A/N July's update is now accounted for. Guys...it is so nice to have something familiar to turn to when freaking out or just as a stress reliever.

Disclaimer: not mine.

Lost and Found

The soft click of the horse's hooves against the dry, twig, scattered ground could not drown out the argument occurring behind Elrond and he sighed, resisting the urge to reprimand the two behind him as he would his own children.

"I'm telling you, Glorfindel," Erestor repeated loudly, "that I have it worse."

"Ah, no, my friend," Glorfindel replied almost immediately. Elrond turned back to find the blond Balrog slayer shaking his head vigorously. "At least the twins aren't allowed weapons when studying with you. What harm could come from paper?"

"Much, trust me. But that is beside the point. They bore easily, and that is true danger." Elrond sighed once more at the thought of his offspring. His hands tightened around the reigns as he avoided rolling his eyes. He had hoped that with adult hood looming over them, they would began to take life a little more seriously.

"But they target me far more than they do you!" Glorfindel pointed out.

"Only because you are reacting to them. The key is to not react, if you don't then it takes all the fun out of it for them." It sounded to Elrond as if some elaborate hand gestures had been included in the speech. Slowing his horse, Elrond turned.

"Erestor, Glorfindel," he began, a pleading tone entering his voice. "I brought both of you along to be part of the negations, not to bicker like children. Thranduil won't find as much humor in it as you do." Negations between Mirkwood and Imladris took place every ten years or so and this time it had been Thranduil's turn to host. For the most part, nothing new was added or changed to their agreements, and could have easily been done through letters, but it was good show for Elrond and Thranduil to actually meet.

"Sorry…" Both high ranking officials murmured, both looking rather ashamed, or at least embarrassed.

"Good." Elrond kicked his horse forward and once again picked up speed. Behind him, in a low whisper, he heard Glorfindel slide in one last remark.

"Not reacting? That is so easy when a flaming pinecone is coming straight for your face."

Elrond hadn't heard that practical story yet and frowned. A flaming pinecone? That was more dangerous, he would have to talk to the twins when he returned.

A bend in the road was ahead and Elrond took it with thoughts of pinecones, bickering advisors, and suitable punishments only to have it all vanish with more speed than the twins when in trouble.

In the middle of the road, surrounded by a pool of blood, lay a face down elf.

"Glorfindel! Erestor!" Elrond called sharply, not wasting a moment as he swung down from his horse.

"What?" Glorfindel protested, before stopping shore. "Oh, valar…" he whispered. Erestor was already following Elrond's example and Glorfindel quickly followed suit. Covering the ground in record time, he stopped next to the other two. Elrond was crouched low, his hand sliding under the elf's throat to check his pulse.

The elf's blond hair hung lankly in front of his face, concealing his features, and his dark green and brow tunic gave nothing away except for the fact that he was a Mirkwood elf. A long, white, handled knife was loosely clutched in his out flung right hand. It's entire length was stained with the green, fowl, blood of the giant spiders that infested the forest.

"He lives," Elrond whispered with evident relief, "Help me turn him over, but be gentle." Taking his should, Erestor and Elrond carefully eased the elf over onto his back. All three stared with surprise, before Erestor blurted out,

"Is not this Thranduil's son? Is not this Legolas?" Elrond nodded mutely, sharing a knowing look that was lost upon the other two.

At the sound of their voices Legolas stirred feebly, a low groan leaving his lips. His eyelids fluttered, and Elrond leaned forward excitedly. He laid a gently hand against the much younger elf's pale cheek. Blood, both green and red, flecked his face and a long, ugly looking scratch ran the length of his brow.

"Legolas, can you hear me?"

The prince turned his head in their direction, his mouth moved soundlessly, and Elrond bent lower. "Please, young one, repeat it. I didn't quite catch it." Legolas' blinked open and he gazed with obvious confusion up at them.

"Who…" he began in a raspy whisper. "What…" he changed the direction that his sentence was taking halfway through, but his eyes were already starting to drift lower once more.

"No, Legolas, you must remain awake!" Elrond commanded, but Legolas paid no head and the lord of Imladris patted his cheeks urgently with both hands. "Stay with us, young prince. You must stay awake. Glorfindel, my bag, please." Legolas' eyes slide shut and he went limp, his head flopping weakly back to the ground.

