"Is this far enough for you Legolas?"
Gimli asked.
Legolas nodded.
"Yes. This is fine."

Aragorn helped him sit down. He had been helping Legolas walk.
"Gimli, see if you can get a fire going."
The dwarf nodded and began to search for anything he could use to start a fire.

Which wasn't easy to do in the dark.
"I will not be able to do anything for leg until I have some light."
Aragorn informed Legolas.

He nodded and carefully laid himself down on the ground.
There was nothing for him to lean up against.

Once Gimli finally got a fire started Aragorn began to properly treat Legolas' injury.
Meanwhile, Gimli kept watch for anything or anyone who might have followed them.

Once Aragorn finished his work he firmly told Legolas that he wasn't to use his leg at all.

"Aragorn-"
Legolas started to protest.
"We cannot have you injured Legolas."
Aragorn cut him off.
"It will do no good to yourself, or us."

Legolas sighed but didn't say anything.
"Do you two have any idea as to what purpose we are out here for?"
Gimli asked.

"We were supposed to wait for Amarth in Dale."
Aragorn turned to Legolas.
"It looks like we will have to hope that he will find us on his own."

"He will."
Legolas said coldly.
He still didn't trust Amarth.
None of them did.

They waited in silence for what seemed like hours.
Legolas suddenly sat up and looked around warily.

"What is it?"
Aragorn asked.
"Amarth."
Legolas narrowed his eyes.

"Did someone say my name?"
The three stood up as Amarth approached.
He was just like they remembered him.
Dark hair, blue eyes, dressed in black, and the same mischievous smile on his face.

"Forgive me for running late. But you were not where I had expected you to be."
Amarth stopped just in front of them.
He waited for an explantion.

"I ran into some trouble while leaving Mirkwood."
Legolas replied coldly.
"Was your father the trouble?"
Amarth asked.

Legolas narrowed his eyes.
"Legolas, you never did tell us what happened."
Gimli stated.
Legolas sighed.

Amarth sat down in front of the fire.
"Tell us what happened Greenleaf. We have time."
The others glared at him as they sat down.

Legolas told them everything that had happened.
Aragorn couldn't believe what Legolas had told them.
He didn't know what to say.

"Now I understand why you prefer the company of mortals."
Amarth said.
"If you cannot trust your own kin then who can you trust?"

"We certainly can't trust you."
Gimli narrowed his eyes.
Amarth rolled his eyes.
"I am not asking you to trust me, I'm asking you to work with me."

"How can we work with you if we cannot trust you?"
Aragorn asked.
"Because you have no choice."
Amarth replied.

"You need to stop Amarth, and you cannot stop him without my help, because I have the one thing that can kill him, and I owe Legolas a favor."

Aragorn looked over at his friend in confusion.
"What does he mean?"
Legolas' expression remained unreadable.
"Did he not tell you? Legolas spared my life. He could have killed me but he didn't. Now I must return the favor."

Aragorn couldn't believe it.
Legolas spared Amarth?
Impossible!
"Is that true?"
Gimli asked Legolas.

The elf sighed.
"Yes. I let him go."
"Why?"
Aragorn shouted.
"After everything he did to you, you let him live?"

Legolas said nothing.
"He tried to kill me Legolas! He tortured you and planned to kill you as well and you let him go?"

"Exscuse me, but didn't he almost kill you too? Long before we even met?"
Amarth asked.
Gimli glared at the dark elf while Legolas bristled at the memory.
Aragorn refused to meet any of their gazes.

Amarth sighed.
"We're getting off track. Listen, I have no way to make you trust me and I am not going to waist time trying to. Alatar is growing in power every day. The only way to kill him, is to stab him in the heart with a weapon of his own making."

"Where will we get a weapon that he made himself?"
Gimli asked.
"As I told Legolas earlier, I already have one."
Amarth took out his dagger.

Legolas eyed it nervously while Aragorn and Gimli looked waited for Amarth to finish.

"I know where Alatar is. I can lead you there, and we can kill him."
"What's in it for you Amarth?"
Gimli asked.
"Will this settle your debt you have with Legolas?"
Aragorn added.

Amarth laughed softly as he placed the dagger back in its sheeth.
"I have my own reasons for wanting to kill Alatar. I've wanted to for years. The only problem is that I cannot do it on my own. Which is where you come in."

Turning to Legolas he said.
"I will repay you for what you did Legolas. But now, it is time to move."

Amarth stood to his feet.
Aragorn groaned inwardly as Legolas began to stand up as well.
"Not until dawn."
He told them both firmly.

