Chapter One

Bilbo stood on the battlefield, he had his ring on, to protect him from being shot at. Still it did not entirely protect him from harm, for as he was trying to escape the battle, a stray Ork arrow cut into his arm. He felt the poison filling him, he quickly took off his ring stuffing into a pocket, on the hope that someone would find him in time. Then the pain came, it felt as though he was being burnt alive by black fires, before blessed blackness took him down.

It was a young dwarf that found him and brought him to the halls of healing. As with the other poisoned weapons used by the black races, such wounds could only be cured by elves. He laid the small creature down on one of the rugs that had been brought in, as there was no more space for beds. Already these rugs were stained with the blood of three races, some that had made it and were already recovering and those that had not. Thranduil left the man who he had been tending and hurried over to the wounded hobbit, with the necessary herbs. It was clear that the hobbit wasn't long for this world, if he didn't do something and the man he had been helping had already had herbs applied to his wounds so while not safe, there was a better chance that he would live, then the pale still form of the halfling. Thranduil stared down at the creature for a moment, before starting to pack the wound with herbs. The minute he touched the halfling, a bright light filled the room and Thranduil nearly collapsed on top of Bilbo.

He had never expected to find the one that held the other half to his soul again. He knew that there was always a chance that his soulmate would be born again, but he hadn't believed the valar would be kind to him. His heart filled instantly with love for the halfling and determination to see that his soulmate would be well again. He felt his eyes moisen, as he remembered Renelidar, his beloved that had been slain in defeating a dragon so many years before. It was a dragon that had brought Renelidar back to him, even if it was in a different form then Thranduil remembered. Even if Renelidar was no longer an elf in this life, he was still Renelidar, even though the Valar had taken away his memories when they had given him a new body. Thranduil couldn't stand the long centuries of waiting for his beloved to return, not again.

The other half of his soul was again in danger, the hobbit was near death, Thranduil had seen that chalky white skin too many times before and it never boded anything good. There was only one thing that could save the hobbit now, but bonding would tie Thranduil's life to Bilbo's for all of time. The bonding would make Thranduil mortal, he would still have centuries left to live, but eventually he would die. His life would also be tied to the hobbits, meaning if Bilbo went to the Valar so would Thranduil and the hobbit would be equally bound. What he was considering was rarely done, so rarely in fact that he could count on one hand the times it had happened. To bind yourself to another creature like Thranduil was considering was not only painful, but dangerous as such a binding could only be attempted when one of the soul matched pair was near death. Sometimes the binder would follow the bonded into the afterlife. Bilbo could reject the bond, and wind up dooming them both to a horrible end and much pain. What Thranduil was considering would leave Bilbo with no choice, but to stay close to him for the rest of his days. Thranduil couldn't let the hobbit choose this for himself, as without the bonding Bilbo would never wake again. To do what Thranduil was considering, to tie someone to him without consent, was considered worse than rape to elves. Looking down at the pale form of his soulmate, Thranduil stared uncertainly at a precipice. To be with his soulmate, Thranduil would risk anything, for anything was better then the emptiness he felt without him. He saw the too pale skin and labored breathing for what it was, the hobbit was near death. without Thranduil's help he doubted that the small halfling would ever wake again. Yet if he helped the hobbit, it would be forever bound to him. They would sense each other's emotions when they were particularly strong and know when the other was in danger. They could also talk mind to mind if they wished, as their bond grew stronger.

"Father I know what you are thinking, please do not do this." Legolas said and Thranduil stared at his son, the only thing in the world, beside the hobbit he'd never even spoken to, that he loved.

"I cannot watch him die, not again." Thranduil said, was that weak childish sound his voice.

"And you won't Father, we'll heal him."

"Look at him my son, does it look like any attempts at healing, beside the bonding, would be sucessful?" Thranduil demanded. "I know what I am considering is wrong, but I can't live without him, not anymore."

"But its been centuries Father." Legolas said and Thranduil nodded.

"It has been centuries, since Renelidar died, that is true. Yet still I had not had contact with his soul, in all that time. I cannot wait again for him to be reborn and find his way back to me, if he could even manage to do that. Yet I cannot do this...This sacraledge."

"There is a drug we can use, that is given to those at the end of their time...It is very painful, but perhaps we could use it on the hobbit, to gain his assent to what you propose." A elven healer, that had seen a thousand years more than Thranduil had said. "I always carry some of this herb into battle, so those like you will not have to make this choice." He said and Thranduil nodded.

"Give it to him." Thranduil said, cutting his hand with a dagger, as a flask of something was poured down Bilbo's throat. Bilbo made a gasping, choking sound, as his eyes flew open. A hand going up defensively as his whole body shook. "You have been injured, you are near death, you will not survive without me binding our life force together. Either you tie to me, or you will go to the Valar."

"I don't want to die." Bilbo said his eyes fluttering closed a moment. "It hurts so bad." He said and shuddered a moment. "If I don't bond to you, I will die right?"

"If there was another way, I would not consider binding our lives together. Yet if we do not take this course, you shall die."

"Do it then, bind us." Bilbo said and his eyes fluttered closed, Thranduil clasped his bleeding palm to Bilbo's wound.

"Yassen agar amin gwedh mín cuil go." Thranduil said, there was brief flash and both the hobbit and Thranduil screamed, for what seemed like eternity to Legolas, before his father crumpled and laid still. Legolas ran to his father's side and felt relief wash over him, as he saw that his Father was still breathing.

"Take him and his soul bond back to the Greenwood, the forest will help Father to recover and perhaps the hobbit through his connection to him." Legolas said and several of Thranduil's guards nodded, they took one of the litters and placed both Thranduil and Bilbo upon it. The only way that they would both fit was turned on their sides, as Bilbo's shoulder no longer bore a wound it was considerably easier than it would have been, if the wound hadn't closed with the binding. Still the hobbit had lost a lot of blood and their king and his soul bond might not recover from being injured. They lifted them both and started to walk away from the battleground and back to the Mirkwood.