Here´s chapter 5 - I hope you enjoy!
Thanks to all who read and reviewed (responses below) and to San for editing.
Please feel free to comment, I appreciate it a lot!
Alina
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: Not mine (sigh...)
Disobedience
Legolas felt the child's eyes on him, demanding an answer, but before he could say a word the boy burst out: "Oh, I know! Of course you cannot do it, lest we find a strawberry in the snow." Light giggles pearled from the young one as he shook his dark hair. "Forgive me; I did not use my head first, as Elladan always tells me to. But we could use a snowball instead. There is enough snow around."
The human gripped the horse's mane to slide off its back, but Legolas quickly stopped him, wincing at the pain the movement caused in his side. "I am afraid I cannot answer to the second challenge either, for lack of arrows", he said, silently wondering at the strange dialogue he was having. Even so, the child's remarks had reminded him that he was indeed in dire need of arrows, for he would want his bow at the ready when he went after the remaining raiders. A glance at the corpses showed him that there might be something for him to retrieve from the bodies.
He could not achieve this task with the boy watching, though. His mind worked fervently at a solution to this problem, and he leaned against Tinw as the exhaustion and growing pain took their toll. He felt as though a protective blanket was slowly being pulled away from him, and the world took on the sharp contours it must have missed before. He could not tell for how long he had seen it through a veil.
"Are you not well?"
The boy's question drew Legolas from his thoughts and he straightened swiftly, careful not to show any weakness in the wake of his movement.
"No, child, I was merely considering. Will you do something for me?" At the boy's eager nod he continued: "I need to make sure that no enemies are behind us, but that leaves us vulnerable for an attack from the front. You will have to be very attentive and tell me of everything you see. Can you do that?"
"Of course", Estel agreed with excitement, and at least for now the shooting challenge seemed to be forgotten. He sat up straight and locked his eyes on the snowy landscape before him. To his amusement, Legolas could see the stallion react to the boy's attention, pricking his ears and turning fully to the direction the child was looking into.
Satisfied that he could go about his grisly work without scaring the young human, Legolas bent down to pull free the dagger that had killed the last of the raiders and then searched the remaining bodies for arrows he could still wedge loose undamaged. In doing so, images of the battle returned to him, albeit dimly. He had followed these men to save Cáne, in which he had succeeded, but he did not recall wasting so many arrows. He shook his head as he pulled one free from a man's chest. Four more produced from the corpse, none fit for reuse. He should have known better than to use five arrows on one foe!
"Someone comes, someone comes!"
Estel´s excited cries would have awoken any sleeping troll within the vicinity and Legolas jumped, completely taken by surprise. Turning quickly, he immediately saw who has stumbling towards them through the snow. He frowned at the sight but relaxed enough to gaze around himself once more, making sure he had not missed an arrow. He had not, and there had been only three he could use again. They were better than nothing, but he would have to make sure to use them more wisely than he had done before.
"Keep watching, boy", he called out to make sure the little one would not turn towards him, before quickly striding back to his horse. Stealing himself against the pain that was sure to follow, he mounted behind the child and pressed Tinw into a light canter.
"It is another elf", Estel informed him, "and he is bleeding."
Legolas did not voice his surprise that the human had made out these many details from the distance. From what he had heard, human senses were far inferior to elven ones. Also, he found he did not have to hold on to the boy who easily sat on the bare-backed horse. Despite his amazement, Legolas settled for simply agreeing.
"Aye", he said, "this is Cáne, a friend of mine who was injured by the same men who tried to hurt you. We will need to help him."
"Of course", the child nodded seriously, "and then Ada will make him all better again."
Legolas´ eyebrows rose. He now recalled seeing the boy in Elrohir´s arms when he had entered Imladris the night before, and finally he was able to make the connection.
"Lord Elrond took you in, then?" he asked, but it was more of a statement.
