So wheres the next chapter! Sorry, its a little late but i just HAD to do an Artemis Fowl one off. So, back on the lotr bandwagon!
Trin: Yes, i can just see Thraundril locking his son away in the dungeon for a weekend of fun or something like that! I'm glad you like dhtat chapter. And heres the next one!
leggylover: sorry that you had to wait so long, staring at the screen for this chappie! ps - did you get square eyes?
grumpy:thanks for the compliment~! from all the fanfics i've read that involve estel hunting, i'd be terrified to step outside with him.
daw: Thanks heaps for the constructive critiscm! I like recieving it so that i can make my other stories better. I admit, osme modernisms did pop up, its just hard for me to sstay so in charcter, they just tend to write themselves. Theres several bits in here i know that will jar you, but i oculd find no other words to express what i meant. so i apologize in advance for that.
KumQuat: i LURVE your name! Sorry but it makes me laugh! Its ok that you didn't review the first chapter, its just nice to know that poeple are reading it! I'm glad you liked that 'funny' part. And woops, the number thing. Yeah, my english teacher always used to be on my back about that, its an annoying habit that i haven't gotten out of yet, but i'll try harder next time!Thanks for reviewing!
D.C. Oh, i'l finish it. Definately. The story will most likely be complete flashback until, the flashback catches up to where the present started...er...does that make sense? Like, prolly the next chapter or two will continue with the flashback then the next one or two will be present legolas and injured estel...er...savvy?
Enjoy! It begins to get a bit more serious now.
****Several days passed as the pair ventured further away from Rivendell and deeper into her outlying woods.
And much to Legolas' surprise and immense relief, nothing happened. There were no orc attacks, there were no spider attacks. Estel hadn't even fallen over and grazed his knee yet. It was almost a let down, an anticlimax after everything that the Mirkwood prince had heard.
"This is great! I don't understand why the others were so hesitant, or even afraid to take the child out with them! Nothings happened!" Legolas spoke out loud wonderingly, while Estel was out of normal human hearing range but importantly enough, forgot to 'touch wood.'
For the elf had forgotten, things can change radically and drastically. For humans have never had an easy path, and the one that played under the Mirkwood prince's care was destined for many hardships, more then any normal human.
Fate, it seemed, is not without irony. For a child's curiosity, a child's tool for learning about the world around them could be an extremely dangerous tool. One that could end the child's life when all he was trying to do with the tool is understand his life, his world and his place in it.
After all, it is a common Edain saying that: "Curiosity killed the cat."
As, unfortunately, the elf would, undoubtedly, find out.
****Legolas lounged back, his eyes on the dancing flames of the fire. His thoughts turned to the events of the day that had occurred and he laughed briefly, remembering how Estel had almost shot himself. He had been aiming at largish deer, and had released the arrow. Unfortunately Estel had stepped on a twig at the exact moment he had released the arrow and the deer had taken fright and fled the scene. In the split second for the arrow to travel to where the deer should've been, the deer had gone.
Therefore, the arrow flew where the deer had been, rebounded off at a tangent when striking the tree behind the now nonexistent deer, hit a tree branch, ricocheted of that and then, as an astonished Estel found, returned to it's owner.
It was lucky that Estel was a bad shot, therefore the arrow missed him by an inch.
As Estel stood there shaking, Legolas, the dignified elf, could only laugh at the boy's bewildered expression.
Estel scowled from his place across from the fire, "Stop laughing at me Legolas."
"What makes you think I'm laughing at you?" Legolas questioned, a grin still on his face.
"Because you keep looking at me queerly! And then start grinning to yourself and laughing. I just know that you're thinking about that incident with the arrow and the deer! That wasn't my fault! How was I to know that it would ricochet off the tree?? Its an arrow! It's meant to imbed itself into anything it hits! Not ricochet!"
Legolas couldn't help himself but laugh. "Let that be a lesson to you. An arrow can ricochet off anything. I myself have seen an arrow ricochet off water."
"Are you serious?" Estel asked wide-eyed.
"Very. You skip rocks across water do you not?"
Estel blushed, "Yes I do. But do not tell Ada that. He does not approve of me 'throwing' rocks into the river."
"Well, if a heavy rock can ricochet off water, I don't see why a fast moving arrow cannot."
"Hmmmmm" Estel rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "So it could have happened to anyone?"
Legolas smile grew even wider. But instead of being a mocking smile, it was a gentle smile. The child needs reassurance, "Yes, it could've happened to anyone." Humans, they always need reassurance and help. They are all together too fragile for my liking.
For a while, silence reigned while the fire crackled and both the human and elf watched the fiery sparks spiral away into the night sky. Then the silence was broken by the sound of rustling as the boy rummaged through his pack.
