This story started out as part of 'Bits and Pieces,' and as a prompt from the ticking clock. I decided to rewrite it and it tuned out longer than I expected, so it became a short story of its own. The only things I take credit for are Althirn, Suldal, and Bruidal. I always fail at thinking of good names, and horses are no exception!
All errors(and I'm sure there are many) are mine.
Disclaimer: Middle Earth and everyone and everything in it belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.
It was just after midday as the sun began its descent, its light breaking up a few puffy clouds hanging in the sky. Spring was in full swing in the valley of Imladris, with trees and flowers alike blooming in the abundant sunshine. Most everyone was outside enjoying the warm sunshine and gentle breeze as it flowed throughout the valley, lifting their spirits as it passed through. Imladris' youngest inhabitant was no different from anyone else on this sunny day, and was very determined on his current task.
Estel was learning how to walk, and though he could not yet stand on his own, he was still very mobile with the help of another. "Hold you, Dan! Hands!" Estel demanded impatiently from his spot on the floor. Estel's speech patterns also varied, ranging from a few words to a stream of childish babble, depending on his moods. Elladan had just gotten the boy out of his crib, his afternoon nap now long in the past. As Estel tried to catch hold of Elladan, the elf continued to dance out of the boy's reach as he searched for Estel's missing socks. Sighing, Elladan gave up the search and headed to the wardrobe to find a new pair. Scooping the boy's leather shoes up from the floor, Elladan knelt down next to the boy.
"Patience, Estel." Elladan chided, catching the boy and trying to wrestle Estel's socks onto his feet. Estel giggled as his brother tickled his feet, and tried to squirm out of the loose hold.
"Not so fast," Elladan laughed, hauling the boy back into his lap and holding him tightly as he laced Estel's shoes up. Estel quieted as he played with Elladan's hands, pressing them to his own to compare their size. Looking down, Elladan smiled as he rest his chin on the boy's head.
"Shall we go find Elrohir?" He asked Estel quietly, chuckling as the boy perked up at the younger twin's name. "Ro!" Estel yelled happily, getting his feet under himself and stumbling to his feet in Elladan's hold. The elf laughed as he held onto Estel's hips to balance him. Once upright and steady, Estel tried to take a few steps towards the door. All of a sudden his foot slipped, sending his feet out from under him as he pitched backwards, arms flailing.
"Estel!"
Lurching forward, Elladan grabbed the boy just before his bottom hit the wood floor. Estel giggled as he looked up into his bother's eyes, smiling as if nothing had happened. Elladan shook his head, trying to calm his racing heart. Estel gave him more of a fright than any orc or goblin ever would. Placing the child carefully on his bottom, Elladan stood and looked down to see Estel immediately trying to use his legs to pull himself up.
"Oh Estel, I fear the day you are truly mobile without aid." Reaching down to Estel's outstretched hands, Elladan gave his brother an encouraging smile. Mirroring the grin, Estel grabbed as much of his brother's hand as he could and was lifting into a standing position. Holding tightly, he began his journey out of the bedroom, with Elladan hunched over as he helped the boy walk.
Elladan sighed as he heard the telltale laughter of the female elves among the house staff. If there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that all the female elves adored his youngest brother and absolutely loved seeing the twins and the child together. Putting on a smile, he straightened as much as Estel allowed and gave them an acknowledging nod as they passed.
"Good afternoon, ladies," he said as Estel stopped suddenly, noticing the elves his brother had addressed. Estel gave them a big smile as he released one of Elladan's hands to wave shyly. Withstanding their coos and 'awws' as long as a one and a half year old could, Estel reached up to regain the grasp on his brother's hand as he started to walk again. Elladan laughed as he bid them farewell, and as they rounded the corner he burst out laughing.
"My Estel, I fear for all the ladies in the future who will be subject to your charms." Estel looked up and gave his brother a questioning look, only to have Elladan wave it away. Shrugging, Estel turned his attention to the path ahead as he picked up his pace.
