-A/N Hello everyone! Firstly the disclaimer; I do not owe anything concerning The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. They all belong to J.R.R. Tolkien! Secondly, the English is not my native Language so excuse me for my minor mistakes. You may point them out so I may be able to correct them! Thirdly, I am not an expert of Tolkien's work, but I have read a few stories. Somewhere I read that Elves do not celibrate Yule, well, in my story they do! Enjoy!-

Welcome to the Greenwood the Great.

"We need to start the preparations for the Yule ball." Tegalad, the scholar said. Many times before Thranduil had travelled to Lothlórien or Imadris for the Yule ball, but this year everyone would come to the Greenwoods to celebrate, for it was their turn. Thranduil gave a little nod to indicate that he was still listening. "We need to start decorate the halls as soon as possible as well as the other decorations. The food we can start later on, yet many things have to be approved before we should choose what to serve to our guests."

"Hannon-le, Tegalad. You may start with the decorations as soon as it will allow you to." Thranduil nodded.

"Aran-nin, I have some pressing matter that needs to be discussed very soon." Hérion, the captain of the Mirkwood warriors said.

"And why is it that you cannot discuss this now?" Thranduil asked with a glare.

"Because these topics are better discussed in private."

"You are dismissed." Thranduil said when they were done discussing several more topics. Cervus the healer alongside all other scholars and councilors who were present left quietly.

"Are you finished now?" A soft voice sounded from the right corner behind Thranduil. He got up and walked to the corner where little Legolas had been playing during the council.

"I am finished now." Thranduil said looking at his son. Legolas looked at his father with those big sparkling blue eyes and held up his hands as an invitation for his father to pick him up, while he held his stuffed elk in his right hand. Thranduil settled Legolas on his left hip and slowly made his way over to the dining hall.

"You have been very good this morning." Thranduil praised.

"Will you come and play with me then?"

"I would love too, Legolas. But…"

"But you have kingy-things to do."

"Legolas! We do not interrupt others." Thranduil gently scolded. "But alas, I indeed have some important things to do this afternoon."

"Sorry." Legolas whispered lowering his eyes. Thranduil gently lifted Legolas chin so he would be looking at him again.

"How about we are going to have something to eat now, and then you go and play with Anameleth? If you have been good for Anameleth again I will come and read you a story before you go and sleep."

"Really?" Legolas asked while his eyes grew big of the promise of a story.

"How about two stories? One because you have been so good this morning, and one because I could not come and play with you." Thranduil gave Legolas a little smile while he sat him down on his chair at the dining table. Legolas wiggled a little bit to get comfortable on the cushion so he could properly reach the table.

"Shall we go and see where Anameleth is?" Thranduil asked when they were both done eating. Legolas nodded and grabbed his stuffed elk that sat next to him on a chair, because Thranduil did not want to have stuffed animals on the table. The stuffed elk could occupy a chair as long as they did not have any guests over, not that they had guest over often, anyway. Thranduil held out his hand that Legolas took. He adjusted his strides so Legolas could keep up with him without needing to run.

"Mae Govannen, Aran-nin, caun-nin." Anameleth greeted when the two royals reached Legolas' quarters.

"Be good little Green Leaf." Thranduil gave Legolas a hug before he made his way over to the armoury.

"Bye ada." Legolas said and waved at his father before he disappeared.

"What is it what you could not discuss with me this morning." Thranduil demanded as soon as he set foot into the armoury.

"My apologies, Aran-nin." Hérion said motioning their king over to where he and Deawin, the captain of the southern patrol, sat.

"What is this about?" Thranduil asked again when he saw the maps that where all spread out of the table.

"I wanted to ask for permission to go and venture near Dol Guldur to go and see if nothing disgusting is brooding inside. Not alone to put my own mind at rest, but also that of whole Mirkwood."

"We will see if there is anything inside which I obviously hope it is not, but if it is, it will not have the advantage of a surprise upon us." Daewin filled in.

"I will grant you permission to venture near Dol Guldur but you will never go there alone. Venture always in groups of two or three. Make sure you have contact with the other groups once in a while. Stay no longer away than you need. If you are not back within five days, I will sent troops to come and find you." Thranduil said, leaving no room for arguing.

"When do you want us to go?"

"Go in three days. That will give you more than enough time to prepare."

"Hannon-le." Both of the captains said, and with that Thranduil left the armoury, going to his next appointment.

Three days after the discussion with Thranduil, a little group of warriors left the Mirkwood palace. They ventured south-east where they set up camp in the evening to get the use of all the light hours of next day to explore the hopefully empty fortress of the Necromancer.

"Have you seen Hérion?" One of the warriors of Hérion's patrol asked when they encountered Deawin's patrol.

"I have not seen Hérion, why?"

"He took the first watch last night, but we woke up this morning with an almost dead fire and Hérion gone."

