Chapter 10    

Aragorn looked more closely around the site. Legolas was right, they had been ambushed by a great number. The orcs had moved swiftly and confidently into the Elven hold. Every hiding hole and safe house had been attacked. They knew what they wanted and how to carry it out.

"Oh, the horror" Gilmi muttered starting around disconnected and pale.

They had been massacred swiftly and brutally.

"We can not leave them like this" Sam stirred Aragorn's spinning mind back into the presence. He was right of course. They couldn't leave everything like it is.

"At least we that get them down" he didn't look in the direction of the hung Elders but everyone knew of who he spoke of.

 The travellers stood in a lose knot around the burial ground they had prepared for the Elders and many of the other elves they could identify. They stood in silence; head bowed with Aragorn's sad words of remembrance and pray still floating in the air.

 Cassione stood aside not listening to Aragorn's words but staring around salvaging weapons and treasures, muttering to herself. One hand firmly pressed around her collar.

"Cassione, won't you join us?" Jacob asked her, watching her swoop and pick up a felled elven arrow.

"No" she replied coldly.

"Weren't these your people? Aragorn and the others mourn for them"

"I don't care"

"You don't care! How can you not?"

"You don't care about them"

"I do!"

"No you don't. You don't even like elves"

"Oh, then why I am part of a company that has two elves?"

"One"

"Sorry?"

"Only one elf. The other does not deserve that name"

"Why not?"

Cassione looked up. "Because I said so"

Jacob frowned.

"Now go away"

"We have orders to fulfil"

"Not anymore"

"Why not?"

Cassione straightened and sighed.

"Well, I very well can't lead any elven army of Lothlórien can I?"

"Oh. What about Rivendell of Mirkwood?"

"They have their own leaders"

"I see"

"But I do have an army"

"What? You do? Where?"

"You will see"

"Who are they then? Elves? Men? Something else, surely not dwarves?"

"No, orc"

Jacob could not utter a cry before she felled him, her elven sword bloodied. 

Legolas glanced to Cassione pottering around, alone, unhindered. He wondered if she even cared for those who had fallen here, she had not shown any emotion for them. He had seen Jacob approach her but not return, he imagined her furry when he attempted to comfort her. She never really enjoyed others being sympatric to her, in fact she hated it. He could remember when he went to comfort her after she fell and cut her leg once, she snapped at him and hit hard in the face and continued to play with her wound as if enjoying the pain and seeing her own blood spill. Ever since he had been more cautious around her. Jacob most have received a face full as he had not returned yet. He turned back to the stone faced faces of his companions; they stood still shock and lost. This had not been expected it had taken then all by surprise and now they stood lost and confused on what to do next.

 He was surprised by his own clarity he had recovered quickly from the sickness he had witnessed and was able to see a way forward. They would have to continue onwards and stop this from happening to other races or their will be none left to fight against the evil and shadows.

 He spun to look at Cassione expecting to see Jacob returning, but he saw her standing alone playing with her sword tip in the spoilt soil, one hand clasping her collar. He squinted he could have sworn he saw something flash red. There it was again, red on her blade tip. He shivered. It was blood.

 He sprung from the circle of mourners towards her and very quickly looked over her from a distance she was not wounded. He spun his eyes left and right looking for something, anything that would unlock this puzzle. Jacob, where was he?

"Lost something?"

Legolas spun, Cassione was staring at him her blade slightly raised.

He ignored her and spun away searching for the young man.

 The ground had been so squashed and ruined he could hardly make out any footprints.

"Looking for him?"

 He stopped dead, Cassione was standing in front of him now, her blade raised with one foot resting on something. He stole a glance downwards. She stood on Jacob's slain body.

"He was far too curious for my liking."

"You –"

"That's right the nosey git deserved it. Said I was heartless"

"But that's no reason to kill him. He just doesn't understand you"

"And I suppose you do?"

"Not really, but I think I know you slightly better then he did"

"Oh really" she stepped closer, raising her blade in a threatening manner. "Well I don't think you do"

Legolas stood his ground.

"What has happened to you? You are much changed since I saw you last"

"Just an age of neglect and abandonment, but all this is about to change. Soon Middle-Earth as we know it will be changed"

Legolas frowned slightly, his mind ticking.

"The door of opportunity has been opened and I am passing through without a backwards glance" she griped her sword with both hands and stepped forward again.

Legolas stepped back, his eyes wide he suddenly understood.

"I have a new Master now, far better then any Elven Lord or Lady. A dark, all powerful Lord"

Legolas' hands pulled free his twin blades; he did not intend to attack but to defend if he must.

She was delirious as Frodo became at times.

The Ring of Power hanging from a chain round her neck.

She swept her blade in an arc where his head had been; he ducked and rolled from underneath her blows. She lunged forward, trusting putting her weight behind her speedy blow. He just managed to par it with his mortal flexes he was shocked – she intended to kill him!

"You're not yourself, Cassione"

"Oh, I'm more awake and aware then I have ever been. While you and the company seek pathetic little Gollum who do you think has been scheming behind you all this time. Do you really think Gollum would have the nerve to feed Sauron? He's too small to think of it the Ring deserted him for that reason!"

She swept her blade low at Legolas' feet, but he jumped aside, surprised by his new found speed.
 "But the Ring was found by that Hobbit then passed to little Frodo. You thought it destroyed but no he had failed. Gollum had stolen it back"

"The Tower fell – I saw it!"

"The Dark Lord is good at deceiving many"

She barged forwards knocking Legolas off balance and into a tree with Cassione pushing against him trying to force up his blades to attack their wielder.

"Gollum did indeed posses the Ring once more, but not for long."
"But why did you take it?"

"Such a pathetic creature like Gollum did not deserve such a powerful tool, he was wasting an opportunity to be something great and powerful"

"Sauron does not share power" he hissed under the strain of her pushing his blades towards his throat. He kicked at her knees and she recoiled cursed at him.

Enraged to speed at him, her swipes too fast for him to par. They hit him with such speed and power he bowed and stumbled. She paused and kicked his feet from beneath him. His knives fell clumsily from his grasps.

"Goodbye, Legolas" she stood over him, sword poised.

He closed his eyes excepted the blow, but it never came.