Enyalie

Memory

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author: Etharei

Many thanks to my excellent beta reader, Halo Son

Disclaimer: Please see Chapter One

Author's Notes:

Words in italics indicate thoughts.

So far, conversations between characters in Rivendell are actually in Sindarin; conversations outside Rivendell are in Westron.

I know, I know, yet another title change. Really sorry, but I can almost guarantee that this will be the final change. If anyone wants to know, it's because I had originally planned for all the titles to be in Sindarin, but then felt that it was more appropriate for them to be in Quenya. In any case, I haven't changed the chapters themselves.

Thank you to all of you who have been following this- hopefully it's going to get exciting soon! To Arabella Thorne: Elrohir wonders too, and I reckon Elrond wanted a formal setting, but Gilraen had bullied him into giving it to Estel earlier. She can see what's ahead of him (for that matter, so can I ;-) but I guess it's 'cuz I wield the mighty pen) and the brooch has a subtle but very defining part later on in the story. Trustingfriendship, I guess it's an attempt to ease things for her, by placing a seemingly cold barrier between herself and 'Elrond's son'. Keep in mind that I'm actually describing things from a character's POV most of the time.

For those of you who have read Edain, you will notice that in this and in the subsequent stories, I do not mention the Players of the Game as often as I did in Edain. This is because I've decided that it'll be more interesting to see if anyone can follow the Moves and counter-Moves between White and Black. Keep in mind that it still plays a big part in the story- it's just that I'm taking you down to the characters' point of view, not knowing what fate (or the Players, in most cases) will hand them next.

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Chapter Four- Brothers and Battles

[Sindarin]

The sun was shining, the wind was cooling, and the sons of Elrond were having what Glorfindel had once termed a "politically philosophical discussion". The topic of the day was Elladan's potential for marriage.

The debate stood as thus: Elladan was protesting vehemently against his twin's suggestion of finding him a wife. His arguments ranged from making an ineffective husband because of his duties as a High Prince, to his supposed lack of skill with the sword, apparently "nothing to impress a maiden with". All of which were, of course, countered by Elrohir with the ease of long practice. Even Estel was getting drawn into it; the excitement of being in the Wild had begun to wear off after the first night, and he welcomed the twins' wrangling if only to keep his mind off saddle-soreness. When he inquired as to the reason Elrohir chose such a topic – earning a warning glare from Elladan – the younger twin explained that there was a maiden of "particular interest" residing in Mirkwood who would make the ideal political marriage.

It was amusing, to say the least. Estel knew that Elrohir would sooner marry an orc that let his brother get into an unwanted marriage; on the other hand, he was perfectly capable of having Elladan flocked by elf-maidens, all clamoring to be the future Lady of Imladris, with the slightest whisper in the right direction, and this Elladan knew too well.

"What think you, Estel?" Elrohir said, glancing his direction.

"Hmmm." Elrond had once commented that Estel had both the mischievous impulses of Elrohir and the sober propriety of Elladan, and he now felt those two polarities arguing within him. "I will have to observe this maiden myself if I am to make an educated decision."

Chuckling at Elladan's resigned expression, Estel returned his thoughts to the mission. Earlier he had been reading the reports written by their father concerning the 'danger zones' for orc ambushes in the Misty Mountains, preparing himself should he be questioned personally upon their arrival at Mirkwood. Though this was unlikely, considering the Mirkwood elves' opinion of his race, he decided not to take chances, as a representative of Imladris could not afford to seem ignorant. His brothers would not even need to refer to the reports, as they had ridden with most of the scouting parties and were the ones to give Elrond the information for the reports.

The twins commanded their own band of 30 elves each, befitting the children of a realm-lord, as well as holding rank in the military hierarchy of Rivendell. Though he wasn't sure, Estel thought they held the titles of Captain, under Glorfindel, the Captain-General. In situations of open war, all warrior-elves in Rivendell, down to the newest recruit, had a position in the military hierarchy, commanded by Elrond himself. Unlike men, elves did not inherit their positions in that hierarchy, and rise in rank was usually due to prowess in battle. Even Elladan and Elrohir had to begin as recruits, though they did get the marginal advantage of specialised training from their father and Glorfindel. Each elf knew more or less the rankings of their comrades in arms, for should their leaders fall in battle, the next elf down in rank present could assume command.

