A/N: Yup. Here it is. The third chapter of the second volume. :) Happy dayyyyy….So thank all of you for your amazing reviews, they definitely cheer me up and inspire to write more! I know you guys hate me for that cliffy but all will come in due time!

Disclaimer: Nope!

~~~Chapter Thirteen~~~ Another Stage Begins

Valo felt the air within the forest thicken as they entered, tasting of soil and damp things. The leaves were soft and the ground spongy beneath his boots. The press of anger and the closeness of the air was unsettling to him. It reminded him of the deep, darkest dungeons of Barad-Dur where the air was just as thick and foul with the smells of tormented death. At least hear it was full of ancient, growing things.

"This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory and anger." Legolas whispered, almost to himself.

Valo began to reach out for him but stilled himself. He would not be selfish. Unfortunately, his thoughts only caused him to trip rather quickly over a root. The only thing keeping him from crashing to the ground was Legolas's rather quick hand catching him. Valo grinned in embarrassment and amusement. Okay, so he was going to be selfish. Damn. Could he be blamed though? Legolas's hand felt so good in his own. So right.

"Is Fangorn as old as your home, Legolas?" He asked, stumbling up and soaking in the warmth from his beloved's attentions and contact.

The Elf prince smiled down at him brightly, stroking an errant strand of hair behind his ear.

"Older in fact. Much older." The trees around them seemed to groan inhumanely, as if their very roots were shifting. Perhaps they were, " The trees are speaking to each other." Aragorn bid the startled Gimli to lower his axe quietly, "They have feelings my friend. The Elves began it. Waking up the trees, teaching them to speak."

Valo stared around in wonder. Trees that could communicate. How entrancing. He gave one a fond, gentle stroke as he passed, patting it with a smile. Legolas chuckled at his antics, squeezing an arm around his waist in a short hug. Warmth filled the teen at the touch. He loved Legolas. He really honestly loved him. Legolas was his reason to smile. When he smiled, Valo smiled. When the Elf was sad, Valo cried. No one else could make his heart seemed to skip a beat at just the smallest glance. It hurt his heart to know that he would have to chose between Legolas and his Master. His Master…the one who had taken him in, kept him safe, made him his Consort, given him everything. Against the elf prince he was in love with. He loved Legolas…but did Legolas love him? Sure he knew that he liked him very much but was it real, I-want-to-grow-old-with-you love? How could he know? He could ask but on the other hand…what if he said no? So wrapped in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed Legolas had flitted off until he returned to their side, a serious expression on his face.

"Aragorn, nad no ennas. Something's out there." The archer whispered, his blue eyes casting around the surrounding trees for sight of what hunted them.

"Man cenich? (What do you see?)"

Valo shifted nervously. He was still unarmed. What good would he be against an opponent? He would only serve to get in the way and that delightful power that had served him in the past was no where to be found. Legolas's words sent a thrill of fear coursing through his blood.

"The White Wizard approaches."

Saruman! He would take him back to Master and his Master would kill Legolas! He would kill them all! His eyes darted around, full of fear and uncertainty. His entire body thrummed tensely. And then…Legolas shot him a reassuring smile that forced his fight or flight response to still. Legolas and Aragorn were here…they wouldn't let him get hurt or taken. They loved him. For now. It was that smile that made him realize in that instant that he had to come clean with Legolas. He had to tell him the truth. For better or worst, he had to tell him what he was lying with at night. What a monster that he held hands with…He had to tell him what he was to the Dark Lord. And Aragorn too. They both deserved to know.

"Do not let him speak. He will put a spell on us." Aragorn whispered and a thrill of another kind built up in Valo's body.

The thrill of magic. A flash of some strange words in what looked like a large stone chamber came to mind but he shook it off quickly. Now was not the time for that, though the vision left him feeling somehow hollow as if he had lost something dear. He couldn't feel that pull of darkness unusually strong ahead, only the usual pull towards Orthanc. Was Saruman somehow masking his own magic to remain unnoticed for an ambush? He pulled that tingling magic into his hands, balling it up in each palm to be ready to cast at a moments notice. This was his strong point. He couldn't fight with a sword, he couldn't fire a bow or wield an axe. He could use magic. He could protect his loved ones. And then suddenly, they were turning to attack and a sudden bright light filled the wood. Valo winced against the illumination but threw that magic in his palms into a shimmering, clear dome in front of his comrades. It would at least prevent the wizard from casting any spells from his staff at them.

