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Gathering Clouds

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The next day, immediately following the noon meal, a harried Elladan sought out the Prince of Mirkwood. The sorry swamp episode was forgotten in the press of current concerns. "Legolas! Can you help me? One of the men from Bree is angry and about to leave and take an entire contingent with him. Adar wants me to try to convince them to remain but someone must go and find Estel. Elrohir is courting the dwarves and everyone else is busy, as well. We forgot to tell Estel there will be a storm later, and he may be caught out in it. You told me you were not going to attend the sessions this afternoon; would you go and find him for us?"

Legolas glanced out to the balcony of his room. The sun shone brightly and there was not a cloud in the sky. It appeared Thranduil's suspicions were correct: the lord of Imladris knew more about the weather than could be explained by thoughtful observation. He kept these thoughts to himself, however, and replied as a well-brought up elf should. "Of course. This has been a stressful and busy week for you; I will be happy to help in any way I can. Do you know where he will have gone?"

Elladan shook his head. "There are several places he might be. Here is a map. Though I promise he will not go near the swamp!"

Legolas laughed ruefully as he bent to examine the curling parchment. Elladan's finger moved quickly to show where Estel was most likely to be. "Go to the stables first but I doubt you will find him there at this time of day. Then try here—the field where we keep the mares and foals. He also likes to sit on the bank by the kitchen gardens at this spot, or play down here in the water meadows. If you do not find him by the middle of the second watch, return here and send a messenger into the meeting, for the storm will be a bad one and he should be home."

"Surely he will see the signs and seek shelter? He will not be in any danger, will he?" Legolas began to see that Elladan was not merely concerned that Estel would get a soaking.

"You have never been out in the valley when we have had storms. Here in the house they are beautiful and dramatic. But the shape of the valley and the cliffs mean that storms come upon us very quickly and Estel may be so involved in an imaginary Orc hunt, or whatever game he is playing, that he will miss the early warnings."

"I am surprised he is allowed to go so far from the house alone."

Elladan frowned. "Why? He is very obedient as a rule and does not go to the areas we have told him are dangerous. He has his favorite places and he is free to go to them when he does not have lessons and other responsibilities. It is true he is rarely alone for so long a time, but his favored companions are all involved in the sessions. We do not neglect him, I assure you."

"Peace, Elladan! I did not mean to criticize your family; it is obvious that you all dote on him."

Elladan smiled wryly. "And you do not see the attraction? You should give him a chance, Legolas. You might then know what we know. I can assure you, all it will take is one strangling embrace around your neck and you will lose your heart."

Legolas looked rather horrified as he imagined the human child, probably sticky with some nameless substance, clutching him about the neck. "I hope you will be content if I just return him safe and sound!"

"That will do for a start—I am concerned about him being out this afternoon." Elladan did look concerned. So much so that Legolas could see he was debating whether he should go himself and forget about his responsibilities to the conference.

"Elladan! Get hold of yourself! He is simply playing somewhere in the safest stronghold in Middle-earth and I will fetch him home well before the storm arrives."

Elladan smiled and said sheepishly, "You are right, mellon nin. I will return to my delightful duties and you will have a nice afternoon outdoors. And perhaps come to think more kindly of my little brother, as well."

Legolas looked taken aback at the familial term, but said as turned away into his room, "I will leave as soon as I outfit myself. After yesterday, I refuse to leave this house without my arms and whatever survival gear I can fit in my pack!"

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Estel sat on a grassy bank beneath a weeping willow whose branches trailed the ground all along the drip line. He loved to sit against the trunk and look out through the veiling leaves; the open space was cool and green and mysterious. It was like a special room just for him and one of his favorite places. He had a small pack with an immense lunch, packed by indulgent cooks with many treats made especially for the conference. He was just finishing a meat pasty which he was eating first, before any of the sweeter items provided. Ada would be pleased that he had eaten the 'good for him' part of his lunch. Thinking of his Ada made him a little sad; the conference had been going on for almost two weeks now and Estel had not seen nearly as much of his family as he was accustomed to. He understood that it was very important and that all these strange people would soon be gone, but for now he was a little lonely. He had already played his favorite games and was trying to think of a way to pass the afternoon.

