Legolas forced the orc to its knees as he stood with his knife pressed to its throat. Thranduil stood nearby with his hands clasped in front of him, while Falluen twirled a knife absently, observing the scene carefully. Tauriel was nowhere to be found.

Gilrael stood in front of the orc, staring at it menacingly, with wide eyes.

"Such is the nature of evil," she murmured. "Out there in the vast ignorance of the world it festers and spreads, a shadow that grows in the dark. A sleepless malice as black as the oncoming wall of night. Slowly stirring. Slowly revealing itself."

Legolas harshly said, "You were tracking a company of thirteen dwarves. Why?"

The orc choked, and said, "Not thirteen; not any more. The young one, the black-haired archer, we stuck him with a Morgul shaft."

Gilrael narrowed her eyes.

The orc continued, "The poison's in his blood. He'll be choking on it soon."

Falluen glared at it. "Answer the question, filth."

The orc snarled, "Sha hakhtiz khunai-go!"

Gilrael poured all of her hatred in one, long glare. The orc shrunk back as she sternly commanded, "You will listen to me, Kazan, you understand? If you do not-"

"I will!" it suddenly cried. "I will!"

The elves slowly turned to her in surprise. "How did you-" Legolas began.

"Know his name?" Falluen finished.

Gilrael pursed her lips, but waved her hand slightly, as a sign that she would tell them later.

Legolas looked down at the orc. "You had orders to kill them - Why? What is Thorin Oakenshield to you?"

Kazan growled, "The dwarf runt will never be king."

"King? There is no king under the mountain nor will there ever be. None would dare enter Erebor, whilst the dragon lives," declared Legolas.

"Whilst?" Falluen whispered. The Sinda glared at him.

The orc hissed, "You know nothing! Your world will burn!"

Legolas frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Kazan struggled, but Legolas dug his knife further. "Speak!"

The orc choked, then said, "Our time has come again. My master serves the One."

The elves glanced at Gilrael as her eyes widened.

"Do you understand now, princeling? Death is upon you. The flames of war are upon you-"

"NO!" Gilrael screamed, and in an instant, Kazan was beheaded, leaving its head in Legolas's hand.

He tossed it down in disgust, then gazed at Gilrael in worry. She was panting, her sword tossed on the ground as she clutched her stomach. The fires that had begun to envelope her mind abated, though the evil whispering still lingered in her mind.

"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul."

And through the chanting, a single, persuasive male voice. "It is time. The attack will come, and I expect you to bring them there to be slaughtered. Your work will pay off, Gilrael. But if you betray me instead of them, the pain you once endured will return."

"NO!" she screamed once more. "SHUT UP, YOU FILTH!"

"Gilrael!" Falluen cried. "What's going on!"

Legolas ran to her side, clutching her shoulders and shaking her. "Gilrael, listen to me. Mellon, can you hear me?"

She panted, gasping for breath. "S-slaughtered. Death. Flames."

While Legolas tried to comfort her, Falluen and the king drew aside.

"I…think I know what she knows."

Falluen frowned. "What?"

"They intend to unleash a weapon so great it will destroy all before it. We must be prepared, Falluen."

Thranduil turned and headed down the steps, the ellon second-in-line for the throne following as the king ordered, "I want the watch doubled at all our borders. All roads, all rivers. Nothing moves but I hear of it. No one enters this kingdom, and no one leaves it. Go, Falluen. Spread the news."

He bowed, and hurried off. The king glanced back up, where Gilrael was crying into Legolas' shoulder. Poor elleth. She knew too much. She had seen too much. She had suffered too much. What was he to do about it?

The only thing that comforted Thranduil was the apparent fact that his son was the only one who could soothe her.

Tauriel jumped over boulders and ran through the forest, dodging branches and logs. She carried only her weapons and the note, and was dressed in her travelling garments. Only thing was, in her rush, she had forgotten to bring a cloak. Which meant she had no hood to conceal her hair, which had grown fiery red as the years had gone on.

