Unable to bring himself to let go….to accept that Tauriel was really gone, Legolas knelt there and cradled her, stricken with grief. Despite everything that had happened in the last week, even in his darkest moments, he hadn't ever really hated her. He had been angry…hurt…but he had never stopped caring for her.

Minutes passed in a sorrow induced haze where everything around him was nearly forgotten. But slowly, the roar of the battle finally came back, thundering into his ears. Only then did the realization that he hadn't been attacked dawn him. But before he could glance around to figure out why, he heard a familiar voice call out. "Iôn!"

There was desperation in the voice that pulled Legolas the rest of the way out of his daze. Eyes darting they finally fell on the one who was keeping the enemy at bay.

After leaving Thorin and his kin a safe distance away from the battle, Thranduil had set to locate his own kin. Determined and worried, he again began to cut his way across the battlefield. But the adrenaline that had fueled him during his fight with Azog was slowly wearing off and he was finally feeling the extent of the injury he'd sustained. His side was on fire, pain shooting up and across his back.

Glancing down between slashes but never stopping he narrowed his eyes, screaming curses internally that he hadn't dodged the blow that dealt the injury. Blood was still seeping from the wound, soaking his side and all the way down to his knee. Gritting his teeth he chose to ignore it. Legolas was more important.

This decision was rightfully made, for when he finally located his son it was just in time to see a black arrow flying towards him. Eyes wide in horror, it was like a scene from a nightmare. But as he yelled his sons name, Tauriel, who had been fighting by Legolas' side did as well.

Relief swelled within him when Legolas stood, yet grimly he came to the realization that Tauriel had not. The anger he had still felt towards her slowly ebbed and was replaced with forgiveness and a twinge of regret. Despite all of her flaws and mistakes she had been willing to give her life to save his sons.

Moving quickly, he closed the distance between them, cutting down any enemy that neared. "Legolas!" But calling did no good, his son was in a different place. A place he had been not days ago.

Moving quickly and gracefully despite the injury, Thranduil circled the two elves on the ground, keeping any orcs that rushed forward away. Minutes passed and bodies slowly began to pile around the grieving prince. But unfortunately, as those minutes passed, Thranduil was beginning to slow.

"Legolas!" He yelled in an attempt to break the spell of sorrow that held his son. He could not defend both himself and his son for much longer.

Spinning, he swung to decapitate another rushing orc. His sword fell true but his foot did not. Stumbling, he had barely enough time to defend from the swing of yet another enemy. The quick and flawless style he had been fighting in at the beginning of the battle was no longer quick and flawless. Blood loss and injury was hampering him now.

Running the orc through, he twirled around the elf on the ground to take down a warg that had been rushing at them. In a quick spin, he dodged its jaws, thrusting Orcrist through its skull. Breathing hard, he turned to defend again.

"Iôn!" The desperation was clear in his voice now but thankfully he finally got through. Shooting a glance at his son, relief flooded him as Legolas' gaze rose.

"Adar?" Legolas glanced from his father, to the enemies on the ground, back down to Tauriel and then up again to the elf king. His eyes widened as the last of the haze lifted and the reality of the situation crashed down.

Thranduil's movement were slow, flawed, enough to effectively defeat the orcs that rushed him, but so unlike his usual form. With a furrowed brow and a pang in his heart, Legolas left Tauriel's side, taking up his knives once more and rushing to his father's aide.

Together they fought, back to back and side by side, both injured, but effectively watching each other's backs.

"What happened to you?" Legolas finally asked in a worried tone between spinning away from the sword fall of an enemy and cutting it down. He shot a glance at his father.

"A careless error." Was all the elven king grit out. In truth, he was feeling it worse and worse with every passing moment. His skin was paling, his head feeling light.

Legolas regarded the older elf with wide worried eyes. As much as his father tried to hide it, he was seriously hurting. The blood soaking his clothes and running off his armor was not drying, which meant that it was still bleeding.

It was then that time seemed to slow down for a moment that seemed to span both a couple seconds and an eternity.

As Legolas turned into a spin to cut the throat of an orc he had just sparred with, his blue eyes just managed to catch movement. Not ten feet from the two of them an orc had just loosed a spear towards the elf king. "Noo!"

Caught up in his own battle with a rather large orc, Thranduil's eyes caught the movement a moment too late. Cutting down the creature, he turned but not fast enough.
With a sickening thud and a screech of steel, the impact caused Thranduil to stumble back with a startled cry.

Eyes wild with pain and anger, the prince took up his bow and felled the assailant within the span of about three seconds.

"Adar! No!" Rushing forward, Legolas caught the elf king by the shoulders just as he sunk to his knees. No….no….no….please, he couldn't lose his father too.

Authors notes
Barely long enough to be called a chapter, I know. But I thought I'd post it anyway rather than making you wait. Plus, I thought I'd explain why it's taking me so long.
There are a couple reasons. From here on out I don't really know where I'm going with this? Like I kinda do...but I don't really. It'll end soon though. Maybe next chapter.
And two, because I've been spending all of my time sewing. I've now nearly completed an entire Thranduil costume. (Dang, that robe was hard.) And I've been making a drow outfit for my larp (Holy cow, drow armor is even harder than Thranduil robe.)
So I'll be busy coming up with finishing these things. But I'll try and write a little daily to finish this thing. I HATE seeing a story left hanging.

So! If you see I still haven't posted after a week by all means poke at me through reviews or private messaging and yell and me to fricken write the damn thing. If you so desire you can also follow my tumblr which is vija-thorn. I post costume progress and lotr's stuff, also art.

Love to all of my reviewers and followers! You are the only reason this fic even happened since I wasn't even going to finish it!