Later that evening, Calaen was in his room trying to read, when there was a knock on the door. He closed his book and dropped it to the ground as he called out, "who is it?"

"Me. Are you busy?"

"No, come in."

The door was pushed open, and Airëlus entered the room, an odd look on his face. It seemed as though didn't quite know how to feel after his dispute with his brother earlier that evening. Sitting down in one of the chairs, he fixed his blue eyes on the other Elf, and was about to speak, but Calaen beat him to it.

"I was about to come and see you."

"Were you really?"

"No, but I was thinking about it," Calaen replied. "I feel awful about all that I said, Airëlus. Of course Legolas did not deserve what he got."

The Crown Prince blinked in surprise. "But if you did not mean it, why did you...?"

"I don't know!" Frustration flitted across Calaen's face. "I don't know; I just...did."

"But there must have been a reason," Airëlus pressed. "Why would you have said it if there wasn't?"

Calaen turned his head away, letting a black sheet of hair fall down to hide the pained expression on his face, and the tears of anger and confusion in his eyes. Legolas has done nothing! Why should you think such things? His mind was screaming with unanswered questions and muddled thoughts.

"Why will you not speak to me?" Airëlus' voice was gentle now. "Cal, has Legolas done something?"

"That's just it!" Calaen suddenly exploded, snapping his head around so he could face his brother. "He has done nothing, nothing at all. Why am I so angry with him?"

"I didn't know that you were," Airëlus said in surprise. "What could he have done?"

The dark haired Elf shook his head violently. "It is because of what happened earlier. I got so worked up when I saw that damned tree, you know that. It was still in my mind, and I just wanted to...take my anger out on someone. It just happened to be Legolas."

Even as he said the words, Calaen knew that they were not true. He had pushed the tree and the clearing from his mind. There was no reason for Legolas to be a victim of his anger, yet the unsuspecting child was. There was nothing he could do to stop his feelings and thoughts. They were uncontrollable. It was as though he were viewing the world from the eyes of someone else, a different person, not himself.

"There's more to it than that," Airëlus said sharply.

"What do you mean?"

"You are not telling me everything," the Crown Prince replied. "Either that, or you have no idea of what is going on in your own mind."

Calaen snapped his eyes up, and they flashed furiously. "Don't you dare accuse me of that! I know what goes on in my head, and I don't need you thinking otherwise. Now, if you have said all that you need to, will you leave?"

"I...I'm sorry, I did not mean for it to come out like that," Airëlus sighed. "I sounded harsh, but that was not intended. Really, I'm sorry."

"Alright." Calaen nodded once. "I know you didn't mean it."

Airëlus stood up as his brother fell silent. "I will go. But, you do know that you can talk to me about anything? I would hate for you to think that you couldn't. I will listen to whatever you have to say, Cal. If you do wish to speak, please, come to me."

With that, the Crown Prince left, hoping his words had been understood. They hadn't. They hadn't even been heard. Calaen had shut out all else, only able to think of what Airëlus had said before – 'you have no idea of what is going on in your own head'. How true. How very true.

With a yell of rage, he pulled his arm back, only to fling his fist into the wall. Blood swiftly came to the surface of his pale skin, and he stared down at it through eyes which were glistening silver.

"You are right, Airëlus," he whispered. "If only you knew how right you were."

............................................................................................................

"I shouldn't bother if I were you," Elladan said, putting a restraining hand on his brother's arm. "He's probably asleep by now."

"He may be, but I just want to look, to make sure," Elrohir replied. "He seemed very upset that we went riding without telling him. Besides, we have barely seen him today."

"Hurry up, then," Elladan sighed.

Elrohir pushed open the door to Legolas' room, and stepped inside. "Oh."

"What did I tell you?" Elladan whispered, moving forwards to stand with his brother. "He is asleep. Now, we should leave, otherwise he will wake."

"Yes, you were right, I was wrong," Elrohir muttered. He turned to go, but stopped as Legolas cried out in his sleep. "What's wrong with him?"

The other twin went and stood beside the bed, concerned. "He is having a dream, but...Valar! His eyes are shut! Elrohir, come and look at this! Should we get someone?"

"Now you know how I felt that time when you slept with your eyes shut," was the reply. "I think we should wake him."

