Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places
thereof
*****
The rain drummed steadily on Elladan and Elrohir, who sat upright in their saddles, paused on the lip of the valley. The younger twin wore a frown, and moodily he shifted his cloak in an attempt to stay as dry as possible. Elrohir's posture displayed his impatience, the heel of one hand resting on his saddle, both reins in one hand, his eyes fixed on his brother. Elladan clutched the form before him tightly, gazing into the valley, his and Elrohir's home. "Well?" Elrohir asked at last, impatient.
"This is it," Elladan replied worriedly. He turned to his brother, eyes betraying his worry. "Elrohir, what will I do if Father says no? If he refuse the boy, and after I promised Gilraen. . ."
Elrohir smiled and rested a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder. "We will think of something. It will be all right." For days they had been riding in silence, speaking rarely to each other. Elrohir was angry with Elladan for taking in a child, especially a child Elladan (in Elrohir's opinion) was not fully committed to. Much of this anger had been misdirected from his anger at himself for killing Gilraen's second child, though the measure had been necessary. Elladan, respecting his brother's anger, spent more time looking after Aragorn and less time trying to apologize.
"I'm sorry." Elladan started. That was not what he had meant to say! "I mean, thank you," he amended. "I could never do this alone." Gilraen had parted company with them earlier, leaving her child in Elladan's care. He was certain she had acted out of grief, but had done her bidding and taken Aragorn to the safety of Imladris.
"I know," Elrohir replied. "Perhaps racing would not be best with the little one asleep. Shall we walked on?"
"We shall," Elladan responded, and the boys laughed quietly and nudged their horses forward, down into the valley and the next step of their journey.
When the twins arrived, dripping wet and tired, in Lord Elrond's study, neither was willing to make a noise and get his attention. 'You,' Elrohir mouthed, giving his brother a slight shove. Elladan shook his head. Elrohir motioned to the child in Elladan's arms: this is your business. Elladan replied with harsh motions: but you are in his better graces!
"Are you all right? You look terrible." The boys were spared their decision by their father, who noticed them standing before him, arguing silently.
"Good morrow, Ada," Elladan replied over-brightly. Elrond eyed him with suspicion, which quickly turned to an angry, surprised expression when he spotted Aragorn. "Elladan. . .please explain."
"I. . ." For once, Elladan was at a loss for words. "This is Aragorn. . .he is Arathorn's son." As Elladan spoke the child shifted in his sleep.
"That does not improve the situation. What is he doing here?" Elrond asked. It seemed as though Elladan had kidnapped a future chieftain of the dunedain, which could not possibly turn out well.
"Arathorn was slain. He took an arrow to the eye and. . ."
Elladan's words drifted, and for a time he gave mixed explanations, with his brother's aid, whilst Aragorn slept, dreaming of that night. In his dream, he saw his father stagger into the tent with a stick coming out of his eye and blood covering his face and tunic. There were awful noises in the background, shouts such as Aragorn had never heard, then, as he moved to leave and see what was going on, the tent collapsed. . .For an hour or more he lay in the dark, unable to move the heavy material, then he fell asleep. When next he awoke, it was calm, but he was still trapped. Then he screamed, and screamed, until he was found.
Waking in a strange place, Aragorn cried once more, and clung to the warm body he had come to associate with safety. Elladan looked from his father to his charge, and held the child tighter. "Excuse me, Ada, Elrohir." Elladan inclined his head in a polite farewell and carried the child out of the room.
Later, when Elrond sought his eldest son, he could find him in none of the guest chambers where he might have left Aragorn--there was no sign of Aragorn either. At last Elrond looked in Elladan's own chambers, where he found the Elf speaking softly to Aragorn, who had been placed in Elladan's own bed.
". . .but she did not meet him, and he sprang from the decks and was lost to the sea," Elladan concluded, a short re-telling of the tale of Nimrodel. "There is no more to the story, dear." Aragorn said nothing, but Elladan understood. "I would if I could. Tomorrow I shall tell you a story with a happy ending, would this please you?" He laughed. "All right, little hope. Good night. Go to sleep. Yes, you must." At last Elladan rose and left the bedside, motioning Elrond outside. "He sleeps lightly," Elladan explained, "because of the nightmares, I think."
"Elladan, I do not approve of you bringing this child into our house, especially your doing so without first asking my permission. However, as he is here and has no where else to go, he may stay until the time comes that he may face the world on his own two feet."
"That day. . ." Elladan swallowed. "It may not come, Ada."
"What do you mean?" Elrond asked. Men grew very quickly, he knew this well.
"He may not live past five years, Ada. He is. . .sick." Elladan could think of no more appropriate term.
Elrond took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "All right," he said at last. "He shall stay here until he matures, or until the line of my brother is broken." Father and son faced each other for a moment, seeking to understand each other, feeling akin in their sorrows. A clap of thunder, and a cry from within Elladan' chambers. "A very light sleeper," Elrond commented to his son, as the two returned to comfort the boy.
*****
The End
*****
Author's note: The end of this story, but not the end of this series. The next story I am going to start (hopefully soon) is called 'Bear With Me', and follows this story after a break of six months. The other stories in this series which have been written, and Estel's age in each, are:
Tearful at the Falling of a Star (4, 7)
Phantasm (5)
Every Move You Make (14)
Colder Than it Looks Outside (15)
If you liked this story, you might like those ones too. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my story!
