Legolas cast another glance towards the window and at the massive dragon head that watched the on going breakfast. Imladris was not built for a dragon to walk the halls so Sauros was forced to remain outside. Everyone was eating breakfast and Sauros was standing outside the window watching. It was unnerving him slightly.
"Where could Aragorn possibly be?" Elrond asked everyone as they finished eating.
"None of the Mirkwood warriors have heard of Strider so he is not near my realm," Legolas said softly, receiving one of Elrond's looks.
The young elf had received a strict lecture from Elrond and several foul tasting concoctions after his vocal exhibition the night before. Elrond said that he had strained and pulled his larynx. His instructions were to keep his talking to a very minimum.
"Estel would try and distance himself from the shame that he thinks is on him. He would travel as far as he thinks he needs to," Elladan said sadly.
"He would go to the Rangers and get a job some where far away. Our best bet would be to find a group of Rangers and ask them if they have heard from Strider recently," Elrohir said and his twin nodded.
"There is a Ranger camp about a day's flight north of here, near Ettenmoors. They may be of some help," Sauros said from the window.
"A day's flight? How long is that to ride?"
"Three or four days," Gandalf said and Sauros nodded.
"We can not waste that much time!" Elladan said in shock.
"I know young Elladan but it can not be avoided. That group is the closest."
"Someone can ride with me and we could return in two days," Sauros offered and the table fell silent.
"Ride with you?" Elrohir asked faintly.
"Yes, it would ultimately save time and you could begin looking for the young human quicker."
"It is a marvelous idea Sauros," Gandalf exclaimed and the elves looked at him shocked.
"You will accompany me Gandalf?"
"Oh no, no; I am getting too old far traveling among the clouds. Young Elladan and Elrohir would be marvelous traveling companions to you Sauros."
The twin paled and looked at each other as everyone stood from the table. It was true that they would do anything for their human brother but flying was something they never anticipated they would have to do. They both knew without a doubt that they would do it if it meant getting their little brother home safely.
"Thank you for volunteering my sons," Elrond said with a smile as he patted his sons on the shoulders.
"Volunteering? Is that what it is called? Do you remember volunteering, brother?" Elrohir asked with wide eyes.
"Nay, but apparently we did."
Legolas covered his mouth with his hand to smother his laughter. The twins shot him a dirty look which only made him want to laugh harder. Packs were quickly packed with provisions and the twins were clothed in the warmest clothing they had. If Legolas was going to be honest with himself he was kind of jealous of the twins. Riding on the back of a dragon was an amazing opportunity but he wasn't suicidal.
"We shall see you when you come back," Elrond said and hugged his sons.
"If we get back," Elladan muttered and cast a wary glance at Sauros.
"Come young lords! It is time to take flight!" Sauros said and lowered his massive body to the ground.
Elrohir sighed and carefully stepped onto Sauros' leg and pulled himself onto Sauros' back. Elladan sat behind his brother and held tightly to one of the many horns along Sauros' back. Sauros' wings lowered slightly and the tips were on each side of the elves.
"We shall speak again in two days' time," Sauros said and dipped his head to the small crowd.
Sauros moved away from everyone and unfolded his mighty wings.
"Hang on!"
Wings pounded and the dragon slowly lifted from the ground. Elladan and Elrohir held tightly to the horns as Sauros lifted above the trees and headed towards the North. The air was bitingly cold higher up and the elves were thankful for the thicker clothes. Elves rarely felt cold so when they did it must be extreme piercing cold. That is what it felt like. The small group took few rests and flew through the entire day. When not holding on for dear life, the twins were looking below Sauros and at what they were flying over.
Towards evening, Sauros started to drop from the sky and near the ground. Without any light source, it was pitch black to human eyes but only dim to the travelers' eye sight. Sauros allowed the elves to jump off him before folding his wings again.
"The Rangers' camp is just beyond human eyesight in the direction. I did not wish to startle the humans and possibly get myself shot," Sauros said and Elladan turned to look.
"I can see the camp from here. We can easily walk there brother."
"Walk with us Sauros until we near the camp and then stay in the shadows. I would find out their position on dragons before calling you forward," Elrohir said and they started to walk towards the camp.
Despite being so large, Sauros walked silently beside the elves and he moved fluidly across the land. Nearing the camp, the twins tried to make noise to alert the Rangers. Elrohir motioned for Sauros to hang back and remain silent. The Rangers stood quickly and some readied bows as Elladan and Elrohir stepped into the fire light.
"Many greetings Rangers," Elladan said and bowed to the humans.
"And to you First Born," one man replied and returned the bow.
"I am Lord Elladan and this is my brother Lord Elrohir. We are sons of Lord Elrond Peredhil of Rivendell who sends his greetings."
"Lord Elrond is a friend to the Rangers. I am Captain Ramiel; Elrond's sons are welcome to join us. I would like to hear how you traveled this far without horses or any supplies," he said as he motioned for the other Rangers to lower their weapons.
