__Legolas' Point of Veiw__

The rain poured, soaking through my cloak and into my clothes. The hazy lights of an Inn flickered on the far side of the deserted street. I normally would avoid those places, but I was exhausted and chills wracked my body each time the wind blew.

I came to stand before the doorway, images of what happened last time replaying in my mind. I took a deep breath. This isn't then. Then was ten years ago in a completely different town.

My wet, trembling hands pushed the wooden door open and I stepped into the familiar smell of wine with only a touch of smoke. It smelled like familiar, for a moment. Then the smell of smoke, thick and unpenetrable flooded my mind and my stomach flipped. I clenched the hilt of my sword, grounding myself as I moved towards the bar.

"Can I help you?" the bartender asked, looking up from her work of pouring a glass and handing it to one of the men seated further down.

I nodded and moved to sit beside the man. "Wine, please. As well as a room for the night."

"Coming right up!" she answered and reached down below the counter. She handed me a set of keys and told me my room would be upstairs, the third door on the right. I thanked her as she placed a glass of wine before me. I drank, slowly allowing the room and the liquid to warm me and starve off the chills that had plagued me. It worked, mostly, and just as I finished the drink and was about to retire, the man spoke.

"You're not from around here are you?"

Unsure how to answer, I shook my head. "No, just passing through."

He nodded, taking another sip. "Piece of advice, don't go south. Reports have come in of spiders rampaging that area. It's not as safe as it once was. The elves don't come down that far anymore."

His eyes lingered for a moment when he mentioned my people, and I swallowed at the reminder of them. I pushed the feeling aside and thanked him with a forced smile before heading up to my rooms. I knew I would hear of my people from time to time if I stayed in the area, but it still made my chest hurt.

I left for a reason, I reminded myself. Someone had to look out for the people outside of the border. I knew that adar knew that too, we simply couldn't spare the personnel. My own thoughts made me laugh. That wasn't the real reason and I knew it. I was simply too much a coward to handle the truth.

I squeezed my eyes shut as low cry left my lips. I longed to go back. I longed to drink a glass of wine with my Adar and discuss war strategies. But I couldn't. If I did, I would be sent away again.

The thought of the spiders toyed with my mind as I laid upon the bed. Perhaps I could talk him into letting me go back into the field if I could take a few of them out myself, maybe not lead, but fight nonetheless. I had been doing that with Beorn anyway. It wasn't uncommon for a veteran to step down and hand the responsibility to someone younger. I glanced over to the bow propped up beside the door.

My thoughts went back to the Shapeshifter. I left in a frenzy. I shouldn't have treated him the way I had. He saved my life more than once.

I let out a breath and stared at the ceiling. The cold began to creep in as the wind gushed against the building. I pulled myself up and started the fire in the fireplace. The cold never used to bother me like this. I pushed the thought away and laid back down, allowing exhaustion to settle and pull me into sleep.

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Nightmares plagued my sleep and I woke, gasping for breath, sweat sticking my nightshirt to my skin. I sat up, scanning my surrounding, waiting for an orc or spider to jump out at me. Nothing. There was nothing. I was in an inn just outside of Mirkwood. I was safe.

I shook my head, furrowing my brow and squeezing my eyes shut to block out the memory. It wasn't the first nightmare I'd had, but it was the first one recently. Most times I was simply restless, but tonight I felt the hairy legs of a spider curling around my paralyzed body and the stinging, burning pain of venom being injected into my skin. I shuttered. I opened my eyes and say my bow once again. I knew what I had to do.

My heart raced at the thought, but I needed to kill. I needed to gain that power back. That was the only way I would be able to banish them from my nightmares and the only way I would ever be able to go home.

I stood up, my eyes darkened slightly at the headrush, but I pushed on, quickly changing clothes and strapping on my bow. I hoped the man I spoke with the night before would be there, but as I came down the steps and scanned the room, there was no sight of him. I sighed and shook my head. I could find the herd myself but would have liked to have a general idea of how large it was before I went after them alone.

After a quick breakfast, I headed out into the early morning fog, my boots sloshing in the mud. I headed south, the trees became darker and the ground dryer as the rotting leaves above kept the rain from leaking through. The tree's song quieted, their energy stilled. I bit the inside of my cheek and squeezed my bow.

My heart raced as I began to see the signs of spiders passing through. Trampled plants and web heading north. I followed, notching an arrow, senses on high alert as years of training and fighting came back into play. My mind quieted as I stalked my prey.

A stick snapped and I raised my bow, ready to shoot. Another broke followed by hundreds of footsteps. My heart rate quickened again. I scaled the nearest tree, ignoring the think slim the covered it, sucking its life way. It called out to me weakly, but I had to ignore it.