"Bring me to your camp from last night, we shall go and seek for him from there."

"Aye, Hest." The warriors said and cleared their own campsite before they followed their captain and went to search for Hérion. Around the camp there where multiple light tracks around, mostly from the warriors themselves.

"It is getting late. Tonight there will be no moon, so we need to continue our search tomorrow." Deawin said and divided tasks among the warriors. "I will take the first watch."

"What is our strategy?" One of the warriors asked next morning.

"Keep in earshot and shout if you found something." Deawin ordered and they all went to track their captain. There were barely tacks visible. Hérion did a very well job at erasing them for a few feet further there was nothing to see anymore.

"Hest! I found Hérion." One of the scouts called after a while. All of the elves quickly made it over to where the call came from. The young scout kneeled next to a limp body. Deawin carefully turned Hérion over so he was laying on his back. "His eyes are half closed, so there must have happened something." He muttered under his breath and gently but firmly pushed his index and middle finger on his neck to find a gentle and steady pulse.

"Let's take him home." He decided and lifted the limp body of the captain on a long cloak so two of the warriors could easily carry their captain.

"How are they doing?" Thranduil asked when he encountered their head-healer in one of the hallways.

"All of the warriors were completely healthy. Hérion woke up about an hour after I sent the last warrior away." Cervus informed him.

"Am I allowed to see him?"

"Aye, he feels well, but I wish that he stays until tomorrow to see that he is completely healthy."

"Hannon-le." Thranduil made it over to the Halls of Healing. Hérion sat upon the only occupied bed in the whole hall. He sat under crisp white linen sheets while he was dressed in a simple sleeping gown.

"Mae govannen, aran-nin." Hérion greeted.

"Good day, Hérion. How are you?"

"I am well, hannon-le."

"Do you remember what happened?" Thranduil asked after he sat down on one of the nearby chairs.

"Well, I was to take the first watch, which I did. When my watch was almost over I heard some rustling and I went to look what it was. When I was about there it only had been a hare that walked over some leaves, but it had brought me so close to Dol Guldur that I could not turn my back on it and go and sleep. So I went there to see for myself if it was truely empty."

"And so you did?"

"Aye, I did. I wandered around in the vile place not finding anything evil. At some point I had to get out because of the vile smell that was making me sick."

"Do you remember getting back to camp?"

"I remember feeling very dizzy and that I had to stop a few times." Hérion thought for a moment. "But not that I reached the camp."

"Do you remember how you got here?"

"Nay, I remember waking up here, in this bed with the face of Cervus hovering above me."

"For you did not reach camp. One of your warriors found you quite a bit away from camp." Thranduil filled in. "They returned back with you only a moment after they found you.

"Hannon-le for filling me in."

"You're welcome. Alas, I must know if you were aware of the rules I set for this trip."

"Aye, I was aware."

"Then, Hérion, seas tell me why did you go, and venture out there alone?"

"When I got close I had to go and see, I know I should have turned back, but I could not till I had seen the place empty with my own eyes." Hérion eyes flashed for a moment before he guiltily looked at his hands that were folded on his lap.

"I am glad you returned unharmed." Thranduil and the light blue eyes crossed the hazel ones for a moment. "I expect you back at you position in three days. Have a good day." Thranduil said before he stood and left the Halls of Healing. Three days were more than enough for him to be healed, he could have gone back to work this afternoon if he had liked, but it would also give him some free time with his family.

Thranduil made it over to Legolas' quarters. He quietly opened the door and poked his head inside, seeing that Legolas was quietly colouring on the floor while his stuffed elk was watching him. With one fluent motion he scooped his son up in his arms. Legolas let out a surprised squeak when he suddenly got lifted up in the air.

"Ada!" Legolas giggled when he noticed who it was. Thranduil hugged his son tightly before he set him down on the bed and let himself fall down next to Legolas while he pale blond hair ungraciously sprawled out over the quilt.

"Oh Legolas!" Thranduil exclaimed dramatically. "How I wish to be a little elfling for one day again. Would you be king for one day?"

"Nay, I do not want to be king." Legolas answered while he snuggled in Thranduil's robes. "Then I would need to do all kind of boring kingy-things." He told truthfully. Little did he know that in a while he would be part of all of the councils. Thranduil cuddled a while with his son.

"Legolas?" Thranduil whispered.

"Aye?" Legolas asked, slightly muffled because of Thranduil's robes.

"Do you feel them?"

"Feel what?"

"Feel the spiders?"

"Where?" Legolas sat up in alarm, looking at the window.

"They are right here." Thranduil moved his hand like it was crawling atop of the quilt.

"Nay, ada, saes!" Legolas shrieked as Thranduil started tickling him.

Dictionary;

Hannon-le - Thank you

Saes - Please

Mae govannen - Well met (formal greeting)

Aran-nin - My king

Caun-nin - My prince

Ada/Adar - Father

Hest - Captain