First of I have to say I did not mean to not update literally for four years but as everybody here probably knows life intervenes and I have just not been able or interested to spend time in this story even though it is always in the back of my mind. Still I want to thank everyone who thought my writing good enough to favorite my story or put it on their alert list. And especially to those who reviewed cause eventually those are the ones who made me get back to this story so thank you and I hope you enjoy this new chapter.
Chapter 3: The road to understanding
As nightfall came Elenion was completely exhausted. The last two hours he had done nothing but stumble after the rangers.
He may not have any physical wounds any more, but the magic he had done and even the transference to this new world had left him exhausted. Not to mention his body was not fully grown any more, which left him not being able to handle the long hours of walking that the rangers did.
Argonui and even many of his men had offered to carry him. But Elenion had refused, he was nineteen years old dammit. But even though his mind might have been, his body was not and Elenion refused to see this.
As Argonui 's men made camp Elenion curled up on a nearby tree and promptly fell asleep.
Hithlain looked at his chieftain. "The lad is exhausted Argonui, like this he will not even make it to Tharbad never mind to one of our settlements in west Eriador or even to our home south of Imladris".
"I know this dear friend, I know" Argonui answered him. "But neither can I nor any of us force the child to be carried if it is against his wishes". "I agree with you Argonui but something must be done, for both the child's health and our speed." Argonui looked to his friend and then to Elenion and answered "And something will be done, I just do not know what yet" Hithlain snorted at that and walked away to tend to his duties.
Argonui looked over to little Elenion who was tossing and turning in his sleep. "Where do you come from and what happened to you little one? " He whispered. The chieftain shook his head such thoughts could be pondered later, for now he had his own work to do.
As Elenion woke it was to the smell of something cooking. His stomach reminded him that he had not eaten since at least midday. One cannot feed a sleeping person and the Rangers had deemed him getting his sleep more important at the moment than him getting fed. It was night now and the stars shone brightly on him.
Carefully moving from his position on the tree, he removed the blanket he was sure had not been there when he fell asleep. Smiling softly he folded the blanket and looked over at the fire where Argonui and his men where sitting.
Hithlain noticed the little one had woken. "Argonui the lad is awake". Argonui looked up at him and then towards the tree where Elenion had been asleep. "So he is" he said quietly before speaking louder "Come sit with us little one".
Elenion cocked his head, 'What the hell is he saying' Elenion tried to convey his confusion by blinking at Argonui until said man made a gesture at him motioning him closer. Elenion slowly walked till he was standing next to the Ranger. When Argonui again made a gesture, this time signalling for him to sit Elenion understood him immediately .
Sitting down Elenion's stomach made itself known again. There was a rumble of laughter from the men around the fire before a bowl of food appeared in his vision. Elenion took the food and gave the man who's hand was still attached to the bowl a small smile. The man let go of the bowl and crouched in front of him.
"I am called Haldor little one" The man said to him. Before pointing towards himself and repeating his name. Elenion dutifully repeated it again before saying his own name. The man smiled at him and stood up to walk away.
Harry looked at his food and started eating slowly. His mind not on the food, but on other things. 'Ron would've gobbled the food up, it tastes real good'. This little thought on his brother stopped Elenion right in his tracks. Not having the time to really think on all that happened between dying, generally being lost and getting picked up by medieval soldiers, wanderers, whatever he had not thought of his brother and sister since he had arrived and even that had been very little.
Not wanting to dwell on them and possibly loosing what was left of his composure he pushed all thoughts of them away. Ignoring the little voice that sounded very much like Hermione who told him that ignoring your feelings isn't going to make them go away, and that it is unhealthy to do so he turned towards the man sitting next to him.
'I might as well learn something if I'm going to be here for a while'. He pulled on the man's cloak to get his attention. As Argonui turned towards him Elenion pointed at the fire. "Fire" he told the man clearly. Knowing that the man did not understand his language but would maybe understand what he wanted to know.
He was wrong Argonui did not understand. So Elenion pointed towards the fire again clearly saying "Fire" before pointing to a tree saying "Tree". This time the chieftain did understand. He pointed to the fire and said clearly "Naur". Elenion dutifully repeated him and Argonui pointed towards a tree. "Galadh" he said. Elenion mimicked him pointing towards the fire and saying "Naur" before pointing towards another tree and saying "Galadh"
"Very good" Argonui praised him. He pointed towards the tree again saying the word galadh again before swinging his arm around him and saying indicating all the trees, the forest around him saying "Taur". They kept this up for a little while before Elenion got tired again.
Argonui motioned for the little one to come with him. Picking up a bedroll he spread it on the ground and told Elenion to go to sleep. Elenion repeated the word fuume as Argonui mimicked sleeping. Nodding towards the man Elenion slipped his boots of and climbed into the bedroll. He looked at the stars again one last time before falling into a restful sleep.
Morning came swiftly, too fast for Elenion's liking. He was still tired from yesterday's long walk. Looking blearily around him he noticed that camp was almost packed. Haldor again brought him some dried fruits and bread to eat. Before they got on their way again.
