Something did not feel right. Not one to be prone to fear, the uncommon feeling of panic swelled deep within in his chest, dark and thundering like a valley storm. He should be safe here. Rivendell had always been his escape from the darkness that plagued his beloved Mirkwood, a lighthouse to relieve weary travelers from the choppy waters of the past. To feel such anxiousness pang at his heart in this place was almost enough to break the organ in two. Nevertheless, he felt it. Every single inch of his body felt it. His senses were screaming at him, though he could not decipher the reason for it.

This in itself was deeply concerning. Despite the fact that Legolas felt that he was in danger, the room he always stayed in when visiting the Elven kingdom was just as it had been when he had given in to his exhaustion. A gentle breeze blew the purple, silk curtains that hid the small balcony beyond them. His pack, carrying his weapons and a few books he thought he might indulge in while in Rivendell, was where he had left it near the entrance to the bedroom. His keen Elven eyesight soon picked up that while nothing in the room had physically changed, there was an electricity in the atmosphere that had not been there. This spark must have been the thing that had snapped him from his dreamless sleep. He could not imagine resting now as the fear in his chest became almost overwhelming.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. Mayhap he was being paranoid; he had had a bad dream or he was overly alert after his long journey and the affects of such had caught up to him. There had to be a logical, less dangerous possibility in his head than what his mind was currently imagining. Legolas sighed, sitting up on his elbows and glancing one last time around his room. Nothing moved. The only sound was his heavy breathing. Legolas had never minded the quiet; in fact, he usually quite enjoyed such moments of silence so that he could sort through his thoughts, a thing he never quite had the opportunity to do back home. This silence was not like those relaxing ones that he had grown to appreciate...this one was loud.

Slowly, Legolas lowered himself back onto his bed. He was being ridiculous. In the morning, he would awaken in his bed, the sun shining through the thin curtains, warming the room with its brilliant rays and bringing with it the peace he longed for. Yes, he thought as he willed himself to close his eyes, tomorrow this feeling will be gone.

Just when he had almost slipped back into sleep, that voice in his head, the one that had been screaming earlier but had quieted down since Legolas had decided to ignore it, suddenly became one steady word.

Run.

Legolas sat up straight in his bed. He looked around the room again. Still nothing had changed, but now that feeling was back, impossible to ignore this time. He looked down at his limbs to find that they were shaking. He was an Elf. He never felt the effects of the cold nor did he ever quake with fear. Something was definitely wrong.

Run.

Blankets fell to the floor as Legolas pushed them aside. He quickly tugged on his boots and grabbed his pack. He did not know why, but his gut told him that he had to take his belongings with him. There was something dark here, something that he had never felt, not even in Mirkwood. The wind, which had seemed so gentle before, now blew hard as he exited the room. He could have sworn he heard a whisper in it, like nature was trying to warn him too. Whatever he was being told to run from, he did not want to be around to see, yet he did not know where to go. It was the dead of night. The entirety of Rivendell was sleeping, undisturbed, it seemed, by the tension in the air. Oddly enough, he realized that he did not feel the overwhelming pressure outside of his room.

Even so, he decided that going back into his room was not a good idea. With one last, suspicious glance back the door, Legolas began walking towards the center of the castle. His blonde hair whipped in the wind, and he cast his eyes over the walls of the castle. Beyond the borders, the grounds looked peaceful. The early signs of spring were just beginning to show. Patches of green grass were beginning to sprout from the ground. A look to the forest revealed that the trees were starting to grow their leaves back, though many were still bare. Legolas breathed it in, letting the calmness of the scene settle him again. Nature always had a way of bringing him comfort, even in his darkest hours.

He reluctantly turned away from the castle wall and continued walking onwards, farther away from his room. When he reached the center of the palace, he passed by Aragorn's rooms. The idea of waking Estel did cross his mind, but he dismissed it. He would not worry his friend over a silly feeling. Legolas was a proud creature and did not prefer to admit his discomfort. He decided to keep this a secret for the time being. After all, perhaps it had meant nothing.

