"Attacked? By what?" Legolas replied.
The Elf shook his head. "I will answer your questions, but please, follow me." He gave the others an appraising look. "You may follow if you wish."
Gimli stayed where he was. "I'll wait."
The Elf looked at him. "That is just as well. King Thranduil does not like dwarves very much. For a dwarf to see him as he is now would be an insult."
The Elf and dwarf glared at each other in silence for another minute before Legolas pushed impatiently past the Elf and strode into the palace. Glorfindel, Haldir, Gandalf, Aragorn and Frodo followed.
"I will not wait while you engage in a staring contest when my father has been attacked." Legolas said.
Glorfindel led the way to the king's bed, pausing at the doorway to let the others enter before him.
"Greetings all. I wish that I were able enough to greet you on my feet, but I am not." the king raised his hand. He was pale, as though he had not seen sunlight for many days and when he raised his hand, they saw two angry red marks on his wrist.
"What happened, father?" Legolas asked.
King Thranduil looked at him. "You would know that better than I, Legolas." He glanced at the others. "All of you would know better than I."
"A shapeshifter." Frodo volunteered. Thranduil's sharp eyes turned to him. "Ah, Frodo Baggins. It has been a while since we had a Baggins in our halls."
Glorfindel gently lifted the Elf's arm from the bed and looked at the marks on his wrist. "A cobra, is it not, Mithrandir?"
Gandalf nodded. "He did not mean to kill. If he had, the whole population of Mirkwood would be hunting him now, with scouts off to warn the whole of Middle-earth."
"You have met him then, Mithrandir?" Thranduil asked.
"He calls himself Forngor and vows that there will be no witnesses to say they have seen a shapeshifter." the wizard replied.
"Forngor. Clever name, a shapeshifter that knows Elvish." Thranduil commented off-handedly.
"Sir, he will return." Glorfindel pointed, exchanging a worried glance with Legolas. Thranduil seemed to be wandering in his thoughts.
"Yes, of course he will." Thranduil said lazily. He swayed in his half-upright position in the bed. "Don't worry, he will come back. King Elessar, it is nice to see you here at last." He seemed to notice Aragorn for the first time.
Legolas grabbed his father by the shoulders. "Father – "
Thranduil struggled in his son's grip. "Let me go, you brute."
"Father, calm down." Legolas said helplessly as Thranduil continued to try and fight him.
Glorfindel stepped up beside Legolas and gently pushed Thranduil down onto the bed. "Sire, you should sleep now. The serpent's poison is affecting you."
Thranduil fought weakly. "What serpent? Father, what serpent?"
Legolas turned away, unable to watch his father's hallucinations. "He thinks Glorfindel is his father and I am his enemy." he said bitterly as he met Aragorn's concerned glance.
"The poison will be dulled soon. No cobra will keep King Thranduil from ruling his kingdom." Glorfindel said as Thranduil sighed contentedly in his sleep, sounding almost as a child would.
"But Forngor will be returning." Frodo pointed out. "What are we going to do about him?"