Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any character and/or places
thereof
Author's note: This particular story will NOT involve Legolas; he will be in the sequel, though.
****
When Estel awoke moments later he was still on the library floor, but he leaned against someone and so was sitting rather than lying. Looking up, he saw that it was Elrond who supported him and immediately moved to sit on his own. "What happened?" he asked, gazing out from beneath a curtain of hair to meet the eyes of Glorfindel, crouched beside him.
"We had hoped you could tell us," Elrond replied. "Are you all right, Estel?" He raised his hand to feel the mortal's forehead for a fever, but Estel moved away, knowing already that he had a fever but needing no one else to know. The boy was not without his pride.
"I am fine," he replied, "certainly a breath of fresh air will restore me-- " With much trouble Estel climbed to his feet, finding himself uncomfortably weak. Many times he fell before at last standing, somewhat wobbly, on his own two feet.
Elrond did not agree with the child's diagnosis. "I think you would be better to rest yourself, Estel. You have not been sleeping lately as much as you should." Estel turned in surprise to the elf. How had he known? Elrond chuckled. "Precious little comes to pass within my house that I know not of."
Nodding, Estel said, hoping Elladan no longer traversed the flowered paths, "One way or the other, I am off to the gardens--" One step forward found Estel falling once more, too weak to stand, and landing hard. Glorfindel and Elrond exchanged a look, one of those looks adults seem to think cover all occasions and emotions: amusement, exhaustion, oh-isn't-that-sweet. It is a look much loathed by children; grown-ups, for their part, are largely unaware of it, the slight smirk, the raised eyebrows. . .perhaps this looks grows as the child in the womb. Every parent is a master of it.
"Let's get you to bed, Estel," Elrond said, reaching out to help the boy to his feet once more. "Glorfindel, if this matter could be concluded later?" Elrond asked, and his friend nodded.
"It will wait, but not for long," replied Glorfindel ominously, before retreating out of the room.
"I am not seriously ill," Estel protested.
"Yes, I think this also. You are simply exhausted from never sleeping and malnourished from never eating--and yes, I also know that your frequent habits of 'oversleeping' and 'getting to bed early' during breakfast and supper are indeed untruths." Elrond knew not why he was speaking this of a sudden, on the whole he had been seeking an opportunity to discuss this with the boy but none seemed to arise, especially since Estel made himself scare as often as possible.
Estel allowed Elrond to help him stand, and to help him steady himself from falling over with every step he took, though embarrassed he thought it better to have a bruised ego from being aided than a bruised bottom from falling over at every turn and jog. "Do you want to tell me what it is you do on those sleepless nights, Estel?"
"No," replied Estel honestly, "it is not important."
"Then I shall be forced to order you to tell me," Elrond replied.
With a grin, Estel said, "Usually I sit in the gardens and watch the flowers and trees sway in night-breezes." His lie bothered him somewhat: this elf had taken him in when he had no place to go, cared for him throughout his childhood fears and illnesses, and looked after him in all the various ways he needed looking after. But now Estel did not need looking after, as he saw it at least, and did not want anyone poking about in his personal life. Of more import, he did not wish Elrond to know of his weaknesses and troubles.
But perhaps Elrond asked a question to which he already knew the answer, for he did not reply to Estel's story. Instead he helped the boy along the corridor in silence, reached his bedchamber and allowed Estel to carry himself unsteadily over to the bed. The idea of sleep did appeal to the boy, in such overpowering strength that he had but stripped off his boots before he slipped beneath the covers.
"You will sleep, Estel?" Elrond asked. "If you cannot individually there are some herbs that will help you."
Estel closed his eyes. "It may be waking that proves a problem," he muttered, "not sleeping." The warmth of his blanket sapped his strength and induced a sleepy stupor, or perhaps Elrond was correct and the sleepless nights had begun to catch up to the boy. One way or the other, the effect was identical. Already Estel was drifting away to his dreams.
Watching from the doorway, Elrond smiled softly. Sometimes the boy could be difficult, and often Elrond suspected that Estel was intentional trying, but underneath all of this he was nevertheless an innocent, lovely boy with a strong spirit and a good heart. Buried not so very deep inside of him, Estel was not a man but a child, and for this reason Elrond found it difficult to be angry with the boy: he was a good boy and did not need discipline, only love.
As Estel squirmed in his sleep, Elrond left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. A good boy, just a little confused.
"Elrond." The elven lord was startled to find Glorfindel standing behind him. "What are we going to do about the Mirkwood situation? Thranduil's last letter sounded not at all friendly."
"When Imladris has an army to send the King of Mirkwood, we will send it! This is a safehaven, not a military force!" Elrond snapped. Thranduil and Elrond never quite saw eyes to eye where politics were concerned. If only these confounded letters would stop arriving! "Forgive me, my friend, yours is not the fault here. Come; we will find a solution to this, the both of us together."
*****
To be continued
Deana: Legolas actually will not be in this story, however he will be featured in the story after it.
Kathira: He's supposed to have hit his growth spurts late. It's not unheard of: some boys I know have been quite short, then of a sudden sprouted another two feet practically overnight! Later on, Estel will find himself growing like bamboo. As for taking this beyond Estel and illness, not much, mostly I tend to write about relationships, giving any drama to the background for emotion and interaction.
Author's note: Finals week starts tomorrow. . .yipes! I'm not supposed to be writing fanfiction with finals so close, so if I don't update for about a week that'll be why. Sorry! School has to come first.
