Ok, well here we are again! Hope everyone enjoys this chapter!! Feedback
is always welcome!
Title: Hope and Despair
Rating: ummm about PG-13 for violence and angst.
Disclaimer: Too tired! Just sue Rhonda not me, I don't have anything but she might, I don't knwo 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.
Firniswin: lol! No, 'twas not the ending!! We have MANY mile to go before we sleep, or our characters do anyway! Lol! Sorry 'bout your horrible camping partner, glad you like the camp though, I LOVE horses, but do not get to ride very often. Glad you enjoyed last chapter! Oh, and thanks for the offer to post this story on your site!! Both Rhonda and I are VERY flattered! Hope you like this chapter too!
goblz: lol sparx! Glad you enjoyed our humor! Thought everyone needed a tiny humorous break after all the angst of ch 8! Hope you like this one, and if we told you who was next that would take all the fun out of it wouldn't it? LoL! Thanks for reviewing!
Aemilia Rose: Nice catch with the foreshadowing! Glad you liked the lighter chapter! Hold on to those happy thoughts in chapters to come! Lol! Thanks for reviewing!
Arifel: lol! Well cliffies are grey areas I suppose! Thank you for reviewing and all the wonderful complements about our story!!! Hope you continue to enjoy it!
Songbird: Glad you enjoyed the prank!! We were kind nervous about it so thank you for all of your wonderful complements!!!!
Everyone we broke 40 reviews!!!!!!! *HUGGLES all reviewers* You guys are the ABSOLUTE BEST!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!
Ok enough with the head's up!! On with the fic!
Chapter 10
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lord Elrond was sitting beside his youngest son's bedside, keeping watch on him throughout the night, even though Estel was no longer in danger and was on the mend, the elven lord still felt he needed to be there beside him, though whether it was for Estel's comfort or his own he did not know.
He was just starting to relax and slip into elven sleep when Estel whimpered slightly and began to thrash around. Elrond leaned over his human son and began whispering soothingly to him in elvish, however instead of calming him like Elrond expected the words and the sound of his voice seemed to aggravate Estel more. What could Estel's dream be about to make him react this way to him?
~*~Estel's Dream~*~
He was back in the shack again, this time with no hope of escape. Thaynes was there, he realized that this time he would not be playing with him, he meant to kill.
"You will never amount to anything you worthless little adan!" Thaynes threw at him while kicking him harshly in the ribs. "Did you really think that Lord Elrond and his sons loved you?" Thaynes asked sneering at the hurting boy.
He took Estel's lack of response as an answer in itself. "If they really loved you why aren't they here to save you?? They will never save you!!! Who could EVER love a human???"
Estel whimpered softly and curled into a tight ball placing is tied hands under him to protect his stomach from Thaynes boots.
Suddenly the figure of Thaynes shifted slightly and blurred at the edges, only to come back into focus as an entirely new tormenter, Lord Elrond.
Estel looked up and smiled at Elrond. "Ada you're here!" Estel cried happily.
Elrond just glared down at the small human with an expression that Estel had never witnessed on his father's face before.
"Ada?" Estel questioned softly.
"Do not Ada me!" Elrond spat. "Worthless little adan, why I ever took you in I will never know! I suppose it was honor! I wish my sons had never come home with you!"
Tears filled Estel's eyes as Elrond yelled at him. Elrond had never yelled at him in anger before, in fact Estel could not remember Elrond ever yelling at him at all.
"I I I am s s sorry" Estel managed to say at last. "Ada I.."
"I SAID DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Elrond snapped. "Why Elladan and Elrohir saved you from those orcs I will never know! You are no elf! You are not worthy of my house or my protection." Elrond finished giving Estel the look. All of Estel's worst fears were coming true. Elrond really didn't love him. Elrond only saw Estel as a burden, and one that it appeared, he no longer wished to carry. Tears poured down Estel's face but he did not care anymore. His family did not love him.
'No not my family' Estel corrected mentally. 'My guardians, my real family is dead'
Then the figures of Elladan and Elrohir appeared around their father.
"In trouble again Estel?" Sneered Elladan. "Stupid clumsy human! You can not do anything right!"
"Yes, we always have to come after you, save you, doctor you, entertain you, can't you do anything?" Elrohir added.
" 'Dan? 'Ro? Why?" Estel whispered brokenly.
"Why? Why?? Because you are worthless! We should have left you where we found you! Then our lives would be simple and happy again! Now we spend all our time looking after you! Do you think we always did that?" Elladan yelled.
Estel could not answer, all he could do was try to curl in on himself more. He shut his eyes tight and tried to cover his ears but somehow that just wasn't working in blocking out sound. Tears poured from his eyes and created dirty streaks down his face.
Suddenly voices seemed to fill his head reminding him of everything he had done wrong, and all the times that no one had time for him, or that he had been in the way.
