Summary: Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli take Eldarion down the path of the fellowship to teach him of sacrifices made and things forgotten.
Disclaimer: I do not own them, a pity
A/N: This is an AU fourth age fic, the times to get to many places may not be exact.
Chapter 14
The road to Isengard was a tedious one, so evil the sight of the Tower of Orthnac. All the area surrounding Isengard was surrounded by small trees, not more than a few years old, and as far as the eye could see there were tree stumps.
"Ada, is this Isengard, for it looks abandoned?"
"Tis Isengard, once Saruman's fortress. Here Grima and Saruman created the Uruk Hai and sent them out to destroy Rohan. They set fire to many villages, burning the people out, sending them fleeing from their homes."
They sound horrible Ada. Why did Saruman make such things?"
"Simple Eldarion, greed. It turned one of Arda's finest wizards, an ally into a traitor, all because he thirsted for a power beyond even him."
"Let us go and rest for a bit," Gimli stated, already getting off his horse and walking towards the great black tower.
No one disagreed. They had all been riding without stopping for very long and a day spent just resting would do all of them a world of good.
Aragorn wondered where Gimli was going as he watched him walk through one of the doors and disappear inside the tower.
"Gimli!" he called. "Come back out, we do not know what lurks in there."
Gimli did not return at the urgency in Aragorn's voice so Aragorn went to see if he could find him, but as soon as he stuck his head in the door, he heard some of the foulest dwarvish curses.
"What in Arda's name are you going on about in here?" Aragorn yelled in.
Gimli soon popped his head out, and in his arms he was carrying a small wooden box, sealed with a lid.
"Those little scamps smoked almost all of it. You would think that they would have left some but no, they smoked and smoked till this is all that is left," Gimli ranted, opening the lid to let Aragorn see the small amount of pipeweed in the box.
Aragorn's face scrunched up and soon he was howling with laughter.
"Here I thought perhaps you had found orcs inside from all that ranting and I come to find out it is all over pipeweed."
"This is not just pipeweed but Old Toby pipeweed," and I have thought about it for many years, but not had the chance to come back here to procure it.
"Well, my dear friend, bring your pipeweed and let us go and sit while we have a smoke."
Gimli and Aragorn went and sat down, pulling their pipes from their pockets, but Eldarion sat with Legolas away from the smoke from the pipes. It was not long before Legolas stood and motioned for Eldarion to follow.
"Eldarion and I shall go and look around. We shall return when you are done smoking those foul things."
"Are you sure that Eldarion should be looking around inside there?"
"I am sure he will be as safe inside as he is in the area of so much smoke," Legolas retorted.
Aragorn agreed and watched as Eldarion and Legolas walked inside.
"Are you sure it is safe enough to let Legolas take him in alone?" Gimli said between puffs.
Aragorn laughed, "you have obviously never been on the other end of his arrow pointed at your head. Eldarion will be safe."
Eldarion and Legolas looked about the first floor, but most of it had been damaged by the water. In most cracks of the stone were small plants growing and Legolas smiled as he stared down at them. This had Eldarion quirking his head to the side.
"Why do weeds seem to make you so happy?"
"It makes me happy to see any living thing thrive and come to life here for once it was a desolate place full of nothing but evil, where no living thing still existed. Just like the trees outside have once again began to grow so have these things here. It is a sign that it has healed."
Eldarion did not fully understand but he did not think Legolas would want him to ask anymore questions on the matter. He went to follow Legolas up the stairs, but soon he tripped over something. When Eldarion looked down he saw it was nothing more than a piece of a staff, the upper piece at that.
"Legolas, look what I have found!" Eldarion called up to him.
"Eldarion! drop that at once," Legolas called back, rushing back down the steps.
"That is a piece of the staff of Saruman and is said to have great evil."
Eldarion stared at Legolas and then laughed. "It is broken, surely even you know that something that is broken no longer works, Ada tells me that all the time."
"Let us not tempt fate then, "Legolas said, tossing the staff in the corner. "Come I have something to show you."
He an Eldarion climbed and climbed till they reached the top and then Legolas opened two huge doors.
"This was Saruman's chamber. Pippin told me it has a great view of Fangorn Forest."
Legolas walked over and stared out over the balcony, an Eldarion followed.
