The heated exchange of words and ideas throughout the room was enough to give anyone a headache. Especially an Elf who had not the patience to listen to such bickering. Elladan thought that scouts should be sent out to try and discern from which areas Saruman would attack next. However, as soon as that idea took flight, Aragorn shot it down, reminding those gathered that scouts were mostly the reason for their troubles in the first place. Elrohir suggested that advance troops be set into the forest. They could attack and then fall back continually until Saruman's forces dwindled. Of course Aragorn found a flaw in this plan as well, knowing that the Elves of Mirkwood did not have the strength for such a maneuver. Lord Elrond had yet to voice his own opinion, and Legolas found it likely that he never would.

      Throughout the meeting, he had remained rather quite, taking in what was said around him. Even Gimli was being strangely silent.

      "We should remain clustered around the palace. After all, it appears that Saruman wants this area more than anything else." Aragorn was saying. He looked over at Legolas, "Is that not right?"

      The prince however, was occupied. He was going over everything that the army may need incase of a siege, including provisions for those still present within the city.

      "Legolas?"
      His head flew up, looking in Aragorn's direction, "I am sorry, Estel, my mind was elsewhere. What was it you said?"
      "It appears someone is not as well as he would like us to think." Elrohir butted in with a smirk.
      Legolas returned the expression, "Nay, Elrohir. I was merely letting everything sink in. I was actually formulating my own ideas, to tell you the truth."
      "Then perhaps you could enlighten us as to your thoughts?" The twin replied.
      "Gladly." But the prince had other ideas in mind, "However, I would like to address what Aragorn asked earlier." his face turned to his friend, "Please continue."
      The King of Gondor cleared his throat slightly, "I had asked you if it were true that Saruman wished for this particular area of the Mirkwood realm."
      Legolas' expression changed, filling with the strain of memories and also the sadness accompanied by their resurfacing. "Estel is right. Saruman wishes to obtain the secrets which keep this realm from becoming consumed with darkness. As you all know, evil creatures of Sauron's creation inhabited Mirkwood and Thranduil was without a ring of power to keep this evil at bay. We had to turn to Elven Magic, passed down through the line of Orophor. There is a strength, a magic, so powerful in this wood that it allows a great Elven kingdom like this one to thrive. However, if the magic ever fell into the wrong hands, it would not only lead to the undoing of this realm, but could very well lead to the destruction of all." the prince sighed, "I believe that not only Saruman but something greater, more powerful than he, wishes to gain this knowledge for their own twisted purposes."
      "You must be joking, Legolas." Elladan replied, "There is nothing so evil in Middle-Earth anymore."
      The archer turned his eyes to the twin, "I have seen it, Elladan. I pray that it remains but a vision of my dreams and nothing more."

      A tense silence fell upon the room. Legolas' tale of such a powerful darkness was something only Aragorn had heard. The news dropped from the sky like a rock onto the heads of those assembled, none could believe the words. But Legolas knew. He knew that if something was not done, all would perish and he would be powerless to stop it.

      "Then I suppose you wish to remain, as I have suggested, clustered around the palace." Aragorn's voice broke in the silence.
      Legolas nodded, "That would be the wisest choice. However, since Legede was not present at this meeting, nor was Thranduil, I will have to personally take it up with them." The prince stood from his chair, "Which I plan on doing this very instant."

      "Absolutely not! Who put you up to this, Legolas? Surely it was King Elessar." Thranduil's eyes blazed.

      He was not used to planning behind his back, especially by his own son. It was preposterous! Saruman had attacked, but not in the way Aragorn understood it. To think that the wizard was finished with his own son's mind was a hopeless thought.

      Legolas's face hardened, "I agree with King Elessar completely, Ada. Saruman is NOT finished, not everything has come to pass."
      "Come to pass? What do you mean by, 'come to pass'?" Thranduil stood, forcing Legolas' head to tilt back slightly in order for their eyes to meet. "Do you think to be gifted with dreams, my son? Surely not." The comment was completely sarcastic.

