A Dream Within Words

Chapter Two: Fantasies and missing children.

Summary: A young and very imaginative Legolas soon discovers that dreams are not always formed at nighttime, and that even they can seem unbelievably real and just as dangerous than what they are assumed to be.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone associated with Lord of the Rings, nor with the Golden Compass. I get no profit from making this fan fiction. This is purely fan made. Also, the characters that I have created (meaning the brothers) are mine (duh), and I take great pride in them. If you so desire to borrow them, feel free to ask. - Large quotes by themselves in italics are words taken from the book, simply used for the dream like sequence. Everything else will be improved (to the best of my abilities). Italics with ' shall be thoughts.

A/N: I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those stories that will only come to me from time to time and rarely. No matter. I'm glad that out of the 41 people who read this story (at least the first chapter), one person actually reviewed. It made me unbelievably happy. Especially since this person had read my earlier story! Thank you very much, Nebelkin! You have no idea how happy your review made me!

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"You must come, look, Hérion! Saes!" late morning and still in his night cloths, the smaller blond figure continued to attempt to drag his elder and painfully aggravating brother away from his room and towards the hallway nearest Legolas's own. Hérion didn't seem too thrilled with the idea of not only being dragged, but with being forced to do something he clearly didn't, and struggled.

"Surely this can wait till later?" he asked, ignoring the hopeless look on his brother's features, opting to glance outside the nearest window for a moment. "Look, Legolas, I need to leave soon. Father has requested my presence to go over some letters. Can't you be patient and till tonight?" No, Hérion wasn't always the cruel and imposing brother he was often described as, his image was usually blown out of proportion when it concerned two certain blue-eyed, younger elves. That was ending soon, however, seeing as Taurnil was soon going to be leaving for a patrol and would be gone for quite a while. Hérion was looking forward to this.

Staring up at his bigger brother, the elf child shook his head quickly before tugging again at his sibling's wrist. "This is important!" what Legolas failed to realize was that when most things were 'important', they generally held no importance to the people (or rather, his family) around him. He wasn't to blame, after all, for the adult mind simply didn't understand the thrills of childhood anymore. It's their fault they let themselves get old, anyhow. Giving in with a grunt, Hérion followed his younger brother, being led to the portrait across from the little ones room. He watched with interest filled green eyes as the portrait was taken down, and slender hands probed at the wall. The interest soon faded to boredom as he looked to the owner of the prodding hands, watching as excitement fell to disbelief and uncertainty. "Well, if you're done with you're little games, I shall leave you to do work that has been put off for far too long."

Legolas didn't hear his brothers parting words for he was too focused on the wall in front of him. What had happened to the door? It was here…it had to be here; he had opened it last night! Sure, the…walls were different, and the picture wasn't there, but…it…it had to be there. It just had too. Dejectedly he placed the picture back on the wall before silently heading into his room and changing into his tunic and leggings. His eyes didn't understand what was going on at all. What he felt wasn't a dream. It couldn't be! Thoughts continued to swirl in his young mind, a determined pout filling his fair elven features as he opened his door and walked purposefully to the wall. He was going to prove Hérion wrong! The thing was there! It had to be!

He would surely show his family that he wasn't lying, and that this place existed. What better way to find a way back there and bring back something from that place; something that had never been in the Mirkwood palace before.

Lyra Belacqua was a notoriously mischievous little girl, and by little, that is no understatement. Shorter than most girls, yet stronger in spirit, Lyra had much to think about. Thanks to her small size, she had been able to listen into the meeting her Uncle, Lord Asriel, had attended. From there, her and her daemon Pantalaimon (although the latter did so unwillingly) learned many a strange thing, such as Dust. Of course, she was never really given a thorough explanation of Dust, only that it was important, and that she wanted, no…desired to learn more of it.

Information, however, would have to come to the young girl at a much later date, considering the newer epidemic at hand. Gobblers were their name, and their profession was to steal children. It was this new discovery that allowed Lyra and her companion Roger (a servant boy who worked in the kitchens of Jordan), along with their Dæmons, to search out the very creatures that seemed to plague them. Their initial search turned to something entire different when they had discovered for themselves the catacombs under Jordan. The two were enraptured by all there was to see in the area, the two kid's minds off of the Gobblers.

"Whaddya think they are?" asked Roger one day, staring intently at the plaque that listed two names, a year, and a slogan underneath. Lyra too looked intently at it, her sharp blue eyes twinkling brightly. "They look like graves," she finally whispered, her soft voice seeming to echo in the vault around her as the two continued to peer. Turning to look at one another, the children grinned and turned, moving off to other parts of the dark room, checking out coffins and looking at the skeletons of the people that once inhabited them.

Pantalaimon fluttered on Lyra's shoulder, flexing his soft moth wings, eyes darting around. A shiver escaped him, a feeling of unease rolled through his small body. It could, of course, have been the fact that they were down there among dead bodies, yet…something just didn't seem right. Apparently Rogers's dæmon seemed to share the same uneasy feeling, his terrier tail seemed slumped for the moment. The two weren't sure of what exactly was going on, but it wasn't pleasant at all.