"Seems Pippin did not lie, the view is amazing. I can see far and wide from up here. Look, Ada and Gimli look so small from way up here," Eldarion said, pointing down to his father.
Eldarion climbed up on the railing and started walking across it as Legolas took in the view. Eldarion had been walking across the two inch railing, but as he tried to turn the corner he slipped and if not for Legolas' quick reflexes he would have fallen to his death.
Once both his feet were firmly back on the ground Eldarion scowled.
"What could cause such a reaction, you slipped nothing more. Had your father seen it he would have been up here chastising us both, be glad he did not."
"That's just it though. He always sees me. Everytime I try to climb a try in the gardens or when I tried to sneak out and go for a ride with the other elves in Ithilien he tells me I am not an elf, but I am aren't I?"
"You are both elven an adan Eldarion, you know this."
"It's not fair Legolas. I am an elf but Ada says I am not elven enough. I must live as a mortal, because I am not elven enough to get a choice like Naneth was. How I am to ever know what grandfather looks like or any of the other elves that have sailed? When I am with humans they treat me fairly, but sometimes I think it is only because I am the king's son, for I hear their jokes about my ears."
"You are both Eldarion, and it is a wonderful gift to be both."
"How is that Uncle Legolas?"
Legolas leaned down, so that he was face to face with Eldarion. "You shall hear things no one else hears, and walk with a lighter step. Was it not you who saved the boy last Yule when he fell in the lake? It was because you could walk across the ice. You are elven yes, and have many elven qualities given to you by your mother, but you will not have to suffer the fate of the elves."
"Is it such a bad fate, I mean really?"
Legolas' face grew somber, his eyes filling with tears. "They say to see an elf cry is to have your heart break, but my eyes have cried many tears in my years in Arda. Too many friends I have loved have passed, all because they were not elven themselves. We do not know what is in store for you in time to come Eldarion, but enjoy your life now, and know you are the combination of the best of both races."
"Ada tells me you and he are brothers how is this?"
"Your father and I have become brothers in all but blood. I have called him my brother since he was about your age, for it was then that he too asked me questions."
Eldarion smiled at Legolas and then snickered, "If you knew Ada since he was my age you must be old," he yelled before he fled from the room, heading back out the door.
Legolas cursed the swift child, knowing it was times like this Eldarion's elven qualities showed through. Giving chase they both soon were running out the door.
"Aragorn your son is without a doubt going to be twice as bad as you were. He just called me old!"
Aragorn laughed, "Well, are you not old?" Seems to me you are thousands of years older than I or Gimli, or the hobbits or.."
"Enough, I get your point, but I am not old human. I can still best you if need be."
Eldarion sat down on the blanket, grabbing up the water skin and taking a big gulp. "So it was not any of you who help defeat Isengard?"
"Nay, it was not us but instead it was Merry and Pippin, with the help of Treebeard." Gimli replied. "Those two are some of the most aggravating, infuriating people I know, and yet I would not be without them. When we arrived they were smoking and drinking!"
"That is an understatement my dear friend," Legolas snickered.
"This is true, Pippin was so full of ale and Old Toby that he tried to dive off the top tower in nothing but his hairy feet, it was not a sight for the weak of heart."
Eldarion went to fill the water skin's, but Gimli jumped up, staggering, he took off running towards Eldarion. He was only a few steps away and yet he stumbled each of them.
"I do not know if the water is still tainted, perhaps you should ask your father first," he slurred.
Eldarion looked at his father for an explanation.
"When we found Pippin and Merry here the water was washing away the foulness of Isengard. It was not drinkable for many months."
"Not drinkable!" Gimli yelled. "I tripped and fell into a pile of who knows what, and Pippin stuck his hands in there and they smelled for days. Not too mention that Gandalf called him names even I will not repeat when he found that the palantir had orc droppings on it. It was a variable swirl of filth."
Aragorn stood, motioning for Legolas to follow him.
"The water is fine Eldarion. Fill the waterskin for we will need it tomorrow for our journey through Fangorn."
As Aragorn spoke Legolas was pulling Gimli back towards the fire. "Goodnight Gimli," he said, as the dwarf fell backwards into Legolas' arms fast asleep.
Aragorn chuckled, he knew Gimli's fear of Fangorn, and thought tomorrow is going to be an interesting day.