Sorry for the late update, I've been busy, but I'll try to get back to
posting every other day, but no promises! :o)
JediKnightBalthasar- Happy Halloween to you too! (Early that is) :o)
Okay then, I answered a rather large portion of your review through E-mail, as for the rest . . .
Yes Estel is rather impulsive, but growing up in a house where he watched his brothers be able to do whatever without much said, and having him to try to do something, and being stopped in his tracks is rather hurtful, and it questions trust. He may feel as though Elrond and the other Elves do not trust him, and that alone can drive anyone loco.
With the sending to the room thing . . . yes he is a bit old for that, but remember, to Elrond, 20 years is the life span of a child, so he really didn't think about it, probably the reason why he felt so bad about it afterwards.
You were right about him climbing out the window . . . though at least he's smart enough to go without his brothers, he knows them well enough that the twins would have sent him back.
I suppose Corean knows about Athelas, but as far as I know, I will not be using it in this story . . . that's all I will say.
Smeagol
Interesting about the wolves, but no relation there, sorry! I really should catch up with my reading in class for the TTT, I've already read it but we are re-reading it in class, and well, I haven't been reading, just sort of scanning through, and everything, but I have to pass an essay test in order to go see the movie with the class on the 20th of December, so ya . . . need to catch up with reading, only about 10 chapters behind. :o)
Anita- Caycayal still lives in Rivendell, where he is at this time I am unsure, He will come back into later stories, maybe even this one but if he does he won't until the end or near end. :o)
'I no doubt deserved my enemies. But I don't believe I deserved my friends.' -Walt Whitman-
Chapter 4: Gone Away
It was nearing noon and still Aragorn had not come out of his room. At first Elrond assumed that he was still sleeping, the young human did sometimes, especially after a long day such as yesterday. But as the hours passed by his thoughts began to sway.
When he had knocked on the door, and no response came he called out, thinking that his son was still angry with him about the previous nights events. After a moment of silence passed, he called out again, opening the door.
His keen eyes fell over the empty room quickly, noting that the window latch was unlocked. He let out a heavy sigh. It wasn't the first time the young human had left without his knowing, and to tell the truth Elrond was rather amused that his human son could leave an Elven house without waking anyone.
Estel would be back, he thought softly. His youngest son had always returned for supper, whether or not his foul mood had worn off. It was a trait he had noticed in humans, they could hold grudges against someone for a time.
He closed the latch, making his way downstairs. The house was quiet now, Elladan and Elrohir had left in the early morning. The news that Glorfindel had brought was certainly disturbing, but in his mind was not a problem to severe to deal with. The only thing that bothered him was the fact that the people of Azscverbae refused the presence of Elves. He hoped his sons wouldn't do anything drastic.
"My Lord," Rohden said interrupting his train of thought as he reached the bottom of the staircase. "I suppose it is of no matter, but I was wondering if you know of anyone taking a med kit from the storage closet besides Elladan and Elrohir within the last day."
Elrond shook his head. "None that I can think of, why?'
Rohden shook his head. "It seems that one of them is missing. But I don't think it is important."
Elrond nodded in agreement. "You didn't see Estel leave this morning by any chance?"
"He left again?" Rohden asked with a small smile. "He is getting good My Lord."
Elrond laughed slightly, "Yes, that he is, I fear he's going to break his neck doing it also."
Rohden gave him a wry look, "Really My Lord, don't you give that poor boy any room to grow?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Aragorn popped the piece of bread into his mouth, tracing his finger along the map, trying to decide which route would be the best to take. The small fire he had built had been enough to drive off the afternoon chill, but it was small enough so that his position would not be given off if anyone was searching for him. Knowing his father he probably had half of Rivendell out searching for him, he rolled his eyes at the thought.
He sighed, folding up the map. He had known that Azscverbae was up north, but he didn't know that it was that far up. On horseback he may have been able to reach the village within three days at the soonest, but walking would take days longer.
He shook his head. He had a feeling that somehow he was getting himself into more trouble than he could handle. After all, he didn't know why he was headed to Azscverbae, other than the fact that they were turning away the Elves. He was a man, so therefore he could enter the village, and hopefully learn what was going on, and maybe find a way to solve whatever it was that they were having problems with.
