Ah ha! I bet you all had lost hope that this ever would arrive, didn't you? Come now, I surely wouldn't leave people without at LEAST finishing this, would I? Sorry, I know it takes me forever to update, and I truly apologize for that. I've just been busy with graduation and college orientation/class registration. Such a busy time! Sadly, that left little time for writing this and getting it up. But anyhow, it is, so no more complaints! It has more action! More adventure! And most importantly, more elvish! *grins widely*
Additional Note: Oh! Yes, also, I would like to note that my interpretation of how Aragorn grew up in Rivendell is inspired by the story of Túrin and of the Elf king, Thingol, who reigned in Doriath. (Story is from the Silmarillion when Beleriand was still in tact. Genius, that Tolkien was!) Their story is very similar to that of Aragorn's (well, minus the whole thing about Túrin's father being captured by Morgoth and his entire family being cursed, but we'll ignore that miniscule detail for now…), and Thingol raised the human Túrin as his own son and loved him greatly. That's how I view Elrond and Aragorn's relationship. Out of respect for Arathorn, Lord Elrond took Aragorn in, but grew to love him as his own. ::steps away from soapbox:: Well. I think that covered it rather thoroughly.
Anyway, I'm thinking that maybe I will drift away from the Misadventures series…*horrified gasp from audience*…wait! Let me finish! Anyway, I think I'll drift away from this for a little while, because I hope to get a full-length story started soon. I'll make sure to always stay a few chapters ahead, just to assure that I can update at a semi-regular interval. Let me know what you think of that idea in the reviews. Speaking of reviews, did I ever mention that I LOVE reviews? I mean REALLY love reviews? I hope this incredibly large hint is hitting home for you guys. *innocent smile* PLEASE review! Please? I seriously love to hear from everyone that reads, regardless of your thoughts on the story! Anyway, I'll stop my pathetic groveling now and allow you all to finish the conclusion to:
To Finally Come Home:
Part III
Estel sucked in a startled breath as the cold, biting edge of the knife pressed against the vulnerable flesh of his neck. The large man's face was close enough to Estel's own that his warm breath coursed into the teenager's face. The young adan struggled to not recoil from the strong scent of whiskey that reeked from the man. Estel restrained himself from rolling his eyes at the strangely placed satire that was taking place. Leave it up to me to find myself caught by a drunken, elf-hating man.
Upon deciding that remaining on that track of thought was a bad idea, Estel averted his attention back to Legolas, who stood motionless on the hill from where he had originally appeared. His bow was still pulled tautly, and from what Estel could tell, the elf had no intentions of withdrawing the arrow from its position.
"This is none of your business Elf!" The man shouted, consequently pushing the knife harder again Estel's throat. "Leave us be and go back to whatever tree you arrived from!"
Ilúvatar! Estel thought in disbelief. I cannot believe this man. He is asking for a death warrant to be simply handed to him.
The emotionless expression remained explicitly concrete on Legolas' face, even as the poorly constructed insults were thrown at him. "There you are wrong, Human. This is indeed business pertaining to me; I do not intend to allow such slaughter under the realm of Rivendell. Rethink your actions. This is my last warning to you."
Estel bit down on his lip as the knife dug further into the skin of his neck, drawing a small rivulet of scarlet blood. He tightly wrenched his eyes shut for a few seconds, attempting to keep himself level and calm. Loosing control now could cost him his life – not a risk he was willing to take.
Burnin's father's grip tightened on Estel as the situation for him grew dire. Estel gasped silently in pain as his leg was contorted back, aggravating the already burning wound. The woods around the teenager felt as though they had escalated one hundred degrees; the intensity of it made Estel's vision blur before him.
Legolas watched the boy's eyes flutter shut briefly. Upon opening again, the blonde elf could immediately discern the glazed-over gaze that indicated fever. This drunken fool of a man was not accepting any logic, and Legolas was forcefully reminding himself that it was not of elvish conduct to simply kill a man. Although, Legolas thought, in this case perhaps the etiquette could be overridden.
