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"You're lying, March Warden!" yelled Aranwë furiously, leaping to his feet as his brothers gaped at him. "Take that back!"

"By the Valar, Aranwë, calm yourself!" ordered Adrahil sternly, while Saeros and Haldir exchanged shrugs. "What does it matter if Legolas has befriended a dwarf?"

"It matters because it's a lie!" snarled Aranwë. "Legolas would never make friends with a dwarf! He wouldn't forget the ancient feud!"

"Oh for goodness sake Aranwë!" sighed the normally quiet Lindon. "Grow up! Why would Haldir lie to us, and to be honest making friends with one of a species that is generally frowned upon by elves sounds exactly like our gwador laes! Are you forgetting the time he to feed the giant spiders in the woods?"

"Who could forget that?" grinned Daeron. "And the way he sulked when we pulled him out of the tree! He couldn't figure out what we were worried about!"

They all shared an affectionate grin at the memory of Legolas as a high-spirited elfling, but Aranwë continued to fume.

"Gwador-nin, you should be glad he is travelling alongside a capable warrior." reasoned Adrahil, with uncommon gentleness in his voice. "At least you know he will be well protected – not that he really needs it, what with his skills with a bow. Anyway, you didn't want him to be friends with Estel either, remember, but he turned out to be alright."

Aranwë gritted his teeth and swung to face the crown prince, his golden hair falling into his eyes.The clear, bright blue eyes that were full of conflicting dark emotions. He scowled at his eldest brother and did not reply.

"Ai, Aranwë! You are so stubborn!" exclaimed Saeros in exasperation.

"And Ada calls me the difficult one!" grinned Daeron in an attempt to lighten the mood. Aranwe's brows sank lower.

"You should listen to your brothers, Aranwë." said Haldir quietly who, because of his status in Lorien and his friendship with the princes, was on first name terms with them all. "Legolas is intelligent and brave. He would not give his trust to one who did not deserve it. I think we can all learn from his example."

"You just don't get it!" Aranwë exploded, jerking away from Daeron, who made an attempt to pull him into his arms. "You don't understand, any of you!"

With that, Aranwë turned and ran up the steps where Thranduil had watched his youngest disappear all those months ago. He ran past the front entrance and vanished down the corridor.

In the courtyard, his brothers sighed and shook their heads.

"Stubborn elfling!" said Lindon, sounding irritated.

"I think there is more than just stubbornness to be dealt with here." said Haldir gravely. "There was pain in his eyes."

"One of us should talk to him." said Adrahil in agreement. "It's like him to argue, but it's not like him to run off. Usually he'll argue until he's blue in the face."

"Will you have a word with him, Daeron?" asked Saeros sadly. "He listens to you."

"I fear you honour me beyond my merit, dear brother." laughed Daeron cheerfully. "Aranwë listens to no one!"

"He looks up to you, though." said Adrahil quietly. "You're the only one who will get through to him."

"I'll talk to him." said Daeron, following his brother's route up the stairs and in through the corridor. He wound his way through the richly decorated hallways up to Aranwë's bedroom, which was in the same wing as his own. The door was locked.

"Go away, Daeron!" said Aranwe, when he knocked silently on the door.

"How did you know it was me?"

"They always send you when I'm being difficult!" Aranwë's voice was bitter and unsteady.

"No one sent me, penneth, I came because I wanted to." said Daeron gently. "Now, open the door Aranwë, saes."

There came the faint sound of a key turning in a lock and the door swung open to reveal Aranwë, flushed and slightly red-eyed.

"Come, tithen gwador." said Daeron, sitting down on his brother's bed and beckoning to Aranwe. "Talk to me."

"What about?" asked Aranwe airily, sitting down beside him and blushing at the frown Daeron sent him.

"You know exactly what about, you cheeky elfling!" Daeron told him. "Would you care to explain that rather impressive display of temper in the courtyard? I don't think Ada would have particularly pleased if he'd had to send word to Galadriel that her March Warden would not be returning because his son had bitten his head off."

"You're doing it again!" said Aranwe, sounding vexed.

"I'm doing what?" asked Daeron, confused, as he pulled a tense-shouldered Aranwe into a one-armed embrace.

"You're humouring me!"

