The Heart Will Remember
By nautika

Written for the September 2006 Teitho Challenge
Disclaimer: Not mine, wouldnt know what to do with them if they were.
Summary: At a difficult age, the foundation on which Aragorn has built his life is shaken. AU, especially because Aragorn's mother was conveniently killed at the same time as Arathorn. Some violence, but this is LOTR, right?
K+

Chapter 1 Why this?

"Estel! Estel, wait!"

The dark-haired elf pursued the fleeing human down the stairs, calling as he ran, but the young man – still a boy, really – ignored his calls.

Elrohir's heart ached for his brother, whose heart had obviously been shattered by their father's words. 'Why this?' Elrond's middle son implored the Valar.

Wincing as the front door slammed against the inner wall, Elrohir increased his speed. His brother was probably headed for the stables and Elrohir needed to reach there in time to intercept him. Elladan was still not fully recovered and with this new development with their father, Elrohir needed to remain nearby. Yet allowing Estel to depart alone was unthinkable.

The elf entered the stables and was met with the concerned eyes of those who worked there. Estel had been a favorite of theirs since Elrond had given him his first pony and they had observed Estel's gentle and loving treatment of it. Now, Elrohir raised an Elrond-like brow in question and the stable master responded with a nod in the direction of Ruín's stall. Elrohir dismissed the elves with a movement of his head; they departed on silent feet, closing the stable doors quietly behind them.

Elrohir stopped just outside the stall and studied his human brother, who was attempting to place the bridle on his mare. Estel was so upset his hands shook and he was having problems getting the chestnut to accept the bit in her mouth. Elrohir knew she was sensing her master's unusual level of distress and it was making her uneasy. He could empathize with the animal.

Elrohir wished his father could do this. The Lord of Rivendell always knew the correct thing to say to reassure his youngest son. As a human living among elves, acceptance was difficult to gain. The grace and silent movement of the elves was something no human could ever hope to match. Yet, when Estel visited his human friend Lucas, he was never really comfortable in the presence of the neighboring humans who were rowdier and less meticulous about their personal hygiene than the residents of Imladris. Add to this life-long feeling of inadequacy the fact he was now going through puberty – well, this was one blow the boy definitely did not need! Estel's emotions ran the gauntlet as did all human younglings his age, though Estel's sometimes seemed more moderate than Lucas'. The twins attributed this to the overall serenity of Imladris and their father's amazing patience and insight in dealing with their younger brother. Estel only seemed to erupt when teased, something the elves who were the equivalent of his age seemed to be outgrowing.

Even during the present crisis, Estel had remained steadfastly calm. He had assisted his brothers and the healers by fetching water and bandages, by wringing out and changing the cloth that lay upon his forehead, and by speaking softly to him, reminding the elf lord that they were there and that they loved him. The only time he balked was when Elladan had tried to send him to his room. The human had simply tipped his head and curled up on the foot of their father's bed to sleep. Yes, Estel's composure in the face of Elrond's injuries had been just short of miraculous…until today. Today, their father had regained consciousness and spoken for the first time since falling and striking his head during the battle with the orcs.

Elrohir thought back to the events that had brought them to this point.

Ten Days Earlier

The twins exchanged an amused look as Estel 'invited' their father to come camping with them. In spite of a terrifying first camping trip with Elladan, Estel had not lost his love of them.

Elladan and Elrohir took him on trips on a fairly regular basis. Sometimes the Prince of Mirkwood accompanied them, as well. Whether they walked or rode, whether they hunted or fished, mattered not to the young human. He adored the time spent in the woods, eating whatever they themselves had caught or killed, laughing with and learning from the elves he adored.

One of his favorite parts of the trips were the campfire stories. The stories varied depending on Estel's age and on who was along on the trip. The twins quickly learned to save the terrifying tales of trolls, evil spirits and other fearsome (and sometimes fictional) creatures for when Legolas was not with them. The fair elf made it plain that he did not find those tales to be amusing or appropriate for young Estel. Legolas himself told tales from the days when Mirkwood had been Greenwood the Great or of the Maiar, from whom it was said the earliest elves learned much skill and wisdom. He made Middle Earth's history seem like an adventure tale and frankly, to their embarrassment, Elladan and Elrohir were frequently drawn into Legolas' stories as much as their younger brother.

In addition, however ashamed the twins might have been of such a feeling, they became a little envious of the way Legolas could draw Estel into a tale. It seemed their little brother, who used to beg for their stories, had begun to favor those of Legolas. In order to compete with the prince's yarns, they had begun to regal Estel with stories their father had told them over campfires when they were young. While Estel's interest was indeed captured by these stories, they also called to his attention the fact that their father had gone on camping trips with the twins, but never with him.

The twins had never really considered that before. Of course, Estel knew as well as they that their father was busy both as a healer and with the leadership of Imladris, but it did seem unfair that he had never taken time out to go camping with his human son. Besides, the twins thought it might be amusing. So they assured their young brother that it was likely the elf lord thought they would have more fun without him and suggested he invite their father to come on their next excursion. Estel, putting his early lessons in strategy to good use, bided his time until nearer their next planned outing. He spent a few days making discreet inquires and carefully observing the comings and goings of visitors and advisors to the elf lord. He smiled in satisfaction when he found the healing rooms were practically empty. He even entered Elrond's study when their father was having an early morning walk in the garden and checked his calendar for upcoming appointments or events. Having satisfied himself that there was no crisis or deadline in the near future, he excelled in his studies and refrained from behavior his father would have found unsatisfactory, even foregoing his early morning leaps from his balcony to a nearby tree that he used in order to spend time at the archery fields before anyone else was awake.

On the evening Estel decided to extend his invitation, Elrond's mood could not have been more mellow. The twins had known what was coming from the look in Estel's eyes, so they carefully allowed him to direct the conversation. When he mentioned he and the twins would be going camping again in a few days' time, Elrond merely nodded and asked if they had decided on a destination. Estel's response that they thought to allow Elrond to make that decision since it would be his first outing with all three sons had actually caused the elf lord's mouth to fall open. It was that sight that had the twins exchanging their amused look while their little brother pressed his case. By the time Estel had countered every objection their father had made by using the information he had gathered, the twins were no longer smiling, but were making mental notes to be much more careful around their younger brother. Their father was no doubt making mental notes of who would do what in his absence.

Estel was thrilled.

To Be Continued

Author's Notes: The 'terrifying first camping trip' mentioned in this fic can be found in "Blood of a Brother: The Camping Trip"
Estel's human friend, Lucas, was first mentioned in "Is It Really Home, Sweet Home for Estel?" and is also mentioned in "Never Back Down". I meant to rename him to something more acceptable, but just never could decide on what to use instead. I keep thinking I'll expand on him as a best friend for Estel until Legolas comes along, but havent done that yet either! My computer has been sick, so I'm just glad to be able to post!