Hey kids. Firstly: Wow, 53 reviews!!! You are amazing, thank youfor all your support, you are amazing amazing people!
Secondly: I apologise for the massive delay in the posting of this chapter. I've just started college and had huge amounts of work to do, but the wonderful feedback I had from you guys pursuaded me to get my act together andI managed to clear some time to get thischapter up. Hope y'all enjoy it :)
Flashbacks and fluffin this chapter. Shiny Thanks again for staying with me.
nenny xx
Chapter 6 - Remember
The sun rose into a pale lavender sky, sending fingertips of gold to brush across the hills and the treetops. Aragorn looked back as slow light flowed into the hidden valley and glimmered onto the distant shape of Imladris. Elrond stood in the gateway; he raised one hand in farewell just as the Last Star twinkled and died in the sky above him. Then with a sigh, Aragorn turned his horse's head and followed the other Rangers as they rode out into the dawn.
The day passed uneventfully as the riders made their way along the Great East Road, and soon began their ascent towards the mountain path. Elladan and Elrohir rode back and forth along the column conferring with different Rangers. Estel had somehow ended up at the back of the group riding alongside Celussë. The Mirkwood elf had not said a word since they had left Rivendell; he rode on with his eyes fixed firmly on the ground. The silence was beginning to get to him, so Aragorn finally picked up the courage to ask the question that he had wanted to ask for a long while.
"Celussë?"
"Ye, mellon nin?"
"Err, days ago you said something about Legolas talking of me. What did you mean?"
"That time that he came to visit, when you were a child. He used to talk about you a great deal. Do you not remember? I don't think he had ever met a human child before. "
Elladan and Elrohir rode up to the pair.
Elladan, who had caught the end of the conversation, grinned. "He was very taken with you as I recall."
Elrohir laughed.
Aragorn frowned. "I don't remember," he said.
"We do," said the twins at the same time and grinned again.
Flashback
The Mirkwood delegation rode into Imladris, with Prince Legolas riding at its head. Elrond and his sons stood on the stairs to greet their distinguished visitors. Legolas swung down from his horse and walked up to the stairs. Always formal and serious, the young prince bowed low to the Lord of Imladris.
"Nai tiruvantel ar varyuvantel i Valar tielyanna nu elen hir nin."
"Welcome to Imladris, Prince Legolas." said Elrond, straight faced and he bowed in response.
Legolas then turned to Elladan and Elrohir. "Greetings to you also, sons of El-"
"Oh stow it Legolas, you silly orc!"
The other Mirkwood Elves smiled as their serious Prince was knocked backwards by the combined weight of Elrond's sons as the three fell into a many-armed hug.
"I do wish you wouldn't do that," said Legolas mock-grumpily, when he had disentangled himself.
"Why?" asked Elrohir. "Does it mess up your hair?"
Legolas punched him lightly on the arm. "No, it just gave me a surprise that's all."
Elladan and Elrohir's faces broke into identical smiles.
"What?" said Legolas suspiciously.
"Nothing. But we have another small surprise. And I do hope you'll like it."
The twins led a decidedly doubtful Prince into the house.
Elrond had watched contentedly as Legolas, Elladan and Elrohir smiled and laughed and joked. He was glad to see life return to the young Elves during these visits, a chance for them to put aside their griefs and responsibilities, at least for a little while. He was just slightly worried as to what the prince might think of the twin's surprise.
The twins excitedly led the Prince into the house.
"Now," instructed Elladan "close your eyes."
"Why?" asked Legolas.
"We just have something to show you. It's a family thing." said Elrohir.
Legolas half closed his eyes, peeking out under his lids.
"I said 'closed' Greenleaf!"
Legolas smiled and closed his eyes fully.
Elrohir grabbed hold of Legolas's wrist and lead him through a doorway. Legolas could sense Elladan moving away from them further into the room, and he heard a rustle of blankets.
"What...?"
Elrohir tapped his shoulder. "Legolas Thranduilion, meet Estel, son of Lord Elrond and our adopted baby brother."
Legolas opened his eyes.
And stared.
He started to speak but trailed off, his jaw left hanging. He stared in wide-eyed amazement at the tiny human baby Elladan was carrying in his arms.
"What?" he managed weakly. He was dimly aware than Elladan and Elrohir were laughing at him.
"He sleeps with his eyes closed." Legolas said lamely.
"Yes Legolas. That's how human's sleep."
"But how can he see?"
"Men don't see when they are asleep. They can't"
The baby wriggled and, still asleep, pulled a tiny pink thumb into his mouth. .
"Here," said Elladan. "You must hold him."
