Chapter 1

Late at night, the members of the Last Homely House slept on through the storm that raged.  The cracks of thunder and bursts of lightning ripped through the sky as the rain pelted the roof and windows, and jolted one suddenly from his nightmares.  Tears streaking down his face, a raggedy teddy bear clutched firmly in his grip, Estel sat up straight in his oversized bed and, biting his lip, glanced towards the door.  Having lived in Imladris for four years now, the boy was still reluctant to anger the Lord Elrond or his twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir, by waking them in the middle of the night.

Easing back against his pillows, the six year old resolved to get past the gristly images of monsters killing his parents and leave the Elves to their sleep.  Another crack of thunder, however, sent the child skittering out into the hall and through a door to his closest brother’s room.  Stopping only for an instant, Estel bolted up onto the bed and under the blankets.

Startled from his sleep by the movement, Elladan let his eyes focus and took in the small, shivering lump that could only be the form of his little brother.  “Estel?” he whispered before sitting up and reaching under the covers.  Pulling the boy from hiding briefly brought feelings of déjà vu from four years previous, but the Elf pushed these memories away and shifted his charge to his lap.  “Another nightmare, tithen pen?”

Estel sniffled and nodded, sinking into the safe, warm embrace of his brother.  Strong arms were encircled upon him, and within minutes, his tears had slowed and stopped.  Still clinging to Elladan’s sleep tunic, Estel’s breathing began to even out once more.

“What happened, Estel?  Do you want to talk about it?”  Elladan, as well as his twin and his father, had a pretty good idea of what the terrors that plagued Estel’s sleep were, but in the four years that they had cared for the boy, he would not say a word about what sent him skittering so often through the House at these late hours.  He didn’t really expect an answer, therefore, and simply rubbed Estel’s back when the boy’s head buried deeper into Elladan’s tunic.

“Are you ready to go back to your bed now, gwador nin?”  Elladan didn’t expect the look of sheer terror on Estel’s face and pulled him tighter into a hug.

“Can I…would it be possible if I…may I…‘Dan, do I have to?  I’m scared.”  The last statement was more of a breath than even a whisper, as if even now, Estel didn’t want to show any sign of weakness.  His breathing hitched once more, Estel clutched his bear in one arm and tangled his fingers in Elladan’s shirt more tightly, almost afraid of the answer.

As Elladan’s eyes met the tear glazed, silver one of the six year old, he smiled reassuringly.  Words weren’t necessary as Estel climbed off the Elf’s lap and lay down next to him.  For his part, the elder brother lay down and pulled the boy close once more, resting his head with his chin on Estel’s unruly brown locks.

Estel had settled back into the pillows and under the covers, gripping Elladan’s fingers tightly in his own.  “They can’t come and get me, can they ‘Dan?  You won’t let them?”

“Of course not, tithen pen.  No one can hurt you here with Ada, ‘Ro, and I to protect you.  Who do you think is coming to get you?”  Elladan chose his words carefully, trying to get the boy to talk to him.

It was like Elladan’s words had opened the floodgates on Estel’s frights.  “The monsters.  The ones in my dreams.  The ones that killed my Nana and Ada.  They’re always coming for me; they want to get me too.  I can see them in my room sometimes; they’re behind the curtains and behind the doors.”  Estel was shaking now, his eyes screwed shut, Belur clutched tightly in his left arm.  “I can’t get away from them, even when I open my eyes and sit up.  They like how dark my room is and they don’t want to go away until they get me.”  Estel bit his lip and squeezed his right hand more tightly.  Elladan’s slender fingers turned more brightly red.

“Oh Estel,” Elladan sat up with the boy and ignited the candle by his bed, pulling his brother back into his lap.  “Ada and ‘Ro and I will never let the monsters get you.  Ever.  No one will hurt you here.”

“But ‘Dan, you’re in my dreams too, and you can’t help my Ada or my Nana.”  Estel sniffled and looked into his brother’s eyes, seeing the look of failure only briefly before it was masked with resolve.

“Estel, I swear it to you like I swore to your mother.  By my name as a son of Elrond, and my honor as an Elf, I swear that while you are here in Imladris no harm will come to you, and I will protect you from as much as I possibly can, even if it means my life is forfeit.  Do you understand?”  Estel nodded before lying back down.  Elladan covered him once more and reached to pinch out the flame.  Then he thought better of it and relaxed into his pillows.

“‘Dan?”  the boy whispered.

“Yes, Estel?”

“You forgot to tell me a bedtime story tonight.”

A smile passed over Elladan’s lips and he thought for a minute before spinning a tale about a young prince and his teddy bear.  Estel was asleep before the Elf had to come up with a plotline.

~*~

Elrond woke early the next morning and, after making himself presentable, walked out of his rooms.  Turning a corner, the esteemed Elf Lord almost tumbled his middle son to the ground.  Elrohir was peering into Elladan’s room.

“Ion nin?  What are you doing?  Wait; don’t answer that if you are playing some sort of prank on your brother.  And where is Estel?”

Elrohir smirked at his father.  “Ada!” he lengthened the word to show his incredulity.  “I can’t believe you would think that.”

Elrond looked at his son carefully before feeling his forehead.  “Well, you haven’t been poisoned by anything…”

“If I were playing a prank on ‘Dan, Ada, I’d be long gone by now.  As to where Estel is, look for yourself.”

Elrond moved next to the younger twin with a smirk of his own and took in the sight.  Elladan was lying on his stomach, half off the bed, his feet and legs sticking out from under the covers.  His head was half buried under the pillows and his arms were still protecting the young human from his nightmares.  Estel was also on his stomach, his head on top of the pillows over Elladan’s, his left arm hanging off the mattress clutching his teddy bear, Belur.  The rest of the boy was spread across the bed, having taken over the majority of the space.

“You wouldn’t think someone so small could take up so much room.”  Elrond commented before guiding Elrohir from the doorway and towards the dining Hall.  They had made it no more than five meters when they heard a crash.  Running back to the room the two Elves saw Estel still sleeping on the bed, and Elladan’s foot poking out from the side.  Seconds later, the elder twin stood from the ground, rubbing his back.

“Well that didn’t look too becoming of an Elf, ‘Dan.”  Elrohir ran from the room, his brother on his heels.

Rivendell’s Lord sat down on the bed, resting his hand on his youngest son’s back, feeling the steady rhythm that his son’s breathing made.  “Another nightmare, Estel?  I wish you would be able to feel safe here and sleep well.  Lle na I estel o edain, tithen pen, a lle na ion nin sui mae.”  Elrond sat at his son’s side, rubbing his back until the boy woke a short while later.

“Ada?  Maer aur.  I’m hungry.”

“Maer aur, Estel.  Let’s go eat then, shall we?”  He smiled as the boy nodded and jumped from the bed.  Elrond followed him to the Hall where two sopping wet Elves were sitting innocently.  It appeared that Elladan had caught Elrohir.

~*~

Surprisingly, breakfast ran smoothly for the three sons and their father.  All four were thinking of the trip to Mirkwood that the twins were about to take Estel on.  It was the first trip that Estel was to take to meet the royal prince and his father, and as much as Lord Elrond wanted to accompany the boys, pressing matters with Glorfindel interfered.  Elrond wondered exactly how his sons had paid the advisor back for that convenience.

Estel and the twins finished their breakfast in record time, and as soon as they had permission, bolted to their rooms to pack.

“Estel, go to your room and get your pack and Belur.  I’ll be in to get your things and teach you how to pack in a minute.”

“Yes, ‘Dan.”  The boy ran off to his room and dug his pack out from under the bed, his foray in the night already forgotten.  He jumped up onto his bed and rifled through the covers for the worn looking bear.  He had soon ripped the bed apart, sheet by sheet, and sat amongst the bed linens.  Eyes wide and tears in his eyes, Estel sat for a moment before jumping to his feet and sprinting to find Elladan.  He would know what to do.

~*~

The twins were both almost packed, herbs and blankets still littering their beds as they argued over who was taking what.  Elrohir had just lost the argument and was shoving the woven blankets into his sack when a six-year old blur sped by him and launched himself onto the bed.  The twins missed the silver lines that accented his cheeks, and they ignored Estel for the time being.

Knowing that he should be patient, Estel bit his lip to stave off the tears, but the sight of Elladan’s old stuffed rabbit, stored carefully out of the way on a table that held some of his mother’s possessions ripped a sob from his throat.

Both twins stopped what they were doing at their brother’s cry.  Moving reflexively to wrap him in their safe embrace, the two were momentarily confused.  Estel sank into their arms, sniffling quietly.  Turning into Elrohir’s shoulder, the boy could feel Elladan rub his back.

“What is the matter, gwador nin?”  The elder twin asked, not realizing that a bear at his feet would solve the problem quickly.

The reply was muffled, and even Elrohir, whose ear was resting atop Estel’s head, couldn’t make it out.  “What was that, tithen pen?”  He pulled the boy’s face away from his shoulder, still conveying safety.

“B-B-Belur went away.”  The cryptic answer conveyed the youthfulness still abundant in Estel’s mind.  Sometimes the twins forgot that Estel was just leaving the toddler stage.

“Went away?  What do you mean, Estel?”

“Well, during breakfast he must have run away, because he’s not in my room now.  Trust me, I looked.  Why doesn’t he want to stay with me anymore?”  He looked with wide eyes at his brothers, silently willing them to show him where Belur had wandered.

Elladan laughed in spite of himself, causing the boy to scowl and turn back to Elrohir’s shoulder.  For his part, the younger twin hugged the boy and glared at his elder.

“Why do you laugh at him?  What would happen if your rabbit was lost?”

“No, I know, ‘Ro.  Belur isn’t lost at all.”

Estel sniffled and looked up at his eldest brother while the middle Elrondion held a confused stare.

“He’s not?”  The two mirrored each other’s words.  Elladan, for his part, slid off the bed and retrieved the cherished toy from his bedclothes.  Holding up the bear, he caught his baby brother as the human launched himself from one twin to the other, a smile replacing the frown that had marred Estel’s innocent features.

“Thank you ‘Dan, you found him!”  Giggles erupted as he was caught between the two Elves as they tickled him for a few minutes before sending him off to remake his bed.

~*~

Finally packed and past their father’s inspection, the three made their way to the stables.  Walking into the rustic area, Estel moved unconsciously closer to his brothers.  He looked up at the animals and cringed.

“Don’t worry, Estel, there are smaller ones.”  Elladan laughed, but some unconscious fear had set in on the boy, and he looked from one Elf to the other.

“Can’t I ride with one of you?”  He gulped.  The only time he could remember being on a horse had been with his father sitting behind him.

“You can, tithen pen, but don’t you want to start riding by yourself?”  Elrohir looked at his twin and then down to the human, not sure what the problem was.  Part of this journey was to teach Estel the finer points of riding by himself.  The twins could see, however, fear, and not curiosity in the boy’s eyes, and relented.

“Maybe next time?”

“Maybe.  I don’t think I’ll ever ride a horse by myself.  I like my own two feet on the ground, thank you.”

The twins laughed, knowing that, in all probability, the boy would be riding on his own before long.  Sending him back out to play under the trees, Elladan and Elrohir tacked their horses, securing their packs.  They mounted on identical horses and urged them out into the fresh air.  Reaching down to Estel’s outstretched arms, Elladan pulled the squirming human to sit in front of him.  The Elf felt his brother tense under the power of the beast and resorted to tickling him.  The result was instantaneous, and soon the Elrondions were on their way to Mirkwood.

~*~

Estel’s eyes were wide by the time he and his brothers had stopped for the night.  Passing through the Wilds, he had seen firsthand many of the different animals and plants that Glorfindel and his father had taught him about.  He had chattered away to his brothers, pointing out what he knew, and quizzing them on what he didn’t.  The young student’s wide eyes were soon accompanied by poorly stifled yawns, however, prompting the Elves to bring their horses to a stop.

