Disclaimer: the Lord of the Rings is not mine.

Sorry for the mistakes…I'm not English!

Chapter one

Legolas leaned against the tree's trunk.

"I'M GOING! AND THAT'S FINAL!"

The discussion he had with his father just a few moments ago came to his mind.

"Legolas, you cannot go. Can't you see it's a trap?" Thranduil said.

"And what am I supposed to do? Stay sitting idly knowing that he can be alive but still doing nothing to save him ?" the prince was furious.

"It's only been three days since it happened. You're not recovered yet."

"And I never will if I do not go!" Everyone could see that the prince's eyes were filled with tears.

"Ion-nin, listen, I know it's hard, I know what you're going through and-"

"NO, YOU DO HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT I HAVE LIVED THESE DAYS. IF YOU KNEW YOU WOULD LET ME GO!" all was silent. "Damn it, ada. You don't understand." he looked at his father. "You can't understand "he whispered. Then, Legolas turned and walked towards the door. Elladan grabbed his arm.

"No, Elladan, let me go" he looked into his eyes. "Please" he added.

"Where are you going?" asked the twin.

"To my room"

"Legolas ..."

"Let me go" After some seconds, he let him go.

Legolas closed his eyes. The smell of blood seemed to follow him wherever he went. Two tears swept his cheeks.

The prince stumbled. Again. He was hurt and tired. They were outnumber by the orcs, and only a few elves were still fighting. The rest of his patrol was badly hurt or dead. He fell near a corps. He looked at it. And he acknowledged it. He was Anenfel, one of his best friends. He knew him since their childhood.

'It's not fair' Legolas thought, as his eyes filled with tears.

The prince opened his eyes. The determination shone on them. He clenched the letter that was in his hand. He would carry out the decision that he had made long ago. With a last look at the castle where his father and his friends should be looking for him, he said:

"I'll find him and we will return. This is a promise"

And then he looked away and began to walk toward a place that he might never return…

Three days before…

"I'm tired, I'm hungry, I want to go home...Oh Valar, I couldn't stand it more! I'll ask Voronda what kind of warriors he has trained." The prince teased.

"Hey! It's not my fault that a princeling like you didn't know how to guide us!" laughed Anenfel.

"What?!" Legolas opened his eyes and feigned hurt pride "I'm your prince and I can do with you whatever I want, do you understand?"

"Yes, of course your highness…" the two elves looked at each other for a moment and then they started to laugh. Then, Numenya, their friend, arrived.

"Hey, you two! I think you should begin to prepare yourselves or we will never arrive to the palace." said him.

"Of course, your highness!" replied Anenfel and Legolas together. Numenya shook his head, but smiled.

"You're crazy…"

"Yes, your highness, we are crazy, your highness"

"Oh Valar. Well, really, Legolas, you should order everybody start moving "

"You want to go home, true? Me too" the prince said "We are going home! Take down the tents!" he shouted.

The camp was took down in less than an hour. All the elves mounted their horses and waited for the order of their commander.

"Let's go!" the prince, Anenfel and Numenya led the march.

They rode cheerfully for an hour. And then, all of sudden, they noticed them.

"ORCS!" shouted the prince.

"LEGOLAS!" shouted Anenfel, while his friend fell from his horse, that had received an arrow in the chest.

"Protect the prince! Protect the prince!" said Numenya, dismounting from his horse, drawing his bow and standing in front Legolas. Anenfel ran and kneeled beside the prince.

"I'm alright, I'm alright. Find the archer." said Legolas.

"Numenya is looking for him. Be quiet and let me see if you're wounded"

Before he could do nothing, a wave of orcs came out from the trees.

"What?!..."Anenfel stood up.

Legolas stared for a second and then he shouted.

"KNIVES!" it was too near for the bows "DRAW OUT YOUR KNIVES!"

Anenfel helped his friend to stand up and a second later they were surrounded by the orcs. All was confusion. Shouts and the sound of the metal crashing was the only thing that Legolas could heard. With a deft move, he dodged the enemy's sword and then killed him. He looked around. They were outnumbered by the orcs. There was little hope for the elves. And the orcs knew it.

'No. No way', thought Legolas, clenching his teeth. Then, he took up the fight.

…..

"I'm more than eager of seeing how Legolas fares. It has been too long since we saw him." Elrohir commented.

