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Summary: When treason is suspected in the kingdom of Mirkwood, it is up to Aragorn to save Legolas and the other royals.

Author's Note: In this chapter, and in later ones in will jump from point of view. Most of it will be in first person because it's getting Aragorn's thoughts, but I also need to put in the thoughts of other people, for example, Elrond or Thianna. Therefore there will be some third person point of view. I hope that this does not become too confusing.

Thanks to my reviewers, I appreciate your support!

The Scam

Chapter 6

On the Move

Nobody else came to see me, which was probably a good thing, or so I thought at the time. Perhaps if I had another visitor they could've talked some sense into me, or knocked me across the head for believing anything that Thianna had said to me. Anyway, I was able to sneak away without being noticed. I climbed down the vines that hung from the balcony of the guest quarters that I was staying in. When my feet touched the ground, I took a deep breath. Even then I could tell that the journey I was about to embark on was going to be one of the most hard things I was going to have to go through, of course it was because I thought that I was on the side against my family. I can't believe how wrong I was.

I made my way to the stables to fetch my horse. Though as I entered the establishment I immediately felt chills run down my back. It felt as if I had ice cold eyes staring through my very being. I tried to shake the feelings off, but it was easier said than done. Remember what I said when I told you that for some of things I am going to tell you, I heard it from somebody else because I wasn't there? Well I am about to inform you of an event such as this. I apologize if I don't get this completely right, but I'll try my best.

About thirty minutes earlier

"I demand to know what is going on" Elrond proclaimed as three hooded individuals entered his quarters, holding his sons against their will. It was apparent that the twins had been beaten badly, to two bloody messes. "Tell me now."

"You are not in a position to be making demands, my lord" one of the caped ones said as he pulled down his hood, revealing who he was.

"Kindry" the peredhel said quietly as his eyes rested upon of his own guards. He was completely baffled as to why one of his own people would do this to the princes of their realm. It made absolutely no sense to him, whatsoever.

"Ay, it is me. Here is what is going to happen, okay. You are going to come with us down to the stables. If you do not cooperate with everything that I tell you to do, me and my friends here are going to kill your sons and your heirs. Perhaps we will then kill you too, and then there will be nobody to rule Imladris. That would cause some chaos. Do we have an understanding?" Kindry questioned.

"What is this about?" the son of Earendil inquired, trying to remain calm against the storm.

"You will find out all in good time" he responded as he forced Elrond to follow him and the others.

Thirty minutes later

I wish I had witnessed that confrontation instead of hearing about it later, maybe then things wouldn't have turned out like they did. Anyway, so I was in the stables and that eerie feeling came returning to me. As fast as I could possibly go I ran to where my horse was and I pulled her out of her cell. However when I turned back around, there was someone standing right behind me, and before I knew it I was knocked to the ground. My vision become blurry and my breathing was off. When I lifted my hand to touch the back of my head where I could sense was the spot I had been hit, I found blood. I also realized that I had been stabbed when I felt this burning pain in my shoulder. I looked down and there was a dagger sitting in my flesh. Now I know that I had been poisoned, but then I was too groggy to comprehend anything. The only thing that I vividly remember about that moment was looking up and seeing Elrond standing in the corner, blanketed with darkness.

*

Elrond hated seeing his foster son lying helpless on the floor at the mercy of these merciless people, but there was nothing that he could do. He had been told that if he did anything else other than standing still staring at the heir of Isildur, both Elladan and Elrohir would be killed. He would never be able to live with himself if he knew that his sons had died because of his unwillingness to cooperate. Inevitably it would haunt him, in essence, forever.

*

The next thing that I remember was waking up I a cold cell. I had a pounding headache and my shoulder was in absolutely excruciating pain. It had been hard for me to remember what had happened to leave me in a condition such as this, but slowly the memories came back and flooded my mind, which did not at all help the agony running through my head. In fact, I think it made it a whole lot worse. I remembered being sent by Thianna to go to the Iron Hills, I remembered going to the stables, I remembered the scary feeling that I felt before being knocked to the ground. I also remembered seeing the elf who raised me, staring down as if happy that I was temporarily immobilized.

I had no clue how long I had been out, but I made a guess that the ones who had taken me had made sure that I wouldn't wake up until we had gotten to our destination, which I presumed was the Iron Hills. Carek and Kindry had talked about the fact that it took two weeks to get there by foot, so it shocked me to think that I had been unconscious for half a month, if not more than that.

"Hey, you."

When I heard someone talking to me it made my head feel like lightning bolts had just struck it, I was in so much pain. I took a deep breath as I pushed myself up onto my knees and peered into the cell adjacent from my own. There was man in it, who looked like he was about twenty years old or somewhere around that. He was visibly in bad shape, from apparent beatings. Instantly I felt sorry for him, even though I didn't even know his name. "Yeah?" I called back, my voice was raspy, and it hurt to speak.

"What did they put you in here for?" he asked.

Then it hit me, I wasn't quite sure. The only one who had knowledge that I knew was Thianna, wasn't she? I began to get worried. What if they had her too? What could they have possibly done to her to make her let the cat out of the bag that I knew everything? "I don't know" responded, feeling awfully stupid. "What about you?"

"My people used to live in these parts. We had a small colony that was here for many, many years. When they came, mostly everyone was killed. I don't know why they kept me alive, they slaughtered my entire family, my mother, my father, my sister, and my fiancée. I don't know why they needed this place, we have been left alone for so long, and then these elves just decide to barge in and claim it as their own. If I ever get out of here, boy am I ever going to get some well deserved retribution. My name is Elton by the way."

"Estel."

All of a sudden the door to the dungeon area burst open and in came Kindry. He was armed and ready with a spear and a bow. "Get that one out of here" he ordered to the others that accompanied him. I had been eying him intensely, and I am sure that he could sense that.

When Elton was removed, after much struggling, Thianna had been brought in. She had her hands tied behind her back and there was a huge gash on her cheek. It still baffles my mind to think that she went to so much trouble just to make me believe her. I don't know why she needed me to be on her side, perhaps it made her feel stronger and more powerful that she had been able to turn me against the only family that I had ever known. I don't know whatever could have happened to her to make her such a sick individual.

"I am sorry, Estel" she apologized as sparkling tears fell from her eyes. "I had to tell them that you knew too. Elrond confronted me after you had acted so distant from him that day when I told you the truth. He demanded that I told him if you knew about him and the twins or not. He said if I didn't tell him he was going to have Legolas killed as soon as possible. I had to tell him. I am so sorry."

"Shut the hell up, will you?" Kindry shouted as he kicked her in the back, or rather pretended to, which I now realize is the truth. But none the less I fell for the act. I feel so gullible and I was. I guess the only thing that can somewhat ease the pain was that both Kindry and Thianna were great actors, but even that doesn't help at all. "Don't worry, Estel, you'll be dealt with soon" the noldor elf said as he 'dragged' the she-elf out of the cell.

Elton was then brought back in and thrown into his cell. Apparently he had witnessed what had happened from a distance. "What was that all about?"

"Believe me, you don't want to know."

Well? What do you guys think? Should I continue? Let me know!