"What is he doing all the way out here?" Glorfindel asked as he returned with the requested item. "Shouldn't he be with his father, preparing for our visit?"

"I have no answers," Erestor answered quietly, also frowning.

"That is not what is most important at the moment," Elrond rebuked softly. Taking his bag, he pulled out his waterflask and bandages. "Here," he offered, holding out the flask and a square of white linen to Erestor. "Clean his face."

Turning his attention completely to Legolas, Elrond's keen eyes immediately found the spot where the blood was thickest. Legolas right sleeve was drenched from shoulder to wrist in it and a fair amount covered his collar. Sliding out his boot dagger, he sliced open the material at the arm first.

"Water and bandages, quickly," Elrond demanded with a short gasp. "He's tore his arm badly, it is bleeding still and required care if he doesn't want to have to lose it." Glorfindel dug through the bag that he still held, pulling out the necessary items. As Elrond began to work, he hovered anxiously over his lieges shoulder.

For the first time in well over an hour, all three of them were quiet as Elrond worked, but in a surprisingly short amount of time, the healer had hooked the prince's good arm around his shoulders before standing and hefting him up. Walking briskly over to the horses with Legolas cradled in his arms like a young child, he called over his shoulder,

"He is stable for now, though he has lost a good deal of blood. A spider managed to get a sting into the side of his neck, also, and the venom has yet to ware off. I hope to find a more secluded area in which too finish treating him, however. The smell of his blood could attract unwanted attention." Glorfindel and Erestor swiftly followed his footsteps, the blond haired warrior stuffing Elrond's supplies back into his bag as he went.

Mounting their horses, with Legolas placed in front of Elrond, they started quickly off. Luckily for the prince, didn't take them too long to find an area sufficiently far away and protected. Leading the horses off the path, Elrond stopped, waiting for the other two to dismount so that they could help with the younger elf.

"Lay him over there," Elrond directed, pointing to a placed beneath a large beach tree as he rolled up his sleeves. Kneeling down, he quickly began to thread a needle as his two friends looked on. The air crackled with unsaid tension as they tersely waited for Elrond to finish and give them his findings.

At last, Elrond stood, wiping his hands free of blood with a spare bandage as he did so.

"He will be fine, especially if he takes it easy, rests, and doesn't use that arm," he announced to the clearing at large. "We can continue on once he was awakened and taken some medication for pain and infection."

The other two nodded their agreement, the later moving to unburden the horses for it appeared that it might be a while before they left.

"King Thranduil will not be happy if we arrive late," Erestor said as he rolled up one of their blankets and lifted the prince's head to place it under.

"I figure he will care more about us bringing his son home, and in one piece, then if we are a day later," Elrond replied drily, still wiping at his hands. Glorfindel dumped their packs down and dropped to sit next to them. His finger began to drum restlessly on the handle of his sword and out of habit he glanced around, his senses tuned for anything out of the ordinary.

It wasn't soon enough that a low groan filled the clearing and the three Imladris elves gathered around the prone figure on the ground.

"Legolas," Elrond called softly, reaching out and touching the prince's hair. "Legolas, can you hear me?" Another low groan meet his plea, and the three elves shared emphatic looks, bending further over him. The elf moaned, his eyelids flickering before they opened, confusion radiating once more from the blue orbs.

"What happened?" he asked thickly, his voice urgent and dry.

"Do you know who I am?" Elrond asked in return, testing the elf's state of mind. Legolas' eyes flickered between their faces, intently taking it all in.

"You are Lord Elrond, of course," Legolas voice gained confidence, and Elrond smiled.

"And…" he prompted, indicating the other two elves at his side. Legolas glanced them over.

"Lord Glorfindel…the Blarog slayer and warrior of Gondolin." Legolas blinked, a small frown crossing his face as he gazed in confusion at Erestor for a moment as his sluggish brain attempted to function. "And Erestor, your advisor," he said at last. Some of this strength seemed to be returning and without another moment of hesitation, he turned to Elrond.

"Is all this necessary?" he asked, attempting to push himself upright with his good arm. Elrond was pleased to note that he kept his injured arm close to his chest, protecting it from further harm.

