My new puter is great, but has a problem with Word...sorry for the delay. Thanks to all who read and reviewed (responses below) and of course a big thanks to San for editing.
Feel free to review, any comment is welcome!
Alina
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: Not mine
Safety
An icy breeze ripped apart the last brown leaves that clung to abandoned branches, and their broken scraps were swallowed by the deafening white void that nature had unleashed. The ground seemed to heave when the wind took hold of the powdery snow and carried it upwards in its powerful grip like unwilling minions mingling with the fresh flakes. All life yielded to the onslaught and grew quiet, creating a silence that covered the storm's fury like a blanket.
Even so, a defiant calling rippled through the woods. Soft it was, almost inaudible, yet it travelled swiftly with the thick snowflakes that danced frantically on the storm. The trees groaned and bent under the call, branches touching and creaking above the howling that engulfed them. One by one, their voices awakened and answered, unheard by most but their own brothers of bark and root. Unsettled, the choir grew and gathered; more gnarled souls joining in as the cold deepened and the darkness gained strength.
The wind suddenly twisted and changed direction, ripping some downy flakes that had just touched roughened bark and flinging them back into the wide open. The flakes swirled and turned, carrying the promise of death but also the offer of life.
Legolas stopped and lifted his head. He cocked it slightly, listening intently. In his arms, the boy stirred and glanced at the elf's face. Feeling the question that was not asked, Legolas lowered his head again to keep the snow out of his eyes and whispered to the child: "The woods are close now. We shall soon reach their protection."
The human made no reply but buried his head again against the elf's shoulder. Legolas could feel light shivers that still ran through the small body, but they had lessened somewhat since he had taken the child into his arms. Even though he was heartened by this victory, he had to force himself on as his own body began to refuse his command.
The storm was gathering strength by the moment and had taken most of his sight. The icy gusts began to cut through his clothes and he inwardly shrank from the frozen touch he was so unused to. He needed to find shelter quickly, not only for his young charge.
The wind suddenly gave a howl and circled him in yet another change of path, catching him in the side and making him stumble. One leg gave way and he sank to his knee with a barely swallowed oath. Pushing himself up again, he felt a fresh breeze hit his face with icy needles. Yet, there was something else but cold mingled into the snow, and a sudden smile crossed his lips.
A tiny scent of bark and branch wavered past him, gone so fast it might have been a dream, but it was enough to revive him. As his strides lengthened, the boy moved his mouth towards the elf's ear and whispered: "Are we there yet?"
"Nay, young one", Legolas replied, "but we shall be soon. We shall be soon." Even as he spoke, the dancing snow before him seemed to dense and darken, hardening into solid shapes. The scent of trees grew stronger, and the wind's voice was tinged with a call that spoke of aid and safety.
Pushing away the pain that laced through his side, Legolas hurried on. So eager he was to reach the woods that his senses focused solely on them, hiding from him what otherwise might have alerted him that this grove was by no means uninhabited.
As it was, however, the trees´ voices were the elf's guideline through the din, and he followed it without ever questioning his instincts. Leaning his full weight against the storm when it tried to shove him away from his desired goal, he finally managed to break the grip and stumbled into the guarding shadows.
Immediately, the wind's voice lost some of its ferocity. It still angrily curled around the elf's legs as if trying to pull him back outside, but Legolas would not be deterred now. Branches touched his shoulders and pine-needles brushed the snow off his hair when he trudged on, hoping to find better protection deep within the grove. The soles of his feet soon found the soft carpet of shed leaves and sleeping bark beneath the snow, springing lightly at his touch, and his heart calmed.
"Look! They are dancing." The boy's delighted voice pulled Legolas from his thoughts and the elf halted, for the first time really looking around. Following the pointed finger that eagerly waved before his face, he saw the trees swaying above them. Both naked branches of oak and birch and dark-green limbs of pine moved gently with and against the winds, and their whispers caressed Legolas soul, urging him on.
"Are they happy to see us?" The human was beginning to revive, now that the bite of the storm had lessened, and he wriggled in the elf's grasp, producing a gasp he did not even hear. Legolas set the boy down carefully, holding on to a tree for support. Totally oblivious, Estel hitched the too-long elven coat up and then trudged on through the snow that had formed a blanket here far less thick than in the open.
When he did not receive and answer, the child turned. "Are they? Or are we making them angry, perhaps?" There was an uncertainty in his tone that might turn to fear, and Legolas managed to shake his head.
"Nay, they are glad", he reassured the child, reluctantly letting go of the tree he had been holding on to, "but they bid us go a little farther."
He followed the trees´ lead into a thicker growth of pine, and thankfully the child stayed close behind him. "Where do they want us to go?" the boy inquired.
"I do not know", Legolas answered truthfully, even though he was sure it would be a good place.
