Title: For Estel

Author: Ice Cube

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Not unless you've know almost nothing about Lord of the Rings.

Disclaimer and warnings, see Chapter 1


Elfgirl83: Thanks, enjoy.

HarryEstel: We'll have to see what happens with that.

Ceyxa: Enjoy this next chapter, but it doesn't have much to do with nightmares…well…

Grumpy: Glad you liked the prank and Belur…the rest isn't so funny though…

Larka isil: Thanks, enjoy the next bit.

Yahoo! Reviewers…

Mari: You may have to wait awhile to find out about the worms…enjoy

Emily: Enjoy the next chapter, but be warned, it's not quite as sweet and fluffy

Alina: There will be plenty of interactions between Elrond's sons to look forward to…

Aranel: You're right, it doesn't bode very well for them at all...enjoy

Rhonda: You still don't know what's gonna happen…do you…guess you'll have to wait and see…

Celebwen: Thanks, I'd actually forgotten that part about the horses…enjoy

Misty: I can see what you mean about normal six year olds not being quite as sly, but remember, he learned from the twins…torture? A six-year old? Me? Never! shh's other reviewers who know me too well And thanks for the part about the appendices, my RotK book isn't at school with me…

Carol: Thanks, the rest isn't going to be quite as cute and innocent though…

I meant to post this yesterday, but RL got in the way…the rating that seemed overkill last chapter starts to go into effect here…

That said, on with the tale…

Chapter 2

So their journey continued rather uneventfully for three days before they reached the outer borders of Mirkwood's forests. Estel had been awed by the Misty Mountains, both by the sheer size of them and by the flora and fauna that he had only before seen in books. He was almost sad, when they had passed over them as quickly as they had. Elladan and Elrohir were glad for the luck, however, as they knew what fell creatures lay in wait near the Redhorn Pass.

When they dismounted at the end of the day, Elladan noticed the subdued expression of his youngest brother. "What is it, Estel?"

"It feels bad here. Like, it's all cold and scary like the cellars. I don't like it here." He looked around apprehensively. Elladan hadn't thought that the little human would be able to feel the tension in the trees, the evil that had permeated Mirkwood's forests to the core. Amazed at the revelation, he almost missed Estel's next words. "I feel like something bad is going to happen."

Estel had moved closer to the Elf and lowered his voice for his last comment, as if he was afraid the trees would hear him. He looked up at his brother for reassurance, and it was given to him in the form of a quick hug. Making a quick decision, Elladan called to his twin before pulling a carefully wrapped package from his pack.

The two led Estel to a nearby log and sat down with the boy between them. "Estel, I think it's high time for you to be given a little bit more responsibility on this trip," Elladan told the boy as he placed the package down. "You must promise me that you will listen to Elrohir and me about this though." He placed his fingers under Estel's chin and guided the boy's eyes back from the bundle to his own gaze. The human nodded, a serious expression on his face.

"I will listen, 'Dan." Estel nodded again, eager to please his brothers. When he saw the serious stares that his brothers afforded him, he held out his hand and shook both of theirs. It was a sign, the twins knew, that Estel would never take a handshake with less that the utmost level of seriousness; it was the one thing he remembered from his father. The boy saw that his brothers were lost in their memories, and so he began to wiggle around impatiently. He could tell that if this was serious enough to warrant a handshake, it was something that he really wanted to see. It wasn't every day, after all, that the boy was given responsibility in the form of a present. Lord Elrond usually equated more responsibility with more chores.

Satisfied with the boy's promise, and already having his father's permission, Elladan picked up the gift once more and handed it to the boy. Estel tried to be mature about unwrapping the fabric, but his fingers trembled as the knot undid and the material fell away. Under the cloth, a small sheath and quiver were visible, as well as a sword specially crafted after Estel's practice weapon and a dozen arrows and a bow small enough for the boy's fingers to manipulate. Predictably, the young Edan reached for the sword first, carefully pulling the steel blade from its covering. Estel had easily fallen in with the twins' basic swordsmanship lessons, but was still struggling with the projectile weapon.

