A/N: Oh dear, I think some may get a little confused with this chapter, so I'll try to clear things here, before you stumble upon them and decide to hang me (again): there's a flashback, indicated by ***, and trust me, there's no contradiction on Azgarä's (you'll soon find out who he is) part! I think I make it pretty clear around the last two 'sections' of the chapter! I'm always very careful with that! Also, if you're wondering what the hell Glaukh's doing here, I'm going to explain there too. ;) The second 'section' was the hardest to write. You have no idea of the things I did to think up of something original for you people... So please, feel free to praise me... ROTFL! =D Another thing (out of curiosity alone): Azgarä means 'wage war'; Nardü, 'soldier'; Nüphnaru, 'fool man'; and all the words concerning/ spoken by Men (these included) are in Adunaic.

*catches Erenriel as she was slipping and just about to fall* A CLIFFHANGER??? LOL! Oh, come on, I'm a very nice author, you've got to admit it, o twin dearest! I update frequently, end about every chapter at *nice*, *actionless* places and I even answer everyone's reviews personally! Well, ok, maybe last chapter *was* a bit of a cliffhanger, but hey! Promise that as soon as I have the next one done, you'll be the first to see it (as well as everyone else...)! ;) There. =) One thing's funny, though, twin of mine. I almost was canadian, but my father didn't want to go live there, so I got to stay here at this nice, peaceful and beautiful little country that most people have never heard of! =D

Oh! And I'm still working on changing those chapters (I was just 'OO' at the amount of stuff I had to correct thus far! Only about five or six chaters left to see, so it shouldn't take long), but I thought that you deserved a new chappie in the meanwhile! It's been a whole week, since last I updated! I'M SO SORRY!!!!! =) Kinda lost track of time... *is embarrassed* Hopefully, this will make it up to you! I know it did for me! Some things came as a complete surprise, even to me! =) Thanks to everyone that's reading this! Love y'all!! =D And please, keep reviewing! It's the fuel that drives me on!! ;)

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Chapter XVII - Azgarä

"Since you're already in there, you might as well stay. Now, throw the keys, or your friend's neck here will suffer for your stubborness. I don't know how he escaped, but I swear I have no pity for you elves, nor your tricks!"

Legolas glanced at Elrohir. Obviously, the man had mistaken him for Elladan. As they stepped closer to the door, and closer to the light, they could all see the man's eyes widen in shock and confusion.

"What kind of sorcery is this, nimir [elf]?!" He let go of Elladan and gave a couple of passes back, as if the mere presence and closeness of the elves was nocive. The orc, too, was surprised. In a pleased sort of way. But he did not move. Instead, he glared at Legolas.

"I know you, Short-hair! You're the one we caught at the mountains! Yes, I remember! It was because of you, Lokgur started that fight! I almost would have thanked you for that, if not for the death of about everyone in my clan! Nardü, leave me this elf, we have unfinished business." Nardü was still surprised with the prisoners, so he did not oppose the orc too much.

"Do what you will with him, but you must hurry, and be sure he lives. My King would not be pleased to find you killed his captive! And nor would I, urkan [orc]." He threatened, but Glaukh's face only contorted into a fell smile full of malice and mocking.

"Yes, yes, Your Great Highness will have his time with this sneaky elf, after I'm done with him!" He entered the cell and spoke menacingly to Legolas. "Now, come, and don't fight me! Or your friends here shall pay for your mistakes!" The orc grabbed an arm, threw the elf to the ground and kicked him viciously. He took the keys from his hand and passed them to Nardü.

More orcs appeared at the dungeons then, and Glaukh gave his orders in their foul dialect. Each picked an arm and dragged the elf away. Nardü just pushed Elladan inside with his foot and then locked the remaining three inside.

