Author's Note: Hey everybody, hope you all like this chapter! Um....yeah, I think that's all. Oh yeah, DIE EVIL AMOUNTS OF SCHOOL WORK, DIE!!!!!

Disclaimer: I really don't own LOTR.....

Reviewers to thank: Oh my goodness, you all are so awesome, thank you so so much!

Grumpy: Hehe, the twin's in Estel's empty room scene? Thanks, that was one of my favorites as well, I'm really glad you liked it! And, you can see a beaten up Estel in a tree? uh......heh heh, I.............dunno what you're talking about!

BabeyRachey: I'm so glad you like my stories so much, it's really encouraging! Thank you so much for your kind reviews!

LE: Hey lady! Hee Hee, yeah, thank God that our simple machine is dead, but surely I'm not that evil? (*evil authoress laugh) Err, maybe I am. Yes, you go find yourself some elven lords to poke while I finish this chapter, and thanks for your great review!

TrustingFriendship: Heh heh, maybe the twins are in for it............if they get caught! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! Urm......anyway! Thanks so much for your reviews!

Lutris: It really was an evil cliffe, huh? I didn't even think about it! But thanks for your encouragement! You rock!

Blonde-Angel1: Wow, so many kind comments from you! Thank you very much for all of the praise on my story, I'm really glad you like it so far!

Childhood Curiosity

CH. 6: The oh-so Innocent Tree

In a dark room, the lord of Imladres stood with a look upon his face that would wither even Sauron into the shadows. With a dumbfounded Glorfindel at his side, the Elrond faced his twin sons, and the empty bed of his youngest adopted son. "So." Elrond stated with a carefully controlled voice. " You two claim that you have no idea where Estel is. And as well that you have no idea what is going on. Yet here I find you in the dead of night, in his room, staring at his empty bed. Why does that strike me as odd?"

The twins shifted from foot to foot in a very un-elven manner, neither willing to met the eyes of their father. "Ada..." Elledan began carefully.

Elrond locked his fierce gaze upon his eldest son, (A/N: yes, Elledan is slightly older) and said coldly, "Yes?"

Elledan made and odd gulping noise, before falling silent once more. For a moment, the great elven lords of Imladres stood in silence, surrounded by the warm darkness of the night. It was Glorfindel who broke the silence, whispering dreamily, "The tree of Arda." Three heads turned his way, and Elrond said quickly, "What is it, my friend?"

For another seemingly long moment, Glorfindel was silent. Then he spoke quietly and carefully, as if no one else but himself were around. "Estel was so angry about not being able to climb trees. Very angry indeed. And then his anger vanished like a breeze, only mere hours later. While children are often simple in this way, Estel is much too stubborn. Aye........." He paused here, as if gathering his thoughts once again.

"Then we found him asleep midday this afternoon. Scratched, bruised, and tired the child was. Yet not so after his daily training with me. When I showed him The tree of Arda, and watched his eyes grow twice their size in wonderment. Estel seemed.......fascinated. Positively captivated. More so than he usually is for anything in nature. And in the journey back......." At this, the Balrog slayer trailed off, leaving an unbearably tense silence in his wake.

Elrond, who was rapidly beginning to piece together the facts in his mind, was unable to shake horrible images of his youngest son and what might be happening to him at this moment, out of his mind. "What occurred on the journey back, Glorfindel?" He asked as quickly as he dared.

Glorfindel brought his misty blue eyes to meet those of Elrond and the twins, before speaking with fear that was absolutely unknown to this mighty warrior, quavering in his voice. "He was breaking branches, and leaving large footprints in the mud. Aye, scratching the trees as well. Estel was leaving himself a trail. A trail back to that tree."

No more was needed to be said. With a meaningful glance at each other, the twins were the first to dash from the room. Swishing rapidly behind them, Glorfindel and Elrond were at their heels. No one spoke as the party raced from the halls, and into the darkness of the night. With impeccable Elvish vision, Elledan was soon following Estel's crude trail through the trees like an expert bloodhound. The three trailing behind him were easily making heir way though the foilage, but lost within their own minds as fear and worry consumed their thoughts. Please be safe, my son. Elrond thought to himself. I am coming........

