"Pallando, I don't exactly feel comfortable with being here." We're standing just at the edge of Mirkwood (it sounds better than Eryn Lasgalen in my opinion) and as I look up at the trees that once sheltered the Wood Elves, I feel a strange lump in my throat. 

"What's wrong Amarth? You told me that you were once friends with an Elf who lived here, which is surprising." Pallando says leaning on his staff and giving me one of those sly grins he's so proud of.

"What's surprising?" I turn away from the trees while adjusting the pack on my shoulder. Of course, I end up having to carry everything.

"That you actually had a friend other than myself, I truly never thought that anyone else could tolerate you." Pallando chuckles to himself in the soft, muffled way he does. I am not amused. "Please Pallando, leave the sarcastic remarks to me, they don't suit you." This of course just makes him laugh even more.

I roll my eyes and once again find myself staring at the trees. There's a very good reason why I don't want to be here, actually, I have several very good reasons. 

"Well come along Amarth, I'd like to be at the palace before sundown. And if we follow the river it shouldn't take us long at all." Pallando shuffles onward into the forest and grudgingly I follow, still carrying the heavy pack, my swords, and a bow and quiver of arrows on my back. You would think that two people would travel light but when one of those people is Pallando, you might as well be carrying your entire house with you.

We came to Mirkwood by following the river that once was used to transport barrels to Laketown, the ruins of that place are long gone including most of Dale, nothing but a few large slabs of stone lying here and there. You can't even tell that Dwarves once lived in the Lonely Mountain; after the dominion of men came they hid all traces of Erebor and delved even deeper into the earth. I journeyed to the mountain many years ago to see if there was a way inside, or if any Dwarves still remained, but there was nothing. It was almost as if they had never existed and though I would never admit it, I was saddened by their disappearance.

Might have something to do with a certain Dwarf I was once acquainted with, he had one of the worst tempers I've ever seen, but his loyalty towards his friends was something to be admired. I'm so lost in my thoughts that I don't notice the tree root sticking out of the ground until my foot is caught in it and I become closer than I've ever wanted to be with the ground.

"I told you Amarth, we don't rest until we get there!" Pallando isn't even trying to hide his amusement and the forest erupts with the sounds of his laughter. I lift my head up from the ground, knowing full well that Pallando's increased laughter is due to the dirt and grass stuck to my face and hair. 

"Why don't we rest now? The ground is so soft." I growl rising to my feet. Pallando is still laughing and shaking his head as he leads the way once again. The river rushes below us, not as fast as it once was, but you'd still get swept away if you happened to fall in. A sigh escapes me and I turn my gaze towards the trees. I've never had a connection with trees but I know that the Elves who once lived here did. They could communicate with the trees and they, in turn, would aid the Elves with defending their home, but now the trees are silent. They no longer move, and the no longer talk.

With no Wood Elves around there's no reason for them to stay awake, so they've become dormant. Normal, everyday trees that men use to build their cities. Sometimes I get angry that so much has changed in the world, perhaps it's because I didn't get a chance to enjoy it as others did. Back in the Third Age I was either imprisoned or going about killing people while folk like Hobbits went about their days without a care in the world.

Why couldn't I have had that life? Why did I have to be torn away from everyone and everything that I loved?

I want to blame someone for my misfortunes, but all of them are dead. Which makes me feel a little bit better about my situation, and yet I still have this emptiness inside of me. I wish that I could fill it somehow or bury my emotions so far down that they never resurface ever again. I can be one of those cold and distant people that live in the mountains, avoiding everyone in sight.

Once again I'm so distracted that I don't see the tree standing in front of me until I walk right into it. 

"This forest hates me!" I grasp my throbbing nose which took the brunt of the impact with the tree. Pallando's head pops out from behind the tree and I can tell that he's biting his tongue. He wants to laugh, I know he does. He walks up to me gently grabs my wrists, pulling my hands away from my face which he is inspecting.

"You look alright to me Amarth, no severe injuries from what I can see. Although you are going to have a red nose for awhile, and a bruise on your forehead."

"Well, there goes my handsome face," I mutter with as much sarcasm as I can muster. Pallando quickly turns around before I can see the pure glee on his face. I don't say anything and continue to follow him, I'll get my revenge later.

/\\//\\/

Just like Pallando said we arrived at the palace before nightfall. After the Elves left the forest became so overgrown that all traces of it were hidden from human eyes. However, Pallando and I are not human, therefore we find a way in by following the river to a ledge overgrown with bushes and vines. I use my sword to clear a path for us and end up uncovering a door. For a brief moment, I wonder if there's some password we have to speak to open it, but Pallando just steps in front of me and pushes it open.

That was simple.

Cautiously I follow him inside, I've never been in this place before, and the fact that it's been empty for years doesn't make it any better. 

