Title: Elven Tree
Author: Lonnie
Characters: Legolas, Aragorn, Elrond, Elledan, Elrohir, Gandalf, Thranduil
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places or anything taken from "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. It's all J.R.R Tolkien's!
Summary: Many years before the war of the ring, Legolas from the lands of Mirkwood visits the home of Lord Elrond and his sons, Elrohir and Elledan. Legolas had heard that Elrond had taken in a 7 yeah old human boy and his mother, but had never met the child before. For 10 years the woodland elf enjoys the company of the young human, carrying the name Aragorn. But when trouble appears around Mirkwood, the elf have to leave to fight with his own people. Many years passes and Aragorn grows up to be a young ranger. One time the ranger is travelling around in Middle Earth, the now 23 year old Aragorn finally meet on someone he had thought he would never meet again.
Note: Short tanks to Cassia (one of the two fantastig writers of Mellom Chronicles) for telling me a little about Aragorns past :P ;) This is my second LotR fanfiction and I really hope you like it! If you do, let me know! ) The story is three seperated pieces! (And the title... well I didn't really come up with anything better hehe)
1.
Elrohir sat on his beautiful elven horse on top of a little hill with his home, Rivendell behind him. His keen eyes watching the thick forests by the foot of the mountains. A wide grin spreading across his face as he saw another horse and a rider coming in calm gallop towards them.
"Legolas! Finally!" the dark haired elf, and one of Elrond's two sons shouted as the other blond elf came closer with his own grey elvenhorse.
"Well hello there El. Been waiting long?" Legolas jumped off his horse, the same did Elrohir and they went to greet each other.
"No just some hours" Elrohir joked as he took his friend with him back to Rivendell.
"I heard you got some new people at your home? Please tell" Legolas asked curiously and Elrohir began the story. He told his friend that it was a human woman, Gilraen and her 7 year old son Estel that Lord Elrond had taken in after the loss of their husband and father.
"How sad" Legolas mumbled as they came to one of the stables in Rivendell. After fixing the horses Elrohir pulled Legolas to him and said in a hushed voice.
"What I am about to tell you, you have to keep to yourself until you know it's not a secret anymore" Elrohir said seriously and Legolas stared at him with huge eyes before nodding exited.
"Estel - the little lad, is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, but he does not know. Only Ada, my sister Arwen and brother Elledan, myself and Gilraen does know. And now you. Keep it a secret, promise me that" Elrohir whispered and Legolas nodded. Elrohir knew he could trust Legolas.
"Nana! Someone is coming!" Estel was standing on a veranda looking down at the ground many meters under them where Elrohir and Legolas was walking. Gilraen smiled and took her son's hand as they walked to met them. On the way they came across Elrond and Elledan.
"Welcome back, Legolas!" Elledan greeted the wood elf cheerfully and hugged him. Legolas bowed for Elrond and Gilraen before his eyes landed on the shy Little human boy.
"Estel. This is Legolas from Mirkwood. He's been our friend through many years" Elledan walked over to the lad and took him back with him over to the blond elf. Legolas smiled friendly at the kid and that was all that needed for the lad to come over without fear. Legolas had to smile wider when Estel reached out his hand first to greet him and he accepted it of course, much to the lad's joy.
As days passed, Estel became quickly fond of the new elf and he was often to be found jumping around him and asking him to tell stories from his home.
"One day I will travel there! At least I hope so!" Estel said exited as Legolas finished speaking of his home.
"And I would have loved you to see it, but you're probably still a bit too young" Legolas winked and messed the boy's hair even more.
Not far away, Lord Elrond and Gilraen was sitting observing the two.
"I have a feeling this may be the start of a very special bond between those two" Elrond said quietly and looked over at the longhaired, beautiful human woman. Gilraen did not answer, but nodded with a smile on her lips.
Years passed and Legolas came and went as Estel slowly, but steadily grew to be a young man. Whenever the wood-elf would come to visit Rivendell, Estel would now be waiting for the young elf too. Passing the age of 16, Estel had been taken out on some minor trips with Legolas to explore the lands of Middle Earth surrounding Rivendell. It was still nothing compared to his future journeys, but he had to start somewhere.
"Where are we going?" Estel asked as he urged his horse on a little to keep up with Legolas' elven horse.
"Ah, to a little and special place. Just thought you wanted to see the beautiful landscape around your home" Legolas answered silently. Estel mumbled an "okay" and followed Legolas' slow galopp over the fields, heading for something looking like tiny ring of trees on the other side of a river.
"What is that?" Estel asked as he jumped of his horse and jogged after the swift elf. They let their horses stand by the river and drink while they entered the small ring of trees.
"I'm not sure if there is a story behind this, but it is pretty is it not?" Legolas smiled as he entered a little opening in the trees where small stones formed as different creatures was placed around.
