A/N: Hello all! Here is the next chapter of An Interesting Beginning. Hope you enjoy. See first chapter for Disclaimer!
Chapter Three: Goblins!
Legolas yawned slightly. It had been a rather hard day of travel. He had traveled much ground though, and knew he was about half way through the Mountain Pass and decided it was time to make camp.
He quickly dismounted and made his way to one of his favorite spots from all of his previous travels to Imladris. The Mountain Pass had few trees, but here was one of the few places that had some. The spot was hidden by an outcropping of rock, so any eyes that weren't particularly examining everything would easily miss it. The rocks definately provided adequate shelter from unwanted eyes. And the trees made sure he'd see danger before they saw him.
In the center of the spot there was a blackened and charred pit. As mentioned before, he had been to this place on more than one occasion, and his campfire ring still remained. He easily set a fire and pulled out his travel rations. Some nuts, dried fruit and dried meat. He heated what needed to be heated and started off eating when it was finished.
Upon completion of his evening meal, he climbed the nearest tree and rested upon one of the higher branches. The tree was by no means better than his bed at either Rivendell or Mirkwood but it was much better than sleeping on the ground, which is what he'd been doing the past few days.
It was when he was finally resting that he heard a shout for help in the elven tongue. A shout that sounded desperate and young. Legolas wasted no time at all, He jumped down, grabbed his weapons and went off in the direction of the shout.
Estel picked his teeth with his fingernail, attempting to get the rough meat out from between them. He then yawned. He had had a good meal compared to what he had been having lately. He had walked out of the cave and into the night to sit and look up at the stars. They were so peaceful. He wished that his brothers were here to look at the stars with him. He hated being alone.
The boy yawned tiredly after a while and went back into the cave with the intention of going to sleep. It took a lot to get himself comfortable, but eventually, he figured he wouldn't be able to get comfortable on the stone ground so he just gave up and forced himself to sleep anyway.
It was much later in the night when he heard a scratching sound that woke him from his uncomfortable slumber. He could hear strange voices as well, muttering in a tongue he didn't know, yet at the same time he hated. He sat up, his grey eyes bright with fright but also rather determined.
Estel took out his hunting knife and stood from the ground, moving deeper into the cave towards the scratching and the voices.
Suddenly, something jumped from the ceiling and landed right on top of him. The thing's face was so close to his own that he felt and could even smell it's disgusting breath. He struggeled to shove it off of him and finally figured to stab at it. He aimed for whatever he could and when he managed to actually get the creature, it shrieked and didn't die. It only got angrier and bit him.
Estel shrieked at the sudden pain and struggled even wilder than before, finally managing to shove off the creature and stab it when he came running at him again. He could hear more of them coming to their kin's aid.
'These must be Goblins!' he thought to himself as he plunged as fast as he could go towards the entrance of the cave. 'Finally!' he had managed to get to the entrance and he continued running, the goblins still givign chase. He was whimpering now in fright. So much for them finding him unworthy of their attention!
He continued on until suddenly his small foot hit an unexpected hole and gave a sudden CRACK! sound. 'That can't be good!' he thought to himself in the moment of numbness that followed his folly. Suddenly, a burst of pain flaired to life in his leg and he cried out in surprise as well as agony. He could still feel the injury on his shoulder too.
But the creatures were closing in on him. He had to move! He forced himself up and started limping further away until he saw a cliff. 'Oh NO!' He had nowhere to go. He turned, intending to face his fate bravely.
The onrush of goblins was too much for him, he knew, but he had to fight! He stood in the guard position and put his knife out in front of him. He knew he probably looked foolish, with tears streaming down his young face, blood flowing from his shoulder wound and his leg bent at an odd angle and not meant for beind stood on. But that didn't matter to him. He would fight no matter what! He wouldn't go down without taking at least a few goblins with him!
That was when the first of them came at him. He brought his knife up and slit it's throat, throwing it behind him and over the cliff before facing the next one. He aimed for this one's eye. It was dead soon too.
Then a whole bunch came at him.
He would have to pick one at a time. He went for the one on the left, killing it quickly with a flash of his knife and went for the one on his left. He didn't notice a third one until it was too late. Before he had even completely managed to defeat the goblin on the left, it was upon him it jumped on his chest and pushed him backwards.
Estel put his foot behind him to brace himself, only to discover that there was no ground! He felt himself falling, his eyes going wide with terror. 'This was not how I wanted to die!'
he thought as he fell through the air. But his arm acted without his consent suddenly and latched on to the edge of the cliff, holding himself up and away from the fifty foot drop below.
He clenched his eyes shut. 'Don't look down, don't look down!' he thought over and over again, as if just saying that would keep him up. That's when a pain suddenly went through his fingers and his injured shoulder. His silvery-grey eyes flew open and looked up to see the goblins jumping up and down on his feet. They weren't big creatures, so it didn't hurt as much as if an orc might have done it, but it did hurt enough so that he would probably let go if it kept up. He barely had a grip as it was.
His voice broke out then "HELP!" he cried out in elvish. He didn't know why he said it, It wasn't like there was anyone nearby or so he though. But it made him feel more secure so he continued. "Please! Oh Eru! Somebody save me!" he cried out, still in elvish. His voice sounded whiny to him, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that his call was heard.
And as if on cue, A volley of arrows was released from a tree. Well, not exactly a volley. But more than one arrow came flying into the eyes of the goblins above. That was when Estel looked down, his face tear-stained and his eyes frightful and hopeful at once.