Turning his attention back to the situation at hand, the dæmon wasn't pleased to see Lyra about to reach into the skull of a Scholar. Fluttering wildly in her ear, he waited for her to set it back down to it's original spot, replacing the object before keeping down to her shoulder once more. The girl moved her hand to her shoulder, allowing the small creature to crawl onto her hand and eventually get situated on her palm.

"What's the matter, Pan?" asked the girl, slightly irritated over the fact that her dæmon was ruining at lot of her fun at the moment. The creature looked up at her, speaking to her in a high pitched and light voice. "I don't know…I don't like the feeling of this place," came his hesitant response, looking around as if expecting to see something suddenly fall out from the walls.

His expectations were met, however, as something or rather someone fell out from the wall.

Most of the day had gone by with Legolas's hands greedily feeling at the all in front of him all for naught. Half the day had gone by and he still had not discovered that of which he had the night before. Looking up at the wall accusingly, the elf child broodingly went down the hall, allowing his feet to guide him rather than his mind steering him in an obvious direction. He would have continued had he not crashed into someone. Stumbling back, he put a hand to his head, rubbing a sore spot and looking up, ready to offer an apology. The words were lost on his lips when he found his older brother Taurnil standing there, armed and ready to leave.

The elder elf began to smile yet paused, seeing the look on his younger siblings face. Picking up the child, Taurnil tapped his brother on the nose. "What is wrong, little leaf? What makes you so down hearted? I would hope that it is not for my departure," the blond warrior waited patiently for his brother's response, which was in that of a tight hug around his neck. The elder elf gently patted the little one on his back comfortingly. "I'll be as soon as my work allows me," promised Taurnil, looking at the mess of light golden hair as Legolas buried his face into his brother's shoulder.

He didn't want his brother to leave. Taurnil wouldn't have walked away from him as Hérion did when he had shown the green haired elf the wall. Taurnil would have helped him find it, of that Legolas was sure. After a few moments of silence, Legolas turned to look at his brothers' face. "I found a secret hide out…" he mumbled, eyes going downcast for a moment. Taurnil tilted his head lightly and arched an eyebrow, his lips quirking into an interested smile. "Oh?" Legolas nodded. "It's in a wall." Taurnil's reaction wasn't like Hérion's, and for that Legolas was grateful. Rather than feeling skeptical, Taurnil's expression filled with wonder. "Oh really? You're going to have to show me when I get back. Promise?"

Legolas smiled. "Pinky promise."

Setting the small child down, Taurnil squatted, meeting Legolas at eye level and linking his pink with the child's. "Pinky promise," they both vowed before Taurnil stood up and shouldered his bow. "Why don't you escort me to the border, tithen las?" with an exuberant nod, the two began to the door that led outside. Hérion was there, waiting for Taurnil, the two of them nodding to one another. Blank green eyes looked at the elven boy, Taurnil looking out towards the sky. "Legolas," spoke Hérion, glancing at the seemingly oblivious Taurnil before looking back at the elf boy. "Why don't you go wait for me in the garden?"

Biting back any sort of retort, the elf child waved silently to Taurnil, who smiled back before heading to the garden, going over to his favorite tree in the world. The moment he was out of earshot, Hérion turned to Taurnil. "He told you about the wall?"

"That he did…"

"What do you make of it?"

Taurnil sighed, looking down at the floor before back at Hérion. "Nothing more than the over exuberant mind of a child. Hérion let him continued to be a child. Before we know it, he's not going to the be the little elf that depends on us anymore. If not for his sake, do it for ada. He was forced to watch us grow up all to quickly…allow him to observe his youngest son in all that childhood and innocence has to offer."

"I'm not going to go along with this farce," muttered the eldest, causing Taurnil to roll his eyes lightly.

"I'm not requesting that you do so. Just be nice to him and try not to gang up on him too much. Heaven forbid you do so and I find out about it when I return." Waving lightly, the elf met up with the patrol he was going with and left the safety of the palace, heading off into the darkness of the forest that surrounded him. Hérion snorted lightly to himself before heading over to the empty garden. "Legolas?"

Legolas didn't hear, however, for he was in some other area, in some other time, staring wide eyed and with shock at two other people who held the same exact expression as they stared right back at him.

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A/N #2: So…right as I finished typing this post, I happened to look up and see a mouse run behind my computer desk. I'm currently on my bed, so its not like it worried me or anything…I found it very odd. I've decided to name it parsley for the time being. Its name is parsley. I hope he brings inspiration to me while he stays in my room…until he flee's, that is…

Anyways, seeing as it's twelve o'clock midnight, I'm going to be posting this and heading off to bed. :'3 Once again, I would like to thank Nebelkin for the review and for the alert! 3 Love for you! Now, I've said it before and I'll say it again: Reviews are loved and appreciated!

Till next time!

Inwe