After stumbling to many times to count and nearly falling asleep while walking even more times Argonui decided enough was enough and promptly picked the little child up. Elenion tried protesting he really did but he was so tired and his eyes closed on his own account.
Waking up while being carried Elenion decided wasn't even that bad. Okay there was a bit of a case of vertigo but on the whole he felt safe, protected and that was something he had not really felt al that much in his life.
Maybe when he was a little baby his mother and father had loved him. But sadly the only thing he remembered of them was the way they died much thanks to the dementors. Sighing a little Elenion thought he might as well take advantage of it and snuggled a little closer and tried to go to sleep again.
Argonui had noticed that the little one had awakened. He said nothing but waited on what the little one would do. He smiled a little when Elenion did nothing and his smile became bigger when the little one snuggled closer.
Hearing sniggering from his side he looked towards Hithlain. "The lad has you wrapped around his finger already if my eyes do not deceive me friend". Hithlain told him. "Aye that he has old friend, that he has". Argonui told him as he carded his fingers trough the little ones unruly hair.
Suddenly he stopped and looked at his friend with wide eyes. Hithlain noticed this and asked him what was wrong.
"His ears Hithlain, his ears, they are leaf shaped. Like the elves. He is an elfling. Elenion is an elfling." At his friends exclamation Hithlain came towards them and moved the sleeping lad's hear away. Indeed the ears where not rounded like those of the race of men. But delicate and pointed like those of the elves.
"An elfling! How this is not possible there has not been an elfling born since the lady Arwen, daugher of lord Elrond" exclaimed the chieftain again.
"You are right Argonui. We must wake him" Argonui nodded "We rest here until this matter is resolved or we at least have some answers" he told his men. They took advantage of this fact and laid down their packs.
Argonui turned back towards the little one. "Elenion wake, you must wake child. We have some questions." Elenion grumbled a little but obediently opened his eyes.
Looking at Argonui he noticed the man was tense and so was the other man Hitlain. His first instinct was to run and that is what he did. He jumped out of Argonui's arms which was only possible because the man had certainly not been expecting that. Elenion raced up the nearest tree and perched precariously on one of the branches.
Al attention had been on him from the moment he moved out of the chieftains arms. Hithlain motioned the alarmed rangers to stay where they were and followed Argonui who was already walking towards the tree where Elenion was in.
Elenion on his part was thinking what he could have done wrong. Years of living with the Dursley's automatically making him assume it was something he did.
Argonui stopped at the base of the tree and looked up into the eyes of the little elfling. "Little one please come down, we mean you no harm." He tried but Elenion just looked at him. Hoping to convey his care for the little one he smiled a soft smile at him and tried again.
Elenion moved a little lower on the tree but did not come down completely. At seeing the joy in the eyes of both men that he was at least coming down a little Elenion mind started working. "They are happy that I'm coming down, does that mean that I didn't do something wrong? That they won't hurt me? Can they be trusted?'. 'Oh Mione where's you're logic now?'.
Hoping that his legendary luck would hold true he decided to risk it and climbed slowly back to the ground.
Coming first eye to knee and after a second eye to eye with Argonui he looked down. But Argonui put his fingers under his chin and lifted his head back up again.
Argonui smiled at Elenion. He slowly reached towards the lad to pick him up. Elenion looked uncomfortable but let him. The three of then walked back towards the rangers and sat down with them.
Arador held the elfling in his lap as he pondered how to get answers to his questions.
"Elenion look" he showed the child his rounded ear. "Edain" he said as he pointed first towards himself and then towards his men. He pushed Elenion's hair behind his leaf shaped ear and pointed toward it while clearly saying "Eldar".
Elenion thought about it for a while adorably scrunching his face up en making the rangers who could see him smile. 'He's saying that I'm different, that I do understand. But what's the deal with it, their not hostile towards me so it's got nothing to do with race then what?'.
As Argonui saw that he had Elenion's attention again he pointed towards him and said "Eledhhén" While making a motion of rocking a child. Seeing that Elenion understood Hithlain took over.
He walked to the middle of their circle and asked Fealon to join him. He pointed to Fealon and said "Eledhhén" before pointing at himself saying "Edhel" He looked towards Elenion to see if he still understood. He did.
Hithlain stood protective over Fealon and shielded him. He told Fealon to try to walk away, and then stopped him. He mimicked for Elenion's benefit that the child Fealon played was not allowed to leave.
Elenion understood, these Edhel were very, very protective of their children and would never allow one to wander far enough away to get lost so they were all very surprised to find out it was an Edhel child or Eledhhén as they called him they had found wandering in the forest.
As both Hithlain and Fealon sat down again Argonui once again took over. "Elenion" he said while pointing at him, then he pointed towards the forest around them "Taur" then he looked questioningly at Elenion.
Elenion understood the question Argonui wanted to know how he got in the forest. But how was he supposed to answer that. He could hardly tell them that he had died and was send here by higher beings. No, Elenion didn't think that would go over al that well.
