Legolas stood before Thranduil, a neutral look upon his face and his fair head held high. It would do him no good to back down now, after bringing a Dwarf to their fair city, his father must be furious.
      The Elven King walked around the back of his throne, "You know why I wished to speak with you?"
      "I do, ada." Legolas said, not moving.
      Thranduil let out a sigh, "I thought I had raised you better, Legolas. How could you have brought a Dwarf to this place? A Dwarf!"
      "Ada, he is an honorable and..."
      "I do not want to hear it! Long have we had problems with the Dwarves, you know this!" The King stepped up in front of his son, "Do you so easily forget what the Dwarves did to the Elves, why we hate them so?"
      "I do not, ada. I only..."
      "It seems to me you do! I can never trust a Dwarf, Legolas. And neither should you!"
      This angered the young prince and he stared his father straight in the eyes, "You are wrong." His tone was icy but full of passion, deathly serious. It was much like the tone he had used when confronting Boromir at Lord Elrond's council, "Gimli has saved my life and I his. He is not as greedy as you make the Dwarves out to be. Too long have you stayed in the confines of this fortress city, you know nothing of the outside world! Middle-Earth is changing and if the Dwarves and the Elves cannot make peace, then we will fight until only the race of Men is left." Of course there would still be Hobbits and Orcs and other beings as well, but Legolas' words hit their mark.
      Thranduil's eyes burned with anger and it was all he could do to stop himself from slapping his son. "Such defiance and stubbornness in you."
      The prince had to play this carefully, "And where do you think I get it?"
      In anticipation, the Elven King laughed, "Well spoken. But I cannot forgive you bringing a Dwarf into the city."
      "He is, as I tried to say, a noble Dwarf and cares deeply for this world. He may be different from the Elves but he has endured much for my sake and I his. I will not allow you to show unkindness to such a friend. If you show it to him, you show it to Aragorn and I as well, ada."
      Thranduil thought this over for a few long moments as he stepped away from the prince. Legolas' muscles relaxed and he stifled a sigh from escaping.
      The King turned to him once more, "He may stay as long as this battle lasts. But once it is over, he leaves. Understood?"
      "Yes, ada. When he goes, I shall go as well." Legolas bowed.
      "Now come, tell me of everything that has been going on in the world. For it appears that there is much to tell." Thranduil put a hand on his son's shoulder and led him into the study.
      Legolas began to speak, to tell him everything he told Legolia, but in the back of his mind a great sigh escaped him. He and his father rarely got along, but this meeting was more pleasant than many others before it.

      Legolas returned to the company of his companions some hours later. He had grown rather weary from reiterating his and his friend's adventures to his father and was ready to get some rest before the fight.
      "You look tired, lad." Gimli said, "How about you take a rest, we'll let you know when the fun begins."
      The Elf smiled, "Thank you, Gimli. I have grown tired, too much excitement I suppose."
      Aragorn laughed, "It is truly good to see you act this way, Legolas. Throughout our journey together, you have rarely shown happiness or joy and now, now you are overflowing with it. You remind me, more now than ever, of the first years I have known you."
      "That is true. Now if we can only save this land from the black fingers of the Orcs and spare it this evil, will I truly say that I am glad."
      "Well said, Master Elf." Gimli replied, patting him on the back.
      But Aragorn said nothing as he watched the Elven Prince retire to his room. There was great joy in his features, yes, but also a deep sadness. Saving Mirkwood from the hands of the Orcs, he feared, would not ease his friend's suffering. There was only one thing that could and he dared not think of it.

      The companions slept little that eve and no Orc attack came. However, in the middle of the night, Legolas awoke from an unusually strange dream. Within the dream, a dark shadow had crept across all of Mirkwood, making it far darker than it had ever appeared. Orcs ran through the trees and the underbrush, scurrying about and destroying everything they touched. Then, a wall of fire rose up around the palace and within it's flames a figure appeared. It grew larger and larger as it approached and, just before it stepped from the inferno, the dream vanished.

