I am absolutely blown away and swimming in gratitude for all of the amazing thoughts and reviews I received for the first chapter. I deeply thank each and every one of you who have taken the time to leave me a review or send me a message.

Many of you asked for another chapter: Ask and you shall receive!

Just a fast note: This fic is movie verse 110%, and as such Aragorn and Legolas have not yet met one another. At the end of the Battle of the Five Armies, Thrandul tells him to seek out Aragorn with the ragners of the North. However, since in my story he was injured in the battle, Thrandul never told Legolas to go and find him, so they still have not met one another.

Thanks for coming, and I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much!

….

As chieftain he had visited many strange places, wandered into many unknown towns and kingdoms, and never had his nerves eaten at his stomach like they did now. Although, he was fairly certain he would have been just as calm and collected as usual had the not been in the company of Gandalf, who appeared ready turn and sprint back into the wilds behind them regardless of the massive pack of orcs who had been following them for many days. He had visited many places, but he had never wandered here.

"So this is Mirkwood."

Gandalf nearly blanched next to him, and a grimace took up residence on his face, "Yes, although I would not refer to it as such once we enter it. The Elves who call these woods home are a bit touchy about that. As far as you are concerned, it is Greenwood the Great."

Aragorn appraised the woods that loomed before them, there didn't appear to be green or great about the woods, but he nodded his head anyways. Growing up in Imladris he had heard the story of the kingdom that was before them, heard the story of the great battle that had driven them into their mountain and the darkness that kept them there. He knew that it was now a very seldom happening that any wood elf ventured from their tree's, and especially not to visit Imladris.

His brothers had told him stories about when times were better, and the kingdoms could still consider one another friends rather than silent allies. If they could even still call themselves that. They had told him stories of their friend that lived there, Legolas, but he had never met him. Not so much as a letter had arrived from Mirkwood in the time he had lived there, and he doubted one had been sent since he had left either.

Although the stories the twins had told them about his friend had been happy tales of childhood foolishness and laughter, he noticed that often their hearts grew heavy and their eyes sad when they spoke about him. They missed him dearly, that he knew, but there seemed to be an even darker reason for their downturned hearts. Aragorn was not eager to find out why.

His foster father, generally speaking, refused to say anything about the kingdom, nor the elf who ruled it. But that did not stop other elves from whispering about the ElvenKing. Even Glorfindel, one of the most powerful elves that Aragorn would ever meet seemed to regard the ElvenKing with wary respect, although he too often refused to say anything about the topic.

It was only Lord Celeborn who spoke highly of the ElvneKing, but never in front of his wife. All of that information, coupled with Gandalfs nearly palpable anxiety, nearly had him ready to run to the Orcs himself. It was only as the sack at his feet began struggling and screeching once again that kept his feet rooted where they were, "We could try and make it to the river. Float ourselves away so they lose our scent."

Gandalf shook his head, "No, it is only dumb luck that has allowed us to keep out of there reach this long. Besides, they could follow the darkness in that one" He indicated to the screeching sack with his chin, "From miles away. Could probably follow it right to us like the North Star."

"You are sure this is a good idea?"

The wizard sighed but started stomping towards the path ahead of them nonetheless, "No."

Aragorn heaved the bag over his shoulder, wincing as the tiny but surprisingly strong creature attempted to kick, claw and bite at him once more. Had it not been for the light armor he wore it seemed likely his back would have never forgiven him for lugging this foul things across the lands. Bilbo's words echoed in his head as he trudged forward after the wizard.

More dangerous and less wise.

…

He had hoped Gollum would have exhausted himself into stillness long before this point, yet they had been walking down the elven road – if you could even call it a road - for several hours now and he still carried on as he had done before they had entered. They tried to gag him, but still his muffled screams seemed to echo in the angry dark silence that smothered them.

Aragorn could not shake the feeling that he was being watched, at all times. Yet he could never spot any creature around them, which only made matters so much worse. He liked to see his enemies. As if sensing his thought Gandalf muttered beside him, "It's the trees."

"The trees?"

As if hearing their words the woods around them rustled themselves, branches scraping against one another to make creaking sounds, yet Aragorn could have sworn there was no change in the wind. He was disliking the forest more and more with every step.

Gandalf looked around them warily, "You have heard the tales of Fangorn?"

He had heard the tales, of tree's that could talk and move of their own accord if they so wished, although he himself had never dared enter those dark woods. Or even venture close to it, if he could help it. "Yes."

