Disclaimer: None of the characters, places, ect. belong to me. They are the
property of the Tolkiens. I am not making any money and am writing just for
the pure fun.
Author Note: Again, I can't thank any of you enough for your reviews! It means a lot, especially coming from such talented writers.
By the way, does anyone know how to do italics? Ok, well hope you enjoy.
Chapter Three
*** By the time Elrond had made it to the bottom of the stairs the two figures were halfway across the courtyard. For a brief second a brilliant flash of lightning lit up the yard, revealing the boy-sized bundle tightly gripped by one of the figures. Ignoring the downpour, Elrond quickly moved to meet his sons. All three were clearly drenched to the bone with their hair and clothes plastered to their bodies by the rain. The elf lord's eyes swiftly shifted from one face to another as he tried to access the situation. The twins' faces of exhaustion and concern were practically mirrors of each other. Both were looking directly at their father as they hurriedly crossed the final few feet of separation. From his angle, Elrond could not yet see the face of his youngest.
"What happened?" he asked as soon as they were close enough to hear. Elladan and Elrohir barely even paused as one of them replied with something about getting inside first. As the four entered the house they noticed Glorfindel and Legolas standing just inside the doorway.
"What happened?" Elrond asked again, his voice betraying both his concern and annoyance at being ignored by his sons. His eyes focused on the shaking form of his foster son and took in the sopping, torn clothes, flushed face, and glazed eyes peering back at him.
"We are sorry, Ada." Elladan said as he shifted the shivering Estel in his arms, "No one is injured, but I fear that Estel has the beginnings of a fever and I thought it best for him to be out of the storm as soon as possible."
"Of course," Elrond's stern face cracked as slight smile took over, "you are correct to have done so, Elladan. I am relieved that you have returned safely, but you have yet to explain yourselves." Elrohir opened his mouth to speak, but Elrond waved his hand in a motion indicating silence as he placed a long cool hand on Estel's forehead. The smile quickly fled his face as he felt the heat.
"Legolas, would you kindly take Estel up to his room and help him warm up. I will join you shortly after I pick up a few things from my study." Elrond said as he turned toward elven prince. Legolas nodded and moved to take Estel from Elladan's arms. Estel made a small noise of protest at being taken from his brother's arms, but was quickly quieted by Legolas as he carried him up the stairs. As soon as the two disappeared, Elrond once again turned toward the twins and the still silent Glorfindel. Suddenly, a gleam appeared in his eyes.
"Would you two please get changed before you create a lake in my hallway," he said barely containing a smirk as he watched the large puddle forming under his sons, "then you can meet us in Estel's room and properly explain to me your adventures."
"Glorfindel, would you please assist me?" With that he and Glorfindel left the two surprised elves standing in the hall. It was a rare day indeed when Lord Elrond did anger at the escapades of his sons.
*** Meanwhile, Legolas had taken Estel to his room and was currently struggling to help him remove the layers of soaked, ruined clothing. Estel was truly not feeling well and was being very uncooperative. He felt tired and dizzy and was only partially interested in answering Legolas's questions about what had happened. 'I just want to go to sleep' he thought.
".all right?" he heard Legolas ask.
"W-What?" Estel asked as he blinked his eyes at the blond elf kneeling next to him. He was standing in his underclothes next to a hot bath that one of the servants had drawn for him. Legolas sighed, and repeated his question.
"How about you finish getting undressed and then get in the bath while I find you something warm to put on, all right?" Estel just nodded his head and Legolas got up to look through his dressers.
A few minutes later, Legolas was pulling a warm nightshirt over Estel's head when Elladan and Elrohir popped their heads around the doorframe of his room. They were in dry clothing and their long wet hair had been hastily pulled back out of their eyes. Estel glanced up and flashed a smile at his two brothers standing in the doorway before letting Legolas carry him to his bed. 'At last' Estel thought as Legolas drew the blankets around him 'I can get some sleep'. He closed his eyes and began to let his mind drift. No such luck. He groaned as he felt someone plop down on his bed and gently shake him. 'Why can't they just leave me alone?'
"Come on, little brother, you can not sleep just yet. Ada must look you over first." he heard Elrohir say. Estel opened his eyes and gave him his best scowl before his body sent out a racking cough. He struggled to sit up so that his breathing would come easier and Elrohir put his arms around him in an effort to steady his shaking body.
"Easy Estel, take slow breaths. It will be ok." Elrohir comforted. Elladan and Legolas had ceased their conversation by the fireplace and were moving to help. Estel's coughing fit subsided and Elladan handed him a glass of water. Elrohir helped him take a few sips before gently pushing him back into the pillows. Estel lay completely still and waited for the pain in his chest to subside.
"Where is Ada?" Elrohir asked with irritation.
"I am right here." Everyone in the room turned to see Elrond and Glorfindel enter. Elrond carried numerous bottles filled with different colored liquids and Glorfindel's arms were full of extra blankets and firewood. At once the twins and Legolas moved away from the bed to give Elrond room and to assist Glorfindel.
Elrond sat down on the edge of Estel's bed and began to examine his foster son. His fever has risen and the cough worried him.
"How do you feel, Estel?" He asked.
"It hurts, Ada." came the quiet reply.
"What hurts, little one?"
"My head.and breathing." Estel said before beginning another coughing fit. When he was done, Elrond eased him up into a sitting position and placed a cup to his lips.
"Drink, Estel, it will make you feel better." Estel was not in the mood to argue so he swallowed the foul tasting liquid with little more than a grimace. As soon as he was done, he felt his eyelids grow heavy and at once he knew that his father had mixed a sleeping draught in with the medicine. That was the last thought he had before his mind was consumed by darkness.
