Chapter Four

"That's it my little one, come on, you have the wonderful balance of your race." A smiling face peered at him, "Just a few more steps and you will have done it!"

~End Flashback~

Erestor shook his head; images of his mother haunted his thoughts. In between his fingers was the note that had begun all of this and he rubbed the parchment hoping to get more contact with whoever sent it. Recently, his thoughts began to turn to his mother and those few short years he had with her before he was taken away.

~Flashback~

The sun shone brightly down in the gardens of Lindon and a small child sat oblivious to all around him except for the oversized coloring stick in his hand and the parchment on the ground in front of him. He was working on his current masterpiece.

"What is that, Baby?"

Small dark eyes glanced up at her with a look of astonishment that she couldn't tell, "Why, Nana, that is a songbird in a tree!"

She smiled and kissed him on his head, feeling the heat absorbed in the black hair. "Of course, how foolish of me, what else could that possibly be?" He smiled proudly and returned to his drawing.

The elf maid who lived with them entered the courtyard.

"My Lady, you have a visitor." She nodded. They were not a wealthy family and lived in near seclusion on the edge of the lands, but yet they had a full time maid attending to them day and night. Her presence was as familiar as his mother's for she had been there assisting his mother since and before his birth. This did not seem odd to him, though most other household of their standing would never be able to have such a luxury.

Visitor's came quite rarely and even Erestor at his small age thought it odd that someone would come to them, but took no more time to contemplate it and return to his art.

"I'll be right back, my love." She called.

He nodded without looking up.

~End Flashback~

If only he had known at that time that he would never see his mother again, but he was small and death was something completely unfamiliar.

Erestor regretted that final exchange for every moment since, wishing he had told her he loved her or at the very least raised his eyes to take in her form one last time. He had her pale skin and dark hair. She was also very slim as he is. When Erestor would close his eyes he could still see her face smiling at him and her eyes, so different from his, shining with love.

It was the next day that the nightmare was to begin.

~Flashback~

The next morning already dawned hot and the small child went down the stairs of their small house looking for breakfast. When he arrived at the kitchens there were no smells of breads cooking but only a large elf sitting at their table looking completely out of place. His grand robes and ornaments were more fitting for a great hall. Erestor stopped in his tracks.

"You must come with me, child."

"Why?" Erestor questioned, this was his home, where else could be possible live.

The elf stood, towering over the child. "Your mother has died, Erestor. You must come with me now and live in the palace halls." He stooped down to come closer to the child's fearful face, "I know you don't understand, but this you must do. I am Cirdan and Lord of the elves of this land. I am your guardian now."

No more words were spoken as the maid gathered the child's few possessions together. As he was swept away from all he knew into the world or turned his head back to look at his house and the maid standing next to it as they got smaller. He would never see either of them again.

~End flashback~

Elrond sat at this beautiful next overlooking Imladris as he organized his paperwork. He rarely did this himself since Erestor took care of almost everything in the land, but he forced his Advisor to take the afternoon off. The black elf seemed so upset and distracted Elrond knew he needed some time alone to think on things and not have to worry about work for once.

From this vantage point he could see all the trails leading to his house and from this view was where he stopped a riding bearing towards him with all haste.

The Lord of Imladris is a wise elf with powerful foresight, but even he did not expect this guest. An old friend from long ago, recognized from quite a distance.

"Cirdan!" Elrond exclaimed as he ran down to stairs to his friend who was dismounting quickly.

"Elrond, it has been so long, I am in desperate need of your help." Cirdan spoke quickly, not wasting any time with pleasantries even though they had been the closest of friends.

"Of course," Elrond replied, "how can I help you?"

Eyes glancing everywhere as though searching Cirdan spoke, "I seek an elf who lives here. He was but a child when you came here. I had thought him dead long ago, but I've heard he yet lives."

"Many elves came here as children."

"His name is Erestor."

Elrond could not have imaged a name that would have shocked him more. "Erestor? What could your business with him possibly be?"

"I knew his parents. I have come to tell him of his past, of what happened to his family and how it came to be that he was cast off."

******

A door was approached, slowly, quietly. With shaking hands an elf knocked upon it waiting for the reply.

A voice responded, "Come in."

Cirdan entered the room alone, opening the door and shutting it without making a noise.

Erestor rose. He could never forget his guardian, the one who had taken him from his home and sent him away only a short time later.

"My Lord." Erestor whispered, his voice harsh with fear.

The older one lifted his eyes to look upon the child. The hair black as night, his mother's fine hands, and finally, painfully, his father's eyes, everything was how he remembered.

"Erestor." Cirdan spoke. "I have come to," his mind, his thoughts were failing him, "to confess all and beg your forgiveness."

"Confess." Erestor said, "You know all that happened all those years ago, you sent me the note."

The Shipwright shook his head, "I did not, it was your mother's servant who did, she wanted you to know the truth, she told me you were alive." He actually felt tears coming to his eyes, he had not cried since that day in the woods, "I thought you were dead, Erestor. Believe me, I went into those woods to reclaim you, but was told you were dead."

"The truth?"

"About everything, child. You need to know all." Cirdan said, neither one of them ever raising their voices above a whisper.

Erestor stepped forward he could not tear his eyes away, he could not blink for fear Cirdan would be gone and he would once again be thrown into the pit of ignorance with no way out.

Cirdan sniffed back the tears, "I betrayed everything that was entrusted to me, I became greedy when I took power. You were the greatest threat."

Cirdan raised his eyes and stared into Erestor's, "You are the greatest secret of our kind."

"Why?" Erestor asked, shaking with fear at what would be spoken.

The Lord walked forward to close the gap between them, so that this could be said.

"You are Gil-Galad's son."

His legs nearly failed him almost sending him onto the floor.

His old guardian continued, "Now I am going to tell you that which has been kept from you for the whole of your life. When I finish with this story, there is much to be done. It began many years ago when a dear friend told me of a secret romance."

~Flashback~