So he just shrugged, pretending he didn't know.
Argonui sighed as he turned to Hithlain. "The lad does not know how he came to be here". Hithlain looked at Elenion with piercing eyes. "He does not know, or does not wish to tell. Both ways do not bring us much further."
"Why do you not ask him about his parents, I can not imagine they would leave a child here alone."
Haldor suggested. "That I can not imagine either, very well I will ask him." Argonui mimicked a father and a mother, then looked questioningly at Elenion again.
At first Elenion just shrugged, but then he closed his eyes, folded his hands across his chest and became very still. He didn't think it would go over al that well if he drew his finger across his neck, so he just motioned they were laid to rest.
Hithlain looked towards the men "His parents are dead, that may give us an explanation as to way this little one is all alone here, that still does not tell us why we have not heard of an elfling born before."
"I do not think we will know the answer to that particular question until we arrive in Imladris". Argonui told his men.
"Argonui, what must we do with an elfling, we can not simply take him. The elves must be told." Haldor said to him.
"And they will, we will discuss this later. But for now we must move on if we want to make some headway before night falls".
The rangers packed their stuff together while their chieftain took the elfling once again in his arms. Together they left the clearing back on their way to civilisation.
Later that night after the rangers once again made camp. They sat around the fire while Elenion slept.
"Should we not take him to Imladris, Argonui" Hithlain asked. "For surely the elves would have been looking for a little one, would they not?" "If they knew about Elenion then yes the elves will be looking for him" Argonui answered him. "You doubt this then" Haldor asked. Arador looked first at Hithlain and than at Haldor before he answered "Yes I doubt they will be looking for him, because I do not think they even know the little one exists".
The men looked towards the sleeping bundle across the fire. "Why do you think that" Fealon one of the younger rangers asked. "Because we have been in Imladris just a scant few months ago. If there had been an elfling born we would have known. They may guard there young like a mother wolf guards hers but they would not have concealed him. Not from us".
"You may be right Argonui, but that does not tell us what we must do with the little one". Hithlain told him. "We will send word to Imladris of our find, but we will not take him there yet". Argonui told the men before being interrupted by Fealon "But why not surely an elfling belongs with his kin".
"That he does young Fealon, but you forget that by the time we make it to Tharbad winter will have fallen, and we can not travel with a child in winter, even in early winter. Nay it is to dangerous for a little one, we can not risk his health and life that way."
"I did not think of that lord Argonui" "It matters not Fealon, it is my hope that when spring arrives we can reunite Elenion with his kin." Argonui told his men before telling them to go to sleep. Tomorrow would arrive bright and early.
Hithlain took first watch with Belegor, one of the oldest ones with them. None had noticed that Elenion had not been asleep.
Not having understood much beyond Imladris, Eledhhén and Edhel he decided the conversation had probably been about him, but about what exactly he didn't know. For once in his life trusting that they meant no harm he closed his eyes, maybe tomorrow would bring more answers.
Morning came, as it had the days before this one, way to early. After a quick breakfast and a short language lesson the rangers and the little elfling were once again on their way to Tharbad. Not that Elenion knew this, having not even a clue as to what this world was called let alone it's city's. But on their way they were.
Several days went along this vein, they walked, made camp and Elenion learned the language faster than he thought possible, okay so he could make 2 to 4 word sentences, but considering he thought he was doing fine.
"Where go?" Elenion asked Haldor on whose shoulders he had been sitting for the better part of an hour as the rangers travelled. "What do you mean little one?" Haldor answered him.
"Elenion, Haldor, Argonui, Hithlain, where go? Elenion tried again. Haldor looked to Argonui silently asking for permission to tell the little elfling. We go to Tharbad little one, where our families reside".
Elenion scrunched his nose "Tharbad, city?" he asked. Belegor who until now had been walking silently beside them, turned his old eyes to the small child. "Aye, lad city". Turning his emerald eyes to those of the eldest in their group. Elenion asked "families? What is?" Belegor pondered the question for a second. "family is mother, father, children".
At that Elenion turned his eyes to down looking at the top of Haldor's head before turning his sad eyes back to Belegor. "Elenion no families".
Argonui took the sad child from belegor's shoulders, and positioned him in his arms. The little ones arms automatically came to encircle his neck and his head rested on the large man's chest.
"For now you will stay with us little one, and when the spring arrives we will take you to Imladris where you're kin resides".
I'm sure most of you noticed Harry/ Elenion closes his eyes when sleeping. This is intentional it's such a habit to do this that he does this automatically, gradually this will change. I don't know if you will notice it in the future but just so you know.
Also you may have noticed that harry is reverting a bit to a young child, keep in mind that the valar made him young in body but to an elf nineteen is young so he is reverting to what an elfling of that age should be. It's more prominent in this chapter but you can see it a bit in chaper 2 too. Don't worry he will still be harry with al his burdens and his attitude.
Eledhhén: Okay I tried literally everything to find the translation of elfling. No such luck so I put a word for elf and child together so elfchild and you get eledhhén. Yeey me:P
