Fo.A 19, December 2nd

Jycala and Tári had not spoken to either other in weeks, each having their own reasons for ignoring the other.

With each passing day, there seemed to be more between them than just prison walls, and neither of them wanted to break through.

Tári, still trying to wrap her mind around the betrayal of her king, had more significant problems to worry about that Jy's cold silence. It had dawned on her that if Thranduil had allied himself with Thuringwethil, the north would be sorely outnumbered between the combined armies. Which meant only one thing:

War.

Tári clutched the battered rock in her had and threw it at the wall with all her strength, watching it shatter into thousands of little pieces. She sighed, burying her face in her hands in frustration. The people of Arnor would be defenseless against an army crossing the Misty Mountains and up from the south.

Pushing herself off the ground, she heard footsteps coming and went to the cell door to look. To her surprise, Tári saw that two guards flanked a dwarf, but unlike all dwarves, it bore no beard. The dwarf's eyes were downcast, and hands were bound in front of them. Tári watched as the guards led the dwarf to a cell across from hers and shoved her in, eliciting a high pitched yelp.

"Quiet, rat," one of the guards spat. "Soon your kin shall join you in death." Then they turned and left, casting a momentary glance at Tári as they walked by.

Tári looked towards the cell for a moment and then returned to her spot on the floor. She didn't care for dwarves, even beardless ones, ever since her uncle had been killed at the Battle of Five Armies. All because Thorin Oakenshield wanted a jewel.

"Did they hurt you?"

Tári looked around the room for the sound of the voice, then realized it was Jycala. She was talking with the dwarf?

"Not too much," came an airy reply.

Tári was taken aback. It couldn't be! A dwarven female!? She jumped back up and looked across to the cell, see the now almost discernable feminine features. By the Vala!

"What is your name?" Jy asked.

The dwarf looked from Jy to Tári, noticing her for the first time. "Who is she?"

A long pause. Then, "That is Tári. She is a prisoner here as well."

The dwarf turned their attention back to Jy. "I am known as Ragni," replied the dwarf.

"Ah, it means Melody, does it not?" Jy prodded.

"Yes it does," Ragni replied. "Strange that an elf would know such a thing," she mused.

"I had practiced a long time ago," Jy replied. "I lived with the dwarves of the Iron Hills for a period of time."

"What!?" Tári blurted. "You never told me that!"

"It wasn't important."

The hurt Tári felt deepened at the words, and she glared at the dwarf across from her. Why was it that she was able to speak so freely with her?

Tári went back and sat down on the ground. She had to think of a way to escape. They had to warn the people. But how? How could they make it out of here alive?

The conversation between Jy and the newcomer stopped abruptly, and Tári's curiosity got the better of her, so she returned to the door to find her sister staring back at her. "You," Tári said, her voice dripping with disdain.

"Tári, you must listen to what I am about to tell you-" 

"I will do no such thing you traitor!" Tári shouted, banging her fist on the cell door.

"Tári," Aredhel said again, her voice firm.

Tári's mouth snapped shut just like it used to do when her sister scolded her. She glared at her through the bars.

"Hannon le," Aredhel said, glancing a quick glance over her shoulder before looking at her sister. "The guards will be changing their shifts in one hour, leaving a small gap in the defense. If you move quickly, you can make it out of the front gate before anyone knows your gone. No one stands guard over it anymore."

Tári stared at her sister. "Do you really think I'm going to believe you after you imprisoned me in the first place?"

Aredhel shook her head. "It was the only way to keep you both alive," she insisted. "If not for me, they would have killed you on the spot."

"I don't believe you," Tári said after a moment. "I cannot. You betrayed your people! You betrayed me!"

"We differ on our views, sister, but I tell you the truth. Let this be a token to show you I mean what I say."

Aredhel held up a set of three keys dangling from a silver ring. "One for this cell. One for the throne room. One for the gate."

She handed them to her sister in the cell, but Tári would not take them, so she dropped them at her feet. "Do with them what you will, sister. Remember, you have one hour."

With that Aredhel left, and Tári stood transfixed on the keys, her mind plagued by doubt.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Jycala asked.

"Now you want to talk?" snapped Tári.

"I don't think this is the time for that," Jy said, irritated.

"We apparently have an hour, so we've got plenty of time to talk about it," Tári shot back.

"What's going on?" Ragni asked.

"Nothing that can't wait until we get out of here," Jy said.

"Speak for yourself," Tári retorted. "And we don't know if my sister is actually telling the truth! For all we know, she's going to kill us as soon as we try and leave."

"Well, we won't know until we try, and dying would certainly beat wasting away in these cells forever," Jy replied hotly.

Tári had half a mind to toss the keys over the edge of the path and await their fate, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. As much as she didn't trust her sister, she couldn't believe that she would let them escape only to kill them somewhere else. It just didn't make sense.

Picking up the keys, Tári poked her arm through the bars and tried each key in turn since she no longer remembered the correct order. Finally, the key went in and a soft click sounded her freedom.

Working quickly, Tári moved to Jy's cell, pausing right outside. She looked hard at her. "Before I let you out, I want an answer to something."

"Sweet Oromë, Tári! We don't have time for this!"

