Author's note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter(s) and
gave me feedback. It is much appreciated.
I value every single review, and therefore have also noticed that for the last couple of chapters the number of reviews has been lower than for the earlier chapters.
So, if you read and enjoy, but normally don't review, please de-lurk and let me know what you think – good or bad! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Chapter 7 - To Make a Choice
As weary as he was, Halbarad took it upon himself not to wake anyone else for the next few hours. Dawn rose, and with it a grey damp day. Everything was silent. The elves and rangers slept peacefully, recovering from their wounds and exhaustion after the battle with the orcs and the second battle with the wolves.
Halbarad had time and space to let his thoughts roam. He had known the twins for most of his adult life, and had fought with them on many occasions. In the last few weeks the proximity and intimacy of their travel had also meant that he and Tharamir got to know Elrond's young foster son and Legolas from Mirkwood much better. As far as Estel was concerned, he was impressed by the young man's fighting skills and somewhat shocked by his ignorance about the world of man. Why had Elrond not seen to it that this boy had a better knowledge of his heritage? Halbarad was almost certain – and intended to ask Elrond at the next opportunity – that Estel was in fact Aragorn, Arathorn's son, and with this the rightful chieftain of the Dunedain.
The ranger wondered whether Estel actually knew of his heritage, if he did, he had never given any acknowledgement of the fact. If Estel should one day take up his role as the leader of the Dunedain, he had a long way to go. Halbarad winced at the ignorance that the boy had displayed at completely unremarkable actions and events among men, he clearly had had very little exposure to human culture and customs. But to give Elrond his due, one of the stated aims of this mission had exactly been this – to expose Estel more to humans and their way of life.
And then Estel's relationship with the young prince of Mirkwood. Again, Estel – Aragorn – had been utterly unaware of the fact that such a relationship might be considered unusual among men. Halbarad had to admit that Legolas and Estel appeared to be well matched in temperament and personality. Many of their interactions took place without conscious thought, borne out of long standing habit rather than deliberation.
Halbarad glanced at the young couple. Both were still sound asleep, Legolas on his back, with his eyes closed, testimony to his exhaustion and injuries. Estel was curled up against the elf, with his injured arm laying affectionately on the other's chest. Both were sleeping peacefully, and Halbarad was grateful for that. There had been a not insignificant risk of infection for Estel, but he seemed to be doing fine.
Halbarad's thoughts turned towards more immediate problems. They were out of food, and Tharamir's stretcher slowed them down. In ordinary circumstances it would take about five or six days to get to Bree. But they had Tharamir to consider, and they would have to search and hunt for food. Halbarad did not believe they would make it to Bree in less than ten days. Their most urgent problem was the lack of blankets. The forest around them would provide food, but the weather was turning fast and they had only two blankets between them. For the elves, lack of warmth was uncomfortable but not harmful, for the three humans, there could be more severe consequences. They could not really afford to have anyone fall ill. Halbarad sighed. He was beginning to get very weary, and pondering their situation would not solve it at this very moment. The ranger knew that he needed rest.
He quietly approached the sleeping twins. Whom to wake? He did not need to answer the question since Elrohir stirred and looked up at the man.
"Have you stood watch all this time?" Elrohir saw the answer in the ranger's tired face.
"Get some rest, Halbarad. I will take the watch and wake you when needed."
"Thank you, Elrohir." Without further ado, Halbarad wrapped himself in his coat, as insufficient as it was to provide enough warmth ,and settled down to sleep. Elrohir frowned. Before Halbarad could fall asleep, he nudged the ranger and said: "Halbarad, I know that these temperatures are uncomfortable for a human and you don't even have a blanket. Please take my place at Elladan's side. I am sure he would not mind sharing the blanket with you."
Halbarad hesitated. He had not slept as close with anyone for a very long time. But then his need for sleep in relative comfort overcame his hesitation, and he moved near Elladan. The older twin simply mumbled and shifted a bit, but did not wake up. Halbarad settled next to him under their shared blanket, and fell asleep instantly.
