Disclaimer: Another fanfic based on the wonderful world of Tolkien. Its just for fun and I'm just speculating about things he left unsaid.
Rating: This section is G...sweet yet slightly sad.
Beta: Once again, Iridia. You're wonderful!
Reviews: They are most welcomed. Please let me know what you think. Thanks.
A/N: I was reading through the appendixes of LOTR and realized Aragorn's mom lived for quite some time and even lived at Rivendell. It made me curious, very little is said about her. We know Elrond took Estel in as a son and loved him. We also know that Aragorn went to his mom when he first met Arwen (I'm assuming that meant they had some what of a close relationship). So, as my mind started to wander I put together bits of Gilraen's and Aragorn's relationship. I attempted to stick with the books' history. Hope you enjoy the piece.
Mind's Prisioner
by Elisabeth Daniels
Little Estel knocked on the large wooden door. He only went down this hallway once a week, when Ada made him. His Nana lived here, and she did not come out. He played with the brown curls at the nape of his neck. Sometimes, coming to Nana's room was scary, but he was a brave boy and did not have Ada or one of the twins come with him. He was five today and could do this alone.
Bravely he knocked on the door. No one answered; she rarely did. He heard the sound of muffled crying. Slowly he opened the door and peered into the dark room. Light from the hallway barely illumined a figure lying on the bed. "Nana?" She did not answer. Closing the door behind him--mostly closing the door, a small stream of light entered through the crack he left--and tried again. "Nana?"
Nana, did not speak Elvish--at least anymore; she only spoke Common. Estel liked speaking Elvish better, he only spoke Common with Nana. "Mama?"
"Ara...Estel, precious, is that you?" The figure on the bed stopped crying and beckoned the child to her.
Estel bounded into the room and jumped up onto the bed beside her. Maybe she was better this time. "Mama, it's me. I came to visit you all by myself."
A faint smile pulled at the lips of her thin and very pale face. "Yes, baby, you did."
"I'm not a baby, mama, I'm five today. It's my birthday." He held up five fingers in the dim light for his mama to see.
Mama did not speak, but she did not cry either. Estel ran his fingers through the brown curls of his Nana. They were tangled and knotted. It went everywhere, kind of like his when he woke up in the morning. Maybe he could brush her hair like the twin's would brush his. "Mama, can I brush your hair?"
She did not answer. Instead she continued to stare up at the ceiling with an empty expression. Far from discouraged, he hopped off the bed and ran to the dresser he could see by the faint gleam of light. Standing on his tiptoes, he felt along the top. There were several funny-shaped glass bottles, a mortar and pestle, an empty flower vase, and finally a hair brush. Grabbing the brush, he ran back to the bed.
Once more climbing into the bed, he took a small handful of hair and began to run the brush through it. While he brushed her long tangled locks, he chattered cheerfully about his week. "Elladan and Elrohir played hide-and-seek with me yesterday. I hided really good. They couldn't find me for a whole hour. And Aiwe had kittens this week. Ada promised me I could have one when it's big enough. He said I could have a black one. Aiwe's black, too."
For an hour Estel chatted while his mother remained locked in her own mental prison. He hated to see her hurting. "Mama, please don't hurt. Can I help?"
Tears once more welled in her eyes, but they did not look so far away now. As the tears fell down her checks, he rubbed them away with a small hand and kissed her cheek. Even though it was scary sometimes when she screamed and cried, Estel realized for the first time that Mama needed him. "I love you, Mama."
Mama smiled at him--really smiled. "Ara..." she winced. "Estel, I love you too."
Once more picking up the brush he began to brush her hair again. "Mama, who is Ara? You keep saying his name."
Once more the hurt seemed to deepen in her eyes. "Someone you'll meet when you're older, baby."
Her answered puzzled him, but he did not ask more, if it made her said to talk about him. Continuing to brush her hair, he started to hum a song he remembered from long ago. He thought he saw Mama's lips moving to the melody as he hummed.
"Mama, will you come to my birthday party? Please, I want you to come." He looked at her with big, pleading grey eyes.
For the first time in his life--or at least the first time he could remember--she laughed. It was a small strained laugh, but laughter all the same. "Maybe, my sweet, maybe." She stared at her son, as if seeing him for the first time. A little boy with a big heart. "Better go get ready for your party."
Estel smiled. His party. "Bye-bye, Mama." He patted his mama on the head like his brothers would pat his when they had to leave, and scampered out of the room.
A few hours later, Elrond and the twins sat around the dining-room table ready to celebrate the human child's fifth birthday. Estel insisted they set an extra place at the table, but he would not say for whom. The boy had been acting strangely since he had come back from his mother's room. He seemed to be thinking about something, but would not say anything.
"Estel, can we bring the food in now? We are getting hungry," Elladan teased his youngest brother. Estel was standing in the doorway as if waiting for someone.
The child shook his head, the brown curls tossing about.
"Come on little brother, it's your favorite meal--and we have chocolate cake for dessert." Elrohir tried to prod Estel to come in.
"Not yet," the boy insisted.
Suddenly Estel's face lit up. He left the doorway, and soon they all heard the patter of little feet running down the hallway; then the tiny footsteps were heard returning--along with a slow shuffle of slippered feet.
Before any of the elves could get up, Estel appeared again, holding the hand of his Mama. Gilraen had not left her room since she came to the house of Lord Elrond three years ago. She stood in the great dining hall dressed in a robe and slippers. Her hair was a matted mess, and she squinted at the light she was not used to seeing. Everyone stared at her in surprise.
"Estel invited me," she murmured, feeling very unsure of herself.