Tauriel sighed. Hopefully she wouldn't need a hood, though the plains west of Mirkwood had grown dangerous, a passageway between the Misty Mountains and Dol Guldor.

No matter. She had navigated those plains as a lost elfling, and now, a mature, trained elleth, she had confidence that she would complete her mission.

As Tauriel ran, she breathed out the words of the letter, over and over again.

"When Esgaroth's prophecy is fulfilled, find the hidden notes leading from the forsaken cave to Gundabad's outlook."

She leaped over a log.

"I love you, I always have, and please forgive me, though I don't deserve it."

She ducked under a low-hanging branch.

"You must heed this, to save the lives of many!"

She sliced through a spider web.

"A. T. B."

After a few times of this, Tauriel skidded to a stop, leaning on a pine trunk, heaving her shoulders, and trying not to cry. The note made sense, mostly, except for the last part. Who was A.T.B?

Tauriel had agonized over it for centuries, and had come up with nothing. Nothing! The only thing she knew was that whoever A.T.B was, he was the ellon in her necklace.

Wiping a stray tear, she rested her bow on the trunk and slowly took off her silver, tear dropped shaped pendant necklace. Opening the diamond, she revealed two tiny paintings. One, of a younger version of her parents, side by side. The other, of a smiling, young ellon about Legolas' age, with the Sinda's same icy blue eyes, but with smooth, reddish brown hair.

Tauriel swallowed, but she peered in closer as she noticed something she hadn't ever before. The ellon looked like a mixture between her and Legolas, so similar to both of them. How could it be, unless the three of them were somehow family?

Tauriel lit up. That meant she was related to Legolas! And there were only so many ways Legolas was connected to her as family. True, he looked nothing like her, but the ellon in her necklace looked like her, and he looked like Legolas. There was a tie.

Legolas was certainly not her brother…maybe a cousin. He was too young to be her uncle, and too old to be her nephew. And the ellon in her necklace had to be…her brother.

Of course! Why hadn't Tauriel thought of it before? The resemblance was only such between siblings. And she was confident that, in some way, Legolas was her cousin. Only thing left to find out was where her brother was, and whether her mother or father was a sibling of Thranduil. Maybe when she arrived at the forsaken cave and followed the clues she would find out.

Gilrael was still taking deep breaths and trying to calm down as Legolas rubbed her back when Galion ran up to the king.

"Hir nin! I know who released the dwarves, let them escape."

Thranduil tilted his head. "You do? Tell me."

"Gilrael. She drugged Lethuin and took the keys, then had the dwarves escape in barrels."

The elleth glared at him as Legolas frowned. "Did you?

"No! Do you even have to ask?"

As Galion and Thranduil argued, she leaned up into Legolas' ear. "I only had Lethuin sleep for a little while Bilbo Baggins released the dwarves."

The Sinda blinked. "But why?"

"Bolg, the orcs…we would have been constantly attacked if the dwarves were kept imprisoned. I had to get them out of here, so the orcs would follow them and get away from our borders."

"So you would send that danger to others? To Esgaroth?"

Gilrael sighed. "It's my duty to protect my people and my lands first. I'll worry about Esgaroth later."

Thranduil took the steps up to his throne platform. "Did you release them, Gilrael? I have a hard time believing Galion, but I never know with you."

The elleth explained to the king what she had told Legolas, then glared steadily at Galion. "You pushed me, didn't you? What were you thinking?"

The elves turned to look at Galion, whose face had flushed red. He knew, of course, that there was no way to hide.

"I, um, yes, I did. I'm sorry-"

"And you thought you would try to get Gilrael in trouble?!" Thranduil thundered. "I should have you exiled for such behavior!"

"No, my lord, please hear me out!" Galion pleaded. "The enemy…I think she's going to join them again."

Thranduil frowned. "How do you know that?"

