Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

Review Responses:

Slayer3: What's bad is this is a brand new computer, which has all the bells and whistles. Less than 3 months old. I'll have to wait till they start the commercials on T.V. But that will be hard since I don't even watch T.V.

Karone Evertree: Well as I said before the idea disgusted me at first, but then the plot bunnies got me, so yep. Yeah well I see Uglúk as feeling like he can hurt her, but no one else can. Almost possessive in a way. Maybe that sounds weird. I don't know. You decide.

manveri mirkiel: Please don't kill my orc yet. I still need him. I'm sorry, but the throwback brother had to die to show how twisted Uglúk really is. But in a way it also shows that he is not exactly like the other orcs either. He doesn't only kill just because he's told to. He kills for his own reasons too. Or chooses not to kill for that matter.

I'll warn you, don't touch my plot bunnies. They bite if provoked.

There is so much more to the story of Atavus, that if you did find me and did convince me to tell you the rest we would be talking for days. But anyway I am certainly glad that you like her. In my lifetime I have probably written over 100 fics, most of which no one will ever see, but out of all my characters I like Atavus the best, and it pleases me that others like her too. By the way she loves hugs too. (And boy is she gonna need them)

It's In the Eyes

"Ada, what do you think?" Estel asked watching his friend as his father examined him.

"His injuries are healing Estel. I think the blood loss was quite staggering though, and that is why he has not so far awakened. I do believe he will soon though. Now for you my son." Lord Elrond turned to his son with worried eyes.

"Ada, I cannot stay. I have to go back for Atavus. I promised her." Estel stated pulling away from his father.

"It has been days since you slept ion-nin. Please at least rest until morning. It is the darkest part of night now. In the morning, you and your brothers, will go retrieve Atavus, and then our family will be whole again." Estel did not miss the word 'family'. Yes Lord Elrond had accepted Atavus as one of their own. "Do not fear for her Estel. I feel she will be safe."

"Have you had a vision?" Estel hoped it was so.

"No, it is but a feeling, but a strong one." Elrond answered smiling at his son. He then led the man to the next chamber through the connecting door. His room was ready as it always was when he came home. He wanted to leave immediately to help Atavus, but his father's words had given him courage, and he had to admit that his eyes would not stay open for much longer. If only he was born an elf, he could have withstood the many days without sleep.

He did not waste time undressing and sunk down in the bed as he was, drifting into sleep as soon as his head landed on the pillow. Lord Elrond looked up and saw his twin sons watching from the doorway. "You slipped a sleeping herb into the drink you gave him when we arrived, didn't you?" Elrohir asked.

"He needs sleep. I want Atavus back as much as he does, but he won't bring her back if he gets himself killed, because he's suffering from exhaustion." Lord Elrond answered leaving the room with his sons following him.

"And Legolas?" Elladan asked.

"I am sure he will be awake by morning. Will one of you sit with him tonight? I don't want him to wake up and be confused. I'm sure the last thing he remembers is being tortured by the orc. He might panic as he awakens." Elrond was not sure how much mental damage the elf had sustained during the torture. Estel had told him of the screams he had heard. That was most unlike Legolas.

"I will sit with him." Elrohir volunteered.

"We both will." Elladan added.

"Just make sure he knows that he is safe." Elrond left his sons and continued on to his study.

He tried to think of Atavus, willing his mental vision to see her, but there was nothing there. Either she was blocking all intrusions on her mind, or she just wasn't there anymore. He hoped his first thought was the right one. He hadn't exactly lied when he told Estel that he thought she was safe. He was positive that he would feel it if she was in life threatening danger, but he did not feel anything.


She was walking through the outer edges of the forests surrounding Rivendell. It was morning again, and she had walked throughout the night, never stopping. She wanted so badly to be home. She wanted to see Lord Elrond as he scolded the twins for some mischief. She wanted to see Estel laughing at her as a dwarvish curse accidentally slipped her lips. She wanted to see Legolas. The last time she had seen him he had looked terrible. She wasn't even sure he was still alive. She laid that thought aside not wanting to dwell on the guilt and pain that accompanied it.

She stopped in a clearing that a stream ran through, finally giving in to the need for water. As she bent over the stream, in a shallow place where the water was not moving, she could see her reflection in the water. What she saw worried her. It was the same face she had looked at many times. She was in need of a bath, she could tell. But what disturbed her were her eyes. Her eyes were normally an emerald green color. Her eyes had changed though. They were dark. Darker than the deepest forest green. They almost seemed black to her. She dipped her hands into the water and washed the dirt from her face, even going so far as to rinse her eyes. Then she looked again. Yes they were black. She remembered back to her orc brother's words, "you're more like an orc than you thought." Were his words true? She looked at the rest of her body. Nothing else seemed different.

But something was different. She unwrapped the cloth she had wound around the warg bite on her arm. The wound should have been healed by then, with her speeded healing abilities. It no longer bled, but it was still as angry and as red as when she had bound it. It even looked like it might be infected.

There was one more thing she knew she had to check. She pulled the elvish blade from her ankle sheath, and used it to make a small slit on her uninjured arm. She dropped the knife as she saw the blood begin to flow. Normally her blood was a much darker red than any elf, or human, but now it was almost black, with just a slight tinge of red to it.

"No." She whispered to herself placing her hands over her face, as the tears began to course down her cheeks. She sat there for a few moments, just letting the pain in her heart take her. When she finally pulled back her hands and looked back to the water she could see that her tears were also black.


Author's Note:
I know I said this story was only going to be a couple of more chapters, but something manveri said sent a plot bunny my way, so it may end up a little bit longer. Yes manveri you are now an inspiration to my plot bunnies. Oh but what an evil inspiration you are. Sorry it was a short chapter, but I think it got across the point I was getting at.