Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
A/N: Hi there people! Thank you all so much for your reviews, they truly make my day a heck of a lot better. Many thanks to my wonder beta enb2004 who is truly an amazing author, so go read her stuff. As promised, here is Chapter Eleven! Enjoy!
It was two hours later, and the impromptu council had at last come to a decision.
Gandalf sighed wearily. Estel having dreams about the eye was not a good thing, not a good thing at all.
"The White Council must gather. Estel must be protected," Gandalf said.
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement. "The Hope of Mankind, must be protected, or else all of Arda is doomed," Gandalf said.
" I must thank you Elrond for having the foresight of coding your letter. I fear that had it not, Estel would be in much more danger than he already is," Gandalf said, Galadriel and Celeborn nodding in agreement, for they to had gotten to same coded letter.
Elrond sighed. " I am sorry that I had to be so cryptic mellon nin, but it turns out that I rightfully feared for Estel's safety," he said worriedly.
"Fear not Elrond. No harm shall come to Estel. We shall protect him, with our lives if necessary," Galadrial said fiercely.
Gandalf sighed. "I do fear to young Estel's safety. Elrond, I fear that you may have a traitor that dwells within Imladris. The enemy should never have found out that Estel survived while Arathorn and Gilrean were slayed," he said.
Elrond frowned in agreement. " I too had thought that we had covered that up. The gravestone that says Aragorn, son of Arathorn is still there, is it not?" he asked.
"Aye, that it is mellon nin, which is precisely what worries me," Gandalf said.
"Then what you say must be so, though I am reluctant to admit it. Estel was brought here before the gravestone went up. Someone must have seen and correctly identified who Estel was," Elrond said wearily.
Elrond rubbed his eyes tiredly. This was proving to be too much. First, Estel dreams of Sauron, which turned out to be much more than a dream. Now, there may be a traitor within Imladris itself.
"Estel's true identity is known by only a few, for that much, we should be thankful. I do not believe that the traitor knows for certain. He or she may only be guessing, trying to please their Lord," Erestor spit out.
"Let us try to keep it that way. Estel's true name is only to be revealed on a need to know basis," Glorfindel said.
"Glorfindel is correct. The general population of Imladris believes that Estel was found by Elladan and Elrohir in a destroyed city not far from here and took him in out of the kindness of their hearts," Erestor said.
"Very well, enough of this than. We can do more than be particularly wary. We must wait for the White Council to convene. Until then, I suggest we try to enjoy the upcoming Winter Solstice," Gandalf said tiredly.
"Agreed," Elrond said quickly. He too had had enough of this business to last for a long while.
"Council dismissed," Elrond said.
" Elrond, do you know where Estel might be around now? We are particularly keen on spending time with Estel and getting to know our fourth grandchild," Galadrial said.
Elrond could not help but smile. "If I know Estel, he is probably being chased by his brothers. Just follow the sound of laughter and I am sure that you shall find him," he said.
"Won't you be joining us Elrond? Celeborn asked.
Nay, I fear I must check on how the feast is coming along. It should begin soon anyway. " Elrond said thoughtfully.
"Very well, we shall see you at dinner," Galadriel said, before taking off with Celeborn right besides her.
After leaving Elrond to take care of the impending feast, Galadrial and Celeborn were walking through the halls of the Last Homely Home looking for their grandchildren.
It was their grandchildren who ran into them, literally.
"Oh Elladan! Oh Elrohir! Estel and I are coming to get you!" Arwen said in a singsong tone of voice.
The twins looked at each other, and replied back together. "Oh no you won't!" the twins said together in the exact same singsong voice.
So distracted were the four siblings, that they never noticed that their grandparents were coming down the same hallway that they were running in.
Elladan and Elrohir, being in the front, never saw them as they were looking back to make sure that Arwen and Estel wouldn't catch them.
Their grandparents were conversing with each other and failed to notice their twin grandsons headed right for them.
Elladan and Elrohir kept running, hoping to avoid Arwen and Estel, when they suddenly ran into something, or someone, very hard.
"Ooof! Elladan said, when he ran straight into Celeborn, knocking the both of them down, while Elrohir did the same exact thing to his grandmother.
As Arwen was running behind the twins, with Estel behind her, she saw her grandparents go down. She tried to stop running so she wouldn't collide with the already fallen elves, but her forward motion was such that she could not stop in time, as she joined the pile of elves on the floor, right on top of both Elladan and Elrohir.
Little Estel was right behind Arwen, but being so little, he did not have much forward motion, but he did have enough to land within the growing pile of elves.
Seeing this, Celeborn managed to extradite himself from the pile and swooped the little boy into his arms, who shrieked with delight at being picked up in such a manner.
"Why hello there little one! Why were you and your sister chasing your twin brothers hmmm?" Celeborn asked, fighting back laughter at the sight on the floor.
"Dan and Ro were tickling me and then Arwen came and told me we could tickle them back!" Estel crowed happily.
Celeborn chuckled and returned his attention to the pile of elves on the floor.
"Ooof! Arwen, you have gotten heavy," Elrohir complained, when his sister landed on him heavily, and was now watching Celeborn and Estel interact.
"I resent that Elrohir," Arwen said coldly, purposefully sitting down even more heavily than she had before.
"Arwen!" both Elladan and Elrohir groaned at their sister's weight.
"Serves you right," Galadrial said. " You two should know better than to comment on a lady's weight," she continued, not seeming to mind in the slightest that she had three fully grown elves on top of her.
Celeborn could not help but laugh, while Estel looked around in puzzlement. He was far to young to understand such a jest.
"Indeed. I had thought that I had taught you better than that," an amused voice said from behind Celeborn.
"Ada!" Estel said happily. He loved spending time with his father, and was always happy to see the Elf Lord.
Elrond looked over at his son lovingly. "So my tithen pen, it looks as though Arwen has taught you how to get back at your twin brothers," he said laughingly, not bothering to hide his amusement.
"Indeed she has," Galadrial said dryly. "Look at who her role models and teachers are though. I am telling you Elrond, those twins of your have not only ruined Arwen, but Thranduil's son as well. I do believe that Estel is well on his way to being corrupted as well," she continued saying, while trying to rise from the floor rather unsuccessfully.
Seeing his mother-in-laws struggles to rise, Elrond took pity on her. It could not be pleasant to have three fully grown elves sitting on her.
"Arwen, why don't you let the twins get up and off your grandmother. I am sure that they have learned their lesson," Elrond said, mock glaring at the twins.
"Oh yes, we have learned our lesson well Arwen, now can you please get off of us?" Elladan pleaded.
Arwen frowned thoughtfully for a moment.
"Very well, but do not think that you have heard the end of this you two. Oh no my dear brothers, this has only begun," Arwen warned before getting up.
Elladan and Elrohir got up gratefully, helping to pull their grandmother to her feet as well.
"Hmmphh, as I said. Corrupted. Though I should not be surprised, looking at their family history," Galadriel said, while brushing off her white gown.
" I know not of what you speak," Elrond said a little too innocently.
"Right, sure you don't. You can keep on deluding yourself if you wish to Elrond," Galadrial said.
"Come my grandchildren, I do believe that it is time for that feast that you have told us about Estel," Celeborn said.
"You should probably come as well Elrond. After all, you are the Lord and keeper of Imladris," Galadrial said.
"As though Glorfindel would let me forget," Elrond muttered under his breathe.
"Yes, I am coming. Let us go and eat," Elrond said, following his in-laws and four children to the dinning room.
Translations:
Ada: Dad/Daddy
Ion nin: My sons
Tithen pen: Little one
Mellon nin: My friend
Arda: Middle Earth