Elrohir decided that he would let every one sleep until mid afternoon. The days were getting shorter and they needed to get some food at least for tonight.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lord Elrond in Rivendell looked at the letter in his hands. It was a brief note from King Thandruil, cool in tone, which asked that Legolas needed to return to Mirkwood for the winter. Elrond decided that he needed to answer the missive. He had not heard of his scouting party since they left and he was getting slightly covered. They were overdue, they should have been back in Rivendell by now. Winter was setting in early this year, Legolas would not be able to return to Mirkwood this autumn, snow had already fallen in the mountains.
With a sigh, Elrond sat down and began to write. He admitted to himself that he had no objections to Legolas staying in Rivendell. It would make Estel happy, and, he thought with a mental smile, it would be good for the prince as well. What little Elrond new about Thandruil's son indicated that he had not had much fun with friends of his own age. Elrond had come to truly like the young Mirkwood elf, something he had not thought possible even a year ago.
So Elrond wrote a letter explaining that the mountain passes were already closed and that Legolas would have to winter in Imladris. To soften the blow, he assured Thandruil that Legolas would be treated like one of his own sons, which would include receiving appropriate training and a set of duties fitting his status and abilities. He sealed the parchement and set it aside, to be sent by messenger bird early the next morning.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For Elrohir, the hours passed uneventfully. The camp slept. It was after midday when Tharamir stirred and Elrohir walked up to him. They talked quietly, and the whispered conversation between them also awoke Legolas and Estel.
Estel's first thought was of Legolas. He looked at the elf's face and lightly touched the bruising on the right side. "How do you feel, Legolas?" he asked, concern and affection clearly audible in his voice.
"Like an orc hit me with a club over the head," answered Legolas with a rueful smile. "How is your arm?" He gently took Estel's hand. "You have not got a fever, that is a good sign. Does it still hurt much?"
Estel shook his head. "No, it is just a dull ache now, it does not throb as much as it did last night." They were both laying on their sides now, facing each other. Estel leaned in and gave Legolas a soft kiss, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.
Legolas pulled away. "Estel, this is not a good idea. You are just making things harder for both of us." Their eyes locked, and after a brief hesitation Estel nodded. He knew that Legolas regretted the lack of privacy, enforced by travelling as a group, as much as he did.
Legolas slowly stood up, trying to assess how far his body would cooperate. His head still hurt fiercely but the swelling in his face had gone down, and he could open both eyes fully. He took a few steps, and found that the dizziness and nausea that swept over him were uncomfortable but manageable.
Smiling, he said to Estel: "I am already much better. By tomorrow the effects of this blow will have passed." Estel gave him a relieved smile.
The remainder of the scouting party also began to stir. Elladan and Halbarad also got up and ready. After a brief council, the group decided that Elladan would go and try to hunt for some meat and that Halbarad and Estel should try to find other food to supplement whatever game Elladan would bring home.
Much to his chagrin, Legolas was told by Elladan in no uncertain terms that he needed more rest and should lay back down. Legolas realised that, if he was honest with himself, he very much welcomed the extra rest. His head still throbbed mercilessly. Elrohir would stay as a guard with Tharamir and Legolas.
At this time of the year, it was easy to find food in the forests. Mushrooms and blackberries were plentiful, wild chestnuts would make a nice supplement and many wild herbs of this season were still edible, even if the plants had gone somewhat straggly and dry. There were hazelnuts, walnuts, acorns and edible plant roots. Both Estel and Halbarad were well versed in surviving on what nature provided. Within a couple of hours, they returned to the camp, with sufficient food for the evening meal for all and some to spare.
They found Tharamir and Elrohir talking, Legolas fast asleep nearby. As much as he disliked to admit it, the young elf did need the rest. But this time he slept with his eyes open. Estel smiled when he looked at his partner, Legolas was definitely on the mend.
A few moments later, Elladan returned. He had been lucky and had managed to shoot a half-grown deer. This would provide a meal for tonight and the remainder of the meat could be dried and taken away. Neither rangers nor elves believed in killing more animals than strictly necessary, they hunted for food, not for trophies.
