The next chapter is here! I'm very busy with school now, so I suppose I won't upload more chapters this week, but I will try my best. Now, here's some elvish words, and I'm really not sure if I wrote them right, so tell me if I made a mistake.*

Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR although I wish.

~~~~ Chapter 3 ~~~~

They all have been standing and waiting and none of them could say how long they are here. Gandalf was thinking about password but Frodo approached.

"It's a riddle." he whispered. "Speak "friend" and enter... what's the elvish word for "friend"?" he asked looking at the wizard.

Gandalf stood up and took his staff.

"Mellon." he said.

For a moment nothing happened, but then, the doors started slowly opening.

"Oh finally!" smiled Merry.

"Soon, Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves. Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone! This, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!" said enthusiastically Gimli.

Legolas didn't answer. He was staring into the dark corridor. Underground wasn't the best place for Wood Elves. He swallowed and when he was about to make first step, he hesitated. Aragorn came up to him knowing the darkness may make his memories back. He placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't fear mellon nîn. You're not alone." they gazes met. "I will go with you, okay? Now, come." he pushed the elf gently.

Legolas sighed and nodded, making silent steps. He was happy Aragorn is with him.

"This is no mine. It's a tomb." said Boromir.

The Fellowship turned around and saw dead bodies of dwarves. Their skeletons were laying all over the place.

"No! Nooo!" shouted Gimli in rage and grief.

Legolas looked at Aragorn and crouched to the one body, picking an arrow from its chest. He examined it carefully.

"Goblins!" he said after a minute.

He, in case, put an arrow to his bow, aiming for the shadows. Aragorn and Boromir drew out their swords.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here." said man from Gondor.

The hobbits turned away and started going to the doors. They didn't notice something is stirring in the water.

"Now! Get out of here!" shouted Boromir. "Get out!"

Everyone made a way to the exit, but suddenly, Frodo was pulled down, from the behind.

"Frodo!" shouted all hobbits.

"Strider!" now shouted only Sam.

Aragorn, and the rest, turned back.

"Help!" cried out Frodo.

"Get off him!" said Sam cutting of the tentacle of the creature.

"Legolas! Watcher!" cried out Aragorn.

The elf joined him with a fight and released an arrow which shot it in the another tentacle. Suddenly, one of them grabbed Legolas' leg and pulled him into the water. The archer was struggling.

"Get off me!" he shouted and took a dagger. The next what happened was a watcher screaming in pain when the elf cut off his another tentacle releasing him from the grip.

He fell on the ground not saying a word and quickly stood up, releasing next arrow in another leg. The Watcher pulled Frodo in the air, but Aragorn jumped into the water and cut off his leg. Frodo fell into Boromir's arms. He caught him and laid him on the ground.

"Into the Mines! Quickly!" shouted Gandalf.

The Fellowship obeyed and went into the cave.

"Legolas!" he heard his name but it wasn't Aragorn. It was Boromir.

"Into the cave! Run!" shouted now Aragorn.

The elf quickly shot an arrow which landed in the creature's eye. The beast screamed and hide in the lake. A fair prince ran into the mine after his friends, and the rocks fell, covering the entrance.

"We now have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world." said Gandalf emitting the light from his staff.

Legolas looked around biting his tongue. It was so dark and cold here. Like in his cell a year ago.

"Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed." said Gandalf.

Four days? He will have to be here for four days? It is another nightmare or something?

The mine was very big, surely, they will get lost here. They were walking for an hour. They all were tired and wished to take some sleep. Dark corridors were huge, only their steps were heard.

"Gandalf... when will we stop? I can't take anymore..." complained Merry.

"We will stop when I say we're stopping, Meriadoc."

"So when it would be?" asked now Pippin.

"When we get to the first stairs. It's a good shelter, in case of an attack."

"An.. attack?"

"Yes, didn't you hear Legolas? Goblins made a massacre here, we cannot let ourselves get noticed."

Pippin only whimper from exhausting and sighed. Legolas needed a light. He needed Gandalf's staff. He came up to Mithrandir as close as he could. Next to him was walking Gimli. Legolas, in his panic state, didn't notice a dwarf and he bumped into him.

