Estel came to himself many hours later. It was dark and he was laying up against a tree, but he was no longer in the same forest he had been in before.

What happened?

Estel struggled to recall what had happened when he suddenly felt a burning pain in his back as he moved.

Then he remembered, he had been attacked by a wolf and had been rescued by the elf he was searching for.

At least I hope it's the elf.

Estel felt confident that he had been the elf Gandalf had asked him to find. The question was, where did he go?

As if to answer his question the elf suddenly appeared at his side, arms crossed and staring down at him.

His hood was covering his head and a black covered the bottom half of his face, revealing two narrowed, blue eyes.

Estel didn't know what to say, or if he should say anything at all.

"Can you walk?"
Estel blinked in surprise at the elf's question.
"What do you mean?"

"Can you walk or will I have to carry you the rest of the way?"
The elf asked impatiently.
"Where are you taking me?"
Estel asked drilling the elf with his own hard stare.

"To a place where you can receive proper healing. I have nothing to treat your wound with and if you want to live to see another day I suggest that you answer my question."

Estel wished he could strangle the elf as he carefully stood to his feet. His wound had been bandaged but Estel knew that it needed to be properly cleaned if he didn't want infection to set in.

Usually, he could treat himself if he had been injured, but he couldn't reach the wound on his back, and he doubted that the elf would help him.

Should I tell him that Gandalf sent me?

Estel decided to wait until he was certain that this was, in fact, the elf he was looking for.

"I did not ask you if you could stand, I asked you if you could walk."
Estel glared at the elf as he took a small step forward.

He stumbled and fell to his knees, cursing under his breath as he struggled to get up.

The elf sighed and walked over to him. He extended a hand to Estel; who grudgingly took it.

"It seems that you will need help walking."
Estel wanted to draw his sword and teach the arrogant elf a lesson, only to find that it was gone.

"Are you looking for this?"
The elf drew Estel's sword and held it in front of him.
"I will return it to you once we have arrived."

"Arrived where?"
Estel clenched his fists together as he watched the elf resheath his sword.

"That is none of your concern."
"I will not follow you to an unknown place."
"Then you will die here."

Estel groaned in frustration. What choice did he have?

"If you do not want to follow me I can render you unconscious again and drag you through the snow again if you like."

"YOU DRAGGED ME HERE?"
The elf shrugged which only added to Estel's anger.
"Do you wish to get going or do want to stay out here and freeze?"

Without waiting for a reply the elf walked over to Estel and put one of his arms over his shoulder.

"We are not that far, we should be able to arrive before dawn."
Estel allowed himself to be supported by the elf as they walked through the snow.

Somehow the elf was allowing himself to sink into the snow so that he could be level with Estel.

Which Estel knew that it wasn't for his own convenience, they would travel faster if they were on level ground.

As they traveled on Estel was almost tempted to rip off the elf's hood and see for himself what he looked like.

He understood why an elf would hide from men, but why was this one going to such extremes to conceal his identity?

Estel lost track of time as his mind became flooded with thousands of thoughts and opinions of the strange elf who supported him as he walked.

Could this really be the elf Gandalf wanted to find? Estel couldn't find one good thing about him, other than the fact that he had saved his life.

"Why did you save me?"
Estel asked.
"I was not trying to save you, I needed a clear shot at the wolf and you gave me one."
"I am not talking about the wolf."

The elf never ceased walking as he refused to speak.
"That night when those men attacked you saved me. Why?"

"Is that why you followed me? In order to ask me why I saved you?"
The elf didn't look at him or slow his pace for even a moment.

Was now the right time to tell him about Gandalf?

"I know that you are an elf."
That statement finally caused the elf to stop walking.
"No man can move or fight the way you do. You also can walk on snow, that is not something you see men do every day."

"How do you know so much about elves?"
The elf's voice became cold, dangerous.
"Is it because you are one of them? One of those men who hunt me as if I were an animal? Are they using you to find me?"

Before Estel could explain the elf pushed him off of his feet and he crashed onto his back, causing him to cry out in pain as his wound came into contact with the ground.

"I should have known that it was all a trick. He knew that I would intervene if someone's life was in danger."

The elf drew a small dagger and crouched down over Estel. He held the weapon over his face, ready to bring it down.

But Estel wasn't afraid of the dagger that hovered over him, he was intrigued by it.

It looked familiar....

That is because it was your dagger! The one your father gave to you when you turned ten years old.

Estel suddenly remembered that cold winter night, when he had begged his friend not to leave and had given him his dagger as a reminder to keep his promise to return.