"Yes, when I was still very small." Estel leaned forward, not really paying attention as they neared the wounded elf. He cringed inwardly at the amount of blood that showed on the lithe creature, and the memory of the bearded men's stench made him shiver.
It took Tinw only a few more strides to reach the warrior who then grabbed the steed's neck for support. His breathing came in small gasps and Legolas quickly slipped off the horse to steady the other. His touch was gentle but his voice carried subdued anger when he spoke.
"I told you to stay behind." He wrapped an arm around his friend's waist when the other Elf's knees gave in and carefully lowered him to the ground. Even in his state, however, the other elf replied to the accusation. "Aye", he gasped, "as - I told - you..."
Legolas´ stern gaze softened. "And then who would have gone? You, mellon-nîn? You were not fit to walk, much less to fight. Besides, it is I whose orders should be followed." The wounded warrior gave a short laugh at that, but Legolas did not seem to mind, his attention once again on his friend's well-being. Carefully, he began to look over the bandages to ensure none had torn loose or bled through.
Estel had silently followed the exchange. He knew from the injured elf's appearance that he should be given proper care, and he wished his Ada was here. He closed his eyes briefly and wished for Lord Elrond to come, yet when he opened them again, the situation remained unchanged. Confused, he leaned over and whispered to Tinw: "You should really get my Ada. He would be able to help."
Tinw turned, his dark eyes gazing back at the boy. Estel cocked his head in an attempt to read the stallion's expression.
"Do you mean to say that I have to go through this alone?" the human then asked uncertainly, "my brothers often had adventures on their own, but most of the time they went out together..."
Tinw snorted and shook his mane, his nose nudging Estel´s foot. The child sighed. "Yes, I know", he said quietly, "I wanted the adventure and I guess it's only fair that I have to go through it by myself. I do not think my brothers ever called for Ada´s help."
The horse seemed satisfied with that and turned again, continuing to gaze around them watchfully. Estel shifted his position uneasily. He felt small all of a sudden, sitting atop this big horse that was so much taller than his pony, looking at the open plains that seemed to grow darker as he gazed upon them. Heavy clouds piled overhead and the wind cut through his clothes, making him shiver. His stomach had recovered from the shock of being attacked and growled loudly.
Legolas looked up at the sound. He frowned. "I am sorry, little one, but I have no food to give you", he said, "but you will soon be in Imladris again and then Lord Elrond will take care of you."
"Are we going home then?" Estel´s voice was hopeful. He was quite sure that what he had experienced already counted as an adventure, and if both elves came with him, they could attest to the fact.
Legolas rose and carefully pulled Cáne up to a standing position. The wounded elf seemed to have recovered some of his strength and stood more steadily. When Legolas gestured towards the horse and grabbed his leg just below the knee, however, he did not object to the help and complied, allowing Legolas to aid him onto the stallion's back.
"No", Legolas answered Estel´s question once he had made sure his injured friend was securely seated, "but you will go back with Cáne. I will stay for a while."
"Legolas..." It was Cáne who tried to object before Estel could, but Legolas´ expression was stern once more. He held up one hand in a gesture that signalled that there was no room for arguments.
"I will not discuss this, my friend. I will leave none behind. Go to Imladris with the boy and alert Lord Elrond that I have gone after the remaining raiders. There is nothing more to say."
And indeed, Legolas turned and walked away. His shoulders were straight and he took great care not to show the dizziness that threatened to upset his footing. He could feel two sets of eyes burning into his back, and he was not surprised to hear Cáne try to reason once more.
"Legolas, please listen - to reason..." The wounded elf coughed and fought for breath and Legolas stopped, unable to leave his friend like this. His back still turned, he waited for what Cáne had to say, even though he knew in his heart that nothing could possibly divert him from his path. It had been laid out for him the day he was born. He would leave none behind and thus fail his obligations.
"Why follow them - like this?" Cáne managed to wheeze, "Return to Lord Elrond and see - others..." The warrior began to cough again and Legolas winced at the sound. He shook his head.
