Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

A/N: Hey there people, are you ready to kill me yet? If so, let me remind you if you kill me I can't finish this story and you'll never find out what happens. Frowns at the elvish bows and daggers pointed her way. All right all right, so you can injure me but you still can't kill me! Thank you so much for your reviews, I love you all! Many many thanks to my wonderful beta enb2004, so go read her stuff! As promised, here is Chapter 12. Have fun!

As the orc scimitar came crashing down, Legolas tried to shield Estel with his body to the best of his ability but there was no way that the scimitar could miss them. Thus, he was very surprised when he heard a whoosh and then the thud of a body hitting the ground.

He looked up and saw that Elrohir at the last second had drawn his bow and had fired an arrow at the orc. Nodding in silent thanks to the very relieved Elrohir, he turned his horse around while trying to make it through the battalion or orcs.

"Legolas, you must get Estel to safety! Don't worry, we shall hold them off," Elladan said breathlessly.

"Nay, I shall not leave you!" Legolas said while thrusting a blade through an orc that had come to close while shielding Estel.

"Legolas, you must. You must get Estel to safety!" Elrohir said from his horse while killing any orc that came to near.

Legolas wasn't happy about this at all but he was forced to agree. More and more orcs were coming upon them and Estel had to get to safety. The only problem was that the way back to Elrond's house was cut off by orcs. They were going to have to go the long way around.

"Estel, hold on very tightly and close your eyes all right? I'm going to get us out of here," Legolas said, eyes watching the orcs movements very carefully.

Estel only nodded fearfully and closed his eyes. He didn't understand what was going on but he knew that it wasn't good and that he should listen to Legolas like his Ada had told him too.

Seeing Estel's agreement, Legolas took a deep breathe and plunged through the orcs, thrusting his sword through any that got in his way, until he had cleared the edge of the battle.

Once through, he quickly looked back at Elladan and Elrohir. "Keep him safe," Elrohir mouthed.

Legolas nodded solemnly and took off for the woods which would give them more cover. He was worried for the twins, but he knew that they could take care of themselves. They had been fighting orcs for centuries after all, yet Legolas hated to leave them but he knew that he did what he had to do.

Legolas didn't pause the horse even for a second as they reached the cover of the woods. The more distance they put between them and the foul orcs, the better.

For a good hour, Legolas drove the horse hard while keeping a tight hold on Estel. When he was positive that there was no sign of pursuit he slowed the horse until it came to a stop.

"Estel, do you want to get off the horse for a little while?" Legolas asked softly. Estel was starting to shake from everything that had happened and looked as though he were about to cry.

Estel nodded slightly and grasped Legolas tightly. "All right tithen pen, here we go," Legolas said making sure to hold Estel tightly.

In one swift fluid movement they were on the ground. Estel looked around for a few seconds before he started to cry slightly.

"Leggie, what's going to happen to my brothers," he asked tearfully.

"Shhh, they shall be fine Estel. Your brothers are very resourceful warriors and know how to deal with those foul creatures. If I wasn't sure that they could handle the orcs, I never would have left," Legolas said hoping that Estel would buy the lie. In truth he wasn't at all sure if Elladan and Elrohir could handle the rest on their own. He would have to hope for the best.

Thankfully, Estel did buy it and was soon looking around the forest with curiosity. "Legolas, where are we? I don't think I've ever been here before," Estel said.

Legolas looked around for the first time and nearly cursed aloud. It did not surprise him that Estel didn't know where they were for they were outside of Imladris's boundaries, a place they definitely shouldn't be.

"Leggie?" Estel asked seeing that he had lost the elf's attention.

"My apologies Estel. In answer to your question we are not too far away from your home. It is just a matter of navigating our way back without running into any more of those creatures," Legolas said not bothering to hide the disgust he felt for the orcs.

"How far?" Estel asked curiously.

Legolas sighed and bent down to Estel's level. Even though he was only four years old, Estel was very perceptive. Estel probably knew that he was keeping something from him.

"It is pretty far tithen pen but by horseback we should be able to get by tomorrow," he said. This was not good at all. Elrond is going to be furious when we are not back by sundown. Speaking of which, he wondered what time it was currently.

He looked up at the sky and cursed silently. During some time of the day, the sky had become overcast and was now threatening rain. "Rain, just wonderful. That is exactly the last thing we need," Legolas thought with a frustrated sight.

