Sorry for the long time in updates, no time for R2R, but I enjoy them so
very much! Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 4
"Be at ease my Lord, Estel is strong."
Elrond looked up from where he stood. It had been several weeks now since Estel had gone off. Corean and Trinea had been brought back by a search party, along with the news that Estel and Legolas were with the twins The two Elves had been severely wounded, but both were recovering and free to move around. Rumors that were brought back claimed the white wolves were no longer a quandary.
Elrond smiled gently. "Caycayal, I did know you had returned."
The younger Elf smiled, leaning against the door frame. "Just this morning my Lord. I have already received word of Estel's disappearance. But I wouldn't worry very much though. In the world of Man, he is already grown."
"Aye, I presume I can hold your word on that, you're being around the mortal kin more than I. How do they fair?"
Caycayal laughed, coming further into the room. "Most I have lost track of, free to move on their own now they seem eager to explore. The few that have stayed are doing well. They were pleased to see me. I often forget the mortal kin ages quicker than ours. They look far different from the years before, but their spirit is still quite the same."
"That is one thing that never changes," Elrond stated quietly, turning his gaze back out the window. A moment later the stillness was suddenly interrupted as a door banged open further down the hall.
"I did not.!" Elrohir's voice rang swiftly through the air.
"Get down from there! Don't let him on the couch," Elladan pleaded.
Elrond and Caycayal exchanged amused glances. "Best we see what they are up too," Elrond told him with a smile. He was also anxious to greet Estel, and see what excuse his youngest son had created this time.
"There, he's off the couch," Elrohir muttered.
"Aye, now he just entered your room."
"What?" Elrohir cried. "Get out of my room!"
Elrond and Caycayal made their way into den, greeted by an unexpected surprise. The twins were frantically chasing a young wolf pup around, coming to a dead halt in front of their father as the wolf ran swiftly between the two older Elves.
"Good afternoon Father," Elrohir said, smiling lightly.
Elrond's look was nothing to smile about. "What was that?"
"Umm.that would be Nieninque. Legolas found him and he's been following us ever since."
"Found him where?"
"In Azscverbae when he and Aragorn were taken captive. Then Aragorn escaped, and Elladan went in to find Legolas, and then I rescued Estel from wolves, then we went back and rescued Legolas and Aragorn, and that's where Nieninque came in and then he followed us back to Askverba, and were taken prisoner again, and then set free because we helped save the town from Orcs and wolves, then we came home, and on the way the earthquake caused Estel to fall into the river, and Legolas went after him and then we tried to find them and."
Elrond held out his hand and silenced him. "What happened to your brother?"
"He was taken captive, chased by wolves, taken prisoner again." Elrohir started once again, keeping tally on his fingers.
"No the last the part," Elrond demanded.
"Well he fell into the river," Elladan said stepping up. "He and Legolas are still out there.somewhere."
"You don't know where they are." It was a statement, not a question.
The twins nodded. "We have been looking for them, but were forced to turn back because of the fire."
"What fire?" Elrond demanded.
"Oh.the fire in the forest, it's getting a bit big, but we couldn't do anything about it, seeing we carried no water, and there was no river nearby," Elrohir stated.
"Are you telling me Legolas and Aragorn are in the fire?" Elrond asked, worry lining his face.
Elladan shook his head. "Oh no, they had gone the other way."
"Then why were you going in the opposite direction if you were tracking them?" Elrond asked with a weary sigh. Sometimes it took more than mental strength to extricate a clear answer from his sons.
"It wasn't my fault," Elladan leaned against the wall. "Ask my brother, after all he is the expert tracker."
Elrohir's mouth dropped open in surprise. Turning to Elladan he exclaimed "I never said that!"
Elladan only raised an eyebrow. Elrond shook his head as he took in his sons appearances for the first time. The Elf Lord could almost swear his youngest son was giving them lessons in dress wear.
"Both of you need to wash and change. Then I want that."
"Nieninque," Elrohir chimed in.
".Nieninque to be washed as well if he is going to remain in this house."
Elladan's eyes grew wide. "Father, you can't be serious! You aren't going to let the thing stay in here, are you?"
"You brought him home, he is your responsibility."
"But Ada, Legolas was the one who."
A glare from Elrond silenced his son.
Grabbing his brother's arm, Elrohir led him away slowly. Elrond watched until the two disappeared around the corner.
"All will be well," Caycayal told him. Elrond nodded.