"Stay close Amarth, you could get lost here if you don't know your way around." Pallando has been talking to me as if I was a child ever since we got here. 

I hold my tongue mainly because I just want to get what Pallando needs from this place and leave. I don't want to be here, I really don't.

Everything is so quiet, I can barely hear mine or Pallando's footsteps on the floor. This place, it just feels so empty. It's unsettling and I want to leave.

Pallando doesn't seem to be affected the way I am, in fact, he almost looks happy to be here.

"All the other Elven realms have long since faded since the Third Age," he says suddenly, "it brings me joy to see that there is at least one still left on the earth."

So that's why. 

Good for you Pallando, at least you're enjoying this little holiday of yours. Meanwhile, I'm here feeling as if there's something watching us, telling me that I'm trespassing. 

Am I going mad?

I must be.

It's the only logical reason for my discomfort.

There's hardly any light here, enough for us to see where we're going but not much else. My mind begins to wander again and for some reason, it goes to a blond Elf I once knew. The fact that I'm in Legolas' home, the very place he invited me to live in, is strange when I think about how this was where he grew up.

What was life like for him here? Especially after he escaped from Mordor, how did his people treat him when he came back? Three hundred years is a long time to be away from home. At least he got to go home, mine was destroyed and my people rejected me. 

That is the one reason why there is still the smallest bit of loathing in my heart towards Legolas. He was twisted and turned into something dark, just as I was. We both killed when we felt like it and we hurt those closest to us, we were both scarred by the same evil dagger for Valar's sake!

Yet he healed! He actually healed and went back to his normal life! 

Yes, my scar vanished when Alatar died, but unlike Legolas, I couldn't just move on as if nothing had ever happened. I wanted to forget, I so desperately wanted to forget everything I had done, all the hurts I'd caused.

But I couldn't.

Who I was before I became Amarth is foreign to me, I don't remember a time before I turned to evil. So I stuck to what I knew and what I was familiar with: killing.

It's the only thing that I'm certain of, and I hate it. 

Why don't I just stop? Why do I keep killing innocent people when I loathe it? Why don't I turn from this path?

Because I can't.

A sigh escapes my lips and catches Pallando's attention.

"Are you alright?" He asks brows furrowing in concern.

"Of course I am, just annoyed is all," I reply as if I wasn't slowly dying inside.

"What could you possibly be annoyed about?" Pallando doesn't stop walking as we talk. In fact, we seem to be going down, deeper and deeper into the underground fortress the Woodland Elves once called home. 

"For one thing you still haven't told me what it is we're here for," I remind him, "and you haven't told me how or why you decided to keep whatever this thing is here in Mirkwood. You promised me answers and I want them."

I almost stamp my foot and cross my arms like a spoiled child, but I'm far too mature for that sort of thing so I continue following Pallando.

"I will show you what we're here for when we get it. I will, however, tell you when I decided to bring it here and why." 

I want to jump for joy, finally some explanations!

"You recall that I went "missing" after freeing you from Alatar, correct?" Pallando questions without facing me.

"Yes, after you found me you informed me in the most dramatic way that you found something terrible." I narrow my eyes but Pallando never notices.

"Well, I asked you to keep an eye out for anything suspicious while you were on your travels, but as you told me you haven't found anything."

I raise an eyebrow wondering where this is going when Pallando's next words hit me like a punch to the face.

"I'm sorry Amarth, but the reason you did not find anything was because there was nothing."

What?! He lied to me?! Sent me on a goose chase?! How could he?!

"Before you start shouting let me explain; I did find something while I was away (which you will be seeing shortly) and I feared that it would bring unwanted attention, so I asked you to go out and search for this "threat" I told you about in order to get you away while I dealt with it myself. Do you understand? I didn't want to put you through anything else, after all, you have already been through."

I blink once.

Twice.

My left-hand twitches.

Pallando starts talking again.

"When nothing happened and no one came searching for it, I decided that the best thing to do would be to simply hide it."

"So you brought this mystery thing here?" I'm having a hard time processing this.

"Yes, in fact, we're almost there." 

It falls silent after that and I notice how Pallando's mood suddenly becomes more solemn. Further down we descend into the caverns, the path we're walking on grows steeper the farther we go. Soon it's almost so dark that I can barely see, my Elf eyes are not much help down here. Fortunately for me, Pallando has his staff, and soon we have a soft glow illuminating our path. I look around and realize that he are in a very narrow hallway, I doubt that anyone came here often. It's much colder down here not that it bothers me, just an observation of mine.

When I think that we're finally going to reach our destination the last thing anyone walking in a dark, narrow space wants to see appears before us; a dead end.

"Pallando, are you lost?" I don't bother trying to sound polite. I'm still annoyed about being lied to and actually allowing Pallando to drag me here.

