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Niall sat on the bed, his eyes red rimmed and his face blotchy from crying, in his arms was his beloved wolf, that unbeknownst to him had been his adar's when he had been an elfling.

Legolas watched his son out of the corner of his eye as he dressed. Nothing could describe the way that he was feeling at that moment.

Never in Niall's lifetime had he dressed for battle.

He remembered a time, only years before when he had stood upon the battlement, his tiny baby son cradled in his arms as he watched Mirkwood's elves march to battle.

And now, as he looked at his son, he saw something that he had hoped he would never see, cold malice and pure anger.

They were the same feelings that were clear in his eyes, but Niall was so young and he was naïve in the matters of the world.

Legolas himself had seen battle, he had seen elves fall and die, their immortal lives being extinguished in less than a minute, but he knew how to deal with it, Niall did not.

He fastened the last tie on his tunic and stood looking at himself in the mirror. His eyes roamed across his reflection, studying and criticizing each detail as if were the most crucial thing in the world.

"Adar?"

Legolas felt a tug on the bottom of his tunic and he looked down to see his son gazing up at him with wide and tired eyes.

Smiling gently Legolas leant down and picked Niall up, wrapping his arms around the small body.

"Adar will you bring nana and 'Leni back?"

Legolas closed his eyes and tightened his arms.

"I will bring them back ion nin, do not worry"

Niall drew back, a frown on his face but a twinkle in his eye.

"Uncle Haldir said that you were going with him, are you?"

Legolas grinned, knowing that his son wanted the reassurance that his father would be safe. And for some reason, it comforted the elfling to know that his uncle would be by his adar's side.

All of a sudden Legolas felt a lurch in the bond between him and his wife and a wave of pain hit him so forcefully that he fell to his knees.

Niall stepped back from his father, watching as his father sat, his eyes glassy and his face pale. He just stood there, frozen to the spot where he stood.

"Adar...adar"

All of a sudden Legolas' eyes became clear again and the elf fell forward. His body exhausted and aching.

Leoglas watched his son's reaction through hazy eyes.

His back burned as if he had been scorched badly and he couldn't breathe. But these were not coming from him. They were coming from Thalia.

---

Leoglas turned over on his side and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her soft body to him.

He could smell and feel everything little thing, from the feel of her smooth skin against him to the rise and fall of her chest under his arm.

The woman in his arms sighed lightly and turned over to face him, making him smile.

With an intensity that only a loved one can, he studied everything about her face. The way that her eyes narrowed slightly as she slept and the way that mouth curled up, smiling even in sleep. Her cheeks still held a soft rosy glow; her hair was spread out on the pillow in waves of silver and red.

Kissing the back of her neck he pulled her closer and felt himself slowly slipping into dreams.

Suddenly he shot up out of bed and looked at the woman beside him. His stormy blue eyes taking in the streaks of blood red that lay entangled with the rest of her silver waves.

Blood, streaks of blood.

Slowly she turned around and lay on her back, an unconscious gasp came from Legolas as she did so. Her face was marred with bruises, her left eye was swollen and purple and there was a huge gash along her right cheek.

She sat up, the sheet falling away to reveal her naked chest and the bruises that marred it.

"Legolas"

Her voice was hoarse, as if it hadn't been used for a while and it pained him to see her like this. His shock was quickly overcome when he realised what was happening.

"Thalia where are you?"

His voice was thick with anger and frustration.

"Tell me, where are you?"

She shook her head but reached out for his hand instead. Without hesitation he took the offered hand. His stomach lurched and an ice-cold feeling of hatred and death filled him.

He stood beside her, watching as a memory played out.

Thalia was tied between two trees by her hands. The back of her dress was torn and bloody from the whip that had stung her but still she stood with her head high and not a sound came from her throat.

Eleni sat on the floor, her eyes glassy and her cheeks wet with tears but she gathered strength from her mother.

Legolas turned to look at the woman beside him.

"Why are you showing this to me? Is this where you are being kept?"

She turned her head and nodded.

"Indeed. Last night we stopped in this grove. According to what I have overheard we shall remain here for another few days. Elves travel with more speed than orcs, if you hurry you can still save Eleni"

His eyes widened at his wife's unfeeling comment.

"What do you mean?"

She looked at him with a solemn smile. We know what they will do to me Legolas. I could not live with that and I know that our marriage would suffer as a result. It would be best if I finished it there. Eleni is strong, she has shown an amazing amount of courage and she will survive this, with your help"

He felt his heart sink and anger well up within him.

"We will get through this together, as we have always done Thalia. Do not be so selfish. I cannot live without you. Would you leave me, would you leave our children? Would you kill the one who lives within you?"