      Shock registered in the prince's features, Thranduil did not believe a word he spoke. It was time for Legolas to take drastic measures, even if it meant angering the king further.

      "King Thranduil," the formal title took the elder Elf off guard. "I am your son and to think you do not believe that which I have seen!" Anger, fury, frustration, it was all wrapped into one as the prince addressed the elder Elf. "Do you want proof of what I speak? Would it please you to see the blood of your own people upon these very steps?" Legolas waved a hand at the ascending stairs to the king's throne.

      Before the archer could blink however, Thranduil was standing directly before him. The king's eyes burned with a fire not present in centuries. He held the collar of Legolas' jerkin in his hand, forcing the prince to meet his eyes directly, mere inches apart.

      "How dare you imply such a thing, Legolas. Has being on your own, within the realm of men, changed you so much that you would throw away any respect for me you once had? I have had quite enough of such nonsense from you and further more..."
      "Do you think what Legolia speaks is nonsense?" the prince's interrupting question was simple.
      "What?"
      "Legolia sees the future, Ada. Did you not know? Has she not sought comfort from you in the late hours of the night? Has she not come upon your chamber crying because of some monstrous vision which hath filled her mind?" The blank look on Thranduil's face said it all. "No? She has to me, Ada. The first night I arrived home, she had a vision, in my own room. She screamed and cried of death! She saw shadow and pain mixed within these walls!" Legolas shook his head slightly as Thranduil's grip on his jerkin released. "No, Ada, what she has seen has not come to pass, nor has what my dreams speak." He took a deep breath, forcing himself forward, "When I was a prisoner of Saruman, I too saw through a dream. Fire engulfed the forests, much as it had in a previous nightmare of mine, but this time one concept was different. No longer was there a menacing shadow within those flames, but a figure who stormed this palace and destroyed all within. I saw my own death, a horror which I believe meant the death from Legolia's dream. Saruman is not yet finished, he will come again."

      Thranduil stepped back, sitting atop his throne once more. The king rubbed his forehead with his right hand, willing the words to leave his mind but realizing that they could not. Was what Legolas said, true? Would Saruman attack again? Could Mirkwood handle yet another assault?

      “Then what would you have me do?"
      A small smile graced his son's features, "Trust me."

      "We are going to get caught."
      "Shhh. Not if you keep your mouth shut."
      "He is going to know it was us."
      "Oh really?"
      "Yes really. I do not think he is in the mood for games."
      "Well, someone has to try and cheer him up. All his thoughts are on war and battle and death, not to mention his own personal torment. The job has fallen to us to make things right again."
      "I do not think..."
      "Shhh. He is coming."

      Legolas fell over onto his bed. Things had gone array from the day he had returned home. Now, with war so imminent, all the prince wanted was to get it over with and be done with the entire situation. Of course, half of his mind realized that getting the fight over with may mean destruction for all his people. The other half of him remained optimistic that they would come out of the situation victorious. At least, it hoped so.

      Now, as the prince stared up at the ceiling, something in his mind clicked. Some part of the room was amiss. He could not quite place it, but something was off.

      Standing, Legolas walked over to the balcony, moving the curtains off to the side as he peered out into the beautiful starlit sky.

      It was then that he was attacked.

      Falling flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him, Legolas tried to grab hold of whatever had pinned him to the ground. To his dismay, he realized it was a body.

      Legolas blinked a couple of times, clearing the initial shock of being knocked over, away. When he was oriented once more, the prince began to laugh. The situation itself was indeed funny for he had now realized that the reason he could not move was because Elrohir was sitting on his chest.

      "Poor Legolas, it appears that you have been far too depressed and therefore..."
      Elladan interrupted his brother, "Therefore, we have come in an attempt to reverse that."

      The two twins looked down at him, but they had forgotten one of the most important rules in this sort of warfare. Elladan and Elrohir neglected to hold down Legolas' arms.

