This is rather short and about Elrond and Aragorn bonding. Longer, separate stories will follow this. *I have decided, after the nice response I generated with this short, to turn this into a series, which I will call 'The Clever Wind' series. Chapters will become days, each being a new day.
In case you did not notice, Elrond's ring is the one of Air and supposedly the most powerful of the three. The 'clever wind', is really Vilya pushing things along.
I do not speak Elvish. (heaven help us all) I hope that you all know that 'Ada' means daddy or dad. The small amount of Elvish that slips into this is from Sindarin Dictionary Project.
I like Glorfindel. I like Elrond. Thus, some of this is Glorfindel/Elrond. This means slash, you fools.
Rate P.G.
Review!
Reona
The Human's Child
Elrond Peredhil stood upon the balcony outside of his Study and Library, gaze fixed down into the garden below. He stared at a small boy with dark hair sitting on the grass, an untouched puzzle on the ground in front of him. Elrond supposed that the toy had been pulled from its dusty storage place and had once belonged to his twin sons Elladan and Elrohir when they were young. A she-Elf sat on a bench close by, watching the silent human boy.
Elrond sighed, one hand raising to press into his temple where a headache was trying to form. The ring of power Vilya flashed on his finger in the bright sunlight. "My lord?" asked a voice behind him.
Elrond turned, his burgundy colored formal robes whispering as he moved, and smiled at the blond haired Elf standing beyond his desk. "Greetings, Glorfindel." he said, hiding the somber look from a moment before.
Glorfindel stood in hunting clothes, green and brown to blend with the forest. A sword was strapped to his side and a bow and quiver hung from his back. A streak of mud marred his right cheek. "The last of the orcs have been routed from the area, my lord." reported Glorfindel.
Elrond's hand tightened on the balcony edge and he turned quickly away. "Thank you, Glorfindel." he said after a moment.
Glorfindel's blue eyes softened as he stared at Elrond's tense back. His gaze fell to the cluttered desk where several sheets of white paper had sketches of a person on them. He swallowed hard. "Plans for a new statue, my lord?" asked Glorfindel.
Elrond turned quickly in surprise, his eyes landing on the pictures too. "Yes, I…" Elrond trailed off and walked over to the desk, reaching out to pick up one of the sheets. "I want statues to be crafted of both of them. Arathorn and Gilraen." he said quietly. Elrond looked back to the balcony, although the angle did not allow him view of the child below.
Glorfindel sighed. "All will once again be well, Elrond." he tried to reassure the half-Elf.
Elrond's mouth twisted slightly as he looked at his friend. "It seems as if I am always waiting for things to be well again. Glorfindel, it has been a long time since I have raised children, especially one wounded emotionally." He turned away and stared out the balcony. Glorfindel opened his mouth to argue but Elrond spoke once more without looking at him. "Keeping Elladan and Elrohir from breaking things with their antics does not count." Glorfindel snapped his mouth shut and Elrond smiled at him slightly over his shoulder. He walked forward and stood by the balcony's edge again, looking down at the young Aragorn, last of Isildur's line. Elrond's hand fisted on top of the stone railing, the other still holding the sheet of paper he had picked up before.
Glorfindel followed him and stood behind his lord's shoulder. "You sound as if you already know that you will fail horribly."
Elrond sighed. "I fear my failure, for that would mean the end of Gondor and the end of our hope."
Glorfindel rested one hand on Elrond's arm. "The Stewards of Gondor have done well with the kingdom, Elrond. Gondor will be able to wait for the return of its king a little while longer." he said.
Elrond nodded weakly. "I know. But the Shadow grows in the east again and our world becomes darker every day." They stood upon the balcony for a long moment. "How odd that so much should rest on one person, on one small child. Our only hope. Our little estel." muttered the lord of Rivendell. Glorfindel looked oddly at the half-Elf and would have spoken had not a strong wind suddenly blew across the valley. The gust tore the picture Elrond was holding and swept it up into the air. Elrond lunged for the sheet but missed as it was too far away from the balcony. "Blast!" he hissed. Elrond spun and raced out of the room, leaving a confused Glorfindel in his wake.
Elrond ran along the corridors, heading down the stairs in a rush. He passed by a startled servant carrying a covered silver tray. "Lord Elrond!" cried the she-Elf.
Elrond realized that the tray was probably his lunch. "Just put it on my desk, Imglín!" he called over his shoulder. The she-Elf blinked after him as he raced out of the arches and finally slowed down. He was under his Study balcony and quickly scanned the area for the wayward piece of paper. Elrond saw it rolling long the ground and quickly set off after it.
