Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
A/N: Hey there people! Thank you all so much for your incredible reviews. I can hardly believe how many I have received already! I am truly shocked. Many many thanks to my incredible beta enb2004 who had two awesome HP stories that you really should read. As promised, here is Chapter Four! Have fun! Oh, and one more thing, it's a day early but, oh well...
Happy Birthday enb2004! Happy Birthday enb2004! Happy Birthday dear enb2004! Happy Birthday to you! Love you girl, feel better soon!
For what seemed like an eternity, Legolas gaped openly at Elrohir and Estel. "What, but, how....?" Legolas said utterly lost and confused by what was happening around him.
"Really now mellon nin, there is no need to look so confused," Elrohir said grinning. He had known that Estel's presence would throw Legolas for a loop but he had not anticipated Legolas being this flustered!
He wished that Elladan was here to witness this. Legolas was normally unflappable, but tonight, well, tonight was most certainly the exception to the rule!
"Elrohir! Did your mother not sail for the Havens many centuries ago? Where did he come from?" Legolas asked trying to sort everything out in his mind.
Elrohir's eyes grew dim for a moment at the mention of his mother but brightened again when he looked at his little brother.
"Yes Legolas, our mother did sail West many years ago. We adopted Estel but a short time ago. Two years ago this winter in fact," he said taking some pity on poor Legolas.
"Oh, I am going to kill Glorfindel for not telling me about this" Legolas muttered, his mind reeling from this new information.
Elrohir watched Legolas and was trying to hold in his laughter so that he wouldn't wake his brother or father. It was amazing that they hadn't woken up at the noise yet.
Elrohir was brought of his thoughts when he heard Estel yawn. He turned around and saw that his little brothers eyes were starting to droop and that he kept rubbing at them.
"All
right Estel. You and the Prince can talk more come the morning but
right now, you need to go back to sleep tithen gwador. Especially if
you want Ada to take those stitches out come the morning," Elrohir said
firmly.
"All right Ro, love you," Estel said, his silver eyes
already drifting shut. Within seconds, he had fallen back into a deep
sleep.
Legolas watched as Elrohir put Estel to bed with vague
interest. He had a thousand new questions running around through his
mind that he desperately needed answered. When Estel started to fall
asleep however, Legolas saw that Estel's eyes were closing.
"LORD ELROND!" Legolas yelled out in a panic when he saw that Estel's eyes had closed all the way.
Elrohir
looked up startled at the sudden outburst from Legolas. "Legolas what
is..." he started to say but was cut off by Legolas.
"Elrohir!
His eyes, his eyes are closed! What's wrong with him? I thought he only
had an injured arm!" Legolas said, his blue eyes wide as he ran to
Estel's bedside.
Elrohir looked at him quizzically for a moment
and then burst out into laughter. It didn't matter anymore anyway.
Legolas's outburst was sure to have woken the whole household.
"Ro?" Estel questioned sleepily, unknowingly proving Elrohir right about waking people up.
"It is nothing tithen pen, go back to sleep," Elrohir said while trying unsuccessfully to control his laughter.
"Elrohir!
Why are you laughing? This is serious! He needs a healer right now!"
Legolas said, immensely startled by Elrohir's laughter.
With an effort, Elrohir pulled himself together and clasped his hand on Legolas's shoulders.
"I
am sorry mellon nin, but the look on your face..." he started to say
but burst out into laughter once more as he saw the same look of panic
that he had earlier.
"Estel? Elrohir? What is going one in here?" a voice asked from just outside the bedroom.
"Ada! Leggie is acting funny," Estel said, seeing his father, older brother, and Glorfindel in the doorway.
Elrond
raised an eyebrow at the nickname while Elladan and Glorfindel burst
out into laughter, joining the already laughing Elrohir.
At
Elrond's arrival Legolas breathed a sigh of relief while glaring at
Glorfindel. Surely Elrond could figure out what was causing Estel to
have his eyes closed while he slept.
"Thank the Valar that
you're here Lord Elrond. Estel fell asleep and his eyes closed! All
Elrohir could do was laugh at me which, thankfully, woke Estel up. I
don't know what to do. Elrohir apparently is not as well trained in
healing as I thought," Legolas said all in one big rush. He was worried
for his new found friend who was apparently the newest member of Lord
Elrond's family.