“Why are we stopping?”  Estel turned to look at Elladan, questioningly.

“Because, tithen pen, it is getting dark, and the horses are tired.”  Elrohir answered for his brother, coming up and reaching to gather Estel into his arms so that Elladan could dismount as well.  The human was set on his feet while packs were removed so that a lean-to could be set up.  Estel watched as his brothers quickly set up camp, working with an efficiency that only two who knew each other so well could muster.  Little could Estel guess that this scene would one day be mirrored with himself and another Elf setting up to bed down for the night, with a Dwarf left to his own amazement.

When a small, smokeless fire was glowing in the clearing, Estel found himself being lulled to sleep by the flickering dance of the orange flames.  He barely noticed when his dinner was placed in his hands, nor did he notice the eldest Elrondion sitting on the log next to him.  The boy did notice, however, that as the length of time increased when the fire disappeared from view, and he noticed when he was next pulled to his feet and led to the lean-to.

“But ‘Dan, I’m not sleepy,” he protested.

“You must be, gwador nin, it’s been a long time since you’ve mistaken me for my brother.  Now lay down; ‘Dan is getting Belur for you.” Elrohir smiled as the Edan complied, a small bear soon accompanying him.

The two had just made it back to the fire circle once more when a small voice rang out.  “But ‘Dan, my story!”

~*~

It had taken three stories and a song for Estel to be comfortable enough to sleep by himself in the Wilds, and yet, he was still up before his brothers, eager to see more of the woods.  He sat in his bedroll, twiddling his thumbs, and trying to be patient.  More patient than most 6 year-olds, Estel sat still for longer than most Edain children, but his attention span was soon drawn to the trees.  It had rained after the twins had retired for the night, and to Estel, it seemed that the roots were wriggling.

Silently freeing himself from his blankets, Estel scurried across the wet campsite to investigate.  There, at his feet, dozens of worms were burrowing back into the ground.  A twinkle sparkled in the boy’s eyes, a characteristic brightening on an Elrondion’s eye that was only now being awakened in the child.  The slightest smirk could be observed as Estel peeked back to where his brother’s still lay, and then stooped down.  He carefully extracted two of the creatures and ran back to the lean-to.

Creeping over to Elladan and Elrohir, the child carefully laid his prizes on the faces of his brothers before slipping back under his covers and closing his eyes.  Safely in his bed, the boy quickly rubbed his hands and feet on the blanket, cleaning away the last traces of evidence.  It would only be a matter of time now.

Consciousness returned, unbidden, to both twins almost simultaneously as one worm found Elrohir’s mouth habitable, and the other found Elladan’s nose much the same way.  Snorting and choking, the twins sat up, threw the worms back to nature, and then glared at each other before realizing that the other was no guiltier than he. Two sets of eyes darted to the still-sleeping Estel.

“You don’t think…”

“He’s far too young…”

“He wouldn’t have…”

Still Estel feigned sleep, rolling over and letting his hand slide out from the bedroll to rest on the ground.  He looked, to the twins, to be far too engrossed in his dreams to be faking.

Grumbling about the Valar’s humor, the two set about preparing breakfast before rousing the boy.  He, in turn, stumbled out to the fire circle before giggling.

“‘Ro, there’s dirt on your face,” he said innocently, “and yours too, ‘Dan.  What happened?”  He watched as the two dove for their water skeins, using sparing amounts to restore their fair complexions to flawlessness.  They missed the momentary grin that stole across Estel’s face before it was quickly steeled to tired indifference.  “What’s for breakfast?”

Various nuts and berries disappeared that morning before the campfire was checked to be cold and the lean-to was broken down.  It wasn’t long before the three were on their way again, Estel only reluctantly mounting his brother’s horse when Elladan offered him a sweet that had been pilfered from the kitchens for just this problem.  Estel didn’t see why he couldn’t just walk; they weren’t in any hurry…yet.

~~**~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2

So their journey continued rather uneventfully for three days before they reached the outer borders of Mirkwood’s forests.  Estel had been awed by the Misty Mountains, both by the sheer size of them and by the flora and fauna that he had only before seen in books.  He was almost sad, when they had passed over them as quickly as they had.  Elladan and Elrohir were glad for the luck, however, as they knew what fell creatures lay in wait near the Redhorn Pass.

When they dismounted at the end of the day, Elladan noticed the subdued expression of his youngest brother.  “What is it, Estel?”

“It feels bad here.  Like, it’s all cold and scary like the cellars.  I don’t like it here.”  He looked around apprehensively.  Elladan hadn’t thought that the little human would be able to feel the tension in the trees, the evil that had permeated Mirkwood’s forests to the core.  Amazed at the revelation, he almost missed Estel’s next words.  “I feel like something bad is going to happen.”

Estel had moved closer to the Elf and lowered his voice for his last comment, as if he was afraid the trees would hear him.  He looked up at his brother for reassurance, and it was given to him in the form of a quick hug.  Making a quick decision, Elladan called to his twin before pulling a carefully wrapped package from his pack.

The two led Estel to a nearby log and sat down with the boy between them.  “Estel, I think it’s high time for you to be given a little bit more responsibility on this trip,” Elladan told the boy as he placed the package down.  “You must promise me that you will listen to Elrohir and me about this though.”  He placed his fingers under Estel’s chin and guided the boy’s eyes back from the bundle to his own gaze.  The human nodded, a serious expression on his face.

“I will listen, ‘Dan.”  Estel nodded again, eager to please his brothers.  When he saw the serious stares that his brothers afforded him, he held out his hand and shook both of theirs.  It was a sign, the twins knew, that Estel would never take a handshake with less that the utmost level of seriousness; it was the one thing he remembered from his father.  The boy saw that his brothers were lost in their memories, and so he began to wiggle around impatiently.  He could tell that if this was serious enough to warrant a handshake, it was something that he really wanted to see.  It wasn’t every day, after all, that the boy was given responsibility in the form of a present.  Lord Elrond usually equated more responsibility with more chores.

Satisfied with the boy’s promise, and already having his father’s permission, Elladan picked up the gift once more and handed it to the boy.  Estel tried to be mature about unwrapping the fabric, but his fingers trembled as the knot undid and the material fell away.  Under the cloth, a small sheath and quiver were visible, as well as a sword specially crafted after Estel’s practice weapon and a dozen arrows and a bow small enough for the boy’s fingers to manipulate.  Predictably, the young Edan reached for the sword first, carefully pulling the steel blade from its covering.  Estel had easily fallen in with the twins’ basic swordsmanship lessons, but was still struggling with the projectile weapon.

“Oh, ‘Dan, ‘Ro, thank you!  It’s beautiful, and perfect.”  He studied the blade carefully, well aware of the sharp edges.  When he turned it over, Estel saw that the twins had engraved his name in the steel.

“You’re welcome, tithen pen.  Now, Ada’s condition is that you are only to use it in an emergency, and are only to wear it in the Wilds.  The same goes for your new bow.  You aren’t quite old enough for something this sharp around Imladris.  You still have your practice sword and field arrows for that.”  Elladan and Elrohir watched as the boy glanced at the bow and then carefully ran his fingers over the sword’s hilt and blade, admiring, with a 6 year old’s mind, the perfect Elven craftsmanship.

Carefully resheathing the weapon, Estel cinched the belt around his hip before strapping the quiver to his back and lifting the bow to his shoulder.  The twins couldn’t help but gawk at how much the boy looked like Arathorn.  With that, Estel grinned and leapt forward, catching his brothers off-guard and tackling them in a hug.

~*~

It had been long into the night before the twins could convince Estel to stop practicing with his new gifts and go to bed.  Pleased that the gifts had gone over well, neither Elf was surprised when they found their brother asleep in the lean-to with his hand around the hilt of his sword; Belur tucked safely under his arm, and the thumb of his other hand in his mouth.

Sitting at the campfire once more, Elrohir turned to his brother.  “What made you decide to give him that now?  I thought we were going to give them to Legolas to give to him?”

“We were, but he was afraid, ‘Ro.  He can feel the darkness here.  And he told me the other night what has been terrifying him so much during the nights these last four years.  He told me how he is still afraid that the Orcs are going to come into his bedroom and hurt him.  He thinks they are going to hurt him like they hurt Gilraen and Arathorn.  He saw both of them die, ‘Ro, and with him feeling the darkness here, I thought that if he had something more than that tin sword that doesn’t cut grass, he might feel better.”

Elrohir nodded his agreement.  “It worked, he was out before you finished Bilbo’s story, and he hasn’t tired of that since the Hobbit met him what, two years ago now?”

“Yes, it’s about that long.”  Both twins lapsed into comfortable silence, senses on high alert as there was no telling what lay dormant in Mirkwood’s silence.  Surprise etched itself onto both of their faces then, when they found Estel sitting between them moments later.  His knuckles were white, hand clutching his sword; Belur was hugged tightly to his chest.  He was covered in a cold sweat, and he was trembling.

Not even thinking, Elladan pulled the boy close.  “Estel, gwador nin, what’s wrong?”

“There’s something out there.  I heard it.”  Estel sniffled, and his voice had hitched with his fears.

“Everything is fine, tithen gwador.  We are here, and will keep you safe.  There is nothing here to hurt you.  It wasn’t real, it was only a dream.”  Elladan and Elrohir tried their best, but no matter how hard they tried, how much they attempted to soothe the boy, he would not go back to the lean-to.

Realizing that Estel was too agitated to sleep, the twins finally consented and allowed him to remain safely on Elladan’s lap, his eyes darting back and forth as the eldest twin rocked him gently.  Elrohir stood and began walking the perimeter of the camp, making sure that Estel’s dream was just that.  The boy’s eyes never left his brother’s search path.  When he came back, he assured Estel again that all was safe.

Elrohir sat down again and placed his hand on the panicked boy.  “It’s all right, Estel.  I checked and I couldn’t hear anything out there.”

If the younger twin thought that that would ease the boy, he was dreadfully wrong.  “Neither of you heard me sneak up behind you, how do you know that there aren’t bad things out there?”  Estel’s eyes widened and his head whipped around, almost hitting Elladan’s.  “Didn’t you hear that?”

Both Elves had, and with lightning speed, Estel was set on his feet and pushed toward the lean-to.  Elladan hoped that the boy would take the hint and hide, the new weapons forgotten in his hopes.  The twins stood back to back as the first warg burst into the clearing.  Reckless in its path, the beast drove straight at Elrohir, managing to tackle the Firstborn to the ground before noticing the blade between its ribs.  A small yelp was all that signified its passing.  Elrohir was on his feet again before his foe had completely hit the ground.

Elladan had fared similarly with his first attacker, and had just finished off the beast as Elrohir stood.  A brisk nod between the two signaled their well being before they faced off again, taking first note of the ring that had been created around them.  They were completely surrounded and cut off from the lean-to.  Unable to ensure their brother’s safety, the twins rationalized that the sooner they killed their foes, the sooner they could see to Estel.  With grim determination, the Elrondions tensed and waited for the imminent attack.  When it came, both twins were caught by surprise.

A scimitar flying through the air was the last thing Elladan expected, and so his block was awkward and only redirected the blade past him, but did not miss his brother.  Elrohir never saw the blade, only felt it dig into his shoulder.  As he whipped around to the new threat, the hilt wedged against Elladan and was wrenched free.  The smell of blood frenzied the pack, but still they lay in wait, holding for their masters’ calls.  The Orcs were here.

When Elrohir cried out, the wargs tensed, and with his back turned, the Orcs obliged their pets.  The beasts charged as a unit, and Elrohir had minimal warning, and no time to turn around before he was knocked on his face.  With more strength than he thought he possessed, the Elf rolled the animal off of him, ignoring the sound of ripping flesh from beneath the claws of the warg.  With a wide arc of his blade, he sliced the falling warg’s flank and sent it cowering back to the ring.  Unfortunately, there were three more to take its place.

