Apparently that cliffie was not as hated and I thought it was gonna be. Good!

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"Legolas! Dago han! Dago han!" An arrow had been loosed, and the man behind Elladan fell dead. The king knocked Legolas in the side of the head while his attention had been directed elsewhere. The blade flew out of his hands.

Elrohir came galloping in, Legolas' horse running behind him. The prince went to stand, attempting to reach his other blade, but the king had followed him to his feet. He grabbed the prince's injured shoulder, and pulled back.

Legolas had no reaction other than to scream. The king smiled, twisting his grip, and in turn bringing the elf to his knees. Somehow, through the blinding pain, Legolas had managed to reach for his dagger, and drove it backwards. He was pulled down with the king, until the man's grip finally loosened. Legolas rolled out of the way, and onto his back.

He closed his eyes, exhaustion and pain seizing him. What had he just done?

"Legolas! Are you all right?"

Legolas' breathing increased rapidly.

"I just killed a man. you were right Elrohir."

"You screamed," Elladan said, coming up next to his brother. Legolas did not open his eyes.

"Legolas?" Elrohir ignored Elladan. "Are you all right?"

"I killed a man."

"You didn't have a choice, Legolas! He would have killed you! Why can't you understand that?!"

Legolas' eyes flew open. "He had some good left him, that could have been brought out. He could have changed!"

"I'm pretty sure he wasn't going to change right here. There was no good in that man. Why fool yourself?"

"I had to believe it!"

"Legolas," Elladan's voice broke into the conversation. "He would have killed you."

Legolas ignored the comment. "Come, let us hurry for Mirkwood. I dare not linger here any longer."

"Nay," Elrohir said quietly. "We have two injured. I dare not leave here. We camp for the night."

Legolas looked as though he wanted to protest, but did not have the energy nor the strength to put up the fight.

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Legolas said nothing for the rest of the night, until Elrohir approached him.

"You have remained carefully distant from us, friend."

It was true. Legolas had seated himself on the opposite side of the camp they had made; his back turned to his companions.

"I needed time to think."

"Will you allow me to check your wounds?"

"They are nothing. I feel fine."

"You have been known to downplay your wounds before. If you can hold one of your blades with your left arm, I will leave you be."

Legolas reached beside him, where his weapons were ready. He had no sooner lifted the knife then he winced, and it fell quietly back to the earth.

Elrohir raised an eyebrow. He had half expected the prince to be able to do it. He had hoped the prince could do it.

Legolas rolled his eyes, shrugging his blood stained tunic off his body.

"We should have tended to this earlier." Elrohir was now inspecting the wound.

"How bad is it?"

Elrohir looked up at the prince. "Do you want the truth, or do you want me to make it sound pleasant?"

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Elrohir came back to his brother a couple hours later, once the prince had fallen asleep. He looked at him, anxiously waiting to hear what was wrong with Legolas.

"Well, the king's sword was poisoned. He can't grip his weapons with his left hand, and his ribs are still broken. I gave him a pain reliever of sorts, but he refuses to drink water. I don't know how to get the poison out of him. If he would drink, the fluids would neutralize it."

"How does he feel, though?"

Elrohir knew what Elladan meant. "He's absolutely horrified. Thinks he did the wrong thing."

Elladan nodded. "I'll take first watch. I'll wake you if something should happen."

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Legolas woke up, his eyes meeting dark. He had a terrible headache, and his stomach was tied in knots. He tried to roll over, only to discover he had no feeling in the left side of his body. He tried to remember where he was and why he hurt so much. He groaned, the past day's events coming to mind again.

Elrohir woke suddenly, blinking a few times. Why had he woken? It was still the dead of night. He sighed. it had also been his turn to keep watch and he had fallen asleep. "Legolas?" he questioned softly.

"I am here," came the reply.

'That's why,' the Noldor elf thought. "Are you all right?"

"No, to be honest."

"All right, what's wrong?" he began making his way to where he left Legolas earlier that night. The prince described his ailments.

"Please, Legolas, drink some water. It will help with the headache, and the numbness of your body."

"I couldn't keep it down; it would do me no good."

"Well it certainly isn't doing you any good to not drink, now is it?"

Legolas couldn't argue with that, as much as he tried. He reluctantly took the water flask from Elrohir.

Not two seconds after he had taken the sip, Legolas curled over, and away from Elrohir. The Noldor elf sighed.

"It's okay, Legolas. It'll be okay. Just keep trying to drink." He paused, wondering how to phrase his next thought. "We should get you back to my father. He can help you better than I can."

Legolas was silent for a moment, knowing full well that he wanted Elrond's help right now. "No, we don't have time. I have to get home. I have to know where my father is, and why my grandfather of all people is in his place."

"I am worried for you. Do you really think your grandfather will give you the help you need?"

The prince turned back to face Elrohir. Their eyes locked, a memory from long ago passed between them.

"I need to know where my father is."

Elrohir nodded. "Then please, keep trying to drink."

Legolas would have argued, if he thought it would have done him any good. He had no desire to feel that nauseous again. But he knew too that Elrohir would take him back to Rivendell if he did not get better.

"Go back to sleep, Elrohir. I'll be fine."

The elf sighed. "I know you will. I'm just worried that you'll need me, and I'll be asleep."

"But deep down you know that I can handle whatever may happen, and you also know that you'll wake up again if I do."

Elrohir nodded. "It's good to be getting to know you again, old friend."

Legolas smiled. "Haven't changed a bit, have I?"

