Little Estel padded quickly down the hall when he heard his brothers. He hurried down the stairs and finally caught up with them on the porch. They were obviously dressed for riding.
"Can I ride too?" he asked, excited.
Elrohir lifted his little brother up into his arms, giving him a kiss on the forehead. "Not this time, little brother."
"We have something important to take care of. Maybe when we are done we can ride with you," Elladan said, placatingly. It would be easy to just tell Estel that they were hunting orc, the child was not fond of the idea of such creatures ever since he'd heard the twins talking about them, but Elladan hated the thought of Estel waking in terror of a nightmare.
"When will you be done?" Estel asked, with a bit of a pout. When his brothers rode out, they were usually gone for a while.
The twins exchanged glances. "We may be gone for a while," they said in unison.
Estel sighed. "All right," he said, resigned. Elrohir let him down again and gave him a smile. Estel returned it weakly. He knew they would make good on their promise to ride with him after… but he was bored now. "Galu, muindyr-nîn, navaer," he said, obtaining farewell hugs before going back into the house.
And so the twins were off and the eight-year-old boy was again on his own to find something to do. Glorfy would be home, he thought, and set out to look for the Balrog-slayer. Maybe he could do some sword practice.
Estel looked about for the Golden Lord in all his usual places, but there was no sign of him. As he came back down to the main level of the house, though, he thought he heard Glorfindel's voice coming from his ada's study. Estel ran over to the door, and just as he thought, there was Glorfy and ada having a discussion.
"Good morning, ion-nîn," Elrond said with a smile, reaching toward his youngest for a hug which the young boy happily indulged.
"Ada, I was hoping maybe Glorfy could help me practice for a bit today," Estel propositioned sweetly.
"Oh, I'd be happy to, Estel, only I cannot until evening," Glorfindel said apologetically. "There are some things here in the house I must see to first."
"Oh… I see," Estel mumbled dejected.
"Have you asked your nana to read with you for a while, or walk with you in the garden?" Elrond asked.
"Aye, ada, but nana is tired today, again," the boy said, sounding a slight bit frustrated.
"Hmm… perhaps I had best go and look in on Lady Gilraen." Elrond rose quickly, "Excuse me, Glorfindel, we will continue this at a better time."
"Naturally, Elrond, after supper, perhaps," Glorfindel replied. "I suppose that means I have to get to work as well," he said to Estel. "Go on and see if Lindir will show you how to pluck a harp and not make it sound as I usually do, that will amuse the both of you for a bit."
Estel jumped up from where he'd sat down on the floor. "That's a good idea, thank you, Glorfy!"
"My pleasure, tithen-pen. Only don't get too worn out, sword practice later, remember!" Glorfindel teased, getting a big hug from the energetic lad.
Estel ran off to the loggia were Lindir liked to spend his mornings drawing inspiration. "Lin'," he called out to the white-haired musician, "Lin', will you teach me the harp?"
Lindir laughed, knowing who'd put him up to asking that. Lindir was of the opinion that anyone who handled a sword should never take in hand a harp, that warriors had not the certain touch of the strings that the harp required and instead tended to grasp the strings until they cried out in their torture. "Well, Estel, I could certainly try. Only not just now, I am just composing a new lay and I need to make sure that it will be perfect in the next few days. I shall teach it to you when I am done with it though, and mayhap I can even show you how it will be strummed on the harp also. I shall write a new song just for you as well, we can work together on it and then you can sing it the next time we are in the hall. Shall that be a fair compensation?"
"Aye, Lin', hannon le," Estel said appreciatively, though rather softly. The child knew when he was defeated and went back inside the house. Sad, frustrated, and bored, he sat down at the bottom of the grand staircase, as though he was waiting for something even remotely interesting to come along.
He must have been there for half an hour, an eternity to a young boy, before Erestor came by from the library with a heavy tower of tomes almost blocking his vision. Sharp, dark eyes spied the huddled figure on the steps though. "Good morning, Estel. Everything all right?"