When Elrohir fell, Elladan found himself being pushed away by a group of Orcs riding their wargs.  With no way to reach either brother open to him, the Elf went on the offensive, cutting and hacking an opening through the beasts.  He paid severely as he found himself within an even closer range of weapons, teeth, and claws.  Ducking one blade, he felt another slice his side, and heard the snap of jaws that had just missed his leg.  Quickly, Elladan buried one of his blades into the warg’s head, using his momentum as he spun to block another blade to pull the dagger back into usefulness, immediately attacking yet another Orc and relieving the creature of its hand and mace.  Still more came and still he pressed on.  It was all he could do to stay alive for his brothers.

Elrohir grabbed the neck of the next warg that stood over him, using all his might to keep the slobbering mouth away from his jugular vein.  Turning his head to the side to avoid the warg’s teeth, he happened to open his eyes and glance under the Orcs and wargs that separated him from both his brothers; then an icy fear gripped his heart.  He could see that a very small set of feet were dancing back and forth, with more than one set of paws and boots facing the Elven made boots.

With the adrenaline rush from seeing his baby brother in grave danger, Elrohir twisted his hands and broke his enemy’s neck, rising quickly to his feet before another warg could trap him.  With fear weaving its cold fingers through him, stealing his breath and sending shivers down his back that had no place in a fight such as this, Elrohir sent a quick prayer to whichever of the Valar cared to listen to protect the human until he could get to him.  It was with a renewed burst of energy that the younger twin spun with his knives and hacked at each new enemy in passing.  Still, he could not get to Estel.  Seeking to get any aid for the boy, Elrohir alerted his twin to the new problem.  However, the older Elrondion had problems of his own, and could not get to Estel any quicker.

Elladan had felled five more foes when he heard Elrohir’s call, and in the next instant, had broken from the pack to the lean-to that had been Estel’s safe haven.  The boy wasn’t there.  With a feral growl that was not befitting an Elven Lord’s son, Elladan turned back to the dark creatures and with a grim look of determination, set himself to go on the offensive once more, making his way to at least one brother’s side.  Each attacker however, found more of an opening to Elladan’s defenses, as the more he got hurt, the more liable he was to be injured.  The Elf was shaking from blood loss, adrenaline the only thing that was keeping him conscious.  It was like this, then, that he broke into another circle of wargs, and saw their prey.  Elladan shook his head to clear it, making sure that the sight he saw was not some cruel trick, but the Valar were not that mean, and the wargs’ prey was standing there at the ready, clear as day.  It was Estel.

Estel had run to the lean-to when the first of the beasts had entered the campsite.  He had pulled the bedrolls over him as he was always instructed to, but as he had pulled his blankets on top, his hand had clasped on Belur and he realized he was still clutching his new sword.  Only use it in an emergency Elladan had said.  Only an emergency.  Estel peeked out from the blankets to see Elrohir fall, and with the courage that only a small child could come up with, feelings of invincibility crept into his heart, and he leapt from the tent to take on a small warg that had its back to him.  When he pulled the blade from the carcass, and the beast had fallen to its side, Estel had watched the blood drip down in fear and fascination.  All thoughts of bravery were driven from his mind however, and he turned to hide again, only to find the way back to the lean-to was blocked off.  With a gulp, Estel set himself in a ready stance, and prayed to the Valar to protect him.

The Orcs laughed and poked fun at the child, and suddenly Estel felt as though he were in his nightmares.  He felt that he could hear his mother calling to him, begging him to save her, and so he glared at the beasts in front of him, signaling ready as his brothers had taught him and then leapt into action.  Each call in his mind urged him to move faster, to swing his sword harder, to whirl and parry quicker.  In his mind, he wasn’t fighting for his life, but fighting for the chance to bring back his mother, not remembering the many lessons of mortality that he’d had to learn in his short life.  It never sank into his mind that he knew his mother was gone, and was never coming back, only that he thought he could hear her, and maybe if he cut down enough of these monsters, he could find her.  It was only this innocence, this child’s dream, which kept the horrors around him out of his mind, and only that surreal place that he had retreated to that kept him going.

So it was that, numerous bites and incisions later, Elladan found his baby brother, still fighting for his life.  Estel’s eyes were glazed over in shock, as if he didn’t completely realize what was going on, and his blade flew in calculated, precise movements that had been practiced over and over.  Knowing that the boy couldn’t last much longer, Elladan took out the nearest Orc that sought the boy’s blood, and then grabbed Estel around the waist.  The young human whirled on his captor and it took all of Elladan’s reflexes, slowed as they were, to keep the small blade from decapitating him.  Wrenching it from small fingers, Elladan used it to clear a path to the trees and relative safety for the shell-shocked boy.  When he reached a small copse of shrubbery, Elladan stooped down to Estel’s level and forced the boy’s eyes to look on his.

“Estel, can you hear me?”  Elladan searched the grey orbs that held none of their normal brightness.  He saw the boy nod, and took that as the best he was going to get.  “I need you to listen to me, gwador nin.  I need you to climb that tree back there and stay there.  I want you to stay there and not come down until an Elf comes to get you.  Do you understand me?”

Estel’s eyes widened and Elladan thought that he had scared the boy, but in the next instant, the small sword was back in Estel’s hand and thrust over his brother’s shoulder.  Stunned, Elladan turned to see what madness had driven itself into Estel’s mind.  Behind him was a slowly dying Orc; Estel had just saved Elladan’s life.  Smiling as he turned back to his brother, the Elf drew his human brother into a swift hug before pushing him off to the trees.  Making sure that the boy made it to safety, and hoping upon Hope that he would stay there, Elladan turned back to his other brother’s aid.  He shook his head slowly when he saw a small blade enter the warg that was going to attack him, and pulled Estel off into the trees again.

Elladan made Estel climb back into a tree and stood at the base of the trunk.  “Estel, listen to me.  I need you to promise me that you’ll stay in this tree until an Elf comes to get you down.  I swore to you and your mother that I would keep you safe, and I can’t do that if you’re trying to protect me.  Please, Estel, stay in the tree until it is safe.  Gwesta enni, tithen pen?”

Estel sighed, but spoke softly.  “Uma, ‘Dan, Gwestamin.”  He saw his brother smile moments before a warg jumped onto the Elf’s back and began to maul him even before the bodies had hit the ground.  Torn between his promise and the life of his brother, Estel pulled the small dagger that had been his for as long as he could remember from his boot, and with accuracy beyond his years, threw the knife into the warg’s back.  Hearing the death throes of the wolf-like creature, Estel watched in fear to see his brother rise.  It took a while, but Elladan finally pulled himself out and stood shakily.  Nodding his thanks to Estel, Elladan charged back to Elrohir’s aid, hoping that his twin was still alive.

~~**~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 3

Elrohir had just dispatched the last of a group of Orcs when he saw Elladan rushing back into the fray, stumbling slightly as he did so.  Hoping that Elladan had gotten to Estel at some point, he fought through the beasts to his twin’s side.  He had just reached Elladan when the two were forced to retreat up a hill, being pushed further away from their camp and brother.  Fighting side by side once more, Elrohir saw how badly Elladan had fared in comparison with himself.  While Elrohir had many scratches and bruises of his own to contend with, each one of Elladan’s was deeper, longer, and bleeding more severely than his own.  Some of the marks that Elrohir knew were from Orc blades were tinged black around the edges, and it was only a matter of time before he would fall.  Knowing this, Elrohir fought more fiercely, protecting his brother as Elladan had many times protected him.

Caught up in the battle, Elrohir was slowly becoming more engrossed in his fights, and thus did not notice that he had been separated from Elladan once more until he heard a distinct thud as Elladan was driven to the ground.  Turning quickly, he saw a warg take off from the pack to attack.  Running over to Elladan’s now still body, the warg misjudged the distance and tripped.  Had it been any other time, Elrohir may have laughed, but could only gasp as he watched the two tumble down the hill; tears fell as he lost sight of his elder brother.  With an anger that was unmatched, Elrohir soon killed those who would challenge him.  As the last one fell, so did Elrohir, breathing heavily as he fought to maintain consciousness.  It soon proved to be too daunting a task, and without knowing the fate of either brother, Elrohir passed out.

Estel had seen his brothers take off up the hill with tears of his own in his eyes.  He could tell that Elladan had not expected to survive the battle, could tell with even the smallest shred of maturity that his 6 years had afforded him.  Of course this was only clear to him through the fact that Elladan had told him to wait for an Elf to get him down, and not him or his brother, but all the same, he knew that neither Elrondion was coming back to him.  He remembered back to Elladan’s words that night; he had never thought that “even if it means my life is forfeit” would mean that his brother was going to be taken from him. 

Estel’s own adrenaline levels were beginning to plummet now and each of his injuries were showing themselves as he waited for someone to claim him.  He heard something coming from the hill to his left, and he curled up into a smaller ball on the tree branch that was his current home.  Eyes widened in fear as a tangle of fur and Elvish clothing slammed into the roots at his feet.  He waited for something to move, and when it did, it wasn’t what he expected.

“No!”  Estel’s yell echoed into the trees around him, perking up any listening ears in the forest.  The sound of his own voice startled him, and before he knew it, his human grace, or lack thereof claimed his balance on the tree and he found himself falling through the air.  Landing with a sickening crunch that made him sick to his stomach, Estel pulled his left arm close to his stomach and crawled quickly into the shrubs.  He knew there was no chance for climbing back into the tree, and once he was in the safety of the bushes, let his tears fall anew.  From where he looked, his brother appeared to be dead, and Estel had broken his last promise to him.  As the only thing the child’s mind could think to do, there Estel stayed, and soon fell asleep in the safety of the wood.

~*~

Estel slowly woke to movement in front of him, and peered out from his hiding spot, afraid of what he would see.  Suddenly afraid that his eyes were deceiving him, Estel cringed more, and watched as his brothers were both laid in front of him.  Sniffling, Estel watched and pulled back even more when someone turned to his hiding spot.

“Come on out of there, little one.  We won’t hurt you.  Come on.  Are you all right?”  The Elf turned to the rest of the group.  Do you think he can understand me at all?”  When another Elf shrugged before turning back to the twins, the one with Estel shook his head and tried in the Common tongue.  “Come here little one.”  Estel cringed at the blond haired being in front of him and pulled back even more until he cried out as he clutched his arm too tightly.  “Ai, Ada, teli anni.  Im baur lle.”  The Elf took the opportunity to grab onto the small cloak that was torn to shreds and pulled Estel out.

“So you can speak Elvish.  I na lle, neth edain?”  Estel cringed in the Elf’s grip.  “It’s all right, we won’t hurt you.  We only want to help you and these Elves.  What happened?”  Once more, Estel cringed and struggled to get down.  Estel bit and kicked, punched and spit, until he had spent all of his energy.  Still he was held, and took the opportunity to look for his brothers.  Looking over the Elf’s shoulders, he took in the pale forms of their bodies, their closed eyes, the battered appearance, and the furious work of the healers.  When he began to see that no one was hurting him, nor his brothers, and only then, did Estel finally relax and let tears grace his cheeks momentarily.

“They need Lord Elrond; we can not help them by ourselves.”  The healers looked towards the small human.

Righting the boy, Estel’s savior turned to the healers, smiling slightly as one of his escort pulled a cloak around the boy.  “I think he’s the smallest Elrondion, my liege.  At least, I suspect that he is if he was traveling with the Lords Elladan and Elrohir.”

 “My name is Legolas, little one.”  Legolas looked at the pale, shaking, human child in front of him.  "Are you Estel, son of the Lord Elrond of Imladris?"  The boy nodded.  "Do you know how to get home?"  Again, after a pause, only a nod.  "Good.  Take one of the horses and ride hard for him, don't look back."  That garnered a quiet response. 

"I can't.” 

