It was of Falcon.

Falcon, dark and treacherous, standing in front of me in the restless starlight.

"Do you think I do not know?" he taunted, sneering. "I heard every word you told that prince. You were never intending to keep your word." His bright green eyes flashed.

"It was dangerous to keep it to myself," I replied stonily.

"And, you will see, dangerous indeed to share it," he replied coldly.

"What am I to suffer through, because of you?" I said bitterly. "I care not at all for you, or your lies, and frankly, I'm surprised I didn't guess sooner."

"Oh, dearest, you don't have to suffer at all!" he said, evidently surprised. "Just everyone else."

"Leave 'everyone else' out of this, you spiteful wretch," I said scornfully.

"Dear me, you sound more hateful than I do," he said mildly, looking at his fingernails intently as if they had done him a great wrong.

"I think I deserve it, don't you?" I spat.

"You deserve a lot more than him," he said carelessly.

"Stop trying to whittle me down to insignificance," I replied coldly. "You know nothing of me, or him, or anything at all, it seems. If you imply by your words that your blind rage sees fit to offer me that type of advice, you're mistaken."

"Even so, I am not ignorant," he hissed. "I can keep your entourage for later, but if you do not wish to come and fulfil what I can do for you I must disregard your wishes and eliminate your blessed companions."

"How very low of you, Falcon," I said with distaste. "I never thought threats were quite your style."

"Maybe not," he shrugged. "But I doubt my threats fall on deaf ears."

The dream faded and gave way to more normal visions, of spring, and my mother, and flying.

I wake to Legolas standing in the light of the rising sun. He turns, barely, murmuring a quick good morning.

"The others will be here any minute," he says, without looking at me.

I nod, although he can't see, and stand, feeling the blood rush through me, awakening my body in the cold.

A thin crust of snow had settled on everything through the night, even the thin cape draped over me when I awoke, which is what I suspect kept me from shivering. The faint sun rays bounced off the sparkling snow and dazzled the eye.

It was beautiful, beautiful and yet terrible, here in the land of shadow.

And I was glad Legolas was with me. Because the dream I had last night had proven to me that nothing could save me from my fate--not even him.

We didn't speak as the sun slowly seeped over the horizon like a watery, cold moon. There was nothing to say. Once in a while I felt his eyes on me intently, but generally I tried to stay away from the new feelings from last night and terrorised myself with cynical musings on what exactly Falcon had planned.

It was barely bright when the company was spotted traversing the snowy desert. We must have been a strange sight, Legolas and I, standing expectantly, unmoving.

Faewyn was the first to say something as she came up, leading the group. "Anything?" she asked.

"No," I returned. "How were things there?"

"Largely uneventful," she sighed. "I cannot think how this will continue."

"I can," I said grimly, and I felt Falcon's cool gaze flicker over me as I spoke.

She looked at me curiously, then turned to answer a comment from Maldor. Falcon seized the chance and jauntily walked up to me.

I felt bile rise in my throat. Just his smug look made me want to vomit.

"I hope you'll make up your mind soon," he said, a cruel smile spreading across his face like frozen tar.

"Soon, perhaps," I said cordially, backing away. My own doubt and anger radiated around me, and whether it was for this reason or not, I felt the tension escalate between the already terse meeting.

"...feared the worst," Maldor was saying to Legolas.

"But hoped for the best, I'm sure," the Prince returned with a small smile.

"Nothing we have found here in the ruins could point to an answer," Legolas announced shortly thereafter, striding among the assembled group.

"Was this journey for nothing, then?" Falcon remarked.

"Not for nothing, since without coming we would have been in doubt forever," Legolas replied with obvious feigned politeness. "And besides, there are places yet we must see to. Lady Gianna and myself were only able to penetrate into one underground barrack, there are scores more."

"We must continue on," I added. "What we seek must be found."

The leagues between ruins took forever to traverse, and although a few crumbled establishments existed there was no forthcoming answer.

Speaking of which, Falcon had shadowed me the entire time, treading even within my footsteps to frustrate me further.

At least without the necklace the confusion of Mordor was lessened, but still I heard haunting winds borne on evil breath and cries of dying men every so often. A man from Gondor too often had to speak to his fellows to prevent from going mad.

I kept the words of Irmo in my head as we walked. A divine weapon. The end of the world's joy, happiness. So much had changed since I chanced upon Greenwood. And thus, the walk continued, the snow dazzling and pale, the silence long and vast.

Nightfall again in the dark land brought bitter cold, even more so than the last night, and images of Legolas and I intertwined under the stars kept me from sleeping soundly, instead considering all the ways I would love him, if he would let me. If I would let me.

Startled out of my thoughts, my skin prickled at the faint feeling that someone was amongst us, and I looked into the night to see my fears were confirmed.

A dark shape stood over Maldor, who barely slumbered next to me, and like lightning, I saw a flash of a blade.

I barely contained a shout and instead gasped in horror. The shape stood up quickly and strode over to me.

It was Falcon. I hated the way he had been corrupted, with evil in his very blood. He silently leapt over to me, crouching over my body with some twisted triumph, and held the dagger to my throat. I had no time to defend myself before I felt the cold metal against my neck.

"Someone goes tonight, Gianna," he said nonchalantly. "It's you or him."

"Why?" I breathed, terrified. I thought instantly that Legolas should be here, he wouldn't have let him, but that is exactly why he was here. As was his custom, Legolas stayed up monitoring our locale for safety reasons, he wouldn't be here.

"You don't give me an answer," he said. "I want you to come with me."

His gaze softened. "I don't want to kill you," he implored. "There is so much I need from you...that I want from you."