It would be a special case for him, Estel knew. He would never be able to gain enough experience in his lifetime to rise far in the ranks, and there was always the unwritten but strong tradition that the children of a realm-lord who chose to become warriors would have at least a squad of their own to command. He wondered if he should spare his father the challenge of finding a solution to this (as he would undoubtedly try to, Estel knew) by choosing to be a healer instead. Truth be told, he was better at it than most elves, and in times of war, healers were just as vital to a realm as its warriors. And it would be appropriate, as Elrond, who had apparently been a very accomplished swordmaster in his time, had put aside his weapons (for the most part, anyway) and was now acknowledged as the greatest healer of this Age.

Yet something told him that that would not be his future.

~*~

[Sindarin]

"Are you certain about this, Estel?"

"Just do it, Elrohir!"

"Father will have your hide if anything happens to Estel."

The sons of Elrond were resting on the outskirts of a patch of wood, the open plains on one side with the formidable peaks of the Misty Mountains beyond, and a line of slightly scraggly trees on the other. And at that moment, Estel was balanced precariously atop a rock facing Elrohir, who was ten paces away, anxiety on his face as he held his bow loosely.

"Be quiet, Elladan. And besides, aren't you the eldest and therefore responsible for your unruly siblings?"

"I know not what you mean, brother mine. I have suddenly developed an infatuation on Estel's lovely horse here, and you two are taking advantage of my indisposition. Furthermore, I am not aware of your little stunt."

[snigger, snigger]

"Estel, hold still!"

"I c-ca-can't. Look, e-even Fea's l-laughing!"

[snigger, snigger]

[neigh]

At that point Estel gave up and fell to the ground laughing.

"Watch it brother, you've just had lunch."

Some time later...

"Let us try this again."

"Ready."

Twang! Twang! Twang!

Three graceful arrows shot towards Estel. The young human's face was somber as he concentrated on the arrows. His knife was in his hand.

With reflexes borne of growing up amongst elves, Estel successfully deflected the first two arrows. He was then supposed to catch the third arrow mid-flight and shoot it back at Elrohir. But as he barely managed to deflect the second arrow, Estel knew he would not be fast enough to catch the third.

THUNK!

The handle of Elladan's dagger knocked the arrow off course, and it spun harmlessly out of the way. Estel sighed mournfully.

"Worry not overmuch, my brother," Elrohir said good-naturedly as he picked up his arrows and checked them for damage. "You improve each time. A few more practices and you will be showing off to Ada."

"I would not advise it," Elladan commented with a smile. He stopped sharpening Elrohir's knives and re-sheathed them. "It might not be good for his continued health."

Estel grinned at them, but his heart was heavy. He loved his brothers dearly, and was still awed by elves even after growing up amongst them, but lately he had been getting this… need to prove himself. He was very puzzled by this, as it was usually his nature to avoid being the centre of attention. The first time he bested Glorfindel with the sword had been met with a small celebration in the family sitting room, but no more, and he preferred it that way. Or so he thought. But lately he would become irritated if one of his brothers beat him at archery or tracking; it happened too often for his liking, yet logically he knew that there was no helping this, as his brothers were gifted with far superior elven senses.

He wondered if he was going through one of those "hormonal imbalances" Erestor had once told him about.

You are human. You do not deserve to be with them.

Sometimes he would wonder what it would have been like to grow up as a human, amongst Men. What his life would have been if his father hadn't died…

Though such thoughts came unbidden, and had no encouragement from him in forming, he was nonetheless ashamed of even thinking such things. As grateful as he was for the one who sired him, Elrond had given him a home and a loving family, against the wishes of his own advisors. He should be grateful, not wishfully thinking of another life. He wondered if these thoughts weren't a product of his dreams. They had been too dark of late.

You are a mortal. You will be the bane of these elves you love.

Evidently some of his internal distress registered on his face. "Is ought wrong, Estel?" asked Elrohir in concern.

Estel forced a grin to his face. "Yes, all is well, 'Rohir. I was only thinking."

"Well tell us when you are done thinking, so you can get on with showing us what you've been hiding under that tunic of yours since we left home."

At Elladan's raised eyebrow, a real grin lit his face, and he pulled out the brooch. He kept it in a small pocket on the inside of his innermost tunic, as near to his skin as he could get it, and took it out at night when he thought that the twins couldn't see. He held it out on his palm now, unable to resist a small glow of happiness. Cunningly crafted with mithril and silver, it looked as if he could crush it in his hand, but he knew that even the strongest hammers would barely dent it.