Legolas backed away with his arms firmly by his sides
"No Elladan, I'm terrible with children, please, I'd drop him or-"
"Oh stop making such a fuss," said Elrohir and pushed the Prince into a chair.
"Please, I-"
Ignoring the Elf's futile protests, Elladan deposited the baby in the Legolas's arms.
Legolas froze, staring down at the tiny bundle in his arms, surprisingly heavy for its size and fragility. Elladan and Elrohir pulled up chairs and sat watching their brother and friend, smiling identical smiles.
Hardly daring to breathe, Legolas murmured, "What did you say his name was?"
"Estel."
Hope. A faint idea began to form in Legolas's mind but he said nothing.
The twins, obviously enjoying their friends discomfort, moved to the table; Elrohir collecting a book from the bookcase, Elladan pulling out some parchment and a pen. The room was quiet for a few minutes, with just the sound of Elladan's pen scratching to disturb the stillness.
Legolas looked down at the baby he still held. The child, unused to being held by a stranger, stirred in his sleep, and pressed his nose into Legolas's sleeve.
"Elladan, he's sniffing me out."
"He's a baby Legolas, not a dog," said Elrohir, turning a page without looking up.
Elladan laughed.
At that moment, the baby, Estel, son of Lord Elrond of Imladris opened his eyes and looked at Legolas Thranduilion, Prince of Mirkwood. Big, sleepy, grey orbs blinked up into Legolas's blue crystal ones, and the Prince suddenly felt as if a wave of some powerful force flowed between them, the hands of destiny tying their fates together.
Then the baby was sick on him.
End Flashback
The Rangers laughed warmly at Elrohir's story. Aragorn felt embarrassed but couldn't help smiling all the same.
"He visited again about two years later, and Estel here followed him around like a little shadow in absolute awe." said Elrohir with a grin. "He was intensely irritated with it at the start but by the end of his stay he became rather attached to you I think. He rode away making us promise faithfully to look after you."
There was a pause. Elladan said quietly "We have not seen him since". The cheerful mood evaporated as everyone remembered the desperate nature of their quest, and continued grimly onward.
The rest of the journey was made more or less in silence. The Rangers were well used to searching and tracking so few instructions needed to be passed. Aragorn was secretly relieved to hear when the group was divided into fours that he would be searching alongside his brothers and Glorfindel. It appeared that the three of them had promised Elrond not to let his youngest out of their sight. The weather held out as they crossed the mountain path and after three more days of wary journey, the group began to descend into the lower lands, and by the evening of the fourth day were preparing camp under the eaves of the Greatwood.
The camp that evening was subdued. Though this part of the wood was still fair and green, all knew of the losing battle Thranduil's folk fought against the evil of the Necromancer in their ancestral home. Even the least receptive humans in the party were aware of the fear flooding from the trees.
Aragorn sat cross-legged leaning against an enormous oak, and polishing his sword blade with an oily rag. Celussë sat a little way off, his long arms wrapped around his knees, staring blankly at the hard earth. Feeling the human's gaze on him, he flicked his eyes up and their gazes locked. The young man was suddenly struck by the deep hopelessness in the Elf's eyes and realised with a sudden stab of guilt, that so far he had only looked on Mirkwood's misfortune as a way for him to impress his family. Seeing one of the prince's friend in such distress brought painfully home to him how desperate it was that their search should succeed.
Suddenly his head felt strangely light as if he was about to faint. He quickly held his palms against his eyes to steady himself and a blinding headache burst behind his eyes. Unable to move for the pain and the nausea, he sat still, clutching his head, when all at once, the feeling past away as swiftly as it had come. He looked around with astonishment, his head completely clear, but there was nothing to indicate where the pain had come from. But now, he realised, there was a sudden certainty, where before there had been just fear and guilt and doubt.
Without knowing why, he quickly walked over to the blonde elf.
"Do not give up hope," he said.
Celussë's head jerked up again, and he looked at the young man standing before him. "What?"
"Do not give up hope." Estel repeated. "The Prince is alive, and we shall find him. I promise." He did not know why he was so suddenly certain, but he knew he wasn't just trying to give false comfort. This was something he knew. It felt as if he had just remembered something he had never known. The oddness of it didn't surprise him for some reason.
The Elf looked at him with tired eyes and smiled. "Youthful enthusiasm. But do not make promises you have no hope of keeping. It is depressing when they fail."
"No," Estel said, insistently. "I know now. We will find the Prince. I have seen it."
The Elf stared at him oddly but said nothing.
translations:
mellon nin my friend
nai tiruvantel ar varyuvantel i Valar tielyanna nu elen hir nin may the Valar protect you on your path under the stars
hir nin my lord
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namárië ar sérë, híninya
Nienna xxx