Estel ran through the woods as fast as he could. His heartbeat was racing.
He stopped for a moment, trying to catch his breath. He glanced around him.
No one… He tried to hold his breath and be silent, listening intently for
some sound of approach but he heard none. He let himself breath again.
"HA!" A hand grabbed his shoulder from behind, spinning him around and pointing a stick at his breast. "Elladan!" the boy squealed. "How? How could you? I didn't hear anything-"
"You can't talk, Estel, you're dead!"
"But that's no fair!"
"Not fair? How was it not fair? I gave you three minutes head start, and I found you. Come on, you know it was fair. Never be afraid to admit when you're defeat, Estel."
The seven-year-old sighed and nodded. "Alright then. You win. Again."
Elladan chuckled. "And why did I win?"
Estel thought for a moment. "Because you were silent and quick and have sharp eyes… And I was clumsy and loud, and wasn't careful enough…"
Elladan knelt down to level himself with the small boy. "Well, with such a noble admittance of defeat and the fact that you give your enemy respect where respect is due, I should spare your life and accept you as an ally. Come, you can help me find Elrohir."
Estel nodded and took Elladan's hand. They walked for a while, Elladan occasionally pointing out signs indicating that his brother had been there and which way he may have gone. Estel paid close attention and did his best to help with the findings. After a moment of silence he suddenly felt the need to voice some thoughts he had been harboring. "You know, Elladan, it's really not fair, you beating me. I'm just a human boy and you're an Elf, so you can run faster and quieter and see further than I can, plus you've lived thousands of years and I've only lived seven years."
"Shhh!" said Elladan, trying very hard to keep a straight face. "The enemy is near."Estel immediately fell silent and wary.
"There he is," whispered Elladan. "He doesn't see us. Here, I'll let myself be seen, while making him think I don't know I've been seen, and he'll come after me. You cut around down that trail, by the river, and come up behind him." Estel nodded and grinned.
Estel ran off the way Elladan had indicated and raced along the well-known trails. This was one of his favorite games, but he didn't play it often. Elrohir and Elladan almost never had time for such child-play, being grown elves and sons of Elrond. But when they could take leave of their duties, they greatly enjoyed playing with their young, adopted human brother.
Estel hid behind an old, wide tree, peeking around the edge of it to watch Elrohir standing a few yards off. He was approaching his brother, grinning. "Elladan!" He whispered loudly. Elladan spotted Estel first, then looked back to his brother.
"Hello, Elrohir. Found our little Dunadan, yet?"
"HA!" shouted Estel, jumping up onto Elrohir's back. The elf cried out in surprise and Elladan quickly joined in, and knocked him over. The three of them lay wrestling on the ground, laughing and shouting, completely oblivious of the man standing by them, watching.
"What in Middle-Earth are you three doing?"
"Father!" said one of the brothers, looking up at Elrond.
"We were just showing Estel some hunting skills, that's all," said the other.
"I see," said Elrond with an amused raised eyebrow. "Well, if you're all finished rolling around on the ground, you're welcome to join the feast."
"Of course," they said, standing up and dusting the dirt off themselves.
---------------------------
The Hall of Fires was full of Elves that evening and Estel sat by Elrond and his sons, listening calmly to the ethereal voices telling ancient tales. They always sang glorious songs in the Hall of Fires, of the Valar and the Eldar, and heroes who had long passed and wars that had taken place, all of which intrigued young Estel immensely. Tonight, they were singing of the Fall of Fingolfin. When the song ended, Estel sighed sadly.
"What's wrong, my son?" asked Elrond.
"Nothing. I'm sad because Fingolfin shouldn't have died. He was the greatest of all the Elves, wasn't he, Elrond?"
"Some have said his half-brother Feonor was the greatest…"
"No. Feonor wasn't great because he didn't have the power to give up the jewels and share their light with everyone in the Valinor. If he had done that, then he would have been great. But Fingolfin was great. He was brave and stood up to Morgoth alone."
"But he lost."
"Yes… But he almost won, and he was just an elf, while Morgoth was a Mia… Don't you agree, Master Elrond? Don't you think Fingolfin was great?"