"Pray, what are you doing Estel?" Legolas asked, an eyebrow raised as he watched the human child mutter to himself and continue his search.
"I am looking for something Legolas."
"Yes, I knew that." Legolas rolled his eyes, Humans, do they have any idea?? "But I meant, what are you looking for?"
"Something."
"Estel!"
"Oh, calm yourself Legolas! I found it!" Estel turned around and flourished his prize triumphantly.
Legolas couldn't help but let his eyebrow rise even further. "A pipe?"
Estel grinned his boyish devilish smile. "Not just any pipe Legolas! Ada's pipe!"
Legolas felt shock steal over his features, "You stole Lord Elrond's pipe?"
Estel grin grew even wider, "Yes. What do you think of that?"
"Why?!? You know you shouldn't have done that!" The elf couldn't fathom the child's mind. Humans! I cannot think of a word to explain them!
Estel pouted, "You do not understand Legolas. Ada doesn't think I'm grown up enough. He doesn't think that I'm mature enough to do anything. I always watch him smoke his pipe, I don't see why I cannot. After all, I am grown up. I am a teenager!"
"You are 13! You are only just a teenager!" Legolas couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was enough to make him want to laugh.
"But still! I am a teenager! And I am grown up! Ada does not see this! You do not believe me……" Estel paused uncertainly, "But I will show you."
"So you are going to smoke your fathers pipe, that you stole, to show him that you are an adult." Legolas sardonically spoke.
"Yes. Also, I've always wondered what it was like."
"Wondered what WHAT was like?"
"Smoking a pipe! I've wondered what smoking a pipe was like." Estel rolled his eyes. Elves sometimes seemed to be quite stupid at times.
"You've wondered what smoking a pipe was like?"
"Yes."
"It's like you're smoking a pipe." Legolas kept his face straight, even though he knew that it would infuriate the human child.
"Legolas!"
"Well, what did you expect me to say? Its like eating lembas? Estel, please, have some sense!"
"Whatever Legolas. I am Estel and I shall do what I like." The boy in question pouted and without waiting for the elf to reply, began cleaning out the pipe. Legolas watched with interest. Despite the fact that the boy had never smoked a pipe before, he seemed to know what he was doing.
"Estel. How is it that you've never smoked before, yet you know just what you are doing?"
Estel grinned, "I watch Ada. As Ada says, 'You can learn a lot just by watching and listening.'"
Legolas sighed, "I'm pretty sure that the Lord of Imaldris did not mean for his teachings to be taken this way."
"A student will take his teacher's teachings into his own perspective." Sometimes, the human child talked ages older then his actual age was. Living amongst immortals could do that to a mortal.
"But still, Estel…….." Legolas tried to plead to the human child, to no avail.
"Are you going to stop me Legolas?"
The elf pondered the question and after a minute of strained silence, answered, "No, I will not. Since you claim that you are an adult, adults must make mature decisions. Thus, I leave this decision to you, and you alone Estel."
Estel blinked. He hadn't been expecting the moral lecture. "Are you sure Legolas?"
"Make the mature decision Estel-the-Adult." To soften the edge to his words, the prince smiled gently.
Estel smiled back uncertainly, his child's mind trying to come to terms with the decision that was faced before him. And since Estel still, was only a child, he made the child's decision, "Then I decide to smoke the pipe!"
Legolas sighed again, "Then so be it."
The young teenager placed the pipe reverently onto the grass in front of him and continued rummaging through his pack. For several minutes, the rustling of the canvas, the crackling of the fire and the boy's muttered words could be heard once again.
"What are you looking for now human?" Legolas couldn't take the silence any longer.
"Pipeweed elf." Estel rolled his eyes once again in the dark safety of his pack.
For a while the search continued but ended abruptly as a dark tousled head emerged from the pack. Estel glared at the elf who sat watching the boy innocently from the other side of the fire.
"If you say one thing Legolas……"
"What did you forget?" Legolas spoke quickly, trying to hide the mirth from his voice.
"The pipeweed." Estel's face drooped.
Legolas allowed himself a small smile, Maybe then, this whole 'Lets smoke the pipe' incident will be forgotten. After all, human children's ideas last only for a moment.
The elf's hopes were dashed when the child's face lit up, "I will be able to find some in the forest!"
Legolas sat stunned, "Are you being serious Estel? Tell me you're not being serious."
"I am being as serious as can be Legolas. What? Don't you trust my judgement? Ada has trained me after all."
"Estel," Legolas' voice held a tone of warning yet resignation, "The forest is dangerous at night."
