"You took me captive in the Misty Mountains. I had hoped you perished there." - Thorwen

22nd June/Nórui, 3018, The Enclave of the Temple of Morgoth, The Emyn Duir.

As Thorwen's vision cleared, she found herself in a small stone cell. And lying on a single bed with rough woollen blankets. There were no windows, only a single candle for light on a small table with a stool next to it. Panicked, she tried to sit up, but her head swam and it took a couple of attempts before she was able.

She placed her head in her hands in the hopes the spinning would stop. It felt just like when she had sipped a little too much Elven wine, only worse. She noticed that her wrists were now bound in heavy manacles and felt a tug on her leg, indicating that it was chained to the bed. Thorwen also realised that her scouting clothes had been replaced with a black linen robe. The only item that remained was the bracelet Thranduil had placed upon her when she was brought to the Elven Halls.

The feeling of dread hit Thorwen in the pit of her stomach as she realised she must be in the Temple Enclave. Once her head was clear, she would try and use her Will to break the chains. But she would have to conserve her energy waiting for the right opportunity. Escape was not going to be easy, and she hoped that Legolas had not been captured too. Or worse.

Although it meant she was in danger, Thorwen took comfort in the bracelet's bright blue glow. The priests must not have been able to remove it, and Thranduil would know where to find her. She knew he would be on the march now with a large army of furious Elves, bent on vengeance. But her head was not clear enough to reach out to him and if he was calling to her, she could not yet hear.

Instead, Thorwen listened intently to the sound of footsteps as people passed by. Sometimes she heard the shouts and cries of prisoners being moved. It was a long time before she heard footsteps stopping outside her cell. The hatch in the door opened, a pair of brown eyes surveyed the cell, then the door was unlocked.

In walked two priests in black hooded cloaks. One was Nuta, her face now scarred and a patch over one of her cruel brown eyes. The other priest was taller and Thorwen noticed his eyes were pale blue above the scarf he wore over his face.

"Greetings, Sweeting, it is good to see you again. You were but a child when we last met. do you remember me, Sweeting?" said Nuta.

"How could I forget? You took me captive in the Misty Mountains. I had hoped you perished there."

Nuta gave out a high-pitched menacing chuckle and touched her disfigured cheek."Oh no, Sweeting. Your eagle friends may have.... altered me somewhat, but I am very much alive. But there are no eagles to trouble us here and there is no escape. You will not have to remain here for long, however. The Great Master has made arrangements for you to be moved to a more secure location."

Thorwen rose unsteadily. "King Thranduil will never let that happen. I am his betrothed and he will not take this lightly. He will cut off any attempt to take me to Dol Guldur and there will be no mercy for you! You would be wise to release me immediately. Along with any other prisoners you keep, if you wish to keep your life......"

SLAP! Nuta's hand connected hard with Thorwen's face, knocking her back onto the bed.

"You think we do not know this? That we have not planned for your arrival? We are not going to Dol Guldur. The White Wizard has arrived to escort you to the fortress of Isengard. By the time the Elven King reaches this Enclave, we will have abandoned it.

Slowly Thorwen returned to sitting while she nursed her burning cheek. "The White Wizard?" She had heard that name before. At Rivendell, Elrond had mentioned Saruman the White, a wizard from the south. But he had always been spoken of as an ally. The traders on the High Pass had also spoken of a white wizard named Sharkey. Could they be one and the same? And if this wizard was one of her kind. Then she was in deep trouble.

A cracked smirk crossed Nuta's face. "We are to be his guests until the Great Master's servants come for us. Then we shall return to Barad Dur, where you will become the Great Master's Queen. It is a high honour that the Great Master bestows on you!"

Thorwen sprayed Nuta's face with her spit. "That is what I think of your honour! I am already betrothed and I do not accept Sauron as my husband or my master!" Thorwen noticed a slight snigger from the priest. Nuta did not, but furiously wiped the spit from her face with her robes, then slapped Thorwen even harder. But this time she remained defiantly still.