"If I am, it's not working very well." said Daeron wryly, looking at Aranwë's unsmiling face. "Come on now little one, tell me what's the matter."

"Don't call me that!" said Aranwë sullenly. "I'm six hundred and fifty four!"

"And I'm eight hundred and six!" countered Daeron swiftly. "Which makes you the little one! And you're also avoiding my question! Answer me, Aranwë!"

"Daeron…" Aranwë shifted nervously, looking up at his older brother with anguish in his eyes. "Do you remember the day Nana died?"

"Of course I do." Daeron was bewildered, but he tugged his younger brother closer. "How could any of us forget? It was the worst day of my life!"

"I've been thinking about it a lot recently." Aranwë continued quietly. "I keep remembering when we got there…"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOflashbackOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Nana! Nana!" Adrahil's voice echoed through the clearing. "Where are you?"

Aranwë reigned in beside his brother. He'd only just reached his majority, but he'd had no idea that a nightmare like this would occur on his first patrol!

His mother had taken little Legolas to the stream earlier that morning, saying that the high-spirited little elfling would enjoy the fresh air and views of the wildlife. Thranduil had insisted that they take a few soldiers with them to be on the safe side and they had departed in high spirits.

The King and two of his sons, Lindon and Daeron, had been at lunch, discussing the new border patrols, when one of the Queen's guards had rushed in – scarred and soaked with blood – and brought the spine-chilling news of an orc attack.

In an instant, they had flown to fetch horses and rode with all haste to the stream, collecting Adrahil, Saeros and Aranwë – all three of whom were on patrol duty – along the way.

Aranwë and Adrahil leapt off their horses as their father and brothers reigned in beside them, drawing their swords and rushing towards the sound of the orc-cries.

As Thranduil sprinted through the undergrowth, a small force hit his knees. He looked down to see his blood stained youngest son clinging to him, sobbing hysterically.

"Legolas!" Thranduil gathered him up into a protective embrace. "Sweetling, what happened?"

"They hurt Nana! They hurt Nana!" screamed Legolas, sobbing on Thranduil's shoulder as his father wrapped him in a warm cloak. "She isn't moving Ada! They're coming!"

"Be ready." Thranduil warned his other sons, while rubbing Legolas's back. "Aranwë, you stay here with your brother. This is not a sight for you on your first patrol."

Aranwë nodded, bile rising in his throat at the thought of what he might see. Thranduil gently deposited Legolas in Aranwë's arms.

"I must leave you for just a moment, Dian Las." he said softly, stroking Legolas's hair. "You stay with Aranwë. We will be back soon."

"Ssssh, little leaf." whispered Aranwë tearfully, rocking his little brother in his arms, as his father and his older brothers rushed through the trees.

"They hurt her, 'Ranwë!" sobbed Legolas, clinging to his brother like a limpet. "They tried to hit me with their swords!"

"It's all right, little one." Aranwë hugged him tighter, knowing that it was far from all righ - he knew exactly what their intentions had been when the orcs tried to 'hit' Legolas with their swords. Nevertheless, he was desperate to comfort his little brother. "I'm here, Legolas. They cannot hurt you! I will never let anyone hurt you ever again, tithen gwador, I promise!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOend of flashbackOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"I promised to look after him Daeron!" Aranwë's voice shook and Daeron held him tighter. "And now he's walking blindly into Mordor and I cannot do a thing about it! I cannot keep my promise!"

"You cannot watch his back, Aranwë," reasoned Daeron. "But you can trust his instincts. Legolas will not forget what we have taught him and he will not give his trust to one who does not deserve it. He will come back to us, brother. He gave us his word. And we know that the sons of Thranduil never break their word to each other."

"But I just told you…"

"You did not break your word, Aranwë." Daeron told him gently. "You have protected him from that day onwards for the last three hundred years. But now you must protect him by letting him follow his heart. Trust me."

"I do trust you!" Aranwë sighed. "But I just wish he would come home!"

"I know, gwador, I know." said Daeron solemnly. "We all do! Now come on, Haldir and Saeros have challenged Adrahil and Lindon to a shooting match. Let us stand witness to their defeat."

His face broke into a grin as he pulled Thranduil's second youngest son up off the bed. Aranwë gave a weak smile in return, and they rushed out of the room.