"Come Estel, we need to seek shelter before it starts to rain," Legolas said while checking his horse for any injuries she might have sustained during the fight.

"It's not going to rain Leggie," Estel said with certainty.

"Oh? And just how would you know that tithen pen?" Legolas asked amused at the certainty that Estel displayed.

"I know cause it's snowing!" Estel exclaimed gleefully.

Legolas swore, this time out loud as he looked up at the sky and saw that Estel was quite correct. It was beginning to snow. He hadn't noticed the drop in temperature during the battle and the subsequent race to safety.

This was not good, not good at all. A few days ago, Elrond had finally corned him and explained to him what sickness was. He had explained that since Estel was mortal, he was liable to fall ill. Elrond proceeded to explain to Legolas that illness in humans was very much like a poison in elves. Humans often got fevers and felt very weak just like how a poison would make Legolas react, except no one was sure what caused humans to fall ill, not even Elrond.

Swearing again, Legolas could not but help consider the ramifications of the snow storm and a four year old mortal. From what Elrond had told him, it seemed very likely that Estel would fall ill, and probably soon, especially since they didn't have their supplies anymore. Sometime during the course of the battle both of their packs had been lost. All Legolas had left was a bit of athelas tucked away in his tunic.

Estel giggled when Legolas swore again, effectively jerking Legolas out of his thoughts and making him realize that he had just sworn in front of a four year old.

"I am sorry Estel, I did not mean to say that aloud."

"It's all right, it was funny. Besides, Dan and Ro say worse things aloud than that," Estel said with a smile.

Legolas smiled wryly. "Now why does that not surprise me? Come, we must get moving if we are to reach shelter before this storm becomes any worse."

Estel nodded and held his arms up, waiting to be picked up and put on the horse. Seeing that Estel was ready to go, Legolas swiftly picked Estel up and they were off on the horse once more while the storm continued to grow worse.

Elrond was within his home looking out the window that oversaw the front courtyard looking anxiously for any sign of the twins, Legolas, and Estel.

"We shall be careful Ada, don't worry. Everything will be fine. We'll be back before sunset," Elrond muttered Elladan's words to himself mockingly.

It was not far past sunset and there was not a single sign of a one of them. What was taking them so long? They had said that they would be back before sunset. Earlier, he would have been all too happy to get all four of them out of the house for a few hours but right now he would take a prank any day over this anxious waiting.

"Just wait until they get back. They think they've had every lecture I could possibly give. Ha! Hardly. They'll be receiving the lecture of a lifetime as soon as they step in the front door," Elrond muttered aloud.

"You know Elrond, that talking to yourself is considered by many the first step towards insanity?" Glorfindel suddenly said from behind him.

Elrond turned around slowly and pierced Glorfindel with his look. "Mellon nin, if you had four children, and one that might as well be, you would talk to yourself as well."

"Perhaps but as I do not have children I would not know," Glorfindel said smugly.

Elrond shot him another look before turning back towards the window.

"Relax Elrond, they are fine. They are more than likely just having a good time in this newest, if unexpected snowfall," Glorfindel said reassuringly.

"Humph, why do I doubt that? I know my sons and Legolas mellon nin. The twins and Legolas alone are bad enough, but with Estel in the mix? Valar only knows what has happened to them by now! They should have been back long ago," Elrond said, his face taught with concern.

Glorfindel sighed and gently put his hand on Elrond's shoulder. "Come mellon nin. Starting out the window is not going to bring them back any faster. Let's go have a later dinner, shall we?"

Elrond didn't respond though. He was too busy staring at the one horse which held two riders, one seemingly unconscious while a riderless horse trailed behind the other.

Coming to his senses, he ran out of the room and headed for the courtyard completely oblivious to the raging snowstorm around him.

Glorfindel jumped at his lords unusual behavior until he looked out the window and saw the two figures. He cursed as he jumped up and ran after Elrond. Although he was relieved that two of them were back, his anxiety went up at the fact that there were only two. Four had set out, so where the other two? He hoped to the Valar that they were not caught in this snowstorm for it they were.... Valar help them all.

Translations:
Ada: Dad/Daddy
Tithen pen: Little one
Mellon nin: My friend

A/N 2: See, that wasn't so bad was it? Till next time my friends!