Stolen
Chapter Three
Elladan woke with a start. He blinked slowly, trying to find the reason he'd wakened so quickly. Fortunately, he didn't have to look hard or far. "Estel," he groaned. Elladan rolled over, ignoring his human brother.
Aragorn, for his part, sighed and leaned over the elf. "It's only an hour before dawn."
Elladan's answer was unintelligible. The elf, after a moment, suddenly rolled over to face Aragorn, wide-awake now. "What are you doing here? You are hunting."
"Not anymore," was the response. Aragorn sighed. "We have a problem."
"Why am I not surprised?" Elladan eyed him. "Who's hurt this time?" he asked as he sat up.
"Nobody." Aragorn paused. "Though I probably shouldn't leave Legolas alone too long."
"What did you do to him?"
"Nothing that can't be forgiven." There was a pause. "I hope. Just come along, Elladan. You'll see. We're in the Hall of Fire," Aragorn said as he edged out of the room and closed the door.
Aragorn chuckled as he made his way back to the Hall of Fire, where Legolas and Rabryn had taken up residence. Their few hours in the tree had turned into less than one hour when Rabryn had woke up with a need to press on to Rivendell. The child could not be calmed until the small company was moving again, so they'd reached Rivendell long before they had expected to.
Aragorn walked in to the huge room, almost dreading what he might see. Leaving the child with Legolas probably wasn't to smartest move the ranger had ever made, but Aragorn shrugged. Half the fun of it was watching Legolas grow more and more confused by the child. The elf might never forgive Aragorn. The ranger stopped short and his jaw dropped when he took in the scene before him.
"Close your mouth, Aragorn," Legolas said quietly, "and do something."
Aragorn did close his mouth, but he couldn't contain the grin that spread across his features. "Why?" The man spared a glance for Rabryn, who had curled up and leaned on Legolas to sleep. "You seem to have things well in hand."
"It fell asleep on me," Legolas responded, feeling completely at a loss. "Aragorn, I hunt orc. I kill spiders. I do not take care of children."
"One thing you'll find, Legolas," Elladan said from the door, "is that you do not take care of children. More often than not, they end up taking care of you," he finished ruefully with a glance at Aragorn. Elladan crossed the room and stood next to Aragorn, looking down at Legolas and Rabryn. "What's this?"
"It is a child."
"Aragorn, yes. I am not completely dim. And while I may have been asleep but minutes ago, I think I can see it is a child."
Rabryn shifted as the elf's voice grew louder. Legolas held up his hand, looking slightly panicked. "Elladan, peace, please. You'll wake it up."
Aragorn rolled his eyes. "You can quit calling it 'it' anytime now." He settled an annoyed gaze on Elladan. "It has a name. It is called Rabryn and it is five years old."
"Aragorn," Legolas interrupted, sheepishly ending the tirade. The man turned his gaze on his friend. "My apologies." The elf looked back to Elladan. "Rabryn stumbled into us several hours ago and seems to be in some trouble."
"Trouble of what sort?" Elladan replied. He sat on the couch next to Legolas and Rabryn and peered at the child's face. Elladan's features softened and he smiled. Rabryn's round face was smudged by dirt and small twigs still stuck in the boy's thick brown hair, but he seemed content in his sleep.
"We aren't sure," Aragorn said. "Like Legolas said, he stumbled onto us. He was scared and Legolas sensed something, so we decided to forego sleep."
At that, Legolas grinned. "We did, did we? As I recall it, one of us slept fairly well this night."
"And you are suffering terribly from the lack of sleep, are you, elf?" was the quick response.
"I do not think I shall ever recover from this night," Legolas said, glancing down at Rabryn.
"How are your ears?" Aragorn asked suddenly. To Elladan, the question seemed completely out of place and he braced himself to hear an improbably tale about an inane injury to the elf's ears. Legolas' answer, however, cleared things up and Elladan almost laughed aloud upon hearing it.
"If the child touches my ear once more, I will either cut off his hand or my ear." But even as he said this, he smoothed the boy's hair off his forehead. Elladan exchanged a glance with Aragorn, who returned a smile.
"If I know human children," Elladan said with a glance at Aragorn, "and I believe I do, Rabryn will be hungry as soon as he wakes up. And if I know Estel, he's hungry now," the elf said, chuckling at Aragorn's indignant expression. "I'll be back with something," he said as he left the Hall of Fire.
Aragorn took Elladan's place on the couch with a sigh. Legolas watched him through half-lidded eyes. "I am sorry," Legolas said softly. "This," he motioned to Rabryn, "is beyond my ability."
Aragorn shrugged. "You seem to be doing fine."
"I know not how," Legolas said dryly.
Aragorn smiled. "Just be a friend." He turned an almost bittersweet, almost nostalgic gaze on the child leaning on Legolas. "A scared little boy needs a friend he sees capable of protecting him. You're an elf," he continued, answering Legolas unspoken question. "And, beyond that, one willing to help him."
Legolas nodded. "Do you speak from experience, my friend?"
