~*~Revelations~*~
Mastrovar neighed gently as Legolas stroked his long silver mane, the moon shone brightly in the cloudless midnight sky leaving them illuminated in an eerie glow. An owl hooted nearby, the only other sound in the whole of the valley.
"Come, Mastrovar, we are no longer welcome here." He whispered, mounting the grey steed. "Perhaps in time they will forgive me, though I would not count on it."
As he trotted away, he looked back with a great sadness, unsure of whether he would ever look upon the valley again. And there he slipped away, without a word or a farewell, under the piercing gaze of the stars. His heart, heavier than the weight of the world itself, the burden of failure and of guilt crippling and his regret overwhelming. Never had he been responsible for the death of someone. He had witnessed death, yes, but only on the briefest of occasions and was not a result of his actions. But Estel's death would be. He was a child. Eleven only. Eleven years to him seemed as if a blink of an eye. He felt like a child again, helpless and of little use. Elladan and Elrohir's words had cut deeply and would scar his steps forever. Into the distance he faded, shoulders slumped and head bowed. Defeated and broken.
* * *
A long and agonizing week passed, the buds in the trees began to blossom and the leaves flourish, but it was not noticed. The gardens sat empty and void of the melodic song that used to fill it. Rivendell remained tense, the usually mellow and peaceful atmosphere shattered. Lord Elrond and his sons rarely ventured from the Halls now, no guests or well wishers were allowed inside and little word was spread. Much to the relief of all who dwelled there, Estel did not perish that night, and in fact was beginning to show signs of steady improvement, but it did not lift the mood much, most still wary of the fortunes of human health. The injuries to his arms were doing well, the bruises disappeared and the cuts diminishing to scabs, the bite in his leg had recovered from infection but the Warg's powerful jaws did break the bones and had to be placed in a splint. The most serious wounds on his chest and stomach finally stopped bleeding on the second day, the stitches thankfully held and were healing gradually. It had been a rollercoaster; his condition worsened and fever burned but he endured and it broke a few days later. Estel had yet to wake, and so speculation and accusation remained rife.
"It was unnecessary and unfair, my sons." Elrond hissed, livid at his children. "I doubt we will ever see him again."
"Unfair? Estel is lying in this bed, that is what is unfair." Elladan growled. "I never want to see him again."
"You do not know the whole tale." The elder elf replied calmly.
"We know enough. Legolas left him alone in the Wilderland and Estel was attacked." Elrohir joined in.
"You left them alone." Their father snapped venomously.
"We thought we could trust Legolas, but we clearly overestimated him."
"It is neither a question of trust, nor is it of overestimating his abilities. You did not think."
"That is not fair." Elrohir snarled, clearly hurt by his words.
"And it is not fair to blame Legolas for this unfortunate incident. This could have happened if you were there, or I was there or if the whole of Rivendell were there. Legolas is no miracle worker; you should not have put that pressure on him. You know what Estel can be like, he wanders off and he could drive anyone to storm off. He gets that from you."
"Pressure? He is one of the finest archers in Middle Earth and he is a prince, all we asked is that he takes care of our brother and he left him. He left Estel – a little boy – alone." Elladan replied gruffly.
"He made a mistake, but is it worth losing such a dear friend?" Elrond asked softly. "You have known Legolas all your long lives."
Elrohir looked down at his hands. "I just cannot bring myself to forgive him, not after what he has done."
"Well, that is your choice, a sad choice, but it is your choice to make."
As they spoke, neither the twins, nor Elrond had noticed a pair of sore eyes looking up them.
"Ada?" A croak startled them.
"Estel?" Elrond head snapped back, his eyes welling up with tears of relief. "It is alright, you are safe."
A smile crept across his face. "I was afraid I would not see you again."
"Shh, my son, your strength is returning, you will be on your feet in no time." The dark haired elf replied softly.
"What is a sad choice?" Estel asked quietly, craning his head.
* * *
The breeze ruffled through his hair, dancing wildly across his face. He sung gently to himself, but his voice was carried away by the wind. The sun gleamed hazily, warming the earth a little as the birds twittered loudly in the trees. Sitting at the base of an ancient pine tree, the sweet scent rippling though the air, he adjusted the string of his bow, away with his thoughts. The image of Estel lying still in the bed had never strayed from his mind, prominent and unwavering. Legolas had intended to return to Mirkwood, but had not got further than an hours ride from Rivendell, unable to bring himself to leave without knowing Estel's condition either way. He had come close to the valley on several occasions but never dared to enter once more. It weighed so heavily in his mind and heart that it hurt.
"Ah, here you are. I have been searching for hours." A deep voice announced, shattering the elf's concentration and startling him terribly.
"Gandalf. Forgive me, I did not see you there." He replied after a moments pause.
"Clearly." The wizard remarked dryly. "Your senses certainly seemed to have dulled of late."
