I am SOOO SORRY that you had to wait so long for this to come out! I know! I know! Its been months! Please forgive me. I've been so distracted living in a college and with university life. From now on, i think i'm not going to even start uploading a story unless i've got it completely written out. Onto reviewer replies.
Galadriel evenstar: Maybe...maybe...hmm, do i want to make my readers cry? Should I? Shouldn't I?
Sarah: Oh, i promise you while this story is unfinished i won't disappear, it'll just take a while to get finished. Although i'm planning to get the last chapter up pretty quickly.
Elvett: Yep, you must be well and truely dead. Sorry for making you wait so long. I've always wondered what England would be like! I love their accents!
Catmint: I'm glad you're liking my 'writer's craft!' Enjoy this chapter!
Candidus-lupis-full-moon: Going!
Ashley: Thanks for your vote of confidence! I'm blushing from your praise!
tmelange: Haha, i'm home on hollies, thats why the update is happening!
swingingswede: I've updated, are you still alive? By the way, are you a swinging swede? I'm a try-hard swinging aussie to Michael Buble!
bailey: Yeah, i'm the devil incarnate. No seriously. Do you wanna join our sunday gatherings? We hold elephant stalls, bob for apples, have a barbeque lunch and burn a vestal virgin. I'm joking, just in case you took me seriously. You've waited long enough.
Jazi: Nice dialogue there! Smoking harms your baby! I could use this for an ad for lung cancer. Estel: I used to smoke and it nearly cost me my life. As well as possibly getting lung cancer in the future, an orc shoved my own rib through my lung. Smoking. Think of what you're really doing and call quit-line. I did and it saved my life.....as well as Legolas carrying me home and my family being fantastic healers.
leggylover03: I too, suffer from the estel-pain-and-angst disease. I know how hard it can be. Hang in there.
Lady of Nimrodel: Yay! I don't suck! It's almost finished! One more chapter after this then its over!
MorierBlackLeaf: You had be going there for a little bit! Tell me about Nietzsche, this sounds interesting. Yeah, i guess it woud've sucked. What about wolf children. I wonder if the leader of the wolf pack ever had to pull the child aside and ask, "Now you might've wondered why you're not as hairy as your brothers....."
Vertias et Aequitas: Oh, i'm going to finish it, don't you worry about that! If i may be so impertinant, what does your name mean?
grumpy: Yeah, i prolly should've gone a bit more further with this chapter, but i couldn't help myself. Don't worry. It all ends in the next chapter ominous voice in one way or another. Hehehe. I just can't help myself.
Holly: I hope you stopped imploring after the first month! Otherwise your voice owulid've been well and truely wrecked. And i promise that the next chapter will be up within a week (cause in a week i go back to college).
AM: I didn't! It took a while to get moving again but heres another chapter!
Someone reading: I just need to say, i LOVE your name! Yeah! My own backup/bodyguard/security! I am seriously turning red here from your undeserved praise (which is quite an effort for me, trust me!) No worries for sharing it with you, anyday! Thankyou and i hope you enjoy this chapter.
Amara: One of the best? Yeah right, i don't believe you! Sell on ebay....hmmm...do i get a percentage? A river on fire? Smoke on the water? I'm stumped. However did that happen?
Spades: I just have to say how much i love you! Your stories are fantastic, don't worry, i'm still reading them...just on the college computer they have this stupid thing where it won't let me submit reviews....only occassionally will it let me through. Updated for you! chaching!
Anyway finally! Just a question, how many ppl here are males? I've hardly met any male fanfic readers thats all. And remember how i wondered ages ago if anyone here spoke latin? Well, i'm home now and was wondering if someone would be able to translate the phrase on our family crest. It reads: Cor mundum crea in me Deus. Any help would be greatly appreciated. The whole family has been wondering about it for years! Anyway, ONTO THE STORY!
Elladan tossed and turned in his bed, unable to get a comfortable position, thus unable to get some proper sleep. In the end the elf flipped onto his back and let one of his hands flop above his head, the fingers getting tangled in his long dark hair. His eyes stared aimlessly at the ceiling as the elf tried to will himself to sleep.
"What is wrong with me? Why can't I just go to sleep??" He whispered quietly to himself. But then he answered his own question with a sigh and a ghost of a smile flickering around his lips. "It's because I'm worried about Estel. It is his first trip out. He still only young. Nowhere near an adult by elf standards, then again, the oldest human would still be considered a child by elf standards. But even by human standards he is only a child. And he's out there alone."