Author Note: Again, I can't thank any of you enough for your reviews! It means a lot, especially coming from such talented writers.
By the way, does anyone know how to do italics? Ok, well hope you enjoy.
Chapter Three
*** By the time Elrond had made it to the bottom of the stairs the two figures were halfway across the courtyard. For a brief second a brilliant flash of lightning lit up the yard, revealing the boy-sized bundle tightly gripped by one of the figures. Ignoring the downpour, Elrond quickly moved to meet his sons. All three were clearly drenched to the bone with their hair and clothes plastered to their bodies by the rain. The elf lord's eyes swiftly shifted from one face to another as he tried to access the situation. The twins' faces of exhaustion and concern were practically mirrors of each other. Both were looking directly at their father as they hurriedly crossed the final few feet of separation. From his angle, Elrond could not yet see the face of his youngest.
"What happened?" he asked as soon as they were close enough to hear. Elladan and Elrohir barely even paused as one of them replied with something about getting inside first. As the four entered the house they noticed Glorfindel and Legolas standing just inside the doorway.
"What happened?" Elrond asked again, his voice betraying both his concern and annoyance at being ignored by his sons. His eyes focused on the shaking form of his foster son and took in the sopping, torn clothes, flushed face, and glazed eyes peering back at him.
"We are sorry, Ada." Elladan said as he shifted the shivering Estel in his arms, "No one is injured, but I fear that Estel has the beginnings of a fever and I thought it best for him to be out of the storm as soon as possible."
"Of course," Elrond's stern face cracked as slight smile took over, "you are correct to have done so, Elladan. I am relieved that you have returned safely, but you have yet to explain yourselves." Elrohir opened his mouth to speak, but Elrond waved his hand in a motion indicating silence as he placed a long cool hand on Estel's forehead. The smile quickly fled his face as he felt the heat.
"Legolas, would you kindly take Estel up to his room and help him warm up. I will join you shortly after I pick up a few things from my study." Elrond said as he turned toward elven prince. Legolas nodded and moved to take Estel from Elladan's arms. Estel made a small noise of protest at being taken from his brother's arms, but was quickly quieted by Legolas as he carried him up the stairs. As soon as the two disappeared, Elrond once again turned toward the twins and the still silent Glorfindel. Suddenly, a gleam appeared in his eyes.
"Would you two please get changed before you create a lake in my hallway," he said barely containing a smirk as he watched the large puddle forming under his sons, "then you can meet us in Estel's room and properly explain to me your adventures."
"Glorfindel, would you please assist me?" With that he and Glorfindel left the two surprised elves standing in the hall. It was a rare day indeed when Lord Elrond did anger at the escapades of his sons.
*** Meanwhile, Legolas had taken Estel to his room and was currently struggling to help him remove the layers of soaked, ruined clothing. Estel was truly not feeling well and was being very uncooperative. He felt tired and dizzy and was only partially interested in answering Legolas's questions about what had happened. 'I just want to go to sleep' he thought.
".all right?" he heard Legolas ask.
"W-What?" Estel asked as he blinked his eyes at the blond elf kneeling next to him. He was standing in his underclothes next to a hot bath that one of the servants had drawn for him. Legolas sighed, and repeated his question.
"How about you finish getting undressed and then get in the bath while I find you something warm to put on, all right?" Estel just nodded his head and Legolas got up to look through his dressers.
A few minutes later, Legolas was pulling a warm nightshirt over Estel's head when Elladan and Elrohir popped their heads around the doorframe of his room. They were in dry clothing and their long wet hair had been hastily pulled back out of their eyes. Estel glanced up and flashed a smile at his two brothers standing in the doorway before letting Legolas carry him to his bed. 'At last' Estel thought as Legolas drew the blankets around him 'I can get some sleep'. He closed his eyes and began to let his mind drift. No such luck. He groaned as he felt someone plop down on his bed and gently shake him. 'Why can't they just leave me alone?'
"Come on, little brother, you can not sleep just yet. Ada must look you over first." he heard Elrohir say. Estel opened his eyes and gave him his best scowl before his body sent out a racking cough. He struggled to sit up so that his breathing would come easier and Elrohir put his arms around him in an effort to steady his shaking body.
"Easy Estel, take slow breaths. It will be ok." Elrohir comforted. Elladan and Legolas had ceased their conversation by the fireplace and were moving to help. Estel's coughing fit subsided and Elladan handed him a glass of water. Elrohir helped him take a few sips before gently pushing him back into the pillows. Estel lay completely still and waited for the pain in his chest to subside.
"Where is Ada?" Elrohir asked with irritation.
"I am right here." Everyone in the room turned to see Elrond and Glorfindel enter. Elrond carried numerous bottles filled with different colored liquids and Glorfindel's arms were full of extra blankets and firewood. At once the twins and Legolas moved away from the bed to give Elrond room and to assist Glorfindel.
Elrond sat down on the edge of Estel's bed and began to examine his foster son. His fever has risen and the cough worried him.
"How do you feel, Estel?" He asked.
"It hurts, Ada." came the quiet reply.
"What hurts, little one?"
"My head.and breathing." Estel said before beginning another coughing fit. When he was done, Elrond eased him up into a sitting position and placed a cup to his lips.
"Drink, Estel, it will make you feel better." Estel was not in the mood to argue so he swallowed the foul tasting liquid with little more than a grimace. As soon as he was done, he felt his eyelids grow heavy and at once he knew that his father had mixed a sleeping draught in with the medicine. That was the last thought he had before his mind was consumed by darkness.