My old friend doesn't reply, instead, he pulls the key that was inside the small box out from the folds of his cloak. Pallando nods his head, gesturing for me to come closer, dragging my feet I do as he commands.

"What now?" I ask and just like before I am not given an answer. Pallando grins, his eyes sparkling with mirth, then I watch as he pushes the key through the stone wall. 

What?

Pallando releases the key and I watch as it's pulled even further into the wall until only the top of it is sticking out. As if things couldn't get any stranger a white, circle of light surrounds the key. From that circle four tendrils of light appear, they move along the stone wall like vines along a garden wall. Soon the entire wall is covered in light and I have to raise my arm to shield my eyes.

Then the light dims and I can see clearly again. I study the wall and notice that the tendrils of light have formed a leaf in the center of it all. Pallando reaches his hand out and presses his palm against the leaf. I step back at the same time he does when something emerges from the spot where the leaf is. It appears to be a small, stone box similar to the one that Pallando kept the key in. Pallando carefully takes the box from the wall and turns to face me.

"Are you ready?" He asks with his wrinkled hand on the lid.

I shrug in response. This is all a bit too dramatic for my taste. I'd rather just see what it is than wait any longer.

Without further hesitation, Pallando opens the box, and a blue glow appears from inside. Pallando reaches inside and pulls the glowing object from the box. 

"This Amarth is what we are here for." Using his other hand Pallando places the stone box back into the wall. The lights fade and the key emerges from the rock, but Pallando is no longer concerned with the key.

Pallando stretches his hand out towards me, the glowing object lies in the palm of his hand. I lean forward and at Pallando's bidding, carefully take it from his hand. I hold it in both of my hands, the light from it casts a blue glow on my face. The light is coming from a dark, blue gem in the middle of a smooth, black stone. It's in the shape of a circle and is nearly as big as my palm, the final thing I notice is the dark chain attached to it. What I'm holding is an amulet, and one look at Pallando confirms that it is not just a random piece of jewelry.

"What is this Pallando?" I ask tearing my gaze from it. I'm relieved to find that it was easy for me to look away, usually whenever I encounter some mysterious, powerful object I have a hard time looking away from it. And a lot of times those objects end up corrupting whoever holds them. Strangely, I feel nothing menacing at all about this amulet.

Pallando sighs and rubs the back of his neck, for some reason he looks extremely tired all of sudden. 

"Let us find a place to rest first, then I will explain everything to you. We'll be safe here for tonight."

Safe? 

Safe from what?

/\\//\\/

We find a room in the palace where we prepare to stay for the night. I'm still uncomfortable with sleeping in this place, but Pallando insists that it would be best if we waited until morning to leave.

I still have the amulet and Pallando hasn't asked for it. I have it clasped in my hands hidden from sight, I'm sitting on the floor waiting for Pallando to begin explaining.

"I know that you are wanting answers Amarth," he begins, "but I fear that I do not have much to give you. What I am about to tell you is beyond most of my knowledge, in fact, I doubt that even the other Istar knew about this. Do you remember the black dagger that Alatar had?"

I nod my head. How could I forget? That thing was almost the death of me.

"Despite what he said, Alatar did not create the dagger. It was given to him."

I raise both my eyebrows, the only sign that I am surprised by this revelation. I have even more questions but I don't interrupt Pallando.

"Alatar was not always evil, it was the dagger that corrupted him, and he was scarred by whoever gave it to him. The one who made it. Now I do not know who this was only that Alatar met them sometime during out stay in Oropher's kingdom, it was after he received it that he began kidnapping Elves and torturing them. If I had made the connection with the dagger sooner I could have stopped many terrible things from happening, but I chose to distance myself from Alatar and to not concern myself with his doings, and people suffered for my ignorance."

"After I freed you from Alatar and imprisoned him in his lair I was thrust into a part of Middle Earth that I had never seen before. And I don't remember if it was a dream or a vision, but I believe that Manwe himself appeared to me, and I was afraid. I knew that I hadn't been doing what the five Istar had been sent to do in Middle Earth and I was expecting to be punished, and I was right to some extent."

"I'm afraid that I am forbidden to speak what was said to me, but I can tell you that I was given another chance to do what I had been sent to do. While Sauron was being dealt with I was shown a place far from where anyone on Middle Earth has ever been before, and there was where I found the amulet. Hidden deep in the earth."

"At first I did not know what I was supposed to do with it, but then it was revealed to me that there was great power hidden within it; power that could be used for good or evil. I feared that someone would come for it with the intention of using its power to wreck havoc on the earth. So I decided that until I came up with a plan I needed to hide it, and that's when I remembered something from my days spent in Oropher's home, specifically something he showed me.

