Disclaimer: See chapter one.
A/N- Ugh. Already broke my promise on chapter two. I really must learn not to promise such foolish and futile things…. My sincerest apologies! But you guys are all so great! Here, cookies for everyone! starts throwing cookies and candy like madman
Reviewer replies at the bottom.
Chapter Two- Fathers
Not long after they had begun to ride, Elladan's horse tripped and was reared terribly off-balance into a tree, looking as if scared as death. Elrohir, surprised and slightly disturbed at the horse's unusual actions, trotted over, worry taking hold of him. "Elladan are you al—" Elrohir abruptly cut himself off when he saw just what the horse had tripped over. Gilraen raised a surprised hand over her mouth as tears immediately formed in her eyes and Aragorn instantly began to sob loudly.
Elladan, after calming his horse as much as possible, turned to see what all the commotion was about. "Elrohir—" he too cut himself off. He felt his breath catch in his chest and it suddenly became hard for him to move at all.
Elrohir recovered quicker than everyone else did and he led his horse away as soon as possible, making sure that Gilraen and Aragorn could not see the horrible sight before them. Elladan's body also recovered slightly by this action and he too guided his horse about five feet away.
Elrohir dismounted next to Elladan, leaving a sobbing Gilraen and Aragorn behind.
"We… We shall give them a few moments," Elrohir said, still shocked. Elladan, however, was in a state of total disbelief.
"Elrohir," he said slowly, his mouth feeling suddenly dry. "Did we just stumble upon…?"
"Yes, gwanur, I am afraid so…" Elrohir said, still deathly pale. He chanced a glance back at the monstrosity they had chanced upon. There, on the cold, hard ground, lying perfectly still despite everything going on, was Arathorn, slain with one arrow directly to his eye. It was quite a terrifying scene for the now widow to see, but for Aragorn to see, it was unimaginable. Blood surrounded the upper part of the man's body and his cape was torn to shreds, as if a fierce conflict with something his size or larger and more brutal had taken place. The late Arathorn's footsteps were fresh in the ground and the Elves could see them perfectly. The two sons of Elrond bowed their heads in sorrow as they wished Ilúvatar to watch over Arathorn and take him swiftly to the Halls of the Waiting.
Half an hour later, they returned to see a puffy, red-eyed Gilraen sitting solemnly on the horse, child in arms. He had worn himself out with so much crying, but he did not seem to even sleep peacefully.
"Gilraen?" Elrohir questioned, trying to pull the widow out of her grief. She looked up, pain lacing her features.
"He was killed not far from where you found us," she whispered, horrified. Elladan, not quite seeing where Gilraen was going with this, gave her a questioning look. "He tried to come after us. He tried to be with us and he was killed in doing so," she explained, before she started weeping uncontrollably again as this new information ground itself into her soul.
"Gilraen, milady, it is not your fault," Elrohir comforted the dowager.
"It is my fault!" Elladan said fiercely. Elrohir stared at him in disbelief. "It is!" Elladan said, catching the look his twin gave him. "When he was last injured I promised him that I would do everything in my power to protect him! I said I would always help him! But this time I did nothing. I could've stopped this! We were not a league away from here, Elrohir, and if I had moved just a bit faster I would've been able to catch these Orcs before this happened!" Tears were now flowing freely across the fair face. "Oh Gilraen! I am so sorry!"
"Elladan," Gilraen said, shocked by the guilt he was feeling. "It was not your fault. You did not order the Orcs to attack and it is not you who has the gift of foresight, which may not even have been able to detect. No one saw this coming, mellon," Gilraen used the Elvish word for friend, in a desperate attempt to comfort the young (in Elven years) Elf, her own misery momentarily forgotten.
"I appreciate that, milady, but there is no use hiding it." Elladan sighed, tears subsiding. "I promise to do everything in my power to protect you and your child. I will lay down my life for you. This promise I shall keep, in honor of Arathorn's memory," Elladan looked away and choked with a barely contained sob. He then looked to the sky, noting by the sun that it was a bit past noon. "We should ride, now." Elladan mounted his horse and waited for Elrohir to get everyone comfortable on the stallion.
