The Mouth was furious.

No, he was beyond furious. He could not believe it when Amarth had approached Sauron and had told him to let Legolas go free.

"You incompetent elf scum! How dare you even suggest such a thing? Although it does not surprise me, you are an elf after all. It makes sense that you would want to protect your
own."

"I am no friend of Greenleaf's. If you would stop running your filthy mouth I could finish what I was saying."

Sauron watched in amusement as The Mouth bristled in anger. One of the few things Sauron enjoyed was watching the two argue. The argument usually went in Amarth's favor.

And while Sauron was confused as to why Amarth would suggest releasing Legolas, he had been right about when to kill the halfling, and he had found and captured a rebel.

Just as The Mouth was about to speak again Sauron silenced him.
"Continue Amarth."

"As I was saying, release Greenleaf and the woman-"

"I see what you are trying to accomplish elf! Do you honestly think that the woman would go straight back to her people? Legolas wouldn't allow it! They would both know that we would follow them."

"Will you please, shut up for one minute?"

Amarth was once again playing with the cruel, black dagger he always carried. Where he'd gotten it from was a mystery. The Mouth snarled and grudgingly let Amarth finish.

"Release Greenleaf, and the woman. I am aware that they will not go back to the rebels, but there is something I can do to Greenleaf."

Amarth stopped spinning the dagger and looked up at Sauron.

"Something that will kill him, but leave the monster alive."

Sauron eyed the elf curiously. That was what he wanted. He wanted Legolas dead, but he still wanted the monster. If he had that on his side...

Sauron finally answered Amarth.

"What would you do?"

Amarth grinned and looked down at his dagger.

"I will destroy his heart, and all the precious light within it."

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

When the orcs came a second time Eowyn was certain that they were there for her. She pressed herself closer to Legolas.

The elf had sworn that he would protect her, he wouldn't let Sauron, Amarth, or anyone else touch her.

Legolas was sitting beside her in the back of the cell. Boromir and Faramir sat on the left side of the wall.

They never spoke to one another. No one ever had anything to say.

The orcs opened the cell door and Legolas immediately moved to defend her. But once again the orcs were there for Legolas. He didn't fight as they led him out of the cell.

What are they going to do to him?

Eowyn wondered. Ever since she'd been captured her mind had always wandered back to Aragorn.

She missed him so much...

She fingered the evenstar pendant that hung from her neck.

Why had Legolas looked so shocked when she'd told him that they were married? She knew that he and Aragorn had been friends for a long time, and she knew that Aragorn had once been in love with Arwen.

She had been heartbroken when they'd found Rivendell burnt and destroyed. All the elves had been slaughtered, their bodies had left to rot.

Aragorn had found Arwen, lying motionless on the ground. He had also found Elrond, the elf that had raised him, who had been a father to him.

They were unable to bury them all, they'd only had time to bury Arwen and Elrond.

Aragorn had been broken. He'd lost the only family he'd ever had, the one he loved, and his closest friends.

Except, she and Legolas were still alive. There was still a chance that they could escape, and that they could get to safety.

But it was only a small chance, and one that seemed to get smaller everyday.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Legolas was brought before the throne of Sauron once again. The orcs tried to force him to his knees but he shoved them away. He would not kneel before this tyrant.

The orcs were about to strike him but were stopped by Sauron.

"I have some good news for you Legolas."

Legolas glared at him.

"I have decided to let you go."

Legolas couldn't stop the shock from showing on his face. Why would he let him go? No, he wouldn't. It was a trick.

"Why would you release me? After you went to so much trouble to find me?"

"I never had to find you Legolas. I always knew exactly where you were. And my reasons for releasing you are my own concern. But I do have some demands that you will have to carry out if you wish to leave."

"What demands?"

"You will have four days until I send my orcs after you. You will have to find a way out of Mordor before they capture you again. Second-"

"I will not leave unless Eowyn leaves with me." Legolas interrupted. 

Sauron smiled at him.

"Why would you concern yourself with her?"

"I will not leave her to suffer at your hands."

Sauron leaned back in his throne, appearing as if he was considering the rrequest. Finally he said, "Very well. She can go with you. But Boromir must go, and his brother as well."

Legolas bristled. He didn't want to take Boromir with them, he deserved to die in this place.

Did he? He still remembered what Pippin had said to him before he died, "Forgive him."

How could he forgive him? He couldn't. He wouldn't.

But he would not leave him and Faramir here to suffer. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He opened them and faced Sauron.

"Alright. What else do you want?"

"Actually, it's Amarth who wants something."

Legolas stiffened. Amarth? What did he want?

"Did someone say my name?"

Amarth walked into the throne room and approached Sauron. He bowed and then faced Legolas.

Legolas narrowed his eyes at Amarth. Now that he knew Amarth hated Sauron, it was hard for him to believe that he could trick him into believing that he was loyal.

"I have something special planned for our little Greenleaf." Amarth smirked in Legolas' direction.

Why didn't he just call him Legolas? The way he said "Greenleaf" irritated him.

"If you will go with Amarth and do what he says," Sauron said, "I will allow you, and the rest of your friends to leave."

"But you would end up sending orcs after us?" Legolas questioned.

"Yes. But you have a chance to outrun them."

He felt trapped. He didn't want to know what Amarth had planned for him, and he didn't want to risk getting Eowyn and the others caught again if they did attempt to escape.

But if this was there only chance at freedom...

He had to do it. For Eowyn's sake, and Aragorn's.

Turning to Amarth he sighed.

"What do you want me to do?"

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Amarth led Legolas back into the room where he had been tortured. Two orcs followed behind them.

Amarth led him to a strange wooden bed that had straps on it meant for holding down someone's arms and legs.

"Put him on it." The dark elf ordered.

The orcs grabbed Legolas and roughly placed him on the table. The took the straps and tightened them around his wrists and ankles
He couldn't move.

Legolas turned his head towards Amarth who had taken out his dagger. The cruel blade filled him with dread.

"Do you know what kind of dagger this is? This is a knife more deadly than any Morgul blade that those Nagul carry."

He walked over to the table and smiled down menacingly at Legolas.

"A wound from this blade does not heal, and a scar from it never fades."

He nodded at the orcs who grabbed Legolas's head and forced it to the right away from Amarth. Legolas was in a panic. He could barely see Amarth from the corner of his eye.

Amarth ran the smooth side of the blade slowly down Legolas' face. The elf stiffened at the feel of it.
The dagger seemed to be made completely out of darkness.

"This is what I'm going to do to you Legolas," He lifted the blade up and then pressed the tip of it against his face. Legolas could see it from the corner of his eye, "I'm going to kill your light for good."

Without warning Amarth pushed the dagger into Legolas' skin.

Legolas didn't even bother fighting back a scream. He cried and shouted in pain. His body thrashed on the table and the orcs struggled to hold him down.

He had never felt pain like this before. It was as if he was being burned alive. No, it felt like he was being stabbed, over and over again with flaming swords.

He continued to scream in pain as Amarth continued to slowly run the blade down his face.

Throughout Barad-Dur, the cries of agony could be heard from every corner. Even some of the slaves that labored outside could here the faint cries of anguish.

But they would have no idea what was really taking place inside of that tower.