They lit a small fire in the small cave they had been using. The twins set to preparing the food. After skinning and gutting the deer, they created a delicious-smelling concoction of game, mushrooms, blackberries and some herbs. Some roots were added to thicken the stew. They also put some of the wild chestnuts Estel had found into the fire, to roast slowly while the meat cooked. Whilst the stew was simmering, the twins ground acorns between some stones. Elrohir knew that the resulting mush would be slightly bitter since they had no means to drain the mush and wash out the bitterness. They had no spare cloths, bandages or other material left that could be used for this purpose. But some strong herbs would go a long way to disguise the bitterness. He formed some flat cakes that he would bake once the stew was almost ready. They would eat well tonight.
Sometime later Legolas woke up, surprised by the pleasant smell and the fact that his headache had cleared. He sat up, and found that both dizziness and nausea had disappeared. Estel was helping his brothers with the cooking, and the two rangers were sitting in peaceful silence next to each other.
The elf decided to use the time until the food was ready to freshen up a bit, using the small waterfall nearby. It was not broad or high enough to stand under it, but, he thought, it should be possible to get reasonably clean. Legolas walked up to Estel, who knelt next to Elrohir near the fire.
"Estel, I will try to wash a bit under that small stream. How about you?"
"Legolas! You awake! How is your head?"
"Much better."
"You look better, too. Yes, I think I could do with washing more than my hands, and so could everyone else," he said with a pointed look at his brothers.
Elladan got up from his kneeling position. Yes, a wash sounded like a very nice idea. The food still needed some time.
"Elrohir? Are you coming?"
"One of us should watch this. I go when you are finished."
So the two elves and Estel went to the small mountain stream and helped each other to get clean. They all stripped and washed each other's hair and backs.
Tharamir looked at this scene incredulously. Halbarad laughed. The expression on the younger ranger's face was priceless, it was a mixture of surprise, mortification and curiosity. The elder ranger had long been aware of the elvish lack of prudishness and indeed found nothing untoward in washing unclothed, perhaps bar getting too cold.
Facing Tharamir, Halbarad said, "Elves are less concerned about being seen without clothes by others, particular amongst friends."
The younger ranger blushed deeply, trying not to stare and yet he was curious. He had never seen elves without clothes and rarely other men. The younger ranger was fascinated by the way the natural grace of the elves was emphasised when they were moving unhindered by clothes. Although at the moment both elves and Elrond's foster son were also showing a large collection of bruises, scratches and scrapes on their bodies.
Tharamir also realised that he was slightly envious, he would not mind a wash as well. He wondered if Halbarad would help him. So, after Elladan, Legolas and Estel were finished, Halbarad, Tharamir and Elrohir had their turn. And Tharamir found that undressing in front of friends was not so bad after all.
By the time everyone was finished, the food was cooked. The chestnuts were roasted, the meat had stewed and the acorn pancakes were baked. Three elves and three humans assembled around the fire, ready for a well-deserved and long awaited meal, when Estel suddnely said:
"How are we going to eat that?"
They looked at each other. No one had given this any thought – since they had lost most of their equipment, their plates, bowls and cutlery had been lost as well. The remaining pot, pan and single spoon (all from Halbarad's pack) had been used for the food preparation. The only remaining other item was Halbarad's bowl.
"We can wrap the meat in the pancakes, and fill the bowl with the stew as a soup. We will just have to pass it around with that spoon and take our turns." Legolas looked at his travel companions. It was not his first choice to share his bowl and spoon with five other people but the food smelled and looked delicious, and he was hungry.
No one objected. The larger pieces of meat were wrapped in the pancakes and the remainder of the stew was passed around in the single bowl until everyone had had their fill. Then the roasted chestnuts were eaten. For the hungry and weary travellers, it was a feast.
After their meal, the company sat quietly around their fire, content and satisfied. Legolas leaned against Estel, eyes half closed, and began to hum an elvish melody. The twins and Estel picked it up, and soon the light, musical voices of the three elves and the slightly deeper voice of Estel rang into the air. Halbarad and Tharamir listened with smiles on their faces. Soon their eyes closed and they leaned back to doze off into sleep. Halbarad's last thought before falling asleep was that in the morning they would have to move on.
TBC. Please review.
P.S. As an explanation, acorns are edible but most varieties have a lot of tannin that needs to be removed by leaching the ground acorns, otherwise the taste would be very bitter and/or they may be toxic.