"It is not the only forest on Arda with a mind, eyes and ears of its own. Watch your step and your mouth."

He disliked this forest very much indeed.

And then he stepped in something disturbingly soft and sticky buried beneath a large pile of discarded leaves, when he attempted to lift his foot once more he found it almost glued to the forest floor, he was only able to lift his food high enough to see that it was a sticky white liquid that trapped him.

Gandalf let out a string of curses next to him and dispelled the goo, "Are you scared of spiders, Aragorn?"

The human frowned, he was a man of the wilds, he slept on the ground with the bugs nearly every night, "No, of course not."

"You are about to be."

"What do you me-"

His question was interrupted by a horrid symphony of clicking sounds that seemed to surround them, and it was growing louder very quickly. Gandalf drew his sword, and Aragorn quickly followed, trying to figure out how he was going to fight whatever was coming while still keeping Gollum from escaping in such a tight space littered with roots and holes to trip in.

"I implore you, do not let us die like this."

Aragorn wasn't sure exactly who the wizard was talking to, but he knew it wasn't him. His face was looking upwards to the tree's, his arms spread out in a gesture that might have been surrender or perhaps an apology.

He was about to ask exactly who he was talking to when the first spider dropped from the tree's.

Aragorn had never, in his life, been afraid of bugs. But the sight of the massive creature before nearly stopped his heart. It was nearly as big as a horse, and its pinchers looked incredibly capable of cutting him in half without an effort at all, and the stinger on the end of it would leave a hole bigger than a dinner plate.

The creature hissed at him as more of his brothers dropped from the tree's, bright hatred seemed to burn horribly in their eyes as they clashed their pinchers together menacingly.

"Greenleaf, please."

Aragorn dropped Gollum to the ground to get a better grip on his sword, and prepared for one of the spiders to lunge forward. To his dismay, they all lunged forward simultaneously. But his sword was never swung, for the spiders began screaming in pain as black fletched arrows drilled into their eyes with perfect aim.

Elves rained from the tree's just a swiftly and unexpectedly as the spiders had, and with one glance upwards told him that there was just as many still in the branches of the tree's with bows drown and arrows raining.

An Elleth landed next to him and roughly shoved him the ground, it wasn't until he collided with the ground and the air was knocked from his lungs that he realized it was to save his life, as pinchers closed around the spot exactly where he had been standing.

The Elleth, unlike him, was prepared for the massive creature. As if out of reflex twin blades sliced across its face twice in a perfect 'X' before she stabbed it both on the top and bottom of its head. Black blood with a stench that nearly made his eyes water gushed from the wounds, and the giant creature fell to the earth with an incredible thud.

The elf that saved him spun away, stabbing another spider in the eye with one blade, and cutting the legs of another with the other blade. Around him the rest of the elves were quickly making work of the spiders in similar fashions, he had never seen such ruthless and effective killing before. Had he not been so terrified he might have been impressed.

Just as quickly as the spiders had appeared, they had been slain and all of the elves turned their keen eyes on him and the wizard, though none of them said at word. None sheathed their weapons, and those with bows still had an arrow knocked and at the ready should the need arise, Aragorn hoped there would be no need.

When it became apparent none of the elves would speak to them, Gandalf broke the tense silence, "Avaleania, you have my deepest gratitude for the assistance."

The elleth who had shoved Aragron stalked over to the wizard and stopped at a distance that was obviously too close for comfort. She was significantly shorter than the wizard, but that did not seem to deter her in the slightest as she scowled at him with such intensity Aragorn wondered if she was trying to set him aflame, "I do not want your gratitude. You are not welcome here."

Aragorn cut his eyes over the wizard in panic from where he was still sprawled in a heap on the ground where he had fallen, Gandalf had never mentioned that he was not welcome here. This was most certainly not a realm where one travelled when they were not welcome, he did not have to have been here before to know that.

"I know, but I have urgent matters to dis-"

The elleth cut him off swiftly, "He has no interest in any of your matters."

"But-"

"Away with you, and take the human who treads so heavily with you."

Usually, Aragorn would have taken offence to such a comment. For a human he was incredibly light footed, a by-product of growing up with Elves where sneaking was much more difficult than in any human home. But considering their current situation, at the moment he did not think he would have even looked her in the eyes had she turned to him, and especially not attempt to defend himself.

Gollum choose that moment to come to life once more with a foul scream, as he began kicking at the sack once more with all of his might. All eyes turned to the sack, and all arrows were pointed at it in preparation.

