Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Warning: Cliffhanger ahead. Mild Violence. Review responses follow the chapter.

Dark Introductions

Galen called into the dark opening of the cave "Atavus. It's me Galen."

There was no answer, but the soft sound of an arrow being notched into a bow was heard somewhere above them from the trees. Legolas turned and drew his own bow pointing in the direction that the noise came from.

"Atavus. Did you not here me. It's me Galen."

"I heard you. Who do you have with you?" Words drifted down from the trees.

"These are two new friends. Strider and Legolas. Can you please come down? I need to speak to you about something." Galen called out to her.

A moment later she landed lightly between the mouth of the cave and the men seeking her. Her bow was still drawn and pointed at Legolas. "Galen you better tell your new friend to drop his bow, or you will be minus one new friend."

"Come now. I told you they were friends. There is no need in this. Please both of you drop your weapons." Galen tried to calm the situation.

Legolas looked at the woman before him. She was beautiful even by elven standards, but there was something about her that just seemed wrong. For one thing there was no elven glow about her like most all elves. Yes that glow can be diminished by each individual elf if they want to. But it seemed to him that there was no glow at all, and for some reason the closer she got to him he felt something that almost seemed as if he was cold. But elves don't feel the cold. So how could that be?

She was the first to lower her weapon. "Galen you haven't come looking for me in years. Why are you here now?"

"Atavus we are leaving." He said, and Aragorn could here the tremble to his voice. Was the man afraid of her, he wondered?

She looked sharply at him. "What do you mean Galen? Who's leaving?"

"We all are. The entire village. We decided last night. We want to get away from Mordor. We have lived in the evil shadow far too long." He seemed hesitant at the next words. "We want you to come with us."

"Do you Galen?" she asked.

"Of course we do. You are as much a part of our people as any of us." Galen pleaded. "You have been with me for 30 years now. It wouldn't be the same without you."

"Galen your people are as much afraid of me as they are the orcs. You know it." She turned as to walk into the cave behind her.

"Why would an elf want to stay here?" Aragorn decided to try to help his new friend convince her.

She turned back to them. "I have no fear of these woods."

"But you'll be alone." He tried again.

"I already am." She answered

"In a way yes. But from what Galen says you protect the people of his village. So after they are gone, what will you have to do?" He was sure his words would change her mind. He didn't know why but he didn't want her to stay here. He knew nothing of her, but he did not feel that she belonged here.

"I'll do what I'm good at." She stated quietly. "Kill orcs."

The iciness of her words made them all shiver.

"Listen we leave in a fortnight. I want you to come with us. Just think about it please." Galen pleaded again. They had been through too much together and he owed her too much just to leave her there.


A few days later in the village Aragorn and Legolas sat alone after their evening meal. For some reason Legolas had been very silent since they had met the elven woman. "What is it my friend?" Aragorn asked concerned.

Legolas looked at him not knowing exactly how to put what he wanted into words. "Strider I want to leave here. I know you planned on staying until they leave so we can help them make it to Rohan, but I want to leave now."

"I know being this close to Mordor bothers you, but I do believe these people will need our help. I can't just abandon them." Aragorn knew his friend was brave. He would not dispute that, but there was something else in his eyes that he didn't understand. It almost seemed like fear. "There is something else isn't there? It's not just Mordor."

"It's that elf. There is something very wrong with her. I can feel it. I have been freezing cold ever since we spoke to her." He shivered thinking of it. "I don't want to travel all the way to Rohan with her."

"Legolas are you sure there is nothing wrong with you? I didn't feel anything wrong with her. You weren't wounded by those orcs we escaped from were you?" Aragorn started to move towards his friend his healing instincts kicking in.

"No, no I'm fine." Legolas said pushing Aragorn's hands away. "It's just a bad feeling. You have to be able to understand that."

"Yes I understand, but I just don't feel it. I guess I feel like these people do, totally at ease. Why I don't know. I guess it's the same way I feel when I'm asleep at night and you are on watch. I feel safe." Usually when one of them sensed something wrong so did the other, but this time Aragorn just did not feel it.

"Maybe it's just me. I don't know. I will be fine mellon-nin. Don't worry." He knew Aragorn's sense of duty would not let him leave even if it would make Legolas feel better.


Galen's people had decided to head for Rohan in the hopes of settling under the rule of King Thengel near Edoras. They had made it through the woods of Northern Ithilien and were starting the march across the plains of the Anórein above the White Mountains. There had been no sightings of orcs as they traveled through the woods, but every so often Aragorn or Legolas would see something moving in the shadows. Galen assured them that it was just Atavus watching over them. "She has watched over us until now. I am not sure if she will leave the woods and come with us or not." They camped that night outside the edge of the woods.

The next morning Aragorn heard an unfamiliar voice as he woke. He looked towards the fire that he was sleeping near and could see Galen and Atavus talking on the other side. He sat up and realized that Legolas was sitting beside him saying nothing just staring at them. "I will see you to Edoras then I leave." She was saying.

