A horror and a Final Attempt

The next day they set off again, northeast towards the dark boarders of Mirkwood. They followed the river downstream and then cut off along one of its tributaries that ran straight into the forest realm. Elimay knew that Mirkwood was the nearest elven forest realm to Rhun even though the sea of Rhun was many miles away. To the east of Mirkwood were the Brown Lands and then her homeland. This was the nearest she had come to home in a long while and she felt her stomach turn at the realisation.

"What is your father like?" Elimay asked Legolas, who walked beside her. She could also feel a slight apprehension coming from him at the prospect of returning home after such a long time.

He turned to look at her. "He is somewhat guarded and may appear cold to you, but he hides his feelings."

"Why?" She felt fear at meeting this king that sounded so unlike Legolas.

"Ever since my mother died, he has been withdrawn. Even to me and my older brother Gallion."

"I am sorry," Elimay murmured. She had never really thought about the prince's family and his life but now he had told her a part of it, it surprised her. It made her realise how much she did not know about him.

"It's okay. She died a few years after I was born so I never really knew her. What about your family?"

Elimay swallowed, and turned her gaze from his. "I have my sister Lissy and my mother and of course all the people I have grown up with in the monastery. But my father... he was killed."

She heard Legolas gasp quietly and felt his hand grasp hers and squeeze it softly. "How did he die?"

Doing what she was doing, she thought. But she couldn't tell Legolas that. She sighed deeply and shook her head. She remembered the day when her mother had come into her room. She had seen the look on her face and knew even before she had said anything. The sorrow that she felt that day had never really left her. She only had one choice though and she had to remain emotionless. So far she had avoided going the way of her father, but she realised that her life was going the way that his had. Exactly.

She was drawn from her thoughts when she felt Legolas' arms embrace her and she welcomed the warmth he gave off. She sighed and went to look up at him but was completely surprised when instead she felt his lips brush hers ever so softly. Immediately she pulled away from him, staring at his face with complete amazement. He too looked amazed that he had actually done that. "We should quicken our pace. We need to reach the boarders by evening," he said evenly, as if he hadn't just kissed her. She watched in silent astonishment as he strode away from her and then followed at a distance behind him, pondering over what had just happened.

She knew he was ignoring her, avoiding meeting her eyes, but then she didn't really want to face him. Instead she engaged in conversation with the dwarf.

By evening they reached the boarders and the dark trees towered above them blocking out a lot of the light as they entered. Elimay looked at Legolas who was walking just in front of her, and saw his eyes light up at the sight of his home. There was a new spring in his step and it brought a lit to her heart.

They found a place to camp in a small clearing and lit a fire to stem the cold that was creeping up on them like the night was.

After Elimay had cooked the dinner she got up to go to the toilet. She wondered into the trees, out of view of the camp and looked around. She felt a danger that made her stop suddenly and she froze listening. But before she could do anything she was grabbed and pushed to the ground. She couldn't even scream for help for a hand was clasped over mouth. Opening her eyes she saw an Uruk-Hai on top of her. Its stench almost made her wretch and she could not shake the huge beast off her.

"Woman, stop struggling, I am not here to kill you," it said. The fact that the Uruk-Hai had actually spoken to her instead of eating her alive was enough to make her stop struggling.

"Why are you here then?" she asked as soon as it had taken its claws from her mouth.

"I bring a message from your master. He is giving you one last chance to fulfil your duty."

Elimay raised her eyebrows but then frowned. "And what if I don't?"

The Uruk-Hai smirked and she dreaded the answer. "Your mother and sister are his captives. If you do not fulfil it he will kill them both."

Elimay let out a small cry of fear and clenched her fists tightly. Her family was his captive and now she had no choice. Mutely she nodded and they Uruk-Hai got up. She rose to her feet and looked at the beast before her.

"You know he will see if you fail," it said. Again she nodded and watched it disappear into the near darkness.

She stood there for a few moments, trying to fight the tears that threatened to fall. She could not fail or her family would die. She took a deep breath, making her emotions fall to the back of her sub-conscious and reached down to her boot, pulling the dagger out. She raised the weapon to her face, seeing the light from the moon above run down the length of the blade. In her mind's eye it was already tainted with red blood. She drew in another breath and turned back to the camp, picking her way silently through the undergrowth.

