"Was that really necessary Legolas?"
Aragorn didn't bother to hide the anger in his voice.

Legolas glared at him.
"You and I both know that he wouldn't have let us go. I did what I had to."

"You tortured him!"
Aragorn shouted.
"No one should have to suffer that kind of pain!"

"I've suffered worse than a knife to the shoulder."
Legolas responded coldly.
"I don't care what you've suffered through! You always try to make everyone pity you but we all know that you don't need it!"

Aragorn immediately wished he could take back his words.

Legolas turned away from him and rode to the front of the group.

Rilath had provided them horses, as well as food, water, and new clothes.

They all had their weapons back which was only a small comfort at the moment.

Gimli rode with Aragorn, and the man didn't blame him for not wanting to ride with Legolas.

The elf they had both known was slowly slipping away.

Legolas hadn't bothered to wash the blood off his hands.

He said that he would once they found a stream.

Haldir rode near Legolas, determined to keep a close eye on him.

Amarth rode at the very front. Leading them to their "doom" as he continued to say.

There were a lot of questions that Aragorn wanted to ask Amarth, but they didn't have time at the moment.

When they finally came a cross a stream they dismounted and made camp for the night.

Legolas washed the blood off his hands, turning the water red.

Aragorn cringed at the sight.

How many times has he done that before?

"You seem nervous."
Amarth walked over to where Aragorn stood beside his horse.

"What gave you that idea?"
Aragorn asked.
Amarth shrugged.

Aragorn decided to finally ask Amarth the question that had been bothering him ever sense their encounter with Rilath.

"Who was the man that told Rilath about Legolas?"
He asked.
"Who do you think?"
Amarth questioned.

"Alatar?"
Aragorn narrowed his eyes in confusion.
Amarth nodded.
"He recognized Legolas in Minas Tirith."
Aragorn continued.

"Did Thranduil know who he was?"
Amarth shook his head.
"Alatar has never met Thranduil. He has met his father though.

Aragorn had heard about Legolas' grandfather, Oropher.
He had known Alatar?

"Alatar had once journeyed with Oropher, when he had first settled in the Greenwood. They had been close friends then, until Alatar began to pursue evil. Oropher banished him to the east when he tried to take over his kingdom."

The others had gathered around Amarth and listened as he told his story.

Alatar was bent on revenge against Oropher. He sent many fell creatures to attack his lands, but Oropher had always managed to fight them off. After he was slain in the Last Alliance, he turned his attention on Oropher's kin."

Amarth turned to Legolas.
"Meaning your father, and yourself. He was the one who sent the dragon that almost killed your father, and he will not stop until both of you are dead."

"He had the opportunity to kill me."
Legolas said.
"Why didn't he?"

"Alatar has one weakness, he cannot resist watching others suffer."
Amarth replied.
"He would keep you alive, just to kill you in front of your father. After your father has been broken, he would kill him."

Amarth turned to the others.
"Alatar has several ways of finding out what would cause someone the most pain. He can look into your mind, he can see your worst fears and make them a reality."

"He can see who you care about the most, and then take them away from you. Or he can simply torture you until you die. As long you are suffering, he doesn't care what he does."

The others fell silent.
Everything Amarth said ran through their minds.
As well as their fears, loved ones, and worst pain imaginable in their minds.

There was another thing Aragorn wanted to ask.

"Was it a good idea? To go after Alatar? Would it not have been  better to muster our armies and wait for him to come to us?"

"That would be exactly what Alatar would want. All of his enemies in one place, so that they could be easily destroyed."

Amarth shook his head.
"No. This way is much better."

"But what if we fail?"
Gimli asked.
"What if we can't kill Alatar and he destroys Middle Earth? As well as everything and everyone we all care about."

The others fell silent.
Except Amarth.
"I'm afraid that I do not share your concern dwarf. I have no place to call home, or anyone that I care about. For me, it does not matter if we succeed or not."

"Then why are you helping us kill Alatar?"
Haldir asked.
Amarth turned to him.
"Like I told them, it is personal."