As soon as the door had closed, Elrohir was by his brother's side, looking for any major wounds. To his relief, he found none. Estel watched them both with teary eyes, guilt building up inside him.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault! I followed you out of Rivendell! I just heard mother talking to someone else about our home being far to the West, and I thought you were going there! And now we're all here and we'll never get out! And it's all my fault!" Elrohir got up, and again held the youth with a fierce grip by the shoulders.

"Never say that, Estel! Ever! It's not your fault! You did what you thought best at the time, and even though it may not have been the wisest thing to do, it did not cause these men to exist, it did not cause these men to hunt us, and it certainly did not cause for any of this to happen! Do you hear me? You did that which you thought best, and no one can put any kind of blame on you for it!" On a more light tone, he added, "Next time, though, you might want to tell someone else when you decide to do something like this again. Do you understand?"

"No, but I trust you..."

"As you should! I promise you, we'll all get out of this."

~*~

The orcs dropped Legolas in an empty room, not far from where they'd been. It was poorly iluminated, the only source of light being a torch that Glaukh carried. There was an old chandelier, hanging from the ceiling, but it wasn't used anymore. At least by the men, it wasn't.

One of the orcs tightly bound his hands with a black rope. The other end of that rope, however, was thrown up to the chandelier, and thus the orcs raised the elf in the middle of the room. Then, Glaukh approached Legolas again.

"Last time, I didn't get to finish with you, but now, I don't see anything or anyone to stop me. Do you?" He laughed and held up a knife, so that the elf could see it, before ripping his clothes and exposing the skin of his back and chest. "Do you remember this?" He showed him a whip, the one with metal shards in it.

Legolas' face was neutral throughout the whole thing. Glaukh was trying to scare him, but he would not let that happen. What was really bothering him then was actually his position. His arms were aching from both previous weariness and the force being applied to them by the rope.

But soon his thoughts were diverted, as a first blow landed on his back. It burnt his flesh, more than he was willing to admit even to himself. It had to be so, for otherwise, he would have cried out. Strike after strike, his back was being reduced to bare and exposed muscle, and Legolas had to let go of some of the tension he was forcing upon himself. "Ai! It burns!"

Glaukh stopped, and returned to face the elf with an evil grin across his face. "Does it, now... I have an idea." He fetched the torch from one of the others and got it close to the elf's chest. Legolas' eyes betrayed his panic, and Glaukh knew it. He was trying to get his head as far away from the flames as the bonds allowed him to. "What about this? Does this burn, elf? Or even better..." He moved again, and this time placed the fire near the elf's back. "How about this?"

Legolas could not help it. On untouched skin was one thing, but on the abbused places, the flames were simply too painful to resist quietly, and so, he had to yell. "Ai! Ustas! Stop, it burns!" The mountain goblin took great pleasure in hearing those pleas, but, as usual with the orcs and goblins, he tired of the game. He dropped the torch and, again, picked his knife and came before Legolas.

"I've had enough. I despise your kind, and now it's time for you to join the same fate as all the others that are captured. It's time for you to die." He pressed the blade against the fragile skin of Legolas' neck, slowly cutting and drawing blood. But before the gash could get any deeper, the door burst open, and in came an irate Nardü.

"What are you doing, urkan?! Did I not tell you that he was to be kept alive?! I heard screams and decided to see what was going on here, and this is what I find?!" He took out his sword and killed Glaukh. Turning to the others, he warned them. "Tell any of this to your leader, and you will regret it. Try to finish what he started, and you will regret it. Have I made myself clear?" The other two just nodded in response. "Good. Now get him off that, and take him back to the dungeons. Put him on the same cell as the others."

~*~

"Are you sure he is who you claim him to be?" The orc captain was pressing the King. He needed to be certain of what he was going to take to Sauron.

"Yes, I'm sure, do not question me! I saw him this morning, and those eyes fool no one. He has the same eyes as his father and his looks too, and those, neither I nor my men, shall ever forget, for as long as we live!"

