He had seen the child now.
After breakfast, a rather quiet meal as Elladan had been absent, he had, as usual, sat a while in the shadowed corner of one of the halls. Far away from the fire, and quiet except for the rustle of leaves outside this was where it was customary for the elves to come to remember loved ones who had died or gone over the sea.
The slightly oppressive hush in the room had been disturbed that morning by muffled knocks and rustles, and later a child's giggle. Glancing over at the source of the noise he had seen a mortal woman, almost a girl, huddled over a wriggling bundle. She had glanced up, a flash of dark eyes in a pale face, not yet crying - but close.
The movement had sent a corner of the grubby blanket in which the child was wrapped to the side revealing a short fuzz of dark hair and a small round ear. As he watched she had met his eyes in a defensive stare, tucking the blanket back in place and drawing the child closer to her body.
Whatever decision he came to, it would have to meet her approval too.
Elrond was sitting at his desk, resting his chin on his fist when Glorfindel came in to find him, before the midday meal. Glorfindel leant against the desk, resting on his palms.
"A hard decision, Peredhil"
Elrond looked up.
"Indeed"
"There are those who would see the line of Numenor fail"
Elrond sighed and spoke softly "He is so small, so vulnerable"
Glorfindel grimaced, he too had seen the young king and realisation of the difficulty of protecting such a child had not eluded him.
"He must stay here Glorfindel. Only in Rivendell can he be shielded in this way." Elrond spoke with an air of someone who had finally made a decision.
"And will even you, Elrond . ." Glorfindel looked at him hard, "Will you be able to protect him from himself?"
Elrond sighed. For even he did not know the character of all those who may pass through Rivendell, and little children may say more than they intend.
Before joining Glorfindel for the meal Elrond went to check on his sons. Elrohir was reading, stretched out on a bench in an open sunny room. Close to their bedrooms it had been the children's playroom long ago, but was now more of a private sitting area for the family.
"Ada" Elrohir sat up as Elrond came in, making room on the bench beside him.
"Elrohir its good to have you home"
Elrohir smiled as his father embraced him.
"We are big boys now Ada! I have heard that Elladan has finally learnt how to handle his sword!" Elrohir grinned, teasing.
Elrond chuckled at the family joke. As a child Elladan had refused to use a training sword, instead insisting on "A proper sword Ada". It had taken a lot of persuasion and many near accidents before he had been willing to use a half-sized weapon.
"Is Elladan already back on the training ranges?" Elrond suspected that his son would be grieving in his own way, and Elladan's grieving tended towards the destructive.
Elrohir frowned and shook his head.
"No Ada. I think he is still in his room."
Elrond looked surprised, it was unusual for Elladan to spend more time than necessary in his bedroom.
"I hope that he is resting. He slept little on the way back." Elrohir's slight frown betrayed his feelings of concern for his twin.
Elrond looked at the shut door to Elladan's room and got up.
"Elladan will soon be himself 'Ro"
Elrond touched Elrohir's shoulder for a moment, before entering Elladan's room.
As usual it was messy. Elrond picked up muddy boots and gathered some clothes into a pile for the laundry as he crossed the room. Elladan was sprawled on the bed, still fast asleep. From the state of his undershirt and the grubby tinge to his skin, Elrond guessed that he had merely cast off most of his clothes before falling to sleep the moment his head had hit the pillows.
Elrond sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing his son's long dark hair. It was tangled in places with bits of dirt and sticky dried blood. As he brushed it from the side of Elladan's face revealing faded bruising, Elrond found it hard not to wish that his son was still small enough to be cradled in arms and protected from all ills. Not that all could be helped. Looking back Elrond could remember a childhood that seemed full of his small sons diving out of trees, slipping on rocks and falling into rivers. . . Luckily both of the boys seemed to have inherited the lucky characteristic of being able to bounce, and mostly the only harm done had been to their parents' nerves.
Finally Elrond stood up to leave, silently crossing the room.
"I have still failed Ada"
Elrond turned around to see Elladan sitting up, propped up on his elbows. He still looked tired, although he looked happier now.
"Nonsense Elladan!" Elrond spoke briskly, leaving no room for counter- comment "Isildur's heir is safe here. All is well."
Elladan scowled back at his father.
"I would not have a son with four eyes Elladan, no matter how useful they were in battle"
That was better. Elladan's smile was sudden and bright as he sank back down onto the pillows and curled up under rumpled sheets and blankets.
"Come Elrohir, let us eat." Elrond called as he left the room. There would be raised eyebrows about a second missed meal, but Elladan needed rest.
Elrohir joined his father's side as they walked to the hall.
"What will you do about the child, father?"
Elrond paused, Elrohir expected by now that he would be involved, or at least consulted in some of his father's decisions. And rightly too. He occasionally could bring a fresh viewpoint that had escaped the older elves, and Elrond liked having him there.
"I'm going to hold a meeting Elrohir"
An expectant look, but he will not ask directly.
"I would like you to come. And Elladan should come too. I have a proposition to make to the pair of you."
