At the gates to the palace, two guards met the band of warriors and welcomed them back, for it had been several weeks since they had departed.
"Hail Legolas Thranduilion!" they greeted their prince.
"Hail Fannor and Thoris," he replied. "It is good to see you again."
"How did your campaign go?" asked the one called Fannor.
"Very well. But I must see my father right away," Legolas replied.
"You shall find him in his study most likely," said Thoris. "He's been in there for most of the day."
"Thank you."
"Shall one of us go announce your return?"
"No, there is no need for that. I will find him myself."
They passed through the gates and into the main receiving room inside the palace, with the exception of the healers and the wounded. These turned to the right and made their way to the healing houses where they would receive proper care until their wounds had healed. Now Legolas gave a signal to the rest of the warriors. They had done well and could go about to their homes, as it would be several more weeks before they would be needed again to fight.
One by one they dispersed, leaving only the prince, the dwarf, the Gondorian, and Wolf. Legolas made a motion for them to follow him, for he wanted to bring them to his father, so that their presence would not go uncelebrated. They traveled down several long halls richly decorated with great tapestries depicting important historical elven heroes and events until they reached the king's study. The door was slightly ajar and Legolas could just make out his father sitting at his desk, completely absorbed in reading a scroll on what Legolas guessed might be a proposal of some sort. He raised his slender hand up and knocked lightly on the solid dark wood of the door. Inside, Thranduil looked up.
"Who is it?" he asked, for he could not see clearly who it was that stood behind the door.
"Nobody important," Legolas replied jokingly as he pushed open the door and strode inside.
"Legolas!" cried the elven king as he rose to meet him.
"Father," said Legolas as they came face to face and father embraced son. "It is so good to be home."
"I am happy to see you. But come, tell me, who are these folks that you have brought here with you? And tell me, how did your hunting trip go?"
"Father, these are my friends, Aragorn and Gimli."
"Ah, yes, I have heard so much about you. Legolas spoke very highly of you."
"It is nice to meet you, my lord Thranduil," replied Aragorn. Gimli responded in a similar fashion.
"This is Wolf," Legolas said after the pleasantries had been exchanged. He motioned to the silent elf behind him to his left.
Thranduil looked at Wolf intently for a moment or two. Wolf was visibly shaken, for the king of Mirkwood radiated a sense of power.
"Is he all right?" he asked, concerned.
"Actually, I think it would be best if he took some rest in my room. I know very little about him, and I would like the chance to speak with him further. He would probably be more comfortable there anyway," Legolas said quickly, and a look of slight relief flooded over Wolf's face.
"Very well then," Thranduil said and called a servant to escort Wolf to Legolas' chambers.
Once the elf had left the room, Legolas spoke up. "Aragorn and Gimli found Wolf working as a servant in Minas Tirith," he said, and went on to explain the little history that Aragorn had gathered from Wolf. Once his story was complete, he looked at his father. "Do you know who he might be?"
Thranduil sighed. "It is very likely that he is of Mirkwood origins, but who he is, I do not know. Many years ago, before you were born, we had many problems with the goblins of the mountains. We lost many elves to them, but never in abduction, only in raids that were made with the sole purpose of murder."
Legolas thought this over. "I will try and find out more pieces to the puzzle tonight if I can, and if Wolf learns to trust me."
Now the conversation turned and the four spoke of other things. Thranduil began to get to know his son's friends, for though he had heard about them, they had never yet met face to face as adults. Aragorn, in particular interested him. The tale of the elven raised ranger turned king was well known to him and Thranduil remembered meeting him as a child of three years while on a trip to Rivendell to visit with Elrond. Gimli, he was surprised to learn, was the son of Gloin, who he had once imprisoned before the Battle of Five Armies.
Together they talked through the night, taking supper together in the study so that none would interrupt them. But as the night wore on, Legolas could see fatigue taking hold of his friends and ordered a servant to show them to the guest rooms. When they had taken their leave, he alone stayed, sitting and taking a drink with his father.
"Your friends are charming," the king said. "But come, I am anxious to hear of your campaign."
Legolas took a sip of wine before answering. "All went well, though I am sending fresh warriors and supplies to relieve those left behind. The eastern strongholds remain free, as you already know. A week or so ago we took the first of the two southern ones and took the second yesterday. Orcs held them both and twenty of our men were wounded in the battle, but nothing too serious. Flesh wounds for the most part, really, though I dare say poor Randor took more than his fair share. Still, we have succeeded in taking back the southern strongholds."
"That is wonderful news indeed!" said Thranduil, at once pleased and proud of his son.
"It is, but the threat of attack is still there. The spiders especially are fighting back. We were attacked this afternoon a several miles from the city gates." He showed his bound shoulder to his father. Even through the bandages, the area was swollen and red in color. "I received this in the fight." He was grinning now as if it were a badge of honor that he bore.
Thranduil was not so pleased at seeing Legolas' wound. But he sighed, knowing full well that Legolas was headstrong and if he protested his son's efforts in reclaiming Mirkwood, the younger elf would only throw himself into the next battle more forcefully. In that respect, he took after Thranduil, and the king was just glad that Legolas was at least rational about fighting, unlike Thranduil's father, who had lost his life by rushing headfirst into battle against Gil-galad's orders.
"And what of Dol Guldur?" Thranduil asked with a low voice. Dol Guldur was still a name of fear for the woodland folk.
"None have had the heart yet to attempt to either reclaim or destroy it," Legolas answered. "There is still an evil that surrounds it, though the Enemy is vanquished. I thought it best that our warriors should have small victories first before we attack Dol Guldur. My hope is that previous victories in reclaiming the kingdom will steel their hearts so that they do not quail when we do go after that evil place."
Thranduil nodded his approval of his son's thoughts and Legolas smiled. Then he stood, placing his empty wine glass on a small round-topped side table. He stretched a bit, wincing slightly at the sting in his wounded shoulder.
"I think it is time for me to speak with Wolf. There are too many unanswered questions. If he truly is from Mirkwood, I would see him restored to whatever relations he might have still residing on these shores." Legolas was speaking lowly, as if to himself and Thranduil caught the note of uncertainty in his voice.
"You sound unsure of yourself," he said at last. "Is there a problem?"
Legolas nodded his golden head. "I am not quite sure how to go about it. He is terrified of Aragorn and myself and leery, to say the least, of Gimli. And you are completely out of the question," he said with a smirk. "I thought he might faint with fear when he saw you."
Thranduil laughed a little. "Apparently I am frightening then."
"Well, to him, yes. You underestimate how powerful your presence is. Wolf seems to have been brought up to fear anyone greater or more powerful than himself."
Thranduil nodded. "I wish I knew how you could gain his trust. The sooner we find out what his history is, the sooner we may be able to help him come out of his shell. It is not natural for an elf to be as he is."
"I know," sighed Legolas, at once serious again. "But I have to try something, anything, no matter how long it takes. And the same goes for restoring the glory of our kingdom," he added as he made for the door. "I saw how you looked at me when I showed you the spider bite."
With that, he was out the door and heading for his chambers.