Chapter 1

"Who is he?" Estel asked Glorfindel one day. "Who is the stone-elf?"The golden-haired elf had looked sadly at the motionless elf beside the window and sadly shook his head.
"He once was one of the finest warriors of Imladris. A light in the darkness, a bright star that lit up the world around him." Glorfindel shook his head once more. "He was the best swordfighter Middle earth has ever seen." Glorfindel's voice died away.
"What happened?" Estel asked, breathless.
The elf was silent for a while, searching for the words.
"He could notsave the one he needed to save most. He was the best swordfighter in all of Middle Earth, but that he needed was an arrow. Just one arrow he didn't have."

Glorfindel stared at the elf, and for a moment it seemed like the elven lord too was carved out of stone.
When he spoke again his voice was barely audible.
"Sometimes I think it would be mercy just to let him go. But Elrond insists on keeping him here, he insists that it is possible to move on. He knows best of course, but…" He shook his head one last time. "Don't get attached to him, Estel; that elf is leaving. He would have left with his brother years ago, if Elrond had let him go."

The moment Estel had learned that the stone-elf had once been a swordmaster that impressed even Glorfindel, the motionless elf became one of his greatest interests.
The young boy spent more and more time in the same room as the stone elf.

He stared at the elf, noticing the muscles of his arms, once used to wield the sword. He noticed the warrior braids hidden in the elf's hair, and in the mind of the youngster stories started to form.

In Estel's mind "The one the stone-elf had needed to save most" became a beautiful lady, trapped in a dark castle guarded by a dozen dragons. The stone-elf had fought them all, and had very nearly won, except for the fact that the last dragon had flown away, carrying the girl away.

On other days the stone-elf had needed to save a fairy with great magical powers that was threatened by an evil wizard. The stone-elf had fought and fought the wizard, but the sorcerer had placed an enchantment over himself that made sure his armour could not be penetrated by anything than an arrow.
The arrow the stone-elf did not have.

The greatness of the elven warrior grew with each passing day as Estel watched him, his achievements growing ever more amazing.

Soon the stone-elf became a vala in disguise on a secret mission to protect Imladris, and Estel the Brave mustered the courage to climb onto his lap and see the vala's eyes.

And then he nearly died of fright.

The moment the head of Estel had blocked his view of the window everything about the stone-elf changed. The blood was drained out of his face, and he seemed to be choking. He reached his hands out the window, as if he was a drowning man searching for something he could hold.

"I can't see!" he screamed, a voice raw from lack of use. "He might come back and I can't see! He could think I abandoned him! GET OFF ME! GET OFF! LET ME SEE!"

But in his panic the stone-elf moved so much that Estel was unable to do as he was told, and instead he just clung more tightly to the elf, in order to not fall off.

The young human spent several moments of utmost terror like this, and then he was suddenly in Elrond's arms, who put him on the ground again as fast as he could, all attention now at the terrified stone-elf.

"Elladan!" he spoke, softly but commanding. "Elladan, you will stop this and you will listen to me."
"HE COULD COME BACK AND I COULD NOT SEE HIM! HE WILL THINK I ABANDONNED HIM! HE.."
"Elladan!" Elrond repeated, trying to put his arms around the elf.
"ELROHIR! ELROHIR!" It was as if the stone-elf was using his voice as a shield against Elrond's, as if he screamed so he did not have to hear.
Estel expected his father would glare at him now, but instead Elrond kneeled, putting his arms around the stone-elf as much as the shaking elf allowed him, stroking the elf's hair where he could.
"Elladan…"
"ELROHIR! I'M HERE! I WOULD NOT ABBANDON YOU! NEVER! ELROHIR! ELROHIR COME BACK! COME BACK! COME BACK!" The stone-elf was sobbing now.

"Elladan, Elrohir is not coming back, son." Estel could see the pain it took his father to speak those words. "He is dead, little one. He won't come."

The stone-elf stopped shouting, and for a few moments he stared at Estel's father, the pain that was visible in the elf's eyes cut a hole in Estel's heart.
"Elrohir…" he spoke once more, but softly this time, with a broken voice.

It was the saddest thing Estel had ever heard.

"Ro is dead, Dan… but you are still here. You can make it, I know you can, please son, listen to me, you are stronger than this."

But Estel could see that Elrond's words didn't reach the stone-elf. He had studied him long enough to know that the window had caught his attention again, and Estel knew with certainty that the elf was far away.

It was like Glorfindel had said: The elf was leaving. In a way he was already gone.