That was a nice, if rather brief, look at how Legolas mets Estel(bravo for not killing Gilraen!). I liked the "Will he be safe?" "Legolas?" "Estel." (It has to be the cutest picture! I have a brother that young!) As you didn't make any reference to the caves, or much of the Palace itself, I see little reason to warn someone that you may not see it as they. But in point of fact, though your puzzling over the Mirkwood caves has some logic, I think we need to think in terms of Race and life. Moria is dank, dark, filled with emptiness and fear, and loneliness as Legolas is used to that of (with lack of a better word) homeliness. I see Mirkwood's Caves as a wondrous spark of life- even if a little dim. In The Hobbit, it seems a delightful, if slightly saddened, place to live! It matches the trees. Tolkien said in The Hobbit in chapter 9, 'Barrels Out of Bond': "These were not like those of the goblin-cities; they were smaller, less deep underground, and filled with a cleaner air. In a great hall with pillars hewn out of the living stone sat the Elvenking..." And the Elves there- whee! Barrels and wine! I hope this wasn't insulting, I was just sharing my point of view. Over all, great short story!

~ Elemmire Star-Sheen