Author's note: Heyheyhey everyone! I'm back and ready for more, so here's the next chappie! And you know, I just realized that my mental image of the twins is a pair or really hot brunette guys? Is that sad or what? Oh well, Hope you like the chapter!
Disclaimer: Man, do I have to say it again? * Sighs....* I don't own LOTR.
Quickie: Uh.........I guess I don't have anything to say! Heh heh, why did I even bother typing this section?
Childhood Curiosity
Ch. 3: Midnight Lessons and Early Mornings
The twins watched Estel padding swiftly about his room, exchanging amused glances with one another every now and then. The human had a very comical air about him indeed as he stumbled this way and that in the darkness, his tunic twisted and wrinkled and his pants hanging loosely from his skinny waist. He had already tripped several times, giving a small 'oof! each time. Leaning over to his twin, Elledan's keen elven eyes still followed his foster brothers' progress as he whispered in a low tone. "Do you think that we should help him, 'Ro?" Elrohir smiled with a muffled laugh, and shook his head. " He is almost done any way, besides, he is doing quite fine on his own."
Estel had finally tugged his boots into place, and then stood up beaming at the twins through the darkness, even though he couldn't see them very well. "I'm ready!" He whispered feverently. The twins stood noiselessly from their seats upon Estel's mussed bed, and nodded silently with grins of their own upon their faces. "Come on then, little one." Elledan said, bending down and swiftly scooping Estel into his arms. "It is time to fly."
_~_~_~_~_~_~
Flying was indeed what the trees seemed to do as Estel watched the trees of Imladres' forest rush by quickly, the whole forest turning into a blur of darkish green and brown. He was hanging piggy-back style from Elledan as the twins sprinted swiftly and silently sprinted through the forest. They seemed to know where they were going, but Estel wondered vaguely how anyone could see where they were going in here. It was so dark, that Estel himself could barely see anything that was not illuminated by the soft rays of moonlight.
Estel smiled as he felt the breeze rushing by his face lightly. It smelled of the coming rain, filling every particle of his being with life. His senses felt light and easy, and his body was full of energy. This was going to be good, he could tell. Refocusing his eyes as he felt the Elledan slow down, Estel looked ahead to find himself moving into a large, well lit clearing. The sky above was glittering with stars and the pearlescent moon, and their light shone down upon the high grasses of this clearing particularly well. The gently waving grasses that covered the ground like a carpet were very tall, with stalks of green and gold alike showing in the mass. Yet somehow, the twins moved through this waving bush easily, parting the stalks and then leaving them behind with no trace of their passage. Twisting his head about quickly, Estel tried to get every detail of this meadow into his mind.
Besides the grasses, the clearing seemed like it had been abruptly cut into the forest. The trees stopped abruptly in all sides, giving way immediately to the waving grasses. In the very middle of this clearing, the twins happened to be heading towards a very large tree that had grown oddly all by itself. It's leaves were large and smooth, their rich green color showing off like gems in what light there was. Though the trunk itself was covered in knots and gnarled bumps, the bark was silky smooth and a dark brown color. The twins made their way underneath the great canopy of leaves quickly, and Elledan set Estel down onto the flat ground that surrounded the tree.
Looking up into the boughs of the tree quickly, Elledan and Elrohir turned their gaze down to their foster brother, who was looking curiously about them. "This is where we wanted to take you tonight, Estel." Elrohir said in a soft voice.
He kneeled down so that he was relatively near Estel's eye level, watching as his twin followed suit. "We come into this clearing to find peace. And it is incidentally a great place to learn how climb trees!" Elrohir added with a note of pride in his voice, giving a quick nod to the tree beside them. "Oh!" Estel said quietly.
Standing with another smile at Elledan, Elrohir stood and walked to the base of the tree. His eyes lifted and lost themselves amongst the gently swaying leaves, as he whispered absent mindedly, "This should be interesting......."
Turning from his twin's dreamy expression, Elledan motioned for Estel to join them, and placed his hands upon the smooth bark. "Come Estel, we will begin with this." Estel eagerly stepped forward, letting his own grin spill onto his small face.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Several hours, and falls later, Estel stood somewhat nervously at the base of the tree. He was dirty, and bore several new scratches, but in his mind that was the least of his worries. Looking back at his brothers, (who were lounging lazily upon the ground some distance away,) he called nervously back to them. " A-are you sure?" Watching through the somewhat lightened darkness, his brothers began to smirk and laugh quietly.
" Come come now, Estel? You aren't turning coward, are you?" Elrohir jested laughingly.
"Yes little one, this IS what you wanted, isn't it? You aren't SCARED are you?" Elledan added, equally amused. Feeling a spike of pride shoot through him, Estel scrunched up his face.