I value every single review, and therefore have also noticed that for the last couple of chapters the number of reviews has been lower than for the earlier chapters.
So, if you read and enjoy, but normally don't review, please de-lurk and let me know what you think – good or bad! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Chapter 7 - To Make a Choice
As weary as he was, Halbarad took it upon himself not to wake anyone else for the next few hours. Dawn rose, and with it a grey damp day. Everything was silent. The elves and rangers slept peacefully, recovering from their wounds and exhaustion after the battle with the orcs and the second battle with the wolves.
Halbarad had time and space to let his thoughts roam. He had known the twins for most of his adult life, and had fought with them on many occasions. In the last few weeks the proximity and intimacy of their travel had also meant that he and Tharamir got to know Elrond's young foster son and Legolas from Mirkwood much better. As far as Estel was concerned, he was impressed by the young man's fighting skills and somewhat shocked by his ignorance about the world of man. Why had Elrond not seen to it that this boy had a better knowledge of his heritage? Halbarad was almost certain – and intended to ask Elrond at the next opportunity – that Estel was in fact Aragorn, Arathorn's son, and with this the rightful chieftain of the Dunedain.
The ranger wondered whether Estel actually knew of his heritage, if he did, he had never given any acknowledgement of the fact. If Estel should one day take up his role as the leader of the Dunedain, he had a long way to go. Halbarad winced at the ignorance that the boy had displayed at completely unremarkable actions and events among men, he clearly had had very little exposure to human culture and customs. But to give Elrond his due, one of the stated aims of this mission had exactly been this – to expose Estel more to humans and their way of life.
And then Estel's relationship with the young prince of Mirkwood. Again, Estel – Aragorn – had been utterly unaware of the fact that such a relationship might be considered unusual among men. Halbarad had to admit that Legolas and Estel appeared to be well matched in temperament and personality. Many of their interactions took place without conscious thought, borne out of long standing habit rather than deliberation.
Halbarad glanced at the young couple. Both were still sound asleep, Legolas on his back, with his eyes closed, testimony to his exhaustion and injuries. Estel was curled up against the elf, with his injured arm laying affectionately on the other's chest. Both were sleeping peacefully, and Halbarad was grateful for that. There had been a not insignificant risk of infection for Estel, but he seemed to be doing fine.
Halbarad's thoughts turned towards more immediate problems. They were out of food, and Tharamir's stretcher slowed them down. In ordinary circumstances it would take about five or six days to get to Bree. But they had Tharamir to consider, and they would have to search and hunt for food. Halbarad did not believe they would make it to Bree in less than ten days. Their most urgent problem was the lack of blankets. The forest around them would provide food, but the weather was turning fast and they had only two blankets between them. For the elves, lack of warmth was uncomfortable but not harmful, for the three humans, there could be more severe consequences. They could not really afford to have anyone fall ill. Halbarad sighed. He was beginning to get very weary, and pondering their situation would not solve it at this very moment. The ranger knew that he needed rest.
He quietly approached the sleeping twins. Whom to wake? He did not need to answer the question since Elrohir stirred and looked up at the man.
"Have you stood watch all this time?" Elrohir saw the answer in the ranger's tired face.
"Get some rest, Halbarad. I will take the watch and wake you when needed."
"Thank you, Elrohir." Without further ado, Halbarad wrapped himself in his coat, as insufficient as it was to provide enough warmth ,and settled down to sleep. Elrohir frowned. Before Halbarad could fall asleep, he nudged the ranger and said: "Halbarad, I know that these temperatures are uncomfortable for a human and you don't even have a blanket. Please take my place at Elladan's side. I am sure he would not mind sharing the blanket with you."
Halbarad hesitated. He had not slept as close with anyone for a very long time. But then his need for sleep in relative comfort overcame his hesitation, and he moved near Elladan. The older twin simply mumbled and shifted a bit, but did not wake up. Halbarad settled next to him under their shared blanket, and fell asleep instantly.
