IMPORTANT NOTE: I NEED YOUR HELP, YES, _YOUR_ HELP *points at reader*; I NEED A (NEW, BETTER) TITLE FOR THIS STORY. I MEAN, 'AN ESTEL STORY' DOES SOUND A BIT STUPID, DON'T YOU THINK? SO PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS, SEND ME AN E-MAIL OR SIMPLY LEAVE A REVIEW. PLEASE HELP ME? *big pleading puppy dog eyes*

Note: this chapter is dedicated to Anita, one of the best reviewers on FF.net: you go girl!

Disclaimer: I don't owe anything, not even the tea I used in this chapter

Author's Note: this certainly is Alternate Universe (the longer I write, the more alternate it becomes…).

Preface: This is just a short story about Estel, I expect my readers to have some background information. If you don't understand the story, please feel free to mail me. But don't bother asking me questions like 'Who is Estel?'; my only answer would be: go read the books!!! (yes, that includes the appendices)

This is also my chance to tell everybody to read the Mellon Chronicles written by Cassia & Sio. Another author worth checking out is Emmithar, 'Family is Home', 'A Simple Hunting Trip' and 'The White Wolves of Azscverbae' are really good. I'm also enjoying her non-LotR-fic 'A Fateful Journey' very much.

My friend puck also writes good stuff (though it isn't LOTR) and if you'd read and reviewed her stories I'd really appreciate it.

So what are you waiting for? Go read those stories (after you read & reviewed mine that is ;)

A/N: I'm not very good at writing action and/or battle scenes, so please forgive me if they are rather bad written. Also I'd like to ask you not to pay too much attention to the whole 'time and place' stuff for I'm afraid that also doesn't exactly fit

R2R's:

Kawaii BlueBear – Thank you so much for reviewing and I hope you'll like this chapter too

Anita – dit hoofdstuk is voor jou!

Belothien – E&E&E are my favourites too *g*

Emmithar – Thanks for pointing out it's hannad _lle_ and no, I don't think it's sad you can read Elvish, I think it's great! I want to learn it too, but well, right now I don't have enough time, but who knows, maybe one day I'll actually have time I can spare *g*

Puck – Well, I simply _had_ to add a bit of Shakespeare to this fic, now it isn't entirely crap…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ indicates it is the beginning (or ending) of a dream/memory

* * * * * * * * indicates the passing of time

Chapter four Part two

After he had sent Elladan and Elrohir to bed, Elrond was pacing his room. 'I need to get some rest,' he thought, but the moment he lay down he was flooded with memories of Estel.

Lost in thought of how to keep the memories at bay he did not notice Erestor, chief of his household, enter the chambers.

'My Lord,' Erestor said. 'I brought you some tea that will help you sleep and calm your nerves.'

'Thank you, please put it on that table,' Elrond said, pointing to a small table in the corner of the room. He had no intention of drinking the tea, but wanted to appease his friend who was known for his stubbornness concerning the health of Rivendell's inhabitants.

However, Erestor had known his Lord for a long time and stayed in the room, waiting for Elrond to drink the tea. Finally the Elven Lord relented and drunk the tea at one gulp. Erestor left, pleased that Elrond had finished the tea, yet worried for the Lord's human son. 'Please let him come home safely,' the Elf thought as he closed the doors.

The tea soon took effect and Elrond lowered himself in a comfortable chair.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Elrond saw a small group of Elven warriors return in great haste and his heart tightened in fear. It was not long before he could see Elrohir holding an Edain child and he waited impatiently for the group to come closer.

'Ada!' Elladan called as he entered Rivendell.

'What happened, my son?' Elrond asked. 'And who is it you carry into Imladris?'

'Many a battle has been fought and some Elves will not return to dwell in the Gardens of Imladris ever again. Arathorn and Gilrain were slain and we have brought with us their son, Aragorn.'

Elrond trusted his sons to explain the details in private and did not ask further questions. He lifted Aragorn from Elrohir's horse and put him on the ground. 'Are you hungry, young one?'

