Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

Review Responses: I wish to apologize to anyone that the first review response below might offend. It is not meant to offend. It is just my feelings on the review that was left for me.

Anonymous: I'm sorry to hear you feel that way. Some of my readers enjoy my Atavus stories. I was under the impression that fan fiction was based upon what someone else already had written, and the amateur writer was just expanding, and creating new and interesting plots, storylines, and characters, based loosely on the original work. You can only write so many when Aragorn met Legolas stories, before most of them seem to run together and become unoriginal. What I am trying to write is completely original. But as I was saying if you are becoming bored with my original characters and storylines, by all means please discontinue reading. I'm not forcing anyone to read my fics. And I am by no means trying to offend anyone. But they are my stories.

Larien:

Chapter 10: That's okay. I've slowed my writing some anyway. It's summer and not as many people have time to read. Yes I missed Legolas too. We get to see some interaction between him, Gimli, and Veri. The cave is very messed up.

Chapter 11: Well since I call this the Blood series there is one common theme in my stories. It's all in the blood. The twins were both hurt, but neither of them lost much blood. The cave feeds on blood. It draws the souls from the blood. Atavus on the other hand lost a lot of blood at the hands of the orcs, so she was affected more. Does that make any sense? I hope so. Yeah I know it's farfetched, but it is fantasy. And yes Van definitely would not be left behind.

ashlyns: No more school, that's cool. Yes Van is hard not to love. Don't worry we'll eventually get Atavus and the twins back, maybe even in one piece.

Karone Evertree:

Chapter 10: You know what I think with. My stomach. Make that a desert in Michigan, where you can get all the ice cream you want for dessert. Don't worry Legolas might not get tortured. (For a few chapters at least. Had you going there for a second didn't I? Mrhaha.)

Chapter 11: Van is rather adventurous isn't he? Yes Orophin is Haldir's brother. You are right. I don't really remember him from the book, but it's been a while. I read about him on the Encyclopedia of Arda site. It has all kinds of interesting facts on it.

Slayer3: That's cool. Calm down now. Put down the tub of ice cream. The sugar has gone to your head.

Author's Note- Please Read: I was just informed by a fellow writer that ffnet is no longer allowing review responses to be posted. Several others and I have emailed admin to request that this rule be abolished. But until further notice, to protect my account here, this will be the last chapter that you will see review responses from me. Any of you who know me well understand how this action hurts me. Speaking back and forth to you all has been one of the great pleasures of my life, not to mention a wonderful learning experience. Please continue to submit reviews, and if you have any questions I will email you with the answers. And if anyone just wants to talk feel free to email me. My door is always open and I am almost always on line.

Second Author's Note: I wish to apologies to my readers. I know it has been a while since I posted anything to this story. Unfortunately I hit a bout of writer's block on this story. I knew what I wanted to say, but the words would not come out, so I had to wait until they started to flow again. Which thank the stars they finally have. So here is another chapter for your reading pleasure. Again I apologize. And thanks to a certain reviewer who gave me a nudge earlier, in a review of one of my other stories. (You know who you are.) For some reason that seemed to clear my head.

Past Fears

Atavus trudged on looking down to the ground. She had not the strength or the will to look at their surroundings as they headed further south. She missed Celebrían's voice in her head. During her time in the cave she had become accustomed to the other woman's thoughts floating through her head.

Something had always troubled her concerning the twins' mother. She had never understood how the woman could just leave her husband and children behind to go on to the Undying lands. But since leaving the cave she fully understood the elleth's reasons for having to leave. She wondered even more if her race would be allowed in Valinor. She could not see facing a life in Middle-Earth existing as she was then. She felt as if she had left her true self back in the cave, and the part of her that was heading south was the apparition. But she knew that wasn't right.

Elrohir walked slightly to the right of Atavus a back a couple of paces. He was watching her motions worried that she would stumble at any moment. He hated seeing her like that. She looked so much like his mother had, that it frightened him. He prayed to Ilúvatar that they would be able to find a way to reverse what was happening to her. They had not been able to save their mother. They might have saved her body, but she had lost a part of her soul in that cave. But that was before they understood what was happening to her. They understood a little more now, thanks to that very soul that had been lost so long ago.

