Hello everyone!

I'm amazed at myself - can't believe I've already managed to upload another chapter! Must be due to the fact that I've got so much work to do for university and that I don't want to start with this clearly unpleasant stuff on this sunny Sunday afternoon. ;-)

Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews! - They have been a great encouragement!

To answer a few questions that might have come up:

- About Tauriel: She is going to be in this story, cause after Peter Jackson & Co. put her in there, I don't want to take her out. However, there's not going to be a romance - not between her and Kili, and not between her and Legolas (cause I really didn't like that in the movies... it seemed rather pointless to me...). I think, she's going to play a less favorable role in here, but I'm not sure yet what to do with her.

- About Legolas' sister: She's going to be important later on, that's all I want to reveal. Just bear with me - and her. It's not like she's going to play a major role, it's just that she will worsen the conflict between Thranduil and Thorin ;-). Enough revealed!

- About Kili meeting up with the company: I know many of you are looking forward to that - I do that, too - but you have to wait a little longer. It's going to be dramatic, I'm sure, but Kili has to do other important things until then, so he's too busy to deal with Fili, Thorin and the rest. But this moment will come. For now, let's let them believe he's dead - cause I like the dramatic stuff. ;-)

- About this chapter: Did I promise action? Well, all you'll get is a cliffhanger. But there's gonna be so much more going on in the next chapter! :-) Believe me, I'm looking forward to that even more than you do!

Now, after this being said, enjoy the story!

In Mirkwood

Legolas walked through the woods he loved, under the trees that were his friends, in the forest that was his home, and all he felt was uneasiness. Uneasiness, worry, dread – a mixture that ate away at him when he, on the contrary, should feel joy to be back home.

Every once in a while, he cast a glance over his shoulder at the dwarf. Kili stumbled over every root and stone on the forest floor, and sometimes he seemed to stumble over roots and rocks that weren't even there. His breathing was labored at times and he had his eyes nearly closed, looking exhausted. And it was only midday.

First, when they had entered the forest road, Kili had discovered a red mark on one of the statues there. Legolas couldn't make out what it meant, the seal of an enemy long forgotten – a red, lidless eye. The more he thought about the mark, the more he worried, because there was something about it that made his blood run cold.

Then, there was the atmosphere of the forest. The air seemed thicker than he remembered, the atmosphere seemed less friendly, and what worried him the most: The trees took their time to remember him. Some of them didn't seem to recognize him at all, some were nearly silent and only a few erupted in a joyous rustle of their leaves and welcomed him right away. The deeper they went into the forest, the less of these trees he could find.

Elvanna's remark – "You were needed" – flashed through his mind. What had happened in the few years of his wandering through Middle Earth, when he had contemplated to sail or not and when he couldn't tear himself away from the lands he loved even if his heart longed for the West? Had he abandoned his home, his forest, his friends, his family? Had he been too selfish to see that his people had needed him?

Caught up in his thoughts, Legolas hadn't noticed that they had already reached the river. He stopped abruptly, staring in the dark water of the Forest River. However, he didn't notice how Kili, in his haze, evaded him and stumbled on towards the enchanted waters. Startled, the elf sprang forward and reached for the nearest thing on the dwarf. Unfortunately, that was Kili's long, dark hair and shout of pain echoed through the otherwise still forest.

"What in Mahal's name are you doing?", Kili exclaimed, now fully awake again, and, as it seemed, rightfully annoyed.

"Rescuing your sorry hide, it seems", Legolas tried to sound arrogant to get the dwarf's attention away from his hand that still held a strand of hair he had just accidentally pulled out and the he now let fall down to the floor, hoping that the dwarf didn't see it.

"It's just water! And I'm dying of thirst, and since there's nothing left in my water bottle…"

"Here, take a sip of mine", the elf sighed after a moment – the dwarf hadn't seen the hair then.

"No! It's yours! I can just take some from this stream", Kili said and got down on one knee to take some water.

"Leave it!" the command came with so much force that Kili, startled, dropped his flask. He tried to reach for it as it swam away only to be pulled back by Legolas again.

"What-?", he managed to gasp out, lying on his back and glaring up at the elf.

"This stream is also known as the Enchanted River, and its water will put you to sleep immediately", Legolas said as an explanation.

Kili still glared at him.

"Normally, I'd say you can tell your fairytales to someone else, but being in this crazy forest, I believe you", he said after a while.

"This doesn't solve my problem, though."

"As I said, you can have some of my water."

"Only to have you faint because you didn't drink so that I have to drag you to your father's palace and then explain to the legendary King Thranduil that his son is about to die of thirst because he gave all his water to me, a mere dwarf? Thanks, but no, thanks."

"As if you'd even find the palace on your own", Legolas shot back.

Kili grumbled something in response that sounded a lot like "silly elf" and "no faith in my tracking skills".

"So how do we get over this river?" he said then.

Instead of an answer, Legolas leapt on a branch and then jumped from this one to another and so on until he reached the other side of the river in a matter of seconds.

Kili was astonished at his agility, even if he'd never say it aloud. Then, he also started climbing from branch to branch, and the dizziness he had been feeling all morning returned. He had been really good at climbing trees when he was a child, but this was something else. At this time, at least, he didn't have the feeling like the branches were moving – not only bending under his weight, but moving wherever they pleased!