"Then why are we going?" Estel asked, "Is it wise to just do as they say? I once followed a squirrel and fell off the tree when the branch broke."
The elf could not help but snort at that. "That was your fault, child, for you had forgotten that where a squirrel goes, only a squirrel can follow."
Even though he could not see the boy, he felt the angry glare that bore into his back. After a while the child responded gloomily: "Then I hope you are a tree and can follow where they lead you." Shaking his head with a chuckle, Legolas held out a hand to brush past the needled branches around him to make sure he did not take a wrong turn.
When he finally halted, they stood beneath a huge pine tree. The dark green roof above them was so dense that hardly a flake managed to find its way inside. The needles murmured to Legolas in concern, and he gently stroked the hardened bark.
"Hannon-le, mellon-nin." (Thank you, my friend.)Through the contact, he felt wisdom and age that stemmed from the whole grove, not this single tree, and he bowed his head in respect and gratitude. "Tirmo yalúmea." (Honored guardian.)
"What did you say?" Estel´s eyes were gleaming. "You have to tell me; it's not fair to speak the old language in my dream."
Legolas looked down at the child, only half listening when he realized he would have to carry the young one up with him. "You are not being polite in the presence of age and wisdom", the elf replied absent-mindedly.
Estel just cocked his head. "Ada is older than you."
The remark caused another chuckle that was cut short when fresh pain seized Legolas and he leaned against the tree for support. An alarmed look seeped into the boy's grey eyes, but before he could say a word Legolas held up his hand.
"Aye, child, I have not seen as many summers as Lord Elrond, but enough to recognise this tree for the source of knowledge it is." Estel turned to the pine, brow wrinkled in doubt, and then regarded Legolas once more. "The tree is wise?" he asked sceptically, "how do you know?"
"Maybe seeing it up close will aid your learning", Legolas returned and motioned for the boy to climb onto his back, "let us go up and seek shelter amongst the branches. I promise I shall not mislead you like that squirrel did."
Estel only hesitated for a moment; then he obliged and clambered onto the elf's back. When he wrapped his legs around Legolas´ ribs, he could feel a shiver run through the elf. "Are you not well?" he inquired. "Maybe I shall get Ada?"
"I am fine, boy", Legolas replied through clenched teeth, "just hold on tight, you shall be safe."
Taking a deep breath, the elf began to climb the tree.
He had not even pulled himself into the lower branches when the burning in his side made his vision swim. Led more by experience and instinct than sight, he kept going nonetheless, for he could feel the flow of blood from his wound increase. It had not had the chance to close over properly, but now it had surely been ripped open again. The livid warmth soaked his tunic, making him shiver.
The tree's concern grew and more than once Legolas sensed a branch twist ever so slightly, allowing him to grip it where he might have missed otherwise. The weight of the child began to pull at him like a load of rocks, and the tiny legs that were wrapped tightly around him took away the last of his breath.
When he stopped, he barely managed to lower the boy into a fork of branches before sinking sideways himself, caught by the swaying arms of the tree. The world slipped from him, only to return a heartbeat later, like a wave washing upon the shore of a quiet lake. He watched, unmoving, when the branches above him seemed to be pulled upwards again, as if the Valar had tied a string to it and now decided to remove it from his presence.
Darkness began to seep into his clouded vision and he allowed it to wash over him, gently taking away his pain. Images of fights and death and flight passed him, but they seemed unable to touch him anymore. He was floating in the tree's embrace and closed his mind to its worried urging.
Sleep would be well now.
Sleep would be welcome.
"Hey!" Something shook his foot - and none too gently. Legolas groaned at the pain this caused, but the unsettling shaking would not cease. Opening eyes he did not remember closing, the elf found himself looking into stern grey eyes.
"You lied to me!" Finally having caught Legolas´ attention, Estel leaned back into the tree, unafraid. "It is not right to do so."
For a moment the elf was unsure who the boy was, let alone how to operate his tongue to answer him, but then he managed to grind out: "I did not lie. I brought you up safely."
"But you were not fine!" The child pointed an accusing finger at the blood that now dripped from the elf's soaked tunic, disappearing into the depth below. Glancing down, Legolas frowned to see that he had not made it very far. They might still be seen should raiders pass beneath, but at least they were safe from wolves.
"You were NOT fine", the human repeated.
Legolas sighed. "I am not as well as I might wish to be", be returned, "but I was well enough to carry you up the tree. Sometimes it is well to turn the truth your way just a little." Seeing the anger that still filled the boy's eyes, Legolas sought to explain further. He was sure that rest would allude him otherwise, but it was difficult to focus on what he intended to say.
"If I had told you about the wound", he began after a moment's consideration, "would you have climbed onto my back?" The boy shook his head. "And what would we have done then?"