"Why not?"  Even with his Elven hearing, Legolas had to strain to hear the boy.

"I've never ridden a horse." 

"You have to." 

"I'm afraid." 

Legolas was getting angry now; worry seeping through his normally calm demeanor.  "If you don't get on that horse and ride, your brothers are going to die.  Now go!" 

Estel's eyes widened and he looked at his brothers.  The Elf in front of him scared him more than he thought possible, and all he wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry.  He squared his shoulders, however, and looked every bit the Numenorean his bloodline foretold for him.  If his brothers needed him to ride, then he would get home on Elladan's horse as quickly as possible.  He would get home or die trying, keeping Elladan safe as much as the Elf had promised to keep the boy safe.

Estel turned to the horse, paling when he saw that there was no saddle, no stirrups for him to hoist himself up by.  Legolas looked up at the pause, and saw the problem.  Realizing his previous tone, he stepped up to the boy, lifted him easily into his arms and placed him on the horse's back. 

"Hold onto his mane tightly, and stay low to his back.  You'll be all right, I believe in you."  He saw the boy's smile, and turned quickly away. 

"Lle na berio ti, ilna lle, taren Legolas?”  The heartache and fear in young Estel’s words caused Legolas to turn again.  The tear-stained eyes that looked down at him with a trust that the Prince had done nothing yet to deserve caused him to falter.  Never before had a human trusted the Elf, and never before had the Elf taken second glance at an Edan.  Struck by the moment, Legolas pulled Estel off the horse and tightly into an embrace.

“Of course I will, little one.  They will be as protected with me as they would be under the watchful eye of your father or Glorfindel.  Now go fetch one of those two to help me, won’t you?”  Estel was sat once again astride the horse, and Legolas whispered into its ear before sending them off.  “May the Valar watch over you and grant you all speed.”

 ~*~

Estel had been riding for a full day when he reached the Misty Mountains again.  Gone was any sense of awe that he had held for them previously.  Now they were simply one more thing that was in the way of him getting to his father, and he wasn’t completely sure which way to go.  His stomach was growling, but it also felt sick.  He had long ago blocked out the searing pain in his arm, and was nodding off on the horse’s back.  Had it been any other beast, Estel would have long ago fallen off, but this horse was Elven bred, and subtly shifted each time his rider did.  It knew where to go, and when Estel paused, pulling up on the mane to look, the horse only stopped momentarily before heading towards the Pass.

Estel was too tired and hurt to argue with the horse, and his young mind was reeling from what had happened and how he felt.  The only sensible thing he could see to do was lean further forward and sleep on the horse’s neck while it brought him to his father.  He did not have Belur with him, and could only take comfort in the smooth mane that was his pillow.

Had he been any older, Estel may have realized the folly of traveling through the mountains alone and at night, but all he wanted was for his father to hold him close and make his stomach better, so he did not stop.  He had nearly made it over the Pass when he felt cold.  Not cold from the elevation and the minimal cover from the winds, but a cold inside of him that was strong enough to wake him from his deep sleep.

Estel sat up with a start and reached for his sword, almost falling from the horse’s back as he shifted so quickly.  Something was wrong.  He silently urged the horse to go faster as he looked around.  It wasn’t long before he saw the yellow eyes that were above him on a rocky outcropping.  Eyes wide, Estel kicked the horse and screeched.  The warg sensed that his prey had seen him and jumped down, chasing after his dinner.

Whether it was from the length of time that the horse had been ridden straight through, or the hunger that drove the warg, Estel’s mount was not fast enough to outrun the predator.  Estel turned just in time to see the warg jump and crouched lower, hoping the creature would miss him.  It didn’t.  Estel cried out in pain as the claws ripped through his back and he was knocked to the ground.  Lights swam through his vision as he landed head first, and he was stunned long enough for the warg to effectively hold him down with one paw; his head close to the boy’s, salivating at the thought of his meal.  Stopping for an instant, the warg looked around, not seeing the horse which had been his primary target, and growled fiercely.  He turned back to the boy and lowered his head once more, opening his mouth and preparing to kill his prey.

At the last moment, Estel moved his head away, wrenching his upper body to the side.  It was enough to prevent the warg from snapping his jaw shut on the boy’s neck, but Estel still screamed when teeth bit deeply into his shoulder.  Rapidly losing the battle with consciousness, Estel did not hear Elladan’s horse come to his aid, only felt the warg lifted from his back, teeth ripping flesh as it was thrown to the side.  Estel scrambled quickly to his feet, fighting off the blackness that was clouding his vision.  More than anything, he was afraid of being caught again, and swayed as he saw the warg coming at him again.  He stood at the ready, but his mount had other plans, and the warg quickly met his end under the solid hooves that stomped over and over again.  Estel slumped back to the ground with a quick smile to the horse and passed out.

~*~

In the clearing, Legolas looked down as his healers continued to work over his best friends.  It had been far too long since he had seen the twins, and had been overly excited for their visit to see him and introduce him to their baby brother.  He wasn’t sure how he felt about the twins calling this human their brother, but they were his best friends, so he trusted their judgment completely, and would not form opinions about the boy until he met him.  He couldn’t help feeling guilty now, however, as he had not come to meet them at the border.  ‘Pressing duties’, his father had called it, but Legolas was having a hard time seeing how listening to two Elves bicker over a sack of grain had needed his personal opinion when his friends were coming.  After a quick judgment that returned the sack to the farmer until the merchant could pay for it, Legolas had bolted from his father’s Hall.

It never occurred to the Prince that had he not come at all, all three of Elrond’s sons would most likely be dead, and that he was responsible for saving them; it only seemed to him that he had not gotten there soon enough to prevent the attack that happened on his lands.  So he had watched with bated breath as the healers spread their time between the twins, allowing a bittersweet smile to cross his features when Elrohir’s eyes opened and then quickly unfocused as he settled into a healing sleep.  The younger twin had not noticed Elladan, or he probably would not have been so quick to allow consciousness to flee again.

~*~

Estel woke to the sun on his face, but he was shivering badly.  He stood up slowly, and found that he could not move his left arm at all.  Looking down at his shoulder and then to his forearm, the small boy quickly dropped to his knees and emptied whatever was left in his stomach.  He had not been prepared to see that.  His head hurt fiercely, and the rocks in front of him kept moving around.  He felt something wet on his other hand and jumped.  Elladan’s horse was standing next to him, his sword in its mouth, nudging him towards Imladris again.

Tears sprung to Estel’s eyes and he stood, looking at the horse and taking the sword from its mouth.  “I know you want me to bring you home, but I can’t.  I’m too little to do anything right, and I don’t know the way home, and I can’t get back up onto you.  I failed and now the Prince is going to be mad at me and my brothers are going to go away and Daddy…I mean Ada is going to be mad at me too.”  He bit his lip before turning on the horse.

“Why do you have to be so big and scary?  I want to help my brothers, but you’re too big to get on, and I don’t know how to ride, and you’re no help.”  He sniffled before apologizing.  “Look, I need to ride you home, you need to take me back to Ada, and I don’t know how you’re going to do that, but you have to.  Maybe you should just go by yourself.  You’re all big and scary.  You’d be all right without me, you don’t need me.  Just go ahead and go.  Leave me and just go.  I don’t need you anymore.”  The boy was yelling again.  He looked up and glared at the horse, and screamed until his chest hurt.  Then Estel stopped and waited for the horse to run away after all the yelling he’d done.

To the boy’s surprise, the horse simply shook its head and began to kneel down on its front legs.  When it realized that its back was still out of the boy’s reach with his new handicap, it knelt all the way down and nuzzled the boy.

Estel was determined now that he saw how accommodating the horse was, and bent over the horse’s back, scooting up as far as he could before swinging one leg over.  He almost laughed as he mounted the horse.  “I’m sorry.”  The horse rose slowly and carefully, letting the boy adjust to being so high and get a good grip on its mane before galloping off again.

So it was that without further incident, Estel made it through the Misty Mountains, and quickly through the forests to the borders of Imladris.  The trip that had taken the Elrondions three days to travel now barely took the boy two, and he soon found himself in familiar territory.

~*~

When the guards around Imladris saw a horse galloping quickly through their forests, they sent word down their lines back to the Last Homely House of the possible threat, but were unsure as to how to proceed, for they all recognized the horse.  Soon, Lord Elrond heard the unexpected decree that there was a horse and mad rider barreling towards his home.

Elrond ran to the gates to meet the rushing horse, and gasped as he recognized the rider, and the state of Estel.  As soon as he could rein the horse in, the Lord reached up and pulled the boy down to the ground.  Holding him steady by the shoulders, Elrond barely noticed when Glorfindel jumped onto Elladan's horse and whispered to the beast.  Knowing his duty, the horse turned about and took off to bring his charge back to his rider.

Safe with his father in front of him, Estel barely heard Elrond calling his name as he realized that he had just ridden a horse, and very quickly at that, for a long distance.  He took in a deep breath and smiled weakly at his father before the past few days caught up with him.  Elrond gasped and caught his son as the boy's legs buckled and he slumped toward the ground.  Holding the Edan close, Elrond felt, before he saw, the blood that was seeping from the boy's back.  Estel was hurt, and badly.

~~**~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4

It didn’t take long for Elrond to race with his youngest up to the Healing Halls and rid the boy of his tattered cloak and tunic.  He laid Estel on the bed and turned to gather his herbs and other supplies.  He should have known that Erestor would have been right behind him, ready to aid his lord.  Smiling grim thanks, Elrond turned back to his son and surveyed the damage.  He didn’t even know where to begin.

Estel’s back and shoulder were badly gashed, and looked to be the newest wounds.  They were still bleeding, and so Elrond set to work bathing and binding these.  Tears burned his eyes at the sight of his youngest child’s mangled body.  The lord could only guess at what had happened, and thus prayed the bites and scratches were from wolves and not wargs.  He could only hope that the wounds were dirty and not poisoned.

When Estel’s back, torso, and shoulder were swathed in white bandaging, Elrond began examining the rest of his son.  Starting at his legs, the healer started to piece together a story of what happened.  Removing twigs and leaves with Estel’s boots and cleaning the light scratches on the boy’s ankles, Elrond surmised that his son had been hidden, or was hiding, and could only wonder at the state of his other sons.

It was then that Elrond recognized the tell-tale bruises around Estel’s left arm after willing any thoughts of his twin sons out of his mind.  Feeling the heat emanating from the injury, the lord turned to Erestor who, without further prompting, braced the boy’s upper arm and body.  Elrond firmly grasped his patient’s arm, lifted it slightly off the bed, took a deep shuddering breath, and spared a glance at the human on the bed.  Until he was done, Elrond could not allow himself to see the human on the bed in front of him as his son.  Nodding to Erestor, Elrond focused on feeling the bones as they were currently lying.  Before he could feel sympathy for the pain he was about to cause, Elrond pulled his hands apart to separate the bones and twisted them back into alignment.

Estel screamed out at the first pull and thrashed against Erestor, trying to pull away from his tormentors.  His eyes opened long enough to see his father twisting his arm.  Whimpering, Estel soon went limp, falling back into blissful unconsciousness.  Tears ran in tracks of mud down his face, and his breathing was heavy.  Quickly, a splint was secured to the arm, and tied down hastily.  Elrond would come back later to check the fracture and set the arm in linen and plaster.

Elrond and Erestor let out the breaths they had been holding as they glanced down at their charge.  Elrond continued examining his son, looking now for the cause of the boy’s continued unconsciousness.  He began to feel the back of his son’s head and cursed when he found a rather large lump just above and behind Estel’s right ear.  Upon closer examination, Elrond noticed the smallest line running from Estel’s ear down to his jaw.  It matched the dried tear tracks on the boy’s face, and Elrond cursed again.

“Erestor, I need…” he paused and steeled himself.  “I need boiling water, Athelas, and a clean knife.”