He shouted at her, his voice echoing around her head.

Regret and pain filled her; she had purposely kept him locked out their bond so that he would not sense the child that grew within her. But it had all been in vain, she had thought that if he had not known it would make it easier on them both, but it was worse.

"I do not want this Leoglas, but for the sake of everybody I have to die. He can't get me, do you understand. If whoever it is that has ordered this gets me, we will be in danger. From what I can gather he needs both me and Eleni, without me Eleni will be of no use and he will let her go"

"Why does he need you?"

She shook her head and sighed,

"I'm not sure. But the mark that appeared on Eleni's back was not a reoccurring spider bite. Do you remember how it faded again the next day?"

Legolas furrowed his brow and rubbed his temple, seeing him nod she continued,

"It's a beacon. It sends out some sort of magical signal to somebody or something. It sounds far fetched I know, but I don't know what else to think"

Legolas stood silent, his mind mulling things over. Thalia however had other ideas.

"Legolas, follow the river until you reach the boarder. You need to continue for about half a day. There's an old tree there. You'll see what I mean when you reach it, follow the tracks from there. I've marked certain trees. They're the biggest trees and the marks are near the bottom. Leoglas I love you, but I have to go"

Before he could say anything he could already feel his body becoming cold. He felt the air around him shift and he felt hard stone of the floor beneath him.

"Adar...daddy"

His eyes clouded and he sat up automatically. He felt a small hand on his arm and turned to see his son looking at him with worried eyes. He picked his son up and cradled him to his chest as his thoughts whirled.

"Niall get dressed quickly"

Legolas told his son sternly as he rose from the floor.

Out of the corner of his eyes he caught sight of his who still sat on the bed, unmoving.

"What is it ion nin?"

Legolas' eyes turned a shade of intense violet as his wife's words echoed in his mind once again. As he looked upon his son he saw a lonely elfling who would miss his mother and mourn for everything that had been and would be in the future.

"Love you adar"

Legolas stopped what he was doing and swept his son into his arms with a sigh.

"I love you too Niall, more than anything. I will bring nana and 'Leni back. I promise"

The next few minutes were a blur as they finished getting ready, beginning with Legolas taking his son to his grandmother and then making his way swiftly to his father's council chambers.

---

"Unless we begin searching now we will lose the only advantage that we have against the orcs"

One of Thranduil councillors stood, angered at the marchwarden's careless implication and blatant lack of respect.

"We do not have any advantage marchwarden"

"On the contrary, Thalia is an intelligent woman. She will no doubt have left clues somewhere"

"You do not know that. The princess has a history of mental instability and we cannot trust her judgement"

"That is enough! My wife's state of mind is no more unstable than what would be expected of someone who is in the hands of orcs, along with her daughter"

Legolas' powerful voice echoed dangerously around the council chambers. His eyes glowed with a fierce and dangerous fire, his jaw was set and his brow furrowed.

"Haldir is correct, we must move swiftly to avoid any fatalities. We know the forest better than they and we are faster. We can be ahead of them in less than two days"

Legolas said as he strode over to his father and sat beside his father.

Thranduil sat, his green robes and his golden crown speaking of royalty, but the look in his eyes spoke of nothing but the love that only a father can hold for his son.

Suppressing a smile the king stood to address his council.

"From both the evidence that has been gathered and the conviction in the marchwarden s voice, it would indeed be wise to begin the search now. Do not delay. Haldir would not deceive us. Legolas, Haldir, you will gather everything that you will need and you will depart before midday"

With much that still needed to be resolved, the council did not disband for another hour.

Legolas sat in his seat, letting his mind clear and his eyes wander. He stared intently at the tapestry that hung above the huge doorway. It depicted the crowning of his father, and when he took the throne it would be replaced with a tapestry of his own crowning.

"Legolas"

He was pulled from his thoughts by Haldir, who had watching the prince as his eyes has glazed over and his mind began to wander.

Haldir was as torn as Leoglas. After speaking with Ardana and some of Thranduil' s most trusted guards, he had discovered that Lord Olanis had been one of Mirkwood's greatest betrayers. He had deceived the king and he had led Mirkwood's elves into danger with the knowledge that they would not return alive to reveal any evidence of his betrayal.

The orcs were following orders that were coming from somebody who knew Mirkwood's forests and knew the way that it's troops were organised.

The hidden door beneath the cellars was only known to a few and from what he could gather Lord Olanis had known.

The only obstacle in their way now was how they were going to get to Lord Olanis before he could do anymore damage to anything or anyone.