The Hidden Enemy

Outlaws

They drew their weapons and faced the oncoming Easterlings, there were at least twenty of them on horses.

Legolas and Haldir had their bows out and shot down several of the Easterlings' horses, but it didn't stop them from coming.

The Easterlings shot their own arrows at them.
Aragorn and Gimli dodged the flying arrows while Amarth deflected some with his swords.

"There are too many of them!"
Haldir shouted.
The Easterlings began to surround them.
They cut off any means of escape and had all of their bows aimed at them.

"Lower your weapons!"
The leader ordered.
Aragorn lowered Anduril onto the ground, as well as Legolas' knives and sword.

The others grudgingly did the same, as Amarth set his swords down he quietly whispered to Aragorn, "Let me do the talking."

That was the last thing Aragorn wanted to do.
The leader ordered two of his men to take their weapons, and search them for more.

They found several daggers on them, but that was it.
"Who are you? What is your business here?"
The leader asked.

"We are outlaws."
Amarth replied calmly.
Aragorn glanced at Legolas.
They had no idea what Amarth was planning.

"Do you expect me to believe that three elves, a man, and a dwarf are all outlaws?"
The leader narrowed his eyes.
"What are your names?"

"What is yours?"
Amarth asked.
"Rilath."
He replied.

"Well Rilath, I am Amroth, and these are my companions."

He gestured to Legolas, "This is Beleg."
Turning to Haldir he said, "And this is Cuthalion ."

Haldir exchanged  a glance with Aragorn.
"This is Strider, and the dwarf is Mim."

Gimli glared at the elf but Rilath didn't notice.
"And what makes you outlaws?"
He asked.
"We're murderers."
Amarth said calmly.
"And we have been exiled from our home lands."

"And how did you all come together?"
Rilath asked.
Aragorn worried that he wasn't buying it.
"We all happened to be traveling the same way. We decided to travel together."

"How do you expect me to believe that five murderes travel together as companions?"

Amarth laughed.
"Companions? I would not call us that. Just last night my two friends here got into an argument."

Amarth gestured over to Legolas and Haldir.
They could see that Haldir was injured.
"You can probably guess who won the argument."

Rilath narrowed his eyes at him.
"We should just kill them Rilath."
An Easterling said.
"They're no use to us!"

"Or we could torture them first."
Another one suggested.
"Then kill them."

"They would make a good price in the city."
Another said.
"We could sell them as slaves."

"Silence!"
Rilath shouted.
The others shrank back.
"What we do with them will be my choice and mine alone."

He turned back to Amarth.
"Why are you traveling this far east?"
"Because if we step foot in our lands we will be killed."

"But why come here?"
"Are you not outlaws like ourselves?"
Rilath paused before answering the question.
"Yes."

"Why is that?"
"We attempted to assasinate King Khaten."
Amarth smiled.
"See? We are not that different from each other."

Rilath narrowed his eyes.
"Perhaps you would be useful to us."
He turned to his men and shouted, "Bind them!"
Before they could react they were grabbed and had their hands tied behind their backs.