      That was what woke the Elf and, though Elves perspire little, Legolas found his face drenched in sweat. He stood, walking softly to the window and opened it, stepping out onto a balcony. Parts of the palace had rooms which bordered on the line between hill and freedom. Legolas' room was as such. Inside, he was safe within the confines of the palace under the hill, but once he stepped onto the balcony, the darkness of Mirkwood and the houses all around filled his vision.

      Many of the leaves had been thinned to provide a view of the stars, for Elves loved to gaze up at the sky and sing. A light breeze wafted down through the tree's boughs and brushed Legolas' golden hair back over his shoulders.

      The song of the sea filled his mind.

      He heard it calling to him, ever so seductive was it's voice. In that moment, Legolas wanted nothing more than to build a ship and sail across the sea. It beckoned him, filling his heart with much sorrow and woe. Aragorn had begun to see it, Legolas knew. But the mystery continued to hide itself from Gimli's eyes. Whether the Dwarf did not want to admit it or he knew nothing of the Elf's predicament, Legolas knew not. He also did not know how much longer he could resist the temptation of the Undying Lands.

      "Le thio nuur i trastad, gwanur." ~[You seem sad and troubled, brother]~ a tiny voice said from the prince’s doorway.
      Legolas recognized it as Legolia and he did not turn, in fear she would see his eyes, "Nay, Im al trastad i nuur." ~[Nay, I am not troubled or sad.]~ the Elven Prince fought back the tears which threatened to overtake him.
      He felt a small hand in his, "A si, le nallon." ~[Yet, you cry.]~
      "Nay, I long for the sea...." he said, falling back into the common language of Middle-Earth.
      Legolia looked up to him, "I do not understand."
      "Remember when I told you of the moment I saw the ocean?" he knelt down next to her, "It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It calls me to it, but I do not wish to go, not yet anyway. We are Silven, and drawn to it's call."
      "We are Sindarin." the girl said stubbornly.
      Legolas cocked an eyebrow at her, "We are both. But since we are also Silven, we are drawn to the sea more than others. I try to resist it's temptation."
      "But I have never felt the need for sailing, nor the sea’s call."
      "You have not seen it, not heard it's call." He picked Legolia up and sat himself down on the bed, she rested in his lap, "Close your eyes and lean against me, see through my eyes."
      Legolas and his sister both closed their eyes, but she suddenly opened them with great distress and buried her head in her brother's chest.
      "Man cenich, Legolia?" ~[What did you see, Legolia?]~ he asked, startled. He had yet to even press his mind into hers completely.
      She clutched tightly to his shirt, "Dartho, Legolas. Cerich u gwannad, u hi... Anirion le dartho. Im meleth le!" ~[Stay, Legolas. Do not leave, no now... I want you to stay. I love you!]~
      The Prince looked at his younger sister quizzically, "Man cenich, Legolia?" ~[What did you see, Legolia?]~ he asked again, more urgently this time.
      Looking up into his eyes, tears spilled over the little one's cheeks, "Dae... naeg... i..." ~[Shadow... pain.... and...]~ she stopped, frightened to go on.
      "I?" ~[And?]~ her brother asked in anticipation.
      Legolia buried her head in his long hair, which had fallen forward onto his shoulders, "Gurthu!" ~[Death!]~
      This took the Elf by surprise. He had seen shadow in his dreams, but not pain and death, unless they were represented by the Orcs and the flames which threatened their homeland. But, pushing the terrifying thoughts aside, Legolas hugged his sister gently.
      "Lastro, Legolia. Im beriatha nin gwaith a le. Im meleth le." ~[Listen Legolia. I will protect my people and you. I love you.]~ but the girl continued to cry. Legolas lifted her chin up, so he could see her bright and tear streaked face, "Sedho a lastro. Im cerich u bado nin gurthu. Im gwaedh le." ~[Be still and listen. I do not go to my death. I promise you."]~
      The girl stopped crying, "Beriad... nin?" ~[To protect... me?]~ she asked.
      Legolas smiled down at her, "Beriad le." ~[To protect you.]~
      She hugged her elder brother once more and then ran from the room. Her visit however, left the Elven Prince puzzled. Her words brought him much doubt, but he had to put it aside.

      Early that morning, just before the sun's first light, the Orcs attacked.