Elladan paused before continuing. "He's out there with Legolas." A moment of silence reigned in respect for the blond archer accompanying the perilous child. "Valar help him."
Several more minutes were spent by Elladan tracing the shadows on the ceiling with his eyes. "This is getting me nowhere." He muttered to himself, then with an irritable sigh he pushed himself out of the bed and leaned over to rub his face with his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. After a couple of seconds of silence, broken only by the sound of the wind and lashing rain outside, the elf stood up and padded out of his room.
Clad only in his sleeping shirt and barefoot, the elf walked silently down the darkened corridor and passed his twin's room on the way to the kitchen. However, after a moments hesitation he paused and then retraced his steps back to his brothers room. He walked slowly to the door and leaned lightly upon the doorframe while regarding his sleeping twin. Elrohir lay on his side, his long dark hair obscuring half of his face, one hand curled around the blankets covering him, the other tucked underneath the pillow.
Elladan stood there and looked at his brother, imagining what life would've been without him and remembering all the things they had done together. He knew that if ever Elrohir died, he would follow for they were linked by more then just blood, their hearts beat in unison and their souls were intertwined tightly together. It had always been that way from the moment they were actually aware of each other and as the twins had grown older and 'wiser' the bond had only strengthened.
Elrohir had always been the more quiet one, the more calm one, the apparently more compassionate one. However, anyone that knew the elves knew that they were both as compassionate as each other. Elladan was the protective one, he felt the need to protect all that he loved and whenever anything happened to them, he tended to hold himself responsible.
For how many minutes the elder twin stood at the doorway regarding his younger twin, he did not know. He was just thinking about his youngest brother.
Estel, the human.
Despite the fact, they were related only very distantly and were not blood brothers, the human held a special place in the family's heart and was in every other fact, but not blood, their brother. He used to have only Elrohir to worry about, but now Estel was firmly written across the top of Elladan's worry list. The human seemed to attract trouble, and it was trouble that he did not need.
No. Estel would have enough problems, worries and pain to deal with later on in his life when he fulfilled his destiny and took his rightful place as the King of Men. But for now, he could enjoy his childhood in the relative peace and safety that Rivendell and the respective elven kingdoms had to offer. He would explore and grow up in the elven lands, his childhood innocence protected until…..until a time would come that would shatter that. And then….and then….Estel would grow up.
Estel would grow up into Aragorn.
And then Aragorn would grow up into King Ellessar, Ruler of Gondor.
But that could wait. Time would not be stopped and it marched relentlessly on, drawing all nearer to the future that awaited them, but until then, those the toiled beneath it would enjoy themselves.
Unbeknownst to him, his younger twin's eyes had cleared, the glazed look of elven sleep disappearing as Elrohir woke up, a familiar presence nudging his warrior senses and disturbing his sleep. However, the elf did not move a muscle from where he lay and just gazed at his brother who stood in the doorway staring through the bundle on the bed, it's owners thoughts somewhere else completely. It remained like this for a couple of minutes and then Elrohir spoke, his voice startling his older twin out of his thoughts.
"What bothers you brother?"
Elladan jumped, startled, and a guilty feeling crept over him. "I'm sorry Elrohir, I didn't mean to wake you. I was on my way to the kitchen for a glass of water."
"And instead have stood in my doorway for the last five minutes. Is there something bothering you?" Elrohir propped himself up in his bed, leaning forward on his elbows while the blanket slid down a little off of lithe body.
"No. I….I just couldn't sleep." Elladan rubbed a hand over his face.
"I know the feeling." Elrohir smiled. He then sat up completely and yawned, stretching his arms high above his head. He then swung his feet out of bed and stood up. Padding over to his brother and standing beside him he spoke, "I could use a glass of water. Then lets see if a midnight walk will tire us out."
Elladan grinned guiltily. As much as he liked the idea, he still felt guilty about waking his twin up. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"I know." Elrohir replied simply while walking slightly in front of his brother. He too was only dressed in a sleeping shirt and was barefoot.
The twins got their glasses of water and Elrohir pulled his head of a cupboard which he had scouring for some midnight snacks to find his brother nowhere in sight.
"Elladan?"
There was no reply. Elrohir closed the cupboard door quietly and looked around him, his eyes spying curtains billowing down the hallway. One last look in the kitchen showed him that his twin had left his glass of water behind, the glass half empty. And then Elrohir silently walked down the corridor still carrying his glass of water in his left hand, following the trail of curtains blowing from some gust of wind coming from somewhere.
