Disclaimer- I own nothing!!! Is that not obvious?

Sofia- thanks- and sorry

Leggylover4ever- nods in agreement- yup- evil orcs

The elven sister in laws- hi Petra- nice of you to finally join us! But- despite you not reviewing I still appreciate you reading and I hope you've enjoyed what you've read. Uhh...as for the year...by Peter Jackson's reckoning- Legolas is nearly 3000 when he joins the fellowship so I'm going to say that Leoglas was born very early in the third age- so this is set about 1409 in the third age- just before the Witch-King of Angmar invades the northern Kingdoms- hope you can make some sense out of that because I'm not sure that I can

Dazzler402- thanks- you'll find out soon enough

Unski- hope you had a good vacation- thanks

Ness Thranduiliel- hides- sorry it just came out- not my fault! Uhh...would you hurt me if I said it's gonna be a while until that happens?

Lady K4- Thank you- I'm going to try and make it complicated because I really want to take it in a different direction than the prequels- if you have any ideas of what you'd like to see please e-mail me and let me know and I'll do my best to incorporate them.

"WHAT?!"

Legolas' normally calm and soothing voice echoed around the large throne room. King Thranduil looked at his son with pity and anger.

The list of names that had been collected had only moments ago, been handed to the King. Overall there were one hundred and three elves dead, fifteen missing and a couple of hundred injured.

"She cannot be gone! They cannot be gone!"

Haldir flinched at the sharp words and the pain that was hidden within them. He was just as angered as Legolas but he felt it would be intrusive to share it.

"You mean to tell me that not only is my wife missing, but so is my daughter! How could you let this happen!"

Legolas' eyes blazed with fire and ice and despite the weariness that was setting in his bones, life flowed with a fiery temper within his blood.

Seeing the look on King Thranduil's face Haldir stepped forward and approached the enraged prince.

"Legolas. Get some rest. Tomorrow we set out to find them. Go and see to your son"

Legolas flinched at the idea of going to see his son and knowing that his wife and his daughter would not be there. But he yielded. Knowing that they would not settle for his disobedience in the matter.

With a stiff bow to his father and a look of thanks and frustration directed at Haldir, the prince left the room.

As he walked he tried his best to cool the boiling rage that sat beneath his skin, threatening to scold him. He could not afford to upset his son anymore than he probably was.

The sound of screaming and crying was becoming apparent as he neared his room and without a second thought he knew that the cries belonged to his son.

He stopped in his tracks, his fingers slowly unbuckling his quiver, his mind preparing. He wanted nothing more than to break something or shout and scream as his son did. But it would do no good and it was not possible. Nervously he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, his feet already taking him towards the door.

His fingers clasped around the door handle, he heard the door click and watched as the door swung open.

Niall sat within the safe arms of Celenier as she rocked him trying to sooth the confused and angered toddler. Celenier raised her eyes, flinching at the sound of Niall's screams next to her ear.

Leoglas smiled in thanks before putting his quiver away and joining her before the fire.

"What do I do?"

He had dealt with his children before, in fact he was remarkably close to them despite his duties as prince, but still, he had never dealt with a hysterical child before.

Celenier looked at her prince and friend with amusement and sympathy. He looked tired and worn. His face was smudged with dirt and his jerkin with blood.

"First I would remove your jerkin, it will do naught but unsettle him my lord"

Legolas looked down in confusion until realising that he could indeed unwittingly and unknowingly scare his child.

Once his jerkin had been removed it was found that his tunic had not escaped the blood and also had to be removed.

Celenier handed Niall to his father, the toddler, who had screamed almost incessantly since Legolas had been there, calmed a little as his fathers arms wrapped around him. His screams faded into sobs.

"Thank you"

She nodded and placed a hand on Niall's forehead.

"Is there anything I can help you with before I take my leave my lord?"

Legolas smiled, relieved at the offer,

"If you would not mind could you draw a bath please?"

He looked down at his exhausted son who was very close to falling asleep. His sobs were ebbing into tearful breaths. But it could not be helped, the elfling was dirty from being in the passageways, and a bath would no doubt soothe him.

The elleth nodded and did just that. As she did so her thoughts turned to her princess. Her prince and princess were her friends and she refused to believe that Thalia and her charge were dead.

Once the bath was ready she returned to the bedroom, stopping in her track to watch the prince. Legolas stood before the fire where she had left him, but now the elfling was quiet and content for the moment. Legolas shifted his son and lay him on his shoulder, his fingers constantly rubbing his back in reassurance.

"You bath is ready my lord"

"You have my thanks Celenier"

"I am always available to help a friend my lord"

Legolas smile faltered for a moment.

"How did you loose Eleni?"

Celenier closed her eyes and sighed.

"We heard the shouts from outside and immediately set off for the passageways that the King had once instructed me to seek if ever there was danger. We were running through the hallways when we were intercepted by a group of elleth with children. We finally sorted the situation and we all started for the passageways. It was only when we were in the passageways and we counted the children did I realise that Eleni was missing. She had been beside me as we had ran and I had thought that she had remained by my side"

Legolas closed his eyes. His mind not wanting to take in the reality of the situation that he was now faced with.

They were fighting a nameless and invisible enemy, an enemy that had kidnapped his wife and child. He looked up at the young maid tried to keep her tears from spilling.

She inclined her head and left the room.

Legolas sighed, his body slumping, he legs threatening to give out.

He cradled his child to him, enjoying the tiny breaths that tickled the side of his neck as his son sleepily shifted on his shoulder. Legolas looked down at the child on his should that lay there with pure trust, knowing that his father would never drop him.