Estel considered the question, and the lines of outrage in his face softened. "We would have stayed on the ground."
"Aye", Legolas agreed, "we would have stayed in the cold where wild beasts might have attacked us. As you can see, it is not always wise to say all you know. It might just be the more considerate choice to take away some of truth's thorns, if only for a short while."
The boy grew silent, thoughts clearly hard at work beneath the shock of black hair. He had drawn the elven cloak tightly around his body, but he did not seem to shiver any longer. Neither did he seem to suffer from fear of falling off the tree.
"I see", he said after a while", but would it not have been better to look for help? Maybe somebody lives in this grove, some..."
"...humans", Legolas finished, more harshly than he had intended, when, unbidden, he once again saw how his warrior's had fallen to the raiders´ blades while the inhabitants of the small village had run, never looking back.
Drawing the last of his energy together, the elf leaned forward slightly and took the boy firmly by the arm. "We will not seek shelter with whatever humans might dwell around here. The tree has no gain from betraying us, in contrast to them. We will rest here. Do you understand?"
Seeing the fire in the blue eyes, Estel nodded swiftly. He had seen a similar look in his ada´s face, albeit very rarely, and he had learned not to challenge it.
Not openly.
With the boy's agreement Legolas allowed himself to sink back once more, and this time the wave of darkness closed over him, cutting off all the light.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Estel watched as the snowflakes drifted past him. He was amazed at how gentle their flight was within the tree's shadow, for he could hear the wind howling above. Looking up, he saw the trunk reach up past him, farther and farther up. It swayed in the wind, but slowly, rocking him softly like his ada had sometimes done when he was little.
He shivered and drew the cloak closer to his body. Now that he was sitting still, the cold began to find its way back into his bones. He wondered whether he should ask Legolas to warm him again, but the elf would not want him to disturb him.
Legolas´ eyes were firmly closed. To Estel, it was clear that the elf was "Considering".
The boy had often wondered about this elvish pastime, one his brothers seemed to have favoured, especially on rainy days when he had wanted to play with them. They would sit with their eyes closed, and when he had poked them, well aware that elves slept with their eyes open, they had told him that they were Considering.
It must have been important for them to cease their games with him. They had never Considered for very long, though, and the child hoped Legolas would soon stop, also.
He was getting uncomfortable. For a while, he busied himself wishing for Tinw to come, but nothing happened. Estel sighed. He was sure that it could not be easy to carry his Ada into this dream and that he should give the horse some time, but he wished for Lord Elrond now. Really wished.
Ada would also stop Legolas from bleeding. Droplet after droplet slipped from the elf's tunic and fell into the snow below. Estel could see a small red stain forming.
He would have offered his help, but it was no good disturbing an elf who was Considering, so he did not.
The snowfall slowly lessened after a while and a tinge of light crept back into the small patches of sky Estel could see. He straightened, glad for the change, when a sharp bark made him flinch.
The sound had not been far off, and it had been urgent. Glancing fearfully at Legolas, Estel found the elf unmoving, even when another bark ripped the windswept silence. Closer now. Ever closer.
Estel clung to the tree and turned, trying to get a better look at what might have made the sound, and as he watched, a big black shape emerged from the thick trees beneath him.
Strong muscles played beneath the dark fur when the beast approached the bloodstain in the snow, sniffing at it.
Lifting its shaggy head, the animal looked up into the tree and barked again, the sound loud and demanding. Estel began to shake Legolas´ foot as he had done before, no longer caring that he might disturb the elf, but he received no reaction.
None at all.
TBC
Review Responses:
Unplugged32: Thank you! There will be more :)
Quinlan Ramsey: Hehe, they are determined. I´m glad you enjoy the characters - and as for my PC - great for the net but hell with Word :(
Eliteschwein: They are getting close in some ways, but there are still problems ahead ;-)
Kylaa: Thanks for adding the story to your :) I´m very happy you like little Estel.
Elvingirl3737: I hope your orc will find the coat real soon! Thanks :)
KeshieShimmer: Hehe, they could both do with some warming, poor them. Thank you :)
Aranna Undomiel: Awww, poor you, being cold, too :) I bet Estel would DO your dance bow, bit if he did, he might fall off that tree... Lol, Erestor, the plane :) There will be more of him (and the twins) soon
Faceted-mind: Thank you! And yes, Estel´s still holding on to that thought...
Lintulinda: Oh yes, I had fun in Fargo, great people there! I´m glad you liked Legolas´ reaction. He had to be angry, this is getting more and more dangerous.
Caraven: Awww, thank you, mellon-nin. I´m so happy you like the way the characters turn out. Hehe, glad you liked the "tree" phrase, too!
Harry Estel: Oh, he´s stubborn alright. Even though he does have his reasons. Trouble ahead? You bet!
THANK YOU!!!!