The Hidden Enemy

What You Fear Most

Haldir looked around the cave frantically.
Aragorn and Legolas were gone.

"How did this happen?"
He groaned.
"Alatar."
Amarth said grimly.

"Where did he take them?"
Gimli asked.
"There is one place they might be."
Amarth began to run down a long tunnel.

Haldir and Gimli followed without hesitation.

()()()

Legolas awoke in a dark room.
He was lying flat on his back, on a table of some kind. His arms were bound together over his head, his ankles were tied together as well.

He looked around the room frantically.
How had he gotten here?

His encounter with the snakes came back to him.
He shuddered at the memory of them slithering all over him.

His body was sore from where the snakes had bitten him.
But what bothered him the most was how he had gotten to this new place.

Legolas saw a small light.
Someone had lit a torch, there was someone coming.

Legolas turned his head to the side and froze in fear.
Alatar stood over him, grinning wickedly.

"Hello, Legolas. Are you feeling well?"
Legolas wanted to get as far away from him as possible, but he was trapped. He couldn't move.

Alatar gently turned his head to the side, Legolas stiffened.
"Did Amarth do this to you?"
He asked as ran his hand over the scar on his face.

Legolas shuddered.
Alatar removed his hand.
"You do not understand it's full purpose. It is meant to poison your mind, and bring out the monster inside you."

Alatar forced Legolas to look at him, he held his head to prevent him from turning away.

"Your monster wants out Legolas. You've managed to keep it contained, but you can't control it."

Legolas closed his eyes.
He wanted this nightmare to end.

"I'm going to show you something Legolas."
Alatar pulled something out from his cloak.
A small bottle of black liquid.

"Something that I think will help both of you. One way or
another."

Alatar forced Legolas' mouth open, the elf tried to fight but it was no use.

Alatar held his mouth shut and Legolas was forced to swallow the liquid.

Alatar grinned as Legolas' eyes began to close.

"Sleep well Legolas."
Alatar turned and left the room, he had other matters to attend to.

()()()

Legolas woke up, the first thing he saw were dark clouds covering the sky, he was outside.

No, that couldn't be right.
He was in Alatar's lair, not wherever here was.

He stood to his feet.
A cold wind blew around him, whipping his hair around.

Legolas tried to figure out where he was.
It looked like he was in an abandoned fortress.

One that looked vaguely
familiar....

Then he recognized it.
Dol Guldur.

The place he had first been brought to after he had been captured so many years ago.

Why was he here? It made no sense.

I'm going to show you something Legolas. Something that will help both of you, one way or another.