Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places thereof

*****

"Estel?" Legolas peered into the library. "Estel, are you in here?"

"Over here," the response came, and Legolas followed the sound of that voice around to the back corner of the library, where Estel stood beside a cart of books, carefully placing one on a shelf just out of his reach. Legolas moved up behind his friend and, taking the book out his hand, slipped it onto the shelf.

"Your hours finished yesterday," Legolas commented. Indeed, it had not been mucking out stalls but arranging books in the library to which Estel's punitive hours were assigned. "You were not at supper last night nor breakfast this morning, are you all right?"

Estel gave him a withering look. "I was tired last night," he said, crouching to slip a number of books into their proper places as he continued, "And this morning--" a book slammed against the shelf as Estel pushed it too hard "--I ate before the others--and yourself--rose." He stood, brushing the dust from his hands, and faced Legolas. "I know my hours were finished yesterday; that is beside the point."

"But. . .you do not have to do this any longer," Legolas commented.

"My hours are finished, my task is not complete," Estel replied. "Perhaps I did not work fast enough, it is of little consequence. This is a task that must be completed and I would have it done than spend my hours in idle."

"Do you feel it your fault?" Legolas asked.

"What?"

"That the task is incomplete."

"No, simply my duty to complete it."

"Duty?"

"Aye, duty." Estel gathered more books and, gesticulating for Legolas to move, pushed the cart ahead of him until he had reached the row he needed. Then he began to arrange books again. "If I do not do this some other must, and I--though not bound by order--am bound by honour to do this."

"Who taught you of honour?" Legolas asked. He had never heard of having to complete a punitive task by choice as being honourable.

"No-one. They all told me I must be honourable, so I invented my own honour. It is my morality."

Legolas was touched by his sincerity. "Estel. . .sit down a moment, I need to talk to you."

"Might you talk as I work?" Estel asked. "I have yet much to do."

"All right, I suppose." Legolas took a deep breath. "Estel, you do not know the reason for my coming, do you?" The mortal replied in the negative. "Please take this calmly. . .your brothers and I are returning to Eregion."

"You what?" Estel dropped the books in his hands, which fell to the floor with a loud bang. "Why did no one tell me?"

"It had been hoped that you would not know. It might have upset you," Legolas replied honestly, and with a pang Estel realized that the Elves saw him as a child. "We are only going as surveyors, and--"

"I am going, also," Estel announced.

*****

Author's note: Short, I know, but I will make two promises: more and soon.