Hello peeps! Chapter 3 is now on air! +stares at wide eyed readers+ You are finally going to find out who this strange elf is! +No reaction+ umm, Elrond makes an appearance? +Nothing+ OK... I'll just get on with writing...

(I don't know how to spell Elrond's last name, and I couldn't find it on the net, sorry if it's wrong!)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the orcs - which I'm not OVERLY proud of having- Tolkien is the genius behind it all.

Thank you for your reviews! They kept me going! ;-)

Revealing Identity... And Elrond...

Where are they? Lord Elrond of Rivendell strode back and forth in his study. If elves had not been light, the worried lord would have worn a hole in the carpet. Glorfindel - his close friend and advisor - watched from the old oak desk amusingly, although, inside he was pondering over the letter they had received earlier;

Dear Lord Elrond, It had said-
I am writing to ask you for help. My youngest son has been missing for the past three months - and counting. I have sent out and taken part in many patrols and search parties, yet none have been successful.
It all started when a large group of orcs were seen heading towards the north edge of Mirkwood. Of course, we pursued them, me and my youngest son - Legolas - led the other elves in. But when we attacked, Legolas and I were separated and, after a long battle, I and the other elves could not find him - among living or dead. The only option was that the surviving orcs (for there were a few) had taken him. He hasn't been seen since. I and his two older brothers - Keldarion and Tarvion - are heart broken with worry. Legolas could be dead!
That is why I need your help, Elrond. You, Glorfindel, Elladan and Elrohir could find him. Not to mention the ranger you took into care. Please, Elrond, the orcs were last spotted in the distance nearing the borders of Imladris by a couple of Mirkwood elves that had gone far to track them. You could find Legolas and bring him home.
Please - my son is too young to be in the hands of orcs - find him and bring him back.
Yours hoping,
King Thranduil of
Mirkwood.

As soon as Elrond had read the letter he had grown exasperated - If the orcs could capture a well trained warrior prince, no matter how young, AND escape the blades of an elven king, they were unlike any orcs the Lord of Rivendell had seen or heard of for years. The fact that he had sent his sons out to destroy them alone had sent him into deep thought over worry. Glorfindel sighed and walked over to his long time friend and Lord.
"We could take out a few warriors and search for them when dawn breaks." He offered, putting a hand out to halt the pacing Peredhil in his steps.
"Are you sure? Will that be enough?" Elrond said, worry layered in his voice. Glorfindel nodded and moved away to the study door,
" Aye, as long as we are with them." With that he opened the door and walked out, silently closing the door behind him, to organise some elves for the search at dawn.

When Glorfindel left, Elrond took in what his friend had said; wondering over the safety of his sons and - with the now desperate letter from Thranduil - the young prince of Mirkwood's health. Staring down at his hands, Elrond sighed, sorting through in his head what he would need for a potential rescue mission in the early morning, and left his study to prepare.