"I am NOT turning coward, 'Ro! And no I am NOT scared, "Dan!" He bit back angrily, emphasizing his brother's nicknames.
Turning back to the tree, Estel put his hands surely onto some of the larger knots protruding from the trunk of the tree. With a grunt, he pulled himself up slightly, quickly finding a foothold for both of his feet. With the twins' lessons whirling about his mind, Estel continued this process as quickly as he would allow himself. I am not scared, he thought angrily, climbing higher and higher. Feeling the occasional velvety leaf brush his face, he concentrated all of his strength on reaching the top of the tree. After what had seemed to Estel to be an eternity of dark leaves and twisting branches, small patches of moonlight appeared before his eyes. It's the top! He thought excitedly. Pulling himself up a foot higher, his flushed and sweaty face broke the top of the leaves. Looking back down into the dark, twisted maze below him, Estel found a sturdy branch and sat down gingerly upon it. The moon above seemed so much brighter than it ever had before as the entirety of the heavens seemed to spread out before him. For this height he could see the entire forest, a swaying sea of dark leaves. To the west, he could see Rivendell, it's ivory buildings gleaming elegantly in the new coming light. The waterfalls were rumbling mightily alongside Rivendell, their mists twisting up into the warm night air. "It's like I'm on top of the very world!" He whispered in awe to himself. Gazing about him, Estel could feel his aching body pulsing not with pain, but victory! He had learned to climb trees, he was NOT too young!
The sound of soft clapping floated to his ears, and he looked down to the faraway ground to see the twins cheering for him. "They look like ants!" Estel giggled to himself. "Come back down now Estel!" He heard one of them call. "It is getting near to dawn, and we must get back before Ada notices that we are gone!" Nodding slightly, Estel readied himself to descend back into the darkness below. "Carefully now!" He heard one of the twins warn. Taking a deep breath, Estel grasped the branch he was sitting on and swung himself back into the tree.
For a moment he hung there, waiting for his eyes to grow accustomed to the darkness all around him. Then, he took one hand off the branch to find a lower hold, and swung himself down onto that. Continuing to descend downwards, Estel could not help but feel proud of himself. As he reached for another foothold, however, felt his body jerk up wards and stay there. Frowning, Estel began to pull downward until he realized in a moment of panic, I'm stuck. Twisting about to see the problem, he found his tunic twisted into knots on the branches above him. Grunting as he tried desperately to pull himself free, He found that he could not. " Oh no!" He moaned. This was definantly not good. "Estel, are you all right?" He heard Elledan's voice ask below. Debating wether or not to say anything, Estel struggled with his pride. I can do this myself! He thought fiercely. I do not need their help, I am almost seven!
"No, I am fine!" He strained back to them. " Damn it!" He cursed to himself.Taking his hands from their holds, he placed them onto his snared tunic, and began to tug on it heavily. This outta do it! He thought happily. Tugging harder and harder, he heard the fabric rip heavily, and then all at once realized his folly. "Wait," He wondered quietly, " If my hands are on my tunic, what am I holding ont-!" Cut off midsentance, Estel's tunic ripped mightly and sent the young human crashing toward the ground with naught more than a squeal. Catching several branches in the face on the way down, Estel landed onto the meadow floor with a groan. He could feel the scratches burning angrily on his face, and the breeze slipping softly into his newly ripped tunic.
Sitting up quickly and biting back tears, Estel found himself staring into a pair of glittering brown eyes. "That hardly a graceful landing, dear brother!" Elledan joked, laughing slightly at the scruffy looking human before him.
"Yes, what happened up there Estel?" Elrohir questioned, crouching on the ground next to his twin. We heard you cursing QUITE loudly" Estel glared at his brothers, muttering about not being funny, but was cut off yet again as Elrohir scooped him up.
"Come little one, we must slip back into Imladres before dawn. Lest we are caught by Ada's sharp ears and even sharper suspicion." The elf said with a smile, setting across the meadow with his brother at his side and Estel upon his back.. Suddenly curious, Estel forgot his scratches and piped up.
"Why would Ada be suspicious?" He questioned happily, just beginning to feel sleepy as the sky lightened above him. "Oh, you know, he thinks we're mischievous." Elrohir said innocently, with a suppressed laugh. "Yes," Elledan added, " just because we were down by the ponds the day before Erestor found a frog in his washbasin."
"Yeah," Elrohir cut in with a huge grin, "It's not our fault he stuck his face in the water before looking in it."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Estel barely remembered sneaking back into Imaldres that morning, or how he got back in his bed, but he did remember Elledan stepping on a twig just outside Ada's room. How could he not? The twins had turned about five shades of green.