Elladan steered the child towards the doors leading to the courtyard, guessing that Elrohir was probably outside in the stables. He continued to call out greetings to those they passed and stopped abruptly when Glorfindel emerged from the great hall and into the hallway. His stop did not register with Estel, and as the boy lost hold of Elladan's hands he pitched forward.
Elladan shouted as he made a grab for the boy, but it was Glorfindel's reflexes that saved the boy from an unpleasant meeting with the floor. Reacting quickly he caught Estel's arms and straightened him into a standing position. Estel looked up, his face brightening when he saw who had caught him.
"Glorfy!" He said excitedly, hugging the blonde's legs as he began to babble in a mixture of elvish and childish gibberish. Elladan tried to hide his laughter behind his hand as the older elf tried to figure out what Estel was saying. Estel had been very quiet for the longest time, using actions and looks to tell his family what he wanted. This had puzzled his family, but in the last few weeks the boy had begun to talk more, and would babble rapidly when excited.
Hearing Elrohir's name in the babble he laughed, scooping the boy up and into his arms. "So you wish to find Elrohir, do you?" He questioned the child, who nodded his head excitedly as he latched his arms around the blonde warrior's neck.
"I do believe I saw him heading into the stable with Althirn earlier," he said, confirming Elladan's earlier guess. Estel's face lit up as he swung his head towards his brother and held out his arms.
"Hands Dan!" He squealed as he was transferred between the elves and then lowered to the ground to his previous position with Elladan leaning over him.
"Onward then, Estel," Elladan said as he readjusted his grip on the child's hands. Nodding to Glorfindel, they continued their journey outside.
"I do hope you don't get stuck in that position, Elladan," Glorfindel laughed at the glare Elladan shot him. Shaking his head, he continued on his way towards Elrond's office.
Once outside, the duo approached the staircase leading to the stables, though Estel's steps did not slow at all.
"Whoa there, tithen gwador. Lets not fall headfirst down the stairs before we find Elrohir!" Elladan said as he scooped the boy up and swiftly descended the marble staircase. At the bottom, Estel began to wiggle impatiently, trying to get back on his own feet. Elladan sighed as he placed the boy on the ground, making sure Estel had a good grip on his legs before leaning back to relieve the tension from his hunched position. Moving his upper torso from side to side, he heard a crack and gave a relieved sigh. Estel watched him for a moment longer, and then made to reach up and grab the elf's hands.
"Hands, Dan! Find Ro!" He said excitedly as he grabbed handfuls of Elladan's trousers trying to reach his hands.
"Okay, okay," Elladan gave in and bent down to take Estel's hands in his own. As they made their way down the path, Estel laughed freely when Elladan kept lifting him up by his hands to avoid small puddles. "Ada will not be happy if we return covered in muddy water."
Spotting the stable, Estel increased their pace to a near sprint, causing Elladan to almost trip after him. Laughing, Estel's smile widened as he saw Althirn exiting the stable. Althirn caught sight of the two and raised an eyebrow at Elladan's poor posture.
"Estel is learning to walk," Elladan tried to explain as Althirn shook his head with a smile, holding the door open for the two to enter. Thanking the other elf, Elladan almost missed Estel's abrupt stop. He caught sight of Estel's wide eyes as he took in the sight of the massive stable. Nudging the boy with his shins, Elladan prompted Estel to continue walking, which he did at a much slower pace.
Estel gaped in awe as they walked by the stalls, most of the horses inside turning to watch with curiosity as the pair passed by. Hearing a loud snort Estel jumped, whipping around to see a large black horse lean out of the stall to the left and shake its head. As they approached him Elladan chuckled softly, making sure Estel had a hold of his legs before letting go of the boy's hands to reach out to the horse.
"I see you, you big oaf," Elladan laughed as he stroked the horse's head, reaching up to scratch by its ear. The horse made a pleased sound, turning its head to get a better look at Estel. Leaning down the elf picked Estel up, settling him on his hip. One of Estel's hands gripped the back of Elladan's shirt tightly as he gazed in wonder at the large horse.