He traveled most of the day, stopping to bed down at nightfall. He was certain now that his father would be worried about him, which meant that he had to be even more alert about his surroundings if he wanted to continue.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Elrond stood in front of the fire letting the warmth flow over him. Outside the sky had grown dark hours ago, and it was well into the night, and still there had been no sign of his youngest son. He had asked the other Elves to keep an eye out for him, and report back if they saw him, but as the day continued, no one had seen the young man.
He hoped that Estel had not ran away again. There had been a few times that his eager son had fled for petty reasons. He let out a deep breath. He desperately wanted his son home where he belonged, but he continually reminded himself that despite his son's actions, he was capable of caring for himself.
His thoughts lingered back to the previous days events, on what Glorfindel had said. He wondered if he had done the right thing by sending Elladan and Elrohir off to help solve the problems that were aloft. The situation was not something they could wait to see if it resolved itself, it in fact could turn out to be far more serious. The fact that tame wolves could be breeding out in the wild was an not a welcoming thought.
He made his way out into the hall, startled when Rohden behind him spoke.
"Do not worry My Lord. I am sure that young Estel will return soon. Knowing him he can't stand to miss more than one proper meal."
Elrond laughed lightly. Estel always loved Rohden's cooking, even when he was young. He would often sneak into Rohden's room at night, pleading for a late night snack. Elrond would often catch the two of them in the kitchen in the early morning. He never said anything about it, but he knew how much Estel loved his meals.
"Yes Rohden, I suppose so. I just hope he doesn't get any strange thoughts in his head," he said softly. Rohden quietly agreed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
That night was one of the coldest nights Corean could remember. They had grown colder as the Orcs brought them further north. It seemed as though they too could feel the icy coldness for they huddled around the fire. The two of them however were not so lucky.
Corean and Trinea had been bound to trees off behind the foul creatures. Corean glanced at Trinea, who still had not awaken since losing conciseness. The Orcs had agreed to release him to tend to Trinea, as he thought the Orcs did not want to lose their prisoner. That alone was not a comforting thought.
He had worked, the point of a blade pressed into the back of his neck forcing him to work slowly. The herbs he had been able to find were few. He had hoped to find Athelas, but no such luck came. Trinea's back was covered with many lacerations from the cruel whips.
At least now Trinea's desperate gasps had fallen into an easy stream of quiet breaths. His attention was redirected when a slight moan escaped his lips. He turned to find blurry-brown eyes watching him.
"How are you feeling my friend?" Corean whispered softly in Elvish. He was glad that they were out of hearing range of the Orcs.
Trinea groaned softly. "I've certainly felt better," he mumbled softly, his words slurred slightly together. He leaned forward as far as the ropes would let him, his hair falling over his bruised face. "What happened?"
Corean let out a soft sigh, recalling how the Orcs had continued to beat him after he had fallen, and how he had almost lost his life. Trinea's face seemed to grow pale during all this, and when Corean was finished he waited for his friends response, but none came.
"Trinea?" Corean called his friend's name gently, but still no answer came. "Trinea?"
Trinea jerked suddenly at his name, his eyes locking onto his friend. "What?"
"Are you all right?" Corean asked, watching him closely.
Trinea nodded, letting his head fall back against the tree, his eyes closing. "We have to get out of here," he whispered quietly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Aragorn had traveled swiftly within the next two days. So far he had not encountered anyone on his journey, but still he had not slowed his pace. He stopped only to eat and rest, making sure that his being there would not be found by someone else.
But on the fourth day, he slowed his eager pace, certain that no one was on his trail. The air here seemed to carry a chill, and the trees branches bent in the slight wind. Aragorn drew his coat around him as he made his way carefully through the forest.
He was close to Azscverbae now, only about day's travel stood in the way, and so far nothing had gone wrong.
It was near late afternoon when he stopped for the night, dropping his heavy pack to the cold ground. He collected sticks and built a small fire that soon was blazing with warmth. He ate a quick meal, food that he had swiped from the kitchen.
That night he let the fire burn, laying on the ground next to it. He watched the stars above in the night sky as he slowly fell asleep.
When he awoke he did not know if it had been only moments or hours later, or what had woken him. The fire still burned, though it had died some, and the darkness around him seemed eerie. His hand fell on the hilt of his sword as he slowly stood up.
A soft growl alerted him that he was no longer alone, and turning he found a white wolf watching him from the darkness.
