Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this chapter. Everyone and everything except the storyline belongs to Tolkien. I thank everyone for reading and supporting this story, even those who do not reply. No offence meant there. Thanks again and replies to reviews can be found at the bottom of the page.

Chapter 17

The blonde prince was caught in his dream, unable to be woken. The image of his best friend falling away from him replayed in his mind time and time again. No matter how hard he tried or how far he reached, he could never grasp the fingertips of the Ranger.

His struggle to make it back to the waking world was visible to those outside too. His eyes were tightly closed and he called out the Ranger's name frequently. His friends, unsure of how to handle the situation, tried many different things.

Estel grabbed the prince's hand in an attempt to calm him. They tried calling his name in different languages hoping that one of them would get through to the struggling archer. Finally, it was decided to go and see Elrond. He, surely, would know what to do.

And, true to his name, the healer knew what to do to help the flailing prince. There was no time to ask the others to leave the room, Legolas needed help immediately or he risked yet another painful seizure. The Elven Lord knelt down beside the prince and took the shaking hands in his own. As with Estel, this did not seem to calm the Elf.

"Legolas." Elrond said, his voice quiet so as not to startle the Elf. "Penneth, listen to me. You need to wake up now."

The Elven Lord continued to talk to the prince in this way for a good few minutes before there was any change. Eventually, after what seemed like hours to his worried friends, Legolas' eyelids fluttered open and he stared around nervously. Elrond squeezed the slender hands in reassurance and smiled. The archer took a few seconds to adjust to being awake then seemed to become more aware.

"Are you feeling all right?" Elrond asked the prince. He then dropped his voice to one only Legolas could hear. "You were having another nightmare. There was no time to ask Estel and the others to leave; I needed to wake you right then. I am sorry."

"It's fine. I am feeling better now that I am awake. However, I will tell the others about the dream, it will hopefully stop them worrying so much. It might even help the dream to leave." Legolas replied. Elrond nodded his support and stood up. He took a seat across from the prince and sat down.

"Mellon-nin, are you alright?" Estel was first to ask the obvious question. He looked anxious and hovered around his friend like a mother hen. The prince insisted that everyone be seated before beginning. He looked directly at Estel as he spoke.

"I have something that I need you all to know. Hopefully, it will help you to stop worrying. For the past few months, I have been suffering a recurring nightmare, which Elrond has been helping me with. In this dream, I am either standing on the top of a cliff or perched in a treetop. I hear a noise and look down to Estel climbing up towards me." Legolas paused to look into the eyes of his friends. Estel looked curious and confused, but everyone else encouraged him to continue. "I reach down to help you up, but no matter how far I reach or how hard I try, I can never reach you. When I am in the tree, there are Orcs below us and you always tire and fall into their grasp. When standing on the cliff, you, again, become tired and slip backwards. Always, there is nothing I can do. I am trapped in the nightmare and have to watch, helplessly, as you fall again and again."

There was silence in the room now, while everyone tried to understand what it must be like to have to return to that situation every so often. Legolas, tired after talking about it, looked only at the floor. He worried about what they would think. Would they think he was weak?

"As Legolas has bravely said, he is trapped in the dream. That is why he has trouble waking by himself. I tell you this so that if I am not here when it happens, you can deal with it yourselves." Elrond started. Everyone was listening intently. "You all know what it looks like on the outside, you witnessed it only a few minutes ago. Just remain calm, take Legolas' hands and speak quietly. I would ask you not to speak loudly or shout. This will only make things worse."

"Legolas, look at me, mellon-nin." Estel said, meeting the prince's eyes. "We do not think any less of you for this. We will all try and help as much as we can."

"Thank you." Legolas replied. The twins smiled at the prince.

"Well, that being said, I think it necessary for a trip to Mirkwood." Elrond stated. The prince's eyes instantly brightened. "I warn you though, Legolas, I will be watching you like a hawk the whole journey. And you have not to ride a horse; you will only open those wounds again. We shall take a carriage, which I will ride with you, and there will be no complaints."

Legolas was about to protest to having to ride in a carriage but then decided to keep his mouth closed, as he was just concerned about going back to the Kingdom.

"When do we leave?" The prince asked instead.

"Tomorrow, after dawn. This gives you nearly a day to get ready and rest before the journey. It will be a long one. Take it easy today and I shall see you all at the evening meal." Elrond excused himself and left. The prince was surprised that Elrond would decide to leave as early as this. There must be a good reason for it. There always was a good reason for any decision made by the healer.

Legolas leaned his head back against the chair and sighed. He did and did not want to go home. He wanted to make sure the kingdom was not in the hands of Corriduil, but he did not want to be King. He was not sure if he was ready. Only time would tell…

TBC

Replies:

Moonyasha: Oh, they loved it. Totally and completely. They have decided to build a bigger, more adventurous one. You know what the twins, Estel and Leggy are like. Anyway, I forgive you for "forgetting" to review the last chapter.

Fluffy's fangirls: Yeah, he's having quite a bad time of it lately. Hope the update is a good one. Thanks for reviewing!

HarryEstel: Well, I hope that this chapter clears everything up and I hope that you enjoyed it. I thank you once again for reviewing!

BitterLee: I still have the rest of this week and some of next week before our finals start. Mine last for about three weeks, a long time to be studying. But that is NOT going to stop me updating. So I'll see you next time! Thanks!