"Yes, yes, old man... I don't care for your stories. My master will not be pleased if you are mistaken. He'll have my head, and yours! Again I ask, are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! I'll never forget that day... It was all Arathorn's fault! This eye and this life... and now his son, the little Phazän [Prince], shall finally pay!" He stressed the word 'Phazän', intended to be an insult, rather than a word of respect.

***

One little drop.

It was all it would take for Azgarä to achieve his goal. He would lead the Dúnedain, he would be Chieftain, not that arrogant Arathorn! He'd killed his family already, due to lack of firm leading! He'd allowed those orcs to come near, strike that camp and slay freely all those in it! Well, no more...

One little drop of poison on his wine-filled goblet and it would be done. But where was that fool of a servant? He should have been back already. Night had fallen and the feast for the celebration of the anniversary of Arathorn's child would start soon. He needed the poison, and he needed it now!

Suddenly, the door to his chambers was opened and in came Arathorn, accompanied by guards, and Nüphnaru, the servant, was thrown in. They all bore an accusative face towards Azgarä and he knew his plans had been discovered.

"Nüphnaru, you fool! You betrayed me! And none who betray me live!" He seized a small knife and killed the servant right there on the spot. Then, turned to the Chieftain.

"And you..."

"Azgarä, I am not one to kill another man, but thy treason and thy actions bring nothing less than that upon you! What have you to say?"

"What can I say that would rid me of thy wrath and punishment? Nothing. But I swear I shall have my vengeance, either in life or beyond it, on you and your family!"

Arathorn nodded, and in a solemn voice, he proclaimed.

"Azgarä, here I claim that you shall find no more welcome in any house of Men, from Bree to Esgaroth and from Fornost to Minas Tirith. But I have taken pity on you, and thus, I sentence you to exile."

At this, Azgarä had taken what he knew was his last opportunity, unsheathed his sword and attacked the Chieftain. But the other had a sword as well, and plenty of skill with it. He'd unarmed Azgarä, but not before acidentally striking one of his eyes and blinding him. After that, there was nothing more to be done, and they left Azgarä, and the men still loyal to him, to leave and never return.

When Azgarä had first reached the hills where once Rhudaur lay, he'd found some other stray men. He'd organized them, and choosen this citadel as their dwelling. He'd proclaimed himself King and built his own secret Kingdom. But he never forgot his promise, and that fire for vengeance never stopped burning him on the inside.

***

"You can send word to your master that it is indeed Arathorn's son we have here." King Azgarä then turned to other matters. "I have been told that your numbers have increased. How can this be so, when you were telling me that you would not partake on this capture due to your small numbers?"

"It was no lie as you suggest, old man. Just recently, a goblin clan, from the mountains, took many casualties on some confrontation, and they had to leave their caves. Fortunately for us, we came upon them as we were returning here, from the Ettenmoors, and they joined in with us. I better go to them now, make sure they don't kill anyone... We'll be leaving first thing in the morning." The orc captain left the King alone in his room to his thoughts. They didn't like each other, even being on the same side.

~*~

The next day, the orcs were preparing to leave. They had already assembled at the front of the fortress, and with them was also a very terrified Estel and three elves. They were planning on taking them to their master. Just before they set out, though, several men came forth from inside the citadel, and between them, passed the King.

"What is the meaning of this, urkan?! The child is to stay here, not to go with you, that was the agreed! I shall have my revenge, and you will not be the ones to keep me from it! I have waited too long. I demand that you return him immediately!" The orc captain stepped to the front of his group and answered with a sneer.

"Well, apparently, our agreement has just changed. He goes with us!" The King sent his men forward to surround the orcs, and again he spoke.

"I care little for your master, even though you and others may think I serve him. My men shall slay you all, if need be, but I want that child!"

Completely surrounded, the orcs did the only thing they knew how to do. They attacked the men. Azgarä's folk did not hesitate to respond in turn, and soon, that clearing was immersed in a bloody fight.