"Ouch! Watch out you blind! We aren't looking for trouble!" he hissed.

"I'm.. I'm sorry, I didn't see you." he apologised quietly.

"Of course you didn't, you see only yourself."

"Gimli, stop it." ordered Gandalf, also knowing why the elf came here.

He hit the ground with his staff, so it gave more light. Legolas sighed and looked at the wizard thankfully. He nodded smiling. Gimli, unnoticed, hit the elf in the hip. Legolas gasped quietly with fear. The dwarf hit him. They used to hit him in the hips too.

"I see some of us are more important than others..." he muttered under his nose and walked away, leaving scared elf alone.

They quickly managed to get to the stairs.

"Now, we can take a rest." said Gandalf and burnt one of the torches, who lightened up the place. Legolas sat in the corner, and rolled himself to warm up. He was cold again. It was because of darkness. He massaged the place where Gimli had hit him. The stairs. He was sitting next to the stairs. When he was captured, they also used to tie him up to the stairs and violate. They didn't pay attention of his screaming and crying. Of his begging. Again, his peace was disturbed by Boromir.

"Could you help me with this rope?" he asked pointing to the thing in his hands. He wanted to wrapped his waist around it.

He looked at him scared.

"Y.. yes." he answered with trembling voice.

Aragorn was talking with Gandalf and Frodo, also Gimli was arguing about something.

He stood up and came up to Boromir.

"What do you need it for?" he asked trying to calm down.

"It is easier to cooperate with sword. But I can't tie it behind my back. Could you, maybe?" he asked.

Legolas nodded swallowing. He carefully helped the warrior, his hands were trembling. After that day, he has never touched a human body. His hands were failing him. First, he tied it up too weak.

"Oh, c'mon, don't tell me you don't know how to tie a rope."

"I.. I do." he said and tied it strongly. Much too strongly.

Boromir pushed his hands away and accidentally cut himself with a rope.

"Ah, you stupid elf! Can't you do one thing correctly?!" he shouted and grabbed his neck in anger.

Legolas gasped and stop breathing in fear with eyes closed. His whimper wasn't loud, he could not stop the tears.

Shout of Boromir filled the air and immediately everyone looked around. Aragorn and Gandalf were first.

"Boromir!" Aragorn shouted quickly running up to them.

He grabbed Boromir hand and pulled it away hard. The man released the archer. Legolas ran away and sat with tears in his blue eyes. He was now leaning against the wall. Aragorn quickly pushed Boromir aside with furious expression on his face and kneeled next to his friend. Legolas hid his head in his knees.

"Legolas.." Aragorn whispered softly putting a hand on his shoulder.

The elf didn't answer, didn't even look up.

"Legolas... mellon nîn please, I'm here." he said looking at Boromir, still angry. "Please, look at me." he turned back to Legolas again.

Legolas slowly glanced at his friend with pain in the eyes.

"Estel..." he whispered sobbing, very quiet.

"I am here, my friend." he squeezed his cold hand gently.

He was trembling.

"Avo 'osto. Ce ú-er." he whispered

"Estel... he wanted to hurt me..." he said silently, only Aragorn could hear this.

He didn't take his hand off the elf. He wanted to cuddle him very strongly. The whole fellowship was observing them. They were shocked by the elf's behaviour. Boromir came up to them. On his sight, Legolas pulled back against the wall even harder. He was so scared, so afraid. Aragorn stood up to defence his friend.

"Don't go near him." he hissed angrily.

"I.. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. I don't know what was that.. forgive me.." he said with tears in his eyes.

He didn't want to scare the elf. He didn't know he is that weak. Gandalf knew why Boromir snapped at Legolas in this way. It's the ring. He's affecting him.

"Don't say anything now. Just don't come near him." Aragorn hissed once more time and came back to Legolas, who was still trembling.

He saw tears in his eyes. He brushed away the hair from his face.

"Legolas, look at me." he ordered gently and smiled.