"We ride swiftly," Elrohir said, more to warn Gilraen of the fast pace that the horses would keep than to tell Elladan, whom already knew. They spurred their horses and took off, Gilraen holding onto the child protectively as he squirmed, fighting off frightening demons in his dreams and wallowing between the waking world and that of his sleep.
ooooooooooooooooo
The dark blanket of night had fallen some time ago, but the twins were still too shaken-up about Arathorn to stop and rest. The Orcs had to be out there somewhere, since it seems the Dúnedain did not kill them all. It brought a tear to their usually cheerful eyes to remember what they saw.
Finally, when Gilraen practically fell off of Elrohir's horse, the Elves decided to bring the mares down to a trot. They resigned themselves to one night, one night only if they had any say whatsoever, out in the forest. Under the trees. In the dark. Where Arathorn was killed. They were not at all pleased with the circumstances.
"Elladan?" Elrohir's voice was barely a whisper. "Will you get the firewood while I wake Lady Gilraen?" Elladan nodded. He was not afraid of the dark, it just wasn't his friend tonight. He took off at an alert pace, his soft footsteps barely making a noise as they crunch on fallen leaves.
"Lady Gilraen?" Elrohir questioned. "Milady?" Gilraen groaned softly, then opened one eye to semi-glare at the fool who had awoken her. Arathorn had learned the hard way that Gilraen did not take lightly with being roused without a full seven hours rest at least. Elrohir flinched slightly at the look. "I—I am sorry to wake you, but we must camp out tonight. The moon is already high and the stars bright." It was true. A beautiful blanket of stars dotted the sky above where the twins had chosen as a campsite. It was a wonderful night to just sit out and study the sky; to be at one with nature.
Gilraen stirred immediately. She gently arranged Aragorn so that the child was in a comfortable position in her arms and lightly, with the help of a certain Elf, leaped off the horse. Aragorn's head lolled and he slowly opened his eyes.
"Mommy?" he asked, still in a half-dream state.
"Yes, Aragorn, it is I," Gilraen cooed. "Don't worry, we're going to be okay. Just sleep, child. Get some rest." Aragorn did a slight nod of his head before he fell back into a much-needed slumber.
"Perhaps you should take your own advice, milady. Tomorrow we wish to reach Imladris, but that would mean riding almost all day. But worry not; Elladan and I are in no mood to sleep. We shall keep watch," Elrohir added somewhat hastily at the look of hesitation in Gilraen's eyes.
A small smile crept over Gilraen's soft features and a twinkle lit in her eye. "I suppose one more day on the hard ground will not kill me. But we had better reach Imladris tomorrow. I have no intention of sticking those lovely tree roots in my back again." Even though this was not very funny, and under cover of darkness was absolutely a horrible joke, under the tense atmosphere, it was welcome and Elrohir awarded her attempt with a lively chuckle.
"I got the wood," Elladan said as he returned with an arm-full of dead wood. Both adults quietly laughed at the sight of the Elven Lord's son. His dark green tunic covered in small grass stains from the day before, was now streaked with dirty brown marks, mud smeared all over. His face had dirt stains on both cheeks and his long brown hair was brown for an entirely different reason.
"Elladan!" Elrohir gasped, shaking with small peals of laughter. "Did you lose a fight with the Bog Beast?" Elrohir used the name of the legendary mud monster he and his brother used to constantly run from and fight. Those were days Elrond was glad passed, for they were doing double loads of laundry to keep the boys clothed.
Elladan grimaced. "Either we underestimated him when we were young or he cheated," was all he said. Gilraen laughed all the more with Elladan's statement, which was its main purpose. Because of his mother shaking with uncontrollable laughter (it is not every day you see the son of a respected Elf Lord covered in mud) Aragorn awoke again.
He scowled at his mother and then eyed Elladan's attire. A smile broke across his face and pearly-white teeth broke out for the first real time that day. He giggled and pointed at Elladan. "You look funny!" he squealed. "You all covered in mud an' everything!"
"I'm glad you're amused, young one," Elladan said with a sulk, but his glimmering eyes revealed his true feelings.
A cool night breeze floated through the air and made the child shiver and inch closer to his mother, still gasping for breath. "I think it best for the two of you to get some rest now," Elladan said in a forceful enough tone.
Aragorn pouted. "But I not sleepy!" he announced.
"Oh, I think you are," Gilraen said, trying to convince her son to sleep so she may get her own lie down.
