Disclaimer: chapter 1 please.

Review Responses:

Slayer3: I'm trying to watch the trailer, but QuickTime doesn't run to quick on my pc. If I weren't afraid of messing it up and not being able to update I'd kick the stupid machine. Yes Uglúk is evil.

Deana: Here's 5. Is that quick enough?

Karone Evertree: Yeah I know Atavus was beginning to lose it there for a while, but thanks to Estel, she's back on track, and kicking butt. Actually I have to give credit where it is do. The idea for Uglúk to be her brother was my husbands. He suggested it last month when I was writing Blood, but I didn't like it at the time. It disgusted me too much. But after some careful thought, and severe plot bunny attacks it seemed to fall into place. So poor Atavus is stuck with a lying, murdering orc brother, who doesn't seem to ever die. (Oops I wasn't supposed to say that yet.)

Unexpected Help

Estel had traveled for a day and a half, only stopping to give Legolas water from time to time. He still had not gained consciousness, which greatly worried the Ranger. No matter how often he called to him there was no response.

He was just entering the forests surrounding Rivendell when he came across a clearing that had a small steam running through it. He stopped there for a short while placing his friend on the forest floor and using his own cloak as a pillow to support his head. His arms were becoming quite sore from carrying the elf. True elves were much lighter than humans, but his arms had been in the same position for many, many hours. He bent to the stream to refill their water skins. His mind was in complete turmoil. Legolas was in bad shape, and he had no idea whether Atavus was even alive or not. He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice the light foot steps come up behind him, until he had a knife at his throat. He froze, trying to formulate a plan in his muddled mind.

"It is not often that we can sneak up on him like this. His mind must be quite far away." He heard a familiar voice, and let out a deep sigh. As the knife was drawn away he turned to see Elladan standing behind him with a smug look on his face.

The tired haggard look of his brother's face wiped the smug look away. "What is it Estel? What has happened?" He said kneeling beside his brother. Elrohir kneeled also noticing the concern in his twin's voice.

Estel leaned into his brother, and for the first time in a long time let his emotions out. He cried like he had when he was a small child, needing comfort. "It's okay Estel. You are here with us. Where are Legolas and Atavus?" He said looking around the clearing and for the first time noticed the elf who was several feet away from them lying on the forest floor.

Estel pulled away wiping the tears away. He hadn't broke down like that since he was a child, but his hopeless situation had taken such a hard toll on him. They stood and crossed to where Legolas was. "He is alive, but unconscious." Estel said showing the twins the wounds that covered his body.

"Who did this?" Elladan growled in anger. "And where is Atavus?"

"Uglúk the orc. He had a trap set for us. He captured Legolas, and did this to him before we could find him." Estel said kneeling to give Legolas some more of the water, watching to make sure his throat still swallowed the water.

"The orc who tortured us at Dol Guldur." Elrohir asked in astonishment. "I thought Atavus killed him."

"So did we. He has a special grudge against Atavus, and her kind. He had a brother who was like her. He said he killed him." Estel paused not being able to say the words that haunted his soul.

"But Atavus." Elrohir said wondering if the creature had killed her and Estel did not want to say it.

"She traded herself to him as a prisoner, to gain Legolas' freedom." Estel said looking to the ground, and then finished with the words he hated to say. "I had to leave her there, to bring Legolas to Rivendell." They were said and he felt the most guilt he had ever felt in his life.

Elladan stared at his brother. He could see how his soul was torn in two at the moment. It was a decision that would be hard for the strongest of beings to make. "Estel when you left was she injured?"

"No just Legolas."

"And you thought that Legolas might die if you did not leave?" Elladan asked.

"He might still. I cannot bring him out of this state he is in. Nothing will wake him. I was hoping Ada would know what to do." Estel answered.

"You did what you had to Estel. Atavus made a sacrifice for Legolas. If you did not get him to safety, her sacrifice would be for nothing. She knew that Estel. She wanted that." Elladan said trying to comfort his brother.

Estel nodded his head and stood to his feet, knowing his brother was right. "We must hurry and get Legolas to Ada. Then I must go back. I promised her I would come for her. Hopefully it is not too late."

The twins had their horses with them. They each took one of the two friends on the horses and made for home as fast a possible.


Atavus wandered slowly through the tunnels. She had lost more blood than she had originally thought. Her body was threatening to shut down on her. She thought to herself 'Just put one foot in front of the other. It's easy. Don't stop to think of the pain. Don't stop to think of the horrible things you now know. Just put one foot in front of the other.' And that is what she did until she reached the mouth of the cave. It was nighttime when she left the cave. She wandered a little farther away from the cave entrance and found a grassy spot to lie down in. She rolled on her back looking to the millions of stars in the heavens.