*_~*_~*_~*_~*_~

Estel didn't bother to wipe the fine sheen of sweat that had formed upon his face away as he reached for yet another foothold. He didn't know how long he had climbing, only how close he knew he was to the very top. Patches of fluid moonlight danced in his eyes, his arms and feet flew, his mind raced. Almost, Estel thought eagerly. Sliding his lithe young form upon another smooth branch, Estel gripped the age-worn trunk with all his might. The massive leaves brushed gently against his face, leaving paths of cool water upon his flushed face. Looking up, Estel felt his heart thumping madly in his chest as he witnessed a break in the dark leaves above, the night sky above just visible. Pushing himself up higher without even thinking, Estel maneuvered the living maze like an expert as he reached that break in the leaves. And so suddenly, he was there........................ on top of the world.

Pulling himself onto the very highest, very last branch, Estel felt his very breath stolen away as he gazed about him. The milky sky above him was a creamy pathway of glittering stars and ethereal swirling colors as the sky began to lighten from it's nightly sleep. The moon overhead swallowed up the land, giving his own body and the rest of the peaceful lands a silvery sheen from it's softly radiating light. The dark syrup of the night sky stretched on for miles and miles, allowing Estel vision of the lands far away. As the moon hung dreamily up in the sky, he could see the city of Imladres in the distance. Pearly white buildings sprouted up some ways away,appearing serene and fragile as the moonlight made them look like only sculptures of softly spun glass. Surrounding this all, the forest covered the ground as far as Estel could see, a high up carpet of living greenery that provided the haven that was Rivendell. As his silvery eyes traveled over this undeniable beauty, Estel could not bring himself to speak, or hardly even breathe. Truly, he thought at last. I am at the top of the world............... Lifting himself up to his full height, Estel closed his eyes, and allowed the soft breeze to caress his entire body as it brought to his nose, scents he could not even begin to describe. And there he stood, unhindered and undisturbed.

At least, for a little while that is.

A sudden and urgent cascade of footsteps and the creaking of underbrush below him drew Estel to tear his eyes open and look away from the beauty all around him , and focus on what was coming below him. The sudden peace that had flooded his body was stolen away as a spike of fear peaked in his stomach. What in Arda? Estel wondered. Though the night was dark, the moonlight allowed him to see the empty clearing area around the tree. Waiting with baited breath, Estel watched as after a few more moments four figures swept swiftly into the clearing below. The tall beings looking about frantically, and then turned their tiny, pinprick faces upwards toward him. Unable to make out what or what they were, Estel felt a wave of fear hit him as they watched him from below.

Suddenly, one of the figures called out to him, their light voice floating up to his ears. "Estel! What do you think you are doing?!?!?!"

The wave of fear that had hit him earlier was nothing compared to the one that washed over him when he recognized the voice, and then the figures. His Ada was calling to him, surrounded by Glorfindel and the twins. Letting out a slight moan of fear, Estel quickly looked up and around for something to say............the sight before him captured his attention once more, and without even thinking, Estel began to yell his words of reply back down to them.

"Look, Ada! Look at how high I am, I am surely on top of the world! You should see it Ada, it is beautiful! I told you I was not to young to climb trees! See, see, didn't I tell you Ada? Didn't I?!"

Taking in a deep breath of the night air, Estel heard a panic stricken voice speak back up to him. "Estel! This is not the time, nor the place! You must come down right away! Can you get down by yourself? No, I will send Glorfindel to collect you, just wait there!" Elrond called up.

Upon hearing this, Estel felt his pride bubble up within him. How could Ada still treat me like a child after what I have just achieved? Estel thought angrily. Looking down, Estel suddenly took his hands off the trunk of the tree and yelled angrily, "ADA!!! I do not need help, I will get down by myself, just wait and watch!" Knowing he was now doubly in trouble, Estel could feel angry tears well up in his eyes as he prepared for his descent down. Shifting his weight on the branch towards the trunk, he froze as he heard a colossal SNAP!!!!!!!! The very blood in his veins froze as he glanced down, and knew what came next. Letting out a shriek, Estel felt the branch give way beneath his feet, and the horrible sensation of nothingness as he plummeted into the dark maze of branches below him.

The scream was ripped from his lips as he felt his skin and clothes tear against the brutal lashings of the unseen branches all around him. Roaring in his ears, the rushing wind deafened Estel as he shut his eyes. Twisting and flailing about in midair, he felt a wave of fear consume him as he tried desperately to comprehend the nothingness beneath him. And then, a sudden stop, a searing, soul-shattering pain in his chest, and Estel felt himself go limp as he fell into the abyss of unconsciousness. It was over.......surely, he was dead.............

