Title: Blood Bonds

Disclaimer: If I owned these characters I would be a very happy gal. Unfortunately they belong to Mr. Tolkien. I am just playing with them for a while.

Feedback: Please I want to know how I am doing here.

A/N: Sorry it took a while for the two recently posted chapters to come along. I have been having computer trouble since April and have had difficulty getting computers in my home to work with one another. But I hope this chapter will be enjoyed by all.

trustingfriendship: You are one step closer to having your wish come true. I hope you enjoy this chapter, because even though it is not exactly the happiest or funniest; I still think it is very important. May Estel be very happy and be reunited with his family soon. God, I hope so it would make my life much easier! smiles

Elven Kitten: As always, thank you for your review. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

grumpy: Thank you so much for the review! Estel has had a hard time with his childhood. I hate having children getting hurt and really I hated to write that chapter. (something I hope I don't have to do in such detail again, but somehow I think I won't be so lucky.) Evil people. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

"I tried my hardest to find you Estel." Elrond whispered in a barely audible voice. They were walking once more to who knows where. "I wanted so badly to make sure my little baby was not hurt. I never wanted you to get hurt hen-nin."

Estel looked over at his elven father for a moment, his silver eyes studying Elrond's. Slowly a small smile crept over the human's face. "Amme was right," was all that he said.

"What was Celebrian right about?" Elrond asked puzzled at his son's statement.

Estel just shook his head and turned back to face the road ahead of them. After a few minutes, he glanced back over at his father. "Ada do you really have no idea what Amme told me?"

Elrond shook his head, "Nay Estel, I have not the slightest notion of what you are speaking of ion-nin."

"She said that we were too much alike. Both of us hold guilt about things that we have no control over, yet feel as if we are the ones who deserve all of the blame." The former king of Gondor replied. He looked towards the road in front of him. "I think we are getting closer to wherever we have been heading to."

Elrond frowned at the sudden change of topic. "Why do you say that, my son?" Then he looked ahead, focusing on what was in front of him. The shadows of the past were driven back as he caught glance of the most brilliant light he had ever seen.

Estel caught his father's eyes with his own, knowing he wouldn't have to answer his father's question at all. All of the men of their party were moving towards the city of light and with each step their heavy footsteps got lighter. With each moment they got closer and closer to the city of light.

Estel moved closer to the former lord of Imladris. "Ada?"

Elrond looked over at his son, dragging his eyes away from the city. "Aye Estel?"

"Iston, (I know) I always knew that you were looking for me. I always knew that you would find me before it was too late." The young man said with a smile.

Elrond pulled his child into a one armed embrace, "Oh Estel, so much faith. "

"You named me well Ada." Estel replied as he looked up at his slightly taller father. Then the two walked in silence, eyes focused on their destination in front of them.

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The small band was almost at the gates when they stopped suddenly to the visitor's surprise. Isildur talked quickly to Vardamir and Atanalcar, in words so hushed that even Elrond and Legolas could not understand them. Vardamir nodded and spoke to Isildur. Slowly Isildur nodded, smiled and walked away back toward the desolate lands. He kept his head down as he walked towards Elrond, Estel and Legolas in his way back into the grim outer lands. The others continued on walking towards the city with their horses, but Elrond, Estel and Legolas stayed rooted in place. Isildur was going to just walk past the half elf before his gaze lifted for one moment and he looked upon Elrond and his family.

He knelt down before the Lord of Imladris with his head bowed down low to the ground. 'I am sorry for the wrongs that I have committed against your family.'

He looked up briefly, his grey eyes shone with sincerity and tears. 'I know my words mean nothing, for I allowed Sauron to continue his mayhem upon Middle Earth. ' His words came out tried as if he was struggling to say, not out of pride but out of shame. He took a deep breath, receiving no insult or word from the wise being in front of him he continued on.

This time he looked at Estel. "I am also sorry that in an indirect way that I killed off your birth parents and forced you to have to take the kingship of Gondor and Arnor.'

