Legolas watched the door close behind the men and the dwarf as they made their way out to face the 'cruel, cold world'. Here he and the hobbits were safe—safe in the prison of their Boston apartment where the 'cruel, cold world' could only reach them through the computer and television and radio, which they were advised to avoid at all costs anyway. Here they could not be touched and defiled. He sighed and folded his arms in thought.

'What are you thinking about, Legolas?' asked Merry looking up at him with bright, expectant eyes.

Legolas could not help but smile at the young hobbit's curiosity. 'I have some research to do,' he answered, heading for the computer.

'What are you researching this time?' asked Frodo, following him. The rest of the hobbits trailed after them, curiosity shining on their round, rosy faces.

'Well, I have to find out where exactly we are in relation to Middle-earth,' Legolas answered, trying to sound casual; there was no good in scaring them.

'Do you think…we're…dead?' asked Pippin, his eyes wide with fear.

'No, probably not.' Legolas replied, running his hand over Pippin's tight brown curls. He turned the computer on and tapped his long, white fingers absently on the keyboard.

'Why not?' Pippin continued, his voice high and uncertain.

'Because if we had died, we would have met Mandos.' He brought up the google home page.

'And you're sure about that?' asked Merry.

'Positive.'

'What's Mandos like?' asked Pippin.

Legolas paused and thought that over for a few moments. 'I don't know…I've never met him.'

'We're so…high,' said Frodo slowly. He had crossed to the window and was now looking down at the busy sidewalk so far below.

Sam looked at Frodo anxiously; he avoided the windows at all costs.

'That we are,' said Legolas, typing Gandalf in the search box. He dearly missed Mithrandir, and wondered what would happen if he looked up the name of someone he knew. So far, he had confined his searches to questions of the land they were in and the culture that surrounded them.

'So very high,' continued Frodo.

'I know,' said Pippin. 'What do you think would happen if someone were to fall?'

'He'd die,' whispered Frodo, not taking his eyes from the window.

Legolas looked at the search results. Lord of the Rings Online—Live the story that started it all! Join the fellowship in Middle-earth! Try free for 10 days! He raised his eyebrows and scrolled down.

'Get away from the window, Mr. Frodo,' pleaded Sam, his voice thin with worry.

'I'm not going to fall, Sam. It's perfectly safe.'

Legolas read on. Gandalf—Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gandalf is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard,… He clicked on it. His eyes widened as he read the entry.

'Is it safe, Master Legolas?' asked Sam.

'Is what safe, Sam?' asked Legolas, barely hearing him.

'Standing that close to the window.'

He looked up; Sam, Merry, and Pippin were staring at him with wide eyes, waiting for an answer. Frodo was standing by the closed window, arms crossed, watching the world outside.

'He's fine,' he answered, turning his attention back to the computer.

'I told you so,' said Merry, going to stand by his cousin.

Legolas continued reading, starting to grasp the meaning of the words. Here, we are…legend, he thought, as he typed his name down into the search box. An article on him popped up; he scrolled down quickly, reading about his father and his race, about the council of Elrond and the snow on Caradhas, and then, he froze.

'Merry, Frodo, I think you're both being entirely ridiculous,' Pippin declared, standing close to Sam and looking determined.

'I wonder…' said Frodo, but broke off.

Legolas studied the screen, wondering if he should read on. Do I want to know my fate? He asked himself, his heart torn. He could know his future. His future, or the future he had been given, perhaps not his future, but still, he had the chance to know. That was a rare gift, one that he had often longed for, but now he was unsure. This page seemed to be telling him that it knew his fate, and the fate of all his companions, and the fate of the ring, and the fate of all Middle-earth, and yet…was it? He could not be certain. What did it mean Legolas is a character in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings? A character? An author? Who was he there?

'Legolas, what's the matter?' asked Pippin. 'Your face is all white.'

Legolas closed the window and shut the computer off. Here, we are fiction. He thought again, his breath catching in his throat.

'Legolas, you're hands are trembling,' said Sam, with concern.

'They are?' He looked down, his hands were shivering violently.

'Yes,' said Frodo, walking forward. 'Legolas, what's wrong? You look ill.'

'I thought elves couldn't get sick,' said Pippin.

'Shhh,' said Merry.

'I'm all right…I'll…I'll be all right,' Legolas stammered.

'Are you sure?' asked Frodo. He looked deeply into the elf's eyes.

Legolas turned away, 'I just have to talk to Aragorn.'

'But Strider's at work,' said Pippin. 'And we aren't allowed to go out. It's too dangerous.'

'I'll be all right, Pip. But right now, I really have to talk to Aragorn.'

'Why? Did you find something?' asked Frodo. It seemed to be impossible to keep a secret from him.

'Yes, I did.'

'What? Did you find out where we are?' asked Merry.

'Where we are, yes, where we are. We're in Boston, Massachusetts—a city in The United States of America.'

'You already told us that,' said Frodo. 'What we want to know is where exactly that is in relation to the Shire.'

'I don't know that,' answered the elf. 'But I have to talk to Aragorn about something, so you stay here and be dears, all right?'

'All right,' said Sam, ever the obedient one.

Legolas gave him a grateful smile.

'And don't touch the computer while I'm gone.'

'Why not?' asked Pippin.

'Because I said not to.'

Pippin widened his eyes in protest.

'We won't,' said Frodo quickly, he seemed to know that something on the computer had upset Legolas and that it would be better to leave it alone.

'Good.' Legolas was glad that Frodo at least would understand. He could still feel his heart beating uncontrollably and his fingers were still fluttering. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror; his face was still white. He took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. 'The computer is just better of left alone, you might break it.'

Pippin nodded sadly.

Legolas smiled at him reassuringly. 'Now, could you all leave the room, please? I have to change.'