"Yes," said Elrond with a smile. "He was great, the greatest of all the Eldar." Estel smiled, pleased with himself for having formed an opinion which Elrond, whom he deemed wisest of all beings, agreed with. "Though," continued Elrond. "He made a mistake." Estel looked up curiously. "He wasted his life for a fight he could not win. Brave, perhaps, but not very wise. For he left his people leaderless and confused. You see, Estel, when someone is a leader, they take on a responsibility and duty to their people. Fingolfin despaired and lost hope in his people, and so forsook his life on Middle-Earth in a last desperate attempt to duel with Morgoth."
Estel sat in silence pondering Elrond's words. "Yes, maybe he shouldn't have done that since he was the King… But when I grow up, I want to be an Elf like Fingolfin, and I won't need to worry about what you just said, because I'm no one's leader."
"No, perhaps not… But you cannot be an Elf like Fingolfin, for you are not an elf."
"Oh yeah. I wish I were an Elf… All the ancient tales are about Elves."
"Not all; there are the tales of Elendil and his sons. And of course, the tale of Beren and Luthien."
"That one is my favorite. It's a rare tale of joy, among so many of grief."
"That's very true."
"Though there's one thing I don't understand about it."
"What's that?"
"Why did Luthien go to all that trouble just for Beren? For, as the tale says, she was beautiful beyond words, fairest of all the children of Illuvatar, and that she was descended from a Mia, and so had wisdom beyond any other Elves. And her fair skin was smooth and shimmering and her dark hair followed like a shadow, and that she was as glorious to behold as a fair twilight." Estel stopped and realized he was still talking to Elrond, and blushed slightly before continuing. "Why did she love Beren? He was just a man."
Elrond hesitated for a moment before responding. "Reason rarely has any say in love. It is not for anyone to question for what reason one loves another. No one chooses who they love, they just do." He smiled at the quizzical expression on the boy's face. "Perhaps you'll understand someday when you fall in love."
"Yuck. Me? I'll never fall in love," said the boy indignantly. "From all you've said, it seems quite silly."
Again, Elrond smiled. "We'll sing to Varda now, and then you must leave for bed."
"HA!" A hand grabbed his shoulder from behind, spinning him around and pointing a stick at his breast. "Elladan!" the boy squealed. "How? How could you? I didn't hear anything-"
"You can't talk, Estel, you're dead!"
"But that's no fair!"
"Not fair? How was it not fair? I gave you three minutes head start, and I found you. Come on, you know it was fair. Never be afraid to admit when you're defeat, Estel."
The seven-year-old sighed and nodded. "Alright then. You win. Again."
Elladan chuckled. "And why did I win?"
Estel thought for a moment. "Because you were silent and quick and have sharp eyes… And I was clumsy and loud, and wasn't careful enough…"
Elladan knelt down to level himself with the small boy. "Well, with such a noble admittance of defeat and the fact that you give your enemy respect where respect is due, I should spare your life and accept you as an ally. Come, you can help me find Elrohir."
Estel nodded and took Elladan's hand. They walked for a while, Elladan occasionally pointing out signs indicating that his brother had been there and which way he may have gone. Estel paid close attention and did his best to help with the findings. After a moment of silence he suddenly felt the need to voice some thoughts he had been harboring. "You know, Elladan, it's really not fair, you beating me. I'm just a human boy and you're an Elf, so you can run faster and quieter and see further than I can, plus you've lived thousands of years and I've only lived seven years."
"Shhh!" said Elladan, trying very hard to keep a straight face. "The enemy is near."Estel immediately fell silent and wary.
"There he is," whispered Elladan. "He doesn't see us. Here, I'll let myself be seen, while making him think I don't know I've been seen, and he'll come after me. You cut around down that trail, by the river, and come up behind him." Estel nodded and grinned.
Estel ran off the way Elladan had indicated and raced along the well-known trails. This was one of his favorite games, but he didn't play it often. Elrohir and Elladan almost never had time for such child-play, being grown elves and sons of Elrond. But when they could take leave of their duties, they greatly enjoyed playing with their young, adopted human brother.