"Elladan?" Elrohir called quietly, not wanting to wake up any other occupants of the house.
He was getting closer to whatever was causing the curtains to waft like ghosts, he could feel the wind on his face.
In a sudden flash of insight, he knew where Elladan would be. Resignedly, he turned left halfway down the hallway and found his brother standing on the balcony, the doors wide open allowing the wind to blow down the hallway, his face staring at the grounds around the elven kingdom and his hands resting lightly on the balcony fence. The elder elf didn't seem to notice the pouring rain which plastered his hair to his face and ran in rivulets down over his thin shirt.
"Elladan?" Elrohir stepped forward into the unprotected balcony and felt the wind whip his hair around his face and pull his shirt from him, before the rain plastered it to his body. Even though the elves did not feel the cold, they recognised that it was while not a freezing cold night, it could be classified as cool. Lightning split the sky and then a instant later, thunder rumbled menancely before crashing in a crescendo, the vibrations shaking the very ground itself.
"It is a foul night." Elladan intoned dully, his eyes staring outwards and inwards.
"Yes it is. You sure you don't want to come inside where it is not so foul?" Elrohir joked lightly even though he knew his brother wasn't in a joking mood. "I guess you won't want some water now." He held up his glass of water and watched as the rain fell into it causing ripples.
"I just….." Elladan stopped unsure how to continue. "I feel like….."
"You worry for Estel." Elrohir stepped forward and leant over the balcony edge, his elbows resting on the wall. He didn't look at his twin, yet also stared at the forest surrounding the house.
"Yes, I do."
"I'm sure Legolas has everything under control." Elrohir stated confidently while swirling the water around in his glass and feeling the rain drum upon his back. He watched with interest as water dripped off his long hair to continue on its downward journey to the ground far below.
"Of course he does. I do not see why I am so worried. Why I cannot sleep. Why I have to……"
"Why you have to come out here onto your thinking balcony in the middle of a thunderstorm, stand in the rain and stare at the forest?" Elrohir finished the sentence in good humour.
"Yes."
"It is a brother's worry. We all……" Elrohir voice trailed off as his eyes spotted something moving in the forest. "Did you just see……did you see something moving?" His voice cracked with disbelief that someone could be out in such foul weather.
Elladan didn't answer for a moment, his eyes narrowing where he had seen something move. "I think….."
There was a flash in the forest, as whatever it what out there turned and something metal that it was carrying glinted in the moonlight. Then the dark figure burst out of the forest and for a moment stood still.
Lightning flashed across the sky and for a split second the elves saw the figure of a prince carrying a limp bundle then darkness reigned once more.
"ESTEL!"
Elrohir's glass tumbled end over end from it's journey from the balcony where the elf had dropped it in shock before shattering into a million pieces as it struck the ground violently, the glass shards spreading out across the ground and reflecting the moon's waning light.
Legolas was almost there and there wasn't much time left. The weather had gotten steadily worst until the light, drizzling rain had turned into intense, pounding rain and the ominous clouds that had skulked overhead now gave up a fantastic theatrical show of lightning and thunder that the elf was in no mood to enjoy.
Almost there. They were coming to the edge of the forest now, the trees were thinning out and the rain fell harder upon elf and boy as there were not as many leaves to protect the duo.
Legolas could see the glow eminating from the windows of the Lord's, for want of a better word, house. After a couple more frightening seizures, Estel had gone worryingly still and the prince could feel the child's blood oozing from his wounds and covering the blond archer's fingers. The blood trickling from the boys mouth would've worried the elf even more if he could've seen that, but his quick glances down at the bundle he was carrying didn't permit him the time to examine the child closely.
In fact, he didn't have much time at all to do anything. Anything but run and pray for help.
He was getting tired, Lords knew, he was getting deadly tired. His legs were beginning to feel like lead, an unusual feeling for an elf but Legolas would not permit himself any rest. He narrowed his eyes until the glowing windows of Imaldris were all that he was concentrating on.
He swerved suddenly, his blades glinting in the moonlight, narrowly missing a tree root that he hadn't seen until the last minute. From that experience the prince realised how tired and dull his senses were becoming. Normally he would've seen that from far off and wouldn't have had to swerve so abruptly in the first place. In fact, just for fun he probably would've jumped straight over it, seeing how high he could fly in the air and how far he could fly before coming back to earth.
But circumstances changes times, just like this child's curiosity had changed the present future.
