Estel, no Aragorn awoke that morning early and headed down to breakfast. Though he was no hungry in the slightest he knew that he must eat or arouse the suspicion of his family. He ate less than he usually did but when questioned, gave the excuse that he had become accosted to eating less as a ranger. Become accosted to eating less, ha, he hadn't eaten anything in the time he had been held by the Orcs, and then ate little when he was still it the halls of healing.

His family believed every word he uttered not even beginning to suspect any sort of deceit. Not from their beloved Estel, but they didn't know what he had become. What he had been forced to become at the hands of the Orcs. He could even hear them taunting them now. He shuddered at the thought. "Estel are you alright?" his father asked. He started at the question, but then realized he was refereeing to the shudder "Yes Ada," He replied. "Just a bit cold" Elrond wouldn't know the difference, as an elf he was less receptive to cold, and often Aragorn had found himself cold when the Lord had been quite comfortable.

He spent the day with his brothers at the archery range. There were two reasons for this, the first being that if he spent the day with his brothers it would make it look as if all was normal, and the second being he needed to improve his aim. Maybe if he had been as good as archers as the twins he would not have gotten caught by the Orcs.

He ate more at dinner, still not hungry, but not wanting to draw suspicion to himself once more. He headed to bed that night with a heavy heart, knowing that it was more than likely he would awaken in terror more than once in the night. He had to try though, he couldn't stop sleeping, and every little bit helped.

He sat straight up in bed gasping once again. He sat there shaking, tears running down his face in torrents. This was one of the worse ones yet. His eyes darted around the room to the shadows as he rocked back and forth. He expected to be back in the camp, that his time in Rivendell had been the dream. It was true that it had seemed less real than his tormented time with the Orcs.

He tried to go back to sleep, but every time he closed his eyes for more than a moment he would see the Orcs faces and hear their laughs. He sat on his bed still shaking not knowing what to do. His eyes darted towards the door in his room. The door connected to his brother Elladan's room. He knew if he woke up his brother it would all go downhill from there. What if he was to just go in and sleep in the corner, he could wake up before his brother and Dan would never even know that he had been there.

So he gathered up his quilt and pillow and snuck into his brother's room. He lay down in the corner near his door, far from his brother's bed. The knowledge that his brother was sleeping mere feet away in the same room gave him great comfort. He fell asleep in moments, peacefully. Only to wake up in nightmare a few hours later.

Elladan awoke and turned over, not quite sure of what had awoken him. He heard a whimpering sound and soon found the object of his quarries. There in the corner was his little brother Estel sleeping on the floor, obviously having a very bad nightmare. He went to stand, and no sooner he had stood, he brother sat straight up, awakening from his nightmare. Elladan could see the terror in his brothers eyes as the tears ran down his face, and he walked over and kneeled down to calm him. He reached out his hand and suddenly Estel backed away from him. Elladan was surprised, what could have happened to give his brother this kind of fear. He moved slower this time and sat beside his brother pulling him into his arms, and trying to calm him.

Damn, thought Estel, no I am Aragorn. No he knows something. Aragorn looked up at his tears at his brother "Please don't tell." The way he had said it almost broke Elladan's heart. "I wont." "Promise?'' "I Promise."

They both got up and Aragorn went to leave. "Wait," said Elladan. "Do you have them often?" "Every night." Aragorn replied sadly. "Then if I cant tell, then at least stay in here with me." Aragorn accepted reluctantly, Elladan already knew, and at least now he wouldn't be all alone.

He crawled into the bed, and as his brother wrapped his arms around him, Estel felt for the first time in weeks that he was safe.