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Chapter 20

Hillander couldn't believe his luck. The entire time that the mercenary had both pursued and inflicted harm upon the kids, Hillander had been following him the entire way and had witnessed everything. A sickly grin spread across his face at the memories. The children were naïve in believing that they were safe from him in Rivendell.

Even though this was only his second time in the hidden valley, he knew enough about it that it had been relatively easy sneaking inside. He owned a recently acquired dart shooter from the Easterlings that knocked out the one shot by it. He had overcome many of the sentries with his newly favored weapon. Not to mention a few of the hidden guards up in the trees were now lying dead from having fallen.

Now that his long hated enemy knew about his daughter it changed his original plans. But before he could carry out the extent of his revenge he found his way to the detention area and found the one he was looking for. With a quick blow of his dart shooter, the two guards watching the mercenary fell to a crumpled heap. Hillander grabbed the jail cell keys.

"Slacking on the job, are we?"

"No! You can't be here!"

"Oh, but I am! And you of all people should know why I am here."

"No, please! Spare my life and I will forever serve you!"

Hillander shook his head in mock sadness and shook his index finger as if reprimanding a misbehaving child. Then he pulled a dagger from his belt. He smiled wickedly at the mercenary and ran his fingers along the blade testing the sharpness.

"I'm afraid that this blade is a little blunt. Pity. No matter, we can still have a little fun."

Raun involuntarily shivered knowing without a doubt that the end was near for him. And from the sound of it, would be a most painful end too. He was roughly bound by some spare rope found in the next cell.

Hillander found an apple earlier in one of the sentries' pockets and now shoved it into the mercenary's mouth to stifle any screaming that would soon occur. Only the apple wasn't whole, it was cut up into many pieces and each piece shoved into his mouth so that no chewing would occur. The pieces of the apple were so large that the mercenary certainly couldn't spit them out either. He brought the blade close to the mercenary's throat and gently ran the blade across his neck. The Mercenary shook like a leaf caught in a violent storm and tried to edge away from him. But he was soon backed into a corner. He tried to scream as the knife nicked him but the pieces in his mouth nearly choked him.

Terrified out of his mind, the mercenary began to struggle violently and in the process a smaller, loose piece of apple got stuck in his throat blocking his airway. He tried coughing but of course his mouth was stuffed full. Hillander toyed with him a few more minutes. He was going to run him through his blade but noticed that the mercenary was choking. Even as he stood observing his fired employee, he decided against killing him at all. After all, if his death was that messy it would alert the elves to his presence. No, better to let them thing this fool choked himself to death.

He removed the larger apple pieces from his mouth and threw them on the floor. Then on his way out of the cell pulled the darts from the two elves he had knocked out. The good thing about the knock out juice on the tips of the darts was that it gave whoever had been shot amnesia upon awakening. So even if they had seen him before shooting them, they certainly would have no memory of him when they woke up.

He relocked the door before placing the keys back in the guards' pocket and placed them in a sitting position against the wall so that whoever saw them would believe they were sleeping on the job. Luck was still on his side because one of the guards had even been drinking from a bottle of wine. He made sure that it sat between the two.

Perfect. Now anyone will believe they simply got drunk. They are SO out of a job. Hillander cared less what became of the elven guards, as long as his revenge was complete.

Hillander replaced the hood over his face and slunk from shadow to shadow. Before long, he made it to his desired destination. Malice glinted within his eyes and he scoffed at the Ranger's blindness. He was about to pay for it dearly. The boy still lay sound asleep in his bed. With no idea what nightmare awaited him. With lightning speed, the former Ranger grabbed the boy and flew out the window. He covered the boy's mouth with one, thick gloved hand and threatened to harm him if he continued to struggle. The boy's eyes widened in fear and he nodded his head in the affirmative. Swift as a departing shadow, the kid along with the kidnapper disappeared from sight and eventually grew farther and farther away from Imladris.

One Hour Later…

Rivendell was in an uproar. Three of the sentries on the southern border had been found dead at the base of a large oak tree. Many elves were debating on whether or not it was an accident. After all, elves were sure footed and rarely fell from any height. For the time being, it would remain a mystery.