After Aragorn's room was Lord Elrond's chambers. Legolas walked soundlessly by them, certain that if the ruler was within them, he needed his rest more than Legolas needed comfort.

Finally, Legolas stopped in front of the entrance to the Elrond's grand library, filled with thousands of books that Legolas had spent much of his time in Rivendell pouring through. He paused before reaching out his hand and tugging on the handle, silently opening the door before stepping inside. He breathed in the musky smell of old literature, a scent that he could not mistake. He felt comfortable here, he decided, and closed the door behind him.

No longer were his senses screaming at him to run, nor was the wind whispering in his sensitive ears that warning of oncoming danger. Legolas shuddered, though not from the cold. Had he imagined it all? He pondered on whether or not he should return to his chambers. Certainly he was suspicious that something was not right in the room he had abandoned. Before, Legolas had been convinced that he needed to get out of there, but now that he was in a place of comfort, he wondered if maybe he had dreamt it.

Then why would his mind have told him to run? Why would his body react so severely with its shaking? Legolas hugged himself as he sat on the divan near one of the large windows. No. He would not go back tonight. He would rather be safe than sorry.

"Legolas?"

Someone was shaking him, and he sat up with a start. He looked around before his eyes landed on the face of Aragorn, who was staring at him, confusion and concern evident in his gaze. "Are you alright?" he asked, his healer's eyes already scanning Legolas, no doubt for any illness or injury that could have plagued the Elf. Legolas gave him what he hoped looked like a reassuring smile and responded, "Yes, Estel, I am well. I simply could not sleep last night, so I came here to tire myself with reading."

This seemed like a very logical response, and Legolas was pleased with his lying abilities, until he saw Aragorn's smirk. "What book?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. Legolas looked around to find that there was not a text within reach that he could grab. Guilt also rose in his chest for lying to his friend, so he quietly admitted, "There is none."

Aragorn frowned. Legolas sighed. He hated to make the Human worry about nothing. His mind traced back over the events from the night before. He had reacted quite cowardly, he realized, like a small Elfling that was afraid of the dark. Aragorn sat beside Legolas and asked, "Legolas, tell me the truth. I am not fond of dishonesty."

That, Legolas knew quite well. He had frustrated Aragorn many a time with concealing his hurts and discomforts. This time, though, it seemed quite silly and he answered honestly, "I am fine, Aragorn. I had a bad dream and came here to clear my thoughts, and I suppose I drifted off."

Aragorn still looked unconvinced, but then Legolas looked him in the eyes and gave him a genuine smile. "It was nothing to be concerned about. I am well," he reassured.

Finally, finally, Aragorn smiled back at him. "You should have came to me, Legolas," Aragorn said. Legolas sighed. "I did not want to disturb you over something so childish," he answered, standing and brushing himself out of habit.

Aragorn laughed behind him as he stood again as well. "When has a childish problem ever kept you from coming to me?" he teased. Legolas cast a mischievous glance in his direction. "Do not act like you know the answer to my childish problems, as you are usually the one that causes them," he jested.

"Is that so? Well-"

Elrond burst through the door, causing both Elf and Human to jump in response. Legolas frowned. How had he not heard the steps of the Elven ruler approaching? "Legolas?!" he called, sounding worried. Legolas walked closer, as Elrond could not see him behind a tall book shelf. "I am here, Lord Elrond. What is the matter?" he asked, glancing back at Aragorn. The Ranger shrugged, indicating he was just as confused as Legolas.

When he turned his gaze back towards Elrond, the Elven ruler's face had softened with evident relief. Elrond went to Legolas and hugged him, deepening Legolas's concern and confusion. "Elrond...what happened?" Legolas asked when he pulled away. The look on his face turned from relieved to grim once more.

"I stopped by your room to wake you for breakfast this morning," Lord Elrond explained. "The door was open and you were not inside. It looks like someone broke in and overturned everything in the room, as though they were looking for something."

Legolas felt his heart nearly halt and that same voice that had told him to run came through again, this time with a message somehow even more sinister:

They were looking for you.