It amazing how fast a person can run when a loved one is in danger but that was no comparison too how fast Elrond and Legolas were running to get to young Estel. Tears were running down the elven prince's cheek as they arrived at the place where Estel had fallen. The guards of the watchtower that crowding around the small body were pushed away rather roughly by a worried Dad.

Elrond touched the forehead of the boy and sighed in relief.
"He is in no immediate danger, he is only unconscious,"he said to the other lords.
The smallest lord, Legolas, clung to his daddy and asked when his friend would wake up.
Thranduil smiled weakly at his son. "It depends on how badly he is injured, my son."
It hurt him to see his son's smile fade and his face crumple as he begun to understand that the danger hadn't subsided.
Legolas thought about how it would be, to be stuck in the darkness for years, just to open your eyes and face times of hardship and change. The troubled elfling came to the conclusion he would rather be dead.
"Don't scare you son, mellon*" Celeborn scolded."Do not fear, small one. Your friend will wake up soon a few hours at the most."
Legolas smiled a sweet, small smile and said, "I will buy him a sweet bun for when he wakes up!"
He sprinted after the guards which were carrying his injured friend away.

Most of the elven royalty retired back to Rivendell but three stayed back.
"What if he doesn't wake up? Legolas will hate you then," Thranduil hissed.
"If Estel doesn't wake up then we have worse problems than the feelings of your son,"Celeborn replied.

"He will wake up. I mean, he has had tougher scrapes than this. He once jumped from a high boulder into a shallow lake and landed on a pointy rock and survived! And he is one of the Dunedain which is bound to help him cope with injuries."Elrond tried to comfort them but it sounded like he was actually trying to calm the first time in history, an elf wished there were no trees.

Meanwhile Legolas was sitting at Estel's bedside with a basket of freshly baked pastries.
He was reading a book to pass the time, but if you looked closely you could see his eyes weren't moving from his page and that he stared over to Estel ever so often, checking if his eyes were opening. At every twitch of the boy's eyelids Legolas jumped up, ready to greet him back to the world of the sun slowly started its decent and at twilight the room was bathed with orange a while legolas' eyes began to droop and he sank into a deep, dreamless sleep.

In the next morning, as Legolas woke Estel's bed was empty, the sheets unmade. At first the elf's thoughts were still a little hazy but then he felt regret and confusion. Regret because he hadn't been there to greet his friend, and confusion because he had no idea where said boy was. He poked his out of the door and saw a little figure swaying for side to side.
"Estel! You're awake! What are you doing?"
He hugged his friend who whispered,"Shhh...I'm hunting."
"What for? "
"Food."
Legolas laughed and ushered the boy back into his room."I'll get you something."

In the next few days Estel got better fast and after a week it was as if nothing had happened.
All elves who knew of the great significance of the little boy were glad to see him healthy and Elrond swore himself to let his son be watched if he went in the woods. Legolas and Estel had fun playing short games inside while the injuries healed and their friendship got stronger until they were inseparable...or so they thought.

Their friendship would be tested greatly over time and it was unsure if it would survive.

Elladan and Elrohir were not happy about all the attention their brother got and were always mean to the disaster duo. Each time they saw him he was smiling, laughing and basically looking as if he was having a good time which the elven brothers really hated in their foul mood. One day Elladan couldn't stand it anymore and talked to his brother.
"Remember when Estel wasn't there?
It was much nicer, we were the pride and joy of Dad and now we are standing in the shadow of our little brother.
He has to go, Elrohir, for the sake of us both."
Elrohir's eyes became as round as saucers and he croaked,"You want to ...kill him?! Are you mad?"
"No you dolt! I merely wish for him to leave our city, to leave our , here's the plan..."

At the same day in the late evening Estel wandered to his room as he was grabbed from behind and got abducted in a broom cupboard. Someone lit a candle and in the dim light the faces of his kidnappers were illuminated.
Estel laughed."Very funny, brothers. Now let me go; I want to go outside with Legolas."
"Wait just a moment, we wish to tell you something. We overheard Dad saying something which will definitely interest you."
They put fake masks of sympathy and looked down at him.
"We heard him wanting to give the responsibility of you to someone else. We heard him talking about a man-child that didn't belong in the midst of elves. He said that the meat you eat repulsed him and that you didn't deserve this luxury. He said you don't belong in his family."
The boy reeled back like he had just been punched and stumbled out of the broom cupboard.
He barely managed it to his room and as he got there he sat down and his world was spinning all around him. He waited for himself to break down and erupt into tears but people only break down if one of their greatest fears had come true and well, in his case, everything he had was a lie and his life was ruined.

He decided to no longer be a nuisance to Elrond and started packing his stuff.
When he had just packed his last t-shirt his door swung open and Legolas entered.
"Going somewhere?"
"I am running away."
Legolas looked at his friend with wide eyes.
"Why would you do that?"
Estel told his best friend what had happened, his voice cracking at some points and at the end the elf looked shocked and outraged but nevertheless he nodded and said exactly the words he needed to hear, words of friendship.
Legolas put his hand on the shoulder of the broken boy and said,

"And I'll be coming with you."