A/N Well, here we go again, off on another adventure with Legolas, Aragorn, and Thranduil!

*Warning* This fic is a little darker than some of my others have been. (Nothing huge. NO molesting/rape or anything of the sort. Mirkwood is just going through a hard time, and war is not light.)

Disclaimer: not mine.

A Messenger to the King

Chapter One

Legolas refrained from heaving a sigh and slouched a little lower in his seat. He was only half listening to the guard who was reporting to his father about the orcs at their border. He had heard this all before, having been the one whom the elf had originally reported too, and the repetition frustrated him.

King Thranduil caught the small movement out of the corner of his eye and glared pointedly at his son, who immediately straightened his posture. Thranduil turned his attention back to the still speaking elf, nodding thoughtfully as he did so.

The guard continued to speak for several minutes and Legolas glanced out the window, gauging the time. No more than five minutes had pasted since the last time he looked. This time allowing a small sigh to escape, he controlled his facial expression. He had far too much to do today be here now.

When the sun had risen high in the sky, his father finally dismissed the elves present, freeing Legolas to jump easily to his feet. He did have one important question that he wanted to ask the guard, but hadn't wanted to ask it in public.

"Legolas, wait just a moment," Thranduil called, beckoning for his son to return to his side with a wave of his hand. Legolas pivoted on the spot, hiding his annoyance with ease. "What did you think?" The king questioned, standing smoothly and beginning to pace, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.

"We need to be more aggressive," Legolas instantly said. "The spiders and orcs only grow in number and if we continue as we are, then they will overrun us. If we could put them on the defense, then we could surprise them and make a dent in their numbers that they won't forget any time soon." He resisted the urge to also start pacing, and instead sat back down, a frown creasing his face.

The orcs where growing bold. Bolder even then they had been before Dol Guldur had been empted of the necromancer, which was saying something. The spiders where no longer afraid to attack even large group of elves and to make matters worse, the sickly darkness, too, was inching slowly across his beloved forest.

Legolas felt his heart drop at the thought and stood again, attempting to shake the heavy feeling from his mind.

"Many of our own would die as well, are you willing to accept that?" Thranduil asked, his voice hard.

"Causalities could be minimized with careful planning." The prince stated as though it was fact. The truth was, and Legolas knew better than anyone, that nothing could be predicted. The number of casualties was always higher than what was hoped for or planned. "Attacking their core would surprise the orcs and confuse them, giving us the advantage."

"Are you sure that this would not end in another…another incident as what happen at Fêr-Lairë?" Thranduil asked, his voice softening as he looked at his son.

Legolas froze, his face paling dramatically before something hard slammed down in front of his eyes.

"We, we were surprised and outnumbered." He defended quietly, seemingly to almost plead the fact. "There was no way…"

"I know." Thranduil said gently, placing a hand on his son's arm and squeezing it. "But I need a guarantee that exactly that will not happen if we try this."

Legolas blinked once and straightened his voice calmer now. "It wouldn't. As I said, we would be doing the surprising. The situation would be turned around."

Thranduil nodded slowly, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "That is all. You may go." He said with a careless wave of his hand as he sunk back onto his throne. Legolas turned to leave, striding towards the door. Before he left, though, he turned back to his father.

"Evil cannot last forever. One day we will have Greenwood the Great back." He whispered, gazing at his father's bowed head. The king didn't reply and Legolas left him to his thoughts.

Once he had closed the elegantly and quite lavished carved door to the throne room, Legolas looked up and down the corridor, hoping to see the guard. Luck seemed favor him with this small thing, for there he was, taking to a maid at the end of the hallway.

"Hey!" Legolas called, lengthening his steps to reach the other elf, who had just starting walking away. The dark-haired being twisted around, and smiled, waiting for the prince to catch up. He bowed, but Legolas waved it off, motioning that they could keep walking.

"I was wondering if you were stationed on the west elven road?" he asked. When the guard nodded, he continued, "Did you by chance see Estel pass out of Mirkwood?"

Aragorn had been passing close to Mirkwood on one of his many journeying and had chosen to make the detour to King Thranduil's palace and send a few days. The man had left the previous morning, taking the elven road, and Legolas was positive that his friend would have at least passed by the first of the several elves that guarded that road.

The guard frowned and Legolas felt his heart drop.

"The ranger never crossed through the western gate, my lord." The elf said in confusion, "But I can ask the others who were with me if they by chance saw him."

"Would you do that, please?" Legolas asked, his face grave. The smile that had momentarily brightened his face was gone, leaving only the traces of fear behind.

"Of course, my lord." The elf agreed, sweeping his hand out in the traditional even gesture. Legolas followed suit and they parted ways.