The aide paled.  “Surely you don’t mean to…”

“I need to release pressure in his skull, and I need to make sure his skull is not cracked too severely.  If I don’t operate, it will kill him.”

“But sire, he has a fever.  Won’t operating when he is like this possibly kill him too?”  Erestor placed his hand protectively on Estel’s head.

“It just might, but I don’t have a choice.”

~*~

Glorfindel took little notice of the same trees and wildlife that had amazed Estel as he rode quickly towards Mirkwood.  He stopped only when his mount need to rest, and could only hope that he was covering so much ground needlessly.  There was always the hope that Estel had simply gotten lost and Elladan’s horse had found him, but Glorfindel was never much of an optimist, and knew his hopes were almost certainly unfounded.

As he passed through the Misty Mountains, Glorfindel felt the beast he was riding tense and looked for unseen dangers.  He was confused when he sensed none, but as he raced around an outcropping, he began to smell the decay of rotting flesh.  He paused at the remains of a single warg, already being decimated by vultures.  When he saw that the warg was young and looked to have been crushed, he pieced together the horse’s skittishness with Estel’s appearance.

Anger and a tinge of fear fueled Glorfindel and he urged the horse faster.  He was unsure of how much further he had to travel, and wanted to cover the distance even faster now.  If Estel had been alone in the Misty Mountains, Illuvitar only knew what state the older Elrondions were in.

~*~             

If there had ever been a time that Legolas had not regretted his father’s overprotectiveness, he couldn’t recall it now.  But for once, the Prince did not know what he would have done had his father not sent out a contingent of guards and healers to run after the wayward Legolas.  Unfortunately, there was little that any of them could do until Elladan was stable enough to travel to either Mirkwood or Imladris, but it was still better than if Legolas had come upon them alone.

As it was, Legolas and his guards had set up a small camp around the healers as they had continued to work.  They had then hunted some of the small game in the area.  When that was done, Legolas had sent the guards to secure a perimeter.  This, however, left him alone with his thoughts.

It didn’t take long for Mirkwood’s youngest prince to take to the trees for solace.  Guilt set in quickly as he reflected on sending the child alone through the Mountains.  Legolas had rarely ever dealt with children, let alone human ones, and he had forgotten how young the boy was.  No wonder there had been fear in Estel’s eyes.  Calling out to one of his guards, he bid the soldier to take Elrohir’s horse and make for Imladris, hopefully finding Estel safe and escorting him home.

~*~

Glorfindel heard the hoofbeats approaching and pulled his sword just in case.  Rarely did any but Elves ride horses in the Mountains, but times were darkening, so he couldn’t be certain.  As Glorfindel recognized the blur of brown and green that was the uniform of Mirkwood, he called out a greeting.

“Mae govannen, sir, but we need to move quickly.  The Lords Elladan and Elrohir need your help back this way.”  The guard paused.  “You haven’t seen Lord Elrond’s Edain son, have you?”

Glorfindel heard the slight in the words, but had not time to waste on it.  “Young Estel is safely where he belongs, with his father.  Now, take me to his brothers.”

So it was that the famous Balrog slayer came upon Legolas’ camp and the twins.  He blanched at the sight, and arrived none too soon it seemed.

“What do you mean there’s no more Athelas?”

“Just that your Highness.  We’ve used it all on the two of them and we still need more.”

Glorfindel came up beside Legolas.  “Would this help, neth pen?”  He held out a pack full of Kingsfoil.

“Please, if it isn’t important don’t bother me…Glor?”  Legolas turned his attention to the new voice as the healer snatched away the herbs.  “Oh thank Illuvitar you’re here.”

Glorfindel laughed at the Prince before turning to see his lord’s sons.  “They need to get back to their father.  Can they be moved?”

“Yes, milord.  Lord Elladan is stable enough to journey to Imladris now.”  The healer paused.  “I think.”

~*~

As Erestor left to do his lord’s bidding, Elrond gathered his son into his arms and let the tears grace his cheeks for a moment before noticing just how warm Estel was.

“Oh, ion nin.  You are so little to have suffered so much.  He paused and looked to the adjoining bathing room.  “I only hope the strength in your bloodline can see you through this.”  Elrond stood with his son and entered the room.  Without hesitation, he began to fill a tub with cold water.  “Please, my son, have the strength to survive this.”

When the tub was filled from the spring that had been tapped for just this purpose, Elrond closed his eyes briefly before lowering the boy into the water.

Immediately, Estel began thrashing, and it tore at Elrond’s heart to be forcefully holding his son in the water.  Estel cried out for someone to help him before deliriously latching onto his father’s arm and biting down until the taste of blood froze him in his actions.  As he paused, however, his body betrayed him and he went limp; his lungs barely working, his heart beating just enough to keep him alive.

When Estel had bitten Elrond, the father could not help but close his eyes against the continuing tears and hope that Estel would not remember this.  He looked up in time to see the boy go limp and his own heart leapt into his throat.  Pulling Estel back into his arms and quickly wrapping the child in all the blankets he could find, Elrond laid the boy down on the table to wait.

As Erestor returned to the Halls, he heard the screaming child and it was all he could to not drop his supplies and run to Estel’s aid.  When he did enter Estel’s room, the trail of water and shivering child revealed to Erestor the chance his lord had taken.

“Set the water on the hot stones to keep while he settles,” Lord Elrond’s voice was muffled from beneath his hands.

“Milord, can he survive all this?”

“He has to, mellon nin, he has to.”

It took only moments for Estel to stop shivering and go limp once more.  He was still pale, but his fever seemed to be staved off for the time being.  “It’s now or never, Erestor.  Hand me that knife please.”  Elrond cringed as the cold steel was placed in his hand.

“Lord Elrond, surely a sleeping draught?”  Erestor moved quickly to delay the healer from forgetting.

But Elrond only shook his head.  “We can’t risk sending him deeper into sleep.  He would never wake up from that.”  He paused.  “Erestor, I’ll…I’ll need you to hold him steady…while I do this.”

Erestor sucked in a deep breath and watched as Elrond removed the pillows from under his son’s head and turned.  When he returned to the table moments later, he was holding several ropes and cloths.

“I…I can’t do this Erestor, I can’t bind my own son to this table.”  He looked painfully at his servant who nodded and took the bindings, understanding what he must do.  Elrond turned away as soft cloths were wrapped around Estel’s arms, legs, and torso, and then he was bound tightly to the hard table.

“He is ready, milord.”  Erestor carefully turned Estel’s head toward him and looked to Lord Elrond.

Elrond nodded and advanced on his son, hoping upon Hope that the boy would be safe; that he would not fail.  “Valar protect you.”

~*~

Glorfindel rode hard with Elladan grasped firmly in front of him, and Legolas with Elrohir.  The guards and healers were sent back to inform King Thranduil of the events as all haste was now needed.  Elladan was still unconscious, and both Elves feared for his life.  Elrohir was still fading in and out of consciousness, but was still not aware enough to worry over his brothers.

~*~

Elrond had made the first incision into his son’s scalp and was beginning to feather back the skin when Estel began to whimper weakly.  He used some of the cloth to staunch the bleeding, and got his first view of the damage.  There was a three inch crack along Estel’s skull that, upon closer inspection, did not breach through completely from what he could see.

“This is going to hurt him, Erestor, but it is imperative that he does not move.”  Elrond looked to his aide.

“What are you going to do, sir?”

“I need to make a hole in his skull, large enough to insert this, and then I need to stabilize it and sew up his head.  With any luck, he will be all right, and won’t remember any of this.”

Erestor nodded and placed one hand on the back of the boy’s head and the other on his cheek.  Elrond placed a pointed spike to Estel’s skull and took a very small mallet from his supplies.  With a nod to Erestor, Lord Elrond bit down on his lip and began his work.

The result on Estel was instantaneous as his eyes flew open and he tried to pull away.  He could see that he was home, and more terror seized him as he felt the ropes and saw Erestor.

“Daddy!  Daddy, help me!  Mommy, please come!”  Estel slipped into the Westron tongue, and Elrond faltered as his son called out for Arathorn and Gilraen.  As quickly as possible, Elrond inserted the shunt and began to stitch up his work.  It was too much for Estel, he could feel his Elven father near, but no one was helping him it seemed.  With that, his body failed him and began to shut down.

~*~

Glorfindel and Legolas had just passed over Imladris’ bridge when a scream pierced the air.  It was familiar enough to cause Elrohir to blearily open his eyes and smile before passing out again.  Elladan shifted in front of Glorfindel, the call of his father too strong to be ignored, even near death, but he could not wake up.  The Prince and the Balrog slayer looked up towards the Healing Halls, where the shout had come from, and spurred their horses to move more quickly.  The already exhausted mounts snorted, but did their masters’ bidding, as they could sense the dire straits the Elrondions were in.

Reaching the gates, Glorfindel slid down to his own two feet and pulled Elladan with him.  It frightened him as to how little the Elf had moved during the whole ride, and now as his broken arm was jarred, Elladan did not even flinch.  Knowing that Legolas was right behind him with the less injured twin, Glorfindel did not bother to make sure they were all right before running up the stairs to the Halls.

Legolas slid off his own horse and turned to pull Elrohir down when he was greeted with pain-filled eyes.

“Where are my brothers?”  The voice was weak, and even the Prince could see that Elrohir was close to losing his hold on consciousness once more.

“Gostau, mellon nin, pan namae.”

Elrohir nodded, missing the fearful look in Legolas’ eye, and slowly slid off the horse.  As soon as he had his feet under him, however, consciousness fled, and Legolas had to catch him before he hit the ground.

~*~

Erestor had just walked out of the Halls, tears in his eyes and blood staining his hands and robes, when he was met with two blond Elves and a set of twins.

“Ai, Elbereth, no more please,” was all he said before motioning to the room he had just exited.  “Lord Elrond is in there with Estel.”  An audible sigh of defeat escaped him, and he turned towards the supply hall.

Fear gripped both conscious Elves as Erestor left, and they hurried to see what had disturbed him so.  As they entered the Halls, they glimpsed a crumpled form in a chair, holding a small being.  They could tell that Elrond held Estel, but only because the child was the only one so small in all of Imladris.  His entire head was masked in already soiled bandages, and what was free of white linen was covered by the Lord’s robes.

Elrond barely acknowledged that there were others in the room at first.  It took him only a moment to notice that his other sons were in dire trouble as well, and could not mourn one son while two others were of his need.  He rose slowly and lay Estel back down on the hard table, and turned to the others.  Glorfindel had already set to work on Elladan, but was shooed to Elrohir when the Healer reached the beds.

“What can I do to help, my Lord?”  Legolas could not just stand there, but he did not want to be in the way either.

Elrond needed only to look at Legolas to be filled with anger.  He was angered by the fact that the Prince had come too late, and was not hurt, but he stopped when he realized that the Prince had probably helped to save his sons' lives, Estel included, and that his well-being, while a rarity, was truly one of Illuvitar's blessings, few though they were on this day.

“Stay with Estel and talk to him, I can do no more for him, it seems he is to die, but maybe…just maybe…” he trailed off, tears in his eyes once more, and turned back to Elladan, muttering “he was the hope of Man, how could I let him die like that?”

“What, my Lord?  Your son is not dead, and he won’t die today.”

“I appreciate your fervor, Legolas, but it is too late for him I think.  I tried to help him, and I couldn’t even do that, and now he will pass from these lands.  He was calling for me to help him, to save him from the evil that was hurting him.  Legolas, it was I that was hurting him…I was torturing him, and I could not stop his pain.”

“He will be all right, my Lord, he has to be.  I have yet to be introduced to him.”

The statement was enough to garner a grim smile from the father, and he nodded before turning back to his work.

~*~

The Elves worked long into the night on their charges, and it seemed it would be to no avail until the very end.  It seemed that Illuvitar himself had finally decided to grace the Elrondions with his presence, when Estel moaned and clutched Legolas’ hand, Elrohir’s eyes opened once more, and Elladan had finally decided to stay among the living.

