In Imladris

Technically, this is a sequel to In Mirkwood. However, I wrote this fanfic well before I wrote In Mirkwood, and it can very easily be read on its own. If you are reading this without having read In Mirkwood first, it doesn't really matter. In Mirkwood simply adds background to the story, but if it is angst you are looking for, then keep reading!

Warning, this is quite angsty, and whilst there are no injuries in this fanfic, it contains a lot of emotional angst. If you enjoy more the injury angst type of fanfic, In Mirkwood is a lot more focused on that.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything. No point suing me anyway, as I have no money.

0-o-0-o-0

The dance between darkness and light will always remain-

the stars and the moon will always need the darkness to be seen,

the darkness will just not be worth having without the moon and the stars.

-C. Joy Bell C.-

0-o-0-o-0

In the gathering dusk, the two elves stood on the steps outside the Last Homely House. A warm light spilled out from the open doors behind them, bathing the empty courtyard in a soft light.

The light breeze rustled the hair of these elves. Even up close, it was impossible to tell them apart. Their raven hair whipped against their necks as they watched the road into Imladris.

Elladan sighed as the road remained bare. "When will he come?" he asked in exasperation.

Elrohir smiled. "You forget who we wait for" he said, chuckling lightly. "It will be a miracle if he actually comes uninjured."

Elladan grinned, pulling his dark hair back from his face. "Do you remember last time?" he asked cheerfully.

Elrohir laughed. "Aye" he said between breaths. "I can remember. What was the excuse again?"

Elladan chuckled as he started to pace back and forth across the top of the steps. "It was something about us, was it not muindor-nin?" he asked. "Something to do with the fact that…"

"…when he fell off the cliff, it was our fault because we had not told him every detail of the path-"

"-seeing as we, thinking him a responsible prince, thought that he should be able to notice a cliff."

Both of the twins laughed heartily at this, before turning to watch the entrance again. Their forms were silhouetted against the warm glow of Imladris as night fell.

0-o-0-o-0

The horse plodded wearily down the forest track. Its head swayed with tiredness, and the elf on its back did not feel any different. Behind him ranged a small escort of guards, each sitting gracefully in the saddle.

He sat slumped on his charger's back, his long blond hair dangling limply around his face. He shifted suddenly, raising his head as his horse's hooves hit the stone of the entrance. His guard spread out behind him, and he waved for them to dismount and sort themselves out.

Legolas looked up through eyes that glittered with something more than just weariness. He slid off his horse, landing gently on the ground. The two elves now hurrying down the steps saw how he winced slightly at the impact; how his usual graceful moves were hindered slightly, and they rushed towards him.

Legolas barely had time to stand up straight before two black shapes rushed into him, sending him staggering backwards. Strong arms encircled him, and he looked up into the grinning faces of his friends, Elladan and Elrohir.

The twins stood back, almost examining him. Finally Elrohir spoke. "Mellon-nin!" he said cheerfully. "How are you? You are not injured, are you?"

Legolas found the strength to smile, and managed to grin back at Elrohir. "I am fine" he said in exasperation. He clasped both of the twins on the arms in greeting. "Mirkwood sends its greetings" he said formally.

The twins exchanged glances. Their friend never acted formally in front of them, instead preferring to lose all sense of formality whenever he could. They shrugged it off, putting it down to the long journey. Elladan turned and put his arm over Legolas' shoulder, pulling him towards the doors of Imladris. "How fares your home?" he asked lightly.

Legolas did not respond. For a moment his mask of composure slipping slightly. How could he tell his friends? How could he tell them how he really felt? No, he could not burden them with his thoughts. He must remain strong, though inside he felt numb.

Elrohir nudged Legolas when he didn't respond. "Mellon-nin?" he asked carefully. "Is something on your mind?"

Legolas looked up, trying to smile at the worried face of Elrohir. "It doesn't matter" he said softly as they walked through the corridors of Imladris, finally arriving at his room.

The twins detached themselves from Legolas, pushing him through the door slightly. "Get some sleep" Elladan said lightly. "We know you have a message for Adar, but it can wait. You look exhausted."

Legolas smiled, and disappeared into his room. He shut the door and leant against it, sighing deeply. He did feel exhausted, that was true, but he knew for certain that sleep would elude him again. He had not slept properly for many weeks.

Legolas crossed the room, discarding his outer clothes on the way. His weapons he laid carefully on the side table next to his bed. He did not feel safe letting them out of his reach, no matter where he was. His movements slow and cumbersome, so unlike the graceful elf he normally was, Legolas moved slowly onto the bed. He lay down, feverently hoping that tonight, sleep would finally come. He was safe here. He was not back in Mirkwood.

0-o-0-o-0

Elladan frowned as the door swung shut. "That was odd" he said.

"Aye" agreed Elrohir. They turned and made their way down the hall to where their two rooms were. Elladan's was first, and Elladan held open the door for Elrohir as they both went inside.

Elrohir crouched down to put another log on the fire. It spat, the flames licking the ashy stone behind it. He sighed and looked up at Elladan, who was sitting on the bed.

"What do you think is the matter?" he asked softly.

Elladan shrugged. "I don't know. I'd like to think he is just tired, but…"

"We have seen him tired before" said Elrohir, coming to sit in a chair opposite the bed. "And this is more."

"Did you notice it when he dismounted?" asked Elladan.

Elrohir sighed. "I thought I'd imagined it" he murmured. "Old injuries?"

"Old" agreed Elladan. "Yet fresh enough to cause him stiffness. Thranduil would not have let him come to us if Legolas was in any kind of danger, so they cannot be new injuries."

