Cassia, I first read this story at the Mellon Chronicles site and thought is was wonderful - painful to read, but wonderful.  You really caught the stubborn, determined nature I would associate with a Thranduilion!  And boy, does he suffer for it!  I remember the first reading when I finally figured out who the visitor wearing the 'turban'(?) was.  I can't tell you how relieved I was that Elrond was there...at least now someone knew that Legolas was being held captive. 

Then came the most terrible part of the story - I cried and wished all manner of curses down on those terrible men.  You really wrote that part well.  Much was implied, but you could pretty well tell just what horrors had happened.  Again, thank goodness Elrond was there to offer some comfort to Legolas.  His condition, of course, just gets worse and worse until we finally come to the real monster of the story and find out just what Melech needs the family of Thranduil for - to bring the rock monster army to life!  I thought this was pretty interesting - another one of the evil creatures brought to life by Shadow.  (You also write the evil pretty convincingly, Cassia!)  Things looked pretty hopeless for a time, but in the end, the bad guys got theirs and the elves got away!  Thank God! 

Legolas had it rough for a time, what with all his injuries, and I know he had lots of emotional healing to go through.  (I've read lots of your other stories, too! LOL)  But this sets up the others nicely, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  (I also like your OC's, Trelan and Raniean - as well as the Elvenking, who, along with his son, totally ROCKS!)  Ok, that was a fangirl moment...ummm, sorry!  But I did want you to know this was a great story, and one of my very first reads once I found LOTR fanfiction.  I have never forgotten it!

Linda