The boy merely nodded unenthusiastically.
Erestor set down his volumes and sat beside the Mortal child. "Shall I ask again?"
Estel shook his head, looking morose. "You needn't, 'Stor, I can tell you are busy today."
"Aye, quite, as usual," Erestor said dryly, "but tell me, first, what is troubling you, pen-neth?"
"Everyone's busy today," Estel said, "everyone but me. I don't fit in. I'm too young to sit with nana and rest, I'm too little to ride with El' and El', I'm not wise enough to help ada and Glorfy, I'm not skilled enough to write songs with Lindir, and I can't read and write well enough to help you. I'm surprised anyone even had time to give me a hug this morning," the boy whispered, his eyes glistening.
"Ah, pen-neth," Erestor said, opening his arms to the child. "It's all right, I know how you feel." Estel just sniffled against his shoulder. "Lasto, neth-adan," Erestor said with a wry smile, "I know I said that I was quite busy today, but since everyone else is as well, I'd wager they won't notice if I don't get anything done until later. Would you want to go for a walk with me today?"
Estel nodded, but still didn't really dare to get his hopes up.
"Well, then, you look to be ready, and all I need to do is put this mountain into my study and set aside this robe and we shall go. Come with me."
"Do you mean it, 'Restor? We can go now?" Estel asked, holding onto the chief advisor's hand as they both carried the books to the study across the hall.
"Aye, lad, practically immediately. Now, you will want some water for the walk, so fasten this skin over your shoulder," Erestor said drawing off his black robe and taking off his house slippers as even Noldor prefer to walk barefoot in the grass. "And here's an apple for each of us," he said riffling about his desk, "and let's be off. We'll go quietly and it will be our secret, a covert mission?"
"Aye!" Estel agreed at once.
The two sneaked stealthily out of the Last Homely House West of the Misty Mountains and disappeared into the woods, weaving in and out quickly amongst the tall, smooth tree trunks. When they were a good distance away, Erestor whispered, "I think we've made it, those letters and reports will never find us out here!" Estel fell about in laughter that truly lightened the oft distant heart of the advisor.
"What would you like to do now were free of those tyrannical papers?" Erestor asked.
"Could we go down to the river and just watch the water and the trees and the sky?" Estel said, describing what he thought would be the perfect afternoon.
"I would love that, but I thought you wanted to do something exciting, like sail down the Bruinen and all the way out to the Sea?" Erestor said with a knowing smile.
"Well," Estel said thoughtfully, "it would be good enough to just watch the river and talk with you."
Erestor saw exactly what the child really wanted, not fun and excitement so much as something engaging to share with a friend. There were no elflings in Imladris and certainly no Mortals Estel's age, but he still needed someone to do childhood things with. Things like spending an afternoon laying by the river and wondering about what makes the leaves colorful in autumn, but green in summer.
"Let us do just that, then, meldir-nîn," Erestor said. Down by the riverbank, Erestor sprawled out and took up three tall grass blades, weaving them into a braid. He tucked the end into the beginning and set the grass circlet upon Estel's head, wondering if the day would come when this child of Man would wear a much more substantial diadem.
Estel admired the way it looked on him in a still pool and asked Erestor show him how to make them. He did so, helping Estel make one, which the lad promptly set upon Erestor's brow. Estel hugged him tightly and said, "you can be the king too, Ere', because I'm glad you brought me here. You'd be a good king," the child said, snuggling into Erestor's arms and soundly like it was getting to be nap time.
"No, I doubt I would. You would be though, for a king must be wise and strong and skilled and a master of lore and letter, all things that you are, pen-neth. And more importantly, a king must be able to love very greatly, just as you do, Estel."
"You do, too, Ere'," Estel said, wrapping a hand gently around a braid of Erestor's as he started to fall asleep.