"What did Alatar do to you?"
Legolas asked.
"Everything Sauron did to you."
Amarth closed his eyes.
"Only much worse."

Aragorn glanced at Gimli.
What could be worse than what Legolas had gone through?

"I know you are all afraid. But it is to late now."
Amarth opened his eyes and gazed at the mountains in the east.
"There is no going back."

()()()

Alatar grinned.

This was too easy.

They were walking right into his trap.

It seems like you have not completely lost your value Amarth.

Alatar walked into a dark room.

Inside more shadows moved around.

They groweled and were ripping into something unidentable.

"Are you hungry my pets?"

Alatar asked them.

The shadows looked up at him and made horrible growling noises, it would turn any being's blood into ice.

Alatar smiled.

"You shall feast on flesh."

The shadows leapt up and continued their horrible noises.

Alatar stretched out his hand and the wall of the room opened, the shadows raced out, biting and snarling as they went.

Enjoy your feast my pets.

Alatar grinned.

Everything was going exactly the way he wanted.

()()()

They rode on for several more days. The mountains that Amarth was leading them to grew closer and closer.

Aragorn began to grow more and more anxious everyday.
Something was wrong.
He felt it.

Legolas had felt that something was off as well.
But he didn't say anything.
All of them were nervous.

"There is a ravine that seperates us from the mountains."
Amarth imformed them.
"But there is a bridge that leads to the other side."

"Why would there be a bridge?"
Gimli asked.
"How do you think Alatar gets to his lair?"
Amarth countered.

"We're already that close?"
Haldir asked.
"We have been traveling for months my friend. It was autumn when we left and is now almost early spring."

"Spring? But it's so cold!"
Gimli explained.
Not that I'm complaining.

"Here, there is nothing but cold."
Amarth suddenly stopped his horse.
The others did the same.
"What is it?"
Aragorn asked.

Amarth looked around.
He was searching for something.
Suddenly his eyes widened.
For the first time Aragorn saw fear on the elf's face.

"Run!"
Amarth spun his horse around and stared at them wide eyed.
"Now!"

He kicked his horse into a run and the others followed.
What was it?
What had he seen?

Aragorn turned around and was immediatly stricken with horror.
Huge, monstrous, black wargs were racing towards them.

They were at least three times bigger than a normal warg.
They were completely black and looked like shadows.
Aragorn could see their fangs and claws glinting in the sunlight.

He was frozen. He couldn't move.
"Aragorn!"
Gimli shouted desperately from behind him.
Aragorn didn't see him.
His horse became afraid and bucked them both off.

The other horses were doing the same.
Amarth, Legolas, and Haldir were forced to abandon their horses.

Haldir ran over to Aragorn and pulled him to his feet.
"Aragorn come on!"
Haldir dragged him forward.

Aragorn finally snapped out of his daze.
He followed the others as they ran from the wargs.

Legolas was about to take out his bow when Amarth stopped him.
"Nothing can kill them! Keep running!"
Legolas obeyed and the kept going.
The wargs were quickly gaining on them.

"Amarth!"
Legolas shouted.
"Where is the bridge?"
Amarth looked ahead.
"We're almost there!"

They were running along the edge of the ravine.
Down, hundreds of feet below them, lay a rushing river.

The wargs continued to gain on them.
Aragorn's lungs were burning.
He couldn't go on for much longer.

"Amarth!"
Legolas shouted again.
"Don't worry! The bridge should be right- Oh no."

Amarth stopped.
The others stood beside him.
The remains of an old stone bridge lay before them.

It had been broken. They couldn't cross.
"What do we now?"
Legolas shouted.
"Hang on let me think."
Amarth stood as still as boulder.

"We don't have time!"
Legolas shouted.
The wargs were almost upon them.
"Amarth!"
They were all shouting at him now.

Finally Amarth grabbed Legolas and Haldir by the arms and pulled them over the ledge.
Aragorn had no time to react.
Amarth grabbed him and threw him over the side.

The five of them plunged down towards the raging river.

()()()

Two chapters in a day! Yay me!

Shout goes to
Colfinthel
One my awesome best freinds on Wattpad!
You rock girl!
;-)