"Oh, 'Dan, 'Ro, thank you! It's beautiful, and perfect." He studied the blade carefully, well aware of the sharp edges. When he turned it over, Estel saw that the twins had engraved his name in the steel.

"You're welcome, tithen pen. Now, Ada's condition is that you are only to use it in an emergency, and are only to wear it in the Wilds. The same goes for your new bow. You aren't quite old enough for something this sharp around Imladris. You still have your practice sword and field arrows for that." Elladan and Elrohir watched as the boy glanced at the bow and then carefully ran his fingers over the sword's hilt and blade, admiring, with a 6 year old's mind, the perfect Elven craftsmanship.

Carefully resheathing the weapon, Estel cinched the belt around his hip before strapping the quiver to his back and lifting the bow to his shoulder. The twins couldn't help but gawk at how much the boy looked like Arathorn. With that, Estel grinned and leapt forward, catching his brothers off-guard and tackling them in a hug.


It had been long into the night before the twins could convince Estel to stop practicing with his new gifts and go to bed. Pleased that the gifts had gone over well, neither Elf was surprised when they found their brother asleep in the lean-to with his hand around the hilt of his sword; Belur tucked safely under his arm, and the thumb of his other hand in his mouth.

Sitting at the campfire once more, Elrohir turned to his brother. "What made you decide to give him that now? I thought we were going to give them to Legolas to give to him?"

"We were, but he was afraid, 'Ro. He can feel the darkness here. And he told me the other night what has been terrifying him so much during the nights these last four years. He told me how he is still afraid that the Orcs are going to come into his bedroom and hurt him. He thinks they are going to hurt him like they hurt Gilraen and Arathorn. He saw both of them die, 'Ro, and with him feeling the darkness here, I thought that if he had something more than that tin sword that doesn't cut grass, he might feel better."

Elrohir nodded his agreement. "It worked, he was out before you finished Bilbo's story, and he hasn't tired of that since the Hobbit met him what, two years ago now?"

"Yes, it's about that long." Both twins lapsed into comfortable silence, senses on high alert as there was no telling what lay dormant in Mirkwood's silence. Surprise etched itself onto both of their faces then, when they found Estel sitting between them moments later. His knuckles were white, hand clutching his sword; Belur was hugged tightly to his chest. He was covered in a cold sweat, and he was trembling.

Not even thinking, Elladan pulled the boy close. "Estel, gwador nin, what's wrong?"

"There's something out there. I heard it." Estel sniffled, and his voice had hitched with his fears.

"Everything is fine, tithen gwador. We are here, and will keep you safe. There is nothing here to hurt you. It wasn't real, it was only a dream." Elladan and Elrohir tried their best, but no matter how hard they tried, how much they attempted to soothe the boy, he would not go back to the lean-to.

Realizing that Estel was too agitated to sleep, the twins finally consented and allowed him to remain safely on Elladan's lap, his eyes darting back and forth as the eldest twin rocked him gently. Elrohir stood and began walking the perimeter of the camp, making sure that Estel's dream was just that. The boy's eyes never left his brother's search path. When he came back, he assured Estel again that all was safe.

Elrohir sat down again and placed his hand on the panicked boy. "It's all right, Estel. I checked and I couldn't hear anything out there."

If the younger twin thought that that would ease the boy, he was dreadfully wrong. "Neither of you heard me sneak up behind you, how do you know that there aren't bad things out there?" Estel's eyes widened and his head whipped around, almost hitting Elladan's. "Didn't you hear that?"

Both Elves had, and with lightning speed, Estel was set on his feet and pushed toward the lean-to. Elladan hoped that the boy would take the hint and hide, the new weapons forgotten in his hopes. The twins stood back to back as the first warg burst into the clearing. Reckless in its path, the beast drove straight at Elrohir, managing to tackle the Firstborn to the ground before noticing the blade between its ribs. A small yelp was all that signified its passing. Elrohir was on his feet again before his foe had completely hit the ground.