"Estel, this is Bruidal, who is on his best behavior at the moment." He said, watching as the boy and horse simply stared at each other. Grinning, he grabbed Estel's unoccupied hand and slowly reached out to place it on the horses' head. Estel marveled at the soft feeling, and began petting between the large animal's eyes lightly. Snorting softly, Bruidal gave a shake of his head, pressing his head more firmly into Estel's touch. Giggling, Estel began stroking the horse without fear, and Elladan smiled at the scene. Shifting the boy on his hip, Elladan moved to continue to find his twin when Bruidal bit down on his tunic to keep him in place.
"Hey now, none of that!" Elladan laughed, trying to coax the horse to let him go. Estel giggled as he began petting Bruidal again, and the horse suddenly released Elladan with a happy noise.
"So that's what this is," Elladan mused, stepping out of reach as he gave his horse a knowing look. "I know you would love for Estel to pet you all day but we must find Elrohir. I will bring him back later, okay?" The horse nodded, giving Estel's outstretched fingers a raspberry, causing Estel to erupt in a fit of laughter. Shaking his head Elladan continued to head down the hallway, stopping by each of the horses in their stalls to tell Estel their names. Estel took this all in with wide eyes, and when they reached the end of the hall to round the corner, he looked back to see Bruidel watching them. Waving to the horse, Estel began to squirm in Elladan's hold and was set down. Grabbing the boy's hands, Elladan continued towards where he could see his twin.
Elrohir was in Asfaloth's stall, placing a large pile of greens in the bin with an ever-watchful Suldal standing in the stall next to them. Estel made an excited noise at seeing the other twin and pulled Elladan at full speed towards Elrohir.
Hearing Estel made Elrohir spin around, just in time to walk out of the stall and lean down to capture Estel in a hug. Lifting the child up, Elrohir tossed him into the air, catching the squealing boy in a tight embrace. Elrohir laughed, turning towards his brother to realize that Asfaloth and Suldal were also watching the scene.
"Hello Estel!" Elrohir said brightly. Estel hugged Elrohir tight, his arms looping around the younger twin's neck as he began babbling at a rapid pace. Elrohir listened with rapt attention, catching a few names and words clearly. As Estel finished his tale he turned and saw Asfaloth watching him with interest.
"Do you know who this is, Estel?" Elrohir asked softly, leaning down to place Estel on his feet before the snowy white horse. Estel nodded, moving to grip Elrohir's legs as he gazed up at the horse shyly.
"Asfoth," Estel whispered, unaware of Elladan's silent laughter at the mispronounced name. Elrohir nodded, leaning down to steady Estel as Asfaloth came closer and lowered his head. Sniffing at the boy's hair, Asfaloth blew at it, causing Estel to start giggling. He reached out hesitantly and the horse nudged his nose into the boy's hand. Estel stared in wonder as he pet the large white horses' face, stroking it softly as he leaned closer. Elladan smiled at his twin as he leaned against the stall, watching as Elrohir sat on the ground to readjust his grip on Estel so he wouldn't fall.
Asfaloth began sniffing the child all over, and Estel broke out into peals of laughter. Lifting his shirt for the horse, Elladan snorted. Asfaloth began blowing raspberries on the boy's stomach, causing Estel, Elladan, and Elrohir to start laughing.
"That tickles!" Estel exclaimed, covering his belly only to lift his shirt once again. As the boy and horse continued this game, Elrohir noted that Althirn was back and watching them from behind Elladan. Estel noticed too, and turned to give Althirn a bright grin.
"Althy, watch!" he shouted, lifting his shirt and giggling as Asfaloth blew kisses on his bare stomach. Althirn's eyes widened at the nickname, and the twins nearly choked on their laughter. Estel's giggling never subsided, and Suldal came around Elladan to investigate the young boy as well.
"Hello," Estel said quietly to the black horse. "You look like Bru."
Elladan looked to Estel with tears of laughter in his eyes. "That is because Suldal and Bruidal are brothers, Estel." He said lightly, coming to sit by Elrohir on the floor. Estel's eyes widened at this information as he looked at the dark horse closely.
