"Wait, Mistril. You don't know for sure that he is in danger." Glorfindel started, grabbing her hand before she could slip up. "Even if Mirkwood is under siege, you won't be able to fight all those orcs." 

"I am the Shadow of Angmar. I can take on a whole army and still be able to fight." She replied in the darkest and most sinister voice that the balrog killer had ever heard from her. 

Glorfindel's eyes widened at the way her whole face seemed to change. She was still chained to Sauron and her going there would only amplify the problems of the wood elves. 

"Thranduil can manage without you. He has an army of his own, with warriors that are ready to die for their people. You will arrive too late." The blond continued. 

"Not if I take Asfaloth." 

Glorfindel scoffed and pulled her closer to him. 

"I won't let you go and kill yourself and my horse. Be realistic, Mistril. Sauron's eye will focus on you once you get there." 

"Good. That means he won't know what's happening right next to him. Frodo will be able to get into Mordor without a problem." Her answer didn't make Glorfindel feel better. She was so stubborn and he knew it was not out of noble feelings or kindness. It was her selfishness that was blinding her reason. 

"I'm afraid I have seen it too," Elrond said, his presence having been ignored once Mistril rushed over. "Mirkwood is strong but the armies of Dol Guldur are numerous. Orcs, giant spiders, and Easterlings have cornered the kingdom." 

Mistril felt another pang in her head and fear crept up her spine. She was terrified for Thranduil and she was ready to give up her life if that meant he and his kingdom could be safe. But it didn't work like that. 

"Mistril..." Glorfindel really didn't want her to leave but he knew his opinion didn't matter. 

The orange-haired elleth glared at her hero and walked away furiously. Elrond watched Glorfindel with an understanding look. He had seen Mistril grow up and then he lost sight of her for a very long time. Now that she was within his reach once again, she was drifting away. 

"She has to go, doesn't she?" The blond asked. Elrond nodded, already having an idea of what will happen next. 

Mistril didn't need much, only her sword and her knives. Unlike a few minutes ago, she became very calm and collected. Wars were her specialty so in such times she knew exactly how to react. By the time she arrived at the stables, Asfaloth could already sense he was about to go on a long journey. 

She got on the horse and covered her head with her cloak before the long way to Mirkwood began. 

As soon as she rode out of Imladris, Mistril understood why Glorfindel was to guard the elves that were prepared to leave for the Grey Havens. 

Even the air felt heavy and all the creatures that lived in nature hid. Whatever happened in Mordor had great repercussions all over Middle earth. The further she went towards Mirkwood, the more desolate the image became. Places of land that were once occupied by humans were now abandoned or, in the worst cases, destroyed by orcs in the most terrible ways. The number of wolves increased a lot and if she was not careful, she could always find trolls coming down from the mountains cooking any creature they could find.

Asfaloth lasted almost three days without a break. Afterwards, Mistril made stops only for him and very brief so that he could rest and drink water. Mistril didn't need anything in those moments. Every time they came across a habitable place, she would give them hay or take some food for later. The nights were especially very cold and painful. The bond between her and Thranduil gave her the opportunity to feel the torture the king was going through. Bad dreams intensified and sometimes she could feel the dark lord's big eye looking for her. 

When Mistril arrived at the entry of the forest of Mirkwood, she could already feel the pressuring atmosphere of a losing battle. She hoped that Thranduil asked for help from Lorien and Dale, which were the closest to him. But something was drawing her to the forest, something that had nothing to do with Sauron. Her marks were burning all the time and the closer she got to the Halls, the more they were hurting. 

"Come now, Asfaloth. Let's trade carefully." She whispered before the horse entered the rotten land. 

She had to be silent and be careful not to meet any orcs or they will make a big fuss. On her way to Mirkwood, she had to kill just like she used to when she was an assassin. Orcs, trolls, wolves, and other creatures who got brave because of Sauron were now walking around, ravaging lands that had no escape. 

While riding toward the Halls, she was maybe 10 or 15 minutes away when she heard a screeching sound that made her stop. Her eyes rose to the sky and she saw a creature flying around as if it was supervising. Mistril recognized him even from afar. She took one of her knives and threw it with a lot of force straight into it. 

"Stay here. If I don't return, save yourself." She whispered to the horse before she jumped off and went towards where she approximated that the flying creature crashed. 

It wasn't far. It fell on a clearing where there wasn't much flora left. Mistril kept herself on guard at all times knowing that an attack could come from anywhere at any time. The orcs that invaded Mirkwood needed a leader, someone who could order them and plan for them. With the Witch-king fighting for his lord, there was only one who could be entrusted with such a big mission.

