Light poured in through the white silk curtains blanketing the sleeping prince with soft warm light. He opened his eyes slowly and blinked up at the golden rays. He smiled and sat up. His fair hair fell in waves around his shoulders.

          “My Lord?” a voice said by the doorway. Legolas looked up and noticed a guard walking in.

          “Your father wishes to speak with you,” he said with a calm tone to his voice.

          “Thank you, tell him I’m waking now and will be with him shortly,” Legolas said with a smile and swung his legs over the bed. The door closed indicating he was now alone in the room.

        It was a bit of a surprise to see sunlight spilling over the kingdom of Mirkwood when it had been raining for the past few days. Legolas smiled at the idea of going out today and improving his archery skills. Ada never wants to see me this early, I wonder what it is? Legolas thought all the while putting his tunic on and getting ready to present himself to his father. As he walked down the hall a few elves bowed and walked on; he had gotten used to this treatment long ago. When he arrived at the throne room he opened the door and walked in, a few elves were discussing something with his father, who looked up as Legolas walked closer.

            “Ion-nin, I’m sorry for waking you this early but it’s urgent…” Thranduil said and turned back to address everyone in the room.

            “Orcs have been seen getting closer and closer to the palace, they seem to be only a few days out. I need every available warrior to find out how far out they are and what there intentions are…” Thranduil said and turned back to Legolas, who now stood by his father’s side.

          “My son, I need you and your brothers to ride out to Rivendell and warn Elrond, but please look presentable when you arrive, I don’t want everyone in an uproar….” Thranduil said with a stern yet gentle tone to his voice.

          “Yes, father…” Legolas said with a smile and walked out. Thranduil had a horrible feeling about this, but how could he warn Legolas of this?

       Legolas walked out of the throne room and almost ran into his brothers who happened to be walking down the hall at just the right time.

          “Aldeon…” Legolas addressed his eldest brother.

All at once, the three brothers turned toward Legolas and Aldeon stepped foward.

          “What is it Muindor?” Aldeon asked placing a hand on Legolas’ shoulder.
       
          “There are Orcs close to the palace, Adar wants us to ride to Rivendell and warn Lord Elrond of this. We must look appropriate when we arrive,” Legolas said quietly.

          “Let us get ready then,” Aldeon said abruptly and turned away, his brothers following close behind.

   As soon as they were all presentable they walked down the hall, Aldeon stopped them when they were just outside the palace doors.

         “Everyone please be careful, you know what Adar said, I don’t want any of you in danger,” Aldeon said adressing his brothers who listened intently.

         “Don’t worry, Aldeon, we will be fine,” Legolas said with a smile. “Now may we leave?” he said with a laugh and went to his horse, who was ready and waiting. As soon as they were all mounted they rode off towards Rivendell.

         “Remember when we got into trouble as elflings,” Aldeon started, breaking the silence an hour later, “We ran through these woods unattended and without anybody knowing, Naneth was furious when she found out…..” Aldeon said, his voice trailing off. Silence washed over them again at the mention of their mother. Legolas was very young that day but he remembered it all to well, they all did, for it was the same day they lost their mother and the kingdom lost a beloved queen.

Aldeon stopped suddenly and looked around, “There’s something out there…” he said quietly.

           “What is it Muindor?” Legolas asked soon after, he looked around as well but found nothing a miss. Suddenly an arrow flew through the air and hit Legolas in the side. He gasped in both surprise and pain. It was enough to knock him off his horse and he lay there, still.

           “Legolas?!” Feren yelled as he watched his younger brother fall to the ground. He quickly jumped off his horse and ran to Legolas’ side.

          “Aldeon!” Tavaro called as he joined Feren on the ground. Tears welled up in his eyes at the thought of losing his brother.

        “Feren. Tavaro. I need you to to return to the palace, tell Adar about this.” Aldeon said, trying to stay calm.

       “What about you, Muindor?” Tavaro asked. He did not want to leave but he knew he needed to.
 
      “I will stay with Legolas here, he is too injured to be moved. Once he is able I will ride to Rivendell,” Aldeon said already taking Legolas’ tunic off, being gentle about the wound on his side. Legolas responded with a groan of pain.

     “Alright, Aldeon, we’ll go but please do be careful,” Feren said and they both hopped on their horses, riding back to Mirkwood.