As Legolas relayed what had happened, Elrond's
mouth started to twitch and he found himself hard pressed to keep from
smiling. When he mentioned Elrohir's lack of healing ability, Elrond
finally lost it. He joined in with his sons and advisor and started
laughing as well.
When Elrond started to laugh, Legolas looked
around in confusion. Why was Lord Elrond not doing anything to help his
son! Nothing was making sense this night. The only one who was not
laughing was Estel, but that could be attributed to the fact that he
was half asleep.
Through his laughter, Elrond noticed Legolas's
puzzled and worried features, and managed to stop laughing, all though
the same could be said for his twins nor advisor.
"I am sorry Legolas, apparently you do not know. Elrohir, did you not have a chance to tell him?" Elrond questioned.
"No Ada, everything happened too quickly," Elrohir said while wiping away tears of laughter from his face.
"Tell
me what?" Legolas asked exasperatedly. Had the entire realm of Imladris
gone insane during the few years he had been away? It would appear so.
"Legolas,
it is perfectly normal for Estel to be sleeping with his eyes closed.
He does so all the time. In fact, I would be highly worried if I were
to find him sleeping with his eyes open," Elrond said smiling at the
confused Prince.
"What? I don't understand Lord Elrond," Legolas
said while looking at Estel curiously. Estel was half asleep and his
eyes were most certainly drifting shut at a leisurely pace.
"You see Legolas, Estel is mortal. His birth parents died when he was barely two and I took him in," Elrond said softly.
Legolas's eyes widened at that piece of information. Estel was mortal?
"But
Lord Elrond! He does not look mortal at all! He looks just like an
elfling. In fact, he looks a lot like you and your sons!" Legolas
exclaimed in surprise.
"Aye, that he does. The resemblance has
always been there and I suspect it shall only grow stronger as he
grows, although his ears are round. That however is a discussion for
another time my young Prince. I think that it is time for all of us to
go back to sleep. I'll stay here and get Estel back to sleep.
Glorfindel, if you would show Legolas where his new chambers are?"
Elrond said, knowing perfectly well that it had been Glorfindel who had
directed Legolas to Estel's chambers.
Glorfindel winced. He would be lucky if Legolas only decided to maim him this night instead of outright killing him.
"Of
course Elrond. Come Legolas, I promise to show you to your proper
quarters so long as you don't kill me before we arrive at them," he
said.
Legolas glared at the blonde advisor. Oh Glorfindel would rue the day he had thought to play a prank on Legolas Thranduilion!
"I
shall not kill you tonight Glorfindel, but only because I am far to
wearied to be bothered with such a nuisance job. That shall come
tomorrow," Legolas said grinning evilly at Glorfindel.
Glorfindel gulped and looked hopefully at Elrond.
"Do
not look at me mellon nin. You got yourself into this mess, you shall
somehow have to find a way out of it. I do promise to patch you up
afterwards however," Elrond said while smiling.
"Goodnight Estel, we shall talk more in the morning," Legolas said, for the moment ignoring Glorfindel.
"All right," Estel said sleepily.
Legolas
ruffled Estel's hair fondly and followed Glorfindel out the room, the
entire time thinking of painful ways for Glorfindel to die.
Once
Glorfindel and Legolas had left the room, Elrond turned to his three
sons. Estel he saw was already asleep, the noise level having gone down
considerably in a few seconds.
"We may as well go back to bed my
sons. Estel is already fast asleep. I do not think that he will have
nightmares tonight," Elrond said softly.
The twins nodded and
each bent down and kissed their little brother goodnight as well as
their father. Quietly, they left the room and headed for their own,
making only one quick stop at Glorfindel's chambers to make sure that
Legolas had indeed not killed nor injured him.
Once the twins
had left, Elrond too bent down and kissed his little one goodnight.
Unlike the twins however, he did not leave the room, but instead,
slipped underneath the covers next to Estel. Estel might not have
nightmares this night, but Elrond felt the need to be close to his son.
Sending one thankful prayer to the Valar for watching over Estel, Elrond allowed himself to drift off into elven dreams.
Translations:
Ada: Dad/Daddy
Tithen gwador: Little brother
Tithen pen: Little one
Mellon nin: My friend