Aragorn looked up from staring at the puzzle pieces, hating them for not giving up their proper places easily, and blinked at the white piece of paper that flew past. Noise caused him to look toward the house and see an Elf running toward him. Aragorn was up and after the paper without a second thought, quickly catching the sheet. He picked it up and turned it over, wanting to get a look at it before handing it over to the Elf. He froze as he saw what was on the paper; it was a picture of his mother.
The she-Elf watching the child stood as she saw her lord hurrying across the lawn and slow before Aragorn. Elrond waved the Elf nurse back with a small smile and approached the child. "Aragorn?" he asked the human child a bit nervously.
"It's my mother." said Aragorn softly. Elrond knelt to be at level with the child and watched his grey eyes travel over the picture. "Who made a picture of my mother?" asked Aragorn after a moment.
"I did." answered Elrond, seeing no reason to lie.
Aragorn looked up at the Elf and finally recognized who was in front of him. "You draw, Lord Elrond?" he asked.
Elrond smiled as he saw the small smile on the child's face. "I draw a little. I wanted to have statues created of your parents and the stone smiths need prints to carve from." he said.
Aragorn's eyes brightened a little more. "You have a picture of my father too?" he asked.
"I have a picture of you father, yes, but it is not completed as of yet." answered the half-Elf.
"May I see?" asked Aragorn.
Elrond blinked and then smiled. "Of course." They stood and Elrond placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Are you hungry, Aragorn? It is lunch time after all." Aragorn nodded, eyes fixed on the picture in his hands. Elrond looked up at the she-Elf that had been watching them and beckoned her over. "Have more food sent up to my Study, I'm going to have a guest for lunch."
The she-Elf smiled and curtsied. "Yes, my lord." She disappeared into the house.
Elrond guided Aragorn back up to his Study and opened the door to let him in. The walls of the Study were lined with the more special books of Elrond's choosing and the floor was made of rose wood. His desk was in front of the balcony and the fireplace and a long couch and chair were on the opposite side of the room. The Elf lord glanced toward the balcony but didn't see Glorfindel. He didn't know where the blond Elf had gone. Aragorn's words brought his attention back to the boy. "Do you have any other pictures of my mother?"
"Yes, I have several. I am having trouble deciding which to make into the statue. Mayhap, you can help me select?" asked Elrond.
Aragorn turned serious, in the way only children given a task by their elders could. "I can help you choose."
Elrond smiled and began to gather up all of the sheets spread out across his desk. "I would be most grateful for the help." He handed the pile to Aragorn and turned him toward the low floor table on the other side of the room. "Take them to the table for me and we can look them over carefully together." Elrond watched for a moment as Aragorn headed for the table and then he picked up the tray that Imglín had left on his desk when he was dashing after the picture. He brought the tray over to the table and set it on a side table within reach. Elrond then settled on the floor, keeping himself level with the child.
Aragorn had already begun to go through the sheets of paper. He was shaking his dark head at one of the pictures, one with Gilraen's hair hanging free. "Not this one." said Aragorn with authority. "Momma always wore a veil over her hair." He handed the picture to Elrond and picked up another one.
"Mayhap we should have her kneeling?" questioned Elrond. The position of the statue had yet to be decided.
Aragorn looked up from the picture he was looking at and thought for a moment. "Maybe she could be on a horse!" he suggestion eagerly.
"Did your mother ride often?" asked Elrond cautiously. She hadn't been riding a horse when they had found her half dead in the courtyard, cradling Aragorn as she bled to death from an arrow wound. Elrond shivered but Aragorn didn't notice.
"No, she hated riding. Momma always said that galloping made her sick to her tummy." Aragorn made a face as he spoke. He then raised the picture closer to his face.
Elrond watched him carefully, noticing when the young boy raised one shoulder to wipe at his face thinking that the half-Elf wouldn't see it. Elrond turned then and snatched off the lid of the tray Imglín had left, hoping that her habits still rang true. He smiled as he looked over the tray and thanked the Valar silently. "Would you like some hot chocolate, Aragorn?" Elrond asked.
The picture dropped like a rock, revealing overly bright eyes. "You have hot chocolate?" Aragorn demanded. Elrond smiled and nodded. "Of course I want some!" Elrond laughed and poured the drink into a cup, automatically adding a drop of cream on top before handing it to the boy. It was the way that his twins had always liked it. "What's the white stuff?" asked Aragorn, crossing his eyes at his cup.
Elrond smiled, amused. "That is whipped cream. Drink some and I believe you will like it as thus." he reassured the boy. Aragorn took a sip and after a moment began to drink deeply. The boy raised his head to take a breath and Elrond automatically wiped away the cream on his nose with a napkin. He paused, holding the cloth in mid air, surprised at himself. It seems that some things just become second nature. Aragorn's nose disappeared again and a knock on the door pulled Elrond from his thoughts. "Enter." Imglín pushed the door open and came in with another covered tray. She blinked at seeing her lord sitting on the floor instead of at his desk. The she-Elf then smiled at seeing the child drinking his hot chocolate. Elrond smiled at her. "Put the tray over here, Imglín. We are trying to select a statue pattern."
