Summary: These are a series of drabbles written for the Mellon Fic 100 Challenge on the mellon chronicles group.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, sue me and find yourself poor as well.
A/N: The majority if not all of these drabbles will be AU.
Chapter 21 (Death)
Estel was playing with the other elflings, though his father stood on the balcony watching them, and his brothers were not but a few yards away themselves. Estel was not allowed outside yet by himself, for he was but five summers, and quite small for his age.
Another game of tag was going on, and for once Estel was not it. Careful as he could he hid under the bush by the sycamore tree, but within minutes the elfling stepped in front of him, squishing his fingers as he stood on them.
"Get off!" Estel yelped, his fingers really starting to hurt now, but the elfling simply laughed at him.
"Sorry, I don't understand anything but elvish." Estel's eyes watered with tears of both pain and anger now.
"Rinc," Estel yelled in elvish, telling the elfling to move. Estel's words had alerted Elladan and his brother walked over.
"Is anything wrong Estel?" he asked the now very angry child.
Estel wanted to tell Elladan what the other boy had done, but he also knew that they would only tease him for telling. Sighing he rubbed his hand once more before staring up at Elladan. "Nay, I got my fingers caught under something. I am fine now."
Elladan left and went back to join his brother, but Elrond had seen the entire scene for where he stood on his balcony. He wanted to intervene, but he knew it was best to let children work out some things. Estel seemed fine now, and the children were once again playing. He returned to his work inside, never knowing what would happen next.
"Come on I am tired. Can't we stop playing for now and rest," Estel begged the other children. Being elves the others were not tired and they thought this was another chance to tell Estel of how he didn't belong.
"You should go back to your father. You shouldn't be playing with us anyway," one of the older elflings said.
"I do too belong! My Ada says so."
The older elfling stepped forward, his small dagger twirled between his fingers. "You do not belong mortal. You have not to stamina to keep up, nor the strength to climb the trees that we wish to climb. What would happen if you fell? Not even Lord Elrond could save you from a fall that far."
Estel seemed to think over the elfling's words. "He would heal me just like he healed the elf that fell out of the tree last week when the orc attacked him."
The elfling began to chuckle at first and then he held his stomach as the fit of laughter overtook him. "You could not survive, and then I think perhaps you would join your kin."
Estel gulped then. "I would be honored to join my kin," he said.
"Do you know what happens to mortals once they die? Do you honestly?" I bet your Ada never told you."
Estel gulped then. He tried not to think about death, and what it meant. He remembered the elves and other men who died, and it scared him.
"Elves do not die therefore we do not suffer what men do," the elfling almost spat. "You will die one day yes. You will feel the pain of death, and then when the pain finally takes you, even then you will have no salvation. They will bury you like the rest of the mortals, in a box, in a hole. No light awaits you, nothing but cold hard ground."
Estel didn't want to hear anymore, and took off running towards the palace. he ran right past Erestor, almost knocking the advisor down, and through the door. Estel ran right past the cooks, knocking over one on his way to his room. He didn't stop when he heard the crash of the tray on the floor.
Estel opened his bedroom door and flung himself down on he bed, the tears flowing so strongly that he couldn't seem to catch his breath. Elrond, followed by everyone else rushed in the room to find Estel sobbing. None knew what had brought this about.
Elrond sat on the bed, pulling the still sobbing child into his lap, brushing away the tears with his fingers. "Estel, please tell me what is wrong."
Estel explained to them what he had been told, and Erestor slipped from the room quietly to deal with the elflings while Elrond tried to calm the child.
Elladan and Elrohir sat on the opposite side of the bed, their anger barely held in check. "Do not worry Estel for they do not tell you all there is to know, nor have they told you the greatest joys of a mortals gift."
Estel lifted his head from the folds of his father's robes, tears running down his face. "What good can happen?"
Elrond again brushed away the tears. "It is true that you will one day leave this earth, but it is not something to be mourned but celebrated."
"Ada?" Elrohir asked, unsure of what his father was saying.
Elrond motioned for his other sons to scoot closer. "I too once mourned death, but I no longer is this the case."
"Why Ada?" Estel asked truly not understanding.
"As an elf we live through plagues that take our friends from us, We watch the same friends we grew close too wither and die from old age, and know that we cannot ever lie eyes upon them again lest it be by death in battle. It is a woeful thing to outlive your friends, but it is even more so to outlive many generations of them."
Elladan and Elrohir held back their own tears as they listened to their father. Estel was now quiet trying to soak in everything that his five year old mind could understand. "Ada, does this mean I will never see you and Dan and Ro again?"
Elrond thought for a minute before he answered. "None know their fate until that time comes, but should you not see us again know that your parents shall be there waiting for you. Also I would not leave you alone Estel for my brother also dwells in the Halls of Mandos, and I know he will love you as I love you now."
Estel dried his tears, but sat with his father and brothers while they talked of many things. He now knew death was not a finality, but instead another life waiting for you on the other side, where friends and family stood with open arms.