"You go and do that for me. The chance that fresh snow will soon cover what tracks there are is too great. I have to go now and make sure. None will be left behind." He started to walk again.
"Mellon-nîn..."
With a sigh Legolas turned once more, sadness in his eyes. When he faced his friend, however, his look had hardened into steel. "I order you to go now. Both of you. I will continue this alone." He could see defeat and hurt in Cáne´s eyes and he was sorry, but there was nothing to be done. He watched as the wounded elf bowed his head in a gesture far too formal to be shown to a friend and then turned the horse, guiding it back towards the borders of Lord Elrond´s realm.
The little boy peered past the elven warrior and gazed at Legolas with a look the elf was not quite able to read, for it seemed to waver between relief and disagreement. Legolas did not take time to ponder this, though, but resumed his way to where he had found the human camp the night before.
He was sure it would be empty now, but it had not snowed since sunrise and he would easily be able to follow the trail left by the heavy creatures. Overhead, the darkening sky threatened to shed more snow. His time was running out. He quickened his pace as much as the growing pain in his side would allow, never glancing back. The order had been given and it would be followed.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Estel sat very still as Tinw made his way through the silent landscape. The hooves crunching on the icy surface was the only sound beside the brush of the wind. He could sense as much resignation in the stallion as in the quiet elf behind him. It was not right, he knew. He could feel the danger Legolas was walking into as if it was a black cloud gathering at the horizon, and there was no one holding back the elf.
This adventure was not over yet, and Estel loathed leaving it in this fashion. Part of him wanted to go home so badly it almost hurt, but that would mean that he failed. His brothers had never failed. They had not turned away from danger just for a warm blanket and some breakfast.
He twisted again in the elven warrior´s loose grasp to look back and could see the lonely figure of Legolas in the distance, growing smaller by the moment.
"No use." Cáne´s words were a mere whisper as he gently touched Estel´s cheek to guide his gaze away from Legolas. "Made - up - his mind. Gave - an order."
Sudden anger flared up in Estel at these words. What use were dreams without rules if there were orders to take their place? Was it a rule to follow orders? And why would an elf he hardly knew and who then turned up in his dream be allowed to take his adventure away from him?
He was just about to remark on this when Tinw lost his footing and stumbled. One leg had sunk more deeply into the snow than the other three, and the resulting tilt made Estel grip the mane in an effort to keep straight. Even though the stallion quickly regained his balance, his riders had been jostled and the boy could hear the elf behind him give a pained gasp. The arm that had held him slipped and he felt Cáne sink forward against his back and then begin to slide.
The horse stopped immediately, distressed by his mistake. Quickly reaching back, Estel grabbed the elf's tunic on the side opposite to the one he was slipping towards and was able to halt his descent. He then sat frozen, afraid to move.
"Cáne?" he asked tentatively, but he received no reply. He could feel the elf's soft breaths against his neck, the only sign that his travelling companion was still alive. The cold winds picked up and pulled at the boy's hair as if asking him to act, but he was unsure how to proceed.
The fear felt real to him, as did the cold and the trembling of the horse beneath him, but he clung to the knowledge that many of his brothers' stories had also contained tales of injury and recovery, and that he was experiencing a dream. Only a dream. Lord Erestor had said so and he would never lie.
It was a dream and nothing more.
If his brothers could save lives in Real Peril, would he not shame them by failing in a mere dream? And had he not seen Middle Earth's greatest healer at work many times?
It was time to live up to his adopted family.
Gently bending forward, Estel allowed Cáne´s still form to rest against Tinw´s neck. He then carefully slipped out from beneath the wounded body and took hold of the dark mane with both hands, lowering himself to the ground. Once standing safely at the stallion's side, he threw the animal a look.
"You are making this rather difficult, you know", he remarked, "You could have chosen an easier adventure for my first try." The horse did not answer but flicked his tail as if to brush away the comment, and Estel decided not to remark on this any further.