Imglín walked over and set the tray on the corner near Elrond. "Should I get more hot chocolate, my lord?" she asked.
Elrond looked over at Aragorn and nodded with a smile. "I believe that would be wise. Anything else you want, Aragorn?" The boy shook his head, still drinking. Elrond chuckled and looked back at the she-Elf. "That is all, Imglín." She curtsied and exited the room.
Aragorn gulped in air as he lowered his cup. "More, please." he requested. Elrond refilled his cup and added cream again. While the child downed his second cup, Elrond uncovered the new tray and pulled off some of the plates. He sat the plates among the paper sheets and Aragorn quickly grabbed some apple slices. "I like this one." Aragorn said around the food in his mouth and handed the Elf lord a picture.
"Don't speak with food in your mouth." scolded Elrond without thought. He took the sheet as Aragorn swallowed nosily and gazed at the picture. This one was of Gilraen wearing a veil over her hair, as Aragorn suggested, but the dress was yet to be done. "We'll need to decide on what her clothes should look like, Aragorn." he said. Elrond set the last plate on the table and stood. Going to his desk, he collected ink and quills. Settling beside the child on the floor again, Elrond set the ink between them. Elrond poured himself a cup of hot chocolate and then picked up a pen thoughtfully. "Now then, long sleeves or short?"
Several hours were spent on the pictures of Gilraen and Arathorn before both were satisfied. Aragorn then asked if he could have some of his own paper, as he had a few ideas himself. Elrond gathered some clean sheets and gave them to the child. Aragorn set to work on his own drawings while Elrond finished a few touches to the statue prints. After that, he leaned back against the couch and watched the boy draw. The pictures were not as fine as Elrond's work, but Aragorn continued to run his pen along the paper without a care of how good his drawings were. When Aragorn finally looked back at the half-Elf, he found Elrond had fallen asleep. The Elf lord had one arm bent upon the seat cushion of the couch and his head rested on top of his elbow. He had turned slightly on his hip and his other hand lay in his lap. Aragorn stared at him for a moment before choosing another piece of paper and starting to draw again, looking over his shoulder every few seconds.
The setting sun cast long streams of burning light through the balcony when the doors to the Study opened quietly and a blond head appeared in the crack. Aragorn looked up at the sound but Elrond didn't move. Glorfindel smiled as he looked into the room, causing the boy to smile back. The Elf raised a finger to his lips and bade Aragorn to be quiet. From behind him, two identical faces appeared. Glorfindel entered the room followed by the twins. "Ada has fallen asleep." giggled Elrohir.
Elladan rolled his eyes at his brother. "I can see that, thank you."
Glorfindel hushed them as he made his way over to the floor table and crouched down to see what Aragorn was doing. He found the picture that the boy had been working on and smiled. It was a picture of Elrond, crude in technique but still recognizable as the Elf lord. "Did you create that?" asked the blond Elf.
Aragorn's smile widened. "Yes." he answered with pride.
Their voices finally caused Elrond to stir and his eyes blinked open. With a small yawn, he lifted his head and looked around. "What time is it?" he asked as his eyes fell on Glorfindel.
"About one hour until dinner, my lord." answered the blond Elf.
Elrohir snickered. "And here we both thought you spent the day doing paper work."
Elrond suddenly looked stricken. "Oh, the paper work!" he moaned.
"Yes, the paper work." drawled a voice at the door. Everyone looked to find Erestor, Elrond's chief adviser, at the door. Aragorn was trying to make himself smaller as Erestor looked quite sour faced. "I asked you to go over the plans for the west garden and how much oil we would need for the next month. Also, to sign the order for more wood to be gathered. We are running low in the kitchens. The far east tower roof needs to be patched…" It looked like the adviser could continue for some time.
Glorfindel's face darkened but it was not he who spoke. "Be quiet, Erestor." commanded Elrond. Erestor came to a halt and blinked, but Elrond was not looking at him. His gaze was locked on the small boy beside him. Gently, Elrond reached out and grasped Aragorn's chin, lifting his face. "There is no need to do that, Aragorn. No one is mad at you, nor are you in trouble." he said softly.
"But, Lord Erestor seems mad that the work was not done and I kept you from doing it." said Aragorn, his eyes darting around the room.
Elrond drew the child into his lap and hugged him. "Never mind Erestor. He's always a bit of a sour-puss." The Elf lord turned a meaningful gaze upon the adviser and the other Elf actually took a step back.
Erestor sighed and a half smile formed on his face. "I'm sorry child." he said. "It has been a long time since any children have been in this house and I forget how to act around them."
