Aragorn laughed as he ran through the woods. The trader's son,-, Leon, was it?-, was following him, chasing.

"Do not go too far, Aragorn!" His father called, had yet to finish his trade with the footman of the Master of Laketown.

"Yes, da!" Aragorn answered before letting out a small shriek, as the other boy was suddenly ontop of him, tackling.

Leon let out a roar as they rolled on the grass. Yet in the end, the dunedàn won the 'battle', triumphantly sitting with his chest puffed out.

"I won." Aragorn stated, despite leaves stuck all over his clothes and curls.

Leon laughed,-his condition was no better than Aragorn-, as he sat up. Brushing off his tunic,

They played tag. Running through the wooden platforms over the lake water, often nearly knocking to other people, as they tried to outrun eachother. Laughing.

When the sun went down, the two boys were finally out of breath. Panting as they laid on a small patch of grass near the creek. Smiling as they wheezed for air.

"Are you not tired, Aragorn?" Leon asked as the dunedàn were already back on his feet. A smile on his face.

"Nay! Come! Let us explore the swamp!"

Leon's eyes widened. The poor boy spluttered as he scrambled to catch up to Aragorn, whom already near the dark forest.

"Aragorn! We are not allowed here! More over at night! It's dangerous!" Leon tugged on the boy's tunic.

Aragorn did not listen. He kept his eyes wide as he peered into the dark woods. His senses tingled with a thirst of adventure. He turned to Leon,

"Why not?"

Leon shook his head,
"Nay don't! My ma said there are many beings in there! We shall just leave now."

"What creatures?" Aragorn asked as he took a step forward, only to be pulled back.

"No! Ma said there are elves out there!"

Aragorn stopped.

Leon ought to breath an air of relief as he thought Aragorn changed his mind. Yet to his horror, the dunedàn's lips pulled up into a grin. Mirth twinkled in his eyes.

"No! No! No Aragorn! Do not do it! You will get in trouble!" Leon said, backing off.

"Leon-"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"The more the merrier-"

"No!" Leon cried out in frustation.

Aragorn frowned. He crossed his arms and furrowed his brows.

"Fine then. I shall go for myself."
Leon gaped like a goldfish as he watched the young dunedàn entered the woods, with a determined look on his face.

Leon really thought to go back. But he did not want to leave Aragorn, and as he mulled over it, the dunedàn was disappearing. So he dashed for his friend and yelled out, "Wait!"

The two boys were now walking inside the swamp. Their boots were dirtied as they trudged forward in the mud. Aragorn walked with relative ease as Leon was having a hard time on his feat, tripping over branches and such.

The woods were darker as they entered it. The sky was clear with stars and silver moon, yet halfway covered with thick trees. Bugs swarmed over them like vicious beasts, and the noises of frogs and cicadas filled the night.

After a while, Leon spoke,

"Now let's go back."

"Not yet." Aragorn said. Still walking.

Leon groaned,
"Come on, Aragorn! We'll be late for dinner!"

"Well then go on ahead! I shall go further."

"No wait!" Leon stomped furiously on the mud, nearly tripping on his own feet as he stood infront of his friend. An angry look on his face.

"Our da's will be furious!"

"I told you, you shall go back ahead."

"My da will be angry if he knows I left you out here!"

Leon fumed as his friend was staring into space. Not listening.

"Arago-"

"Quiet." Aragorn shushed, putting his hand over the smaller boy as he looked around.

"Do you hear that?" He turned to the boy's face, a bit upset to find that his friend did not share the same excitement.

"Hear what?" Leon spat. Glaring.

Aragorn looked around the tall trees. He could've sworn he heard a slight rustle, yet not of the leaves.

It sounded like a, ...a fabric. A cloak.

"See? There's nothing here! Let's go back." Leon said, turning around on his heels just as Aragorn heard another rustle.

More silent. But definitely there.

"Come on!" Leon said, yanking his tunic. Yet Aragorn would not budge.

No. He was not finished yet.

"Aragorn!"

"Can you see that?"

"Stop with this nonsense! Come on!"

"No!" Aragorn yanked Leon's hand, whom yelped and trashed but he did not care. He pulled Leon's face, so that he would face the same direction as he.

"Look." Aragorn said, almost a whisper as he pointed up at a tree twelve feet from them.

The dark made it hard to see. But Aragorn could see a slight outline of a figure, crouching in the tree.

He felt Leon trembled. So he let go, and watched with amusement as his friend shuddered, eyes wide, as his breaths became hard.

"Let's go! Let's go back! Now!" Leon hissed, his voice was cracking as he furiously tugged on Aragorn's sleeve.

Aragorn mind was definitely unclear, as he cupped his hands around his mouth, then yelled,

"You there!"

