Thanks for all the great reads! Sorry if this update ends up being late (I usually update every 5 or 6 days), and if not the one after will definitely be, due to a holiday next week :)
Please don't abandon this story everyone, stay with me! I love you all ;)

"What do you mean he's GONE? Ada, why didn't you tell me before, I have to go after him, he's going to DIE out there!"

"Ion-nín. Be reasonable. You needed rest; you couldn't just go walking out half-dead!" Elrond's voice was beginning to rise. "Your life is worth more than his, ion-nín. He said it himself, he is a murderer! I assume you didn't know that when you brought him in, and if you did, shame on you!"

When Estel spoke, it was quiet, but confident. "He's not a murderer."

"I cannot for the life of me fathom why-" the Elven Lord paused for a moment as what his son had just said sunk in. "Did you just say he's not a murderer?"

"Yes, Ada, I did. Because he's not. He just believes that he is because that is what his father has told him every Valar-forsaken day of his life! When his mother died in childbirth, it destroyed his father. The only way he could let out his grief was on his son, and so he beat him every day. Every day, Ada! What else could the elfling believe?"

Elrond merely stared at his son. "H-how... why was I not informed of this...?"

"Because nobody knew, apart from me and him, and-"

"How did you know?" Elrond cut in.

Aragorn took a deep breath. "Because I found him. I found him in his father's dungeons, locked away in his father's palace, guarded by his father's guards, almost dead. I didn't know what to do, but I couldn't leave him there, so I... I..." he paused, looking into his father's eyes, which were shining with... tears? "I took him and ran away. We were on the run for a long time. I saved his life... and he saved mine. He means a lot to me, Ada. Eventually his father's guard caught us and... and he was going to take a shot at Legolas. Legolas... froze. I don't know why, or what caused it, but he just froze. I knocked him out of the way but - but I wasn't quick enough. You'd have to ask Îdhír and Tinu for the rest, I hear they came after us."

Elrond frowned, putting together the pieces in his head. Only one thing didn't make sense.

"I was told that his name was Dagnir, but you just called him Legolas, did you not?"

Aragorn considered the point for a moment before replying. "His name is Legolas, of that I am sure. I can also see why he didn't trust others with his real name, especially strangers. What reason does he have to trust other people? He lost that trust a long time ago."

Elrond nodded, but Aragorn hadn't finished.

"Have you considered what Dagnir means in elvish? Have you? It means killer, Ada, he called himself killer. Because of what his father did to him. Because of what Thranduil did to him."

With a nod, Elrond stood, and began to pace the small healing room. His boots clicked rhythmically against the polished wooden floor as he strode from one end to the other, over and over again. If what Aragorn said was true... he supposed be had to find this mystery son of Thranduil's. But that did not mean Legolas wouldn't be punished for practically killing Aragorn. Not physically, of course. Elrond would never hit an elfling, especially not one who had already been through so much. But some punishment would be necessary.

With a resigned sigh, Elrond spoke. "Alright, ion-nín. Go after him. But make sure you bring him back in one piece. If I know you at all..."

"I'll come back half-alive and happy about it, yes, I know, you've said it about a thousand times." Aragorn playfully recited the well-known phrase. "Honestly, Ada, anyone would think you'd been alive for centuries and have run out of things to say - but oh wait, you have!" Estel burst into peals of laughter, which were echoed moments later by both Elrohir and Elladan, who had heard the end of the conversation on their way to visit their little brother, and had come in.

I advise you to take your brothers with you, Estel. I doubt Legolas will be easy to find, and I must say you have proven yourself - unreliable - alone."

"Yeah Estel, don't worry, we'll always be there to help poor ickle Estelkins along." Elladan grinned tauntingly at his brother.

"Why you little-"

Within moments, Elrond was quietly excusing himself as a full-blown pillow fight broke out in the small room behind him.

✧ ★ ✧

The next day, the three set out. Clad in simple clothes, with weapons on their backs or at their belts, they left Rivendell at the break of dawn. It had been almost two weeks since Legolas' disappearance, and they all felt the same urgency to find Thranduil's son before his father did.

The morning was cold, grey, and misty. A chill hung in the heavy air, and seeped through the travellers' cloaks and into their bones. Of course, Elladan and Elrohir could not feel the cold, being elves, but the wet clothes were still distinctly uncomfortable. Aragorn, however, had bigger problems. Shivering, he tried to focus on listening for any signs of Legolas, but all he could hear was the insistent chattering of his own teeth.

Aragorn ignored the cold, ignored everything but the tracks they were following. Tracks that wandered aimlessly through the forest, as though Legolas had just wanted to get as far away from Rivendell as possible. As far away from Aragorn as possible. And that hurt, as much as he didn't want it to. It hurt a lot.

A hand dragging him backwards pulled him back to reality. Waking up to the world, he stared around for the reason Elrohir, for Elrohir it had been, had pulled him back.

He started when he realised the tracks had disappeared at a fallen log some way downstream from Rivendell. Confused, he was about to step onto the tree bridge when Elrohir pulled him back once more. "Let me go."

"Why?"

His sincere question was met with a teasing grin. "Because, my dear brother, I am an elf."

Aragorn grunted in defeated acceptance of the fact and stepped back to let Elrohir through, ignoring the quiet snicker from Elladan behind him.

Elrohir was across and back within moments. "No tracks on the other side, and it looks like he fell from the log."

"Fell from the log? You mean he fell into the river?"

Elrohir looked grim. "Apparently so."

✧ ★ ✧

"This is strange. It looks as though the tree moved."

"Moved? But trees can't move!"

"But look here, Elladan. These tracks show where the roots were, see? They're the exact same shape! Only now..." he moved his finger in the given direction, "Now, the roots are here."

The three were crouched on the riverbank, all desperately trying to understand how it could be possible, and all casting suspicious glances up into the branches of the oak towering above them.

"That's not all. See - it's obvious something - or someone - was dragged out of the river here and it looks - forgive me if this is beyond the believable - as though it - or them - was dragged out by - by the tree."

They all sat back and stared at the oak with a new awe and respect. The two elves knelt , pressing their palms to the bark and whispering their thanks, although they of course were Noldor elves, and nowhere near as close to nature as the Silvans. Aragorn, looking distinctly uncomfortable, observed their gestures and tried not to stare too hard.

"He was special."

"What? Who was special?"

"Legolas. He was special, to the trees I mean. Even when it was just us two, back in Mirkwood. He'd never been near a tree before, but he climbed better than I ever could. I cannot describe it exactly, but it was strange. Different."

The other two shared a glance before turning to their brother. Elladan spoke. "We should ask Ada about it. He might know something."

"That's all very well, my dear Elladan, but do you not think we should... maybe... find him now?" Aragorn asked.

"Well what are you waiting for then, you silly human? Let's go!"

With Aragorn leading, following the tracks, they set off once more  in search of an elfling who gravely needed their help.

Thanks for reading! As I already mentioned, I won't be able to write anything next week so the next update will be late! Sorry.

Next Chapter: A rescue is attempted!

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