With that, Elrond stepped out of the Healing Halls for a breath of fresh air, his sons' blood mingling on his hands.  Estel was out of the woods, so to speak, Elrohir would be fine in a few days...but Elladan...well, the Lord was sure now, though he hadn't been moments before, that he would survive, but it had been too close, and the damage was still severe.  He didn't know if his pride and joy would have the will to endure the hardships that Arda threw at him anymore.

~~**~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 5

To an unsuspecting onlooker, the scene in the Healing Halls was one of indifference and sloth.  It was late in the day, and Lord Elrond was leaning against Elladan and Elrohir’s bed, Glorfindel was sitting crossways on an easy chair, and Legolas was sitting with his face buried in Estel’s bed, fingers still being crushed by the small boy.  Elrohir was sitting with his twin’s hand clutched in his own, but all four Elves were dreaming. 

Erestor had been by earlier to cover the Elves in blankets and stoke the fire that burned to keep the injured warm, but now he too was dozing in a corner, not willing to leave his Masters’ sides in case any of them needed anything.  Tears were still in his eyes, even in sleep, at the sight of his Lord’s sons, but he knew that they had received the best care and now only time would tell who the Valar would claim.

Elrohir woke slowly and painfully.  White bandages covered most of his bare chest, and he found that moving was a decidedly bad idea.  Sitting against the headboard while resting, he decided was just as bad an idea, but he would not move and disturb his family.  It was to no avail, however, as his father awoke and rose from the ground, almost startling his son.

“Shh, ion nin.  How do you fare?”

It was no use to bother trying to brush it off.  “I hurt, Ada; but I’m sure that I will live.”  Elrond smiled, and nodded.

“You can lie down and not disturb him.  He won’t wake for some time, I’m afraid.”  Elrohir nodded and lay down with his father’s help.  The movement woke both Erestor and Glorfindel, who moved automatically to get more bandages and cleaning salve for Elrohir.  The younger twin grimaced.

~*~

Legolas woke some time later, and tried to shift his fingers.  He looked down on the boy whom he had talked away from death’s door long into the night.  Estel looked so small and fragile amongst the covers of the bed that he had been moved to, and while Legolas had not understood before this event how the Lords of Imladris could take in a human and call him one of their own, he was beginning to see how the child had won their hearts. 

Elrond came over and relieved Legolas of the small fingers.  “Hannon lle, mellon nin.  Enni sinta n’sut diolo lle faarea.”

“Pan namae, brannon Elrond.”  Legolas nodded as he stood to stretch his legs.  Wandering over to the balcony, he breathed in the fresh air and looked down upon the courtyard.  “Your realm’s beauty never ceases to amaze me, milord.  It’s been so long since Mirkwood looked anything like this.”

Elrond knew not to say anything, and simply stopped to remember Greenwood as it once was.  “Go down to the kitchens and get something to eat, young Prince.  You need some time to yourself I think.”

“Will it do any good to argue with you?”

“No.  Now go, take a walk, get some air, rest in a comfortable bed, write a letter to your father, I don’t care what you do as long as you relax a little.  I can see the guilt that is already etching itself on your face, and it will only get worse if you sit here cooped up and staring at my sons.”

“Yes, milord.”  The tone was light as Legolas headed out of the Healing Halls.  Elrond barely heard the next words, and could only shake his head.  “A hunt sounds good right about now.”  And so it was that Legolas occupied himself.

~*~

Elrond found himself sitting next to his youngest, stroking the boy’s fingers and staring at the bandages that were now only wrapping the boy’s brow.  Moments before he had removed the shunt as the sun reached the highest point in its path, and now he was waiting to see what would happen.  It was still likely that the boy might pass from the land of the living, but Elrond would not give up hoping upon Hope.

Time seemed to speed by, and the sun was just setting when Elrond felt Estel’s fingers tighten.  “That’s it, tithen pen, open your eyes now.  Ada’s here.”

Just when it seemed that nothing would come of it, and Elrond had almost looked away, tears welling up once more, Estel’s silver eyes caught his father’s gaze.  Estel smiled before shutting his eyes tight against the pain that had caught up to him.  There was no fear in the small human’s eyes.  It would seem that the recent events held no pull on Estel’s memories, and there would be no ill effects from that at least.

With tears of joy in his eyes, Elrond reached for the tea that Erestor had already poured, and held it out to his youngest.  Laughing at the withering glare that the twins must have taught him, the Lord simply looked at Estel before the boy opened his mouth.  Elrond tilted his son’s head carefully, and within minutes, the young human fell into a light healing sleep.

“Erestor, I wonder if you might find Belur for him.  I did not see him with it when he returned, and the bear might be lost, but if you could…”

“Glorfindel returned with Belur strapped to his saddle, milord, and the bear has already been washed.  It is sitting on Estel’s bed; I will go and fetch it for him.”

Erestor returned moments later with the treasured animal, and placed it securely under the plaster that encased Estel’s arm.  Even in his drugged state, Estel seemed to relax when he felt his bear, and pulled it closer to his chest.

~*~

“Please, Elrohir, I don’t care if you leave for long enough to walk to your room and change clothing, but you haven’t seen the outside of these Halls in days.”

“I have to be here, Ada, what if one of them wakes up?”

“Then you will be right back.  The longer you argue with me, the more likely it is that you will miss them waking.  Estel should sleep for another hour or so, and Elladan, well, we don’t know about that yet.  Please go?”

“All right, Ada, if it will make you happy.”

Elrohir walked to his room, changed, and was on his way back when he spotted Elladan’s rabbit.  It sparked memories of the day they left for Mirkwood, and he sat back down in a chair, clutching the toy.  He did not know how long he sat there before returning to the Halls.

As it turned out, it was just in time; for no sooner had he put the rabbit down near his twin did Estel waken once more.  Elrohir rushed to his side.

“Estel!  How do you feel?”

The boy shrugged, bit his lip, and tried to sit up.  Elrond eased him up, placed pillows behind his back, and stepped back.  Estel threw his arms out for a hug from his brother, and Elrond gulped.  He still did not know what Estel would remember, even if the previous smile had placated the lord for a moment, he was truly afraid that the boy would hate him, or worse, fear him.

His found that his fears had no basis as soon as Estel turned to him, smiled, and silently asked for a hug.  Elrond was only too happy to oblige.  “How are you, tithen pen?”

Again the boy shrugged.

“Aren’t you going to answer us, gwador nin?  We’ve been worried about you.”

Estel didn’t say anything, only turned to search out Elladan.  He paled when he saw his brother still unconscious, but still did not say a word.

“Don’t push him, Elrohir.  He may not be able to speak.”  Tears were once more in Elrond’s eyes, but he would not let them fall, else he might frighten either of his sons further.

~*~

Elrohir sat next to his twin's bed, cradling Estel in his arms as the boy slept.  There were tears in his eyes at both his brothers’ appearance, and he was more than worried for both of them as well.  Estel had not said a word since he had woken, and Elladan was still unconscious, with his dark lashes and pale eyelids masking his eyes.  Elrohir had just dozed off when he felt his twin's hand move just slightly.  He roused Estel, and they both watched anxiously as Elladan struggled back to consciousness.

Elrohir inhaled sharply when his twin's eyes focused on him, and tears sprang to the surface, quickly blinked away.  He knew that look, he had seen it once before, and knew now that it was only a matter of time before Elladan broke his father's and Estel's hearts.  There was no question in Elrohir's mind about his stance; he would follow his brother anywhere.

Estel smiled at Elladan, and struggled to get out of Elrohir’s grasp, but the younger twin worried that the boy might hurt his twin mistakenly and held fast.

“Estel, can you go get Ada and bring him here?”

The boy nodded, eager for the chance to leave the Halls, and bolted for the door.

~*~

Standing outside the Hall of Fire, Estel stalled before opening the door.  He was afraid that his father wouldn’t understand that Elrohir had sent him out of the Halls.  With new resolve, however, Estel pulled open the door and raced in on a meeting with several human delegates.

“What is the meaning of this, Lord Elrond?”  The words grated on Estel’s ears as he passed the Men, and he ignored them.  He understood very little of the Common Tongue, and it wasn’t important to him now.  He grabbed Elrond’s robes and pulled as hard he could.

“What, Estel?  Do you need me to follow you?”  Elrond was careful not to try and force the boy to talk.  Estel nodded and pulled harder.  “Are we going to the Healing Halls?”  Again, a nod.  “Is your brother awake?”  Estel grinned and jumped up and down, stopping quickly when it sent shooting pains through his skull.  Elrond picked him up and cradled him close.

He turned to the Men in his presence.  “You must excuse me, I must see to my son.  Glorfindel can field any more of your questions.”  The Men nodded, and Elrond brought Estel back to the Halls.

When he reached them, he found Elrohir sitting next to Elladan’s bed, telling his brother everything that he had missed.

“Elrohir, please take Estel to his room to get changed while I examine your brother.”

“Yes, Ada.  Come on Estel; let’s get out of these Halls, shall we?”  The boy was passed from father to son, and the doors were shut once more.

~*~

It had only been a few days, but there was a marked improvement in Estel once the boy knew that Elladan was alive and would remain that way.  He was sitting in the Healing Halls, restlessly picking at his cast when the eldest Elrondion approached him with Elrohir as a crutch.  Not expecting a response, Elladan simply had his brother lower him next to the boy and gently pulled Estel’s hand away from the plaster.  "Don't do that tithen pen."

"Why not?" 

Elladan looked up at the boy, overjoyed to hear him speak for the first time, and pulled him into a quick hug before ruffling his hair.  "Because, little one, it will make Ada angry if you continue."

The eldest Elrondion pulled Estel into his lap gingerly, not wanting to aggravate either of their injuries, and looked at his twin.  Knowing all too well what was coming, Elrohir bolted from the room, wanting to ignore reality.

Sighing, Elladan turned to the human in front of him.  "Estel, do you remember Ada telling you about Valinor?" 

"Yes, 'Dan, it's where Elves go when they can't stay here anymore.  It's where your Nana went, and where you and 'Ro and Ada will go when I'm all grown up and have a family of my own to look after." 

Elladan nodded, and bowed his head.  "I know we told you it would be a long time from now, gwador nin, but I think," he paused.  "I think that I need to go see Nana now."

"Don't you want to stay with me anymore?"  Estel cried out, turning and hugging his brother tightly. 

"Oh Estel, it's not that at all.  Look at me, I can barely even sit up straight anymore for more than a few minutes, never mind run after you, or protect you, or even climb trees with you anymore.  Arda is not as innocent as it once was, little one, and I don't expect you to understand right now, but I have to go.  I need to, and I need for you to try and accept it and not be sad for me.  I will be better off there." 

"No," the boy whispered fiercely.  "No, I will not.  I won't accept it.  Ever.  You can't leave, I won't let you."

“Estel, please understand...”

“No, ‘Dan.  There’s nothing to…” he couldn’t finish his sentence, and instead rose and ran for the only source of comfort he could think of, his father. 

~*~

The Men that Elrond had been meeting with were starting to wonder if the child who kept interrupting them was doing so purposefully as he interrupted their conversation once more.

“Ada, Ada, please, say it isn’t so.”  Estel jumped into his father’s lap and held fast, tears staining Elrond’s robes quickly.  Lord Elrond was too stunned at hearing his son’s voice at first to register anything else, and it took him a minute to wrap his arms around the trembling form and another to comprehend the words.

“So he told you, then, tithen pen?  Glorfindel, will you…”

“Of course, milord.  Gentleman, if I may continue…”

~*~

In the safety of Elrond’s chambers, he rocked the boy until the tears subsided.  “I know, ion nin, I know it’s hard.  Shh, calm down tithen pen, it will be all right.  Elladan will be happier with his mother now.  He needs her right now.  And he needs the peace that Valinor can give him.  You remember learning about Valinor, don’t you Estel?”