"Nana"

Niall voice was small as he asked for his mother and it tore at Legolas' heart.

"Nana is not here ion nin, but I am here will I do for a little while?"

Niall nodded and tightened his hold on his father.

---

"Your majesty, we cannot allow such a thing to go ahead without planning"

"We do not have time to delay"

"They could already be dead"

Arguments were waged and points raised, some which were valid and some which we not.

Haldir sat beside the King, his eyes watching each and every face, every gesture and every sound.

His eyes shifted to the King who sat with his eyes focused on the banner that hung from the ceiling.

He did not wish to comment or decide upon a course of action that could upset his son and kill his daughter and granddaughter.

The council were getting nowhere and every moment that passed felt like a lifetime.

"If I may intervene"

The king was pulled from his stupor as Haldir stood and addressed the council.

Haldir schooled his expression and pushed the feelings of frustration from his mind.

"We do not have much time. We know what orcs do with their prisoners, female ones at that. We cannot and will not allow that to happen. Tomorrow, under the cover of darkness I will be leading my troops and by King Thranduil' s leave, elves from Mirkwood's army. With luck the rain will not have washed the orcs tracks away meaning that they will easy to track"

Thranduil rose and looked at Lothlorien' s marchwarden; he could see why the Lord and lady of Lorien trusted the elf. He was brave and loyal to his friends and kin.

"Haldir of Lorien. By my leave Mirkwood's protectors are yours to command. They will follow you to death, their allegiance is true and honest"

With that the King dismissed his council, leaving behind only him and Haldir.

"I ask only one thing of you marchwarden. Do not return with two dead bodies. Think carefully before you act"

Haldir bowed and gave his word before leaving the room.

He entered the room that King Thranduil had given him and sat at the desk that was now littered with maps and lists.

He sat there for hours. Making plans and designating groups. It would do no good to go out there in a blind fury. Instead he planned to send out a party of elves to gather information just after dawn. By any luck they would find the tracks that they were specifically looking for and would return with usable and valuable information.

He sat back in his chair and looked down at the papers on the desk. His eyes saddened when he thought about the lives that had come to an end that day. Then his thoughts turned to his missing sister and niece.

Thalia was strong and the only thing that would save her would no doubt be the life and welfare of her daughter. Thalia was like a wolf when it came to protecting her children. She would protect her daughter even if it meant her death. But that surely would not apply if they were in the hands of the orcs. Thalia would not give her life up with the knowledge that if she died, Eleni would be alone in the hands of the orcs.

It was a situation that he had never faced before, especially as it concerned people whom he loved.

His only hope was that the orcs had not taken the route that followed the river, as the tracks would have undoubtedly been washed away.

---

"Nana, do you hurt?"

Eleni lifted her small hand and traced the cut on her forehead.

They were sat tethered like animals to a tree. Once leaving the raft at some point down the river they had been dragged by foot across the vast forest.

Thalia looked down at her small daughter who sat cuddled in her lap.

"No, it doesn't hurt baby girl"

She worried for Eleni, she seemed to be coping with their situation very well, and that really scared her.

"Hungry nana"

Thalia pulled her as close as she could and kissed the top of her head,

"I know, I know. And I'm sorry, I promise that the first chance I get I'll find you something"

Eleni nodded against her mother's chest, comforting herself by listening to her heartbeat. It had become a habit of hers, at night when Legolas put them to bed, he would lie on the bed with her and she would lay her head on his chest and listen to his heart beating as he told her and her brother a story.

She missed her brother already; this was the longest that they had been separated. They did everything together.

Thalia watched with baited breath as the assembled orcs began cooking. She wasn't sure what they cooking but whatever it was, it smelt less than adequate.

She shifted on the ground, trying to find a position where her backside wasn't being abused by a tree root, but it was no good.

It had been years since she had felt so helpless and frightened. As a healer she had seen what orcs did to their prisoners and it was not pleasant. Very few of those elves could live with it and so passed over the sea.

She listened for the change in Eleni's breathing and was relived to see that she had fallen asleep.

She watched each and every movement that they made, watching for their weaknesses. She found some but could not think of a plan that would be of any use.

"Eat that"

A burly orc threw a piece of black meat at her. It's juices flying over the grass and landing on her dress as it landed in front of her.

"What is it?"

She asked quietly. The orc sneered at her and kicked her leg almost making her scream in pain.

"One of your guards"

Her eyes widened and bile rose in her throat as she realised that it was one of the orcs that had dragged her along that afternoon. She closed her eyes, willing the nausea to dissipate. It did and she felt a little better. Her eyes shifted and found the meat on the ground and she vomited, barely managing to twist her body to avoid it going all over herself.

Tears rose in her eyes at the humiliation and the bitter taste in her mouth. The orcs laughed and jeered at her and she cracked.

Steadily tears began streaming down her face. She was lost, she didn't know where they going or what they were going to do to her and to add to everything she didn't know what they were going to do to her daughter.

She stretched her legs out in front of her, wincing at the yellow and purple bruises that had already formed.

She jumped when she felt a wave of intense anger and fury, but it had not come from her. It had come from Legolas. It felt like Legolas. It always sent a wave of warmth through her body and then a soothing sense of protection.

She closed her eyes and readied herself for a night of nightmares and terror, the like of which she felt before, but she couldn't let her daughter feel that, she was so young, she was not yet ready for the harsh truth of the world. Leaning down she tore a strip of fabric, intending to blindfold Eleni when they began travelling again.