For Endril. You know why.

"Anyone perfect must be lying, anything easy has its cost/Anyone plain can be lovely, anyone loved can be lost" --The Barenaked Ladies, Falling for the First Time

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

*****

In Lothlorien forest, a weather-beaten Ranger sighed and stretched. The stars had come out as he spoke, and he, too, had been carried back to other days by his tale. He felt fifteen years old again, and not in a positive manner was this so. Strider took in the faces about him. Legolas, whose familiarity with this tale kept him from being drawn terribly into it, betrayed in his expression that he had closely guarded himself, knowing what would come next, and his readiness to comfort his friend, should the need arise. Boromir's mouth hang open just slightly, and Strider suspect the son of the Steward was remembering Thorongil; so be it. The Halflings watched him intently, though none so enraptured in his telling as Peregrin. Gimli's chin rested on his axehead, and in the silence he shook himself out of the mists of the past.

"And then?" It was not Peregrin, as Strider might have guessed, but Meriadoc who spoke. "What did Elrond say to him?"

"Him?" Strider blinked.

"To Estel," Merry prompted.

"Meriadoc. . .Estel was--is--was me," Strider answered. "Did no one know? Did I not say this?" There were mumbled negations.

"You mean you stole a warhorse, and fell off of it? You made yourself sick to avoid seeing Legolas?" These inquiries came from Pippin, who was greatly surprised.

Strider grinned. "Did I not say your ideas of noble would change?"

"I never said either of them was right," Pippin replied. "Though the warhorse, that sounds quite fun! Merry or I might have--oh." He stopped. "I think I understand now, a little." Strider nodded. "But what happened? What did Elrond say?" Though he wondered what Strider was doing known as Estel, being raised by an Elf Lord, the tale at hand was somewhat more pressing than the history of it.

"Not tonight," Strider said. "That is--" he shook his head "--Elrond 'lau', I am saying not tonight. 'Lau' is, as you would know it, 'no'. 'Lau! U- nora!'" His imitation earned a few laughs. "That means, 'No! You are not going!' And because I was a very good boy I did exactly as I was told."

When Legolas and Aragorn finished laughing over this last comment, the others were staring at them, never having seen the two behave in such a manner. "That was the last thing he ever did," Legolas explained to the others. "As you will see; go on with the story, Strider."

"Not now," Strider shook his head. "It is too late."

"No it isn't!" Pippin jumped in. "None of us is tired!"

Strider smiled. "I'm sorry, Peregrin. You may not be tired, but I am." Pippin blushed.

"I might tell the next part, with Strider's permission," Legolas offered. This turn attentions again to Strider. "Oh, please," Pippin said, then shushed himself.

"Go ahead, Legolas," said Strider, and settled himself again on the ground. "This I am keen on hearing."

*****

"Lau."

"For what reason?" Estel asked. "I do not in idle request to be sent from Imladris, the safety of your home. I mean to leave for a time, in respectable company, to grow and to learn. I will come back. You know you cannot keep me a child forever."

"I am not trying to keep you a child forever." Estel did not see the hurt in Elrond's eyes then, but I did. With great difficulty I remained an observing, knowing when to enter a conversation and when not to. When a father realizes that he must say farewell to the youth of his children it is never easy; for Elrond, who had thought he would never again raise a child, it seemed impossible.

"Then let me grow up."

"Estel, you are not--" he stopped. The last time Estel had returned from Imladris, he had been a broken person, only the slightest remnants of Estel, son of Elrond, remaining. How was Elrond to tell this child, whom he loved as a son, whose pride would be bruised by such a proclamation, that the reason he could not allow him to return to Eregion was that he did not want to see him hurt? It was not to stunt his emotional growth nor to sabotauge his learning and maturity. It was simply out of love.

"Adar?" There came a voice and a knock at the door.

"Come in, Elladan," Elrond called.

"Elrohir, as well," commented one twin or the other as they entered the study. Curiously their eyes glance from Estel to Elrond to me, and they drew their own conclusions. "We were just looking for you," Elladan said to Estel. "Where have you been this past day?"

"In the library," Estel replied softly. "Shelving books."

"That was supposed to be complete yesterday," Elrond stated. If there was one thing he never stood for, it was failure to comply with a punishment.

"The hours were, the task was not," Estel replied simply, almost as though this was quite obvious.

A change came over Elrond then. "Estel, would you leave us for a moment? I need to speak with your brothers."

"And my request?" he asked before moving.

"Will be considered," he promised.

"All right." Estel moved quietly and closed the door behind him. Where he went then, I know not.

"Shall I be off as well?" I asked, not certain, with a half-step towards the door.

"No, if you would lend me but a moment of your time, Legolas?" Elrond requested, and I stayed. "I am not going to Eregion. If Estel was to accompany you, and only if, would you look after him? Would you give me your word, all of you?" He conquered himself, and did what was best for Estel. I cannot say when his heart changed, and if or for how long he regretted this decision. Eventually he must have realized that sooner or later, Estel would be on his own against the world.

"Of course," Elladan replied at once.

"We would keep him safe," Elrohir agreed.

I was torn. Was Estel ready? His maturity, the honour philosophy, had shaped my opinion of him. But was that enough, I wondered. Swallowing, I nodded. If the twins thought so, then Estel must be old enough to handle this. "Yes, Lord Elrond, we would watch over him."

"Valar be praised, now I need not worry for his safety. Yet that I will. . .Thank you, all of you, for looking after him. It hurts that they all must grow up." Realizing that this was not the proper thing to say to one's sons, Elrond looked up at them and smiled weakly. Elrohir nodded. Elladan's returning smile was equally tight.

"I need to speak to Estel. If you would excuse me?" Elladan asked. His father nodded, and he left the room.

*****

"What followed thereafter, as by my knowledge, would not satisfy you. As our tale-spinner had fallen asleep, the story shall have to be continued on the morrow," Legolas finished his segment. There was a collective answer of unhappiness, interrupted by a mumble from Strider, who was not know to talk in his sleep.

"I am not asleep," he repeated without opening his eyes. "Just comfortable." At his first words Legolas had become conscious of the fact that he was untangling Strider's hair and had stopped, though by certain reckonings this was fair as Strider had taken to resting his head on Legolas's knee as the Elf told his story.

"And so please you," said Strider, righting himself, "I will tell more of this story tonight, if you are none of you too tuckered to listen."

*****

To be continued