Elrohir managed a laugh. "Just as stubborn and stuck up as always!" He paused, then continued seriously, "You're worried that some ill has befallen Lord Thranduil, aren't you?"

"I am. I do not trust my grandfather."

"As well you shouldn't. Though, I must admit, he doesn't seem too much worse than your father when angry."

"That's just it. Ada gets angry, and he yells sometimes, but that's it. My grandfather yells, and then punishes after everyone has left."

"Do you two think you could just sleep?" Elladan's tired voice could be heard mumbling from across the camp. They ignored him.

Elrohir snorted. "That's the understatement of the century."

Legolas couldn't help but smile a little. "I would much rather return home to Ada than him."

"I can't blame you. Tell me, what happened between you and Arwen?"

Legolas shrugged at the change of subject. "We're not meant for each other."

"You seemed rather in love to everyone else."

"I guess we fooled everyone then. including ourselves. We thought we were for the longest time. But. I love Arwen, Elrohir. As a friend, but nothing more. Arwen means too much to me. Being wed to her would just ruin our friendship. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Elrohir nodded. "And she feels the same as you about this?"

"She does. Elrohir, we agreed on this."

"It's just a bit weird. For so long, all we ever saw was Legolas and Arwen- together."

Legolas sighed. "It's not like we're parting ways. It will be just like always, without the marriage hanging over us. Besides, we would have never thought about marriage had it not been for our fathers."

Elrohir laughed. "True, put your father in the same room with my father, and they can be quite persuasive."

Legolas smiled. "Quite."

"All right, I get it." Elladan said, pulling himself up from his sleeping spot. "If you're not going to go back to sleep, or let me go back to sleep, we should move on. Let's hurry up and get to Mirkwood."

Elrohir looked at Legolas. "Are you okay to go?"

"Do we still have the horses?"

The Noldor elf nodded.

"Then yes, I'm okay to go."

"Alright. Just tell me if you need to stop." Elrohir knew that Legolas wouldn't say anything if he was about to die, but he felt he needed to put the offer out there. He held out his hand to help Legolas up.

The prince stood, but fell back against the tree behind him. This wasn't good.

"Legolas?"

"No, I'm okay. I just need to compose myself for a minute. I'm okay."

The twins looked at each other, both unbelieving of Legolas' assurance. "We can stay if we need to," Elladan offered.

"No. We have to get to Mirkwood. I'm okay to go."

"It won't do you any good to fall off the horse on our way there."

"Elladan, I am okay." It was final. The prince had a tone in his voice that hinted at the power he held in his own land.

"Okay, then we leave." Elrohir cast a doubtful glance at Legolas. He was still leaning on the large tree.

Elladan handed the reins of one of the horses to Elrohir, who held them out to Legolas.

"Take care of him, Elenillor," Elladan whispered to the steed. He cast another doubtful glance at his younger brother, then at Legolas, before mounting his own horse.

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Legolas did indeed fare better on the back of his horse than on his own two feet. The three companions rode for miles in silence.

The old forest of Tarduain's realm turned into an open valley. Rivers crisscrossed at various points. Within four days, the forests of Mirkwood were within sight.

"Looks like we're home, Legolas."

The prince nodded at Elrohir, his eyes on the trees still a day ahead of them. Something was horribly wrong; he could feel it.

The other two felt it as well.

"What do you think it is, Legolas?"

"My grandfather," Legolas replied to Elladan, and he and Elrohir shared a doubtful glance as the prince spurred his horse on. They followed, but at a safe distance so that they could talk.

"He's in no shape to face his grandfather."

"I know, Elrohir. He can't even stand by himself." Elladan was quiet for a moment. He wondered how best to ask his next question. "What is it that Legolas fears about Lord Orophir?"

"Everything, Dan. Everything."

Elladan knew better than to challenge his brother's cryptic answers, but today he could not help himself. "What caused the fear? Why, Elrohir? I don't understand it."

Elrohir paused. "Remember when we were captives at the hands of the orcs?"

Elladan shuddered slightly. "All too well."

"What was the first thing you thought every morning when you woke up?"

Elladan raised an eyebrow. Then he said slowly, "I was scared to die."

Elrohir nodded. "Now imagine what it would have been like if you had woken up every morning scared to live."

It was still cryptic, but it was enough for Elladan. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Don't be so apologetic. It's not like you could have stopped it. Besides, it wasn't as bad for me. Legolas made sure of that, and it cost him a great deal."

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Reviewers:

One more chapter left, everyone! Maybe two, if I do the next one really short. Tell me what you want: two more short ones or one more long one. Up to you!

Nina: I was tempted to just let Elladan get his throat slit, just to see you in the story! So there you are, Elrohir to the rescue!

Tamara: Am I that predictable? Lol. Of course something had to happen! You didn't think he's have a clear road to Mirkwood, did you? I love elf torture. Never a clear road :::smiles:::

Legolas'_Calandra: Hey, no problem! Good job on your first chapter, but change paragraphs when someone speaks! Lol. Thanks for the review too!

Kelly: Thank you, and I'm glad you were finally able to find the story! Lol, it was hard enough between the two of us, huh?

Nikki: I'm really glad that you like the story. :::wide grin:::. Hey, no problem on the question. I really don't think I stated it anywhere, so it's my fault really, but if you want to take the blame, I won't protest, lol. Happy reading!

Littlesaiyangirl: As I smile evilly, I must ask, how are you so sure it's gonna be okay?