Legolas looked at the grey haired figure standing in front of him, his expression emotionless. "I have been a little preoccupied recently." His voice only a timid mutter.
He knelt down beside him. "Your manners seemed to have flown away faster than your fiery spirit. Will you not offer an old man some tea after he has spent almost a day tracking you." Gandalf smiled.
"Of course, my camp is not far."
"I know. I saw it. I have been looking up into all the trees in the surrounding area to then find you on the ground, it was most inconsiderate." He joked, trying terribly to break Legolas' dejection.
It failed to raise much of a smile and they walked back in an uncomfortable silence.
"In all your gloom, you seem to have forgotten to ask how the cause of your despair fares."
Legolas stopped in his tracks, bowing his head slightly. "I had not forgotten… but simply a little afraid to ask, for your eyes are stained with sadness and I fear you coming bearing ill news."
He looked down and Legolas' heart sank. "My eyes are deceiving you then, my friend. Estel is alive and his strength is returning slowly. It has been a long week, full of scares but also full of relief." A warm smile lighting up his face. "For that is why I am here, I bid you to return to Rivendell and resolve your differences with your dear friends."
"That is joyous news indeed, but if he has awoken, then they will know the full extent of my actions. I think it would be better if I stayed away." The fair elf replied, sitting down beside Gandalf on a moss-covered boulder.
"And that is why you could not venture further than this, or are you taking a most extremely leisurely pace back home?" He cocked an eyebrow.
Legolas couldn't help but let out a loud laugh and poured out a large mug of tea.
"Forgive me if this sounds a little… brazen of me, but why you have shown so much remorse and regret for someone you showed so little regard for?
Sipping his tea slowly, the elf remained silent for a while, almost until Gandalf had given up hope of him answering his question. "He is a very strange thing." He remarked coyly. "He is brash and arrogant and has made me look ridiculous on many occasions, but I am curiously fond of him. Estel is a new challenge for me but is too sharp for his own good. Yet, despite our antagonism toward each other, he always tried to make his peace." Legolas took another sip while the wizard watched him closely. "But… after that night, he will never forgive me. How could he? I said an awful thing and it hurt terribly; I could see the pain in his eyes. And then I left him. Alone… I thought he could cope. For that split second, I thought that he could take care of himself. He was so good…" Trailing off, he glanced up at Gandalf, expecting a suspicious gaze but met with a knowing smile.
He put down his mug, pausing momentarily. "Estel told me what happened with the goblins… an exchange for him telling me how to get rid of that garish hair colour he inflicted."
Legolas raised an eyebrow. "That seems like a very one-sided deal, I thought he was far more astute than that."
"Well, he had drunk a little wine and it must have appeared to be a fair bargain at the time." The wizard chuckled lightly.
"I am appalled." He smiled. "I thought you were a noble man, and yet you got an eleven year old child drunk just so you would not have green hair. That is terrible, Gandalf, I am ashamed of you."
"Good gracious, that is hardly fair. It was the twins who gave him the wine… I simply took advantage of the situation and sobered him up again. That is why they are still all the shades of the rainbow and I am not." He explained defensively. "Wait. You are straying from the subject deliberately."
"I am not. You mentioned it, I did not ask."
"Legolas…"
"Fine." He muttered. "…I should have thanked him, Gandalf, but as usual, I was too proud and instead was suspicious and ungrateful. I resented him from that point, and there was no need."
"No, there was not." His words were met with an irritated glare.
"You are not helping." He growled. "Anyway, it all boiled up that night and I exploded. I am upset by his attack, yes, but I am so angry with myself because it was my fault. Have you ever been responsible for so much pain? For someone almost dying?" Legolas' voice fell to almost a whimper.
"Yes," Gandalf replied softly. "I have been at fault for many deaths, and I regret them all. You must understand however, that this is not your fault. You could have been attacked when you were together and Estel still may have been hurt as badly."
"But, when Estel wakes, he will tell them what happened and they will still blame me, and rightly so."
"He may surprise you." Gandalf's eyes sparkled.
"He is too full of surprises… and mystery." He mused, turning to his friend. "Who is he? Lord Elrond would not tell me." He pressed.
"It is not my place to tell."
"Come on, Gandalf. It cannot be that secret."
"It is, and I would not go against Lord Elrond's wishes. Estel does not even know his true identity. It is the only way."
Legolas' eyes widened. "I would not breathe a word, no one but you would know that I knew."
"I cannot."
"Please, Gandalf. It would ease my mind and my heart, you have my word that I would never tell a soul."
The wizard groaned. "Never shall you speak of this again. No one must know that I have broken Elrond's order, and for Estel's safety, you must never ever-"
"I promise."
He sighed and leant closer toward the fair elf. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn." His voice barely a whisper.
