Legolas held the ring in the palm of his hand, he'd never seen anything like it before.

He placed the ring between his thumb and index finger, holding it up so that he could study it closer.

So small, and plain.

Legolas thought to himself as he turned it to the side.

Yet, precious....

Legolas didn't know where these thoughts were coming from, and at the moment he didn't care. All he could think about was the small ring that he now possesed.

Why shouldn't it be mine? The creature dropped it and I picked it up. It's mine now.

As if he were in a trance Legolas slowly began to place the ring on his finger. Ignoring the horrifed look from the being in front of him.

The moment Legolas put it on his world plunged into darkness. He saw horrifying shapes of creatures moving through the shadows, screeching and slowly beginning to circle him.

Then he felt it, as if something was searching for him, like an eye...

It burned into him, and Legolas felt as if his skin was being ripped off of him.

Take it off! Take it off now!

He wanted to take it off, but he couldn't see where it was!

The eye continued to glare at him, the pain was growing worse, and there was nothing he could do to get away from it.

TAKE OFF THE RING!
TAKE IT OFF!

Legolas' hand shot blindly in front of him, desperately searching for the ring.

He felt it under his hand and pulled as hard as he could, every movement sending a wave of agony through him.

He had to get it off, he had to....

Legolas screamed in agonized fury as he finally ripped the ring off and threw onto the floor without a second thought.

As he stood gasping for breath, and desperately searching for something to lean on, the being in front of him retrieved the ring.

Not knowing what to say or do to the elf in front of him, he began backing away from the elf.
Before he could speak he heard and angry shout from up the stairs.

"Where is the keeper of the keys?"
Feren stormed down into the cellar, finding two unconcious elves, Legolas leaning against a wall exausted, and the shape of something small sliding backwards into the river below.

"My Lord, are you alright?"
Feren raced to his prince's side and placed a hand on his chest to steady him as he lurched forward.

"The- the dwarves."
He managed to say in between gasps for air.
"They-  they escaped- into the river. There was- another one."

Feren shouted for his warriors to go after them, not knowing that Legolas was only guessing their prisoner's fate.

"Let me take you to a healer."
Feren helped Legolas stand only to be pushed away.
"No, I am going after them."

"My Lord-"
"I am going Feren. You cannot stop me."

Moving past him Legolas ran to retrieve his weapons. Something evil had entered their home, and he would make sure that it left.

»»»»

Legolas ran out of the door that led to the river that the dwarves would be in.

He ordered the elf next to him to have the watergates closed, the elf blew into a horn and up the river two elf guards closed the gate, trapping the dwarves in their barrels.

As Legolas ran towards them, intent on finding which one had the ring and confronting them about it.

A startled cry from one of the guards caused Legolas to stop running. One of the elves on the gate had been struck by a black feathered arrow.

He fell into the river without a sound and his companion soon fell after as a horde of orcs poured over the gate.

Legolas shouted a warning to his elves and the battle began. The orcs had been sent to kill the dwarves, that was why they were there in the first place.

But now that the elves had arrived the orcs couldn't resist trying to kill as many elves as they could.

Legolas took out his bow and nocked an arrow into the bowstring. He released it into the head of an orc and quickly reloaded another.

All around him elves and orcs were battling against each other fiercly. The dwarves were doing their best to defend themselves without weapons, but they wouldn't last long if they couldn't get through the gate.

As Legolas fought he noticed the one dwarf, Kili, fighting his way to the lever that would open the gate for his companions.

Just before Kili could pull the lever he was struck in the leg with an arrow.

Legolas ignored his cry of pain and continued to fight. He had switched from his bow to his knives and was killing more orcs than before.

He was being driven by anger and hatred, these were the monsters that had killed his brother.

And he would slaughter them all even if it killed him. Legolas caught flash of red and green out of the corner of his eye.

He thrust one of his knives into an orc's chest and spun around in disbelief.

Tauriel? What is Tauriel doing here?

She was fighting as fiercely as any other elf there, Legolas could see the fire in blazing in her eyes as she killed orc after orc.

Legolas began to fight towards her, not caring that Kili had succeeded in his task and had opened the gates.

Legolas fought his way up the stone stairs that led to the top of the gate. On the opposite side Tauriel was doing the same.

Legolas ducked as sword was swung at his neck and then sliced his knives across the orcs legs, sending it tumbling into the river below.

At the top of the gate Legolas and Tauriel fought, together they were unstoppable. The orcs eventually stopped going near them and began to pursue the dwarves.

Legolas and Tauriel leapt over the gate and ran after the orcs. Both had their bows out and were shooting at every orc they saw.

The other elves followed them on either side of the river. Shooting, stabbing, and killing whatever orc came near.

Legolas was relieved to have Tauriel at his side, but at the same time wondered why she was out fighting in the first place.

Legolas noticed that there were more orcs coming on the right side of the river; soon they would overwelm the elves on that side.

Without really thinking about what he was doing Legolas jumped into the river, only to land on the heads of two dwarves her were grunting with pain and annoyance at the elf.

Legolas ignored their protests and began firing at orcs on either side of the river. He managed to keep his balance amidst the arrows shot at him and the struggling dwarves.

A rock loomed ahead and Legolas lifted his right leg off of one dwarf's head and balanced on one leg as he spun to the left and shot another orc.

He then leapt off the dwarf he had been balancing on and fired an arrow into an orc's throat. As the orc collapsed onto the ground Legolas stood on it and slid down a small hill; shooting orcs as he went.

Just as the dead orc fell into the river Legolas leapt off and began jumping from dwarf to dwarf as he made his way to the other side.

Once he reached the other bank he sprang off the last dwarf and delivered a hard kick to an orc's chest, sending it into the water.