"In fact, I was on my way to Mirkwood when I found you wandering in the wilderness. I was so thrilled to see you that I almost forgot my task. Fortunately, I didn't forget, but after finding you I didn't want to put you in any danger.  I was worried that if I told you about the amulet you would be in danger, but I didn't want to lie to you either. So I said that I discovered something terrible, and in a way I did, that could lead to the destruction of Middle Earth. Then to keep you away I sent you east to "search" for anything amiss. Unfortunately, you were not so keen to leave at first until you saw me settled and safe someplace where I could rest."

"I kept the amulet hidden during that time, fearing that whatever I believed to be coming would arrive any day now. The day you finally left was when I set out for the Greenwood. I came upon a group of Elves (who were unfamiliar with my name) and asked to be brought to their king. After they made sure that I wasn't a threat they brought me here, and I was surprised to see that it wasn't Oropher's son sitting on the throne, but his grandson."

The name slips out of my mouth before I can stop it.

"Legolas."

Pallando grins slightly and nods.

"Yes, that was his name. Now he was quite suspicious of me (which wasn't surprising since he was a descendant of Oropher) and it was only after I explained who I was and mentioned that I had been of his grandfather that he agreed to speak with me privately. I told him my story and how I came to be acquainted with Oropher, and it was after I mentioned Alatar that the conversation took a very different turn."

Pallando sighs and shakes his head.

"I should have known that Alatar's hatred for Oropher would not end, it broke my heart to hear what he had done to Legolas and his father. I allowed him to tell me his story (what he was willing to share with me anyway) and found myself shocked once again when your name was mentioned. I told Legolas that I had rescued you from Rhun many years ago, and told him everything I knew about you up until I rescued you from Alatar. Don't look at me like that, I didn't tell him anything you wouldn't have told him yourself."

"After finishing, Legolas asked me if I had seen you recently, which I couldn't lie about so I told him that you were traveling in the east. When I could not tell him where you were he became quite sad, he asked me that if I ever saw you again to tell you that you were still welcome in the Greenwood if you ever chose to return."

I stiffen after hearing this.

"I'm sorry Amarth, but you were gone for so long that by the time you returned, Legolas had left with his people across the sea. So I did not say anything, he did care about you Amarth. In his eyes, he owed you his life."

I don't say anything and keep my gaze fixed on the floor. I was one of the leading causes of Legolas' suffering, he never owed me anything. At least he's in the Undying Lands now, I'm sure that he's living out his days in peace, which is what he deserves after all he sacrificed while here on earth.

Pallando studies me for a moment before finishing his tale.

"After we discussed all of that I told Legolas my true reason for coming to his kingdom. I showed him the amulet and explained what I feared could happen if it fell into the wrong hands. At first, Legolas refused to keep it within his halls, saying that he would not endanger his people, but then I told him a secret that Oropher showed me many years ago."

It doesn't take me long to guess what that secret was.

"That wall," I say looking up at him.

Pallando nods.

"Oropher had told me where the key was hidden, and in turn what it unlocked. I showed Legolas and assured him that whatever was placed inside could never be found by those who did not know about it. The amulet's power was hidden by the wall, and after seeing this with his own eyes, Legolas agreed to let me hide it here. I left soon afterward, taking the key with me, and that was the last I ever saw of Legolas. I came back to retrieve the amulet because I discovered something about it, in a dream."

"In the dream, I saw a being clothed in white, and I heard a voice telling me that this person knew the secret of the amulet, including who made it, how its power can be harnessed, and how it is connected with the black dagger. I was then told to find this being and bring the amulet to them, but I must hurry for evil has awakened, and they are after the amulet. This is why I needed to come here Amarth, I must take the amulet south, to Harad and the lands beyond it. That is where I will find this being, but if I don't hurry than the evil will get their hands on it and that is simply something I cannot allow."

Pallando falls silent for a moment, I notice that he's wringing his hands together, something he does when he's nervous. His next words are not surprising.

"I hate to ask this of you Amarth, but if I am to succeed I will need your help. Please, will you come with me? I cannot do this on my own."

I don't say anything for a long time. I'm too busy trying to comprehend everything Pallando told me. None of it really makes sense, and I'm having a hard time believing him. Also, I don't really want to embark on another life harrowing journey that I have little chance returning from. I look into Pallando's sad, pleading eyes. How can I turn him down after all that he's done for me? But I don't think that I can do this.

"Can I sleep on it?" I ask looking away. "I-I need some time to think."

I don't know how Pallando responds, only that he says "Alright, I'll give you until morning then."

I hear Pallando's footsteps heading towards the door, but just before he leaves he adds, "The choice is yours Amarth, I will not force you into something you do not wish to do. If you do not want to come then that will be the end of it. I'll set out on my own and you can go where you wish. Goodnight Amarth."

Then the door closes, and I'm left alone to my thoughts.