Chapter 1: The return of Legolas

Aragorn held in his hands a letter which filled him at the same time with joy but also worried him. A missive that had just arrived from Mirkwood. He read the message again for the third time then raised his head, sighing. He met the glance of Lord Elrond, who had also received a parchment. The content of the message was apparently the same one for both of them, as the wrinkled eyebrows of the elf Lord did not predict anything good.

"Does your message say when Legolas arrives?" asked Elrond. "My letter does not specify."

Aragorn handed his paper to his adoptive father without answering. His one had read:

"Dear friend of Rivendel, I send my young son, Legolas, to you. He never openly speaks to me about what happens in his life, but this time, I cannot make him talk to me. I must make the transfer of power with my elder son in the next days and I will like as much as Legolas is not there, only Valar know what he could invent like humiliation to be made to us undergo. He will follow the messenger of this fold with a few days of delay; I had to gather an escort for him. Can you, you who you say is `his friend', make sure that he remains in Rivendel?

Thanking you in advance.

Thranduil

Elrond raised an eyebrow astonished.

"The king carries you in his heart so that I read. What could have happened to him to banish Legolas from his palace the day before such an important ceremony? I know that father and son hardly get along, but knowing Legolas, I doubt that he voluntarily would attack his family's honour."

Aragorn angrily blew between his teeth.

"You know very well, Elrond, that Legolas is very discrete. Generally all elves are, and Legolas above all is particularly discrete. I think that his father seeks an excuse to banish him, more or less definitively, of Mirkwood. He preferred his older brother, and does not waste an occasion to let him know it."

"That is very harsh indeed! Let us wait to know Legolas' version of the story. He will explain his behaviour to us. However, no matter what he did or didn't do, he is not naive, and is likely to arrive feeling cut down to be thrown out of his palace thus. Let us prepare a cordial welcome for him and support him as best we can. If Thranduil is not truthful with me, I shall treat Legolas like a son."

Aragorn agreed. A very great desire to read the missive intended for Elrond tortured him, but he was not going to give in to it. However, his letter contained something different from his fathers. He himself had been surprised and grained, more than happy to re-examine his dear friend soon, though he felt anxious from the terms of his visit. He felt that his father had hidden something from him. Had it seemed to him that he had insisted a little on the fact of accommodating Legolas and, how had his father said? "To support him". These were not words that the Lord elf employed without thinking. He wanted to transmit an indirect message to Aragorn.

Aragorn looked at the elf opposite him and Elrond knew that his attempt to warn his son had been received. But in the eyes of Estel there shone a sharp concern. The old elf could not torture his son with the unknown for several days, so, regretting the gesture already, he thrust his parchment into Aragorn's hand and left.

With slight hesitation, Aragorn unfolded the paper. What he read worried him more than what he could have imagined.

Dear friend healer, powerful Lord Elrond.

Thus that I explain in the second letter intended for the human friend of Legolas, I send to you my son for one undetermined period. I hope that he will not be for you the same weight that it is he here. Lately, he aggravates us deeply. He remains dumb when one speaks to him, pretending he does not hear us. I tried to reason with him, but made no progress. It seems obvious that he is jealous of his brother, who is soon to be crowned. To avoid any risk of an unhappy gesture with regards to the future king, I am sending him away. He will undoubtedly be more comfortable with you.

If you have a few minutes to devote to him, examine him, he is acting very strangely as of late.

With my thanks,

Thranduil, King of Mirkwood.

Aragorn, as he had done for the words which were intended to him, read the letter once more, slowly. He examined its details, incredulously. Legolas was a "weight" to his father? Legolas would have "an unhappy gesture" towards his brother?

The elf that had been spoken of in this letter was completely unknown to Aragorn.

He understood Elrond's concern. Thranduil had never been close to his youngest son. This description was an understatement to the relationship they had with one another and Aragorn believed that Thranduil did this purposely. Aragorn, was afraid for him. He was even more concerned as his friend had the symptoms. Elrond had undoubtedly thought this too. As for the assumption that Legolas is jealous, this was not easily believable. The Prince of Mirkwood had made it clear that he did not wish to rule. He knew since his youth than it was not to be his destiny, and appeared to completely accept it.

'But between what Legolas let appear on his face and what he really thought, were worlds apart,' whispered a small, unpleasant voice, deep in Aragorn's conscience. And although he was inclined not to believe it, this thought cut deep. When his elf friend had a problem, Aragorn had to push him very hard to make him speak. Legolas did not like to be the centre of attention, so friendly as he is. He was always very discrete, kept away and seldom revealed his thoughts. So Aragorn was very concerned about the elf that was going to arrive here in a few days.

He did not think that he could change character in so little time in the life of an elf. Because if he had changed, he would no longer be the friend Aragorn knew, which was so invaluable to him. On the other hand, which was more likely, was that Legolas had not changed and that he was sick, or unhappy.

Aragorn sighed. He knew that for any person who wanted to be friendly with the elf, one needed patience and perseverance to understand him. He was not surprised with childhood that he had had, and still the current treatment which he received from his family, that was summarized with daily humiliations and much mental anguish. Legolas' life was quite hard in Mirkwood. It would be harder still after having known friendship and solidarity within the fellowship of the Ring, overlooking the time where he knew only the distant friendship from Aragorn.

He massaged his temples. A migraine tortured him, and there was little chance that it would be gone before the arrival, and the explanations, of Legolas. The hardest thing from now on would be to have patience until his arrival.

Four days later, a scout from Rivendel returned to announce the arrival of Legolas and his escort in less than one hour. He said he was to transmit his complete message only to Lord Elrond. Aragorn did not pay so much attention to the blow to his ego as he was too happy to finally re-examine his old friend. He moved towards the stables, with the idea to join the newcomers and to accompany them to the city. But Elrond emerged just before he started to prepare his horse, with a serious face.

"Let them come Aragorn."

"Why? He is my oldest friend, he would not understand if i were not there to receive him with dignity!"

"Remain here, by pity. It is useless that you see that before the hour."

Aragorn did not understand.

"You wanted Legolas to receive a good welcome. Now you want to prevent to me from being happy with his arrival?"

"The scout was carrying disconcerting news and I would prefer that you were with us at the time of their arrival. I do not want you to be confronted alone by them alone."

"Stop speaking in riddles and tell me what is happening!"

Aragorn had started to panic a little. Was Legolas wounded? Did he have an accident on the road?

Elrond looked at Aragorn and knew that he would know the truth soon. He did not want his son to face that alone. And if he told him he was sure that Aragorn would saddle his horse and leave, sword in hand, to meet his friend.