Elrohir decided that he would let every one sleep until mid afternoon. The days were getting shorter and they needed to get some food at least for tonight.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lord Elrond in Rivendell looked at the letter in his hands. It was a brief note from King Thandruil, cool in tone, which asked that Legolas needed to return to Mirkwood for the winter. Elrond decided that he needed to answer the missive. He had not heard of his scouting party since they left and he was getting slightly covered. They were overdue, they should have been back in Rivendell by now. Winter was setting in early this year, Legolas would not be able to return to Mirkwood this autumn, snow had already fallen in the mountains.
With a sigh, Elrond sat down and began to write. He admitted to himself that he had no objections to Legolas staying in Rivendell. It would make Estel happy, and, he thought with a mental smile, it would be good for the prince as well. What little Elrond new about Thandruil's son indicated that he had not had much fun with friends of his own age. Elrond had come to truly like the young Mirkwood elf, something he had not thought possible even a year ago.
So Elrond wrote a letter explaining that the mountain passes were already closed and that Legolas would have to winter in Imladris. To soften the blow, he assured Thandruil that Legolas would be treated like one of his own sons, which would include receiving appropriate training and a set of duties fitting his status and abilities. He sealed the parchement and set it aside, to be sent by messenger bird early the next morning.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For Elrohir, the hours passed uneventfully. The camp slept. It was after midday when Tharamir stirred and Elrohir walked up to him. They talked quietly, and the whispered conversation between them also awoke Legolas and Estel.
Estel's first thought was of Legolas. He looked at the elf's face and lightly touched the bruising on the right side. "How do you feel, Legolas?" he asked, concern and affection clearly audible in his voice.
"Like an orc hit me with a club over the head," answered Legolas with a rueful smile. "How is your arm?" He gently took Estel's hand. "You have not got a fever, that is a good sign. Does it still hurt much?"
Estel shook his head. "No, it is just a dull ache now, it does not throb as much as it did last night." They were both laying on their sides now, facing each other. Estel leaned in and gave Legolas a soft kiss, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.
Legolas pulled away. "Estel, this is not a good idea. You are just making things harder for both of us." Their eyes locked, and after a brief hesitation Estel nodded. He knew that Legolas regretted the lack of privacy, enforced by travelling as a group, as much as he did.
Legolas slowly stood up, trying to assess how far his body would cooperate. His head still hurt fiercely but the swelling in his face had gone down, and he could open both eyes fully. He took a few steps, and found that the dizziness and nausea that swept over him were uncomfortable but manageable.
Smiling, he said to Estel: "I am already much better. By tomorrow the effects of this blow will have passed." Estel gave him a relieved smile.
The remainder of the scouting party also began to stir. Elladan and Halbarad also got up and ready. After a brief council, the group decided that Elladan would go and try to hunt for some meat and that Halbarad and Estel should try to find other food to supplement whatever game Elladan would bring home.
Much to his chagrin, Legolas was told by Elladan in no uncertain terms that he needed more rest and should lay back down. Legolas realised that, if he was honest with himself, he very much welcomed the extra rest. His head still throbbed mercilessly. Elrohir would stay as a guard with Tharamir and Legolas.
At this time of the year, it was easy to find food in the forests. Mushrooms and blackberries were plentiful, wild chestnuts would make a nice supplement and many wild herbs of this season were still edible, even if the plants had gone somewhat straggly and dry. There were hazelnuts, walnuts, acorns and edible plant roots. Both Estel and Halbarad were well versed in surviving on what nature provided. Within a couple of hours, they returned to the camp, with sufficient food for the evening meal for all and some to spare.
They found Tharamir and Elrohir talking, Legolas fast asleep nearby. As much as he disliked to admit it, the young elf did need the rest. But this time he slept with his eyes open. Estel smiled when he looked at his partner, Legolas was definitely on the mend.
A few moments later, Elladan returned. He had been lucky and had managed to shoot a half-grown deer. This would provide a meal for tonight and the remainder of the meat could be dried and taken away. Neither rangers nor elves believed in killing more animals than strictly necessary, they hunted for food, not for trophies.
