YAY! So many lovely reviews! I know very well it is mean of Arwen to treat
Estel like a child, but think about it: She doesn't know she's going to
fall in love with him later, and we do, and moreover, she probably several
hundred years older than him!
Estel began packing his stuff, but decided, before he'd leave, to take a look at something he should not. When he was sure everyone was asleep, or in the Hall of Fire, he crept into Elrond's study, and carefully, with a pin he had stored in his drawers, picked the lock of his door, then, once inside, searched for the heavy records book in which Elrond recorded everything. It wasn't hard to find. The big, black, leather-bound book consisted of several thousand pages.
Estel flipped through the book quickly, searching for dates, about the time he was born. He found it easily, and began reading. He heard steps before he could even start. Mind racing, he suddenly realized the book had so many pages, a few missing may not differ the outward appearance. He tore several pages out before running out of the room, and nearly crashing into an elf in the hall. He quickly stuffed the papers in his pocket and smiled sheepishly.
"Um.....I was just, well, uh......" the elf looked at him with an eyebrow raised, and Estel, decided to just go back to his room. His stuff ready on the bed, clothing, food, several bandages and herbs, several other miscellaneous items, and more important, a sword and a bow, he crept out of the window silently, with his bag slung over his back.
First he went to the stables, and saddled the beautiful white mare, Rohlond, that he usually rode. She whinnied gently as Estel slung himself onto her back, and began riding in the darkness, aiming vaguely toward Lothlorien. By the time morning had broken, he was miles away from Rivendell, and, unfortunately headed no where near Lothlorien, and had gone in the wrong direction, for that matter. As soon as it was bright enough to read, Estel let Rohlond run freely on the plains, and he settled comfortably under the shade of a tree, and began to read the pages he had torn out of the book.
Arathorn, king of Gondor has been killed. I have taken his son, Aragorn to keep in our home, and adopt him as my own child, under the name "Estel" to hide him from the Enemy.
The next several pages continued something like this, and when Estel was done, he was in shock. He-king of Gondor? It was a mistake. It must have been. For a while he did nothing, then finally took a map out of is pack. He didn't have a clue where he was. His only idea was to continue riding in the same direction in hopes of running into some city. He was fortunate.
As he continued riding west, the area began to get less rural, and several dusty roads began to appear here and there. Finally, he saw an old wooden signpost pointing in several directions and chose to go to Bree, which seemed closest. After a few hours, he found himself facing Bree.
The hustle and bustle of Bree was nothing like the clam serene of Rivendell, and Estel felt quite overwhelmed by all the people, but more to his surprise, when he nearly tripped over what he thought was a child, only to find that it was a creature he had heard of in several books-halflings- or as he later learned, they liked to call themselves hobbits.
He made his way through Bree, hoping to find somewhere to rest, and perhaps learns of Gondor. He had already made up his mind to go see the city were he was supposedly king of. After a little searching, and asking some of the people around him, he finally found himself in front of a semi- crowded bar, with a sign in the front "The Prancing Pony". The keeper, Mr. Butterbur, greeted him, and took Rohlond to the stables. Estel was lead up to a room where he dropped off his stuff.
"And," added Butterbur, "if you'd, the common room is downstairs."
"I shall see about going." He said. Maybe he would learn something to his advantage-perhaps stories or rumors of Gondor. He finally decided to go downstairs.
The common room was hot, stuffy and crowded, but Estel managed to make his way into a corner by a table with several hobbits. Several of them glanced up at him, but they didn't seem to care much for him. Finally though, one of the bolder ones asked him, "What's your name fellow? Aren't you a little, uh, young, to be on your own?"
Estel nearly laughed at the hobbit, half his size telling him he was too young, but he knew very well, the hobbit was probably much older than he, and he knew that he was perhaps a little young to be on his own. "Do we live in such unsafe times were we can not? And," he added, glancing at another hobbit in a slump from to much ale, "how old is he?"
The hobbit who had first questioned him laughed, "You are right. I'm sorry, I was mistaken in thinking it was only hobbits crazy enough to do that. But I beg your pardon, sir. My name is Paladin Took....and you are?"
Before Estel could answer, another hobbit piped up, "A little far from Tookland, ain't ya?" he laughed.
"Not all hobbits are chickens!" Paladin retorted. "Now what's your name?"
"Um......." Estel quickly made up a name, as he didn't want to reveal his true name-especially after reading in Elrond's book that he was sought after by the Enemy. "Strider........" he said, remembering how earlier today one of the Breelanders had commented that if he hadn't been walking so fast, he probably wouldn't have tripped over that hobbit. "Have you ever heard of Gondor?" he asked on another note.
"No." Paladin said.
"But I have......." said a low voice from the corner. "I shall tell you."
Who is this stranger? Do I really want to tell you? I must have a payment first-of reviews......