"Aye, yes that it will. They would not be in such a fine mood if it were not."
*~*~*~*
"Legolas, I don't think all this smoke is from a campfire," Aragorn yelled, trying his best to see through the hazy cloud.
"Whatever gave you that idea?"
There was a hint of sarcasm within the Elf's voice when he replied. The ranger could barely see the outline of Legolas in front of him. He coughed harshly as the smoke thickened. They had tried their best to avoid the smoke, with little success, if any at all.
"Legolas, we need to get out of here," the ranger half shouted and half choked.
"I know, I know," Legolas replied, making his way back to the ranger. He looped his arm around Aragorn's good one, straightening the young man up. He searched the area around them, but the smoke was making his keen Elven eyes water, changing his surroundings around them into a blur.
Beside him, Aragorn fell to his knees as a coughing fit racked his body. Legolas dropped besides his friend, finding it surprisingly easier to breathe the lower he got. He noted how the choking fumes rose higher into the air.
"Stay low, and follow me," Legolas told him as the coughing fit ceased.
Legolas took off once certain the human was doing as told. Never before had he dealt with smoke in such amounts, and it frightened him some. But what frightened him more was the thought of how large the flames were that produced such smoke.
"Legolas, it's getting hotter," Aragorn called out from behind.
The Elf came to a halt. To him it didn't seem much warmer, but Elves were not affected by the changes in temperature like humans were. If they were dealing with fire, then it was best to travel away from the heat. "You lead then," Legolas told him, quickly explaining his reasoning.
Aragorn did his best to lead them away, but it came to a point when he could no longer tell if he was getting further or closer to the flames that lay hidden within the depths of the forest. His body had already adjusted to the warmth around him.
He stopped suddenly, peering ahead carefully. Hardly paying attention Legolas nearly ran into the human in front of him. Before he was able to question Aragorn grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet. "I think I just found our way out," he cried, running forward.
He stopped short of the cave that loomed in front of him. "We can take shelter in here, they may be an opening near the back."
Legolas shook his head. "No, Aragorn no. We have to find something else-"
He was cut off suddenly when his Elven ears picked up the faint sound of crackling, turning just in time to see a flaming tree fall toward them. With quick movements Aragorn grabbed the Elf's arm, pulling him into the safety of the cave.
TBC. . .
Chapter 4
"Be at ease my Lord, Estel is strong."
Elrond looked up from where he stood. It had been several weeks now since Estel had gone off. Corean and Trinea had been brought back by a search party, along with the news that Estel and Legolas were with the twins The two Elves had been severely wounded, but both were recovering and free to move around. Rumors that were brought back claimed the white wolves were no longer a quandary.
Elrond smiled gently. "Caycayal, I did know you had returned."
The younger Elf smiled, leaning against the door frame. "Just this morning my Lord. I have already received word of Estel's disappearance. But I wouldn't worry very much though. In the world of Man, he is already grown."
"Aye, I presume I can hold your word on that, you're being around the mortal kin more than I. How do they fair?"
Caycayal laughed, coming further into the room. "Most I have lost track of, free to move on their own now they seem eager to explore. The few that have stayed are doing well. They were pleased to see me. I often forget the mortal kin ages quicker than ours. They look far different from the years before, but their spirit is still quite the same."
"That is one thing that never changes," Elrond stated quietly, turning his gaze back out the window. A moment later the stillness was suddenly interrupted as a door banged open further down the hall.
"I did not.!" Elrohir's voice rang swiftly through the air.
"Get down from there! Don't let him on the couch," Elladan pleaded.
Elrond and Caycayal exchanged amused glances. "Best we see what they are up too," Elrond told him with a smile. He was also anxious to greet Estel, and see what excuse his youngest son had created this time.
"There, he's off the couch," Elrohir muttered.
"Aye, now he just entered your room."
"What?" Elrohir cried. "Get out of my room!"
Elrond and Caycayal made their way into den, greeted by an unexpected surprise. The twins were frantically chasing a young wolf pup around, coming to a dead halt in front of their father as the wolf ran swiftly between the two older Elves.
"Good afternoon Father," Elrohir said, smiling lightly.
Elrond's look was nothing to smile about. "What was that?"
"Umm.that would be Nieninque. Legolas found him and he's been following us ever since."
"Found him where?"