"Like Dan and Ro?" Estel wondered aloud, now petting both Asfaloth and Suldal as the three elves watched him happily. Althirn smiled at the sight and continued to collect the greens to feed the rest of the horses. As he headed down the way Estel and Elladan had come, Elrohir and Elladan began talking about the upcoming arrival of the Mirkwood party.
When Estel got tired of standing, he plopped down next to Elrohir, who then instructed him how to feed the horses by hand. Holding his hand out flat, Estel began alternating between feeding Asfaloth and Suldal, who were more than happy with the boy's company.
Suddenly they heard Althirn shout, and before the twins could get up they saw Bruidal walking their way, Althirn trailing behind as he continued to try and get Bruidal back in his stall.
Laughing, Elladan called him off, and Bruidal stuck his nose in the crowded stall.
"You just couldn't miss any of the fun, could you?" Elladan chuckled, watching as Estel crawled over to the newcomer. Sitting just outside the stall, Estel laughed as all three horses surrounded him and showered him with attention. The twins watched in awe as their little brother ensnared three more hearts, all the while keeping watch that all hooves remained on the ground.
With an excited squeal Estel wrapped his arms around Asfaloth's nose, only to be lifted to his feet as the tall horse rose its head slightly. Giggling, the boy let go and held his arms out for balance, only to start falling backwards. With a gentle nudge, Bruidal nosed the boy's back and helped him regain his balance. Estel's balance held, and the boy stood on his own two feet unaided as he called to his brothers.
"Dan! Ro!" He exclaimed as he started to teeter towards the twins, who sat a few feet away. With shaky steps, Estel began heading towards the twins, under the watchful eyes of the horses and his brothers. He walked headlong into Elrohir's arms and laughed, burying his face in his brother's chest.
"Well done, Estel!" The twins chorused, Elladan reaching over to rub the boy's back. Estel shot him a toothy grin and began to bounce up and down in the younger twin's arms. Shaking his head Elladan stood, brushing himself off as he moved to usher the horses back to their respective stalls.
"Ada is going to be so proud of you, tithen pen," Elrohir said to the boy as he stood, taking Estel up into his arms. Balancing the child on his hip, Elrohir used his free hand to lead Asfaloth to the stall they were previously sitting in. As they waited for Elladan to return from attending to Bruidal, Estel occupied himself by brushing his chubby fingers through Asfaloth's mane, smoothing it against the horses' head. An abrupt whinny brought the child's attention to Suldal, who shook his head in what seemed an attempt to tangle his mane. Elrohir and Estel both laughed as this, and Elrohir carried Estel to the dark horse who snorted in happiness as Estel began to pet him.
"Looks like you've become a crowd favorite, Estel." Elladan said as he approached, closing the door to Asfaloth and Suldal's stalls. As they turned to leave, Estel looked back over his brother's shoulder to wave at the horses.
"Bye bye Asfoth, bye bye Suldy." Choking back his laugh, Elladan reached over to take Estel into his arms as Elrohir headed to speak to Althirn.
Estel watched his brother walk away, and turned to Elladan as the elder twin bounced him in his arms as he kept walking. "Shall we go say goodbye to Bruidal?" Elladan questioned, noticing that said horse was sticking his head out from the stall, a clump of greens hanging from his mouth. Estel giggled at the sight, reaching over to pet Bruidal between his eyes. Estel continued the motion for a few more moments until Elrohir rejoined them. Giving the horse a final wave, Estel bid his farewells as the trio stepped outside.
"We have much to tell Ada, don't we little horse whisperer?" Elrohir asked, and Estel nodded eagerly in agreement as he rested his head on Elladan's shoulder.
"Won't Glorfindel be ecstatic that his noble steed has chosen a small boy as his new favorite?" Elladan cackled, eyes shining with laughter. Estel grinned, matching the twins as he pressed his face into Elladan's shoulder while his brothers continued to laugh.
Feel free to let me know what you think!