When Kili made it to the other side of the river after only nearly falling into the water beyond him twice, he breathed a sigh of relief and simply collapsed to the ground, holding his head. Everything was spinning and holding down his breakfast became a difficult task.

"Are you alright?" came Legolas' voice from somewhere at his side.

"No", he groaned.

"What's wrong?"

"This freaking forest is wrong, that's what!", Kili gasped out between deep breaths, trying to calm his rebelling stomach. He would not vomit in front of the elf – even if it would serve him right for dragging him through this forest!

When no answer came to that and Kili felt like the world has stopped spinning at this high speed, he dared to open his eyes again. He was met the same gloomy, old forest, and an elf that was staring in the distance, a strange expression on his face.

Kili realized he might have spoken out of line. After all, this was still the elf's home and he knew that Legolas loved it dearly.

The dwarf got on his shaky knees and then went over to stand right next to the elf who didn't seem to notice him.

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated and I'm dizzy and I'm exhausted – I'm not used to this forest, but this doesn't mean I have to insult it", Kili tried to explain.

Legolas said nothing to that, and Kili grew worried – even if a voice, one that sounded a lot like his uncle Thorin this time, in his head told him that a dwarf should never, never apologize to an elf!

"But you're right", the elf said then, which made Kili stare at him.

"Something is wrong with this forest. Something poisons it, and it's everywhere – in the water, in the trees, in the air. But I can't see what it is!", now, Legolas sounded frustrated.

"Do you know where it comes from, this … poison?" Kili tried to sound calm while banishing every thought from his head that was about poison in the very air he was breathing!

"The south", Legolas murmured, staring in that direction.

"I'd suggest we try to go north, then", Kili tried to lighten the mood.

The elf's shoulders slumped slightly. And then, Kili understood what exactly his problem was.

"But on the other side, it's your duty as a prince to protect your home."

Legolas said nothing.

"I mean, you shouldn't just leave whatever it is, to poison your forest even more, right?"

Legolas raised an eyebrow at him.

"And it would show your sister that you still care about your home and people."

Legolas raised the eyebrow even higher.

"And it would make an impression to your father."

"Just why are you trying to persuade me to go to the South when you clearly have neither bottle nor water left and when you're afraid of whatever evil lurks there, when you don't trust the forest to begin with?", Legolas asked then, clearly puzzled. Kili had seen the elf in many situations on their journey so far, but he had never seen him confused.

"My mother always says I'm reckless", he answered – and in his head, he added and I'm doing it for your sake.

Legolas chuckled.

"I know a place where we can get a few supplies. It's a hiding place where we store provisions", he then said, and suddenly, his spirit felt lighter.

Kili nodded and while a voice – this time, Fili – in his head berated him on how foolish he was and that he would never make it out of this forest in one piece, he followed the elf who left the road (that no one in their right mind would call a road) and then walked on a path only he seemed to know.

"And Legolas?" he called after him.

The elf turned around.

"Dwarves are not afraid – not of forests, not of the dark, not of anything! Are we clear?"

The only answer Kili got, was the elf's laughter that echoed through the forest. Then it was silent again.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After getting the provision from the hiding place – Kili had to promise Legolas that he would never tell anyone where it was (but seriously, he couldn't remember how they got there even if his life depended on it) – they had continued on south, and if Kili had thought the forest around the road had been gloomy and dangerous, that was nothing in comparison to what the forest got the more they walked on.

The trees seemed older and somehow ill, and even the dwarf noticed that. They creaked dangerously and rustled their leaves as if a storm was going through them, but there was none. The air was still, motionless and so thick that Kili sometimes thought he would choke to death on it.

As if that wasn't enough, there were the spider-webs. At first, he had only seen them occasionally and it had been small ones. Kili had been happy that at least something was able to survive in this hostile environment. But then they became bigger and bigger and sometimes blocked their path and Kili didn't want to think about what kind of spiders produced such large webs.

But he was there for a reason, the dwarf reminded himself. He was here because he wanted to help his friend, because he wanted to give back at least something for all the things the elf had done for him. Kili knew, without Legolas, he would have died long ago.

It wasn't for long though, until Kili didn't pay enough attention – he was dizzy again and his main concern was not passing out – and let his foot get caught in a spider web. Surprised, he fell flat on his face and lay there for a few seconds before he started working on freeing his foot.

Legolas was by his side as well and couldn't help himself but smirk.

"The spiders are going to have a big meal this evening, it seems", he teased, trying to lighten his mood again that had nearly gotten as gloomy as the forest he was in.

Kili glared up at him with a near-murderous expression, then looked at him strangely before he burst out into laughter.

"What?" the elf asked, surprised.

"If you get some more of this on your head and a bit of it on your face, you'll look like Gandalf", Kili laughed and then Legolas noticed the webs in his hair.

He narrowed his eyes, pulled on them, but they only came free after some more pulling. It had hurt a bit, and the elf had apparently made a strange face, because Kili only had started laughing harder.

"Very funny", the elf grumbled and turned around, leaving the laughing dwarf on the ground, only to be met with the largest spider he had ever seen.

Sooooo - what's your opinion? What do you think will happen now and after that? (Maybe one of you could give me an idea to enhance the plot I've planned ;-) ) Anyways, I'd love some reviews - otherwise, the less ambitious part of me will say: 'No one's reading this story anyway, so why bother with it?' - Seriously, I'd love your opinion :-) - And I hope I'll get the chance to write another chapter that soon! :-)