Aragorn nodded sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

'Then we will ask Aldanna to take you to the kitchens and to give you a nice hot bath after you've eaten something.'

Once again Aragorn nodded and walked towards a she-Elf who held out her hand.

'Come,' she said in a soothing voice. 'Let's get you a sweet roll, I'm sure Findor will be delighted to have another young child in his kitchen; he is such a sweet Elf. Don't worry, though he appears grumpy, he likes children very much.'

Elrond watched them disappear in the direction of the kitchens, a smile on his face.

'I'm sure Findor will spoil him rotten, Ada,' Elrohir spoke up. 'I remember when Elladan and I were little; he would give us all the treats and he would even cover up for us when we were in trouble.'

'I know, Findor absolutely adores children.'

'One look at little Aragorn and he will be lost. The boy truly has an angelic aura,' Elrohir said.

Elrond broke into a sad smile at the words of the younger twin. 'My sensitive son, how much you resemble your mother!' He turned around to look at both his sons and finally really saw them. They looked dishevelled, caked blood was on their clothes and their eyes showed sorrow and grief.

'We will talk once you have freshened up,' he said gently.

Elrohir looked relieved, but Elladan looked as if he wanted to protest.

'No, Elladan,' he said raising a arm to stop the argument. 'We will talk after you've freshened up.'

Elladan scowled, but said nothing.

While the twins went to their chambers to freshen themselves up Elrond went to his study. As he stood on the balcony, looking out over Rivendell, he was thinking about what had happened. 'The death of Arathorn is very worrisome, of late evil has won many battles. The White Council should come together, there are many things that have to be discussed. One of them is the protection of the worlds west from Rivendell; who will protect them now the Rangers are leaderless? The rumours which tell that evil is growing in Mirkwood need to be verified, it is said that spiders and wargs are becoming more and more frequent visitors in the south of Thranduil's Realm. I fear dark times are drawing near. Soon it will be decided whether the world will fall into darkness or good shall be victorious.'

He looked up from his contemplations as the twins entered the room.

'Ada,' Elladan asked his father as he entered the study. 'What are we going to do with Aragorn? He cannot go back to the Rangers, he needs to be protected.'

Elrond smiled, it seemed that the young heir had not only stolen Elrohir's heart but Elladan's as well. 'He will stay in Imladris and he will be raised as an Elf, yet he will be taught the customs of his own people too. However, I feel it important to conceal his true identity, he is not to know who he is until he is much older.'

A sudden understanding dawned on him. 'He will be the Hope of Men and thus shall be called Estel.'

A sniggering disturbed the solemn sphere. Elrond glared at his eldest who suddenly found the floor very interesting.

'Ada,' Elrohir spoke up. 'That's a ridiculous name; you can't name him Estel!'

'And why not?' The Lord of Rivendell asked icily, his gaze turning towards his other son.

Under his father's silencing glare Elrohir didn't dare to say anything and his eyes joined his brothers' to the floor.

Satisfied Elrond once again turned to admire the beauty of Rivendell. 'How is the boy coping with his parents' death?'

'He tries to be brave, to act like his father's son. He was aware of the fact Arathorn was the leader of the Dúnedain, though I am unsure whether he knows about his true lineage,' Elrohir said. 'However, I have no doubts he will overcome the loss of his parents.'

'I will speak to him this evening,' Elrond answered.

The twins sensing their father wanted a bit of privacy, stood from their seats. 'We are going to the kitchens to eat something.'

As the twins quitted the study they almost bumped into Aldanna who was holding a clean, but sleepy Aragorn.

'Master Elrond,' she addressed the Elven Lord. 'The Edain has eaten and bathed. I think it is time for him to sleep. Should I put him to bed?'

'I need to speak with him before he goes to bed. Please make sure the Lhasbelin Room is prepared,' Elrond answered.

Aldanna nodded and giving Aragorn an encouraging squeeze, she left.

