Disclaimer: I do not own 'Lord of the Rings' or any characters and/or
places thereof.
Author's Note: Estel's lullaby is actually a Joni Mitchell song. I know they would not have Joni Mitchell in Middle-earth but, well, I fell asleep to 'Circle Game' as a child and many others who are friends to me have similar memories. Also, I cannot write songs, so even if I were to try my own lullaby, I couldn't write one.
Thanks to every anti-Arnold activist and sympathizes out there. . .such a tragedy. . .
Arabella Thorne: Thank you! That is something of a truly respectable and noteworthy quality, the ability to admit when someone else has a logical argument and to accept that. I admire this very much. Congratulations.
And, of course, thanks to everyone who reviewed! I love hearing from you!
*****
Estel took deep breaths to calm himself down. "Everything is all right," he told Ranger, hugging tightly to the dog. "There is nothing to be frightened of." Now that he looked around, the moon offered some visibility. The rocks and the stream and the trees, he could see all of that. It was the beyond-places that scared him, like the monsters in the closet at home. What was lurking in those deep shadows? Estel could not see, and that frightened him.
Bravery was an old concept for the youth, one he thought often of, nearly as old and oft considered as the need to prove himself. Because of these two factors, Estel tried hard not to cry. He gulped in mouthfuls of air and sang gentle old lullabies to himself. "Yesterday, a child came out to wander. . ." Estel's voice was taken by fear as the wind swept fell noises to him. He shivered and grabbed for Ranger, then shook himself and continued, "Caught a dragonfly inside a jar."
Ranger howled once and Estel put his arm around the dog. "I know," the boy whispered. "I'm scared, too, and I smell the rain coming. But listen, Ranger, we cannot go home, not just yet. I have to know what I dreamed of or else the dreams will never go away." The dog whined, and Estel shushed him by scratching his ears and continuing his lullaby. "He was fearful when the skies were full of thunder--"
Ranger barked loudly, just as with a flash of lightning the heavens burst. Rain poured down on the duo, and both moved their heads to seek shelter. None was forthcoming, and so they huddled against a tree, the driest space they could find, and shivered against each other. "I want to go home, Ranger," Estel whimpered, too frightened to be brave. He was wet and lonely and terrified, and wanted nothing more than to be back home. But then Estel realized that when he thought of "home", it was not so much a place as it was a person, and he amended his speech. "I want Ada, Ranger," Estel said. Then he held the dog tightly and hid his face in the wet and matted ruff.
"Estel? Estel!" The boy did not hear, or perhaps he did hear and dared not believe his ears. "Estel." The next thing he knew someone was holding him tightly and speaking to him soothingly, and he could not be afraid any long, because he was safe in his Ada's arms, and no matter what the future held, now he could be safe and happy, and not worry about what was to come. Estel was so busy burying his face in his Ada's tunic that he did not even hear the words next spoken. "Come on, Estel. You are safe now. Let's go home."
*****
"Ada, are you angry?" asked Estel. He was in bed now, warm beneath the covers, in clean, dry pyjamas. The rain was still falling, slashing against the windowpane, and Estel thought it sounded vaguely frightening. He was too busy being worried, now, that Ada was angry to consider the rain.
"No, Estel," said Elrond, who had been too worried to be angry. "Drink your tea."
Estel looked at the cup clutched in his hands and made a face. He had kept the cup close because it was very warm, but was all too familiar with Ada's teas. He would be asleep in minutes if he drank it! But, because Ada told him to, Estel put the cup to his lips and with much courage and fortitude tipped back his head. He swallowed hard and grimaced, being certain to keep his expression of disgust long enough for Ada to see. "It tastes yukky," he added, for effect.
"It may taste yukky, but it is good for you," Elrond returned.
"It still tastes yukky," Estel grumbled, and acted stubborn, folding his arms, lowering his eyes and jutting out his lower lip. After a few moments of this, when no response came, Estel shifted his gaze. Elrond met his son's eyes and held them, until at last Estel was laughing hopelessly. "All right," he said when he was calm, and buried himself deeper under the covers. "But Elladan and Elrohir were out in the rain, too. I think they need tea, Ada."
"I think you are right," Elrond said, knowing that he could not bear to explain to such a young child about illness and Elves. "Goodnight, Estel." Elrond hugged his son and kissed his forehead, and Estel hugged him in return. "Would you like me to stay here, until you have fallen asleep?"
"No," Estel replied. Then, after a moment of meditation in which the candle by his bed was extinguished, he added, "Yes, please stay Ada!"
"Shh, Estel," Elrond said, hearing panic in the boy's voice. "I am not going anywhere."
Estel shivered and clung to Elrond fearfully. "Ada, will you sing the song?" he asked.
"Yesterday, a child came out to wander. . ." Estel could feel his shivers going away now. "Caught a dragonfly inside a jar. . ." In fact, he was a little sleepy. "He was fearful when the skies were full of thunder. . ." Maybe he would just rest his eyes for a moment. "And tearful at the falling of a star."