Very symbolic of the elves, in a way.

The twins breathed in slightly more sharply than normal. Obviously, of all the things they had suspected Estel was hiding, it didn't involve this. Simultaneous smiles graced their faces, and they looked at Estel in joy.

"Ada." Elrohir said in wonder, looking at his twin. "I had hoped, but… Elbereth, can you imagine Thranduil's face when he learns of this? I wonder why Ada didn't have the traditional presentation ceremony?"

"I'm not sure," Estel said. He hadn't really thought about that, and now pointedly ignored the sudden sting to his pride as irrational thoughts, all of which ran along the lines of "Ada doesn't think I'm worthy enough for one", raced through the back of his mind. He couldn't understand it. For the most part he was ecstatic about his father's acknowledgement of his worth and his place in the realm, yet some alien part of him wanted more.

He wondered if he was ill.

He nearly jumped when Elrohir looked at him, and suddenly bowed formally as if to an equal. "We are honoured to have you in our company, my Prince."

Estel returned the bow with his long-practiced one, but Elrohir stopped him before his body dip too far. "Not so low, Estel. We are equals, and thus your greeting cannot be any more or less than mine."

Feeling self-conscious and wondering if he'd ever get used to his new title, Estel tried again, adding, "It is I who is honoured to be graced by your wisdom, my Prince."

Elladan was shaking his head and let his eyes dart quickly to the sky, the elven equivalent of rolling one's eyes. Though the eldest son of Elrond could get as mischievous as his twin, and often did at home, Elladan was the more sensible one of the three if them, and kept their 'merry-making' within decent limits. He also maintained had this ethic of not partaking in any merry-making when they not at home and when they had visitors. Thus, most elves outside the household thought of Elladan as a gentle-spoken, formal elf, befitting his title as heir to Imladris.

Inspired, Estel and Elrohir flashed a grin at each other and bowed to their older brother, dipping deeper than they had for each other.

"Hail, High Prince of Imladris!"

Within a few minutes, the horses continued grazing quietly whist being entertained with the sight of their masters haring down the plain, elven customs and hormonal imbalances forgotten.

Far above, a dark speck circled thrice, then wheeled off towards the Mountains.

~*~

[Sindarin]

Your 'brothers' will die because of you!

Leave them, if you wish them to live.

Estel woke suddenly, his hand automatically gripping the hilt of his sword. A quick sweep of their small camp told him that the night was peaceful, yet he had woken up for no apparent reason, and that was troubling enough. His sharp eyes spotted Elladan on the watch some distance from their dying fire, his slender form hardly a shadow in the clear night. Estel noted the elder twin's tense body, and his unwavering gaze towards the dark shadows that were the Misty Mountains.

"How is the night, brother?" he asked softly, not wishing to wake the other twin.

Elladan shook his head, seeming slightly surprised that the human was awake, though he didn't move his eyes. "Peaceful, from what my senses tell me. Nothing that I can see or hear, yet there is unease in the lands around us. I had thought it only a shadow of fear in my heart, but if it woke you...."

For a moment the two were silent, and Estel followed his brother's gaze towards the formidable mountain range. They had made good progress in the past three days, travelling south whilst keeping the Mountains in their line of sight. Their plan was to reach the Gap of Rohan where they would turn north-east, skirting along the edges of Fangorn and Rohan. Then they were to meet up with a Lorien party that would journey with them towards Mirkwood. Their main mission was to exchange news with the other elven realms, particularly updating maps on orc and goblin trails. Quite routine for the twins, with the only difference being that it was to be Estel's first time in Mirkwood, and the twins usually brought more elves with them. But orc activity had decreased significantly in the Mountains, and Elrond had agreed with the twins in that it was safe enough for a party of three to journey, since they weren't even going near the Mountains.

And orcs didn't usually travel in the open plains. Usually.

Elladan gasped, in a heartbeat his sword was drawn and held ready. Estel drew out his own sword and jumped out of his sleeping pallet, nudging Elrohir with his foot as he did so. Awareness flashed through the silver-grey eyes, and in a second he had joined his brothers with an arrow drawn and his bow held at ready.

Not a moment too soon, for in the next second several arrows flew at them from three different directions. Lightning reflexes saved them, though Estel felt the wind from one that would have pierced his wrist had he not moved sooner.