By the Valar....

Estel couldn't waste another moment. He raised his leg and kicked the elf in the chest, the elf grunted as he fell into the snow but he kept his hold on his weapon.

Estel ignored the pain in his back as he launched himself at the elf, trying to either rip the dagger from the elf's hand or remove his hood.

I have to know, I just have to know.

The elf was far stronger than he appeared to be, Estel decided to stop trying to get at his dagger and focus on removing the hood.

He managed to pin down the arm that held the dagger, and pin the elf onto the ground.

The elf was kicking and thrashing in anger as he slammed his free hand into Estel's side.

The man gasped in pain but refused to let go as he did the last thing the elf had expected.

He had been expecting Estel to try and take his dagger, not remove his hood.

So when Estel reached for the hood he had no trouble in ripping it off of the elf's head.

Estel froze as golden hair and two pointed ears were revealed, he could clearly see the elf's eyes and in that moment he knew it was him.

The elf used the distraction to throw Estel off him. He raised himself to his feet, his hair was whipping behind him as he stood with his dagger raised.

He was about to attack again when Estel said something that he had never expected to hear again.

"Legolas?"
Estel asked noting the elf's reaction and confirming his assumptions.

Legolas' brow furrowed in confusion as he reached up a gloved hand to his face and pulled down the cloth that covered his nose and mouth.

His puzzled expression remained as he studied Estel, trying to figure out how this man knew his name.

"Legolas it's me, Estel."
Legolas blinked and looked startled as memories of the little boy he had befriended flooded his mind.

"Estel?"
The man nodded his head.
"Yes, it's me."
Legolas stared at him in bewilderment.

Estel suddenly became angry towards Legolas.
"You promised me that you would return to Rivendell, I waited five years for you to keep your promise and you never came."

Legolas blinked again in confusion. Five years was little to no time at all for an elf.

Estel knew this too and decided to explain why he was angry with him.

But before he could the sound of horses approaching caused both elf and man to turn towards the noise.

"Estel? What are you doing out here?"
"Elladan? Elrohir?"
"Estel! Where have you been?"
Elrohir demanded as he rode beside Elladan towards his brother.

"We have been wondering when you would return to Imladris."
Elladan asked dismounting. "Father has been worried that something was keeping you from return-"

"Legolas! Is that you?"
Elrohir exclaimed leaping off of his horse staring in disbelief at the elf.

Legolas, however, looked fearful at seeing the sons of Elrond as he began backing away.

"Legolas what is wrong? Since when do you fear us?"
Elladan asked approaching the nervous elf.

"I- I have to leave."
Legolas stammered continuing to back away.
"You are not going anywhere Greenleaf!"
Elrohir suddenly ran towards him with Elladan close behind.

Legolas had no time to react to their sudden change of action as the two elves grabbed him and dragged him towards their horses.

"What are you doing?"
Estel asked shocked at what his brothers were doing.
"We apologize Estel, but Elladan and I were asked to search for Legolas and bring him to Rivendell. Whether he wished to go willingly or not."

Elrohir and Elladan were forced to tighten their grips on Legolas' arms as he struggled to free himself.

"I was asked to find him too."
This caught the attention of Legolas who finally stopped struggling.

"What do you mean Estel?"
Elladan asked without releasing his hold on Legolas.
"Gandalf came to me several days ago and asked me to search for an elf, I never got a name but I assume that he meant Legolas."

"You know him?"
Elrohir asked in surprise.
Estel nodded, he had never told the twins about his short friendship with the elf as a child.

"Wait, Estel are you injured?"
Elladan's gaze became filled with concern for his brother.
Estel had almost forgotten about his injury.

"We need to get you both to Rivendell at once."
The moment Estel's words left his mouth Legolas began to struggle again.

"Daro Legolas!"
Elladan shouted as he fought to restrain the frantic elf.
"Do not make us do this!"
Elrohir gritted his teeth as Legolas nearly freed himself.

Elladan took one hand off of Legolas' arm and reached for something in his pocket.

He pulled out a small grey cloth and pressed it up against Legolas' face, covering his nose and mouth.

The elf's eyes widened in terror as he tried to not breathe in but it was too late.

Legolas' eyes rolled back into his head as he went limp in the twins' arms.

"Forgive us mellon."
Elrohir said as he raised the unconscious elf onto his horse.
Elladan helped Estel onto his own horse.

"We will be home soon Estel, just try to rest until then."
Too tired to argue Estel leaned backwards against his brother's chest and fell into an uneasy sleep.