Just below me, the horde of spiders trampled everything that happened to be smaller than they were. I had no doubt they would upon me at the slightest movement. I stayed my bow and tried to slow my breathing with no avail. The scene was too familiar. My vision blurred and came back into focus.

My ellyn were here, right? Where were they? I had to get them out. We're outnumbered. My lungs heaved, but no breath reached them. We were stuck. They could take me where I stood at any moment. My vision blurred and I felt myself sway. I reached out, grabbing the nearest branch to keep from toppling to my death. Leave crunched and bristled at the action, drawing the attention of several spiders below. Eyes wide, I held myself there, praying to the Valar none of them had spotted me. But to no avail.

A spider hissed and several more followed its lead. A hiss from above and I tried to move out to the way, but just as I jumped to the next branch, it dropped down and pain shot through my shoulder. I cried out and lost my grip, dropping to the ground below. My legs buckled beneath me, as shooting pain vibrated through my body. I hunched over myself, reaching for the wound as warm blood soaked my tunic and spread across my fingers.

Another came from behind and I fell, rolling over just in time to save myself its stinger. I looked up at it, its dead eyes boring into me. My stomach revolted, but I kept it down.

I stumbled to my feet and forced myself to let go of the burning wound. They circled me, hissing, as I unsheathed my sword. They backed at the sight of it, but then closed in. I was outnumbered and they knew it. Where were my ellyn?

I swung, killing one but another took its place. I swung again and killed another. They hissed at me and one shot out a web, tangling my feet and tripping me.

My breath left my body at the sudden impact against the wound. My mouth gaped but nothing came out. Pain rippled through me as another struck my side. I called out as air finally found its way into my starved lungs.

I pushed away, stumbling myself back to my feet, holding my sword ready. One got too close and I struck it down, an all too familiar haze covered my eyes as I fought off one after the other. They struck me with their stingers, but I couldn't stop. To stop would mean certain death. The death of myself, and the death of my soldiers. I couldn't let them down.

Blood burned my nostrils as I tried to ignore my growing fatigue. I spun out of reach from one, only to be hit by another. Pain erupted in my abdomen. I stared at it, mouth opened as blood found it was up into my throat. I looked down. A patch of red spread from the wound. I took a step back and my knees buckled beneath me. My vision blurred, black spots flickered around the edges.

The spider crawled over me. I tried to move, but my body refused to obey. It hissed as it wrapped its legs around me. Its web began to wrap around my legs and then my chest. My breath came in jerked gasps as the white web covered my face. I couldn't' breathe. Where were my ellyn? Help. I couldn't breathe. I needed help. Why was no one coming? I couldn't breathe.

Then my body slammed into the dirt, jolting me from my panic. The spider screeched and I felt its legs move away from me. Had my men come? Did reinforcements arrive early? My thoughts swirled, confusing past with the present.

The world darkened even as the web was torn away and the man from the inn spoke, but I was too far gone to heed them.

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Pain radiated through my body. I seemed to rock back and forth in the air. My stomach churned. I let out a groan as bile rose in my throat and I was unable to swallow it back down in time. I rolled onto my side the best I could before the contents of my stomach spewed out of my mouth. I balled my fist as it burned my throat and the movement seared everything else. Liquid leaked from my closed eyes as I rolled onto my back once more.

The swaying eased as I seemed to be lowered down. Faintly I heard someone call someone else over and I felt a hand placed over my forehead. They seemed to call to me but didn't have the strength to respond as darkness overtook my senses.

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The next time I awoke, I was in a tent, alone. Nausea had lessened, but the pain hadn't. Every move I made sent waves of agony through me so I lay there, breathing, unable to comprehend much else through the fog.

After a while, the pain lessened to a dull throb and I opened my eyes again as someone entered. I stared at him for a moment, trying to remember where I knew him from. He had dark, shoulder length hair, and he wore the cloak of a Dunedain. But there was something else. A flicker of a spirit long ascended in an ancient assessor. The man from the Inn. Maybe it wasn't a dream.

He came and knelt beside me, taking a cool cloth and wiping the sweat from my face. The water sent a chill through me and I shuttered, closing my eyes as the pain spiked once more.

"How do you feel?" the man asked, pulling the cloth away. I waited a moment before attempting an answer, my voice hoarse.

"I'll be fine. Thank you..." I was surprised at how much strength it took to simply get the words out and I closed my eyes once again.

The man let out a breath, shifting in his seat. "You sound like a soldier."

I didn't answer and simply looked up at him before closing my eyes once more. He took the hint and sat back, letting the matter drop. He didn't need to know who I was. Not that he would recognize my name even if I told him.