BTW, Paladin is Pippin's dad, but I only added him in because it was pretty much the same time frame.........or at least close enough.
Estel began packing his stuff, but decided, before he'd leave, to take a look at something he should not. When he was sure everyone was asleep, or in the Hall of Fire, he crept into Elrond's study, and carefully, with a pin he had stored in his drawers, picked the lock of his door, then, once inside, searched for the heavy records book in which Elrond recorded everything. It wasn't hard to find. The big, black, leather-bound book consisted of several thousand pages.
Estel flipped through the book quickly, searching for dates, about the time he was born. He found it easily, and began reading. He heard steps before he could even start. Mind racing, he suddenly realized the book had so many pages, a few missing may not differ the outward appearance. He tore several pages out before running out of the room, and nearly crashing into an elf in the hall. He quickly stuffed the papers in his pocket and smiled sheepishly.
"Um.....I was just, well, uh......" the elf looked at him with an eyebrow raised, and Estel, decided to just go back to his room. His stuff ready on the bed, clothing, food, several bandages and herbs, several other miscellaneous items, and more important, a sword and a bow, he crept out of the window silently, with his bag slung over his back.
First he went to the stables, and saddled the beautiful white mare, Rohlond, that he usually rode. She whinnied gently as Estel slung himself onto her back, and began riding in the darkness, aiming vaguely toward Lothlorien. By the time morning had broken, he was miles away from Rivendell, and, unfortunately headed no where near Lothlorien, and had gone in the wrong direction, for that matter. As soon as it was bright enough to read, Estel let Rohlond run freely on the plains, and he settled comfortably under the shade of a tree, and began to read the pages he had torn out of the book.
Arathorn, king of Gondor has been killed. I have taken his son, Aragorn to keep in our home, and adopt him as my own child, under the name "Estel" to hide him from the Enemy.
The next several pages continued something like this, and when Estel was done, he was in shock. He-king of Gondor? It was a mistake. It must have been. For a while he did nothing, then finally took a map out of is pack. He didn't have a clue where he was. His only idea was to continue riding in the same direction in hopes of running into some city. He was fortunate.
As he continued riding west, the area began to get less rural, and several dusty roads began to appear here and there. Finally, he saw an old wooden signpost pointing in several directions and chose to go to Bree, which seemed closest. After a few hours, he found himself facing Bree.
The hustle and bustle of Bree was nothing like the clam serene of Rivendell, and Estel felt quite overwhelmed by all the people, but more to his surprise, when he nearly tripped over what he thought was a child, only to find that it was a creature he had heard of in several books-halflings- or as he later learned, they liked to call themselves hobbits.
He made his way through Bree, hoping to find somewhere to rest, and perhaps learns of Gondor. He had already made up his mind to go see the city were he was supposedly king of. After a little searching, and asking some of the people around him, he finally found himself in front of a semi- crowded bar, with a sign in the front "The Prancing Pony". The keeper, Mr. Butterbur, greeted him, and took Rohlond to the stables. Estel was lead up to a room where he dropped off his stuff.
"And," added Butterbur, "if you'd, the common room is downstairs."
"I shall see about going." He said. Maybe he would learn something to his advantage-perhaps stories or rumors of Gondor. He finally decided to go downstairs.
The common room was hot, stuffy and crowded, but Estel managed to make his way into a corner by a table with several hobbits. Several of them glanced up at him, but they didn't seem to care much for him. Finally though, one of the bolder ones asked him, "What's your name fellow? Aren't you a little, uh, young, to be on your own?"
Estel nearly laughed at the hobbit, half his size telling him he was too young, but he knew very well, the hobbit was probably much older than he, and he knew that he was perhaps a little young to be on his own. "Do we live in such unsafe times were we can not? And," he added, glancing at another hobbit in a slump from to much ale, "how old is he?"
The hobbit who had first questioned him laughed, "You are right. I'm sorry, I was mistaken in thinking it was only hobbits crazy enough to do that. But I beg your pardon, sir. My name is Paladin Took....and you are?"
Before Estel could answer, another hobbit piped up, "A little far from Tookland, ain't ya?" he laughed.
"Not all hobbits are chickens!" Paladin retorted. "Now what's your name?"
"Um......." Estel quickly made up a name, as he didn't want to reveal his true name-especially after reading in Elrond's book that he was sought after by the Enemy. "Strider........" he said, remembering how earlier today one of the Breelanders had commented that if he hadn't been walking so fast, he probably wouldn't have tripped over that hobbit. "Have you ever heard of Gondor?" he asked on another note.
"No." Paladin said.
"But I have......." said a low voice from the corner. "I shall tell you."
Who is this stranger? Do I really want to tell you? I must have a payment first-of reviews......
BTW, Paladin is Pippin's dad, but I only added him in because it was pretty much the same time frame.........or at least close enough.