"I think there is trouble," Elrohir calmly.

Even as he strained his eyes trying to see their attackers in the sheer darkness, for there was no moon that night, Estel thought he spotted Elladan look tempted to nock his twin's head with the hilt of his sword..

As it turned out, Elrohir's words were a bit of an understatement.

Fortunately for the brothers, orcs make a lot of noise when attacking. At least to elves they did, but then Estel felt that even a family of snoring dwarves made less noise than an orc trying to be stealthy.

As it was, Estel was able estimate the number of their foes by the racket they were making, and mentally concluded that perhaps knowledge was quite a welcomed thing in some cases. He estimated that there were at least two score, and as he didn't know where they were coming from (for Elladan would almost certainly had noticed them had they been travelling over the open country) doubtless that was only a starting figure. Orcs didn't attempt a raid on armed elves without sufficiently outnumbering them.

Instinctively the three brothers shifted closer to each other, back to back in a circle around their camp. A low whistle from Elrohir sent their horses galloping off to a safer standpoint, where they could return when called. A couple of arrows were fired at them, but the orcs on the whole were more interested in the trio.

A large burly orcs rushed at Estel. The young mortal tensed, bracing to block the attack, only to pivot on one foot and spin away at the last moment as one of Elrohir's arrows suddenly protruded from the orc's neck. With the momentum from his spin, Estel beheaded the smaller orc that had been creeping up on Elrohir's unprotected back with a dagger in hand.

After the first few orcs went down the fighting became more intense. The young human parried, spun, cut, thrusted with a speed nearly matching his elven brothers'; but for every orc that was cut down three more took its place. Years of training together had made them sensitive to each others' moves, and they fell into the dance, the weaving in and out of each other, their practiced moves timed perfectly. To be a second early or late would have ended with a dagger in the throat, and not from the orcs. Their moves complimenting but not hindering the others'; Estel and Elladan with their swords and Elrohir with his knives - he had abandoned his bow after the first onslaught - , survival depended on trust.

Despite the odds, Estel began to feel that they might come out of it alive.

Then again, Ada always said I was an optimist.

He pulled his dagger from between an orc's shoulders and threw it at Elladan. The spinning blade barely missed the elf's fair face before slamming into the head of an orc rushing towards elder twin, who was occupied with two other attackers. But the human did not even see his dagger hit its target, for his eyes met with Elrohir's. As the handle of the dagger left his fingers Estel ducked, rolled and skewered an orc as he jumped back up. At the same time Elrohir beheaded an orc where Estel had been standing moments before.

Beheading another orc, the young human chanced a quick glance at the sky. Yes... the night sky was lightening, and Estel could sense the approach of dawn.

It seemed that the orcs felt it too. Their attack became less fierce, and in the growing light there no longer seemed to be that many of them left; which was fortunate, since Estel was beginning to feel the weariness in his muscles. He knew that his brothers, who did not look half as tired as he, would compensate, but it irked his pride.

Soon it became apparent that dawn was at hand, and some of the orcs decided to start retreating. In the growing light the brothers could see where the orcs were coming from; they were disappearing into a hole in the ground underneath a dead tree not far from them. Small wonder they had not seen them approach. Estel had only time for a glance, however, for a near miss to his head by an orc scimitar reminded him that there were still enemies around them.

As the light grew, more and more orcs opted to return underground, and as the first rays of the sun peeked from behind the mountain range, the brothers were dispatching the last of their assailants.

With enormous relief Estel finally cut down a particularly challenging orc. Weary and hungry, he sheathed his sword and looked around for his brothers, in his mind going over what they should do about the hole and tunnel from which the orcs had come from. It had been apparent that this tunneling was a new thing, and could be the explanation for the sudden decrease in orc numbers in the mountain range.

It was then that he noticed an orc pointing its crossbow at him. The orc was barely standing and missing most of a leg, but its baleful glare made the human's blood run cold.

It's finger crooked. Estel's eyes could see only the steely tip of the crossbow bolt.

Try as he might, he couldn't move.

Time stopped.

The orc released the bolt.

~*~*~

PS- I haven't read any books that gives specific details about this, so in my mind, elven military had a slightly different structure to that of Men.

And for those of you confused by the 'random' thoughts popping up everywhere, it's a sort of leftover from the line of thought I took in Umae Indo (also known as 'Edain'). Don't worry too much about it, but if you're curious you can always pop over there to have a look.