Avaleania narrowed her dark eyes at the sack with distaste, and then cut her eyes back to the wizard, "What is that?"

"That is Gollum. The matter I wished to discuss."

If Aragorn thought her expression had been thunderous before it was nothing compared to the storm that brewed on it now, "I assume, then, that you are the reason such a large pack of Orcs were drawn to our borders from lands so far away?"

He had never hated a forest so much in his life.

Gandalf did not reply, but his expression was telling enough.

"Very well, he will wish to discuss matters with you then after all." She turned away from the wizard and began stalking back towards the tree's from which she had come from, "Bring them to the Stronghold, binde their hands if you wish, I care not."

…

They had been standing in the throne room for what must have been hours by this point, and not heard so much as a whisper about when they might meet with the ElvenKing. Gollum had been taken away from them and whisked away to some unknown location under the mountain, and Gandafl found himself glad that at the very least the creature was no longer his problem.

Food and wine had been delivered some time ago, and he knew that it was entirely for the benefit of Aragorn, had he been alone he would not have seen so much as a drop of water. It took all of his willpower to not pace back and forth across the room, he had tried since the day he had left the Woodland Realm after the battle to find out how Thranduil fared, but not even a whisper left the woods. They had closed themselves off from the world entirely, tighter than a clam and more silent than a calm night. For all he knew, Thranduil had died that day.

Not even Elrond or his sons knew if he still lived or not, and Legolas had not replied to any of their letters either.

Aragorn had tried asking him about what had happened between him and the wood elves, but he had waved the question away, now was not the time to discuss what had happened. The last thing he needed was to open old wounds, as he was treading on incredibly precarious eggshells as it was. He had half expected to be thrown in the dungeons to await his audience.

Suddenly, the door on the far end of the room banged open and in stalked Legolas, appearing more like his father than even the last time he had seen him in that tent so many years ago, and he did not think that possible.

"Is that the King?" Aragorn muttered quietly to his companion.

"I sincerely hope not." If he was, things were about to go very badly for Gandalf, he had never known Legolas to make an empty threat.

The elf came to a stop before the pair of them, eyes focused entirely on Gandalf and ignoring Aragorn entirely, which he knew the man was more than okay with. Though the elf was shorter than the wizard, as were most creatures on Arda, he still gave the distinct impression of looking down on him, "You are more foolish than I thought, and that is an impressive feat."

"Legolas, how is your father?"

The young elf narrowed his eyes at him and tilted his head slightly to the side, "What evil creature have you brought us this time, and should we expect another army? Bigger than the pack or Orcs you have already led into our woods, that is."

So his anger had not lessened with him yet, that did not bode well in his favor. Although, if Thranduil truly had perished that night Gandalf assumed that Legolas would have already gone up one side of him and down the other, perhaps even resorting to a few blows, which meant that the King still lived.

Or so he hoped.

"He is not evil, just-"

"I do not enjoy being lied to, so I suggest you do not finish that sentence. I have been around enough evil to know it when I see it, and I have met your creature. However the choice is yours Mithrandir, continue if you wish."

Gandalf pursed his lips for a moment, unsure exactly what to say. They could not let the creature loose for he knew the location of the Ring, and the last thing anybody needed was for the Ring to be found by its master. With so much darkness already festering in these woods it would be impossible for the dark forces to track him here, no matter how hard they tried. But he did not wish to disclose that much information, it was a secret he did not want to tell anybody he did not have too.

Of course, he also knew that Legolas would put two and two together and realize that Bilbo used the ring within the very walls of his home to free the dwarves, which woke the dragon. Thankfully, he was not wearing his weapons this time, although Gandalf strongly suspected he had several knives hidden on his person somewhere, and could use them with the same deadly accuracy.

"His name is Gollum, and he must be hidden from the enemy."

Legolas barked out a strong but humorous laugh, "Then you have come to the wrong place, for that is all you will find here." He turned promptly on his heel and began to leave the room just as quickly as he had arrived, "Take your creature and go. We are not puppets to be used when you need us, try Imladris and stop wasting my time."

Gandalf cast a desperate looked at Aragorn, who still stood silently near him. Oh how he wished for the happy, friendly, Legolas to return. Gollum needed to stay here, and there was only one way he was going to accomplish that, "He knows the location of the Ring."