The butler swallowed. "I-I've heard her, yelling in her room that she would join them."

"What were you doing, listening to her in her private chamber?" Legolas yelled.

"I was delivering a drink!" he protested. "I overheard, because it was so loud!"

Thranduil turned to her. "He's wrong. Gilrael, tell me he's wrong!"

Gilrael stared steadily at him. "He's wrong, Thranduil, and I hope you won't be swayed otherwise."

"Wait!" Galion cried. "Witness…Etrielle heard it too!"

"I heard what?" the maid asked as she ran up the steps.

Galion whirled around to face her. "Heard Gilrael yell that she would join the enemy!"

Etrielle blinked as they all stared at her. She was once the closest friend of the late Queen Serilna, and the most trusted advisor of Oropher. Whatever she said would be believed.

"I-I must confess that I did hear her yell that. I was cleaning up Legolas' room across the hall, and heard it quite distinctly." She had tears in her eyes as they all turned to Gilrael.

"Is this true?" Thranduil quietly asked.

Gilrael didn't answer for a moment, then calmly told him, "It is true. What they heard was true."

Everyone gasped, but she continued, "But they did not hear all of it."

From behind her, Gilrael could feel Legolas exhale, his warm breath on her neck. "Thank Eru!"

"It is true that I yelled I would join the enemy, but the whole sentence was, 'You are a fool to think I will join the enemy!'"

Thranduil frowned. "But who were you talking to?"

Gilrael shook her head. "I cannot tell you. I do not deem it safe."

"Is what you said the truth, Gilrael?" Thranduil asked quietly, in a seemingly calm voice but what she knew to be, if you answered with a lie, absolutely deadly.

"It is, my lord, I swear to it."

The king leaned back. "I will trust you, but you understand that we cannot live with a risk. Especially in these days. If you betray us, you will have to live with that guilt on your conscience."

"Ada!" Legolas sharply cried. "She has enough guilt as it is. Why burden her with such talk?"

He leaned down, and whispered, "I believe you, Gilrael, and even if the whole world turns against you, I will be there for you."

Gilrael glanced up with a smile, softly brushed her fingers along his hand. "I know, Legolas. I know."

Thranduil turned slowly to Galion, who shook with fear. "What am I to do about you, Galion? You have served the royal family faithfully for millennia without a single breach of protocol. But you rush to conclusions about my most trusted advisor, and even push her into the river. That is beyond disrespect. It is treason."

Everything was still, until Thranduil waved his hand. "I will not banish you, Galion, but I cannot have you working in my palace. If I see you step foot in it any time after tomorrow morning, you will be banished from the kingdom. Understood?"

Galion nodded.

"Now leave!"

The butler rushed out of sight, and was soon gone. Etrielle bowed. "I only came to have a word with you, Thranduil, but if this is not a good time-"

"No, Etrielle," the king quickly said. "These two may leave. After," he added, "Gilrael answers a quick question."

She turned. "Yes?"

"If it was not you, then who released the dwarves?"

Gilrael pursed her lips. "One of the Perianth. A hobbit named Bilbo Baggins."

"Have you seen Tauriel?" Gilrael asked Magor, a guard on duty for the front gates. She had recovered from the vision, mostly, and while Legolas made sure all the gates were sealed, she tried to locate the missing elleth.

He pursed his lips. "She went into the forest armed with her bow and blade a while ago. She has not returned."

"You mean you let her walk out right in front of you?!"

Magor widened his eyes. "I-I didn't know she wasn't supposed to leave!"

Gilrael crossed her arms. "Did she tell you where she was going?" The elleth whirled around toward the other guards. "Any of you?!"

They all quickly shook their heads as Gilrael swore, rushing back inside the palace. She had a very good idea where Tauriel was going: the forsaken cave in the note. The only problem was that she had never told Gilrael where that was.

Falluen nearly crashed into her as she sprinted through the palace. "Gilrael! What's wrong?"