"You have disappointed me, Daewen." She heard his voice but it was coming from all around her. "You shouldn't have abandoned the fight." 

"I haven't. I only abandoned my past." She replied, her ears perked for any type of sound. He wasn't far but he was hiding well.  "Are you afraid of me, Khamul? Is that why you're stalling?"

He laughed before he appeared behind her and tried to cut her head. She blocked it with Deldhin. The sword was tingling in her hands, almost as if it had been waiting for this moment ever since it was forged. 

"Don't overestimate yourself, Daewen. You are a monster created before my eyes. I know how you fight." He said through gritted teeth. He sounded serious and angry but his armor made it impossible to see his face. 

"I always knew I was going to be the one to kill you." She replied pushing him away.

Khamul made a sound that was a mix between scorn and a growl before he attacked again. He was tall and fast but so was she. Those marks on her wrists were not helping her much because he was not human, he could go on fighting for a long time. He wasn't easy to kill either. 

She didn't know for how long they were swaying swords at each other, how long they have pushed and pulled on each other's nerves, and if he was hurt in any way under that armor. But the fight was taking too long and she had to get to Thranduil. It reached a point where she couldn't even focus anymore so she had to force his hand in order to grab his Morgul blade. She had to stab him with it in order to kill him for real. 

"You're losing pace, Daewen. Is maybe your mind elsewhere?" He asked drawing his blade back and looking at her as if he was about to eat her. "The Elvenking lies defeated in one of his own cells." He added knowing it will flare her up. She didn't come all the way to Mirkwood just to fight him.  

"I didn't ask." She spat out visibly getting angrier. "But what about you? Sauron kept only his most precious Nazgul  and sent you to do the petty fights." 

"What do you know?" 

Mistril chuckled darkly and threw her knife at him, missing by a few millimeters because he moved out of the way. Khamul came rushing towards her and swung his blade at her. Mistril leaned back and kicked him in the chest. He was strong enough to only wobble back and could defend himself when she launched her attack. It was not until he stabbed her while she was blocking one of his charges that she could finally kick one of his legs and get him on the ground. There was a hard struggle on her part because she wanted to get his blade and yet he was gripping onto it with abnormal power. 

"Your time is up, Khamul. Just die." She said.

"You're the one bleeding to death, you rascal." He said overpowering her and crawling over her with the intention of slicing her neck before stabbing her in the heart. "You don't have a reason to live anymore, Daewen. Just die." 

Her eyes darkened until they became grey. She fought the urge of letting herself go and become the monster that Sauron created. She was on her back, one hand stopping Khamul from killing her and the other grasping tightly onto the hilt of her sword. She swung Deldhin at his head and he fell aside giving her enough time to get up. She was breathing heavily but thanks to her marks she could bear the pain. She had her back at the Nazgul but she heard him throw something at her. She blocked it with her sword and noticed as it fell on the ground that it was one of her knives. Something in her stung and she glared at the Nazgul. She ran towards him and in order to block his hit, she jumped over his head. He had a helmet with horns and she pulled on them, thus taking it off. His ghastly head was not better into sight. He was furious with her but he looked completely fine. Mistril needed only one chance and now that he had his head out, she could do some damage. But Khamul deflected every single hit and kick and Mistril realized it was getting ridiculous. She looked him in the eye and spat some blood to the side. He was not about to give in and she was not leaving that clearing without having him dead. 

But something suddenly happened. Her eyes widened and his narrowed as they both felt the difference. 

"He's done it..." Mistril whispered in bewilderment. "The ring is gone." 

Khamul's power was coming from one source only and that was Sauron. With him destroyed, it was a matter of time before he was also going to disappear. He looked at her and saw her marks vanishing and took that as an opportunity. Without her chains, Mistril was just another elf. She was in a bad condition and without the stamina that came with the marks, she was going to break anytime now. 

At that moment when he launched his attack, Mistril knew she was going to die. She could feel it in every bone so she closed her eyes and waited for him to stab her. When that happened, she gasped and vomited blood. He backed off and swayed a bit which gave her time to get out the Morgul blade and used her last piece of strength to throw it at his head. Khamul screeched in pain before he became dust. Mistril fell to her knees before she crashed to the ground. She rolled on her back and turned her head slowly in order to look at her wrist. She smiled as tears fell down her cheeks. She was free. Finally, she was free, and all thanks to a hobbit.