...........................................................
"Estel? Estel! Awaken, the day is growing late!"
Waving his hand at the irritatingly persistent voice that was invading his sleep, Estel felt as though he had walked a thousand miles the night before. Squeezing his eyes shut angrily, he winced a the throbbing scratches that were on his face and chest. He could hear his Ada above him, trying to wake him up most effectively, but he tried his best to ignore him. It was much to early to get up anyway. "Estel, awaken, what is the matter child?" He heard Elrond ask concernedly. Finally giving into his Ada's persistence, Estel whined sleepily, "Go away Ada, it is much to early to be awake!"
Elrond was silent for a moment, which Estel immediately used for drifting back into a doze. Finally, he thought lazily. Suddenly Elrond spoke very quietly, his voice laced with suspicion."But it is almost midday, my son."
At these words, Estel felt his body jolt awake. Sitting up quickly, his eyes flew open to find sunlight streaming through his windows and his stern-faced Ada sitting upon his bed. "Midday?" He gasped, looking about himself and wondering how he had missed the usual singing of the morning birds at 7:30. Suddenly remembering his Ada, Estel turned slowly back to face him. Think of something to say, some excuse! He pleaded with his brain, locking eyes with the elven lord sitting before him. Elrond looked very suspicious indeed, his brows lifted high and his eyes twinkling as they probed Estel's features. "Um," Estel said innocently, "I must have been tired, Ada, extra tired!"
Elrond said nothing for a moment, taking in the boy's strange appearance quickly and quietly. The boy was dressed in nothing but his briefs from the day before. Where was the sleep clothes he had helped him change into? Also, Elrond noticed unhappily, the boy had several long scratches upon his chest and face. As another thought dawned upon Elrond, and his sharp elven eyes darted about for the boy's day clothes from yesterday, and found them missing from the night stand. Somehow, he couldn't help but feel that this was all connected somehow. However, he did know one thing. This had SOMETHING to do with his twin sons. Sighing deeply, Elrond decided to ask the boy himself, maybe he would give up the truth.
"Estel, how did you get those scratches upon your face and chest?" He asked gently, noting the widening of the boy's eyes quickly. "Uh, um.........I was up walking last night Ada. I couldn't sleep." The boy said quickly. Elrond almost smiled despite himself. He could almost see the wheels in the boy's mind turning as he began to think up a quick story. Estel was becoming quite good at coming up with stories lately. "Up walking?" Elrond questioned again. "Yes!" Estel said innocently. "And I tripped and fell!" (A/N: I know! I know! This is the lamest excuse in the book!)
"You fell?" Elrond repeated dubiously. "Yes Ada! But it didn't hurt, honest!" Estel said brightly. Elrond smiled again at this. The boy had caught himself in this one. "You fell on what?" He said quietly. " All of Imladres' halls are of smooth stone." With that, Estel snapped his mouth shut, his face frowning. Suddenly, he looked back up and said innocently, " I was walking in the gardens, Ada! The pebbles on the ground cut me!"
Elrond raised his eyebrows even higher, ( if that was at all possible,) and was about to say something when a soft knock at Estel's door caught his attention. The pair of them looked up to see Glorfindel in the doorway, dressed elegantly in his archery clothing. "Good morning Estel, how do you fare?" Glorfindel said hopefully, smiling his most disarming smile. " Good morning!" Estel returned brightly. "I am feel good, thank you! And how about yourself?" Glorfindel's smile widened, obviously relieved that the boy was no longer mad at him. "I am well young one, thank you." Turning to Elrond, the Elven lord put on a serene expression, saying calmly, "My lord, messengers from Mirkwood have arrived. They bear ill news."
Sighing, Elrond rose from the bed. Crossing the room to the doorway, Elrond turned to face a slightly bemused Estel. "We will continue this conversation later, Estel." Turning to the Elven lord at this side, he added, "Glorfindel, could you see to it that Estel gets dressed and fed?" Glorfindel nodded happily, and watched the lord of Imladres leave with a swish of his robes. Turning to his young charge, Glorfindel strode into the room. "Come, Estel. Get dressed, and we shall head down to the kitchens to see if we can't round you up some lunch."
Author's Note: Yea! I'm done now! Well, that was my chapter, and I really hoped you all liked it! LOTR kicked ass in the Golden Globes, wasn't that awesome? I just know that it's going to kick even more ass at the Oscars! Ooh, I'm excited! Anyway, leave me a review, and tell me what you thought of the chapter! Pretty please? All comments are welcome, but not flames, sorry! Thanks, love you all! Bye!