Fear engulfed his body and mind, leaving him frozen on the hard ground as the black riders walked towards him.

He felt... smaller somehow, and it was so cold. He had hairy feet! What was happening?

They were getting closer – he couldn't move – couldn't escape.

His hand seemed to move without him telling it to – it pulled out a ring from his pocket.

The one ring! How did he get hold of that?

But there wasn't time to think of that, if he couldn't run, he'd have to disappear...

The black cloaks were gone, revealing the mangled faces of those beneath. And there eyes, they looked through you, not at you.

He was utterly terrified.

The golden ring seemed to have its own force, pulling his hand towards the claws of the witch king – but he managed to fight it and pulled back.

The black eyes glared at him as the creature buried it's blade in his skin mercilessly...

Thranduil shuddered at the sudden blood curdling scream, "Ion nin?"

He ran to his son's room to find a very pale Legolas sat up in his bed wearing a face of pure horror. He didn't seem to notice his father's presence, which was alarming so he had to move very slowly, "Ion nin? Can you hear me?"

The shaken Prince slowly turned his head, before turning back and undoing his tunic. Confusion seemed to drown his mind, making a weary head fall into trembling hands, "I don't understand?"

Thranduil wrapped his arms around his child, "What don't you understand?"

"There's no mark – nothing at all."

"I think you've had a nightmare little one"

"No" he shuddered, "It felt too real."

The father turned his son to face him, stroking his cheek, "Tell me."

...

Dear King Thranduil,

I have grave news my friend: the past has revealed itself at the worst time. The one ring has returned. The one that started the war that killed your father so many years ago. We cannot let this happen again – we need to stop, no, destroy the problem before it starts. I'm gathering representatives from each race to come to a council to decide the fate of the ring.

The ring came to Rivendell after Estel rescued its carrier – a hobbit named Frodo Baggins. Three other hobbits came too, so I have plenty of hobbit representatives.

I know you'll choose wisely my friend.

Stay safe

Lord Elrond

Surprising, shocking and scary – so much coming out of nowhere, and so much unexplained. He had to talk to Legolas, he needed to talk to Legolas.

...

Thranduil was sat in his armchair and Legolas sat on the floor, resting his head on his father's leg for comfort as the King opened up about the great war three thousand years ago – of the chaos the one ring caused and how much worse he feared it would get this time, "Everything was starting to get better – the elves were going to sail and live happily for eternity, but that's all going to be ruined because a Frodo Baggins has popped up out of nowhere with the ring."

"Who father?"

"Pardon?"

"Frodo who?"

"Baggins."

Baggins... His visions were true... Shire...Baggins.