You know what? I got the inspiration for this story from my own experience. I got lost in a crowded shopping mall when I was eight! Whew, that was scary!

Now, read on! Read on!

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When morning came, Thranduil sent his warriors to search along the stream behind the palace, thinking that Legolas might have been playing there and got swept down by the current. Or he might have gotten tangled somewhere in the tree roots by the stream and couldn't free himself. Or he could have drowned and they might not found his body until it was too late. Or he could have been abducted by the orcs that dared to trespass the realm and they had killed and ate him…

Stop it, Thranduil! Just stop imagining the worst! It's not going to help! Thranduil yelled inwardly at himself.

He looked down at Keldarion who was sound asleep on the bed. It took a lot of persuasion on Thranduil's part last night to make his son get some sleep. Keldarion had refused at first, saying he could not sleep a wink while Legolas was still missing. But Thranduil had told the prince that he needed to be fully alert and refreshed when they resumed the search mission in the morning, so he must sleep.

Keldarion had relented but only if his father let him spend the night in the king's chamber so he would know every action that his father would take. How could Thranduil say no to that when he himself needed his child's company so badly at a time like this?

"Kel," Thranduil said softly as he gently shook his son's shoulder.

Keldarion woke up instantly. He blinked and raised himself upright. "Father? Have they found him?"

The king smiled sadly at his son's expected question. "Not yet, son. But I've just sent our warriors to look along the stream."

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner? I should be joining them!" Keldarion jumped down from the bed to run towards the door.

"Kel."

The prince halted and turned around. "Yes, father?"

The king walked closer to the prince. "I need you to stay here with me."

"But I must go with them and look for him!"

"You are not going, Keldarion. And that's final."

"I'm still going, with or without your consent!" Keldarion practically shouted, his face glowing in defiance, just like Legolas would at the peak of his stubbornness.

Thranduil sighed. "You cannot go. I might lose you too. Apart from Legolas, you're the only child I have," he said quietly, a note of pleading evident in his voice.

Keldarion's shoulders slumped. "But I can't just stand here and wait and do nothing, father. I'll go crazy!"

The king pulled his son against him. "We will not do nothing. We need to search the whole palace inside out one more time. We might have missed something the first time we checked."

The prince looked up. "All right, father. I'm with you. I'm sorry I yelled at you just now."

"I understand. I know you're worried about Legolas. So am I," said Thranduil. "We will go through every inch of this place until we find him. But first, you need to eat something. You skipped yesterday's dinner. We must be on full energy to search for your brother."

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Legolas stumbled to his knees for the umpteenth time. He had loosened the rein on his tears a while ago and his cheeks were already wet with them. Without looking up, he knew that he had encountered the same spot in the dungeon four times already.

He had been walking in circles.

After walking for so many hours that seemed like forever, Legolas still had not found the exit. He refused to admit defeat at first, but now…

But now, he was feeling weaker and his elven glow was slowly fading. His path began to darken from the lack of light and he couldn't find any torch to use. The dungeon was rarely used except for the storage chambers and prison cells. For the time being, Mirkwood did not keep any prisoners. The last prisoners they had were the captured dwarves that had dared to trespass into the realm. But they all had been released several years ago after they completed building the dungeon.

"Father…Kel…" Legolas whimpered, clutching his tummy. He was feeling a wild hunger that he never felt before. His throat felt so dry and parched and gritty, as if it was filled with sand. His limbs felt like rubber, all weak and flaccid.

Legolas was slowly losing all hope to be rescued. He didn't want to give up, he truly didn't, but he was only a child after all.

Lying down on the ground, he let himself to be pulled deeper into peaceful oblivion…

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The warriors had returned from the woods and the river after searching for three full days. By then, Thranduil had already sent missives to nearby elven realms, hoping that they had any kind of information about Legolas, and hoping that they would help look for the missing child.

Keldarion had gone into depression. He took residence in Legolas's room, refusing to come out to eat or join the others.

Lord Elrond from Rivendell had just arrived with his twin sons in tow after hearing of Legolas's disappearance. But even Elladan's and Elrohir's warm presence could not lift up Keldarion's gloomy mood.

Thranduil could only watched in dismay as he realized that he was slowly losing two, not one, but two of his sons.

If they didn't find Legolas soon, he was sure Keldarion would certainly follow his brother's unknown fate.

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Legolas blinked in confusion. The dim light of his fading glow told him that he was lying in a balmy chamber. How did I get here? Oh, right. I've crawled.

Legolas could barely recall moving on his hands and knees after regaining consciousness many hours ago. He had been on autopilot all the while, depending on his weakening sense for further direction.

His nose had suddenly picked on the scent of fresh water. He thought it was just a play of his imagination, but noted that it won't hurt him to investigate. After crawling diligently for quite a long time, he had stumbled upon the cool chamber. To his surprise, there, in the middle of the chamber was a pool of underground water.

Due to great shock of his discovery, Legolas had fainted dead away.

Fully awake now, Legolas inched towards the pool. The crystalline water was giving a glow of its own, beckoning him to come closer. He remembered his father telling him that the grand fountain in the Mirkwood courtyard was linked to a pool of water under the ground. This could be the pool, he thought.

He eagerly dipped his hands in and greedily took several gulps of water to quench his terrible thirst. At first, nothing happen. Then, suddenly, he was assailed with a wave of nausea as his body system rebelled at the abrupt nourishment and he went horribly sick with it.

He managed to hastily turn away to the corner of the chamber just in time. He retched and retched until there was nothing left but dry heaves. He lay there on the ground, trembling and crying. Why…why?!…he sobbed in sorrow. I want to go home…I want to go home!!…Please, father, take me home…Kel…help me…

As the young prince lay down there underground shaking with uncontrollable sobs, the rest of Mirkwood was still frantic looking for him above.

TBC…