"Don't say that," I said faintly. "Please, get off me."

He switched positions to kneeling by me, observing.

"You wouldn't hurt us, Falcon," I said, not because I believed that, but because he might be persuaded to.

"You're wrong," he said. Suddenly my eyes were covered with nightmares, horrific scenes of Faewyn, limp and lifeless, bound and bloodied. Legolas, still standing proudly, stabbed from behind as I watched, and as I turned, I saw Thranduil watching his son fall. It was hardly just them, scores of burning villages, fair elven relics lost and destroyed, people screaming. Somehow I had done this, by not agreeing sooner. My senses were assaulted and I thought I was screaming, stop it, please stop it, but no sound came from me instead I gazed up at Falcon, hot tears running down my face, never able to unsee it.

"Take me," I said, defeated.

He led me out of the camp with no sound.

I was not blindfolded, I was not fettered nor tied, but I followed Falcon as a beaten dog might follow its cruel master, though I loathed myself for it. The path went on no more than a few hours, and yet, it seemed in that time we went farther than anyone ever could.

"The advantage of being privileged to uphold the word of Sauron," Falcon started conversationally, "is that you are always welcomed in the darkest places."

"Sounds like great employee benefits," I muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing," I growled.

"You do not know what it's like to have this power, this lust for truth," he said, in a hushed voice. "It is enlightenment, knowledge. You cannot stop evil, Gianna, nobody can."

"Maybe not," I said. "But I will fight against it, against you, until my last breath falters."

"Perhaps." he said thoughtfully.

He stopped suddenly.

I looked warily around, tiredly trying to make sense of things.

Falcon suddenly turned and he struck me across the face. My jaw cracked with a snap and must have dislocated, shooting pain across my face and sending me tumbling to the ground. I saw Falcon approach me.

"I apologise," he said. "But I really cannot hope to accomplish much if you still could consider...how did you put it? 'Fight me with your last breath?'"

I said nothing.

He took a moment to mockingly untie my braids, letting my hair loosely lie around my shoulders. To finish, he took a hard leather strap and reached around me to tie my hands. I resisted, pushing off the ground and using my leg to kick out as hard as I could. I thought I heard a crack in his knee but he seemed not to notice. I grimaced and tried again, but he dodged it and looked at me disapprovingly.

"You are truly a gem," he said, as if looking at a precious stone and not a person. "I hope it doesn't kill you so I can experience your beauty by myself."

"I thought you didn't want to kill me?" I observed, still on the ground.

"Not intentionally," he said apologetically, as if he were sorry. "The thing is, to corrupt what is good for the master of shadows I must first put out the light."

"The Valar protect me," I said. "You cannot harm me."

"Heavens, I'm glad," he said. "Hopefully you will heal well."

"What is your intent?" I asked.

"No more questions," he said decidedly, tightening the leather strap. I realised apart from my hands behind my back he had wound the stiff belt around my ribs, for no other reason than to suddenly pull it tight. I felt my lungs constrict painfully, and he pulled it tighter.

"Let me know if you have trouble breathing," he commented with a smirk.

I couldn't take a breath to respond, and only thought of fighting, resisting, horrified at the thought of his plans for me.

"Why must you bind me like this?" I choked out in fury. "I am no threat to you."

"So they say," he mused. "But I will take no chances. This must not fail."

The day (and myself) dragged on painfully, arduously, and at last we came to what must once have been the tower of Barad-Dur. The foundations still stood, like a jagged hole in the ground, and it was here he led me.

"Nobody else can get here, to these ruins," he reflected. "It's no wonder you and that prince didn't find anything. Sauron would never have allowed the--well, let us just assume nothing of value is in the other ruins."

"I doubt you know what we sought," I said, though I knew he did.

"The weapon of Valinor, perhaps?" he said smugly. "I know all about your little 'quest' of sorts."

"Then you'll know that nobody has ever found such a weapon," I pointed out.

"Of course not," he scoffed. "It is a myth to give hope to the forlorn and raise up the righteous. This reign of light cannot endure."

I tried to answer but found that to catch my breath sufficiently, I had to breathe in quick, short little gasps.

"Falcon," I wheezed out. "I cannot follow at this pace with this belt binding me." Playing on his supposed concern for my welfare, I added, "Besides, the way it is tied I feel my recent injury returning to it's old condition."

He looked back interestedly. "Which injury might that be?"

"I was attacked," I said faintly, "not a fortnight ago, by goblin-Orc like creatures. My rib was broken severely by the impact." I looked at him forlornly. "If it fractures anew my lung could fill with blood and I would be no use to you, would I?"

Of course, I was well aware I was in no danger of my rib re-fracturing, but I intended to be as melodramatic as possible.

He sighed in resignation, loosening the strap just barely, not enough to make much of a difference, but I felt my lungs take in air gratefully.

"Thank you," I scowled. "I'm surprised you were unaware of the situation."

"What, the mutants? I didn't send them," he said.

"I thought your lot was the ones running me down," I commented dryly.

"Probably," he shrugged. "Had to get you somehow."

"Don't you think I deserve to know exactly why you insist on kidnapping me?" I said crossly, narrowing my eyes.

"I do not believe the circumstances imply I forced you against your wishes when you came willingly," he commented mildly, tugging on the leather strap and causing me to lurch forward suddenly.

"Through threats and fear?" I hissed. "Anyone would do the same."

I hated him for making me submissive and weak, despised my inability to fight back. But if I played my cards correctly, I might be able to gain the upper hand and collect important bits of information. Maybe it would never reach the others, but I would try regardless.

I swallowed my pride and trudged after my captor.