Gimli threw his axes and Legolas shot off an arrow towards the vague figure they could see in the beams of light. Both were deflected with ease. Aragorn raised his sword to launch an attack but his sword began to heat to a fiery orange. He dropped the blade with a hiss of pain. Aragorn was in danger! They were in danger! His magic responded quickly, rising like a tsunami and jerking from his fragile control just as it had in Khazad-dum. His eyes filled with the flame-like orange of his Master's power and the shield swelled outward violently. Valo tried desperately to reign it back in but the magic only slammed back into his own body. It seared through him like fire and he could hear his Master's whispered words hissing in his mind. Valo wasn't sure if he was screaming. He couldn't hear anything past the words in his mind growing ever louder and the rush of power through his body. His Master was pushing more into him though for what reason he did not know, churning up his own magic like sediment on a still riverbed. It was too much! He had to let it out somewhere! Suddenly, he knew his Master's desire. He knew what he wanted him to do with all of that power. He wanted him to push it all out of his body and into the sky. To create a beacon. His mind was so scattered from all of the sensations and pain at once that he couldn't summon to mind why this was a bad idea. He could only think to obey. Something soft touched his forehead, a cool hand to calm the rage of magic inside him.

His Master shrieked in fury but the darkness ebbed from him quickly. A soothing coolness calmed his fried nerves, spreading from that touch against his head. Valo wanted to sob in relief but nothing seemed to work. He felt himself cradled in someone's secure arms. He knew those arms but surely…it wasn't possible. He fell…The smell of Legolas filled his senses as reality began to return. He smelled blood and magic. Light magic. Where was the blood coming from? His shirt felt warm and wet. That was finally what prompted him to open his eyes. He was met with kind, warm blue eyes. Eyes he had expected not to ever see again. His breath stilled in his chest in surprise.

"Gandalf…?" He whispered in shock.

The wizard nodded with a smile. He had saved him…He was alive…He was alive! A pressure began in his chest and Valo frowned inwardly.

'Breathe.' That voice inside his mind said softly, pushing him to obey.

He did without though. All malice was gone from the voice and it seemed to be more pensive and patient. As if it were waiting for something. What was it waiting for? It didn't even seem angry about Gandalf's sudden rising from the dead. Valo was still unable to take his eyes from the man. Somehow, Gandalf had saved him from his Master's power consuming him. What would have happened if it had? Sauron needed him alive or his plans were ruined. So what was he hoping to achieve? Valo's eyes looked up at the tree top as he only vaguely registered the hubbub around him. Of course…a beacon. He wanted him to give away their position to the Nazgul who were no doubt looking for him. He probably had more than Nazgul searching for him now. He brought a trembling hand to his shirt, only to find it soaked in blood. His face was wet as well. Someone retrieved a cloth of some sort from somewhere and Aragorn appeared before him to wipe his face free of blood. He was surprised by the amount. The Ranger pressed it against his forehead where some sort of jagged wound lay. Gandalf's eyes were resting on the mark with a light frown but he said nothing. Valo was finally able to sit up and he was met with a fretting Legolas, stroking his head affectionately. It was harder than he'd ever imagined to look at the pensive Elf.

Valo was more afraid than ever of what he would find there if he did. He could only remember what had happened last time he had lost control, what Legolas had thought of him then. Now he had lost control more than ever, surely he would think terrible things of him. Things that were probably more true than he knew. His beloved tilted his head up to kiss his lips tenderly. It nearly broke his heart in two to know that Legolas was so in love with someone who was lying to him all along. Was already destined to another. His heart felt like he'd suffered a wound and the worst part was that he knew that he would continue to soak in Legolas's love for as long as possible. He was a selfish twisted creature. Gandalf seemed to sense his distress because he gave the teen a squeeze of his hand before helping Aragorn hoist the exhausted and drained Valo onto the Ranger's back instead of Legolas's.

"Come, we must be swift." The wizard demanded and they set off through the woods, Gandalf relaying his tale and all he knew along the way.

~ o ~

They rode towards Edoras with all haste, Valo sheltered safely between the arms of his keeper on horseback while Legolas rode with Gimli and Gandalf rode the Mearas, Shadowfax. The pull of darkness on his soul was less aggressive the further from Isengard they rode. The White Mountains in the distance were a natural beauty on the horizon. They rode for a span, as long as daylight would allow, and stopped for the night for a much needed rest and recovery. Aragorn and Gandalf were away from the camp for a time, speaking in veiled whispers and looking out towards the east. Valo's stomach tightened. The east was always a shadow in his mind. A whisper of fearsome power and his even more terrible destiny. The shadow of Mordor was ever present in his mind. But the task he was faced with now weighed even heavier on his heart. He gestured the two over so that the company was all together around the fire. Legolas seemed on edge. No doubt he could sense something terribly wrong with his beloved. Valo had been unable to look at him straight since he had lost control. Shame ate away at the teen's heart. He had deceived Legolas, given him the impression that he was some innocent when really he was the monster they strove to defeat. Aragorn and Gandalf settled in around them all and Valo drew a deep breath, trying to steady himself for this revelation. He only hoped that they would not kill him on the spot like he so deserved. Perhaps that was for the best though…Sauron could not gain a body again if Valo was dead. He was his Key after all…

"I need to tell you all something important…and before I do, I just want to let you know that I never meant to sabotage this mission or hurt any of you. I only wanted to help…I want you to succeed, to destroy the Ring so everyone can be happy. But I can't keep lying to you any more…" He shuddered under their gaze, "I'm not just a child of Mordor. I'm not just the Witch King's ward. I'm the Dark Lord's Consort."

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