Author notes: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! You have no idea how happy you make me :) Elvish is how I believe it to be (most likely mistaken!) and thoughts are between //s

Disclaimer and other notes on previous chapters.

Master in Deceiving
By Yours Truly

He sat with fellow elves in the woods of Lothlórien, but he was alone. Haldir was currently speaking with his brothers, Rúmil and Orophin, about some worrisome signs he had seen around their forest. Legolas did not pay close attention to the dialogue; he tried but failed at concentrating on listening to anything other than his own mind.

//You know what you did,// his own voice taunted him cruelly. //You were such a coward. A disgrace. Was Mithrandir not your friend?//

Legolas closed his eyes and attempted to distract himself by picturing the forests of his own home, the beautiful Mirkwood, trying to compare their unique magic to these woods of ethereal beauty. But only painful images of Moria came to mind, caves and dwellings in the shadows. With a sigh, he then attempted to hear the song of a nearby bird, but echoes of his thoughts were all he could hear.

//Coward. You knew there was something more evil in Moria, and it was after you. You let Mithrandir fall in your place to the abyss. You let another pay your due. What a prince you make…//

Haldir paused in his conversation when his eyes accidently fell on Legolas' still form. The prince was pale, and his eyes were closed tightly. The shivering of his frame would be normal in a mortal, but he was an Ef and they did not feel the cold. Immediately concerned, the guarden of Lothlórien raised a hand to pause his brothers' conversation.

"Cunn Legolas?" Haldir called softly, drawing his brothers' attention to the silent prince. "Cardh baur an hoda?" (Prince Legolas? Do you need to rest?)

//You were so terrified when the Balrog came, for you knew it was there for you. It was the evil that called, the ancient being that loathed your race. Yet you ran. You ran and allowed Mithrandir to sacrifice himself.//

"Cunn Legolas?" Haldir's voice rose a notch, yet there was still no response from the stoic elf in front of him. (Prince Legolas?)

//Mithrandir dant an le, a le na-erui tir... (Mithrandir fell for you, and you only watched)//

With a worried frown, Haldir stood up from his seated position and walked towards him, as noisily as he could, so he wouldn't startle Legolas. But nothing seemed to provoke a reaction. The Lórien elf was about to shake him by the shoulders when his brother, Orophin, stopped him. "Ma ae e îdh?" (What if he sleeps?)

Haldir looked back to the prince and shook his head in the negative. "Eand gael…a tîn hin tafnen." He murmured, sitting in front of the Prince and trying to be noticed. (He's too pale…and his eyes are closed)

There was still no response.

//Peniuith cunneg! Le deluna i govanna! (Useless little prince! You are dangerous to the fellowship!)// Legolas didn't know his own voice could sound so cruel and taunting. He did not understand how his self-recrimination could sound so harsh. So...dark. When strong hands suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders, he jumped slightly in surprise and wondered, for a moment, what had happened. Even that, it soon became apparent, was not enough to wake him from his self-induced trance-like state.

'"Cunn Legolas!'" Haldir shouted, in Legolas' face, but the prince's eyes remained closed."Legolas! ma trastale behen?!'" Haldir shook the younger elf in his grasp despite his brothers' alarm at his rashness. He did not stop until he saw Legolas' mouth open in a small gasp. Haldir drew back then, wary of the Prince's reaction. (Prince Legolas! Legolas! What troubles you like this?!)

"Mithrandir garont dannen." (Mithrandir has fallen) Legolas' saddened voice said softly, startling the three brothers with its seeming serenity.

"Legolas…?"

"IR CAN CUNN THEL DANT?!'"(When will the prince fall?!) Legolas' agonized cry broke free, choking on the phrase he had been repeating in his head since the second he heard that familiar voice cry out for them to run. To save themselves. The prince's eyes snapped open and Haldir saw liquid pools of blue staring back at him. But those grief filled eyes were still slightly unfocused, as if trapped amongst the memories that haunted Legolas.

"Le pul can, ae ha tuly." Haldir whispered gently, trying to find a way to ease the burden the younger Elf carried. (You can cry, if it helps.)

"Im pulal" Legolas murmured dully, brushing off Haldir's suggestion. His countenance seemed suddenly stony: inexpressive voice, inexpressive face, yet his eyes seemed to tell the whole of the truth."Im pulal tirio be hên" (I cannot. I cannot look as a child)

"Caral al tirio be hên." Haldir countered heatedly, resting a hand on Legolas' shoulder."Tirio cuin" (Do not look as a child. Look alive)

//Fly, you fools//

A crack in the mask.

//Look alive. Mithrandir is not alive, is he?//

Legolas' face cringed.