Had he been anyone but an elf Legolas would have stumbled for how quickly he froze, then he whipped around once more, his eyes blazing more fiercely than the ones that had burnt Laketown to the ground, "And you brought him here? "

Perhaps he should have broken the news to him another way.

"Do you have any idea what you've done? You thoughtless, foolish, uncaring-" Legolas cut himself off, struggling to voice his words around the building anger within him, "Have you forgotten that Dul Guldur still lies on our doorstep? Did the spiders not jog your memory?"

At the sounds of the beloved prince's raised, angered and slightly panicked voice a small group of four elven archers entered the throne room, two of them with their knives already drawn. Avaleania was among them, and with a flick of her hand the other three retreated back out of the room while she leaned casually against a pillar, watching the proceedings with keen eyes.

Legolas had stopped himself from continuing and stormed towards the wizard so fast and with such purpose Gandalf had to fight the urge to take a step back, "Who knows you have brought him here?"

"No one."

Legolas' eyes flashed dangerously, and he ground his jaw in irritation, "Lie to me one more time, Mithrandir."

"Only the Orcs who have chased us here, but that is only due to unfortunate luck in the mountains and not Gollum."

"How many were there?"

"Around-"

"No. Not around. Because of you my warriors must not track down every single one of those Orcs and ensure the knowledge of your deeds does not spread. How many."

"Sixty Three." Aragorn spoke up for the first time, somehow managing to keep his expression neutral when crystal blue eyes turned to him stared deep into his essence, "The last time I counted a day or two ago."

Legolas inclined his head, "You have my thanks, Aragorn son of Arathron." With that he swept from the room, somehow faster than he had entered, bellowing orders neither guest understood to elves they could not see. With a dark look Avaleania pushed herself from the wall and followed him out.

Aragorn waited a few moments after the door was slammed shut once more, "How did he know who I was?"

Gandalf had no answer to give him, somehow Thranduil always seemed to have information he should not have, and he yet to figure out how he accomplished it for someone who had no contact with the outside world.

…

It was several hours after that still when an elf who introduced himself as Galion had been sent to take them to see the King. Aragorn did not fail to notice that while the elf was perfectly pleasant to him, he entirely ignored the wizard. He also did not fail to notice the glares and harsh whispers that seemed to haunt their wake throughout their journey across the elves underground home.

After so much time spent travelling with Gandalf, he knew that it was not entirely uncommon for people or cities to have a distaste for him, the wizard was an acquired taste to say the least. But never had he seen him friend look so nervous about it.

As they approached a set of huge wooden doors, which had the likeness of the forest outside cared carefully across the face of it, it banged open and two elves left the room. One of them was the elleth who had pushed him over earlier that day, but the other he did not recognize. Both had what could only be orc blood on spots of their clothing, he suspected they had just returned from hunting the orcs who had followed them here.

Thankfully, both of them stormed by without a word.

Galion knocked once on the still open door, "My King, the trespassers."

The King must have motioned for them to come in, or spoke too softly for him to hear because the next thing he knew Galion was ushering them inside.

Legolas, the elf who supposedly starred in so many of his brothers stories, sat on the corner of a huge wood desk. He was still cald in lightweight armour that Aragorn assumed made it easier to get through the trees with his swords and bow still strapped to him, and crunching loudly on an apple.

The desk belonged to who Aragorn could only assume was Thranduil, he had heard very little about the ElvenKing, yet somehow he still fit the image perfectly. The likeness between the two was considerable, and even if he had not known who they were he would have known they were father and son.

Aragorn also did not fail to notice the cane that stood behind the desk near the King. He did not remember there ever being a mention of the ElvenKing using a cane, which struck him as odd, Elves were so rarely permanently injured that when it happened people usually took note of it.

Legolas crunched into the apple and then the ElvenKing spoke, "Mithrandir, it has been sometime since I have seen you, considering you left so swiftly last time you were here. I am glad to see you are well."

Aragorn could have sworn Legolas hid a smrik in another bite of the apple, while Gandalf drew himself up, "Thranduil-"

"My King." Legolas corrected, ignoring the unreadable look the ElvenKing gave him, "Your Highness. My Liege. Whichever you prefer."

He wizard sighed, but started over "My King, I am also very glad to see you well, I have long wished to hear such news." Aragorn did not fail to notice the way the way his friends eyes had rested on the cane while he spoke.

"One might even say you prayed for it." The Prince commented with another crunch into his apple, without looking over the ElvenKing placed a very gentle hand on his son's arm for a moment before returning it to the arm of his own chair.