The stunned elf stayed silent, sinking his head into his pale hands. "You are telling me, that I have not only almost killed a child – the foster son of Lord Elrond, but I could have slain the heir to the throne of Gondor? A king of Men?" He mumbled. "Surely that carries a sentence of death?"
Gandalf rolled his eyes. "I never knew elves could be so melodramatic." He grimaced.
* * *
The afternoon sunlight beamed through the windows, as if celebrating his awakening. Elrond and his twin sons sat around the bedside, speaking joyfully to their sibling. Elladan and Elrohir had tried their very best to avoid asking what had happened that night, but Elrond steered the conversation that way to settle his curiosity.
"He does not need relive the attack, father, Legolas has already told us what happened." Elladan argued.
"What did he say?" The young boy asked quietly.
"Do not worry, he has admitted his guilt and he has gone." Elrohir smiled reassuringly.
"I do not understand."
"Legolas told us he left you alone in the wilds. At least he was big enough to take the blame-"
Estel shook his head. "He is lying. Legolas did not leave me alone."
"What do you mean? Why would he admit guilt if it was not true?" The elf questioned.
"He must be trying to protect me, and for that I thank him, but he cannot be blamed for my mistake." Estel spoke, his tone troubled.
"Your mistake? Now it is I who does not understand." Elladan leant in closer.
"I… I was just playing a little trick on him, I hid while he was lighting the fire and I was attacked. I was foolish, brother. I am sorry." He admitted, avoiding their piercing gaze.
"Foolish? That is certainly an understatement! How could you be so stupid?"
"Calm down, my son. Estel has been thoughtless, but he has been brave enough to admit to his error and not let Legolas be held responsible. Now I suggest you try to find him and apologise for jumping to conclusions." Elrond interrupted sternly.
"But he could be halfway to Mirkwood by now." Elladan whinged.
"All the more reason to act quickly." Elrond replied flatly, with a look that told them to go now.
They nodded reluctantly and left the room quietly. He looked across to the boy who sat up slightly, playing with his bandages and trying desperately to avoid his foster father's gaze.
"That was a very noble thing to do, Estel. I am very proud." He said tenderly, brushing aside an unruly strand of hair from his son's face.
Estel looked up and met Elrond's stare. "It was that obvious?" The boy asked meekly.
He smiled warmly and shook his head. "Only to me. I am intrigued though. I thought you did not like Legolas, why did you defend him?"
Shrugging gingerly, a little smile crept across his face. "He did not deserve their wrath, it was both of our faults. If we had not parted, we probably would have attacked one another. Besides, I enjoy teasing the silly thing, it is too easy and yet so very entertaining."
"I am glad to see you have not lost any of your spirit, my son." The ebony haired elf laughed. "It has not been the same without you."
The youngster went quiet for a moment. "I do not care what anybody thinks, you are my Ada, even if not by blood." He mumbled.
"And you are my son, and I love you dearly." Elrond whispered, kissing him on the forehead.
TBC…Sorry, that whole chapter was just talking. It's a bit lack lustre, because well, I'm depressed (My baby David Beckham leaving Man Utd) I'm ill (sniffles) and well, I'm really tired. And its windy so my hair goes a ridiculous shape so I didn't go to college. And I have a headache. And we've just bought a new computer and the instructions are written in jibberish. Pah.
Feh to the world.
Thanks to my lovely reviewers!Porcelain Princess – No, he couldn't die, that would have kinda muffed it all up a bit. I like Legless, he's very purdy, but I only have eyes for Aragorn… and Elrond… and Faramir… and Haldir… and Boromir. But Aragorn wins by a mile.
Grumpy – Yeah, I've grown out that phase, although admittedly I lapse into it on occasions.
Leggy-stinks – Dude, your hatred of Legolas is a little unfair! Although I do despise Sam…
Trustingfriendship – You've almost got your wish…
Ele – No need to pounce! I am evil though, I just need a Persian Cat and I'll be ready to take over the world. Mwahahahaha
Leggylover03 – Ooh, can you fight 'leggy-stinks' and put it on webcam? It would be bloody hilarious.
Rose85 – Damn straight! Fergie's a complete eejit! He may restore my faith if he buys Ronaldinho, Kewell, Kluivert and Thuram though! I love Becks. :'( Did you hear Becks was strip searched at the airport in the US?! Now where do I apply for that job?!
Alawhen – I'm sure we'd all volunteer to give Legless a hug! ;)
TigerLily713 – Yeah, that why I made E&E react so strongly. I don't quite think he'll die of grief, but it's a sweet thought!
SK – Everyone thinks he must have been so clumsy, but he is a king and has grown up with elves, so I thought he would be pretty nimble (not as good as the elves of course) but he has got the genes for it.
Nelsonia – Well, he is getting better slowly, I couldn't hurt a little boy that much!
Carrie – That's why they are so mad at Legless, because they failed themselves.
Estel a.k.a Aragorn – No need to get violent, son. Chill ya beans.