Elladan had fared similarly with his first attacker, and had just finished off the beast as Elrohir stood. A brisk nod between the two signaled their well being before they faced off again, taking first note of the ring that had been created around them. They were completely surrounded and cut off from the lean-to. Unable to ensure their brother's safety, the twins rationalized that the sooner they killed their foes, the sooner they could see to Estel. With grim determination, the Elrondions tensed and waited for the imminent attack. When it came, both twins were caught by surprise.

A scimitar flying through the air was the last thing Elladan expected, and so his block was awkward and only redirected the blade past him, but did not miss his brother. Elrohir never saw the blade, only felt it dig into his shoulder. As he whipped around to the new threat, the hilt wedged against Elladan and was wrenched free. The smell of blood frenzied the pack, but still they lay in wait, holding for their masters' calls. The Orcs were here.

When Elrohir cried out, the wargs tensed, and with his back turned, the Orcs obliged their pets. The beasts charged as a unit, and Elrohir had minimal warning, and no time to turn around before he was knocked on his face. With more strength than he thought he possessed, the Elf rolled the animal off of him, ignoring the sound of ripping flesh from beneath the claws of the warg. With a wide arc of his blade, he sliced the falling warg's flank and sent it cowering back to the ring. Unfortunately, there were three more to take its place.

When Elrohir fell, Elladan found himself being pushed away by a group of Orcs riding their wargs. With no way to reach either brother open to him, the Elf went on the offensive, cutting and hacking an opening through the beasts. He paid severely as he found himself within an even closer range of weapons, teeth, and claws. Ducking one blade, he felt another slice his side, and heard the snap of jaws that had just missed his leg. Quickly, Elladan buried one of his blades into the warg's head, using his momentum as he spun to block another blade to pull the dagger back into usefulness, immediately attacking yet another Orc and relieving the creature of its hand and mace. Still more came and still he pressed on. It was all he could do to stay alive for his brothers.

Elrohir grabbed the neck of the next warg that stood over him, using all his might to keep the slobbering mouth away from his jugular vein. Turning his head to the side to avoid the warg's teeth, he happened to open his eyes and glance under the Orcs and wargs that separated him from both his brothers; then an icy fear gripped his heart. He could see that a very small set of feet were dancing back and forth, with more than one set of paws and boots facing the Elven made boots.

With the adrenaline rush from seeing his baby brother in grave danger, Elrohir twisted his hands and broke his enemy's neck, rising quickly to his feet before another warg could trap him. With fear weaving its cold fingers through him, stealing his breath and sending shivers down his back that had no place in a fight such as this, Elrohir sent a quick prayer to whichever of the Valar cared to listen to protect the human until he could get to him. It was with a renewed burst of energy that the younger twin spun with his knives and hacked at each new enemy in passing. Still, he could not get to Estel. Seeking to get any aid for the boy, Elrohir alerted his twin to the new problem. However, the older Elrondion had problems of his own, and could not get to Estel any quicker.

Elladan had felled five more foes when he heard Elrohir's call, and in the next instant, had broken from the pack to the lean-to that had been Estel's safe haven. The boy wasn't there. With a feral growl that was not befitting an Elven Lord's son, Elladan turned back to the dark creatures and with a grim look of determination, set himself to go on the offensive once more, making his way to at least one brother's side. Each attacker however, found more of an opening to Elladan's defenses, as the more he got hurt, the more liable he was to be injured. The Elf was shaking from blood loss, adrenaline the only thing that was keeping him conscious. It was like this, then, that he broke into another circle of wargs, and saw their prey. Elladan shook his head to clear it, making sure that the sight he saw was not some cruel trick, but the Valar were not that mean, and the wargs' prey was standing there at the ready, clear as day. It was Estel.