"No I not! Is mud man sleeping with us?" Aragorn asked, referring to Elladan.
Gilraen felt her cheeks flush and knew she must've looked redder than Mount Doom's lava. That was the rudest thing she had ever heard her child utter! "Aragorn!" she scolded. She didn't know what to say without embarrassing Elladan further. Elladan, however, was not a hot-tempered Elf and found the bluntness of children humorous. He came over chortling and placed a hand on Gilraen's shoulder, looking Aragorn in the eye.
"Mud man already slept before; he's not going to sleep again," he said.
"I slept afore!" Aragorn challenged, not really seeing the justice between the two.
"Yes, you did, but you are a young child. You need your rest."
"I a big boy!" Aragorn crossed his two arms over his chest and put out his lower lip.
"Well, didn't Mommy or Daddy ever tell you about the 'Big Boy Rules'?" Elladan asked with feigned shock.
"No!" said Aragorn, dropping his arms and trying to sit up straighter, curiosity taking him over.
"You're kidding!" Elladan said with a wave of his hand. "Well, it says that big boys always have to listen to their mommies and daddies. It also says that when they are told to sleep they should, especially at nighttime, so they may play the next day."
"Okay!" Aragorn squirmed out of his mother's grasp and fell to the ground. Putting his arm under his head, he made fake snoring sounds. Elladan smiled as Gilraen walked over to her son and mouthed a silent thank you to him.
"Then let us sleep, Aragorn. Then we may wake up earlier for the next day," she said.
"Yay!" Aragorn squealed in delight at the prospect of more play. "Sleep, Mommy, sleep! We gotta sleep!"
Gilraen smiled and took her son's tiny hand in her own, leading him back to the small tent. The glow lamp that was in there extinguished about five minutes later, leaving the twin Elves in silence along with the soothing sounds of the forest creatures.
ooooooooooooooooo
"El," Elrohir began, about to ask his brother to tell him a story about his father's father to ease some of the pain and tension of the day. Elladan put a quieting finger to his lips. Elrohir immediately put his senses on high alert and recognized the problem in less than a second. He met his brother's eyes and knew that they recognized the same things. No forest sounds and an unusual murkiness, an unnatural foreboding gloom seemed to have settled upon the trees around them, as if the forests were rejecting a presence. Elladan fingered his bow and made a barely audible nod towards the tent, and, without words, Elrohir knew his brother wanted him to wake Gilraen and the child. They had to move… now.
Elrohir hastily threw aside the tent flap, carefully scanning the interior for the widow. He found her and shook her shoulder slightly. Immediately, she sat up straight and turned wide, curious eyes on the young lord. "Orcs, Gilraen. They are coming. We must move and quickly," Elrohir said, almost so low that Gilraen had to strain to hear his soft voice.
The mother's eyes widened, emotional wounds far too fresh to even be remotely healed were being torn open again. She nodded and, pushing aside the trauma what wanted to over whelm her, she awoke her son.
"Aragorn? Wake, my child. We need to leave now… You may sleep on the journey. Now Aragorn, I need you to stay quiet for Mommy… okay?" Gilraen warned. It would do nobody any good for the child to attract the Orcs.
The group mounted their horses and took off at amazing speed. Finally, panting, the company came upon the borderline of Rivendell. Here they would be safe. Slowing down to a trot, the group slowly made their way to the gate where the guards took the horses.
"Elladan! Elrohir! Welcome back!" a booming voice welcomed. Glorfindel's cheery form came striding towards the young Lords and brightened when seeing the four travelers, despite how weary and grimy they were. "And who is this that you bring with you?" Glorfindel took Gilraen's hand and kissed it in greeting. However, upon truly noticing the morose faces all around him, Glorfindel sobered.
"Your father has been called back; he was visiting a wounded Elf. Come inside." As they all make their ways inside, Glorfindel chatters just about anything to keep all their minds off of whatever horror he knew they all must've encountered. Everything seemed normal… except his cheery voice lost most of its cheer.