The two guards by the mercenary's cell did not get off the hook though. Everyone believed they had simply gotten drunk and neglected their duties. The mercenary was found dead with a piece of apple lodged in his throat. Healers declared that he had simply choked on it himself.

But what really got the place in an uproar was the realization of a kidnapping that happened right beneath everyone's noses. The kidnapped boy was none other than Anthony. Estel cried for the loss of his new friend and begged his elder brothers to go out and look for him. Elrond assembled search parties and Thomias volunteered to lead them.

But before anyone could leave, a note arrived for Thomias by a carrier pigeon.

The note read:

Hello again, my old adversary. I have something that belongs to you. If you want him back, meet me by The West Side Clearing. You know of what I speak. Come alone, or you will carry the death of this young boy on your conscience.

Signed, an old Friend

Thomias crumpled the note up in a furry before throwing it into the nearest fireplace.

"Only a coward would kidnap a child."

He explained the situation to Elrond, Glorfindel, and the twins before heading off on his own. Thomias had a feeling that the mercenary wanted to finish what was started all those years ago. He just prayed the outcome wouldn't be the same. The location the mercenary had chosen for their final confrontation was the same place that his son had died all those years ago. He only hoped that the crazy, grief driven ex-ranger didn't do something stupid to the boy. Anthony was innocent after all, and had nothing to do with any of it.

"It's about time you got here. I was beginning to believe you'd never show!"

Hillander stood in the center of the clearing holding the bound boy by his shirt collar by his left hand and his sword in his other hand.

"You are more foolish than I ever imagined." Hillander spat by way of insult.

"Oh please, not everyone was gifted with as slow a wit as you."

Hillanders' eyes gleamed with hatred and he roughly held the sword blade against Anthony's neck.

"I have called you here so that at last we are on even terms with one another."

"What are you talking about! I tried to SAVE your son!"

"THAT'S A LIE!" Hillander screamed with fury.

"I told your son to run back to camp to call for aid. But your stubborn boy ran back to save ME. I told him not to but he didn't listen. I saw one of the archers about to shoot him so I pushed him out of the way. It was only later that I realized there was one other archer taking aim at him that day. Hillander, you must realize, it was an accident!"

"I am capable of causing accidents' too!"

Thomias was getting fed up with this psycho. Time after time he told him the truth and he just wouldn't believe any of it. What was he to do?

"Let the boy go, this is between you and me."

"No, that is where you are wrong. SO very wrong my friend."

Now Thomias was confused. This Hillander guy was either completely nuts or actually knew something he didn't.

"Look, why are you bent on killing your own son? Surely you would have some love for him?" Thomias tried desperately to reason.

Hillander looked at him with wide eyes and then began to laugh as if what he just heard was the funniest thing in the world.

What did I say?

Thomias honestly believed that Anthony was Hillander's son. After all, he was only aware of his daughter's birth. The last time he left his wife there was no indication that she was with child. So naturally, he assumed after finding out that Rebecca was his daughter, that Anthony was her half brother. It only made sense that way.

"No, you are wrong. I can see the wheels turning in that rusty mind of yours. But I assure you, this little BRAT isn't mine."

For the second time in a week, Thomias endured another surprise of his life. The boy is MY son? But how is that possible?

Thomias knew it really WAS possible. After all, other Rangers had been gone from their families for years at a time and when they came back, found out they had had another child once they left. Instead of thinking so hard on it, Thomias studied the boy with a sharp eye. He never really noticed it before until now, but the boy DID resemble him a bit.

"Okay, let's assume for a moment that the boy really IS my son. Why on all of Arda do you want to hurt him? I mean, I never knew I HAD a son until this very moment!"

Hillander sneered at him and then spoke in a dangerous tone.

"Let's just say that I am resorting to the old laws of our people. You know, the eye for an eye, the tooth for a tooth, and now, a murder for a murder."

Thomias shook his head and resorted to pleading with him.

"I am NOT the one that killed your son. Those filthy orcs shot him! I had no part in it!"

