Well here it is everyone!!! Sorry it took so long!!! Both of us have been extremely busy!! Well enough blabing! On with it!

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.

Songbird: Yeah you'd think he would be smarter than that, but I suppose not! I'm afraid there's a wee bit more pain before it all gets better!! Hehe don't hurt us!

Iawen Londea: *shudders* Ok ok!! Update's here!! Just don't hurt us!!! Hehe, hope ya like! Thanks for reviewing!

Firniswin: hehe next part!! Here ya go!! Thanks for reviewing!

Elendrila: Rhonda and I are sorry about the short chapters, we both just kinda end where we feel is a good place to stop, or if we lose inspiration. Thanks for the review though!! We will try and make the chapters longer in the future!

Ymmas Sirron: eep!! *runs and hides* ok ok!! Next chapter's here!! Don't hurt us!!!

Chapter 5

Estel stirred when he felt someone shaking him roughly. He groaned softly as he realized that Thaynes had returned from where ever it was that he went.

'Oh Valar he's back, and he does NOT look happy' Estel thought glumly to himself. 'I wonder what happened to him'

"Time to wake up you filthy adan" Thaynes sneered at his prisoner. "Your family is still looking for you, you little brat!" He hissed "They have not yet learned that you are a useless adan and you are not worth their time."

He pulled out a small elven dagger and cut slits down Estel's forearms. Estel could do nothing to stop Thaynes or to move away for he was still tied down too tightly to move. All he could to was cry out from the excruciating pain that the dagger was causing him.

"Please, no more" Estel whispered brokenly. "Just no more"

"Would you like it all to end?" Thaynes sneered. "That can be arranged. You are pathetic! I think I will put you out of your misery, and the rest of Middle Earth's!"

With that said, the elfling raised the dagger above his head and plunged it down, intending for it to go straight into Estel's heart and kill him swiftly. However, at that moment something unexpected happened, Elrond and his sons burst into the small room, and upon seeing the situation gave startled yells of outrage. This startled Thaynes and instead of hitting Estel in the heart the dagger veered off course a little and hit just next to Estel's heart.

With a cry of primal rage Elrond launched himself at Thaynes and all but threw the elfling off of his youngest. Thaynes would have gone flying out the door if the twins had not been standing there.

Elladan was beyond furious. He caught Thaynes with the accuracy of his kind, but it was not his intention to break the young one's fall, but to stop his flight and to make sure that when he did fall he would not be getting up again for a long while.

Thaynes cowered at the absolute rage that gleamed in the elf lord's silver eyes. Well, the eyes that were normally silver, now they were almost pitch black with rage.

Elladan pulled him roughly to his feet. "Is the adan really worth all this?" Thaynes threw at him.

"Much more than you are" Elladan and Elrohir answered at the same time. With that Elladan threw the elfling into the nearest wall with as much strength as he dared, for although he wanted to kill him, he knew that slaying the young one would not solve anything at the moment, so he jsut simply knocked him unconscious, hard.

Meanwhile, Elrond had rushed over to his youngest and quickly gauged the situation. It was not good. Estel had several cuts, bruises, and contusions, and as the elf lord placed a hand on his youngest's head he felt the unnatural heat there. He also suspected that there was some from of poison in his system. However, the worst of all these was the dagger that was still sticking out of Estel's chest. Elrond noted that it was not in Estel's heart, but it was dangerously close, and he was afraid to pull it out because it could be in a major artery. The placing was about right for one. Also it seemed that it was because the wound was bleeding profusely.

"Estel" Elrond called softly. He needed to bring the boy to awareness. The more alert he was the more the elf lord could gauge about his situation. Estel did not even bat and eyelash.

The elf lord could feel tears welling up in his eyes at his youngest's lack of response. Then he noticed something and gave a cry of alarm.

Estel was not breathing. His chest was completely still. Elrohir had noticed also and tears of sorrow were rolling down his fair cheeks.

"Estel, tithen ion nin please do not leave us yet. It is far to early." Elrond whispered brokenly. Mithril colored tears poured down the mighty elf lord's face. It seemed he had lost the small boy. And he had thought that this one had such an important future ahead of him. Elrond just couldn't believe he had been wrong. Now hope truly was lost.

With that thought in mind all three elves sobbed for the loss of their youngest.

TBC......

*backs away from scary crowd*

we'll make it better!! More will be coming soon!!

*glances nervously around at all the scary readers*

K, well in that case:

Grabs Rhonda's hand and runs

Namaarie everyone!