After breakfast, a rather quiet meal as Elladan had been absent, he had, as usual, sat a while in the shadowed corner of one of the halls. Far away from the fire, and quiet except for the rustle of leaves outside this was where it was customary for the elves to come to remember loved ones who had died or gone over the sea.
The slightly oppressive hush in the room had been disturbed that morning by muffled knocks and rustles, and later a child's giggle. Glancing over at the source of the noise he had seen a mortal woman, almost a girl, huddled over a wriggling bundle. She had glanced up, a flash of dark eyes in a pale face, not yet crying - but close.
The movement had sent a corner of the grubby blanket in which the child was wrapped to the side revealing a short fuzz of dark hair and a small round ear. As he watched she had met his eyes in a defensive stare, tucking the blanket back in place and drawing the child closer to her body.
Whatever decision he came to, it would have to meet her approval too.
Elrond was sitting at his desk, resting his chin on his fist when Glorfindel came in to find him, before the midday meal. Glorfindel leant against the desk, resting on his palms.
"A hard decision, Peredhil"
Elrond looked up.
"Indeed"
"There are those who would see the line of Numenor fail"
Elrond sighed and spoke softly "He is so small, so vulnerable"
Glorfindel grimaced, he too had seen the young king and realisation of the difficulty of protecting such a child had not eluded him.
"He must stay here Glorfindel. Only in Rivendell can he be shielded in this way." Elrond spoke with an air of someone who had finally made a decision.
"And will even you, Elrond . ." Glorfindel looked at him hard, "Will you be able to protect him from himself?"
Elrond sighed. For even he did not know the character of all those who may pass through Rivendell, and little children may say more than they intend.
Before joining Glorfindel for the meal Elrond went to check on his sons. Elrohir was reading, stretched out on a bench in an open sunny room. Close to their bedrooms it had been the children's playroom long ago, but was now more of a private sitting area for the family.
"Ada" Elrohir sat up as Elrond came in, making room on the bench beside him.
"Elrohir its good to have you home"
Elrohir smiled as his father embraced him.
"We are big boys now Ada! I have heard that Elladan has finally learnt how to handle his sword!" Elrohir grinned, teasing.
Elrond chuckled at the family joke. As a child Elladan had refused to use a training sword, instead insisting on "A proper sword Ada". It had taken a lot of persuasion and many near accidents before he had been willing to use a half-sized weapon.
"Is Elladan already back on the training ranges?" Elrond suspected that his son would be grieving in his own way, and Elladan's grieving tended towards the destructive.
Elrohir frowned and shook his head.
"No Ada. I think he is still in his room."
Elrond looked surprised, it was unusual for Elladan to spend more time than necessary in his bedroom.
"I hope that he is resting. He slept little on the way back." Elrohir's slight frown betrayed his feelings of concern for his twin.
Elrond looked at the shut door to Elladan's room and got up.
"Elladan will soon be himself 'Ro"
Elrond touched Elrohir's shoulder for a moment, before entering Elladan's room.
As usual it was messy. Elrond picked up muddy boots and gathered some clothes into a pile for the laundry as he crossed the room. Elladan was sprawled on the bed, still fast asleep. From the state of his undershirt and the grubby tinge to his skin, Elrond guessed that he had merely cast off most of his clothes before falling to sleep the moment his head had hit the pillows.
Elrond sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing his son's long dark hair. It was tangled in places with bits of dirt and sticky dried blood. As he brushed it from the side of Elladan's face revealing faded bruising, Elrond found it hard not to wish that his son was still small enough to be cradled in arms and protected from all ills. Not that all could be helped. Looking back Elrond could remember a childhood that seemed full of his small sons diving out of trees, slipping on rocks and falling into rivers. . . Luckily both of the boys seemed to have inherited the lucky characteristic of being able to bounce, and mostly the only harm done had been to their parents' nerves.
Finally Elrond stood up to leave, silently crossing the room.
"I have still failed Ada"
Elrond turned around to see Elladan sitting up, propped up on his elbows. He still looked tired, although he looked happier now.
"Nonsense Elladan!" Elrond spoke briskly, leaving no room for counter- comment "Isildur's heir is safe here. All is well."
Elladan scowled back at his father.
"I would not have a son with four eyes Elladan, no matter how useful they were in battle"
That was better. Elladan's smile was sudden and bright as he sank back down onto the pillows and curled up under rumpled sheets and blankets.
"Come Elrohir, let us eat." Elrond called as he left the room. There would be raised eyebrows about a second missed meal, but Elladan needed rest.
Elrohir joined his father's side as they walked to the hall.
"What will you do about the child, father?"
Elrond paused, Elrohir expected by now that he would be involved, or at least consulted in some of his father's decisions. And rightly too. He occasionally could bring a fresh viewpoint that had escaped the older elves, and Elrond liked having him there.
"I'm going to hold a meeting Elrohir"
An expectant look, but he will not ask directly.
"I would like you to come. And Elladan should come too. I have a proposition to make to the pair of you."