Disclaimer: Um, since my name's not really J.R.R. Tolkien, these characters don't belong to me...

A/N: Yes, the Middle Earth geography and timeline have now changed to fit my needs. Sorry, don't yell! I didn't mean for it to work out this way, but it kinda did…for little Estel (Aragorn) picture him around the age of ten here. Yes, ten! Read into this a little bit and you'll probably be astonished…but what did you expect for the future king of men?

******A Few Days Prior******

The Orc den in the Misty Mountains was well protected; it was a cave, the only entrance being guarded by outcroppings and the Orcs themselves. One might have considered it impenetrable; that is, until they got a good look at the rescuers.

True, there were but three of them, crouched down beneath one of the boulders that led up the mountain, their horses forsaken below. But they were fearful to look upon; the two elves, that might have been considered handsome with dark hair and pale skin, had a terrible light that shone in their gray eyes. And their traveling companion was not a mere mortal, either; he had a regal bearing about him, and he was just as angry.

The anger that they bore, however, was not one that blinded; rather, at the very moment, they were planning the best way to carry out their rescue.

"Nay; I say that Elladan and I attack the Orcs directly, and create a distraction for Estel, who shall rush into the cave and bear out our mother," Elrohir was arguing.

Elladan hesitated beside Estel. "Can you do it, my brother of the heart?"

Estel nodded firmly. "Aye; leave it to me. I will not fail- you have my word." His young features were set into a grim countenance.

The twin elves exchanged a glance; Estel was very young.

"Have I let you down before?" cried Estel.

"Nay, you have not, little one. But this will be dangerous-" Elladan said dubiously.

"Let him try, brother. He has given his word, after all, and the word of Estel is not given lightly," Elrohir interrupted.

"Very well," sighed Elladan.

"We will charge the Orcs, and draw them from the cave. When you see an opening, slip into the cave and find mother. There may still be some Orcs left, however, so you must be prepared to fight."

"I understand," answered Estel, hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. He knew that Celebrian was not his birth mother, but he cared for her just the same.

With a display of elven agility, Elladan and Elrohir leapt over the boulder and vanished in a flash. Then the sounds of battle reached Estel's ears.

He crept up the side of the mountain, and hid behind one of the cave's outcroppings, watching as more and more Orcs poured from the opening. He glimpsed Elladan and Elrohir further down, fighting as if a demon were on their heels. Their swords flashed red in the morning sun as they took down their pursuers.

"Halt," cried one of the Orcs by the entrance, in his crude native tongue. He threw out an arm to stop his companions.

"What is the meaning of this?" cried one of the others.

Estel took advantage of the diversion to slip over the outcropping and drop behind the Orcs, standing in the mouth of the cave.

"Someone must watch over the she- elf. Stay in the cave!" The Orcs grumbled and turned around, then spotted the little human in the cave.

"Ah Elbereth!" muttered Estel, turning and fleeing, swift as the wind. He really had the worst luck.

"HEY YOU! STOP-Get the human!" cried one of the Orcs behind him. But a moment later, poisoned arrows were shooting past his head. Estel did not halt though; he continued on through the winding tunnels at breakneck speed, hacking down Orcs that blocked his path. His breath was catching in his throat, but he had given Elrond's sons his word; he would rescue Celebrian.

*THWPP!* With a sickening sound, one of the arrows impaled itself in his calf. Estel bit back a cry and reached down to yank it out; thankfully the tip came with it. Then perhaps a dozen Orcs fell upon him. He fought as furiously as the twins had, but he could not rest his weight fully on his injured right leg.

The Orcs pressed their advantage, forcing him to spin and step on it. Not a moment gone by after he had defeated one that another attacked from the other side. Warm blood began to trickle from the wound into his boot; desperately he hoped it would wash away the poison with it, but did not believe so, for already he was beginning to weaken.

With a last, desperate lunge, he took off the head of the final Orc attacker. He gasped for breath and collapsed to his knees, head spinning. He pried loose a canister of alcohol from one of the bodies and poured it onto a strip of fabric, then began wiping at the wound in an attempt to clean it. He had learned the method from one of the healers in Rivendell; but their alcohol was good and clean, and the Orcs' was not. It was the best he could do, at the moment.

He fashioned a splint out of discarded sheathes, then struggled again to his feet. It was easier to walk now. He glanced around for more Orcs, but did not spot any; all of those on duty must be outside.

He followed the tunnels down further, until he came to a chamber with heavily barred doors. Chancing it, he pulled out a pin and picked the locks; he was *almost* certain that this was where Celebrian was being kept; if it was not, then he might be in for some trouble.

The final lock clicked open, and he shoved the heavy doors open quickly, sword held out in front of him. But he did not find a band of outlaw Southerns; instead, he found a single female elf, chained to the wall.

"Lady," he said gently, crossing the chamber and picking open the handcuffs, "I have come."

