I didn't sleep.

I stared up at the impossibly bright stars, only hearing my soft breath be borne away by my surroundings.

I wished that it would be easy, leaving with friends it might even have been fun. It was--until I was always on edge, always on guard. Until this curse, the curse that I--ironically enough--had control over but could never free myself from.

The night was cold, typical of late autumn, and surely the morning would dawn chill and clear.

I wrestled with restlessness until it came.

"We can reach the ruins by noon," Legolas announced, striding through the camp with purpose amidst the shadowy start of the day.

I sighed, groggily mounting Eärlin, desperate to end the long wait for answers.

"Fair morning, my Lady," Falcon said exaggeratedly, coming up next to me.

"Hello," I said, annoyed, but not much in the mood for an argument.

"I think you deserve some company," he said mildly.

"Deserve? From you?" I said in disgust.

"Come, Gianna, don't be impossible. Your prince doesn't seem very inclined to do so." he said with a self-satisfied smirk.

"He isn't my prince," I scowled. "Besides, I'd rather have my own company than be harassed into a bad one."

"Oh, but the thing is, you wish he was your prince," Falcon said knowingly. "And I am not bad company."

"Then go be with it somewhere else," I said wearily.

"No, I don't think I will." he said. "It appears you are stuck with me."

Faewyn rode out next to me, her horse snorting at mine.

I was glad she had come, but I had nothing better to say than "Aren't you supposed to be doing something important?"

"This is important," she said pointedly, looking at Falcon through narrowed eyes.

"Thank you," I muttered.

"There's no way to ride through here," Faewyn said in a low voice. "Legolas was saying we may have to let the horses go."

"How will we carry all the supplies?" I asked, confused.

"We won't," she said grimly. "But there is no other way. Any horse, even light footed Elven horses, could go lame on the sharp stones."

As if on cue, we were faced with a tall, jagged path. It was easy to see possible handholds, but none for hooves.

"Here we dismount," Legolas called, walking through the men. He slid off Arod in one fluid motion, regally surveying the company.

"Where will they go?" I asked.

"I believe Legolas is sending Arod to Gondor, the rest will follow," Faewyn said.

Horses were unsaddled and their baggage distributed. Most of it was carried by the Men of Gondor.

With the sun at our backs and darkness in front, we began a steep ascent.

Falcon hung back, which was fine with me, and Faewyn and I took the lead, with Legolas and Maldor flanking the group.

"Where were you last night?" Faewyn asked conversationally.

"Eärlin came back dragging a flask from somewhere and we went to investigate." I sighed, defeatedly.

"And?" she pressed. I was spared having to answer when a shout went out from the men.

I looked back, teetering on the slick stones, and saw that one of them had fallen.

Maldor and Legolas gingerly backtracked until they reach the scene.

"Slipped on a rock," grunted the man. He was being propped up by another.

"Do you need anything?" Maldor asked.

"I am fine," the man said politely, but firmly. "It's just a scratch."

Legolas nodded and motioned for the group to move on.

We slowly continued up the slope. My lips had grown chafed with a cold wind that had blown over the hills, and Faewyn and I trudged along, silent.

"We've reached a ledge," Legolas announced a few minutes after. "Here we rest."

Relieved, the men set down their packs and leaned against the rocks, rubbing their hands together briskly.

"We may be able to see into the valley," I observed. I stood up and Faewyn stopped me.

"What? You don't know what's up there," she warned.

"Rocks and ice," I said, smiling. "Do not worry, mellon nin. I will be just over the ridge."

"If you do not return soon, I'm sending him after you," she called. I ignored her, deftly weaving through jagged stone.

After my hands started smarting and throbbing, I paused and looked around warily. I had gone over the ridge--and another, and another. Frankly, in my attempt at climbing to a lookout, I had lost count of how many hills and ravines I had crossed.

One does not simply walk into Mordor... I recalled Legolas and Aragorn's distant conversation. It felt unreal, removed, out here in the doom.

Gloom, I amended silently. Not doom. Gloom.

I turned around and started running, skidding on the flat stones and sand on the slope. No dust flew into the air, just shattering sounds of sliding rock and shards of stone. Normally, I would have relaxed and taken a good look around.

But this was not normally. I began to breathe quickly, in short, shallow breaths, my hands numb and my vision blurred.

I stopped. And something moved behind me.

Gasping, I blindly shot an arrow behind me and ran, scrabbling at the stones that surrounded me.

There had to be a way.

Find them.

My thoughts became as fragmented as the earth I trod on, whispering senseless fears into me.

I heard more stones. Clanking, crashing against each other. And a distant voice.

"Gianna?"

I spun around, my eyes wild.

Falcon stood there, facing me.

"Hmm?" I said dizzily.

"Gianna, Faewyn sent me to get you," he said.

"How did you?" I asked.

