AN: Thank you all for the reviews. There are almost 50. I've never had that many. Anyways, once again after this chapter I am stuck. Give me some ideas for what should happen. Now back to identifying that body…
Chapter 13
Evasive Wizards and nicknames
Elrond bent beside the mess with a grimace. He picked up the familiar weapons and tears misted his eyes. He stood abruptly turning to so the accompanying Elves could not see the tears as they ran down his face.
*By the Valar, no…
" Elrond?" Glorfindel gently prodded.
Elrond did not turn. His slight sniff was heard by only Glorfindel who chose to ignore it. Elrond sighed, glad they could not see his trembling lips and the tears coursing off his chin. The cold voice that came from his mouth surprised even him.
" It is just remains. There is nothing conclusive. If he does not return in a month's time, then we will deem this body his."
Glorfindel nodded, motioning for the other Elves to collect the remains. Elrond wiped his eyes on his sleeve once the other Elves were busy. Estel was gone.
~*~
Elladan stared at the river. They were not close enough to the ocean to suit him so the river had to make due. He sighed, pulling his knees closer to his body.
*Tis my fault. I should have never let him come. I cannot forgive Ada for sending him with me. I cannot forgive myself for not keeping him nearby. Foolishness, tis all it is. Not again. No one will I let close.
Legolas sat down beside him, just being silent as a wind whispered though the trees. Elladan looked back slightly.
" What did they find?"
Legolas sighed hearing the all too familiar cold voice, leaning back on his palms.
" Estel's weapons and blood, a lot of blood," Legolas hesistated.
" What else?"
Elladan closed his eyes. Blood usually came from a body.
" They found a body."
Elladan stood with a start. Legolas leapt up also, continuing after Elladan. Elrond had been in no condition to tell anyone, so Glorfindel had asked him to tell the twins. Legolas was glad he was not telling Arwen.
" The body is inconclusive. It could be someone else."
Elladan turned around, his eyes lit with a fire.
" Someone else? Come now, who else was on a hunting party. The Edain?" his scournful tone surprised Legolas. Usually the twin upheld the other half of his ansestors, " They are too afraid. That is Estel's body. He is dead."
Legolas weighed the chances that if he started running, Elladan would not try to kill him. Legolas took a deep breath, sending the tents a woeful glance.
" It could have been someone else they killed and took Estel. There is a mortal community nearby."
Elladan looked at the hand upon his shouldar. How he wished he were a child again. Then he could throw himself upon the floor and scream and cry with no reservations.
" It is not wrong to cry. All do."
" Not the strong. My father has never cried," Elladan wrenched his shouldar away.
" Your father has cried many times. You did not see his tears when your spirit departed. The strong mourn, maybe not openly, but sometimes the weak are those that believe they look stronger when no grief is shared."
" I do not share my grief."
Legolas almost slapped Elladan in exhapseration. Since when had the eldest son of Elrond become so stubborn?
" You have lost your mother, countless friends and now you may have lost a brother and yet no tear have you shed," Legolas said softly.
" I have cried."
Legolas' head whipped around. Elladan's face was still stony. Had the twin spoken on had it been merely just Legolas' imagination?
" There were 4 of us left. I sent 2 ahead. There was an Elf injured. They had almost turned him and then my foster brother had disappeared. Even I was surprised with myself," Elladan began.
Legolas sat back down beside Elladan when the Elf did the same. Legolas did not know what to say.
Elrohir fell on Elladan's other side.
" Arwen is still crying."
" How about Ada?"
A wry smile lifted Elrohir's lips.
" He is crying with her, cradling her as if she is a toddler still. She looks so small, so hurt. She did not deserve this again," Elrohir whispered, emotion causing his voice to become hoarse.
Elladan's fist pounded the soft soil.
" Tis not fair."
" What?" Legolas asked.
There was plenty that was not fair.
" Why do such foul things befall those of my company?"
Both Legolas and Elrohir lost their voices. They did not know that Elladan took these happenings so personally.
" It is not your fault nor poor leadership. You just always have the worst circumstances," Elrohir threw his arm around his brother's shoulders, " If it means anything, I think you are a great leader."
" Go suck on another pair of orc lips," Elladan shrugged away his brother's arm, the quick snap not accustom to his behavior.
" That was low," Elrohir glared at his brother.
" Forgive me."
Elrohir stood, leaving without another word.
" He is your brother. He is hurting, just like you. Estel was like kin to him also," Legolas said softly.
Elladan looked up slowly and Legolas' face softened.
The eldest son of Elrond was crying. Tears coursed down his cheeks, dripping off his jaw. Legolas marveled at the ability to stay so quiet while mourning so hard.
" Estel was not just my brother. He was my friend, my link to everything I had always wanted to be."