Estel had run to the lean-to when the first of the beasts had entered the campsite. He had pulled the bedrolls over him as he was always instructed to, but as he had pulled his blankets on top, his hand had clasped on Belur and he realized he was still clutching his new sword. Only use it in an emergency Elladan had said. Only an emergency.Estel peeked out from the blankets to see Elrohir fall, and with the courage that only a small child could come up with, feelings of invincibility crept into his heart, and he leapt from the tent to take on a small warg that had its back to him. When he pulled the blade from the carcass, and the beast had fallen to its side, Estel had watched the blood drip down in fear and fascination. All thoughts of bravery were driven from his mind however, and he turned to hide again, only to find the way back to the lean-to was blocked off. With a gulp, Estel set himself in a ready stance, and prayed to the Valar to protect him.

The Orcs laughed and poked fun at the child, and suddenly Estel felt as though he were in his nightmares. He felt that he could hear his mother calling to him, begging him to save her, and so he glared at the beasts in front of him, signaling ready as his brothers had taught him and then leapt into action. Each call in his mind urged him to move faster, to swing his sword harder, to whirl and parry quicker. In his mind, he wasn't fighting for his life, but fighting for the chance to bring back his mother, not remembering the many lessons of mortality that he'd had to learn in his short life. It never sank into his mind that he knew his mother was gone, and was never coming back, only that he thought he could hear her, and maybe if he cut down enough of these monsters, he could find her. It was only this innocence, this child's dream, which kept the horrors around him out of his mind, and only that surreal place that he had retreated to that kept him going.

So it was that, numerous bites and incisions later, Elladan found his baby brother, still fighting for his life. Estel's eyes were glazed over in shock, as if he didn't completely realize what was going on, and his blade flew in calculated, precise movements that had been practiced over and over. Knowing that the boy couldn't last much longer, Elladan took out the nearest Orc that sought the boy's blood, and then grabbed Estel around the waist. The young human whirled on his captor and it took all of Elladan's reflexes, slowed as they were, to keep the small blade from decapitating him. Wrenching it from small fingers, Elladan used it to clear a path to the trees and relative safety for the shell-shocked boy. When he reached a small copse of shrubbery, Elladan stooped down to Estel's level and forced the boy's eyes to look on his.

"Estel, can you hear me?" Elladan searched the grey orbs that held none of their normal brightness. He saw the boy nod, and took that as the best he was going to get. "I need you to listen to me, gwador nin. I need you to climb that tree back there and stay there. I want you to stay there and not come down until an Elf comes to get you. Do you understand me?"

Estel's eyes widened and Elladan thought that he had scared the boy, but in the next instant, the small sword was back in Estel's hand and thrust over his brother's shoulder. Stunned, Elladan turned to see what madness had driven itself into Estel's mind. Behind him was a slowly dying Orc; Estel had just saved Elladan's life. Smiling as he turned back to his brother, the Elf drew his human brother into a swift hug before pushing him off to the trees. Making sure that the boy made it to safety, and hoping upon Hope that he would stay there, Elladan turned back to his other brother's aid. He shook his head slowly when he saw a small blade enter the warg that was going to attack him, and pulled Estel off into the trees again.

Elladan made Estel climb back into a tree and stood at the base of the trunk. "Estel, listen to me. I need you to promise me that you'll stay in this tree until an Elf comes to get you down. I swore to you and your mother that I would keep you safe, and I can't do that if you're trying to protect me. Please, Estel, stay in the tree until it is safe. Gwesta enni, tithen pen?"

Estel sighed, but spoke softly. "Uma, 'Dan, Gwestamin." He saw his brother smile moments before a warg jumped onto the Elf's back and began to maul him even before the bodies had hit the ground. Torn between his promise and the life of his brother, Estel pulled the small dagger that had been his for as long as he could remember from his boot, and with accuracy beyond his years, threw the knife into the warg's back. Hearing the death throes of the wolf-like creature, Estel watched in fear to see his brother rise. It took a while, but Elladan finally pulled himself out and stood shakily. Nodding his thanks to Estel, Elladan charged back to Elrohir's aid, hoping that his twin was still alive.


Tithen Gwador – little (chosen) brother

Gwesta enni, tithen pen – Promise me little one

Uma, 'Dan, Gwestamin – Yes, 'Dan, I promise