"What right have you to interfere with the concerns of other races?" The human's taunting voice returned in full force. The Sindarin elf clenched his jaw tightly at the irritating voice, an action invisible except to the most observant of eyes. "Do you really believe yourself to be that much higher than the rest of lowly Middle Earth? Elves have been running away from everything that threatens them for years, disappearing to their hallowed Grey Havens. Selfish! That's all you are!"
Separated by several feet from the struggle of wills, Burnin stood in a stunned shock of awe and terror. What was his father doing? This was an elf! One could not simply defy one of the Firstborn; it was certain death. "Father, let him go." Burnin's voice was soft but there was no uneasiness in its tone.
Wide eyes turned to the other copper-haired teenager. Burnin's father's eyes practically burned with fire. "Whose side are you on?" He hissed venomously.
The teenager did not flinch at the manner that his father spoke to him. "Yours, of course, Father. But this is not worth it – he is not worth your death." Burnin tossed his head at Estel.
A voice from the opposite side of the clearing caught both of the humans by surprise. "Listen to the boy. He seems to have more reasonability than you, Master Human."
Burnin's father turned his head in the opposite direction, looking for the owner of the voice. His sight finally settled upon another elf, but this one looked entirely different from the first. Long, jet-black hair flowed over the lithe creature's shoulders, spilling down his back. His eyes were deep brown, ringed with misty gray and full of intensity. He also held a bow already nocked with an arrow, held even with the man's head.
Estel blearily looked up, trying to focus on the new voice. Although the elf's face did not come entirely into focus, the sixteen-year-old could recognize who this was. "Ell'dan?" He whispered softly. His lips and tongue refused to work properly, blurring the word together.
Concern entered the elf when Estel called him Elladan. Not for many years had the human boy confused Elrohir for his brother. Obviously there was something wrong; he was assuming fever by watching the teen's actions. "Garo an, Estel, garo an." His voice was soft and lilting; he could see his foster brother relax slightly at its sound.
Although Burnin's father was indeed a vengeful man, he knew when odds were hopeless. He removed the knife from Estel's throat and shoved the teenager away from him, sending Estel crumpling to the ground. "Don't think this is over." He growled angrily before turning sharply to Burnin. "Get out of here, boy. We're returning to camp."
Stomping ahead, Burnin's father disappeared into the woods. However, Burnin stood for a few more moments, looking at both Legolas and Elrohir. "I – I'm sorry." He whispered to the elves. His father's infuriated voice called again, and without looking once more at the two elves, Burnin turned and ran off into the dense verdant foliage of the forest.
As soon as the youth disappeared, Elrohir moved quickly forward, kneeling down by Estel. "I am here, Estel." He quietly murmured, gently rolling the dark haired teenager onto his back. Immediately he noticed the dried blood that caked Estel's leggings. "Aí, what happened to you?" The dark-haired elf quietly questioned, running his hands lightly over Estel's body, checking for any less obvious injuries.
Opening his eyes just enough to see, Estel mumbled out a few answers to Elrohir's question. "Wolves…tree…cold…knife…"
Legolas kneeled down opposite to Elrohir. "Thank the Valar that you arrived when you did, Peredhilion. I was running out of options, short of shooting the man where he stood."
Elrohir looked up from his human brother and glanced into the face of the blonde wood elf. "That may not have been such a bad option, mellonin. I do not understand their kind sometimes."
A soft smile briefly lit the face of Legolas. "Perhaps not, but do not forget that Estel is of the Second-born."
Elrohir stiffened his lower jaw defensively. "Estel is different than them. I consider him more elvish than of the edain sometimes."
"Yes, that I know, Elrohir. He is among the blessed to have a brother in you." Legolas reached over and set a comforting hand on the Noldor elf.
"You found him!" A familiar voice called. Elrohir looked over his right shoulder to see his twin emerge from the woods. He slowed as he came closer upon where Estel lay. "He is not…?"
"No, no!" Legolas quickly stopped him. "He is injured, but has not left us. I am assuming that seeing that his leg has been left unattended it has become infected rather severely." His eyes once again scanned the inflamed, carmine skin that surrounded the cut, and a concerned frown deepened his expression.
"Thank Elbereth! I had thought that we were too late." Elladan sighed, releasing a breath. "We must get him back to Imladris and to Father. It is important to move quickly."