Elrohir walked closer to his brother. It was so nice to be home after all that had happened… after all they had seen… the thoughts made him sick. No, he could not think of that… Not yet…
The older twin sighed. "How do you think Ada will take it, El?" Elladan asked. The twins both knew that Elrond had been good friends with many of Isildur's line, and with one of their lives cut short… Elrond had seen too much death in his long years. He often spoke of the wars he had seen… Elves killing Elves… Men and Elves fighting together… he often wished that there would be no more deaths. That everyone was exactly the same.
Elrohir just shook his head sadly. "I don't know. It might bring back bad memories of Uncle…" Elrohir's voice trailed off. The twins may have never known their uncle, but they had come to love him through how their father spoke so highly of him. This would bring back all mortal memories. "It'll probably be like reliving all those losses again. Well, at least Uncle's."
Upon reaching the Hall of Fire, Lord Elrond approaches the group with warm embraces. "Suilad! Greetings! Lady Gilraen? Whatever brings you to Imladris?" Looking concernedly in the twins' direction, Elrond notices for the first time how dismal they seem as Gilraen softly cries into Aragorn's hair as the child wakes up.
"M-Mommy?"
"Shh. Yes, Mommy is here."
"Gilraen?" Elrond's soft voice, almost imperceptible to human hearing, asked. Looking back at his sons, the Lord of Imladris felt a fear gnawing at his heart. "Please. Tell me everything that happened. Take a seat."
ooooooooooooooooo
Elrond stood behind the young woman sitting down, patting her back and making soothing sounds. He had just learned of Arathorn's death and that was when Gilraen broke down crying. He felt horrible. He was one of the best Healers in Middle-Earth, yet he could not help a friend when they are in dire danger? He could not spare the young woman and child of his grievous pain?! After a few moments, Gilraen pulled herself together and tightened her grip on the loudly sobbing child, quietly thanking the elder Elf.
"Now," Elrond said, trying to steel his voice as to not betray any emotions. "We must get control of this situation. Today," he said firmly, but his eyes pleaded with Gilraen and his sons to understand. "Mordor seems to grow stronger by the day. Troublesome activity and Orc attacks grow more numerous. Let us face it: No one may know of the child's existence now that Arathorn has gone on. We must keep the child hidden, even from himself, until he is old enough to accept his identity." The room was silent for a few seconds.
"No, Lord Elrond, please…" Gilraen's voice broke the silence, half-angry, half-entreating. She shook her head sadly as Aragorn sniffled and tried to fill his lungs with air. "I will not, I cannot hide from my son that which he was born to be. I cannot let him live like the common man and then spring upon him his fate." Grey eyes locked chestnut brown as Gilraen begged the Elven Lord. "I cannot do that to my child—"
"Milady," Glorfindel tried to steadily ease the tension but prove the point Elrond was trying so hard to make the young lady understand. "Please realize this: Arathorn's death, may he find peace, was not a coincidence. These days there are no coincidences. The Orcs may have no idea that the child is alive and even if they do they will not know where he is held. If they were to find out about his existence, the results may be disastrous."
"All I think should happen, Gilraen, is that Aragorn should be raised here. I will father him here, in Imladris."
Gilraen sighed defeated. "But if he is here, then Elves will know of his existence and all those visiting. They will learn his name and word would travel quickly. How much safer can he possibly be here?"
"She's right, Ada," Elrohir's musical voice spoke up for the first time since he had told of Arathorn's untimely demise.
"He is the hope of all Mankind, Ada," Elladan agreed. "He must be completely protected."
Elrond flushed, embarrassed that he had missed such an obvious detail. He supposed the news of his friend's death had upset him more than he thought. "Hope," he muttered under his breath. "Estel."
"Ada!" Elladan practically laughed. "He cannot be named that! He would get beaten up with a name like that!" The boys and Glorfindel chuckled a bit while Elrond smiled slightly at the upset mother.
"Gilraen," Elrond started, shaking his head. "He will not be beaten up with the name Estel. It's fitting, is it not?"
"You will father him?" she asked quietly.
"Aye, I will father him."
ooooooooooooooooo
A/N- Hope you liked this chapter! So now he has become Estel…. Don't you just love Elrond!?!?!
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Thanks:
Wyldcat: Thank you sooooo much for reviewing!!! Oh I'm sorry! I am desperately trying to balance school work and fanfiction! I'll try to make the posts day after day. Thanks again!
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Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! :D You all encourage me sooooooo much! I can't thank you enough!