#yeah whatever

Legolas: "... I freaked out and dropped my bow."

We're laughing, but can you imagine how unfunny that must have been for Legolas? They get to Moria, Balrog shows up, and all sense leaves his mind because this is a monster from his childhood spooky stories, it's a demon that has killed many a valiant Elf of the ancient past - and Legolas is so scared out of his wits that all he can do is scream in terror, and the weapon he does have just falls unheeded to the ground. (I mean, a competent Mirkwood Elf has got to be super scared to drop his bow!)

But in the panic and confusion, Gandalf tells everyone to run, and they do, and Gandalf is lost. And when things settle down, can you imagine how horrified and guilty Legolas must have felt? Balrogs have been slain by Elves before! Why didn't he do anything? Why did he lost his wits and not stand his ground to challenge it like Glorfindel and other heroes of old? Maybe he could have saved Gandalf, if only his first instinct hadn't been to freak out! If only he were braver, if only he were stronger, more noble . . . . Was he so scared of dying that he actually let himself scramble out of there with a couple Men, some Halflings, and a Dwarf??

I can only imagine that he must have carried a good deal of guilt and self doubt after that. Soon after Moria, he had to face Galadriel and Celeborn when they asked, "Where is Gandalf?" These two were ancient Elves who had lived in the days when their kind had slain Balrogs. Their peers were the very heroes who did those great deeds. I can imagine Legolas must have been standing there sweating under Galadriel's piercing gaze and thinking, "Don't ask questions, don't ask questions, don't ask questions!!" I mean, can you imagine having *Galadriel* disappointed in you??

Perhaps his own personal burden is part of why he said he wouldn't talk much about what happened yet, because the grief was too near. Maybe for him it was more than just grief. If he wanted to, I'd say he had every right to gloat about shooting a Nazgul, especially if he ever interacted with Glorfindel after everything was said and done. "No, I didn't kill the Balrog in Moria, but I shot down a fell beast out of the air, and that's something *you've* never done!"