A Mystery Unveiled

Arquen

Disclaimers: I do not own any of the characters or settings. They all belong to the wonderful J.R.R. Tolkien. This is purely for amusement purposes only; I'm not making any money off any of it. With permission from Cassia and Siobhan I have used Trelan and Raniean as well as mild references to their fics.

Acknowledgements: This is a re-write to the first chapter. I will be re-touching the already existing chapters before continuing on with the fic. Excuse the typos that may have occurred for it has not been beta'd.

Chapter 2: Leaving Rivendell

"Estel, what are you doing?" Elrond looked down at his youngest son who was crawling on all fours, mere feet from his own bedroom.

Aragorn looked quickly up at his father and raised his hand, trying to silence his father before he asked anymore questions. With any luck, Elladan might not have heard his father's questioning.

Elrond shook his head and walked away. He knew very well his sons were up to something, and he did not wish to find out.

Aragorn watched the retreating back of his father. Smiling to himself, he turned back to his task; he had to catch Elladan.

Elladan had been promising Estel for weeks now that he would get back at him for the "accidental" spill of itching powder in his bed. He had noticed the way Elladan had looked at him all day. There was no mistaking he was planning something.

Estel continued crawling down the hall silently. He heard a noise inside his room and he knew for sure that he would finally catch his brother. He had the upper hand this time.

"What do you think you are doing on the floor, Estel?" Elladan said approaching his brother from behind. He smirked slightly as he saw Estel turn to look at him, his face etched with shock.

"Weren't you..." Estel turned around completely placing his hand on his knees.

"Weren't I what?" Elladan asked thoroughly enjoying his brother's confusion. He raised an eyebrow in question, "Are you in trouble with Celboril again?"

Estel glared at his brother. He would pay for this. Elladan, seeing the way his brother looked at him, backed up slowly and raced down the stairs, heading towards the garden.

Estel didn't bother chasing him, but instead he slowly got up from the floor and walked the few feet to his room, all the while devising a plan.

"You should have seen the look on Estel's face, Ro," Elladan said to his twin who was sitting beside him at the dinner table.

"I cannot believe I missed it." Elrohir looked across the table at Estel who hadn't spoken a word. "Why are you so quiet, Estel," he asked teasingly.

Aragorn just smiled menacingly, his gaze falling on Elladan.

"You are in for it now, brother," Elrohir said, understanding Estel's intent very well.

Elladan just grinned. "Why exactly, little brother, were you on the floor anyway?"

Aragorn was just about to answer when Elrond stopped him. "All of you eat your food. Questions can be asked later, when I am very far away from the three of you."

The three of them smiled at their father's response and continued to eat their food. You could hear nothing but the sound of three hungry elves hurriedly eating their meals. Elrond shook his head at the lack of proper etiquette from his sons but said nothing, enjoying the silence. At long last dinner was nearing to an end. Having the last of the dishes cleared away Estel saw that it was fit to speak once more.

"Father, I wish to go to Mirkwood tomorrow and visit Legolas." It had been five months since Legolas had been in Rivendell and he missed his company dearly. "I promise I'll be back before the sixth week passes."

Elrond looked upon his youngest son, knowing there was no way to change Estel's mind once it was made up. In all truth, he thought Estel would have asked him sooner seeing that Legolas and his son were practically inseparable. "Very well Estel, but you must promise me that you WILL take extreme caution."

"I will father," Estel replied glad that his father had not tried to dissuade him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Elladan snicker and he turned to face him. "You are lucky, brother, for now," he glared.

Elladan could barely contain his laughter, "You are lacking skills, my brother, if you need all that time to find a way to exact revenge on me."

"Laugh now. Let us see who is laughing when this is over," Estel said, getting up from the table. "I will be in my room packing, father, if you need me."

Elrond nodded his head, rubbing his temples to lessen the pain of an oncoming headache. "Go to Celboril and ask him to prepare you some food for your travel tomorrow."

"Yes father," Estel replied walking away from the table. He stopped as he reached the foot of the stairs, "I'd be ever watchful if I were you Elladan. I do not leave until tomorrow morning." With that, Estel raced up the stairs to the comfort of his room.

Aragorn was up before dawn. Checking over the things he would carry on his journey to Mirkwood he made sure he had everything he would need. He strapped his bedroll to the bottom of his pack and placed it over his right shoulder. Then he walked to the corner of his room where his weapons were located. His bow, quiver, and sword were lying alongside each other on the floor. Picking them up, he put both his quiver and bow over his left shoulder, and attached the sword to his belt. Making sure that his knife was strapped inside a pocket he had made in his boot, he made for the door.

Finally, he left his room and walked down the hall to the kitchen to pick up the food Celboril had packed for him the night before, and then continued down the stairs to Rivendell's gate. There, his father and brothers waited for him.

"Take care, my son," Elrond said to Estel, who smiled at the fatherly worry.

"I will, father." Estel replied. "If I'm not back in before the sixth week, which I will be," Estel added quickly as he saw the stern look on Elrond's face, "then you can send Dan and Ro to come and rescue me."

Both of his brothers, who were standing alongside their father, could not contain themselves any longer and they burst out with laughter.

"Should we get our stuff ready now?" Elrohir asked playfully before his father's gaze quieted both him and his brother.

Before Estel left, he gave his father and both of his brothers an embrace.

"Are you sure you do not want a to travel on horseback," his father asked once again as Aragorn began walking to the gates of Rivendell.

The ranger shook his head and shouted back to his father, "I am in no hurry, father. I would like to enjoy my surroundings instead of rushing past them." After a few minutes of silence he waved good-bye and left Rivendell's gates.

"May Illuvatar watch over him," Elrond silently prayed to himself as he watched his son's retreating back.

It felt good to walk alone once more in the wild. Taking a deep breath, Estel looked over to the horizon and saw the sun just beginning to rise. He could not wait to see Mirkwood and Legolas' friendly face once more, but little did he know of the of the evil turn of events that will come to haunt them all.

TBC.....