"Why not stay with us?" Galen asked hoping.

"You know I could not live like that. Too many people. I need to be alone." She said calmly.

"No I don't know that. You lived with me for 10 years. There were always people around. It didn't bother you then." He said angrily.

"I had no choice. You know that better than anyone." Was her only answer. Galen's face went pale. The reminder that she had been his property during those 10 years felt like a slap to his face.

"I'm sorry Atavus." He began to say.

She shook her head. "What's in the past should remain in the past my friend." She said glancing to the others surrounding the fire. Her years of slavery were not something she wanted the strangers to know of.

"I still wish you'd stay with us. I'll miss you. I have missed you the last 15 years that you turned into a hermit in the woods." He whispered not wanting the private words to reach the others.

"I will always be your friend." She whispered back. She stood then and walked off into the woods wanting to say her goodbyes to the forest that had been her home.

Aragorn turned to Legolas and asked in a whispered tone. "Do you still feel uneasy?"

"Yes. We must keep our eyes open in the days to come." He whispered back.

The next two days were for the most part uneventful as they started the long journey to Edoras. On the second night though all seemed more on edge. Aragorn seemed to sense something evil near them. He looked to Legolas who was standing near on an outcropping of rocks to the south. "Legolas." He called.

"Something follows us." His bow was pulled and ready as the first attacker dove towards them. "Wargs."

All those that had weapons stood to fight. Legolas shot the first warg as it flew through the air aiming for Galen. To the horror of the frightened people the next two wargs that appeared carried orc riders. The clearing they were in soon became very crowded as more orcs and wargs descended upon them. Aragorn and Legolas fought back to back as they were used to protecting each other and Legolas noticed that Galen and Atavus were doing the same.

At some point Legolas and Aragorn were separated from each other, and Legolas found himself protecting a small group of women and children that had huddled together near the rock outcropping he had stood on earlier. His elven knives flashed in the moonlight as he slashed an attacker from the right and then one on the left. He could see that all the wargs were dead and there were not many orcs left, but the ones that were left were intent upon reaching the children he defended.

He turned as one orc attempted to sneak behind him to snatch a child skewering it through the heart, and then turned quickly to slice through the arm of another who had just barely clipped his shoulder. He could see Aragorn fighting his way towards him over the orcs before him. But to his horror he saw an orc right behind his friend, with blade raised ready to plunge it through his heart. "Strider! Behind you." He called a warning.

Aragorn saw the fear in his friend's eyes and turned just in time to see the orc behind him decapitated. Atavus stood there brandishing a orc blade she had picked up from a dead foe. He nodded once then continued to fight.

After the fighting Aragorn went straight into healing mode checking all the injuries. They had lost six of the villagers and there was one with a wound that looked to be poisoned, plus various other small injuries.

"20 years of peace. I had forgotten what it was like to lose friends." Galen said closing the eyes of one of the dead.

"Yes well if we don't do something soon you will lose one more friend Galen. This mans wound is poisoned. I can treat it with the herbs I have with me, but there is no guarantee when it comes to morgul poisoning." Aragorn said inspecting the shoulder wound.

Atavus was standing nearby and heard the words she dreaded. Galen looked to her. Aragorn could see the silent plea between them. She nodded slowly, and then walked over by Aragorn kneeling next to the wounded man. "Let me see." She said quietly.

Aragorn looked to Galen confused. "Let her. She can help."

She began to talk softly to the man lying on the ground. "Your name's Arvis isn't it?"

"Yes mam." He said weakly. She looked at the wound and could see the black tendrils of poison shooting out under his skin.

"Well Arvis you know you are poisoned right." He just nodded his head. "I can help you, if you will trust me." He nodded again. Legolas had knelt on the other side of the man curious as to what she was doing. "This won't hurt and soon you will feel much better." Her soft smile reassured the wounded man.

"Now I want you to look over there at Legolas, and this won't take but a few moments." He did as she said. Atavus then took a dagger from her ankle sheath and sliced through the skin of her own palm. All could see the blood seep from her hand, but it looked strange. It was a much darker red than any Aragorn had ever seen. She then laid her palm on the mans shoulder wound and closed her eyes. No sound was heard but they could see the black poison receding from under the man's skin. When she finally broke contact and pulled her hand away, Aragorn washed the wound and inspected it as he wrapped a clean bandage around it.

"The poison is gone." He said incredibly. "How did you do that?"

Her eyes were still closed and Galen had moved over so she could lean against him. "Not now. She needs to rest." He said pulling her up and leading her to the fire where he bandaged her hand. "Lay down. I'll get blankets."


Review Responses

Deana: Thanks, I actually know it's not Elvin but for some reason my spell check doesn't. I'll fix it.

viggomaniac: I agree with you on both points. I gotta get my slang problem under control. And I think sometimes when I write I go to fast to notice small things like missing commas. I have reread and fixed a couple of things on the first chapter but for some reason the story editor isn't letting me replace it. I'll figure it out and try to get it fixed.