Author's note: This particular story will NOT involve Legolas; he will be in the sequel, though.
****
When Estel awoke moments later he was still on the library floor, but he leaned against someone and so was sitting rather than lying. Looking up, he saw that it was Elrond who supported him and immediately moved to sit on his own. "What happened?" he asked, gazing out from beneath a curtain of hair to meet the eyes of Glorfindel, crouched beside him.
"We had hoped you could tell us," Elrond replied. "Are you all right, Estel?" He raised his hand to feel the mortal's forehead for a fever, but Estel moved away, knowing already that he had a fever but needing no one else to know. The boy was not without his pride.
"I am fine," he replied, "certainly a breath of fresh air will restore me-- " With much trouble Estel climbed to his feet, finding himself uncomfortably weak. Many times he fell before at last standing, somewhat wobbly, on his own two feet.
Elrond did not agree with the child's diagnosis. "I think you would be better to rest yourself, Estel. You have not been sleeping lately as much as you should." Estel turned in surprise to the elf. How had he known? Elrond chuckled. "Precious little comes to pass within my house that I know not of."
Nodding, Estel said, hoping Elladan no longer traversed the flowered paths, "One way or the other, I am off to the gardens--" One step forward found Estel falling once more, too weak to stand, and landing hard. Glorfindel and Elrond exchanged a look, one of those looks adults seem to think cover all occasions and emotions: amusement, exhaustion, oh-isn't-that-sweet. It is a look much loathed by children; grown-ups, for their part, are largely unaware of it, the slight smirk, the raised eyebrows. . .perhaps this looks grows as the child in the womb. Every parent is a master of it.
"Let's get you to bed, Estel," Elrond said, reaching out to help the boy to his feet once more. "Glorfindel, if this matter could be concluded later?" Elrond asked, and his friend nodded.
"It will wait, but not for long," replied Glorfindel ominously, before retreating out of the room.
"I am not seriously ill," Estel protested.
"Yes, I think this also. You are simply exhausted from never sleeping and malnourished from never eating--and yes, I also know that your frequent habits of 'oversleeping' and 'getting to bed early' during breakfast and supper are indeed untruths." Elrond knew not why he was speaking this of a sudden, on the whole he had been seeking an opportunity to discuss this with the boy but none seemed to arise, especially since Estel made himself scare as often as possible.
Estel allowed Elrond to help him stand, and to help him steady himself from falling over with every step he took, though embarrassed he thought it better to have a bruised ego from being aided than a bruised bottom from falling over at every turn and jog. "Do you want to tell me what it is you do on those sleepless nights, Estel?"
"No," replied Estel honestly, "it is not important."
"Then I shall be forced to order you to tell me," Elrond replied.
With a grin, Estel said, "Usually I sit in the gardens and watch the flowers and trees sway in night-breezes." His lie bothered him somewhat: this elf had taken him in when he had no place to go, cared for him throughout his childhood fears and illnesses, and looked after him in all the various ways he needed looking after. But now Estel did not need looking after, as he saw it at least, and did not want anyone poking about in his personal life. Of more import, he did not wish Elrond to know of his weaknesses and troubles.
But perhaps Elrond asked a question to which he already knew the answer, for he did not reply to Estel's story. Instead he helped the boy along the corridor in silence, reached his bedchamber and allowed Estel to carry himself unsteadily over to the bed. The idea of sleep did appeal to the boy, in such overpowering strength that he had but stripped off his boots before he slipped beneath the covers.
"You will sleep, Estel?" Elrond asked. "If you cannot individually there are some herbs that will help you."
Estel closed his eyes. "It may be waking that proves a problem," he muttered, "not sleeping." The warmth of his blanket sapped his strength and induced a sleepy stupor, or perhaps Elrond was correct and the sleepless nights had begun to catch up to the boy. One way or the other, the effect was identical. Already Estel was drifting away to his dreams.
Watching from the doorway, Elrond smiled softly. Sometimes the boy could be difficult, and often Elrond suspected that Estel was intentional trying, but underneath all of this he was nevertheless an innocent, lovely boy with a strong spirit and a good heart. Buried not so very deep inside of him, Estel was not a man but a child, and for this reason Elrond found it difficult to be angry with the boy: he was a good boy and did not need discipline, only love.
As Estel squirmed in his sleep, Elrond left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. A good boy, just a little confused.
"Elrond." The elven lord was startled to find Glorfindel standing behind him. "What are we going to do about the Mirkwood situation? Thranduil's last letter sounded not at all friendly."
"When Imladris has an army to send the King of Mirkwood, we will send it! This is a safehaven, not a military force!" Elrond snapped. Thranduil and Elrond never quite saw eyes to eye where politics were concerned. If only these confounded letters would stop arriving! "Forgive me, my friend, yours is not the fault here. Come; we will find a solution to this, the both of us together."
*****
To be continued
Deana: Legolas actually will not be in this story, however he will be featured in the story after it.
Kathira: He's supposed to have hit his growth spurts late. It's not unheard of: some boys I know have been quite short, then of a sudden sprouted another two feet practically overnight! Later on, Estel will find himself growing like bamboo. As for taking this beyond Estel and illness, not much, mostly I tend to write about relationships, giving any drama to the background for emotion and interaction.
Author's note: Finals week starts tomorrow. . .yipes! I'm not supposed to be writing fanfiction with finals so close, so if I don't update for about a week that'll be why. Sorry! School has to come first.