Thranduil had invited them to go to his palace as a surprise for the young prince.

"You're right, brother. I'm sorry that Estel could not come." Elladan said.

"Yes, it's true."

"Guys, we will arrive in a few hours" said Elrond.

"We know it, ada. Why do you tell it to us?"

"I hope you will know how to behave-"

"No, please! Not again, ada. Every time we come to Mikwood you tell us the same 'you must behave because Thranduil has a lot of thing to do and he doesn't need two elflings who-'

"Alright, alright" Elrond chuckled "However I will…wait…what's that?"

The Lord turned his head as looking for something.

"What do you mean?" the twins were puzzled. Before their father could answer, they sensed it.

"It's the smell of death…"Elladan whispered.

"Be careful" said Elrond to the warriors who accompanied them. "Something has happened here."

"Oh Valar, ada. Look there" Elrohir pointed at a small clearing in front of them. They rode there at and they were horrified with the sight. The ground was covered by elves' corps. It was a Mirkwood patrol. One of the twins crouched and looked at a body.

"Ada, I think that was Legolas' patrol" he said.

"What?! How do you know?" the Lord approached his son.

"I know him. He is…he was Anenfel, one of the friends of Legolas. He was on his patrol" Elrohir frowned, worried.

"Well, we have to look for survivors. We will find him" he assured, although he wanted to be so sure as he sounded.

Everyone started looking for. Each time Elladan turned a body, the twin's hearts beat faster, afraid of what he might find.

'He can be still alive, he can be still alive…we have not found the body, not yet, so he can be alive" was Elladan thinking "oh… he is going to have the lecture of his life for worrying me so" Suddenly, he saw a golden mane that could only belong to one elf. He forgot how to breath for an instant.

"Sweet Valar, allow him to be alive, please, allow him to be alive" he started to walk toward the fallen elf. He kneeled beside him. He was Legolas, with no doubt. He reached the prince's neck with his shaking hand, trying to find his pulse. Elladan closed his eyes. Nothing.

'Come on, princeling, come on…' suddenly, the twin opened his eyes. He had felt something. Again. It was weak and slow, but it was a pulse.

'Great, Legolas. You made it.' Elladan smiled "HERE, HE IS HERE!" Elrond turned his head and saw his son waving a hand. He ran toward him.

"How is he?" the Lord asked.

"Alive" Elladan looked at his father. The Lord frowned, then he kneeled beside the prince.

….

"Lord Elrond is here, your highness." a warrior said

"Very well. Let's receive them" answered Thranduil.

He went to the main door and smiled when he saw the horses running toward the palace.

'They are running fast. Too fast. What has happened?' Then he noticed that Elrond was not riding alone. A blond elf was in front of him.

'Oh no.' he thought. His suspicion was confirmed when Elrond crossed the tree line that surrounded the castle with Legolas.

"Thranduil, I need help. There are many elves injured." said the Lord. Thranduil stared at him for a moment and then he reacted.

"Yes…yes, of course…call the healers!" he shouted.

"Help me with him" said Elrond, referring to Legolas.

"What has happened?" asked the king while he held his son. He looked at him. The prince was very pale.

"I don't know. We found them in a clearing. I think they held a battle against orcs. And they lost it."

"How many have fallen?"

"More people dead than injured."

"Oh Valar…"whispered Thranduil. Elrond approached him.

"But now" he said "we must attend them."

"Right, but… how is Legolas?"

"Better than I expected… Thranduil, I don't know what happened in that clearing, but it was not pleasant. I mean… don't worry if you find Legolas changed when he wakes up. My son found one of his friends dead. I think his name was Anenfel-"

"Anenfel?!" the king opened his eyes very wide "it cannot be possible. Oh, my dear son. He had been his friend since they were elflings!"

"I know. Elladan told it to me too. But listen. It will not be easy for any of the survivors. But it will be worse for your son. He was the commander. And a commander always feels responsible for what happens to his patrol." Elrond's eyes were full of worry. The other elf nodded.

"I understand." Then, they entered into the palace to bring some order to the chaos that had broken out and to put the prince in the healers' hands.

…

And?... What do you think? Feel free to tell me my grammar/spelling mistakes, I will correct them. Reviews are very welcome. Flamers are not. Thank you for reading! :)