The bank that Estel loved was an earthenwork construction intended to provide protection to the kitchen gardens of the Last Homely House. There were few tillable areas in the valley and this one was carefully maintained. Triangular in shape it nestled into the cliffs on two sides and was bounded by an elf-made ditch that was used to irrigate the small field on the third side. It drew water from the Bruinen downstream of the House and rejoined it a quarter mile beyond the garden. The banks were built up to keep flood waters out of the precious plot of dark, rich soil. It was an ideal situation with the only drawback being that the gardens were a few miles from the house and carts had to be employed to fetch the produce. The bottom of the ditch was ten feet from the top of the banks and on this day the water was placidly flowing about two feet deep. The ancient willow that Estel leaned against was itself leaning out over the ditch, sweeping the water and the further bank beyond with its graceful branches. Estel often played in this quiet hideaway since he was not allowed near the river by himself. The ditch water rarely came up even as high as his waist and was considered safe enough for a strong, agile child who swam well.

Estel finished his second pastry and drank a few sips from his small flask of water. He suddenly saw a small ripple moving toward him from the far bank. He held very still, though his heart pounded with excitement. He loved muskrats but they were shy creatures and he was rarely able to get close to them. He saw the small nose just barely poking through the water, creating the 'v' of ripples. It looked like the muskrat would climb out on the bank immediately below him. He held his breath as the little furry animal, looking like a miniature beaver, crawled out of the water and gave a vigorous shake. It sat up on its haunches and with complete contentment began to smooth and groom its fur. Estel tried to not even smile as the muskrat finished and sat in the sun with its paws resting on its little round tummy. After several minutes it began to walk along the water's edge until it reached the entrance to one of its tunnels. It gathered small amounts of mud in its paws and proceeded to work on the hole, patting and pressing the mud to repair it. When it had finished the first one, it waddled a few more feet and started to repair another. Estel watched until his eyelids began to droop. With a contented sigh he settled more comfortably in a hollow between two roots and fell asleep.

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Legolas jogged lightly on the paths through the woods leading to the water meadows. He kept an eye on the sky but there were as yet only large white clouds, though they had begun to roil and billow and gain height in the last half an hour. As the trees changed from oaks to river birch he saw glimpses of the Bruinen off in the distance flashing silver through the leaves. At last he broke from the trees altogether and loped onto the broad, flat meadow that bounded the river on one side. His feet squelched slightly for the ground surface was so close to the water table that it rarely completely dried out. Several weeks of the year the meadow was covered with a shining sheet of water. Towering cliffs contained the water on the river's other side and Legolas began to understand Elladan's words for a much darker cloud suddenly pushed past the cliff edge and seemed to have come from nowhere. The elf scanned quickly for a small human child, while calling the boy's name. The meadow was nearly ten acres in size and it took Legolas much longer than he had hoped to search enough of it to be sure Estel was not there. His glances to the sky were constant now, as the clouds darkened and began to join together. He felt a frisson of apprehension as he remembered Elladan's worry. He could not say he cared much for the human, but the thought of anyone so young out in a bad storm increased his speed to a real run for the first time. He was nearly finished searching when the first raindrop struck his hand. He quickly checked the last clump of bushes and reeds and began to hunt for where the path led out of the meadow to the south. The next place to look was the ditch by the kitchen gardens two miles from the meadow.

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When the first drops of rain hit the willow, they fell gently and merely lulled the boy into deeper slumber. The willow's leaves protected him and he was dry and warm, though a breeze had begun to pick up, and he murmured and rolled into a tighter ball.