"Damn Edain's damned curiosity!" Legolas swore and cursed viciously, knowing that it would not help him in his current predicament.
They were at the edge of the forest. For a minute time seemed to slow and the elf dug his foot into the soft earth, his toes gripping the soil like a sprinter taking his first steps. His momentum forward, Legolas closed his eyes suddenly as he tore through the leaves of a bush and then suddenly, they were out of the forest. Shock made the elf stand still for a second as a blot of lightning flashed across the sky and blinded the archer momentarily.
Imaldris in all its splendid glory stood before him.
But the trip wasn't over yet.
The prince still had to get his fragile package into the building and save the boy's life.
Elrohir sprinted down the corridor as if a Balrog were after him and unceremoniously threw open the double doors to his father's bedroom. The big wooden doors slammed open and banged on the walls.
Elrond, Lord of Imaldris, instantly woke from the clamour and sat up straight as his youngest blood son rushed over to him and pulled him out of the bed, all the while talking in a frantic, panicked voice. What he said chilled the elf lord's heart and he wasted no time getting up.
Elrond too was dressed only in a sleeping shirt but had the presence of mind, on the way out, to grab his silken dressing robe and while running down the corridor to the healing room, he swung it around where it billowed in the elf lord's slipstream before he slid it over his shoulders and fastened it around his waist.
In a frantic rush, father and son hurried to prepare the room. Elrond took out all the healing herbs he thought he might need and pulled out bandages and cloth. Elrohir ran in, carefully carrying a huge bowl of hot water and after putting it down, sprinted over to a cupboard and pulled out a surgery kit. In the kit contained various needles of different sizes, different stitching material depending on where the stitches needed to be placed and several small knifes.
Then, they waited.
Legolas stumbled for the first time, his knees painfully coming into contact with the ground, skin being grazed off the surface as he struggled to stay upright and keep Estel safe in his arms.
In a second, the nimble elf was up again and running but Legolas knew that he wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer. Already his legs were slowing even though he urged himself to move faster and his thoughts were getting sluggish.
Estel went into another seizure.
Suddenly everything became clear. Legolas screamed inwardly knowing the boy would not be able to handle another spasm. The boy writhed, his normally peaceful face screwed up in such a grimace of pain that tore the heart of the prince. Estel's mouth was open and strangled gasps came out as blood also continued to flow from the corner of the boy's mouth. The boy's hair was slicked with blood, sweat and tears and Legolas roughly placed a hand on the boy's neck, finding the pulse.
The elf did not move his hand away, knowing full well that the next time, he might not find one.
The boy's struggles slowed and Legolas held his breath as he realised what the sense of touch coming from his fingers was telling him.
The boy's pulse was slowing down.
Legolas screamed outward. "HELP!"
And still the beat continued to decrease.
Elladan crouched low over the neck of his horse, urging the horse to gallop faster even though he knew in the bottom of his heart there was no way it could obey.
The rain lashed his face and fell into his eyes obscuring his vision. The elder elf hoped that he would arrive in time.
He had to remember where he had last seen them up on the balcony, and think about where they could be now. The lightning that lit the sky also lit up the grounds spasmodically, giving the whole trip a surreal, dreamlike feel.
It felt to Elladan like he was hardly moving.
Where were they?? Shouldn't he have already run into them by now? Elladan hoped to the Valar that he saw or heard the duo in time before running over the top of them.
Then suddenly, a cry for help split the air and Elladan's face tightened in resolve as he knew where they were.
Legolas was close to tears and he battled on. The child's heartbeat was slowing, and there was nothing he could do.
"Valar help me." He whispered brokenly as he ran forward. If Estel pulled through this, he'd never take the human for granted again. If he pulled through this, he'd do everything his father said, he'd never pull another prank ever again, he'd scrub the floors of Mirkwood with a toothbrush, he'd dance around in Arwen's clothing, by Valar, he'd do ANYTHING if only Estel would pull through this.
"Please, please…..just some help…please just some help." The prince of Mirkwood begged anyone or anything that might be listening.
Then suddenly, there was a dark shape looming towards him at impossible speeds and Legolas' heart jumped in his mouth as he realised it was a horse, and that the rider hadn't seen him, and that he was about to be trampled.
Elladan's eyes were busy scouring the landscape yet still he didn't see the figure until he was nearly upon him. With a curse upon his lips he hauled back hard on the reins and the horse whinnied loudly in protest and in an effort to stop so suddenly nearly sat down on it's haunches. Its back legs dug solidly into the ground, yet the forward momentum was strong and it was only years of horsemanship that allowed Elladan to keep his seat.