"Yes" the young boy answered thoughtfully as he kneeled by a stone formed as a huge horse. He carefully touched the grey stone and slid his finger across the running-horse' back.
"Is this a Mearas?" Estel asked and looked up at Legolas who only nodded before he looked at a statue of a dragon.
"Maybe these stones shows creature that lives or have lived in Middle Earth?" the human thought aloud as they walked out of the circle of trees.
"You're probably right, Estel" Legolas laid a hand on the young man's shoulder as they walked over to the horses again.
"I'm glad I got to meet you" Estel suddenly said and Legolas raised an amused eyebrow.
"I don't really have much friends. Not any human friends at all, but I thought about it and came to think that why have human friends when I got the best elven one?" Estel blushed and looked away from the elf. Legolas didn't really know what to answer at this, but tightened his hold a little around the boy's shoulders.
"That means a lot to me, Estel" Legolas answered the young boy quietly as they sat up on their horses.
"But that can't help you winning this race" Legolas laughed as he sat his horse in gallop and flew over the field. But Estel wasn't slow to follow and soon the two horses ran side by side, heading back to Rivendell.
Lord Elrond had been quite right when it came to predict the friendship unfolding before their eyes. Legolas often took Estel with him on some trips when he was visiting and most of the times Elledan and Elrohir joined them too. Through the past years Legolas had learned Estel shooting with bow and he had become quite good at it too. Now and then, Legolas and Estel would train sword fighting too and it would soon appear that that was exactly what Estel would grow up to be master at. Some months passed without Legolas showing up in Rivendell and Estel was getting easily bored at times. He knew that his elven friend would have other things to do too, but his 17th birthday was coming within two days and he really wished to see his friend there. Luckily Legolas did come in time to celebrate his human friends' birthday, giving the lad a beautiful elven blade and a strange, completely green little tree. Estel was quickly fascinated by the little tree. It only reached him to his knees and Legolas told him it would only grow the tallest to his waist, but he would give the name of the plant. Only that that very type of plant was very rare and Legolas himself praised it a lot. Estel loved the gifts he got from everyone, he was always thankful for everything.
The 17th birthday went perfect and Estel couldn't have had a better day. At the evening of that night on the other hand he was to get informations of things that made his heart sink a hatch. The now 17 year old lad had been walking around in Rivendell as the sun was setting. His black hair was now reaching him to his shoulders and his bluegrey eyes shone happily. He was wearing a dark blue tunic and a pair of matching pants, but was walking barefoot. It was on a bridge he had found Legolas that night. On his favourite spot in Rivendell with view over the valley the home of Elrond was placed and the mountain peeks in the distant.
"Are you okay, Legolas?" Estel asked as he came to stand beside his friend.
"I am okay, but I do have something to tell you" the elf turned his head to look at the young man. Legolas opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He didn't really know how to put it.
"What is it? Is it something bad? Has something bad happend?" Estel felt a little worried and his gaze would not leave the elf.
"Well. Both yes and no. There is trouble in Mirkwood…" the elf mumbled and looked in the direction his home would be.
"There has come unwanted visitors to our forest. Of the unkind type and I have to travel home to help out there" Legolas turned to rest against the railing on the bridge.
"Let me come with you! I can help!" Estel brust out, but Legolas only sent him a sad smile.
"You know yourself that you cannot, Estel" Legolas said quietly.
"I don't know how long this will take or If I at all…" the elf stopped there when Estel's eyes widened.
"Is it war?" Estel asked sadly, trying not to picture what can happen to Legolas in a war. Although he knew the elf was an extrodinary warrior.
"Well maybe not a war, but a bigger fight" the elf looked once more at the horizon before he stepped down from the bridge.
"Do not worry, Estel. It will be fine" Legolas said when he stopped and looked at the man again.
"Will not Elrohir and Elledan fight? Why can't anyone in Rivendell fight?" Estel soarly wanted to help his friend somehow, but understood by the look in the elf's eyes that this was no the moment.
"It is not their war" Legolas answered simply.
"But I want to help!" Estel outburshed and a tear ran from the corner of his eye. The young lad walked over to Legolas again.
"I have a feeling you will the best help a friend can have in the future, Estel. Right now I just need you to hold onto what young name stands for" Legolas dried the tear for Estel's cheek and smiled again.
"Hope" Estel whispered and Legolas nodded and bought the young man into a deep hug.
"I will be fine. Mirkwood has many great warriors. We will win this… "fight"" Legolas pulled a little away and winked to his friend.
"Promise me one thing" Estel sniffled and looked into the blue eyes of the elf.
"What?" Legolas asked.
"That you will come back" Estel hugged the elf to him again and he could feel Legolas' slender arms wrap around him.
"I will hold onto that promise as well as I can. Will you promise me something too?" the elf grinned at the quick nod from Estel.
"Take care of the tree" he whispered, leaving that as the end of the conversation.