After a while, he began to mill about quietly. I ignored him, letting my weary body rest. Usually, I would have questioned him, asked where we were headed and what his business was. But my mind couldn't comprehend enough to do so.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep, someone placed a hand on my shoulder, gently shaking me back to awareness.

I jumped at the treatment, mind spinning as I tried to reach for my knife only to find it gone. I sat up, a blurred figure sat beside me and I backed away, unsure of this new adversary. My back hit the tent pole and I was forced to stop. My heart pounded and my ears buzzed. I needed to get out of here.

The hazy figure stayed where he was. I blinked and he cleared some, but not enough for me to trust him. He seemed to be speaking. I tried to listen. He spoke to me in my own tongue.

"Easy, soldier. It's alright, you're safe. I'm not going to hurt you." I blinked again and the man from the Inn came into focus. "Just breathe. You were hurt in a scrimmage which is why you're here. My men and I saved you. I'm trying to help you. Can you trust me?"

I blinked again, trying to process the information. I looked down at my torso, wondering if what he said was true. Splotches of red had begun to seep through the bandages and light sleepwear. I looked up at him and then back to the blood as pain started to hover at the edge of my mind. I leaned forward as it grew, squeezing my eyes with a groan shut as pain tore through me.

I swayed, every ounce of strength gone. A hand reached out, grabbing my shoulders before I could topple over. "Easy..." he said, holding me upright. I rested against him, catching my breath as the pain pulsed.

As it eased, he helped me back to the pallet on the floor and I fell asleep before my head touched the ground.

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I stirred as the swaying stopped and my back suddenly rested on the hard ground. A soft groan escaped my lips and I forced my eyes open, the fading sunset still bright to my eyes. I looked over to find the man from the Inn standing a few feet away, giving out orders and speaking with an older man beside him. I watched them for a moment, eager for anything to distract me from my injuries.

I cast a quick glance at our surrounding. The trees were gone, replaced by vast plains of golden fields. Shrubs surrounded us, acting as protection from unfriendly eyes. Still, I couldn't help but feel vulnerable. Orcs could easily attack and we would have nowhere to go. The very thought made my stomach flip and my head spin. Bile rose in my throat, but I swallowed it down. Still, I needed to get out of here. I needed to get back to the trees or Beorn's place, one. There was a reason we never left strayed too far.

Just as I was about to push myself up, the man from the Inn came over and knelt beside me. He placed his hand on my brow again, but this time I stiffened. Who was he? Why was he taking me with him? I opened my mouth to asks, but he spoke first.

"I'm sorry we couldn't wait for your wounds to heal. A few of my men were poisoned as well and they can't fight it off themselves. How is the pain?"

I looked at him for a moment. "Who...are you...? Where... are we going...?" It came out breathless and weak, but the man didn't comment.

"You can call me Estel," he answered. "We're making for Imladris. You and a few others need more help than I can give. Your body doesn't seem to be fighting off the venom as it should be."

I nodded. I knew it wouldn't. After all, that's what got me out of my homeland in the first place. I wondered at this man's connections with the elves there, but couldn't find the will to question him.

He smiled as he stood, letting the matter rest of the moment as he moved away. I couldn't help it as my eyes scanned the area. It was unsettling, being so far from any sort of protection through the men around me didn't seem to notice.

A tent was set up and I was more than grateful when two men lifted my litter and set me inside. The movement sparked pain through me once more, but I bore it gladly, simply happy to be out of plain sight as I let myself fall back into a restless sleep.

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They chased me endlessly, refusing to give up or give in to fatigue. I stumbled across the deserted planes, searching my fea desperately for the soft whisper of a tree. Nothing. I was alone in the blinding daylight as orcs and spiders hunted my blood.

Pain wracked my body but I could feel their breath on the back of my neck, hissing, waiting for me to give in. I ran on, breath hitching as each step send waves of agony through my core. Where were my ellyn? Why are there no trees?

My mind spun. The dead grass beneath my feet blurred. My foot hit a rock, sending me falling forward. The spiders enclosed around me, venom dripping from their stingers. The sky turned gray, then black. They moved closer. I tried to pull myself to my feet, tried to run away, but my body refused to meet my mind's demands. One's leg brushed against my face and I shuttered. It hissed and sunk its teeth into my skin. I tried to cry out, but nothing came and I--

"Wake up." The call penetrated my fear. They placed a hand on my shoulder and I jumped, pushing them off and scurrying back. Dry grass crunched beneath me. My heart rate quickened. This couldn't be. This had to be a nightmare. I never left Beorn's house.

"Easy, soldier," the voice says, calm and collected. "It was just a dream. Your fever is too high. It's causing you to see things."