A little later, the first rumble of thunder woke Estel and he looked around, quite surprised to find the light much dimmer and small drops of water hitting him occasionally as the willow's leaves began to be overwhelmed by the rain that now fell harder. He was not frightened, for he felt safe in his secret green cave. Besides that, he had begun to lose his fear of storms anyway now that he was nine and not a scared baby. He stood up and walked down to where the branches swept the ground and formed his hideaway. Parting a few of them he saw that it was raining quite hard. He thought of what Elladan and Ada would want him to do and decided he should stay where he was. He had no doubt someone would be sent to fetch him eventually and the meadow might already be covered in a few inches of water; it was so flat and waterlogged that the rain would not soak in or drain quickly to the river. He knew his father would not want him to cross it alone for in a heavy rain the water developed a dangerous current. He watched the beautiful patterns the rain made on the surface of the ditch water for a few minutes and then returned to his comfy spot between the two largest roots. He pulled out his pack and found another pastry. It was very nice and cozy in here with a snack and the rain pattering on the leaves and the ditch; he was quite enjoying it and hoped no one would come to find him right away.

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Elladan heard the first thunder and nearly left the meeting at once. He tore a fragment from the parchment in front of him and scratched a quick note. He beckoned to one of the apprentices standing quietly at intervals along the wall—messengers waiting to run errands. The young elf came forward to take the scrap to Elrond, several chairs away. Elrond read it, set it aside, and smoothly returned to the point he had been making. Elladan nearly squirmed in frustration and a warning glance was darted in his direction. After several more interminable minutes, Elrond concluded his thought and suggested a break for refreshments. Erestor led the delegations from the council chamber and Elrond turned to his impatient son. "You have had no word?"

Elladan tried to reassure himself as well as Elrond. "I would not expect them back yet, unless Estel was at the first place Legolas looked. And what can happen as long as Legolas is with him? I just thought you should know what steps I have taken, in case you wanted something else done."

Elrond paced slowly, pinching his lower lip between his fingers. "Elrohir thought the session he is moderating would be finished by now or shortly after; he does not have so much to cover as we do. If they are not back in an hour, he can go to search for them." He looked at Elladan and smiled. "There is really no reason to worry. There will be a lot of rain since the land is parched but there will be no damaging wind, hail, or even much lightning." He glanced at his hand meaningfully and Elladan nodded. "Even if Legolas does not find him, Estel will have sense enough to find some shelter and stay put until we go to get him."

"Father, I would rather I go now and –"

"No. He is not in danger Elladan; the worst that will happen is he will get wet, which he does all the time on purpose, anyway. No, I need you here."

"But – "

"If I thought there was any, any reason to fear for him I would go myself and set every member of the delegations searching as well!" He laid his hand on his son's shoulder. "Elladan. I know you feel responsible for him, more so than Elrohir whose love is less affected by events of the past. You take excellent care of him and he is fortunate to have you in his life. But he is no longer a terrified infant, traumatized by evil and death. We must loosen our grasp just a trifle; we must let him learn and grow, ion nin. This may be a good experience for him."

Elladan gave in reluctantly. "Very well, Ada, but in one hour –"

"Yes, in one hour we will send Elrohir. But by then he and Legolas will either be home or will have taken shelter somewhere. Perhaps the prince will feel more kindly toward our Estel if they spend more time together."

Elladan laughed a little. "Either that or they will be sitting as far from each other as they can with their arms crossed. Estel will be snorting 'Fake Prince!' every few minutes and Legolas will be saying, 'Annoying human child' right back at him!"

Elrond put a hand again on his son's shoulder, pulling him toward his seat at the council table. "Or that! They are well matched in stubbornness if nothing else!"

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Legolas stopped for the fiftieth time to sweep water from his brow and away from his eyes. He peered through what had become a downpour, hoping to catch sight of the banks that sheltered the gardens. He was disconcerted at how difficult it was to travel in such a hard rain when you do not know the territory. At home he would have been annoyed at the water that ran in a sheet down his face, but familiarity with every tree, rock, and slope in the terrain would have helped him to travel unerringly. As many times as he had been to Imladris, there were large areas he was unfamiliar with. He tended to stay in the familiar round of stables, the House and its gardens, the paths into and out of the valley, and the river and falls. He actually knew more about the land surrounding Imladris since that was where he and the twins went hunting for game or Orcs. He blinked again and thought he saw a mass darker than the surrounding gloom of the woods. He moved on slowly until he nearly stumbled against the bank protecting the fields. He climbed and was pleased to find a flat top with a well-traveled path. He walked along it calling loudly for Estel. He tried to dismiss the worry that he was feeling in earnest now, and concentrated on finding the boy.

