All right, all right. I know that I was supposed to be finishing the
next chapter of 'It Rained Another Day' but sometimes, inspiration just
strikes. I had this plot idea in mind earlier this week, however it kicked
into gear while I was watching The Two Towers (oh my gosh sooooo good!
"Just don't tell the elf" hehe). I am a bit dissapointed at the
relationship between Elrond and Aragorn in the movie. I just have the
impression that Elrond loved Aragorn very much and Aragorn loved Elrond
very much. Then I know there are all of those fics about Elrond saying
goodbye to Arwen. However, I think he would have also felt great sadness
at leaving Aragorn also. So here is my take on it. This is a stand alone
fic, but I would love some reviews! And I promise I'll get that next
chapter out soon (
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Elrond stood entirely still as the mist from the sea rose up around him. The early morning promised something of new-birth, but all Elrond felt was death. The sand beneath his feet was starting to dampen his elegantly crafted soft shod shoes. The mist itself had dampened his hair. Behind him, the elegant elf lord could hear the soft splash as the tide began to come in. His keen ears would have been hard pressed to miss the soft creaking of wood. The boat was waiting.
Elrond had waited many years to sail across the sea to be with his beloved wife Celebrian. Middle-Earth had needed him. His children had needed him. Man had needed him and the elves. But now it was time to say farewell. It was grave circumstances in which he did so.
He could barely see her outline. She was walking away, towards a waiting horse, held by Faramir, captain and steward of Gondor. Her dark hair fell, as always, in long waves down her back. Despite what she had given up, she still gave and ethereal glow wherever she went. She looked radiant in the mist. Elrond knew she would not look back. He had no doubt that her eyes were full of tears. It was much as he had expected. This was the hardest thing he would ever have to do.
He had warned her. Those many years ago, when she had first been truthful with him about Estel. When he had first heard the words he had thought he would never hear. She was as much in love with him as he was in love with her. What pain that had brought him. He had done his best to dissuade her. He had done his best to dissuade Estel. Yet neither would bend. Their love was stronger than reason and in some way, it was reason itself. So the day had come. He was leaving to go to the other side of the sea. She was staying.
The parting had been tearful. She had apologized many times for hurting him. He, as a loving father, had promised her he was not hurt. He told her he would miss her. But he could not bring himself to tell her just how happy he was that she was staying. Now she had turned from him, and they would never speak again.
The sun rose a little farther in the sky. The mists swirled around as the water molecules began to heat. Elrond found he was not ready to leave quite yet. Standing in the mist was another. He was tall and noble, dressed in the garb of a Ranger, yet underneath there could just be seen rich cloth that marked him as royalty. His head bore no crown, but it was a noble brow that had never needed one. Aragorn. Estel. Elrond's heart lurched. He was angry with this man. Angry with this mortal man who had long since sealed the fate of his beloved and only daughter. But the pain in his heart was not caused by anger, but grief.
Too long had there been words unsaid between himself and Aragorn. Long had Elrond regretted the rift that he had placed between them. How could he have been so cruel to the man he had taken in as a small child? The man that he had raised as his own son. The man who had and still did call him Ada. The man who nearly brought Elrond to his knees when Elladan and Elrohir would carry him in bleeding from some scrape. The man who had done everything he could to please his foster father. The man who had kept his part of the agreement. The man that was now the king of Gondor. The man who would love and cherish his daughter until the day he died.
Elrond realized then how much he missed the sweet and contemplative conversations he used to share with Aragorn. He missed the surprise visits to Rivendell. He missed being called Ada. He missed being a father to a son. Elrond was then aware that he was as much pained to leave Arwen here as he was to leave Estel here. He could not imagine a life without the gentle and brave man.
So much had been unsaid between them. Elrond knew he could not leave without using some words to fix what had gone awry. He had to let Estel know that he loved the man as a son.
"Estel," he said the name softly, and immediately wondered if Aragorn heard him or if the man would even respond. However, he was well rewarded. The young King, whom had his head down in despair, unsure whether he should attend to his grieving bride or stay and hope his foster-father, and only father he had known, would say goodbye, looked up. Elrond caught his eye. Wise silver eyes looked at him with confusion and sadness. Elrond watched as Aragorn took a hesitant step forward and he motioned the man to come closer.
Soon enough, they stood a foot apart, Aragorn searching Elrond's face and Elrond doing his best to keep from crying. Finally, he reached a hand up and laid it against Aragorn's cheek.
"Estel, there is so much to say. There is so much I have not said," Elrond started slowly.
"Ada, I am so very sorry," Aragorn started to speak, sounding just as he had when he was only a young man.
"Shh Estel. I know you are sorry. You need not be. I have been - well - let us start anew. I could not ask for a better person in all of Middle Earth to love Arwen more than you. I entrust her to you now. Love her forever. Estel, I have wronged you in so many ways. I did not mean for so much to come between us. In my wisdom, I overlooked love and compassion. You are my son. You always have been and you always will be." As Elrond finished, his fingertips became wet with the steady fall of silver tears from Aragorn's eyes.
"I have always loved you, Ada."
"And I you, Estel. I must go. But please, never forget. You have done more than any father could ever ask for or expect of a son. I cannot tell you how proud I am of you." With that, Elrond hugged Aragorn, and immediately he felt as if he was holding a five-year-old boy again. He gently disengaged himself and left Aragorn to stand alone with his thoughts. He made his way to the boat, and boarded with a smile on his face. He turned to look on the children that he loved so much, and found Arwen was watching him. Through her tears she was smiling and he could barely hear her whisper on the wind.
"Thank you."
Elrond then averted his gaze to Estel, and found the King still standing where he had left him moments before, tears still streaming down his face. However, a slight smile of content lay on his face also, and Elrond knew that he had raised the man right.
