Title: Hope and Despair

Rating: ummm about PG-13 for violence and angst.

Disclaimer: Do we really have to say this? Ok, these characters do not belong to us, we just borrow them to torture for pleasure, not money and them give them back in (basically) the same condition we got them! *G*

A/N: Well this a first. Rhonda's first fic and my first co-authored fic. Hope everyone enjoys, feedback is always welcome!

Please Note: Much like Cassia and Sio, we feel that when Tolkien said that Aragorn was "raised in the house of Lord Elrond" he meant that Estel grew up in Rivendell with Elrond as his father and the twins as his brothers. Also in this fic (again like Cassia and Sio) we feel that Aragorn's mother died along with Arathorn, and she has no place in this fic.

Ok enough with the head's up!! On with the fic!

Chapter 2

Lord Elrond and the twins had begun searching the woods surrounding Imaldris, but darkness was falling fast and soon it would be too dark to see little Estel's trail.

Elrond just knew they needed to find Estel and they needed to find him now. He felt a sense of urgency to find his youngest, and it wasn't just parental worry. He had a feeling of dread that was knotting up his stomach. He feared something worse than an illness on a chilly night had befallen his youngest son.

Night had now blanketed all of Imaldris in it's folds, and it was now too dark to see Estel's trail. A summer storm had moved in with the darkness and began to dump it's contents upon the valley with uncontrolled fury.

"Ada, I fear we cannot continue on in this weather" Elrohir shouted above the wind. "We can no longer see his trail in this, we must go back! We shall pick up the search at first light."

"No! We have to find him!" Elrond screamed at the younger twin.

"We will Ada, but all that can be accomplished from staying out here is one or more of us being injured," Elladan joined the argument. He too wanted nothing more than to continue the search, but he knew that it was foolish and impossible to do so.

Elrond saw the truth in his son's words and finally agreed to return to Imaldris to wait for first light and the storm to break.

As they turned toward the Last Homely House all of their thoughts were on a young human boy that meant so much to them all.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Pain, that was all that Estel knew. Was there ever anything before the pain? If there was Estel did not remember it, and what made the pain worse was that he did not know why all of this was being done to him.

"Why Thaynes? Why do you hate me so?" Estel whispered brokenly.

"Because you are a stupid worthless edain! That's why! You do not belong in Imaldris and certainly not in the House of Lord Elrond!" Thaynes threw back at the young human angrily. "I don't see how Lord Elrond and the twins can stand you! I don't know why they have replaced me with a worthless creature such as yourself!" he continued. "I used to be their favorite, but not since you came to Imaldris!"

~~~Flashback~~~~

Thaynes was having a great day. His archery had never been better. He was currently in Lord Elladan's archery class and he had hit the center of the target every time!

The one dark spot on the day, however, was that the human, Estel, was also in Lord Elladan's class today. That human constantly missed the center and occasionally the target all together, and though Thaynes had hit the target in the center every time Estel still got more praise from Lord Elladan than he did.

That just wasn't fair in Thaynes book. Why did that stupid human deserve praise? He was clumsy, a slow, and had horrible aim.

Lord Elladan called for the last shots of the session to be fired. Thaynes drew his bow, notched his arrow and prepared to fire. He was determined that he would make this a completely perfect session. Just as he began to let the arrow fly Estel accidentally bumped into Thaynes' shoulder, sending his arrow flying over the target by at least a foot.

"Why you clumsy, useless edain!" Thaynes hissed. "Look what you did! You made me miss the shot and ruined my perfect record for the day!"

"I-I-I'm sorry Thaynes" Estel stuttered pathetically.

"Sorry? Sorry?" Thaynes all but screamed.

"Is there something amiss here?" Inquired a voice

Both turned to see Lord Elrond himself standing over the pair listening to the exchange. "Oh Ada!" sobbed Estel. "Practice didn't go well at all and I accidentally bumped into Thaynes and made him miss and now I-I-I think he hates me!"Estel finished and buried his face in his father's robes.

"It is alright my son. He doesn't hate you and I am sure your archery is coming along just fine little one." Elrond soothed.

He then turned his eyes on Thaynes "Thaynes was all that harshness really necessary? You missed, it was an accident, do not be so cruel." Elrond scolded.

With that said Elrond led a still distressed Estel away from the target range and back toward Imaldris, leaving Thaynes all alone with his rage.

~~End Flashback~~

"Elrond, Elladan, and Elrohir always favor you! I can't imagine why! You are slow, clumsy, and worthless being! You will never compare to an elf! Your entire race is an abomination!" Thaynes screamed at Estel. Kicking him with each insult as if to punctuate his point.

Estel merely groaned and tried to curl up into a ball. His chest felt as though it was on fire. It was increasingly hard to breathe and he didn't know how much more of this he could take.

"Please Thaynes, please stop. No more." Estel begged.

"No more?" Thaynes sneered. "You will get much much more! For now you truly will get everything that you have coming to you for trying to mix with the elves, you are not worthy!"

With that the beating began all over again and with one final kick to the head, little Estel fell into the comforting arms of unconsciousness.

TBC....