"Give me the Poppy Syrup!," Nuta ordered.

"But High Priestess, the White Wizard said, it was unnecessary. He will not be happy if you disobey him."

Nuta glared at him but eventually agreed. "Remain here and keep watch over her. I shall return presently with the White Wizard." She knocked on the cell door and was let out by the guard.

Once Nuta's footsteps died away, the priest put his finger to his scarf and sat on the stool. "Do not speak, Thorwen. Do everything I tell you and I will get you out of here. Thranduil is coming with his armies to destroy the enclave. Bregwen is also here as a prisoner. She and I have been planning a mass escape. That should be enough of a distraction for me to get you to safety."

Thorwen nodded in reply, Suddenly it occurred to her who the mysterious priest might be. "Calenamath?" she whispered.

The priest nodded, but again put his finger to his scarf. They heard two sets of footsteps returning and the door was unbarred. Saruman swept in with Nuta. "Leave us!" he commanded. Nuta was stunned for a moment. Saruman repeated his command. "I will speak to the prisoner alone. Now leave! Both of you!" Nuta retreated outside the cell without a word and Calenamath followed. Saruman waved his staff over the cell door, then placed himself upon the vacated stool. "We meet again, Almárie. The years have been good to you, I see."

Thorwen eyed him suspiciously. "What did you do to the door?"

"I ensured they would not overhear us. These mortals have an unsavoury habit of eavesdropping."

"Nuta says you are taking me to Isengard and handing me over to Sauron. You are a traitor, Curumo!"

Saruman held up his hands. "You have not lost any of your charms, I see, Almárie. But you misunderstand. I am merely trying to gain their trust so that I can help you escape. I have informed Nuta that the Great Master has changed his mind and wishes to collect you from Isengard. Then we will leave, with you, pretending to be my prisoner."

It sounded plausible, but Thorwen was still suspicious. If he was not in league with Sauron, how did he find out about her being taken captive?

"There are other prisoners here, Curumo. If we work together, we could help them escape, too."

She decided not to mention Calenamath, at least not until she could be sure Saruman was being truthful with her. Saruman smiled sadly. "Alas, that will not be possible. We must leave quickly. The Elves will free them once they reach the Enclave."

"You know the Elves are coming?"

"Nuta expects them at any moment, which is why we must depart swiftly."

"All the more reason for us to remain and help the other prisoners! That way we can lead them to the Elves all the sooner."

Saruman's smile dropped. "We are not returning to the Elves."

"You said we were only pretending to return to Isengard."

"I said we were only pretending you were my prisoner. You shall return to Isengard as my honoured guest, Almárie."

Thorwen rose abruptly from the bed. She was sure he was lying to her now. "I will not go to Isengard! I am returning to my betrothed!" And if you do not serve Sauron, as you claim. How did you discover my presence here?"

She could see the irritation on his face as he pondered his reply.

"Almárie, Sauron's power is growing by the day. The West will soon fall unless we can find his ring of power. If you truly love Thranduil, come to Isengard and help me find the ring. It is the only way to save your lover and his people."

She could feel the power in his voice. It would be all too easy to surrender to it. To believe what he was saying to be true. But her own strength of Will resisted him. "So I become your prisoner rather than Sauron's."

"As I said, you will be my honoured guest. And perhaps the others may even join us. Many hands make light work and finding the ring is the only way to truly defeat Sauron. I made a great study of his work and I am sure you'll find it fascinating. You are sure to have insights of your own to add. If we work together, we can defeat him."

She could feel the fullness of his Will against hers and did not know how long she could resist him. He rose from the stool and seemed to tower over her, his robe now glistening with many hues of colour. At that moment, her mind regained full clarity. "No, Saruman. You are already in the service of the Dark Lord. I feel his shadow upon you, else you would not be in this place. It seems you have betrayed both your masters and it will not end well for you."