"You aren't that far from where we are," he said reassuringly.

"How would you know?" I asked, turning to face him. I blinked several times to clear the fog in my eyes. Any conversation, even with Falcon, got me grounded again.

"It only took me half an hour," he said.

"It's been ages," I said, bewildered.

"No--Gia, listen, it's an illusion," he said. "There are still dark words in the air and dark thoughts in the earth. It's bewitching you."

"Well, that's nice to know," I said. "I didn't know Faewyn would send you."

"She did say she would send 'him'," Falcon reminded me.

"Yes, but you weren't the first person to cross my mind," I admitted. "Thank you anyway. This necklace is not helping much."

"After you," he motioned, indicating to the low rise ahead.

"No, I had rather follow, keeping an eye on someone will help me concentrate," I said nervously.

I saw a peculiar sentiment flash in his eyes. Alarm? How uncharacteristic.

"What is it?" I frowned.

"Nothing," he bit his lip. "Just go first, Gianna." he gestured again and something caught my eye.

"Falcon--"

"Go, just go," he said tersely.

I squinted at him. I had seen a flash of...No, it was impossible.

My skin prickled.

"Oh Valar-- is that what I--" I said. I walked towards him, and pushed him roughly. As he spun to catch his balance, I saw an arrow sticking out from his back. My arrow. The feather stained blue, the wood carefully scraped with a knife.

"Don't say anything," he said pleadingly. "This is not what it seems."

"Does it not hurt?" I asked, my eyes wide.

"Yes, of course," he said in a rushed voice. "I had to concentrate on finding--"

"Stop it," I said shakily. "Whatever this is, stop. This illusion."

I held up the arrow, having just yanked it from his back. He had not even flinched, let alone noticed.

I closed him in tighter and ran my hand along his back. There was no wound.

"I did not--" he started, coming forward.

"You are one of them," I said hollowly. "It was you, I shot you. On accident. And you're immortal. No wound will take you."

"I cannot deny that," he said. "But I am not like them."

"How am I supposed to believe you?" I said incredulously. "You lied to us all. Why do you say you have a connection with the Valar, the Maiar? You have him--part of him inside you. Sauron. All you want is to take everything from me."

"No, I need--I wanted to help you. There's a way to find what you are looking for," he said words running through each other like a torrent. "I know a way."

"How do you know what I want?" I said, furious.

"The immortal blade," he said. "That is what you seek."

My face paled. How did he know?

I inched away. "I can't trust you, Falcon," I said. "Take me back."

"Please, do not say anything," he said, looking at me beseechingly.

"Tell them what? 'Oh, by the way, there's an enemy spy with us?' Sounds good."

"I am not the enemy," he said. "They are."

"The enemy is inside you, Falcon," I spat. I began to climb the ridge in front of me.

We got back--both of us. I said nothing the entire way. I never liked him, but I couldn't believe this was who he was.

Something in my heart told me I always had known.

"Got lost, did we," Fae teased when she saw us.

"Yes and no," I said, sitting heavily beside her. "There is a lot further to go. I cannot even see the valley."

"Really?" she asked, concerned. "You must inform Legolas."

"I suppose," I said, doubtful.

I looked around distractedly. Legolas...I had to tell him. Falcon was a spy, there was no telling how he got within the ranks, but I feared for us if I told anyone.

I had to lead him away from here.

Around mid afternoon, Legolas gave the order to continue. The day was overcast, and occasionally a few stray flakes of snow dropped from the sky.

"I did not know it was prone to snow here," I commented aloud.

"It has not snowed here for two ages," Maldor said, looking into the distance. "Now the earth is settling."

"How do we know we are going in the right direction?" one of the Men asked.

"Though the sun is hid, the mountains are ahead, that is east," Faewyn said.

I pulled up my hood at the cold wind. "Maldor, how much longer is this supposed to be?"

Maldor frowned and looked over the faded map. "It shouldn't be much longer," he said. "Although we seem to be held back."

"Maybe we should send out scouts, my Lord," Falcon said, addressing Legolas from the rearguard.

"It is a perilous way and not all suited for small bands of travelers. I would advise we all stay together." Legolas answered, surveying the horizon intently. "I feel...as if not all is in balance in these lands."

"You are indeed correct, my Prince," I said. "I only could feel great perplexity as I walked alone through the hills."

"I also feel this," he said. "There is a growing power. We are closer than we think we are."

"May that be the truth," I shivered.

We trudged on in silence. I frowned to myself, warily glancing back to Falcon.

He shot me a piercing glare, and I flinched, stepping forward quickly.

This had better work, I mentally sighed to myself.

"Prince Legolas," I said, as softly as I could.

He turned. There seemed to be reluctance in his eyes, for some reason, the blue tinged with violet grey.

"Yes, Gia," he said. It wasn't a question.