Legolas flew from where he had kicked the orc and was now fighting on a steep hill. He swithed back to his knives as more orcs surrounded him.

Legolas was about to thrust both of his knives into an orc in front of him only to be grabbed by the arms and held in place by the orc.

Legolas struggled to pull himself free but the orc refused to allow him to escape.

Behind him, an orc creapt forward with a sword, intending on killing the elf from behind.

Legolas saw the orc coming and tried desperately to rip himself out of the orc's grasp.

Just before the orc behind him could deal the killing blow a small throwing axe came out of nowhere and hit the orc.

As the orc behind him fell dead Legolas finally managed to wrench himself free of the orc and kick him into the river below.

Meanwhile the dwarves disappeared from sight, and bringing the orcs with them.

Legolas hadn't been able to tell for sure, but he was almost certain that the one who saved him had been the dwarves' leader.

Why? Why would he bother saving me? I am the one who captured them, and I am an elf. Why should he care whether I lived or died?

And what about that ring? It is gone now but what was it? Why did it do that to me and why do they carry it with them?

They should not have something like that in their grasp, I should not have dropped it. I should have kept it and gave it to my father.

Or kept it for myself....

Legolas was so busy with his thoughts that he didn't notice the orc behind him, aiming a loaded bow right as his back.

The orc let the arrow fly, and Legolas would have been dead if it hadn't been for another arrow hitting the orc's and sending it flying harmlessly past Legolas.

Tauriel leapt out of the bushes with her knives gone, furious at the orc who had tried to take her prince's life.

There was a brief struggle between elf and orc before Tauriel had her knife placed at its neck and was about to slit its throat.

"Daro Tauriel."
She stopped herself as Legolas coldly voiced his order. He turned around to face Tauriel and said in a voice that made her skin crawl,
"This one we keep alive."

»»»»

Legolas barely listened as he held a knife against the orc's neck. His father was speaking as he circled him and orc they had captured.

His mind was still troubled by the events that had taken place that day, and out of all those thoughts, the memory of holding the ring was what resurfaced the most.

A part of him was disgusted that he still wanted anything to do with the ring after he had felt what it did to a person, but the other part wanted the ring back.

It had been such a precious little thing, how harmful could it truly be?

"Legolas."
His father's voice snapped Legolas back into reality. He blinked several times to clear his head as he realized that he had almost allowed the orc to escape.

Thranduil studied his son skeptically, knowing that something was wrong with him, but forced to focus on the task at hand.

"You had orders to kill the dwarves, why and who gave them to you?"
Thranduil narrowed his eyes at the orc who refused to answer and struggled to get away from Legolas.

"You have nothing to fear here, tell me what you know and I will set you free."

"You were hunting a party of thirteen dwarves, why?"
Legolas demanded as he pressed the blade deeper into the orc's neck.

"Oakenshield, the dwarf scum will never be king."
The orc growled.
"King? There is no King Under the Mountain nor will there ever be. No one would dare enter Erebor whilst the dragon still lives."

Thranduil noted the anger in Legolas' voice. He hadn't seen his son like this in ages.

"You know nothing!"
The orc spat.
"Our time has come, your world will burn!"
Legolas pressed the blade harder into the orc's neck.

"What are you talking about? Speak!"
"You will all burn, my master serves The One."

At this Thranduil froze. He glanced at the orc who continued to speak:

"The flames of war are upon you, and not even you can fight them, you cannot protect your people, or those that matter most to
you."

Thranduil paled slightly as he listened and the orc noticed.
Legolas however, grew even more agitated.

"What do you mean? Who is your master? What is he planning? Speak now or I will kill you myself!"

"He is the one who will bring darkness, he will destroy all who get in his way, and imprison those who oppose them in darkness."

Legolas began to tremble at his words, as something began to stir at the back of his mind.

"Do you understand now elfling? Death is upon you, He is coming, and He will-"

His words were cut off as Thranduil beheaded the orc in one flawless swing of his sword.

The orc's body dropped to the floor, and Legolas was left holding the head.

"Why did you do that?"
Legolas asked dropping the head in disgust.
"You promised to set him free."

"And I did. I freed his miserable head from his wretched shoulders."

Thranduil walked over to the twitching body of the orc and pressed his foot down on the orc's leg, stopping all signs of movement.

"There was more that the orc could have told us."
Legolas insisted voicing his frustration.
"There was no more that he could have told me."

Thranduil placed his sword back into its sheeth and began making his way out of the throne room.

"What did he mean, 'The flames of war are upon us?' who is the master he serves?"

"It means that our enemy plans to unleash a weapon so great that it will destroy everything in its path."

"Send out word to all the Guard, I want the watches doubled at our borders ans the gates sealed. No one leaves or enters this kingdom unless I hear of it."

»»»»

Legolas approached the two guards standing watch at the front gate.

"Seal the gates by the order of the King. They are not to be opened for any reason nor is anyone to leave."

Just as Legolas was about to leave one of the Guards asked,
"My Lord, what about Tauriel?"

Legolas froze when he heard the name. He hadn't seen Tauriel since they had brought the orc here, and she still hadn't spoken to him since yesterday.

"What about her?"
"She went out into the forest, with her bow and blade. She has not returned."

Legolas turned around and walked outside of the gate. His eyes searching the trees for any sign of Tauriel returning.

The orc's words came back to him, if something was coming, and Tauriel was alone out there...

"I am going after her."
Legolas announced to the guards.
"Tell my father that I will return in two days."

»»»»

A/N

Whenever the text is like this:

"It means that elvish is being spoken"

And whenever it is like this:

"It means that the black speech is being spoken."

Text like this is just the characters thinking