“Y-yes, Ada.  Elves can find et-eter- what’s the word?”

“Eternal.”

“Etern-n-nal peace there.  And Elladan’s Nana can make him better because she’s his Nana.”

“Yes, Estel.  And he will be happy there.  Don’t you want your brother to be happy?”

“Well yes, Ada, of course.  But I could draw him pictures, and tell him stories.  Wouldn’t he be happy then?”

“Oh Estel.  That would help, I’m sure, but he needs to do this.  He needs his mother, and he needs no more worries.  I don’t want him to go either, tithen pen, but he has to.”  Elrond wondered how he was going to convince his son, when he couldn’t convince himself of this.

“But Ada…but Ada doesn’t that mean I won’t ever get to see him again?”

“Yes, yes it does Estel, but even if you don’t see him, he’ll always be there for you.”

“But I won’t be able to see him.”

“You can’t see him right now, can you?  And you know he’s there for you, don’t you.”

“Well yes.  But I still don’t want him to go away forever, Ada.”  Estel broke into tears again, and put his head down on his father’s chest.  “My head hurts, Ada.”

“I know, little one,” Elrond stroked the boy’s short hair absentmindedly, thinking of Elladan.

~*~

Estel had only just fallen asleep in his father's arms, having exhausted himself with his tears, when Elladan walked in, his eyes empty of the sparkle that had always been a part of him.  Even Elrond barely recognized him.  He started to plead with his son, but was cut off.

"Adar, please don't, please don't ask me to stay, I cannot remain where there is no happiness for me, I have to stick with my decision." 

Elrond sighed.  "I know, ion nin, but think of what you are doing.  You promised Arathorn that you would look after Estel.  You promised him, and I have never known you to break a promise.  I will not ask you to stay, but who will look after him?" 

"Elrohir will." 

"You are so sure that your brother won't follow right behind you?"

"I have reminded him of that promise that he, too, made, and I made him promise to stay and watch over Estel.  Someone has to teach him how to get into...I mean out of...trouble.  He will stay." 

"You would break both of your brothers' hearts?  And mine?"  Estel stirred in his father's arms.  "I know you must sail then, when you are willing to give all that up.  I know that you will be happier there, and I only pray that I will be able to join you when my tasks here are done."

Elrond walked out, leaving Elladan in his wake, and returned Estel to his room, making sure that the treasured bear was in his arms.

Moments later, the Lord returned to Elladan's side, pulling his oldest into his arms, not too proud, as the Lord of Imladris, to let his own tears stain the robes of his son.  "I will miss you, ion nin."

“I will miss you too, Ada.  But we will see each other again, in time.”

Later on, Elladan slowly made his way back past the Healing Halls and stopped at a door to rest.  He looked around his own room, knowing it would be one of the last times he would see it.  The fire was blazing, warming the area around it, and the eldest Elrondion stumbled to his bed, eager to feel the warmth of his covers.

~*~

Elladan woke groggily, and felt a small bundle trembling at his side.  From the size, he could tell that it was his baby brother, and it felt as though he had recently had another nightmare.  "Estel?"

The boy sat up immediately.  "Oh 'Dan, it was awful.  I dreamt that you told me you were going to go away and never come back." 

Elladan gulped.  "Gwador nin, that wasn't a dream, I'm sorry."

Estel jumped from the bed, seething.  "What do you mean?" 

"I mean just that, tithen pen, I'm sorry, but I can't stay here anymore.  I thought you understood." 

"You promised you'd never leave me alone, Elladan," the Elf cringed as Estel used his full name, "you promised you wouldn't leave me like my father did.  You said you would always be there." 

"But I will be there..." he pointed to the boy’s heart. 

"It's not the same, Elladan.  It’s not the same and you know it.”  With that, Estel ran from the Healing Halls, catching the cast on his arm on one of the doorframes, but he did not stop running.  The thoughts in his head were just as fast.  Elladan was leaving him, leaving to sail over the sea to be with his mother.  The boy couldn't believe it. 

~~**~~

 

Chapter 6

He didn't know where he was going; planning on running until his legs would no longer carry him.  He turned the corner and was stopped abruptly by an Elf's legs.  Knocked to the ground, stopping himself with his hands, Estel cried out before righting himself, muttering an apology, and planning on continuing on his quest to nowhere.  A hand on his shoulder stopped him, and started the tears.  He looked up to Legolas, and started.  He hadn't realized that the Prince was still in Imladris.

Remembering his manners, the boy wiped his tears away before bowing slightly to the Prince.  "Greetings, Prince Legolas Thranduilion of Mirkwood, and mae govannen.  I am Estel Elrondion of Imladris."  His voice quavered, and Legolas smiled, returned the greeting, and stooped to the boy's level.  Pulling the child into a strong hug and rubbing his back, Legolas let Estel soak his royal robes as the truth hit the 6 year-old full on.  His brother was leaving in the morning.

Legolas did not know what was wrong with the boy, and simply allowed him to cry himself out.  Amongst the tears, the Prince discerned that his best friend was leaving Middle Earth, and it tore at his heart.  He had known somewhere deep inside him when he left that if Elrond was sending him away at least one of the Elrondions was in dire straits, and he had made his peace with this already.

When the boy was done crying, he looked up to the near stranger for advice.  Legolas sighed and picked up Estel.  “It will be all right, little one.  I swear to you that it will.”

~*~

Legolas shooed the boy back towards the sleeping quarters, where he made his way back to Elladan's room.  He had had a long chat with the Mirkwood Prince, and his mind was made up.  "'Dan?" he hesitated. 

Elladan turned to him and smiled slightly for the boy's benefit.  Estel plodded in and sat on the end of the bed. 

"If you've made up your mind to leave, then I will be happy for you, and I won't cry anymore, and I'll be brave." He paused, and bit his lip.  "But please, don't go."

Elrohir came in from the doorway then, seeing that a mere human boy could accept reality better than he could.  "If you go, 'Dan, I will follow."

Elladan sent the boy out with Legolas again.  “You can’t, ‘Ro, someone has to protect him.  He is the hope of Mankind, and we both swore an oath to his father and mother.  I can’t uphold that promise, and it is breaking my heart more to leave him.  You must promise me that you will stay and watch out for him no matter what.  You have to keep him safe, ‘Ro; keep him safe and teach him to be a survivor.  But don’t let him forget how to have a good time.  Pranks are a must in any Elrondion’s life, you know.  He has to learn that life will be difficult, and I can’t do that anymore.  You cannot follow me this time, brother; your place is still here.” 

"So is yours." 

"No, 'Ro, I can't stay.  You know this as well as I, you knew it when I woke up, I know you did.”

 Elrohir and Elladan stayed up long into the night, each trying to convince the other of his reasoning.  Neither twin could accept the other’s argument, and neither was willing to let it be.  But as the sun was beginning its daily path, Elladan began to tire, and Elrohir pulled him close and held him until he slept.

He was just about to drift off when Estel ran in.  “I-I-I...‘Ro, I had a nightmare again.  Is he asleep?”

“Yes he is, tithen pen, but come here; you can sit with me if that will help.”

Estel climbed up on the bed and looked hesitantly at Elladan and then Elrohir.  “You’re sure he’s…”

“Yes, little one, he is asleep.”

“No, I’m not, ‘Ro.  Go to your own bed, I’ll take him from here.”

“Maybe I should take care of him tonight, ‘Dan, seeing as I’ll be doing it from now on.”  The disdain could not be missed, and the hint of well controlled tears was all too evident as Elrohir plucked Estel off the bed and carried him to his own.  “Come on, little one, and I’ll tell you a story about a Hobbit.”

Elladan sighed, tears in his eyes, and rolled over to face the wall.  He knew what he was doing was right in the long run.  He couldn’t see beauty in his home anymore, couldn’t hear the trees talking.  He smiled slightly, remembering a conversation with Legolas about how the Noldor couldn’t talk to the trees, but even that was bittersweet, and all Elladan could do was remember that the conversation had ended abruptly when wolves had attacked their campsite.  Before he drifted off to sleep, a fleeting memory of his mother graced his mind, and he fell asleep thinking of being with her.

Meanwhile, Estel had listened to his story, and was curled up against Elrohir, fighting off tears as sleep claimed him.  It would be much longer before Elrohir could fall asleep.  The innocent laying next to him was now his responsibility, but he couldn’t help wondering if Estel would spend the rest of his life comparing Elrohir to what Elladan would have done.  All that the younger twin wanted to do was be with his brother.  Elladan had spent their entire lives being the older sibling, protecting Elrohir and then Estel, and now he was leaving that responsibility behind.

Elrohir didn’t know what to do.  He had always been able to look to Elladan for comfort, for knowledge, for anything.  He knew that Elladan would be happier in Valinor, and he would never try to stop his brother from being happy, but all he wanted was for his brother to be right there with him, watching his back like he had done for the past centuries.  With one last glance over at Elladan, and another down at Estel, Elrohir fell asleep.

~*~

The next morning was the hardest to drag the youngest of the household from their beds.  Both had come to the distinct conclusion that if they did not meet the day, than it wouldn’t occur, and their brother would still be with them forever when they finally did rise.  But such is life that regardless of the reason, Estel and Elrohir soon found themselves dressed and getting ready for the day’s trip.

It was a somber procession that stopped momentarily in front of the Last Homely House to let Elladan gaze upon his home one last time.  The beautiful archways and columns that he could picture in his memory at even the darkest hour as a ray of light were suddenly dark and lonely.  This was no longer his home, he had convinced himself, and therefore had little meaning to him.  Tears graced his eyes, however, as he couldn’t keep the charade with himself up for long.  He would never see Imladris again, but would be reunited with his mother and other friends who had already escaped the darkening Middle Earth.  Nodding to his father in the lead, Elladan signaled that he was ready to leave.

Elrohir dropped his head at his brother’s response, knowing that if the sight of his home could not change Elladan’s mind then there was nothing else to do.  He followed Elrond’s horse, Estel sitting dejectedly in front of him, and headed out to the Great East Road towards the Grey Havens.

Estel was trembling slightly, tasting a slight iron tinge as he continued biting the inside of his lip.  In his mind, the horse that had befriended him had also failed him, and was therefore an enemy.  He held very little ‘hatred’ for the beasts, as very few six year olds know true hatred, and so his feelings came through in fear.  Glorfindel’s geography lessons were fresh in his mind, and he knew that Mithlond was too far to walk, but he would not ride alone, and so Elrohir had volunteered to carry the boy on his steed.  Elladan was abandoning him, of that Estel was sure, but he had also rationalized that his oldest brother would not leave him unless the situation was dire.  With that realization, Estel was sure that this was for the best, and would learn to deal with the loss in time.

Legolas, Glorfindel, and Elrond had all dealt with far too many of these trips in their lifetimes, and so remained stoic for the rest of their party.  They led the family towards and through the Old Forest, and kept their emotions at bay as the time came nearer.  Elrond spent the time reflecting on his son’s birth, the many pranks that the boy had pulled with his twin, especially the ones that he had to mop up after.  He remembered when his sons had discovered ink and dye, when they had learned of paint, and when Glorfindel had begun teaching them how to survive in the Wilds.  With these memories, Elrond began to paint a picture of where Elladan and Elrohir’s mischievous streaks had been borne from, and turned to glare at his advisor.  Knowing that it was not worth it to make anything of the epiphany at the time, the Lord allowed his gaze to fall and remembered how often it was that the twins had attempted to switch places in lessons and at functions.  The two always managed to convince themselves that even their parents were fooled, a feat that was never truly accomplished, and this brought a smile to the father’s face.