~_*~_*~_*~_*~_*~_

In all his thousands of years upon the Earth, Elrond could never remember experiencing a more fearful moment than hearing the sickening crack of the branch his youngest son was standing on, nor his scream as he plummeted through the darkness. And to add on top of all that, the ringing echo of Estel's bones snapping under the impact of hitting a sturdy tree limb. Feeling his very breath stolen from him, Elrond did not even feel himself running forward underneath the tree. He only remembered the battered body of his youngest son falling into his swiftly opened arms.

Time seemed to speed forward, and Elrond quickly found himself underneath a rain of falling branch debris, and suddenly very aware of the fact that he was holding a barely breathing Estel in his arms. As the others crowded around him, Elrond's healer mentality clicked into motion and soon his eyes were sweeping over the young boys' appearance. "Ada, is he alright?" He heard Elrohir ask. With the tatters of a barely remaining shirt hanging off of his bloodied and torn flesh, Estel's entire chest seemed contorted as the bones of his ribs stuck out from underneath his skin. The young dunedain's face was ashen white, and twisted into a grimace of pain even in unconsciousness. His ribs are broken, Elrond found himself thinking. Suddenly snapping his head up, Elrond took in the sight of Glorfindel and his sons' worried faces, and knew that this whole affair was up to him. They seemed completely speechless.

Gathering up Estel into his arms, the proud elven lord stood up abruptly, looking about and meeting Elledan's eyes. "Lead the way back to Imladres." He said in a business like manner. "We haven't much time, I must get Estel to the houses of healing."

In the pre-dusk light, Elrond found himself suddenly rushing through the sleeping forest. Barely hearing the crunching leaves beneath his feet, or the early morning arpeggios of the birds, he focused his vision upon the haggardly breathing child of men in his arms. Praying to every Valar he could think of, Elrond's mind was filled with the expression upon Estel's face, knowing that he had seen that expression many times before. Knowing he had seen than very same expression upon the face of his own beautiful wife, as she hung limply between this world and the next. As she opened her eyes, a broken and ravaged soul shown out from the depths. Would this be the sight that greeted Elrond, nestled deep within Estel's limpid pools of silvery grey? Letting out a low hiss of breath as his heart pounded painfully in his chest, he clutched the small boy tighter. No............by the Valar, this was not to be this boy's fate. This boy was to do great things,....................... great things indeed

As Imladres came into sight, Elrond hurried forward, and towards the Houses of Healing.

*_~*_~*_~*_~*_ (about two days later.)

Struggling greatly with himself, Estel fought to regain consciousness. Surrounded by the darkness of sleep, warmth was layered about him as he tried with all his might to open his eyes. They felt enormously heavy, just like the rest of his body, but finally, Estel managed to pry one eye open, and then the other. As soon as he could see, blinding white light dazzled him, and he blinked quickly to adjust his eyes. Where am I? He wondered groggily. Allowing his vision to swim into focus, Estel found himself laying in a huge down bed that was certainly not his own. Feeling a moment of confusion, Estel began to try and sit up, pulling at his now very sore body to move.

"Do not strain yourself, Ion Nin. Lay back, you are safe." Said a very familiar voice.

Turning his head sharply to see the speaker, Estel immediately regretted his action as his vision swam dizzily before his eyes. Letting a soft moan escape his lips , he clutched his forehead and determinedly focused his vision before him. After a few moments of concentration, his surroundings became clear, and Estel looked about confusedly. He was in a large, white room, with intricate carvings and paintings inlaid into every ivory wall. The grand windows all around him were full of sunlight streaming in through the leafy boughs of the trees just outside of them. And amidst all this finery, Estel wondered where he was, if even indeed he was still in Imladres. Sitting to his right, his Ada, Lord Elrond, was settled in a large squashy red armchair. Silently, Estel traveled over his father's neutral expression and brooding eyes. He looked slightly tired, with lite shadows gracing the areas under his ageless eyes. "Ada?" Estel began quietly. "W-where am I?"

For a moment, his Ada was silent. But then Elrond smiled slightly and replied gently, "you are in the houses of healing, my son. And I am very much glad to see you awake again, for it had been a tense past two days."

Elrond's words dripped through Estel's mind lazily at first, but then he suddenly registered the fact that they didn't make sense. Two days? What in Arda was he talking about? Estel decided to voice his confusion, allowing his brows to furrow together as he spoke. "Two days, Ada? What are you talking about, surely I have not been sleeping for two whole days?" He asked childishly. Looking into his Ada's eyes, Estel couldn't stand the confusion that was overwhelming him as he waited for Ada to answer.