Gandalf looked like he was ready to scream, and then the older elf replied, "I hope you do not plan on making a habit of routinely bringing such distasteful creatures to my home every few decades. I must admit, it is a game I will quickly tire from."

When the wizard opened his mouth to respond the ElvenKing waved for silence before he even began, "I am not interested in your excuses. Just tell me what you want and why."

"The Ring has been found, and Gollum knows the location of the one who currently possess it. It is imperative that he is kept out of the enemies reach, but with such darkness touching his soul the ringwraiths would be able to find him everywhere. Everywhere but here."

The King and his son exchanged looks, Legolas snorted in amusement, and a ghost of a smile lingered on the Kings lips before both of them turned their attention back to the wizard. Elves were not the easiest creatures to read to begin with, but even with his years of experience the two in front of him might as well been hunks of rock, for all he could sense from them.

The ElvenKing leaned back in his chair, "That is answers the 'why', but not the 'what.'"

"I wish to ask you, to beg you if I must-"

"That could be entertaining." The ghost of a smile the King wore grew into a smirk at his sons quipe, but he waved for him to be silent nonetheless.

Gandalf plowed on, ignoring Legolas' comment entirely, "To keep him hidden here, in your dungeons where he cannot cause harm and cannot be found. At least until I can travel to the one who holds the Ring and get him to safety, for he does not know the great evil he possesses' and will be unable to defend himself should they find him."

"And where, pray tell, will you be traveling to?"

"I do not think that information need be-"

"Then we are done here." The King pulled a stack of parchements in front of him and directed his attention to the words scribbled on the pages, "Legolas, if you will."

Legolas lightly tossed the core of his apple into a nearby garbage and then jumped to his feet, "Of course, Adar."

The younger elf made to herd them forcefully from the room, but Gandalf, having realized he lost this particular match surrendered, "The Shire. I will be travelling to the Shire."

The Prince let out on of the most fake gasps of shock Aragorn had ever heard, and turned dramatically to face his father, "But Adar, is that not where our dear friend Bilbo Baggins comes from?"

"Yes, Ion-nin, I do believe it is."

Two pairs of identical calculating blue eyes turned back to the incredibly uncomfortable looking wizard, who, to Aragorn's surprise, stayed silent.

"Very well, Mithrandir, we will keep that foul little thing of yours here. But only because it is Legolas' belief that attempting to remove him from our woods unnoticed would put our people in more reckless danger. Recklessness that, unlike you, we can ill afford." Thranduil sighed and shifted in his seat once more, had Aragorn not known better he would have said it was the shift of one who's injury was causing them pain, but which they were attempting to conceal.

Legolas looked away from the wizard and back to his father, his expression softening considerably for just a moment, until he turned back, "Out. The King is very busy, and you have wasted enough of his time."

Never before had Aragorn been ushered out of a room so swiftly, but just as the door was about to slam itself shut once more Gandalf wedged his foot in the door, "Will you ever forgive me, Greenleaf?"

The elf regarded him with the kind of cool indifference that one might look at the muck stuck to the bottom of their shoe, "It seems unlikely." And then the door was slammed shut in his face.

…

The two had been escorted out of the woods the next morning, leaving before even the sun and woken. They had been allowed to spend three days to rest, another courtesy Gandalf knew was only for Aragorn's benefit, but neither man nor wizard was keen on spending any more time in Mirkwood than they had to.

They had travelled in silence the entire ride out of the forest, and several miles after that before Aragorn finally spoke, "I cannot believe that is the elf who the twins speak so highly of. He seems nothing like the stories they have told me, at all."

Gandalf was silent for a few more long moments, "Do not judge him so harshly upon this meeting. Legolas cares very deeply and loves even deeper, unfortunately, that has been my downfall with him. Had I not been there, he would have been an entirely different elf."

"How so?"

The wizard sighed, he did not like to think about that particular conversation he had with him in the tent so many years ago, yet it still haunted him. Usually late at night when he could not sleep, the raw sincerity he had heard that day still wounded his heart. "He holds be personally at fault for a tragedy that befell his people which caused much pain and sorrow. And for the harming of the only thing on Arda that he loves and cares for more than his people: His father."

"And is it? Your fault?"

Gandalf's voice was much softer than he had meant it to be, and he winced at the crack in it when he replied, "Yes."

…...

Thank you again for all of your kind words and reviews, and I would love nothing more than to hear your thoughts on this chapter as well.

Chapter 3 coming soon!