Legolas cried out again, and he tossed his head from side to side. Sweat dampened his brow, and tears leaked out from under his lashes. As he thrashed wildly, the bed covers twisted themselves around his small body. Elrohir looked to Elladan in alarm, and gestured helplessly to the dreaming child.

"Wake him!" he hissed.

The other twin sat on the edge of the bed and put both hands on the Prince's shoulders, holding him still. "Legolas, wake up. It is Elladan and Elrohir. Please, open your eyes, wake up. You are safe with us, you-

Legolas suddenly sat up and stared around fearfully, chest rising and falling swiftly, his breath coming in short gasps. "No," he whispered. "No, not again!"

"Hush, it's alright," Elladan soothed. "It is over, Legolas."

The Prince shook his head, the motion freeing a few tears from his eyes. "I don't want them any more, but I can't make them go away. Why do they come? I hate them."

Elladan pulled the Elfling to him, and wrapped both arms tightly around the small body. "Do you want to tell us what dream it was?"

"A horrible one."

Elrohir sat beside his brother, and gently stroked Legolas' hair. "Did you dream of your mother again?"

"Yes, but I don't want those sort of dreams," the child choked out. "I see her falling, but I want to see her playing with me or picking flowers, and laughing and wearing nice dresses. But instead, I see her dying."

'What can we say to make him feel better?' Elladan thought helplessly, as the child cried quietly into his chest.

'Do you want me to go and get his father or brothers?' Elrohir replied silently.

'Yes, I-

"Ada doesn't know, and I don't want him to," Legolas said sadly, cutting into the twins' thoughts. "I've only told you two. You won't tell anyone else, will you?"

"Why do you not want anyone else to know?" Elrohir asked.

"Because I don't want to be any trouble. I know that Ada and Airëlus and Calaen have enough to worry about without this," Legolas sighed.

"They would want to know," Elladan said gently, lifting the child's chin as he tried to look away. "Do you think they would not want to help you, if they knew you were unhappy?"

"But..."

"You have been having these dreams for two weeks now. Do you think they will go away on their own?" Elrohir asked softly. "You need help. Your father can give you that, as can your brothers."

"But I-

"Do you wish to carry on suffering?" Elrohir pressed, hating himself as tears pooled in Legolas' eyes once more. "Do you wish to spend every night of your life watching the death of your mother?"

"Stop."

But, Elrohir forced himself to ignore the plea. "I thought you wanted only to see the good times, and not the bad. Carry on as you are, and bad is all you are going to get. I'm sorry, but that's the truth, horrible though it may seem."

Legolas began crying at that, and he turned his face back into Elladan's tunic, so he would not have to listen any more. But even though nothing was said by the Elfling, Elrohir knew he had managed to convince him to do the right thing. He only wished there was an easier and kinder way to have done it.

'I don't know whether to be angry that you upset him, or impressed that you changed his mind,' Elladan thought, as he comfortingly stroked Legolas' hair.

'I shouldn't have said such hurtful things,' Elrohir replied guiltily.

'No, he would not have understood anything else. Maybe the words did upset him, but at least he knows now that he cannot hold his silence,' Elladan reassured his brother. 'Go and get someone now, before he changes his mind.'

Elrohir stood and looked down at the still crying Elfling. "Legolas, I am sorry. Please, forgive me, I did not mean to sound so harsh."

It seemed as though the Prince did not hear – if he did, he made no signs of it. Elladan glanced at his brother and nodded towards the door, indicating that he should leave. Elrohir nodded, and with a last look at the one he had un-intentionally hurt, spun on his heel and left the room. The remaining twin waited until the door was shut before pulling back slightly to look down at Legolas.

"He really did not mean it," he said. "Don't be angry with him."

"I'm not," Legolas replied, rubbing his eyes. "I'm angry with myself."

Elladan blinked in surprise. "But why?"

"Because, I should have told someone before. Ada would have wanted me to tell him, I suppose, but I didn't, and..." Legolas sighed, and shook his head. "What time is it?"

"Why the change of subject?" Elladan asked. When the child narrowed his eyes, he glanced out of the window, at the positioning of the moon. "It is two hours until midnight."