"Aye" said Elrohir softly. "Yet if they are old, why have they not healed? If they have not healed, why is he here now? A few more weeks would not have been hard to wait for."

Elladan chuckled. "Maybe he is just so desperate to see us again; he had to come as soon as he could."

Elrohir sighed, and threw a cushion from his chair at Elladan. "Be serious, brother. Something is wrong."

"But, something is wrong with Legolas" said Elladan. "You know how he gets when it's involving injuries. He never tells anyone until he is on the point of collapse."

"Remember when he just turned up in Imladris?" asked Elrohir. "On the back of a horse?"

"Aye, I do" said Elladan. "You forgot to add unconscious, by the way."

"And seriously wounded."

"Aye" murmured Elladan. "He has always been so proud. For him to look like he looks now, for those shadows to sit underneath his eyes…"

"It must be more than mere injuries" finished Elrohir. "Injuries have never done this to him before. It must be something else."

"Aye, but what?" asked Elladan. "You don't think…?"

"Nay, I don't" said Elrohir. "But maybe something along those lines, yes. You have seen Mirkwood. It gets darker by the day."

"Aye" said Elladan thoughtfully. "I suppose it does. And there is no Vilya in Mirkwood, unfortunately."

"We can try to get the story out of Legolas" said Elrohir. "But I don't know how stubborn he will be about it. It might be problematic."

"But we can try" said Elladan. "He is our friend. We have to try."

0-o-0-o-0

The sun filtered in through the high windows in the room of Imladris. It glinted off the blades of two knives, laid unsheathed by the side of a bed.

A figure in the bed stirred. Coming fully to wake, his hand instantly closed around the handle of one knife, before he shook his head. He was in Imladris. There was no danger here.

Legolas sighed and got out of bed, the scars across his back and side protesting as he did so. He ran a hand through his long hair and looked in the mirror.

He had hardly slept, again. Only towards the end of the night, as his battered body gave in to the pull of sleep, did he give in and let his mind drift off. When that happened it was alright. He was too tired to dream, too tired to do anything but fall into the black pit of sleep. But when he tried to sleep properly, Every time he tried, he saw…

He shuddered. No, it would not do to dwell on such images like the ones that plagued him in his dreams. He saw them enough when he was sleeping. He did not have to relive the moments when he was awake as well.

Quickly he dressed, pulling on his usual green tunic and leggings, and his soft boots. Legolas pulled back his hair, redoing the plait going down the back. He needed to keep up appearances. He could not let Elladan and Elrohir see. He could not let them know how far he had fallen.

A soft knock came at the door and Legolas straightened, putting a smile on his face. He opened the door. "Morning" he said softly.

"Morning" replied Elladan with a grin. "Breakfast is being served soon. Are you ready?"

"Aye" said Legolas, stepping out the door. He suddenly stopped. "Wait, the message. Hold on." He disappeared back into the room and came out a moment later, clutching a rolled piece of parchment, sealed with the insignia of Mirkwood.

"For your father" he explained. "A message about the current state of defences in Mirkwood."

Elrohir saw a chance. "And how is Mirkwood, mellon-nin?" he asked as they made their way down the corridor towards the stairs.

Legolas froze for a second. What could he say? What could he tell them that would not arouse suspicion?

Elladan and Elrohir exchanged glances as Legolas paused. Elladan raised one eyebrow, and Elrohir nodded in reply. Ever since they had been young elflings, the twins had been able to communicate mainly by looks. It had infuriated many elves in Imladris when they were young.

"Legolas?" asked Elladan, touching his friend lightly on the arm. "How is your home?"

Legolas unfroze. "It is alright" he said softly.

"Any elaborations?" asked Elrohir with a chuckle. "Normally you have some sort of story for us, don't you? Last time you told us of your captains and the incident with the Enchanted River."

Elladan laughed at the memory, and even Legolas managed to crack a smile, though it disappeared rather fast. "No, I don't have any stories" he said, trying to speak lightly with a smile on his face. "Not a huge amount of import has happened recently."

Elladan frowned. "Legolas, we can see something is wrong" he said slowly. "Will you speak to us?"

Inside, Legolas' heart was pounding. They know, he thought. Ai Valar, they know. But how much do they know? Are they just guessing?

He managed to keep his face calm, and shook his head. "There is not much wrong" he said. "I am tired from the journey, and the patrols in Mirkwood have been relentless, but there is nothing wrong."

His body begged to differ, as one of the scars flared up on his side. Legolas managed to stop his hand from going to it, and forced himself to relax and smile.

Elrohir shook his head. "Something is wrong" he said. "Will you not talk to us? We want to help."

"There is nothing to help with" said Legolas. Inside he was starting to get slightly annoyed. The twins had seen through him, and now he was worried, worried that they would see how damaged and weak he was. How could he explain what had happened? How could he explain all those questions he had answered in his head, and how each answer seemed more and more futile than the last?

He could not, so he forced a smile and shook his head. "Come, let us go to breakfast. There is nothing wrong. I am fine."

Elladan and Elrohir were not satisfied, but they stopped asking. As Legolas walked into the hall in front of them, they exchanged looks again.

He was not fine, and something was wrong.

To Be Continued

Well, something is obviously wrong! (Even more obvious if you come to this having read In Mirkwood, but Elladan and Elrohir don't know that). Next chapter will be up tomorrow.

Please review- it really does make my happy. If anyone even wants to have a conversation about LOTR, I would love to chat with you :)