I don't know how long I was alone, or what I was even thinking about. Once my anger subsided I entered some sort of daze, I wandered around not paying attention to anything. If I had to describe it I'd say what I'm feeling is confusion. Part of me wanted Morwen to be alive, and that same part of me is glad that she's here. But the other part of me wants nothing to do with her, and all there is; is anger.

Why shouldn't I blame her for what happened? I have to blame someone don't I? Wait, do I? Is it always necessary to hold someone responsible for all the bad things that happen to you? Just as I'm about to delve into this new concept a sound reaches my ears that causes me to stop dead in my tracks.

A scream, coming from the camp. Without hesitating I whirl around and for once, thankful for my sharp elven ears. I hear another scream, one from Darovel I think. What could be making him scream like that? My mind immediately goes to the beast; has it caught up with us? Without ceasing my mad dash I reach into my shirt and pull out the amulet, feeling a heavy weight settle in the pit of my stomach when I see the stone glowing.

Footsteps sound from behind me, but I don't need to turn around to know who it is. 
"Amarth what is it?" Morwen calls, fear lacing her words.
"I don't know! Just keep running!" My thoughts are flooded with all the terrible things that could be happening to Ramben and Darovel. Would I get there in time or would I be too late to save them, just as I had always been too late-

I shake my head which nearly causes me to stumble.
No! I cannot let myself fall into one of those guilt trances again! I keep my thoughts off of everyone I've failed in the past, I block everything else out and focus on the task at hand. Get back to camp, save Ramben and Darovel, leave this place as soon as possible.

The moment Morwen and I arrive though, that plan immediately falls to pieces. I skid to a stop just as a dark shadow streaks towards us. Without thinking I put myself in front of Morwen, then scream as the shadow plunges into my stomach. I fall onto my back, unaware of anything but the intense pain that is spreading throughout my body. I scream and thrash, but nothing I do can free me. 

I hear Morwen scream and can only assume that the same fate has befallen her. I try once again to get up when another shadow plunges into my shoulder. My screams die instantly, my body goes still and my skin turns pale. Pain explodes in my leg, then I feel myself being lifted. More pain, this time in my back.

Black swirls around in my vision, bleary shapes of creatures with sharp fangs gaze at me with hungry eyes. I want to fight, but I can't move. I feel my consciousness slipping away, I'm struggling to stay awake...

One of the shadows plunges into my chest.

And I'm gone.

/\\//\\/

Voices...

I hear voices...

But I can't see...

"Do not damage him! Do not damage this one!"

What's happening...

"This one is special, oh yes this one is special!"

I need to wake up...

"Must be careful with him! We mustn't harm this one!"

I can't move...

"Our master wants him! Yes our master wants their prize!"

The darkness takes me once again.

/\\//\\/

"Get away from him!"
A voice shouts, clearly angry. I think it's Darovel; strange I've never heard him raise his voice before, I wonder what's gotten him so wound up. That's when I feel something prick my arm, something else pricks my leg.

I really don't want to open my eyes right now...

A cold hand brushes against my face and my eyes snap open. The first thing I see are two large, pale eyes staring at me, followed by sharp teeth that appear as the creature smiles.

"He's awake!" The creature shrieks excitedly jumping up and down on my chest. "The special one is awake!"
I try to bat it off me but I can't move my arms. That's when I realize that I'm lying flat on my back, my wrists and ankles are caught in cuffs attached to the floor. The second thing I realize is that I'm surrounded by dozens of thin, sickly creatures with huge pale eyes and long claws. The slink around on all fours, staring at me in what I can only described as crazed excitement.

The one on my chest is still gaping at me, a forked tongue darts out of its mouth and runs over its lips before going back into its mouth. I thrash as much as I can and manage to throw it off, the creature lands with a dull shriek and the creatures around it scatter. 

"Amarth!"
"Ramben?" His voice is coming from behind me, I try to turn my head so I can see him, but it's impossible with my arms and legs chained. 
"Amarth what's happening?" Ramben sounds so scared, curse these stupid chains!
"I don't know, just stay calm we'll be alright." I feel awkward talking to the ceiling, but I can't exactly look at Ramben, and I don't want to look at all the creatures pacing around me.

"Amarth are you alright?" 
I look to my right and see Darovel. His hood his off and his dark hair's a mess. There's also cuts all over his face and there's a nasty gash over his left eye. His hands are chained above his head and his back is against a wall. 
"Are you?" I ask after taking in his battered state.

Darovel looks down for a moment, kicking at one of the creatures who got too close, before looking at me again.
"I've been through worse." He says.
"How could anything be worse than this?" I mutter.

"Did they hurt you?" I stiffen before turning my head to the left. Morwen is there in just as bad of a state as Darovel. She's chained the same way he is and her lip is bleeding, her wounded arm is red and the skin is raw.
"Why are you two so concerned with me? Have either of you looked at yourselves?" I ask returning my gaze back to the dark ceiling. 

"Because those things haven't so much as taken their eyes off of you since we got here." Darovel replies aiming another kick at one of the creatures.

I feel another prick in my leg, lifting my head I see one of the creatures quickly back away. None of them seem bold enough to get near me when I'm awake. One of the creatures (who appears to be bigger than the others) doesn't seem to share the same fear as the others do. In fact it keeps edging closer to me.

"What are you doing?" One of them hisses. 
"I just want another touch, I won't harm him." The creature replies, still coming closer.

Another touch? I don't like the sound of that.
This thing however doesn't seem concerned with my opinions. It crawls forward until it's right beside my head, I look over at it and flinches.
Unfortunately it gets over its fear and stretches a thin, black, bony hand towards my face. I try to back away but my movements are restricted at this time.
I close my eyes and cringe as cold fingers brush against my skin, thankfully the creature pulls away almost as soon as it touches me.

