DISCLAIMER: See Prologue.
CHAPTER ONE: ILLUSIONS
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The day was drawing to a close. A young boy of seven stood on a balcony overlooking Rivendell, and sighed softly. Just another day; another monotonous, lonely day.
"Estel?"
The boy turned, a faint smile crossing his lips. "Hello, Ada," he greeted the elven lord, a note of weariness in is voice.
"Mani naa ta, nin ion?"
"Nothing, Ada," Estel replied with a sigh.
"You feel lonely?" Elrond guessed.
The boy nodded. "There are no children my age, and Elladan and Elrohir are always away hunting Orcs. I just want someone to play with, that's all. I just want a friend."
Elrond ruffled the boy's brown hair. "Do not worry, child. Come inside, dinner is almost ready."
* * * * * * * * * *
Estel had no idea what had awoken him. He sat up in bed, grinding his fists into his eyes, and yawned. Moonlight poured in through the window, dancing upon the floor.
Then, he heard it: a soft giggle.
"Who is there?" He swung his legs out of bed, and cautiously paddled to the door. "Who is it? Ada? Elladan? Elrohir?" Turning the door handle gingerly, he peered into the corridor.
The young human could not believe his eyes.
A girl of around seven, dressed in a fine elven robe, skipped happily along the hallway, her dark braids swinging back and forth over her ears. She turned, her tourmaline eyes casting their quizzical gaze in Estel's direction.
"Mae govannen," she whispered.
"Who are you?"
A smile crossed her lips. "I am a child, just like you."
"I mean, what is your name?"
The girl bit her lip. "I cannot remember," she admitted sheepishly. "It had been a long time since I have spoken to anyone; so long since I have had a friend." She sighed forlornly, sinking to the floor.
Estel knelt beside her. "I know how you feel sometimes..."
"Nin ion, who are you talking to?" Elrond's voice filled the air.
The boy turned to face the elven lord. "This little girl here, Ada." He pointed.
Elrond narrowed his eyes. "Estel, there is no-one there!"
"Yes, there is!" He protested, turning to face her.
The girl was gone.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Ada, I am not halluci - hillucan -"
"Hallucinating, Estel." The elf lord crumpled a few dried leaves and tossed them into a simmering pot, before stirring the viscous green liquid. He then lay a cool hand on the child's forehead. "Hallucinations, delirium, a temperature. You may be coming down with a fever." Pouring some of the liquid into a goblet, he handed it to the boy. "Drink this."
Grimacing, the boy reluctantly accepted the potion. His face contoured into a wave of displeasure as he swallowed it. Dropping the goblet, he clutched his stomach. "I think I am going to be sick!"
"Nice try, Estel. That was a trick that Elladan and Elrohir favoured."
The boy glowered at the elven lord. "Ada there was a little girl! Honest! She was about my age, and she had black hair and sort of greeny-blue eyes and -"
"Estel, be quiet!"
The boy's lower lip trembled. "Ada..."
Elrond grabbed the boy's wrist. "Listen carefully. You are not to speak of this girl again? Do you understand?" A lone tear trickled from the child's eyes as he nodded. Brushing a kiss to Estel's brow, the elf lord said, "Goodnight, child."
The boy did not answer, and shuffled back to his bedroom.
Sighing, the elf lord sank into an armchair, rubbing a hand to his forehead. Estel had to be hallucinating... It was impossible that... From the corner of his eye, he spotted an object lying carelessly on the polished tiles. Elrond rose, and picked up the stiffed bear, clutching it to his chest. Tears welled in his eyes, and he sobbed silently into the toy.
* * * * * * * * * * *
ELVISH TRANSLATIONS:
nin ion = my son
Mani naa ta, = is something wrong
Mae govannen = welcome.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thanks for reading. Please review!
CHAPTER ONE: ILLUSIONS
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The day was drawing to a close. A young boy of seven stood on a balcony overlooking Rivendell, and sighed softly. Just another day; another monotonous, lonely day.
"Estel?"
The boy turned, a faint smile crossing his lips. "Hello, Ada," he greeted the elven lord, a note of weariness in is voice.
"Mani naa ta, nin ion?"
"Nothing, Ada," Estel replied with a sigh.
"You feel lonely?" Elrond guessed.
The boy nodded. "There are no children my age, and Elladan and Elrohir are always away hunting Orcs. I just want someone to play with, that's all. I just want a friend."
Elrond ruffled the boy's brown hair. "Do not worry, child. Come inside, dinner is almost ready."
* * * * * * * * * *
Estel had no idea what had awoken him. He sat up in bed, grinding his fists into his eyes, and yawned. Moonlight poured in through the window, dancing upon the floor.
Then, he heard it: a soft giggle.
"Who is there?" He swung his legs out of bed, and cautiously paddled to the door. "Who is it? Ada? Elladan? Elrohir?" Turning the door handle gingerly, he peered into the corridor.
The young human could not believe his eyes.
A girl of around seven, dressed in a fine elven robe, skipped happily along the hallway, her dark braids swinging back and forth over her ears. She turned, her tourmaline eyes casting their quizzical gaze in Estel's direction.
"Mae govannen," she whispered.
"Who are you?"
A smile crossed her lips. "I am a child, just like you."
"I mean, what is your name?"
The girl bit her lip. "I cannot remember," she admitted sheepishly. "It had been a long time since I have spoken to anyone; so long since I have had a friend." She sighed forlornly, sinking to the floor.
Estel knelt beside her. "I know how you feel sometimes..."
"Nin ion, who are you talking to?" Elrond's voice filled the air.
The boy turned to face the elven lord. "This little girl here, Ada." He pointed.
Elrond narrowed his eyes. "Estel, there is no-one there!"
"Yes, there is!" He protested, turning to face her.
The girl was gone.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Ada, I am not halluci - hillucan -"
"Hallucinating, Estel." The elf lord crumpled a few dried leaves and tossed them into a simmering pot, before stirring the viscous green liquid. He then lay a cool hand on the child's forehead. "Hallucinations, delirium, a temperature. You may be coming down with a fever." Pouring some of the liquid into a goblet, he handed it to the boy. "Drink this."
Grimacing, the boy reluctantly accepted the potion. His face contoured into a wave of displeasure as he swallowed it. Dropping the goblet, he clutched his stomach. "I think I am going to be sick!"
"Nice try, Estel. That was a trick that Elladan and Elrohir favoured."
The boy glowered at the elven lord. "Ada there was a little girl! Honest! She was about my age, and she had black hair and sort of greeny-blue eyes and -"
"Estel, be quiet!"
The boy's lower lip trembled. "Ada..."
Elrond grabbed the boy's wrist. "Listen carefully. You are not to speak of this girl again? Do you understand?" A lone tear trickled from the child's eyes as he nodded. Brushing a kiss to Estel's brow, the elf lord said, "Goodnight, child."
The boy did not answer, and shuffled back to his bedroom.
Sighing, the elf lord sank into an armchair, rubbing a hand to his forehead. Estel had to be hallucinating... It was impossible that... From the corner of his eye, he spotted an object lying carelessly on the polished tiles. Elrond rose, and picked up the stiffed bear, clutching it to his chest. Tears welled in his eyes, and he sobbed silently into the toy.
* * * * * * * * * * *
ELVISH TRANSLATIONS:
nin ion = my son
Mani naa ta, = is something wrong
Mae govannen = welcome.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thanks for reading. Please review!