*What's the matter Estel? To scared to climb this tree?*
*NO! You are too little to hunt with us! Go back inside out of the way Estel!*
*You can not come with us today, we are going into the forest to learn about climbing the highest trees for protection, there is no way a man could do that*
*How could anyone love a human like you?*
Faster and louder the voices seemed to come until Estel could no longer think, and no longer fight what they said, so he started to accept it for true.
All the times that the twins went hunting without him for his safety turned to them going without him because they did not want to be bothered with him. His elven playmates good natured teasing turned to hateful jeers. All the times that Elrond was too busy to play with Estel because of business turned to neglect and loathing in Estel's mind.
Now Estel knew or thought he knew why no one seemed to have time for him, no one cared, and that thought broke the young man's heart. ~*~End Dream~*~
Estel was tossing and turning practically writhing in his bed as Elladan held him down while Elrohir and Elrond tried to calm him down.
"Estel! It is your brother! Elrohir! Can you hear me! You are safe tithen gwador" Elrohir tried to calm him, but it was not working! Elrohir just did not understand why.
"What is wrong with him Ada" Elrohir asked.
"I know not my son, the demons of his own mind seem to be torturing him." was the only answer Elrond could give.
"Estel lasta an enni" Elrond whispered in the grey tongue trying to calm the young man. "You are safe now, come back to us, awaken." Elrond commanded gently.
Suddenly Estel shot up screaming incoherently. He was now wide awake but was shaking with fear and jerked out of Elladan's gentle grasp and curled up at the head of the bed as much as his wounds would let him.
"It is alright tithen pen" Elrond whispered soothingly. "It was only a dream, everything is alright."
Elrond reached out for his youngest son to comfort him but Estel made a small mew of protest and tried to scoot even further back.
Everyone frowned at this, Estel had not reacted to Elrond like that since the first day the twins brought him to Imaldris.
"Estel?" Elrond asked with just a hint of uncertainty in his tone.
Estel did not respond to Elrond's gentle words at all.
"Estel? It is your brother Elrohir, what ails you?" Elrohir tried to get through to his little brother. He slowly reached for him.
Estel turned his huge silver eyes on Elrohir. Elrohir felt like crying at the look in his little brother's eyes. He just couldn't understand all the pain and confusion he saw in those silver depths.
"Oh tithen gwador" Elrohir sighed.
Elladan came up beside his twin and his heart bled for the pain that he saw in his little brother's eyes, and for the pain that it was causing his whole family. He did not understand it, how could a dream cause all this?
He soon voiced his concerns. "Ada I do not understand, what troubles Estel so? He had a disturbing dream, I do not understand why that would affect him in this manner."
"Humans do not dream as we do ion nin. To them a nightmare can seem very real, especially to such a small boy. Your brother has been through something that no small child should have to endure, this apparently has affected his dreams, but why he is reacting this way to us I do not know."Elrond explained.
It disturbed all that Elrond did not know exactly why Estel was behaving this way, but there was nothing to be done about it now. The most important thing now was to get Estel calmed down.
Slowly Estel seemed to relax to their presence. "I am sorry I disturbed everyone's sleep" Estel spoke at last. "I am fine now, you all can return to your beds" he finished.
'The last thing I want to do is be even more of a bother' Estel thought. He did not look up and notice the looks of hurt and confusion that crossed his families fair features.
"Are you sure little one?"Elrond asked. "I was staying here anyway to keep and eye on you, you are not yet well ion nin"
"I am well enough to sleep on my own, I do not wish to bother you." Estel murmured in a subdued tone.
They all frowned, not only at the words, but at the tone that Estel was using. This did not sound like their Estel, what had happened in that dream.
"I am tired, I think I will go back to sleep now." Estel stated quietly, wishing only to escape from the ones that he thought no longer loved him.
"Very well ion nin, post mae" Elrond said softly. "I shall be here when you wake."
Estel started to protest to this but Elrond quickly shushed him and gave him the look which brooked no argument.
Both twins were startled by the behavior of their little brother, but bid him goodnight never the less and departed the room.
Once in the hallway Elrohir turned to Elladan and asked the question on everyone's mind, "Why do you think he was acting like that?"
"Maybe he was just embarrassed because he had a bad dream and woke everyone up." Elladan stated.
However, the way he said it told Elrohir that Elladan was trying to convince himself of that as much as he was trying to convince his brother.
Back in Estel's room Elrond kept vigil all through the night. As he watched his youngest son sleep he wondered what was making Estel act this way and what he could do to help his youngest son.
TBC........
See, another one w/out a cliffie, sorta!
ok well not TOO bad a cliffie ok?
Adan- human
Ada- Father or Daddy
Estel lasta an enni- Estel listen to me
tithen pen- little one
tithen gwador- little brother
ion nin- My son
post mae- rest well
Well namaarie!
