Chapter 3: Impatience

Legolas reached out and let his fingers brush the tree trunks. The leaves rustled softly, and the rustles translated themselves in their mind. It has been too long. Too long, too long. Legolas smiled. He had missed Imladris. As they moved through the trees, each step bringing them closer to the Last Homely House, Legolas let his mind wander.

He had a debt to pay 'Dan and 'Ro, a very serious one. It would not cause them any lasting harm (a century or six or seven was hardly lasting, now was it?) but it would give them a good warning. A smile spread over his face, as he remembered the trouble they had caused as elflings. No wonder his Adar had been so reluctant to let them spend time together in Eryn Galen. Lord Elrond had been much the same. Legolas could hardly blame them—they had been almost dangerous when they were young. But times had changed now, and their minds had turned to more serious, more pressing pursuits. The thought was a dark one, and Legolas quickly pulled his mind away from it and back towards the happier thoughts of Imladris.

The last time he had visited, he had met Lord Elrond's foster son, a human child. He would have grown by now, at least by human standards. Legolas' thoughts turned dark again as he remembered meeting him.

"Who is he?" he remembered asking Lord Elrond.

"Estel," Lord Elrond had replied. And, after a pause, "My son."

It had been a while before Legolas responded, watching the human child who played in the elf-lord's lap, making him smile affectionately, but when he did, it was to ask a serious question. "Whose hope, hîr nîn?"

Lord Elrond had taken even longer to respond. After several moments, he had answered, "Gondor's hope. Arnor's hope. The hope of the race of men." And finally, "Our hope, Legolas."

Legolas remembered the moment well, and the child even better. Small and dark-haired, but even at that age with the unmistakable air of power around him; the aura that would surround the Old Kings. He would be a young man now, and he would still be in Imladris.

It would be good to see Lord Elrond and Glorfindel again, it would be wonderful to see 'Dan and 'Ro, but Legolas found himself looking forward to meeting the hero of men most.

"In Elbereth's name, Estel, can you not calm yourself?"

Elladan chuckled. "Lord Erestor, he's excited."

Eru help him, it was going to start again. Estel turned firmly away from 'Dan and Erestor and fixed his eyes on Glorfindel and Elrohir, sparring in the centre of the field. However, his fingers still tapped erratically against the bench in a most un-elven manner. He could hear 'Dan chuckling as he explained Lord Erestor exactly why Estel was so restless, complete with all the exaggerations that he and 'Ro had been inventing since that morning. Really, it was remarkable what tales his brothers could spin out of a simple 'I am looking forward to meeting Prince Legolas' and a little bit of nervousness.

'Ro met Estel's eyes from the centre of the field, and even in the middle of a sparring match, he managed to grin and wink at Estel. Estel could easily read that grin. His brothers were not going to lay off about this matter anytime soon.

With one elf smirking at him and the other telling tales about him filled with hyperbole, Estel made his mind up quickly. If Prince Legolas was indeed as much of a prankster as his brothers were (and Estel still doubted that), then 'Dan and 'Ro would finally have level competition. Whatever the centuries-old rivals were going to do this time, Estel was going to make sure that he was not on his brothers' side.

Lunch was a lively affair that day. While 'Dan and 'Ro didn't stop their antics, they certainly were a little less persistent with Lord Elrond, Glorfindel and Erestor present. Their Adar seemed to have heard, or guessed, what was going on between the brothers, because every time Estel's fingers resumed their tapping and the twins smirked at him, Lord Elrond would chuckle. And with his Ada laughing, Estel soon found himself grinning back at 'Dan and 'Ro. It was still frustrating, though, the way they noticed his restlessness before he even realised it himself.

"Well, Glorfindel, how was Elrohir today?" Lord Elrond asked.

Glorfindel glanced at Estel. "He was fine," he said, "But he could have done a lot better if he was less focused on annoying his brother."

Elrohir just shrugged, and didn't bother justifying. "Estel comes first, Ada."

Lord Elrond raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I am certain that this interpretation of 'family comes first' was not what I had in mind when I said it."

It certainly was not what he had had in mind. Estel had heard the line used many times, and he had been told its origins were set in a painful period long before his birth. However, never had the concept of teasing Estel come up in relation to that line.

'Dan grinned. "That is our interpretation, Ada."

Their Ada sighed, but he was still smiling. "Ignore them, Estel." Estel nodded, and quickly stopped kicking the leg of the table. The twins had not yet noticed that, and he wasn't going to let them. "You can join forces against them with Legolas when he comes."

Estel grinned back at his father. "I most certainly will, Ada."

Lord Elrond remained sitting at the table even after his sons left, the twins' mischievous smiles indicating that they were going to torment Estel even more.

"Elrond?"

Lord Elrond smiled at Erestor, but he was aware that it seemed rather forced. "Yes?"

"When are you going to tell him?"

"I don't know. Whenever it is, it will be difficult." Lord Elrond sighed. "Not for him, but for me. He will not see what perils lie in his path, even after he knows what it is."

"But he will be great friends with Legolas, mellon nîn," Glorfindel assured him. "Even I can see that. They have the same spirit. He will have great comrades, wherever he goes."

"Yes," Elrond said. "And their paths intertwine. But not yet." He paused for a moment, hearing the sound of warm, young, human laughter from outside. "Let him be a child for a little longer." And though he did not say it, the thought was clear in his mind: Let me pretend I do not know what he will face. Let him be my child still.