Raising his brows, the elven lord surveyed the young Dunedain child that was sitting sleepy-eyed in a mass of silk sheets and pillows before him. Sensing Estel's confusion, Elrond sighed mentally. He feared this would happen. Obviously the fall had shaken the whole tree-incident clear out of his mind. Knowing that Estel needed to remember on his own, Elrond spoke slowly and deliberately to his youngest son. "Yes, my son. You took a rather nasty fall when you slipped out of Lord Glorfindel's favorite tree."

The statement echoed about in Estel's mind for a moment, before a rush of images bombarded his mind all at once. Gasping, Estel remembered as he had climbed to the top of the massive tree. And then..........the view from the top. Then...................his ada calling to him, and the breaking of the branch. Finally....................Estel gulped as he felt a dull throb from his ribs at the memory of hitting the branch. Looking away from his Ada, Estel swallowed hard as his eyes began to prickle with tears. "Oh." He said faintly. Trying intensely hard now not to burst into tears, he blinked furiously, ignoring everything else around him. He knew he was in trouble, and surely it wouldn't be pretty. Indeed, he was so consumed in trying to rid his emotions that he didn't feel his foster father sit down onto the bed behind him. Starting as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around him, Estel looked up to find the smiling face of his Ada looking down at him. "A-Ada?" He gasped out unsurely. Elrond looked down at the young boy with a warm smile upon his face, his eyes positively glowing. Reaching down, Elrond brushed away a few of the bitter tears that were sliding down Estel's round cheeks, and began to speak quietly and comfortingly.

"Do not cry, Estel. It will be alright. Indeed, you did directly disobey me. And you will be punished." Feeling the boy in his arms flinch, Elrond continued smoothly. "With many hours of extra and difficult training. But that will benefit you as well, will it not? It will be alright. I was very scared when you fell, my son. You were all I could think of, and it terrified me to know that you almost died. Yet I will put this in the past now, and be glad that you are still here with us. Please try not to disobey me in the future Estel. The rules are there for your safety, child."

For a moment, there was silence between the two of them, and Estel nodded mutely, adding a "Yes Ada." Very silently. Sitting like this, for a moment of complete serenity, both the Elven lord and Dunedain child listened contentedly to the singing of birds outside. Each reveling in the moment at hand. The door to the room opened suddenly, and they looked up to find Glorfindel and Erestor walking into the room. The two smiled at the Elven lord and child, (or as much as Erestor can smile,) and for a moment nothing was spoken as the two seated themselves on the end of Estel's bed.

Randomly breaking the silence, Estel suddenly found his happiness. "But did you see how high I was Ada? I was, wasn't I?" He bounced out, smiling radiantly about the room once more.

With a small chuckle, Glorfindel spoke as lord Elrond smiled and shook his lead. "Aye, child. You were high indeed!"

Bobbing his head with Glorfindel's statement, Estel looked up again as his Ada finally spoke. "Well, maybe with all this extra training before you, you can finally beat the twins at racing." Elrond said comfortingly.

"Yes!" Estel chimed. But suddenly freezing, Estel looked around at the three lords and said suddenly, "Where are my brothers?"

Watching curiously as the three elves exchanged a knowing glance, Elrond spoke in a voice that barely contained his laughter. "They are resting in the courtyard outside. After all, they are very tired from having to clean Imladres from top to bottom these past two days."

Estel's eyes widened in horror, and as he was about to argue in their defense, a large splash and loud voices just outside the window stole the attention of the whole room.

*SPLASH!!!*

.......................................

As they heard an indignant splashing and sputtering that they all supposed was from Elledan Elrohir's laughing voice rang out. "Heh heh, honestly brother, I am jealous! Apparently, YOU can clear a courtyard full of maidens faster than both me AND Erestor in a bad mood!"

The three elven lords and Estel began to laugh as they listened to the twins argue below, and the following water fight that started between them afterwards.

~!_~!_~!_

Author's Note: Ehe he he!! Well, that's the end of the tree story! Next chapter, I am heading into a very long story that will most likely span about 8-9 chapter! Are you all ready!?! I hope so, I am! Thank you so much for all your support so far, everyone. And I really hope to see you in the next chapter of the exciting events Estel, the twins, and the whole gang! Thanks, and please leave me a review on your way out! Have a grand evening for now, bye!