Disclaimer: Not mine.

Author's Note: Isn't it funny how when you get on a role something always tends to intrude and bring you to a complete halt? Anyway, sorry I haven't updated in a bit. Family life has been intruding on my writing time recently. But anyway, off we go onto the next chapter.

Forces Divide

The closer they drew to the cave the more obvious it became that Haldir was being drawn in its direction. Atavus also had started to feel the pull as they drew nearer. But grief and depression had settled upon her, and her only thoughts were of Van, and her other friends thought to be lost to her.

In a normal frame of mind she would have held hope that they had survived somehow. Elladan had been right when he said Legolas would defend Van with his very life. But in the overwhelming sense of losing herself, Atavus could not hold to that hope.

As they entered the clearing in front of the cave, they could see dark patches of earth, where the blood of elves had been spilled. But there were no bodies in evidence. The clearing was completely empty. "What happened here?" Haldir said staring around the clearing. It was easy to see that a battle had taken place, or possibly a massacre.

Kellet looked around scanning the area for any dangers lurking there. "I have no idea, but what ever it was is gone now. My Lord, what would you like me to do with the prisoners?" He asked impatiently. He had seen the struggle in his Lord, wondering if maybe things would not go as planned. He could tell there was some kind of past between him and the newest captives, and he had also seen his unwillingness to see them hurt. He was not sure why but he felt an indescribable urge to make sure that the Lords original plans were carried out. Not knowing anything about the cave, he had unwittingly become its servant also, when he was slightly wounded during the fight with the orcs.

Haldir looked back to the cave. The voice that was always present in his mind was ordering him to finish his task, but his own consciousness was fighting desperately to resist the commands.

Unknown to those in the clearing they were being watched by five sets of eyes. Veri and Van were both straining to catch a glimpse of Atavus' face, from the boulders above the cave mouth, trying not to be seen. Bala sat looking intently at the group below. She knew not who the newcomers were but she could sense the distress in her cub, and expected danger. Legolas and Gimli both had looks of unbelieving on their faces. They had seen Haldir's dead body on the wall at Helms Deep. They had grieved for their friend who had given his life to protect them and the inhabitants of Rohan. But the elf before there eyes that seemed to be leading these men and many elf prisoners to the cave, could be no other than Haldir of Lorien. He was thinner, and his hair was white instead of blond, but it was him.

"How can this be?" Legolas whispered.

Veri looked to him in confusion. "What?"

"We know the elf that is leading them. He was our friend. But we watched him die at the battle of Helms Deep." Legolas explained.

"Well apparently he survived." Veri said scowling at the figure below.

"What do you think they are doing?" Gimli wondered.

"It looks as if they are taking the elves into the cave." Legolas said, still not certain what to think of this new development.

"We can't let them do that. Those wargs will tear them to pieces." Veri said in concern.

"We are too far outnumbered to face them alone." Legolas said frowning in concentration.

"I have an idea, Legolas." Gimli said stroking his beard in thought.

"Well speak up." Legolas looked down at his friend.

"You still have those bows that belonged to the rest of the rescue party. Correct?" Gimli said smiling.

"Yes." Legolas asked motioning to a stack of weapons piled a few feet away.

Gimli smiled and told them the plan.

Haldir stood for a few more moments letting the voices in his head battle over what would happen. He had renewed his effort at resisting the Valar after seeing the destruction in the clearing.

Atavus had finally started paying attention to what was happening around her. She could see the struggle Haldir was facing by the conflicting emotions on his face. "Haldir, we can stop this right here." She said to him drawing both his and Kellet's attention.

The words seemed to make Kellet angry. He strode over to Atavus and raised his hand to backhand her. "Shut up you freak."

Kellet's hand froze when he heard the soft snick of an arrow being pulled.

"I don't suggest you do that." Came Haldir's angry voice.

Kellet turned to Haldir letting his hand drop. But the look of pure hatred on his face suggested that he would no longer obey Haldir. "They are to be sacrificed. What matters if she has a bruise?"

Haldir said nothing. He wanted to shout that he had changed his mind, but the control that Melkor possessed over him would not allow his mouth to open.

"You told me of your plans. You told me what we were to do here. You are not changing your mind now, are you?" Kellet said scowling.