Elladan walked to the left of Atavus watching her just as his brother was. He looked over to Elrohir wondering what his thoughts were. His were very dark and disturbed. Unlike his brother he could not hope and wish looking towards the bright possibilities of the future. He considered himself to be more realistic than his brother. He remembered his Naneth's face when they brought her out of the cave. He remembered the feelings of guilt and responsibility he felt as he realized that they had not been able to save her soul after all.

He did not want to go through the pain he had felt in those dark days so long ago, but he knew that if Atavus did not survive what was happening it would be the same. His rage towards the men that surrounded them was growing steadily with every stumbled step Atavus took. He remembered the bloody orc hunts he and his brother had gone on following those dark days. He remembered in shame how he had killed indiscriminately with no feeling at all. He wondered if that would happen again.

Orophin lead them through the mountain range in a shorter and more direct route than the one Veri and Van had taken coming out. They managed to cut some precious time from the trip. As they stepped into the clearing before the cave they all stopped staring in awe. Most of the elves had never seen the evil place. But Orophin had, and he remembered the ill feelings he had, had as a young elf when he and his brother's had been forced to take refuge from a vicious storm in the dark interior.

Gimli stepped up beside Legolas and Orophin. "That's the cave?" He questioned.

"Yes." Orophin whispered.

"It doesn't look that ominous." Gimli suggested.

"Wait until you go in." Orophin suggested, motioning the Dwarf to lead the way.

Gimli paused at the elf's dire words. Legolas looked at him and grinned remembering a certain other cave they had followed Aragorn into. He then set a determined look to his face and strode to the entrance.

"Not again." Gimli said shaking his head and following the elf. The other's followed behind.

Legolas paused staring into the empty interior of the cave. "We are too late." He spoke up walking forward into the dark cave. The moment he crossed the threshold into the cave he felt a chill running up and down his spine. He stopped looking around expecting an enemy to rush at him. But there was nothing. Still he could not shake the feeling that they should not be in there. "Orophin. What do you know about this cave?" He asked as the other elf walked up beside him.

"I know the history of the Lady Celebrían. But you know that also." Orophin said nervously.

"What else?" Legolas felt that there was more to the other's story.

"Well it doesn't mean much, but when we were children, my brothers and I sat out a storm in here. It must have been the most unsettling night of all our lives." Orophin said rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous motion.

"Why?" Legolas urged him to continue.

"It just didn't seem right to be in here. And we heard strange noises. I know that seems strange coming from a full-grown elf. But we were not imagining things." Orophin new his word must seem childish, but he still felt that same unease he had as a child.

"I believe you. I have a bad feeling about this place." Legolas tried to assure him.

Gimli had been looking around the cave trying to get an idea of what had happened. He knelt on the floor where he could see four spikes that had been pounded into the dirt floor. There was a dark stain in the center of the spikes. He reached down and pinched some of the dirt between his fingers, then smelled it. "Legolas!" He said excitedly.

"What is it my friend?" Legolas asked walking to the back of the cave.

"This dirt is soaked with blood." Gimli said holding his fingers out with the dirt still pinched between them.

Legolas looked at the dwarf's hand. "And?"

"It's not human blood." Gimli answered.

"Elf?" Orophin asked worried about the twins he knew so well.

Veri had stepped forward. She had heard Gimli's words.

"No. I'm not sure what it is. I've never smelled blood like this before." Gimli answered.

Veri drew her dagger from its sheath at her waist and pricked her finger. She then held it out for Gimli to smell. "Is it like this?"

He nodded. "Yes." They all knew what that meant as they stared at the large bloodstain covering the dirt floor.

Van began heading farther and farther south going away from the mountain ranges. "Ata. Where are you going?" He whispered. He still felt that unmistakable pull. The feeling that something was completely wrong with Ata had grown larger and larger in his mind. He knew he should be afraid to be out in the wilds like that alone, but nothing else could distract him from his task.

He felt that if he did not find Ata soon he would lose her. He couldn't imagine life without her. He knew what loss was. He had lost his father right after he had discovered just how much he truly cared. That had been hard on the boy. But he believed it would be even harder to lose Atavus. She had never showed him anything but love and understanding. She understood his differences. Even among the throwbacks he was different, which he felt made him an outsider. But not with Atavus. She accepted him the way he was no matter what strange things he might do. No he could not lose her. He would do anything to keep that from happening.