Elrohir simply nodded and lay his hand on the dark haired human's forehead. "Estel?" He could feel the heat radiating from the youth's body. After a few moments, Estel's eyes slowly opened, unfocused and glassy.
"Ada?" His voice had grown considerably weaker and cracked with the effort of speaking. The adrenaline that was sustaining his battered body earlier had drained away, leaving him on the brink of unconsciousness. He reached up, his fingers finding Elrohir's face, where they lightly rested.
"No, Estel, it is I, Elrohir." The older elf's own hands gently covered the human boy's own cold hands. "We're taking you home to Ada now." He sadly looked into the confused gray eyes of the young human. "You'll be all right, hen-neth."
Elladan kneeled next to his twin brother and looked down at Estel. "Elrohir, what happened to him?" Suspicion grew in his voice as perceptive eyes traced the light stream of blood that had oozed from a fine cut on the teenager's neck.
Before answering, Elrohir smoothly removed Estel's hands from his face, placing them on the boy's chest. He then looked into the face of his elven twin. "I do not know all of what transpired, but when I came there was a human that was threatening to kill Estel. Legolas found him first. If it had not been for him, we may not have been in time to save Estel."
Legolas shook his head refutably. "You give me too much credit Elrohir."
Elladan reached slowly down, carefully wrapping his arms around the young human, in effect, picking him off the ground. Estel forced his eyes open again, weakly struggling against the action. "I can walk, El'hir." His voice shook and refused to properly form all of the words.
Sighing, Elladan could not help but smile at the boy. "Stop being a stubborn-headed fool, silly human." Inwardly, however, Elladan frowned at the warmth that was illuminating from the young human. He could feel the slight trembling through the fabric of Estel's tunic. The tunic was already damp with the excessive perspiring that had occurred due to the raging fever.
Elrohir glanced at the worried countenance of his brother. "Come, let's not waste more time. Ada will know exactly what to do."
Elladan nodded and cautiously stood, drawing the rangy form of his adoptive brother into his body. A slight groan came from Estel as his leg was accidentally jolted. "I'm sorry, Estel, I know it hurts." Without any response, Estel let his head drop heavily on the protective shoulder of his elven brother.
Silently, Elrohir caught pace with his brother and brought a hand up, letting it lightly rest on the young adan's dark hair. "I wish what I knew you were talking about when you spoke of wolves, Estel. Sometimes I wonder how exactly a being that has hardly learned to walk can possibly get himself into so much trouble."
Legolas had caught up with the trio at this point, a soft smile lighting his face. "I seem to remember two young elflings not so many centuries ago getting into their fair share of mishap." Despite the golden hair that seemed to create a halo about the Sindarin elf's head, Elladan swore that a demon lurked in the fair body.
"Legolas, I would like to point out that both Elladan and myself were well into our sixties before we began to raise any true trouble." Elrohir adamantly stated.
"Yes, my friend, but you must remember that the edain are not granted the gift endless time in which they can raise Mordor. They operate on a limited timeframe; therefore, they must start much earlier in their endeavors to drive Lord Elrond to an early trip to Valinor. I believe our young Estel is making quite impressive progress." The fair-haired elf's maddening smile grew wider.
Elladan sighed again, tightly, but gently, holding his foster brother to his own body. He failed to join in the light banter that his brother and friend were trying to encourage. "You have so much to learn, Estel, and so much to bear. But not yet. Don't begin to grow older before it is necessary, saes." He softly whispered, leaning his chin lightly into the soft hair of the teenager. The twin gazed morosely ahead of him as the three elves moved to where the horses were tethered.
Somberly, Elrohir looked at his twin, overhearing his words. Legolas also heard the soft plea to the unconscious youth, but did not understand what Elladan was speaking of – why his tone was so dark.
"Al nef, Elladan." Elrohir's words were quiet but understanding. He knew that his twin brother simply was protective of Estel, but Legolas knew not of Estel's true ancestry or past. Although Elrohir trusted the wood elf with his very life, he knew that allowing this secret out to anyone before the time was right could be a deadly mistake that would not be repeated.
The other dark-haired elf blinked, looking at the reflection image of his brother. "Iston, iston…" He broke off as Estel groaned once more in his arms, trying to break free of the engulfing darkness of unconsciousness. "Sh, Estel, do not struggle. We will be back to Ada before you know it."