Aragorn smiled and looked into the flames dancing in the hearth across the room. He let their movements mesmerize him for a moment before speaking again. "I was always a little awed by Elladan and Elrohir and, of course, Elrond. It was always.intimidating isn't the right word, but it's the best I can come up with. They took in and comforted and raised a little boy. They made him part of the family. That did a lot toward relieving a small boy's fears."
"They showed you that you mattered."
Aragorn nodded. "And that they'd protect me."
"I understand. Be a friend," the elf repeated.
"Yes, well, don't start down that auspicious path by cutting off his hand."
Legolas rolled his eyes.
"And if you repeat any of what I said tonight, I'll cut off your ears." Aragorn leaned toward him, over Rabryn, an evil smile in place. "Or, you know, I could just keep touching them," he said, raising a hand.
Legolas swatted Aragorn's hand away and answered without missing a beat. "Do not make me remove your hand."
"Yes, he might find it difficult to eat," came the voice from the doorway. Elladan came in, carrying a small tray. "Some fruit, some bread," he said as he set it down. "Do not expect me to wait on you two ever again, either. Elrohir's awake," he continued as he handed an apple to Aragorn. Elladan looked to Legolas, raising an eyebrow. Legolas indicated the sweetbread and Elladan handed him a piece. "He'll be in here shortly. Why did you not camp?"
Legolas took a second to catch up the other elf's rambles but Aragorn, used to how disjointed his brother's mind could be when he was awakened early, merely raised an eyebrow and looked at the child. "Believe me, we tried," he said.
"Stubborn humans," Elladan teased.
By the time mid-morning came around, Aragorn and Legolas had related their story to both Elrond and Elrohir. They'd left Rabryn sleeping in the Hall of Fire after Elrond had looked over the boy and pronounced him healthy and fit.
"You've no idea who followed the boy?"
Legolas shook his head, hating the fact he couldn't give Elrond more information. The prince of Mirkwood deeply respected lord Elrond and almost felt as though he'd let Elrond down. "My apologies, lord Elrond."
Elrond frowned. "Not to worry, Legolas. I trust you and Estel would not be adverse to the notion of backtracking with Elladan and Elrohir?"
"Not at all," Aragorn answered for them.
Elrond looked down the hall in the direction of the Hall of Fire. "He has had a trying night," he said, almost to himself. "I hate to wake him, but we have questions I think only he can answer. Estel, would you-"
"Of course, father," Aragorn said as he turned to job down the hall. Within moments, he had returned. "We don't need to worry about waking him." Aragorn drew in a breath, looking concerned. "He's not there."
TBC...
Chapter Three
Elladan woke with a start. He blinked slowly, trying to find the reason he'd wakened so quickly. Fortunately, he didn't have to look hard or far. "Estel," he groaned. Elladan rolled over, ignoring his human brother.
Aragorn, for his part, sighed and leaned over the elf. "It's only an hour before dawn."
Elladan's answer was unintelligible. The elf, after a moment, suddenly rolled over to face Aragorn, wide-awake now. "What are you doing here? You are hunting."
"Not anymore," was the response. Aragorn sighed. "We have a problem."
"Why am I not surprised?" Elladan eyed him. "Who's hurt this time?" he asked as he sat up.
"Nobody." Aragorn paused. "Though I probably shouldn't leave Legolas alone too long."
"What did you do to him?"
"Nothing that can't be forgiven." There was a pause. "I hope. Just come along, Elladan. You'll see. We're in the Hall of Fire," Aragorn said as he edged out of the room and closed the door.
Aragorn chuckled as he made his way back to the Hall of Fire, where Legolas and Rabryn had taken up residence. Their few hours in the tree had turned into less than one hour when Rabryn had woke up with a need to press on to Rivendell. The child could not be calmed until the small company was moving again, so they'd reached Rivendell long before they had expected to.
Aragorn walked in to the huge room, almost dreading what he might see. Leaving the child with Legolas probably wasn't to smartest move the ranger had ever made, but Aragorn shrugged. Half the fun of it was watching Legolas grow more and more confused by the child. The elf might never forgive Aragorn. The ranger stopped short and his jaw dropped when he took in the scene before him.
"Close your mouth, Aragorn," Legolas said quietly, "and do something."
Aragorn did close his mouth, but he couldn't contain the grin that spread across his features. "Why?" The man spared a glance for Rabryn, who had curled up and leaned on Legolas to sleep. "You seem to have things well in hand."
"It fell asleep on me," Legolas responded, feeling completely at a loss. "Aragorn, I hunt orc. I kill spiders. I do not take care of children."
"One thing you'll find, Legolas," Elladan said from the door, "is that you do not take care of children. More often than not, they end up taking care of you," he finished ruefully with a glance at Aragorn. Elladan crossed the room and stood next to Aragorn, looking down at Legolas and Rabryn. "What's this?"
"It is a child."
"Aragorn, yes. I am not completely dim. And while I may have been asleep but minutes ago, I think I can see it is a child."
Rabryn shifted as the elf's voice grew louder. Legolas held up his hand, looking slightly panicked. "Elladan, peace, please. You'll wake it up."