Legolas had finally come upon the source of the call for help and found a child hanging on a cliff-edge for dear life. He assumed the child was an elf, seeing as though they weren't too far from Imladris and the inhabitants of Imladris were obviously elves.
So Legolas had shot at the goblins immediately without thought. He had to save the child.
That was when he saw the person look down. And he noted the ears. They were round. The boy was a human. For a brief moment, Legolas lowered his bow. Why should he save a human after what his kind had done to him? Why should he show compassion when his kind did not?
The boy then spoke once more, Still in elvish. "Please..." it was such a sad and quiet voice, that even Legolas had to struggle to hear it pefectly. The boy's young face turned to the ground once more and Legolas saw such a fear in the child's face. His eyes were wide and frightened, and his face was tear-stained. Something clicked in Legolas and all of his hesitancy disappeared at the helpless expression on the child's face.
He fired another volley of arrows at the goblins and after a while, the band of goblins was killed and he came from his hiding place in the bushes.
Suddenly, The boy's fingers slipped and he cried out as he began plummeting to the unforgiving ground and without thought, Legolas rushed forward and right before the boy hit the the rocks, he was in Legolas's arms and both stared at each other in amazement. As if neither could quite figure out how on Arda the child had ended up in the prince's arms.
Elladan and Elrohir had headed back home to tell their father about where they felt Estel had gone. They might need a rescue party, just in case he had ended up near Goblins or Orcs.
When they got what they needed, they went in the direction of the Mountain Pass. They had to save Estel. They both shuddered to think of what shape they may find their foster brother in. It would be horrible if he had been captured by Goblins or Orcs and..No. These thoughts would only make things more complicated.
All of the warriors the twins had gathered would have laughed at their Lord's sons, if it hadn't been for the fact that Estel was gone. They would probably get the chance to laugh about it later. But right now, the color of the twins' hair was of no importance. Right now they ahd to find the wayward eleven year old child.
Estel was just as surprised as Legoals was about being caught. He looked up at the prince for a while before Legolas set him down on the ground.
"Pedich i lam edhellen?" Legolas asked him now. He had heard him call out in elvish and wondered whether he could truly speak it or if those were mearely a few words he had learned just in case.
The boy nodded. Legolas didn't know if the boy truly understood or not. Nods were usually what humans used when they were in a lack for words. "Heniach nin?"
The boy nodded again. "Henion." he said. There.That was an improvement. "Man le carel sí?" he now asked "I'm lost." The boy said in elvish as an explanation. Legolas nodded. He had assumed as much. No human nor elf would be out here without a weapon intentionally. "Anírach i dulu nín?" he asked. He didn't want to leave the boy out here alone. "Yes, You're help would be very much appreciated!" The boy said with a relieved smile.
"Aphado nin!" Legolas said as he stood up then he looked at the boy. "Man eneth lín?" Legolas wanted to be polite. Though he hated humans, he didn't want this child to know that. "Estel i eneth nín." the boy responded.
Estel. Hope. "Your name means hope?" Legolas asked him quiziaclly in Westron. "Yes.That is what my name means." Estel's Common was heavily accented. As if he barely knew the language. How strange. Then something clicked. "Are you the human Lord Elrond took in?" Legolas asked, this time in elvish, his eyebrow raised in a question. Estel nodded. "I see. That is why you are closer to Rivendell than a human village. That's interesting. Well, stand up and we'll be on our way, then. " Legolas said, moving off in the direction of his camp. Estel didn't move.
"Didn't you hear me?" Legolas asked. He lost patience with humans easily. "I-I can't." Estel said quietly, looking down at the ground. This made Legolas even more annoyed."What do you mean you can't get up? First you say you want me to help you and yet you won't even get up!" Legolas said, completely content with leaving the child to die. If he wanted to stay here, then that was fine with him. "It's just..I can't get up because I broke my ankle running from the goblins." Estel admitted.
Legolas looked down and his expression lightened somewhat when he noticed that the boy spoke the truth. "Very well then. I suppose I will have to carry you then." Legolas said as he bent down, motioning for the boy to climb on. Estel wasted no time and clambered on to the elf's back. Legolas felt that Estel was quite light for a human. He began walking back to camp and when he got there, he felt the child's head resting on his shoulder. It seemed that Estel had fallen asleep. He set the child down at the base of the tree he had been perched in previously and began checking the boy over for other injuries.
He would have to bandage the wound on Estel's shoulder and he also knew he'd have to set the bone before it could heal properly. It would be painful. Now was the best time to do that since Estel was asleep and wouldn't feel the pain and so he got to one side of the sleeping child and put his hands in position on his leg.
"Estel, this is going to hurt, so I am going to do it now and get it over with." he muttered quietly to the child before jerking his hands in opposite directions, forcing the bone back in place. Estel cried out even in his sleep and althought Legolas despised humans, He felt bad for the child. He then splinted the leg to make sure it would stay the way it was supposed to. Then he leaned back beside the child. He remembered now that he had yet to tell the child his own name. That could wait though. Right now, he wanted to sleep. And with that thought, he leaned his head back against the tree and his eyes glazed over in elven slumber.
Elvish used in this chapter:
Pedich i lam edhellen?- Do you speak elvish?
Heniach nin?- Do you understand me?
Henion.- I understand.
Man le carel sí?- What are you doing here?
Anírach i dulu nín?- Do you want my help?
Aphado nín!- Follow me!
Man eneth lín?- What is your name?
Estel i eneth nín- My name is Estel (Hope)
A/N: That's all for chapter three folks! Keep reading for me!