"It is time now Celebrian. I have done what I needed to do. It took me some time to figure out exactly what that was. However, now, I understand." Elrond spoke to the wind, knowing he would be with his wife soon. Without looking back, he left Middle-Earth, secure in his knowledge that he had left the only two beings he loved still in Middle-Earth safely in the arms of one another.
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Elrond stood entirely still as the mist from the sea rose up around him. The early morning promised something of new-birth, but all Elrond felt was death. The sand beneath his feet was starting to dampen his elegantly crafted soft shod shoes. The mist itself had dampened his hair. Behind him, the elegant elf lord could hear the soft splash as the tide began to come in. His keen ears would have been hard pressed to miss the soft creaking of wood. The boat was waiting.
Elrond had waited many years to sail across the sea to be with his beloved wife Celebrian. Middle-Earth had needed him. His children had needed him. Man had needed him and the elves. But now it was time to say farewell. It was grave circumstances in which he did so.
He could barely see her outline. She was walking away, towards a waiting horse, held by Faramir, captain and steward of Gondor. Her dark hair fell, as always, in long waves down her back. Despite what she had given up, she still gave and ethereal glow wherever she went. She looked radiant in the mist. Elrond knew she would not look back. He had no doubt that her eyes were full of tears. It was much as he had expected. This was the hardest thing he would ever have to do.
He had warned her. Those many years ago, when she had first been truthful with him about Estel. When he had first heard the words he had thought he would never hear. She was as much in love with him as he was in love with her. What pain that had brought him. He had done his best to dissuade her. He had done his best to dissuade Estel. Yet neither would bend. Their love was stronger than reason and in some way, it was reason itself. So the day had come. He was leaving to go to the other side of the sea. She was staying.
The parting had been tearful. She had apologized many times for hurting him. He, as a loving father, had promised her he was not hurt. He told her he would miss her. But he could not bring himself to tell her just how happy he was that she was staying. Now she had turned from him, and they would never speak again.
The sun rose a little farther in the sky. The mists swirled around as the water molecules began to heat. Elrond found he was not ready to leave quite yet. Standing in the mist was another. He was tall and noble, dressed in the garb of a Ranger, yet underneath there could just be seen rich cloth that marked him as royalty. His head bore no crown, but it was a noble brow that had never needed one. Aragorn. Estel. Elrond's heart lurched. He was angry with this man. Angry with this mortal man who had long since sealed the fate of his beloved and only daughter. But the pain in his heart was not caused by anger, but grief.
Too long had there been words unsaid between himself and Aragorn. Long had Elrond regretted the rift that he had placed between them. How could he have been so cruel to the man he had taken in as a small child? The man that he had raised as his own son. The man who had and still did call him Ada. The man who nearly brought Elrond to his knees when Elladan and Elrohir would carry him in bleeding from some scrape. The man who had done everything he could to please his foster father. The man who had kept his part of the agreement. The man that was now the king of Gondor. The man who would love and cherish his daughter until the day he died.
Elrond realized then how much he missed the sweet and contemplative conversations he used to share with Aragorn. He missed the surprise visits to Rivendell. He missed being called Ada. He missed being a father to a son. Elrond was then aware that he was as much pained to leave Arwen here as he was to leave Estel here. He could not imagine a life without the gentle and brave man.
So much had been unsaid between them. Elrond knew he could not leave without using some words to fix what had gone awry. He had to let Estel know that he loved the man as a son.
"Estel," he said the name softly, and immediately wondered if Aragorn heard him or if the man would even respond. However, he was well rewarded. The young King, whom had his head down in despair, unsure whether he should attend to his grieving bride or stay and hope his foster-father, and only father he had known, would say goodbye, looked up. Elrond caught his eye. Wise silver eyes looked at him with confusion and sadness. Elrond watched as Aragorn took a hesitant step forward and he motioned the man to come closer.
Soon enough, they stood a foot apart, Aragorn searching Elrond's face and Elrond doing his best to keep from crying. Finally, he reached a hand up and laid it against Aragorn's cheek.
"Estel, there is so much to say. There is so much I have not said," Elrond started slowly.
"Ada, I am so very sorry," Aragorn started to speak, sounding just as he had when he was only a young man.
"Shh Estel. I know you are sorry. You need not be. I have been - well - let us start anew. I could not ask for a better person in all of Middle Earth to love Arwen more than you. I entrust her to you now. Love her forever. Estel, I have wronged you in so many ways. I did not mean for so much to come between us. In my wisdom, I overlooked love and compassion. You are my son. You always have been and you always will be." As Elrond finished, his fingertips became wet with the steady fall of silver tears from Aragorn's eyes.
"I have always loved you, Ada."
"And I you, Estel. I must go. But please, never forget. You have done more than any father could ever ask for or expect of a son. I cannot tell you how proud I am of you." With that, Elrond hugged Aragorn, and immediately he felt as if he was holding a five-year-old boy again. He gently disengaged himself and left Aragorn to stand alone with his thoughts. He made his way to the boat, and boarded with a smile on his face. He turned to look on the children that he loved so much, and found Arwen was watching him. Through her tears she was smiling and he could barely hear her whisper on the wind.
"Thank you."
Elrond then averted his gaze to Estel, and found the King still standing where he had left him moments before, tears still streaming down his face. However, a slight smile of content lay on his face also, and Elrond knew that he had raised the man right.
"It is time now Celebrian. I have done what I needed to do. It took me some time to figure out exactly what that was. However, now, I understand." Elrond spoke to the wind, knowing he would be with his wife soon. Without looking back, he left Middle-Earth, secure in his knowledge that he had left the only two beings he loved still in Middle-Earth safely in the arms of one another.