Legolas, too, was caught in memories and guilt.  Every time he glanced back to see his best friend for the last time, he remembered not getting to him quickly enough, not convincing Elladan to stay.  He thought of Estel and how heartbroken the boy had been when the Prince had reminded him to think of his brother’s happiness before his, and vowed to make it up to the boy.  Early that morning, he had vowed to Elladan that he would take it upon himself to help Elrohir protect him, and had been told of Estel’s heritage.  The striking resemblance to Arathorn was not lost on the Prince, who had met the leader of the Rangers with Elladan himself, years before the young heir was born.  Legolas was honored that the Lord and his sons felt him worthy enough of this secret, when it was not even known to the heir himself yet.  He also knew that he could not hope for Mirkwood’s help in protecting the boy if it ever came to that.  Shaking his head at the xenophobia he own kin held, he took the lead as the group passed the Tower Hills.

Glorfindel had caught the glare that his Lord had afforded him, and wondered briefly about it as he gazed about the soon to be broken family.  He knew there was nothing that could be done, and had the least problem of the travelers with this journey, but it was difficult nonetheless.  He remembered taking the boys into the Wilds and passing on all of his tricks, giving the boys baths when his Lord and Lady were otherwise occupied, helping the boys to learn of the great Middle Earth and all its peoples, and of course, teaching the boys how to wield a sword and shoot arrows.  A single, solitary, silver tear streaked down his left cheek as he fingered the scar on his arm from Elladan’s first shot.  Yes, this was a difficult journey indeed, it seemed.

“Si lye naa.”  Elrond brought them around the last bend to the harbor at the Grey Havens, and all looked to Elladan.  To him, it was the most beautiful sight he had seen in a long time, with the water lapping lightly on the shores and the waiting boat.  There were a few other Elves milling around, giving their last good-byes to their loved ones as they too planned on journeying to Valinor.  Elladan could see that the stone staircase that led down to the dock was an easy feat for even the broken Elf to complete on his own.  It would not be physical drain that would hamper his leaving, but the faces alone of his companions.  He could see the broken hearts of his family displayed plainly on their faces. 

Elrohir and Elrond’s cheeks were already marred with silver paths.  Estel’s eyes were glassy, and the eldest Elrondion suspected from the red tinge on the left corner of the child’s mouth that the tip of the human’s tongue was quite sore.  Legolas’s eyes were also glassy, but were focused more on the ship that must look identical to the past ones that had claimed his friends and relatives.  It was Glorfindel, then who made the first move; he dismounted and looked up at Elladan.  The tear that had squeezed past his defenses was gone, but the sadness remained, and surprised the Elf.

“It is time, Elladan Elrondion.  The ship will undoubtedly be leaving soon.”

Elladan nodded, waited for everyone else to dismount, and then looked at Estel, admiring the boy’s strength and making another decision.  He swung off the horse’s back and held the reins a moment longer.  “Estel, tithen pen, come here for a moment.”

Estel trembled once, and walked proudly over to his brother.  The large beast that had safely carried him to Imladris now loomed over him, staring down at the boy, before nudging his shoulder.  The horse was not used to the saddle that Elladan had been forced to use to keep himself mounted on the long journey, but also was familiar with the boy, whom it saw as another master.

Elladan knelt next to his brother, forcing the two to stare into each other’s teary eyes.  The reins looped over his shoulder as he allowed the horse its head.  “Estel, Ada told me of what you did when we were hurt, how you helped to rescue us by riding for Glorfindel and Ada, how you fought a warg and still managed to make a very scary journey all the way back home.  That took a lot of courage little one, and proved just how much a part of this family you are.  Don’t ever let anyone tell you any differently, tithen pen.  You are my and Elrohir’s brother.  You are Ada’s son, and the truest that an Elrondion could be.  I don’t want you to ever forget that you are always Estel Elrondion, no matter what happens or what people would say.”  Elladan paused to look at the rest of his family before returning to the boy.  “To make sure that no one ever forgets that, muindor nin, I want you to take care of my horse for me from now on.  You’ve already proven that you can ride him well, with a saddle or without, and I know you’ll make me proud with him.  I need someone from this family that I can trust with him.  Will you take him, Estel?”

There was a long pause before the boy answered.  “You called me muindor, ‘Dan.  You’ve always only called me gwador before this.  You call Elrohir muindor.  If I am worthy of that, then I think I can take care of your horse for you, if that is what you would like me to do.”  The six year old sounded far too adult for his age, but the family knew that came from growing up with the far elder Elves.  Estel fingered the leather reins in his hand before tossing them down and launching his small form into his brother’s arms.  “I will miss you, ‘Dan.  Say hello to your Nana for me.” 

Elladan nodded, more proud of his youngest brother than he had ever been, and picked up the boy, groaning under the effort.  Placing Estel in the saddle and handing him the reins, Elladan took a last look at the boy before allowing the boy to rejoin the support of his remaining family.  But as is the way with all small children, strength can only last so long, even with Elven blood to bolster it, and though Estel had refused to cry, he could not help making one last plea.

“‘Dan, I wanna come with you!  I don’t want to never see you again.  Please let me come, I wouldn’t cause any trouble.”  Estel had launched himself off his horse, falling to his knees before rising.  When he saw the further heartbreak in his brother’s eyes, however, even the youngest child could tell that it was hopeless; he was going to lose his brother forever.  Estel dropped his head before taking another deep, shuddering breath and staring once more at Elladan.  “I love you, ‘Dan, and I will miss you.  Please be happy now.”

Elrohir had dismounted as soon as Estel had jumped, and now could offer physical support to the boy.  He looked at Elladan, and a voiceless goodbye passed.  Neither twin could say a word, and none needed to be spoken.  Elrohir had accepted the charge to protect Estel, but his heart was breaking all the same.  He could only watch as his father grasped Elladan in a fierce hug, silver tracks marring both Elves’ faces, and listened to the tearful goodbye.

“You are my oldest son, Elladan, and you have made me proud since the day you were born.  You have taken on more responsibility than you should have to, and have been the one I have turned to for everything.  You watched over your brothers faithfully, being my eyes and ears and keeping them both safe.  You did the same with your mother, it was not your fault what happened; you know this.  And you reminded me of that when I couldn’t see it for myself.  When you took in Estel, I was skeptical, but once again, you showed me that it was the right decision, and since then I have never questioned it.  Rest easy now, son, we will take care of him for you, and we will not let you down.  Go in peace, ion nin, and please, give this to your mother.”  Elrohir could see a small box and envelope, with a small lilac twig on top of it.  With that, Elrond stepped back and let Legolas and Glorfindel say their goodbyes.

When all was said and done, Elladan joined the circle of his family once more.  Elrohir stood next to his brothers, not quite as brave as the child in his midst, tears flowing freely as his hands rested on Estel’s shoulders.  “‘Dan, please…don’t go.”  The hopelessness in his voice was evident, and the answer came as expected. 

“I have to, ‘Ro…I have to sail.”  And with that, Elladan turned towards the sea, momentarily pausing to hear his brothers climb the stairs with their father.  His words echoed in his head.  “I have to sail.” 

~~**~~

 

 

 

 

Epilogue

The simple, grey ship seemed to loom in front of Elladan as he waited his turn to step onto the gangplank and begin the last great journey of his time.  Longing to see his mother once more, the Elf was impatient to begin his journey, and yet, imagining that he could hear a young boy’s sniffles tugged at his heartstrings.  Coughing slightly, Elladan looked down at his feet, seeing the braces on his legs that even now were helping to support him.  His father had told him that they would come off in time, but they were for now just one more sign of weakness that the proud Elf was not accustomed to showing.

Elladan looked back at his family one last time, taking notice mostly of Estel.  The 6 year old was sitting proudly atop the eldest Elrondion’s horse, by himself, tears remaining checked at the corners of his eyes, a small teddy bear tied to the saddle behind him.  A smile crossed both of their faces, and the rest of the extended family also returned the gesture.  They were all facing the sea, seated atop horses on one of the landings that marked the stairway down to the pier.  Even from this distance, however, Elladan could tell that each from his envoy despised the ship that he was about to board.  In some way, he guessed, he hated it too.  While it was going to bring him to peace and calm, it was also taking him away from the rest of his family, and one of them he would never see again. 

Knowing there was nothing he could do that would ease his passing; Elladan bowed his head once and took another slow, labored step towards the ship.  Tears caught in the corner of his eyes from pain in his heart and in his body.  Only a few agonizing steps to go, and he would be able to rest.  A bittersweet smile graced his lips as he stood on the wooden bridge that braced the boat.  ‘At last,’ he thought, ‘I’m going home.’  But before he could take another step, a noise caught his ear.

Elladan turned as he heard the hoof beats pounding down the stairs.  He saw Estel racing down, and stepped off the gangplank.  “What is it, Estel?” 

“‘Dan, who’s going to read me my bedtime story every night?” 

“I’m sure ‘Ro will, tithen pen.”  Estel looked contemplative for a moment before reaching behind him and untying Belur. 

“Here, ‘Dan, you can take Belur with you so you don’t forget me ever.”  Elladan wiped a tear from his eye as the bear was thrust into his hand.

“Estel, I can’t take Belur from you.  He promised me that he would help keep your dreams light and protect you.  I will never be able to forget you, muindor nin; you will always be in my heart.  You know that, don’t you?”

“‘Dan, I know that you won’t try and forget me, but Elves live for a very long time, and I don’t want to take the chance.  If you’re going to do this, then let me know that Belur is there to remind you of me always.”  Estel sniffled once before looking down at his bear.  “You’re really going to go, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Estel, I am.”

“Then I’m never going to see you again?”

“No, tithen pen, I’m afraid you aren’t.”

“Then I need to tell you something.  Seeing as you won’t be able to get even with me for it.”  Estel paused and motioned for Elladan to bend over.  With a whisper that the Elf could barely hear, Estel revealed; “you remember the worms that were on your and ‘Ro’s faces on the way to Mirkwood?  It was me who put them there.  I wanted to let you know that you taught me well, and I’ll make sure that ‘Ro gets caught in his fair share of pranks even if you aren’t there to think them up.”  With that, Estel pulled back and grinned, the first true smile that Elladan had seen the boy show around him since they left for Mirkwood.

The memory of that morning assaulted Elladan, and now that he could pay attention to something other than the slimy creature wriggling around in his nose, he could see the small smile that Estel had schooled quickly.  “You?  You did that, Estel?  Hunh, I guess we did teach you well enough.  Neither of us suspected that it was you, you know.”

“I know, I was awake when you wondered if it was me or not.”

It seemed as though the little boy’s confession had an almost immediate effect on Elladan.  Whether it was the simple fact that he could have such an impact on such a small child, or the innocence of the prank that he had fallen victim too, or maybe it was just the full grin that graced a future king’s face, Elladan would never know.  Whatever it was, however, the tears that had been threatening to fall from his eyes did, and he found a new strength, giving a shout and swinging Estel up to his grasp.  He held the child under one arm and tickled him mercilessly in the other, laughing as he did so.

“You thought you’d get away with that, did you?  I guess I’ll have to show you what happens when you prank one of us, muindor nin.  You will have to pay the price, and I’ll have to think up some new tricks to get you back.”  The laughter that came from Elladan drifted up to the family, and Elrond held his breath as he spurred his horse down the steps once more.

The family followed their patriarch, and as each dismounted rather clumsily from their mounts, they joined in the ever growing hug that had started with the innocence of a child.

“Does this mean you’re staying, ‘Dan?” someone asked.

“Yes, I am staying.  For Estel.  Did you know ‘Ro…”

“No, ‘Dan, you can’t tell him!”

“I’ll tell you at home, ‘Ro.  I’ll tell you at home.”

And so the family turned their backs on the disappearing ship.  The past could not be changed, and the future was not yet shaped.  All they had was the present, and they were still determined to make the best out of it that they could.  After all, there was a young boy who needed looking after, one who was already wise beyond his years, and he had fit into his name on this day; no matter what, to his family, he would always be Hope. 

~~The End.~~