'Come here,' Elrond told the boy in a soft voice. As Aragorn slowly approached Elrond held out a hand for the boy to join him on the couch he was sitting on. Aragorn sat down and stared at the hearth in front of him.

'Do you know who your father was?' The Elf asked gently.

The boy looked confused, yet answered the question. 'Yes, Sir, his name was Arathorn, he was the leader of the Dúnedain.'

Elrond waited a moment for the boy to continue, but as Aragorn showed no sign of saying anything more, he smiled, relieved the child did not know about the inheritance of the leaders of the Dúnedain. 'Of course, right you are, he was the leader of the Dúnedain.'

After a while he continued. 'Because he was a leader it made him a very important person. You, being the son of Arathorn, are a very important person too. That is why you have to be protected until the day comes you can handle the dangers of the world yourself.

'Therefore your true identity will remain unknown and word will be spread that the heir of Arathorn has not survived. You will live by the name of Estel and grow up as my son.'

Elrond's gaze softened as he looked at Aragorn who still stared into the flames, his face void of emotion.

'I am sorry, but it is necessary. Like your father before you had, you have many responsibilities.'

'There is no other way?' Aragorn finally asked, though he knew the answer.

'None that I can see.'

'Then so be it.'

Aragorn paused for a heartbeat. 'Can I go to my room now?'

'But of course, follow me,' Elrond said gently, leading the boy to the Lhasbelin Room.

'If there is something you want, Elrohir's room is on your right and my chambers are at the end of the hall; don't hesitate to call for someone,' Elrond told Aragorn as he helped him into his pyjamas.

'I'll be fine,' Aragorn said as he crawled under his blankets.

Elrond left after a last glance at the boy who was looking at the ceiling of his room and went to his own chambers to finish the monthly reports concerning the food supplies in Rivendell.

* * * * * * * *

The sun was long gone when the Lord of Rivendell put away the papers to go to bed, yet he did not lay down, for on a sudden urge he decided to check on his new son. Silently he entered the room, but as he looked in the bed he saw it was empty. He quickly scanned the room and soon he could distinguish the small form of the human, who was sitting with his back to the bed staring out of the window.

'Estel?'

As he received no reaction, Elrond walked over to the boy. 'Estel, why are you sitting on the cold floor instead of sleeping in your bed?'

Though the boy still didn't look at him a small voice answered: 'I don't want to sleep.'

'Why not?'

'I don't want to close my eyes.'

'You don't want to close your eyes?' Elrond repeated confused, gathering Estel in his arms. 'He is freezing,' he thought, chastising himself for not caring better for the child, as he cradled the shivering body.

'When I close my eyes I can see them.'

'Who is them, Estel, who do you see?'

'Orcs, killing people,' a sob escaped the boy's throat. 'Daddy, looking at me without seeing me…mommy, with an axe in her back.'

Elrond's own eyes became clouded with tears as he listened to his foster son's agonizing words.

'I try to be strong, really! I try to be like daddy!'

'Oh, Estel, there is no shame in showing your grief,' Elrond assured Estel. 'I know there are times you have to be strong for others, but there are also times others are strong for you. And right now you don't have to be strong. Let go of your anger and sorrow, release your emotions, I'm here for you, Estel, I'm here to be strong for you. Remember, Estel, as long as you live I'll be your strength, I'll always be strong for you.'

Though Estel didn't say anything he hugged the Elven Lord tighter and Elrond rubbed his back soothingly.

'Let it all go, everything will be alright.'

So they sat for a long time: father and son. Finally Estel's breath evened out, indicating he had fallen asleep. Elrond tucked him in. 'Maer dû, nín ion,' he whispered and the words felt right.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Elrond woke up with a start, someone was shaking him and he could hear yelling. 'Elrond,' the voice screamed. 'Wake up!'

'What?' a rather confused Lord of Rivendell asked.

'It has stopped raining and we are ready to leave,' Gandalf said, standing in the doorway, ready to leave Elrond's chamber.

'Ready to leave?' Elrond repeated, still slightly drugged from the tea.