I faltered, but remembered the essentiality of what I was going to tell him.

"Falcon is right," I whispered, trying to lace as much hidden meaning into this as possible.

"Falcon? The soldier who spoke not ten minutes past?" he asked. He looked at me keenly. "Did it seem to me he had his eye on your earlier?"

I mentally face palmed myself. Of course he didn't know who Falcon was.

"I believe that is his name," I said. "He is the sort to annoy a lady, that is all. But I think he is right. We must send out scouts."

"Who would go, accompanied by few, into Mordor?" Legolas asked wearily.

"You," I murmured. "And I as well."

He looked aghast.

"To think I would put you in harm's way intentionally is ridiculous," he said with a dry laugh.

"You do not understand what I am asking," I said in a low voice. "We must do this or many will be hurt."

Legolas cast me a sideways glance.

"This is not for the purpose of scouting," he concluded, casting a swift look about him.

I shook my head.

"Wait for my word, then," he said, and without another word, he continued on the climb.

Suddenly, dazzlingly, in front of us lay a low plain. Dark, crystalline shards piled along the curve of the basin, small fires burned where fumes still smoldered. Far ahead, shimmering like a mirage in the icy air, skeletons of the darkest fiend still stood, empty and silent.

I frowned. We had hardly walked an hour and yet, farther than I could even see before, we now stood.

"Here upon us lies our destination," Maldor said, facing the men. "But it is not wise to walk into such a place unaware."

Legolas seized the chance.

"I will go, willingly, and seek out any perils that may be," he said. "The Lady Gianna will come as well."

I tried to look surprised.

Faewyn protested. "My lord, are you sure?"

"I must go for the purpose of assisting the Prince in his search," I said, improvising. "I have the blessings of the Valar, and my presence is necessary."

"I will expect you back," she warned.

"Maldor, marshal the men and set up a quiet camp," Legolas instructed. "It shouldn't be seen from the valley, lest any pests arise."

Maldor nodded curtly. "May Manwë speed you and Varda watch over you," he said, briefly touching his hand to his heart.

"To you as well," Legolas said. "If we are not returned by the morrow, I give command to advance."

Without further exchange, Legolas and I strode towards the jagged ruins.

As we came to the first pile of stone, Legolas turned to me, preoccupied.

"Why did you ask me here?"

"I--got lost," I stated, unsure of what to say. "Falcon was sent to find me."

"Wait," he interrupted suddenly, "how do you know of him?"

It was no use continuing the ruse I had started.

"He gave me the necklace," I said in a low voice.

Legolas stared ahead impassively from the beginning to the end, as I told him of Falcon from the first encounter in the city.

"I'm sorry I did not tell you," I mumbled. "Faewyn and I felt it best to not worry you with trifles."

"Trifles," he said with a humorless smile, "Would I have known of this earlier, he would not even have been permitted to continue with us. You are right--it would worry me. It worries me that he wants something from you, and will stop at nothing to get it. Gianna, I can't--I can hardly handle being here with you, especially knowing that we walk, as surely as ever, into danger. Falcon is only making it worse."

"Yes, about that," I sighed. "When he came to find me, I was lost. The necklace magnified my fear to the point where I even started hallucinating. I shot him accidentally."

"He was not injured when--" he began, but suddenly inhaled sharply. "Traitor," he cursed. He looked at me with sudden comprehension. "Did you see him after we left from Minas Tirith?"

"No," I shrugged. "But I did not particularly notice anyone. I was rather...preoccupied." I turned away.

"I would have noticed as well," Legolas said, squinting ahead. "Gianna, he did not leave the city with our party."

"So he followed us," I realised.

"The blood during the battle," Legolas said softly. "We finished with the same amount of men, no injuries."

"Falcon killed one of the men and assumed his position," I said, feeling sick. "Legolas, why didn't I realise this sooner?"

"It was cleverly done," he said heavily. "It must have helped that he is in his highest element of power here."

I shuddered involuntarily.

"Do not give him any reason to use against you," Legolas said. "Few can resist the power of Dark Maiar, even in such a weakened state as the fragment of Sauron's spirit he harbours."

"He seeks to offer me help, or so he has said," I sighed. "He knows everything, Legolas."

"It doesn't matter, Gia," he said. "If he wanted to kill us he would have done so already. There is little we can do at this point."

To my vaguely felt surprise, he absentmindedly reached over toyed with a lock of my hair. As if realising what he was doing, he abruptly dropped his hand and stepped back.

"But how can we trust him with anyone?" I said haplessly, "We cannot know if we are putting anyone in greater peril with him or without him."

"If he makes a move, we lose either way," the Prince said darkly.

He looked at me, and again, I saw something--reluctance? in his carefully guarded expression.

We faced the ruins in front of us and at last he spoke.

"Gianna, what would you have me do?"