Title: Hope and Despair
Rating: ummm about PG-13 for violence and angst.
Disclaimer: Too tired! Just sue Rhonda not me, I don't have anything but she might, I don't knwo 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.
Firniswin: lol! No, 'twas not the ending!! We have MANY mile to go before we sleep, or our characters do anyway! Lol! Sorry 'bout your horrible camping partner, glad you like the camp though, I LOVE horses, but do not get to ride very often. Glad you enjoyed last chapter! Oh, and thanks for the offer to post this story on your site!! Both Rhonda and I are VERY flattered! Hope you like this chapter too!
goblz: lol sparx! Glad you enjoyed our humor! Thought everyone needed a tiny humorous break after all the angst of ch 8! Hope you like this one, and if we told you who was next that would take all the fun out of it wouldn't it? LoL! Thanks for reviewing!
Aemilia Rose: Nice catch with the foreshadowing! Glad you liked the lighter chapter! Hold on to those happy thoughts in chapters to come! Lol! Thanks for reviewing!
Arifel: lol! Well cliffies are grey areas I suppose! Thank you for reviewing and all the wonderful complements about our story!!! Hope you continue to enjoy it!
Songbird: Glad you enjoyed the prank!! We were kind nervous about it so thank you for all of your wonderful complements!!!!
Everyone we broke 40 reviews!!!!!!! *HUGGLES all reviewers* You guys are the ABSOLUTE BEST!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!
Ok enough with the head's up!! On with the fic!
Chapter 10
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lord Elrond was sitting beside his youngest son's bedside, keeping watch on him throughout the night, even though Estel was no longer in danger and was on the mend, the elven lord still felt he needed to be there beside him, though whether it was for Estel's comfort or his own he did not know.
He was just starting to relax and slip into elven sleep when Estel whimpered slightly and began to thrash around. Elrond leaned over his human son and began whispering soothingly to him in elvish, however instead of calming him like Elrond expected the words and the sound of his voice seemed to aggravate Estel more. What could Estel's dream be about to make him react this way to him?
~*~Estel's Dream~*~
He was back in the shack again, this time with no hope of escape. Thaynes was there, he realized that this time he would not be playing with him, he meant to kill.
"You will never amount to anything you worthless little adan!" Thaynes threw at him while kicking him harshly in the ribs. "Did you really think that Lord Elrond and his sons loved you?" Thaynes asked sneering at the hurting boy.
He took Estel's lack of response as an answer in itself. "If they really loved you why aren't they here to save you?? They will never save you!!! Who could EVER love a human???"
Estel whimpered softly and curled into a tight ball placing is tied hands under him to protect his stomach from Thaynes boots.
Suddenly the figure of Thaynes shifted slightly and blurred at the edges, only to come back into focus as an entirely new tormenter, Lord Elrond.
Estel looked up and smiled at Elrond. "Ada you're here!" Estel cried happily.
Elrond just glared down at the small human with an expression that Estel had never witnessed on his father's face before.
"Ada?" Estel questioned softly.
"Do not Ada me!" Elrond spat. "Worthless little adan, why I ever took you in I will never know! I suppose it was honor! I wish my sons had never come home with you!"
Tears filled Estel's eyes as Elrond yelled at him. Elrond had never yelled at him in anger before, in fact Estel could not remember Elrond ever yelling at him at all.
"I I I am s s sorry" Estel managed to say at last. "Ada I.."
"I SAID DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Elrond snapped. "Why Elladan and Elrohir saved you from those orcs I will never know! You are no elf! You are not worthy of my house or my protection." Elrond finished giving Estel the look. All of Estel's worst fears were coming true. Elrond really didn't love him. Elrond only saw Estel as a burden, and one that it appeared, he no longer wished to carry. Tears poured down Estel's face but he did not care anymore. His family did not love him.
'No not my family' Estel corrected mentally. 'My guardians, my real family is dead'
Then the figures of Elladan and Elrohir appeared around their father.
"In trouble again Estel?" Sneered Elladan. "Stupid clumsy human! You can not do anything right!"
"Yes, we always have to come after you, save you, doctor you, entertain you, can't you do anything?" Elrohir added.
" 'Dan? 'Ro? Why?" Estel whispered brokenly.
"Why? Why?? Because you are worthless! We should have left you where we found you! Then our lives would be simple and happy again! Now we spend all our time looking after you! Do you think we always did that?" Elladan yelled.
Estel could not answer, all he could do was try to curl in on himself more. He shut his eyes tight and tried to cover his ears but somehow that just wasn't working in blocking out sound. Tears poured from his eyes and created dirty streaks down his face.
Suddenly voices seemed to fill his head reminding him of everything he had done wrong, and all the times that no one had time for him, or that he had been in the way.