Legolas drifted back to his rooms without really noticing where he was going. A frown knitted his brows together and it was with the weight of the world that he dropped on his bed and flopped back, staring unseeingly at his ceiling.

What if Aragorn was in trouble? Aragorn would not have tarried in Mirkwood if at all possible, not even the elves dared to do that anymore. And the man would not have sneaked past the elven guards for he knew very well that Legolas would check in with them to make sure that he hadn't run into any trouble.

Mirkwood was too dangerous to be anything less than careful.

The elf became lost in his thoughts of Mirkwood, Aragorn, the orcs and spiders, and didn't move from the spot on the bed (despite of all the things he knew he should be doing) until a knock on the door jolted him back. Quickly sitting up, Legolas ran both hands through mused hair and crossed to the door. Pulling it open, he found the elf guard from earlier standing there.

"Come in," Legolas initiated, backing up so that the other could pass him. "Do you want anything to drink?" he asked pointing at a silver decanter of wine that was resting on the cluttered table in the corner of the room that he sometimes used as a second desk.

"No, thank you," The elf replied, sitting on the edge of his chair and leaning forward as Legolas sat opposite him. Without preamble, he said, "No one saw the ranger leave. I asked anyone that I could think would have seen him, and even some who probably wouldn't have.

Legolas blinked once, and then stood, turning his back on the elf as he stared at the other wall, carefully rearranging his features.

"You are sure you asked everybody?" the prince of Mirkwood asked, the only sign of his nervousness and fear was the slight trembling of his fingers. He clenched them together tightly, unwilling to let even that despicable weakness show.

"Yes, The elf began, and then paused, knowing that with his next words he would seal his prince's actions. "But Arminas saw him pass the third check point, as did others before him. Between five and four, though, he seems to have disappeared."

Legolas took a deep breath, something unreadable flashing through his eyes. Turning back around in a calculated movement, he stepped closer to the other elf. "You are sure?" he questioned again intently, his voice just above a whisper.

"Yes, my lord, I am sorry." The elf bowing his head. Legolas spun around again, pressing a trembling hand to his face in despair. He knew full well that the man could protect himself, but sometimes that wasn't enough. Sometimes evil still triumphed, no matter what you did to try and stop it.

"Thank you. You may go," Legolas said in a shockingly calm voice. He didn't turn to watch the other elf leave, but heard the click of the door being opened and then closed. As soon as he was alone again, Legolas' defensives crumbled and he leaned forward, his hands gripping the back of his chair hard enough to turn his knuckles white. Closing his eyes, he bent further forward, gasping lightly for air as terror filled him and pushed everything else aside.

Something had happened to Aragorn, he was sure of it. His friend, his brother in all but bood, would not simply disappear like that unless there was trouble. The light of a candle caught on his face, illuminating his skin and as he clenched his hands. The light revealed a faint white, strangley shaped, scar that cut across his cheek. It would fade with time, thanks to the elven gift of healing.

Standing upright, Legolas crossed to his closest, pulling out an already packed pack. He would never forgive himself if Aragorn died while he sat around doing nothing.

AMESSENGERTOTHEKING

Thranduil cornered Legolas in the stables, blocking the doorway so that when Legolas wheeled his horse around, he gave an exasperated sigh.

"And just where do you think you are going?" his father asked sternly, not moving from his spot.

"I'm sure you have been told that I was leaving and why," Legolas said shortly, chaffed at this waste of time. His father was unwilling to move, though, and Legolas danced his horse in tight circle with frustration.

"You are being reckless," Thranduil snapped, hiding the fear for his only child behind a sharp tongue. "Be sensible and wait until a few more warriors are available to go with you," he command, to which Legolas shook his head.

"I cannot wait, Ada, I have to go now. A few hours could mean all the difference in the world," The prince stated, trying to get his father to understand. "Ada, I can't lose Aragorn. I can't let what happened to them, happen to him." He begged in a ragged tone.

Thranduil shook his head.

"That is precisely why I can't let you go on your own." He said in return, folding his arms over his chest.

"Just give me three days, just three days. If I haven't found him by then, I promise that I will come home and enlist more warriors," Legolas pleaded.

"Can you promise that you will come back?" Thranduil asked softly, stepping closer to his son.

Legolas let a sad smile touch his face. "Ada, I always do my best to come home."

"Sometimes I doubt that." Thranduil grumbled with a forced lightness. But he still moved away from the gate, seeing that Legolas was determined. Legolas smiled gratefully, and then kicked his horse into a gallop, practically flying past the king, and out the gate towards where Aragorn had last been seen.

TBC...

Well, this isn't off to a good start, hmm, no. Aragorn looks to be in some sort of trouble...good thing he has Legolas around!