Leon gasped in horror as he fell into a mud puddle. He did not seem to care however, as he scrambled to his feet and ran. Completely forgetting Aragorn,-albeit he didn't mind it-, as he sprinted away from the woods. Out from the swamp.

Aragorn turned back to the figure. It didn't seem to move. Which made him wander whether or not were they still alive.

He trudged on forward. Then he stood under the tree, and squinted his eyes. Confusion strucked him as he could not find the figure, even as he checked other trees. He was sure he definitely saw it, and sure that this was the tree, or perhaps around it. But then, why could he not find it?

Aragorn sighed. Perhaps he had been seeing after all. Leon must've also mistook a branch for a figure, too. He felt upset that his journey must come to an end, as he began to walk back. When he heard a noise.

Coughing.

No, hacking.

Aragorn twirled around. Eyes wild as he struggled to pin the source of the noise.

It came from the trees by his left. Afraid that he might loose again, Aragorn sprinted for the noise. Widening his stances as to help him not to trip, albeit slowing him down.

His heart thumped loudly in his ears like drums as he neared the noise. It continued as spluttering noises, accompanied with few wheezes.

Aragorn nearly missed a knife had he not seen the silvery glint under the dim moonlight.

X

Suddenly, Tathar was shoved out of the crate, uncremoniously.

He heard laughters when he fell to the ground. Unable to keep his footing with his heavily bound legs. Then, he was yanked by his hair, forcifully, to kneel.

Tathar bit his tongue to stop himself from crying out.

He felt the short puff of air near his face, followed by a grunt, and he knew there was a man close to him. Examining his face, perhaps.

The man spoke, in a language Tathar did not know of, but it carried a tone. There was laughter joined in, it didn't take him long to know that the man was sneering.

The man then yelled. At something or someone. As he did so, Tathar was pulled off the ground, and a hand roughly yanked off his blindfold.

As soon as the white fabric was taken off from his eyes, Tathar narrowed his eyes. As he thought, a man was assessing him. With dark skin and coal dark hair that was pulled in a thin braid. The man had paints on his face, streaks of gold and blue, with dark red and black around his eyes.

The man spoke again, rolling off his tongue lazily. There was another round of laughter, and another thump which made Tathar turn to look.

Mailithin fell on the ground, just as he previously did. Followed by his brother Lalaith, and many other young elves Tathar brought with him.

Once again, guilt strucked him.

He did this, Tathar thought. He brought them to their demise.

The man strode passed Tathar, towards the other elves. He stood infront of Lalaith. With a snap of his fingers two more men appeared, they pulled Lalaith so that the man could face him.

Tathar's eyes widened in horror when Lalaith spat on the man's face. He knew Lalaith was a headstrong youth, yet never would he thought he would do something as stupid as so.

Mailithin cried out for Lalaith as the man hit him in the stomach. Tathar felt himself being held down, as he was struggling too hard against his captors to stop the man.

They were beating Lalaith, merciless, relentlessly, over and over. Dread filled Tathar as he knew it would bot be the end of it, as Mailithin kept yelling to stop. Few others were also held down, Haulë even growled and snarled.

Tathar felt his own blood boil, as he also began to snarl and yelled,

"Daro!"

His voice echoed throughout the woods. It silenced everything. Even the birds stopped singing and the trees stopped rustling, as if the very woods heard him, sensed him, and obeyed.

The man stopped his beating. Every men turned to him. Even his own as they all stopped and looked down.

Tathar glared, even as the man towered over him, looming with his own piercing eyes. Tathar did not care.

The man spat out a word, before slamming his fist to his head. Tathar tasted blood in his mouth, as he grounded his teeth to stop himself from also spitting at the man.

He need to reel in.

They could not fight these men. As it was obvious whom had the upper hand, Tathar with his warrior whom were bound, against a group of burly men,-still yet to be counted-, with heavy weapons, Easterlings no less.

He needed to buy time. Atleast, untill he could find an opening to escape with his warriors.

The man growled low in warning. Tathar looked pass his hands however, as he gazed down, discreetly sharing a look at Lalaith, whom was staring at the man with pure hatred. Suddenly Lalaith rose up, yanking on his bonds as many men began to come to him, yelling.

"Havo dad, Lalaith." Tathar said. Firmly.

The young elf obeyed, albeit reluctantly, as he kneeled back down. He sent Tathar a look as the captain casted his gaze down to the ground. Averting.

Tathar resisted the urge to hit the man however, as he smirked as if pleased. He waved to his men, and they pulled Tathar to his feet, hauling him back to the dark crate.

X

I'm back! So who's excited about Aragorn? As I said, many things will be tweaked and mashed together. Whoop.

And poor Tathar. Back to the ol' crate again. Hello darkness my old friend.

Translations :
- Daro = Stop
- Havo dad = sit down/lay down (as in 'calm down')

As always, reviews are welcomed, and enjoy!