Hadar slowly awoke, immediately feeling pain at the back of his head. He groaned and opened his eyes slowly, taking in his surroundings. He appeared to be in the barn that he had earlier taken shelter in, and his hands were tied to a sturdy beam behind him. The only other occupant of the barn now was a dark haired girl, perhaps twenty-five or so in age. She wore a frown and brandished a thick oaken staff.

   "Awake? Good," She said in an annoyed voice. "Mother, the thief is awake!"

   "I'll be there in a moment!" A distant voice said.

   "I'm not a thief!" Hadar exclaimed, pulling at his bonds in anger. "Let me go!"

   "You demanded all of our valuables. How are you not a thief?" The girl said matter-of-factly.

   "That's beside the point! Just let me go and we can pretend this never happened." He continued to struggle against the ropes.

   "But it did happen. You threatened my mother and my siblings were scared senseless."

   "That wasn't the intent..." Hadar said exasperatedly. He knew he was in quite a bad situation, since most likely the family would turn him over to the authorities.

   "Whether it was the intent or not doesn't matter. What matters is what you did," The girl said, crossing her arms.

   "Do I look like the type of person who would go around killing people for a bit of gold?" Hadar asked. He immediately regretted it, for he himself would answer with an emphatic 'yes' if he were being honest. He was tall, burly, and his Harad garb would certainly look barbaric to those unfamiliar with it. Not to mention he hadn't bathed in days, perhaps even weeks.

   "As a matter of fact, yes, you do," the girl replied, confirming Hadar's fears.

   "Well I wouldn't. I'm not a thug," He said.

   "Could've fooled me, barging into our home like that," the girl said, a sarcastic grin forming on her face.

   "I've had about enough of your sass..." Hadar said, rolling his eyes.

   "But you're the one tied up. It's not up to you to decide." The girl's eyes began to twinkle and she was grinning widely.

   "Then please, for the love of Eru let me go! No criminal deserves this!" Hadar said, to which the girl laughed. He admitted, he'd have been somewhat attracted to her were it not for her annoying personality.

   "I'm rather enjoying myself," she said, laughing more. Just then the mother entered, causing the girl to stop laughing.

   "Have you fed him? Bandaged his head?" She asked, to which the girl shook her head.

   "What did I tell you about helping people, Taryi?" The mother shook her head and left, returning a moment later with a bowl of soup and some bandage cloth.

   Taryi frowned and rolled her eyes. "That by helping people you show them kindness, and showing kindness makes the world a better place."

   "Exactly. Now be a good lass and bandage that wound on his head." The mother made her way to the beam behind Hadar, and cut the ropes. Hadar rubbed his wrists gratefully, and smiled kindly at the woman.

   "Thank you. I apologize that I attempted to steal from you, it was wrong of me."

   "It was indeed wrong, but your apology is accepted. However, I fear that we must turn you in to the authorities..."

   "No, don't do that!" Hadar exclaimed, raising his hands in the air. Taryi immediately lifted her staff, seemingly eager to attack.

   "Put that down!" The mother reprimanded, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. Taryi lowered the staff, but continued to eye Hadar carefully.

   "I don't want to... But I fear that our neighbors won't be safe with you about," the older woman said.

   "It's not like that. I am no common thief. I'm merely a scout for an entire army that will pass through here, if you turn me in I'll be executed."

   "Forgive my caution, but how do I know you're telling the truth?"

   "You have only my word-" Hadar began to say, but he stopped in shock when the barn door crashed to the ground, and in strode several familiar figures...

====================================================

Rukil's POV

"Three... Two... One... Now!" I shouted as Nadow kicked down the door with enough force to knock it completely from its already rotting hinges. I drew my scimitar and rushed into the barn, immediately seeing Hadar and a young woman armed with an oak staff. I quickly approached her and swung my sword at the staff, breaking it in two. She immediately started swinging both halves at me angrily, which I was easily able to parry.

   "Taryi, stop!" An older woman that I hadn't noticed before shouted. Nadow held his sword to her throat and Hadar's men had formed a protective circle around the tall Haradrim warrior.

  "Nadow, hold. Release her," I said, raising a hand in the air. He gently let go of her, and took a step backward. Hadar's men continued to brandish their weapons menacingly, and the woman with the staff still seemed intent on attacking me.

   "Care to explain all of this?" I asked Hadar, motioning toward the women. He shrugged sheepishly.

   "I was careless, and attempted to... Acquire supplies from them." He looked at the ground, clearly embarrassed.

   "You mean steal..." I said, rolling my eyes. "M'lady, we mean you and your daughter no harm. We merely want our man back."

   "You can't have him! He's a criminal!" The younger of the two woman, evidently named Taryi, said emphatically. The older woman suddenly looked at me in surprise, recognition in her face.

   "You're that Rhunic prince the army is looking for..." She said in awe. "That means you're all fighting Mordor!"

    "That we are. Which is why we'd like our man back, and to be on our way as soon as possible, if you don't mind my bluntness," I said.