Legolas decided that it would not be wise to pry further into this issue. Obviously it was something that the twins did not feel comfortable discussing at the time. "Come, my friends. We leave for Imladris." He gracefully mounted his silver steed, almost floating onto her back. Elladan took more time, making sure not to jar his young brother as he climbed onto his own horse's back.
"Let's go home, Estel." Elrohir softly spoke to the teenager from his own horse. "Let's go home."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lord Elrond quietly shut the door behind him, coming face to face with three elves that sat silently in the lounge area outside one of the healing rooms. The ancient elf lord looked at the three faces, no expression coming to his own.
"Will he be all right, Ada?" Elladan was the first to stand up and move toward Elrond.
The Noldor elf allowed his face to relax and let a reassuring smile briefly pass over his features. "Yes, my son, given a little time, Estel will be fine. He is sleeping now. The infection was caught before it could reach the heart and cause critical damage." He paused for a moment, searching the eyes of both his sons and the prince of Mirkwood. "However, I believe that it also due time for all three of you to take some much needed rest. You have been active without repose for nearly two days."
"But Ada, what about – " The older raven-haired twin was cut off by a single raised hand of Elrond.
"Do not argue with me about this. I promise that I will inform you when Estel awakes, but until then, driving yourself to exhaustion will do no one in this house any good." The elder elf's face clearly showed that there would be no room for discussion in this matter.
Crestfallen, the three younger elves wordlessly filed out of the area, headed toward the chambers of the twins. Elrond's dark, penetrating eyes watched them leave, another smile threatening to play on his lips. Elflings. That thought in itself brought a sparkle of mirth to the deep dark of his eyes. After over a thousand years, he could still call them such without thinking twice.
Once the three had gone, Elrond silently entered Estel's room once more. He glided across the polished wooden floors, his heavy robes lightly swishing against one another. A large chair had been carefully maneuvered next to the bed where Estel still lay, lightly breathing in sleep. The elf lord lowered himself into it, his eyes never leaving his youngest child. Though Estel was not of his own, he had grown to love the boy as his own son.
That thought brought pain into Elrond's eyes. How could Estel think that those of the Last Homely House would not love or want him around? Looking carefully at the features of the teenaged adan, with sudden and shocking clarity, Elrond realized something. Elros. Estel was growing more each day to resemble Lord Elrond's long departed brother. "Nosse-nin." Young Aragorn had the same dark features of the great king of the Númenoreans, the same grey, almost elvish eyes.
As Elrond relieved painful memories, the teenager on the bed forced his eyes open, nearly catching the ancient elf unaware. "Ada?" His voice barely allowed him to croak out the single word.
The elf lord carefully handed Estel a glass of water, making sure that the youth did not attempt to gulp it all down at once. As soon as the boy finished, Elrond took back the mug and quietly set it on a side table.
As Estel ran over the events that had occurred of recent in his mind, a sudden guilt clouded the bright reflection of his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ada, I don't know…" He trailed off, seeing the faraway smile in his foster father's eyes.
"Do not apologize, young one. You are home, Estel, and this shall always be where home exists for you. Never lose that knowledge." Lord Elrond reached forward, lightly laying his graceful fingers on Estel's thin, but powerful arms.
Estel smiled, bringing his free hand to rest on the pale hand of Elrond. "I'm sorry, Ada. I won't forget. I promise."
Finis!
Author's Note II: There you have it folks! The conclusion of the three part short story ::blinks and wonders if she just made an oxymoron:: To Finally Come Home. I'd like to thank Elladan and Elrohir for being twins, Legolas for being blonde, Estel for being the silly human he is, and of course, Lord Elrond for being an elf lord. I couldn't have done it without them! ::reviews what she just wrote:: Oh wow. I think I need more sleep. Or maybe less sleep. Who knows. Anyway, this is my final plea: REVIEW! Please! Okay, I'm really done now – Thanks to everyone for reading! I'll see you all in the next story!
Translations:
Garo an – Hold on
Mellonin – My friend
Hen -Neth – Young one
Saes – Please
Al nef – Not now/here
Iston – I know
Nosse-nin – My kin