Legolas felt guilt wash over him as he was told the news. His warriors had been caught in a skirmish with a pack of spiders whilst out protecting their borders. The list of injuries was long and the names familiar. The only saving grace was that none had lost their lives this time. The healers had once again performed their daily miracle and stabilised the worse cases. Clawing back the elves from the jaws of death had become such a natural thing in these harsh times that it was hardly given a second thought by most. However it weighed heavily on the Prince's mind.

I should have been out there with them, I should have been leading my warriors. His brain screamed over and over.

He hardly noticed the whisper of words coming from behind him and the departure of the messenger from the room.

There was a beat of silence and then a hand appeared on Legolas' shoulder spinning him round to face his father.

"Ion, you can not blame yourself for this. There was nothing you could of done to prevent this"

After a moment of bafflement Legolas spoke.

"How did you know I…"

He was cut off before he could finish.

"I am your father Legolas, I know you" He smiled down at his son "I know the look that you are currently bearing well, your mother would make it when things were troubling her too" His words were filled with warmth and love brought out only when talking about family.

Legolas signed. Another gift he'd inherited from his mother he thought. He had inherited a lot from his mother, his soft features, his skill with the bow and his singing talent to name but a few but there was one inheritance that he was beginning to think was more of a curse than a gift. And that were his visions. Just like his mother he had been born seeing flashes of what would come. At first it was a rare occasion when he slept too deeply he might see a second or two of something within his homeland. However as he got older the visions became more frequent, with their locations becoming harder to pinpoint. The people were strangers to him and yet they kept recurring over and over. Where once the visions showed happy times, they now repeatedly turned dark. Fearing what he would see when he went to sleep Legolas had started to go long stretches without it, forcing himself to stay awake only to find that the visions would invade his exhausted brain just as easily.

Seeing the impact the visions were having on his son Thranduil had pulled him off of his duties as a warrior, to the safety of his castle. Promising that he would do anything to spare his son the pain of the visions. He kept him close, taking meals together, sharing diplomatic obligations in the great hall and retiring to the royal quarters at the end of the day.

It had been but a week since his confinement and Legolas was starting to go stir-crazy locked up in the castle day and night. He could feel himself weakening day by day and yet he still refused to sleep filling his night-time hours with paperwork. Thranduil had soon realised that he would need more than a father's love to get through to his son so he bit back his pride and wrote two letters. The first was to Lord Elrond begging him to come to his son's aid. His healing abilities surpassed all elves still left in middle earth. If anyone could return Legolas' strength it would be him. The second letter was to Lady Galadriel informing her of Legolas' predicament and asking her to help guide his son in the ways of managing the visions. He did not have to wait long for the messages to be returned, both elves pledging their support informing him that they would be on their way as soon as possible. Thranduil just had to keep his son going till then he thought. Noticing Legolas' unnaturally pale skin, dimmed glow and clouded eyes he only hoped he would be enough.

That night Legolas once again waited for his father to go to bed before he crept out of his room through their shared living space to the door leading to his private study. After lighting a few candles, he settled into his work. Pages of reports passed by his desk one after the other in mind numbing succession. Slowly his body started to lose its battle for consciousness slipping in and out, the stress and his sleep deprived state made him no match and finally his head dropped into sleep.

Thranduil woke suddenly to the sound of painful screams. His heart stopped in his chest recognising the voice. Legolas. He grabbed his sword and ran towards the sound finding his son sprawled half over his desk thrashing around. His unseeing eyes had turned as black as night. Consumed by the vision Legolas let out another roar that broke Thranduil from his panic. He dropped his sword and covered the small distance to his son, scooping him up in his arms.

"Hush, hush my sweet green leaf" He soothed walking out of the room.

"You're safe my child, you're home safe, Please Legolas return to me" He pushed open the door to his son's bed chambers and lowered Legolas onto his bed. The prince's screams died down, his eye's returning to their striking blue before clouding over once more. Thranduil cautiously sat on the bed next to his son, grasping his hand tightly.

"Legolas, Legolas, are you with me? Are you okay?" The panicked Father asked, scanning his son's features. This was not the first painful vision the king had witnessed in fact they were becoming quite regular only causing him to worry more for his son. Please vala look after him.

"I'm back Ada" Legolas managed to mumble before he was lifted into an embrace.

"I was near Lake Town I think, it looked familiar but there were dwarfs and humans and orcs and elves. They were fighting and dying. I could feel it Ada, all of it." A tear ran down his face as he recalled.

"Do not dwell on this Ion" He hugged his son even tighter. "It will soon be over, my brave child just hold on a little longer for me." Thranduil whispered, stroking Legolas' hair in the way he liked as an elfling.

"I'll try" Was all Legolas could say as he fell to sleep in his father's embrace.

Thranduil spent the rest of the night holding Legolas in his protective hug ready to ward off any painful visions however the young elf did not wake again.

Let me know what you think of the story so far.