A/N: All original characters, but it's set in Lothlorien. May have book characters in future chapters.
Rated PG for now but may get to be PG-13 later.
Secrets
Calrochon sat on the fallen tree that lay across the banks of the Nimrodel, his feet dangling down into the cool water. Not far away, his cousin Laeryn and his friend Vilyarion were engaged in a water fight, splashing each other with as much water as they could. Calrochon laughed as Laeryn lost his balance and fell into the water, creating ripples that mingled with the flowing water of the stream.
Laeryn surfaced and started treading water. "Calrochon, help me! I can't win against him!" he called, pointing to Vilyarion.
"Sorry, Laeryn. You're on your own," Calrochon responded, tucking a strand of his long blond hair behind his ear as it blew in the warm summer breeze.
There was a momentary pause in the playful fighting as the two elves swam over to their friend. Laeryn reached up and climbed onto the log, putting his hand down to help Vilyarion up. Then he stood, pacing up and down the log as he talked.
"Come on, Calrochon, swim with us. You never swim when we're down here," Laeryn pleaded. "Doesn't it get boring just sitting there?"
"I…" Calrochon didn't want to tell his friends that he didn't know how to swim. And if they found out, they would try to help him learn, which meant they were sure to find out something else that he didn't want anyone to know.
"Well?" Vilyarion prompted.
Calrochon sighed in defeat. They would keep asking him until they got an answer—a real answer. "To tell you the truth," he started, looking up at them, "I'm afraid of swimming. So I never learned how to swim."
"We'll just have to fix that, then," Laeryn said matter-of-factly. "Take off your shirt and get in the water and we'll teach you how to swim."
Calrochon hesitated.
"Well, come on," Laeryn said impatiently. "Take it off."
"No, I—"
"Oh, fine. I'll just do it myself." Laeryn reached down and grabbed Calrochon's green tunic, lifting it over his head.
Calrochon was about to protest, but it was too late. They would see. So he closed his eyes in shame as he heard Laeryn and Vilyarion gasp.
Laeryn was shocked at what he saw. The young elf's back was a mess of wounds. Purple-blue bruises covered his skin and red marks streaked across his back. Laeryn couldn't tell what they were from, but it didn't matter. His cousin was hurt and he was going to do something about it. He crouched down on the log and looked into Calrochon's face.
"So, now you know," Calrochon's voice was husky from trying to hold back the sobs that were threatening to come.
"Who did this to you?" Laeryn demanded.
Calrochon hung his head, staring at his hands, and whispered, "My father."
"Uncle Galthor?!" Laeryn murmured in disbelief.
Calrochon nodded.
Vilyarion sat on the log, feeling awkwardly out of place as the two cousins talked. He stood up, looking over his shoulder at Laeryn. They nodded to each other in silent communication and Vilyarion swiftly strode across the log and out into the woods to wait for them.
Calrochon remained silent, slowly kicking his feet against the log. He bit his lip firmly, trying to stop trembling. But as he felt Laeryn gently place an arm around his shoulders, he couldn't hold his emotions in any longer. He let out a sigh, that quickly turned to sobbing, as he collapsed in his cousin's arms. Wincing as Laeryn wrapped his arms around him, Calrochon murmured, "He… he did it… yesterday. He w-was drunk, a-and I spilled my drink on the table… during dinner…and he took me back into his bedroom, a-and he—" He cut off, rubbing his eyes in an effort to stop the tears.
Laeryn hugged him tight, rubbing Calrochon's back and whispering over and over, "Shh, it'll be alright. You'll be alright."
Calrochon sat up, breaking out of the embrace and stared at Laeryn with a look of fear in his eyes. His voice was so quiet that Laeryn could barely hear it as he said, "Please don't make me go back there. Please."
"I won't," Laeryn answered. Then, with a look of fierce determination in his eyes, he stood up, saying, "Come on."
"Where're we going?"
"Back to my house. I'm telling my father about this. I don't want this to ever happen to you again." He offered a hand to his cousin and together they walked off of the fallen log in search for Vilyarion.
"Calrochon," Laeryn murmured as they walked through the tall grass, "Don't keep these things from me anymore. I want to know if something's happened to you, alright?"
Calrochon nodded and smiled. He hoped that everything would be better now.
TBC?
So, what do you think so far?