Saruman clapped his hands slowly in mocking applause. "It seems Námo's guidance has been the making of you. But that will be of little help to you here, child?"

"I know it is you that betrayed me to Sauron. You are the reason my family was killed. It was all because of you!"

"On the contrary, Almárie, I was the one that kept you safe in those early years. I had no choice in informing the Great Master of your arrival. He forced it from me. Such is his power. But I resisted him for as long as I could. If it were not for me, Nuta and her priesthood would have located Duincar much sooner and you would have been raised in Mordor. I spied on you, yes, but I never disclosed your location or the identity of your cousin, Aragorn. It was the foolish act of your parents when they took you to the traders that exposed you to the Temple of Melkor. None of my doing!"

Thorwen's cheeks grew hot with fury. The floor trembled as she gained stature. "How can you say such a thing?"

"I say it because it is true. Your parents, especially your father, were fools. Unworthy of the grace they were given in raising you. Your father almost handed you over to me. His mind was so easy to master, I barely needed to use my will upon him. If it weren't for Lord Elrond and Olorin turning up that evening, you would already be in Orthanc. I am the only one who can truly protect you from Sauron's grasp. Now, are you going to cooperate or do I bring you to Isengard by force?"

"Why should I put my trust in you? You may hand me over to Sauron once I am in your power!"

Saruman broke into a wide smirk. "Oh Almárie, you are already in my power. But it seems you need more convincing to cooperate and we are running out of time. Nuta wishes to administer Poppy Syrup to you. I must warn you, it is a cruel poison. In Mordor, they give it to those they give to Melkor or particularly troublesome slaves. Its effects leave you neither awake nor in slumber. Its victims endure terrible suffering when withdrawn from it, some do not survive. I would not wish such suffering upon you. Come to Isengard willingly and I promise to protect you from her."

"Return me to Thranduil and I will help you find the ring willingly," replied Thorwen.

"You are in no position to negotiate with me, as you will soon see. I will keep Nuta at bay.... for now, and give you some time to consider your position. But it will not be for long. Think on my words, Almárie. Time is running out!" He waved his staff, then knocked on the door before exiting the cell.

Thorwen sat down on the bed, shaking. Trying to come to terms with all Saruman had told her. She only hoped Calenamath could get to her before Saruman's return. A short time later, she heard a set of footsteps approaching outside. Focusing hard on her wrist manacles, she managed to stretch the metal long enough to slip her hands free. But before she could do the same to the leg chain. The door of the Cell was unlocked.

Quickly, she slipped the manacles back on, hoping to use them as a weapon if necessary. The cell door opened and two masked priests entered, one carrying a bowl cup and spoon, which they placed on the table. "We must watch over the Gift while she eats," said the taller priest. His bright blue eyes, a welcome relief. Then the door was locked behind them.

The priest that was Calenamath picked up the wooden cup, winking as he offered it to Thorwen. "The High Priestess has provided you with vittles before your journey. Will you cooperate or must we feed you by force?"

Thorwen showed no emotion as she took the cup and pretended to sip from it. Unsure what Calenamath was planning. Calenamath stood behind the other priest, placed a hand over his mouth, and snapped his neck before he could cry out. Thorwen slipped off her manacles and Calenamath drew a key from his robes which he used to unchain Thorwen's leg.

"Quickly" he whispered and Thorwen removed the dead priest's cloak and outer robes and covered her face with his scarf. He was a dark-haired man with a similar complexion to Nuta. They then covered the priest's body to make it look like Thorwen was asleep in the bed. Once they were ready, Calenamath poured the cup and bowls contents under the bed.

"Keep your head down so no one can see your eyes and your hands firmly within your robes." He held the bowl, cup, and spoon and knocked on the cell door. It was opened immediately, and Thorwen followed Calenamath, stepped out of the cell.