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"How is he?" Elladan asked, peering over his foster brother's shoulder at the elf lying at the tree trunk's base. The whole night had passed and still no sign from the younger elf had shown - alerting the three brothers of any awakening. Elrohir had gotten restless and was standing against the tree, tapping his fingers against his crossed arms. No orcs had come over to them, but then, the beasts had only woken about an hour ago. Aragorn sighed and shook his head, resting his hand on the blonde elf's brow - the fever from the previous night had died down but had not completely left.
"He is not as well as I would like, but then again, I can't know how he feels if he doesn't wake." The older twin nodded, knowing how difficult it was to pin-point how an unconscious patient was feeling. Suddenly, the younger elf's hand twitched, then it clenched into a fist, then relaxed again. Elladan whispered for Elrohir to come closer while Aragorn held his breath. The elf's right arm moved to his head, covering his eyes.
"Mellon? Are you awake?" Aragorn whispered into the elf's ear. The injured archer groaned and his arm fell away from his face, showing that his eyes were halfway - trying to open but too heavy to do so.
"Mellon? Can you hear me?" Aragorn tried again, placing his hand on the elf's shoulder. He was greeted with success;
"Aye." The blond elf replied - though weakly. Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other thankfully, then back to the elf. Aragorn smiled and rested his hand on the archer's chest, watching as the elf winced slightly, took a deep, rasping breath, and said -
"Who are... you?" Aragorn opened his mouth to reply but Elrohir beat him to it.
"I am Elrohir, my twin here is Elladan, and the man is Aragorn. We are the children of Elrond Peredhil of Rivendell." The archer's blue eyes opened wide and he drew a shaky breath.
"My lords... I didn't... know... you were... the sons of... Lord Elrond... I ...I..."
"Tis fine," Elladan said "How were you to know? We have never met before. Speaking of which, who are you?" The older twin of Elrond spoke softly and kindly - the archer felt comfortable around them, unlike the orcs...
" I ... I am... Legolas..." The blond elf started to cough horribly, so he didn't see the looks of pure disbelief on the three brothers' faces.
"You mean, Prince Legolas? The son of the elven king Thranduil? Of Mirkwood?" Aragorn asked, gobsmacked.
"Aye... Tis I..." The elf finnished in a bout of coughs again, a little blood dribbling out of the corner of his mouth.
Elrohir rushed to Legolas's side and held him up as he began to cough again.
"But, how did you come to be in the company of orcs, Prince Legolas?" Aragorn asked, pulling a small clump of atheleas from a pouch on his belt out.
"I... was captured... an attack..." The blond elf replied, his coughs subsiding. Aragorn crushed the atheleas and dropped it into a spare water flask that the orcs hadn't taken.
"Here," He said, holding it up to Legolas's lips "Drink, it well help." Legolas nodded and drank as much as he was told to, slumping back onto Elrohir afterwards.
"How long have you been with these orcs, Legolas?" Elrohir whispered to the elf in his arms, "about... three... months..." Elladan's mouth hang agape, as did his brothers'.
"Three months? But how...?"
"They... wanted an...elf to fight... for them. I fought... back, but they... knocked me ...out and next thing... I knew, I was ... miles from home... with my ...weapons gone. I ...had no choice." Legolas closed his eyes and rested his fair head against Elrohir's shoulder. Elladan and Aragorn nodded mutely, before realising that the Mirkwood prince didn't see it. "Well, I think you should rest, Legolas before the orcs come back." Legolas nodded slightly before falling into a restless sleep - eyes still closed. A few minutes later, the leader of the orcs sauntered over, giving Aragorn a kick in the back that left the ranger rubbing it vigorously. "Well, has d' guard felled asleep? Can't 'av 'dat..." He placed a well aimed kick in the prince's ribs, waking him up and sending him scrambling for his weapon. "I...I'm sorry... master! I'll... not sleep a - again!" Legolas found and held his weapon and bowed hastily, trembling. "I should 'fink so! Get dees' captives up an' chained an' get 'em movin'!" Swiping at Legolas again, the orc walked off, shouting orders as he went.
"I'm sorry," Legolas said as he found the ropes and bound the children of Elrond, "I can't... disobey... orders again... I.. I'm sorry..." Once he had finished tying the man and two elves and attaching a rope to lead them by, the archer started to gently pull them along, until an orc came by and took the rope off of the prince, telling him that the leader wanted him up front, to keep watch for trackers. Legolas nodded, and, with one last guilty look at Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir, rushed to the front of the group, swapping his blade for his bow. "When we escape," Elladan whispered to his brothers "We must bring him back to Rivendell, King Thranduil will want his son back." The other two nodded in agreement, silencing when the orc pulling them along looked back at them.

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"Are you ready, hir nin?" Glorfindel asked Elrond as they mounted their horses, to find the twins and ranger. "Aye, more than ready, mellon nin." The lord of Rivendell replied with a smirk on his face. Signaling for the other elven warriors to follow, Glorfindel and Elrond galloped out of Imladris.

An hour or so later, Elrond brought his horse to a canter beside Glorfindel's. "I sent a message to Thranduil," He started, "He should receive the it in about a day, then meet us at the southern border." Glorfindel turned his head and muttered "Well, he better be quick, I'm not waiting for a century while he dwindles around in Mirkwood." Elrond chuckled - He and Glorfindel were close friends with the king of Mirkwood, and both of them knew that if this was about his son, or Elrond's sons, he would come as fast as he could. Another few hours passed before the Rivendell company reached the south border. There they had a lunch break, before setting off on a search for the orcs - and hopefully the prince and Elrond's sons.

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There we go! Chapter 3! Hope you enjoyed it!

hir nin - my lord

mellon/mellon nin - friend/my friend

I'll try and post the next chappie soon!

Namarie,

Hunter of Valar