"I know, I know. I am mortal, you are immortal, therefore I have to be extra careful and live my life wrapped up as a fragile package, blah blah blah. I won't be long I promise! And I won't stray far. You'll be able to hear me."
"But Estel!" Legolas tried to argue even though he knew it was useless. Estel carried a stubborn streak just like his adoptive family. No doubt it had rubbed off onto him from them. No mere human could be born so stubborn!
"Legolas!" Estel pouted and tried his 'wide-eyed-innocent-puppy-dog-look' on the elf. "Don't you trust me?"
Legolas sighed, And once again, the great prince of Mirkwood gives into a mere human child. "Fine, okay Estel. I'm letting you know though that I don't approve of you wandering in the forest by yourself."
"I'll be fine Legolas! You worry too much."
"Well, you don't have to face Elrond and the twins to explain why something has happened to their dear adoptive son." Legolas muttered softly, so softly so that the Edain child couldn't hear it.
"What was that? I didn't quite catch it, human hearing you know. Not as good as elven hearing I'm told." Estel taunted the elf.
"I said, I worry only about your safety Estel." Legolas gritted his teeth.
"Then worry no longer Legolas! As I've told you before, I'll be fine. Just give me a couple of minutes, then I'll be back."
"Fine then. You have three minutes only. THREE minutes Estel. Count it. If you're not back in three minutes I will come after you." Legolas laid down the rules while looking pointedly at the child.
Estel shrugged, he was lucky to be even going by himself. If he had been with the twins they'd have accompanied him everywhere, even if it'd only be a toilet stop on a tree in the forest. "As you wish Legolas. But you know, the twins are right. You are such a control freak."
"What? I am NOT!" Legolas sat back astounded. "They said that?"
In reply, Estel just laughed. "Y-you are so gullible sometimes, you know that?"
Legolas fumed, And the great prince of Mirkwood is fooled by a mere human child. Obviously the great prince is not so great after all….. "Just go Estel. Go before I decide to pummel you into the ground with my superior elven strength."
Estel grinned, "You wouldn't dare, you'd have my father and brothers to answer to."
Legolas leaned forward, a dangerous glint in his eyes, "I'd just tell them that you'd fallen down a cliff, they would believe that. Now, go. Before I change my mind human." And with that, the elf pointed at the forest.
"Ai Elbereth Legolas! Calm yourself! There is no need to get so wound up!" Estel picked up his pipe, pocketed some matches and slowly walked into the forest, occasionally glancing back at the elf. When he thought he was out of hearing range (but really, he wasn't) he muttered, "And I didn't make it up. The twins really did say that you were a control freak. And it's true."
"THREE MINUTES Estel!" The prince's voice floated to the human and Estel cursed, something that would've put a frown on his adoptive father's fine face and started jogging. "Three minutes and I'm coming after you! And I heard what you said!"
Estel blanched and jogged faster. Soon, the campfire was left behind and the dark forest closed around the child. For a minute, Estel regretted going into the forest alone. It was all darkness and shadows, and silence. "That's strange." Estel thought to himself, "The forest around the campfire had been full of the night animal's rustling while here, here I cannot hear anything." Estel glanced around almost fearfully, noticing that there didn't even seem to be any wind. Suddenly, the dark forest grew even darker and the Edain child started as heavy clouds covered over the moon.
For a moment, Estel deeply regretted making his hasty and prideful decision to find the pipeweed by himself…..in this light it was hard enough to see where he was going without tripping over, let alone distinguish the pipeweed plant.
Time passed and the child was about to give up in disappointment when he noticed a plant in the shadowy distance.
"Yes! I knew I could do it!" With exhilaration present in the boy's voice, Estel rushed over to the plant and fell to his knees in front of it. With exaggerated care, he examined the leaves and stem and height but it was dark and the moonlight only seemed to accentuate the shadows not throw any light.
Estel frowned slightly, not actually sure if this was the plant that Ada had showed him in the book, but then shrugged. It was around the same height as the plant in the book, it seemed the same colour and the texture of the leaves seemed the same. And something that alike couldn't harbour any ill effects towards him. With a delighted lunge, Estel pulled the plant out of the ground and carefully stripped it of it's leaves. He then rolled them in between his hands, crushing the delicate layers of the leaves together leaving a mash of leaf matter in his hands. He then squeezed it into his pipe and then carefully lit it.
For a second while the match flared, later Estel could've sworn that he'd seen red eyes looking out at him from in the forest. Red pinpricks of light that seemed to stare right at him, but then, later when Estel had gone to re-count the whole incident, there had some…..strange things that he could remember and some things that he definitely couldn't remember. The whole thing had seemed like a horrible dream, a nightmare of terrifying proportions.
