Chapter Two

Elrond came out onto the steps and embraced both of his older sons. "Welcome home, my sons! It appears you have returned primarily unscathed."

"Yes, Ada!" They said almost in unison. Apparently, there were some twin traits that you never outgrew.

Then Elrond noticed Legolas lingering in the background. Stepping forward, he pulled the golden-haired elf into his arms. Legolas returned the embrace, soaking up the comfort of the older elf. "Welcome to, Imladris, Legolas! It has been far too long!"

Legolas simply nodded against his chest.

Then Elladan broke in. "Well, I don't know about the two of you, but I feel in desperate need of a bath." Detaching Estel's arms from around his neck, he set the tiny human down on the ground.

A short time later, the younger elves sat submerged in the steamy water of the enormous baths. As the heat worked out some of the tension in his muscles, Legolas felt just a bit of his mental stress drain away as well. After several long minutes, he spoke to his two friends.

"What did you mean when you said 'all that has happened to Estel'? He seems like a happy enough child to me."

Both twins were silent for several moments before Elledan finally spoke. "Well, we've already told you that he was orphaned, yes?"

Legolas nodded

"I guess we didn't tell you that he saw both of his parents killed by orcs. We found his father fighting them near their home, and he was shot through the eye. He died instantly."

His voice broke, and he stopped his story. Elrohir picked up where he left off. Tears in his own voice as he told it. "It was then that we heard crying coming from in the house. His mother had already bled to death. We found him crying in the corner near the window. He must have seen it all. We brought him home and told Ada what had happened, and we've cared for him ever since."

Elladan broke in, "For a while, it seemed he'd wake up crying out after a nightmare every night. They've been getting less frequent, but he's still plagued with them. And he's often terrified of strangers. I think the only reason he trusted us was that he knew we were friends of his father's."

Legolas had listened quietly to the human's story. They sat silently for several moments after the other elves finished their account. The Silvan elf dealt with his own night demons. And to hear that one so small had suffered such trauma made his heart hurt. But at the same time, it was humans who had caused much of his own trauma. How could any humans, even such a tiny one, be trusted.

Finally, he spoke softly, "As kind a man as your father is, it is unusual to see him so welcoming to a human. You must have been very convincing."

The twins exchanged a long glance as if contemplating the best way to answer. Finally, Elrohir spoke. "Well, there's a bit more to it than how convincing we are or Ada's incredible kindness. Estel is no ordinary human. We didn't tell you his father's name. It's Arathorn."

Legolas felt his eyes widen as the truth spoke in, "Arathorn, you don't mean the Chieftain of the Dunedain? Isildur's heir?"

Elladan's voice was soft as he spoke, "He is too young to understand the weight of his true identity as Aragorn, son of Arathorn and heir to the throne of Gondor. So, for now, he is Estel, a little boy who has seen far too much. But even now, he is 'the HOPE of all Middle Earth."

Legolas sat silently, feeling the shell around his heart beginning to crumble. Here was a child who had suffered incredible pain but somehow managed to find joy in life. Could Legolas do the same? Could he overcome the loss of his best friend? And would someone from the same race who had taken his best friend be the one to help him move forward?

Legolas knew that his friends were waiting for his response, so he finally said thoughtfully, "Yes, Estel is indeed a fitting name for him. Whether he knows fully why or not."

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