Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine...
A/N: Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews! If you have any suggestions, please let me know, I'm always happy to hear ideas and if I use them I will mention you as the person who had the idea! For the record, I'm using Winter Solstice as the Elvish winter celebration, like Christmas, Hanukkah, etc., I hope this doesn't offend anyone. Hope you like CHAPTER FIVE!
May Angels Lead You In
Elrond Peredhil kept glancing out the window of his study that overlooked the courtyard and gates to his home. His sons were due to arrive any day now and the Elven Lord was embarrassed to admit that he had feared for their safety. Since his wife's capture, he had always felt this numbing fear swallow him when his children were out of his sight. Arwen, he knew, was safe in Lorien with her mother's parents, but the twins were constantly coming and going from Imladris.
Elrond feared that one day, one or both of them would not come back. And so, when the time came close to when they were scheduled to return, Elrond became agitated, thinking up terrible scenarios of them being injured or worse. Forcing himself to turn back to the mountains of paperwork that had turned his desk into a veritable center of chaos. He had only just managed to mostly concentrate on the latest report from the boarder patrols, when the sound of horses' hooves entering the courtyard drifted up to his window.
Without any semblance of grace or dignity, Elrond sprang from his chair and bolted to the door of his study, much like an overeager Elfling, excited to see his presents on Solstice morning. The Elven lord managed to slow to a more appropriate pace. Though brisk, it did not have the same reckless abandon as his pace before. As he arrived in the courtyard, he saw Elladan and Elrohir giving their horses to one of the stable hands.
"Elladan, Elrohir! Welcome home," he greeted with relief, noticing that they did not appear to be injured in any way. The twins grinned at him, "Ada!" They embraced him tightly, "Oh, ada! We've got something to tell you," Elladan murmured, mischief and humor in his voice. Elrond looked at his son in near shock. Neither of the twins had held any sort of joy or humor in their manner for a long while, ever since they had found their mother's broken body. Elrond held onto his son's shoulders and looked into his eyes, then did the same to Elrohir. His expression turned to one of confusion for in their eyes he found joy, love, and laughter. They were no longer haunted by grief and anger. Yes, grief was still there, but it was nearly gone, erased by these new things. Elrond wondered what could have caused this drastic change.
Finally, he realized what Elladan had said, "Show me something? What is this, that you must show me?" Elrohir grinned, "I suppose 'Dan should have said someone rather than something, but..." Elrond's brow furrowed in confusion and Elladan stepped aside, revealing Estel standing there, wide-eyed and a little frightened. Elrond gasped, "Elladan! Elrohir! Who..?"
The twins laughed, "No! No, ada, he is not...But, you did know his parents." Elrond frowned, "Enlighten me, then, ion-nin."
The twins faces darkened a little and Elrohir answered, very softly, "Ada, may we introduce, Aragorn, son of Arathorn and Gilraen." Elrond's eyes went wide, "But he was killed!" Elladan shook his head, "No, we never found remains, but it was assumed that he was killed because no one else had survived."
The boy tugged on Elladan's sleeve and the Elf looked at him. "El'dan, you said I wasn' Ar'gorn no more! Said I was 'Stel! Am I Ar'gorn again?" the child inquired, confused.
Elladan shook his head, "No, child, you are still Estel, but my ada, my father needed to know your other name. Estel, this is my father, Lord Elrond."
The boy looked up at the Elven lord and then glanced at the twins before saying, "Omen sila lummenn omentielvo..." Elrond's eyebrow shot up as he heard the young boy and his son's name for him. The Elven lord crouched down, smiling, "Welcome, young one."
Estel smiled shyly and hid his face in Elladan's side, the twin reached down and picked him up, cradling him close. The boy yawned and Elrond said, "Come, let us take care of him and then we must talk." The twins nodded and followed their father inside. They found a room near their own rooms and Elrohir gently removed the boy's boots after his twin laid him on the bed. Elladan reached down and tucked the covers firmly around the boy and kissed his forehead, "Sweet dreams, Estel." Elrohir did the same and then both followed Elrond to his study.
"Alright. Tell me what happened," Elrond said, "Some of it is obvious, but, why in the name of Elbereth are you calling him 'Estel'?"
Elladan blushed, "That is my fault, ada..." Elrohir nodded, "Yes, but it is who he is!" Elrond held up a hand, "The beginning, boys!"
