A/N: Sorry about the late update. Something big, heavy, made of rock and with the name "Writer's Block carved into its side placed itself on my desk and began growling every time I got close… So, this chapter is short, and next chapter is up already.

Chapter 13: The passing of Time

Days slowly rolled by, stretching into weeks, and finally into months. Legolas waited for a short while, sitting long and watching over the paths to the Palace, hoping to see his friend, yet found that it was in vain. Soon, his minds turned to other things, and he spent more time in Mirkwood's vast libraries, reading up on the ancient records of what was needed for forming a new colony. Ever since Aragorn's coronation had he had dreams of creating such a colony in North Ithilien, a place where elves might get closer to the ever growing race of humans and learn them to know better.

Although Ithilien lay far from both Lothloríen and Mirkwood, it was far nearer to Minas Tirith and the Glittering Caves beneath Helm's Deep, where Gimli currently reigned as Lord. A smile crossed the elf's face as he fondly recalled his dwarven comrade, the two of them starting out with a deep hate and distrust in each other, but had at end become so fast friends that some had started the rumours of them being lovers. It was still something that both of them would laugh hard about whenever they met and would share a bottle of ale or wine in an evening while talking about the many different things that they had in common despite their different species.

Chuckling, remembering one such conversation that had ended up with the two of them counting and calculating to find out exactly how long they had run in the pursuit of the Uruk-Hai after the capture of Merry and Pippin, Legolas wondered if he should not soon go to visit his friend. Inevitably, this brought his mind back to the first time he had visited the Glittering Caves after Gimli's people had moved in and lived there for some time, and of how he had manage to knock his head so firmly into the top of a tunnel that Gimli still insisted the rock had a deep dent in it – and, of course, that it had only served to further rattle loose the elf's brain.

"How is it going?" Thranduil asked, apparently having watched his son's musings for a while, and broke the silence so suddenly that Legolas made a small, startled jump before he managed to stop himself.

"It's going well, Ada," the younger elf replied, turning his attention back to the papers and tomes before him. "I'm trying to find out if there are things I have not yet found of potential problems."

"Ah, yes. I had thought as much," the King said, moving to stand beside Legolas. "And I figured you might be in the need for a bit of advice on this."

"Sadly, I must admit that's an underestimation," Legolas sighed, rubbing a hand over his brow. "I'd never thought that THIS amount of planning was necessary! Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated, Ada."

Smiling, Thranduil began explaining and advising, leaving much to Legolas to work out himself, but offering the experience he had gained through a few thousand years as the King of Mirkwood, as well as what he had learned from his own father, Oropher – albeit this was not a lot…