Estel hid behind an old, wide tree, peeking around the edge of it to watch Elrohir standing a few yards off. He was approaching his brother, grinning. "Elladan!" He whispered loudly. Elladan spotted Estel first, then looked back to his brother.
"Hello, Elrohir. Found our little Dunadan, yet?"
"HA!" shouted Estel, jumping up onto Elrohir's back. The elf cried out in surprise and Elladan quickly joined in, and knocked him over. The three of them lay wrestling on the ground, laughing and shouting, completely oblivious of the man standing by them, watching.
"What in Middle-Earth are you three doing?"
"Father!" said one of the brothers, looking up at Elrond.
"We were just showing Estel some hunting skills, that's all," said the other.
"I see," said Elrond with an amused raised eyebrow. "Well, if you're all finished rolling around on the ground, you're welcome to join the feast."
"Of course," they said, standing up and dusting the dirt off themselves.
---------------------------
The Hall of Fires was full of Elves that evening and Estel sat by Elrond and his sons, listening calmly to the ethereal voices telling ancient tales. They always sang glorious songs in the Hall of Fires, of the Valar and the Eldar, and heroes who had long passed and wars that had taken place, all of which intrigued young Estel immensely. Tonight, they were singing of the Fall of Fingolfin. When the song ended, Estel sighed sadly.
"What's wrong, my son?" asked Elrond.
"Nothing. I'm sad because Fingolfin shouldn't have died. He was the greatest of all the Elves, wasn't he, Elrond?"
"Some have said his half-brother Feonor was the greatest…"
"No. Feonor wasn't great because he didn't have the power to give up the jewels and share their light with everyone in the Valinor. If he had done that, then he would have been great. But Fingolfin was great. He was brave and stood up to Morgoth alone."
"But he lost."
"Yes… But he almost won, and he was just an elf, while Morgoth was a Mia… Don't you agree, Master Elrond? Don't you think Fingolfin was great?"
"Yes," said Elrond with a smile. "He was great, the greatest of all the Eldar." Estel smiled, pleased with himself for having formed an opinion which Elrond, whom he deemed wisest of all beings, agreed with. "Though," continued Elrond. "He made a mistake." Estel looked up curiously. "He wasted his life for a fight he could not win. Brave, perhaps, but not very wise. For he left his people leaderless and confused. You see, Estel, when someone is a leader, they take on a responsibility and duty to their people. Fingolfin despaired and lost hope in his people, and so forsook his life on Middle-Earth in a last desperate attempt to duel with Morgoth."
Estel sat in silence pondering Elrond's words. "Yes, maybe he shouldn't have done that since he was the King… But when I grow up, I want to be an Elf like Fingolfin, and I won't need to worry about what you just said, because I'm no one's leader."
"No, perhaps not… But you cannot be an Elf like Fingolfin, for you are not an elf."
"Oh yeah. I wish I were an Elf… All the ancient tales are about Elves."
"Not all; there are the tales of Elendil and his sons. And of course, the tale of Beren and Luthien."
"That one is my favorite. It's a rare tale of joy, among so many of grief."
"That's very true."
"Though there's one thing I don't understand about it."
"What's that?"
"Why did Luthien go to all that trouble just for Beren? For, as the tale says, she was beautiful beyond words, fairest of all the children of Illuvatar, and that she was descended from a Mia, and so had wisdom beyond any other Elves. And her fair skin was smooth and shimmering and her dark hair followed like a shadow, and that she was as glorious to behold as a fair twilight." Estel stopped and realized he was still talking to Elrond, and blushed slightly before continuing. "Why did she love Beren? He was just a man."
Elrond hesitated for a moment before responding. "Reason rarely has any say in love. It is not for anyone to question for what reason one loves another. No one chooses who they love, they just do." He smiled at the quizzical expression on the boy's face. "Perhaps you'll understand someday when you fall in love."
"Yuck. Me? I'll never fall in love," said the boy indignantly. "From all you've said, it seems quite silly."
Again, Elrond smiled. "We'll sing to Varda now, and then you must leave for bed."