//I'm sorry, father.//

Before the prince could control it, his first tear of this night was then shed in front of three other elves. Haldir's brothers stood in silence, bent on going outside to patrol the area and give the prince and their brother some moments in private. Elves were proud creatures. They knew that Legolas would hate to know the release of his pent-up emotions had had an audience.

After a moment, and before Haldir's eyes, the mask Legolas' wore shattered. A muffled sob came from the younger elf then, like an admission. "Mithrandir fern." Legolas managed to say, before his voice failed him and his tears fell faster. (Mithrandir is dead)

Haldir rubbed gentle circles on his forearm, whispering softly "Ha thiai be caeda" (It seems like a lie). Legolas merely nodded, before he lifted his knees and hugged them to himself, rocking back and forth, trying vainly to calm himself. In his mind, however, he had killed his friend. He had killed Mithrandir. Another sob was torn from his throat as he closed his eyes against the tears that flooded them.

Minutes dragged by, as slowly the sobs subsided. Legolas sighed, opening his eyes to thanks Haldir for his support, but the words never left his lips. Unexpectedly, everything seemed to go black for an instant as he moved his head. As if from a distance, Legolas felt himself swaying…falling…but he never hit the ground.

Haldir shook his head in mourning, as he held the prince in his arms. He needed to get him with Galadriel soon; the young Elf was visibly sinking in grief. He sighed and looked down at the Elf he held, noticing with some relief the tears had finally stopped. He seemed to rest, though whether in sleep or unconsciousness, Haldir was uncertain. The unnatural shivering of his frame, at least, appeared to have passed. Haldir easily lifted Legolas' into his arms and placed him on some blankets, far removed from the entrance to the talan. "Losta eithel" (Sleep well) he whispered gently, before going outside with his brothers. Lothlórien's wood was restless on this night.

Frodo, sleeping on a talan of his own next to a snoring Sam and the huddled forms Merry and Pippin, awoke late in the night. The Elves that had been near were gone. The sickle Moon was gleaming dimly among the leaves. The wind was still. A little way off he heard a harsh laugh and the tread of many feet on the ground below. There was a ring of metal. The sounds died slowly away, and seemed to go southward, on into the wood. Frodo sat immovile for long seconds, but was soon startled when an elf clad in grey- one of Haldir's brothers- appeared suddenly on the platform he was on and looked around, as if counting the halflings.

"What is it?" said Frodo.

"Yrch!" said the Elf in a hissing whisper, and cast on to the flet the rope-ladder rolled up.

"Orcs!" said Frodo. "What are they doing?"

But the Elf had gone.

After that, there were no more sounds. Even the leaves were silent, and the very falls seemed to be hushed. Frodo sat and shivered in his wraps, grateful the company had not be caught by surprise by the enemy on the ground below. Moments passed in the soundless stillness, but too soon Frodo was almost certain that he could hear stealthy movements at the tree's foot far below. Not Elves, for their step was soundless. Heart in his throat, Frodo peered down, and at first saw nothing. Then he heard faintly a sound like sniffing: and something seemed to be scrabbling on the bark of the tree-trunk. He stared down into the dark, holding his breath. Something was now climbing slowly, and its breath came like a soft hissing through closed teeth. Then coming up, close to the stem, Frodo saw two pale eyes. They stopped and gazed upward unwinking.

Frodo stared back, knowing what it was. His short sword clutched in his fist glowed blue. Then the shadowy figure slipped round the trunk of the tree and vanished, breaking the stand-off abruptly. Frodo sighed, breathing deeply to calm his nerves.

Immediately afterwards Haldir came climbing swiftly up through the branches. "There was something in this tree that I have never seen before," he said. Frodo nodded and let him continue, not interrupting to mention the creature the Elves had scared off was one the Fellowship had encountered before. Gollum was here, and it had been a brave, if not very smart move, to get so close to them on this night.

After the brief talk with the ring bearer, Haldir descended from the hobbit's talan and moved swiftly through his forest, reaching the platform that served as his and his brothers' post in no time. Orophin was absent, for as he had told Frodo, his brother had gone to warn the people of Lórien of the danger of the Orcs. His other brother Rúmil, however, was there to welcome him as Haldir had asked of him.

"E îdh?" (He sleeps?) He asked worriedly, and Rúmil nodded with a small smile. Haldir stepped gracefully onto the tree to see for himself and was relieved to see Legolas still out cold, unperturbed even by the amount of noise that had just come this way. "Galadriel bauran cene." (Galadriel must see him.)

No explanations were needed amongst the brothers. The prince's eyes had told the whole of the story.

The following morning, as the fellowship set on their way to see the Lady of the Woods, Legolas' mask was back in place.

//You're weak// his voice whispered in his mind as he avoided Haldir's and his brothers eyes.

The fellowship didn't notice. But Galadriel saw.