Within seconds, the pipe had been lit and the young delinquent was happily trying to smoke it, successfully.
For a while, Estel seemed to forget everything, only the little world that he occupied fascinated him. When he had first started smoking the pipe, the smoke had seared the back of his throat, burning as it travelled down into his lungs and the young boy couldn't stop himself from coughing. However, as time went on, Estel found that he could control the spasms of his lungs and even found the pastime to be pleasurable. Feeling the smoke in his mouth, its journey down his trachea and back out where he tried, unsuccessfully, to make smoke figures.
Estel giggled with glee when he produced his first smoke ring.
Then as more time passed, things changed. Even though it had been hard to see, the shadowy figures in front of Estel began to swirl and warp in his vision. Things that he knew to be trees, changed into shadowy figures of….something else…..before changing back. Estel thought he could hear voices. Singing voices, yelling voices, happy voices, angry voices, scolding voices, voices in his head.
Time passed in a blur for the young teenager and he didn't even realise that his three minutes were up. He smiled lazily, forgetting all about the anxious elf prince that awaited him and just continued to puff merrily on his pipe.
Then with a sudden, abrupt movement, that defied rational thought, Estel sprung to his feet and glanced around the forest, his eyes widening as he saw the red eyes looking at him, or later when Estel explained to his family, he thought he saw red eyes staring at him.
Stumbling backwards, the child tripped over a root before crashing to the ground. With a gasp, the pipe dropped out of his mouth and the boy snatched it up before spinning around and running away from the eyes that he thought hunted him.
Estel glanced down at the pipe he held in his hand and his eyes narrowed as he saw the 'pipeweed' in his pipe dwindling as it burnt away, the leaves turning to ashes. He needed more pipeweed.
No, a reasonable voice in his head spoke to the boy, Legolas is waiting for you at the fire. You don't need anymore pipeweed. You've already had your smoke. A mature decision would be to turn back and return to the elf.
But a hysterical voice erupted in the child's consciousness, the voice that was currently in control of the child's mind and body as Estel ran through the forest, No! You need more pipeweed! You MUST have more pipeweed! You can't go back! The elf doesn't think you're mature enough! But you are! You are! You smoked the pipe to prove it! Besides, the red eyes are back there…..and you don't want to go through them. If you keep running forward, you might find more pipeweed and stay away from the eyes. Run! Get some pipeweed! MORE PIPEWEED! Forget the elf! Forget him! Legolas….? Legolas? Who is that?
Estel shook his head muzzily, his vision blurring as his head went from side to side. Legolas is the Mirkwood prince……Legolas is the Mirkwood…..Mirkwood? Wood, forest? Prince? Legolas?......Mirkwood? What is…..M-Mirkwood? Elf…? What's an…..elf…? Family….? Isn't my family…dead? Slain…? What is……? Who is…..? Leg….ol….as…..?
Estel skidded as he suddenly turned right at a tree and ran off at a tangent, his mind frantically trying to whir through it's memory banks. With terrifying realisation, he found he couldn't remember anything! Well, nothing was clear. Everything was a haze…he couldn't sort it out! He just couldn't! His grip on his memory seemed as slippery as a fish, it was like trying to clutch the water that flowed through his hands in the river. It was impossible. Just when he thought he knew something, it washed away, it faded away into nothing. It completely disappeared. Something definitely wasn't right.
Estel tripped over another root and went sprawling, the pipe getting knocked out of his hands. With a panicked air and hysterical mind not thinking, Estel sprang back up to his feet, ignoring his torn stockings and grazed knees. He hardly felt the slight pinprick of pain. Something else occupied the boy's mind. Where was he? Where did he come from? Which way was BACK?!?
The boy wheezed, suddenly finding it hard to breath, as if an iron band was constricting his chest. Something was definitely wrong, but the boy didn't know what.
Estel spun around, trying to work out which way he had come but the world whirled sickening around his head and the boy resisted the urge to sink to his knees and throw up. His stomach churned and Estel cried out in a sudden pain before he lost control of his stomach and vomited violently, bringing up everything that he'd eaten in the past day. Estel leaned weakly against a tree before sinking to the ground between gasping breaths and convulsive vomiting.
When the boy had finished being sick, Estel gasped as he tried to force air back into his lungs. With shaking knees, the boy managed to get to his feet and began running again, deeper into the forest, in the opposite direction from the elf that anxiously awaited his return.
In the confused state that the boy was in, he didn't even notice the ominous silence of the forest nor the urgent rustling of the trees which warned of danger ahead, in the direction that the boy ran.
Orc danger.
****Leave me a review and tell me how much you hate it/love it/destest it/want to rip it up/chuck it off a cliff/run over it over/want to burn it!