"Legolas is injured and needs to rest."
Legolas looked at him in annoyance.
He didn't want Amarth knowing that he was injured.

Amarth shrugged.
"Very well. We'll leave in the morning."

()()()

The next morning the four set off on their journey.
Amarth led them east and they followed.

Aragorn helped Legolas stay off his injured leg as much as possible.
It was healing quickly so that was a relief.

Gimli stayed as far away as he could from Amarth.
Legolas never took his eyes off of the dark elf.

Amarth never looked behind him.
"How can we be sure that he's not leading us into a trap?"
Gimli asked Aragorn.
"We cannot be. That's why we have to be on our guard."
He replied.

Amarth led them further and further east. Every step took them farther and farther from their homes.

Would they ever see their homes again? Would they die on this completely hopeless journey?
Aragorn had seen Alatar, killing him would not be easy.

He wondered if Amarth had told them everything about him...
"We should rest here for
tonight."
Amarth said suddenly.

"Why can't we keep going?"
Gimli asked.
"Because if we do we will reach an Easterling camp by nightfall, and the last thing we need is to be caught at night outnumbered by a hundred armed
Easterlings."
Amarth replied.

"Might I go on?"
"How do you know that there are Easterlings?"
Aragorn asked.
"He's right."

Aragorn and Gimli looked at Legolas in surprise.
"There are Easterlings ahead of us. They have been traveling in front of us for a while now."

"Why didn't you say anything?"
Gimli asked unable to hide the annoyance in his voice.
"It was not important at the
time."
Legolas replied.

"We should stop wasting time. We can camp over by those trees there."
Amarth pointed at a small wooded area nearby.

Aragorn nodded.
"Alright. Let's go."
They walked over to the trees and made camp under the branches.
Gimli had lit a small fire and Legolas sat up against a tree.

Amarth didn't bother keeping his distance and sat near him.
Aragorn sat at Legolas' right.
To his surprise he noticed that Legolas was carrying a sword.

"I've never seen you use a sword Legolas."
He commented.
Legolas looked down at it.
"I prefer to use my bow and my knives. But I can use a sword if I have to."

"Why are using one now?"
Aragorn asked.
Legolas didn't take his eyes off the sword.
He didn't reply.
"Legolas?"

"He's probably remembering all the times he was forced to kill someone with a sword."

Aragorn looked over at Amarth.
The dark elf returned his gaze.

"Sauron made him use a sword to kill. You did not know that?"
Gimli glared at Amarth.
"You should keep quiet elf."

Amarth shrugged.
"I am only saying what is true. Legolas killed people with a sword. Which is probably why he has not used one. Although why he is going back to using one is beyond me."

"What weapon I use is none of your concern Amarth."
Legolas glared at Amarth with a look of pure hatred.
It nerved Aragorn seeing him like that.

"Forgive me. But I cannot help it if you enjoy killing with a
sword."
Aragorn sprang to his feet, his eyes blazing with anger.

"You enjoy it. Don't you Legolas?"
Amarth ignored Aragorn and turned his attention towards Legolas, who refused to look at anyone.

"Killing. It gives you purpose. You love having the power to take someone's life. You know that they are powerless to stop you.
You love finding new things to kill. You're always searching for new ways to do it."

"You are constantly waiting to kill something. Orcs, spiders, or any other fell beast to crawl out of the shadows. But they are all gone. There is nothing for you to hunt now. Of course, that did not stop you before."

"Enough!"
Aragorn shouted but Amarth continued to speak.

"That is why you killed men and elves. Because you had nothing else to kill. You feel empty when you're not killing something.
That's why you keep losing control Legolas."

"Amarth!"
Aragorn wanted to kill the elf right then but something stopped him.

"It's the monster Legolas. It wants out, you try to keep it inside but you can't. It is constantly trying to break free. Every day is a battle for you. The only way you can hope to control it is of you are killing something. But as I said before, there is nothing for you to kill now."

"Amarth!"
Aragorn knew that shouting was usless but it was all he could think of doing.

"But you want to kill. You are a killer and you know it."

"That's enough!"
Aragorn drew his sword and placed it at Amarth's neck. The elf didn't even flinch.

Aragorn looked over at Legolas.
"Do not listen to him Legolas. You know that is not true."
He waited for Legolas to agree with him.
To say something.

To tell him that he didn't believe anything that Amarth had said, but he remained silent.
"Legolas?"
Aragorn asked.

The elf looked up at him.
His expression a mix of regret and anger.
Aragorn looked at him in shock.
"Legolas..."

Legolas stood to his feet and stormed off into the forest.
Leaving the others standing in stunned silence.