" He is not lost yet."
Elladan brushed away the tears with a short laugh.
" Yet."
~*~
Arwen hastily dried her tears, walking out of her tent. She was going back to Lorien. She would find some rest and peace there, or so she hoped. As to Aragorn, they had not seen anything in a week. Her hand brushed the small knife she kept by her side always. The thundering of hooves made her shade her eyes from the morning sun to see who came.
Gilraen and Êlenrana pulled their horses to halts. Arwen was surprised to see them without any escorts. She caught Glorfindel's double take before he strode out, obviously not happy at his wife's thoughtlessness.
" Where are you escorts?"
" It is good to see you also, Herven," Êlenrana took his hand to dismount, a nearby Elf aiding Gilraen.
Glorfindel took in a deep breath.
" Ele, times are too dangerous for you to simply gallavant around without any escorts."
" We heard about Estel. We had to come."
Arwen rushed towards them, seeing the tears in Gilraen's eyes. She hugged the mortal woman.
" I am truly sorry for you loss."
" He is not lost yet. Hope still remains."
Arwen smiled slightly, wishing she could believe.
" You have more than I."
Gilraen's eyes brightened and she fumbled in one of the pouches of her saddlebag for something.
" I am glad I brought this. Come over here," Gilraen pulled the girl aside, seeing more Elves coming, noting their arrival.
Arwen watched as Gilraen unfolded a parchment and handed it to her. Tears threatened to boil over.
" Estel," she whispered.
She recognized the strong, yet hesitant lines all too well. She had memorized every mark in the sketchbook and look at these lines was like recognizing an Elf.
" Aye, he drew it and Êlenrana asked me to finish it," Gilraen rubbed the girl's arm comfortingly, " He will come back."
Arwen smiled sadly. If only…
~*~
One foot after the other, again and again. A loud grumble interrupted the silence demanding a meal to its malnutrioned stomach. It had been a week since he had eaten last. The entrance had taken days to find and luckily the orcs had never seen him. The woods were quiet, too quiet, he noted. He paused, tuning his ears to catch their whispers.
* There are intruders among us. They carry many weapons and what harm they bring, we do not know.
Aragorn pressed his palm softly to a tree, slightly caressing the bark.
" Eldar egor Edain (Elves or mortal)?" he whispered.
The wind ruffled the tree branches.
* Edain, nin Eldar mellon (Mortal, my Elvish friend)
He turned his steps softly towards them.
~*~
Elrond was strangely subdued at the meal. Everything went on around him, but he remained constant, his eyes fixed on his untouched plate. Êlenrana touched his shoulder, detecting her husband's concern.
" You should eat."
" I do not want to."
Elrond's dull tone resembled that of a young child.
An older wrinkled hand fell on Elrond's shouldar.
" Eat, my friend. You still have a life here. It does not stop," Mithrandir took the seat beside Elrond.
" And where have you been? You disappeared after delievering Oiralomë," Glorfindel asked.
" I had other business at a nearby Edain settlement. They are looking for Edain recruiters for the Rohan riders," Mithrandir stabbed a piece of meat with his stine, " I believe Estel would be a great addition."
Elrond's head turned slowly.
" Estel is dead."
Mithrandir merely chuckled.
" Nonsense. You have no body. He is not dead. There are some folks at the Edain settlement that would like the body of their father back."
Elrond still was not cheered.
" He is lost."
Mithrandir merely kept eating, a playful grin playing around the edges of his mouth.
~*~
Aragorn watched the camp closely. He could not afford to make a bad descion now. If he did not get care or food soon, he would be dead. Aragorn took a deep breath, exiting the forest's safety. It cried for him to return, the clamor fading with the wind.
" Halt," the guard turned suddenly, placing the tip of his sword ar the base of his throat, " Why, it's an Elf."
The other men came alive, eying him with suspicion.
" Orcs," Aragorn managed through his lead tongue, feeling his legs beginning to give out.
" Get him some food and water," a call came.
Aragorn crumpled to the ground, his body giving out after a week of living on nothing.
Something cold was at his lips. Aragorn tested it, finding it was but water.
" Can you sit up, Elf, so you may eat?"
Aragorn did so with some help. A plate was put in front of him. Aragorn ate slowly, careful not to scarf it down for fear of then injuring himself that way. The men watched him warily still. A kind faced, dark haired man sat across from him.
" Who are you, Elf? You are far from home."
Aragorn smiled slightly.
" I am not an Elf. I am just like you," Aragorn pushed back his hair.
The leader's face did not change, simply waiting for answers.
" I am…" Aragorn trailed off.
He could not give out his lineage. A name and giggle from what seemed like another time came back to him.
" Call me Strider."