Haunted By His Night
Standard Disclaimer: I do not own any of the stuff (character, places, plots, general universe) from the Lord of the Rings movies or books, I just mess with them.
This chapter was made possible by reviewers like you. Specifically Sarah, who reviewed a while ago to tell me to write another chapter; and to Cat B, who emailed me inspiring me to continue the chapter I was writing, and Buckwolf who by asking me to collaborate a fic with her got me back into he writing game.
Haunted By His Night: Chapter 4
He snuck up to the door and was thankful that they were speaking loud enough for his human ears to detect. "Elladan I want to know what is going on with you and Estel now." "Nothing is going on Ada" "Then why did Estel not want to go on patrol with you, and you refuse to go on patrol without him." "Well, Ada, it's just that well" Elladan gave his word, he couldn't tell Ada… Or would he? He listened closely, whatever was said now could change everything.
"I miss him." Elladan concluded looking down. "What?" his father asked looking surprised at Elladan's response. "It's just I never get to see him anymore and when I do its for such a short time, and if he isn't going to go on patrol like planned, I really don't want to go either. Do I have to Ada?" Elladan looking up sadly at his father. Elrond sighed then looking very guilty at trying to make his son forsake what little time he had with his younger brother. "Of course you don't have to go, I will find someone else."
Estel sighed when he heard this. How could he have doubted his brother? At that moment, Elladan walked through the door. Apparently while berating himself for not believing in his brother, the aforementioned party had finished talking to his father. Estel turned and walked away the second he saw his brother, how could he look Elladan in the eye after his brother had done so much for him and Estel had lost faith in an instant.
That night when Aragorn went to bed, he went to his own. He didn't feel comfortable going to Elladan after what had happened. He just hoped he could forgo the nightmares for tonight and get a good night's sleep. Maybe then he could convince Elladan that he would be okay, and that the nightmares were really nothing. (AN: AS IF)
A few hours later he could be seen tossing and turning in his bed. Murmuring in his sleep, telling them to let him go. They wouldn't, he was going to die. He could feel it in his bones that he was going to die, there was nothing that he could do to stop it. He probably wasn't going to make it to the camp to which he was being transferred. They started hurting him, whipping him, cutting him... They were holding them down, they wouldn't let him go, why wouldn't they let him go. He awoke suddenly to see two eyes staring into his.
It took Estel a second to realize that the eyes staring into his were those of his older brother. By the Valar, how loud must he have been screaming from Elladan to have heard him through the thick wall separating their rooms? Suddenly Estel realized that throughout his inner conversation his brother had been trying to calm him. Estel couldn't take seeing the concern in the eyes of his brother, after his earlier doubts and tried to pull away.
Elladan mistook his brother's attempt as fear from his nightmare, but that was only until he heard his brother muttering the same words over and over again barely loud enough to hear. "I'm Sorry, so sorry. I didn't mean it, so sorry Dan, so sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Elladan asked, very confused at his brother's sudden change in behavior. What did his baby brother have to possibly be sorry for?
"I, I heard you talking to Ada this morning, and I, I thought you were going to tell him. You promised and I didn't believe you"
At this Elladan found himself saddened, it was just like his brother to do this to himself. Ever since childhood Estel had always been excessively conscientious of others feeling, and at a time like this the last thing Estel should be worrying about is the possibility of a moments doubt wounding Elladan.
"Its okay, Estel, I understand. In your place I probably would have thought the same. Why don't you come with me and get into bed, and you can feel free to apologize again in the morning, okay?" He helped his little brother up and they were back in bed within a few minutes.
Elladan awoke to the sound of screaming only a few hours later. He tried to calm his brother, but it seemed that this time nothing he could do was going to work. He had promised Estel he wouldn't tell anyone, but he couldn't let Estel continue like this, he just couldn't. Suddenly a thought struck him, he couldn't tell but he could let someone else hear for themselves. He got out of bed and headed for the door that linked his and Elohir's rooms together. He opened the door the tiniest bit and then ran back to his youngest brother.
He knew his plan had worked when less than a minute later Elohir ran into the room half asleep. Elohir took in the scene and then came to the bed to help Elladan with the walking of Estel. Finally after a few more minutes Estel woke up, and it took them the better part of an hour to calm him back down from the horrible images he had seen.
As Estel calmed the expression of fear faded from his face, and in its place was that of pure anger. "You Promised" he accused Elladan eyes flashing in anger. Just hours ago Aragorn had felt guilty and now he had been betrayed.
"I didn't wake up Elohir, he heard you screaming. I must not have closed the door properly." "He is telling the truth" confirmed Elohir. The anger faded from Estel's eyes and once again he looked saddened.
Elohir look confused, what confidence did Estel think that Elladan had broken. It seemed as if Elladan knew about the nightmares before, but if so why hadn't anything been done. Furthermore, what could have caused his youngest brother such deep pain that it would cause nightmares of such magnitude?
Estel wasn't stupid, he saw the look on Elohir's face and knew what was running through his head. It was the same look the Elladan had gotten the night before when he had discovered Estel's nightmares. He didn't want to tell and was spared as Elladan suggested they all go back to sleep. They all got settled into bed and within moments Estel was asleep again feeling that no harm could come to him while he was nestled between his two older brothers.
Once they were sure that he was really asleep Elohir finally asked Elladan what was going on. "I am not quite sure, I only found out about them myself last night. I heard him, he was sleeping on my floor. He woke and by the Valar Elladan he looked so scared. He didn't want anyone to know, and I just couldn't let him down. Ada wanted me to go on the patrol, but I couldn't leave alone knowing. He looked so scared." Elladan trailed off his story ending in tears. Elohir reached across Estel and brushing the tears from Elladan's face, then running his fingers calmingly though the others hair.
"I understand Dan, there wasn't anything you could do, but we need to let Ada know. I'm not talking about walking up to him and saying hey Ada, but maybe we could convince Estel to sleep in my room tomorrow night. He often forgets Ada's hearing is much better than ours, so he won't suspect a thing. Then the next time Estel has a nightmare Ada will hear, and will make sure that Estel is taken care of properly."
Elladan agreed it was a good plan, and that it would be put into effect immediately.