      Reaching behind his head, the prince felt the edge of his bed, knowing that just under that blanket which draped down each of the bed's sides, there would be a pillow, sprawled out on the floor underneath. Legolas's slender fingers latched onto the pillow and, with all his strength, flung it across his chest. The downy lump impacted with Elrohir's shoulder, sending him flying off the prince. Elladan, seeing that he was Legolas' next target, sprang from his spot at the archer's feet and grabbed a pillow of his own.

      "No fair! I did not know we could have weapons!" Elrohir shouted as he stood up, nearly bumping his head on the corner of Legolas' desk.
      The prince shrugged, "And I did not know I would be engaged in such a fight."
      "We only came to cheer you up, not to start a war with you." Elladan replied, swinging his pillow at the blonde Elf.
      Legolas ducked and rebounded with an attack of his own, knocking the twin flat onto the bed. "Perhaps I misinterpreted your actions then, mellon nin."

      By now, Elrohir had a pillow of his own and the war was on. However, after about twenty minutes of constant struggle, each warrior surrendered and they fell to the floor in a tangled heap. Legolas' head rested on Elladan's chest, while the Rivendell Elf's twin, leaned on Legolas' shoulder. They were a sight to see, completely exhausted from their full out battle.

      "I would not think such a fight could have had these effects." Elladan said, eyes staring straight up at the ceiling.
      Legolas laughed, "What did you expect?"
      "I expected that we would win and you would just have surrendered." Elrohir answered.
      "Did you?"

      Not one of the three Elves had heard Aragorn approach, but there he was, standing in Legolas' doorway, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

      "Estel! How long have you been standing there?" Legolas asked, sitting up.

      This of course caused Elrohir to sit as well and, before they could say another word, the man laughed.

      "Long enough to know that Legolas bested both of you." The man answered, directing the comment at the twins.
      Elladan smirked, "We let him win."
      "Did you?" Aragorn smiled, "Well, from my vantage point, you two have a few things yet to learn."
      The King of Gondor and Legolas shared a smirk, "Why have you decided to interrupt our truce, Estel?" The prince asked.
      "Simple reason really." Aragorn's eyes landed on the twins, "Ada wants to speak with the two of you." he smiled, "It appears that the hijinks of the three of you have awakened quite a large portion of the palace."

      Legolas and the twins laughed and, after a few quick goodbyes and a bit more jesting, the two departed. The prince turned to his friend, who was about to exit as well.

      "Leaving so soon?"
      Aragorn shrugged, "I have a meeting with Legede in the morning and the hour grows late. You are wanted at the meeting as well."
      The prince fell backwards onto his bed, "I had a feeling you would say that, Estel." He sighed, "Then I will bid you good night. If I know Legede, his meeting will be droll, drawn out, and rather boring." Legolas smiled, "We will definitely need the added rest."
      Aragorn laughed as he left, "Good night, Legolas."

      Left alone, the prince sighed as he changed into sleeping clothes. He discarded his boots and jerkin, his leggings and tunic. Instead of sleeping in his traveling clothes, something Legolas had grown quite used to, he donned a silver high collared shirt with long sleeves and pants to match. Slipping back into bed, Legolas propped his head up on his arms, starring at the ceiling. Tomorrow would prove to be an interesting day. Thranduil finally trusted his judgement, and the prince had not even had to tell him about that which was stolen.

      Legolas shuddered just thinking about it. He wondered to himself if his loss was somehow affecting the rest of his body. The prince found himself tired, much more so than usual. Perhaps it was lack of rest due to the hustle and bustle of everything. Yet, something in the back of the Elf's mind told him that it was Saruman's doing, or possibly even the work of this new evil.

      This evil had stolen his immortality and Legolas was begining to realize, ever clearer from his brawl with the twins earlier, that he was slowly ageing. The prince hoped however, that he would not become like a mortal man and age to his true years. If so...

      Legolas closed his eyes as the realization hit him.

      The Prince of Mirkwood was slowly dying.