"Oh, I see why our master wants him." The creature trembles where it sits, its tongue darting out of its mouth again. 
Master?
I got a bad feeling about this...

"But he stole something from Oroth! He will have to be punished!" Another creature hisses nervously.
Stole? I didn't steal anything, and who's Oroth? 
"No, he won't be punished if he gives it back." The largest of the creatures says. 

"But where is it?" One of them asks.

Oh no.
The large one crawls towards me again and there's nothing I can do to stop it. Its face hovers inches from mine. 
Stay calm Amarth, just stay calm.

"You have something that Oroth wants. Where is it?"
I stay silent.

The creature backs away slightly, it's eyes searching me for the amulet. Of course it's the amulet they want, why wouldn't it be? Then the creature focuses on my chest; where I know the amulet is hidden under my clothes. I close my eyes and try not to squirm as the creature reaches under my shirt, its clammy hands groping for the amulet. I can hear Darovel straining against his chains but what good is that going to do?

The creature's hands wrap around the amulet and carefully pull it out. I expect it to rip the amulet off; but instead it lays the amulet on my chest for all to see. 
"He'll give it back to Oroth, won't you?" The creature lays a hand on my head, I stiffen. This all just some bad dream; any moment now I'll wake up and be back at Pallando's house, complaining about how his loud snoring kept me up all night.

Then I hear the creature's voice whisper in my ear and I know that I won't be waking up anytime soon.
"Yesss, you'll do exactly what Oroth says." 
My eyes widen and panic starts to take over. The voice has changed, it's not longer the creature's voice, it's the one that I keep hearing in my nightmares.

"You will do as he says, we wouldn't want your friends to get hurt now, would we?"

My blood turns to ice at the words. The creature moves away and at the same all the others back away into the shadows. 
"Amarth are you alright?" Darovel asks but I can't answer.
I can only lay there with my eyes closed, the blue light from the amulet illuminates the room. I don't know what's going to happen to me here; what I do know is that I don't expect to leave this place alive.

And if by some miracle we manage to escape, I know that I'd be better off dead.

/\\//\\/

Morwen's POV

"Amarth!" Darovel tried once more to get Amarth's attention, but the Elf was unresponsive. Morwen didn't know if it was one of the creatures that had put Amarth in this state; or if the amulet had something to do with it. All she knew was that seeing him chained to the stone floor, face pale and breathing shallow, was more painful then any of the hurts the creatures had inflicted on her.

The first time she had regained consciousness they were still on the move. Darovel had been awake and was struggling against the creatures that fought to subdue him. Morwen tried to help him but she too was quickly overpowered and rendered senseless once again. The second time she had awoken she'd found herself here; chained to the wall across from Darovel who had still been unconscious. Ramben had been in a similar state as Darovel, but fortunately he hadn't been harmed as much as they had.

For awhile she had been the only one awake, what had worried her was that Amarth was nowhere to be seen. When the creatures had finally brought him in she'd been expecting to see Amarth in a worse state than she and Darovel were; but to her shock he had been left untouched. No scar marred his face and the creatures seemed to be taking extra care with him when chaining him to the floor. 

Darovel and Ramben were both awake by then, all three watching in silence and hoping that the creatures would leave once their task was complete, but they didn't, and something else had appeared. Ramben had kept his eyes closed, Darovel shouted and kicked at whatever creature came close enough, and she had stayed silent. Morwen couldn't bring herself to think about what the shadowed figure had done; but the memory came anyway.

The shadowed figure slowly moved forward; the creatures backing away to let it pass. A vicious smile appeared on its face as it approached where Amarth lay helpless. It knelt down beside him, a thin hand caressed his face. 
"I have been waiting a long time for you." The figure whispered; seemingly oblivious to the other three in the room. The figure leaned down, its face moving closer to Amarth's with each second.

Darovel was shouting in rage, straining against his chains.
Ramben whimpered as he averted his gaze. 
Then the shadowed figure stopped, it lifted its head but did not tear its gaze away from Amarth.
"Not yet Duvain," they whispered stroking Amarth's hair, "but soon you will be mine."
The being's eyes then locked on Morwen's; and there she saw nothing but pure hatred.
"You will not steal him from me," the being hissed, "he is mine."

Then just as soon as it had come, the being vanished.

Morwen felt a shiver down her spine as she recalled looking into the shadow being's eyes. She didn't know if it was just her imagination; but she could have sworn that the figure was a woman. Morwen had seen long hair on the figure, but it was the voice that had given it away. What chilled Morwen was what the shadow being had called Amarth; Duvain.

Beautiful darkness... 
Morwen shuddered again and tried not to think about it; which was impossible. Every time she glanced at Amarth the memory came flooding back, what confused her was how afraid for him she was. She hated him! What he'd done to her, tried to do her, was unforgivable. But when she tried to convince herself of this her mind filled with the image of Amarth's face after she had told him.

He'd looked mortified, and afraid. Morwen had never seen him afraid before, and him telling her that he had almost no memory of his time in Barad-dur...

It wasn't me Morwen, whatever it was you saw, it wasn't me.
That was what he had said to her, and she had believed him. But he had left before she could tell him. Morwen had told Amarth that she no longer loved him but she was wrong; she still loved him. Oh Valar she loved him so much; and seeing him in this helpless state, chained and at the mercy of whoever decided to come into their prison, it physically pained her.

She wanted so desperately to run to his side and free him, hold him close and assure him that he would be alright. Yet she could do nothing, she was just as trapped as he was. Lowering her head she allowed the tears she had been holding back fall. They had to get out of this place before that monster did something to Amarth.

She couldn't lose him again, she just couldn't.