Thanks to Rutu, LOTRFaith and Haldir's Heart and Soul for their support! I'm glad the story has fans! (weeps happily). Rutu's question: It means Legolas leaves before Lenwe is really grown up and wise to the world. But it will all unfold in the coming chapters, I just need to set pen to paper. But now I'm tired.

Disclaimer: Legolas, Mirkwood and all other LotR things belong to Tolkien, Lenwe belongs to me.

I wandered back towards the hall of my father, King Thranduil. All I could do was stare at the ground, half-hoping for it to swallow me up. The ground never had a chance. As soon as I reached the edge of the wood, I was intercepted by my brother.

"Onoöro!" he called. I knew then that he needed me to do something for him. That was the only time he used his pet name for me, now that I was an 'adult'. I owed him so many favors, how could I refuse?

"Yes, Brother, what is it? What do you want?"

"Why do you assume I want something? I just wanted to spend some time with my baby brother," he simpered.

I grimaced. 'Baby brother' was a name I despised.

"Brother, I have an adult name now. I'm not a baby anymore." I pulled roughly away from his grasp.

"Yes, you are all grown up then, aren't you?" A flicker of pain appeared on my brother's face, like a light from a candle flaring and then going out. I realized I had hurt my brother very deeply. He was never one to flaunt his private emotions, my brother. He kept them hidden away, clandestine in his heart. But I could see right through his veil. The closeness of brotherly love gave me this power over his walled sanctum.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

"Sorry? For what, dear brother?"

"For the way I treated you just then. It was… It was wrong of me to speak so harshly. I am, and always will be your … your baby brother," I choked.

"Well, I am quite glad to hear that. Quite glad indeed." He stooped, and embraced me. "I love you very much, Lenwë. I'm not quite sure what I would do if I ever lost you. It would… it would destroy me." He held me for a very long time.

I was not sure how to put it into words, but I felt the same way he did. I looked into my brother's eyes, at this moment a deep dark blue. His gaze was so pure and so clear; I felt I had lost myself in his stare.

The spell was broken when two palace guards ran out and turned a hasty salute.

"A thousand pardons my Lords Legolas and Lenwë," boomed the first. He bowed. "The king, your father, desires an audience with you, Prince Legolas." They bowed and retreated a distance.

Legolas sighed, "I knew this was to come. We are on the brink of dark times. Very dark times indeed." He cast a grey stare across the trees. "You must not come with me Lenwë. The counsel we take tonight is to be dark and secretive, and must never leave the ears of those in attendance. I am sorry, Lenwë, but you are too young for these dark tidings, even though you are of age among our people. This matter goes far beyond Mirkwood. Far beyond young Princes." He motioned for the guards to return to the circle of light that surrounded his lantern. "Please see Master Lenwë safely to his chambers, and make sure he stays there." He smiled at me. "Tonight will be dangerous," he added in an undertone to the guards.

My brother took my hand. "Please mind the guards Lenwë, for me?" he pleaded. At the terrified look in his eyes, I could do nothing but comply. Legolas looked relieved and turned to greet a strange company, which had just assembled. Before I was steered out of sight, I saw a tall person in a pointed, rather bent hat and a taller person in a cloak maintaining strict watch over a shirking, child-size figure. The figure occasionally uttered contemptuous shrieks that filled me with terror.

I was relieved to arrive in the quiet of my chamber. I immediately settled myself down to think. As I went about my nightly chores, I rolled everything that had happened over in my mind, analyzing every bit of data I could recall. My brother had greeted the cloaked stranger as one would an old friend, and he had given the hatted stranger a reverential bow. I concluded that the shrieking thing was a prisoner of some importance. But why would they bring it here? Who was he? What was he? These were the questions that turned over in my mind as I slept. Before I completely nodded off, I resolved to make Legolas tell me all that had happened the next morning.

So there is Chapter 3. This should set some sort of time period for when this takes place with regards to the Tolkien canon, Gollum has just been brought to Mirkwood. Hope you liked it!