Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters and places mentioned in this fic.

Thank you to all those who reviewed! I was really happy that some of you have placed me on their favourites list! Thanks a lot!!! ^_^ Sorry for the horrifically long wait… I meant to update a few days ago, but somehow I couldn't manage to get into the site… Anyway, here's chapter 3! At last, some action! Enjoy :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3. Taken

Leila watched her youngest brother in amusement. She had gone into his room to find him already dressed, and craning his neck as far as it could go. "What are you doing little Greenleaf?" she asked.

Legolas looked at her frowning. "Melchoir said I have eyes at the back of my head when I heard him coming from behind, and I'm trying to see them, cause I can't feel them!" he explained rather incoherently and looked astonished when his sister laughed.

"I believe that Melchoir did not mean it that way little one," Leila told him. "I can assure you that you have only one pair of eyes, which are on your face."

"Oh." Legolas was rather disappointed. He had been rather hoping that he did have another pair, because as far as he knew, no other elf had more than two eyes.

"Now come here so that I'll braid your hair." Leila beckoned to her brother as she took up the brush from the dressing table. Legolas sighed, but went over to her. He didn't like braiding his hair, as it felt much more comfortable swinging loose. Still, he wasn't going to argue and lose time. The elfling tried to stand patiently as he thought about the feast his father was holding before the edain left Mirkwood.

~.~.~.~.~

Thranduil smiled at the crown prince, who was laughing together with Melchoir. The trading had gone well, they had got the weapons necessary. The humans had not caused any harm and would leave Mirkwood soon. Thranduil admitted to himself that he was rather relieved that they would be leaving. He had no cause for concern, as these humans had caused no harm, and were enjoying this feast in harmony with the elves. But still…

The sound of laughter caught his attention. Luindór and Thúleon were talking to two pretty elf maidens, and they seemed to be enjoying themselves together. He smiled to himself. And to think that only a few decades ago, the two had pronounced elf-maidens to be boring and silly. He sighed softly. His sons were growing up… "Adar?" Thranduil turned to see a pair of sleepy eyes looking up at him. He bent down and lifted Legolas, who immediately buried his head on his shoulder. The elf king caressed the golden head gently. At least, he still had one little elfing yet. "We'd better take you to bed Greenleaf," he whispered.

" Not…sleepy," protested Legolas, trying valiantly to keep awake. Thranduil laughed softly.

"Do you want me to take him up adar?" Thranduil shook his head at his daughter.

"No Leila, go back to your friends." Leila planted a small kiss on Legolas's flushed cheek, and smiled as the elfling snuggled closer to his father. "Sleep tight little one," she said, and after smiling at her father, she left. Thranduil watched her and thought of how much she looked like Selene. His wife would have been proud of the way their children had grown up.

He turned and walked into the palace to put Legolas to bed.

~.~.~.~.~

So many elves, so little time left. His eyes narrowed as he watched them coming and going, laughing together with his fellow humans.  It was harder than he'd thought… he could only hope that some luck would befall him…

~.~.~.~.~.~

Legolas rubbed his eyes. It was still dark, and there was silence outside. For all his efforts, he'd gone to sleep in the middle of the feast.  He sighed. He knew that he wouldn't sleep anymore in there. He slipped out of bed quietly, and shifted one of his pillows to look as if there was him underneath the blankets in case someone happened to come in. He put on his clothes swiftly, and after some thought put on a cloak, for being still young, he felt the cold more than the others.

He opened the window, and slid out onto the tree beside it. It was not the first time that he'd done this… at times at night, when he couldn't sleep, or when he missed naneth more than usual, he'd go out and sleep near the trees. He loved the trees… they would sing softly to him, lulling him to sleep, making him forget all the things which made him feel sad. No one knew he did so, for he always got to his room before Leila or his brothers came to wake him up. The trees were his friends, and he willingly exchanged them for the other elflings of his age, for they asked no questions, and he knew they'd never leave him.

He padded softly towards his favourite oak tree, wondering if it would sing or tell him a story about when it had still been an acorn… suddenly he stopped. He was sure that he had heard a twig breaking. Legolas looked around uneasily. Usually the guards never came round this part of the gardens. Perhaps he had been wrong… A dark shadow caught his eye and he froze to the spot. He watched in terror as the shadow got closer and closer, and he was unable to move…

"Forgive me, but I seem to have lost my way." Legolas nearly fainted in relief. He chided himself for having been so silly.  It was only an edan… it couldn't have been one of those orcs who had attacked naneth...His sharp eyes made out the features of one of the men of Melchoir's camp. He had never gone near this edan, for Legolas did not like his wizened face and beady eyes. But

"Can you help elfling?" Legoas nodded slowly. He did not feel very comfortable around this man, but he supposed that he couldn't leave him there either. "May I hold your hand young one? For I can barely see in this darkness." The elfling hesitated. He did not really like this. Perhaps he should call someone… "Please help me…" The man's voice grew soft and pleading, as he moved closer to the elfling. Legolas reluctantly gave him his hand.

