"Why you have cwown, Nana?"

Sky reached up to adjust the ring of cold metal on her head; it had been sized perfectly for her, but some part of it always seemed to dig into her skin. "Nana has to go be a queen, Leafling."

"Why?" That was Legolas's favorite word.

She knelt down in front of the dresser Legolas was perched atop of, looking into her precious son's blue eyes. "Because bad things are happening in the world, Legolas, and Ada and Nana are going to have to go stop them." She took a deep breath and glanced toward the door. "Nana just has to convince Ada to let her come first." Sky rubbed her thumb over Legolas's small hand. "Do not worry, we are only talking today... But we are going to go on a long trip soon, and you will stay with Galion and Caliel and Firith for a while, okay?"

"You weaving?"

"Only for a little while. We will be back before you know it." She gave him a hug. "But that is not for a few more weeks; we can still have lots of fun together first, so you can remember us after we leave."

Legolas's eyes watered.

"I know, Legolas. I know." She blinked a tear out of her eye.

. . . . . .

"This will not be like the last war, with one large battle," Alagon announced, tracing his finger along the map in the center of the table. "By the time we approach the fortress directly, the fight may be nearly over; we will likely be ambushed many times before we reach that point, and we may spend most of our time in smaller skirmishes rather than confronting a sizeable force."

"That should better fit the skills of our soldiers, I would think," Taensirion put in.

"Except we don't know those mountains," Storm reminded him. The queen's brother had never technically been summoned to the war council, but no one was about to complain; nor did anyone say anything about the young she-elf who followed him in and chose to stand with him next to the door rather than closer to her father. "And the orcs will have prepared the battlefield."

"Exactly," Alagon agreed.

Thranduil rubbed a hand over his face. "So we will have to fight our way through dangerous territory for days or weeks before we ever reach our goal."

Kilvara spoke up. "Except that our goal is to kill as many of the orcs as possible, right?" She was the lowest-ranked elf to have been summoned to the council, but that only showed how much respect the king had for her.

"Our goal is to discover what is organizing them and destroy it," Alagon corrected. "That is the only way to make Greenwood truly safe."

"Though lowering the orc numbers would be better than nothing," Taensirion said. "If we could destroy a significant number of them, it is not likely they would attack us again soon."

"Perhaps not," Alagon admitted grudgingly. "But if possible, we must take out their leader."

"We will do what we can," said Thranduil. "How much do we know about specific terrain features?"

"Very little, my king," Alagon replied. "I am afraid we will have to go in mostly blind."

"I see." Not for the first time, Thranduil wondered if he was making the wrong choice in choosing to march to Angmar. "We shall continue our planning tomorrow."

None of the elves protested; after deciding how much of the army to take and exactly what route to take, they all needed a break (though Alagon did frown; knowing him, he could probably keep this up all day).

"You have been quiet today," Thranduil observed to his queen, who had not said a word throughout the meeting. "Just because you are staying behind does not mean you cannot help us plan."

She took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes. "About that."

He froze in the act of gathering his notes, and his jaw tightened. "Eithryn. No."

"I need to come."

"You have to stay with Legolas."

"Thranduil, I have to fight. You need me there."

He squeezed his eyes shut, putting a hand on his chair to steady himself; he squeezed so hard his knuckles turned white. "You will stay."

"I can kill orcs faster than any elf in this kingdom. You know that."

"Eithryn."

"I'll save lives if I come."

He moved for the door, shaking his head. "We are not having this conversation." Every other elf in the room had left, even Taensirion, who had been planning to speak with the king.

"Yes, we are. Our army hasn't nearly recovered; we need every elf we can get. If I was a common soldier, I could stay, but—"

"Eithryn, it is too soon; Legolas is too young, and you have not returned to—"

"I can fight every bit as well as I could before I got pregnant, and you know it."

"And what about Legolas? Do you not care about him?"

"It's because of him that I have to go!" Tears welled up in her eyes. "Don't you see? If we don't win in Angmar, who's going to be fighting there in a few years? I can't let that happen! And what about everyone who might die if I'm not there? Taensirion's children could die, or Kilvara, or you! I'm not just a pawn in this game, I'm, well, a queen; what if you lose because I'm not there? What if the orcs come here?!"

"No," he whispered. "Please, Eithryn..."

She came over to where he stood and cupped her hands around his face. "It'll be okay," she promised. "I killed a dragon last time, remember? No orc's going to take me down easily, and that's why you need me. We have to win this fight, for Legolas. He won't be safe otherwise."

Tears were streaming down Thranduil's face—how he had hoped she would stay behind this time, that he would not have to worry about losing someone else he loved!—but he could not deny her logic. He nodded weakly.

. . . . . .

"No weave! No weave!" Legolas clung to his mother, resisting Galion's attempt to take him-not for a few hours of babysitting, as always before, but for what seemed like forever to the small prince. "NANA STAY! ADA STAY!"

Sky was trying so hard not to burst into sobs. "I'm so sorry, Legolas..."

"STAY!" wailed the elfling. Her tiny son, who might be in a little less danger if she went with the army... "ADA NANA STAY!"

"Shh, Legolas." Thranduil eased him out of Sky's arms. "We have to go, my little prince, but we will be back very soon. Galion will take good care of you."

Legolas wasn't convinced. "NO GO FIGHT OWCS! STAY!"

Sky combed her fingers through Legolas's soft hair. "We can't, Legolas, we have to go..."

"NO! YOU STAY WIF WEGWAS!" He started screaming at the top of his lungs.

"I'm... I'm sorry..." Sky squeezed her son tightly. "I'll come back soon... I promise I'll come back..." She backed away, leaving Legolas in his fathers arms. "Goodbye, Legolas... I love you..." She turned and ran outside, her whole body heaving with sobs. "I love you."