A/N For those of you who have not read Words Will Break My Spirit, you will probably be a little confused about who Salndir is.
Chapter 10: Falling
Estel was nearing Poln when he heard rustling in the forest. He turned, expecting to see some of the border patrol but instead turning to see Salndir.
"I was wondering how long it would take for you to realize I was behind you. I thought at first you were ignoring me but then I remembered how horrible human hearing is," Salndir spat.
Estel rolled his eyes. "What is the matter with you? I have never done anything to you. Why do you hate me?"
Salndir smiled cruelly. "Because I can."
Estel shook his head and turned around. "I do not have the time to bother with you. Go home."
"You disgust me, human," he spat.
Estel shrugged. "Why should I care what disgusts you? It is not my fault that you are not one to let past experiences go."
Salndir kicked out at Estel, knocking him to the ground. "It seems your reflexes are as bad as your hearing."
Estel picked himself up off the ground and eyed the elfling. Salndir was physically younger than Estel, but not by much. They were equally matched in build, but Estel knew Salndir was stronger with his elven abilities and that he would win in a fight. "I do not want to fight you; I have nothing against you or your family."
"Weakling," Salndir snarled. "You will never be one of us or one of them. You are caught between both worlds, Estel, the human and the elven, and the sooner you understand you have no place in either world, the better."
Salndir's words hit their mark even though Estel didn't want them to. "Leave me alone!"
"Leave me alone," Salndir mocked. "Child."
Estel turned around again and began to walk away. He knew Salndir would think that he was afraid, but Estel didn't care.
Salndir jumped on Estel, knocking him down. He slammed Estel's head hard against the ground. "Do not turn your back on me!"
"Go away!" Estel yelled at him. He threw Salndir off of him and ran away as fast as he could. He knew better than to engage in a fight with Salndir because it would get back to his family that he had been fighting and that wouldn't look good. Trouble wasn't what he was worried about; he feared what Salndir would say to other Elves to make it look like Estel had attacked him.
Estel could already feel the bruises forming on his body. He had landed hard on the ground and his body ached.
"Estel!"
Estel turned when he heard his name being called by Fernia and slowed to a walk. "What are you doing in the forest? I thought you didn't come in here because of the elves." He walked over to where she was crouched by a bush.
"I don't normally," Fernia told him. "Didn't you see me? You were runnin' so fast!"
Estel grimaced. "Sorry; I was trying to get to your house quickly. What are you doing in the forest?" He looked over his shoulder to make sure Salndir wasn't behind him.
"I'm collecting berries. There's a red berry that only grows in here and Momma wants me to get some for dinner." She grinned up at him.
"I'll help you," Estel told her.
Fernia looked at him with wide eyes. "Oh no, you go see Fialoh. He's with Papa. Papa's teaching him how to shoot a bow so that he can hunt. Fialoh can already hunt pretty good but Papa's showin' him some tricks."
Estel tried not to cringe at her bad grammar. After all of the drills his father and brothers had put him through on how to speak properly, he knew how to speak and tried his best not to correct Fernia. "No, it's alright, I'll help you. I'm pretty good with a bow already. Besides, you'll finish faster with my help."
"You don't mind?" Fernia asked, surprised. "Fialoh wouldn't ever offer to help."
"I don't mind," Estel replied. "You'll be safer with me around anyway. You are in elven territory."
Fernia nodded. "I know. They don't mind me pickin' berries, though."
Estel nodded. He knew that humans often traveled through Rivendell to trade and that they were welcome. He crouched down next to Fernia and helped her to pick the berries.
"What are you doin' in here?" she asked him. "I didn't think I'd see you in the elven forest."
Estel paused, not knowing what to say. "I was going for a walk. The elves won't hurt a child." His head was hurting, but he pushed the pain away, telling himself it was nothing.
Fernia grunted and shrugged her shoulders. "Probably not." It was obvious she didn't believe that the elves would sneeze at the chance to harm someone.
"You come in," Estel pointed out.
"That's 'cause they told me it was alright to," she replied. "They told me I could."
"Who did? An elf?" Estel asked, trying to sound awed and curious.
"Yeah," Fernia replied, a little smug. "A black–haired elf with green eyes told me I was welcome in the forest as long as I didn't cause trouble."
Estel nodded. "Good, so you know you're safe in here."
"Uh huh," she said. "But they told me not to come in after dark, that's why I was so scared when we were lookin' for Fialoh."
"The basket is full," Estel told her. His head was starting to ache even more than it had been before.
Fernia looked at the basket and nodded. "Let's go to my house."
Estel nodded and stood up. He felt sweat trickling down his forehead and he wiped it away only to see that it was blood. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the blood on his fingers and he swayed slightly – suddenly feeling lightheaded.
"Estel, you're bleeding, are you alright?" Fernia asked him, concern and panic seeping into her voice.
"Yes, I'm fine," he replied. He was feeling very faint and he wondered if maybe Salndir had knocked him to the ground too hard. He ran his hand through his hair and saw that his hand was coated in red.
"Are you sure?" she asked nervously. "You're really bleeding badly."
"Yeah, I just tripped when I was running before," he told her. He knew that he would be alright but that he needed to wash the cut on his head.
"Let's hurry to my house. I'll get Momma to look at you; she's pretty good at healin'." Fernia picked up her basket and walked hurriedly towards Poln. She turned when she heard a thump behind her and gasped when she saw it was Estel's body hitting the ground.
-
When Estel woke he felt very stiff and heard fuzzy voices in the background.
"I don't know what happened, Momma," he heard Fernia saying. "He said he tripped."
Fernia's mother clucked. "I doubt that's what happened."
"I know; me too, Momma. I think he might've been attacked by an elf. He was runnin' like someone was chasing him," Fernia told her.