"Ah, young Estel," she sighed, words like the whisper of wind. "You truly deserve that name, for now you are my hope."

He caught her as she slumped into his arms, freed finally from the cuffs. He was horrified; he barely recognized her. Her riding skirts and shirt were ripped and torn, stained red. Deep wounds and cuts scarred her body; her hair was matted with blood. Her skin was sickeningly pale, eyes shadowed, and the glow which surrounded all the elder elves was gone.

"Hang on, my lady," he urged her, picking her up in a piggyback manner and staggering out of the cell, back to the entrance. She was lighter than elves should normally be, but for young Estel, with a wounded leg, it was still a struggle.

With great relief, Estel finally reached the mouth of the cave. How unfortunate for him, however, that the twins had not finished off all of the Orcs; when they saw him come out of their stronghold with their prey, they fell upon him with a vengeance.

He dropped Celebrian gently to the ground and stood straddled over her body, brandishing his sword. He fought valiantly, but the poison by then had taken a hold of him, and he began to falter beneath their blows.

He swung his sword clumsily and de-armed one of his attackers, but that was all that his body could handle, and despite the protests of his mind, he fell slumped to the ground atop the elf.

His last thought was /I'm sorry, Elladan, Elrohir…I failed you…/ and then he blacked out.

*****************

"What's the commotion by the cave entrance?" cried Elladan to his brother, who stood a few paces away from him as they hewed down the Orcs.

Elrohir stabbed through his current attacker and then leapt high into the air, glancing over to the entrance.

"It's little Estel- he's made it out, but I think he needs help," he called out an answer, landing lightly on the shoulders of an Orc and bringing down his sword, then jumping to the ground as the creature fell.

"Right," answered Elladan, and he joined his brother to rush the cave.

They carved a path at a run through the Orcs, and just as they reached the cave mouth the tiny human faltered and fell onto the body of their mother beneath him.

"NO!" cried Elrohir, darting to deflect from Estel a blow of the sword. He gritted his teeth as the Orc pressed down on his blade, edging it ever closer to Estel's head.

Then the Orc jerked and fell backwards; Elladan had run him through.

"Let's get out of here," grunted Elladan as he cut another of the Orcs in half, standing back to back with his brother over the two hapless forms.

"I'll take mother- you take Estel," said Elrohir.

"Aye," said Elladan, and quick as a flash the two grabbed their burdens and leapt over the Orcs' heads, running down the mountain to their steeds.

The Orcs yelled and gave pursuit, but the elves were too fast for them. By the time that the Orcs reached the bottom of the mountain, the twins were galloping off down the road.

******Present Day******

"Have you sent for my Father?" demanded Arwen, kneeling by her mother's bedside with her hand resting upon Celebrian's brow.

A few hours earlier, after she had cried out all of her fears upon Legolas's shoulder in the throne room, he brought her to the healing house of Greenwood, where her mother was being kept. The healers had done all that they could at that point for her mother; they had cleaned her wounds and revived her appearance; her hair had been no longer matted with blood, and she wore then a fresh linen shift. But Celebrian had been given a deep, poisoned wound upon her shoulder, which the healers could not make better. They were not as skilled as the healers in Rivendell; after all, things of dire consequence rarely, if ever, happened in Greenwood.

So Arwen, who had learned the skill from her Father, had set about trying her hand at it as her brothers watched on in earnest. It felt good to be doing something; it alleviated her fears. But even Arwen had not been able to fully heal the wound.

"Aye, we have," answered Thranduil, who was standing in the corner of the room, "however, he should not reach here for a couple of days yet."

Arwen nodded and chewed her lip. Would she be able to sustain her mother for that long? She had thought, when Legolas first broke the news to her, that her mother was dying…now, that may not be far from the truth.

"Why has not anyone attended to the boy?" demanded Legolas suddenly from the bedside across from Arwen's.

A small human boy lay facedown upon it, his leg splinted between two sword-sheathes.

Thranduil looked annoyed. "I ordered our healers to attend only to Celebrian, for her wounds were more dire."

"And she is more important," stated Legolas bluntly.

"Certainly she is more important than a human boy…" hissed Thranduil.

"Did you not know that this boy saved her life? You heard the tale, just as I did…"

Thranduil took a few threatening steps forward. "You'd do well to learn you place…"

Arwen stood and moved between the father and son. "This boy saved her life?" she demanded, pointing down at his bed.

"Aye- he did," answered Elrohir.

"Then he deserves to get immediate attention," said Arwen. "In all due respect, my lord, the healers have done all they could for my mother."

Thranduil nodded stiffly. "Of course, princess…"

He brushed past Legolas and headed out the door. A few minutes later, healers appeared at the boy's bedside.

"If you'll excuse me," said Legolas quietly, hurrying out of the room.

Arwen gazed anxiously after him.