TBC . . .
JediKnightBalthasar- Happy Halloween to you too! (Early that is) :o)
Okay then, I answered a rather large portion of your review through E-mail, as for the rest . . .
Yes Estel is rather impulsive, but growing up in a house where he watched his brothers be able to do whatever without much said, and having him to try to do something, and being stopped in his tracks is rather hurtful, and it questions trust. He may feel as though Elrond and the other Elves do not trust him, and that alone can drive anyone loco.
With the sending to the room thing . . . yes he is a bit old for that, but remember, to Elrond, 20 years is the life span of a child, so he really didn't think about it, probably the reason why he felt so bad about it afterwards.
You were right about him climbing out the window . . . though at least he's smart enough to go without his brothers, he knows them well enough that the twins would have sent him back.
I suppose Corean knows about Athelas, but as far as I know, I will not be using it in this story . . . that's all I will say.
Smeagol
Interesting about the wolves, but no relation there, sorry! I really should catch up with my reading in class for the TTT, I've already read it but we are re-reading it in class, and well, I haven't been reading, just sort of scanning through, and everything, but I have to pass an essay test in order to go see the movie with the class on the 20th of December, so ya . . . need to catch up with reading, only about 10 chapters behind. :o)
Anita- Caycayal still lives in Rivendell, where he is at this time I am unsure, He will come back into later stories, maybe even this one but if he does he won't until the end or near end. :o)
'I no doubt deserved my enemies. But I don't believe I deserved my friends.' -Walt Whitman-
Chapter 4: Gone Away
It was nearing noon and still Aragorn had not come out of his room. At first Elrond assumed that he was still sleeping, the young human did sometimes, especially after a long day such as yesterday. But as the hours passed by his thoughts began to sway.
When he had knocked on the door, and no response came he called out, thinking that his son was still angry with him about the previous nights events. After a moment of silence passed, he called out again, opening the door.
His keen eyes fell over the empty room quickly, noting that the window latch was unlocked. He let out a heavy sigh. It wasn't the first time the young human had left without his knowing, and to tell the truth Elrond was rather amused that his human son could leave an Elven house without waking anyone.
Estel would be back, he thought softly. His youngest son had always returned for supper, whether or not his foul mood had worn off. It was a trait he had noticed in humans, they could hold grudges against someone for a time.
He closed the latch, making his way downstairs. The house was quiet now, Elladan and Elrohir had left in the early morning. The news that Glorfindel had brought was certainly disturbing, but in his mind was not a problem to severe to deal with. The only thing that bothered him was the fact that the people of Azscverbae refused the presence of Elves. He hoped his sons wouldn't do anything drastic.
"My Lord," Rohden said interrupting his train of thought as he reached the bottom of the staircase. "I suppose it is of no matter, but I was wondering if you know of anyone taking a med kit from the storage closet besides Elladan and Elrohir within the last day."
Elrond shook his head. "None that I can think of, why?'
Rohden shook his head. "It seems that one of them is missing. But I don't think it is important."
Elrond nodded in agreement. "You didn't see Estel leave this morning by any chance?"
"He left again?" Rohden asked with a small smile. "He is getting good My Lord."
Elrond laughed slightly, "Yes, that he is, I fear he's going to break his neck doing it also."
Rohden gave him a wry look, "Really My Lord, don't you give that poor boy any room to grow?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Aragorn popped the piece of bread into his mouth, tracing his finger along the map, trying to decide which route would be the best to take. The small fire he had built had been enough to drive off the afternoon chill, but it was small enough so that his position would not be given off if anyone was searching for him. Knowing his father he probably had half of Rivendell out searching for him, he rolled his eyes at the thought.
He sighed, folding up the map. He had known that Azscverbae was up north, but he didn't know that it was that far up. On horseback he may have been able to reach the village within three days at the soonest, but walking would take days longer.
He shook his head. He had a feeling that somehow he was getting himself into more trouble than he could handle. After all, he didn't know why he was headed to Azscverbae, other than the fact that they were turning away the Elves. He was a man, so therefore he could enter the village, and hopefully learn what was going on, and maybe find a way to solve whatever it was that they were having problems with.
