tell me. Now."

At this, she was left speechless. I could tell that he'd caught her off-guard. "I… uh-"

"Aragorn," Legolas said. "If it were I leading, you would not question me like this. The unfairness you are showing her is quickly getting me angry. She knows where she is going."

Aragorn looked to me, but I could find no words in his defense. Legolas was correct – there was no chance that Aragorn would question him. And I, myself, had warned Aragorn of these suspicions and now they were getting out of control.

A/N: two chapters left, the first one is kinda/semi/quasi short. Please review, I don't have many!!!!