Mortal

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters they are property of Mr. Tolkien. On another note I do currently own this stupid plot bunny that bit me!

Summary: The night Estel learns the fate of Men.

AN: This is a plot bunny that bit me. Still working on the 'Florabama' thing (Dragon of the North knows what I'm talking about) but certain elf lords *cough* Thranduil *cough* are being difficult so that's on a back burner. This will be a one shot thing. My take on how little Estel learned what being mortal meant. . Also I call Elrond's healing chamber study thing- (^-^ hehe aren't I wonderfully articulate?) the medicine house.

Glorfindel stared at the crying child in his arms, and at the elf lord before him. "He had to be shown nin mellon. You know he had to be shown."

"I know." The raven-haired elf lord replied. "But I wish it could have waited a few more years."

"Estel was bound to learn sooner or later, hiding it from him would not help."

"It could have been prevented." Elrond said sitting down in the seat before Glorfindel. His grey eyes moved to a sobbing Estel. "He won't even come near me, much less look at me."

Glorfindel rubbed Estel's back in a soothing motion as he felt the child's breathing slow. "Mortality is a heavy burden. At times I wish that Illuvitar hadn't made Men mortal. We live in a world that we will never fade from while the entire world around us withers and dies. I am able to fathom how he must feel, living in a house of immortals to find out one day that he will die, it must be heart crushing."

"It is not as if I intended for him to learn that way, to see that little girl." Elrond closed his eyes for a moment, and a vision of a small girl lying in a bed in the medicine house. Her blonde hair stained with dirt and blood. Long black arrows, orc arrows, protruding from her chest.

*********

Elladan had found her some where between life and death on the boarders of Imladris. When he brought her back it was almost noon. Elrohir and Estel had been playing out in the gardens when Elladan rushed the girl in asking for Ada. Elrohir told Estel to go find Glorfindel and stay with him.

Elrond pulled the arrows out of the girl gently and did his best to mend the wounds. The girl's heart and stopped and nothing the elf lord did could bring her back. He didn't even know another was in the room until and hour later when Estel crept out of his hiding space behind the door.

"Ada stop poking at her. You gave her the medicine, fixed her wounds now she tired."

Elrond stared in pure shock at the child. " Estel you don't."

"Ada shh!" Estel said and began to wrap the girl in a blanket, but his hand brushed against her skin. Estel jumped back and stared at Elrond in shock. "Ada she's so cold."

Elrond felt a lump rise in his throat as Estel tried to shake the girl awake so that he could thoroughly wrap her in a blanket. "Estel leave her be!"

"Ada why won't she wake up!" Estel began to shake her more frantically. "Ada! Ada! Make her wake up!"

Elrond grabbed Estel in his arms. "She is dead Estel.dead. you know what that means."

Estel's eyes watered with tears.

"She was mortal." Elrond continued," And mortals can die much easier than elves. They can die of illness, injuries, and sometimes they even kill themselves. Everyone in this house is an elf, immortal.. we can only die in battle or of broken heart. "

"But Ada she was Edain.I'm Edain." Then Estel stopped and his tears fell like water falls. Elrond closed his eyes as if in pain, he knew in his heart that Estel had made the connection between Edain and Mortal. Estel's loud wails could be hear throughout Elrond' house and the child lunged out of Elrond's arms and ran as fast as he could away from the Elf lord.

Explaining to Estel the difference between mortals and immortals was something Elrond wished with all his heart he'd never had to do. He then cursed Elladan for bringing her to Imladris.

Elrond closed his eyes and clear tears ran from them only to fall on the marble floor.

Estel hadn't shown up for dinner so the entire house went to look for him. Glorfindel was the one who found him. Estel had hidden himself in the medicine house; he was lying in the bed next to the human girl's body. She had not been buried yet, seeing as how a grave was still being made for her.

"Estel what are you doing here?" Glorfindel asked. Estel did not respond until Glorfindel picked him up and carried the crying Estel out of the room and into Elrond's private study. Glorfindel just stared at Elrond as Estel ran away from him and into the opposite corner of the room. Blue eyes met Grey ones. "I'm sorry nin mellon. But this will better him in the long run. He had to learn."

****

Elrond broke out of his reverie. Those words echoed in his mind, Glorfindel spoke as if. Elrond watched Glorfindel gently rock the crying Estel to sleep. Estel's curiosity was not what brought him to the medicine house. It was Glorfindel.

The End

Kinda angsty and bad I know but at least now that plot bunny is down *checks list* @.@ only fifty more to go..oye!