*What's the matter Estel? To scared to climb this tree?*
*NO! You are too little to hunt with us! Go back inside out of the way Estel!*
*You can not come with us today, we are going into the forest to learn about climbing the highest trees for protection, there is no way a man could do that*
*How could anyone love a human like you?*
Faster and louder the voices seemed to come until Estel could no longer think, and no longer fight what they said, so he started to accept it for true.
All the times that the twins went hunting without him for his safety turned to them going without him because they did not want to be bothered with him. His elven playmates good natured teasing turned to hateful jeers. All the times that Elrond was too busy to play with Estel because of business turned to neglect and loathing in Estel's mind.
Now Estel knew or thought he knew why no one seemed to have time for him, no one cared, and that thought broke the young man's heart. ~*~End Dream~*~
Estel was tossing and turning practically writhing in his bed as Elladan held him down while Elrohir and Elrond tried to calm him down.
"Estel! It is your brother! Elrohir! Can you hear me! You are safe tithen gwador" Elrohir tried to calm him, but it was not working! Elrohir just did not understand why.
"What is wrong with him Ada" Elrohir asked.
"I know not my son, the demons of his own mind seem to be torturing him." was the only answer Elrond could give.
"Estel lasta an enni" Elrond whispered in the grey tongue trying to calm the young man. "You are safe now, come back to us, awaken." Elrond commanded gently.
Suddenly Estel shot up screaming incoherently. He was now wide awake but was shaking with fear and jerked out of Elladan's gentle grasp and curled up at the head of the bed as much as his wounds would let him.
"It is alright tithen pen" Elrond whispered soothingly. "It was only a dream, everything is alright."
Elrond reached out for his youngest son to comfort him but Estel made a small mew of protest and tried to scoot even further back.
Everyone frowned at this, Estel had not reacted to Elrond like that since the first day the twins brought him to Imaldris.
"Estel?" Elrond asked with just a hint of uncertainty in his tone.
Estel did not respond to Elrond's gentle words at all.
"Estel? It is your brother Elrohir, what ails you?" Elrohir tried to get through to his little brother. He slowly reached for him.
Estel turned his huge silver eyes on Elrohir. Elrohir felt like crying at the look in his little brother's eyes. He just couldn't understand all the pain and confusion he saw in those silver depths.
"Oh tithen gwador" Elrohir sighed.
Elladan came up beside his twin and his heart bled for the pain that he saw in his little brother's eyes, and for the pain that it was causing his whole family. He did not understand it, how could a dream cause all this?
He soon voiced his concerns. "Ada I do not understand, what troubles Estel so? He had a disturbing dream, I do not understand why that would affect him in this manner."
"Humans do not dream as we do ion nin. To them a nightmare can seem very real, especially to such a small boy. Your brother has been through something that no small child should have to endure, this apparently has affected his dreams, but why he is reacting this way to us I do not know."Elrond explained.
It disturbed all that Elrond did not know exactly why Estel was behaving this way, but there was nothing to be done about it now. The most important thing now was to get Estel calmed down.
Slowly Estel seemed to relax to their presence. "I am sorry I disturbed everyone's sleep" Estel spoke at last. "I am fine now, you all can return to your beds" he finished.
'The last thing I want to do is be even more of a bother' Estel thought. He did not look up and notice the looks of hurt and confusion that crossed his families fair features.
"Are you sure little one?"Elrond asked. "I was staying here anyway to keep and eye on you, you are not yet well ion nin"
"I am well enough to sleep on my own, I do not wish to bother you." Estel murmured in a subdued tone.
They all frowned, not only at the words, but at the tone that Estel was using. This did not sound like their Estel, what had happened in that dream.
"I am tired, I think I will go back to sleep now." Estel stated quietly, wishing only to escape from the ones that he thought no longer loved him.
"Very well ion nin, post mae" Elrond said softly. "I shall be here when you wake."
Estel started to protest to this but Elrond quickly shushed him and gave him the look which brooked no argument.
Both twins were startled by the behavior of their little brother, but bid him goodnight never the less and departed the room.
Once in the hallway Elrohir turned to Elladan and asked the question on everyone's mind, "Why do you think he was acting like that?"
"Maybe he was just embarrassed because he had a bad dream and woke everyone up." Elladan stated.
However, the way he said it told Elrohir that Elladan was trying to convince himself of that as much as he was trying to convince his brother.
Back in Estel's room Elrond kept vigil all through the night. As he watched his youngest son sleep he wondered what was making Estel act this way and what he could do to help his youngest son.
TBC........
See, another one w/out a cliffie, sorta!
ok well not TOO bad a cliffie ok?
Adan- human
Ada- Father or Daddy
Estel lasta an enni- Estel listen to me
tithen pen- little one
tithen gwador- little brother
ion nin- My son
post mae- rest well
Well namaarie!