'Oh, by the Valar,' Gandalf cried out. 'To search for Estel!'

Finally it dawned on Elrond what the wizard was speaking about and he hurried out of his bed.

Gandalf left, muttering about rulers who didn't know their servants well enough and cursing a certain chief of Elrond's household.

* * * * * * * *

The company quickly rode to where they had stopped their search the previous night; as they arrived at the spot, Elladan dismounted.

'Fortunately I can still see Estel's track,' he said as he lead his horse by the reins.

The group proceeded in silence, unconsciously riding in almost the same formation as the day before. Elladan went ahead, tracking Estel's trail; Elrohir and Elrond followed him closely; and Gandalf and Glorfindel brought up the rear.

Sometimes Elladan motioned for his twin to come over and the two of them discussed the marks on the ground.

'Thank the Valar that the rain did not wash away Estels' trail,' Glorfindel thought and was startled as he realized he had said it aloud.

'Yes, my friend,' Gandalf answered for Glorfindel's ears only. 'I know not what the Lord of Imladris and his sons would have done otherwise,' he paused for a moment. 'It has been long since I last visited your fair Realm and I was unaware of how much Elrond and his family cared for their foster son.'

'Not only the Lord and his sons, Mithrandir,' Glorfindel responded. 'Every single creature in Imladris cares for Estel, he is not only the Hope of Men but also the Hope of Imladris.'

'Ada,' Elladan called. 'It seems he followed a Rangers' track to one of their camping places. I recognize the runes they sometimes use.'

Elrond nodded and once again silence descended on the small group.

It was not long before they could see the opening of a cave, but when Elladan rushed to the entrance his face fell. 'He has already left.'

'I still think we should go inside,' Gandalf proposed. 'So we can determine whether he is injured.'

Elladan and Elrohir hurried inside, eager to find traces of their little brother.

'He started a fire using a pile of wood the Rangers left behind and dried his clothes,' Elladan's voice echoed through the cave.

'I can see no sign of injury; I think he might have caught a cold, but that's all,' Elrohir said, coming out of the cave. 'No serious injuries.'

Elrond let out a relieved sigh and motioned the twins to continue their search for Estel.

* * * * * * * *

'He changed his course now, he's moving up north,' Elrohir said after a while, his brows knotted in worry.

'I have noticed too,' was the grave reply of Elrond.

The group slowly followed Estel's tracks, their hearts growing heavier with each step the horses took. Finally Elrohir had to vocalize his thoughts. 'He is walking directly into wolf's territory.'

No one responded, but though Elrond's face seemed composed his eyes betrayed his worry and fear. Gandalf grasped his staff more tightly, thinking back to an adventure not long ago, when he had been trapped in a tree surrounded by wolves that awaited their chance to kill him and his companions.

'Estel has left many traces here, I think he rested here for a while and…' Elladan started, bending over a particularly squashed area, but he never got the chance to finish his sentence.

'No!'

Before anyone could react, Elrohir urged his horse forward, looking at something in the distance.

The others followed his gaze and everybody froze in horror. With their Elven eyes they could see a body, mutilated by wolves.

'Estel.' Elrond whispered brokenly.

TBC

Lhasbelin Room = Autumn Room (litt. 'leaf withering' room)

Maer dû, nín ion = Good night, my son

YAY! I wrote my first cliffie!!! D'ya like it? Well, do you? … *starts backing away as she sees an angry group of readers advancing* … Erm, I take that as a no? … *decides to run as Anita, who is in the front, releases a battle cry*

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Please R & R

IMPORTANT NOTE: I NEED YOUR HELP, YES, _YOUR_ HELP *points at reader*; I NEED A (NEW, BETTER) TITLE FOR THIS STORY. I MEAN, 'AN ESTEL STORY' DOES SOUND A BIT STUPID, DON'T YOU THINK? SO PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS, SEND ME AN E-MAIL OR SIMPLY LEAVE A REVIEW. PLEASE HELP ME? *big pleading puppy dog eyes*