Amarth

Prologue

"I'm going east, and I don't expect to return."
"You would be welcome to stay here if that is what you wanted."

Would you offer me that if you knew the truth?

"Please Legolas, I would never belong here and you know it. Although I will keep it in mind."

Your people would never accept me, and if you knew the truth neither would you.

"You will be welcomed here if you decide to return."

I never plan on seeing you, or these lands, ever again.

"I should go now. Goodbye Greenleaf."
"Amarth, hannon le."

You would not be thanking me if you knew what I had done.

////

I turn away from Legolas, the newly crowned King of Greenwood the Great.

Personally I prefered Mirkwood but it's not really my business as to what they call their home.

I make my way through the forest, my last and final conversation with Legolas is repeating itself over and over again in my head.

After everything I had done to him he offered me a place in his kingdom, and although I appreciate his willingness to forgive ne, I cannot accept it.

There had been a time where he would not have hesitated to send an arrow flying through my head, but now he attempts to thank me for saving his life.

I wonder if he would be so quick to thank and forgive if he knew that I had planned on betraying him since the beginning.

If he knew that I had always intended on bringing Aragorn to Alatar and killing him; would he still welcome me into his realm?

If he knew that I had known Alatar was planning on poisoning the minds of those kings and turning them against one another, would he still thank me?

If he knew all the things I have done; all those terrible and horrific things....

Then I doubt he would not hesitate to pull out his bow.

I have changed.
I am not the same elf I used to be.
I wasn't always this dark being, a bearer of doom.

I used to have a name other than the one I do now, I had a family, a home.

But that life is gone now.
It was taken away from me and I can never have it back.

All I can do now is keep moving, I have nowhere to go, there is no place that I can call home.

I step out of the forest. The Lonely Mountain towers in the distance while the ruins of Dale sit in a desolate shadow.

As the sun sets behind me the world begins to descend into darkness. I continue onward towards the ruins. I've never had a problem traveling at night.

I wear the dark like a cloak, it covers me and I embrace it.
I cannot be found if I do not want to be and no one can harm me.

I have already had my heart torn out, I have suffered through things that would bring the strongest warrior to his knees.

What did I do to deserve all my suffering? All of my loss?

Nothing.

I was just an unfortunate being who was doomed to lose everything he loved.