'I would have had to anyways.' Estel said softly, his entire body was rigid. 'for then Arathorn would have been king and the title would have passed down to me. Possibly I would have never known my family… No one knows how fate would have gone if you had done it.'

Isildur looked up at the young man standing before and at once he knew that he was not as young as he appeared at all. 'No, I believe you would have known that quite well. From the little I have seen, I think the Valar or Illuvatar himself would have insured that. Needless though are your thoughts of what ifs.'

Isildur turned back to Elrond, 'But still I beg your forgiveness Lord Elrond, although I am not worthy of it. It haunts me that I said no to you, even at the second that I did. I apologize for not having the strength to resist the ring and its evil. For I know now, and maybe even then, that I caused more evil then ever was imaginable.' He gazed at Legolas, knowing what the necromancer had done to his homeland. Legolas looked at him with unblinking eyes.

Elrond nodded slowly, 'I know not what to say Isildur. You did not heed my wisdom and great evil came of it. You did indeed allow Sauron to continue to live and even thrive.' Isildur cringed slightly but nodded with his eyes lit upon the barren ground in front of him. This was his punishment he would take the truth as hard as it was to accept.

'I should hate you and for many centuries, even thousands of years I did just that. That was until a very wise woman came to my house. She had just lost her husband and she, herself, was on the verge of death. This woman begged me to care for her son, pleaded with me to open my heart and release the hatred buried in there. 'We forgive, to move on…' those were her very words to me. She did not deny the evil caused by her race or by you. She accepted it, learned from it and tried to do better.' He paused slowly, 'It is because of that woman that I have my youngest son and that I am able to love him as much as I do.'

Estel and Legolas smiled as Elrond briefly turned his gaze upon them. Then they looked down at Isildur, head still bowed while knelt. Then they waited.

"It is also because of this woman that I can forgive you.' Isildur looked up shocked as Elrond continued to speak. "I know now that no matter how hard I try I cannot not change the past, only learn from it. This world has enough divisions in it because of the hate that Morgoth planted in all of our hearts. I refuse to add to that hate any longer. I forgive you Isildur, for I know not if I would have had the strength to throw that ring away either. I was too afraid to take it from you, thinking that I would find myself weak as well.'

Isildur recovered enough from his shock to answer Elrond. 'I know not how I have gotten the grace of your forgiveness lord Elrond"

There was a small sad smile on his face, slowly he rose from his position on the ground. His eyes met Elrond's eyes and held them. "But I know one thing for sure Lord Elrond. You would have thrown that ring into the mountain. For you are not weak. Not just because you are an elf, but because I know you would not have allowed the ring to play on your desires. You have already proven that.'

Estel smiled and looked toward his father, who stood shocked at the man in front of him. Then he watched as the man bowed to his father and started once more without another word to walk towards the barren land.

'Why do you go back to that place Isildur when everyone else goes back to the city?' Legolas called out to the retreating man.

Isildur turned around and with a small smile he called out to them. 'In hopes of one day being able forgiving myself, until then I am not worthy to enter that city. Therefore I will guard it from those that would wish to harm it alone until I have proven myself worthy.'

Estel looked puzzled at the man, 'Who is it that you are trying to prove yourself to? The others do not seem to think that you are unworthy.'

'My biggest critic of all is who I am trying to make amends with, Estel, myself.' He gave a deep bow to the great lords standing in front of him. Then he turned back around and walked into the darkness of the wasteland.

Elrond came back out of his stupor and wrapped his arm around his son. "Are you alright tithen pen?"

Estel watched the man walk out of his sight without one of the horses that the others had ridden back with them. "Aye Ada, I think for the first time in a long time I have come to terms with that man."

Elrond nodded. "He was never a bad man. Isildur was just misguided, in his heart he knew it was wrong but his mind over powered it. The grief for his father, brother and country was too near for him."

Legolas looked at the small family for a moment as they collected themselves. Then slowly once more they walked towards the city of light…

TBC…

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