"I don't want you goin' in that forest no more, Fernia. It's not safe in there," her mother said sternly. "I never wanted you goin' in there anyways."
Estel ignored them and focused on his aches. His head wasn't hurting too much but he knew that there were bruises on his back from where Salndir had knocked him to the ground. He reached up and touched his head to find a bandage wrapped around it. He groaned inwardly when he thought of what his family would say when he walked home like that.
"Good, you're awake," Fernia's mother said. "How're you feelin', dear?"
"I'm alright," Estel replied wearily. Even though he was in pain, he felt that he had to reassure her that he wasn't going to drop dead.
"You had quite a bump on your head. Fernia says you fell," she said to him.
"I did," Estel replied. "I guess I fell on a rock or something like that." He smiled weakly.
"You can take the bandage off if you'd like." She turned around and picked up her baby who was standing up in a cradle.
Estel sat up and realized he was so stiff because he had been lying on the floor. He quickly took the bandage off. "Did I faint?"
Fernia nodded. "Yeah and you scared me somethin' awful! Papa carried you home."
"You alright now, Estel?" Fialoh asked, walking into the room with Fenke on his heels.
Estel grinned. "Yeah, I'm fine." He turned to their mother. "Thank you."
She smiled at him. "No problem, dear. Maybe you should stay over tonight. It's real dark outside and you might faint again on your way home. I could send Fialoh to your parents."
Estel's eyes widened in surprise. "It's dark?" He looked out the window and saw that the stars were already out. "I have to go! My brother is waiting for me!" His voice was panicked. "I told Ada I would be home before sunset!" he said, half in Elvish and half in Common. He jumped to his feet and was caught by strong arms as he started to fall.
"Melina is right, lad," a man said to him. "You're talkin' nonsense, it's probably best if you stay here. I'll send Fialoh to tell your brother where you are. He can come get you."
"No," Estel whined. "I have to go; I'll be in so much trouble if I don't."
Their father sighed. "Take Fialoh with you to meet your brother. You'll hurt yourself if you go alone."
Estel nodded but felt dizzy as he did so. "Alright." He looked at Fialoh. "You don't mind, do you?"
Fialoh waved him off. "Of course not, Estel. Come on."
-
Elladan was growing impatient with Estel. The sun had set hours before and there was no sign of his little brother. He didn't understand what could be keeping him so long. "Where are you, Estel?" he asked the air angrily, as if it would give him the answers.
-
Estel had to lean on Fialoh after a little while. He hadn't thought he was so badly injured, but the gash on his head said otherwise. He was berating himself for dismissing the head pains earlier. He had to lean on Fialoh because he kept stumbling since he was so uncoordinated.
"Are you sure you don't want me to just go ahead and tell your brother you're hurt?" Fialoh asked, concerned. "You might fall and hurt yourself."
"No, I'll be alright," Estel replied.
"Where are you supposed to meet him anyway? I don't see no sign of him," Fialoh said, puzzled. He couldn't understand why Estel's brother didn't go into the village but felt the need to wait outside of it.
"He should be around here somewhere," Estel said. He knew Elladan wouldn't be happy when he saw how he was stumbling. He tripped on something and fell to the ground and cried out when Fialoh fell on his foot in an awkward position.
"Oh, Estel, I am so sorry!" Fialoh apologized, getting to his feet. "Let me help you."
Estel bit his lip to keep tears from falling. "No…I-I'm alright; just don't touch me!" He breathed heavily from the pain in his leg.
"Estel, grab my hand," Fialoh said, reaching to pull Estel to his feet. "Lean on me, I'll help you back to my house."
"No," Estel moaned. "I can see my brother right there." He saw Elladan running over to where he and Fialoh were. Elladan wasn't glowing like he should have been and Estel wondered if he was hurt because elves didn't normally dim their glows.
Fialoh nodded. "Ok, let's wait for him to get here."
Elladan approached and kneeled next to Estel. "What happened?" he asked Fialoh, trying to keep his voice calm.
"He fell and I think he broke his leg," Fialoh said. "It's my fault; I fell on top of him."
"Hush, child," Elladan said soothingly. "Go on home. Estel will be fine, I will take him home."
Fialoh nodded. He felt terrible for falling on Estel. "Come and see us when your leg's healed, Estel. I'll tell Fernia you're alright; she and Momma would worry otherwise."
Estel only nodded, tears running down his cheeks. He watched Fialoh run back to Poln.
Elladan looked at Estel and wiped the tears off his face. He ran expert hands over Estel's leg and sighed in relief. "You didn't break your leg. Your ankle is badly twisted and you will most definitely need a splint."
"It hurts," he mumbled. "I am sorry I am late, 'Dan."
Elladan nodded. "Hush, we will talk about that as soon as I wrap your ankle." He stood up and searched for a stick he could use for a makeshift splint. When he found one, he tore pieces from Estel's old shirt to use as a bandage.
Estel winced as Elladan wrapped his ankle, but he felt better when it was done. "May I stand now?"
"Yes," Elladan replied. He bent to help his brother to his feet. "How do you feel?"
Estel gingerly put weight on his leg and gave his brother a watery smile when it didn't hurt too badly. "It feels much better. Thank you."
Elladan smiled. "Come, Estel, let us go home."
Note: I am really sick and I have no time to write the reviewer responses. I barely had time to finish going over the mistakes I had that my wonderful beta Catmint pointed out for me.
Thank you to everyone. I am so sorry I couldn't respond but I just don't feel well enough to do so. Please review, and thank you all for the wonderful reviews. Some of them made me laugh and others made me smile and some made me feel almost guilty. :grin: Thanks, guys, I really appreciate all of the reviews.