"Yes, I viewed it as necessary." Elrond smiled reassuringly, all the same locking eyes with Legolas. Both stared at each other, but Legolas was the first too look away.

"I am fine, Hir-nin. I am not a child and you do not need to concern yourself over me. It really is just a scratch." He would not raise his eyes to meet Elrond's again and the lord frowned. Something was not right, he could tell. He almost subconsciously reached out, taking the prince's elbow to steady him.

"A scratch?" Glorfindel snorted, rising both eyebrows in pure disbelief. "Do you realize the size of the puddle of blood we found you in?" His voice was rising in volume, and Elrond shot him a swift glare. That effectively shut his mouth, but the warrior looked away, crossing his arms firmly to show his annoyance with the younger elf.

"What happened, Legolas? What were you doing out here all alone?" Elrond asked instead, drawing the attention back to himself. The prince still refused to meet his eyes, but a light flush had spread across his cheeks.

"It does not matter." Legolas grabbed a nearby tree and began to pull himself upright, but it was instantly clear that it hadn't been the brightest of ideas. His face rapidly lost its coloring and his knees buckled. "I told you, I am fine!" he hissed breathlessly, however, as soon as Elrond reached out to steady him. He jerked his arm free of the supportive grip and leaned his weight up against the tree instead. Elrond sighed, a glare flashing across his face before he schooled his features, but it was Erestor who spoke.

"Watch how you speak to your elders, especially Lord Elrond, young prince. Now, we did not leave you behind to become food, so I suggest that you answer his questions."

Legolas flared up at once, straightening as his pale cheeks flushed even deeper red.

"I thank you for your assistance, my lords, but it was unneeded. I will fine on my own from here out." He tried to step forward but found his way abruptly blocked by Elrond, who was wearing a look hard enough to stop a bull in mid-pace.

"I do not care, Legolas, that you do not want my help. But I am not going o allow you to go wondering off through Mirkwood alone and injured." He held up a hand, for stalling the outburst on the tip of Legolas' tongue. "And no, it is not just your arm. You know full well that you the spider managed to sting you, not to mention a far amount of blood loss. You are unsteady on your feet, you cannot deny it. In fact, I doubt you would make it a mile before passing out once more."

"I've had worse," Legolas retorted, trying half-heartedly to push past the Lord of Imladris. Elrond caught his good arm firmly and Glorfindel and Erestor flanked him on either side menacingly.

"I wouldn't try to get past us," Glorfindel said coolly, raising an eyebrow and intensifying his glare. Elrond held up a hand, giving his friend a warning look, before looking Legolas in the eyes and smiling softly.

"I understand that you do not want our help, but you are going to get even if you end up fighting us."Legolas took a step forward, firing flashing in this eyes, only to have his legs threaten to give out and he lurched back to his support. "See, young one, you would not make it far. Now sit and rest until I tell you we are ready to leave."

Not giving Legolas time to protest, Elrond helped the young elf down to sit against the tree. He momentarily laid a strong hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently before back towards the horses. Glorfindel stepped forward, laying his dark glance on the prince once more, before turning to follow Elrond. Legolas at last had the grace to look ashamed and turned away, nursing his injured arm gingerly.

"Will he stay?" Erestor asked doubtfully, risking glances over his shoulder.

"He will stay," Elrond said in the Common Tongue, knowing that the younger elf would have a harder time understanding it. Glorfindel shook his head, snorting.

"What is his problem?" he asked, again in the common tongue. Elrond sighed, moving to strop his bag back to the horse and taking a glance over his shoulder. A shade of pity darkened his face. "He should know better than to act like an annoyed child."

"Losing someone close to you can do strange things to a person, as I am sure you are only aware of, Glorfindel," Elrond gave each councilor a firm look as he leaned lightly on his horse. "His mother's death was a hard blow for him. He is in a sense lost, scared, and confused. I would beat gold that his father doesn't know he is out here, and that whatever crazy stunt he pulled way to realize bottled up emotions. We just need to be patient and kind to him, he will overcome this stage of grief in time."

Glorfindel uncrossed his arms, his eyes softening as he looked back at Legolas with new understanding.

"Does your father know you are out here?" he asked, switching back over to Sindarian. Legolas' mute silence was answer enough and the three much older elves shared exasperated looks.