I gasped for breath, trying desperately to blink my vision clear. The man from the Inn, Estel, he called himself, knelt beside me, his hands up in a sign of peace. My head felt heavy and my stomach churned. I slowed my breathing and he came closer. I wanted to move away but didn't have the strength. He helped me lay back down, but I forced myself to stay awake.

"Home..." as all that came out when I tried to speak. I needed to see healthy trees again. It's too dangerous out here.

Estel shook his head. "It's alright. We'll be there within the week and as soon as you're fit, you'll be free to go wherever you please. Just hang in there for now."

I nodded. There was nothing I could do. He wouldn't understand the danger we were in just by being out of the forest.

"I'm sorry, but we have to keep moving," Estel said and I took in our surroundings for the first time. I was on the ground with the other men around us, the sun high in the sky just behind the clouds. "Try and get some more rest."

I nodded and my eyes fell closed. A moment later, I drifted off to the swaying of the litter.

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Something cool wiped my forehead and I shivered, turning my head to get away from it. "Come on, Legolas. That's it. Open your eyes." The voice was soft and strangely familiar, though I couldn't place it. I blinked and they moved the cloth away. A figure sat beside me, cloth in hand. The room was dim, but I could make out the pale features of his face under the glow of his fea.

"Lord Elrond..." I tried to sit up but he gently pressed me back down.

"Easy, Legolas. You're not ready to move about just yet. You've been very ill. Estel was afraid you wouldn't make it."

I furrowed my brow and looked around. "Estel... Where...?"

"Don't worry. He is well. He's been here to check on you every day since he brought you here nearly a week ago. Why did you not tell him who you were? We've been searching for you for ten years."

I looked away to avoid his gaze, guilt weighed on my chest. But how could I explain I didn't tell Estel because I didn't tell anyone anymore. Does he not understand happened? Why I left to begin with?

When I didn't answer, he drew a breath. "Never mind that for now. It's still dark and you should rest some more. Your fever has dropped and I would like to keep it that way."

I closed my eyes, glad he didn't push the mater. I felt fragile. Exhaustion pulled at me and I was asleep within moments.

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I woke two days later to find Estel in the chair that had previously been occupied by Lord Elrond.

"Estel?"

The man closed the book he had been reading, setting it aside. "You're awake! I was beginning to wonder again. How do you feel?"

I took a moment, taking stock of myself. The pain had eased, though still present, and my head felt a bit clearer than it had the last time I had woken. "Better," I answered. "What are you doing here?"

Estel shrugged. "My father needed a break so I took his place so he could sleep."

I furrowed my brow. "Your father?"

Estel nodded, then sat back as if the topic made him uncomfortable. "He's my foster father. I was brought here with my mother after my birth father was killed. He has taken care of both of us."

I nodded. I knew it wasn't uncommon for men to seek refuge here, but Lord Elrond usually only took direct heirs of Gondor under his wing. I started to ask, then thought better of it as Estel stood and moved towards the curtains. He pulled them open, allowing the sun to pour inside. I closed my eyes, relishing the sun's rays. It seemed like it had been so long since I had last felt it.

"Will you open the window?" I asked and he complied. The fresh air hit and I breathed as deeply as I could as to not aggravate my injury. "Thank you," I whispered. He nodded and came to sit beside me once more. A moment of silence passed between us before he asked.

"Why did you not tell me you were the Prince of Mirkwood?"

I licked my lips, unsure how to answer him at first. Then I looked at him. "Have you been into the darkest part of the forest?" He shook his head. "Than you wouldn't understand. It's dark there, Estel. Light hasn't touched the forest floor in hundreds of years. It messes with you, the darkness swallows any fea it can. It--" I stopped myself. I hardly knew this man. I hadn't told anyone of the nightmares that plagued my every waking mind and I didn't intend to start now. I looked up at him. "Thank you for saving me, and bringing me here. I owe my life to you."

But he shakes his head. "Think nothing of it. My men needed to be brought here as well. But tell me, why did you go after the horde alone? Why didn't you just ask to join my men?"

I swallowed. "Estel, I am weary. May we speak of this later?" He nodded.

"Of course! I am sorry. You still need your rest." He reached for a mug on the bedside table and went over to the fireplace, filling it from the cauldron there.

He placed the mug on the table and helped me sit up, handing it to me. My hand shook as I took it and was forced to use both hands. He didn't comment on it though and waited patiently as I drank half of it before handing it back. "Thank you," I told him, then settled back down, intent on falling back to sleep.

But it avoided me. Thoughts of the past ten years floated through my mind. I had kept them to myself for so long. I opened my eyes a slit, just enough to see him sitting there, the book reopened in his lap. I didn't want to tell him anything, but I had a feeling he might get it out of me anyway.