"Do you have any grudges against dragons?" Elrohir asked and the captain looked at him confused.
"Dragons? I have been told horror stories about them when I was a child but I do not believe or disbelieve the stories. I do not know a dragon so I can not form my own opinion."
"Could we trust your men to not fire on a dragon?"
"I do not know how they feel about dragons but most are very open minded."
"That is much better than most," Elrohir muttered and turned to look behind him. "You may show yourself Sauros."
The captain looked at the elves confused as movement behind the twins made him look past the elves. His eyes slowly traveled up where a muzzle loomed above the elves' dark hair. The light glinted off the blood red scales as dark eyes glimmered as he stared at the dragon in shock.
"Greetings Captain Ramiel," Sauros said, startling the rest of the camp of Rangers.
Several of the men stumbled back and some moved for their bows and swords. Sauros didn't move but watched for any immediate threat. Ramiel spun and seemed to fill out and grow in height.
"No one shoots the dragon!" he yelled and glared at the camp.
No one shot and the weapons were slowly lowered but everyone watched the dragon. Dragons were thought of as a myth and legend that no one knew the real truth about. None had ever been seen but stories about them were well known and served to instill fear in people. It took time and patience to change age-old fears.
"I apologize Master Dragon. Seeing one of your kind is a very rare occurrence for most men," Ramiel said and bowed to the dragon.
"It is quite alright, really," Sauros replied with a dragon smile.
"So what brings Elrond's sons and a dragon to my camp?" Ramiel asked and motioned for the twins to join him around one of the small fires.
"We are looking for a Ranger friend of ours. No news of him has been heard in about five years and we are beginning to worry," Elrohir said and sat cross legged on the ground by the fire.
"There are many Rangers; I do not know all of them but I might."
"He goes by Strider."
A flash of recognition danced across Ramiel's face before he dropped his head to shield his face. Of course he had heard of Strider, all Rangers knew of him and the reputation he possessed. Lately, he had been hearing disturbing reports of Strider's actions and how much he had changed. Ramiel had met Strider several years before and had been impressed by the young man. Now, the reports did not match with the memory the captain had of his fellow Ranger.
"Aye, I know of Strider. He was a good Ranger."
"Was?" Elladan asked faintly, seeing his twin pale out of the corner of his eye.
Both had latched onto the past tense that the captain used. As in 'He was our brother,' or 'He was alive.' Neither Elladan nor Elrohir could register that their little brother was dead. They refused to believe it. Aragorn was strong and resilient; he was too stubborn to die.
"He is dead then?" Sauros asked, noticing that the elves were too shocked to speak.
"No, not yet. But if he continues to carry on then he will get himself killed."
"What did you mean then by 'he was a good Ranger'?" Elrohir asked angrily, his emotions running rigid.
"Simply, he does not act like himself anymore. The time that you say he went missing he started to change when he came back to the Rangers. He volunteered for the most dangerous missions; he became reckless, almost suicidal. He stopped caring for himself or others. His wounds go neglected and he acquires new scars daily; he refuses to help the healers," Ramiel said quietly to the two elves.
"You must be mistaken Ramiel, that does not sound like the Strider we know," Elladan argued, thinking that the captain confused Strider with someone else.
"Nay, I am not mistaken. He used to be one of the best healers but it has changed. He refuses to aide the inured and only says that he will make it worse. He fights with no restraint and is irrational, almost like he is possessed," Ramiel said sadly yet honestly.
"Do you know where we may find him?"
"Last I heard, he took on a very dangerous mission near the old city of Tharbad. People have been disappearing to never be heard of again. Strider went in undercover and has been there for four years to the extent of my knowledge."
"I thought the city of Tharbad had been destroyed after the Fell Winter?" Sauros asked in confusion.
"It had been, but some lord or king started to build the city and it became populated again. That is until people started to disappear," Ramiel stated and tossed a piece of wood on the fire.
"Strider will be at Tharbad?" Elrohir asked and committed the city name to memory.
"That would be the first place that I would look."
"Your help is much appreciated Captain Ramiel," Elladan said honestly.
They finally had a direction that Aragorn may have traveled. It worried the twins that their young brother had reduced himself to such a state of well-being. The captain's words did serve to lift their hopes but it also placed more worry on their hearts.
"All of you are welcomed to stay with us till morn. It is a dark night and I worry if you should return to Rivendell tonight."
"Thank you for you hospitality Ramiel, we will remain with you till morn. I have no desire to fly during the night," Elladan said grimly.
"I could imagine so," Ramiel said as Sauros snorted.
"Night flying is not my favorite. Too dark, and besides, I would like too sleep," Sauros said and laid on the ground as he wrapped his tail around his body.
"Elves can go days without sleep," Elrohir commented with a slight smirk.
"I can go for weeks without sleep but I do not desire too. I get terribly cranky and you would not like me cranky. I set things on fire," he muttered and rested his head on his claws.
"Oh no, we most definitely do not want that," Elladan said dryly.
