A/N Ooh yay, I actually got a feedback. *sniff* I'm so happy.

Oh, in case I didn't mention, canon is more or less a minor concern.

******

The Hobbits looked over their shoulders at the wizard behind them. Aragorn of course was leading the way, with Boromir taking his side. Usually Legolas would have been scouting as well, but today…

Gandalf was carrying the unconscious elf. What exactly had happened, no one knew, or if they knew, no one was telling the Hobbits. The only knew that Legolas had gone out for wood and returned severely injured. They were only mildly confused at the wizard caring for him. Strider certainly had been their healer when Frodo had been injured, but of course now he was responsible for many more people, and if he could direct all his energy to that task, so much the better. Gandalf was wise and talented. He certainly could care for the ill elf.

---

Gandalf had taken to settling down slightly apart from the others at night, with the silent elf beside him. At the first he had wrapped Legolas in his arms at night, holding away nightmares, but as time went on and the elf opened his eyes again, they sought separate blankets. He was recovering quickly, and yet he would not tell anyone what had happened, retreating into himself when pressed.

The wizard looked down at the sleeping elf and sighed. Legolas had lain down beside him this evening, which usually meant he was expecting nightmares. Indeed, the elf seemed to be facing down an unknown enemy in his mind. Gandalf listened to the quiet pleas, realized that this dream was more a reliving of his ordeal. He leaned to wake the elf.

"No."

Gandalf stopped in surprise, but the elf seemed not to be speaking to him.

"No, not now. I cannot- I will not. I cannot tell you.  It would destroy us.

"I will not sunder the Fellowship."

Gandalf sat back as the elf seemed to pass out of his nightmare. He stared into nothingness as the elf's words washed over him.

I will not sunder the Fellowship.

-Legolas changing his seat at the fire, coming to sit beside the wizard

-the elf heading to find wood

-the two Men heading out together

-waking Gimli to stand guard

-the two Men returning, settling down

-Gimli's realization that Legolas had not returned

Gandalf replayed the events of that night in his mind. He had not seen anything amiss at the time. Legolas often went into the woods alone. Aragorn and Boromir often went off together, and Gandalf knew full well what the two were up to. It had never bothered him, so he did not bring it up. But now, looking back on the order of events, he came to a conclusion he did not like.

I will not sunder the Fellowship.

---

Caradhas

'Let them think I'm flighty. I cannot stay beside them any longer, and it may chance that I find some help or passage.' Legolas raced over the surface of the snow, embracing the painful cold that stung him. Let Men think that temperatures did not affect him. While it was true that elves felt the cold less, this brutal blast was enough to cause damage.

Legolas threw his cloak open, standing still on the tall snow mound. The windblown freeze left him feeling clean for the first time in weeks. He stood, skin bared to the cold, for several long minutes, until the numbness of his limbs reminded him of his comrades' plight. Closing his shirt and pulling tight his cloak he headed back to the group, intent on finding a way through, peaceful for the moment.

---

Gandalf looked out the corner of his eye at the silent elf. Legolas had begun to regain his poise and independence, though he was still somber, but here in the Moria mines, the wizard noticed him straying closer. The elf was a creature of woods and sun; he had no place in these closed tunnels.

Legolas, had he known Gandalf's thoughts, would have agreed. He felt uneasy here, trapped beneath miles of rock, far from even the starlight that he craved. Surrounded by the dead, in tunnels that may well be his tomb, he found the memories of his attack creeping up on him again. There was nowhere to run here, no way to escape any unwanted proposals. He was constantly on guard against the Men, trying to always know exactly where each of them was. Gandalf's attention had helped, but he knew very well that he was clinging to the wizard like a child afraid of the dark. The Men would not dare accost him while near the powerful man. He thought that it was only his sense of duty that bound him to life. He had pledged to protect and aid the Ringbearer throughout his journey, and he would do so to the best of his ability. The friendships he had thought to find had indeed helped him, but his bond to the dwarf was shaky at best, and he considered the Hobbits mostly too silly for true companions. He clung now to the ideal of the Fellowship, and to Gandalf.

---

"He fell into shadow and fire. A balrog took him." Legolas' voice was flat and emotionless. The elven Lady saw his grief, and it pained her that she could not relieve it.

The Fellowship spent some days in the woods of Lorien. The Lady watched them from a distance. The Hobbits were astonished by the realm (especially the food). The dwarf seemed content to sit and listen, or just rest. The two Men alternately planned their route, and disappeared into the woods together, to return some time later rather worn out. She knew full well what they were doing, and shut her mind to it, not wishing to be a voyeur.

Legolas worried her. The child was pale and withdrawn, though he was almost never alone. The one time she had seen him awaken alone, he had panicked, and run to find his companions. She could not see fully what troubled him, and she was confused. What could he possibly fear in Lorien?

---

Legolas accepted the Lady's gift with wonder. The bow's craftsmanship was truly astonishing. He marveled at its balance, the weight that exactly matched what he looked for in a weapon. Its beauty was a secondary consideration, adding to his joy.

It was the last wonder he felt for some time.