They lit a small fire in the small cave they had been using. The twins set to preparing the food. After skinning and gutting the deer, they created a delicious-smelling concoction of game, mushrooms, blackberries and some herbs. Some roots were added to thicken the stew. They also put some of the wild chestnuts Estel had found into the fire, to roast slowly while the meat cooked. Whilst the stew was simmering, the twins ground acorns between some stones. Elrohir knew that the resulting mush would be slightly bitter since they had no means to drain the mush and wash out the bitterness. They had no spare cloths, bandages or other material left that could be used for this purpose. But some strong herbs would go a long way to disguise the bitterness. He formed some flat cakes that he would bake once the stew was almost ready. They would eat well tonight.
Sometime later Legolas woke up, surprised by the pleasant smell and the fact that his headache had cleared. He sat up, and found that both dizziness and nausea had disappeared. Estel was helping his brothers with the cooking, and the two rangers were sitting in peaceful silence next to each other.
The elf decided to use the time until the food was ready to freshen up a bit, using the small waterfall nearby. It was not broad or high enough to stand under it, but, he thought, it should be possible to get reasonably clean. Legolas walked up to Estel, who knelt next to Elrohir near the fire.
"Estel, I will try to wash a bit under that small stream. How about you?"
"Legolas! You awake! How is your head?"
"Much better."
"You look better, too. Yes, I think I could do with washing more than my hands, and so could everyone else," he said with a pointed look at his brothers.
Elladan got up from his kneeling position. Yes, a wash sounded like a very nice idea. The food still needed some time.
"Elrohir? Are you coming?"
"One of us should watch this. I go when you are finished."
So the two elves and Estel went to the small mountain stream and helped each other to get clean. They all stripped and washed each other's hair and backs.
Tharamir looked at this scene incredulously. Halbarad laughed. The expression on the younger ranger's face was priceless, it was a mixture of surprise, mortification and curiosity. The elder ranger had long been aware of the elvish lack of prudishness and indeed found nothing untoward in washing unclothed, perhaps bar getting too cold.
Facing Tharamir, Halbarad said, "Elves are less concerned about being seen without clothes by others, particular amongst friends."
The younger ranger blushed deeply, trying not to stare and yet he was curious. He had never seen elves without clothes and rarely other men. The younger ranger was fascinated by the way the natural grace of the elves was emphasised when they were moving unhindered by clothes. Although at the moment both elves and Elrond's foster son were also showing a large collection of bruises, scratches and scrapes on their bodies.
Tharamir also realised that he was slightly envious, he would not mind a wash as well. He wondered if Halbarad would help him. So, after Elladan, Legolas and Estel were finished, Halbarad, Tharamir and Elrohir had their turn. And Tharamir found that undressing in front of friends was not so bad after all.
By the time everyone was finished, the food was cooked. The chestnuts were roasted, the meat had stewed and the acorn pancakes were baked. Three elves and three humans assembled around the fire, ready for a well-deserved and long awaited meal, when Estel suddnely said:
"How are we going to eat that?"
They looked at each other. No one had given this any thought – since they had lost most of their equipment, their plates, bowls and cutlery had been lost as well. The remaining pot, pan and single spoon (all from Halbarad's pack) had been used for the food preparation. The only remaining other item was Halbarad's bowl.
"We can wrap the meat in the pancakes, and fill the bowl with the stew as a soup. We will just have to pass it around with that spoon and take our turns." Legolas looked at his travel companions. It was not his first choice to share his bowl and spoon with five other people but the food smelled and looked delicious, and he was hungry.
No one objected. The larger pieces of meat were wrapped in the pancakes and the remainder of the stew was passed around in the single bowl until everyone had had their fill. Then the roasted chestnuts were eaten. For the hungry and weary travellers, it was a feast.
After their meal, the company sat quietly around their fire, content and satisfied. Legolas leaned against Estel, eyes half closed, and began to hum an elvish melody. The twins and Estel picked it up, and soon the light, musical voices of the three elves and the slightly deeper voice of Estel rang into the air. Halbarad and Tharamir listened with smiles on their faces. Soon their eyes closed and they leaned back to doze off into sleep. Halbarad's last thought before falling asleep was that in the morning they would have to move on.
TBC. Please review.
P.S. As an explanation, acorns are edible but most varieties have a lot of tannin that needs to be removed by leaching the ground acorns, otherwise the taste would be very bitter and/or they may be toxic.