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Estel had wrapped his arms tightly around himself as more and more water forced itself through the leaves above him. His teeth were chattering and he was no longer wishing his family would take their time to find him. He was wet through and his small boots slid in the mud as he tried to brace them against the roots. Then he heard a voice, but it was not his Ada or brothers or even Glorfindel. For just a moment terror gripped him as he feared that Orcs had forced their way into the Valley. Then he heard his name and relaxed—Orcs could not even say Estel, let alone know that was his name in the first place! He shouted, "Here! I am here! Who is out there?" He scrambled to his feet and ran to part the branches, slipping and sliding. He kept from going down into the water only by holding tightly to the branches. The sight of the ditch tore his mind from whoever was calling his name. The water was much higher—nearly half-way up and swirling angrily.

He heard his name again, and again he replied. He saw a form come quickly out of the murk and also grab the branches to keep upright. He recognized the Prince but was more than happy to see him. "Your Highness! Have you been looking for me?"

Legolas let go with one hand and grasped the boy firmly, pulling him against his side. "Are you all right? Elladan sent me to find you."

"I am fine. Are we going to go home?"

Legolas, who had started to nod, paused. The water meadows would be rushing with water by now, and while no doubt the twins could have traversed them easily, he was not prepared to chance something happening to Estel. He looked at the tree that he grasped and smiled. "I think we will stay here. You seem to have found the best place for miles to wait out the storm."

"This is my secret place; you may come in if you want to. I have a little food left over from my picnic that we can share."

"I am honored to be invited into your secret place, and to break bread with you."

Estel pushed aside the branches and made his way to the ancient trunk. Legolas came behind him, a supporting hand at his back, and bowed to the tree. Estel watched wide-eyed as the elf moved forward another step and placed his hands against the deep ridges of the bark. His eyes closed and he became very still.

"What are you doing to my tree?" the boy demanded.

"I am speaking to it, thanking it for our shelter." Legolas turned to the boy but his face was troubled. "Is there somewhere else close by where we can wait? Another willow, perhaps?"

"No, they are all gone. This is the last one, the gardeners told me. They have not planted new ones because there are so many branches to clean up and the roots clog the ditches. Is there something wrong?"

"No, all is well. It is merely that this is a very old tree and he is very tired. I would not disturb him if he had younger kin close by. But do not worry, he is fond of you, Estel. Is this where you sit? It looks a bit damp, but then so are we!"

Estel and Legolas settled against the trunk and the elf accepted half of a somewhat the worse for wear pastry. Estel, of course, saw nothing wrong with it and bit deeply. Through the crumbs he asked thickly, "Were you really speaking to the tree?

"Yes, all my kin do so."

"No one in Imladris does." He said it flatly, as if that answered any possible argument about whether or not it was a good thing to do.

"All elves do so to a slight extent, but I am a Wood-elf and so it is natural to me."

"Glorfindel says if elves were supposed to live in trees, Iluvitar would have given them wings."

Legolas laughed. "Who did he say that to?"

"To my brothers' naneth's nanath."

"To Galadriel? I wish I could have been there to see it! That reminds me though, why do you call Elladan and Elrohir your brothers? They are not - they cannot be."

The small warm body which had relaxed against the elf now stiffened and pulled away. Legolas realized he had said something unfortunate but was not sure what. Surely the boy knew he was not an elf! Or did he? "Estel? Do you know there is a difference between you and the others in Imladris?"

A gruff voice answered him fiercely, "Of course I know that! I know I am not like them! I know it every day! They are elves and I am human." The voice trailed off sadly. "I wish I were not."

Uncomfortable, Legolas tried to find a happier subject. He thought of the fosterlings he had seen in the past in the Valley, and those in Mirkwood. He tried again. "Do you go to visit your parents or do they come to visit you? You must be very glad on those occasions when you can be together."

Estel said coldly, "My human parents are dead. Orcs killed them a very long time ago. Lord Elrond is my Ada now. He is and Elladan and Elrohir are my brothers!" The child began to wriggle away from Legolas, filled with the nameless fear that haunted his dreams from time to time. "They are my brothers! You do not understand!"

