Summary – Dark times have fallen upon Middle—Earth. A Ranger without a home is forced to flee what was once his home, can he fight off the coming darkness? Or will he fall to it?

Disclaimer – I do not own!

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

(LOTR – FOTR, PG 193)

To Wander in Darkness

Prologue

"I can't believe you!" a once gentle voice was hard with sarcasm and disdain. They stood in the study. There were five Elves and just as many human's, though one stood in the middle of the room. He was ragged and dirty, his clothes torn in several places and his head hung in light of the situation.

"Ada…"

"No! do not say it! For I know that it is not true!"

"How would you know? I never touched the She-woman!"

"You did! And she has told everyone!"

"I did not!"

"Get out of my sight!"

Estel looked at his father; he never could have believed that this would have happened. And there was no way to prove his story either way. That woman and her accomplice had achieved that much. As he looked about the room, he knew that he would get no support from any one. He gave a bow to Elrond before turning leaving the barely lit study.

Estel did not look back as he knew he would not see one single kind face behind him. The Twin's were of the same opinion as their father, and even Legolas… Estel quenched his thoughts, he had never been rejected by his family. Not ever in his life had he been turned away like…that!

And all because of Lord's Elric and Wolf….the human's who had become his friends, but in the end betrayed him miserably. Estel knew that there was only one thing he could do now. He had to leave, there was nothing else for him to do. It wasn't running away, Estel told himself, he would leave because in the end, Ada would ask him too.

Estel ran into his room, he packed little, but he took what he needed. Estel then sat at the desk. He wasn't sure how to express his feelings. But he put into word as much as he could before leaving.

There was nothing left, no one to care for and nothing to make him stay. He was now a nobody, a vagabond with no purpose. Estel sighed; he loved this place. He grew up here and now…

He would leave and he would not turn back, he would not take one look at his home before leaving it forever. He would forget about his life here and the family he had.

As the boy left, he did not see the last ray's of the sun fade. He did not see the stars twinkle from above. All he saw was the darkness that he faced. Which would become a daunting task indeed.

A/N – Don't ask me where this came from. If you guy's like this enough than I'll update!