Atavus could see the looks on the other elves faces. The mention of being a sacrifice had stirred some of them from their weakened state of blindly obeying their captors. Some looked positively ready to bolt. They were all still tied together though. How would they make it away?

At that moment the confrontation in the clearing was interrupted by a loud noise sounding like a cross between a growl and the howl of a wolf. They all turned to see a large warg standing atop a boulder above the opening of the cave. The captives and captors all slipped backwards away from the creature. Haldir kept his bow trained on Kellet not sure which would be the greatest threat. The warg jumped lightly into the clearing and slipped towards one of the men. A panic ensued as everyone tried to scatter. Atavus and the twins grouped together and tried to pull the other elves, which were still attached to a long rope, towards the edge of the clearing.

There were shouts of fear everywhere as the Warg dodged in and out of the men biting and then moving back, as if she was just playing with them. Atavus had never seen a warg act like that before. And it was odd to see that the animal completely ignored the elves. At that moment Atavus heard a whistling sound from the direction of the cave, and looked up to see a site she had only dreamed to be there. Even though her vision was distorted, it was not hard to tell that Legolas and Veri stood atop the boulder that the warg had bounded from and were firing arrows at the men below.

She was so entranced by the site of her friends above that she did not see the small form slipping from around a boulder, until he was at her side pulling at the ropes binding her hands. The movement caught her attention and she looked down to see the ghoulish form of a small boy that could only be Van. She had refused to look at him before, for fear of losing her mind at the distorted version of the boy she loved. But it did not matter to her what her mind was tricking her into seeing. Van was there, and he was alive. She dropped to her knees and pulled him into a fierce hug.

"Ata, I missed you, but we don't have time for this." Van said pushing her away so he could get to her hands. He held a small knife and was trying to cut the ropes around her hands.

After he cut her loose she took an extra knife he was holding and started to help him free the others. Meanwhile Gimli had rushed into the clearing also and was passing bows and quivers of arrows to the elves that had been freed.

Then a thought struck her. She looked to where Haldir and Kellet had been standing a few moments before. Instead of facing each other though they were rolling on the ground locked into a struggle over a knife. She could see Haldir's bow lying on the ground a few feet away from them. Apparently he had been distracted by the warg. But the site also meant that he had fought back the possession enough to help them.

She heard Legolas yell out to them. "Don't let them in the cave."

They had freed about half of the prisoners, when Atavus felt strong arms wrap around her and a knife go to her throat. "Don't move if you want to live." She glanced over to where Haldir and Kellet had been fighting. Haldir was lying on the ground holding his hand over a wound in this side. He was struggling to stand, and she could see blood seeping through his fingers.

Kellet pulled her towards the cave mouth, and yelled to one of his men to grab the remaining prisoners.

Her eyes met Haldir's for a moment and she heard him scream "No." as they were drug into the cave, by a few of Kellet's men.

The elves that that had been freed along with Gimli, Legolas, Veri and Bala finished the remaining men outside of the cave. Legolas stared around the clearing seeing that Gimli had been injured. Veri and Van were working furiously to stop the flow of blood from a wound in his leg. He meant to join them but caught site of Haldir making his way towards the cave entrance, holding the wound in his side. "Don't go in there. There are wargs in there." He yelled.

Haldir turned to stare at the elf, and Legolas could see the dark look in his eyes. "I have to stop it."

"Stop what." Legolas asked approaching him.

"They took some of the elves in there, and Atavus. They will be sacrificed, so Melkor can come back." Haldir said meaning to turn and go into the cave.

Legolas hearing what had happened headed toward the cave himself, but Haldir's hand flew out stopping him. "No more elves can enter."

The twins had seen this exchange and came forward. "He's right, Legolas."

"What are you saying? We can't rescue them." Legolas asked incredulously.

Haldir looked back to the cave entrance, and still he had an almost manic look to his eyes. "I started this. I will end it."

"But you're an elf too." Elrohir said.

"I am the only one who can end this." Haldir said. "It is my soul he possesses." With those words he walked purposefully into the cave.

Legolas meant to follow, but the twins held him back. "What is going on here?"

"We will explain." Elladan said pulling him back from the entrance.

Author's Note: Well we are drawing close to the end. Just one more chapter and this story will be done. Stay tuned for the final conflict. Expect it to be emotional.