Legolas sat frozen for a few long moments, horrified at what he had done. Then he scrambled after the boy, reaching out and gathering him in his arms, pulling him against his chest. Estel was rigid and silent in his hold, though tears ran down his cheeks. "Aiyah, Estel! Forgive me! I am so sorry. I did not know about your parents. Please, I am so sorry. I am sorry for what happened to you, pen neth. I did not mean to hurt you, I swear it!" He rocked the now sobbing child and felt tears on his own cheeks. Such a brave young one, to suffer so much and still have a proud and loving spirit. Legolas stroked the dark, wet locks back and hushed Estel gently. He tried to think of something he could offer as a token of penitence to the boy. He began to speak quietly and seriously. "Estel, I seems I am a little like you. I lost my Naneth long ago, when I was an elfling. I know it is very painful and often very lonely to lose someone you love so much."

Estel raised his head and looked into the blue eyes. Even in the gloom of the storm, he could see how blue they were. And how sad. "You did? Elladan and Elrohir did not tell me that."

"They know about it, but they also know that I do not like to speak of it very much. So they would never tell anyone without my permission; that is why they did not tell you."

Estel whispered, "Was she killed by Orcs?" and his eyes were wide and filled with dread.

Legolas hesitated and then told the boy all he needed to know for now: "No, she had to leave for the Undying Lands. Do you know what that means?"

"I know it is a good place where everyone is happy all the time. Elladan's and Elrohir's naneth had to go there, too." He thought a moment and continued, "It seems we do not have much luck with naneths."

Legolas smiled gently in spite of their mood. "No, little one, it seems we do not." He sighed heavily, thinking of the grief that had taken the joy from two elven kingdoms.

After a few moments Estel reached up and stroked the elf's cheek tenderly. "I am sorry you lost your Naneth, too." Legolas felt something twist in his chest but shoved the feeling away. He would not get involved with this human. The child had many people to help him with his grief; there was no need for another.

Estel was silent a long time, thinking hard. There were some things he was worried about and Legolas might be his best chance to find the answers to his questions. But he had said he did not like to talk about his mother. Still, Estel was becoming more worried with every passing year. He could not ask his family about his concerns since they always seemed uncomfortable when he spoke of his human parents. Not only that, but they could not answer the questions, not the way Legolas could if he would. So Estel sat quietly in Legolas hold until he had worked up enough courage to put his fear to the test. His voice, when he forced himself to speak, was the barest whisper. "Prince?"

"Yes?"

"Are you ever afraid that you will forget? Sometimes it is hard for me to remember what they looked like…I try so hard…"

The arms around Estel tightened convulsively and he gasped a little. At the sound, the arms loosened a bit but kept their hold. /You are breaking my heart, pen neth. How could I not see the pain that must ever shadow your eyes/ When he spoke, Legolas' voice was rasping and soft. "Do you know how old I am?"

Estel nearly protested this change in subject, but the elf's voice was somber so he answered, "No. You are an elf so you must be much older than I."

"I am much, much, older than you. I am hundreds of years old, Estel. And I have never forgotten my naneth. Never. Neither will you forget your parents. I promise you that. Sometimes it will seem hard to remember the color of their hair or some other detail that is unimportant. But you will always remember the most meaningful things about them. Did they love you?" He held his breath.

"Yes, I know they did and Ada tells me so. He says they loved me with all their hearts."

"Then you cannot forget. I know this is so. Do you believe me?"

"Yes…Yes, I do…Thank you, Your Highness."

"Please, I am Legolas. Just Legolas."

"Then that is what I will call you." The dark-haired head nodded and drooped toward a suede-clad shoulder. "It is just as well…." The last word was swallowed in a huge yawn. "…you are not a very good Highness, are you? But I like you, so it does not matter." The boy snuggled his head into the Prince's shoulder and drifted off, worn out from the intensity of his feelings. The elf shrugged his shoulders against the venerable trunk to find a more comfortable position and listened to the relaxed breathing of the boy by his side, as well as the rain which finally seemed to be slackening off.

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End Chapter 3/6