Instead he stepped closer and looked at the still elf's face. Cáne´s eyes were still partially open but they were glazed over in what Estel knew to be sleep. Maybe it was better to sleep than hurt. He clearly remembered the night he had twisted his ankle so badly he had cried and cried until his Ada had given him a tea to make him sleep.
His Ada. He would know what to do! Making up his mind, Estel pulled the blanket that was still attached to Tinw´s back down and placed it over the wounded elf with some difficulty. Now he would not get too cold on his journey, but how to make sure he would not slip and fall again?
Deciding that Tinw would not need his pack any more, Estel untied it and used the leather stripes to bind Cáne´s hands under the stallion's neck. He then stepped back and critically gazed at what he had achieved.
The wounded elf did not look as if he would slide down again, but his still form reminded Estel of how lonely he really was. He looked up at the sky again. The clouds had lowered even more and the first flurries danced out of their grey masses. They seemed enormous, big enough to swallow him and never let him out again.
The boy shivered from more than the cold. He glanced back to where Legolas had gone and could still make out the elf as a tiny figure moving against the white. Soon he would be gone, and with him the company and protection he could offer.
Estel felt guilty for his need to be with someone other than a horse and a sleeping elf, but the upcoming weather scared him. And besides, did the adventure not lie with Legolas?
"Now all you have to do is carry him home to Ada." Estel moved towards the horse and took the big head into his hands, looking deeply into the dark eyes. "I want you to bring him home and get my Ada. I know that this is my adventure but that means that I get to choose who's in it, right?"
Tinw did not disagree. "And then I want you to come and get me home. But first I will finish this adventure." The horse gave an unhappy whinny but Estel knew that he would have nothing of it. "No", he said sternly, "I will go and stay with Legolas. Now go! Off to Imladris!"
And with this command he turned and walked away, just as he had seen Legolas do it. And just like the elf, he did not turn back again. Leaving the horse behind, Estel hurried to catch up with the retreating form that threatened to disappear from him. Overhead, the skies darkened further, ready to loose their load of snow, and the winds howled.
It would be a dark day.
TBC
Review responses:
NightShadow131: Oh I agree, Estel´s a help - or was so far, lol. Estel´s elven family is not that far behind, thankfully - more about them in the next chapter. Thanks so much for your praise, I´m very happy you enjoy the story!
KeshieShimmer: Thank you! Maybe I chose it because I like strawberries, lol
Victorious Light: Hehe, Legolas did not really have a reason to be mad at Estel - so far, that is. The twins will remain a part of the story, they will come back next chapter. I have to admit that those two are really growing on me, they are a pleasure to write. I´m not sure Legolas would dare shoot anything off Estel in Lord Elrond´s presence, hehe. And yes, go smooch Estel, I think he´ll be REALLY cold soon, poor kid.
Aranna Undomlie: Yes, you did guess right hands out cookie But at least Estel had a part in being saved ;-) Is he really safe yet?! Of course not, poor child...
Red Tigress: Thanks - and I know reviewing can be tough sometimes, lol.Don´t worry about it. Thanks for being such a faithful reader.
Moralinde: Thank you!! I have to admit I have not read that many "meeting" stories yet, it´s good to know that I don´t unknowingly follow someone else´s footsteps :)
Deana: Yep, sneaky they are, hehe. And how´s Legolas? Well, up to know he had to keep himself together in front of an injured warrior and a kid, but now - who knows... veg
Harry Estel: Lol, nope, not sleep-walking. He just thought he was asleep. After Erestor told him the story, he never went to sleep again. And oh yes, it was quite a shock for Legolas and even though he´s recovered a bit, this tale is not over yet...
Elvingirl 3737: Lol - I should let you know that I am quite used to threats, they don´t help much . You could try bribery... Thank you very much for the praise. Estel really does have a habit of sneaking into one´s heart, I think :) I hope this post is soon enough for you ;-)
A big hug to you all - you are the best!!