"Arwen are you okay?"

She nodded, still terrified - of him quite potentially, there was a lot of blood - and then Elladan came crashing over the top of the hill. The rest of her family close behind.

They had never seen him like this, he never wanted any of them to see him like this, but they had hesitated.

They had somehow been ambushed by Orcs in the mountains on the way to Imladris and one had managed to snag Arwen despite her valiant effort and all of them had thought about Celebrian.

They hesitated, and he didn't.

It was over before they even got there.

They had never seen him like this.

He turned back to Arwen who stared at him wide-eyed, there was a lot of blood and almost none of it was his. Awkwardly he stumbled backward, "The tree's promise that there are no more. You are safe."

And then he did the only thing he could think to do, he ran.

…..

Elrond, Elladan, and Elrohir reached Arwen at the same time and they all began to immediately fuss over her while Glorfindel double checked the Orcs to ensure they were all dead. They were, very efficiently he might add.

Elladan broke away from the rest of the family to go chase after Legolas, but Glorfindel put a quick stop to that. "Take your sister home."

"But Legolas-"

"Let me worry about Legolas, you take Arwen home."

Arwen was more or less well if not terribly shaken and so after her father thoroughly examined her the twins whisked her away to the safety of Imladris while Elrond and Glorfindel waited there.

And waited.

"I would say that's been about ten minutes, wouldn't you Elrond?"

He shrugged, "Give or take a minute."

Together they set off at a somewhat leisurely speed towards the nearby river and true enough once they arrived they discovered a recently soaking wet Woodland Prince who lacking any tree to climb into had resorted to the largest rock within walking distance.

Legolas didn't move or say anything, though he was perfectly aware they were there.

"It's not as bad as you think it is, Leafling, I promise you."

…

Legolas tried not to scoff but probably didn't succeed very well, "Do not make me any promises, I tell enough lies to know not to let a promise sway the validity of someone's statement."

He thought it sometimes, late at night when his days haunted the darkness: Monster

But he had never felt it like that before, but until he looked into Arwen's eyes and saw himself for what she saw. And he did not like it.

How could anybody?

He was homesick, already, even though his home is what he as supposed to be taking a vacation from. But sometimes home was the people and not the place and he loved his people. There was a reason they did not leave their forest anymore.

They were different. They had always been different he knew, they were looked down upon for being too wild. Too simple. But now they felt the shift between the Greenwood and the others more than ever. They were animals, the kind you close your doors against at night, monsters you light a flame to ward against.

They had been called such by humans who did not know them many times, usually, as they stumbled out of the forest screaming curses and wreaking of fear. But that was there, and this was here.

They weren't supposed to look at him like that here.

He wanted his home. He wanted his father.

…..

Glorfindel had not seen a look like that on his face since around they had talked about fire all those centuries ago. That true and honest fear. The difference now was that before it was a fear he could solve, now he feared there was only one person who could.

Elrond stepped forward, grabbing Legolas' arms and pulling him off the rock into a standing position, "I need you to listen to me, can you do that?"

The Balrog-slayer leaned against a rock wall, perhaps his friend had more tricks up his sleeve than he thought.

"I'm listening."

"You are a good soul, inside and out and there is not another on Arda who I am more sure about that fact than I am with you. You bring laughter, sunshine, and joy everywhere you go no matter the circumstances. You are a good, gentle, kind, and loving soul who has been forced on the frontlines of a war that should have been ended an age ago."

Legolas cleared his throat, "You should not feel guilty about what is happening to me now. I know you do, but you shouldn't. Anybody could have taken the Ring from Isildur"

Elrond, it seemed decided to ignore the comment, "See, even now you worry for me. Arwen was scared, but not of you. Never, ever of you. I imagine she will want to thank you when she sees you."

"I do not want to be thanked for something like that."

"She will be thanking you for being her friend, and for caring for her. Just as I am thanking you now for saving my daughter. Sometimes it feels like we do bad things, really bad things, but that doesn't mean we ourselves are bad."

Elrond straightened Legolas' shirt and collar, "Now did you listen to all of that?"

"Yes."

"Good. If you would still like to return home to your father we would understand, but please know that you will always be the most welcome in our valley. Also if you go home Glorfindel is going with you because there is no way after this that you are going alone."

Legolas debated his options for a good long while and the older elves patiently waited for him to make a decision, "I would very much like to come stay with you for a while, but if I could-"

"Write your father the moment you get there? Absolutely."

….

Five more after this and then its done!

I had a super bad day today so I guess angst is the way to go.

Love to hear from you!