"That's late," Legolas nodded.

"Only if you're an Elfling," Elladan replied.

"You were an Elfling once," the Prince said accusingly.

"I'm not any more, though," Elladan said.

Legolas shrugged, and began pulling his fingers through his friend's dark hair. "Is 'Ro getting Ada?"

"I don't know, it depends what he is doing. Maybe Airëlus will come. Or Gandalf. Or my father. Or Calaen," Elladan replied absent-mindedly. "Or maybe all of them. Maybe Elrohir will invite the whole of Mirkwood."

Legolas giggled at that notion. "I don't think everyone would fit in here."

The Elf tickled the child, smiling inwardly as he was rewarded with a laugh. It was good to hear that. At least Legolas had forgotten the dreams – for the moment. But then, the door opened, and King Thranduil came in, followed by Elrohir. Elladan was slightly surprised that his own father and Gandalf had not also come.

"Did you have a dream, Greenleaf?" the Sinda-Elf asked, taking his son into his own arms.

"Yes," Legolas muttered. "It...it was about Nana."

Thranduil sighed, and nodded to the twins. "Thank you, Elrohir, for coming to get me. Elladan, thank you for taking care of him."

"It was no trouble," the dark haired Elves replied. They bowed slightly, smiled at Legolas, and left the room, so that the other two could have some privacy.

"Is this the first dream you have had?" Thranduil asked.

Legolas lowered his eyes, and shook his head once. "No."

"How long have you been having them?"

"Since Nana di...went," Legolas replied quietly.

Thranduil sighed, and touched a hand to the child's smooth cheek. "You should have told me. Why did you not? Did you think that I wouldn't care, or that I wouldn't try and help you?"

Legolas bit down on his lip. "I didn't want to be any trouble."

The King could only shake his head in absolute wonder. "You did not want to be any trouble? How can you...? Legolas, of course you would be no trouble. Never keep something like this secret, do you understand me? Never."

"I'm sorry," the Prince whispered.

"Don't be," Thranduil sighed. "Come, you can sleep in with me tonight. I think that..." He trailed off, and pulled the covers of the bed back. "Legolas, where is the blanket that your mother made you, the one that you normally sleep with?"

"I don't want to sleep with it any more, because I might make it dirty, or I might tear it, so I put it away where it would be safe," Legolas replied. "It is in my cupboard."

Thranduil sighed, and put his son down. "When did you do this?"

"A few days after Nana left."

"And, did you have any dreams in the few days that it remained with you?" the King asked, moving over to the cupboard, and taking the blanket, which had served as a comforter, back out. "I mean, before you stopped sleeping with it?"

"No," said Legolas slowly.

Thranduil nodded, and handed the blanket back to the child. "This was made by your mother, given to you when you were but a baby. Her presence surrounds it, and that is why you used to find it so easy to sleep."

"I don't want to sleep with it again, though. What if I tear it?" Legolas said anxiously.

"It was made for you," Thranduil replied gently. "Sleep with it tonight, and you will not have any dreams. At least, no horrible ones."

"Why?"

"What does it remind you of?"

"Nana," Legolas said. As realisation dawned, he smiled. "Oh."

Thranduil shook his head briefly. "It comforts you, does it not? Well, that is because you immediately associate it with your mother. I can honestly say that you will sleep well tonight."

Legolas bit down on his lip, suddenly worried. "What if I don't?"

"You will."

"But what if I don't?"

Thranduil looked into the hopeful face gazing up at him, and sighed. "I spoil you," he muttered. Sighing once more, he lifted the child into his arms. "You can sleep in with me for tonight, but only tonight."

"Thank you, Ada," Legolas smiled.

............................................................................................................

That night, Legolas did sleep in cuddled up against his father, but the blanket that Findilan had made for him did not leave his grasp. He had another dream. His mother was laughing, and her face was shining with happiness. Flowers were woven in her long hair, and her eyes sparkled with merriment. She was happy, and Legolas awoke the next day with a smile on his face.

............................................................................................................

Well, its nearly midnight, and as I have to get up at 7 tomorrow morning for college, I really want to get to bed now. So, no review responses this chapter (sorry!), but I'll be back on Tuesday, with the next chapter. See you then!