Time slowed as Elladan looked down into Legolas' shocked upturned eyes and the two made eye contact. However, the horse was still sliding forward and a collision seemed inevitable. Slowly, the horses back legs slid sideways, the horse's body turning around. No animal likes a collision and in an effort to stop, the horse tried to prance sideways, trying to turn the forward momentum into sideways momentum.
Both elves closed their eyes as the horse's hooves kicked up immeasurable amounts of dust and abruptly there was silence except for the stamping of the horse's hooves and the big animal's neighing as it tossed its head.
Elladan fearfully opened his eyes and to his astonishment Legolas was standing no more then 5 centimetres away beside the place the saddle would've gone, had the elf decided to use one.
"That was way too close for my liking." Was the thought that ran through both elve's ears but Legolas broke the silence first.
"I was wondering when you'd come and save the day." With his last ounce of strength the blond archer nimbly sprung onto the animals back and as Elladan swung the horse around and started galloping back the way he'd come. "Estel is hurt, badly."
Elladan quickly smiled a grim smile, "Yes, we figured that."
"We?"
"Me and Elrohir. He's gone to wake up father and prepare the healing room. Tell me what happened."
And in the short time home, Legolas told him everything. The story was long but the prince managed to condense it while keeping all the main points. The pipe, the smoking, the orc attack, the seizures, the punctured lung. The Prince was still talking as they rushed the failing boy up the stairs but as they sprinted into the healing room, Legolas fell silent.
Here the story would be ended.
Elrohir and Elrond stared at the doorway to the healing room, strain evident on their faces at the wait.
"What's taking them so long?" Elrohir muttered while he fidgeted, the waiting agony.
"Patience my son. They will be here soo—" Elrond stopped as they both heard the sound of running feet and Legolas' voice weary yet talking quickly.
Both Elrohir and Elrond steadied themselves and for a moment calm reigned, and then Elladan and Legolas burst through the doors and Elrond took one look at his youngest son and all colour from his face fell away.
"Oh Valar, Estel!"
Legolas was shoved away from the boy and the bundle was scooped delicately out of his arms and placed upon the table.
Now that he had gotten the boy home and to his family and he was being taken care by healers, he could feel his own strength waning and his senses were becoming scattered like the winds swirling leaves around outside. There was nothing he could do now.
It was now up to Elrond and his sons. Legolas could hear snatches of conversation.
"Ada! The bleeding won't stop! Nothing is stopping it! None of the herbs are having any effect, even athelas isn't working! What do I do?"
"Legolas said that Estel had smoked something? Is that right?" Elrond looked at Elladan while smelling some of the blood flowing from the boy's numerous wounds and rubbing it between his fingers.
Elladan nodded while applying pressure to the boy's shoulder wound to try and stop the bleeding. However, the red liquid coming out between the elf's fingers was testimony to the failure of that working.
"Legolas!" The elf lord stared at the dazed prince and watched as the blond's head snapped up.
"Yes?"
"Did you get whatever it was that Estel smoked?"
"Er…yes my Lord." Legolas stood up shakily and fumbled around in his pockets before pulling out the weed that the child had smoked. Hand trembling, he gave it to the elf lord.
Elrond twirled around, smelt the weed, his eyes widening and then narrowing as he felt the potent effects and realised what it was. He spun off a round of instructions to his sons and their faces blanched before nodding and rushing off to fulfil the orders.
The father then turned to his youngest son and found the jugular pulse, his worry showing as he noted the slowing pulse. "Please hold on my Estel. Give me some hope, live up to your name. You know that you cannot leave us yet. It is too soon. Listen to my voice and latch onto it. Do not go quietly into the night, do not leave us little one."
The twins came back with the potion that their father had asked them to make. Elrond spoke:
"Apply it to all his wounds, and force some down his throat. I believe that whatever he smoked was a hallucinogenic and acted upon his mind and his body. It thinned out his blood and is not allowing it to clot. And before any of the other herbs will work, we must counteract this one, as it is blocking the effects of the others."
Elladan and Elrohir nodded briefly before forcing the potion down their little brother's throat. Elrond then rolled up his sleeves and before Legolas passed out completely, he heard the elf lord's grim words.
"Let's get down to work and save Estel once again."
Only one more chapter to go! Stupid fanfiction won't let my do my usual asterisks!! ARGH!