Aragorn rolled his eyes. "You can quit calling it 'it' anytime now." He settled an annoyed gaze on Elladan. "It has a name. It is called Rabryn and it is five years old."
"Aragorn," Legolas interrupted, sheepishly ending the tirade. The man turned his gaze on his friend. "My apologies." The elf looked back to Elladan. "Rabryn stumbled into us several hours ago and seems to be in some trouble."
"Trouble of what sort?" Elladan replied. He sat on the couch next to Legolas and Rabryn and peered at the child's face. Elladan's features softened and he smiled. Rabryn's round face was smudged by dirt and small twigs still stuck in the boy's thick brown hair, but he seemed content in his sleep.
"We aren't sure," Aragorn said. "Like Legolas said, he stumbled onto us. He was scared and Legolas sensed something, so we decided to forego sleep."
At that, Legolas grinned. "We did, did we? As I recall it, one of us slept fairly well this night."
"And you are suffering terribly from the lack of sleep, are you, elf?" was the quick response.
"I do not think I shall ever recover from this night," Legolas said, glancing down at Rabryn.
"How are your ears?" Aragorn asked suddenly. To Elladan, the question seemed completely out of place and he braced himself to hear an improbably tale about an inane injury to the elf's ears. Legolas' answer, however, cleared things up and Elladan almost laughed aloud upon hearing it.
"If the child touches my ear once more, I will either cut off his hand or my ear." But even as he said this, he smoothed the boy's hair off his forehead. Elladan exchanged a glance with Aragorn, who returned a smile.
"If I know human children," Elladan said with a glance at Aragorn, "and I believe I do, Rabryn will be hungry as soon as he wakes up. And if I know Estel, he's hungry now," the elf said, chuckling at Aragorn's indignant expression. "I'll be back with something," he said as he left the Hall of Fire.
Aragorn took Elladan's place on the couch with a sigh. Legolas watched him through half-lidded eyes. "I am sorry," Legolas said softly. "This," he motioned to Rabryn, "is beyond my ability."
Aragorn shrugged. "You seem to be doing fine."
"I know not how," Legolas said dryly.
Aragorn smiled. "Just be a friend." He turned an almost bittersweet, almost nostalgic gaze on the child leaning on Legolas. "A scared little boy needs a friend he sees capable of protecting him. You're an elf," he continued, answering Legolas unspoken question. "And, beyond that, one willing to help him."
Legolas nodded. "Do you speak from experience, my friend?"
Aragorn smiled and looked into the flames dancing in the hearth across the room. He let their movements mesmerize him for a moment before speaking again. "I was always a little awed by Elladan and Elrohir and, of course, Elrond. It was always.intimidating isn't the right word, but it's the best I can come up with. They took in and comforted and raised a little boy. They made him part of the family. That did a lot toward relieving a small boy's fears."
"They showed you that you mattered."
Aragorn nodded. "And that they'd protect me."
"I understand. Be a friend," the elf repeated.
"Yes, well, don't start down that auspicious path by cutting off his hand."
Legolas rolled his eyes.
"And if you repeat any of what I said tonight, I'll cut off your ears." Aragorn leaned toward him, over Rabryn, an evil smile in place. "Or, you know, I could just keep touching them," he said, raising a hand.
Legolas swatted Aragorn's hand away and answered without missing a beat. "Do not make me remove your hand."
"Yes, he might find it difficult to eat," came the voice from the doorway. Elladan came in, carrying a small tray. "Some fruit, some bread," he said as he set it down. "Do not expect me to wait on you two ever again, either. Elrohir's awake," he continued as he handed an apple to Aragorn. Elladan looked to Legolas, raising an eyebrow. Legolas indicated the sweetbread and Elladan handed him a piece. "He'll be in here shortly. Why did you not camp?"
Legolas took a second to catch up the other elf's rambles but Aragorn, used to how disjointed his brother's mind could be when he was awakened early, merely raised an eyebrow and looked at the child. "Believe me, we tried," he said.
"Stubborn humans," Elladan teased.
By the time mid-morning came around, Aragorn and Legolas had related their story to both Elrond and Elrohir. They'd left Rabryn sleeping in the Hall of Fire after Elrond had looked over the boy and pronounced him healthy and fit.
"You've no idea who followed the boy?"
Legolas shook his head, hating the fact he couldn't give Elrond more information. The prince of Mirkwood deeply respected lord Elrond and almost felt as though he'd let Elrond down. "My apologies, lord Elrond."
Elrond frowned. "Not to worry, Legolas. I trust you and Estel would not be adverse to the notion of backtracking with Elladan and Elrohir?"
"Not at all," Aragorn answered for them.
Elrond looked down the hall in the direction of the Hall of Fire. "He has had a trying night," he said, almost to himself. "I hate to wake him, but we have questions I think only he can answer. Estel, would you-"
"Of course, father," Aragorn said as he turned to job down the hall. Within moments, he had returned. "We don't need to worry about waking him." Aragorn drew in a breath, looking concerned. "He's not there."
TBC...