Disclaimer: Not mine.

Review Responses:

ashlyns: Never check your emails while your studying. It can be a dangerous decision. Yes our favorite elf has reappeared. And you're very welcome.

Slayer3: Okay I know what the Sue Squad is. But what the heck is the IMSGSET. My brain is not working enough to figure it out. You know what is bad. I never thought of this until I saw your review, but my middle name is Sue. I think I'm in trouble. And no my first name is not Mary.

Sindarin translations:

Naneth - Mother

Haunted Eyes

The men began to lead their captives out of the cave. The sky had become bright and the rain had completely stopped. Atavus stopped as they approached the cave entrance. Even though they had all been wishing to leave the horrible place she hesitated to cross the threshold. She felt a tugging at her senses the closer she came to the mouth of the cave. One of the men stepped up behind her and shoved her roughly out. She suddenly felt as if something was being ripped from her forcefully. She fell to her knees and stifled a strangled cry.

"Atavus." Elladan immediately tried to help her. The man that had shoved her made to kick her while she was down but Elladan blocked the kick with his bound hands.

"I'll get her up. Haven't you done enough to her?" The elf screamed at the man. The man kicked at him instead landing a sound blow to the side of his face, and then laughed as he left them on the ground and went ahead.

"Atavus. What is it?" Elladan asked noticing that she had not attempted to get up yet. She was staring at the ground with her arms pulled in protectively around her stomach. He could see that she was shaking. "Come on sit up." He said as she didn't answer him.

She finally straightened and looked at him. A shocked gasp left his lips as he saw her eyes. Dark circles had formed around them, and she looked as if she had been through a horrifying ordeal and had not recovered yet. How could a change have occurred so quickly in her? "What has happened to you Ata?"

Elrohir was standing next to them and he started shaking his head at the sight of her. "Don't you see it El?"

"See what Ro?" He said in confusion staring from one to the other in turn.

"She looks like Naneth, after we took her from this place. That's what her face looked like." Elrohir said remembering his beautiful mother looking as if life was too much to bear.

Elladan looked at Atavus and realized that his brother was right. "We can't lose you too." He whispered.

"She warned me. I didn't think it would be this bad." Atavus said in a far off voice.

"Who warned you?" Elladan asked in confusion.

"The apparition. She said she was a part of your mother." Atavus said finally revealing what she had been seeing in her visions. "She was a part that your mother no longer needed now that she was healing in Valinor. But she was still in that cave with all the others. All the souls that had been stolen by the evil in there. Now a part of my soul is there also." She let her head drop in the utter despair she felt at the loss.

"Are you saying you saw our Naneth in your visions?" Elladan said in disbelief.

"Yes. She tried to protect me from the others that would have tried to use me to escape. But she said she couldn't leave the cave, and neither could they." She tried to explain.

One of the men noticed that their captives weren't moving. "Get her up and get moving. We have a long way to go." He yelled pushing Elrohir.

The twins helped Atavus to stand and then headed south. Their hands were bound but they weren't tied to each other as before so the twins were able to walk on each side of Atavus helping her as she stumbled often.

"I can't find Van, Legolas." Veri said as the company of elves began to gather to leave. "I haven't seen him since we decided who was to go."

"That's not like Van." Gimli piped up. He had become very fond of the boy as they traveled north from Minas Morgul earlier that year.

"Are you sure he's not off discovering the wonders of the woods Veri?" Legolas suggested.

"No. All he could think of on the way here was saving Atavus. He would not go off until he knew she was safe." Veri said shaking her head. "I'm afraid he has tried something very dangerous."

"What do you mean?" Gimli asked as the worry shaded his own face.

"Van has a talent for finding his way. It is almost as if he can sense the direction he needs to go in. He led us here after the attack, even as I became confused as to where to go. I think he has gone back for her." Veri spoke her greatest fear.

Legolas thought of what he had learned of the boy. He was just a boy, but he was a boy who had grown up before his time. Yes he could see the child trying to save someone he cared for. "We must leave immediately. Maybe we can catch up with him."

"He has several hours lead Legolas, and he is faster than any elf child I have ever seen." Veri warned.

"Then we must move quick." Legolas suggested ordering the elves that were going to move out fast. Orophin took the lead since he knew the way. They headed off into the mountain ranges towards the cave that they hoped their friends would still be in.

Van knew the direction he wanted to go was not the same as they had taken there, as he turned to the south. He felt the pull at his inner sense to head that way. He hoped that his inner sense would not fail him. Atavus was counting on him. He could feel that she needed help. He would not enter the mountains. He knew that was not where he would find her.

He made his way across the plains trying to stay close to the boulders at the base of the mountain. He did not want to run into another warg. And he knew if he did he would be fair game in the open plains.

He had at least thought to take a water skin before he left and as he traveled he had scavenges berries along the way. He knew he had little time and did not bother to look for more supplies.

Author's note: These chapters are not becoming smaller on purpose I promise. I just have certain stopping points in my mind. And that's what ends up on the page. I promise longer chapters to come, with some interesting plot twists.