"Tauriel's gone. I'm taking Legolas to look for her. You're going to stay and-"

"Face the wrath of Thranduil? Um, no, thank you."

Gilrael looked at him desperately. "Please, Falluen, you must! I have to go because I have the best idea of where to look, and Legolas has to go because…"

Falluen frowned. "Because what?"

Gilrael swallowed. "Because I think he's related to her."

Falluen blinked. "Really."

Gilrael was anxious to move on. "Please, Falluen. I hate to bring this up now, but I helped you to win the swords match against Elladan. So you owe me one."

Falluen exhaled. "Fine. But Thranduil's really, really, really not going to happy. He's mad enough when you or Legolas take off without telling him, but now that he banned permission to leave the borders, he's going to be furious."

Gilrael pursed her lips. "Tell him we're going together, and we're not going to get separated. We'll protect each other."

Falluen sighed. "That's not going to help very much, but I will. And I'll also get Rochest. It's stronger and faster than your horse."

Gilrael nodded. "Thank you so much."

As she hurried off, Falluen called, "Be careful!"

"I will!"

Shortly after, Legolas and Gilrael were speeding through Mirkwood on the back of his energetic stallion. He sat in the back while Gilrael controlled Rochest with her voice, so that he could scan the ground with his keen eyes.

"Are you sure you can keep an eye on the tracks at this pace?"

Legolas nodded. "Tauriel wasn't making much of an effort to stay unnoticed. It's almost as if she's leaving a clear path for us."

Gilrael shook her head. "She must be very distraught."

They galloped on for a little bit before Legolas suddenly rested a hand on Gilrael's shoulder. "I think she's slowing down. The footprints aren't as deep. Slow down, Gilrael."

She told the command to Rochest, who trotted along at a slow pace.

"Do you think we're getting close?"

Legolas nodded. "She's walking now. Ran very quickly from the palace to here, but we'll find her soon."

Gilrael patted Rochest's mane. "He's a quick fellow."

Legolas smiled. "Spirited is more like it, but we elves can manage him. Oh, look! She ran again. Go!"

Rochest took off, and they whirred to the trees. After a few minutes, Gilrael cried, "There she is! I see her!"

Legolas gazed at the trees around him. "We're in the north western part of the woods. Wild, tangled. Towards Gundabad."

Gilrael glanced behind him. "That's what the note said, didn't it? 'Follow the clues to Gundabad's outlook.'"

"Do you know where that is?"

"Yes, and it's not a pretty place. Whoa, Rochest."

Tauriel was leaning against a tree, her arms crossed and her bow on the ground. She looked extremely annoyed and displeased.

"I can never get rid of you two, can I?"

The two warriors slid off the stallion.

"You cannot just run off like that, Tauriel!" Gilrael scolded.

"I told you I would come," Legolas added. "Why didn't you ask?"

Tauriel suddenly straightened, and stared into his eyes. He frowned. "What? Tauriel?"

"You look like him," she whispered. "Only for your hair."

"I look like who?"

Tauriel suddenly unclasped her necklace as Gilrael looked on, confused.

"Here. See? This ellon looks remarkably like you."

Legolas held the portrait to his eyes, his eyes wide. It was the same ellon who had given him the note, long ago. He could swear it. And next to the portrait was one of her parents. Legolas gasped. Her father, Luinil, looked almost identical to Thranduil.

"Where did you find this?" he managed.

"It was in the cave where my parents left me. The last place I lived before you found me."

"The abandoned cave!" Gilrael exclaimed. "The one in the note. That's where you're going!"

Tauriel nodded. "I didn't want to tell you, but now that you found me, I can't hide it from you anymore. I also can't hide the fact that I believe, I know that Legolas, the ellon, and me are related."

The Sinda stared at her. "How?"

Tauriel leaned back. "That ellon is my brother. And you are our cousin."

A/N: So...what do you think? Love it, hate it? So-so? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading! :)