*****
The rain drummed steadily on Elladan and Elrohir, who sat upright in their saddles, paused on the lip of the valley. The younger twin wore a frown, and moodily he shifted his cloak in an attempt to stay as dry as possible. Elrohir's posture displayed his impatience, the heel of one hand resting on his saddle, both reins in one hand, his eyes fixed on his brother. Elladan clutched the form before him tightly, gazing into the valley, his and Elrohir's home. "Well?" Elrohir asked at last, impatient.
"This is it," Elladan replied worriedly. He turned to his brother, eyes betraying his worry. "Elrohir, what will I do if Father says no? If he refuse the boy, and after I promised Gilraen. . ."
Elrohir smiled and rested a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder. "We will think of something. It will be all right." For days they had been riding in silence, speaking rarely to each other. Elrohir was angry with Elladan for taking in a child, especially a child Elladan (in Elrohir's opinion) was not fully committed to. Much of this anger had been misdirected from his anger at himself for killing Gilraen's second child, though the measure had been necessary. Elladan, respecting his brother's anger, spent more time looking after Aragorn and less time trying to apologize.
"I'm sorry." Elladan started. That was not what he had meant to say! "I mean, thank you," he amended. "I could never do this alone." Gilraen had parted company with them earlier, leaving her child in Elladan's care. He was certain she had acted out of grief, but had done her bidding and taken Aragorn to the safety of Imladris.
"I know," Elrohir replied. "Perhaps racing would not be best with the little one asleep. Shall we walked on?"
"We shall," Elladan responded, and the boys laughed quietly and nudged their horses forward, down into the valley and the next step of their journey.
When the twins arrived, dripping wet and tired, in Lord Elrond's study, neither was willing to make a noise and get his attention. 'You,' Elrohir mouthed, giving his brother a slight shove. Elladan shook his head. Elrohir motioned to the child in Elladan's arms: this is your business. Elladan replied with harsh motions: but you are in his better graces!
"Are you all right? You look terrible." The boys were spared their decision by their father, who noticed them standing before him, arguing silently.
"Good morrow, Ada," Elladan replied over-brightly. Elrond eyed him with suspicion, which quickly turned to an angry, surprised expression when he spotted Aragorn. "Elladan. . .please explain."
"I. . ." For once, Elladan was at a loss for words. "This is Aragorn. . .he is Arathorn's son." As Elladan spoke the child shifted in his sleep.
"That does not improve the situation. What is he doing here?" Elrond asked. It seemed as though Elladan had kidnapped a future chieftain of the dunedain, which could not possibly turn out well.
"Arathorn was slain. He took an arrow to the eye and. . ."
Elladan's words drifted, and for a time he gave mixed explanations, with his brother's aid, whilst Aragorn slept, dreaming of that night. In his dream, he saw his father stagger into the tent with a stick coming out of his eye and blood covering his face and tunic. There were awful noises in the background, shouts such as Aragorn had never heard, then, as he moved to leave and see what was going on, the tent collapsed. . .For an hour or more he lay in the dark, unable to move the heavy material, then he fell asleep. When next he awoke, it was calm, but he was still trapped. Then he screamed, and screamed, until he was found.
Waking in a strange place, Aragorn cried once more, and clung to the warm body he had come to associate with safety. Elladan looked from his father to his charge, and held the child tighter. "Excuse me, Ada, Elrohir." Elladan inclined his head in a polite farewell and carried the child out of the room.
Later, when Elrond sought his eldest son, he could find him in none of the guest chambers where he might have left Aragorn--there was no sign of Aragorn either. At last Elrond looked in Elladan's own chambers, where he found the Elf speaking softly to Aragorn, who had been placed in Elladan's own bed.
". . .but she did not meet him, and he sprang from the decks and was lost to the sea," Elladan concluded, a short re-telling of the tale of Nimrodel. "There is no more to the story, dear." Aragorn said nothing, but Elladan understood. "I would if I could. Tomorrow I shall tell you a story with a happy ending, would this please you?" He laughed. "All right, little hope. Good night. Go to sleep. Yes, you must." At last Elladan rose and left the bedside, motioning Elrond outside. "He sleeps lightly," Elladan explained, "because of the nightmares, I think."
"Elladan, I do not approve of you bringing this child into our house, especially your doing so without first asking my permission. However, as he is here and has no where else to go, he may stay until the time comes that he may face the world on his own two feet."
"That day. . ." Elladan swallowed. "It may not come, Ada."
"What do you mean?" Elrond asked. Men grew very quickly, he knew this well.
"He may not live past five years, Ada. He is. . .sick." Elladan could think of no more appropriate term.
Elrond took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "All right," he said at last. "He shall stay here until he matures, or until the line of my brother is broken." Father and son faced each other for a moment, seeking to understand each other, feeling akin in their sorrows. A clap of thunder, and a cry from within Elladan' chambers. "A very light sleeper," Elrond commented to his son, as the two returned to comfort the boy.
*****
The End
*****
Author's note: The end of this story, but not the end of this series. The next story I am going to start (hopefully soon) is called 'Bear With Me', and follows this story after a break of six months. The other stories in this series which have been written, and Estel's age in each, are:
Tearful at the Falling of a Star (4, 7)
Phantasm (5)
Every Move You Make (14)
Colder Than it Looks Outside (15)
If you liked this story, you might like those ones too. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my story!