Title: Man's Best Friend
Summary: After finding a young puppy close by the house and bringing him home, Estel soon falls into danger that's connected to the small dog.
Disclaimer: Everything that's recognized doesn't belong to me but rather the genius of J.R.R. Tolkien. I own the plot and the dog, so please don't take those. Or sue.
Feedback: Please feed the feedback monster? It pleases her and she'll be much more willing to update if she knows people are reading the story…
A/N: This is my first Lord of the Rings story, so please be nice, but feel free to point out any mistakes that aren't cannon or any discrepancies grammatical or otherwise. Also please note that since I'm really not that familiar with Gilraen and her character I'm going on the basis that she died with her husband. Sorry if you like her! This chapter is a bit short as the introduction but they should get longer as I go on… Thank you for reading!
The sun shone down upon the earth, warming the ground and the air, making all those who wandered beneath the rays sleepy and content. The grass swayed slightly under the soft breeze and a rabbit hopped over to a pool of water and sniffed at it cautiously. After a moment it bent down and started to drink it up.
Not very far away, under the cover of a large pile of rocks, a head of dark brown hair peeked from the top of the rocks, followed shortly by a pair of silver eyes that were staring at the rabbit. Next a small nose and mouth appeared and a chin rested on the cool boulders.
Very slowly, the boy with silver eyes crept around the boulder and behind a patch of long grass, keeping his eyes on the unaware rabbit. He stopped and held his breath as the rabbit stopped its drinking and held up its ears, listening cautiously.
Soon it bent back down and started to drink again and the boy crouched and started forward again slowly. He was almost upon the rabbit when he was startled by a loud cry of "Estel!"
The rabbit, seeing Estel, scattered away to the underbrush and Estel nearly growled in frustration. Soon a tall elf with dark hair and grey eyes appeared and when he noticed Estel he let out a sigh of relief.
"Estel! Where have you been? You missed your lessons with Erestor and lunch." The elf asked. "Ada has been worried."
Estel's eyes widened in shock and he glanced up at the sky where he was finally aware of the hour. He turned back to the elf that was still waiting for an answer and bowed his head slightly. "I'm really sorry, Elladan, I was playing and I didn't notice the time." He scrunched up his nose and looked back up to his elven brother, "Besides. It's arithmetic." He emphasized the word as if that would explain everything.
"Arithmetic or not, you still missed your lessons and you'll have to make them up tomorrow."
"But Elladan!" The little boy exclaimed, "I'm supposed to go riding with you and Elrohir tomorrow!"
"You should have thought of that before you lost track of time." Elladan said disapprovingly, but seeing Estel's despaired countenance he melted, "Maybe you can make some sort of deal with Erestor about making it up. Maybe some extra work or something of the sort."
Estel's face lit up and he leaped forward. "Thank you so much 'Dan!" He cried, hugging his brother's middle.
Elladan laughed and hugged the little boy back, "Don't thank me yet, Erestor may still not agree. But lets get back to the house so you can ask him, shall we?"
Estel nodded against his brother's side and then smiled mischievously up at Elladan. "I'm gonna beat you."
"What?"
But Estel was already off racing ahead, laughing as he went. Elladan let out a chuckle before chasing after his younger brother, easily catching up to him and sweeping him up for a piggy-back ride back to the house where their other brother and Ada were waiting.
Neither of them noticed the pair of eyes watching them from the forest. Slowly they disappeared and the figure of a man unfolded from the shadows and started back across the valley where his compatriots waited. He had some interesting things to report.
A/N: Like I said, short beginning! But it will get better, I promise!...or I hope, haha.