She was free, but her heart was heavy and the sight of the Star of Eärendil, which normally brought her hope, only mocked her now. No matter what she looked like she was not an elf, and would never be one. She would not eventually sail across the sea to the Undying Lands, as her loved ones surely would. She would not die, and find herself in the Halls of Mandos. She would either go on forever, as she eventually learned to hate life, or die and just cease to exist.

She also thought of her orc brother. He was not right. She was not like him, but she was not like the elves either. She was something that really had no place in this world. That thought brought much sorrow to her, and the tears began to fall. Finally her body's need for rest took her, as she fell asleep with her eyes closed.

Something woke her and her body suddenly tensed. Her eyes were still closed, but she could tell that morning had come from the feel of sunlight on her face. The feel of sunlight was suddenly blocked as something foul crouched over her. She could hear sniffing noises. She slid her eyes open just far enough to see the monstrous warg kneeling above her, its face but mere inches from hers. She had left all her weapons in the tunnels. The beast smelled her once more then made a loud growling noise in the back of its throat. It wasn't sure whether to attack or not. It could smell orc blood, which it knew belonged to the ones who commanded it, but it could also smell elf blood, which was its favorite meal. Hunger overcame it, as dipped it's mouth down aiming for its victims throat.

"No." She screamed raising her arm to shield her throat. The creature was startled at the sound, but clamped down on the arm anyway. Atavus screamed with the pain, as she started to kick at the beast that held her down.

She knew unarmed and caught unawares as she had been, she was surely going to die, but was surprised when the beast let go of her arm. She could see the cloudy look in the creature's eyes, as it rolled off of her. She could see a small dagger with elvish script engraved on the handle, imbedded in the base of the creature's neck. It was her dagger, but she had left it back in the tunnel embedded in the ribcage of the orc.

She looked in the direction of the cave mouth and saw the orc standing there holding his ribs where she had stabbed him. He had thrown the knife with expert aim as he killed the warg. She groaned loudly. She was in too much pain to stand and fight him, but she knew she would have to. "Damn you to the void Uglúk, can't you just kill me or die yourself? I'm too tired to do this anymore." She pushed herself up on her elbows, reaching over with her left arm and pulling the dagger from the warg's neck. Her right arm was useless now after being chewed on by the beast.

She looked to the orc expecting it to rush her, but was shocked to see him collapse to the ground landing on his bottom. He just sat there, looking as tired as she felt. "I'm too tired to kill you, and I might just die after all." He said coughing up more blood.

"Then why in the world did you just kill that warg? It was going to do the job for you." She asked also sitting up, as she shook her head in confusion.

He looked at her for a moment not sure what to say. "Because I guess if anything is going to kill you, I want it to be me."

She made a snorting noise, and then laughed without humor. "Well I am getting up and leaving here. I can see that you are in no shape to follow me. But I promise that I won't let anyone else, but you, kill me okay?"

"You aren't going to finish what you started? I am unarmed and you have a dagger in your hand." He asked looking down at the blood flowing between his fingers where he held his ribs.

"As you said, you are unarmed. And no matter what you say I am no murderer. You have a chance to survive if you take care of yourself, but if you don't it's your own fault." She didn't really believe by the looks of him that he would survive no matter what. . But she wasn't going to become one of them, just to claim revenge. Her anger had left her, and she was just plain exhausted. She then stood and left the orc behind, wishing she could leave her pain filled heart behind also.

As she traveled she remembered her thoughts from the night before. She had to accept the fact that no matter how hard she wished she were an elf, she was not. She wasn't even really an orc. There was no other real name for her kind except the one she had been labeled with as a child. She was throwback. She knew of no other living one of her kind. No one would ever be able to understand what it was to be what she was. She wondered if she should even go back to Rivendell. Was it really right for her kind to be there? She did not know the answer.

But then her thoughts turned to her friends. Whether they understood her or not, they accepted her, and they loved her. That was something she had never hoped for in all of her years in Mordor. Rivendell and its people had become her family and friends, and whether or not she belonged there, it was where she wanted to be the most. She just hoped that it would still feel like home.


Author's Note: Well there are about two more chapters, and then this one will be wrapped up. Then it's on to the sequel, which is mapped out in my head, but I don't have a title for it yet. (Go figure.)