{}«Legolas' POV»{}

My entire body aches by the time we make camp on the first night of travel. But I don't dare utter a word about it. My mind is elsewhere anyway. What if we don't get there in time? What if we are already too late? No, we will get there and adar and I will then see to this threat together.

We crossed the Anduin River several hours ago. I learned from Haldir that the bridge had been built across it to ease traveling to and from the new addition of the realm.

After the War of The Ring, a road was made from my homeland to East Lorien, making it the most likely choice of path for my adar to take. If no one we come across has seen him then we would search the road. I hope we meet him before then though.

"I have seen your adar fight." Aragorn says sitting down and handing me a bowl of stew. I take it eagerly, allowing my hands to feel the warmth that seeps through the dish. "It would take an army to defeat him in a fair fight."

I smile knowing he is right, although a little exaggerated perhaps. But it comforts me some nonetheless. "You know, when I returned home after your coronation, I believed we would be able to live in peace. I suppose my thinking was somewhat naïve." I say with a sigh.

"You thinking wasn't naïve Legolas." He says, "I too hoped to live in peace till the end of my days."

Silence slowly falls around the camp as time passes. I gaze up at the stars that sparkle in the black veil of night. The same stars I have gazed upon since I was just a small elfling in my adar's arms. They are something I can count on to never change. They follow me wherever I go, watching over me. It brings me some small peace to know this, a strange contentment no evil can take from me.

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The horses' hooves thunder under us as we gallop into the last settlement of East Lorien. No word of my adar passing through has come to any of the settlements thus far. Haldir motions for his ellyn to stop and he dismounts and ascends the steps that lead up to a wooden building. It is larger than the others in both height and length. Aragorn and I dismount as well and follow Haldir while Elrohir elects to stay outside.

Opening the heavy wooden doors, we step inside. We are greeted by an elleth who seems to know Haldir. Her hair is chestnut brown in color and her eyes are grey. Haldir greets her with a light kiss on the cheek.

Haldir turns to us, "This is Merileth and she is my betrothed and the daughter of the chief of this settlement."

Merileth smiles, turning to Aragorn, "You must be Lord Aragorn." And turning to me she says, "And you must be Legolas. It is a pleasure to meet you. Haldir has told me much of you both."

"The pleasure is ours my lady." I said with a slight bow.

"Is your adar here Merileth?" Haldir asks his love.

"Yes, I will fetch him for you. Is something wrong?"

"We believe there may be trouble, yes." Haldir says, and Merileth, sensing something must be very wrong, leaves to find her adar.

As soon as she disappears around the corner I turn to Haldir. "Why did you not tell me you were to be married?"

"We have not been betrothed long. I sent a letter to you a few weeks past but you must have already left by the time it arrived."

"And you did not care to mention it the past few days?"

"It was hardly the place or time." He answers coolly, pretending to take interest in his fingernails. He refuses to meet my gaze as I drill him with a hard stare.

A snicker came from Aragorn and we both turn to see what he thought so amusing.

"You act like children, the two of you." He says.

Haldir grins and so did I. Our little squabble was childish and I suppose we have the stress of past weeks to thank for it. Haldir continues to tell us of Merileth and her family and also of the life that they plan to build together.

"Congratulations gwador." I tell him, "I am happy for you."

Merileth appears with her adar minutes later. He is short for an elf but from what Haldir tells me, he is a worthy opponent in battle.

"Mae govannen." He says, and Aragorn and I introduce ourselves before he continues. "My daughter tells me you have something urgent on your minds?"

"Yes, my lord." Haldir says. "We have reason to believe King Thranduil is under threat. He was supposed to pass through here, have you heard from him?"

"Goheno nin I have not." He answers regretfully. My heart rate quickens at his answer. Adar should have been here by yesterday or sometime earlier today and I start to fear the worst. I turn on my heel, bolt out the door and mount my horse. Shouts come from behind but I ignore them, urging the horse on. I head for the road that leads out of the settlement and into the forest. If my adar has not been through here then he must be somewhere on the road. Several villages of men are scattered out through the miles of roadway but many places are desolate with nothing but dense forest to either side. A perfect place to attack an unsuspecting party.