"Milord, a spotter has sighted your sons and the dragon returning," a servant informed Lord Elrond as he bowed.
"Thank you, please inform Mithrandir and Legolas," he said as he pushed away from his desk and stood.
He smoothed his robes and started towards the courtyard. Walking down the hall, he looked upon the paintings that hung gracefully from the wall. Some were of elves that the legends were built around. Paintings depicting lost loves and heart break, showing the passionate strength to overcome obstacles. One painting was o his daughter, depicted in all her beauty. He often caught Aragorn gazing upon the painting as if entranced by its sheer beauty. Did Aragorn still love Arwen now as much as he did over five years ago? Did he dream of her at night as if she was a goddess just within his grasp, or just out of his reach?
Elrond sighed and walked down the steps to the courtyard as his sons climbed off Sauros' back. Seeing his sons' faces, he had a feeling he wasn't going to like what they had to say. Without saying a word, he motioned for everyone to go inside as Gandalf spoke quietly to Sauros. The dragon flew off before Gandalf turned and followed everyone into the house. Elladan and Elrohir were just ridding themselves of their extra outer coats before accepting a cup of tea from a servant.
"What did the Rangers say?" he asked as he crossed his arms across his chest.
"Bad news Adar. Estel is thought to be in the city of Tharbad and the news we heard is not very good. Estel had changed for the worst and is no longer the Estel we know and love. He is reckless and refuses to be a healer," Elladan said and placed the cup on the table.
"Refuses to be a healer?"
"He refuses to heal himself of his wounds. If men or women are injured, he refuses to help them."
"But why? He is an extremely talented healer," Elrond stated in dismay.
"He is ashamed of himself. He thinks that he has shamed you and his family. He is trying to distance himself from who he used to be. Guilt has overridden everything else that he feels," Legolas softly said as he looked at his soft leather boots. "We all know how Estel is. He piles all the guilt on himself even when there is no gilt to bear."
"Captain Ramiel said that Estel has been undercover in Tharbad for four years. If we are going to find him then we have to do so carefully as to not expose him," Elrohir said and Elrond rubbed his chin slightly in thought.
"I agree Elrohir but Tharbad is a human town. Any elf will stick out badly if you start to ask questions," he replied and motioned to all the elves.
"What about
Mithrandir? He could slip in less noticeable than any of us," Legolas suggested
with a shrug of his shoulders.
"It is possible but he would
have no protection in the town."
"I can assure you that I do not need protection. I may look like an old man but it is all an act," Gandalf said as he looked upon the staff in his hands.
"The rest of us could camp outside the town and lay low till we are needed," Elladan said and his father sighed.
"I still worry about this plan. Too many things can go terribly wrong."
"It is the only information we have about Estel, we have to act on it," Elrohir said desperately.
"I know, my son. I assure that your brother, Legolas, and Mithrandir will accompany you?"
"Of course."
Elrond covered his eyes with a hand and sighed. He always felt horrible when all three of his sons were abroad. He would be in a constant state of tension and worry, knowing his sons would all be in trouble. Everyday, he would glance out the multiple windows of Imladris expecting to see one, two or all of his sons limping home in need of healing.
"I know it is useless to try and stop you when it comes to your brother if I ever did try to stop you and I would not. All I can do is give you enough bandages and herbs for an army and wish you luck. Your group will leave tomorrow morn and travel to Tharbad," Elrond said, squelching the normal father's fears.
The young elves bowed and left the room to leave Elrond and Gandalf alone. The elf lord leaned against the table and braced his hands on the edge.
"I have missed him Mithrandir."
"I assume you mean Estel."
"It pains me to know what he has gone through alone and how he has handled it. I find myself still thinking of him as the young child only known as Estel. He did not have the knowledge of his heritage bearing down on his shoulders. Hi days were filled with childish wonder for everything, a carefree spirit that brightened Imladris in its time of need. He was a bright shining star," Elrond said and stared at the hard wood floor under his feet.
"And now he has grown up to be a young man with responsibilities. He is accepting who he is and what he must do."
"You mean he was accepting it. Now, I think he is pushing it away more forcibly after this incident," the elf lord muttered.
"You may be surprised. It may take time for Estel to accept who he is but he will. His future is laid before him and all he needs to do is follow it. His name will be known as the most powerful and noble of men. He will make you proud."
"I am already proud of him Mithrandir. I am so proud of him; I just hope that he knows it."
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*Sighs* I am very happy to have this chapter posted. This story is starting to seriously write itself and I am happy to let it take control. School is being a ***** (a Jerry Springer beep) which isn't uncommon. But…it is turning into one of those that they are taking the essay stick and beating the living crap out of me. College just seems to lose its appeal after a while, but it will come back eventually. So anyway, please review for me and I will give a shout out to all those that do and even the ones that do not.
Star-Stallion-I would like to say that I deserve more reviews to but I am not going to blow my own horn (I do enough of that at home and with my friends).
Astievia-Well thank you very much for the compliment and here is the next update and I will keep working on the story.