Ambush – Happy Thoughts and Gandalf

He remembered that first time he had seen Elrond. The tall elf lord seemed to stretch into the sky, but he had bent down to offer his home to the small lost boy. He remember when he'd been woken by a nightmare and had crept into Elrond's bedchamber and found to his horror that elf folk slept with their eyes open. He remembered his birthing day, and how Elrond had carried him around the stables and helped him to choose a pony. He remembered being lost in the woods, and the comfort of being found and carried home safely by the Lord of Imladris. He remembered all the times he had been hurt and healed, he remembered falling in a puddle and hugging his father muddy. He remembered his first wooden sword, and sword practise with Elrond. He remembered learning to swim, nearly drowning, and being pulled dripping from the river. He remembered sitting on a comfortable lap, being taught to read and sing. He remembered smiles and welcoming arms. He remembered words of wisdom, words of love. He remembered ada.

He smiled as he remembered. Someone touched his shoulder and radiance seemed to come from the contact. It filled him with happiness, with peace and hope. He felt it travelling through his body and into his brothers. It filled them too and began to spill out, spill out into their father. He ceased his struggling and frenzied cries, his eyes closed in sleep. Real sleep, healing sleep. Outside the storm began to calm, turning to gentle cleansing rain.

The spark continued to grow, to fill them all. It spilled over out of the room, out into Imladris, calming all the folk and filling them with hope for the future. But then as suddenly as it had come, it was gone. Eoela opened her eyes, aware that a small hand had joined hers. Looking down she saw her children, Joel and Eyomn.

'We wanted to help too mum,' said Joel, his eyes shining brightly in his face. They all stood together, just touching, sharing the peace that had invaded the room.

Eoela broke the contact first, drawing her hand back from Estel's shoulder.

'Wow, that was something,' she said. 'I've never felt such power, where did it come from?'

They were all flustered, no one knew where it had come from. They only know that Elrond was sleeping now. His eyes half closed, sleeping the sleep of healing, he was going to be all right. They were going to be all right.

'Well, hello everyone, you look like you've been having a busy time,' said a voice at the door. 'And who is this delightful young lady?'

'Gandalf? What are you doing here, you old rogue?' Estel exclaimed.

'Actually I was looking for you, young Estel. I've a little job that needs doing,' replied the grey- cloaked wizard. 'But I see that you are needed here.'

'No…I don't think I am now. We seemed to have sorted it out nicely.'

'And you my dear-' now the wizard turned to Eoela '-did you have anything to do with that marvellous sensation that's spreading through this valley?'

Eoela was in awe. This was Gandalf, the grey wanderer, the second most powerful wizard in the world, and he was asking her about that power?

'No sir. If anything it's the twins who're responsible.'

'Don't look at me,' said Elladan. 'I'd virtually given up. I could feel the evil just draining me.'

'Yes, then Estel touched me, then everything changed. There was so much power, it seemed to be flowing through me. Through me into Adar,' Elrohir said.

Elladan nodded, grinning. He didn't know why but he was just so happy. Everything was going to be all right now, somehow.

'So the power came from Estel?' asked Gandalf.

'I don't think so. Eoela told me to remember the good times with Ada, so I did. I had my hands on Elladan and Elrohir's shoulders and was just standing there thinking. Then someone touched me, the touch was like a bright light, it filled me up and sort of spilled out,' explained Estel

Gandalf raised an eyebrow at Eoela. 'And it was you that passed it on to Estel?'

'I supposed I must have done, but not just me, the children were there as well.'

'Yes, we heard the elf lady saying that the elf man was sick. She was really upset,' said Eyomn. 'So I woke up Joel, and we came here. Mum was holding Estel's shoulder, so I held her hand and Joel held mine.'

'Oh, and what happened then, young lady?' asked the wizard with a gentle smile. He beckoned the children forward from where they were standing partially hidden behind their mother. Eyomn stepped forward taking the old man's hand, he draw her towards him, smiling all the time.

'Well when Joel took hold of me I felt all nice. You know when you wake up on a sunny day, and know that it's a holiday. Like when the cat had kittens.'

'Yeah,' exclaimed Joel. 'It was like when dad gave me my first bow and spent the whole day with me teaching me how to use it.'

The wizard nodded, again looking at Eoela.

'Yes, like the peace after a storm has passed, your wedding day, the birth of your children,'

'Elrond gave me a pony for my fifth birthday, and I fell off it and hurt my knee.' said Estel.

'And we found you crying in the woods because you thought that nobody cared,' said Elladan.

'And I gave you the brooch that mother had given me.' said Elrohir.

'And we all sat and cried together in the woods, because we had each other,' finished Estel.

'And Ada found us, and told us off for getting muddy,' added Elrohir.

Gandalf nodded his head. 'Yes, I see.' he said.

'What do you see?' demanded Elladan, 'None of us was strong enough to overcome the evil that had infested Ada…' Suddenly he brightened as realisation dawned.

'Yes?' Gandalf said expectantly.

'…so all together we healed him!

'There! I know you would work it out yourselves eventually. Not just everyone in this room, but everyone in Imladris. You started a sort of chain reaction which spread out, and everyone added their little bit of 'goodness' to it. I expect if you asked anyone else they remember something like that happening. A happy memory or thought…just popping into their heads.'

'I'm really tired, Mum,' Joel said. He had climbed onto the bed, which now housed a sleeping Elrond. 'Do you think the elf man will mind if I sleep here? It's much too far to our bedroom.'

Eoela went to scoop him off the bed, but Elladan shock his head. 'Let him sleep there. I'm sure Ada won't mind. We always used to end up in bed with him and Nana when there was a storm.'

Eyomn also crawled up onto the bed and soon the two children were fast asleep as well.

'What does a body need to do to get a drink around here?' demanded Gandalf.

'I'll get something,' said Estel, 'Anyone else?'

They all nodded.'

'And something to eat please,' begged Elrohir. 'We seemed to have missed dinner.'

As Estel got to the door and opened it, he was surprised to find Firréwen and Athradiel standing there with leaden trays. They were both beaming with happiness.

'I don't know what you boys have done this time,' she said. 'But if what has just happened is some of your mischief you can just jolly well do some more.' She bustled in and deposited the trays on a spare space, then promptly began to remake the bed, covering all three occupants with a soft grey blanket.

'Just to keep out the night chill,' she explained as she left the room.

The remaining occupants drank the pleasant wine that she had bought and snacked on the bread and cheese. They did not talk. It was too tranquil, it seemed wrong to talk. Wrong to break the calm. They were all weary, as weary as if they had spent the day outdoors being active, gardening, hunting or just being together. As they sat, one by one they slowly drifted into sleep. Leaving just the wizard to watch over them. As he had since time untold.