I ride hard for hours before I start to see signs of battle. My heart stops as I pull my horse to a halt and dismount. I notch an arrow in my bow but the forest is quiet, eerily so. The dark blood of Orcs form puddles on the white snow. Littered across the forest floor are bodies of both elves and Orcs. I continue listen but not a sound reaches my ears. I start to panic, my breath comes quickly as I race down the path, stepping over bodies as I go. But I do not see the one I seek.

I run nearly a mile before a sound rings in my ears. The sound of metal on metal. I race in that direction, away from the path. And then is I see them. Thranduil, my adar, stands upon a snow covered mound with his sword raised above his head, blocking the blade of his opponent. The figure is speaking to him while their blades remain locked but I am not close enough to hear what is being said. The figure is turned away from me and cannot see his face.

I start to run to my adar's aid. But before I can make my presence known, a thud sounds and adar's voice rings throughout the region around us. He falls to his knees and from the way he landed, I know he has been shot in the leg. I aim my arrow at the surrounding trees, waiting for the shooter to make himself known.

Nothing.

Another clash of steel brings my attention back to adar. His opponent has circled him and now stands on the opposite side, preventing me from getting a clear shot. My heart races and my chest tightens, one wrong move and adar is dead. His opponent stands over him, sword raised. I re-aim my arrow, pulling the string back until my finger touches the corner of my mouth. The figure goes for the final blow and I let my arrow go.

A second too late.

Time slows as I watch the cold unforgiving metal penetrate through adar's armor and pierce his skin. He lets out an anguished cry and crashes to the ground as the blade is pitilessly ripped from his body.

"Adar!" I cry, and then I realize my error. The figure had staggered back from the force of my arrow in his shoulder, but his thick armor had stopped it from doing much damage. He looks at me and I quickly notch another arrow. Neither of us move until he breaks the silence. "You and I will meet again little brother." He runs into the woods, his dark garments making him dissolve into the forest.

I run to my adar, kneeling into the already blood soaked ground.

"Adar." I call as I start to remove the armor around the gaping hole in his chest. "Adar answer me!"

"I'm here." His voice is faint, sounding distant.

"Stay with me adar." I beg. "It's going to be okay. Try not to move." My hands quickly become covered in his blood. It seems the more I try to stop the bleeding, the more he bleeds.

"Legolas."-He coughs-"Legolas stop."

"No! I'm can not to let you die! You-"

"Legolas, listen to me." He pleads. "There is something you should know."

"You can tell me when you're well. Right now do not speak." Tears start to brim my eyes, blurring the red of the blood with the white of the snow.

"No... Legolas, saes listen to me." I look at him, his eyes pleading me to listen. "I should have told you this long before now, saes goheno nin." He coughs again. "When your mother was captured, your older brother, Calithilon, was captured also. I looked for them for years until I had no choice but to assume the worst. I should have told you that you had a brother... Goheno nin... He has returned..."

My head spins and breath is stolen from my lungs. Adar's coughs bring me back. Blood spews from his mouth. He doesn't have much time left. I don't know what to do. The wound in his chest continues to spill blood. I cannot move him and everything I try to slow the bleeding is done in vain. He seems to sense this as he lifts his hand to take mine.

His voice is barely audible. "You will make a great king ion nin."

"No, stay with me! Don't leave me, saes don't leave me!" Tears fall freely from my eyes.

"I will see your naneth soon. She would be so proud of the ellon you have become, as am I." He takes a stuttered breath and with a slight smile on his face, he looks up at the sky and exhales. His hand relaxes before sliding to the ground with a deafening thud.

"Adar? Adar No!" I cry and pull him into my arms. The world stops. He can't be gone. He can't be! But I receive no answer as I continue to call to him.

A hand on my shoulder causes me to stop. I look up and through blurred eyes, I see Aragorn. He doesn't say anything. He just sits down beside me and rubs my back as I continue to desperately cling to my adar's body.