"Perhaps not, but I need to know I can trust you, Jy," she replied. "What did Thranduil mean when he said you were darkened?"

Jycala's lips formed a thin line, and for a brief moment, she looked pained. "That is not up for discussion," she said quietly.

"And yet, we will discuss it, or you will stay here with your little dwarf friend," Tári replied darkly.

To her surprise, Jy seemed to cave at the mention of the dwarf, which confused Tári all the more. Jy dropped her gaze as she spoke. "I will share only the small detail until we get out of here. After that, I promise to tell you everything; but the dwarf comes with us."

"Deal."

Jy kept her eyes low. "For an elf to be darkened, great darkness is required. If someone is powerful enough, they can infect an elf's fëa with it, thus stealing their light. So it was with me."

Tári didn't know what to say. Placing the key in the lock, she turned it and pulled open the door, giving Jycala a hug.

Jy's face was a mixture of confusion and uneasiness at the act, and she was at quite a loss as to what she was supposed to do. Tári let go, holding Jy gently by the arms. "Thank you for telling me. Now, let's get out of here."

Once they had released Ragni, they made their way up and out of the dungeons, creeping along as silently as they could. Tári knew all of the right paths to take them down for she and Aredhel had spent countless days traveling them all as children. They finally reached the door to the back of the throne room, and Tári inserted the correct key and quietly pulled the door open, waiting until the others were safely through before locking it and closing it once more.

They stood in an antechamber behind the throne room, two paths leading out of it on the left and right.

"Which one?" Ragni asked, glancing around nervously.

"I hear voices out there," Jy whispered. "We've come too soon!"

Tári agreed. In their rush, she had not heeded her sister's advice to wait. "There's no going back, we can only go forward and hope Eru is with us. Follow me." She led the way through the left opening, which put them on a small path no wider than three feet.

They crouched low, mercifully hidden in the shadows along the path. The voices grew louder as they wound their way around the room. Tári could just glimpse Thranduil sitting on his throne, staff in hand as he spoke with someone.

"I have done my part, and now I expect your mistress to keep her word," he was saying.

"She will fulfill her promise once the Men of the North are wiped out, that was the agreement," replied the man.

"My army stands ready to march once she has begun laying waste to Rohan."

"Then all is going well. And what of the spies?"

At this, the trio paused, exchanging worried glances. That is when Aredhel stepped forward, and Tári's heart froze.

"They are locked away in the dungeon's, my king."

Thranduil nodded. "Good. I want you to personally end their lives come dawn."

Aredhel nodded, giving a salute. "It will be done, my king."

Tári felt the full weight of what her sister was doing and knowing that she was helpless to stop any of it. Urged on by Jycala, Tári kept moving towards the doors, pausing only when the room cleared out and then waited several minutes longer in silence.

When they felt like enough time had passed, the three crept forward towards the door. Peeking out, Tári saw that there was no one in sight, and she prayed that this was the time her sister was talking about. She motioned to the others, and they dashed across the hallway, making straight for the door.

Tári skidded to a halt as her sister stepped out of the shadows wearing a dark cloak. "I told you to wait an hour."

"I wasn't sure if you were telling the truth," Tári said weakly. "I'm still not sure I do."

Aredhel gave a small smile. "I know, which is why I knocked out the guards and set a fire in the lower quarters."

Tári's brows shot up. "You did what!?"

Aredhel reached into the shadows, pulling out Tári's sword and bow, Jycala's ax and daggers, and a small knife that belonged to Ragni, handing them out. "Your window is getting smaller, you need to get going now if you plan on making it out of Mirkwood alive."

Tári shook her head, eyes misting. "They're going to kill you."

Aredhel nodded, frowning. "Yes. But I will die knowing that you are free. Now go! Go!"

"Don't have to tell me twice," Jy said, running towards the already open gate, Ragni following close behind.

Tári rushed and embraced her sister, holding her close. "I love you."

Aredhel wrapped her in her arms and then stepped back. "I love you too. Now go, Tári, and warn the others."

Tári nodded, turned on her heels, and rushed after the others.

**************************

Well, that's was a surprise!

Údar: *munching loudly on popcorn* Yeah, you're telling me!

What!? Since when did you decide to start commenting??

Údar: *shrugs* Beats me. Just kinda happened. Anyway, what happens next?

Umm....

Údar: *glares* There is another chapter, right?

Welllllllll

Údar: SILVERHAND! TELL ME THERE IS ANOTHER CHAPTER!!!

Settle your ponies down there buddy! We've reached the end of everything I had prewritten, so now this story is going on hold for a while. We're still going to finish it, but it's going to be a while.

Údar: *Eye twitches*

Údar...Don't do anything you're going to regret! Remember, I can still do things in The City of Snow and Stars to you if I want!!

Údar: *narrows eyes* Oh yeah? Like what?

*smiles smugly* I'll force you to work with a bunch of angsty teenagers.

Údar: *gasps* you wouldn't dare!

Oh, I would. So check yourself before you wreck yourself.

***

Well guys, as of right now, this is the end. Not THE END, but just the end of what I have right now. This story will offically be on hold with the plan of picking it back up in the future :)