Chapter 3

Thranduil walked through the Golden woods, feeling a heavy blanket of drowsiness settle over his senses. Making him, for the first time since his son and wife's death three years ago, feel a mediocre amount of peace. The king felt his facial features rearrange themselves into what could pass as a smile from a distance. At least he was trying.

The memories of Ithilquendi and Legolas didn't have the power to dissolve him into tears anymore; after all they were happy in Valinor. Thranduil smiled again, calling upon the memory of his beautiful wife trying not to giggle as she and their tiny son hung a bucket full of honey and feathers over the doorway as a special 'welcome back from patrol' for Doron.

The drowsiness clamped tighter around the Kings mind, blanketing his senses in a thick haze and making him realise it had been a long time since he had slept. King Thranduil came to the realisation that if he did not get any sleep soon, then his body would simply shut down at an inconvenient moment. And, King or not, there would be nothing he could do about it.

Making his way to the trunk of a mallorn tree he lied down amongst the trees massive roots, resting his golden head on the soft, pillowy moss growing at the tree's base. And there, nestled protectively in the trees heart, Thranduil slept.

Ancient trees rose majestically on either side of the well trodden dirt path, forming a halo of green leafy canopy. Weak light filtered through the dense branches, falling upon the kings face as he stood in the middle of the path, wondering which way to go.

He decided to go straight ahead, and as always in a dream, reached is destination abnormally quickly.

A huge purple lake spread out across the horizon, surrounded by springy grass dotted with the occasional wild flower. There was a child playing in the water, splashing around although no sound escaped the boy's lips.

It took Thranduil a moment to recognise him, but when he did joy lit up is whole being. "Legolas!"

The child turned around, making Thranduil's joy turn to horror and his blood to ice.

Blood and grime encrusted the skin, dripping of the child's torn arms to mingle with the water, staining the pure waters. Legolas's eyes were bleak and filled with…nothing. They were empty.

"Adar", he sobbed, "Where are you?"

Thranduil stumbled down to the boy, finally released of whatever spell held him stationary. He grabbed the child's…his child's shoulders. "Im right here my son", the King sobbed. How could this be? Legolas was in Valinor! Why did Lorien* torment him so? Legolas took no heed of his father's distress.

"Where are you Adar?"

Thranduil awoke with a jolt, torn from the nightmare he had been previously ensnared in by the maiden above who had so obviously been trying to wake him.

"So sorry", she smiled, "but your dreams did not sound to pleasant a place to linger".

Thranduil stared, transfixed by the silver haired beauty above him, the nightmare already fading from his mind as nightmares are often known to do. And after all, it wasn't possible, Legolas was safe in Valinor.

XXX

Black, there is black everywhere. Why is there black everywhere?

Oh that's right, Im unconscious. Again; that's alright, its better then the pain. Isn't it?

Well of course it is. Now what happened?

Ah, that's right a Warg tore up my arms. How thoughtful of it. I should be worried, but Im not, there is only blackness.

And then the blackness faded, replaced by a clam vista. Sunlight streamed from overhead, warming my face with its gentle caress. The grass was soft silk beneath my bare feet, swaying gently in the light breeze. The meadow gave way to the softest of sands encircling an eerily still lake of enormous proportions.

I raised my arms; confused that they were still torn up, after all this was my dream. Right? Oh well, at least the pain had gone, that was something to cherish, and I could wash off the worst of the gore in the overly large, purple puddle in front of me.

A sudden thought struck me, I was free! Free, free, free and out of the hell hole they called a tower. Throwing my head back I watched the clouds dance across the sky and then I laughed a good-to-honest laugh.

I was free!

I ran forward towards the lake, elation giving my feet wings so that I flew across the meadow, crashing into the cool waters.

I watched the crystal droplets fall towards the earth with startling swiftness and reached out to catch a tiny droplet, unable to let it fall the rest of the way.

After all, I knew what it was like to fall.

I cupped my hand, bringing it to my eye so I could study the tiny bead of crystalline water. So fragile, I mused in wonder, and yet so strong separated as it was from the rest of the lake.

A surge of an unknown emotion welled up inside my breast. My vision blurred and my breath hitched. I am like that tiny water droplet, alone and separated from the rest of the lake.

I slowly kneeled in the water, careful not to disturb the droplet cradled so trustingly in my hands. Opening my clasped finger I gazed one last time at the droplet before letting go, watching as it sank and melded with the lake, completing it.

A wave of happiness and peace washed over me and I frolicked in the waters with a care free abandon so seldom displayed before.

And then my peace vanished, shattered and left to scatter on the wind. Broken as soon as an awe struck voice behind me uttered a word. Just a word heaped with far reaching consequences then the speaker would only know of when the consequences had hit him.

Just one little word…

"Legolas!"

I turned, dread pooling in my gut and turning into a stone that settled on the bottom recesses, making my eyes go bleak for that voice was unknown to me, and yet so familiar all the same.

A tall, golden haired elf with noble features stood silently before me, horror and grief plastered on his face like a mask. A word came to mind at the moment our eyes met, along with a sentence uttered at moments of all too frequent despair. I knew who this person was, his very image the spectre that haunted me in the darkest corners of my mind. Oft veiled from me by darkness and shadow, yet always there, always lurking, always an ever present deity.

Sharp grief and anger warred inside me, battling for dominion over my emotions. One side seethed, just who does he think he is? Blundering into my one moment of happiness and peace, so thoroughly shattering my haven! The other half wanted to run up and hug the elder elf senseless.

Eventually the grief won out and I raised my tear filled gaze to rest on those blue orbs. "Adar", I sobbed, "Where are you?"

At that he gripped my shoulders, horror branding itself on his countenance and likewise imprinting itself on my mind. "Where are you Adar?"

Where are you?

Why have you not come?

Do you still love me?

The scene faded, along with the darkness. I looked around my cell, realising with a sense of sorrow that I was back. Someone, probably an orc, had bandaged my arms.

I didn't care.

There was no lake.

No sunlight.

No Adar…there never was.

And that was when I unclenched my fist, discovering a tiny crystal in the shape of a droplet of water. I clenched my hand to my heart, rocking back and forth as the tears came and washed away the dirt, though I dared not utter a sound.

Eventually I calmed enough to think rationally. If the orcs found the crystal on my person then they would takeit.

So they mustn't find it.

I pulled out a couple of strands of reasonably clean white hair, deftly weaving them into a pouch. Quickly I slipped the crystal inside and closed up the entrance. I wound the last two remaining hairs together, creating a reasonably thick string in which I connected to the puch. And then I tied my creation around my neck so that the pouch hung over my heart.

TBC

* Valar of dreams