He traveled most of the day, stopping to bed down at nightfall. He was certain now that his father would be worried about him, which meant that he had to be even more alert about his surroundings if he wanted to continue.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Elrond stood in front of the fire letting the warmth flow over him. Outside the sky had grown dark hours ago, and it was well into the night, and still there had been no sign of his youngest son. He had asked the other Elves to keep an eye out for him, and report back if they saw him, but as the day continued, no one had seen the young man.
He hoped that Estel had not ran away again. There had been a few times that his eager son had fled for petty reasons. He let out a deep breath. He desperately wanted his son home where he belonged, but he continually reminded himself that despite his son's actions, he was capable of caring for himself.
His thoughts lingered back to the previous days events, on what Glorfindel had said. He wondered if he had done the right thing by sending Elladan and Elrohir off to help solve the problems that were aloft. The situation was not something they could wait to see if it resolved itself, it in fact could turn out to be far more serious. The fact that tame wolves could be breeding out in the wild was an not a welcoming thought.
He made his way out into the hall, startled when Rohden behind him spoke.
"Do not worry My Lord. I am sure that young Estel will return soon. Knowing him he can't stand to miss more than one proper meal."
Elrond laughed lightly. Estel always loved Rohden's cooking, even when he was young. He would often sneak into Rohden's room at night, pleading for a late night snack. Elrond would often catch the two of them in the kitchen in the early morning. He never said anything about it, but he knew how much Estel loved his meals.
"Yes Rohden, I suppose so. I just hope he doesn't get any strange thoughts in his head," he said softly. Rohden quietly agreed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
That night was one of the coldest nights Corean could remember. They had grown colder as the Orcs brought them further north. It seemed as though they too could feel the icy coldness for they huddled around the fire. The two of them however were not so lucky.
Corean and Trinea had been bound to trees off behind the foul creatures. Corean glanced at Trinea, who still had not awaken since losing conciseness. The Orcs had agreed to release him to tend to Trinea, as he thought the Orcs did not want to lose their prisoner. That alone was not a comforting thought.
He had worked, the point of a blade pressed into the back of his neck forcing him to work slowly. The herbs he had been able to find were few. He had hoped to find Athelas, but no such luck came. Trinea's back was covered with many lacerations from the cruel whips.
At least now Trinea's desperate gasps had fallen into an easy stream of quiet breaths. His attention was redirected when a slight moan escaped his lips. He turned to find blurry-brown eyes watching him.
"How are you feeling my friend?" Corean whispered softly in Elvish. He was glad that they were out of hearing range of the Orcs.
Trinea groaned softly. "I've certainly felt better," he mumbled softly, his words slurred slightly together. He leaned forward as far as the ropes would let him, his hair falling over his bruised face. "What happened?"
Corean let out a soft sigh, recalling how the Orcs had continued to beat him after he had fallen, and how he had almost lost his life. Trinea's face seemed to grow pale during all this, and when Corean was finished he waited for his friends response, but none came.
"Trinea?" Corean called his friend's name gently, but still no answer came. "Trinea?"
Trinea jerked suddenly at his name, his eyes locking onto his friend. "What?"
"Are you all right?" Corean asked, watching him closely.
Trinea nodded, letting his head fall back against the tree, his eyes closing. "We have to get out of here," he whispered quietly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Aragorn had traveled swiftly within the next two days. So far he had not encountered anyone on his journey, but still he had not slowed his pace. He stopped only to eat and rest, making sure that his being there would not be found by someone else.
But on the fourth day, he slowed his eager pace, certain that no one was on his trail. The air here seemed to carry a chill, and the trees branches bent in the slight wind. Aragorn drew his coat around him as he made his way carefully through the forest.
He was close to Azscverbae now, only about day's travel stood in the way, and so far nothing had gone wrong.
It was near late afternoon when he stopped for the night, dropping his heavy pack to the cold ground. He collected sticks and built a small fire that soon was blazing with warmth. He ate a quick meal, food that he had swiped from the kitchen.
That night he let the fire burn, laying on the ground next to it. He watched the stars above in the night sky as he slowly fell asleep.
When he awoke he did not know if it had been only moments or hours later, or what had woken him. The fire still burned, though it had died some, and the darkness around him seemed eerie. His hand fell on the hilt of his sword as he slowly stood up.
A soft growl alerted him that he was no longer alone, and turning he found a white wolf watching him from the darkness.
TBC . . .