"In Azscverbae when he and Aragorn were taken captive. Then Aragorn escaped, and Elladan went in to find Legolas, and then I rescued Estel from wolves, then we went back and rescued Legolas and Aragorn, and that's where Nieninque came in and then he followed us back to Askverba, and were taken prisoner again, and then set free because we helped save the town from Orcs and wolves, then we came home, and on the way the earthquake caused Estel to fall into the river, and Legolas went after him and then we tried to find them and."
Elrond held out his hand and silenced him. "What happened to your brother?"
"He was taken captive, chased by wolves, taken prisoner again." Elrohir started once again, keeping tally on his fingers.
"No the last the part," Elrond demanded.
"Well he fell into the river," Elladan said stepping up. "He and Legolas are still out there.somewhere."
"You don't know where they are." It was a statement, not a question.
The twins nodded. "We have been looking for them, but were forced to turn back because of the fire."
"What fire?" Elrond demanded.
"Oh.the fire in the forest, it's getting a bit big, but we couldn't do anything about it, seeing we carried no water, and there was no river nearby," Elrohir stated.
"Are you telling me Legolas and Aragorn are in the fire?" Elrond asked, worry lining his face.
Elladan shook his head. "Oh no, they had gone the other way."
"Then why were you going in the opposite direction if you were tracking them?" Elrond asked with a weary sigh. Sometimes it took more than mental strength to extricate a clear answer from his sons.
"It wasn't my fault," Elladan leaned against the wall. "Ask my brother, after all he is the expert tracker."
Elrohir's mouth dropped open in surprise. Turning to Elladan he exclaimed "I never said that!"
Elladan only raised an eyebrow. Elrond shook his head as he took in his sons appearances for the first time. The Elf Lord could almost swear his youngest son was giving them lessons in dress wear.
"Both of you need to wash and change. Then I want that."
"Nieninque," Elrohir chimed in.
".Nieninque to be washed as well if he is going to remain in this house."
Elladan's eyes grew wide. "Father, you can't be serious! You aren't going to let the thing stay in here, are you?"
"You brought him home, he is your responsibility."
"But Ada, Legolas was the one who."
A glare from Elrond silenced his son.
Grabbing his brother's arm, Elrohir led him away slowly. Elrond watched until the two disappeared around the corner.
"All will be well," Caycayal told him. Elrond nodded.
"Aye, yes that it will. They would not be in such a fine mood if it were not."
*~*~*~*
"Legolas, I don't think all this smoke is from a campfire," Aragorn yelled, trying his best to see through the hazy cloud.
"Whatever gave you that idea?"
There was a hint of sarcasm within the Elf's voice when he replied. The ranger could barely see the outline of Legolas in front of him. He coughed harshly as the smoke thickened. They had tried their best to avoid the smoke, with little success, if any at all.
"Legolas, we need to get out of here," the ranger half shouted and half choked.
"I know, I know," Legolas replied, making his way back to the ranger. He looped his arm around Aragorn's good one, straightening the young man up. He searched the area around them, but the smoke was making his keen Elven eyes water, changing his surroundings around them into a blur.
Beside him, Aragorn fell to his knees as a coughing fit racked his body. Legolas dropped besides his friend, finding it surprisingly easier to breathe the lower he got. He noted how the choking fumes rose higher into the air.
"Stay low, and follow me," Legolas told him as the coughing fit ceased.
Legolas took off once certain the human was doing as told. Never before had he dealt with smoke in such amounts, and it frightened him some. But what frightened him more was the thought of how large the flames were that produced such smoke.
"Legolas, it's getting hotter," Aragorn called out from behind.
The Elf came to a halt. To him it didn't seem much warmer, but Elves were not affected by the changes in temperature like humans were. If they were dealing with fire, then it was best to travel away from the heat. "You lead then," Legolas told him, quickly explaining his reasoning.
Aragorn did his best to lead them away, but it came to a point when he could no longer tell if he was getting further or closer to the flames that lay hidden within the depths of the forest. His body had already adjusted to the warmth around him.
He stopped suddenly, peering ahead carefully. Hardly paying attention Legolas nearly ran into the human in front of him. Before he was able to question Aragorn grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet. "I think I just found our way out," he cried, running forward.
He stopped short of the cave that loomed in front of him. "We can take shelter in here, they may be an opening near the back."
Legolas shook his head. "No, Aragorn no. We have to find something else-"
He was cut off suddenly when his Elven ears picked up the faint sound of crackling, turning just in time to see a flaming tree fall toward them. With quick movements Aragorn grabbed the Elf's arm, pulling him into the safety of the cave.
TBC. . .