"YOU KILLED MY SON, WHY WON'T YOU ADMIT IT!"

"BECAUSE I DIDN'T DO IT!"

"I SAW YOU DELIBERATELY PUSH HIM INTO THAT DAMN ARROW! IT'S YOUR FAULT HE'S DEAD!" Hillander was turning beet red with rage.

"FOR THE LAST TIME, I TRIED TO SAVE HIM!"

"No matter what it was you did or didn't do. It's time to settle this!"

Hillander shoved Anthony down to the forest floor and raised his sword prepared to impale the child. But before he could bring it down an arrow whizzed past Thomias' right ear and struck Hillander in his right arm. He howled with pain and dropped his sword. His eyes first grew frightened and then icy once more as he looked at someone standing behind Thomias.

"You filthy elves won't be able to stop me! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!"

Hillander turned tail and ran. Elladan and Elrohir had followed Thomias at a distance and had promised their father before leaving that they would not interfere unless the child's life was threatened. So now, Elladan pursued the man, hot on his trail. Suddenly he came upon Hillander on the edge of a cliff overlooking a waterfall that surged into the Bruinen River. Elladan calmly met the crazed filled eyes of Hillander and slowly advanced towards him with his sword drawn.

"You don't want to jump. Be sensible and come with me."

"NEVER!" Hillander screamed with a mad glint in his eye.

Man, this guy is really psycho!

"How will you fulfill your revenge if you are DEAD!" Elladan tried to reason.

"I have my ways!"

With those final words, Hillander jumped off of the cliff and fell all the way down without a sound. Elladan followed the man's descent with his keen elven eyes until a deafening SPLASH echoed through the gorge. Elladan stayed and searched the water to see if he had survived the fall but he could see nothing. Chances were that the stepfather was now dead. But just to be sure, search parties would be sent later to scour the river for his body.

Elladan ran back to the clearing where his twin, the Ranger, and the boy were. Thomias was holding and embracing Anthony while sobbing his heart out. In that moment he felt like the proudest father ever to walk the planet. HE HAD A SON!

"Elladan and Elrohir, sons of Lord Elrond of Rivendell, I would like to introduce you to my son."

Both of the twins stared at him in shocked surprise and then grinned before congratulating him. The four of them walked back to Imladris, laughing and talking the entire way home.

Two Weeks Later…

The last of the search parties returned to Rivendell. There was no sign of Hillander's body. Everyone assumed he had died after all no one had ever survived a fall like that before. Now everyone was going back to the way things were before all the craziness happened.

But there was one thing that was different. A new family, brought back together through trying circumstances, were about to begin a new life.

Thomias was going to teach Anthony the ways of the Rangers and hopefully recruit him when he was the proper age. And Rebecca was going to stay for a while in Rivendell and train under Glorfindel in the ways of an elleth warrior since it was forbidden against the Ranger code to train women in the fighting arts. Her specialty was the bow and before long she was already excelling at it. Once she had learned enough about fighting she would return to her father and brother back at the Ranger's camp. Elrond bid them to visit, especially Anthony, so that Estel would still have a friend his age to play with.

The new family had never been happier. They were all afraid that it was all merely a dream and that they would soon wake up from it. But it was real. And the three grew closer as each week passed.

A few years later Anthony had grown into a bright young lad and was still on good relations with Estel. Rebecca was blooming into a beautiful young lady. And Thomias…was still Thomias.

Hillander was nearly a thing of the past and barely crossed their minds anymore. But that may have been the mistake that would cost them dearly in the future.

Because out of the darkness crept a sinister man with cold, malice filled eyes, hatred ever growing in his heart, and a new lust for revenge…

THE END?

Hannon Le to my reviewers: Jessigurl, darklady919, Lilandriel, childoftheking, Elwing-Evenstar, werecanigeteyeslikethose, Nelarun, and Dreamer51163!

A/N: Well, folks, the story is over. At least THIS one. Review and let me know if I should continue with a sequel or leave it alone. You guys have been so awesome this year! YOU ALL ROCK!