The elf obeyed but couldn't stop his trembling.

"Ar.. Aragorn.." he began.

"Yes, what is it, mellon nîn?"

"An evil... something's out there... someone is watching us.." he said weakly.

Even when he was out of his mind, he thought about the quest.

"It may be Saruman. There's no need to worry. He isn't a danger to us here." said Gandalf and came up to the ranger.

"Take care of him, I will talk to the rest." he whispered.

"But don't tell th-"

"I know. Keep calm."

Aragorn smiled and nodded. Gandalf went to the fellowship and leave them alone.

"Legolas, we're alone now. You can cry and tell me how you feel."

"I.. I don't want to cry..." he whimpered. "But.. I c.. cannot.. he.. he wanted to hurt me.."

"He didn't mean to. The ring slowly affects him. He isn't bad."

"Everyone hates me.. it would be.. better if I wasn't here now..."

"No, they like you. They don't hate you. We all need you Legolas."

"I'm.. I'm afraid... he can hurt me again..."

"I won't let him. I won't let him go near you if you wish."

They looked at each other. Aragorn's heart was breaking again. His best friend suffers and he doesn't know how to help him.

"I am no coward..."

"Of course you're not. Has someone said that? Tell me, I can talk to this person."

"No.. no I... I wanted to... to help him.. he.. he asked me if I can tie th-the rope."

"You didn't have to do this. You are never forced to do such things with men if you don't want to. You could've called me."

"I.. I didn't want to disturb.. you were.. talking with Gandalf. I didn't want him to.. to think that I'm arrogant..."

"Shh, it's alright. He won't hurt you, I swear."

"Go to them Aragorn. They are your friends. You should be with them right now..."

"No. You are my friend. And you are the only one with whom I want to spend time now." he smiled. "Are you cold?" he asked.

The elf slowly nodded still trying to stop his sob.

"Here, take it." Aragorn whispered and wrapped his cloak around the elf's shivering body.

He did exact the same thing when he found him a year ago.

"Better?"

"A little. Estel..."

"What?"

"I.. I want to thank you. For all you have done for me. Nobody has ever taken care of me like you do every day. Without you I.. I would fade away a long time ago. You saved my life. Not only once but.. this what happened.. a year ago.. I will never thank you enough." he said, his voice was stronger now, he wasn't crying or sobbing.

"Oh, mellon nîn, there's no need to thank me. Every friend would do that."

"No. Only true friend would do that. A brother." he smiled.

"You will be always a brother to me. Like you've always been. This thing will not change." he smiled back. "Now, get some sleep."

Legolas doubted that he will be able to fall asleep in this darkness, but nodded and closed his eyes. Aragorn still only wrapped his cloak around his friend to make himself sure that he is warm enough. Legolas smiled lightly at this gesture but didn't open his eyes. Aragorn didn't know if he's asleep, but he left him in peace and came up to the rest of the fellowship.

"How is he?" asked Gandalf when he sat down next to him.

"Would be better, to be honest. But would be worse also. I told him to get some sleep." he said quietly glancing at Boromir, who looked concerned.

"I really didn't mean to... I just wanted him to help me. I don't know why I reacted in that way. I didn't mean to scare him. Forgive me, please..." he whispered. In his eyes were sadness and grief. He was honest.

Aragorn exchanged gazes with Gandalf.

"I can forgive you, son of Gondor. But do not come near Legolas until I tell you to. If you want to apologise to him, you must wait until he is ready." said Aragorn.

Boromir nodded.

"Why did he react like that?" asked Frodo.

"He..." began Aragorn searching for excuses. "He doesn't like.. being touched by anyone." he said. It was true, but he didn't need to tell them details.

"Will he eat my stew if I leave him some?" asked Sam.

"I guess so. Now, let's let him sleep."

"We'll leave when he wakes up." said Gandalf and everyone nodded on his words.

He looked at Legolas, who seemed to be sleeping and sighed, turning off the light from his staff...

T.B.C

Dictionary:

Avo 'osto. Ce ú-er - Don't worry. You're not alone