*****
To be continued (One more chapter, I think, to tie up loose ends)
Author's Note: Estel's lullaby is actually a Joni Mitchell song. I know they would not have Joni Mitchell in Middle-earth but, well, I fell asleep to 'Circle Game' as a child and many others who are friends to me have similar memories. Also, I cannot write songs, so even if I were to try my own lullaby, I couldn't write one.
Thanks to every anti-Arnold activist and sympathizes out there. . .such a tragedy. . .
Arabella Thorne: Thank you! That is something of a truly respectable and noteworthy quality, the ability to admit when someone else has a logical argument and to accept that. I admire this very much. Congratulations.
And, of course, thanks to everyone who reviewed! I love hearing from you!
*****
Estel took deep breaths to calm himself down. "Everything is all right," he told Ranger, hugging tightly to the dog. "There is nothing to be frightened of." Now that he looked around, the moon offered some visibility. The rocks and the stream and the trees, he could see all of that. It was the beyond-places that scared him, like the monsters in the closet at home. What was lurking in those deep shadows? Estel could not see, and that frightened him.
Bravery was an old concept for the youth, one he thought often of, nearly as old and oft considered as the need to prove himself. Because of these two factors, Estel tried hard not to cry. He gulped in mouthfuls of air and sang gentle old lullabies to himself. "Yesterday, a child came out to wander. . ." Estel's voice was taken by fear as the wind swept fell noises to him. He shivered and grabbed for Ranger, then shook himself and continued, "Caught a dragonfly inside a jar."
Ranger howled once and Estel put his arm around the dog. "I know," the boy whispered. "I'm scared, too, and I smell the rain coming. But listen, Ranger, we cannot go home, not just yet. I have to know what I dreamed of or else the dreams will never go away." The dog whined, and Estel shushed him by scratching his ears and continuing his lullaby. "He was fearful when the skies were full of thunder--"
Ranger barked loudly, just as with a flash of lightning the heavens burst. Rain poured down on the duo, and both moved their heads to seek shelter. None was forthcoming, and so they huddled against a tree, the driest space they could find, and shivered against each other. "I want to go home, Ranger," Estel whimpered, too frightened to be brave. He was wet and lonely and terrified, and wanted nothing more than to be back home. But then Estel realized that when he thought of "home", it was not so much a place as it was a person, and he amended his speech. "I want Ada, Ranger," Estel said. Then he held the dog tightly and hid his face in the wet and matted ruff.
"Estel? Estel!" The boy did not hear, or perhaps he did hear and dared not believe his ears. "Estel." The next thing he knew someone was holding him tightly and speaking to him soothingly, and he could not be afraid any long, because he was safe in his Ada's arms, and no matter what the future held, now he could be safe and happy, and not worry about what was to come. Estel was so busy burying his face in his Ada's tunic that he did not even hear the words next spoken. "Come on, Estel. You are safe now. Let's go home."
*****
"Ada, are you angry?" asked Estel. He was in bed now, warm beneath the covers, in clean, dry pyjamas. The rain was still falling, slashing against the windowpane, and Estel thought it sounded vaguely frightening. He was too busy being worried, now, that Ada was angry to consider the rain.
"No, Estel," said Elrond, who had been too worried to be angry. "Drink your tea."
Estel looked at the cup clutched in his hands and made a face. He had kept the cup close because it was very warm, but was all too familiar with Ada's teas. He would be asleep in minutes if he drank it! But, because Ada told him to, Estel put the cup to his lips and with much courage and fortitude tipped back his head. He swallowed hard and grimaced, being certain to keep his expression of disgust long enough for Ada to see. "It tastes yukky," he added, for effect.
"It may taste yukky, but it is good for you," Elrond returned.
"It still tastes yukky," Estel grumbled, and acted stubborn, folding his arms, lowering his eyes and jutting out his lower lip. After a few moments of this, when no response came, Estel shifted his gaze. Elrond met his son's eyes and held them, until at last Estel was laughing hopelessly. "All right," he said when he was calm, and buried himself deeper under the covers. "But Elladan and Elrohir were out in the rain, too. I think they need tea, Ada."
"I think you are right," Elrond said, knowing that he could not bear to explain to such a young child about illness and Elves. "Goodnight, Estel." Elrond hugged his son and kissed his forehead, and Estel hugged him in return. "Would you like me to stay here, until you have fallen asleep?"
"No," Estel replied. Then, after a moment of meditation in which the candle by his bed was extinguished, he added, "Yes, please stay Ada!"
"Shh, Estel," Elrond said, hearing panic in the boy's voice. "I am not going anywhere."
Estel shivered and clung to Elrond fearfully. "Ada, will you sing the song?" he asked.
"Yesterday, a child came out to wander. . ." Estel could feel his shivers going away now. "Caught a dragonfly inside a jar. . ." In fact, he was a little sleepy. "He was fearful when the skies were full of thunder. . ." Maybe he would just rest his eyes for a moment. "And tearful at the falling of a star."
*****
To be continued (One more chapter, I think, to tie up loose ends)