"Hey!" cried Elrohir. A crumpled piece of paper hit him in the head and Glorfindel glared at the twin, another projectile already in his hands.
"I do not believe we count as children anymore, brother." said Elladan.
Elrond chuckled and stroked a finger down Aragorn's cheek. "Alright then?" he asked. Aragorn nodded, giggling himself. Elrond stood the child up from his lap and tugged at his clothing, setting them to rights. "Erestor, I need you to take those prints over to the stone smith." said Elrond as he tended to the child.
Erestor came forward and picked up the two completed drawings on top of the table. "New statues, Lord Elrond?" he asked rhetorically. "What stone should I tell them to craft it from?"
It was Aragorn that answered him. "The white granite from the lower quarry."
Erestor looked at Elrond in question and the Elf lord nodded. "We have decided upon that stone, Erestor. I want them done as soon as possible." Elrond said.
Erestor smiled and bowed a little. "At once then, my lord." The adviser started to leave but Elrond's voice caused him to turn back.
"And Erestor, I promise to have everything you asked for ready first thing in the morning." said Elrond.
Erestor's smile widened and he nodded. "That's all I ask." The doors clicked close behind him.
"We had better get ready for dinner then, my lord." advised Glorfindel.
Elladan came forward and scooped Aragorn up, much to the child's surprise. "Come on, kid. You'll love the dinners in the Hall of Fire." he said.
"Yes," chimed Elrohir happily. "Afterward, we get to sing and dance and hear some stories." Aragorn smiled at this news.
"We'll see to Aragorn, Ada." said Elladan, as they headed for the door. Elrond nodded as they disappeared into the hall and then he lowered his head, his hair falling forward to hide his face. His shoulders began to tremble slightly.
"Well, we better go change…" Glorfindel's eyes widened in concern as he saw Elrond. "Elrond, what's wrong?" He went around the table and neared the Elf lord.
Elrond lifted his head and Glorfindel saw that he was laughing softly, not crying as he had feared. "My legs fell asleep some time ago and are just now beginning to wake up." A tear slid down his cheek.
A smile spread across Glorfindel's face. "You're kidding." he chuckled.
Elrond shook his head fiercely, dark hair flying. "No, it's really starting to hurt!" he exclaimed through a laugh. "Blast it all, this isn't funny!" Glorfindel laughed harder while he wrapped his arms around Elrond's waist and lifted him up onto the couch. Elrond hiccuped and leaned to the right on the couch, taking pressure off of his tingling legs. "I don't believe this." he muttered with mirth. Glorfindel was laughing too as he sat beside him and started rubbing briskly at Elrond's legs. The Elf lord smiled at him in gratitude. "Thank you, my friend. But, if you ever tell anyone about this I shall make sure you disappear quite mysteriously."
"My lips are sealed, my lord." chuckled Glorfindel.
Elrond laughed and started rotating his ankles one by one until finally his legs returned to normal and he was able to sit correctly. He looked around the room and found it a mess, crumbled sheets of paper with ink spilled on them and the remains of lunch dirtied the table and floor. "Oh, the staff is going to have words with me." Elrond chuckled.
Glorfindel gently turned his face toward him. "Still worried, my lord?" he asked softly.
Elrond's entire body relaxed against Glorfindel. "I was so afraid when I had to confront Aragorn in the garden after he caught the print. I'd rather face an orc weaponless, it would have been less tricky." he muttered. The blond Elf remained silent as he held the other, waiting for Elrond to continue. "I'm not worried any more, not like I was." the dark headed half-Elf finally muttered. "I will worry about his mortality and I will worry about his destiny but I will never worry about his heart. He is a most amazing boy, that Aragorn."
Glorfindel rested his chin on the top of Elrond's head. "So I have seen." he agreed quietly. He turned his face and kissed the top of Elrond's head. "He drew a picture of you, did you know?"
Elrond sat up in surprise. "Of me? I did not notice." Glorfindel leaned forward and grabbed the picture from the table, handing it to Elrond. Elrond smiled as he gazed at the picture, nodding in approval. "I like it." Glorfindel laughed and watched as Elrond picked up a pen and turned the sheet over. On the back, Elrond wrote Aragorn's name and the date.
"You're going to have it framed, aren't you." said Glorfindel, recognizing the ritual.
"Of course." answered Elrond. He stood, testing his steps carefully before walking over to his desk. "I had the twins' things framed and now I shall have Aragorn's things framed." He rolled the sheet carefully before placing it in a drawer. Elrond took a quick look around the room and then headed for the door. "Come Glorfindel, as you said; we must change for dinner."
The blond Elf stood and followed his lord. "And keep an eye on the twins."
Elrond's chuckle floated back into the Study. "That too."