She crouched behind a bush and saw that Gimli was asleep already. Legolas was stood at the far edge of the clearing, scanning the area for any danger. Her wall of remorseless almost shattered seeing him there. He was so beautiful and perfect that it seemed such a sin to extinguish such a life from this world.

He turned back to the camp and sat with his back to her, before the fire. Now was the time. Getting a grip on herself by thinking of her family, she stepped from the bush making no sound what so ever. Her dagger was poised in front of her and she crept towards him. His head was bowed, inspecting his arrows again. As she stood behind him she looked over his shoulder to see his slender fingers searching the arrow for splits and unevenness. She moved her dagger towards his throat, readying to make the quick movement that would kill him.

The metal was almost touching his skin when suddenly, quick as lightning; she was grabbed and thrown over his shoulder to the ground. He grabbed the dagger throwing it out of her hand, and straddled her, pinning her arms over her head.

"No!" she screamed, sobbing loudly enough to wake the dead. Her tears fell in streams down her cheeks and her body shook with sobs. "Get off me!"

She tried to break free but he was too strong, his hands almost stopping the blood flow in her wrists.

"No." She shook her head and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, trying to make it all go away. She had failed! Her family would be killed. Grief overtook her and she ceased her struggling, giving up the fight.

"No... no," she muttered over and over again.

When she opened her eyes finally, she saw Legolas staring down at her, his eyes mixed with anger and annoyance. When he saw the grief that had filled her eyes though, his heart almost broke. "Eli," he said, a little harsher than he had meant.

"There is no use for my life now. Kill me prince and your anger will be lessened," she murmured though quiet sobs.

"Eli, I'm not going to kill you..."

"Please," she cried, begging him. "Kill me now."

"No!" he shouted. "You must tell me everything."

Elimay looked up at him and knew that it would do no good to hide the truth from him any longer. She had failed anyway. She would not loose anything by telling him, but at least she would die knowing that she had not meant for him to hate her. She swallowed and caught his gaze with hers. "You want to know the whole truth?"

He nodded. "Who is your master?"

"My master is Saruman."

Legolas gasped and looked down at her in amazement. "Saruman? But I thought he lost his powers?"

She nodded. "Yes. That is why he needed people like me to do his bidding. The only power he has is that of the lost Palantir. Long ago, my father was employed by him to kill a young elven maiden named Tru. In return the lands of Rhun; his homeland would remain untouched by his forces of orcs and Uruk- Hai. But when my father tried to kill her, he fell in love with her. Back then Saruman did not have the seeing stone and my father was able to hide Tru in the monastery, pretending that he had killed her. They made their lives in Rhun and had two children, Lissy and me. But when Saruman got the Palantir during the war of the ring, he saw what my father had done, and killed him. My mother told us that we weren't to ever go the way of him but I knew that the only way to save my family was to replace him. I offered my services in return for the protection of them and my friends at the monastery. And so that is how I came to be your assassin."

Legolas stared at her, everything suddenly making sense. Every one of her actions were explained and he respected her for her courage and commitment to save her family. "But what made you suddenly try to kill me just now? You said you had failed."

She had told him what had happened in the forest and his eyes widened in horror. "My family will be killed and I have failed them. My whole life has been for nothing."

Legolas got off her and helped her sit up, still a bit wary. "That's not true. I know just the person to help you and he is staying in Mirkwood this very moment."

"Who?" Elimay asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Gandalf."

She gasped and suddenly there was a light at the end of the tunnel. There was hope. She had heard of Gandalf and his death and rebirth. "Will he help me?" she asked.

"Saruman is an enemy to him and he would seize any opportunity to overthrow him."

"Oh," she gasped, her lips breaking into a small smile. The grief in her eyes had nearly disappeared and she flung her arms round the prince, so glad that he was there. "I am sorry," she cried.

"Don't be," he murmured, pulling her tight to his chest. She was so overjoyed that she felt like jumping up and down, but restrained herself, telling herself that it wasn't over yet.

"Thank you," she whispered pulling away enough to look up at him. "I know I do not deserve your help but I appreciate it."

He smiled. "If we are going to succeed in this rescue, we better get going."

Releasing himself from her he got to his feet and shook Gimli. "We're going," he said to the sleepy dwarf.

"What!? It's the middle of the night!" he protested.

"We need to get to my father's house fast," Legolas said, putting out the fire and grabbing his bag.