   "We... My daughter and I, can help you. Mordor is no friend to Khand and most of us know it. Anything you do to sabotage their efforts helps us."

   "I am honored that you'd wish to help us, but I have an army of nearly a thousand strong men. As much as I'd like to think you could, I doubt you'd be able to provide enough food or supplies for all of them."

   "We may not be able to provide supplies, but my daughter knows this land like the back of her hand, she can be your guide until you reach the border of Rhun."

   Taryi looked as if she was about to protest, but her mother silenced her. "It's only a few days' journey, you'll be back before you know it."

   I nodded. "We could use a guide, and I'm willing to pay you if that makes you more willing."

   Taryi groaned, but reluctantly nodded. "Fine. But only to the border, after that you're on your own."

   "That's all we need. Thank you milady," I said, bowing to both women. "We must make haste; I fear we've tarried here too long as it is. Thank you for returning Hadar to us in one piece."

   "If it had been up to Taryi, we wouldn't have," The older woman said with a laugh.

   I turned to Hadar and put a hand on his shoulder. "I am glad that you are alright, my friend. We had thought some evil had befallen you."

   "Fortunately you came when you did, otherwise..." The muscular Haradrim glared at Taryi.

   "Have you seen Caledorn?" I asked.

   Hadar looked surprised. "He never returned? I thought he would've returned much sooner than me."

   "He never did. I am worried for him as well, I fear that it was foolish to send you both alone."

   "Don't fear. Caledorn can take care of himself much better than any of us can..."

=================================================================

   The fall had been far, and Caledorn and his enemy had both tumbled many feet down into a deep, dark canyon. The only thing that prevented their deaths was a shallow stream that ran through the ravine that had somewhat cushioned their fall.

   Even so, it was hours later before Caledorn regained consciousness. As soon as he did, he let out a cry of pain, for the fall had broken his arm and had left him bruised and bloodied. A tree branch had impaled his lower abdomen, and he realized he was fortunate that he hadn't bled out from it alone. Thank the Valar that I am alive, he thought. He had been on the verge of death many times, and each time he had been saved by unbelievably fortunate circumstances. And each time, he realized that the next time his luck might run out.

   Once he had taken a moment to regain his senses, he looked around him for any sign of the Mouth of Sauron. Surely enough, he saw his enemy lying a few yards away, his arms and legs twisted into unnatural angles. But Caledorn realized that the Mouth was not dead when he saw the steady rise and fall of his chest.

   I can end this once and for all, Caledorn thought as he crawled slowly toward his vulnerable enemy. He drew one of his daggers, grasping it tightly. He had only to drive it through the devil's heart, and he would be dead for good.

   He moved closer until he was looking down at the nearly motionless body. He noticed for the first time that there were runes intricately carved into the Mouth's ghastly helmet, saying evil things that he would not speak aloud. Despite the gravity of the situation, Caledorn began to wonder... What did the Mouth look like under his helmet? It surely wouldn't do any harm to look... after all, he was about to kill him.

   Caledorn slowly reached for the helmet, and gently, almost fearfully, pulled it off. What he saw when he had removed it fully was not at all what he had expected.

   Instead of an evil, completely corrupt and repulsive being, under the helmet was a man. A man that must have once been ordinary, even slightly handsome. But now, his mouth was disfigured almost beyond recognition. His eyes held a haunted look, like one who had seen unspeakable horrors. And those eyes held something else altogether unexpected; in those eyes was fear.

   Caledorn, who like some of the more powerful elves held a connection with all living things, put a hand to the Mouth's temple. As soon as he did, his mind was bombarded by a sense of dread, of being constantly hunted. He probed deeper, and as he did he saw what appeared to be glimpses of the Mouth's life. He saw a home, altogether ordinary, and... a family? Was it the Mouth's? He continued to probe, and as he did he saw a glimpse of that same family, dead inside the home. Then he felt dread... More dread. Soon it was consuming his every thought, dread, dread, dread, dread...

   He recoiled in horror from the Mouth, shocked at what he had seen. Had the Mouth been good once? Had Sauron enslaved him? He almost didn't want to know. But he sheathed his blade, feeling mercy for that wretched being that lay before him. Perhaps now he was truly evil. But Caledorn felt in his heart that it had not always been so, that something had happened to break him. The elven warrior knew what that kind of pain was like, for he had experienced it himself once.

"Aen le gar idh," Caledorn whispered as he closed his eyes and set the helmet beside the Mouth. As he said the words, the dark ravine seemed to grow slightly brighter, for it had been an age since words such as those had been uttered by an Elvish voice there. 

   After taking time to bandage the worst of his wounds, Caledorn stood up, prepared to return to his friends now that his ordeal was over. And he wouldn't return empty handed, for the information he had gained would be invaluable to Rukil.

   The dark clad elf climbed to the top of the ravine, and after taking one last glance at it, turned away and never again returned to that forsaken place.

Note: The words Caledorn spoke were Sindarin for "May you have peace."