"Go to him," said Elrohir, a smile playing at the edges of his lips. "We'll watch over mother."

"But you need to rest!" protested Arwen.

"We're fine. Besides, we must stay and see Estel gets properly taken care of," said Elladan.

"Alright…" said Arwen, sweeping out of the door after Legolas.

/So…Estel is his name. There is something different about that boy/ she thought, even as she worried over Legolas.

*****************

Arwen found Legolas sitting on the boughs of one of the trees, staring at the moon. He looked beautiful, sitting there bathed in the moonlight, Arwen thought.

She climbed the tree with agility, and settled herself silently beside him.

"There is something different about that boy," she voiced her thoughts after the silence had gone on too long.

"Yes- he is the heir of the royal line. He is the only remaining true king of men," said Legolas thoughtfully.

Arwen gasped. "He is?"

"You did not know? He lives in Rivendell!"

"Many children live in Rivendell, and I am often gone," answered Arwen. "If my brothers knew that, then why did they not vouch for him?"

"They did. But my Father would not heed them- he does not take kindly to humans, especially those of the royal bloodline, after what happened with Isildur all those years ago. So it was left to me to vouch for the child- we figured since I was his son, he would have to listen to me. Obviously, I was wrong…"

Arwen reached out and took his hand. "Don't fret, love, all will be well. It just takes time…"

Legolas sighed. "Yes. Thank you for your help, in any case."

"You're welcome."

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a while longer, and then Legolas was the first to break it. "Estel is just ten years old, and he has seen more adventure than I."

Arwen laughed. "Be thankful for that."

"Haven't you ever wanted to adventure, Arwen?  To journey to lands not your own?" Legolas gazed at her intently, swinging his leg back and forth lazily from his perch.

Arwen sighed and turned her face to the sky. The moonlight glazed her fair eyes and highlighted her dark hair, catching it up in its rays and making it like to a pale fire. "I have naught wanted but to be at peace, love. My Father has seen many a battle. He lived and served during the great war of the ring, and he saw the devastation that Sauron caused. I daren't say that he has had his share of adventures. Which is all well and good," Arwen turned to face him, an her face was thrown into shadow and the light made a halo about her head, "but sometimes, when I look at him, he seems so sad. As if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Pray tell me, is this the cost of adventure? If it is, then I do not desire it."

Legolas looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe it is. Or maybe it's the cost of … experience. Immortality. Our people have been through much, and have a lot of time to ponder it. I think that whether you journey or not, you will still experience sorrows." Then he smiled. "Besides, what fun would life be without some excitement?"

Arwen laughed. "Maybe you are right, Legolas. Maybe you are right. But- I do know one thing…"

She leaned in closer to him with a coy smile.

"And what is that?" he asked, reaching out to push a strand of hair away from her face.

"I wouldn't mind remembering this…"

With that, she kissed him full upon the lips, even more passionately than the previous night. Now, she was fully in possession of herself…and now, she had things to remember…and forget. As things would turn out, that night would be one that was to be emblazoned in her mind for years to come…and especially in the coming weeks.

His lips moved against hers, and with a moan he pulled her closer. The euphoria between them seemed to intensify until she felt she would burst from her skin. This feeling was wonderful…*he* was wonderful, and she wanted never to part from him.

"Legolas," she sighed, wrapping him in her embrace. She burned to speak the words that had been forming on her tongue the moment she had seen him by the lake. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he answered, taking her into his arms and bearing her to the ground. The fallen leaves cradled them in a spicy embrace as his fingers and lips traced her body, pleasing and fulfilling her in ways she never thought possible.

That night, she gave herself to him, and he to her, beneath the moon.

*****************

"Ah, my love, how did you come to be in such a position?" sighed Elrond, taking Celebrian's hand into his own. It felt cold beneath his touch.

Elrond had just arrived that morning, and took no rest or meal but instead came straight to his wife. Elladan and Elrohir had greeted him, along with Thranduil and his son. He found Arwen sitting by her mother's side, and chased her out with a few consoling words. Now, the party was waiting outside the door.

"Elrond?" she whispered through numb lips.

"Yes- it is I," he answered, kneeling at her side. "You are safe now."

"Elrond- I am sorry- you were…"

"Shh- it does not matter now who is wrong or right. All that matters is you."

He laid his hands upon her wound and murmured spells as the healers concocted the medicine he had told them to make.

When they finished, they found him deep in meditation, and were afraid to disturb him. But he beckoned them closer, with a grateful nod took it from them, and spread it upon the wound.

The sickness that had shaken Celebrian's body then vanished, and with a sigh she sank back upon the bed.

"Rest now, my lady," he murmured, kissing her forehead.

With a great smile, he strode out of the healing house and informed the anxious knot that had gathered there, "She is fine."

*****************

A/N: Sorry, I know this chapter took a while. But please review anyway!

Next Chapter…Departures…