Erestor looked down at the sleeping child in his lap and reflected long on his words. Love had long been Erestor's greatest, if not singular, fear, one he thought he had perfected hiding under a castigating glare directed most oft' toward one very prominent Elf in particular. Had this kind, enthusiastic Mortal boy seen what his fellow Eldar could not? "Ah, Estel, you will indeed be the finest King Middle-earth shall know, one day."
After Estel's nap, they both explored the life of the riverside for a while before eating their apples and heading back up to the House. It was dusk by then and they hurried to get dressed. Both wore their matching grass circlets to supper.
"Estel," Glorfindel said when the lad took his seat by Erestor, "where were you, I thought you wanted to practice before supper?"
Estel gave Glory a wholly innocent look and Erestor grinned at Glorfindel, with eyes that twinkled rather than pierced, and said, "Lord Estel had a much more important appointment to attend this day, Lord Glorfindel. But then, I should think you would understand how that can be."
"Am I to guess, Erestor, that you had that same appointment, then?" Elrond asked, perplexed. "I had hoped that we might get around to having a look over those propositions and such, only I could not find you in either your study, the library, or in your chambers at all today."
"Aye, Elrond," Erestor said, "I too had a very important appointment, one which paperwork was unable to attend, for it would have only gotten in the way. Again, I would believe that you have some knowledge of such things. In fact, I would think that many here in this house know of what I speak," Erestor said with just a bit of a point to his tone.
Elrond, Glorfindel, and Lindir all exchanged guilty glances. How ironic it was that it had been Erestor, infamous for his rigidly inflexible work schedules, who had made time for Estel. Erestor and Estel took no notice of their little guilt-trip though, and enjoyed their suppers, happily chatting about frogs by the riverside and the tall cattails growing in the marshy areas.
After dinner they stopped in to visit Gilraen and give her a flower that Estel picked on their outing. The Dúnedan woman said that she imagined that she would be feeling much better by morning.
"I'm glad for that nana, and I think Ere' will be too. If I should spend too much time with him I think I might rub off on him!" Estel responded, borrowing a phrase that the he often heard the twins use.
Erestor groaned and said, "should that happen the operations of this valley would grind to a halt."
That night it was Erestor who tucked Estel into bed and was asked for a bedtime story to help the boy fall asleep. Erestor panicked for the slightest moment, it had been much too long since he had last heard any stories that would be suitable for a child, that were neither disgustingly romantic like the tale of Beren and Luthien, nor much too gruesome and depressing as in the case of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. Eärendil's quest fit the mould though, and so Erestor told Estel of the Mortal Man who sailed to the West and sought the aid of the Valar in Middle-earth's time of great need. It was not likely the first time the boy had heard the tale, but Estel was perfectly happy to hear it in any case.
When it was plain that Estel was nearly to Irmo's realm, Erestor wrapped up the story and gave the child a good-night hug and kiss. "Hannon le, 'Stor," Estel whispered. "I hope you didn't waste too much time today."
Erestor smiled sadly. "No, Estel, it is I who thanks you. I spent this day better than I have spent a day since before I myself can recall. From now on, do not hesitate to come to me for company, no matter how busy I seem to be. There will always be time for me to be busy later," Erestor said, knowing that the same was not true for Estel. "Tomorrow, though, I think it shall be you who is much too busy to sit with me a while, and so you should take your rest now, child."
Estel complied and Erestor turned to leave. As he was extinguishing the candle by the door, Estel said, "Ere', I'll never be too busy for you… you're my best friend."
Erestor nodded his thanks and softly closed the door, where he stood still for a few moments.
No one had ever called him that before.
Galu, muindyr-nîn, navaer - Good luck, my brothers, farewell.
hannon le - thank you
pen-neth - little one
Lasto, neth-adan - Listen, little man
meldir-nin - my dear friend
Nirnaeth Arnoediad - big, bloody war from the Silmarillion
It should be noted that a fair translation of Erestor's name would be "Lonely Brother," which seems wholly fitting for the mien that has been adopted for the Elf in the wide world of fanfic.