They let Legolas rest for a while, but they didn't want for night to come upon them and so, sooner then he would have liked, Elrond bent next to Legolas.

"If you feel up to it, Legolas, we will be on our way. You may ride behind me," he said graciously, extending a hand. He waited for almost a full minute of silence before Legolas slowly and tentatively wrapped his finger's around the healer's wrist. Elrond pulled him easily and together they walked to the horses.

As they neared Glorfindel, Legolas looked up, shame and what could have easily been admiration for the great warrior lighting his eyes. "I am sorry, to all three of you, for everything," he said in passible common tongue. The warrior nodded once, offering a smile.

"I've had much worse half my journeying, and much longer delays. Do not apologize, but I would prepare an apologize for your father."

Legolas grimaced, closing his eyes. His father would not be pleased, not pleased at all. Elrond mounted, and the prince swung easily up behind him, despite only having the use of one arm.

Much too soon for Legolas' comfort, the four found themselves approaching the great, tall, gates of Mirkwood's palace. The majestic piece of work swung gently open upon their approach and King Thranduil marched through. He was followed by several of his advisers and high ranking officials, but the spot on his right were Legolas should have been was void. It was to Elrond's slight amusement that Thranduil appeared rather flustered. His robes appeared to have been hurriedly tugged on and his usually perfect hair was frazzled. His eyes kept flickering to the empty spot.

Thranduil stepped forward as they came to a stop and Elrond felt Legolas tense behind him preparing himself for the storm. The king opened his mouth to speak, but Elrond beat him to it.

"King Thranduil! I am glad to see you, friend. I believe, however, that I have found someone whom you have lost." Thranduil gave him a confused look. Legolas heaved a sigh in defeat, and swung off the horse. Elrond noted that he steadied himself lightly against the horse and frowned. The boy looked rather pale in the light of the full sun… he would have to speak to Thranduil about the young prince's injuries as soon as he got the chance.

A stunned look appeared in the king's blue eyes and he took a small step forward, his hands reaching out for his son. Abruptly the surprise and relief fled his face and was replaced by a flaming anger.

"Legolas," he snapped sharply, taking a full step forward and cross his arm. "Where have you been?! I've had elves looking for you since yesterday. You were supposed to be here to greet Lord Elrond so what in the name of the Valar convinced you that you could go and pull a vanishing trick like that?" The king stared down his son, though Elrond couldn't help but noticing that he meet his father's piercing and fiery gaze with a very similar one of his own.

"I am sorry for their trouble," the prince said stiffly. "I meant to be back last night."

"Well, next time don't leave at all." Thranduil eyes flared and he reached out, taking Legolas by the shoulders.

"Thranduil, ah, I would be careful," Elrond said hesitantly very aware that he was overstepping his boundaries. "He injured his left arm." The king glanced at the Lord, before grabbing his son's arm and lifting it gently. Legolas jerked back, stumbling against the horse as he did so. A flash of pain entered his face, before his mask slammed back down.

"It is nothing, I am fine," he repeated stubbornly. Thranduil snorted.

"You were out chasing spiders again, weren't you?" he shook his head,"We will talk about this later in private. Again. For now, go see the healers. The healers, you understand?" Legolas glared at his father, but nodded stiffly. Thranduil stepped aside and waited for him to pass. Legolas paused, turning back to face the three behind him.

"Hannon-le," he offered with the smallest of smiles, which they returned. Glorfindel raised a and and Legolas face split into a smile. He turned, ready to do what his father had asked, but stopped as the king's held at a hand.

"Don't leave again, Legolas," Thranduil whispered pleadingly for Legolas alone to hear, but Elrond caught it as well and nodded to himself. That was Thranduil's way of saving I love you or Elrond was toad. He could only hope that Legolas could see it.

As Legolas passed, however, Elrond thought that the fire's light had died a little in the prince's blue eyes, and Elrond had the feeling that he did indeed now the meaning behind the words.

THE END

Arn't you guys happy? It involved Thranduil, that usually makes you guys happy. :)

Next time! Legolas goes up against the wrath of nature and gets the short end of the stick... of course. ;)

Review Replies:

Elven Princess: OH, HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY! It was totally a present for me, to you. :) 14 is a good age, be happy being 14 while you can. Thanks so much!