Elladan looked at his twin and began, "We had finished the talks and Lord Ecthelion sent a young man to act as a guide, to take us around the City. We had nothing better to do and so accepted. While we were in the city, I ran into a child carrying water buckets. He was unhurt and so was I, though he was soaked clear through. He was so frightened..." Elladan paused and looked at Elrohir and continued, "He ran away from us, leaving the buckets behind. I wanted to make amends, so our guide, who knew where the child resided, took us to fill the buckets and then to the young one's home...He was an orphan," Elladan's gaze hardened and Elrohir's face became grim at the memories of the orphan home, "The orphan home was barely standing, all of the children were in little more than rags, nearly starved...But that is not the worst of it...We asked one of the children, a girl named Mearta, to take us to the caretaker. She was so very afraid, ada...She said that the caretaker, Treneth, was very angry at one of them for losing the water buckets...We were told the child was being punished...She pointed us to the man's office, where he was punishing the child and took the buckets of water to their destination..."
Elladan swallowed hard, "Th-the man was beating Estel...For losing two buckets and spilling water all over himself! We intervened, of course. Our guide went to see if the children could be given shelter for a time in the Houses of Healing, for Estel would not leave if the other children were not taken care of, though he, himself needed care. The children were given temporary shelter in the Houses and Estel came to stay with us. That is how we found out who he was. Those in the orphan home called him 'Ara' and he told us that wasn't what his mother and father had called him. He said they had called him 'Aragorn' and the traders that had found him called him 'Ara'. He also knew his parents' names and seemed to know they were not coming for him...He told me that Gilraen had sent him to find Imladris, before she and Arathorn died...So we took him in. I knew that there were and still are those who would wish him harm and told him of it a little, saying there were those who might hurt him because of his name. He was frightened by this, but 'Ro and I promised to protect him...I knew he could not be 'Aragorn' any longer, so I-I gave him a new name..."
Elladan met his father's gaze with tears in his eyes, "I-I called him 'Estel' because that is what he is to me...He is the hope of Men as the Heir of Isildur, but more than that, ada...h-he still is able to love and have joy, even after all that has happened to him...For the first time since-since a-amme left, I feel something other than grief or hate...H-he is my hope, mine and 'Ro's, he has begun to heal wounds in my heart, in our hearts, I did not think would heal until we left these shores...So, we call him Estel."
Elrond looked at his sons, understanding, finally, this renewal of their spirits, "I am glad for you. It brings me happiness to see your spirits healing and I am also glad you have found the child. You are right, he shall be called Estel, until he is old enough to take up his heritage. He shall stay with us for now, until one of the Ranger's can come. If there are none of the Dunadain that can foster him, Ellissi and Lindir, I know, would be more than happy to take him in."
Elrohir looked at their father, "Ada, he would heal your heart too, if you'll let him...Please, ada, must we send him away?" Elrond sighed, "He is a child, Elrohir! He will adapt! My heart does not require any healing. And he is kin of the Rangers, he belongs with blood family!"
Elladan looked at the Elven lord steadily, "Blood family, is it, ada? We are blood family...Elendil, Isildur, Arathorn, they are descendents of Uncle Elros. And so is Estel. Please, ada...Do not send him away..." Elrond sighed, "The care and raising of a child is no small responsibility. A child needs more than clothing and shelter and good meals, can you honestly say that we can provide all that is required? Can we?"
Elladan lifted his chin, "What you're saying is can you! Can you let him into your heart, for 'Ro and I already have. We will keep him with us, ada, with or without your blessing, even if we have to go stay with Grandmother to do it! You have fostered others of this bloodline, how is Estel any different?!" Elrond blinked at his son's vehemence, surprised. He had not realized how deeply the child had captured the twins' hearts. Elrond turned away from them, studying the scene out his window.
Elladan's words had struck him deeply. It was true, he was afraid. He was afraid to let the child into his heart. His brother, his twin, had left him. His wife, though he did not fault her, had also left. He was afraid to let that mortal child into his heart, knowing that one day, the child would leave him as well. And yet, would the child be best served by sending him away? To the Rangers who were kin, but suffered hard lives and were in danger much of the time? To another Elven family, less acquainted with mortals? Elrond sighed and bowed his head, whispering, "No, Elladan, you need not leave. You are right, the child should be with us...And so he shall be, Estel, son of Elrond..."
Elladan smiled slightly, tears in his eyes, "Ada, thank you...I know you do not think so, but you will love him! I must admit, I tried at first, to only be concerned for his welfare, for he is a child, but I could not keep such distance..."
Elrond looked at his sons, "His true name must never be spoken of until he is old enough to know of his heritage. Even the walls have ears..." Elladan and Elrohir nodded, then embraced him, "Thank you, ada..."
The twins left their father, standing at the window, wondering why he was opening himself up to the chance of such pain...
A/N: I'm SO SORRY! I didn't mean to take so long and for such a short chapter too...Please, I beg, forgive me! I got hit with a little writer's block for a while and then my job got really stressful, so it was hard to write...I'll try to have the next chapter up sooner...Please, don't hate me...Hugs and bunnies!
Lalaith
Like? Hate? Review PLEASE!