     “A-Aldeon…..” Legolas whispered, his voice barely heard. Aldeon smiled down at him and rested his hand on his brother’s forehead.

    “Legolas, everything will be alright, I’m here. I need to take this arrow out, so please keep still for me.” Legolas only nodded and he closed his eyes. Aldeon slowly began pulling the arrow out. A small whimper escaped Legolas’ lips as the arrow was extracted. Aldeon noticed black coming out of the wound as well as Legolas’ own blood.

     “Poison…” Aldeon thought to himself. He needed to get Legolas to Lord Elrond and fast.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Thranduil stood watching his quiet land from his room. The people of Mirkwood were sleeping unaware that their Princes were in harm’s way. He sighed and turned away. Suddenly his door was thrust open and two extacted looking elves came rushing in.

      “Adar!” Tavaro yelled.

      “Feren!? Tavaro!? Whatever is the matter?” Thranduil asked. Worry crossed over his face for he knew something was wrong.

     “It is Legolas, Adar…..” Tavaro said, surprised at his own voice for being so calm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     Elrond had been walking down the hall heading back to his study, when he saw his two sons running towards him.

      “Adar! Come quickly, it is Legolas, he’s been poisoned. We need you right away.” Elrond was already down the hall by the time Elladan had finished speaking. He rushed into the healing wing to find a very pale Legolas lying on the bed and a concerned looking brother sitting next to him on the bed.

     “Lord Elrond, is there any way you can help?” Aldeon asked standing up, his voice breaking with emotion. Elrond nodded and stood by the bed, his hand on Legolas’ forehead.

    “Yes of course, I must extract the poison first before I bind his wound,” Elrond said walking back to the work table. His two sons joined him soon after. Legolas gasped awake, his eyes wide and full of tears.

    “Adar!” he cried, forgetting about the wound on his side. He tried to sit up but was met with gentle hands on his shoulders.

    “Be still Muindor, you are in Rivendell. Adar is not here, I’m sorry,” Aldeon said calming his brother down as best as he could. Legolas continued to yell for his father. He was scared and he needed someone who could comfort him.

~~~A few hours later~~~

    “Thranduil was seen on the road heading this way…” a guard said by the doorway.

    “I will meet him; Aldeon, try to calm him,” Elrond said gently and headed out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thranduil walked swiftly through the halls of Rivendell. He was headed to the healing wing when he was stopped by Elrond.

      “Thranduil, your son is not faring well, he was poisoned by an Orc arrow. He has been calling for you ever since he awoke. Come, he needs you,” Elrond said and walked down the hall with a concerned father in tow.

       “Where is my son?” Thranduil asked upon entering the room.

      “He is here, Adar,” Aldeon said looking up from his position next to Legolas on the bed. Legolas himself had at least calmed down a bit, though he still had tears flowing down his face.

     “Oh, Ion-nin, I’m sorry for not coming sooner,” Thranduil said standing next to the bed. Elrond approached the bed and handed the Elven King a bowl.

     “It is for the poison. He will heal in time but he will be weak even after he recovers,” Elrond said and watched as Thranduil slowly lifted his son’s head and helped him drink.

    “I am able to bind his wound now,” Elrond said and grabbed some healing herbs along with some bandages from the bedside table. He went to work immediately. Thranduil held his son’s hand as he watched Elrond. Legolas cried out the entire time and it broke his father’s heart to see his son like this.

    “It is done,” Elrond said a while later while wiping his hands off, “He needs rest now. Thranduil, you may stay with him if you like.”

    “Thank you, mellon-ion,” Thranduil said and sat by the bed.

    “Everyone, let’s give them some time alone,” Elrond said ushering everyone out the door. “Thranduil, if you need anything, I’ll be in my study,” he said and closed the door. Thranduil smiled a little and went back to looking down at his son, whose eyes were closed, an indication to an elf that something was very wrong.

    “I’m so glad you are alright, son. I’m sorry for putting you and your brothers in danger like this, it was never my intention,” Thranduil said and stood up but was stopped by a hand on his wrist. He looked down and noticed Legolas looking up at him with a teary gaze.

    “D-Don’t go, Ada…” Legolas said quietly. Thranduil sank back down on the chair and took Legolas’ hand.

   “I’m sorry my son, I will stay.” Thranduil said. He was trying to stay calm for Legolas but it was becoming more and more difficult.