"You shouldn't trust strangers pretty one," Hurdien laughed to himself as he tightened his grip on the elfing's hand and quickly whipped out a cloth wetted with a sleeping drug. The elfling's eyes widened in horror as Hurdien clapped the cloth to his mouth, muffling the sound of Legolas's cries. Slowly, the elfling stopped struggling and slumped down to the ground. The human lifted the limp figure over his shoulders, and chuckling softly, made his way back to the camp.

~.~.~.~.~.~

"Thank you for your hospitality, your majesty." Melchoir bowed low, as he took his leave of the king and his family. "It has been a pleasure to trade with you, and although my house has nothing of the greatness of Mirkwood, if one of you passes by, you are welcome."

"I thank you as well, Melchoir, your words are much appreciated." Thrandiul nodded at the man. The others were waiting for their leader so that they could leave. All his children had come out to bid farewell to Melchoir except Legolas. He had half expected Legolas to be there for he knew that his son liked the human. Probably, he had not yet woken up.

~.~.~.~.~.~

"Isn't Legolas up yet?" Thranduil asked his sons with a frown. It was unusual for Legolas to be up so late.

"I'll go and see what he's up to adar," offered Luindór as he got up from the table. His father nodded, and the elfing left the room to go to his brother.

~.~.~.~.~.~

"Adar!" Luindór burst into the room, panting. "I don't know where he is!" Thranduil looked sharply at his son. What did he mean? "There was a pillow under his blanket and his day clothes and the cloak are gone," explained the elfling hurriedly. Thranduil frowned. It was unusual for his youngest to leave his rooms in such a manner. He frowned. He had an uneasy feeling…

"Probably he has gone into the gardens for a walk before breakfast adar," hastened Derwen, seeing the worried look on his father's face. Thranduil's face relaxed slightly, as his son smiled. Perhaps he was worrying uselessly. But he was always afraid that he would lose his youngest…

~.~.~.~.~

"Have you seen your brother?" Thranduil felt his heart sinking when his eldest son shook his head. Legolas has not made an appearance to breakfast, and it was past midday now. No one had seen the young elfling, and his father was very worried.

"I'll go and search the grounds now adar. I'm sure he'll have fallen asleep somewhere." Derwen tried not to show it, but he was anxious. Legolas was normally to shy to venture out on his own. He walked out of his father's study quickly, and heard hurried footsteps behind him. He turned to see his siblings following. In his sister's eyes his same anxiety was reflected. They both hoped that Legolas had not wandered into the forest, for it was dangerous for a young one to be out there alone. "We'll help you look for Legolas too brother," she said softly. He nodded and the four spread out to look for the elfing.

~.~.~.~.~.~

A shout caught his attention, and he quickly sped towards it. Derwen had looked for his brother in all the rooms in the palace, but to no avail. He found Thúleon standing beneath the tree which stood near Legolas's window. Leila and Luindór came up from the other direction.

"I've found some tracks!" Thúleon pointed to some barely discernable footprints on the grounds. Derwen nodded and frowned. Legolas had slid down the tree for some reason or another, but why? And where had he got to? There were no other tracks around.

"Search the surroundings," he told them. "And if you find something, call."

~.~.~.~.~.~

"Over here! Come quickly!" Leila seemed very agitated as her brothers came up running. "Human," she whispered as she looked at some deep footprints on the ground. The four looked at each other, sudden understanding dawning on them. The tracks were unmistakeably those of a man, and he seemed to be carrying something, for the tracks were different from those left by him as he approached the place. Derwen turned, and sped towards his father's study his brothers and sister following close behind.

~.~.~.~.~.

He ran as fast as he could with the bundle swung over his shoulders. The elfing had not woken up yet, which was just as well, as he'd have to knock him on the head, spoiling his beauty. And that would have reduced the selling price.  Hurdien smiled to himself. This was an especially good catch. Not only had he managed to take an elfing, he'd managed to steal one which was of royal blood and uncommonly pretty.

He'd been half worried that he'd find a whole army of elves after the caravan, but luckily no one had seemed to notice the young one's absence. He'd managed to leave the caravan as soon as those dratted elven guides had left to return to the castle. Hurdien had slipped off into the forest, knowing that he had to make haste before anyone came to question his companions, who'd then notice he was gone.

The thought of all the gold he'd get for the elfling gave him speed as he went towards the eastern borders of Mirkwood, knowing that he would soon get out of the accursed wood, back into civilisation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Any comments? Pretty please with Legolas on top?? ^_^