"Mama, sit next to me." Estel directed her to a seat beside where he normally sat. "Ada, we can eat now. Everyone is here."
Rating: This section is G...sweet yet slightly sad.
Beta: Once again, Iridia. You're wonderful!
Reviews: They are most welcomed. Please let me know what you think. Thanks.
A/N: I was reading through the appendixes of LOTR and realized Aragorn's mom lived for quite some time and even lived at Rivendell. It made me curious, very little is said about her. We know Elrond took Estel in as a son and loved him. We also know that Aragorn went to his mom when he first met Arwen (I'm assuming that meant they had some what of a close relationship). So, as my mind started to wander I put together bits of Gilraen's and Aragorn's relationship. I attempted to stick with the books' history. Hope you enjoy the piece.
Mind's Prisioner
by Elisabeth Daniels
Little Estel knocked on the large wooden door. He only went down this hallway once a week, when Ada made him. His Nana lived here, and she did not come out. He played with the brown curls at the nape of his neck. Sometimes, coming to Nana's room was scary, but he was a brave boy and did not have Ada or one of the twins come with him. He was five today and could do this alone.
Bravely he knocked on the door. No one answered; she rarely did. He heard the sound of muffled crying. Slowly he opened the door and peered into the dark room. Light from the hallway barely illumined a figure lying on the bed. "Nana?" She did not answer. Closing the door behind him--mostly closing the door, a small stream of light entered through the crack he left--and tried again. "Nana?"
Nana, did not speak Elvish--at least anymore; she only spoke Common. Estel liked speaking Elvish better, he only spoke Common with Nana. "Mama?"
"Ara...Estel, precious, is that you?" The figure on the bed stopped crying and beckoned the child to her.
Estel bounded into the room and jumped up onto the bed beside her. Maybe she was better this time. "Mama, it's me. I came to visit you all by myself."
A faint smile pulled at the lips of her thin and very pale face. "Yes, baby, you did."
"I'm not a baby, mama, I'm five today. It's my birthday." He held up five fingers in the dim light for his mama to see.
Mama did not speak, but she did not cry either. Estel ran his fingers through the brown curls of his Nana. They were tangled and knotted. It went everywhere, kind of like his when he woke up in the morning. Maybe he could brush her hair like the twin's would brush his. "Mama, can I brush your hair?"
She did not answer. Instead she continued to stare up at the ceiling with an empty expression. Far from discouraged, he hopped off the bed and ran to the dresser he could see by the faint gleam of light. Standing on his tiptoes, he felt along the top. There were several funny-shaped glass bottles, a mortar and pestle, an empty flower vase, and finally a hair brush. Grabbing the brush, he ran back to the bed.
Once more climbing into the bed, he took a small handful of hair and began to run the brush through it. While he brushed her long tangled locks, he chattered cheerfully about his week. "Elladan and Elrohir played hide-and-seek with me yesterday. I hided really good. They couldn't find me for a whole hour. And Aiwe had kittens this week. Ada promised me I could have one when it's big enough. He said I could have a black one. Aiwe's black, too."
For an hour Estel chatted while his mother remained locked in her own mental prison. He hated to see her hurting. "Mama, please don't hurt. Can I help?"
Tears once more welled in her eyes, but they did not look so far away now. As the tears fell down her checks, he rubbed them away with a small hand and kissed her cheek. Even though it was scary sometimes when she screamed and cried, Estel realized for the first time that Mama needed him. "I love you, Mama."
Mama smiled at him--really smiled. "Ara..." she winced. "Estel, I love you too."
Once more picking up the brush he began to brush her hair again. "Mama, who is Ara? You keep saying his name."
Once more the hurt seemed to deepen in her eyes. "Someone you'll meet when you're older, baby."
Her answered puzzled him, but he did not ask more, if it made her said to talk about him. Continuing to brush her hair, he started to hum a song he remembered from long ago. He thought he saw Mama's lips moving to the melody as he hummed.
"Mama, will you come to my birthday party? Please, I want you to come." He looked at her with big, pleading grey eyes.
For the first time in his life--or at least the first time he could remember--she laughed. It was a small strained laugh, but laughter all the same. "Maybe, my sweet, maybe." She stared at her son, as if seeing him for the first time. A little boy with a big heart. "Better go get ready for your party."
Estel smiled. His party. "Bye-bye, Mama." He patted his mama on the head like his brothers would pat his when they had to leave, and scampered out of the room.
A few hours later, Elrond and the twins sat around the dining-room table ready to celebrate the human child's fifth birthday. Estel insisted they set an extra place at the table, but he would not say for whom. The boy had been acting strangely since he had come back from his mother's room. He seemed to be thinking about something, but would not say anything.
"Estel, can we bring the food in now? We are getting hungry," Elladan teased his youngest brother. Estel was standing in the doorway as if waiting for someone.
The child shook his head, the brown curls tossing about.
"Come on little brother, it's your favorite meal--and we have chocolate cake for dessert." Elrohir tried to prod Estel to come in.
"Not yet," the boy insisted.
Suddenly Estel's face lit up. He left the doorway, and soon they all heard the patter of little feet running down the hallway; then the tiny footsteps were heard returning--along with a slow shuffle of slippered feet.
Before any of the elves could get up, Estel appeared again, holding the hand of his Mama. Gilraen had not left her room since she came to the house of Lord Elrond three years ago. She stood in the great dining hall dressed in a robe and slippers. Her hair was a matted mess, and she squinted at the light she was not used to seeing. Everyone stared at her in surprise.
"Estel invited me," she murmured, feeling very unsure of herself.
"Mama, sit next to me." Estel directed her to a seat beside where he normally sat. "Ada, we can eat now. Everyone is here."